Vanguard General's Aide (4)
Mid-Courtyard Attendant Jian Shi (Geonseok) was a eunuch, but he was a man of towering stature and immense courage. Hadn't it been he who, upon Emperor Ling's ascension, obeyed the emperor's command to seize the palace and slaughter Dou Wu and Chen Fan, who had been manipulating the court? It was surely for that very reason he had been appointed Upper Military Attendant, commander of the emperor's Imperial Guard, the Western Garden Eight Commandants.
"He Jin, that bastard—he'll stop at nothing to enthrone Prince Liu Bian. If that happens, us eunuchs will be trampled and humiliated by those lowly, ignorant generals."
He muttered bitterly, gnawing at his nails. That damned butcher's whelp. Jian Shi deeply resented how a mere child who'd sliced meat at a slaughterhouse had grown into a threat to his position. If a man received grace, he ought to repay it. He'd supported that lowly brother and sister with all his resources, elevating them to empress and Grand General—yet now they turned the blade against him.
'That base bloodline can't be hidden, no matter how fine the silk or fragrant the oils.'
I'll never trust filthy commoners again. Muttering to himself, Jian Shi secretly summoned Mid-Courtyard Attendant Guo Sheng to his mansion to discuss a grave undertaking.
"Recall how Dou Wu and Chen Fan terrorized the emperor and deceived the imperial house. We eunuchs rose with righteous cause, drove out those filthy vermin, and safeguarded the imperial law and the realm's peace with our own hands. Now, that butcher siblings terrorize the emperor and deceive the house once more. Isn't it time for us eunuchs to rise again in the name of justice?"
Jian Shi conspired with Guo Sheng, rallying the other Ten Attendants, preparing to mobilize the Imperial Guard and purge the Grand General's faction. The plot's crux was the palace's Imperial Guard. They had to seize the Grand General's headquarters in a lightning strike, slaughter He Jin and his cronies. Then, demote Empress Dowager He's son, Prince Liu Bian, to commoner status and enthrone King Bohai as the next emperor.
"But Mid-Courtyard Attendant, the Grand General's faction is terrifyingly powerful these days. Even the sons of noble houses support He Jin—how could our plot possibly succeed?"
Guo Sheng viewed Jian Shi's plan pessimistically. It had no chance. The Grand General commanded over 100,000 troops—how could they win? Even if they seized the palace with the Imperial Guard, if He Jin and his men fled Luoyang and returned with provincial armies, there'd be no stopping them.
"I think the timing isn't right. Let's bide our time and plan for later."
Too hasty. Guo Sheng urged restraint, waiting for He Jin to bring about his own downfall, reining in Jian Shi's impatience.
But Jian Shi thought differently. Deeply dissatisfied with Guo Sheng's negative stance, he berated him harshly, as if issuing a threat.
"You're hesitating because you're in league with He Jin, aren't you? The blame for this crisis lies with you."
"Wh-what nonsense is that?!"
Guo Sheng trembled at Jian Shi's sudden accusation of collusion with He Jin. It hit too close to home. He'd recommended Empress Dowager He to the emperor and He Jin to a court position, all because they hailed from the same Wan District. Thanks to his aid, He Jin had risen this far.
Jian Shi seized on that very point. Now was the time to atone for past errors by slaying He Jin and his faction, proving their loyalty to the Han imperial house, he demanded fiercely.
"He Jin is a traitor. He's joined hands with his sister to threaten the imperial succession itself."
"...What do you mean?"
"His Majesty has long decreed that Prince Liu Bian shall not inherit the throne—King Bohai will succeed him."
Before losing consciousness, Emperor Ling, realizing his illness was fatal, entrusted his edict to Mid-Courtyard Attendant Jian Shi. The eldest prince, Liu Bian, was foolish and weak, unfit for the throne. Thus, the emperor wished to name Liu Xie as heir and appointed Jian Shi, commander of the Imperial Guard, as her guardian.
"His Majesty truly named King Bohai as the next successor?!"
Guo Sheng asked urgently, stunned by Jian Shi's words. Jian Shi nodded.
"Indeed. If you wish, I can show you His Majesty's personal decree. So now, help me rally the Ten Attendants. Like when we purged Dou Wu and Chen Fan, let's exterminate these traitors deceiving the imperial house."
