Chapter 727: Everyone Is at Ease

In the evening, Guo Rong returned from the government office. Instead of going home, he ordered the carriage to head straight for the Duke of Xingguo's mansion. As usual, he went directly to the inner garden, where he happened upon the mistress of the house, Lady Zhang.

Guo Rong bowed in greeting. Lady Zhang was not actually much older than Guo Rong, but looking at him, her expression was one of great kindness—after all, her status demanded it. Knowing what Guo Rong was concerned about, she pointed behind her and said in a gentle voice: "Your father knew you would come; he is waiting for you in his room!"

Just as Liu Chengyou had "graciously" anticipated, Guo Wei had spent the entire day on his couch. Guo Rong entered and caught the smell of medicine permeating the air. His brow furrowed slightly as he stepped forward quickly and stood respectfully before the couch.

"You are now a Duke of the Great Han as well. In rank and title, in power and position, you are no lighter than I. There is no need to stand like that—I could not bear it!" Seeing this, Guo Wei was still in the mood to jest with his adopted son.

But Guo Rong replied with utmost formality: "At court, I am a minister; at home, I am a son. Courtly rites cannot be abandoned, and family propriety cannot be broken!"

"Sit, then!" Not finding his behavior strange, Guo Wei gestured for him to take a seat.

Only then did Guo Rong sit down.

"After entering court today, I heard that Father had reported illness, bedridden and unable to rise, and had once again petitioned Your Majesty to resign." Guo Rong sighed slightly. "How is your condition?"

"You should know by now—my heart ailment weighs heavier than any bodily sickness!" Guo Wei gave a faint, bitter smile.

"While at the office, I heard that upon learning of your illness, His Majesty and Consort Ning personally came to the mansion to visit." That was what Guo Rong said.

Guo Wei seemed somewhat moved: "Word travels that fast?"

"The entire court and country know of it!"

"His Majesty's grace and favor toward me—I truly can no longer bear them!" Guo Wei appeared rather helpless.

"How did the discussion between His Majesty and Father go today?" Guo Rong asked directly.

At this question, Guo Wei pondered for a moment, as if still recalling the conversation. He said: "His Majesty and I have come to a mutual understanding. I laid all my feelings bare before him. If nothing unexpected happens, within two days, the edict will come down!"

With another sigh, Guo Rong asked: "Where will Father go? To Luoyang?"

"Whether I remain in Kaifeng or go to Luoyang, I fear the hidden dangers cannot be fully eliminated! If I am to leave, I might as well leave completely!" Guo Wei said with feeling: "Thinking back, it has been several decades since I left Mount Yao. Back then, when I patrolled the borders on behalf of Heaven, I passed by my own home without entering. The older a man grows, the heavier his longing for home becomes. His Majesty and I are of one mind on this—he will surely permit me to return to Mount Yao. The Hegemon-King of Chu once said, to return home in wealth and glory is like walking in embroidered robes at night. Today, I, Guo Wei, return home in splendor, bringing honor to my family's name, and while I'm at it, I will rebuild the Guo ancestral hall!"

Seeing Guo Wei so open and at ease, Guo Rong's mood lightened somewhat. After a moment's thought, he said: "In another eight or ten years, Father may yet have a day when he returns to the capital!"

"With my body, whether I can even live that long is the question!" Guo Wei said freely.

Seeing that Guo Rong wanted to say something, Guo Wei raised a hand to stop him. His expression gradually turned serious, and with unusual gravity he said to him: "There is a matter I have been pondering for a long time, and I wish to discuss it with you!"

"Father, please speak!" Sensing the change in Guo Wei's tone, Guo Rong's face also took on a measure of seriousness.

Sitting up and taking a deep breath, Guo Wei said: "Change your surname back to Chai!"

He said it as a discussion, but his tone was resolute. To Guo Rong, these words were no less than a thunderclap exploding in his mind. His expression changed drastically, and he stood up in rare loss of composure. Yet his iron-hard mental fortitude allowed him to quickly steady himself. He slowly sat back down, sank into thought for a few moments, then raised his eyes to Guo Wei and asked: "Is this necessary?"

Clearly, Guo Rong understood the purpose behind Guo Wei's move. And observing his reaction, Guo Wei too felt a pang of emotion—a son like Guo Rong, how could he bear to part with him?

"In truth, I have harbored this intention since shortly after the Huainan campaign!" Guo Wei nodded solemnly. "Only thus can His Majesty's suspicions be thoroughly dispelled, and only thus can I bare my chest to show the sincerity of our father-son hearts! Since returning to the capital, I have been seriously deliberating. The Guo clan's influence at court and in the military is still too great. The realm is gradually returning to order, and the Son of Heaven is no easy master. Now that he holds sole authority and grasps the fate of the world in his hands, how could he tolerate the Guo clan?

Families like the Fus, the Gaos, and the Zhes—their power and position at court can be called formidable, but in the end, they cannot touch the foundations. We are different. We rose from Hedong and emerged from the imperial army—this is the main force that upholds the Liu-Han dynasty. Now, to go even further, we have become relatives by marriage to the imperial house. Even if His Majesty harbors no suspicion, I still find myself trembling with fear.

Of the auxiliary ministers from the early Qianyou years, only I remain. His Majesty took Guo Ning as a consort, promoted me to chancellor, and enfeoffed you as a Duke—every one of these was a hint to me. Only by seeking retirement can I preserve my safety."

