Struggle against The Regular Attendants

The Ten Regular Attendants (a.k.a. The Ten Attendants, The Ten Regular Palace Attendants, The Ten Eunuchs) was a group of greedy and ambitious eunuchs that usurped power in the Imperial Court. The Eunuchs, led by Zhang Rang, gained too much influence on Emperor Ling which resulted in the country losing its faith in the Han and calling it corrupt. In 189 A.D. He Jin ammassed an army to deal with the Eunuchs.

The Regular Attendants

 * led by Zhang Rang

TRA Members:


 * Duan Gui
 * Guo Sheng
 * Jian Shuo
 * Song Dian
 * Xia Yun
 * Zhao Zhong

Allies:


 * Dong Zhong
 * Fan Ling
 * He Miao
 * Qu Mu
 * Xu Xiang

He Jin's Forces

 * led by He Jin

Strategists & Advisors:


 * Xun You

Officers:


 * Bao Xin
 * Chen Lin
 * Chong Shao
 * Ding Yuan
 * Dong Min
 * Dong Zhuo
 * He Yong
 * Pan Yin
 * Qiao Mao
 * Wang Kuang
 * Wang Yun
 * Yuan Shao
 * Yuan Shu
 * Yuan Wei
 * Zhang Jin
 * Zhang Zhang
 * Zheng Tai

The Years Before The Uprising
The Ten Regular Attendants held their uprising in the year 189 A.D., however many events preceeded the events of 189 A.D. The reason why He Jin, Yuan Shao and others wished for the Ten Attendants to be dealt with was because they corrupted Ling's reign of Han-China. Many examples of that are written below.

During the Yellow Turban Rebellion
In the month April of 184 A.D. the Regular Palace Attendans Zhao Zhong, Zhang Rang, Xia Yun, Guo Sheng, Duan Gui and Song Dian had all been enfeoffed as marquises and treated with great favour. The Emperor would often say: "Regular Attendant Zhang Rang is my father and Regular Attendant Zhao Zhong is my mother". From this, the eunuchs became completely confident of their position. They built themselves great houses, which even rivalled the Imperial Palace.

On one occasion the Emperor wanted to climb the Observation Terrace in the Palace of Perpetual Peace. The eunuchs became frightened that he would see their mansions, and so they sent the harem official Shang Dan to say, "The Son of Heaven must never climb high, for if he should do so his people will be impoverished and scattered." Ever since, the Emperor never climbed a tower again.

However, the Regular Attendants Feng Xu and Xu Feng were found out and the Emperor turned on his eunuchs and said:

"You people always said it was the men of faction who plotted rebellion, and you had me proscribe them from office and some of them were executed. But now it appears that the men of faction are servants of the state and it's you people that follow Zhang Jiao. Why shouldn't I have you beheaded?"

The eunuchs admitted, but replied: "This was all the fault of Wang Fu and Hou Lan." Following this, they, one by one, asked permission to resign and they sent messages to recall their relatives and fellow-clansmen who held positions in the provinces and commanderies. Zhao Zhong, Xia Yun and some others made false reports against Lü Qiang, saying that he had discussed affairs of state with the men of faction, that he had read and re-read the biography of Huo Guang, and that he and his brothers spread dirt and corruption everywhere they went. The Emperor sent some Palace Attendants of the Yellow Gates, bearing arms, to bring Lü Qiang to the court.

When Lü Qiang received the Emperor's summons, he was angry and said, "When I die, disorder is come. If a man gives all his loyalty to the state, why should he have to answer to a jailer?" After this, he killed himself. Zhao Zhong and Xia Yun added further slanders: "When Lü Qiang was called to court, he had no idea what questions would be put to him, but he went straight outside and killed himself. It's only too clear that he was guilty." All Lü Qiang's family were put in prison and their property was confiscated.

Following Lü Qiang's death, the Palace Attendant Xiang Fu of Henei sent in a memorandum criticising the Emperor's close attendants. Zhang Rang made false accusations against him, saying that he was a supporter of Zhang Jiao and had plans to act as a traitor within the gates. Xiang Fu was arrested and taken to the Northern Prison of the Yellow Gates, where he was killed.

