The Last Imperial Edict

In 189 AD, within the imperial palace of Luoyang, Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, lay upon his dragon bed in the Northern Palace.

The Emperor, who had ascended the throne by sheer fortune, was a man infatuated with hoarding wealth and indulging in debauchery. He was infamous for such absurdities as the Pavilion of Naked Frolicking, the Flowing Fragrance Canal, the marketplace for selling government offices, and the bizarre markets established within the palace grounds. Now, however, he felt his own frailty and knew his time was running short. Years of indulgence in wine and women had hollowed out his already fragile constitution. Emperor Ling waved his hand, dismissing the eunuchs and court ladies, leaving behind only his trusted confidant, Jian Shuo, to receive his final instructions.

In appearance, Jian Shuo bore little resemblance to the typical eunuch. He was robust, possessed a talent for military strategy, and was exceptionally loyal to Liu Hong. For these reasons, he had been appointed Colonel of the Upper Army, the leader of the Eight Colonels of the Western Garden, serving as a check against the influence of General-in-Chief He Jin and the scholarly, aristocratic families represented by Yuan Shao and his ilk.

"Your Majesty, please command me," Jian Shuo said, kneeling by the dragon bed and leaning in closer to the Emperor.

"I will be direct with you," the Emperor said weakly. "Ever since the incident involving Lady Wang, I have been determined to depose the Empress He clan. Yet, both my foster father and the old ministers have stood in opposition. I know I do not have much time left."

"That cannot be, Your Majesty. Your imperial health will surely recover."

Emperor Ling waved his hand, silencing Jian Shuo’s attempt to continue. "My only remaining wish is for Xie to inherit the throne. I know that neither the General-in-Chief nor the old ministers will agree to this. You are the only person I can truly trust now. You must not fail me."

Tears streaming down his face, Jian Shuo nodded and promised, "I shall certainly fulfill Your Majesty's wish. However, I must ask—does Your Majesty permit me, when the time is right, to execute the General-in-Chief's faction? Without such measures, I fear this goal will be unattainable."

Jian Shuo held a deep-seated grudge against Empress He and was well aware that her brother, He Jin, held the military power. Under the system of primogeniture, Liu Bian, as the eldest son, was the rightful heir. To depose the legitimate successor in favor of a younger son was contrary to tradition. Thus, Jian Shuo decided that he must strike first; he would execute He Jin and then install Liu Xie. This was a common practice in times of succession, but he required an imperial edict to legitimize his actions.

"Cough, cough-cough." After a fit of coughing that left his face flushed, Emperor Ling reached into his robes and produced a scroll. "I grant you this edict, authorizing you to enthrone Prince Xie, execute He Jin, and purge the He clan. Use it with the utmost caution."

"As you command! Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Jian Shuo took the scroll with trembling hands, weeping and kowtowing repeatedly. This was, in essence, a mandate to act as the guardian of the heir.

***

In the Yuan residence in Luoyang, Yuan Xi looked up and noticed someone had appeared beside him, seemingly out of thin air. He examined the man closely—a scholar of about thirty years. Yuan Xi recognized him well: this was Xu You, styled Ziyuan, a man notorious for his insatiable greed.

"Our dear Second Young Master, which young lady is occupying your thoughts so deeply? You look quite enchanted, ha!" Xu You teased loudly.

Yuan Xi gathered his composure and smiled. "Uncle Xu, do not mock your nephew. Why are you here, away from your duties with my father, just to tease me?"

"Benchu has asked me to summon you to the study for a discussion," Xu You said, his smile fading.

Yuan Xi followed Xu You toward the study. Along the way, he reached into his robe and produced a small, exquisitely crafted golden beast. He presented it to Xu You with both hands. "I purchased this at the gold market the other day. It is said to be an artifact from the Warring States period. Knowing your love for antiquities, Uncle Xu, I set it aside specifically for you."

Xu You was a close aide to Yuan Shao, holding a position comparable to that of Liu Wenjing under Li Yuan. Consequently, Yuan Xi had frequently bestowed gifts upon him. Xu You’s sharp eyes immediately recognized the item as a delicate and valuable antique. After feigning refusal three times, he accepted it with apparent reluctance, though his demeanor toward Yuan Xi became noticeably warmer.

