In the second year of Zhanghe, the thirty-one-year-old Emperor Zhang of Han died of illness, and the ten-year-old crown prince Liu Zhao ascended the throne for Emperor Han He. Emperor www.biquge.info Han and Emperor He were too young to grasp power, and his mother, Empress Dowager Dou, listened to the government.

This Empress Dowager Dou is the great-granddaughter of Dou Rong, the founder of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and her mother is the granddaughter of Emperor Guangwu. Emperor Zhang of Han can be said to have fallen in love with her at first sight, so Empress Dowager Dou was able to favor her in the harem.

But she is both willful and jealous. At that time, the Empress Dowager Ma once married Song and Liang as concubines for her son Emperor Han Zhang, and the two concubines had children, among which the Empress Dowager Ma was the most favored by Concubine Song's son Liu Qing; After the death of the Empress Dowager Ma, the Dou family waited for an opportunity to murder Concubine Song, just when Concubine Song wanted to eat rabbit meat due to illness, Dou used this move as a curse in the name of instigating Emperor Zhang of Han to abolish Liu Qing and set up his adopted son Liu Zhao as the crown prince, and Concubine Song was forced to commit suicide.

The Dou family also did not spare her adopted son's biological mother, and when she knew that Liu Zhao had a close relationship with his mother Liang's mother's family, she instructed the Dou family to write an anonymous letter to frame the Liang family for rebellion. As a result, Liang's father, Liang Zhu, died in prison, and the Liang sisters also died of excessive grief.

Empress Dowager Dou listened to the government and took her brother Dou Xian as her servant and took power. The Dou brothers are also distributed in the key places of various organs, and gradually form a situation of dictatorship of foreign relatives.

At the beginning of Dou Xian's reign, he declared a personal vendetta, and he killed the son of the enemy Han Xuan. Liu Chang, the marquis of the capital, went to Luoyang to mourn the death of Emperor Zhang of the Han Dynasty, and was summoned by the Empress Dowager Dou several times, which won the favor of the Empress Dowager. Dou Xian was afraid that he would share the power, so he sent assassins to kill him at the city gates, and also framed his younger brother as the murderer. The relevant investigation department ruled out interference, and finally found out that the mastermind of the matter was Dou Xian, but the Empress Dowager Dou brought Dou Xian into the palace to protect him. Dou Xian was afraid of being sentenced for crime, so he took the initiative to lead an army to conscript the Xiongnu to atone for his sins.

In the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu split into two branches, the north and the south. The Southern Xiongnu surrendered to the Han Dynasty, while the Northern Xiongnu retreated to Mobei, but they would still continue to harass the Han Dynasty's borders. In this year, the Southern Xiongnu wrote to the court, requesting to take advantage of the internal disputes of the Northern Xiongnu to send troops on an expedition, which caused a fierce debate in the imperial court. In order to make her brother guilty and make meritorious contributions, the Empress Dowager Dou overrode public opinion and sent Dou Xian to expedition against the Xiongnu.

Dou Xian and Geng Bing, the general of Zhengxi, led the army out of Shuofang, and defeated the Northern Xiongnu in Jiluo Mountain, and the Northern Xiongnu fled alone, and more than 200,000 people surrendered. The Han army went out of the fortress for more than 3,000 miles, and Dou Xian climbed Yanran Mountain, ordered the Zhonghu army to be Bangu, carved the deeds on the stone tablet and then moved the division back to the court.

Dou Xian made great contributions and was worshiped as a general, ranking above the three dukes. Since then, the Dou family, father and son and brothers have been in high positions, full of the imperial court, and the power has been overwhelming. Some virtuous ministers originally wanted to work together to boycott, but because the Empress Dowager Dou supported them, the Dou brothers were still the same, and all the boycotts were to no avail. Shang Shule Hui, who opposed the dictatorship of the Dou brothers, was poisoned by the magistrate who colluded with Dou Xian on the way back to his hometown, and no one in the court dared to contradict Dou Xian again.

Dou Xian was in power, and his ambitions swelled sharply, and he even wanted to plot the throne. At this time, Emperor Han He was already fourteen years old, and he had heard some rumors, and he was not willing to be captured, so he took active action. Because Dou Xian's henchmen were all over the court and outside, Emperor Han He couldn't have any contact with other courtiers at all, so he had to make up his mind from the eunuchs around him.

After observation, he felt that Zheng Zhong, the eunuch of Zhongchang, was loyal and reliable, and he was very scheming, so he conspired with him on how to get rid of Dou Xian. They thought that Dou Xian was leading the troops outside, and they were afraid that he would lead the troops to make trouble, so they held back.

