ebookland Chapter 284 The Court is in Chaos and Complexity
Chapter 284 The Court is in Chaos and Complexity
Ma Chao suddenly understood and said, "Oh, so the eunuch group's rise to power depends on the emperor, and it was the emperor who did it deliberately." Li Ru said admiringly, "The general is indeed wise. Most eunuchs are rootless people, and most of them are greedy for money and power. If the emperor didn't intend to use them, how could Emperor Lingdi, with his talent and wisdom, allow them to be so greedy for money, even selling official positions and titles without being held accountable? Speaking of selling official positions and titles, isn't it also a way for the emperor to seek talents? The aristocratic families control the court, and the emperor wants to find some useful people, but he can't find them. He once summoned good family sons to the capital, but he was never able to get them to high positions. In the end, he even had to sell the three supreme positions for money. This move may have been instructed by Emperor Lingdi, and it is not impossible."
Ma Chao said again: "Then why are the eunuchs fighting with the relatives of the emperor so fiercely and to the death?" Li Ru sighed slightly and said: "Alas, the emperor still underestimated the ugliness of human nature. With the increasing power and money, these slaves and servants also tried to become noble and pretended to obey the emperor. The aristocratic families were targeted again and again by Emperor Xiaoling, so how could they not resist? On the one hand, they tried to win over He Jin, and on the other hand, they gave huge amounts of money to the eunuchs, making them lost in the government. It has been deadlocked for all these years, and the Party Persecution was caused by this. The emperor suffered such blows one after another, and his health deteriorated, and gradually he could no longer control the government. As a result, the three parties lost their basic control and got out of control, causing chaos in the government.
He Jin, however, capitalized on the situation, expanding his power to the point where he could almost single-handedly oppose the eunuchs. Despite offering him numerous favors, the aristocratic families were unable to fully control him, instead being constrained by him. This clearly demonstrates that He Jin was no fool. It could even be argued that without the constraints of the aristocratic families and the eunuchs, He Jin could have become the next Wang Mang. Under these circumstances, how could the aristocratic families sit idly by? Their strategy of summoning generals from across the country to the capital was undoubtedly intended to increase their power and counter the growing influence of the imperial relatives and eunuchs. It can be said that the three factions had already broken free from the constraints of previous dynasties, and He Jin had forcibly muddied the waters, creating a fourth exception.
Why did He Jin agree to this scheme? It was simply because, despite his considerable influence at court and his title as Grand General, he lacked sufficient military power. He Jin sought to extend his influence to various regions, and the aristocratic families sought to leverage this influence at court. He Jin went along with this, and the two sides hit it off, leading to this move.
As for why He Jin was killed by the eunuchs, it was actually because He Jin, with his own strength, not only fiercely confronted the eunuchs in public, but also constantly played games with the aristocratic families in secret. Although He Jin's death was attributed to the eunuchs, the aristocratic families were also behind it. After He Jin's death, the aristocratic families took the opportunity to eradicate the eunuchs. At this time, it can be said that there were no relatives or eunuchs in the court, and it was all the aristocratic families playing games with each other. And Mr. Dong's entry into the capital brought hope and glory to the Dong family. The aristocratic families were not united, and after fighting the external enemies, they began to fight among themselves. With the help of Mr. Dong's military power and the status of a relative of the emperor, the Dong clan formed a new relative of the emperor's emperor power, and started a new round of confrontation with the aristocratic families. The aristocratic families had no choice but to continue fighting with the Dong clan. "
Li Ru paused again, took a sip of tea from his cup, and then slowly said, "This is the complex situation that Mr. Dong and I faced when we arrived in Luoyang." Ma Chao said with a hint of understanding, "I didn't expect the situation to be so confusing and intricate. If you hadn't explained it one by one, I really couldn't imagine how complex it was."
Li Ru fell into deep memories again, with a touch of emotion on his face. He slowly said: "When Mr. Dong and I came to Luoyang together, Dong Zhong and the people of the Dong clan came one after another to contact Mr. Dong in the name of the clan. Although we are all from the same clan of Dong, in their eyes, what is the difference between Mr. Dong and the hawks and dogs that are driven by others? Back then, when Dong Zhong was in power, in order to consolidate his own power, he eliminated dissidents and ruthlessly suppressed those court officials and noble families, in an attempt to let the Dong clan dominate and monopolize the court. However, later on, in order to deal with Dong Zhong, the noble families actually made Dong Zhong Despite being assassinated in the street, the Dong clan did not fall. Lord Dong seized this opportunity to take command of the Dong clan, and it was precisely because of this that he gained the status to compete with the aristocratic families. As for why Lord Dong wanted to dethrone and enthrone the emperor, it was because Emperor Liu Bian was a puppet in the court, with all affairs controlled by the aristocratic families. If Lord Dong could not gain a voice for himself, how could he realize his ambitions? If he continued to fight against the court like this, what benefit would it bring to the people?
