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In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the imperial court was mired in severe political chaos and decline. The central government saw a power struggle between three key forces: the eunuchs (who controlled the emperor and court affairs for decades, known as the “Ten Attendants” clique), the consorts’ families (relatives of empresses/empresses dowager who vied…
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He Lingsi came from a humble background, born into a butcher’s family. She later entered the palace through the imperial selection process and eventually became empress.
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In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, both Liu Bian and Liu Xie were princes and competitors for the imperial throne. Why did He Jin, when supporting Liu Bian as emperor, not kill the competitor Liu Xie, while Dong Zhuo, when supporting Liu Xie, killed the competitor Liu Bian?
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In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, maternal relatives and eunuchs alternated in holding power. He Jin, the Grand General and brother of Empress He, monopolized military and political authority, wielding immense influence. The eunuch group, the Ten Regular Attendants, plotted to assassinate He Jin to seize power. He Jin ignored advice, acted arbitrarily, and…