The Western Han Dynasty was established by Emperor Gaozu, Liu Bang, with its capital in Chang'an; the Eastern Han Dynasty was founded by Emperor Guangwu, Liu Xiu, with its capital in Luoyang. Between these two dynasties, there was a brief interlude when Wang Mang usurped the throne and established the short-lived Xin Dynasty (8 AD - 23 AD).
Although Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, came from humble beginnings, the dynasty he established was indeed remarkable.
Unlike the brief unification of the Qin Dynasty, the Han Dynasty truly achieved a period of recuperation and prosperity. During the Western Han, the teachings of Huang-Lao were promoted, while the Eastern Han emphasized Confucian culture, both of which placed great importance on the welfare of the people. The population during the Qin Dynasty was said to be around 20 to 30 million, but by the Han Dynasty, it had grown to 60 million.
The Han Dynasty was one of the greatest empires in the world at the time. From the reign of Emperor Gaozu to the era of Emperors Wen and Jing, the Han Dynasty's economic power soared, making it the foremost empire in the East, rivaling the Western Roman Empire. The major states of Central Asia and the Western Regions also feared its might. By the time of Emperor Wu, the Han Empire had become the most powerful empire in the world, with the Xiongnu Empire defeated and forced to flee northward. Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions opened the famous "Silk Road," establishing a trade route between the East and the West. From then on, China became the center of the world trade system, a position it maintained until the Mongol rebellions over a thousand years later. It was due to the far-reaching influence of the Han Dynasty that foreign tribes began to refer to the Chinese as "Han people," a term the Han people themselves embraced. Thus, "Han" became the eternal name of the great Chinese nation.
"The mighty Han will punish those who offend it, no matter how far away they are!" This was not just a slogan; it embodied the spirit of an entire nation. The Han Dynasty was the first to take the initiative to drive away the Xiongnu, who had been harassing the borders, like stray dogs. The achievement of "Feng Langju Xu" stands as a monument to the Han Dynasty's glory.
During its peak, the Han Dynasty had a clear division between civil and military roles. Military officers were responsible for defending the country and repelling foreign enemies, while civil officials handled political affairs and improved the people's livelihood. Unlike later periods where military officers were looked down upon by civil officials, such discrimination did not exist in the Han Dynasty. Throughout the Han era, from the nobility to the common people, there was a strong sense of pride and determination: invaders must die!
Even in the late Eastern Han, there were many who guarded the borders with a fierce determination to cut off the hands and heads of any barbarians who dared to reach out. For example, Gongsun Zan, who defended the borders in Youzhou, might have become the next Wei Qing if he hadn't been killed by Yuan Shao.
Over the four centuries of the Han Dynasty, the common people had grown accustomed to the rule of the Liu family. Most believed that even if they suffered, the emperor was good but misled by his officials. They held onto the hope that once the emperor realized the truth, everything would improve.
However, the emperors of the late Eastern Han were increasingly incompetent, far inferior to the likes of Liu Xiu and Liu Che. No matter how great the empire was, it could not withstand the ruinous actions of successive generations of wastrels. After four centuries of rule, the Han emperors had become almost deified figures. It wasn't until the end of the Three Kingdoms period that anyone dared to challenge the legitimacy of the Han imperial family. When did Cao Pi stage his farcical abdication? 220 AD or 221 AD? Now it was 189 AD, meaning it would take another thirty years of turmoil before the Han Dynasty's divine image would collapse. The current Yellow Turban Rebellion was just another major crack in that image before its eventual fall.
Liu Bian was quite pitiful, having been emperor for only a short time before being poisoned. As for Liu Xie, he was said to be quite capable. If not for the dire circumstances, he might have been a ruler who could have revived the dynasty...
While sitting in an ox-cart on his way to the Cui family estate in Beimang Mountain, Fei Qian indulged in these irresponsible musings.
By the way, how old were Liu Bian and Liu Xie this year? Liu Bian was the elder, around fifteen or sixteen, right? Liu Xie was much younger, maybe seven or eight? In modern terms, one would be in middle school and the other in elementary school, both still tender and youthful boys!
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While Fei Qian was carefreely enjoying himself outside the city, General He Jin's head was about to explode.
How could something that seemed so simple to him lead to so many complications when discussed with his subordinates? The worst part was that their arguments made sense. How was he supposed to decide?
The eunuchs had just delivered an edict from Empress Dowager He, inviting General He Jin to the palace for a discussion.
Although He Jin came from a butcher's background, he was now a general and had a group of subordinates, including his secretary Chen Lin, his officer Wu Kuang, and the later famous three warlords: Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and Cao Cao.
Despite his high position, He Jin's humble origins made him feel conflicted when dealing with the nobility. He was both arrogant and deeply insecure, desperately craving the recognition of the noble families and hoping to eventually become one of them.
When Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, scions of the prestigious Yuan family, became his subordinates, He Jin was overjoyed. He drank all night, thrilled that a former butcher like himself could now command the respect of such esteemed nobles.
However, He Jin's lack of education and experience left him ill-equipped for his role. Although he tried to learn after rising to power, he lacked guidance and the perseverance to truly master the necessary skills. As a result, he remained superficial in his knowledge, with no understanding of governance or strategy.
His lack of understanding of political opponents, combined with his indecisiveness and susceptibility to influence, led to his tragic downfall in dealing with the eunuchs.
