第1部分(第2/7 页)

important　influence　over　their　royal　masters　and　even　to　raise　themselves　to　stations　of　great　trust　and　power。　。。。。。

＇e＇　Regent　Marshal　was　the　highest　military　office；　while　Imperial　Guardian　highest　civilian　office。

Domains　under　heaven；　after　a　long　period　of　division；　tends　to　unite；　after　a　long　period　of　union；　tends　to　divide。　This　has　been　so　since　antiquity。　When　the　rule　of　the　Zhou　Dynasty　weakened；　seven　contending　kingdoms　sprang　up*；　warring　one　with　another　until　the　kingdom　of　Qin　prevailed　and　possessed　the　empire*。　But　when　Qin's　destiny　had　been　fulfilled；　arose　two　opposing　kingdoms；　Chu　and　Han；　to　fight　for　the　mastery。　And　Han　was　the　victor*。

The　rise　of　the　fortunes　of　Han　began　when　Liu　Bang　the　Supreme　Ancestor*　slew　a　white　serpent　to　raise　the　banners　of　uprising；　which　only　ended　when　the　whole　empire　belonged　to　Han　（BC　202）。　This　magnificent　heritage　was　handed　down　in　successive　Han　emperors　for　two　hundred　years；　till　the　rebellion　of　Wang　Mang　caused　a　disruption*。　But　soon　Liu　Xiu　the　Latter　Han　Founder　restored　the　empire*；　and　Han　emperors　continued　their　rule　for　another　two　hundred　years　till　the　days　of　Emperor　Xian；　which　were　doomed　to　see　the　beginning　of　the　empire's　division　into　three　parts；　known　to　history　as　The　Three　Kingdoms。

But　the　descent　into　misrule　hastened　in　the　reigns　of　the　two　predecessors　of　Emperor　Xian………Emperors　Huan　and　Ling………who　sat　in　the　Dragon　Throne　about　the　middle　of　the　second　century。

Emperor　Huan　paid　no　heed　to　the　good　people　of　his　court；　but　gave　his　confidence　to　the　Palace　eunuchs*。　He　lived　and　died；　leaving　the　scepter　to　Emperor　Ling；　whose　advisers　were　Regent　Marshal　Dou　Wu　and　Imperial　Guardian　Chen　Fan*。　Dou　Wu　and　Chen　Fan；　disgusted　with　the