[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-103":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Overthrowing Han",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1222862,1620,"Chapter 103: The Inner Hall","overthrowing-han-chapter-103",103,"\u003Cp>\"You do not know, my worthy brother.\" Inside the inner hall of the small courtyard in Luoyang, after a few bowls of wine, He Jin had already become endlessly garrulous. \"My family circumstances are unusual. My birth mother died early…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My condolences.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, it was far too early; I can no longer remember her appearance. After that, my present mother brought my younger brother He Miao and married into the family. To call it marrying is perhaps too fine — the times were hard, and it was more like two families pooling together to get by… Once the two families' goods and wealth were combined, my father was also quite skilled at managing affairs, and for a time we had no worries about food or clothing. Then two younger sisters were born in succession, one of whom is now in the palace. But who could have foreseen that before I had even come of age, one day, my father would suddenly pass away as well…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then you have indeed endured hardship, Brother Suigao.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who would say otherwise?\" He Jin grew increasingly helpless, and a trace of tears even flickered across his fair-complexioned face. \"Do you think I am unaware? Those people behind my back all say I come from a butcher's background, and say my sister comes from a butcher's family. But which of those who say such things does not come from a great estate with no worries about food and clothing? In those days, if I had not wrapped my headcloth, prematurely donned the cap of adulthood, and taken up the butcher's trade, who would have supported my family of five? Had I not been driven to the utmost extreme, would I have wished to become a butcher? Would it not have been better to observe mourning, win renown, and continue my studies at the private academy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun grew increasingly solemn with respect. So this He Jin was not only a pig-slaughtering Song Yu, but also a paragon of ambition and devotion to family! After all, his words made sense — his father had suddenly died, leaving above him a stepmother, and below him a younger brother with no blood relation and two half-sisters by a different mother. If he did not slaughter pigs, what would a family of five eat?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have spoken too freely with a new acquaintance.\" He Jin, aware he had lost his composure, hastily wiped his tears and rose to take his leave. \"Yet today I felt as if I had known you for years, Wenqi. Since we shall both be in Luoyang from now on, let us not hesitate to visit one another often…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these words, He Jin cupped his hands in a slight salute and looked at Gongsun Xun with an earnest expression, as if fearing the other might refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What words are these, Brother Suigao?\" Gongsun Xun hurriedly steadied the man… What joke was this? Regardless of what this man himself was truly like, no matter what, since he had come right up to him, there was no need to become estranged from him. \"To say nothing else, if someday Brother Suigao comes to my small courtyard to drink, could I possibly drive you away?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then I shall have to trouble you often in the days to come.\" He Jin could not help but be overjoyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be frank, He Jin at present was in an extremely awkward position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a consort kin, but his sister was merely a Honoured Lady, not an Empress who could raise him to the heavens in a single step. And if one was not a consort kin of the Empress or Empress Dowager's family, then it seemed rather useless, did it not? Yet to say he was a worthless consort kin was not entirely accurate either, because his sister had given birth to the only imperial prince who had not yet died in infancy. A mother honoured for her son was the most common occurrence in the rear palace — this showed that he and his clan still had considerable prospects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at the same time, his clan's risk was also immense. For one, Empress Song herself, who stood before Honoured Lady He, seemed to have an excellent reputation in Luoyang and was basically beyond reproach. For another, it was a characteristic of the Later Han's old Liu clan — the health of this family was poor; offspring were few and difficult, while infant mortality and early death were endlessly common… In other words, who knew if that one- or two-year-old eldest imperial prince might suddenly die any day? If that happened, what exactly would He Jin and the He family even count for?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond this, of course, there was no avoiding the problem of being discriminated against for his background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Think about it: in this age, even after Cao Jie, a eunuch, took charge of court administration, he had to tell everyone he met, \"My ancestors held posts of two thousand shi — you are not permitted to discriminate against me!\" And from the Son of Heaven above to the scholars below, they actually accepted it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a butcher… had he not heard what that Left Supervisor of the Feathered Forest, Xu Yong, had shouted at the gate today?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of marketplace origin — even if you obtain official rank, do you truly think you can stand alongside us scholars of the classics?