Once again, it was time for court. Officials and ministers walked through the side gate one after another, gathering in front of the main hall.
He Jin, along with the Three Dukes, led the way. His large, rotund figure stood out awkwardly among the other three elderly men who were past fifty.
"How long has it been since His Majesty fell ill?" someone in the rows of officials murmured softly.
Since the last ceremony, where meritorious officials who had suppressed the Yellow Turban Rebellion were rewarded, the emperor had not attended court for several sessions.
Instead, he entrusted the affairs of the state to his most trusted Ten Attendants, who collected officials' petitions and relayed information on the state of the people.
However, everyone knew that this was virtually meaningless. This year, multiple regions, including Yuzhou, Yanzhou, and Qingzhou, had been struck by drought.
The petitions sent by governors from various provinces to the capital vanished as if they had sunk into the sea, having been intercepted and destroyed by Zhang Rang and his cohorts.
When they reported to Liu Hong, they simply said, "Since the defeat of the Yellow Turbans, there have been no more disturbances. The empire is at peace, the people are joyful, and they all express their gratitude for the emperor's boundless grace!"
As for the other ministers in court, they weren't surprised by such occurrences. Everyone turned a blind eye, always finding ways to secure a livelihood for themselves, even if it meant retreating to the mountains to become bandits.
"The emperor is still unwell. If there is anything to be presented, do so now; otherwise, court is dismissed!" As expected, when the officials entered the main hall, the throne remained empty.
Zhang Rang, arms crossed, announced in a sharp voice. He then scanned the officials with a half-closed gaze, a look of smug satisfaction barely concealed on his face.
"Hold on!" A voice called out from the floor. Taichang Ma Ridi stepped forward, glaring at Zhang Rang. Zhang Rang let out a quiet snort. "I have a petition to present to His Majesty!"
"If you have a petition, why do you not follow protocol and kneel to report?" Zhang Rang sneered, his tone haughty.
Ma Ridi, undaunted, retorted, "As an official, I am to kneel before the emperor. Do you expect me to kneel before you, a mere eunuch?"
"You...!" Zhang Rang was momentarily at a loss for words. "How dare you!"
"Zhang Rang! Let me ask you, did you properly report the disaster petitions from various provinces two months ago to His Majesty? Do you know how many people have starved to death due to the drought this year?"
"The emperor has been unwell and has not yet reviewed the petitions. We must wait a bit longer." Zhang Rang tried to dismiss the matter with an excuse.
Unexpectedly, Ma Ridi pointed at Zhang Rang's nose and angrily rebuked him, "Nonsense! The petitions submitted by the officials from various regions were likely burned by you long ago!"
" Whitewashing the truth is deceiving the emperor! You treacherous minister, you will meet a horrible end!"
"How... how dare you!" Zhang Rang stammered, his voice losing confidence as the guilt in his heart became apparent. The other officials, emboldened by Ma Ridi, began accusing Zhang Rang. Seeing that the situation was slipping out of control, Zhang Rang pulled out a jade seal from his robe.
The officials, upon seeing the seal, immediately knelt and hailed long life for the emperor. This jade seal symbolized Liu Hong's authority, and since Zhang Rang and his associates were deeply trusted by Liu Hong, possessing this seal gave Zhang Rang the power to command the officials' obeisance.
Zhang Rang snorted, seeing the officials bowing submissively, and became even more smug. However, he soon noticed a lone figure standing before the hall. Annoyed, Zhang Rang barked, "He Jin, seeing this seal is like seeing the emperor himself. Why do you not kneel?"
"Kneel?" He Jin chuckled dismissively. "The emperor granted me the privilege of not kneeling before him. Even if the emperor were here, I would not be required to kneel, let alone to a mere jade seal in your hand!"
"You!" Zhang Rang was once again left speechless. After all, He Jin was the emperor's brother-in-law. Although their official ranks were comparable, He Jin's familial connection gave him an advantage that Zhang Rang could not counter.
Their eyes locked, each filled with concealed murderous intent...
This court session, like many others, ended in discontent. As the officials exited the palace, they praised Ma Ridi's actions in the court, berating Zhang Rang for his incompetence, leaving him speechless.
Ma Ridi modestly replied, "The Ma clan of Fufeng has served the Han Dynasty faithfully since my ancestor, General Ma Yuan. These eunuchs like the Ten Attendants are attempting to disrupt the court. How can we, loyal officials, stand by and do nothing?"
