Taiheiki

Chapter 1 Prologue 1
Spring city is everywhere, flowers are flying, cold food is Dongfeng Yuliu oblique.

At dusk, candles were lit in the Han Palace, and light smoke drifted into the homes of the five marquises. "Cold Food" by Han Hong of the Tang Dynasty
Luoyang North Palace, Taige District, Shangshutai.

The Beigong was dark and silent. When Shangshu Ling Yin Xun and Zhong Changshi (the highest-ranking eunuch around the emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty) Ju Yuan passed through Chongxian Gate, the moon, which was turning from a waning moon to a full moon, had already climbed over the top of Deyang Hall (the main hall where the emperor of the Beigong Palace resided during the Eastern Han Dynasty). Dozens of Zhonghuangmen Rongcong (armed eunuchs in charge of the palace guards and the emperor's ceremonial guards) wrapped in black robes followed closely behind the two men, looking like a group of night rats in the moonlight.

As the former political center of the empire, the Secretariat was located in the northeast corner of the Beigong Pavilion area, adjacent to the Imperial Court to the west and separated only by a wall from the Forbidden City, the residence of the Emperor. Like most buildings in the Pavilion area, the Secretariat was situated atop a raised platform, giving it a majestic and imposing appearance. A small group of swordsmen passed through the corridor below the Secretariat, their armor glinting coldly in the moonlight.

Zhang Wen, the Minister of the Secretariat, dozed off on a table, a scroll of the Gongyang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals lying open beside him. As the nerve center of the Eastern Han government, the Secretariat operated around the clock, operating on a twelve-hour shift. Thirty-six Ministers of the Secretariat, each with a salary of 400 dan (approximately 100 dan), and eighteen Clerks, each with a salary of 200 dan (approximately 100 dan), rotated around the Secretariat. Even at night, someone was on duty, ready to draft the emperor's wishes into edicts. During the reign of Emperor Ming of Han, the emperor, who resided in the Forbidden Palace on the other side of the palace wall, would often visit the Secretariat in the middle of the night for inspections.

However, the world has changed. The emperor has been away from the government for a long time, and power has long been in the hands of General Liang Ji. The center of power has naturally shifted to the General's Mansion outside the palace. Central places like the Secretariat have also become much deserted. So much so that Zhang Wen, the Minister of the Secretariat, could even doze off during his night duty.

The palace door was violently flung open, and a fierce night wind blew in, knocking over the extinguished candlesticks on the table. Zhang Wen was startled awake and surprised to see his immediate superior standing before him, his face pale and stern, followed by four or five men wrapped in black robes. He quickly stood up, bowed, and said, "I greet you, sir!"

"Gather everyone!" Yin Xun frowned, but didn't reprimand his subordinate who had obviously dozed off. Zhang Wen let out a long sigh and hurried to gather his colleagues on duty.

A few minutes later.

"Is everyone here?" Yin Xun frowned and glanced at the sleepy people in front of him.

"They're all here!" Zhang Wen quickly replied, "According to the rules, one-third of the people are on night watch. They're all here!"

"Where are the uncle and the female servant? Where are the other servants who clean and do the washing?" Yin Xun asked sternly.

"Ah! They are coming too?" Zhang Wen opened his mouth wide. Bo Shi and Nu Shi were handymen serving the Shangshu Shilang, responsible for managing the incense burners and clothes on the Shangshu Terrace. In Zhang Wen's opinion, the "everyone" Yin Xun mentioned should not include these people.

"Of course you have to come. I just made it very clear, all 'people', 'people'!" Yin Xun shouted in a stern tone.

"Yes, yes! All 'people'! I will gather them here right away!" Zhang Wen almost turned around and ran away.

"Lord Yin, there's no need to do this! It will be bad if you scare the people below!" The man next to Yin Xun whispered. His voice was feminine, but louder than that of the two thousand stone eunuch Gu Yuan.