The Gentleman of the Palace Zhang Jun of Zhongshan sent in a memorial:

"It is my humble opinion that the reasons Zhang Jiao was able to raise soldiers and make his rebellion, and that the people love him and trust him, are because your ten Regular Attendants have sent out the members of their family, their relatives and their dependents to take over control of the provinces. They steal the wealth of the people by cruel taxation and they plunder and rob the poor. The people have no way to tell of their grievances, and so they make plans for rebellion and they gather together as bandits. You should cut the heads off your ten Regular Attendants, hang them along the southern walls of the city as a sign of apology to the empire, and send messengers to proclaim the news throughout the country. There would be no further need for an army."

The Emperor read the memorial and showed it to his attendants afterwards. The attendants all took their caps off and bowed before him, barefooted, requesting to be taken to the Imperial Prison in Luoyang. They further offered all their property for use of the army. The Emperor told them to put their caps and shoes on again and continue to serve him as they have always done. He was angry with Zhu Jun, saying: "The man's a fool. How could he claim that all my Regular Attendants are bad?"

The office of the Imperial Clerks saw the way he felt, so they sent in a false report that Zhang Jun had studied the teachings of the Yellow Turbans. Zhang Jun was arrested and flogged. He died in prison.

When Zhu Jun was battling the Yellow Turbans, his Major Protector of the Army, Fu Xie of Beidi sent in a memorial in which he said that the misfortunes of war were not coming from outside the Imperial Palace, but from within. With this memorial he was aiming at the eunuchs. Zhao Zhong saw this memorial and was most annoyed. When Fu Xie attacked the Yellow Turbans he gained great success, and it was felt that he deserved enfeoffment. Zhao Zhong, however, made false accusations against him. The Emperor remembered Fu Xie's memorial, and he did not punish him; but he did not enfeoff him either.

Nearing the end of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Wang Yun, the Inspector of Yu Province, had managed to defeat a group of rebels and obtained letters written to them from supporters and clients of Zhang Rang. He sent them to the Emperor. The Emperor was furious with Zhang Rang, but Zhang Rang kowtowed and begged for pardon, and in the end he managed to avoid any punishment.

As a result of this, Zhang Rang found some way to get Wang Yun into trouble, and Wang Yun was sent to prison. Soon afterwards, an amnesty was issued and he was re-appointed Inspector, but little more than a week later he was summonsed again on another charge. Yang Ci, unwilling that Wang Yun should suffer ignominy and disgrace, sent one of his attendants to say to him, with many apologies:

"It is because of Zhang Rang that you have been summonsed like this twice in a single month. Evil and difficulty crowd around you, and they are quite unpredictable. The best thing you can do is to take your own life first."

Some of Wang Yun's Attendant Officials thought to bring matters to a crisis point, and together, with tears in their eyes, they came to offer him a draught of poison. Wang Yun growled to them, "I am the Emperor's servant. If I have done wrong in his eyes, then I must accept his punishment and answer for my faults before all the world. How can I seek for death by taking poison?" He tossed the cup aside, got up and went out to the cage cart. When Wang Yun arrived at the office of the Commandant of Justice at the capital, the General-in-Chief He Jin sent in a memorial jointly with Yang Ci and Yuan Wei to plead for his life and they obtained a remission of his charges.

After The Rebellion
To sum it up, the Emperor trusted the eunuchs completely and no matter what they did, they always managed to avoid punishment by coming up with poor excuses or blaming others. During the Yellow Turban Rebellion however, some had noticed the influence the greedy eunuchs had over the Emperor. After the rebellion, the amount of people growing suspicious of the eunuchs, increased even more.

In March the 28th, 185 A.D. the Regular Palace Attendants Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong encouraged the Emperor to make a levy of ten cash on every mou of cultivated land in the empire, and to use the money for the repair of the palace buildings and for the casting of bronze statue. The Grand Administrator of Le'an, Lu Kang, sent in a memorial of protest:

"In ancient times, when Duke Xuan of Lu set a tax on the arable land, a plague of locusts made their appearance. When Duke Ai increased the taxes, Confucius himself disapproved of it. Surely it will be even worse if you should seize the people's goods to make these useless statues. You would be ignoring the warnings of the sages and you would follow the mistaken patterns of weak rulers."

The Emperor's close attendants slandered Lu Kang, saying that he was comparing the sacred government of the emperor with the ruined states of the past; great iniquity. A cage-cart was sent to bring him to the Commandant of Justice. The Attendant Imperial Clerk Liu Dai sent in a memorial to explain his case, and Lu Kang was allowed to retire to his own village.

