The Rebellion of the Ten Eunuchs (1)
The Midping era, sixth year. 189 AD, the twenty-first day of the fifth month. Taishan, General’s Headquarters.
The Emperor was dead.
The moment I heard the news, laughter exploded out of me. Before the corpse in Luoyang could even lose its warmth, I could already see He Jin and the eunuchs ripping at each other’s throats. Nice. It’s flowing exactly as planned.
On the desk lay a single secret edict. The Emperor’s name and a vivid crimson seal stood out clearly. Yet the decree itself contained no date.
I picked it up and read it aloud in a low voice.
I command Jang Yeon: Lead the Black Mountain Army and advance upon Luoyang. I shall personally review the troops and confirm their military discipline.
The seal was genuine. It was the Emperor’s decree stamped with the Heirloom Seal of the Realm that had been handed down since the First Emperor. The only question was whether it had been written while the Emperor still breathed, or whether Jang Yang had forged it.
A decree without a date.
Well, fuck it. Whether it’s the former or the latter, it doesn’t matter to me.
I had scattered bait in a letter to Jang Yang, but I never imagined such a fat fish would bite so openly. I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling. Taishan was deathly quiet. Honestly, even if I sat still and simply waited for the coming chaos, I was confident I could swallow Yanzhou whole.
The real question is whether I can fucking hold it. This is the heart of the Central Plains, a goldmine where talented men lie buried and waiting.
Still, this was the perfect chance to rip away the “bandit” label once and for all.
“The Emperor’s summons, huh?”
My lips curved upward on their own. If I moved under imperial orders, He Jin could not block me. On the contrary, the moment he tried, he would become a traitor defying the Emperor’s command.
Jang Yeon, General Who Establishes Righteousness, Setting Out Upon Receiving the Imperial Decree
The problem was numbers. My total force stood at twenty-five thousand. When I factored in the minimum troops needed to hold the region…
“Realistically, I can move twenty-two or twenty-three thousand.”
That was not enough to seize Luoyang. Therefore—
I took out the precious silk I had been saving in the drawer and wrote a letter with careful strokes. Once it was finished, I called the soldier waiting outside.
“Deliver this to the Inspector of Xuzhou. Tell him not to lose it under any circumstances. Clear?”
“Yes, General!”
The soldier rushed out. Once again the room fell silent. I stared once more at the secret edict—the decree of a dead Emperor.
“Fuck. Looks like I’m finally going to get a taste of the good meat soup.”
Luoyang, Imperial Palace, Empress Dowager’s Chambers
“Your Majesty the Empress Dowager…! Your Majesty…!”
Zhao Zhong’s wail as he slammed his forehead against the floor tore through the palace silence. Jang Yang, Guo Sheng, Zhao Zhong, and the surviving remnants of the Ten Eunuchs had long since abandoned court etiquette. They lay prostrate on the ground, uncaring of the dust, sobbing desperately.
“We merely obeyed His Late Majesty’s commands! Your Majesty knows this better than anyone!”
The Ten Eunuchs begged and begged, but only heavy silence answered them. At last Zhao Zhong cautiously lifted his head. The moment he did, his breath caught.
He had met Empress Dowager He’s sharp, piercing gaze.
“We are not the traitors the Grand General suspects…! We simply… we simply guarded His Majesty’s side for too long…!”
Guo Sheng continued to weep with his head pressed to the floor while Zhao Zhong sobbed with his face raised. Empress Dowager He, however, merely sat in silence, gazing out the window. Only after a long time did her crimson lips part.
Her voice was as beautiful as a heavenly fairy’s, yet it cut like a blade.
“Do you truly believe the Grand General will kill you?”
“He will! Your Majesty! Ever since Jian Shi went mad, we have nothing left!”
Jang Yang had remained one step back in silence, but inside he was grinding his teeth. He had expected this scene, yet the reality of having to grovel so pathetically disgusted him.
We are the ones who placed you people on that throne! How dare the dog bite its master!
Still, Jang Yang kept his mouth shut. At this moment he had no idea how the Empress Dowager would handle them, and the only way to preserve their lives was to kneel first.
That night, a chorus of weeping rose outside He Jin’s residence. The Ten Eunuchs had formed a line before the gate, kneeling with their heads bowed. Their cries gradually weakened, yet the persistent wails refused to leave the ear.
“Please… we beg you, Grand General…!”
“We only followed His Majesty’s orders… that is our sole crime…!”
Guo Sheng, Zhao Zhong, and now even Jang Yang—the very men who had once arrogantly recommended He Jin—were now groveling like beasts.
Do I really… have to kill them all?
He Jin unconsciously tightened his grip. Beheading them would not be difficult. Military authority was already in his hands, he controlled the Imperial Guard, and the greatest obstacle, Jian Shi, was dead.
Then why does it feel so damn uncomfortable?
While he hesitated, quiet footsteps approached from behind.
“Grand General.”
He Jin turned. The man revealed in the moonlight was Yuan Shao. His clothes were still impeccably neat, but his eyes were razor-sharp. He walked straight over and stopped beside He Jin.
“Why do you spare them?”
