On this day, inside the Emperor's sleeping quarters, the Ten Eunuchs were waiting outside the palace doors.
Suddenly, a fit of coughing echoed from within, startling Zhang Rang and the others, who immediately pushed open the door and entered the palace.
On the imperial bed, the Emperor Ling, Liu Hong, who should have been in the prime of his life, now looked gaunt and frail, with most of his hair gone. His eyes were sunken, and he appeared to be on the verge of death.
Liu Hong was seized by a violent coughing fit, and suddenly, a surge of anger caused him to cough up a mouthful of black blood, terrifying Zhang Rang and the others. They quickly summoned the imperial physician.
"Medicine... where is my medicine? Bring me my medicine!" Liu Hong, who had been consuming various strange elixirs for years, had long since exhausted his internal organs. Even now, he was still crying out for his medicine.
Zhang Rang knelt before Liu Hong and offered him a bowl of medicinal broth. "Your Majesty, please drink this broth first. The imperial physician will soon bring you the elixir."
"Get out! I want my medicine! Not this broth!" Liu Hong had lost all reason and knocked the bowl out of Zhang Rang's hands, causing Zhang Rang to bow his head to the ground in fear, not daring to look up.
Fortunately, the imperial physician arrived in time and quickly presented a brocade box to Liu Hong. "Your Majesty, this is a newly prepared Chishi Elixir from the alchemy room. It will prolong your life!"
At the mention of prolonging life, Liu Hong's eyes gleamed with a predatory light. He lunged at the physician like a ravenous wolf, hastily grabbed the brocade box, and took out the small, black, shiny "elixir" inside. Ignoring its strange smell, he swallowed it whole.
After consuming the elixir, Liu Hong seemed to regain some vitality, a satisfied smile appearing on his face before he collapsed onto the bed in a starfish position. Zhang Rang and the others finally wiped the cold sweat from their brows, puzzled by the Emperor's sudden madness.
If the ministers in the court found out, they might discuss deposing the Emperor and appointing a new heir. The Ten Eunuchs had only maintained their power through Liu Hong's favor; if he fell, their days of glory would end as well!
Before they could fully relax, Liu Hong, who had been lying on the bed, suddenly opened his eyes wide and sat up abruptly, startling everyone.
"Blegh!" Liu Hong spat out another mouthful of thick blood. Then, black blood began to flow from his eyes and nostrils. He let out a final cry and collapsed to the ground, motionless...
"Your Majesty!" Only after a long moment did the shocked onlookers react, rushing to Liu Hong's side. Zhang Rang, trembling, reached out to check the Emperor's breath, only to pull his hand back quickly. The others saw the expression on his face and felt a cold dread in their hearts.
"Impe...Imperial physician, quickly check...check His Majesty's pulse," Zhang Rang forced himself to remain calm and called out to the physician.
The imperial physician, whose name had been called, shuddered. Did Liu Hong's condition even require a pulse check? Anyone could see that he had died of poisoning, with blood seeping from his seven orifices!
But the icy stares from the Ten Eunuchs around him left the physician with no choice. He nervously approached the lifeless Liu Hong and placed his fingers on the Emperor's wrist.
The entire palace was so silent that it was almost eerie, with even the faintest sound amplified. Zhang Rang wiped the sweat from his brow, already beginning to plan his next move.
"M...My Lord..." The imperial physician could no longer keep up the act. Trembling, he released Liu Hong's wrist. "His Majesty has... passed away..."
As soon as the words were spoken, the hearts of everyone present sank. Only Zhang Rang let out a sinister laugh.
"Heh heh heh," Zhang Rang chuckled as he stood up, patting the physician on the shoulder. "Sir, your skills are truly miraculous. His Majesty is now as vigorous as ever—truly a blessing for the Han Dynasty!"
Everyone else stood frozen in place, thinking Zhang Rang had lost his mind as they stared at him in confusion.
Zhang Rang sneered and grabbed the physician's collar, whispering, "His Majesty's passing was caused by the elixir you provided. We are all witnesses! Do you know what awaits you?"
The physician, terrified, fell to his knees and began kowtowing to Zhang Rang. "My lord, please spare me! Please spare me!"
Zhang Rang smiled knowingly, patting the physician. "I know you're a clever man. His Majesty is still alive and well, isn't he? Go back and tell the alchemy room to continue producing the elixir."
" You'll be responsible for delivering it to the palace daily. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne, you'll be promoted to the position of Grand Physician!"
Even a fool could now understand Zhang Rang's intentions. The physician hurriedly nodded in agreement. "My lord is absolutely right; His Majesty is in excellent health! He will recover in no time!"
"Good, that's the spirit. Now go, and remember to be smart about it. There's much to gain." Zhang Rang nodded in satisfaction, leaving the other eunuchs stunned by his actions.
After the physician left, the others remained shaken. After all, the man lying there was none other than the Emperor himself, the Son of Heaven!
The Emperor's death was a monumental event, yet Zhang Rang had the audacity to act so boldly. If the truth were exposed, not only would the Ten Eunuchs face execution, but even ten heads each wouldn't be enough to save them!
"What are you all standing around for? Quickly, get the Emperor back onto the bed. What if he catches a cold?" Zhang Rang barked.
"Yes, yes! Hurry, get the Emperor back on the bed!" Zhao Zhong was the first to react, rushing forward to help.
The others exchanged glances before joining in to lift Liu Hong's body. The die was cast; they were all in this together now. If any one of them let the secret slip, it would mean death for them all!