Another edict demanded that the provinces and commanderies each send a quota of timber and patterned stone to the capital. The eunuchs repeatedly claimed that quantities of the material were not up to standard. They forced the price down to only one-tenth of its original cost, and then they resold it. Again, the eunuchs would delay their acceptance of the goods, so the timber was left in heaps to rot, and for year after year the palaces remained unfinished. The Inspectors and Grand Administrators also took their personal commission, and the people groaned under the burden.

Then Sima Zhi of Henei was appointed the new Grand Administrator of Julu. He was known as a poor and honest man, and so his fee was diminished to three million cash. When Sima Zhi received his orders, he sighed and said: "I should be the father and mother of my people, and yet instead I am supposed to rob my flock because of present custom. I cannot do that." He made excuses and said he was sick, but the court refused to accept his resignation. He travelled as far as the Meng Crossing and from there he sent in a memorial setting out in the strongest terms what was wrong with the whole system, and then he took poison and committed suicide. The memorial came before the throne, and the Emperor called a temporary halt to the collection of money for the palace building fund.

In the sixth month Zhang Rang and eleven other Regular Palace Attendants were enfeoffed as full marquises for their good work during the campaign against Zhang Jiao.

When Huangfu Song had been fighting Zhang Jiao, he passed through Ye and saw that the mansion of the Regular Palace Attendant Zhao Zhong was far more luxurious than the regulations allowed. He sent in a memorial and it was confiscated. On another occasion, the Regular Palace Attendant Zhang Rang had privately solicited a bribe of fifty million cash and Huangfu Song refused to give it. As a result, both Zhao Zhong and Zhang Rang sent in memorials saying that Huangfu Song had been fighting one battle after another, had gained no success, and was wasting his resources. Huangfu Song was recalled, his seal and tassel as General of Chariots and Cavalry on the Left were taken away from him, and the value of his fief was reduced by six thousand households.

The Grandee Remonstrant and Consultant Liu Tao sent in a memorial to say:

"''A little while ago the empire suffered the disorders of Zhang Jiao, and more recently we have the rebellion of Bian Zhang on our hands. The rebel Qiang on our west have already invaded Hedong, and I am afraid they may grow so strong they can even attack the capital itself. Our own people are always prepared to flee before them, and they have no plan to stand and fight. The rebels in the west are advancing steadily, and the Chariots and Cavalry General [Zang Wen] is isolated and in considerable danger. If he should be defeated, there would be no way to rescue him. "I realise that I may be speaking too much on this, and so cause you displeasure, but I feel I must give you my opinion. When the state is at peace, a minister may enjoy the good fortune, but when the state is coming into danger he should also be prepared to sacrifice himself. I respectfully resubmit these eight immediate and urgent points.''"

In the rest of the document, he set out the general argument that the troubles of the empire all came from the eunuchs.

The eunuchs spoke against Liu Tao:

"When the Zhang Jiao business arose, imperial edicts displayed your majesty and grace, and since that time all the rebels have repented. Now the world is at peace, and yet Liu Tao casts a slur upon your sage-like government and he takes it upon himself to speak heresy and evil. There have been no reports from the provinces or commanderies, so where does Liu Tao get his information from? He is probably in league with the rebels."

Liu Tao was arrested and sent to the Northern Prison of the Yellow Gates and was questioned every day with steadily increasing tortures. He said to the messengers:

"I regret that I cannot match the performances of Yi Yin of Shang nor Lü Shang of Zhou; it seems my lot resembles the three virtuous men of Yin. Now above the emperor kills those ministers who give honest advice and below he causes suffering and distress to the people. If this goes on much longer, it will be too late to repent."

He choked and died. The former Minister over the Masses Chen Dan was a loyal and upright man, but the eunuchs hated him and slandered him and he died in jail.

In this year the Emperor built the Hall of Ten Thousand Gold Pieces in the Western Garden. He brought the gold and cash and silk of the Ministry of Agriculture to store it there and he deposited several tens of millions of cash with the Junior Officials at the Yellow Gates and the Regular Attendants. In Hejian he bought land and houses and built a pleasure palace for himself.