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Lady Gongsun's terms, this sort of thing was class discrimination, but in the ears of people today, it was taken for granted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And to say nothing of others, from what Gongsun Xun observed, He Jin himself probably tacitly accepted this view in his heart… After all, he was born in Wancheng in Nanyang — the so-called \"Wan and Luo as one\" — a place where great clans and powerful houses stood thick as forests. Growing up in such a place, steeped in it by ear and eye, he too felt himself a cut below others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under such circumstances, having finally met a Gongsun Xun who treated him amiably, it was understandable that he was unwilling to let go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the sky darkened, He Jin departed in a tipsy haze. Gongsun Xun personally saw him out the gate and sent two guards to accompany and look after him, then turned directly and went to Liu Kuan's residence next door… Of course, now it was the Commandant of the Guards' mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no matter what — whether it was the Superintendent of the Imperial Household's mansion, the Grand Commandant's mansion, or the Commandant of the Guards' mansion — this place always had that same slack and lax air about it. When Gongsun Xun entered, the old servant watching the gate was eating his meal, hugging a jug of wine and drinking with gusto. He did not even know to greet someone when they arrived — one hardly knew from whom he had learned such manners!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why has Wenqi only come at this hour? Could it be you wish to scrounge a meal from my household?\" Liu Kuan, watching his son Liu Song usher Gongsun Xun into the family inner hall, rose directly from the large chair before the high-legged dining table, beaming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, the furniture in Liu Kuan's home was entirely in the style of the Goushi charitable lodge! Of course, considering Madam Liu's character — caring only for comfort and paying no heed to propriety — it was not unacceptable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teacher is not mistaken.\" Gongsun Xun first bowed deeply at the entrance hall, then gave a formal salute to Lady Liu seated over yonder, and only then walked over with a perfectly straight face. \"I only arrived in Luoyang today. My wife, attendants, guests, and volunteer followers have all gone to Goushi to settle in. Just now I drank a bout of wine on an empty stomach with someone in my own courtyard — truly tasteless. I never expected that on my way back from seeing him off, I would see Teacher's old servant at the gate drinking bean porridge with such relish. I truly could not bear it, so I came in to seek some to drink…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Kuan burst into hearty laughter and promptly instructed the maidservants nearby to add more food and bowls. And taking advantage of this interval, this Commandant of the Guards, who had just stepped down from the Three Excellencies, went directly to meet him and extended his own grimy hands to grasp his student's arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What does Teacher mean by this?\" Gongsun Xun was immediately puzzled. \"You add bowls and chopsticks, yet will not permit me to sit?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Kuan shook his head slightly with a sigh: \"Wenqi, I certainly knew you were a man of ability, but I truly never imagined you would be this capable. To seek life in a death trap, to overthrow the enemy's royal court, and moreover to enable the rear army to break free… In the capital they are saying that in this battle, you displayed the bearing of a famed general of old!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun could not help but laugh heartily: \"Before Teacher, I shall not boast. That day's events were merely doing all that man could and entrusting the rest to Heaven's will… I merely survived by luck!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Kuan grew ever more moved: \"To survive in such a situation — that is what it means to be favoured by Heaven's decree. It seems that in the future, the safety of the Han house will have to rely on young men like you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun did not take it to heart in the slightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that not obvious? In the future, if matters did not rely on the young, could they rely on the old? As for the safety of the Han house, to be frank, that seemed not to be something human effort could prevent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, teacher and student exchanged a few idle words and then directly took their seats. And then… ah, then continued their idle chat. After all, the information one could get from Liu Kuan was far more high-level than what one could gather on the streets — otherwise why come here to drink bean porridge?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, teacher and student discussed all manner of matters while drinking their porridge, from the solar eclipse to court personnel, from the situation on the northern frontier to the southern barbarian revolts, and finally, as was only natural, returned to the court hot topic that concerned Gongsun Xun most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It has already been decided. At the court assembly the day before yesterday, all three generals were demoted to commoners.\" Only after watching his wife lead away most of the family members and maidservants from the inner hall did Liu Kuan reply, unhurriedly. \"In truth, it was an outcome long foreseen. It was merely that the sudden solar eclipse, and my own removal as Grand Commandant, made it awkward to keep quibbling over the matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun, cradling the now half-empty porridge jar, could not help but laugh: \"Indeed, it should have been guessed long ago. The scholars wished both to save Lord Zang and to have the other two generals executed; the eunuchs wished both to punish severely so as to shift blame, and to preserve the lives of the two generals who were their claws and teeth as much as possible. Yet the crimes of the three were similar in nature, so they could only be given the same treatment… Back and forth, in the end, only this result was possible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Kuan immediately shook his head with a beaming smile: \"You young people always like to hit the nail on the head, leaving no face for others.