“Yellow Sky”: Crisis for the Han Dynasty sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne
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4
“…A year has passed…”
Emperor Huan sat in his seat and listened as the Excellency of Works, Yuan Tang, narrated a letter from his Empress’s father, Commander-in-Chief Dou Wu; it was a long and politically dangerous petition that was being relayed in the privacy of the Emperor’s smaller private audience chamber.
“…A year has passed,” Yuan Tang repeated nervously as his eyes read ahead, and he realised what was to come. “A year since… the so-called ‘partisans’ were arrested. The time has come to relay my thoughts on this matter without restraint. My words will be from the heart.”
Yuan Tang paused for several seconds.
“…There has… there has been… been no good governance throughout your reign.”
“What…!” the eunuch Cao Jie exclaimed.
“We will hear the letter in full!” Emperor Huan demanded. “Continue, Mister Yuan.”
Yuan Tang eyed the eunuchs nervously as he began again.
“The attendants that you so fully trust are intent on shrouding your divine self with a fog of deceit, and all around the realm, good men are supplanted by unworthy ones in a trend that has repeated, sadly, throughout time. Your Majesty’s esteemed ancestors that ruled in the western capital, Chang’an, learned too late the consequences of heeding only the words of fawning eunuchs, hankering, talentless officials and corrupt flatterers in general. The corruption spread until one man came about that was able to shatter the dynasty with only the slightest pressure, and it serves none to sit and watch while all that we treasure is doomed entirely because of ignoring an old enemy, and repeating an old mistake.”
After an awkward silence, the Emperor nodded and said, “This man has nothing to gain from our destruction. We will hear the rest, Mister Yuan.”
Yuan Tang ignored the glares from the eunuchs as he prepared to continue.
“A year ago, wicked subjects that claim to be Your Majesty’s most honest servants made claims of treason against men of high regard, chiefly the former Magistrate of Luoyang, Li Ying. The numbers that were arrested throughout the land number in the hundreds, and the days since that offence also number in the hundreds; where is the evidence of wrongdoing? The empire is shrouded in misery as men that have committed no crime - as shown by absence of evidence after a year of interrogation - languish in cold cells, and every good man in the empire is as chilled to the bones as those that are incarcerated. I…”
Yuan Tang stopped yet again.
“Enough delays!” the Emperor barked. “We would hear our father-in-law’s words!”
Yuan Tang studied the next part of the letter, and replied humbly, “A considerable list of names of ‘men of virtue and talent’ has been presented within this next section… twenty, perhaps thirty names, placed between other points of note, Your Majesty.”
“For what purpose…?” Emperor Huan prompted.
“…I shall try and… yes,” Yuan Tang said at last. “The names are several lists of men who have shown talent in writing, understanding of the law, moral virtue, and natural leadership skills… the letter states that these men are ‘a host of talent that are suitable for appointing to any role of authority in the land’, and… and it thereafter states that all the ‘corrupt, talentless men’ appointed by the attendants, men who ‘bought or toadied for their positions’ should be dismissed, and that the attendants should be dismissed also, for they are-”