"Yeah!" Yin Xun forced a smile and said to Zhang Wen, "Go and send someone back quickly!"

Zhang Wen retreated quickly, and within half a cup of tea, he had summoned all the people who were in the Shangshu Terrace that night, from the Shangshu Pushe with a salary of 600 dan to the maids and palace slaves in charge of cleaning, there were about 170 or 180 people in total. Everyone realized that they had encountered a big event, and looked at their boss with anxiety.

"My lord, everyone is here!" Zhang Wen said cautiously to Yin Xun.

Yin Xun gestured for his men to withdraw, taking a half step back to clear the middle space. Just as everyone in the Secretariat was puzzled, Ju Yuan stepped forward, removed her hood, revealing the silver cicada pendant and sable tail that adorned her hair, and shouted in a high-pitched, shrill voice, "The Emperor has issued an edict!"

Everyone in the room knelt unconsciously. Even the lowly palace servants, who couldn't recognize Ju Yuan, a beloved figure close to the emperor, could recognize the silver cicada pendant and sable tail atop her head. Only the most intimate eunuchs of the emperor were authorized to wear such ornaments on their crowns. However, the long-serving ministers and histories noticed something unusual.

Since Emperor Guangwu's Jianwu Restoration, the Three Dukes had held only nominal positions, with central government power vested in the cabinet. The Secretariat, in particular, wielded immense power. Even the emperor had to go through the Secretariat to translate his will into the emperor's. In other words, the Secretariat was a place for drafting imperial edicts, not for receiving them. If the emperor ordered the Secretariat to draft an imperial edict, he would simply dispatch one or two attendants to inform the officials on duty; there was no need for such a grandiose gathering of all the officials.

Ju Yuan's orders were simple: First, surrender all official seals and tokens from the Secretariat, and then everyone here must arm themselves immediately to guard against possible attack. As soon as he finished speaking, a murmur erupted within the palace. Without official seals and tokens, how could they carry out their duties? The Secretariat was located within the North Palace. Beyond the palace walls and the Luoyang city walls, it was protected by the Five Northern Army Schools, the palace's officials, and the swordsmen. How could it possibly be attacked? Furthermore, who could possibly be the one to attack the Secretariat?

"Silence!" Yin Xun shouted, "This is the order of the Emperor. Do you want to disobey?"

The hall fell silent. Those with keen eyes could already see the numerous figures of the Central Yellow Gate swarming outside. Whatever was going on, it would be wise to keep quiet now. Ju Yuan nodded in satisfaction. "That's it, then. Also, Lord Yin will go to the other provincial offices and order them to defend themselves with their own troops. While you're at it, collect any official seals and send them to the Forbidden City to prevent any further incidents!"

"No problem! But Weiwei Liang Shu is in charge of the swordsmen and palace gate guards, so we must be careful!" Yin Xun nodded. In the Beigong Pavilion area at that time, in addition to the Shangshu Tai, there were also Fujie Tai (in charge of seals, tiger and bamboo seals, and the place for granting seals), Lantai (the royal library and archives in the palace), Weiwei Mansion (in charge of palace guards, such as swordsmen, mainly responsible for guarding the palace gates), Guanglu Temple (in charge of Huben and Yulin Lang), Wuguan Zhonglang Office, Zuo Zhonglang Office, You Zhonglang Office (that is, the three offices, subordinates of Guanglu Temple) and other institutions.

"No problem!" Ju Yuan said with a smile, "Liang Shu is just an ordinary person. The emperor has already made arrangements, and Guanglu Xun Yuan Xu is also in the province. It will be easy to capture this beast!"

"Weiwei Liang Shu? Guanglu Xun Yuan Xu?" Zhang Wen's body suddenly trembled. Liang Shu was a relative of General Liang Ji. As the Weiwei, he was in charge of the guards of the North and South Palaces, while Guanglu Xun Yuan Xu was in charge of another group of armed officials (namely Huben, Yulin Lang, etc.) who guarded the emperor in the palace. When combined with the Queen Liang who had just passed away a month ago, all the truth was about to be revealed tonight.

