Ten Attendants facts for kids

The Ten Attendants, also known as the Ten Eunuchs, were a group of very powerful officials in ancient China. They served in the imperial court of Emperor Ling of Han from 168 to 189 AD, during the Eastern Han dynasty. Even though they were called "Ten Attendants," there were actually 12 of them. All of them held a high position called zhong changshi (Central Regular Attendant).

The 12 officials were: Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, Xia Yun, Guo Sheng, Sun Zhang, Bi Lan, Li Song, Duan Gui, Gao Wang, Zhang Gong, Han Kui, and Song Dian.

How the Eunuchs Gained Power

Two of the eunuchs, Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong, started working in the Han imperial palace as attendants. Zhang Rang came from a place called Yingchuan, and Zhao Zhong was from Anping. They moved up to more important roles during the time of Emperor Huan of Han (146–168 AD).

In 159 AD, Zhao Zhong helped overthrow a very powerful general named Liang Ji. Because of his help, Emperor Huan gave Zhao Zhong a special title and land. Later, Zhao Zhong received a good annual salary.

Rising Influence Under Emperor Ling

When Emperor Ling of Han became emperor (168–189 AD), Zhao Zhong and Zhang Rang became even more powerful. They reached the high position of zhong changshi and were given special titles by the emperor. They were also friends with other important eunuchs like Cao Jie and Wang Fu.

After Cao Jie passed away, Zhao Zhong took over an important role as the Empress's Chamberlain. Around this time, Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong, along with ten others, all held the zhong changshi position. Their family members and friends, who were spread across the Han Empire, were known for being very corrupt.

Zhang Rang even had Bi Lan build water pumps outside the palace to supply running water.

Challenges and Corruption

The eunuchs faced many challenges and were often accused of corruption.

The Yellow Turban Rebellion and Eunuch Secrets

In 184 AD, a big uprising called the Yellow Turban Rebellion started. An official named Zhang Jun wrote to Emperor Ling, saying that the Ten Attendants and their families were to blame. He said their corruption made people angry and led to the rebellion. Zhang Jun urged the emperor to punish the eunuchs to calm the people.

When Emperor Ling showed the eunuchs this letter, they pretended to be very sorry. They took off their hats, knelt down, and offered to give their money to help the army fight the rebellion. The emperor told them to get up and continue their work. He then scolded Zhang Jun, saying, "You're crazy! Are there no good people among the Ten Attendants?"

Zhang Jun tried to send another similar letter, but it never reached the emperor. The eunuchs secretly told the investigators to falsely accuse Zhang Jun of being involved with the rebellion's leaders. Zhang Jun was put in prison, tortured, and died there.

It turned out that some eunuchs were secretly working with the rebellion's leader, Zhang Jue. After two eunuchs were caught and executed, Emperor Ling was very angry. He asked the eunuchs, "You always say other officials are bad, but now you are working with Zhang Jue. Who should I punish?" The eunuchs begged for forgiveness and blamed other eunuchs. Emperor Ling then let them go.

How Eunuchs Profited from Power

Zhang Rang had many housekeepers who helped him manage his home. These housekeepers made connections with powerful people and took bribes. For example, a man named Meng Tuo gave all his family's money to one of Zhang Rang's housekeepers. The housekeeper was so grateful that he helped Meng Tuo meet Zhang Rang.

Many people wanted to meet Zhang Rang and brought gifts. Meng Tuo arrived late, but the housekeeper welcomed him like an important guest. Other visitors saw this and thought Meng Tuo was special, so they gave him many gifts. Meng Tuo then gave some of these gifts to Zhang Rang, who was very happy. Zhang Rang later helped Meng Tuo become a high-ranking official in Liang Province.

In 185 AD, a fire damaged the imperial palace. The Ten Attendants suggested to Emperor Ling that he collect a tax from farmers to rebuild it. The emperor ordered officials to send wood and stones to Luoyang, the capital. However, the eunuchs who received the materials would scold the workers and pay them very little. They then tried to sell the materials to other eunuchs, who refused to buy them. The wood piled up and rotted, delaying construction for years. To please the emperor, some regional officials collected even more taxes, making the common people even angrier.

Emperor Ling often said, "Regular Attendant Zhang (Rang) is my father, Regular Attendant Zhao (Zhong) is my mother." Because the emperor trusted them so much, the eunuchs acted without following rules and misused their power. They even built fancy houses for themselves that looked like parts of the imperial palace. When Emperor Ling visited a high viewing platform, the eunuchs worried he would see their homes. They told him, "Your Majesty shouldn't go to high places. If you do, the people will scatter." The emperor believed them and stopped visiting high towers.

