Chapter Ten Entering the Palace to Attend the Imperial Carriage

  And now, Zhang Jiao's Yellow Turban army had already fought a decisive battle with the Great Han court for half a month, but the army still hadn't set out. Why? Because after this war, He Jin would be the true commander-in-chief and general of the imperial court! Although Li Yu let him take credit, he was also the first to achieve merit! However, He Jin wasn't bad to Li Yu either, praising Li Yu as his only meritorious subordinate, and saying that Liu Bei was so selfless and so on! What a great pillar of the Han Dynasty! The Han Emperor Lingdi was also delighted! Just waiting for He Jin's triumphant return to the court!

  This time, the suppression of Zhang Jue's Yellow Turban Rebellion was a triumph, with banners and flags waving in the wind, and the army returning to Luoyang in victory. However, the damage to the Han Dynasty was indeed too great! He Jin only issued the order for the entire army to depart after receiving the imperial edict. Along the way, he ordered Liu Bei and Li Yu's troops to be the vanguard. The flags and banners fluttered in the wind as they marched, a magnificent sight with nearly one million soldiers and horses. They arrived at the Luoyang Imperial City in just a few days, and Emperor Ling of Han ordered all officials, civil and military, to go out of the city to welcome them. This shows how much Emperor Ling valued this victory and its importance!

  The next morning, Emperor Ling of Han ascended to the throne to discuss politics. After the officials had finished their morning greetings, General He Jin led the military officers and Minister Wang Yun led the civil officials. Liu Bei, Li Yu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and others waited quietly for an audience. Wang Yun bowed down and reported: "Your Majesty, I observed the stars last night at the third watch and saw a black light rising in the east, which was followed by a red light that stretched for 4,000 to 5,000 miles. This is a sign of good fortune for our country, indicating that this campaign will have the support of Your Majesty's relatives and nobles. I recall that after the Yellow Turban Rebellion was pacified, Your Majesty should strive to govern the country well and create a new era of prosperity."

  Emperor Ling of Han said: "Haha! Minister, seeing this strange thing, I will give you the national treasure today. Liu Bei, also known as Liu Xuande, is a member of the imperial family and a noble of the great Han dynasty. He has fought against the Yellow Turbans in many battles from north to south, achieving unparalleled merits! I think you must be referring to him, it must be Xuande!"

  At this time, the ten constant attendants Zhang Letian stepped forward and said: "Ah! Your Majesty has obtained a wise minister, it is a joyous occasion! I don't know if it is certain that this person is a member of the imperial family?" Emperor Ling of Han called out: "Zhang Letian, I have obtained Xuande, I think there is no mistake. Today, the Yellow Turban rebels are rebelling and want to destroy our great Han dynasty. Xuande led the troops from Zhuo County to fight against the Yellow Turban rebels, and did not decline the hard work of rushing to Qingzhou to lift the siege of Qingzhou, then fought in Guangzhou to assist General Lu Zhi, and again fought in Changsha to annihilate the Yellow Turban rebel army of Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao. In the battle of Guangzhou, he led the soldiers! This merit is very great! I don't know if my brothers and relatives would be willing to work so hard for our great Han dynasty! I think there is no mistake!" Wang Yun stood up and said: "It turns out that this is the case. According to my observation, this black light is a killing aura, and there must be a bloody disaster. It is certain that the Yellow Turban rebels are rebelling! And in this battle, Han Xingwang Liu Bei Liu Xuande led the righteous army to fight in various places, I think it must be a red light!" Zhang Letian saw Wang Yun arguing reasonably and stepped forward to say: "Your Majesty, although it is said that for the sake of our great Han imperial family's orthodoxy, we should still wear court attire and inquire about the imperial clan's genealogy one by one. After all, if the imperial relatives are wrong, it would be disastrous! We old generals have already reached the time of new and old replacing each other in the Yellow Turban rebellion. If there is no mistake, our great Han dynasty will surely rise again, and that would be a great fortune for the people, a great fortune for the world, and a great fortune for our great Han!"

  Emperor Ling of Han said: "Zhang Rang, what are you implying? Shouldn't we summon Xuande to the palace and ask him about his family tree?"

