Clash in the Palace (2)
Upon hearing that soldiers from the Forward Army Captain Cao Cao had stormed Guo Sheng's mansion, Zhongchangshi Zhao Zhong realized their rebellion plot had been exposed and immediately informed Jian Shi (Geonseok).
The Forward Army Captain Cao Cao was a subordinate of the Grand General He Jin. In other words, this meant He Jin had made his move. The moment Upper Army Captain Jian Shi—who controlled all command authority over the Gold Army—lost his life, the Ten Attendants would crumble, stripped of all power and influence. Out of concern for him, Zhao Zhong secretly dispatched a messenger to give Jian Shi time to prepare his escape.
"Seize him! Jian Shi is fleeing!"
"Pursue the traitor! We can't let a perpetrator of high treason escape!"
Soldiers from the Grand General's forces, who had blocked every road leading to the imperial palace, gave chase. A single carriage barreled noisily toward the palace, flanked by dozens of cavalry who cleaved through the obstructing troops. Sharp arrows rained down from all sides, felling Jian Shi's subordinates one by one, but they couldn't halt the carriage's advance. Even amid the arrow storm, the two horses pulling it charged onward in their desperate flight.
"Argh!"
A keen arrow pierced the carriage roof, threatening Jian Shi. He cried out in shock. Fortunately, it halted just before his face; had it plunged any deeper, it would have gouged out his eye. Despite the peril, Jian Shi never halted his rush toward the palace. In this worst-case scenario where their plot was uncovered, his only path to survival was mobilizing the palace's Gold Army and Western Garden Army.
'Just you wait, you damned bastards! I'll rally the entire Western Garden Army and raze the Grand General's headquarters to the ground! How dare a filthy lowborn like He Jin target me!'
The war between the Ten Attendants and the Grand General's faction had begun. This was a civil war over Han authority. Whichever side emerged victorious would seize control of the Han empire.
Jian Shi planned first to deploy the Western Garden Army, seize the palace, unite with the other eunuchs, and purge all Grand General forces. Then, he would depose Crown Prince Liu Bian and enthrone King Bohai Liu Xie as a new puppet.
"Jian Shi is coming!"
"Archers, forward!"
As Jian Shi's carriage charged furiously toward the palace gates, the captains guarding the Que Gate drew their swords and readied their archers. Bows were drawn taut. Though he had arrived at the palace after a desperate sprint, what greeted Jian Shi and his men was hundreds of archers aiming straight at them. The soldiers who had followed him to the palace gates wore expressions of dismay. If even the palace guards had sided with the Grand General, there was no way to enter.
"Save the Upper Army Captain!"
"Who dares challenge the might of the Ten Attendants?!"
Just as concentrated fire was about to rain down, troops from within the palace burst through the gates, striking the rear of the palace guards targeting Jian Shi. These were Western Garden Army soldiers, heavily influenced by the eunuchs—specifically, those under Upper Army Captain Jian Shi's direct command. As nimble and valiant as the Grand General's elites, they swiftly dispatched the guards aiming at their lord.
"We'll cover you from here on!"
"Not all Grand General forces have mobilized, so rest easy, Upper Army Captain!"
Having eliminated the guards at the Que Gate, the Western Garden captains parted to clear a path and saluted as Jian Shi disembarked. His carriage resembled a porcupine, riddled with arrows—a testament to the countless threats endured during the escape. A mere mortal might have soiled himself in terror, but Jian Shi feigned composure, praised his loyal captains' devotion, and strode into the palace.
"Heaven itself aids me, Jian Shi. With no time to send word, how did you know I was in peril?"
"Zhongchangshi Zhao Zhong sent an urgent signal to the Western Garden Army. Thanks to him, we could rescue you from those Grand General thugs."
"Today alone, Zhongchangshi Zhao Zhong has saved my life several times over."
Having received Zhao Zhong's covert message, Jian Shi had summoned courtesans to lax the Grand General's vigilance before dramatically slipping from his mansion. With his aides' aid, he reached the palace. Most of his escort had perished en route, but after twists and turns, Jian Shi seized control of the Western Garden Army's inner barracks.
"My lord, we were hastily assembled, so our numbers are few. The Western Garden point officers, not to mention the palace's colonels and captains, seem most reluctant."
"If Zhang Rang steps forward to join the uprising, the tide will turn completely. With his lead, the palace colonels and captains—even the Five School Captains guarding the capital—will all rally to us."