“Though our paths have diverged, we once sailed on the same boat.”
He Jin spoke slowly. Yuan Shao’s reply was cold yet logical.
“If the boat is rotten and sinking, it must be abandoned. If you let them live, they will wag their tongues again someday. Whether it is the new Emperor, the court, or Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, no one can say.”
He Jin gave no answer. Silence stretched between them. The early summer night air was still cool. At last He Jin let out a heavy sigh.
“Haa… I have already ordered the Inspector of Bing Province, yet I still cannot decide.”
His words revealed his own indecisiveness. Yuan Shao unconsciously bit his lip at the sight.
“There are many reasons to kill them. But once they are dead… what exactly will remain in my hands?”
“Power and reform,” Yuan Shao said flatly. “Grand General, without staining your hands with blood, you cannot correct this chaotic world.”
He Jin closed his eyes for a moment. Guo Sheng’s faint sobs drifted on the wind. When he opened his eyes again, Yuan Shao still stood quietly. He offered no further persuasion, no pressure. He simply waited.
He Jin looked outside once more.
“To kill these bastards… I may have to cut off my own hand first.”
At those words, Yuan Shao’s eyebrow twitched. He said nothing. He Jin muttered one last time.
“I need to think a little longer.”
The gate of He Jin’s residence opened and Yuan Shao stepped out. As if he had been waiting, Cao Cao slowly walked forward.
“So? Has the Grand General made his decision?”
Yuan Shao glanced at him.
“It seems it will take a little more time.”
Cao Cao gave a small chuckle.
“As expected. You act as if you will kill them, then sheathe your blade again.”
“If you keep running that mouth, Mengde, I may have to cut down even a sworn friend.”
Yuan Shao’s tone was resolute. Cao Cao, however, did not retreat. He took one step closer instead.
“But Ben Chu, you are currently calling the regional warlords to Luoyang. I understand you’re trying to force the hesitant Grand General to act, but isn’t that shooting yourself in the foot?”
“Hah, shooting myself in the foot? Do you really see the Grand General as a man who moves with his own will?”
Yuan Shao continued calmly.
“For the Grand General to move, a spark must come from outside. He is not the kind of man who lights the fire himself.”
Cao Cao snorted.
“So you’re going to light the fire personally? Without even considering how far the flames will spread?”
“What does it matter if they spread? Fire is meant to spread.”
Cao Cao frowned.
“That fire could burn the entire realm to ash. Do you truly understand what you are doing?”
“Sometimes the greater cause requires sacrificing the lesser. Mengde.”
Yuan Shao’s voice was firm.
“I understand why you fear these flames. Is it not because of your grandfather?”
Cao Cao’s expression soured instantly.
“Why do you bring up my grandfather, Ben Chu?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know? Do you think the stain of being a eunuch’s descendant will ever disappear?”
Yuan Shao spoke indifferently.
“That is your weakness, is it not? The reason you cannot purge the eunuchs to the end.”
Cao Cao’s face twisted into something vicious in an instant.
“Ben Chu. You bastard… say that again…”
“Why? Am I wrong?”
Yuan Shao whispered into Cao Cao’s ear.
“You have never once stepped forward properly. You always shout about ‘loyalty,’ yet you only ever move for your own ‘benefit.’”
Cao Cao’s pupils trembled slightly.
“And men like that never grasp true power.”
Having said his piece, Yuan Shao turned away quietly. Cao Cao stared at his retreating back and slowly clenched his fist.
Luoyang, Imperial Palace, Secret Chamber
In a dark room thick with the scent of incense, the Ten Eunuchs held their breath as they gathered. At the center, Jang Yang sat silently drinking tea.
“If things continue like this, we are finished,” Zhao Zhong said, head bowed low. His voice was quiet, but the terror within it could not be hidden. “Jian Shi is dead, the Imperial Guard has been taken, and… it will soon be our turn.”
“Her Majesty the Empress Dowager protects us for now, but we do not know when our heads will fly,” Guo Sheng said through gritted teeth. “Even today, the Grand General refused to open the door. He clearly intends to kill us.”
Duan Gui rose from his seat and glared at Jang Yang, who was still drinking tea.
“It is time to make a decision!”
Jang Yang said nothing. The hand holding the teacup trembled faintly, yet he tried to hide even that tremor.
I need to buy a little more time. Trusting these men to act now is far too dangerous.
The tension in the room tightened like a noose.
“Lord Zhang, speak!” Guo Sheng added. “If we delay any longer, one of our heads will be the first to roll.”
Jang Yang lowered his gaze.
These bastards—! If they would just give me one more week—!
He ground his teeth. One more week. If he could endure just one more week, the bandit army would reach Luoyang. But the Ten Eunuchs around him had run out of patience.
“We no longer have time,” Zhao Zhong said.
At those words, Jang Yang could no longer hold back. He let out a sigh-like breath and spoke.
“Then—”
He quietly set down his teacup.
“Before the Grand General kills us, we must raise our blades first.”
Guo Sheng nodded. The other eunuchs let out sighs of relief. Yet none of them in that room noticed.
Jang Yang’s eyes were trembling violently.