  Zhang Rang stood up and said: "Your Majesty, the imperial relatives cannot make mistakes. Please let Your Majesty first agree to summon Han Xing Wang Liu Xuande to the palace to examine the family tree in detail! To confirm the royal relatives, after all, if the name is not correct, then the words will not be smooth! Please calm down for a moment, and ask the adults of the imperial court. This matter must not go wrong!" Wang Yun was furious in his heart, these ten attendants were definitely corrupted by Li Jue and ruined their good deed of capturing Lu Shou, so they wanted to make trouble with everyone! Emperor Ling of Han said: "Zhang Rang, well, let's listen to your suggestion. Is what you asked for granted?" Zhang Rang said: "Thank you for the great kindness of Your Majesty." Emperor Ling of Han issued an edict saying: "Wang, the Minister of Works, Zhang Rang's words are reasonable. Summon Zong Zheng to come and inquire about the family tree, who will receive my imperial decree to declare Xuande's audience at the gate?"

  Only one person emerged from the group, wearing a round winged black hat, dressed in a blood-stained large red auspicious robe, with a golden belt around his waist, and a dark, rough face bowed to the ground, saying: "Your Majesty is above, I am He Jin, willing to receive your imperial edict, go outside the gate and announce that Han Xing Wang Liu Bei has arrived."

  Emperor Ling of Han said, "Love, you go and ask Xuande to come to the palace to see me." He Jin said, "Your Majesty is above, this Liu Bei must be a great noble of the Han Dynasty without a doubt." Emperor Ling of Han said, "How do you know?" He Jin continued, "Today, the Yellow Turban rebels are rebelling and want to destroy our Great Han Dynasty. Xuande led the troops from Zhuo County to fight against the Yellow Turban rebels, and did not refuse to work hard to rush to Qingzhou to lift the siege of Qingzhou, and then fought in Guangzhou to assist the middle-aged general Lu Zhi, and again fought in Changsha and annihilated the Yellow Turban rebel army led by Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao. In the battle of Guangzhou, he was ahead of his soldiers! This merit is very great! I don't know if the emperor's brothers would be willing to work so hard for our Great Han Dynasty! Minister, I think there is no mistake!" He Jin also had a grudge against the eunuchs in his heart, otherwise he would not have been killed by Zhang Rang and others. Emperor Ling of Han saw this and hesitated for a while, saying, "So, what you see is consistent with me! Moreover, Liu Yan, the governor of Zhuo County, has also reported Xuande's family background!" He Jin said, "Your Majesty, I think if we let Xuande know that Your Majesty suspects him, wouldn't he be disheartened?" Zhang Rang spoke up at this time and said, "Your Majesty, he is a brother of the emperor, how can there be any talk of being disheartened!" Emperor Ling of Han listened to his words and said, "Pass on my decree, summon Xuande to come in." He Jin responded with one voice, "I obey your order." The eunuchs immediately passed on the decree. Liu Bei, Li Yu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and other meritorious officials entered the Golden Dragon Hall, bowed down, and said, "Your Majesty is above, I am Liu Bei, and today I lead my troops to pay respects to Your Majesty, wishing you a long life of tens of thousands of years." It turned out that Liu Bei and Li Yu had already heard what He Jin had said. Wang Yun called out, "Your Majesty, since Xuande is such a hero, how can there be any suspicion?" Emperor Ling of Han said, "Zhang love, what do you think?" Zhang Rang did not retreat at all, saying, "Your Majesty, pass on the decree to summon Xuande." Emperor Ling of Han saw this and said, "Summon Xuande to come in!"