In March of the year 186 A.D. the Regular Palace Attendant Zhao Zhong was made General of Chariots and Cavalry, and the Emperor ordered him to recommend those who had done good work in the wars against the Yellow Turbans. Following this, Zhen Ju, Bearer of the Gilded Mace said to Zhao Zhong that Fu Nanrong, who was with the armies in the east and did well, but never received a marguisate. Many people were discouraged that such worthyness remained unnoticed. "You should bring this worthy man to notice and right the wrong that has been done him. This is the sort of thing that people like to see.", said Zhen Ju to Zhao Zhong. Zhao Zhong accepted this idea, and he sent his younger brother Zhao Yan, who was Colonel of the City Gates, to present his compliments to Fu Xie and say to him, "Fu Nanrong, just make a bit of response to my brother, and a marquisate with ten thousand households is yours." Fu Xie, looking very serious, turned him down, "If I did well and no one took note of it, that is just a matter of luck. But how can I seek for a reward through underhand means?" Zhao Zhong was extremely angry, but he was afraid of Fu Xie's reputation and did not dare to harm him. Fu Xie was sent out to be Grand Administrator of Hanyang.

Jian Shuo and He Jin distrust
In the eighth month of the year 188 A.D. the eight Colonels of the Western Garden were established for the first time:

Jian Shuo, the Junior Attendant of the Yellow Gates, was made Colonel of the First Army.

Yuan Shao, the General of the Gentleman as Rapid as Tigers, was made Colonel of the Centre Army.

Bao Hong, the Colonel of the Garrison Cavalry, was made Colonel of the Third Army.

Cao Cao, the Gentlemen-Consultant, was made Colonel Who Arranges the Army.

Zhao Zhong became Colonel on the Left Assisting the Army.

Feng Fang became Colonel on the Right Assisting the Army.

Xia Mou, the Grandee Remonstrant and Consultant, became Colonel on the Left.

Chunyu Qiong became Colonel on the Right.

All men were under the command of Jian Shuo. The Emperor had paid attention to military affairs since the Yellow Turban Rebellion. He himself had appointed Jian Shuo after he had noticed Jian Shuo was strong, active and had military-planning expertise. Even the General-in-Chief was under his command.

In the tenth month, after warnings had come from those who studied the ethers, the Emperor Ling had started practicing for war by making a great levy of soldiers and held manoeuvres. After he went about the army for three times, he handed the soldiers to the General-in-Chief He Jin and asked He Xun, The Colonel Who Exterminates the Caitiffs: "If I practice for war like this, what do you think of it?" He Xun replied: "Your subject has heard that the former kings were brilliant in their virtue and took no thought of weapons, but now there are bandits far away and an army is raised close at hand. That is no way to show bravery, it is nothing but a waste of effort." The Emperor said: "Excellent. I am sorry you did not come earlier, for not one of my ministers has said this before."

He Xun said to Yuan Shao: "His majesty has a clear understanding, but he is deceived by those about him." Together, the two men made plans to eliminate Ling's favourites. Jian Shuo had his suspicions and became concerned about the matter, using his new rank, he sent He Xun away to become Intendant of Jingzhao.

Jian Shuo hated the General-in-Chief He Jin and wanted him away from Luoyang. In the summer of 189 A.D. he, together with the other Regular Attendants, urged Emperor Ling to send He Jin west to attack the bandit Han Sui. The Emperor agreed, however, He Jin had learned privately of Jian Shuo's plot, thus he sent in a memorial in which he wrote that Yuan Shao should be sent to collect the soldiers of the two provinces of Xu and Yan. In this way he delayed action, because Yuan Shao had to come back before he himself went to the west.

Before these events the Emperor had lost several of his children. They all died in their childhood. When Empress He gave birth to a son named Liu Bian in 176 A.D., it was decided for him to be brought up at the house of Shi Zimiao, a Taoist. The son was called Lord Shi.

The Beauty Wang had given birth to a son named Liu Xie in 181 A.D. Liu Xie was brought up by the Empress-Dowager Dong herself and he was named Lord Dong.

All the senior ministers had asked that an Heir-Apparent should be named. The Emperor favoured Liu Xie as his succesor, saying that Liu Bian was frivolous and had no dignity, but he hadn't officially made his decision yet. Around this time he became seriously ill and he entrusted Liu Xie to Jian Shuo. On the 13th of May 189 A.D. the Emperor Ling passed away in the Hall of Excellent Virtue.

After The Emperor's Passing
Jian Shuo had plans to kill He Jin and set Liu Xie upon the throne. He sent out an invite to the General-in-Chief for a consult with him. Without hesitation He Jin mounted his chariot and went to the palace. Pan Yin, a major in Jian Shuo's command, was an old friend of He Jin. He went out to meet him and gave a warning look. He Jin galloped straight back to his quarters. He led out his troops to camp at the Commandery Residences and from there he announced that he was ill and could not come to the palace.

