Chương 308: The First Terrible Idea in the Late Eastern Han Dynasty

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager He shook her head and refused outright, giving a very "sufficient" reason: "No! Absolutely not! The management of the inner palace by eunuchs is an old rule that has been in place since the time of Emperor Gaozu, and it has been passed down for hundreds of years!"

"The late emperor has just passed away, and I, a widow, am already showing my face in public every day, discussing state affairs with a group of high-ranking officials from the outer court. This is already quite improper!"

"If we replace all the servants in the palace with men, what kind of order would that be? If word got out, what would become of the royal family's reputation? What would become of my own?"

He Jin was originally a man without much of his own opinion, and he especially dared not go against his sister's wishes (after all, part of his power came from her).

Seeing He Lian's objection, he immediately backed down. After returning, he said to Yuan Shao, "How about we kill a few who are extremely heinous and have aroused great public resentment? For example, Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, and the like..."

"Kill a few? That won't do!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao became anxious again, jumping up and down, saying, "The eunuchs are with the Emperor and Empress Dowager day and night, relaying messages and controlling the transmission of imperial edicts! If we kill a few today, they can sow discord and bewitch the Emperor tomorrow! They are a serious threat and must be eradicated completely! Otherwise, they will surely become a great disaster in the future!"

What troubled He Jin even more was that his family members had also started to hold him back.

Empress Dowager He's mother, Lady Wuyang, and He Jin's younger brother, He Miao, received a great deal of gold, silver, jewels, and rare treasures as "tribute" from the eunuchs.

"He who eats another's food is bound to him; he who takes another's money is bound to him," so naturally they would speak up for their "patrons."

So, Wuyang Jun and He Miao seized the opportunity to whisper in He Lian's ear:

"Your Majesty, the Grand General now wields immense power and even intends to eliminate the elderly servants around you. This is clearly an attempt to seize absolute power and weaken the royal family! You must be careful, lest he usurp your authority!"

"Sister, Brother only has eyes for Yuan Shao's gang now. He's always ready to fight and kill. This violent temper is too much; it's not like the behavior of a loyal minister. The eunuchs may have some flaws, but at least they're family, we know them inside and out..."

"Eunuchs are human too, and some are good. If we kill them all, who will serve Your Majesty?"

After hearing these words repeatedly, He Lian began to have her own doubts.

My older brother is gaining more and more power and his own ideas are becoming more and more righteous. He doesn't listen to me as much anymore. Could it be true, as my mother and younger brother say, that he has ulterior motives?

Therefore, she became even more disgusted and opposed to He Jin's proposal to eliminate the eunuchs.

Seeing He Jin's setbacks with the Empress Dowager, and burdened by his own family, Yuan Shao was indecisive and anxious, fearing that this "great achievement" would slip through his fingers.

With gritted teeth and a stomp of his foot, he came up with another "brilliant" idea for He Jin, which was later proven to be the worst idea in the Eastern Han Dynasty, bar none.

"General!" Yuan Shao's eyes burned with fervor.

"Since the Empress Dowager is temporarily misled and refuses this, we can leverage her power! In your capacity as General, summon fierce generals from all directions and heroes from various states, have them lead their elite troops to gather beneath Luoyang! Under the pretext of 'purging the court of corrupt officials and eliminating eunuchs,' launch a massive attack! When the army is at the city gates, with swords and spears raining down, what fear is there of the Empress Dowager's disapproval?

Circumstances will prevail; she will naturally agree!"

He Jin, already overwhelmed by the Empress Dowager's rejection and his family's interference, was seized by this idea. Without thinking it through, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Brilliant! Yuan Shao's plan is brilliant! Using external forces to accomplish internal tasks! Good! Let's do it!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Lin, the registrar standing nearby, nearly coughed up blood and felt his vision go black.

He quickly stepped forward and earnestly, almost pleadingly, advised:

"General! You mustn't! You absolutely mustn't! As the saying goes, 'Trying to catch a sparrow with your eyes closed'—you're just fooling yourself. You can't even fool a small bird, let alone matters of national importance!"

"Now that you hold the position of Grand General, wielding both imperial and military power, dealing with a few eunuchs is as easy as striking a few hairs with the force of a thunderbolt! As long as you act decisively and issue the edict swiftly, who in the world would dare to disobey?"

"Now you intend to abandon your own advantages and gather troops from all sides? Once the army arrives, the strong will rule, which is tantamount to turning the tables and handing the sword to someone else! This plan can never succeed and will only bring about catastrophic disaster! General, please think carefully!"

He Jin was currently immersed in the dream that once the foreign troops arrived, the Empress Dowager would bow down and his word would be law, so he couldn't listen to Chen Lin's "unpleasant but honest advice".

He straightened his face and said, "My mind is made up! Kong Zhang, there's no need for further explanation!"

When the news spread, Cao Cao, the military commander serving in Luoyang, learned of the plan and burst out laughing on the spot, clutching his stomach and complaining to his colleagues:

"I almost died laughing! General He is truly... a talent! The scourge of eunuchs has existed since ancient times; the key lies in whether the monarch grants them power. If we really want to punish them, we only need to kill the ringleaders. It's something that can be done by sending a jailer. Why bother mobilizing a large army and summoning outside troops? If we want to exterminate all the eunuchs, the secret will inevitably be leaked. I think General He's trip is doomed to failure!

Let's just wait and see the show."

...

Having been fooled by Yuan Shao's "brilliant plan," He Jin acted immediately.

In a moment of impulsiveness, he made a decision: "Issue my order as the Grand General to summon General Dong Zhuo to lead troops into the capital to 'cleanse the court of corrupt officials and restore order to the court'!"

This order was tantamount to opening Pandora's box, formally inviting a vicious and greedy wolf from the Northwest, who had long coveted the Central Plains, into the empire's most vulnerable heart.

Upon hearing this news, Imperial Censor Zheng Tai became extremely anxious. Forgetting all etiquette, he rushed to He Jin, grabbed his sleeve, and pleaded with him:

"General! You are foolish! What kind of person is Dong Zhuo? He is a wolf in sheep's clothing, cruel, tyrannical, and insatiably greedy! To let him lead his troops into the capital and grant him great power is tantamount to handing a weapon to a vicious tiger. He will surely become arrogant and reckless, causing chaos in the court and harming the world!"

"Now that you hold great power, if you want to eliminate the eunuchs, you can do it yourself with swift and decisive action. Why rely on outsiders? That's the worst possible strategy! Speed is of the essence. Please rescind your order immediately!"

Minister Lu Zhi also rushed to the scene upon hearing the news, and earnestly said, "General, you must not summon Dong Zhuo to the capital! This man has long been on the frontier, and he does not submit to the emperor's rule. His troops are all fierce Qiang and Hu soldiers. Once he enters the capital, it will be like a tiger or rhinoceros being released from its cage. Luoyang will surely suffer a great calamity! If the capital is in turmoil, how can the world be at peace?"

He Jin shook his head, ignoring these suggestions.

Seeing that he couldn't persuade him, Lu Zhi, in a moment of inspiration, quickly added, "General! If you must summon foreign troops to bolster your prestige and stabilize the people's hearts, why not summon Prince Liu Ce of Yan? Prince Liu Ce is the late Emperor's younger brother and the current Emperor's uncle. His loyalty and integrity are known throughout the land! Moreover, Prince Liu Ce's troops are elite, brave, and disciplined.

He has achieved great military exploits, defeating the Xianbei and destroying Goguryeo. If Prince Liu Ce were to be stationed in Luoyang, villains would flee, eunuchs would be subdued, and even the likes of Dong Zhuo would not dare to act rashly! This is the best choice!"