05. Struggling to Prevent the Worst (4)
05. Struggling to Prevent the Worst (4)
They say the power struggle between General-in-Chief He Jin and the Ten Eunuchs is incredibly brutal within the Imperial Palace... but until now, they had never gone so far as to mobilize assassins to stage an incident inside the Imperial City.
However, ever since the Emperor Liu Hong collapsed and lay on his sickbed, hovering between life and death, the Ten Eunuchs began to resort to more extreme, murderous tactics.
"They ran that way!"
"We must capture them somehow and reveal who's behind this!"
The government troops began to give chase.
The mysterious figures wearing black masks.
They had even prowled near the Eastern Palace, where Liu Bian—the eldest son of Emperor Liu Hong and offspring of Empress He—was staying.
They were trying to assassinate Liu Bian.
Although I hadn't obtained accurate information yet, the mere fact that assassins were discovered near the Eastern Palace was shocking enough.
"Die!"
Had they judged that escaping any further was impossible?
The assassin, who had been running blindly forward, turned around and swung a short dagger.
I dodged by tilting my head back, and then,
I swung my long sword, carving a deep scar into the assassin's neck.
Puhwaak!!
Blood poured out from the gap in the split wound.
The assassin died instantly, and all the government troops who had been chasing them stopped in their tracks.
"Sh-shouldn't we have captured them alive?"
"I was in danger."
I consider my own safety more important than anything else.
Even if I succeeded in capturing the assassin alive,
if I ended up with a serious wound or became crippled, it would be all for nothing.
Before serving the country,
let's fight for myself. That is my belief.
Anyone who has served in the military in South Korea would probably agree with that.
"Just capture the others. I already killed this one."
"Yes!"
I poked the fallen assassin with the sharp tip of my sword.
It was certain they were dead.
I turned my eyes away from the assassin's corpse, which lay with its limbs limp, and looked toward the Imperial Palace, where shouts could be heard incessantly.
There were easily over 20 assassins.
I didn't know how they managed to infiltrate the Imperial Palace... but it was clear there had been an inside helper.
'Is this a scheme to stop Liu Bian's ascension? Damn, this is troublesome. The General-in-Chief's side will feel a sense of crisis. If the Emperor dies, they'll immediately enthrone Liu Bian as the new Emperor.'
The Ten Eunuchs did something stupid.
It would be one thing if the assassination plan had succeeded, but there was no way a plan like this would work.
From the start, there was no way it could succeed.
There are thousands of troops guarding the Imperial Palace; how could a mere 30 or so assassins break through all of that to get to the Eastern Palace and kill Liu Bian?
They should have just had the palace servants set a fire instead.
If they had burned him alive along with the Eastern Palace, I might have even applauded their boldness.
"What is going on! I'm asking you, what is going on!!"
A man came running in a hurry, dressed only in his undergarments.
Had he been rolling around with a woman until just a moment ago?
The sight was bizarre. The undergarments barely covering his lower half naturally made the military officers frown.
General of Chariots and Cavalry He Miao.
He was the person in charge of the Imperial Palace's security today, a man with a unique family relationship: he was the full brother of General-in-Chief He Jin and the maternal half-brother of Empress He.
I don't know where he was fooling around until just now... but if it became known that assassins had stormed in on the day he was neglecting his duties, impeachment petitions would surely flood in.
"Crazy bastard."
"To think a low-born piece of shit like that is the General of Chariots and Cavalry."
It was impossible for the military officers and soldiers, who had been running around until their feet sweated to catch the assassins, to look favorably upon He Miao.
Even though he was of low birth, he had landed the position of General of Chariots and Cavalry thanks to his family; he should have at least worked hard, yet he committed the blunder of abandoning the Imperial Palace to indulge in wine and women.
One could guess just how lax the discipline of the Han Dynasty's Imperial Army had become.
"We've caught the last one!"
The military officers dragged in the assassin, who was covered in blood.
It seemed they had beaten them mercilessly to capture them alive.