May 15, 189 A.D. - the Prince Bian was established as Emperor, named Emperor Shao. He was only 14 years of age. The Empress was honoured as Empress-Dowager and held court. An amnesty was proclaimed for the empire and the reigntitle was changed to Guangxi. Liu Xie, who was only 9 years of age, was titled King of Bohai. Yuan Wei, the General of the Rear, was made Grand Tutor and now shared control of the Imperial Secretariat with He Jin.

He Jin's Campaign
He Jin now held the government of the court. He was furious at Jian Shuo for plotting to kill him and, in secret, made plans to kill the eunuch. Yuan Shao, through He Jin's trusted client Zhang Yin, urged him to kill all the eunuch officials. The Yuan Clan was a clan that had been honoured for generations and Yuan Shao and his younger cousin Yuan Shu, who was General of the Gentlemen of the Household Rapid as Tigers at that time, were respected men by the great families. Because of their status, He Jin gave them appointment.

He Jin also started a search for men who were wise and able in planning. He recruited over 20; such as He Yong, Xun You, Zheng Tai of Henan and others. He Yong was appointed Captain of the Centre of the Northern Army, Xun You was Gentleman in Attendance of the Yellow Gates and Zheng Tai became a Master of Writing. He Jin trusted these men completely.

Jian Shuo had his suspicions and felt uneasy. He wrote to the Regular Attendants Zhao Zhong, Song Dian and others about the matter:

"The General-in-Chief and his relatives control the state and usurp authority at court. Now, with the men of Faction in the empire, they plan to kill the attendants of the late Emperor and destroy our people. The only reason he delays is because I control the guard. You must get together, bar the doors of the palace apartments, take him quickly, and kill him."

A discussion between the Attendants followed and Guo Sheng joined in. Guo Sheng came from the same commandery as He Jin (Yingchuan Commandery) and he had also been involved in the fortune and favour of the Empress-Dowager and He Jin. He was a close friend of the clan. The discussion ended and the Attendants decided not to co-operate with Jian Shuo. Guo Sheng obtained the letter and showed it to He Jin.

May the 27th, 189 A.D. - Now with proof in hands, He Jin sent the Prefect of the Yellow Gates to arrest Jian Shuo. After this, Jian Shuo was executed and he He Jin took over his troops in camp.

The General of Agile Cavalry Dong Zhong disputed He Jin's authority, and the eunuchs enlisted his aid in support of their party. Whenever the Empress-Dowager Dong sought to interfere in matters of government the Empress-Dowager He always stopped her. The Lady Dong was furious and shouted, "You are powerful now because you rely on your brother! But I can order the General of Agile Cavalry to cut off He Jin's head, and that would be easy as turning my hand!" The Empress-Dowager He told He Jin about this.

In the fifth month He Jin presented a memorial jointly with the three Excellencies:

"The Xiao-Ren Empress [the Empress-Dowager Dong] instructed the former Regular Palace Attendant Xia Yun and others to communicate with provincial and commandery governments that they should send the proceeds of all taxes to the Western Apartments. By precedent, a supernumerary empress should not remain in the capital district. We ask she be required to transfer residence to her own state."

The memorial was approved.

On the 7th of June 189 A.D., He Jin brought troops to surround the offices of the General of Agile Cavarly. After He Jin arrested Dong Zhuo and stripped him of his appointment, Dong Zhong committed suicide.

Exactly one month later, July the 7th, the Empress Dowager Dong had suddenly died of grief and fear. The people no longer approved the He clan because of this.

Ten days later, on July the 17th, the Emperor Ling was buried at Wenling. He Jin had taken warning from Jian Shuo's plot: claiming to be ill, he neither attended the mourning nor accompanied the funeral.

In the autumn, in the seventh month Liu Xie the King of Bohai was transferred to be King of Chenliu.

Once again, Yuan Shao urged He Jin to take action against the eunuchs. He referred Du Wou:

"In the past, when Dou Wu planned to kill the palace favourites, the only reason he came to grief was because he allowed the news to leak out. The men of the five regiments [of the Northern Army] feared the eunuchs and were prepared to obey them, but Dou Wu had counted on those troops, so he brought misfortune upon himself. At the moment, you and your brother (He Miao) both control strong forces. Your subordinate and divisional commanders are all brave men of fine reputation, fully prepared to carry out your orders. Everything is in your hands, and this is an occasion sent by heaven. You, my general, must act at once to remove evil from the empire, and leave a name for later generations. You cannot let this opportunity slip."

