Faced with Empress Dowager Dong's interrogation, Wang Chengen hesitated and remained silent.
"Wang Chengen, you were deeply favored by the late emperor, who decreed that you should support a virtuous and capable person to ascend the throne. But have you done so?"
Empress Dowager Dong loudly questioned, "Now that the palace is in chaos, you should take this opportunity to escape and see Liu Wei, and tell him not to forget the late emperor's edict."
"Empress Dowager, this servant..."
Wang Chengen hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
"Are you worried that Liu Wei, once he arrives in the capital, will not help Xie'er but instead become emperor himself?" Empress Dowager Dong smiled bitterly.
“If the late Emperor were still alive, I would not have thought such a thing, but things are different now. Prince Wei has territory and troops!” Wang Chengen said worriedly.
"He won't!" Empress Dowager Dong said with certainty, then sighed, "He wants the title!"
"Even if he intends to become emperor, he will only let Xie'er become emperor first, and then wait for the right time to have Xie'er abdicate!"
"Empress Dowager, what...why is this?"
Although Wang Chengen was somewhat bewildered, he seemed to understand something. "Since Prince Wei ultimately wants to seize the throne, why should we go and have him help Prince Chenliu ascend to the throne?"
"You don't understand. I am old and frail. I would be content as long as I can see Xie'er ascend the throne, and I would also let the late emperor know in the afterlife that he has no regrets."
"Let Xie'er serve for as many years as he can, and he will eventually leave his mark on history!"
Empress Dowager Dong was very open-minded. "I know what Liu Wei needs right now. Here, take this with you!"
Suddenly, Empress Dowager Dong took out a piece of silk written in fresh blood from her person.
"The Empress Dowager's decree!"
Wang Chengen was stunned. He quickly read the contents, which were a bitter denunciation of Empress Dowager He and He Jin's family of relatives who had seized power in the court, poisoned their husbands and insulted their mothers, and caused the young emperor to lose his virtue. He hoped that the people of the world would support Liu Wei and condemn Empress Dowager He.
“That’s right. Liu Wei has come to the capital with the late emperor’s edict and my imperial decree. Wherever the troops are deployed, anyone who disobeys will be considered a rebel!”
"And so he was rightfully in charge, and no one dared to question his actions anymore."
Empress Dowager Dong said calmly, "Wang Chengen, why don't you leave now! You'll be much safer by Liu Wei's side!"
"When he came to Luoyang that day, I saw that you and he seemed quite familiar with each other!"
"Empress Dowager, please take care of your health!"
Wang Chengen said nothing more, carefully put away the blood-written letter from Empress Dowager Dong, then changed into casual clothes and left the palace through the side gate of the West Garden.
......
At this time, the imperial city was in chaos, and the concubines in the three palaces and six courtyards were all in danger.
When the palace guards heard that Yuan Shao and others wanted to kill the Ten Attendants to avenge He Jin, they also joined the massacre.
The eunuchs in the palace fled in panic.
"Gonglu, Mengde! Have either of you seen His Majesty?"
Yuan Shao led his men to sweep through the palace again, counting heads, and found that Zhao Zhong and Xia Hui were missing. All the other eunuchs had been killed, and even Guo Sheng, who had tipped them off, was killed by the angry soldiers without asking any questions.
This is the consequence of being a double agent and having your cake and eat it too.
"Benchu, His Majesty has been kidnapped by Zhao Zhong and Xia Hui with their men!" Cao Cao rushed in to report.
"Damn it! Those two damned eunuchs dared to take His Majesty away!" Yuan Shao roared in fury. "Where did they run off to?"
"It seems they went out of the north gate of the palace and headed towards Beiman Mountain!"
"Chase them!" Yuan Shao said without hesitation. "They want to use His Majesty as a shield? Dream on!"
“Benchu, quite a few of the Ten Attendants’ henchmen have escaped from the palace!” Zhao Lei said.
"We will divide our forces into three groups. Mengde, you and Wu Qiong will go to Beiman Mountain to pursue Zhao Zhong and Xia Hui. We must not allow His Majesty to suffer any harm."
"Gonglu, Zhao Lei, and Chunyu Qiong, you three are acting on my orders as the Commandant of the Capital Region and the Left Assistant of the General's Office, to lead men to massacre and confiscate the families of the Ten Attendants in Luoyang."
"With the Grand General killed, I must ask the Grand Tutor to come out and support the overall situation."
Yuan Shao decisively gave the order.
Now that General He Jin is dead, Yuan Shao, who holds the highest official rank among those present, led the killing of the Ten Attendants in the palace.
When Yuan Shao gave orders, everyone obeyed.
"Here you go!"
The crowd, along with soldiers, carried He Jin's body away, leaving a trail of corpses in the palace.
Of the thousands of eunuchs in the palace, at least half died in this palace turmoil.
The commotion in the palace finally subsided. Empress Dowager He emerged from Yong'an Palace with trepidation and hurriedly sent people to check on the young emperor's safety.
However, news came that the young emperor had already been kidnapped by Zhao Zhong, one of the Ten Attendants, and Empress Dowager He fainted on the spot.
In a panic, Wang Zhen sent someone to invite Grand Tutor Yuan Wei and others into the palace to discuss the matter.
But the massacre in Luoyang had only just begun.
Countless soldiers stormed into the Ten Attendants' mansion in Luoyang, killing people indiscriminately and looting women, leaving the place in ruins.
After Yuan Shu killed everyone in the residence of the Ten Attendants, he discussed with Zhao Lei and Yu Qiong and decided to go all the way and expand the scope of the massacre on the spot.
Ministers and officials in Luoyang who were affiliated with the Ten Attendants also became their targets.
Immediately, troops surged throughout Luoyang, and shouts of battle and screams filled the air.
Fires raged, and at least a hundred officials were massacred.
The people of Luoyang stayed indoors, trembling with fear, and dared not go out.
The massacre only stopped after Yuan Wei, Yuan Feng, Yuan Shao, Wang Yun, Yang Biao, Lu Zhi, Sima Fang, Huang Qiong, Zhang Wen, and others met with Empress Dowager He, who pleaded with them to find the young emperor and end the turmoil in Luoyang.
Yuan Kui took over the government in the name of Grand Tutor, while the troops in Luoyang were controlled by Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu and others.
Except for Zhao Zhong and Xia Hui, who had taken the young emperor hostage and fled, the Ten Attendants' cronies in Luoyang were all purged.
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