The assassin, having been focused on by dozens of military officers, was in a state so wretched it was hard to look at.
"You wretch! How dare you!"
He Miao ran over and beat the captured assassin.
He swung his fists, commonly called "cotton fists" by the soldiers, and struck the assassin's face. The sight of him flustered, as if he had only just remembered his duty, was truly disgusting to watch.
"Pl-please calm down!"
"Shouldn't we find out who is behind this first? It won't be too late to execute them later."
He Miao's subordinates flocked over to restrain him.
They say like attracts like.
They show up only after everything is over, having been doing who knows what, just to try and take credit.
"For now, we will seal all the gates until morning and wait for further orders from our superiors."
"Yes, good work."
After bowing to my superior,
I gathered the soldiers who had rushed out and ended the commotion.
"Wow, our Colonel! The way you swung your sword and sliced the assassin's neck was top-notch."
One of my subordinates said in a comical voice, making exaggerated gestures.
It wasn't anything that special.
I just ended up swinging my sword naturally after rolling around here for two years.
Guilt for killing a person?
That was nothing compared to the will to survive.
Guilt is a feeling you can only experience if you're alive.
Because if you hesitate, wrapped up in petty pity and sympathy, and end up becoming a ghost, it's all for nothing.
Early morning arrived, and it was time to leave the office.
Was it because I had overexerted myself since late last night?
My whole body felt heavy as lead. I wanted to go home right now and sleep like a log.
"Strengthen the guard and increase the patrol teams! Shorten the patrol intervals and expand the patrol range!"
Leave the office, my ass.
A mobilization order was issued to all soldiers, including the night duty guards from last night.
There's no knowing when assassins might strike again.
Of course, this was just the superficial reason; the real reason must be to keep the Ten Eunuchs' faction, who are presumed to have sent the assassins, in check.
"There was an incident last night?"
Colonel of the Vanguard Cao Cao came to find me.
I only just learned this, but the gate I'm in charge of is apparently the path Cao Cao frequently takes when heading to the Imperial Palace.
"Yes, it's driving me crazy, thanks to that."
Damn it. Night duty and overtime.
In some countries, NCOs get their overtime bonuses regularly even while playing tennis.
And here I am, a military officer of the Han Dynasty, where overtime bonuses are out of the question even if I work extra.
"Please go in for now."
I checked Cao Cao's identification tag.
Of course, it's unlikely there's another woman in the world with her appearance, but since there was an order from above to thoroughly check everyone passing through the gate today, I had no choice but to check her identification tag.
It's what you call a procedural issue.
To think the day would come when I'd say something like this. I've really become a civil servant.
"Excuse me..."
Cao Cao, who had been heading on her way, opened her mouth cautiously.
Then, after a moment,
she said it was nothing and turned back.
'What was that?'
I felt puzzled by Cao Cao's inexplicable hesitation.
I was overlooking one thing.
The bizarre and terrible curse-like ability: MAX compatibility with all ruler-type characters.
The attempted assassination that occurred last night.
The target of the assassination was Liu Bian, the master of the Eastern Palace, the prince born to Empress He.
The General-in-Chief's Office was turned upside down.
He Jin had been shouting at the top of his lungs since morning, his face beet red, and his subordinate generals had to break into a cold sweat over his unpredictable behavior.
"He Miao! What the hell was that bastard doing to let those assassins run wild!!"
"According to the entry records, he has been out of the palace since early evening..."
"What! What did you say?!"
At the subordinate general's report, He Jin spewed fury as if he were about to draw his sword right then and there.
If anything had happened to Liu Bian's safety,
it might have been snatched away by Liu Xie, the son of Lady Wang, who was constantly eyeing the next imperial throne.
He had already been secretly anxious about that.
In the midst of this, the fact that assassins had tried to target Liu Bian in the Imperial Palace made He Jin feel fear along with his anger.
