Chapter 3 Talent Extension
The eunuch power during the reign of Emperor Ling Liu Hong was headed by Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong, collectively known as the Ten Attendants.

These eunuchs not only sold official positions and titles themselves, but also brought chaos to the government.

Their relatives and accomplices are spread all over the country, running rampant among the neighbors.

Some of the more sober officials at the time had already realized that the eunuchs' chaos in the country would eventually get out of control.

Langzhong Zhang Jun pointed out in a memorial to the emperor that the Yellow Turban Rebellion was forced out by the power monopolization of external relatives and eunuchs.

This was an important cause of the collapse of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the beginning of a chaotic era.

And on this night, the conflict between the external relatives and the internal eunuchs finally broke out, and the first person to die was He Jin.

The opportunity that Cao Cao had been waiting for finally came.

The weather changes on a midsummer night.

The sky was full of stars before, but now it is covered with dark clouds and a thunderstorm is coming.

"Sir, Zhang Rang and other eunuchs have been in the palace for many years. It is difficult to judge how many people are controlled and bribed by them. There may be their people at these checkpoints in the outer palace. If we rush in, we may fall into their trap."

Xiao Xiang, who followed Cao Cao, was of ordinary stature, with sharp eyes and wearing light armor.

The road chosen by Cao Cao was an area adjacent to the outer periphery of the palace city, avoiding a large number of fixed palace restrictions.

The two men headed west along the road instead of going deeper into the palace.

Cao Cao suddenly said, "There is a patrol of imperial guards ahead, about thirty men, with bows and crossbows drawn, ready to fight at any time. They may be Zhang Rang's men. Let's take shelter from them."

Behind, Zhen Yan walked in the shadow of the building.

She has a plump figure, but her steps are light and soundless.

She had been following Cao Cao, but she became more and more surprised as she walked.

Cao Cao seemed to be fully aware of the palace restrictions and any disturbances along the way.

Under Zhen Yan's watchful eyes, Cao Cao, with Xiao Xiang, took advantage of the alleys and buildings in the palace and easily avoided several teams of patrolling imperial guards.

From an observer's perspective, whenever someone from the palace appeared or disappeared, Cao Cao would be the first to notice it.

With the ability to listen to the battlefield, Cao Cao relied on his hearing to accurately capture changes along the way.

The number of patrolling imperial guards, their footsteps, the echo of their armor closing, and even the slight sound of their breathing were all taken into his ears.

The world of sound, unhindered by vision or architecture, covers everything.

Every detail was clearly seen by Cao Cao, as if he saw it with his own eyes.

The night gave me black eyes, but I use my ears to look for light... Cao Cao raised the corner of his mouth.

He closed his eyes, and the 'world' formed by his hearing and perception became clearer and clearer.

Sometimes, when the patrolling guards of the palace came out from behind certain buildings, Cao Cao happened to be taking Xiao Xiang to another place, avoiding the sight of the guards.

There was only a hair's breadth between the two, as if they had been rehearsed in advance; it was incredible.

Cao Cao and Xiao Xiang continued to advance.

On the contrary, it was difficult for Zhen Yan who was at the back to hide her identity. She followed Cao Cao closely and was discovered after evading two teams. She needed to show her jade identity card for verification, which was time-consuming and laborious.

She soon lost track of Cao Cao.

Later historical records stated that when Cao Cao was young, he actually tried to sneak into Zhang Rang's mansion and assassinate him personally.

The purpose is to punish the main culprit and kill one person to stabilize the situation.

But Cao Cao in history obviously failed.

What is unfolding before our eyes is like history repeating itself.

Cao Cao used his extraordinary hearing to enter the palace without any danger.

But this is the imperial palace after all, and some places cannot be entered just by knowing the foresight.

After walking for a while, Cao Cao avoided the path to the Shangshu Terrace and came to a remote building.

There was no one around and the surrounding courtyard was silent.

There are two stone sculptures of animals about ten feet tall placed at the gate of the courtyard.

Xiao Xiang watched Cao Cao walk forward and stretched out his hand to push him forward.

When he exerted force in two different positions successively, the stone sculpture moved nearly three feet silently.

A narrow tunnel entrance appeared on the ground.

