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Chapter 1
— Three Heroes Swear Brotherhood In The Peach Garden; One Victory Shatters The Rebels In Battlegrounds.
Reigning Emperor Ling, whose neglect of court for the eunuchs frames the chapter. Receives the omens of the black serpent and the tempest, reads Cai Yong's remonstrance with a sigh, and dispatches Imperial Commanders against Zhang Jue's rebellion.
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Chapter 2
— Zhang Fei Whips The Government Officer; He Jin Plots To Kill The Eunuchs.
Ailing and under his mother's urging, he leans toward naming Liu Xie heir, and Jian Shuo counsels killing He Jin first to clear the way. The summons into the Palace is betrayed by Pan Yin, and the Emperor dies with the succession unsettled - the eunuchs concealing his death behind a forged edict.
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Chapter 3
— In Wenming Garden, Dong Zhuo Denounces Ding Yuan; With Red Hare, Li Su Bribes Lu Bu.
The late Emperor, cited in Ding Yuan's protest that the reigning boy is the late Emperor's own son and has done no wrong - the first open defiance of Dong Zhuo's deposition plan.
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Chapter 4
— Deposition Of The Emperor: The Prince Of Chenliu Gets The Throne; Schemes Against Dong Zhuo: Cao Cao Presents A Sword.
Liu Hong; framed as the deceased emperor whose succession Dong Zhuo is overturning.
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Chapter 5
— Cao Cao Appeals To The Powerful Lords; The Three Brothers Fight Against Lu Bu.
Emperor Ling; named only as the dead emperor whose chaos this chapter is winding down.
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Chapter 22
— Yuan Shao And Cao Cao Both Take The Field; Guan Yu And Zhang Fei Captures Two Generals.
The late Emperor Ling, under whom Chen Lin served as Court Secretary before fleeing Dong Zhuo's coup to Jizhou.
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Chapter 36
— Shan Fu's Strategy: Fankou Is Captured; Xu Shu's Affection: Zhuge Liang Is Recommended.
Emperor Ling, in whose last years the young Xu Shu killed a man to avenge a friend - the date-stamp on Cheng Yu's biography of the fugitive swordsman turned scholar.
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Chapter 38
— Zhuge Liang Plans For The Three Kingdoms; Sun Quan Attacks Xiakou To Take Revenges.
Emperor Ling, half of the poem's verdict on the dynasty's rot - 'decay began in the days of Huan and Ling.'
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Chapter 57
— Sleeping Dragon Mourns In Chaisang; Young Phoenix Intervenes At Leiyang.
Emperor Ling, in whose reign the Qiang made trouble and Ma Teng first raised troops - the service that earned his western title.