The Ten Eunuchs Behead He Jin

The Violent Prelude to the Fall of the Eastern Han Dynasty

In Luo Guanzhong’s classic epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义), few events carry as much catastrophic weight as the assassination of Grand General He Jin (何进) by the powerful court eunuchs known as The Ten Eunuchs or Ten Attendants (Shi Chang Shi / 十常侍). Detailed extensively across Chapter 2 and Chapter 3, this blood-soaked betrayal triggered the total collapse of imperial authority in Luoyang, unleashed a ruthless massacre inside the palace, and paved the way for the tyrannical rise of Dong Zhuo, pitching China into decades of warlord chaos.

Chapter 1: Historical Context and Power Struggle

(189 AD – The Death of Emperor Ling)

In the 4th month of the 6th year of Zhongping (184–189 AD / April 189 AD), Emperor Ling of the Eastern Han Dynasty passed away in Luoyang. His death triggered an immediate, explosive power struggle between two rival factions inside the imperial court:

1. The Consort Kin Faction (Nwai Qi / 外戚):

   Led by Grand General He Jin (何进 / title: Suigao / 遂高), the elder brother of Empress He (何太后). He Jin held supreme command over the empire’s military forces. Originally coming from a humble background as a butcher, he rose to the top of the empire’s power structure through his sister’s marriage to the Emperor.

2. The Eunuch Faction (Ten Eunuchs / 十常侍):

   A corrupt clique of palace eunuchs led by Zhang Rang (张让) and Duan Gui (段珪). They controlled the inner palace (Hou Gong), manipulated imperial decrees, and held immense sway over the young newly crowned Emperor Shao (Liu Bian / 刘辩).

Although He Jin held absolute military power, he was indecisive, overly cautious, and lacked strategic foresight. Recognizing that the eunuchs were a cancer upon the state, top strategists like Cao Cao (曹操) and Yuan Shao (袁绍) urged He Jin to execute them immediately using his imperial guards.

He Jin hesitated because his sister, Empress He, protected the eunuchs, as they had showered her with bribes and praise. In a fatal strategic error, He Jin rejected Cao Cao’s advice and heeded Yuan Shao’s dangerous plan: to summon regional warlords—most notably the ruthless Dong Zhuo (董卓) from Xiliang—to march their armies toward the capital to pressure the Empress Dowager into purging the eunuchs.

The List of the Ten Eunuchs (The Twelve Palace Eunuchs)

Although referred to historically and in literature as the “Ten Eunuchs” or “Ten Attendants” (Shi Chang Shi / 十常侍), historical records and Luo Guanzhong’s narrative account for twelve key high-ranking eunuchs who formed this corrupt political clique during the reign of Emperor Ling.

They held the official titles of Attendant-in-Ordinary (Zhong Chang Shi / 中常侍) and were granted noble fiefs as marquises. Emperor Ling was so deeply manipulated by them that he famously declared:

“Zhang Rang is my father, and Zhao Zhong is my mother!” (张常侍是我父，赵常侍是我母)

Below is the complete list of the twelve core members of the Ten Eunuchs clique:

Chapter 2: The Mounting Tension and Fatal Warnings

(Warnings Ignored by an Arrogant Commander)

When news leaked that warlord armies were marching on Luoyang, the court was thrown into panic. Prominent officials desperately tried to stop He Jin’s disastrous strategy.

The Warning of Cao Cao

Cao Cao (then serving as a Commander) explicitly warned He Jin:

“The eunuchs’ power has grown over decades because emperors favored them. If you wish to purge them, you should execute only the primary ringleaders. A single court officer is enough to handle it! Why summon troops from the provinces? If those warlords arrive, they will turn against us!”

He Jin scoffed at Cao Cao, calling him a coward who harbored personal sympathy for eunuchs (since Cao Cao’s adoptive grandfather was a eunuch). Cao Cao exited the hall, sighing:

“The one who will bring chaos to the whole world is He Jin!”

The Warning of Chen Lin

Imperial Secretary Chen Lin (陈琳) also warned He Jin:

“To summon outside troops to purge palace servants is like lighting a fire to burn a single hair, or bringing a dragon into a well to fight a frog. It will only bring disaster!”

Chen Lin – 陈琳 – Trần Lâm

He Jin ignored all warnings, stubbornly sticking to his plan.

Chapter 3: The Bloody Trap inside Changle Palace

(The Assassination of He Jin)

Realizing that Dong Zhuo’s army was approaching and that their lives were on the line, Zhang Rang and Duan Gui decided to strike first.

The Fake Imperial Summons

Zhang Rang and his co-conspirators went to Empress Dowager He, weeping bitterly and claiming they were falsely accused by He Jin. They persuaded her to issue an urgent fake imperial decree summoning He Jin into Changle Palace (长乐宫) under the guise of discussing state affairs.

He Jin’s Fatal Arrogance

Upon receiving the summons, He Jin prepared to enter the palace. Yuan Shao and Cao Cao intercepted him at the gate, warning him that the palace was a death trap and demanding that he send guards inside first.

