by Luo Guanzhong
28As the two of them continued their war of words, Zhang Rang and his colleagues urged both of them to return to their chambers. Empress He sent word day and night for He Jin to come to the palace; when he arrived, she told him what had happened. He Jin came out, and immediately convened a meeting with the three most senior ministers. He made them hold court in the early hours of the morning, and issue a statement saying that Empress Dowager Dong started out as the wife of a low-ranking noble, and hence should not permanently reside at the palace. It further stated that it would be best if she were relocated to Hejian, and that she would have a fixed number of days within which to leave the gates of the capital. They then sent someone to escort Empress Dong, while at the same time ordering the capital guards to surround general of fast cavalry Dong Chong's manor. They were to apprehend him, and take possession of his official government seal. Dong Chong understood the dire nature of the situation, and committed suicide in a rear hall. The military troops did not disperse until his family members held the funeral. When Zhang Rang and Duan Gui saw that Empress Dong's branch of the family had been nullified, they resorted to using bribes of gold and pearls to collude with He Jin's younger brother He Miao and his mother, the Lady of Wuyang. The stipulation was that sooner or later, they would meet with Empress Dowager He and put in a good word so that the eunuchs would be protected. Because of this, the ten regular attendants acquired a new benefactor.
Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from Lays of Ancient Rome by Macaulay.
This is one of four great novels from China, published when it was the most highly civilization in the world. Map shows China at the time of this story.
Chapter Summary: Zhang Yide gets angry and whips the County Inspector; Royal uncle He plots the murder of the wretched eunuchs.
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This translation from Wikipedia. See license CC-BY-SA.
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