Then one of Ho Chin’s officers set fire to the gate. Yüan Shu at the head of his men burst in and fell to slaying the eunuchs without regard to age or rank. Yüan Shao and Tsʻao Tsʻao broke into the inner part of the palace. Four of the eunuchs fled to the Blue Flower Lodge where they were hacked to pieces. Fire raged, destroying the buildings. Four of the eunuchs led by Chang Jang carried off the Empress, the heir apparent and the Prince of Chʻên-liu toward the north palace. Lu Chih, since he had resigned office, was at home, but hearing of the revolution in the palace he donned his armour, took his spear and prepared to fight. He saw the eunuch Tuan Kuei hurrying the Empress along and called out “You rebels, how dare you abduct the Empress?” The eunuch fled. The Empress leaped out of a window and was taken to a place of safety. Wu Kʻuang burst into one of the inner halls where he found Ho Miao, sword in hand. “You also were in the plot to slay your brother,” cried he. “You shall die with the others.” “Let us kill the plotter against his elder brother,” cried many. Miao looked around; his enemies hemmed him in on every side. He was hacked to pieces. Shao bade his soldiers scatter and seek out all the families of the eunuchs, sparing none. In that slaughter many beardless men were killed in error. Tsʻao Tsʻao set himself to extinguish the fires. He then begged Ho Tʻai-hou to undertake the direction of affairs and soldiers were sent to pursue Chang Jang and rescue the young Emperor. The two chief eunuchs, Chang Jang and Tuan Kuei, had hustled away the Emperor and the Prince of Chʻên-liu. They burst through the smoke and fire and travelled without stopping till they reached the Peimang Hills. It was then the third watch. They heard a great shouting behind them and saw soldiers in pursuit. Their leader was shouting “Stop, stop!” Chang Jang, seeing that he was lost, jumped into the river, where he was drowned. The two boys ignorant of the meaning of all this confusion and terrified out of their senses, dared not utter a cry; they crept in among the rank grass on the river bank and hid. The soldiers scattered in all directions but failed to find them. So they remained till the fourth watch, shivering with cold from the drenching dew and very hungry. They lay down in the thick grass and wept in each other’s arms, silently, lest any one should discover them. “This is no a place to stay in,” said the Prince, “we must find some way out.” So the two children knotted their clothes together and managed to crawl up the bank. They were in a thicket of thorn bushes and it was quite dark. They could not see any path. They were in despair when, all at once, millions of fireflies sprang up all about them and circled in the air in front of the Emperor. “God is helping us,” said the Prince.