  Emperor Ling of Han held court, and after He Jin presented a memorial to the throne about Liu Bei's military achievements, along with those of Li Yu and others, Zong Zheng led the imperial edict to arrive! Emperor Ling of Han saw Liu Bei. The more he looked at him, the more affectionate he became! Xuande wore his court attire and bowed on the steps. Emperor Ling of Han summoned him to ascend to the hall and asked: "Who was your ancestor?" Xuande replied: "I am a descendant of Zhongshan Jing Wang, a great-grandson of Emperor Xiaojing, a grandson of Liu Xiong, and a son of Liu Hong." Emperor Ling of Han ordered Zong Zheng to bring in the genealogy of the imperial clan to examine it. The Minister of Rites read out: "Emperor Xiaojing had fourteen sons. The seventh son was Zhongshan Jing Wang Liu Sheng. Sheng gave birth to Lucheng Ting Hou Liu Zhen. Zhen gave birth to Pei Hou Liu Ang. Ang gave birth to Zhang Hou Liu Lu. Lu gave birth to Yishui Hou Liu Lian. Lian gave birth to Qinyang Hou Liu Ying. Ying gave birth to An Guo Hou Liu Jian. Jian gave birth to Guangling Hou Liu Ai. Ai gave birth to Jiaoshui Hou Liu Xian. Xian gave birth to Zu Yi Hou Liu Shu. Shu gave birth to Qi Yang Hou Liu Yi. Yi gave birth to Yuan Ze Hou Liu Bi. Bi gave birth to Yingchuan Hou Liu Da. Da gave birth to Fengling Hou Liu Bu Yi. Bu Yi gave birth to Jichuan Hou Liu Hui. Hui gave birth to Dongjun Fan Ling Liu Xiong. Xiong gave birth to Liu Hong. Hong did not serve as an official. Liu Bei is the son of Liu Hong." The Emperor arranged the genealogy, and Xuande was actually the Emperor's younger brother! Emperor Ling of Han was overjoyed and invited him into the side hall to perform the rites of brothers. Emperor Ling of Han secretly thought: "I am in power, and there will be no more rebellions among my officials; all state affairs are under my control. Now that I have obtained this heroic younger brother, my descendants will have assistance for generations to come!" He then formally appointed Liu Bei as the King of Han Xing and granted him the Heavenly Sword. After hosting a banquet, Liu Bei led Li Yu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and others to thank the Emperor and leave the court. From then on, everyone addressed him as "Liu Huang Shu".

  This made Zhang Rang furious, who was Zhang Rang? Zhang Rang was a eunuch of the Eastern Han Dynasty, one of the ten attendants, and a native of Yingchuan (now Yuzhou, Henan). During the reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling of Han, he held various positions such as Shao Huangmen, Zhong Changshi, and Lie Hou. He was notorious for his arrogance and greed while in office. In the sixth year of the Zhongping era, He Jin plotted to kill the eunuchs, but after the plot was exposed, He Jin was killed by Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong. Soon after, Yuan Shao captured and killed the eunuchs, and Zhang Rang drowned himself in a river.

  Now, Liu Bei led Li Yu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun to thank the emperor for his grace and leave the palace. Zhang Rang also led the ten attendants out of the Golden Palace. The Grand Eunuch Zhao Zhong said to Zhang Rang, "Brother, the emperor is so fond of Liu Bei that he has given him a fiefdom and the imperial sword. After the emperor's death, we will be in danger. Why not let him return to his fiefdom now?" Zhang Rang replied, "I have the same idea, brother. But why do you think I want to do this? It is only because we can also get rid of that old man Lu Shizhong. However, Liu Bei must receive an imperial edict before he can leave. If there were no Liu Bei, it would be even better. With his talent and Li Yu's ability, I fear they will bring disaster to us. We should say that Yi Province cannot be left unattended." Because the emperor was new to the throne and fond of Liu Bei, if the emperor did not see Liu Bei for a long time, he would naturally favor them more. Wasn't this a good thing? Zhao Zhong and the other nine eunuchs all agreed, "Brother, you are right."

  The ten men continued their conversation as they walked towards the back palace.

  Since Emperor Ling of Han listened to the words of Zhang Rang and others, he issued an edict ordering Liu Bei to lead his troops to pack up their tents and march towards Yi Province. General-in-Chief He Jin, Grand Tutor Wang Yun, Cao Cao, Yuan Shao and others heard that Liu Bei was about to return to Yi Province, so they brought their relatives, trusted officials, and loyal civil and military officials from the court to see him off at Guang Tai Gate. Grand Tutor Wang Yun bowed his hands and said: "The King of Han is going on a long journey, and we old ministers are here to bid farewell." Liu Bei called out: "What do you gentlemen mean by this? The Emperor has issued an edict ordering me to return to Yi Province immediately. I had hoped to have more interactions with all of you seniors! But things have turned out against my wishes!"

