Chapter 100: Turning Back

In the main hall of the post station, Guo Yun sat upright and solemn behind the desk at the seat of highest honor. Flanking this Grand Administrator of Yanmen on both sides, several commandery clerks and the county magistrate of this county were also seated in order according to their respective ranks.

One rather interesting thing was that exquisite dishes and wine and meat sufficient to meet banquet standards had long been laid out before everyone else, yet Guo Yun alone had nothing in front of him, leaving these subordinates utterly at a loss as to what to do.

But very soon, as the company rose from their seats one after another to greet the man and woman who appeared in the hall, this awkwardness immediately came to an end... As it turned out, Commandant Gongsun and his wife were actually going to personally handle the ladle and spoon and serve the meal to the Administrator themselves.

First came a great variety of things such as meat stew, vegetables and fruits, and fruit wines. The husband and wife knelt sitting on either side of Guo Yun's seat, taking turns presenting each item to him. This could indeed be called "performing the rites with utmost respect."

In truth, even when Lady Gongsun, Zhao Yun, presented a bowl of bean porridge onto the desk and then slightly bent her knee in salute before withdrawing from the hall, the company still thought nothing of it, and some even stroked their beards in admiration... Yet when Commandant Gongsun himself finally carried a bowl of steamed wheat rice with wild greens and placed it upon the table, everyone's expressions could not help but turn peculiar.

The man involved, Guo Yun, could not help but draw a sharp breath.

"Lord Guo, please dine!" Gongsun Xun sat cross-legged opposite the desk and then spoke with a solemn expression. "The beans, wheat, and wild greens were all selected and washed by my wife's own hands, and both the porridge and the rice were cooked by my own hands in the kitchen for you... There is absolutely no hint of pretense in this."

Guo Yun glanced down quickly at the two bowls before him as if looking at some great flood or savage beast, and then could not help but swallow: "Wenqi... this is rather inappropriate, is it not?"

"What of it?" Gongsun Xun said dismissively. "It is merely the sincere devotion of us husband and wife, nothing more. Besides, it is only bean porridge and wheat rice — the people under heaven who eat these are as numerous as the hairs on an ox. What is unacceptable about it?"

"Bean porridge and wheat rice are indeed common," Guo Yun swept his gaze over the strangely expressioned magistrate of Lucheng County and the several commandery subordinate clerks, his mood growing ever more helpless. "But the bean porridge and wheat rice from the banks of the Hutuo River I dare not accept!"

Gongsun Xun still wore an expression of utter indifference.

"All of you, withdraw for now!" Seeing that he could do nothing about the other man, Guo Yun had no choice but to hastily wave his hand and drive his subordinates out first.

"Lord Guo, you are far too cautious. Have you not made all my hard work in vain?"

"Wenqi, I can more or less grasp your meaning... but if you and I are to treat each other with candor, that is enough. Why must you put on these theatrics?"

"I merely wished to express a token of my regard!"

"This is hardly expressing regard — you are clearly putting me to the fire! You do not understand... Enough, if you have something to say, please speak it quickly and directly!"

"I wish to ask the Administrator to submit a memorial to the central authorities, recommending a candidate to succeed me in the detached command at Pingcheng!" Gongsun Xun said with a solemn expression.

"I will not hide it from you, Wenqi." Guo Yun sighed directly. "I have actually had this intention for some time."

After a round of exchange, Gongsun Xun could not help but be overjoyed.

"However." Guo Yun hastily raised a hand to stop him. "I do have conditions on my side as well."

"Please, Lord Guo, speak plainly." Gongsun Xun hastily cupped his hands in salute.

"First, this person must possess talent and ability!" Guo Yun said earnestly. "If he cannot bring stability to the north of the commandery and support the border defenses, what use would I have in recommending him?"

"That is only natural."

"Second, this person must hold an official rank." Guo Yun continued. "Do not speak to me of squad leaders or subordinate clerks who could leap straight to Commandant. This person should ideally be an officer already serving in your army."

"I understand."

"Third," Guo Yun could not help but sigh, "your command is ultimately a detached command directly under the central authorities, and in truth has no connection to my commandery. It is only that, with Lord Zang now awaiting judgment in Luoyang and the Regional Commissioner away in Hexi, and seeing that you, a veteran commander, are about to leave, I, as Grand Administrator, am worried about the security of Yanmen and thus have no choice but to write to the central authorities with a recommendation... Therefore, whether it succeeds or not is ultimately hard to say. You must be mentally prepared."