After Dou Xian's class returned to the dynasty, Emperor Han He decided to launch a coup d'état, and after drawing up a plan, on the day of Gengshen, Emperor Han He came to the North Palace, secretly dispatched troops to control the capital, and arrested Dou Xian's henchmen in one fell swoop. Then he sent someone to confiscate the seal of General Dou Xian, ordered him to commit suicide, and regained power in one fell swoop. Zheng Zhong was also made a marquis and promoted to the rank of senior official of Jiupin, and the eunuchs began to gain power.

Emperor He of Han died at the age of twenty-seven, and his son Emperor Yan was only a little more than 100 days old, and the Empress Dowager Deng listened to the government, and her brother Deng Qiu held great power. A few months later, Emperor Yan died, and Empress Dowager Deng welcomed Liu Hu, the nephew of Emperor Han He, as Emperor An of Han.

Emperor An of Han was only thirteen years old, and the power was still in the hands of the Empress Dowager Deng, who learned the lesson of the fall of the Dou clan, was more respectful and law-abiding, and could also cooperate with the eunuch Zheng Zhong. But the struggle for power was ruthless, and after the death of the Empress Dowager Deng, Emperor An of Han was in power, and the Deng family was still deposed, and Deng Qiu and other brothers and nephews were forced to commit suicide.

Emperor An of the Han Dynasty was in power, and his mother's Geng family, his wife's Yan family and other relatives came to power, they were arrogant and arrogant, and the politics were even more corrupt.

Empress Yan once poisoned the biological mother of the crown prince Liu Bao, Li, and she was afraid that the prince would retaliate when he grew up, so she planned to abolish the prince. Emperor An of the Han Dynasty's nursing mother Wang Sheng and eunuchs Jiang Jing, Fan Feng and others coveted and killed the prince's nursing mother Wang Nan and kitchen supervisor Bing Ji, and the prince missed the two and often sighed. Wang Sheng and Jiang Jing were afraid that the prince would retaliate in the future, so they colluded with Empress Yan and told the prince's viciousness in front of Emperor An of Han day and night. Emperor An of the Han Dynasty was nonsensical by nature, and he actually listened to slander and abolished the crown prince Liu Bao as the king of Jiyin.

The thirty-two-year-old Emperor An of Han left Jingnan and died of illness in Ye County. Empress Yan discussed with his brother Yan Xian and the eunuchs Jiang Jing and Fan Feng: "The emperor died on the way, and the king of Jiyin is still in the Jingshi, if the ministers support us as the emperor, we will definitely be killed by him." It's better not to mourn and return to the capital quickly. ”

So they lied that the emperor was seriously ill, and delivered meals as usual every day, and inquired about daily life. The group traveled day and night, and returned to Luoyang four days later, where they mourned that night. Empress Yan wanted to control the country's affairs, so she set up the young Beixiang Marquis Liu Yi, and took Yan Xian as the general of the chariot and cavalry, and took power.

At this time, Liu Bao, the king of Jiyin, was already ten years old, and when he heard that his father had died, he wanted to enter the palace to cry, but he was blocked by the inner servants and was not allowed to go to the palace. Poor Liu Bao had nowhere to cry and couldn't speak, so he had to let out a wail outside, and he didn't drink or eat for several days. The courtiers inside and outside saw that he was young and burdened with grievances, and he could not fulfill his filial piety, and no one did not shed tears and sympathized.

When the Yan clan came to power, they immediately set about purging dissidents, banishing Wang Sheng, the nurse mother of Emperor An of Han, executing the eunuch Fan Feng, and forcing the general Geng Bao to commit suicide. So the Yan brothers were in a confidential position in the imperial court, and they were powerful.

Beixianghou contracted wind and cold, and his condition became increasingly serious. Sun Cheng, who served Empress Dowager Deng before, was at odds with Jiang Jing, Fan Feng and others. He felt that although Fan Feng was dead, Jiang Jing was still in power, and he would never have a chance to get ahead, so he was trying to find an opportunity to get rid of Jiang Jing. He saw that the Marquis of Beixiang was seriously ill, so he said to Changxingqu, who was beside King Jiyin: "King Jiyin is the orthodoxy of the royal lineage, and he did not make a mistake, but the first emperor misheard the rumors and deposed his crown prince. If the Marquis of Beixiang can't afford to fall ill, he can just set up King Jiyin as the king and take the opportunity to get rid of Jiang Jing and Yan Xian. ”

Changxingqu believed what he said and instructed him to make proper arrangements. So Sun Cheng contacted the eunuch Wang Kang, Wang Guo, and other eighteen people to plot an incident.