  He Jin said, "Your Highness has given the order, but who knows when we will meet again? It's all because of the ten eunuchs' slander to the Emperor!" At this time, Li Yu sat upright on his horse and gave orders for the troops to stand at attention. Liu Bei and the other officials chatted while drinking wine, and Li Yu listened clearly, understanding that they were all loyal subjects of the great Han dynasty. Although some people like Yuan Shao and Cao Cao would later change their allegiance, at this time they were still loyal to the Han court! When discussing the ten eunuchs, the civil and military officials gritted their teeth in anger. Li Yu saw this and felt helpless, so he improvised a poem: "A thousand hammers and chisels emerge from the deep mountains, fierce flames burning as if nothing. I fear not being crushed to death, but want to leave my integrity intact in the world." This was actually an ancient poem by the Ming dynasty poet Yu Qian, "Stone Grinding Chant", but it was very suitable for this occasion. This time, Wang Xue did not come out to attack Li Yu's plagiarism, because he also saw clearly that these officials were loyal and righteous! Wang Yun, Cai Yi, and other old ministers, as well as many civil officials, immediately took up their brushes and wrote down the poem, saying, "People say that Li Yu is a talented man, but now we see that all the talents in the world are not as good as him!" This poem will surely be famous for thousands of years! Li Yu said, "I don't hope this poem will be famous for thousands of years, but I wish the court would have no more treacherous officials! Let's just consider this poem a farewell gift!"

  The civil and military officials all shed tears! The time for Emperor Ling of Han to issue the imperial edict had arrived. Only after Li Yu gave a single order, three cannon shots shook the sky and earth. The civil and military officials bid farewell to Liu Bei, the King of Han, with hot tears in their eyes. Liu Bei led Li Yu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and others to pay their respects one by one, changed armor, and took off their official robes. He ordered General Li Yu to go to the drill ground to worship the flags and banners, reward the soldiers, divide the troops into two wings, left and right, front and back, and the central army, and set out for Yizhou! There were 1.5 million troops in total. Someone asked why there were fewer people after winning the battle, with only 100,000 horses and men remaining. Liu Bei hoped that husbands and wives could reunite and families could be reunited. He issued a royal decree to hold a grand feast for the meritorious officials in the military camp. After drinking the imperial wine, the monarch and his ministers dispersed, each returning to their camps. Those who wanted to leave were allowed to do so by Liu Bei. They had many family conversations when they returned home. It was not good to force them to stay, but fortunately, everything was currently peaceful and nothing was amiss.

  After seven or eight days, on this day, General He Jin returned from the imperial court and was sitting in his private quarters when a report came that someone from the residence of Grand Tutor Wang had come to see him. He Jin said, "Call him in." The house steward of the Grand Tutor's residence called out, saying, "General He Jin is above, I am Wang Ren, kowtowing." He Jin said, "Get up, what brings you here?" That Wang Ren said, "General He Jin, my master has prepared wine in the study and specially invites General He Jin to attend." He Jin said, "Very well, you go first and tell him I'll come right away, and ask Grand Tutor Wang to wait a bit later." The house steward of the Grand Tutor's residence stood up and left. General He Jin followed soon after, leaving his own gate on horseback, accompanied by his attendants, slowly making their way. When they arrived at the Grand Tutor's residence, the gate guard reported their arrival in three halls. Grand Tutor Wang Yun heard this and hurried to welcome him, saying, "General He Jin, please come quickly." He Jin said, "Brother, why have you specially invited me to attend a banquet today? How dare I trouble Grand Tutor Wang?" Wang Yun, the Grand Tutor, said, "General He Jin has arrived again. We have been laboring and suffering for a long time and have not yet had a chance to drink wine and calm our hearts. Fortunately, we have been blessed by heaven and are celebrating the triumphant return of the army, so I have specially prepared a cup of wine to discuss with you." He Jin said, "It's just that it will be difficult for you again." The two men held hands and entered the third hall, exchanged greetings, and went together to the study. After drinking fragrant tea, they sat down at a table set up in front of the window, and after passing cups and plates around several times, Wang Yun said, "General He Jin, the other day when you led the expedition against Zhang Jue's army in Guangzhou, you greatly defeated the Yellow Turbans. I have been thinking that from now on there will be no more war fires rising again. Fortunately, General He Jin is a hero who has reappeared in the world, with heroic courage and spirit unimpaired. You received the imperial edict to lead the expedition against the enemy camp, cut off the head of the enemy general, and joyfully returned victorious today." He Jin saw this and laughed loudly, saying, "If you don't enter a tiger's lair, how can you get a tiger's cub? My family is the bravest."

