18.董太后嘗勸帝立皇子協為太子。帝亦偏愛協，欲立之。當時病篤，中常侍蹇碩奏曰：「若欲立協，必先誅何進，以絕後患。」帝然其說，因宣進入宮。進至宮門，司馬潘隱謂進曰：「不可入宮：蹇碩欲謀殺公。」進大驚，急歸私宅，召諸大臣，欲盡誅宦官。座上一人挺身百出曰：「宦官之勢，起自沖、質之時；朝廷滋蔓極廣，安能盡誅？倘機不密，必有滅族之禍：請細詳之。」進視之，乃典軍校尉曹操也。進叱曰：「汝小輩安知朝廷大事！」

19.正躊躇間，潘隱至，言：「帝已崩。今蹇碩與十常侍商議，秘不發喪，矯詔宣何國舅入宮，欲絕後患，冊立皇子協為帝。」

Empress Dong had always tried to persuade her son to name Liu Xian as the Heir Apparent, and in fact the Emperor greatly loved the boy and was disposed to do as his mother desired.

When his end was near, one of the eunuchs, Jian Shuo, said, "If Liu Xian is to succeed, He Jin must be killed to prevent any countermeasure."

The Emperor saw this too. And he summoned He Jin to come to him.

But at the very gate of the Forbidden City, He Jin was warned of his danger by Commander Pan Yinwho said, "This must be a trap of Jian Shuo to destroy you!"

He Jin rushed back to his quarters and called many of the ministers to his side, and they met to consider how to put the eunuchs to death.

At this assembly a man spoke against the plot, "The influence of the eunuchs dates back a century and a half, during the reigns of Emperors Chong and Zhi. It has spread like a noxious weed in all directions. How can we hope to destroy it? Above all keep this plot secret, or our whole clans will be exterminated."

He Jin eyed down and saw General of Military Standards Cao Cao.

He Jin was very angry at this speech and cried, "What do inferiors like you know of the ways of government?"

And in the midst of the confusion Pan Yin came to say: "The Emperor is no more. The eunuchs have decided to keep the death a secret and forge a command to the Regent Marshal to come into the Palace to settle the succession. Meanwhile to prevent trouble they have inscribed the name of Prince Xian on the roll."

20.說未了，使命至，宣進速入，以定後事。操曰：「今日之計，先宜正君位，然後圖賊。」進曰：「誰敢與吾正君討賊？」一人挺身出曰：「願借精兵五千，斬關入內，冊立新君，盡誅閹豎，掃清朝廷，以安天下！」進視之，乃司徒袁逢之子，袁隗之姪：名紹，字本初，見為司隸校尉。何進大喜，遂點御林軍五千。紹全身披掛。何進引何顒、荀攸、鄭泰等大臣三十餘員，相繼而入，就靈帝柩前，扶立太子辯即皇帝位。

And as Pan Yin finished speaking, the edict arrived summoning He Jin.

"The matter for the moment is to set up the rightful heir," said Cao Cao. "We can deal with the traitors later."

"Who dare to join me in supporting the rightful heir---Prince Bian?" asked He Jin, the Regent Marshal.

At once one stood forward, crying, "Give me five thousand veterans, and we will break into the Palace, set up the true heir, slay the eunuchs, and sweep clean the government! Then peace will come to the empire."

The energetic speaker was Yuan Shao, son of the former Minister of the Interior Yuan Feng and nephew of Imperial Guardian Yuan Wei. Yuan Shao then held the rank of Imperial Commander.

He Jin mustered five thousand royal guards. Yuan Shao put on complete armor and took command. He Jin, supported by He Yong, Xun You, Zheng Tai, and more than thirty other ministers and high-rank officials, went into the Palace. In the hall where lay the coffin of the late Emperor, they placed Liu Bian on the throne.

21.百官呼拜已畢，袁紹入宮收蹇碩。碩慌走入御花園花陰下為中常侍郭勝所殺。碩所領禁軍，盡皆投順。紹謂何進曰：「中官結黨。今日可乘勢盡誅之。」張讓等知事急，慌入告何后曰：「始初設謀陷害大將軍者，止蹇碩一人，並不干臣等事。今大將軍聽袁紹之言，欲盡誅臣等，乞娘娘憐憫！」何太后曰：「汝等勿憂，我當保汝。」傳旨宣何進入。太后密謂曰：「我與汝出身寒微，非張讓等，焉能享此富貴？今蹇碩不仁，既已伏誅，汝何信人言，欲盡誅宦官耶？」

After the ceremony was over and all had bowed before the new Emperor, Yuan Shao went in to arrest Eunuch Jian Shuo. Jian Shuo in terror fled into the Palace garden and hid among the shrubs, where he was discovered and murdered by Guo Sheng, one of the Ten Eunuchs. The guards under Jian Shuo's command all surrendered.

Yuan Shao said, "Their gangs have broken. The most opportune moment is now to slay all the eunuchs!"

But Zhang Rang and the eunuchs of the Ten scented the danger and rushed to see Empress He.

They said, "The originator of the plan to injure your brother was Jian Shuo: Only he was concerned and no other. Now the Regent Marshal, on Yuan Shao's advice, wishes to slay everyone of us. We implore your pity, O Your Majesty!"

"Fear not!" said Empress He, whose son had just become Emperor, "I will protect you."

She sent for her brother, and said, "You and I are of lowly origin, and we owe our good fortune to the eunuchs. The misguided Jian Shuo is now dead, and need you really put all the others to death as Yuan Shao advises?"

22.何進聽罷，出謂眾官曰：「蹇碩設謀害我，可族滅其家。其餘不必妄加殘害。」袁紹曰：「若不斬草除根，必為喪身之本。」進曰：「吾意已決，汝勿多言。」眾官皆退。

And He Jin obeyed her wish. He explained to his party, saying, "The real offender, Jian Shuo, has met his fate, and his clan will be punished. But we need not exterminate the whole party nor injure his colleagues."

"Slay them, root and branch," cried Yuan Shao, "or they will ruin you!"

"I have decided," said He Jin, coldly. "Say no more."