Ju Yuan glanced at Zhang Wen, who was trembling beside him, and suddenly smiled: "Your name is Zhang Wen, right?"

"That's right!" Zhang Wen quickly lowered his head, not daring to look up.

"Where are you from?"

"A native of Nanyang!" "So it's the Emperor's hometown!" Ju Yuan nodded. He looked Zhang Wen up and down. "Minister Zhang, even though I'm in the palace, I've heard of your reputation. The Liang family is now overbearing. Half of the civil and military officials in the court belong to them. If the Emperor wants to do something major, who do you want to be affiliated with?"

"I will serve the emperor!" Zhang Wen said hurriedly.

"Very good!" Ju Yuan nodded: "Then quickly get up and follow me to fight the thief!"

"Yes!" Zhang Wen responded, and nervously followed Ju Yuan out of the Shangshu Terrace. He saw that the stage was already full of fully armed Hubenlang and Zhonghuangmen. Just when he was secretly frightened, he suddenly heard Ju Yuan's voice.

"Minister Zhang, do you know why I chose you to go with me?"

Zhang Wen replied carefully, "I don't know!"

"Grand Chamberlain (During the Eastern Han Dynasty, eunuchs were divided into two systems: those around the emperor and those around the empress. The Grand Chamberlain was the highest eunuch in the empress's palace) Cao Gong has mentioned you to me several times, saying that you are loyal and honest, with extraordinary talent and wisdom, and can be entrusted with important matters."

"Grand Chamberlain Cao? Are you talking about Cao Jixing of Pei?"

"Who else could it be besides him?" Ju Yuan turned around and looked at Zhang Wen deeply: "Do your best this time, the three ministers will take care of the matter!" After that, he strode forward. Zhang Wen looked at Ju Yuan's back, and a special feeling arose in his heart.

When Ju Yuan and his companions arrived at the Imperial Guard's residence, a team of Hu Ben Lang (Hu Ben Lang) were already waiting there. From afar, they could see the long halberds in their hands gleaming coldly in the moonlight. During the Han Dynasty, the most important path to officialdom was through the Langguan (Liang Guan) position. This meant the emperor recruited talented individuals from local prefectures and states through various channels (such as Renzi (those appointed through the merits of their fathers or brothers), Fuxuan (those qualified for official appointment based on considerable wealth), and Xiaolian (Xiaolian). These talented individuals would serve as attendants to the emperor, serving as palace guards, as ceremonial escorts during tours, or as advisors. The emperor would also select talented individuals from these Langguan positions to serve as local governors. The Hu Ben and Yu Lin Lang were among these Langguan.

"Central Eunuch!" The leading Tiger Guards officer bowed to Ju Yuan. "Lord Yuan is in charge of the Imperial Household Department and has ordered this foreman to come here and await your orders!"

"Good!" Ju Yuan was full of energy, with two blushes on her cheeks. It was unclear whether it was from the night wind or from nervousness. "The emperor has issued an edict. Liang Shu is guilty and must be dismissed from office and imprisoned! Only one person is guilty, and the rest will not be questioned!"

The Huben Zhonglang was clearly prepared. He responded with a groan, then turned and gave the order. The Huben Lang immediately rushed towards the Weiwei Mansion. The swordsmen on guard that night, upon seeing the Huben Lang and eunuchs like Ju Yuan, dropped their weapons, some even turning against them. Ju Yuan and the others rushed directly to Liang Shu's bedroom and pulled him out of his bed.

"Eunuch, what's going on?" Liang Shu was awakened from her sleep and asked in horror when she saw the flashing swords and sabers all around.

"Liang Weiwei, there is an imperial edict!" Ju Yuan said with a smile.