Pausing briefly, Guo Wei continued: "With your keen intelligence, you can surely see the problem in all this. I know you are a man of great ambition. His Majesty employs you because he values your talents, to be sure, but the identity of the Guo surname is likely to become a thorn in his heart. The longer it stays, the deeper it pierces, and in time it will become an obstacle to his trust in you.

Once you shed the Guo identity, you can establish your own household, unfetter your hands, and display your talents to the fullest—assisting the sage court, pacifying the various states, unifying the realm, restoring the rivers and mountains, and leaving your name in the annals of history."

"You were not yet of capping age when you came to my side. At such a young age, you could already manage the household's affairs in good order and provide for all above and below. Back then, my family fortunes had declined, and I had no son of my own. I took you as my son—both because I delighted in your prudence and integrity, and because I wished to carry on the family line!" As he spoke, Guo Wei drifted into recollection, a trace of melancholy creeping into his voice: "But now, times have changed, and I can no longer ask you—the Chancellor of the Bureau of Military Affairs—to carry on the Guo family's succession."

"On the other hand!" Guo Wei revealed a slight smile: "His Majesty's favor is too heavy. That we, father and son, should both be Dukes—looking across the entire court, only the father-son pair of the Duke of Yu (Li Hongxin) and the Duke of Shou (Li Shaoyou) can compare. If I am to have some selfish motive, it is also for the future, to pass on this noble title of Duke and Marquis to shade Guo Xin and Guo Tong, the two brothers..."

Guo Wei had laid out this long string of concerns and considerations—truly speaking from the heart. Guo Rong's emotions had also completely settled. Meeting Guo Wei's gaze, Guo Rong rose, this time with far more decisive movements, and knelt directly before the couch. He kowtowed three times in succession to Guo Wei, then said in a deep voice: "Since Father's mind is made up, I can only beg your forgiveness for my unfilial conduct!"

Seeing this, Guo Wei no longer stayed huddled on the couch. He threw off the blanket, stepped barefoot onto the floor, and helped Guo Rong up with both hands, his eyes also turning slightly red: "You are making me feel ashamed—how can I bear this!"

After two days of calm, the entire court of the Great Han entered melon-eating mode. His Majesty issued an edict: Duke of Xingguo Guo Wei, suffering from severe wind affliction that had triggered his old ailments and left him unable to attend to affairs, was formally granted his request—permitted to resign all his titles and offices and return to his hometown to recuperate.

Thereafter, another edict was issued, conferring upon Guo Wei's wife Lady Zhang the title of Second-Rank Life-Granting Lady, granting his youngest son Guo Yi the Sixth-Rank Court Counselor of Discussion, and increasing their fief by three hundred households.

And so, Guo Wei—who had returned to court, been made chancellor, elevated to Duke, and entered the Hall of State Affairs for a mere single day—thoroughly announced his farewell to the imperial court. Naturally, there was much discussion at court about this. Those in high positions like Li Tao naturally understood the reasoning and sat steady at the fishing platform, handling state affairs.

The mid- and low-ranking officials, however, indulged in more speculation. After all, to the common eye, since the seventh month, the Guo clan's momentum had been formidable, seemingly on the verge of surpassing the Lis and the Fus to become the foremost powerful consort clan of the Great Han, with substantial real authority. Yet in barely a dozen days, this page had been turned completely.

At the same time, Guo Wei's retirement also stirred some ripples in the military. Of course, his old subordinates and deeply connected generals mostly expressed mere regret—after all, Guo Wei was only in his early fifties. But with a serious illness, it was a matter of helplessness, and with the Son of Heaven's treatment being exceptionally generous, they did not continue to pay much attention.

And with Guo Wei's retirement, the Emperor was at ease, the Empress was at ease, the chancellors were at ease, and Guo Wei himself was at ease...

Thereafter, what drew attention once more was Guo Rong's restoration of his original surname—acknowledging his ancestral roots. This matter was, of course, a sequel to Guo Wei's retirement, and to a certain extent, it merited even greater attention and reflection than the retirement itself.

For many people, though Guo Wei had departed, the great banner of the Guo clan still stood. Guo Rong was the one who still held high position at court and wielded heavy power—the standard-bearer who could still serve as the pillar for those generals and officials attached to the Guo clan.

However, with Guo Rong no longer surnamed Guo, for many people, that was a discount. Of course, this did not mean the Guo clan had fallen from then on—after all, there was Consort Ning in the palace, and the brothers Guo Xin and Guo Tong were still serving as officials. But compared to Guo Wei and Guo Rong, that was a different matter entirely.

As for Guo Rong's restoration of his surname, Liu Chengyou was both surprised and delighted. In this move by the father and son of the Guo clan, he saw two words: sincerity.

In truth, with Guo Rong's current achievements and power, if he were to also inherit Guo Wei's influence, within a few years Liu Chengyou might well come to fear him as he feared Guo Wei. But with Guo and Chai separated, that time could be extended much longer, and it would also allow Liu Chengyou to employ Guo Rong with greater peace of mind.

Though more than twenty years of father-son affection was not so easily cast aside, one must not underestimate the change of a surname. It was a severance in law and in name—touching upon the inheritance of property and reputation—and its influence was especially far-reaching.