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There is one more matter,\" Gongsun Xun, not wishing to dwell on this topic either, lowered his head and took a sip of bean porridge before asking again. \"I beg Teacher to speak plainly — what exactly is the situation with the current Empress?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Kuan was rarely taken aback, but in the end he still resumed his usual beaming expression: \"Wenqi is indeed well-informed, and this only your first day back in Luoyang…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Today I went to the Gentlemen's Office and happened to meet He Jin, the elder brother of Honoured Lady He. He is quite a handsome and refined figure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So that is how it is.\" A look of understanding dawned on Liu Kuan's face, and he then slowly gave this student of his, whom he valued and appreciated most, a rough explanation of Empress Song's situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, just as Gongsun Xun had surmised, Empress Song was indeed not on affectionate terms with the current Son of Heaven. And after Honoured Lady He gave birth to an imperial prince and he had survived until now, she had very naturally gained a most direct and most powerful challenger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However,\" Gongsun Xun inquired with a serious expression, \"this student vaguely recalls that the Song clan is a great and established house, a first-rate prestigious clan in Luoyang… Presumably Empress Song also has things to rely on?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is true as well.\" Liu Kuan smiled faintly. \"The Song clan has been a prestigious clan for several hundred years, traceable back to the famous former Han minister Song Chang. Moreover, as early as a hundred years ago, they produced an Empress… At that time, this Empress Jingyin, though only a Honoured Lady, was envied by Empress Dou, who framed her with charges of witchcraft, and she was then poisoned to death. Her own son was also deposed from the position of Crown Prince. But her grandson was the late Emperor Xiao'an, who reigned for nearly twenty years in this dynasty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun immediately showed an expression of sudden comprehension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said, Emperor Xiao'an was no more than fifty years distant from this time, and the subsequent Emperors Shun and Huan were also direct descendants of Emperor An. In other words, the Song clan had already dwelt in the court as top-tier imperial relatives, and had then peacefully enjoyed over fifty years of consort-kin splendour in Luoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then again, that old sentimental bond was with the three previous emperors. The current Son of Heaven was not Emperor Huan's biological son. That marriage back then was probably a transaction between the old imperial relatives of the previous court in Luoyang and this new Son of Heaven… carrying quite a sense of mutual guarantee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And thinking of it this way, the matter seemed to grow complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The paternal aunt of the current Empress Song married the former Prince of Bohai…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Gongsun Xun increasingly wanted to laugh. Liu Kui, Prince of Bohai, was the younger brother of the late emperor — that is, Emperor Huan, the one buried in the Xuan Mausoleum — and also the most direct rival for the throne to the current Son of Heaven back then… And five years ago, because he refused to pay the final instalment of a fifty-million-cash bribe to the powerful eunuch Wang Fu, the latter simply slapped a charge of rebellion on him and reported it to the Son of Heaven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, this Prince of Bohai, along with his wife — who was Empress Song's paternal aunt — unable to endure the torture in prison, were forced to commit suicide, and not one of the hundred-odd members of his entire household survived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And Empress Song's elder brother, Song Qi, also married the grandniece of the late Grand Prolonger of Autumn, Cao Teng…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is to say, Cao Mengde's younger sister?\" Gongsun Xun was suddenly startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Precisely.\" Liu Kuan answered composedly. \"In summary, this Song clan is deeply entrenched, indeed a first-rate prestigious clan in Luoyang, its marriages and long-standing friendships spread across nearly all of Luoyang. Add to this that Empress Song herself, though young in years, acts with caution and never oversteps propriety, and she has always been held in high regard by the prestigious clans of Luoyang…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then what does Honoured Lady He have to rely on?\" Gongsun Xun finished a jar of porridge, wiped his mouth, and suddenly asked. \"Only that one son?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Kuan gently stroked his beard, his expression still unchanged: \"I hear that within the Northern Palace's forbidden precincts, the quite influential Regular Attendant Zhang Rang has already had his just-come-of-age adopted son Zhang Feng marry Honoured Lady He's younger sister. And I have also heard it said that another highly influential Regular Attendant, Zhao Zhong, is also on quite good terms with Honoured Lady He… Ah, and that Cao Mengde you mentioned, who has marriage ties with the Song clan — did he not beat Uncle Jian Shuo to death back then? Now Jian Shuo is also much trusted by the Son of Heaven. And do not forget, Wang Fu, Regular Attendant Wang, who now holds sway over court administration, previously submitted a memorial saying that Empress Song's uncle by marriage was plotting rebellion — for which the Empress's paternal aunt died directly in prison.