"There's an imperial edict?" Liang Shu's eyes widened. "How could I not know? Are you kidding, Eunuch?"

Ju Yuan's face turned cold. He pulled a roll of white linen paper from his sleeve, unfolded it, and read, "The great generals Ji and his brothers have monopolized power, forcing everyone inside and outside the country to pay tribute first to Ji's house. Officials and civilians who seek official positions and pardons are all affiliated with the government. Ministers and nobles below follow his orders, showing no respect for their subjects and committing the crime of gross disrespect. All relatives of the Liang and Sun families are now imprisoned and awaiting punishment!"

After reading the imperial edict, Ju Yuan turned the white linen paper over and showed Liang Shu the seal on it. He sneered and said, "Come here, arrest the criminal."

"The Emperor was established by my brother and the Empress Dowager. He attacked us before the Empress's body was even cold. He is truly ungrateful!" Liang Shu finally woke up from her dream and shouted loudly, ignoring the tiger guards holding her. Ju Yuan's face turned pale and he shouted, "Are you all deaf? Shut up this guy!" The eunuchs nearby rushed forward, stuffed a rag into Liang Shu's mouth, and tied it tightly with a hemp rope.

"You bastard, you have no loyalty to your king or your father. You deserve to have your entire family exterminated!" Ju Yuan could no longer maintain his composure. He drew his sword and made a move to kill, but then stopped. He handed the hilt to Zhang Wen and said, "Minister Zhang, kill this fellow!"

"Ah!" Zhang Wen was stunned. "Mr. Ju, although this fellow is guilty, the Weiwei is one of the Nine Ministers, a high-ranking official with a salary of 2,000 dan. How could he be killed without authorization?"

"It doesn't matter! The emperor will definitely exterminate the entire Liang and Sun families this time. What's a two thousand stone official? Just say that he is resisting stubbornly and kill him on the spot! Besides, this guy usually monitors the palace and the inner court, and the emperor hates him the most. You kill him to avenge the emperor! Don't you want to be rich and noble? Now is the time!" Having said that, Ju Yuan pushed the hilt of the sword towards Zhang Wen, his face full of urging.

Zhang Wen stretched out his right hand and took the sword. The sword's light reflected on Liang Shu's face, which was filled with fear of death. Zhang Wen gritted his teeth and thrust his right arm forward. The blade slid between the ribs and pierced the heart. Liang Shu twitched twice and stopped breathing.

"Well done! This is the fate that the traitor deserves!" Ju Yuan smiled as he took the sword from Zhang Wen's hand. A eunuch had already wiped the blood off it. He patted Zhang Wen's shoulder affectionately and said, "Bo Shen (Zhang Wen's courtesy name), you are a kind man. In fact, Liang Shu should be thanking you! A quick death with a sword through the heart is better than being beheaded in public!"

"Abandoned and beheaded?" Zhang Wen couldn't help but shudder. "The Liang family has been a family of honor for generations, and has had three empresses. Yet they are to be executed and beheaded?"

"Of course!" Ju Yuan shook his head proudly. "Forget it, since you're one of us now, I'll let you in on the secret! The late emperor was poisoned by Liang Ji!"

"Ah!" Zhang Wen felt as if thunder had struck his head, and he froze in shock. The "late emperor" Ju Yuan was referring to was none other than Emperor Zhi of Han, Liu Xu, the tenth emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He ascended the throne at the age of eight and died of a sudden illness a year later. While there were various rumors about his cause of death, they were all just rumors. Besides, many emperors of the dynasty had died young, not least of whom was Emperor Zhi of Han. Hearing this from Ju Yuan, the Imperial Eunuch, was now a sure thing.

"Alright!" Seeing Zhang Wen's performance, Ju Yuan smiled triumphantly: "There are still two hours until dawn. Hurry up and pack up. We will go and capture Liang Ji immediately!"

(End of this chapter)