Traveling Through Time as Lü Bu to Unify the Three Kingdoms.

Chapter 4: Entering the Palace to Seize the Archives

Lü Bu saw the pale faces of everyone and laughed loudly to ease their tension and fear: “Everyone, there’s no need to worry. Our immediate plan is to enter Luoyang first and see if He Jin has been killed. Then we can adapt as the situation changes. No matter how perilous things may become, I, Lü Bu, will do everything in my power to protect our Bingzhou soldiers.”

The officers, who already admired Lü Bu’s martial skills, were now further impressed by his strategic insights, with some even thinking it would be great for Lü Bu to lead them as their lord.

Ding Yuan, seeing the increasing respect the officers had for Lü Bu, felt a deeper sense of jealousy toward him.

That night, Ding Yuan left several hundred infantry to guard the camp at Xiaopingjin and quietly led his eight thousand cavalry toward Luoyang. As the Inspector of the Imperial Guard, he used the pretext of a secret meeting with the Grand General to enter the city with Lü Bu and several hundred elite cavalry. Once inside, Lü Bu quickly took control of the North Gate with Gao Shun and Wei Xu.

The eight thousand Bingzhou cavalry split into over a dozen groups, muffling their horse’s mouths and hooves as they stealthily entered Luoyang. Ding Yuan, with his detailed knowledge of the city’s defenses, had already conducted thorough reconnaissance and led the Bingzhou cavalry to hide in the city’s outskirts, waiting for any changes in the palace.

The next morning, He Jin entered the palace to meet the Empress Dowager, believing that with military and political power in hand, the eunuchs would not dare harm him. Ignoring the warnings of his subordinates, including Chen Lin, he insisted on entering. Yuan Shao, seeing this fool walking into danger, stopped advising him. He Jin strode into the palace with his chest held high.

At the entrance to the Jiade Hall, the eunuchs Zhang Rang and Duan Gui surrounded He Jin. Zhang Rang berated him, “What crime has Dowager Dong committed for you to poison her?! You didn’t even attend her funeral! You were just a butcher; it was us who recommended your sister to the Emperor, giving you your current wealth and status, yet you seek to harm us instead of repaying our kindness!” He Jin hurried to escape but was trapped by the eunuchs who closed all palace gates. The armed eunuchs ambushed him, cutting He Jin in half.

Outside the palace, Yuan Shao and the others waited for a long time without seeing He Jin emerge, and they shouted at the palace gates, “Please have the Grand General come out!” Zhang Rang threw He Jin’s head over the wall and forced the Empress Dowager to issue an edict: “He Jin has committed treason and has been slain! All who conspired with him are pardoned.”

Yuan Shao dismissed the edict as nonsense and shouted fiercely, “The eunuchs have murdered a minister! Those who wish to eliminate the evil faction, come to our aid!” He Jin’s subordinate, Wu Kuang, started a fire outside the Qingsuo Gate.

Ding Yuan, seeing the flames from a distance, was overjoyed, raising his sword and shouting, “Kill the eunuchs! Avenge the Grand General!” The eight thousand Bingzhou cavalry split into eight forces, encircling the palace like a tide of iron. The Bingzhou soldiers appeared strong and imposing, exuding a fierce aura that left Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu dumbfounded.

Yuan Shu shouted sternly, “Ding Yuan, are you planning to rebel?!” The Yuan brothers had never regarded Ding Yuan, a mere warrior, as a serious threat. In their original plan, they anticipated that He Jin would die upon entering the palace. Once He Jin was dead, the Liu Han royal family would be left with only vulnerable women and children. Their uncle, Yuan Wei, was the Grand Tutor, holding considerable power. This would allow them to overshadow the Empress Dowager and the young emperor, seizing control of the court and making it easy for them to deal with Ding Yuan later.

Seeing the expressions of the Yuan brothers, Ding Yuan recalled Lü Bu’s insights about them and felt no more fear. He laughed boldly, brandishing his sword: “I am executing the Grand General’s orders to kill the eunuchs. This is a just cause! How can you accuse me of rebellion? It is you who attack the palace that are acting treasonously. Should I, as Inspector of the Imperial Guard, bring you to justice?”

Cao Cao, Cao Mengde, saw that Ding Yuan and his eight thousand iron cavalry were formidable, while his own forces, the newly formed Xiyuan army, had not yet faced battle and would surely lose if a fight broke out. So he stepped forward with a smile to mediate, “Lord Ding, there’s no need to be agitated. Since we are all avenging the Grand General by exterminating the eunuchs, why engage in a contest of wills? Let us first eliminate the eunuchs, then discuss matters further.”