  Here is the translation:

  As they chatted and drank, suddenly a noise was heard outside the window of Hehe Hall. Wang Yun quickly closed the door and windows and whispered: "Ah! General, I think the Emperor's life is not far from its end? We should take action early!" This sentence scared He Jin so much that his soul almost left his body. He looked up to see Wang Yun speaking in a very low voice.

  Since Emperor Ling of Han ascended to the throne, he had been constantly selecting concubines and indulging in debauchery every day. The Ten Eunuchs often spread rumors and had even created the disaster of the Imperial Prison in previous years. Loyal officials had long been thinking of a change, but were worried that the Ten Eunuchs would cause trouble.

  He Jin saw this and said: "Wang, the Minister of Works, how can such a big matter be hidden from me? I only don't know what plan you have in mind, be careful, there are ears on the other side of the wall!" Wang Yun, the Minister of Works, said: "General, do not be alarmed. At present, it is only you and I who are speaking, and my words are entering your ears."

  He pointed to the window and said: "There is no one else here. I have already dismissed all attendants, and no one is allowed to disturb our conversation!" The implication was that this place was absolutely safe.

  He Jin saw this and said: "Wang, the Minister of Works, what should we do now?" Wang Yun said: "Ah! General, please take hold of the Tiger Tally, with military power in your hands. I think the Ten Eunuchs will not be able to stir up much trouble! We can only wait and see what happens!"

  He Jin said: "I also thought so, but I want to take this opportunity to thoroughly eliminate the Ten Eunuchs. What do you think, Minister of Works?" Wang Yun was shocked and said: "It is not possible! At present, we must make detailed plans. If there are any changes, the court will certainly change!"

  He Jin saw this and burst out laughing, saying: "You're joking again! A few eunuchs, who have never held real power, only rely on rumors to get close to the Emperor. How can they be like evil spirits from the depths of hell in your eyes? I have my own grasp of the situation, Minister of Works, how has your courage become so small?"

  Wang Yun shook his head and said: "I am not trying to scare you. It is just that we can only take a stable approach. Killing the Ten Eunuchs would be taking a risk! That's why I say it's unlucky. If something happens, it will be too late to regret."

  It can be seen that Wang Yun was still very thoughtful and cautious! However, he did not expect He Jin to ignore his advice and instead mock him.

  He Jin said with a smile, "Replacing the emperor is just an opportunity to get rid of him, and after it's done, we'll worry about the consequences!" Wang Yun said helplessly, "Since the general is determined to do this, let's discuss it again after the new emperor is enthroned." He Jin laughed loudly and said, "Wang Yun, don't worry, I'm in charge of this matter. Once the new emperor takes the throne, I'll definitely kill the ten eunuchs and other corrupt officials! This will be a comfort to all the people under heaven!" Wang Yun said, "Here we go again, let's discuss it again later, I'm afraid there will be changes, let's wait and see!" He Jin said, "Fine, everything will be decided after the emperor passes away. We'll discuss this matter then." Wang Yun smiled and said, "If that's the case, please ask the general to stabilize his military power and hold on to it tightly. If there are any changes, the general can definitely assist in governing the Han Dynasty." He Jin said, "Wang Yun, don't worry about it, this matter is all on me. The tiger tally for commanding all the troops in the capital is already in my hands." Wang Yun was shocked and said, "Is that true?" He Jin said, "Of course, after the battle of Guangzhou, the emperor didn't want it, so I didn't hand it over! I'll take my leave now, and when the time comes, I'll wait for your good news." Wang Yun stood up and said, "In that case, general, please go slowly." Wang Yun personally escorted He Jin out of the mansion. He Jin's horse had already been brought to the front gate, and he mounted it, bowed his head in farewell, and left quickly! Even until now, he still thought that Wang Yun was timid, but actually not. If only he had listened to Wang Yun's advice earlier, he wouldn't have met with disaster at the Ximeng Gate! This is indeed a case of "good words are hard to persuade, and the doomed one will die!" He Jin ultimately brought about his own downfall! Although the ten eunuchs were thoroughly eliminated because of He Jin, the true chapter of chaos in the world began from this point on.

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  A promise for life, a word for eternity!

  You don't know, in my heart, the one I miss the most is you! You don't know that at this moment, I'm still waiting for you to turn back. If you're reading this, I hope you'll leave the last stanza of each chapter's poem behind! In the end, you'll understand how deeply you've hurt me! Without you, my inspiration is lost, but I will persevere and walk out of this valley! Next book: "How much love? More than your love!"