As Emperor Ling suddenly passed away, the Imperial Concubines and Imperial Maids in the hall were overcome with grief, their cries rising and falling, filling the entire palace with an atmosphere of sorrow. They wept uncontrollably, a sight too painful to behold. Even Empress He was thrown into a panic by this sudden turn of events; her face paled, and she seemed utterly lost, as if she had lost her anchor.
Amidst this chaos, Liu Bian, his face etched with sorrow, softly commanded in a voice that was slightly tender yet firm: “Stop crying, all of you!” This command stunned everyone, and they looked at Liu Bian with astonishment.
Liu Bian turned to Empress He and said earnestly, “At this critical juncture of life and death, how can this be a time for weeping? Mother should calm everyone’s emotions.” Empress He nodded repeatedly in agreement and began to restrain the Imperial Concubines and Imperial Maids around her.
Then, Liu Bian turned to Lu Zhi, respectfully cupped his hands in a salute, and said sincerely, “Lu Shi, in this situation, please instruct me on how to proceed.” His eyes were filled with trust and expectation for Lu Zhi.
Lu Zhi showed a look of appreciation, expressing satisfaction with Liu Bian’s composure, and said, “At this moment, Your Highness’s ability to remain so calm is truly rare. The situation is critical now, and we must work together to overcome this difficulty. In this old subject’s opinion, as Your Highness said, we can only keep the news of the death a secret and proceed as usual to stabilize the situation.”
Liu Bian nodded in agreement, and Lu Zhi then summoned Pang De and Dian Wei, continuing, “We need to create chaos to provide an opportunity for Ma Chao and Sun Ce to deliver messages outside. Pang De, you are skilled; you can create some disturbances in the palace under the cover of night to attract the enemy’s attention. You must act cleverly and try not to be discovered. Then, you can feign an escape towards the palace gate, leading them to chase you, which will buy Ma Chao and Sun Ce more time.”
Upon hearing this, Pang De cupped his hands and accepted the order, saying, “This subordinate understands and will do his utmost to complete the task!”
Liu Bian added, “Pang De, you must be careful and not put yourself in danger. We all hope you can successfully create chaos and bring hope to everyone.”
Pang De withdrew to make preparations.
Lu Zhi then turned to Dian Wei and said, “Dian Wei, at this moment, you don’t need to do anything else. You are to fully protect His Highness’s safety and closely monitor everyone in this palace. No one is to leave.” As he spoke, Lu Zhi’s face showed a resolute expression, “If there is any unusual movement, kill them immediately. If someone goes out to report, our plan might fail.”
Dian Wei cupped his hands and responded, “Understood, Your Excellency! I will do my best to protect His Highness and not let anyone leave!”
Liu Bian looked at Lu Zhi and Dian Wei, feeling a little relieved. He knew that with them, his safety had an extra layer of protection. But he also understood that the situation remained severe, and every step was full of challenges.
At this moment, a tense atmosphere permeated the imperial palace, and vigilance was heightened everywhere. Ma Chao and Sun Ce frowned, pondering how to sneak out of the palace.
They knew they could not act rashly; once discovered, the consequences would be unimaginable. After some discussion, the two finally settled on a plan.
Because both were young and had not yet grown beards, they decided to disguise themselves as young eunuchs from Empress Dowager Dong’s palace and leave the palace under the pretext of delivering an imperial decree.
After all preparations were complete, the two carefully walked towards the palace gate, secretly praying that Dong Zhong’s men would not discover any flaws…
—Dividing Line—
During the days when Emperor Ling was seriously ill, the entire imperial palace was shrouded in gloom. The Ten Attendants, as a significant force in the palace, also fell into deep panic and unease.
They had originally relied on Emperor Ling’s support, wielding immense power, and had even begun to feign compliance with him. But now that Emperor Ling was gravely ill, it was as if their mountain of support had collapsed, filling them with immense dread. Although they had already become a force to be reckoned with, they knew in their hearts that their power ultimately stemmed from the Emperor and the imperial family.
Under these circumstances, the Ten Attendants lost their usual composure, each appearing utterly distraught. After an urgent discussion, they finally decided to hold back for now, remain inactive, and closely monitor the changing situation, paying attention to every slight stir. They planned to wait until the succession to the throne was determined, and then decide how to align themselves based on the new Emperor’s situation. After all, with their influence, no matter who became Emperor, they could not easily ignore their existence; they all held a certain value.
During this period of uncertainty, the Ten Attendants were on tenterhooks, closely monitoring everything in the palace.
Just that afternoon, the Ten Attendants were gathered, discussing countermeasures. Suddenly, a young eunuch, who was monitoring the outer perimeter of Emperor Ling’s bedchamber, rushed in with a panicked expression to report that he had heard a burst of crying.
The crying came suddenly and disappeared just as quickly, and everything returned to its usual calm. But this sudden change stirred an unusual feeling in the hearts of the Ten Attendants.
At the same time, another young eunuch came to report. Sun Ce and Ma Chao, who had accompanied Lu Zhi, had knocked out two young eunuchs, taken their clothes, and left in a hurry.
They exchanged glances, secretly wondering what this crying meant. Had Emperor Ling’s condition worsened? Or had something else unusual happened?
And why had Lu Zhi arranged for the two to leave?
Was it to deliver some message?
Their hearts were filled with doubt and unease, feeling that some secret seemed to be hidden within.
Suddenly, a tense atmosphere permeated among the Ten Attendants; they all realized that the situation might be more complex and severe than they had imagined…
Finally, after a fierce debate and discussion, this group of chief eunuchs reached a conclusion. They first decided to reveal the news of the crying to the Empress Dowager’s side, hoping to draw her attention and concern.
Next, they specifically arranged for a high-ranking chief eunuch to feign an unintentional walk towards the East City Gate, ostensibly for routine patrol, but in reality, to cover the successful escape of Ma Chao and Sun Ce.
The eunuchs’ arrangements were indeed well-thought-out. They knew that in this turbulent situation, they had to secure their own retreat.
By revealing the crying to the Empress Dowager, they could both demonstrate their “loyalty” to her and leave a certain impression with her. And arranging for the chief eunuch to check towards the East City Gate was to create an opportunity for Ma Chao and Sun Ce to escape, while also showing them goodwill, indicating that they were not entirely siding with one party.
This way, no matter which side ultimately triumphed, the eunuchs would have a plausible explanation and would not be easily purged. They struggled to find a way to survive in the cracks of power, attempting to preserve their status and interests in this chaotic situation…