"Well said!" The ministers applauded in agreement, eager to vent their frustrations away from Zhang Rang's earshot.
Amidst the group, only one man appeared displeased. He did not engage in much conversation and soon left the group alone.
"Hmph, pillars of the state... how brainless," Cao Cao muttered under his breath, cursing Ma Ridi. Unlike the Ma clan of Fufeng, Cao Cao came from an official family.
His father, Cao Song, was the adopted son of the former Grand Eunuch Cao Teng. In other words, Cao Cao was the grandson of a eunuch!
Because of this connection, many officials in the court held a degree of disdain for Cao Cao. So whenever eunuchs were mentioned, Cao Cao felt disgusted.
Unconsciously, Cao Cao found himself at the gate of the General-in-Chief's mansion, where he happened to run into an old acquaintance.
"Mengde?"
"And you are... Benchu!" The newcomer was none other than his old classmate, Yuan Shao. Overjoyed, Cao Cao quickly grasped Yuan Shao's hand. "Since the suppression of the Yellow Turbans, it has been a long time since we last met!"
Yuan Shao sighed, "My father and mother passed away one after the other, and as the eldest son, I had to resign my post and return home to observe mourning. Now that the mourning period is over, I have returned to Luoyang at the summons of the General-in-Chief."
"The General-in-Chief? He Jin?" Cao Cao inquired.
Yuan Shao nodded. After ensuring no one was around, he pulled Cao Cao along and knocked on the gate of the General-in-Chief's mansion. Cao Cao, sensing that something important was about to happen, remained silent.
Soon, a doorman partially opened the gate. Upon seeing Yuan Shao, he quickly bowed, "General Yuan, please come in. The General-in-Chief has been expecting you."
Yuan Shao nodded, saying no more, and led Cao Cao into the mansion...
Guided by a servant, the two made their way to the garden within the mansion, where He Jin had already set up a small table and had been waiting for Yuan Shao for quite some time.
"Cao Cao?" He Jin looked at Yuan Shao, who was accompanied by Cao Cao, as if asking him what was going on.
Yuan Shao smiled and quickly whispered something in He Jin's ear. After a moment, He Jin nodded and said, "Alright, since you, Yuan Shao, are recommending him, I'll agree."
The two of them were playing a game of back-and-forth, but Cao Cao was still completely baffled, looking at them with a puzzled expression.
He had been inexplicably dragged into the Grand General's mansion by Yuan Shao, and seeing how secretive they were acting, he could tell they were plotting something big.
However, he didn't feel it was appropriate to ask for details.
Seeing Cao Cao's confused expression, Yuan Shao quickly explained, "Mengde, the Grand General and I are planning to lead troops into the palace to eliminate the Ten Attendants!"
"What! Eliminate the Ten Attendants!" Cao Cao was shocked upon hearing this, but He Jin sneered disdainfully and said, "What? Mengde, if you have no desire to save the Han Dynasty, you can leave now. Just make sure to keep your mouth shut about what you've seen and heard, or else…"
Yuan Shao also frowned, thinking Cao Cao was intimidated by the power of the Ten Attendants. Unexpectedly, Cao Cao calmed down and slowly said, "This matter needs to be carefully considered."
"How can it be carefully considered? The Emperor has been confined to the palace for nearly a year, and I've been blocked by the Ten Attendants every time I've tried to see him. I'm worried…" He Jin took a deep breath, and the others understood his concern.
"The Central Plains have only just stabilized, and now there's a severe drought. The Ten Attendants are handling the administration but are not reporting the situation truthfully to the Emperor. If this continues, another great upheaval is inevitable!"
"The Grand General hasn't seen the Emperor; could it be that the Empress hasn't seen him either?" Cao Cao asked, becoming suspicious.
He Jin shook his head, "In recent years, the Emperor has been obsessed with alchemy and seeking immortality. He hasn't visited the harem in almost a year."
"In that case, the only ones who know the Emperor's situation… are the Ten Attendants?"
The three of them realized something was amiss but didn't dare voice their suspicions. He Jin continued,
"The chaos in the realm is caused by the Ten Attendants and the other eunuchs. That's why I called you two here to discuss leading troops into the palace to eliminate these traitorous villains who are disrupting the court!"
