In the second chapter of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, several months after Liu Bei assumed office, the imperial court issued an edict to purge local officials who had been promoted based on military merit.
In a few months’ time, however, the court decreed a purge of leading officials whose posts had been awarded in recognition of military service, a measure Xuande suspected would lead to his removal.
— Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 2
The court’s stated reason was that some officials had previously falsified military achievements, so supervisory officials were dispatched to verify these claims and remove those who had obtained positions through fraudulent reports. This pretext seemed reasonable and could even convince some uninformed individuals (including ordinary civilians and neutral officials) of the policy’s legitimacy.
However, this policy was actually a product of the power struggle between the eunuch faction and the outer court, as well as between the central and local authorities in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. The cause of this policy was rooted in the court’s fear of the rise of local military merit forces, its purpose was for the eunuch group to eliminate dissidents and consolidate their power, and its actual implementation effect completely deviated from the original intention, becoming a tool for rent-seeking that accelerated the collapse of local governance and the loss of public support. It also became a key factor driving heroes like Liu Bei to break away from the system and exacerbate the chaos of the era.
Core reason: The eunuch group’s fear of rising dissident forces
After the outbreak of the Yellow Turban Uprising, the Eastern Han court’s regular army collapsed, forcing it to rely on private soldiers recruited by local powerful figures, such as Cao Cao, Sun Jian, and Liu Bei. Many officials promoted to local leadership positions (e.g., county magistrates or county lieutenants) based on military merit shared three characteristics:
- No eunuch connections: They mostly came from local powerful families or humble backgrounds.
- Actual military power: Their positions were based on military merit, and they commanded private troops or loyal forces with low dependence on the central government.
- Public support: During the suppression of rebellions, they needed to pacify the people and win their support to expand their influence, earning them local prestige.
For the eunuch group controlling the court (e.g., the Ten Regular Attendants), such military merit officials with “military power, public support, and no connections” were potential threats. If allowed to develop, they could form local separatist forces beyond eunuch control or even ally with outer court scholars (e.g., Lu Zhi, Wang Yun) to oppose eunuch dominance. Thus, the purge of military merit officials was essentially a preventive measure by the eunuch group to eliminate dissidents and consolidate power, rather than a genuine effort to clean up governance.
Direct reason: Depleted court finances and official redundancy
After the Yellow Scarves Uprising, the Eastern Han court faced a desperate financial crisis:
- Huge military expenses: To quell the rebellion, the court continuously increased military spending, draining the national treasury. Meanwhile, local taxes plummeted due to the war, depriving the central government of financial support.
- Surge in officials: To boost morale during the suppression, the court extensively awarded local leadership positions (e.g., county lieutenants, magistrates) to those with military merit, leading to a drastic increase in officials beyond the intended quota and overwhelming financial pressure.
In this context, the purge of military merit officials became a low-cost way for the court to alleviate the financial crisis—eliminating low-ranking military merit officials could reduce salary expenditures without affecting the vested interests of eunuch cronies or powerful families.
Deep-rooted reason: Central anxiety over growing local power
Since the reign of Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty, local powerful forces had gradually risen, and the Yellow Scarves Uprising further allowed local forces to “legally maintain armies” (e.g., the establishment of the provincial governor system, which granted local leaders military power). Local officials appointed based on military merit were a key part of this rise of local forces. The emperor and eunuch group feared they might collude with local powerful figures or warlords to oppose the central government.
However, the Eastern Han central government had no actual control at this point. This policy instead exposed their weakness—it dared not challenge local powerful forces nor effectively purge capable military merit officials, targeting only low-ranking officials like Liu Bei who had no connections or influence.
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