It is not surprising that there are secret passages in the palace, but how did Cao Cao know about it?
Xiao Xiang behind him quickly thought of a possibility. When the great eunuch Cao Teng, Cao Cao's father Cao Song's adoptive father, was alive, he was the Grand Chamberlain in the palace, the head of the eunuchs.

He had been in the palace for decades, and had successfully taken sides in the process of power transition many times, and was regarded as a confidant by the emperor and the empress dowager.

If anyone knew the secret passage in the palace, Cao Teng would be the first choice.

It is not surprising that Cao Teng knew the secret passage even if the emperor was not aware of it.

At the end of the dynasty, power in the palace changed too quickly.

However, Cao Teng held power in the palace for decades, serving several generations of emperors.

By the time Xiao Xiang reacted, Cao Cao had already bent down and entered the secret passage.

The secret passage closed again after the two people entered, and its design was quite ingenious.

……

The Secretariat was the central authority within the palace, and any orders conveyed by the emperor had to be drafted by the Secretariat before they could leave the palace.

After Zhang Rang killed He Jin, the only way to respond to subsequent changes inside and outside the palace as quickly as possible was to control the Secretariat.

At this moment, the lights in the Shangshutai Hall were swaying.

Zhang Rang, the great eunuch, was wearing a palace robe, and his old face was filled with sinisterness.

On the wooden table in front of him was a bleeding human head with eyes wide open. It was He Jin who died with his eyes open.

The house smelled of blood.

There were also many officials and royal relatives in the hall, who were being guarded by a group of eunuchs and looked terrified.

These eunuchs actually dared to rebel against their superiors. Is Zhang Rang crazy?

The eunuchs controlled the inner palace and asked the Secretariat to announce a false imperial edict to remove the power of He Jin's former subordinates, including Yuan Shao, Cao Cao and others.

Zhang Rang sneered in his heart: No one knows what arrangements he has made, and who is supporting him behind the scenes...

The night was dark.

The bright moon disappeared behind dark clouds, and suddenly there was a muffled thunder and it started to rain.

"Reporting to the Eunuch, Yuan Shao, with the Xiyuan Army and part of the troops under He Jin, is approaching the South Gate. It seems that they are preparing to force their way into the palace." A eunuch came quickly to report.

Beside Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, who was also one of the Ten Eunuchs, hunched his shoulders as usual and asked anxiously, "Have our men been replaced at the South Gate?"

Xiao Huangmen: "Our people wanted to capture Yuan Shu, but he sensed something was wrong and didn't capture him."

After Yuan Shu let Cao Cao into the palace, one of his deputies showed unusual behavior and wanted to plot against him, but it turned out to be a secret agent of the Ten Attendants.

Yuan Shu discovered it in advance and found that the person was fine.

But the palace security at the South Gate fell into the hands of the Ten Eunuchs.

At present, most of the inner courtyard of the imperial palace is controlled by the eunuchs.

Only Cao Cao and Zhen Yan arrived fast enough and entered the palace from the south gate first.

"The news sent from the South Gate said that before the gate of the Forbidden Palace was sealed, Yuan Shu let Cao Cao and a woman from the Zhen family into the palace." The eunuch continued.

"Cao Cao? The military commander?"

Zhang Rang was a big man, sitting in the hall with a rather imposing manner: "We have taken control of the palace restrictions, no one is allowed to approach the Secretariat. When we start the follow-up arrangements, no matter if it's Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, or the remaining followers of He Jin, they will all die."

"Inform the people who have left the palace to go to Cao Cao's house, except Yuan Shao, and arrest all of his relatives. Anyone who resists will be killed!"

"I'll go to the South Gate to have a look."

Zhao Zhong was worried about the changes at the South Gate, so he stood up and said.

Rumble!
Lightning burst out from the dark clouds in the sky.

The strong wind that blew into the hall extinguished several oil lamps, and the light became dim.

Amid the howling wind and deafening thunder, Zhang Rang suddenly felt something and turned his head to look. He saw a figure had appeared in the hall, like a ghost in the changing light and darkness.

There is a secret passage connecting the Shangshu Terrace, and the exit is hidden in the back hall.

Zhang Rang asked in surprise, "Who?"

The other party pounced on him with a muffled sound, and there was a cold light like a streak of silk, and it was a long sword.

(End of this chapter)