In 186 AD, Emperor Ling asked eunuchs Song Dian and Bi Lan to oversee new building projects, including a new palace hall and large bronze statues. He also ordered new coins to be made. Many people saw this as the emperor being too extravagant. This turned out to be true when chaos broke out after Emperor Ling's death.

The End of the Eunuchs' Power

When Emperor Ling became very sick in 189 AD, he secretly planned for his younger son, Liu Xie (who was about eight years old), to become the next emperor. He told a trusted eunuch, Jian Shuo, about this plan. But after the emperor died, Jian Shuo's plan failed. Instead, Emperor Ling's older son, 13-year-old Liu Bian, became Emperor Shao. Empress Dowager He (Emperor Shao's mother) and her brother, General-in-Chief He Jin, became the main rulers because the emperor was too young.

A Plot Against He Jin

In the summer of 189 AD, Jian Shuo found out that He Jin and his officers wanted to get rid of him. Jian Shuo tried to convince other eunuchs to help him kill He Jin. However, another eunuch, Guo Sheng, who was close to Empress Dowager He, convinced them not to. He Jin then had Jian Shuo arrested and executed. He Jin took control of the military units that Jian Shuo used to command.

Later in 189 AD, Yuan Shao suggested to He Jin that they should eliminate all the eunuchs and take full control of the government. Empress Dowager He immediately said no. She didn't want to deal with men regularly, which she found improper. Also, Empress Dowager He's mother and her brother He Miao had been bribed by the eunuchs, so they strongly opposed He Jin's plan. They said they owed a lot to the eunuchs. (Empress Dowager He had become the emperor's wife because the eunuchs helped her.)

Calling in the Warlords

He Jin then followed another idea from Yuan Shao. He secretly told powerful military leaders from the provinces, like Dong Zhuo, to bring their armies close to Luoyang, the capital. The idea was for these armies to openly demand that the eunuchs be executed. He Jin hoped this would pressure Empress Dowager He to act against the eunuchs.

Empress Dowager He first refused to harm the eunuchs. But as Dong Zhuo's forces got closer to Luoyang, she ordered the eunuchs to leave the palace and go back to their homes. Zhang Rang's adopted son was married to Empress Dowager He's younger sister. Zhang Rang begged her to help him. She told her mother, who then spoke to Empress Dowager He. The empress dowager changed her mind and called the eunuchs back to the palace.

The Eunuchs' Last Stand

Around September 189 AD, the eunuchs made a plan to kill He Jin. They sent a fake order from Empress Dowager He, telling He Jin to come to the palace to meet her. On September 22, 189 AD, He Jin walked into a trap and was killed by the eunuchs. They said he was guilty of treason.

After He Jin's death, his officers, along with Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, led their troops to storm the palace. They wanted revenge and killed many eunuchs. They killed anyone who looked like a eunuch. Some young men who didn't have beards had to drop their pants to prove they weren't eunuchs.

During the attack, the eunuchs took Empress Dowager He, Emperor Shao, and the Prince of Chenliu (Liu Xie) as hostages. They tried to escape from the palace towards Chang'an. An official named Lu Zhi stopped the eunuch Duan Gui and saved the empress dowager. He Miao, who was on the eunuchs' side, was killed by He Jin's officers. Over 2,000 people died in this attack.

Zhang Rang and about 10 other eunuchs managed to take Emperor Shao and the Prince of Chenliu to the riverbank. Imperial forces were chasing them. Zhang Rang turned to Emperor Shao and cried, saying, "We are going to be destroyed, and chaos will break out in the Empire. Your Majesty, please take care of yourself!" He then jumped into the river and drowned.

The Ten Attendants in Romance of the Three Kingdoms

The Ten Attendants also appear at the beginning of the famous 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. This novel tells a romanticized story of the events that led to the end of the Han dynasty. The ten eunuchs listed in the novel are:

• Feng Xu (executed in 184 AD for working with the Yellow Turban rebels)
• Jian Shuo (killed for trying to assassinate He Jin)
• Zhao Zhong (killed by Yuan Shu and Wu Kuang)
• Guo Sheng (killed by Yuan Shu and Wu Kuang)
• Xia Yun (killed by Yuan Shu and Wu Kuang)
• Cheng Kuang (killed by Yuan Shu and Wu Kuang)
• Zhang Rang (drowned)
• Duan Gui (killed by Min Gong)
• Hou Lan
• Cao Jie

It's important to know that five of these ten eunuchs were not among the historical Ten Attendants. Cheng Kuang is a made-up character. Feng Xu and Jian Shuo existed, but they weren't listed as part of the main Ten Attendants in historical records. Hou Lan and Cao Jie had already died years before the events in the novel took place.

See also

• Lists of people of the Three Kingdoms