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun understood completely now. This struggle between Empress Song and Honoured Lady He was clearly no longer just so-called rivalry for favour in the rear palace:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the forbidden precincts, this was an internal struggle between the old and new factions of eunuchs!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At court, this was a fine opportunity for the Son of Heaven, now come of age, to sweep away the old powerful nobles!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And these two combined were bound to drag in that old problem — that is, the opposition between the eunuchs and the scholars!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And considering the temperament the current Son of Heaven has shown in the face of the Proscription issue, I fear a chain of storms is truly about to break over Luoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This Wang Fu,\" Gongsun Xun suddenly showed a strange expression. \"By all logic, he should be a long-serving old hand in the palace, shouldn't he? Why would he help the newcomers against Empress Song this time?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who told him to covet those fifty million coins back then?\" Liu Kuan slightly raised his eyes to survey the student sitting across from him. In the candlelight, only master and pupil remained in the Liu residence's inner hall. \"Having held power too long, he thought he could do as he pleased, but he failed to understand that even wielding supreme authority requires a measure of integrity. And when it comes to the integrity of eunuchs, of all those I have seen in my life, the former Grand Prolonger of Autumn, Cao Teng, was the most outstanding. That is why he could pass his family line down to this day, gradually gaining acceptance among the scholar-officials. And today's Grand Prolonger of Autumn, Cao Jie, though possessing only half of Cao Teng's skill, should still be able to die a natural death. But this Wang Fu alone…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Many thanks for the warning, Teacher. Your student understands!\" Gongsun Xun suddenly rose to his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you understand?\" Liu Kuan was utterly baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I truly do understand now.\" Gongsun Xun stood up and said sternly. \"Wang Fu's claws lie in Duan Jiong, and Duan Jiong's influence at court relies on nothing more than his two old subordinates, Tian Yan and Xia Yu. Now that those two generals have been stripped of rank and reduced to commoners, he has naturally lost his claws. Moreover, this wretch is greedy for wealth and power — having drawn the furious glares of all under Heaven, he has even been fickle and treacherous within the palace itself, to the point of losing his standing even among the eunuchs. His foundation has clearly long been unstable… In other words, if one were to apply oneself with hidden effort now, perhaps this villain could be put to death, to set the court's atmosphere right!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Kuan was dumbstruck, and only after a long while did he speak: \"I was merely afraid you would lose your bearings in the Imperial Secretariat, so I was explaining the situation in Luoyang to you. Since when was I instructing you to slay eunuchs? And Wang Fu, the second most powerful eunuch in the court, at that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun could not help but bow with a solemn expression: \"Teacher, set your mind at ease. This matter requires nothing from you. You need only sit peacefully in your residence and watch the younger generation act!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Kuan was rendered even more speechless. And as he watched Gongsun Xun, after finishing his bow, actually turn and rise to leave directly — at this, the current Commandant of the Guards grew even more alarmed and uneasy, and hurriedly rose to stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi.\" Liu Kuan tugged at his student's sleeve and spoke earnestly. \"Whatever you intend to do, I cannot stop you, nor will I try. But you must speak plainly with me — why, upon returning to Luoyang this time, are you so vehement? To undertake such a thing after only a few words?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teacher, since you ask me thus, I shall speak plainly.\" Gongsun Xun glanced at the sleeve the other was holding and could not help but sneer. \"That Wang Fu has monopolized power and acted arbitrarily for years, stirring uproar across the realm. Those who wish to kill him are beyond counting. However, this actually has nothing to do with me, and I could hardly be bothered to care…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then why do you still…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is only because of the defeat when we last marched beyond the frontier,\" Gongsun Xun's expression suddenly changed, a smile tinged with fury — clearly his emotions were surging, no longer to be suppressed. \"Tens of thousands of borderland sons died without knowing why. Countless heroes of the north fell like wild dogs in the weeds, with no one to collect their corpses. Even I, Gongsun Xun… Teacher, did you not say with your own lips earlier, 'seeking life within death'? A true man living in this world, having received such 'gracious treatment,' should he not repay it in kind?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teacher, it is just the two of us in this hall… Speak fairly — if one were to assess this campaign from beginning to end, whose crime bears the greatest weight?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for Tanshihuai, I can say for myself that I did my utmost to stab him. As for the Son of Heaven, to make him admit fault like Emperor Wu would be like raving in a dream. As for Zang Min, to be fair, one could barely call his failure a non-combat offense… However, from the Son of Heaven down, and Zang Min up — those five: Cao Jie, Wang Fu, Duan Jiong, Xia Yu, Tian Yan — if there were no opportunity, then so be it. But if there is an opportunity, Teacher, tell me — since I, Gongsun Xun, have escaped with my life and come to Luoyang, how could I possibly remain indifferent?