Following this, He Jin went to see the Empress Dowager and he asked her to dismiss all Regular Palace Attendants and ones of lower rank and to replace them with Gentlemen of the Household. The Empress Dowager replied:

"Since ancient times it has been a custom of the house of Han that eunuchs control the forbidden apartments. You cannot do away with that. Moreover, when the late Emperor has only just left the world, how can I act so brazenly as to deal with men face to face?"

He Jin found it hard to disregard with the Empress' feelings, but his will to punish the evil-doers remained strong. Yuan Shao argued further by saying that the current system, where the eunuchs were close to the Emperor, sending out and taking in orders, should be halted completely and immediatly. According to Yuan Shao it would certainly cause trouble later.

Although He Jin was against the eunuchs, his brother He Miao and the Lady of Wuyang who was mother to the Empress-Dowager, were not as negative towards them. They had often received bribes and gifts from the eunuchs and, moreover, He Miao felt he owed the eunuchs his current status. They realised that He Jin wanted to kill the attendants, and they spoke several times to the Empress-Dowager so she would give them protection. They also said: "If the General-in-Chief kills eunuchs on his own authority, he will be abusing his power and will weaken the national altars [and the imperial state]." The Empress-Dowager thought this might be true. He Jin had only lately come to high position, and he had always been in awe of the eunuchs. Though outwardly he seemed to be in pursuit of a great name, inwardly he lacked decision, and so the matter long remained unsettled.

Meanwhile, Yuan Shao and the others made another proposal. They wanted all leaders and warriors to lead their troops towards the capital and, by doing so, put the Empress-Dowager under pressure. He Jin approved the proposal.

He Jin's Master of Records Chen Lin of Guangling, remonstrated with him, saying:

"There is a proverb about closing the eyes to catch a bird. Such deceit is sure to fail in small matters, and the rule must apply yet more strongly in great affairs of state. How can policy be maintained by trickery? You hold the imperial authority, and all essential military strength. With the leap of a dragon and the pace of a tiger, you may act as you will. The present plan, however, is like pumping up fire in a stove when all that is required is the singeing of a hair. You need only act quickly, and display the thunder of your power. Use your own judgment to make a decision, and both heaven and man will approve. If, on the other hand, you fail to use the strength you have, but call in help from outside, then great armies will gather and the strongest will win. That is like turning a spear against yourself and passing the handle to someone else. The project will surely fail, and you will have embarked upon a road to ruin."

He Jin would not listen.

When Cao Cao, the Colonel Who Arranges the Army, heard of the debate he laughed and said the plan would sooner or later leek out and it would end up a failure.

Later, He Jin called Dong Zhuo to bring his troops to the capital district. The Attendant Imperial Clerk Zheng Tai protested and said:

"Dong Zhuo is extremely brutal and has small sense of honour, while his ambitions have no limit. If you involve him in the imperial government and entrust him with great affairs you will lose control over his evil intentions and you will certainly endanger the court. Through your own personal qualities, and by your close relationship to the throne, you hold the authority of Aheng with power to make your own decisions and to take your own action against criminals. It is quite inappropriate for you to favour Dong Zhuo by asking for his assistance. Furthermore, if you delay matters, there will be changes. The example of Yin is not far off. You must make your mind up soon."

Lu Zhi, the Master of Writing, also advised He Jin not to call Dong Zhuo, but He Jin listened to neither of them. Zheng Tai resigned his position and went away, observing to Xun You, "It is not easy to assist Lord He!"

In the meantime, He Jin prepared and instructed his allies.

Wang Kuang, the Senior Clerk in He Jin's offices, came from Taishan. He was sent back to raise troops there.

Bao Xin, the Chief Commandant of Cavalry, also came from Taishan. He too as sent back to raise troops.

Qiao Mao, the Grand Administrator of Dong commandery, was ordered to camp at Chenggao.

Ding Yuan, the Chief Commandant who is Martial and Brave, was ordered to lead several thousand men to ravage Henei and burn Mengjin.

The fire could be seen from the capital. All this was done under pretext that they sought to punish the eunuchs.