"I naturally understand this reasoning." Gongsun Xun said dismissively. "However, with the northern frontier so empty now, the Grand Administrator has his worries, and I imagine the central authorities will understand as well."

Guo Yun also nodded slightly, evidently quite confident in his own recommendation.

To put it plainly, systems are systems, but the Great Han dynasty at present still prioritized rule by men... Guo Yun's family was a top-tier prestigious clan in Bingzhou, and with his exalted rank of two thousand shi, if he recommended a detached command Commandant stationed within his borders, and if the man's qualifications were appropriate, then the central authorities presumably would not make things too difficult.

Of course, the most secure plan would be to seek out Dong Zhuo. This Dong Zhongying was precisely the Inspector of Bingzhou, and now that Zang Min had lost his authority, these field armies directly under the central authorities should rightfully be under his overall command. But how to put it? The moment Gongsun Xun thought of exposing such petty calculations before the eyes of the august Great Han loyal minister, Regional Commissioner Dong, his heart grew faint... The Yellow Turban rebellion had not even begun yet, and he was already more morally corrupt and harder to restrain in his ambitions than Dong Zhuo? How could that be justified?

Thus, he would rather seek out Guo Yun, who could only beat the side drum, than go ask the properly entitled Dong Zhuo!

"In that case, whom does Wenqi intend to recommend?" Since both sides were so candid, the final gate was naturally thrown open, and Guo Yun could not help but also cross his legs and lean to one side. "You set fire to Danhan and are famed throughout the realm, widely recognized as a young talent in military strategy. I imagine you have long had a plan in mind."

"That is only natural." Gongsun Xun said with a smile. "As for talent and ability, those who could command a detachment independently and set my mind at ease — I will not hide it from Lord Guo — among my subordinates, there are truly only four men."

Guo Yun was instantly speechless. With just those few hundred men of yours, though they are elite, four men... and you say "only"?

"The first is naturally my trusted subordinate clerk, Lu Fan, Lu Ziheng. This man once studied with me under Master Lu..."

"So that is how it is!" Before the other could finish, Guo Yun suddenly understood. "Lord Lu is a renowned Confucian scholar of the realm, versed in both civil and military arts. His disciple is naturally beyond reproach... Do you wish me to recommend him? If it is him, even if he lacks a formal post it would not matter. The four words 'disciple of Lord Lu' and the experience of the battle at Danhan alone would be enough to make the central authorities take notice."

"No." Gongsun Xun shook his head with a smile. "This man is my trusted confidant and also my personal retainer. Moreover, he followed me to the northern frontier having abandoned his wife and children in Luoyang. Now that we are to return to Luoyang, how could I bear to leave him in the north?"

"That is true as well." Guo Yun could not help but sigh. "Then what of the second?"

"The second is a Company Commander under my command, surnamed Han and named Dang. He is also traveling with me at present, but has gone ahead to Mount Wutai to scout the path."

"I know of this man." Guo Yun interjected again. "Wherever Wenqi goes, you always bring him along. It is said this man is originally from your home region and is extremely skilled in archery and horsemanship. At the great battle of Liucheng in Liaoxi, he shot and killed Ke Zuitan with a single arrow. Before Danhan Mountain, when crossing the river, he served as the vanguard... You often speak of these matters when drinking with others, and everyone in the commandery, high and low, knows of them. But this man, Wenqi, you are not necessarily willing to part with either, are you?"

"Correct." Gongsun Xun grew ever more pleased. "Yigong and I have entrusted our lives to each other. Even if I were to ask him to stay here, he himself would likely not agree."

Guo Yun could not help but sigh with emotion: "Wenqi truly knows how to win men's hearts — admirable, and yet a pity! Then what of the remaining two?"

"The remaining two men — one is named Cheng Pu, courtesy name Demou; the other is named Gao Shun, courtesy name Suqing... Both are tiger-like ministers of the present age, and what is rare is that both are of steady temperament and can be entrusted with a sector with full confidence!"

Guo Yun responded seriously: "Steadiness is precisely what is needed. But there is only one post. I wonder, if we speak in detail, what differences are there between these two?"

"Differences there certainly are." Gongsun Xun sighed. "Demou was born of a good family and was recommended as a commandery clerk in his youth. When I summoned him from Youbeiping Commandery, he had already risen to the post of Commandery Military Officer. This man has outstanding bearing, proper conduct, and a certain level of skill in dealing with people and matters..."

Guo Yun nodded slightly.

"As for Suqing, this man is upright and stern by nature, never smiling without reason... He once committed the grave crime of murder and was sentenced to penal servitude. It was I who selected him from among the penal laborers."