However, since last year, when Emperor Ling established the Xiyuan (West Garden) Army, he appointed eight colonels. Among them were Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, who held the positions of Dianjun Colonel and Zhongjun Colonel in the army.
Although they had official titles, they didn't have the authority to command troops. The real power over the new army lay in the hands of Jian Shuo, one of the Ten Attendants.
He Jin, despite being the Grand General, had no control over troops since there was no ongoing military campaign. Though they spoke of leading troops into the palace, where would these troops come from?
In contrast, if the Ten Attendants got wind of their plans, they could order the Imperial Guards and Xiyuan Army to surround the Grand General's mansion and execute the three of them on the spot.
After a moment of contemplation, Yuan Shao came up with a plan. "Grand General, although we have no authority to command troops, we could seek external assistance!"
"External assistance? What kind of external assistance?" He Jin asked, puzzled.
Yuan Shao smiled, "We have no troops, but many of the provincial inspectors and governors across the thirteen provinces command powerful armies! "
"If we were to issue a false imperial decree summoning the warlords to the capital to protect the Emperor, how could we fail to deal with the Ten Attendants?"
"Indeed!" He Jin, enlightened by Yuan Shao's suggestion, suddenly realized, "After the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the various warlords accumulated forces, and now is the perfect time to put them to use!"
"But remember, issuing a false imperial decree is a capital offense!" Cao Cao reminded them.
However, He Jin waved his hand dismissively, "If it means ridding the Han Dynasty of these treacherous eunuchs, it wouldn't matter if the Emperor decreed the execution of my entire family!"
Cao Cao, hearing this, thought to himself, "You have a sister who is the Empress; the Emperor wouldn't execute your entire family. If things go awry, both Yuan Shao and I will surely be doomed."
"Which warlord do you think would be the best to summon to the capital?" He Jin asked again.
Cao Cao sighed. He originally had the perfect candidate in mind—Qin Longyang, who was not only in command of a formidable force but also a young and fearless warrior who would not bow to authority.
He would have been the ideal choice for protecting the Emperor. But unfortunately, he had been assassinated, extinguishing that hope.
Yuan Shao then cupped his hands and said, "Grand General, I have a candidate in mind."
"Go ahead."
"The current Inspector of Liang Province, Dong Zhongying!"
"Dong Zhuo?" the two asked in unison.
Yuan Shao confirmed, "During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Dong Zhuo served as the Front General alongside Huangfu Song in quelling the Yellow Turban Army and achieved great merit."
" Later, when Han Sui and Bian Zhang rebelled in Liang Province, Dong Zhuo was ordered to suppress the rebellion. He managed to pacify the region within six months."
"This man commands the fierce Xiliang Army and has numerous virtuous and brave generals under his command. He would be the best choice to enter the capital, protect the Emperor, and eliminate the eunuchs!"
"This…" He Jin hesitated. Based on Yuan Shao's description, Dong Zhuo indeed seemed like the ideal candidate.
However, Cao Cao objected, "Grand General, please reconsider. Dong Zhuo is ruthless, and although his Xiliang Army is formidable, they have long been mingling with the Qiang people."
" If they enter the capital and go out of control, who knows what kind of chaos they might cause!"
Yuan Shao, displeased, asked, "Then who do you suggest, Mengde?"
Cao Cao cupped his hands and replied, "If this were earlier, I would indeed have had someone to recommend—Qin Longyang, the Governor of Langya Commandery, but he…"
Before he could finish, He Jin furiously slammed the table and said, "Qin Longyang! I remember that brat! He's the one who berated us ministers in the court!"
"Indeed…" Cao Cao nodded helplessly.
He Jin snorted and waved his hand dismissively, "That brat is arrogant and doesn't respect us ministers. If we summon him to the capital to protect the Emperor and he achieves great merit, who knows when he might slander us to the Emperor and have us all executed!"
With that, He Jin made his decision, saying, "I've made up my mind—summon Dong Zhuo to the capital to protect the Emperor! Once the Ten Attendants are eliminated, I alone will bear the responsibility, whether the Emperor rewards or punishes me!"
"Yes, sir…" With He Jin's firm decision, Cao Cao could only comply, but in his heart, he thought, "I fear that after the Ten Attendants are eliminated, Dong Zhuo will bring even greater chaos to the court…"