Meanwhile, Dong Zhuo had set out, directly after he had received He Jin's summons. He had send a memorial in reply:

"''The Regular Palace Attendant Zhang Rang and his fellows have usurped favour and played for advantage. They have corrupted and disrupted all within the seas. I have heard of people who would fan a fire to stop the soup from boiling, but it is far better to take away the firewood. To burst an abscess is painful, but better than a malignant growth. "In ancient times Zhao Yang raised the armed men of Jinyang to drive away the wicked from the side of his lord. Now and at once I sound the bells and drums and march to Luoyang. I beg permission to arrest Zhang Rang and his fellows, to clear out the evil and wickedness.''"

The Empress-Dowager still refused her approval. He Miao spoke to He Jin and said:

"When we first came from Nanyang we were all of us poor, and it was through the eunuchs of the inner palace that we came to wealth and honour. In affairs of state, how can you act so hastily? Once water is tipped out, it cannot be gathered up again. Think hard about it, then make peace with the eunuchs."

Dong Zhuo went to Mianchi, but now He Jin had started worrying about this. He sent the Grandee Remonstrant and Consultant Chong Shao with an imperial order for him to halt. Dong Zhuo, however, refused to accept the order and continued on to Henan county. Chong Shao met Dong Zhuo there again and tried a more polite approach, welcoming him and rewarding his men with food and drink. Once more he tried to explain that he should withdraw his army, but Dong Zhuo became suspicious at the change of policy and he sent armed men to threaten Chong Shao. With the authority of his imperial commission, however, Chong Shao rebuked them angrily and drove them away in confusion. Then he faced Dong Zhuo and accused him directly of disloyalty. Dong Zhuo apologised, and led his army off to Xiyang village.

Yuan Shao was becoming concerned that He Jin might change his plans, thus he once more pressed the General-in-Chief to take action, saying:

"The battle-lines are drawn and our plans are in the open. How can you continue to wait and not make any decision? If the affair is delayed too long, things will change and you will be a second Dou Wu."

He Jin made Yuan Shao Colonel Director of Retainers, with the Staff of Authority to decide and execute cases on his own. Wang Yun, Gentleman of the Household in Attendance, became Intendant of Henan.

Following this, Yuan Shao ordered the military officers at Luoyang, who were experts in strategy, to investigate the eunuchs. He also encouraged Dong Zhuo and the other commanders to send in memorials post-haste, asking permission to bring their troops forward to the Lodge of Tranquil Joy.

Now the Empress-Dowager had become frightened and she dismissed all the Regular Palace Attendants and the Junior Attendants of the Yellow Gates and ordered them to return home. Only some family retainers, who were sent by He Jin to guard the inner apartments, remained.

All the eunuchs, the regular and junior attendants, went to He Jin and apologised and assured him they were at his service. He Jin said to them: "The empire is in disorder, and it is all your doing. Now Dong Zhuo is coming. Why do you not go quickly back to your homelands?"

Yuan Shao urged He Jin to take this opportunity to settle with them. He even repeated it thrice, yet He Jin did not agree. Yuan Shao took matters in his own hands once again by sending more letters to all provincial and commandery governments, pretending that He Jin had issued orders to place all the eunuchs' families under arrest.

He Jin was considering his plans for several days, but then some information leaked. This frightened the eunuchs and they thought of rebellion. The wife of Zhang Rang's son was a younger sister of the Empress-Dowager. Zhang Rang kowtowed before his daughter-in-law and said:

"I am old and have acted wrongly. You and I, daughter-in-law, should retire together to private life. Our family, however, has received imperial favour for generations, and although I must leave the inner apartments my heart yet holds great attachment to them. I wish to return once more to the forbidden palace, to gaze from afar for one last time upon the countenance of her majesty the Empress-Dowager. Then I can go back to the mud of the ditches and die without regret."

His son's wife spoke to the Lady of Wuyang and she told the Empress-Dowager. So it was ordered that all the eunuchs could continue in their service.

The Battle Begins
It was the eight month. On September the 22nd He Jin went to the Palace of Prolonged Joy for an audience with the Empress-Dowager. He requested all the Regular Attendants to be executed. Before the audience the eunuchs Zhang Rang and Duan Gui had discussed He Jin's absense from Emperor Ling's funeral and said to one another:

"The General-in-Chief said he was ill. He did not attend the mourning, and he did not accompany the funeral. Now he comes suddenly to the palace, and what does this mean? Is the Dou Wu business coming again?."