Jiang Jing saw that the Marquis of Beixiang was seriously ill, and he said to Yan Xian in private: "The Marquis of Beixiang is seriously ill, and he should quickly elect a successor monarch." King Jiyin was deposed, he must have already been resentful, and now if he is appointed emperor again, there will definitely be trouble. It is better to ask the king's children early and choose the successor monarch from among them. ”

Yan Xianxin thought so, after the death of the Marquis of Beixiang, Yan Xian planned for the Empress Yan, kept the mourning secret, and then solicited the children of the kings to choose the heir. All the kings were in the outer domains and could not come to the capital quickly, so Sun Cheng decided to take the opportunity to start an incident.

Sun Cheng and the other nineteen people met under the west bell of the Deyang Palace, agreed on a conspiracy, and they cut off the corners of their clothes and swore an oath. At night, armed with weapons, they broke into the Zhangtai Gate. At that time, Jiang Jing, Liu An, Li Yan, Chen Da and other four people were on duty in front of the forbidden door, and when they saw Sun Cheng and others pouring in, they immediately stepped forward to drink. Sun Cheng and the others did not answer, and immediately drew their knives and stabbed, Jiang Jing, Liu An, and Chen Da suddenly became ghosts under the knife.

When Li Yan saw such a situation, he trembled, and everyone wanted to kill him again, but was stopped by Sun Cheng. Sun Cheng put the knife on Li Yan's neck and said sharply: "Today you want to welcome the King of Jiyin as the emperor, if you agree, don't move around, otherwise Jiang Jing will be your example." ”

Li Yan was already paralyzed by fright, and hurriedly agreed. It turned out that Li Yan was quite powerful, and he was feared by the eunuchs in the palace, so Sun Cheng didn't want to kill him, and when he saw that Li Yan agreed, Sun Cheng helped him up. Everyone came to the west bell of Deyang Hall together, and supported the throne of King Jiyin, that is, the emperor, for Emperor Shun of Han.

Yan Xian was in the North Palace at the time, and when he heard that Emperor Han Shun had ascended the throne, he was panicked and at a loss. Xiao Huangmen Fan ascended to offer advice and persuaded him to mobilize Feng Shi, the captain of the Yue Cavalry, and Hu Ben Zhonglang in the name of Empress Yan, to lead Yan Chong to lead troops to guard Shuoping Gate and resist Sun Cheng and others.

Feng Shi was summoned, and Yan Xian said to him: "King Jiyin ascended the throne without the consent of the empress dowager, and the emperor's seal is here, this is evidence." If you can serve the Queen Mother and quell the rebellion, the feudal marquis is at your fingertips. ”

Empress Yan ordered someone to grant Feng Shi the seal of the general, and said to him: "If you can capture the king of Jiyin alive and seal the marquis of ten thousand households, and those who capture Li Yan will be sealed the marquis of five thousand households." ”

Feng Shiwei obeyed orders and accepted that Jiang Yin would immediately send troops. Yan Xian saw that he had brought few soldiers, so he ordered Fan Deng to go with him and go outside the Zuoye Gate to call for more officials and soldiers. Who knew that Feng Shiyang disobeyed, and as soon as he left the North Palace, he suddenly killed Fan Deng with a knife and led the army back to his own barracks.

When Yan Xian's younger brother Wei Wei Yan Jing heard the news, he hurriedly returned to the Wei Wei Mansion from the palace and gathered hundreds of guards to enter the Shengde Gate. Sun Cheng passed on the edict of Emperor Shun of Han and ordered the Shangshu to hunt down Yan Jing. Shangshu Guo Zhen was sick at home, and when he heard the edict, he immediately jumped up and led the Yulin Army on duty to rush out of Nangong.

He came to the front of Yan Jingjun, jumped out of the chariot, and read the edict with a talisman. Yan Jing scolded angrily, "Where did this edict come from?"

As he spoke, he drew his sword and stabbed at Guo Zhen. Guo Zhen's eyes were quick, and he had already flashed to the side, pulled out his sword, and stabbed at Yan Jing. Yan Jingzhong's sword was pounced out of the car and was captured alive by Guo Zhen's sergeants, and the sergeants led by Yan Jing saw that the commander was captured, and they scattered and fled. Yan Jing was taken to prison, where he succumbed to his injuries and died that night.

The next morning, Emperor Shun of Han sent an envoy into the palace to take the emperor's seal from Empress Yan. Then Emperor Shun of Han came to the Jiade Hall of Nangong and sent his attendant Yushi to arrest the Yan Xian brothers with talismans, kill all of them, and all the family members migrated to distant places, and at the same time moved Empress Yan to the palace.

Sun Cheng and others supported Emperor Shun of the Han Dynasty for meritorious service, and all nineteen people were made marquis. At that time, the prestige of these eunuchs was very high, and some people even compared them to the founding heroes Han Xin, Peng Yue, Wu Han, and Jia Fu. In order to repay the merits of these eunuchs, Emperor Shun of Han issued an edict allowing eunuchs to adopt their sons to inherit the title, and the power of eunuchs became even stronger.