Yuan Xi was well-acquainted with Xu You, who shared a deep, long-standing friendship with Yuan Shao. Though Yuan Xi found the man’s greed repulsive, he remained unfailingly polite on the surface. After all, Xu You was an influential advisor who could sway Yuan Shao’s decisions, and Yuan Xi intended to win him over and use him to his own ends.

Inside the study, Yuan Xi saw Chunyu Qiong, Guo Tu, Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and several other of Yuan Shao’s core retainers. It was clearly a serious matter.

"This son greets his father."
"Mm, take your seat."

After bowing, Yuan Xi knelt at the end of the seating arrangement. He knew that, at such gatherings, he was rarely expected to speak; he was merely there to listen, as Yuan Shao intended to groom him for the future. Furthermore, it was an opportunity for his father to gather information from him regarding happenings within the palace.

Sure enough, a moment later, Yuan Shao looked toward Yuan Xi and asked, "Xianyi, tell us about the recent events in the palace."

"Since last month, His Majesty’s health has been steadily declining," Yuan Xi began, carefully choosing his words. "According to ancestral law, Prince Bian should be named the crown prince to prevent any instability. However, there are many rumors that His Majesty intends for Jian Shuo to install Prince Xie. Recently, the two princes’ lessons have been suspended, and His Majesty has summoned them both to serve by his bedside."

"Furthermore, the arrogance of the Ten Attendants and the other eunuch factions, especially Jian Shuo, grows day by day. They have almost completely seized control of the imperial palace."

After Yuan Xi finished, Yuan Shao surveyed the room. "I had intended to use the General-in-Chief’s hand to excise the Ten Attendants, those malignant tumors of the Great Han. Yet, the General-in-Chief is hesitant and fearful, refusing to act. What do you all think I should do?"

Yuan Xi looked around. Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and Chunyu Qiong were all martial men; aside from brandishing their blades, they were unlikely to conceive of any complex strategies. The only ones capable of offering counsel were Guo Tu and Xu You.

Guo Tu stepped forward. "The General-in-Chief’s concern is merely that once the Ten Attendants are removed, we scholars will grow too powerful and threaten his position. He and the eunuchs are not without conflicting interests. If Prince Bian ascends the throne, the new Emperor will be young. Will the future government answer to the General-in-Chief or to the eunuchs?"

Guo Tu had already been brought into the Yuan family’s inner circle. He also held a position in Jizhou as the registrar under Governor Han Fu, effectively acting as the Yuan family’s liaison. Han Fu, however, could do nothing about this, given the immense power of the Yuan clan.

"Indeed," Xu You chimed in, agreeing. "We should sow discord and exacerbate their conflict. I do not believe the General-in-Chief is unwilling to remove the Ten Attendants; he is simply too prone to looking back and forth in hesitation."

"Do you two gentlemen have a countermeasure?" Yuan Shao asked, sensing a plan unfolding.

Guo Tu and Xu You exchanged a nod. Guo Tu said, "We need only provide the General-in-Chief with the necessary backbone. When the new Emperor ascends, you, Lord Yuan, can suggest that he summon powerful generals and heroes from the four corners of the land to march on the capital and present a military petition to the new Emperor and the Empress Dowager. Once that is done, the General-in-Chief will have both reason and justification to purge the eunuchs."

"That plan is sound, but what if the outside generals cause chaos in the capital? We cannot control these provincial heroes," Yuan Shao noted, voicing his concern.

Xu You explained, "If the provincial heroes enter the capital, they will check each other, and no single faction will grow too strong. Once the Ten Attendants and He Jin are removed, whose prestige will compare to yours, Benchu? With the Yuan family having served as the Three Excellencies for four generations, our students are spread throughout the world. When you raise your voice, all the heroes will surely flock to you."

"Mm. Splendid! Truly splendid!" Yuan Shao nodded repeatedly, already lost in the vision Xu You had painted—a world where he would soon cleanse the court, subdue the heroes, and reach the pinnacle of power as a minister.