They hurriedly lifted Liu Hong back onto the dragon bed and cleaned up the black blood that had stained the floor. Zhang Rang even took the time to carefully apply makeup to Liu Hong's face.
After everything was taken care of, Zhang Rang gathered the others together and whispered, "If word gets out about His Majesty's death, we will all lose our heads! Among all the officials, He Jin is the only one who dares to oppose us, relying on the Empress Dowager's influence."
"As long as we eliminate He Jin and establish a new emperor, the Empress will be confined to the harem and unable to interfere in politics. Our lives will be spared!"
Upon hearing this, the others felt as if they had been granted a reprieve, and they all nodded in agreement. Guo Sheng, another eunuch, asked, "My lord, have you decided which prince to elevate to the throne?"
Zhang Rang, reminded of this, fell into deep thought. The late Emperor had once confided in him his desire to make his second son, Liu Xie, the Crown Prince.
However, the Three Dukes and other ministers had argued vehemently, insisting on the tradition of making the eldest son, Liu Bian, the emperor.
But if Liu Bian were to ascend the throne, his mother, Empress He, would only grow more powerful, leaving no room for them to survive.
"Unfortunately, the late Emperor did not leave a decree to depose the eldest son in favor of the younger. For now, we must first deal with He Jin and intimidate the court. Once we support Prince Xie's accession, we can rest easy!"
Zhang Rang let out a long sigh and glanced nervously at Liu Hong's lifeless body on the dragon bed, forcing a bitter smile.
"Your Majesty, I have no other choice. I've enjoyed a lifetime of prosperity following you, but now you've left us first. This desperate plan is only to ensure we can enjoy a peaceful old age."
Having made up his mind, Zhang Rang instructed Zhao Zhong, "Forge an imperial edict and summon He Jin to the palace tomorrow, telling him that His Majesty has urgent matters to discuss. We will ambush him in the palace with dozens of soldiers and kill him on the spot!"
Zhang Rang then called Qian Shuo forward. "Qian Shuo, to be safe, once He Jin enters the palace tomorrow, you will command the Xiyuan Army to guard every exit, ensuring no one outside learns what happens inside!"
"If we're going to do this, we need to do it cleanly. I want the court officials to figure out what happened only after the new emperor is enthroned!"
...
Meanwhile, Cao Cao, who had just returned home from He Jin's residence, was fuming with anger. Yuan Shao's suggestion to bring Dong Zhuo and his troops into the capital to "support the throne" was like delivering a death blow to the already fragile Han Dynasty.
Once the Western Liang army entered the city, chaos was sure to follow.
"Fool!" The more Cao Cao thought about it, the angrier he became.
He grabbed the wine jug next to him and hurled it toward the door, startling his cousin Cao Ren, who had just walked in. Cao Ren, thinking that Cao Cao was scolding him, felt deeply aggrieved.
"Zixiao, why are you standing at the door?" Cao Cao asked, noticing his brother standing there as if being punished.
Cao Ren clasped his hands together and replied, "Elder brother, you seemed upset, so I was waiting until you calmed down before telling you some good news."
"Stop being so secretive and just say it," Cao Cao said, waving his hand.
Cao Ren nodded and said, "Elder brother, do you remember that young man Qin Longyang?"
"Qin Longyang? He's still alive?" If it was good news about Qin Longyang, it could only mean that he was still alive. Cao Cao was overjoyed and quickly approached Cao Ren.
Cao Ren confirmed with a nod, "He's alive. I just returned from Langya, where Qin Longyang miraculously survived despite being struck by an arrow from Dong Kui. Now he's doing well in Langya. Even veteran generals Huangfu Song and Lu Zhi have joined him!"
"Good... that's great!" Cao Cao couldn't hide his happiness. He had always enjoyed befriending heroes, and despite Qin Longyang's youth, Cao Cao had always held him in high regard.
If he had died young, it would have been a case of talent cut short by fate. Fortunately, the heavens showed mercy and spared him—this was truly wonderful!
Suddenly, Cao Cao seemed to remember something and hurriedly began packing his belongings. Cao Ren, confused, asked, "Elder brother, where are you going?"
"To Langya," Cao Cao replied without looking up. He then instructed, "You should pack your things too; we're leaving immediately. If we delay, it'll be too late!"
"But Qin Longyang is still alive! Why are you going to Langya? Are you going to confirm if he's a man or a ghost?" Cao Ren asked, both amused and exasperated.
Cao Cao finally took a deep breath and turned to explain, "He Jin plans to summon a coalition of warlords to bring troops into the capital and eliminate the eunuchs. That fool Yuan Shao recommended someone to him."
"Yuan Shao? Who did he recommend? His brother, Yuan Shu?"
"Dong Zhuo!" Cao Cao sneered. Hearing this, Cao Ren's expression changed. They had fought alongside Dong Zhuo during the campaign against the Yellow Turbans.
Back then, Dong Zhuo had increased his kill count by beheading his own dead soldiers and even killing many innocent civilians, claiming them as enemy rebels.
From that brief time together, both Cao Cao and Cao Ren knew that Dong Zhuo was not a good person. If he entered the capital and gained power, the whole country would be thrown into turmoil!
"That's why I need to hurry to Langya to find Qin Longyang and persuade him to lead his troops into the capital ahead of time. Langya is closer than Liangzhou, so if Qin Longyang sets out now, he can reach Luoyang before Dong Zhuo. That way, we might be able to avert a crisis..."