Now, He Jin was unsure of what to do. He called his subordinates to discuss the matter, only to find the discussion even more frustrating.
The most frustrating was his secretary, Chen Lin.
Chen Lin, one of the "Seven Scholars of the Jian'an Era," was a highly accomplished literary figure, especially skilled in poetry and prose. Emperor Ling had assigned Chen Lin to He Jin's staff in the hope of improving the general's cultural knowledge. However, Chen Lin and He Jin were like oil and water—one a refined scholar, the other a rough man with little in common. Initially, He Jin had some interest in learning, but he soon found it too difficult and gave up.
Chen Lin had tried to encourage He Jin, but to no avail. Eventually, he gave up entirely, looking down on the former butcher and no longer holding any hope for him. He simply did his job, answering He Jin's questions when asked but not caring whether He Jin listened or acted. He became like a wooden statue, responding only when requested and otherwise minding his own business.
When He Jin asked Chen Lin for his opinion on the empress dowager's edict, Chen Lin replied dismissively, "This edict is surely a plot by the Ten Attendants. You must not go; there will be disaster." He offered no further explanation, leaving He Jin to figure it out on his own—if he even could.
He Jin was frustrated. He was just a rough man, and every conversation with Chen Lin was exhausting. The edict was from the empress dowager, so how was it connected to the Ten Attendants? Chen Lin didn't explain. What danger was there? How great was the danger? He could see Chen Lin's disdain, but without Chen Lin's reputation, He Jin would have had him whipped to teach him a lesson.
Unable to understand, He Jin swallowed his pride and asked, "What danger is there in the empress dowager summoning me?" He knew that refusing the summons would be seen as defying the empress dowager, and even though she was his sister, he couldn't afford to give his enemies ammunition.
But He Jin didn't address Chen Lin directly, so Chen Lin pretended not to hear, clearly thinking that a fool shouldn't ask foolish questions and should just follow orders without explanation.
The hall fell silent.
What kind of question was the general asking?
Since Chen Lin remained silent, the others were reluctant to speak.
Finally, Yuan Shao broke the silence, saving He Jin from further embarrassment: "The plot has been exposed, and the matter is out in the open. Do you still intend to enter the palace?" He Jin, your question is excellent! How would we know what danger there is? We're not eunuchs; how could we know how they plan to deal with you?
Besides, He Jin, what were you doing earlier? Didn't we remind you about Dou Wu's case? You hesitated and didn't act, and now the eunuchs know you're targeting them. Our plans are exposed, so why are you still thinking of entering the palace? There's danger in going, but as for how great the danger is, we don't know.
Cao Cao chimed in: "First summon the Ten Attendants out of the palace, then you can enter." Cao Cao suggested a radical solution: if the Ten Attendants were planning something, remove them from the palace first. Without their leadership, any danger inside the palace would be neutralized, and He Jin could enter safely.
The idea sounded good, but like the previous suggestion, it was impractical.
Apart from his family's connections to the eunuchs, Cao Cao himself didn't believe that He Jin could successfully break with the eunuchs. The conflict between the imperial relatives and the eunuchs was a long-standing tradition in the Han Dynasty. What made He Jin, a former butcher, think he could completely eliminate the eunuchs? Cao Cao didn't know what the danger was, but he offered a solution that theoretically addressed it, even if it was unlikely to be implemented.
He Jin was furious after hearing Cao Cao's suggestion. Last time, Cao Cao had said that dealing with the eunuchs required only a prison official, and He Jin had believed him. It was Yuan Shao who had explained that the idea, while appealing, was impractical. He Jin hadn't settled that score, and now Cao Cao was offering another unrealistic plan.
If He Jin could simply order the Ten Attendants around, why would he need to deal with them in the first place? The problem was that they didn't obey his orders, so how could he summon them out of the palace? With what authority?
He Jin laughed bitterly and said, "This is a child's view. I hold the power of the empire; what can the Ten Attendants do to me?" He was clearly referring to Cao Cao, Cao Aman, warning him not to think he could be fooled. He Jin was the general in power, and he could turn the tables at any moment.
Yuan Shao clasped his hands and said, "If you insist on going, we will lead armored guards to accompany you, to prevent any mishaps." If you're determined to court disaster, go ahead. We've done what we can. Bringing more men will at least intimidate the eunuchs.
He Jin nodded. This was a reasonable suggestion, so he took out his tiger tally and ordered Yuan Shao and Cao Cao to each lead five hundred men as his escort. If they were going to do this, they might as well make a grand show of it. A few dozen or even a few hundred men wouldn't be enough to showcase He Jin's might.
At this point, Yuan Shu unexpectedly stepped forward and volunteered: "Brothers Yuan Shao and Cao Cao have official duties and may be inconvenienced. Why not let me lead the escort? I will ensure your safety." Yuan Shao and Cao Cao were formally appointed as commanders of the Western Garden's Eight Schools of the Army. With the general's tiger tally, they could mobilize troops, but without the emperor's explicit order, it could lead to complications if questioned later. Since I hold no official position, I can lead the escort without raising suspicions.
This reasoning was sound, but why was Yuan Shu, who usually avoided work, so eager to take on this task? Yuan Shao had a thought and glanced at Cao Cao.
Cao Cao also realized something was amiss and exchanged a look with Yuan Shao. Something unusual was afoot!