| Emperor Wenzong of Tang's Litter | |
|---|---|
| “Both King Nan and Emperor Xian were being controlled by strongly-armed vassals, but I am being controlled by house slaves. If you look at it this way, I am even inferior to them.” | |
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Origin |
Sweet Dew Incident |
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Type |
Hand Lifted Vehicle |
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Effects |
Generates auspicious but misleading signals |
|
Downsides |
Subordinates become treacherous or liable to harm cohorts |
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Activation |
Condensation |
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Section |
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| [Source] | |
Origin[]
Emperor Wenzong of Tang (809–840) reigned from 827 to 840. Emperor Wenzong was the second son of Emperor Muzong and younger brother of Emperor Jingzong. A rare occurrence in Chinese history, Emperor Wenzong, along with his elder brother Emperor Jingzong and younger brother Emperor Wuzong, reigned in succession.
Around the new year 833, Emperor Wenzong suffered a stroke. It was said that from this point on, Emperor Wenzong's spirit was weakened and could not be as strong as before. The Sweet Dew incident or Ganlu incident was a failed coup on December 14, 835 by Emperor Wenzong to seize power from the eunuchs. The emperor planned to kill the eunuchs with the aid of the chancellor Li Xun and general Zheng Zhu. The eunuchs learned of the plot and solidified their control with a counter-coup; Li, Zheng, many of their followers and other officials were killed.
On December 14, Wenzong was hosting an imperial meeting at Zichen Hall with the imperial officials. Han Yue, who was the general of the Left Jinwu Corps, instead of giving the customary report that everything was well that the Left Jinwu and Right Jinwu generals were to give, instead stated that the night previous, sweet dew (ganlu) had descended on a pomegranate tree outside the Left Jinwu headquarters. He bowed to Wenzong, and the chancellors immediately led the other officials in congratulating the Emperor (as sweet dew was considered a sign of divine favor). Li Xun and Shu Yuanyu suggested that Wenzong go observe the sweet dew himself so that he could receive the blessings from heaven. Wenzong agreed, and the officials proceeded to Hanyuan Hall, near the Left Jinwu headquarters. Meanwhile, the other eunuchs were at the Left Jinwu headquarters and witnessed many armed soldiers and the sounds of clanging weapons appear. The guards were about to close the gate but the eunuchs ran back to Hanyuan Hall, preparing to report to Wenzong. When Li Xun saw the eunuchs running back to Hanyuan Hall, he yelled at the Jinwu guards for them to protect the emperor and promised them rewards. The eunuchs grabbed Emperor Wenzong's litter, put him on it, and ran north through the roped screen behind Hanyuan Hall (breaking the screen in the process) toward the palace. Li Xun ran after the litter and grabbed it, yelling, "I have not finished my report, and Your Imperial Majesty should not return to the palace!"
The officials of the legislative and examination bureaus, and the Jinwu soldiers, numbering over 1,000 people, were also trying to flee, but they were bottlenecked at the gate to the office of the chancellors. Eventually the gates were closed with some 600 of them still trapped inside, and the Shence Army soldiers slaughtered them, including officials, guards, and civilians. Various files, seals, books, and other equipment owned by the government were destroyed in the process. The eunuchs also sent cavalry soldiers outside the imperial city to try to capture those who had fled. The ringleaders under the emperor were captured and executed by army sentries, along with any associated chancellors in the palace.
It was said Emperor Wenzong, after the Ganlu Incident, became depressed and never smiled, and he was often seen mumbling to himself even at grand feasts. At one point, in a conversation with the imperial scholar Zhou Chi, when he asked Zhou what kind of ancient rulers he could be compared with, Zhou responded with the mythical benevolent rulers Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun. Wenzong instead compared himself to the final rulers of the Zhou dynasty and Han dynasty—King Nan of Zhou and Emperor Xian of Han. When Zhou Chi, surprised, noted that both were dynasty-ending rulers.
Effects[]
Activates in the presence of morning dew, evening mist, steam or any form of noticeable condensation. Always attaches to somebody a higher degree of position over their peers. Creates signals that indicate good fortunes incoming, such as four-leaf clovers, repeating numbers, coincidences, sudden confidence and other minor hints at better days. All these messages are false distractions to lower one’s alertness to trouble.
Turns subordinates violently anti-authoritarian to overthrow their leader and the seat of power they represent. Most upstarts will be to replace a seemingly decrepit figurehead, while some while feel personal vendettas magnified until frenzied. Not all underneath the command structure will be affected equally; those without existing notions of dissatisfaction will instead be easily manipulated into following the discontent masses or become too gullible to realize the danger they are in from their angered peers. The effects also spread sideways in reach, contacting those only tangentially related to members of the direct offices by rank, position or personal interaction.