disloyal at heart. He rejoiced greatly when he received the summons to go to the capital and lost no time to obey it. Leaving behind his son-in-law Niu Fu to guard Shanxi, he set out for Luoyang with some of his trusted subordinates.
Li Ru, another son-in-law and an advisor, said: “Although we are acting according to a formal edict, our actions are not without ambiguity. It would be well to send up a petition stating our aims plainly. Then we can proceed with our grand scheme.” Dong Zhuo agreed. So a memorial was composed which read something like this:
I, your humble servant, hear that the continual rebellions owe their origin to the ten eunuchs, who disregard all recognized precepts. Now, to stop the boiling of a pot, the best way is to put out the fire; to cut out an abscess, though painful, is better than to keep it nourished. I will undertake a military advance on the capital to eliminate The Evil Ten for the benefit of the empire and the people.
When He Jin received this, he showed it to the other court officials. One of the ministers admonished him: “Dong Zhuo is as vicious as a wolf. If you allow him into the capital, he’ll surely harm you.”
“You are too suspicious; therefore, unequal to great schemes,” sneered He Jin.
Lu Zhi also tried to warn him. “I know Dong Zhuo very well. He appears kind but actually he is cruel at heart. Let him in and disaster is bound to follow. It would be better to stop him to avoid trouble.”
But He Jin would not listen and both of them gave up their posts and retired. So did more than half of the court officials. He Jin sent his men to welcome Dong Zhuo to Mianchi. However, Dong Zhuo took no action.
By then the news had traveled fast. The eunuchs knew that He Jin was directing a move against them and recognized that if they did not strike first, their families would be wiped out. So they arranged to have fifty swordsmen hidden behind a palace gate and then went in to see the Empress Dowager.
They said: “The Great General has issued an edict in the name of the Emperor to call up armies from all around to destroy us. Please save us.”
“Go to the Great General’s house and confess your faults.” she said.
“If we do, we would be cut to mincemeat. Please summon him in and tell him to cease. If he does not, we will die in your presence.”
So she gave orders for He Jin to enter the palace. And he readily prepared to obey. But just as he was leaving, Chen Lin advised him not to, saying that the eunuchs were certainly behind the order and warned him of the danger of going.
“It is the Empress Dowager who wants to see me, how can there be any danger?” retorted He Jin.
“The plot is no longer a secret,” Yuan Shao said, “and you still want to go to the palace?”
“First get the eunuchs out, then go in,” suggested Cao Cao.
“How childish you are!” laughed He Jin. “I have all the power in the world, what can The Ten do to me?”
“If you must go, we will get a band of guards to go with you, in case anything happens,” said Yuan Shao finally.
So Yuan Shao and Cao Cao each choose five hundred veteran soldiers. Placed at their command was Yuan Shao’s brother, Yuan Shu, who, clad in full armor, drew up his men outside Qingsuo Gate, while the other two went as the general’s escort. When they came near the palace, a eunuch came to announce the Empress Dowager’s words: “The orders are to admit the Great General and none other.” So the escort was detained outside the palace.
He Jin walked on proudly. When he got to Jiade Gate, he was met by the two chief eunuchs, Zhang Rang and Duan Gui—to his great alarm, they came to his sides, holding him trapped in between. Then Zhang Rang began rebuking him harshly.
“What crime had Empress Dowager Dong committed that you should have her poisoned to death? And when she, mother of the empire, was buried, you even dared feign sickness and did not attend the funeral. You and your followers were but
Li Ru, another son-in-law and an advisor, said: “Although we are acting according to a formal edict, our actions are not without ambiguity. It would be well to send up a petition stating our aims plainly. Then we can proceed with our grand scheme.” Dong Zhuo agreed. So a memorial was composed which read something like this:
I, your humble servant, hear that the continual rebellions owe their origin to the ten eunuchs, who disregard all recognized precepts. Now, to stop the boiling of a pot, the best way is to put out the fire; to cut out an abscess, though painful, is better than to keep it nourished. I will undertake a military advance on the capital to eliminate The Evil Ten for the benefit of the empire and the people.
When He Jin received this, he showed it to the other court officials. One of the ministers admonished him: “Dong Zhuo is as vicious as a wolf. If you allow him into the capital, he’ll surely harm you.”
“You are too suspicious; therefore, unequal to great schemes,” sneered He Jin.
Lu Zhi also tried to warn him. “I know Dong Zhuo very well. He appears kind but actually he is cruel at heart. Let him in and disaster is bound to follow. It would be better to stop him to avoid trouble.”
But He Jin would not listen and both of them gave up their posts and retired. So did more than half of the court officials. He Jin sent his men to welcome Dong Zhuo to Mianchi. However, Dong Zhuo took no action.
By then the news had traveled fast. The eunuchs knew that He Jin was directing a move against them and recognized that if they did not strike first, their families would be wiped out. So they arranged to have fifty swordsmen hidden behind a palace gate and then went in to see the Empress Dowager.
They said: “The Great General has issued an edict in the name of the Emperor to call up armies from all around to destroy us. Please save us.”
“Go to the Great General’s house and confess your faults.” she said.
“If we do, we would be cut to mincemeat. Please summon him in and tell him to cease. If he does not, we will die in your presence.”
So she gave orders for He Jin to enter the palace. And he readily prepared to obey. But just as he was leaving, Chen Lin advised him not to, saying that the eunuchs were certainly behind the order and warned him of the danger of going.
“It is the Empress Dowager who wants to see me, how can there be any danger?” retorted He Jin.
“The plot is no longer a secret,” Yuan Shao said, “and you still want to go to the palace?”
“First get the eunuchs out, then go in,” suggested Cao Cao.
“How childish you are!” laughed He Jin. “I have all the power in the world, what can The Ten do to me?”
“If you must go, we will get a band of guards to go with you, in case anything happens,” said Yuan Shao finally.
So Yuan Shao and Cao Cao each choose five hundred veteran soldiers. Placed at their command was Yuan Shao’s brother, Yuan Shu, who, clad in full armor, drew up his men outside Qingsuo Gate, while the other two went as the general’s escort. When they came near the palace, a eunuch came to announce the Empress Dowager’s words: “The orders are to admit the Great General and none other.” So the escort was detained outside the palace.
He Jin walked on proudly. When he got to Jiade Gate, he was met by the two chief eunuchs, Zhang Rang and Duan Gui—to his great alarm, they came to his sides, holding him trapped in between. Then Zhang Rang began rebuking him harshly.
“What crime had Empress Dowager Dong committed that you should have her poisoned to death? And when she, mother of the empire, was buried, you even dared feign sickness and did not attend the funeral. You and your followers were but
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