Given his highly talented staff, it would be remarkable if he could have foreseen such a problem.

They plotted to bring down General Dong Zhong and imprison him.

Dong Zhong died in prison; it was discovered that he had also died of a sudden illness.

This operation was flawless, causing Empress Dowager Dong and the Ten Attendants to suffer a hidden loss.

Empress Dowager Dong knew it was the work of Empress He's faction, but there was nothing she could do.

They were depressed for a long time, not knowing who had given them this idea, or whether Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, had also felt that the growing power of the maternal relatives was causing an imbalance.

In addition, the remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion continued, and there were also rebellions in Youzhou and Liangzhou.

Originally, three generals were dispatched to quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion. The capital's imperial guards, commanded by five schools of the Northern Army, along with cavalry from Hedong, Henan, and Henan, plus the elite warriors recruited by the two, totaled more than 40,000 men.

These people's military pay and provisions were enormous, and the national treasury was already empty.

If we were to send troops from the capital to quell the rebellion now, we would be stretched thin.

So when Empress Dowager Dong instructed someone to suggest granting power to the imperial relatives, Liu Hong struggled to get up from his sickbed and, disregarding the obstruction of Empress He and He Jin, issued the order.

Sending relatives to govern local areas effectively divided the power of the General's Mansion.

Originally, the governors and prefects of the thirteen prefectures of Han territory had the right to participate in and recommend candidates for the appointment of generals.

Now, we'll directly appoint a member of the imperial clan as governor, giving him complete control over both military and political affairs. This will eliminate any need for the General's Mansion.

Moreover, the sudden division of five states into separate territories infuriated He Jin and Empress He.

"We agreed that my elder brother would seize power, but things have backfired! I should have known better than to make a move against Dong Zhong!"

Empress He was disheartened.

"Now that the imperial decree has been issued, the die is cast. Besides maintaining control of the military in the capital, elder brother, we must not neglect the governorships in other regions! We should try to use our own people as much as possible!"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, in addition to Bingzhou and Liangzhou, I will also place loyal people in Yuzhou, Jizhou, Qingzhou, and Yanzhou!"

He Jin nodded emphatically.

Although he and his sister disagree on some things, they are in complete agreement on this issue!

The two then discussed important matters of the court. Empress He thought of Liu Wei, whom she had been trying to get rid of, and was about to ask He Jin about his recent situation.

At this moment, Eunuch Du came running in, panting and looking flustered: "Master, something terrible has happened again!"