Dou Wu 竇武

Chapter 1 of the Romance opens with the saying that the great trend of the realm is that what has long been divided must unite and what has long been united must divide, tells how the Han finally split into three, and then says that if one traces the causes of the disorder, they began with the two emperors Huan and Ling. Emperor Huan barred upright scholars from office and trusted only the eunuchs. When Emperor Huan dies and Emperor Ling takes the throne, the General-in-Chief Dou Wu and the Grand Tutor Chen Fan together assist the emperor. Romance, Ch. 1 §2–3

At that time, as Cao Jie and other eunuchs wield power, Dou Wu and Chen Fan plan to kill them, but the plan leaks out and they are harmed instead. The Romance writes that from this time the eunuchs grew ever more arrogant. Romance, Ch. 1 §3

In Chapter 2 He Jin has the court officials have Empress Dong moved to Hejian, and in the 6th month secretly has someone poison her at the posthouse in Hejian. The Colonel-Director of Retainers Yuan Shao comes to He Jin and says that Zhang Rang, Duan Gui and others are spreading rumours abroad that He Jin poisoned Empress Dong and is plotting a great undertaking, and that if he does not seize this chance to kill the eunuchs, they will surely become a great calamity later. He then cites how Dou Wu once tried to kill the eunuchs, but the secret leaked out and he met with disaster instead, and urges that He Jin's brothers and his subordinate generals and officers are all men of outstanding talent, so that if they are made to exert themselves to the full, the matter is in the palm of his hand. Romance, Ch. 2 §48 · 50–51

He Jin says that he wishes to discuss it further. When those around him secretly report this to Zhang Rang, Zhang Rang and the others pass it on to He Jin's younger brother He Miao and send him many more bribes, and He Miao goes in to Empress He and tells her that the General-in-Chief, instead of governing with benevolence, devotes himself only to killing, and now without cause wants to kill the Ten Regular Attendants as well. When He Jin comes in and asks leave to kill the eunuchs, Empress He refuses, saying that eunuchs managing the palace is an old precedent of the Han house, and He Jin, who has never been decisive, withdraws. Romance, Ch. 2 §51–52