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

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Cao Song coughed uncomfortably and said, “Cao’er, this is a dark time. But you must retain objectivity.”
“Forgive me, Father, but you said that the last time,” Cao Cao complained. “I’m only a couple of years older, but I’m ten years’ wiser, and I know that this is another ridiculous power struggle at court that is going to lead to good people getting hurt.”
“This is a time when men must make the most of the opportunities presented to them,” Cao Song replied carefully. “By that I mean that a man should be honest where he can, but he should also be flexible.”
“You said that last time as well, Father, and this time, it isn’t even relevant to what I said,” Cao Cao replied. “I know all about the Liangs, I’ve heard all the stories about how he stole money, and was corrupt, and that he was in illicit relationships with his male servants, and the things he did with his wife-”
“Don’t speak of such things!” Cao Song scolded.
“The point, Father, is that I have heard nothing like that about Commander-in-Chief Dou and Grand Tutor Chen, and so see no reason why they are now labelled as traitors!” Cao Cao protested. “I have heard no bad things about Li Ying and the other ‘partisans’ either! All I ever hear is that it was an injustice, and… and… Father, surely it cannot be right that-”
“Enough,” Cao Song ordered. “Unless you want me arrested as well, please say no more about the factionists, okay…? The court into which you will soon go is a dark, dangerous place where men must watch themselves, be careful what they say and who they’re seen with, and if one wants to live, one certainly doesn’t speak against the eunuchs Cao Jie, Wang Fu, Su Kang, Guan Ba, Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong… well, there’s a list of them, and they should not be opposed as a triviality. They will even dispose of their own, Cao’er… Shan Bing, a co-conspirator with Dou and Chen, was dead just as much as they were.”
“At least I know,” Cao Cao sighed. “Father, can it be right that we just stand back and watch as-”

“Nobody can fight that now,” Cao Song insisted. “But you are one of a new generation of political minds… one day you, Yuan Shao, Kong Rong and Zhang Miao will be able to challenge them yourselves if you so choose… but Cao’er… please do so carefully, if you must. It would be a foolish thing to throw your life away needlessly, and deprive the empire of a much-needed talent.”
“Which is why I never ask you to act, Father,” Cao replied. “Someone has to survive this… I would be honoured to be considered indispensable, and hope to prove such presumed worth one day soon.”
Cao Song nodded gratefully.
“But Father,” Cao Cao said after a long pause, “what of the ‘partisans’…? They are to be arrested and tried… but what then…?”
Cao Song shook his head and replied, “I honestly do not know.”

The eunuchs expanded the list of ‘partisans’ as the list of potential enemies grew. Hundreds would be taken into custody, some for no other reason than that they were friends or relatives of those that had been accused before. The punishments were to become ever more severe, in addition: ‘partisans’ were outright convicted of treason, and many - including the original victim of the campaign, Li Ying, and his closest friends - were executed. The surviving court remained largely silent, but there were some that could not bear to see innocent men die, and decided to take action.

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