Bab 9: Omens and Signs
The Yan Empire is full of problems
Could the Yan Empire have saved itself? They might be able to do it if they have powerful leader.
Or maybe the reason that this empire is crumbling, because it was the time, the changing of the era
Or like the augurs and those who studied the skies and the stars said, it is fate and destiny
However, the scholars and those men who lament the state of the Yan empire all blamed the emperor
The fall of the Empire hasted in the reigns of the Emperors of Yan. The current emperor, and the emperor before him.
They sat on the Dragon Throne and their misrule hastened the death of this Empire.
The previous Emperor, Emperor Xuan has many capable ministers. But instead of listening to them, he gave his trust to the eunuch faction of the imperial court
Those who know the inside story knows that he tries to do a check and balance, but he failed.
He lived and then died, leaving the Empire to his son, Emperor Ling. As he is young, he has many advisers
But there are two advisers that is close to him
There is the Regent Marshal Yan Wu and the Imperial Guardian Chen Xu. Yan Wu and Chen Xu was always finding ways to eliminate the eunuch.
The faction they stand on is different and so the way they look at things and solve thing are different.
One day these two people meet at a pavilion.
The dusk of the evening falls down, and rain follows. Underneath the roof of that pavilion, they drink tea and spoke of the affairs of the world
The dripping rain covers the plots and scheme they concocted. The night came and they leave the pavilion, holding in their heart a ruinous desire.
That day, Yan Wu and Chen Xu, these two people plotted the destruction of the eunuch faction
Kill them all! That is the plot.
These two people thought that they had crafted the perfect plot. But the Chief Eunuch Cao Xi has eyes and ears everywhere
The eunuch faction is powerful for a reason and Cao Xie is not easy to ill
The plot was leaked out to him and the day Yan Wu and Chen Xu raise their arms to fight against Cao Xi, they were captured and put down to death
This happens a few years ago and from that moment on, the eunuch faction is stronger than ever
The eunuch faction ruled the imperial court like they were the emperor.
In the second year of the reign of Emperor Ling, there was something that happens in the imperial court that had people talking
The scholars heard the story but they did not dare spoke of it.
They learn the story, and try to forget it. But everyone has their own thoughts and their own hearts.
The story goes that the emperor went to the Hall of Virtue and when he come near the throne, a gale of wind arose in the corner of the hall and from the roof beams floated down a monstrous black serpent
This black serpent is large and its eyes is red. The more this story is told, the more fantastic the story became.
And this black serpent coiled itself up on the very seat of majesty.
The emperor fell in a swoon, shocked and nearly fainted.
Those nearest him hastily raised and bore him to his palace, while the courtiers scattered and fled.
The serpent disappeared and the emperor ordered the palace servants to seek it and kill it
But no matter how they search the imperial palace, they did not find any signs of the serpent.
Such story was told and such story was buried
Yan Empire took many stories of omen to raise their prestige.
From the past deeds of the emperor who even took the sign of rainbows as some kind of auspicious omens, to the sound of people shouting Long live the Emperor in a forest is also called omen.
The Sound of People in the Forest is a famous story in yan Empire.
Emperor Xian once makes an ancestral sacrifice in Mount Peng. At that time, there was internal strife.
Emperor Xian controls the northern part of the Yan dynasty and his half brother control the south and another of his brother control the central part.
After giving ancestral sacrifice on top of Mount Peng, there is a sound that echoes all over the forest, chanting Long live the emperor.
At that time, all the people took it as a sign that Emperor Xian would once again reunify the Empire and it is so and this story nis immortalized in the Sima Qu Historical Record.
Omens and signs
This kind of thing is the way the Yan imperial family maintain their mysticism to the common people.
And since four hundred years of rule, it could not be helped that some people even think that the imperial family have some kind of heavenly protection
And now, they are shaken by the same omen.
If there is nothing that happened afterwards, the incident of seeing a black serpent on the throne might easily be forgotten
But the years that followed, make people remembers such thing
The years that followed was not good
And it is said that night, when the emperor saw the black serpent, there is a terrific tempest, thunder, hail, and torrents of rain, lasting till midnight and working havoc on all sides of the imperial palaces
Two years later the earth quaked in Capital Luoyang, while along the coast a huge tidal wave rushed in which, in its recoil, swept away all the dwellers by the sea.
The dead filled the land.
Another evil omen was recorded a few years later, certain hens suddenly crowed. Omens that used to be the weapons that the imperial family uses against the populace seems now to be used against them
They said that they recovered the mandate of heaven and uses auspicious omen to strengthen this claim. But now, inauspicious omen could be seen all over the Empire
Doesn't it mean that the Mandate of Heaven is no longer approving them?
The things that they used is now backfiring on them
Then there is more news that during the new moon of the new year's, there is a murky cloud hanging over the imperial places, while in the following month, thunder struck the Dragon Chamber.
Away from the capital, a part of the Yuan Mountains collapsed, leaving a mighty rift in the flank.
Such were some of various omens.
Emperor Ling, greatly moved by these signs of the displeasure of Heaven, issued an edict asking his ministers for an explanation of the calamities and marvels.
Court Counsellor Cai Yun replied bluntly: "Falling rainbows and changes of fowls' sexes are brought about by the interference of empresses and eunuchs in state affairs."
The emperor read this memorial with deep sighs, and Chief Eunuch Cao Xie, from his place behind the throne, anxiously noted these signs of grief.
An opportunity offering, Cao Xie informed his fellows eunuch, and a charge was trumped up against Cai Yun
This loyal counsellor of the Empire was driven from the court and forced to retire to his country house.
With this political victory the eunuchs grew bolder.
Ten of them, rivals in wickedness and associates in evil deeds, formed a powerful party known as the Ten Great Eunuch
One of them, Zhang Wang, won such influence that he became the emperor's most honoured and trusted adviser.
The emperor even called him "Foster Father".
the corrupt state administration went quickly from bad to worse, till the Empire is now ripe for rebellion
the countryside is now full with bandits and all over the Empire, the people wails and the resentment of the people could no longer be contained
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