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Kuan gazed at him for a long time, then suddenly looked relieved and released the other's sleeve: \"Wenqi, the Son of Heaven is also my student. I know in my heart that in the end, he still values old ties… And you, Wenqi — if things go awry, do not hesitate to come to my residence. I can always guarantee your safety.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun bowed deeply from the waist, and only then did he turn and leave without looking back. Returning to the small courtyard beside Liu Kuan's residence, he still could not quite calm his anger…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said, ever since turning back from the northern frontier, Gongsun Xun had appeared nonchalant and indifferent these days, but in his heart, not a single day had passed where he forgot the sight of Gao Heng dead by the roadside, nor had he forgotten for a single day the matter of revenge he had spoken of with his two trusted confidants. Only, at first, the matter was far too conspicuous, and he had no choice but to set it aside for the time being. Later, separated by a thousand li, saying more was useless, so he forcibly buried the matter deep in his heart — not even mentioning it when facing his own mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, having come to Luoyang and encountering a time of rising political tides, when great deeds could be done, he could not help but lose his composure before the harmless Liu Kuan… Fortunately, this elder of the realm was a man of understanding after all, and they shared such a close bond of inherited friendship, so no trouble came of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just as Gongsun Xun sat in the pitch-dark inner hall, using the cool night to calm his state of mind, at some unknown moment, a rustling sound suddenly came from outside the courtyard — someone had actually crept into the yard in the middle of the night. Gongsun Xun, after all, was the White Horse Commandant whose name shook the northern frontier, and naturally felt no fear. He simply pressed his hand to his sword, rose, and went out to meet them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi!\" The visitor called out softly from well beyond the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elder Brother!\" Gongsun Xun was momentarily startled, then relieved. \"Teacher Liu said you were at Xia Yu's side. Why have you returned at this hour?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I came in secret.\" Gongsun Zan did not enter the house, nor did he call for servants or attendants to light the lamps. Instead, he strained to keep his voice low as he spoke with his clansman. \"There is a matter I must tell you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elder Brother, speak plainly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xia Yu's affairs have been settled. Tomorrow I shall take my leave of him and return to Liaoxi…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elder Brother, set your mind at ease.\" Gongsun Xun answered easily. \"I have already sent a letter to my father-in-law. There will certainly be a good position for you. Only, you likely won't make it for this year's Filial and Incorrupt nomination — you'll have to wait another year…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I naturally understand that; no need to say more.\" Gongsun Zan lowered his voice even further. \"What I wanted to tell you is this: I leave first tomorrow. Then, Xia Yu and Tian Yan also seem to have intentions of leaving Luoyang and returning home. In as little as three to five days, or at most half a month to ten days, they will set out together for their hometown in Liangzhou… I am currently staying at Duan Jiong's residence as a Household Counsellor of Splendid Fortune. I must hurry back, lest they grow suspicious.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these words, Gongsun Zan, dressed in black, turned, opened the main gate from inside the courtyard, and swiftly slipped away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout this last exchange, from beginning to end, Gongsun Xun did not utter a single word in reply, merely standing upright in silence. Only long after Gongsun Zan had vanished did he release his grip on his sword hilt. With a face of utter calm, he walked out, barred the courtyard gate again, and turned back to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————————I am a pure dividing line————————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"(The Grand Ancestor) upon entering Luo, was appointed as a Commandant to act in the Imperial Secretariat. In the evening, he paid a visit to Kuan. They conversed until nightfall, and as he was about to leave, Kuan, considering that the Grand Ancestor was growing in years and his heroic spirit gradually taking shape, clutched his sleeve at the gate and sighed: 'I am originally a minister of Han, yet now I observe that the rise and fall of the House of Han will be wielded in Wenqi's hands. I hope you will be prudent!' The Grand Ancestor did not grasp his meaning, and coupled with the earlier talk of slaying eunuchs, slowly replied: 'Wang Fu's foundation has already been shaken. The younger generation will defeat the foe themselves. My honored teacher need only sit at ease in the inner hall.' Kuan, knowing he had misspoken, released the sleeve and smiled.\" — Old Book of Yan, Volume 1, Annals of the Grand Ancestor, the Martial Emperor\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Thanks to the book friend Qingqingqiaoqiaohehe for the second red banner, and to Taimei for the fifth red banner reward. The previous chapter's Book of Later Han had a miscalculation; I changed it to A New Account of the Tales of the World… Thanks everyone for the reminder, I'll still try to keep the Book of Later Han pure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, the new book group — interested students can join: 684558115.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",4742,"2026-06-04T19:42:03.441Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","bfdfb6597238454894fedb97f4fcc6cd1e76228a3f7f042fb62c68c25b1030db","overthrowing-han-chapter-104","overthrowing-han-chapter-102",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]