Guo Yun could not help but frown slightly: "Wenqi, surely you do not intend to recommend a penal laborer as Army Commandant? Even if I were willing to submit the memorial, would the Imperial Secretariat even approve it?"

Gongsun Xun also acknowledged this: "That is exactly what I mean. If we speak of talent, all four of these men would do. But if we speak of suitability, I have actually long had a decision in my heart — I fear it can only be Cheng Pu, Cheng Demou, and no one else!"

Guo Yun could not help but breathe a sigh of relief and was about to nod and agree to the matter.

But just at that moment, a sigh from the other man suddenly reached this Grand Administrator's ears:

"Men of talent are hard to come by. Even now, I still lack men to employ! Not like you, Lord Guo, and others of the two thousand shi rank — you merely issue a summons, dispatch a carriage, and can gather the notable figures of an entire commandery or kingdom into the palm of your hand... It is a pity, a lament!"

Guo Yun was momentarily speechless.

"So be it!" Gongsun Xun suddenly shook his head and then picked up that bowl of wheat rice again. "Lord Guo, have you agreed to my request?"

"Agreed, agreed." Guo Yun, having dodged that wheat rice, felt rather listless. "Cheng Pu, Cheng Demou — I have noted it down. Tonight I shall write the official document, and early tomorrow morning I will dispatch a rider to send it by fast horse to the Public Carriage Office in Luoyang... Take away this wheat rice and bean porridge!"

His objective having been achieved, Gongsun Xun did not make further trouble for Administrator Guo. He promptly poured the wheat rice and bean porridge into a pottery jar, intending to feed it to the cats afterward.

Of course, after this matter was settled cleanly and crisply, the magistrate of Lucheng County and the group of commandery clerks naturally had to re-enter the hall, and then the banquet resumed, with wine-drinking, literary discourse, and casual talk of romance and scenery — of which there is no need to speak further.

Only, when evening came and Gongsun Xun had escorted the other all the way to the gate of the official residence, this Grand Administrator Guo suddenly seized Gongsun Xun's sleeve under the influence of wine: "Wenqi, barring the unexpected, if you enter Luoyang this time, you and I perhaps do not know when we shall meet again, is that not so?"

"Indeed!" Gongsun Xun could not help but smile. "Upon the sea of officialdom, drifting with the waves — it has always been thus... What does Lord Guo mean by this? Do you wish to present me with a poem to express your regard?"

"Poems I cannot compose, but I do have a few words for you, which can express my regard."

"Xun, I am all ears."

"Wenqi," Guo Yun sighed deeply. "Do you know, in my heart I actually rather envy your unrestrained charm, and I also deeply admire your brave and glorious deeds. Therefore, every time I see you, I cannot help but think — if I too could press forward like you, advancing without retreat, and accomplish such magnificent feats as those in Liaoxi or at Mount Danhan, would that not make my time in this world worthwhile?"

"Then why does Lord Guo not do so?"

"Living in this world, one often cannot follow one's own desires!" Guo Yun grew even more emotional. "Clan and commandery, duty and achievement — all must be attended to in every respect..." At this point, the Grand Administrator Guo suddenly lowered his voice. "My father has sent word from Luoyang, saying the court is full of treacherous undercurrents, and that I must be extremely cautious and leave no handle for others to seize. And you are about to enter the central administration as a Gentleman; once you are in that position, even with the greatest backing, you must still put caution above all else... Be prudent! Be prudent!"

Having said this, without waiting for Gongsun Xun to press further, this young Grand Administrator from a prominent Bingzhou clan simply flicked his sleeves and hurriedly retreated into the government office, leaving the former standing stunned in the autumn night wind.

The night passed without further words. The next day, Han Dang returned from scouting the path.

"So you are saying that the Physician Lingjiu Temple is actually a century-old temple?" Zhao Yun asked curiously.

"Replying to the Young Madam, that is exactly so. The name 'Physician' was bestowed by the Emperor himself." Han Dang quickly cupped his hands in reply. "That a temple on Mount Wutai was established only a few years after the White Horse Temple is indeed astonishing."

"Then shall we set out today?" Zhao Yun asked expectantly, but then quickly looked toward her husband. "My lord, do you need to take leave of the County Magistrate?"

"No need..." Gongsun Xun, who had been lost in thought, immediately came back to his senses. "I already took my leave last night when I saw off Governor Guo."

"Then we leave now, to go to that Physician Lingjiu Temple?"

"Let's go!" Gongsun Xun seemed somewhat indifferent, and also appeared to lack enthusiasm.