He Jin laughed arrogantly and rejected their caution:

“I am the Grand General, holding all the power in the realm! What can a few petty eunuchs do to me?”

Yuan Shao and Cao Cao insisted on escorting him with 500 elite imperial guards led by Yuan Shao’s brother, Yuan Shu (袁术). However, palace etiquette strictly forbade armed soldiers from crossing the gate of the inner palace. The heavy iron doors slammed shut behind He Jin, leaving him completely isolated inside.

The Execution

As He Jin walked down the quiet corridor toward the Hall of Jiade, he was suddenly surrounded by hundreds of armed assassins hidden behind pillars and walls. Zhang Rang stepped out from the shadows and harshly denounced him:

Zhang Rang’s Accusation:

“He Jin! What crime did we commit? When you were a mere pig butcher, who recommended you to the Emperor and raised your family to glory? Now you repay our kindness with betrayal and plot to exterminate us!”

Terrified, He Jin turned to flee, but all four gates were bolted shut. Before he could draw his sword, the executioners swarmed him and chopped He Jin into pieces right in front of the hall.

Moments later, Zhang Rang picked up He Jin’s severed head and tossed it over the palace wall to the waiting imperial guards outside.

The Shocking Aftermath and Cascade of Disasters

(Blood, Fire, and the Rise of Dong Zhuo)

The sight of He Jin’s severed head tumbling over the wall triggered a violent chain reaction that destroyed the court:

1. The Massacre of the Eunuchs:

   Enraged by the death of their leader, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu smashed down the palace gates, set the palace complex on fire, and slaughtered every man without a beard inside the palace. Over 2,000 people were killed in the purge, including many young court officials who were executed simply because they lacked facial hair.

2. The Flight of the Emperor:

   Panicked by the massacre, Zhang Rang and Duan Gui kidnapped the young Emperor Shao and his younger brother, Prince Liu Xie (future Emperor Xian), and fled in the dead of night toward the Yellow River. Pursued by imperial troops, Zhang Rang threw himself into the river and drowned.

3. Inviting the Wolf into the House:

   With the capital in ashes and the court without a leader, Dong Zhuo arrived at the head of his battle-hardened Xiliang army. Dong Zhuo intercepted the returning child Emperor, seized control of Luoyang, deposed Emperor Shao, installed Liu Xie as Emperor Xian, and unleashed a reign of terror that officially ignited the era of warlords and ushered in the Three Kingdoms period.

Summary of Key Details

Moral and Cultural Significance

The story of the Ten Eunuchs beheading He Jin serves as a timeless cautionary tale in Chinese political philosophy and literature:

1. The Danger of Indecision and Arrogance:

   He Jin possessed absolute military power, yet his vanity, arrogance, and indecisiveness caused his shameful death at the hands of unarmed eunuchs.

2. The Price of Ignoring Wise Counsel:

   He Jin’s refusal to listen to sharp minds like Cao Cao and Chen Lin directly brought about his downfall and destroyed his entire clan.

3. “Inviting a Tiger to Drive Out a Dog” (引狼入室):

   Summoning Dong Zhuo to solve an internal court dispute is regarded as one of the worst strategic blunders in Chinese history, proving that short-sighted political moves often lead to catastrophic nationwide ruin.

Key Relationships

Family

• He Jin (何进, Hà Tiến): Main victim. General-in-Chief assassinated inside the Palace of Virtuous Light.
• Empress He (何皇后, Hà Hoàng Hậu): Younger sister of He Jin who naively summoned He Jin into the palace on the eunuchs’ behalf.
• He Miao (何苗, Hà Miêu): Brother of He Jin, suspected of colluding with the eunuchs and cut down by Wu Kuang.
• Emperor Shao of Han (汉少帝, Hán Thiếu Đế): Nephew abducted by the fleeing eunuchs.

Friends

• Yuan Shao (袁绍, Viên Thiệu): General who led imperial troops storming the palace gates following He Jin’s murder, slaughtering 2,000 eunuchs indiscriminately.
• Cao Cao (Cao Cao, Tào Tháo): Imperial officer who pursued the fleeing eunuchs and rescued Emperor Shao.
• Yuan Shu (袁术, Viên Thuật): Commander who set fire to the palace gates to avenge He Jin.
• Wu Kuang (吴匡, Ngô Khuông): Loyal subordinate officer of He Jin.

Enemies

• The Ten Eunuchs (十常侍, Thập Thường Thị): Palace eunuchs (led by Zhang Rang, Duan Gui, Zhao Zhong, and Guo Sheng) who surrounded He Jin and severed his head on September 22, 189 AD.
• Zhang Rang (张 Rang, Trương Nhượng): Leader of the eunuchs who jumped into the Yellow River to drown himself after being pursued by Lu Zhi and Min Gong.
• Duan Gui (段珪, Đoạn Khuê): Eunuch leader executed on the riverbank.
• Dong Zhuo (董卓, Đổng Trác): Warlord who entered the defenseless capital during the chaos, seizing imperial power and plunging the empire into warlord warfare.

Others

• No information