Lü Bu followed behind Ding Yuan, squinting at the cheerful, rotund man (note 1), feeling a surge of murderous intent that made his halberd tremble slightly. Lü Bu was tempted to kill this destined enemy immediately, but he knew he still needed this man to contact the lords of the east to resist Dong Zhuo’s army of a hundred thousand and to counter future threats from Yuan Shao. If he killed Yuan Shao and Cao Cao now, he would offend all the aristocratic families, making his path forward difficult. Moreover, he would have no allies left to resist Dong Zhuo’s forces.

Ding Yuan turned back to Lü Bu, who subtly shook his head. Ding Yuan understood and then turned back to Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, laughing: “Since we all sincerely serve our country, let us unite our forces and work together to exterminate the eunuchs!”

Seeing that Ding Yuan had no ulterior motives and fearing that Ding Yuan might gain too much credit for killing the eunuchs, Yuan Shu took the lead, charging into the palace gates. Upon encountering the eunuchs, he ordered them all killed, regardless of age. Yuan Shao and Cao Cao also brought their close troops from the Xiyuan army to join the slaughter, and Lü Bu divided his forces into several groups to storm the palace.

After his steed, the chestnut horse, was struck down by lightning, Lü Bu had finally found a fine blue-maned horse to ride. Though it was a good horse, it struggled to bear Lü Bu's great size and strength. Luckily, he did not encounter fierce warriors like Guan Yu or Zhang Fei at that moment.

Riding the blue-maned horse, Lü Bu galloped deeper into the palace, noticing the panicked eunuchs running about in a frenzy. He felt pity for them and couldn’t even be bothered to raise his halberd.

Lü Bu understood well that Emperor Ling of Han was not a completely foolish ruler. His reliance on eunuchs was an attempt to counter the external dominance of powerful aristocratic families over the court, similar to how emperors of the Ming dynasty would later employ eunuchs against the influential Donglin party. These eunuchs were merely pawns of the emperor.

Ahead of him, Lü Bu spotted an overweight old eunuch in luxurious robes struggling to run, with several young eunuchs helping him. He seemed like a big fish.

Lü Bu urged his horse forward, reaching the old eunuch in no time. He raised his halberd, blocking the man's path, and shouted sternly, “Eunuch, what is your name?”

The young eunuchs beside the old man, fiercely loyal, drew their weapons to defend him. However, they were quickly cut down by Lü Bu’s guards, Qin Yi, Chen Wei, and Li Hei (1), leaving the old eunuch trembling on the ground, bowing and begging for mercy: “My name is Zhao Zhong, General! Please spare me!”

Lü Bu nodded; he remembered this man, one of the Ten Eunuchs trusted by Emperor Ling, who favored both Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong. Emperor Ling had even publicly declared, “Zhang the Eunuch is like my father, and Zhao the Eunuch is like my mother.”

Lü Bu barked, “Do you know where the records of household registration, geography, and laws are kept? Take us to them now!”

Seeing the halberd pointed at his throat, Zhao Zhong was terrified, and without considering why Lü Bu wanted him to lead them, he hurriedly guided them forward.

Upon reaching the palace that stored the records, Lü Bu ordered Chen Wei to take two hundred literate soldiers to carefully check and categorize the documents related to household registration, geography, and laws, loading them onto carts.

Lü Bu also commanded the greedy Wei Xu to lead eight hundred soldiers to loot the palace of its gold, jewels, and antiques.

Before entering the palace, Lü Bu had preemptively sent people to requisition carts from merchants in Luoyang, acquiring hundreds of them. Together with the hundreds already in the palace, they could transport everything back to the Bingzhou military camp.

For the valuable items that couldn't be moved immediately, Lü Bu didn’t want Dong Zhuo to destroy them, so he ordered them buried in pits.

While looting the palace, Lü Bu stationed guards at every hall to ensure that Yuan Shao’s faction wouldn’t see what was happening. He even captured a few eunuchs to stage a scene of frantic chasing and crying in the palace to distract Yuan Shao and his allies. By the time Yuan Shao's faction realized what was going on and started to loot the palace, Lü Bu’s convoy had already returned to the camp.

Note 1: "The Age of the Wei Clan" states: "King Wu was of short stature, yet his appearance was striking and dignified."

Note 2: "Chronicles of the Nine Provinces": Lü Bu secretly ordered Qin Yi, Chen Wei, Li Hei, and others to disguise themselves as palace guards, wielding long halberds. When Dong Zhuo arrived at the palace gates, they used their halberds to block his carriage or his horse. Dong Zhuo shouted in surprise at Lü Bu, who had hidden armor beneath his clothing and, brandishing a spear, immediately thrust it at Dong Zhuo, causing him to fall from his carriage.