But regardless, the wife rode in the carriage, the husband on horseback, flanked by their attendants and household guards, and they left the city, following the Hutuo River upstream... According to Han Dang, there was no need to cross the river; they only had to travel twenty or thirty li to reach the mountain where the Hutuo River originated, and from there they could turn directly into the heart of Mount Wutai.

"The terrain is indeed strategically important." After traveling for a while, by the afternoon, Gongsun Xun finally arrived at the source of the Hutuo River. "It can be called the gateway to eastern Yanmen."

"The Young Lord is correct." Han Dang pointed to the mountain before them and said, "Beyond this Shufu Mountain lies Dai Commandery, and then the Feihu Path leading to Jizhou. If a battalion of troops were stationed here, holding the high ground with no shortage of water, then whether entering Yanmen from Dai Commandery or entering Dai Commandery from Yanmen, every step would be difficult..."

"No wonder it is called Shufu Mountain — Garrison Husband Mountain!" Zhao Yun, still young after all, could not help but lift the carriage curtain and interject upon hearing this conversation. "In ancient times, this place must have often had troops stationed here."

"The Young Madam is perceptive." Han Dang nodded in reply. "When I was here the day before yesterday, I asked the locals, and there is indeed such an explanation."

"If there is one, there must be two," Gongsun Xun suddenly asked. "Could there be other explanations?"

"Yes, Young Lord." Han Dang gripped the reins and answered. "Some also say that throughout our Great Han dynasty, when conscripts from the Hebei region were sent to the frontier for garrison duty, they mostly passed through the Feihu Path first, and then were divided and dispatched at the crossroads below this mountain... In the Former Han, if they were sent to Bingzhou to fight the Xiongnu, they would wail bitterly; if they were sent to Youzhou to guard the Great Wall, they would weep with joy. Later, during the Qiang rebellions of our current dynasty, it changed — if they were assigned to Liangzhou to fight the Qiang, they would wail bitterly; but if they were sent to Bingzhou to guard the Great Wall, they would instead weep with joy. And in these past ten-plus years, as the Qiang have gradually been pacified but the Xianbei have risen again, it has changed once more... But no matter what, over time, the locals came to call this mountain Shufu Mountain — Garrison Husband Mountain."

At these words, both Zhao Yun and Gongsun Xun fell silent, and for a moment no one responded.

"Young Lord." Han Dang seemed to realize that his words were somewhat untimely, and quickly changed the subject. "We should still move on. From this Shufu Mountain heading south, we can enter Mount Wutai and see the Physician Lingjiu Temple!"

"No need!" Gongsun Xun shook his head in reply, and actually turned his horse around directly. "With Shufu Mountain standing here, how could Mount Wutai possibly be some place of tranquility? Let us turn back!"

Han Dang could not help but be thrown into confusion.

"It is not because of anything you said, Yigong." Seeing this, Gongsun Xun quickly reassured him. "In truth, earlier a letter came from Luoyang — Zang Min, Xia Yu, and Tian Yan have all begun to face judgment, and in a moment there will likely be an edict summoning me to Luoyang... Under such circumstances, to force a visit here to pay respects to Buddha — would that not risk delaying important matters? Since that is the case, it is better to turn back quickly and wait at ease in Pingcheng."

Only then did Han Dang breathe a sigh of relief.

As for Lady Gongsun, although somewhat disappointed, in the end she said nothing either.

And indeed, barely seven or eight days after this outing was cut short and they returned, in early October, Gongsun Xun received the envoy from Luoyang at the great camp north of Pingcheng... The edict appointed Gongsun Xun as a Gentleman of the Household, with a special merit addition to a thousand-dan salary, and the noble rank of Grand Master!

Of course, aside from the words "Gentleman of the Household," no one in this present age really cared about the things that followed, and Gongsun Xun cared even less.

Compared to that, the only thing he truly cared about was another matter — that the Imperial Secretariat and the Grand Commandant's office had jointly affixed their seals and issued a document, appointing Cheng Pu as Acting Major, to command the Pingcheng detached division in his stead.

In other words, this matter had finally been accomplished!

Thereupon, after receiving the edict, everyone in the camp naturally came first to congratulate Gongsun Xun, and then went to congratulate Cheng Pu. And Cheng Pu naturally bowed with deep emotion, expressing his gratitude to Gongsun Xun for his great kindness with the fullest ceremony.

Everything went smoothly, or at the very least, everything was as previously anticipated, so Gongsun Xun, who had long been prepared, was neither overjoyed nor sorrowful. After helping Cheng Pu to his feet and offering some kind words of comfort, he then sat down in the camp with the envoy from the Grand Commandant's office to discuss the situation in Luoyang:

"May I ask, worthy elder brother, what exactly will be the disposition of those three men?"