Li Ru seemed to be in a state of self-questioning and answering, and slowly said: "Even though Lord Dong resolutely braved the great disapproval of the world and carried out the shocking dethronement and enthronement, Lord Dong still encountered obstacles everywhere in the court. It is difficult for government orders to be implemented smoothly, and the government still has not been able to restore the clear and bright image. It must be said that your master Lu Zhi is a man of extraordinary wisdom after all, and he was able to successfully protect the emperor and escape. It was precisely because of the existence of Emperor Liu Bian that the aristocratic families spared no effort to support Liu Bian's restoration as an important means to fight against Lord Dong. The obstruction of government affairs, repeated failures and setbacks made Lord Dong's temper more violent and his temperament more... It is becoming increasingly unpredictable. However, has anyone ever seriously considered why Dong Gong, who has already reached the pinnacle of his career, would undertake such a strenuous undertaking? Dong Gong's son, Dong Bai's father, died prematurely, leaving behind only Dong Bai, a fragile girl. Even if Dong Gong ascended the throne like Wang Mang, to whom could he pass the throne? Ultimately, it would be nothing more than an illusion. So, perhaps Dong Gong never intended to become emperor from the beginning. Dong Gong has done so many things, and perhaps he still has some original intention in his heart. Perhaps he truly wants to relieve the suffering of the people and work tirelessly to restore a clear and bright world to the world."
Although Ma Chao never dared to agree with Li Ru's idea of feeling sorry for Dong Zhuo, Li Ru's words really made him fall into deep thought.
Li Ru continued, "At that time, the princes were united in their campaign against Dong Zhuo, and the situation had become dire. General, please calm down and think carefully. Western Liang's troops hadn't yet been fully mobilized to counter the aristocratic families at court and the vast army of princes fighting against Dong Zhuo. General, think carefully. If Lord Dong had forcibly mobilized Western Liang's troops to engage in a fierce confrontation with the princes, would he have been unable to mobilize all of them? If Lord Dong hadn't cared about his country and the world, and had simply insisted on a decisive battle, wouldn't the battle have been easily decided even now? If that were the case, how could General Xiliang have relied on his forces to pacify Western Liang when the foreign tribes suddenly rebelled? If Western Liang had been conquered by the foreign tribes, the Central Plains would have been engulfed in flames of war. General, you must give this matter serious consideration."
All this had a huge impact on Ma Chao, and deep down he even felt a sense of agreement with what Li Ru had said. Li Ru did not urgently ask Ma Chao for any answers. Li Ru continued, "Dong Zhuo did become somewhat tyrannical later on, and his actions were certainly somewhat extreme. These are facts, and there's no need to force explanations. Until Dong Zhuo's dying days, I once again sensed in him the innocence of his youth. This isn't meant to explain anything to you, General. All merits and demerits are simply a matter of victors and losers. For example, if Wang Mang, as I mentioned earlier, had he successfully resolved the problem of the aristocratic families, he would have been a wise and founding ruler. If Dong Zhuo had been able to resolve this, he would have been like Yi Yin or Huo Guang. But they all failed, and were thoroughly branded traitors, nailed to the pillar of shame, their infamy lasting eternity. Take me, for example." Li Ru pointed to himself with a hint of self-mockery, then said to Ma Chao, "As you can see, I'm just a weak scholar, unable to carry anything. I eat only half a bowl of brown rice daily, and I can't eat much meat either. I live in a small manor. Yet, I'm still the ruthless scholar Li Ru, feared by everyone under heaven."
Li Ru said slowly, "I think after all I've said about these doubts, the general has begun to understand and comprehend them. After Mr. Dong's death, the general was able to come to his aid, which shows that the general values friendship and loyalty. And the general also properly handled all the matters after Mr. Dong's death, which is enough to show the general's character. As for why we, the old people of Xiliang, had a disagreement with Mr. Dong's nephew Dong Huang and eventually all defected to the general, it is also because we value the general's character. The general's character is like a bright star, shining brightly in this troubled world. The general's benevolence and righteousness make us, who are drifting in troubled times, seem to see a ray of hope. We believe that under the general's leadership, we may be able to find a stable place and bring a bit of clarity to this chaotic world."