They send someone to hide and overhear He Jin's audience with the Empress-Dowager. Everything was heard. Then they led several dozen men of their party to take up weapons, go in quietly by a side entrance and conceal themselves behind the doors of the palace.

He Jin came out and they pretended to have orders from the Empress-Dowager to call him back, so he went in and waited by the doors. Zhang Rang and the others said to him:

"If the empire is troubled, it is not our fault alone. When the late Emperor was angry with the Empress-Dowager and she was on the brink of destruction, it was we who wept and managed to save her, and each of us gave thousands and tens of thousands from our private fortunes to make the Emperor contented again. All we sought was the patronage of your house. Now you want to destroy us and our families, this is surely too much!"

Then Qu Mu, the Supervisor of the Palace Workshop, drew his sword and cut off He Jin's head at the front of the Hall of Excellent Virtue.

Zhang Rang, Duan Gui and the other eunuchs now composed an edict. In this edict they appointed the former Grand Commandant Fan Ling as Colonel Director of Retainers and the Privy Treasurer Xu Xiang as Intendant of Henan. When the Masters of Writing got the edict block they questioned it: "We ask that the General-in-Chief come out and discuss this with us." The Palace Attendants of the Yellow Gates took He Jin's head and tossed it to the Masters of Writing, saying, "He Jin planned to rebel, he has been executed."

Wu Kuang and Zhang Zhang, officers of He Jin, were outside the palace when they heard that he had come to harm. They wanted to lead their men inside, but the gates of the palace were closed. The General of the Gentlemen of the Household Rapid as Tigers Yuan Shu joined Wu Kuang and they attacked and chopped the gates, while the eunuchs took up weapons to defend them. About this time the sun went down, and Yuan Shu set fire to the Gate Engraved in Blue of the Southern Palace to drive out Zhang Rang and the others.

Zhang Rang and his fellows went in and told the Empress-Dowager that the troops of the General-in-Chief had mutinied, burning the palace and attacking the entrance to the Office of the Masters of Writing. Then they forced junior officers of the palace to help them lead the Empress-Dowager, the Little Emperor and the King of Chenliu, and they fled along the Covered Way to the Northern Palace.

Standing with a halberd below a window of the Covered Way, the Master of Writing Lu Zhi stared up at Duan Gui and listed out his wrongdoing. Duan Gui was frightened. He let go of the Empress-Dowager, and she escaped through a side-door. Yuan Shao and his uncle Yuan Wei forged imperial orders to summon Fan Ling and Xu Xiang, and had them beheaded. Yuan Shao and He Miao then brought their troops to station by the Tower of the Vermilion Bird. They caught Zhao Zhong and some others and cut off their heads.

Wu Kuang had been angry at He Miao for his failure to support He Jin [in his intention to attack the eunuchs], and he suspected him of sympathy for the eunuchs. He announced to his troops, therefore, that "The man who killed the General-in-Chief was the General of Chariots and Cavalry. Officers and men, will you not take revenge upon him?" All wept and said, "We would give our lives for it." With Dong Zhuo's younger brother Dong Min, therefore, Chief Commandant of the Imperial Equipage, Wu Kuang led his men against He Miao. They killed him and left his body in the park.

Yuan Shao now closed the gates of the Northern Palace and ordered his soldiers to seize and slaughter all the eunuchs, without respect for young or old. Altogether some two thousand people died, including several whole men, who had no beards and were killed by mistake. Then Yuan Shao sent troops forward to clear the palace, and a number of them climbed the Principal Gate to attack the inner apartments.

On September the 24th, 189 A.D., Zhang Rang, Duan Gui and others were in difficulty and distress. Leading the Emperor and the King of Chenliu, with several dozen men on foot, they went out the Gu Gate and came by night to the Xiaoping Crossing. They left in such haste, they could not take the six seals and none of the Excellencies or ministers were able to accompany them. Only the Master of Writing Lu Zhi and the Head of the Central Precinct of Henan Min Gong came by night to the Yellow River. Min Gong faced Zhang Rang and his fellows with an angry shout, "Unless you die quickly, I shall kill you." He drew his sword and beheaded several men. Zhang Rang and the others, in fear and dread, clasped fingers, bowed twice and kowtowed towards the Emperor, "Now we must die. May Your Majesty maintain yourself." They threw themselves into the river and drowned.

With the death of Zhang Rang and his eunuchs, the battle against the Ten Regular Attendants came to an end. However, with Dong Zhuo now in the Imperial Court, another battle was not far off.