After a moment's contemplation at Jian Shi's resolute plea, Guo Sheng nodded, signaling his support for the plot.
"I'll consult General of the Palace Guard and devise a way to mobilize the troops."
Guo Sheng mentioned discussing with Zhao Chong, a fellow Ten Attendant and upper general commanding the Imperial Guard.
While the eunuchs' secret council continued, Cao Cao strolled the night streets of Luoyang on patrol with Lee Seong-hwi.
"Walking these Luoyang night streets brings back old memories."
"Words befitting someone of advanced years."
"……."
Her red eyes turned on him mercilessly the moment he spoke. He quickly backpedaled.
"Of course, that doesn't apply to Lady Mengde, young and beautiful as you are."
"I'm pleased to hear my aide say so."
It was flattery as obvious as covering one's eyes to catch a sparrow, but Cao Cao nodded, pleased by the praise of her looks from Lee Seong-hwi. Surprisingly, her mood lifted easily. Perhaps because it was a minor slip.
For a woman saddled with brutal nicknames like 'Western Liang's Bane,' 'Slayer of the People,' and 'Scythe of the Commoners,' it was remarkably forgiving. Lee Seong-hwi found her leniency puzzling.
"For a Luoyang rife with schemes, it's surprisingly quiet."
"It only seems that way. Even now, countless powerhouses are gathered, weaving dark plots to seize wealth and authority."
"The forces vying for Han power aren't just the Grand General's faction and the Ten Attendants."
A den of cunning wolves. With the tigers long gone, the wolves below scrapped for glory and riches. Cao Cao explained that without a tiger of immense might and leadership to pacify the realm, the strife and tyranny would persist. Yet even as she spoke, she quietly wondered if she could become that tiger to claim the Han.
'Right now, I'm unaffiliated with either the Grand General's faction or the Ten Attendants. Can someone like me truly reach the pinnacle of the Han court?'
Building a new force while checking the two dominant powers—the Ten Attendants and Grand General—was practically impossible. For now, she endured. Thus, Cao Cao bore the stigma of 'eunuch spawn' from He Jin and his ilk, biding her time for the future.
But how much longer? How long must she suffer this damned humiliation?
"Lady Mengde, what weighs on your mind so deeply?"
"...Nothing."
Cao Cao shook her head, dispelling her reverie at Lee Seong-hwi's question. Was she merely a woman, after all? She'd let self-doubt creep in unbidden, a flaw she hid from all. A Vanguard General scheming for the realm couldn't afford weakness others might scorn. Thus, she was ever vigilant against exposing her vulnerabilities.
"The imperial house is like a thatched roof doused in oil. A single spark would ignite it into an inferno in moments."
"And that spark is the emperor's death."
Like a wedded wife, Cao Cao grasped the intent behind Lee Seong-hwi's bold words. The emperor would die soon—that was his meaning. Curious how he foresaw it and what grounds he had, but... she trusted him deeply.
To rise, one must first clear the path above. Like dislodging a wedged stone with a rolling one, topple the monopolists of Han wealth and power to claim their place.
"Yet, aide, even if the current emperor is history's worst tyrant, he's still a Han sovereign, no?"
Cao Cao chuckled at Lee Seong-hwi likening the emperor's death to a spark. She admired his nerve. He discussed the fallout, then countermeasures amid the storm— it pleased her. Had Xiahou Dun been there, she'd have roared with laughter: "You're head over heels!"
"Compared to the massive blaze to come, the emperor's death is but a tiny spark."
"...Perhaps."
The massive blaze—Cao Cao discerned Lee Seong-hwi referred to her. She nodded gravely. She, Cao Mengde, would become the inferno to burn the Han.
"I've made all preparations. Now, we wait for chaos to erupt in Luoyang. The moment the balance between the Grand General's faction, the Ten Attendants, and Luoyang's powers collapses... we'll rise at once to crush the rebellion."
When the emperor died, the Ten Attendants would act. Cao Cao planned to purge them with Lee Seong-hwi, seizing power and fame. All was ready. They awaited only the emperor's death and the eunuchs' move.