Welcome to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms podcast.

This is episode 89.

Last time, we left off in the middle of yet another conspiracy to overthrow Cao Cao. The conspirators attacked

the camp of the Royal Guard in the capital Xuchang on the night of a major holiday. The idea was to

secure the emperor and the city, and then attack Ye Jun, where Cao Cao was living Laovida Loca as the king of Wei.

The rebels managed to wound the commander of the royal guard, Wang B, but he managed to slip away.

First, he tried to find refuge at the home of his good friend Jin Yi, only to learn, by accident,

that his friend was actually one of the conspirators.

Shocked by this revelation, Wang B. Now turned and ran to the home of Cao Xiu, one of Cao Cao's

nephews and officers. There, he told Cao Xiu about the coup, and Cao Xiu sprang into action.

Donning his armor, he led about a thousand soldiers out into the city and engaged in street

fighting with the rebels.

While this was going on, the city was being engulfed in cries of exterminate all of Cao Cao's

traitors, support the house of Han.

That and flames, lots and lots of flames.

The fire even reached the tower of the Five Phoenixes,

where, according to the conspirator's plan,

the emperor was supposed to be kept safe and sound

so that he could make a public denunciation of Cao Cao, giving the

uprising legitimacy. Oops, so much for that. Instead, the emperor was hiding deep inside his palace,

while Cao Cao's people doggedly guarded the palace gates against any intruders. Or maybe, just maybe, a rag-tag group of

no-name conspirators and their house servants were not quite up to the task of cutting their way

...