'Ten Eunuchs! How dare those bell-less bastards try to kill my nephew? It seems they've been driven into a corner and have nothing left to fear. Fine, I'll make sure to finish you off!'
They had committed treason.
Even if the General-in-Chief's Office were to march out with troops right now and cut off the eunuchs' heads, no one would be able to stop them.
The imperial officials are not worth worrying about.
If I only purge the Ten Eunuchs, who have long used the Emperor to seize wealth and power, the era of me, General-in-Chief He Jin, will finally begin.
"The time for raising an army is not far off. The time is ripe for us military officers to take the lead, purge the treacherous officials who have long toyed with the Imperial Court and the government, and set justice straight!"
The position of being above ten thousand people was not far off.
General-in-Chief He Jin was convinced that all the wealth and power of the Han Dynasty would soon be in his grasp.
Who could possibly take my position?
I, He Jin, am the one who will support the Empress and the Prince as the guardian of the Han Imperial Family, and furthermore, set the foundations of the Han Dynasty straight.
"We must be careful at times like this. Numerous political enemies in the court, including the Ten Eunuchs, are targeting the General-in-Chief."
General of the Central Army Yuan Shao advised.
She remembered what Colonel of the Gate Guard Lee Seong-hwi had said.
The Ten Eunuchs are targeting the General-in-Chief's life. He wouldn't have come all the way to the General-in-Chief's Office to spout such nonsense, so he must have said that because he knew something.
It's not information with precise evidence.
However, Yuan Shao was feeling an inexplicable sense of anxiety from Lee Seong-hwi's words.
'The flames that have been burning fiercely for years will eventually engulf the Imperial Palace. Who will disappear in those flames... no one knows yet.'
It is necessary to move with careful consideration.
With this attempted assassination, the side that had clearly seized the upper hand was the General-in-Chief's side, but that didn't mean the Ten Eunuchs' power had been completely erased.
The Ten Eunuchs are being defended by Empress He.
Not only that, but they also had many private soldiers using the wealth they had scraped together until now.
"Benchu, it is well known that there are many political enemies targeting me. But am I not alive and well right now? I, He Jin, am not a person who would die at the hands of mere ruffians."
He was in a state of great confidence.
Even pouring arrows would avoid him, and no sharp blade would be able to reach him.
He Jin was overestimating himself.
It took him 15 years to go from the low-ranking position of Langzhong to General-in-Chief. He thought he was a very special human being, which is why he could go from a butcher to a General-in-Chief.
"Then please summon the external armies."
Yuan Shao informed He Jin that the time had come to use the forces that had been hidden for a long time.
He Jin's adjutant Wang Kuang [had] 500 crossbowmen,
Administrator of Dongjun Qiao Mao was preparing troops while stationed in Chenggao. And Inspector of Bing Province Ding Yuan, who was appointed Colonel of Valiant Cavalry thanks to He Jin, had troops stationed in Henei Commandery.
If they mobilized them all to strike inside and outside Luoyang,
even the Ten Eunuchs, who had been coiled in Luoyang for decades holding power, would surely collapse helplessly without being able to do anything.
"Ahem."
At Yuan Shao's continued advice, He Jin showed a displeased expression.
"Sigh! Why does the General of the Central Army repeatedly go against the General-in-Chief's will?"
Buguo Zhang Wu Kuang stepped forward and added words scolding Yuan Shao.
Wu Kuang was the adjutant who understood He Jin's mood the best, and when He Jin showed signs of discomfort, he immediately stepped forward to restrain Yuan Shao.
"There is nothing wrong with what the General of the Central Army says, but bringing external military forces into Luoyang is not a matter to be decided so easily. The Ten Eunuchs have already lost their power and are declining, just waiting for their deaths, so what is there to fear that I should call in troops?"
He wanted to minimize the chaos that would be inflicted on Luoyang.
A new Emperor would be enthroned soon.
For He Jin, who intended to put forward his young nephew and ascend to the position of Chancellor of State, the somewhat dangerous strategy Yuan Shao had advised was not very welcome.