The envoy did not even need to ask which three men were meant, and immediately replied with a smile, "Before I left, the court was still endlessly debating these three. There are those rushing about to plead for them, and also those submitting memorials demanding their execution..."

"There are still people rushing about to plead for them?" Gongsun Xun could not help but sneer. "May I ask who is pleading, and for whom?"

"There are more pleading for General of the Household Zang," the envoy said, though he sensed something odd in the other's tone, he paid it no mind. "General Zang has always had a fine reputation, and is on good terms with the Grand Coachman Yuan Feng, Lord Yuan. Thus many scholars have been rushing about to absolve him of his crimes. As for Captain Xia Yu, in this campaign he did ultimately preserve some fighting strength, and moreover, under his command, you, Gentleman Gongsun, achieved such merit — so the Grand Master of Splendid Happiness, Lord Duan, has been crying out on his behalf... As for Tian Yan, he bribed his way into command, and his reputation is utterly foul after all, so no one speaks for him."

"I fear there is no need to speak for him either, is there?" Gongsun Xun continued to sneer. "These three will undoubtedly be rewarded and punished in equal measure... If the other two survive, he will naturally survive as well."

"The Gentleman sees clearly!"

"I only wonder, how exactly are Lord Yuan and Lord Duan each pleading for their respective friends?" Gongsun Xun could not help but continue to ask curiously.

"All sorts of methods — how would a mere subordinate official of the Grand Commandant's office like me know?" The envoy could not help but give a dry laugh. "However, there are some amusing matters that are indeed known throughout the city..."

"Oh?"

"I do not know from which day it began, but a rumor suddenly spread in Luoyang, saying that after Lord Zang's defeat and retreat, he had sealed the storehouses and protected the official grain supplies. That Yanmen was able to stabilize its situation — while certainly owing to the hard work of Grand Administrator Guo and you, Gentleman Gongsun — could not ignore the grain he left behind..." At this point, the envoy could not help but steal a glance at the other man.

Gongsun Xun nodded slightly. "That is also the truth."

"And so," the envoy continued, reassured, "for a time it was recited throughout Luoyang: 'Public-minded and selfless, General Zang!'"

Gongsun Xun could not help but smile wryly. Had they resorted to such tactics?

"Then, not many days later, someone suddenly linked this phrase with Captain Xia, saying that his defeat that day was no fault of his own in battle, and that had he not pressed forward without retreat, you, Gentleman Gongsun, could not have burned Mount Danhan either... And so, suddenly, someone paired the two together, and it became: 'Public-minded and selfless, General Zang; pressing forward without retreat, Captain Xia.'"

"I understand now. This Captain Xia is determined to ride on General Zang's coattails!" Gongsun Xun shook his head with a cold laugh.

"By the way, there is one more matter," the envoy continued. "Your elder cousin, Gongsun Bogui, changed his clothes and disguise all the way to Luoyang to attend upon Captain Xia. Moreover, his earlier act of being taken hostage by the Wuhuan in Captain Xia's place has become known in Luoyang, and thus he has also become quite famous recently. Coupled with the twists and turns of this case, someone has paired him with that Sun Jian of Wu, who fought through the encirclement heedless of his own safety to escort his patron Lord Zang to safety. For a time, the children in the streets of Luoyang have been singing: 'Loyal and devoted, Gongsun Zan; brave, fierce, and heroic, Sun Wentai!'"

Gongsun Xun was momentarily stunned into silence, and then, for some reason, two other lines suddenly surfaced in his mind: 'Loyal subject of Great Han, Dong Fangbo; attending to every side, Grand Administrator Guo'... And when he linked all six lines together in his thoughts, Gongsun Xun finally could not hold back — he burst into laughter, throwing his head back.

However, after his laughter subsided, Gongsun Xun thought once more of Shufu Mountain, and then could not help but feel a faint gloom... Such renowned officials and fine generals — yet why did the northern frontier fall day by day into such a state?

A poem says: The general at court cries out against injustice; the crowd debates the border troops. Could we but send thirty thousand to charge Mount Danhan — would mulberry and hemp then grow on the frontier lands?

Volume Four, End.

PS: I still need to explain — I work a day job and basically code every night after coming home... If occasionally my state is off, it gets quite a bit harder... I hope everyone understands.

I still suggest everyone not wait up at night; I feel very ashamed.

Also, there is a new book group. Interested students can join: 684558115.

(End of Chapter)