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They sell offices and bully the people. And they deceive Your Majesty and hide the truth from you. Virtuous officials have all left their services and misfortune is before our very eyes.”
    At this the eunuchs pulled off their hats and threw themselves at their master’s feet. “His Excellency disapproves of us,” they said, “and we will not be able to live. Pray spare our lives and let us go home. We will hand over our property to help bear military expenses.” And they burst into tears.
    The Emperor turned angrily to Liu Tao and said, “You also have servants in your home; why is it that you cannot bear with mine?” He called the guards to take him out and put him to death. Liu Tao cried out, “My death does not matter, but alas, what a great pity it is that the Hans, after ruling for four centuries, are falling fast!”
    The guards hustled him out and were about to carry out the Emperor’s order when another senior official came up and stopped them, “Halt! Wait till I have spoken with His Majesty.” They found that the speaker was Minister Chen Dan.
    Chen Dan went straight into the palace to see the Emperor and asked, “For what fault is Minister Liu to be put to death?”
    “He has vilified those close to me and insulted me,” said the Emperor.
    “All the nation hates those ten eunuchs so much that they would eat their flesh, but you respect them as if they were your parents. They have rendered no services, yet they are made nobles. Moreover, Feng Xu and others collaborated with the Yellow Turban rebels and meant to create internal disorder. If Your Majesty does not look into the matter now, the empire will be ruined.”
    “There was no proof against Feng Xu,” said the Emperor. “And there must be some faithful ones among The Ten.”
    The minister beat his forehead on the steps of the throne while continuing in his remonstrance. Then the Emperor grew angry and ordered his removal and imprisonment with Liu Tao. That night the eunuchs had them both murdered in prison.
    Later, they forged an edict in the name of the Emperor, appointing Sun Jian, Prefect of Changsha, with orders to suppress the rebellion there. In less than fifty days Sun Jian reported victory and the district of Jiangxia became peaceful again. For this he was made a noble. In the meantime, Liu Yao was made Prefect of Youzhou and ordered to suppress the two Zhangs in Yuyang.
    The Prefect of Daizhou wrote a letter to Liu Yu to recommend Liu Bei, who was consequently given the command of an army to destroy the Zhangs in their very base. After several days of fighting Liu Bei succeeded in blunting the edge of the rebels’ spirit. One of the Zhangs was cruel and his men turned against him. He was slain by one of his own officers, who took both his army and his head to Liu Bei. Seeing that all was lost, the other Zhang hanged himself.
    As Yuyang was restored to the control of the government, Liu Bei’s great services were reported to the throne. Soon he received a full pardon for whipping the inspector and he was restored as an official. Later, his former superior Gongsun Zan stated his previous good services and he was made an officer of a higher rank and sent to Pingyuan as magistrate. This place was quite prosperous and Liu Bei recovered something of his old manner before the days of adversity. Liu Yu, too, received a promotion for his part in suppressing the rebels.
    Let us now return to the throne. In the fourth month of the sixth year of the reign Zhong Ping ( A.D. 189), the Emperor became seriously ill and He Jin, the Empress’ brother, was summoned into the palace to arrange for the future. Now, He Jin came from a humble family of butchers, but was given a powerful position in court because his sister was at first a concubine of rank to the Emperor and, after she bore him a son, was made Empress. Later a beautiful girl named Wang became the Emperor’s favorite and she bore him another son, named Xie. Out of jealousy, the Empress