The palace officers' reluctance stemmed from believing this was Jian Shi's solo revolt. As leader of the Ten Attendants, Zhang Rang's support was crucial. Jian Shi was confident that securing it would draw significant forces to his side.
"If we raid Chongde Hall to secure the Emperor, then capture Empress Dowager He and the Crown Prince at Jade Virtue Hall, the uprising will succeed. Lend us troops, and we'll make it swift!"
"No. Dividing our forces risks a Grand General ambush. Our priority is securing Zhang Rang's backing."
Unsettled by his subordinate's radical proposal, Jian Shi opted to hold the inner barracks—Western Garden Army's stronghold—fight the Grand General's troops there, and await palace reinforcements. Chongde and Jade Virtue Halls lay in the Southern Palace. Venturing there invited Grand General raids, so he hunkered down, waiting for uprising allies to gather.
Upper Army Captain Jian Shi had allied with the Western Garden Army, sparking rebellion from the inner barracks. Since he had fled to them unprepared after the Guo Sheng fiasco, both the Grand General's side and the Ten Attendants were baffled by his sudden revolt. It lacked any grand justification—a mere desperate ploy after his treasonous plot leaked.
"That damned Jian Shi, who deserves to be devoured alive, truly plotted to assassinate His Highness the Crown Prince—my nephew—and enthrone King Bohai in his stead!!"
Having learned the full details of Jian Shi's scheme from the confession extracted by Forward Army Captain Cao Cao, He Jin flushed beet-red and bellowed. Assassinating the Crown Prince was bad enough; replacing him with King Bohai, son of Lady Wang, was unforgivable. He ordered ruthless, swift suppression of the revolt and Jian Shi's capture alive. Veins bulging, he vowed to tear the wretch apart with chariots.
"Failing to apprehend Jian Shi before he joined the Western Garden Army is my failing. Grand General, if you entrust me with assaulting the inner barracks, I shall drag him back alive."
Cao Cao, seated at the end of the gathered generals, spoke up. Her red eyes flashed. She exuded iron confidence in crushing the Western Garden rebels and exterminating Jian Shi's band.
"We should be grilling you for letting a rat slip away and balloon this into chaos, yet you demand a chance? Be grateful I haven't dragged you out myself!"
He Jin bristled at Cao Cao's proposal, his cheeks twitching in displeasure. He loathed eunuchs—the palace ones and all tied to them. It was natural for him to disdain and distrust Cao Cao, whose grandfather Cao Teng had elevated the blood-feud Ten Attendants.
"Grand General, our only immediately available forces are those under Forward Army Captain Cao Cao and myself. With the risk of Ten Attendants forces joining Jian Shi's revolt, we must resolve this swiftly."
As He Jin dug in his heels, Yuan Shao—seated to his right—urged a quick strike and advocated giving Cao Cao her chance. He stroked his chin beard, irked. Her words rang true. Failing to crush Jian Shi and his Western Garden Army fast could draw in the Ten Attendants. Knowing their headaches better than anyone, He Jin yielded to Yuan Shao to avert disaster.
"Benchu, you have a point. Very well. Mengde, I order you and Benchu to smash the Western Garden rebels at the inner barracks and bring Jian Shi alive."
"I shall obey and quell Jian Shi's revolt."
Cao Cao bowed in acceptance. Yet He Jin's face remained sour. Despite Yuan Shao's plea, his distrust of her lingered. Dispatching her and Yuan Shao stemmed from lacking ready troops; once elites assembled, he'd sideline them and crush the eunuchs himself.
"Thank you, Benchu."
Leaving the Grand General's hall for the suppression, Cao Cao thanked Yuan Shao the moment they crossed the threshold. Yuan Shao smiled faintly.
"I'll take point. Benchu, provide support. This mess is mine to end. I'll capture Jian Shi myself and quell the palace disturbance."
"As you wish."
Yuan Shao nodded at Cao Cao's fierce resolve. She wanted to witness Cao Cao's prowess—and that of her trusted aide Lee Seong-hwi. Could Cao Cao triumph over the elite Western Garden Army, famed for combat? The Gold Army: forged in iron discipline and grueling training. Yuan Shao resolved to watch wide-eyed if Cao Cao could seize victory.
"Mengde, send word if you're in danger. My valiant troops stand ready to aid."
"Got it."
Cao Cao nearly retorted arrogantly, 'Sorry, but you won't get your turn,' but facing such a foe, she couldn't afford bravado and accepted Yuan Shao's offer graciously.