Читаем Three Kingdoms Romance полностью

The Emperor had also greatly loved a beautiful girl, Lady Wang, who had borne him a son named Liu Xian. Empress He had poisoned Lady Wang from jealousy, and the baby had been given into the care of Empress Dong, who was the mother of Emperor Ling. Lady Dong was the wife of Liu Chang, Lord of Jiedu. As time went on and the Emperor Huan had no son of his own, he adopted the son of Liu Chang, who succeeded as the Emperor Ling. After his accession, Emperor Ling had taken his own mother into the palace to live and had conferred upon her the title of Empress Dowager.

Empress Dong had always tried to persuade her son to name Liu Xian as the Heir Apparent, and in fact the Emperor greatly loved the boy and was disposed to do as his mother desired. When he fell ill, one of the eunuchs, Jian Shuo, said, “If Liu Xian is to succeed, He Jin must be killed to prevent countermoves.”

The Emperor saw this too and commanded Imperial Guardian He Jin to come to him.

But at the very gates of the palace, He Jin was warned of his danger by Commander Pan Yin who said, “This must be a trap of Jian Shuo to destroy you.”

He Jin rushed back to his quarters and called many of the ministers to his side, and they met to consider how to put the eunuchs to death.

At this assembly a man spoke against the plot, “The influence of the eunuchs dates back half a century and has spread like a noxious weed in all directions. How can we hope to destroy it? Above all keep this plot secret or you will be exterminated.”

He Jin eyed down and saw General of Military Standards Cao Cao. He Jin was very angry at this speech and cried, “What do inferiors like you know of the ways of government?”

And in the midst of the confusion Pan Yin came to say: “The Emperor is no more. The eunuchs have decided to keep the death a secret and forge a command to the Imperial Guardian to come into the palace to settle the succession. Meanwhile to prevent trouble they have inscribed the name of Liu Xian on the roll.”

And as Pan Yin finished speaking, the edict arrived.

“The matter for the moment is to set up the rightful heir,” said Cao Cao. “The other affairs can wait.”

“Who dares to join me in supporting the rightful heir — Prince Bian Liu?” asked He Jin, the Imperial Guardian.

At once one stood forward saying, “Give me five thousand veterans, and we will break into the palace, set up the true heir, slay the eunuchs, and sweep clean the government. Then peace will come to the empire.”

The energetic speaker was Yuan Shao, son of the former Minister of the Interior Yuan Feng and nephew of Minister Yuan Wei. Yuan Shao then held the rank of Imperial Commander.

He Jin mustered five thousand royal guards. Yuan Shao put on complete armor and took command. He Jin, supported by He Yu, Xun You, Zheng Tai, and more than thirty other ministers and high-rank officials, went into the palace; and in the hall where lay the coffin of the late Emperor they placed Bian Liu on the throne. After the ceremony was over and all had bowed before the new Emperor, Yuan Shao went in to arrest Eunuch Jian Shuo. Jian Shuo in terror fled into the palace garden and hid among the shrubs, where he was discovered and murdered by Guo Sheng, one of the Ten Eunuchs. The guards under Jian Shuo's command all surrendered.

Yuan Shao said, “Their gangs have broken; the most opportune moment is now to slay all the eunuchs.”

But Zhang Rang and the eunuchs of the Ten scented the danger and rushed to see Empress He.

They said, “The originator of the plan to injure your brother was Jian Shuo; only he was concerned and no other. Now the Imperial Guardian, on Yuan Shao's advice, wishes to slay every one of us. We implore your pity, O Your Majesty.”

“Fear not,” said Empress He, whose son had just become Emperor, “I will protect you.”

She sent for her brother, and said, “You and I are of lowly origin, and we owe our good fortune to the eunuchs. The misguided Jian Shuo is now dead, and need you really put all the others to death as Yuan Shao advises?”

And He Jin obeyed her wish. He explained to his party, saying, “The real offender, Jian Shuo, has met his fate, and his clan will be punished. But we need not exterminate the whole party nor injure his colleagues.”

“Slay them, root and branch,” cried Yuan Shao, “or they will ruin you!”

“I have decided;” said He Jin, coldly, “say no more.”

Within a few days He Jin became Chair of the Secretariat, and his associates received high offices.

Now Empress Dong summoned the eunuch Zhang Rang and his party to a council.

Said she, “It was I who first brought forward the sister of He Jin. Today her son is on the throne, and all the officials are her friends, and her influence is enormous. What can we do?”

Zhang Rang replied, “Your Highness should administer the state from 'behind the veil.' create the late Emperor's son Liu Xian a prince; give your brother, the Imperial Uncle Dong Chong, a high rank, and place him over the army; and use us. That will do it.”