Yuan Shao suggests to He Jin in autumn 189 that the eunuchs be slaughtered—a proposal that Empress He immediately rejects, as the plan would require that Empress He interact with normal men on a regular basis, a requirement that she finds offensive and immodest.

Empress Dowager He's mother Lady Xian and brother He Miao also oppose the plan, reasoning that they owe much to the eunuchs.

He Jin is therefore hesitant to carry out his plan, and he and Yuan Shao hatch an alternative plan that will later prove disastrous—instructing generals outside the hospital to declare rebellions and demanding that the eunuchs be slaughtered, in order to force Empress He to do so.

One of the generals that He Jin so instructs is Dong Zhuo, at this time in command of the battle-tested forces of Liang Province (modern Gansu)—not remembering that Dong Zhuo had previous records for disobeying direct orders and undue harshness.

As Dong approaches the capital with his forces, Empress Dowager He is forced to order the powerful eunuchs to leave the palace and return to their marches. (Most of these powerful eunuchs had been created marquesses by Emperor Ling.)

However, after the eunuchs' leader, Zhang Rang, pleads with his daughter-in-law (Empress Dowager He's sister), Empress Dowager He relents and summons them back to the palace.

The eunuchs then discover that He Jin in fact plans to exterminate them, and they trick He Jin into falling into an ambush, in which he is killed.

He Jin's associates, led by Yuan Shao, then surround the palace, and the eunuchs take Empress Dowager He, the young emperor, and Prince Xie hostage, although Empress Dowager He soon escapes.

Meanwhile, Yuan Shao has the other eunuchs executed en masse, and also kills He Miao for not having cooperated with He Jin.

Two days later, the several eunuchs holding the emperor and Prince Xie hostage, knowing that they are in desperate straits, take the emperor and the prince and flee north toward the Yellow River.

With government officials Lu Zhi and Min Gong on their heels, the eunuchs, led by Zhang Rang, release the emperor and Prince Xie and commit suicide by jumping into the river.

As Min and Lu are escorting the emperor and the prince back to the capital Luoyang, they are intercepted by Dong Zhuo's forces.

As Dong comes up to meet them, the young emperor, suffering from shock, speaks incoherently and cannot answer Dong Zhuo's questions.

The younger Prince Xie, however, has no such difficulty in describing the events.

Dong becomes impressed by the younger prince, and, because he shares the same name with the late Grand Empress Dowager Dong, begins to consider deposing the emperor and replacing him with Prince Xie.

Dong quickly takes over the capital by using his forces to intimidate others.

Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, now in command of the palace guards, see that they can no longer control their forces, which have been so intimidated by the stronger Liang Province forces that they are not following orders; they flee the capital.

Dong orders the young emperor deposed (and created the Prince of Hongnong), and forces Empress Dowager He to agree.

Prince Xie is declared emperor (as Emperor Xian).

The Prince of Hongnong's mother Empress Dowager He is soon poisoned to death by Dong.