“Yellow Sky”: Crisis for the Han Dynasty sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne

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     Of all of the assembled officials, four were of especial note, though only three held real power and were holders of consistent roles. The role of ‘Grand Tutor’ - an optional position that was usually given as a reward for lifelong service - was best described as a moral guide and a manifestation of what the emperor’s conscience should be, although the role was rarely used to its full potential. The others were known by a range of names throughout the times: ‘The Three Ducal Ministers’ or ‘The Three Excellences’ were most common. Of the three roles, the ‘Excellency over the Masses’ - formerly known as the Chancellor of State - was once the most powerful; he was the one that would be in charge of the court in the absence of the emperor. That role’s authority had diluted over time and some of the power shifted to other officials, but it was still a coveted position that signified extreme closeness to the seat of power. The second of the three was the ‘Excellency of Works’, which had formerly been known as the Imperial Counsellor. Besides the prominent duty of presenting submitted edicts to the court, the role was part of a ‘checks and balances’ system as such, for one responsibility of the position-holder was to ensure that the other officials - even the superior ‘Excellency over the Masses’ - were not abusing their power. The third was the Grand Commandant or Commander-in-Chief: this role had, by the time of Emperor Huan, become the most influential, and had shifted from a military command position toward a more civilian authority. This role was often taken by relatives of the emperor because it then gave them the ability to investigate their peers - including the ‘Excellency over the Masses’ and ‘Excellency of Works’ - and appoint or replace officials with little impediment, but it was at present occupied by a man named Chen Fan that had earned the role with his loyal service. The Excellency roles were usually held by relatives of the emperor or members of influential noble families, such as the powerful Yuan clan of Ru County in Yu Province.
     The emperor usually entered once all others were seated, so that they could kowtow in deepest respect and devotion.

The emperor would be wearing lavish red robes adorned with dragons and other symbols of an auspicious nature, and atop his head, a tall ‘mortarboard’ hat would cover his bound hair; the hat’s long, rectangular top would extend a head’s length beyond his face and the back of his head, and at each end, long rows of beads would hang, partially obscuring his face. Emperors would openly address the assembled officials, and perhaps allow direct dialogue if it was deemed appropriate; if decrees required official approval, then the emperor could debate the matter and even provide immediate consent to act. But in some cases, the emperor may be incapable - due to being too old, too young, or politically ill-equipped - of making decisions, so the proceedings may involve the hidden direction of another figure, typically an Empress Dowager - a ‘Queen Mother’ - from behind curtains near the imperial seat, as women were forbidden from visibly taking part in court matters.
     Emperor Huan had suffered the indignity of being marginalised when first installed as a boy, having to watch as the Empress Dowager’s family, the Liangs, exerted control over the court. Now that he had personally expunged them with help from a faction of eunuchs, he was determined to demonstrate independence, despite truly being manipulated by many of those around him, including those same eunuchs; because the emperor did not leave the security of the palace at Luoyang to do anything other than pursue leisurely activities in controlled environments, he knew nothing of the world outside, and relied entirely on those around him to inform him of the state of things. This also made it painfully easy to misinform the emperor if one chose to for the purpose of amassing wealth and exerting control, and that was the way things were.

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