Chapter 109: Ferocity and Licentiousness (9.6k — Suppose Someone in the Group Chat Scored 700)

Money truly is a wonderful thing!

This was Gongsun Xun's first thought upon seeing Xu You in his own home.

When the two met, they exchanged no pleasantries, merely a slight cupped-hand salute before sitting down facing each other.

"Yigong, go tell Eighth Aunt to fetch another hundred gold pieces and ten large pearls to seal the chest!" In dealing with this man, Gongsun Xun now had no more misgivings, and he opened his mouth to dispel any remaining hesitation in the other. "I wish to have a private, earnest talk with Ziyuan. Only after we have finished speaking may you come back and ask me where this chest should be placed!"

"Wenqi." Xu You, sitting cross-legged beside the warming stove and the fat cat, could not help but stroke his beard and laugh. "Between brothers like us, this is exactly how it should be. Ask whatever you wish, and I will tell you all I know without reserve. So rest assured, today this chest will surely end up on my cart!"

"In that case... with the political tide about to surge, what is Yuan Benchu doing?" After Han Dang had led everyone else out, Gongsun Xun promptly sat cross-legged before the other man and came straight to the point. "Brother Ziyuan, as far as I know, when I was at Yanmen last year, you people already incited Cao Luan, the Grand Administrator of Yongchang, to lift the Proscription, which resulted in him being beaten to death and the Partisan Prohibition being tightened even further. So why, now that such an excellent opportunity has arisen, do you show no movement at all?!"

"It is not that we do not wish to act." Xu You immediately sighed. "It is that Yuan Benchu has had his hands and feet bound. Tell me, if the leader is bound, how can we, his claws and teeth, exert any strength?"

"Bound by whom?" Gongsun Xun pressed relentlessly.

"Yuan Benchu's own father, the Grand Coachman Yuan Feng, Yuan Zhouyang!"

Gongsun Xun's mind stirred at once: "What does Grand Coachman Yuan intend?"

"Wenqi, you should be asking, what does the Yuan clan intend?" Xu You corrected him softly. "After all, of the two brothers who head the Yuan clan, the Grand Commandant Yuan Kui is universally acknowledged as a mere placeholder, utterly incapable of deciding anything. Thus, his elder brother Yuan Feng, Grand Coachman Yuan, has become the de facto head of the Yuan clan, whose word is absolute."

"Then what does the Yuan clan intend this time?"

"A fine 'this time' indeed!" Xu You suddenly burst out laughing.

However, Gongsun Xun could not be bothered to trade verbal thrusts with him.

After all, how could he not know? The Yuan clan had produced Three Excellencies in four generations, their students and former officials filled the realm, and calling them 'Yuan Half-the-Court' was practically an insult. A super-clan of this magnitude cast nets everywhere, placed bets on all sides, and was smooth and slick in every direction. For them, the concept of a 'stance' was always merely temporary.

All he wanted to know was simply what Yuan Feng was thinking at this moment.

But Xu Ziyuan, perhaps feeling that the two hundred gold pieces and twenty large pearls, given before and after, were too valuable to accept without offering something substantial in return, actually began to ramble on and on.

"...And so, it is not that the political situation cannot change, but rather that the change must, as far as possible, proceed under their control. To put it plainly, their clan is vast and their enterprises great, their ideas are many, their concerns are layered, and they must seek a completely foolproof strategy."

"To say nothing else, those people in the Censorate clamoring to execute the eunuchs—should they execute the Regular Palace Attendant Yuan She or not? This is a man Grand Coachman Yuan personally acknowledged as a brother, his name registered in the Runan ancestral home! Over this matter, Yuan Hong, the eldest son of the main line who guards the ancestral shrine in Runan, has nearly severed all contact with Luoyang... Tell me, how should the Yuan clan deal with such a pivotal figure who links the inner and outer courts?"

"And taking it a step further, if executing the eunuchs truly had a chance of success, they certainly wouldn't let reckless fellows like you seize that extraordinary merit, would they?"

"Even taking it one step further still, if executing the eunuchs succeeded and Cao Jie and Wang Fu were both dead, what kind of situation should the court assume thereafter? Has the esteemed Yuan clan already made arrangements for that?"

"So everything must follow the Yuan clan's lead?" Gongsun Xun finally began to lose patience. "Others are not permitted to act?"

"That depends on your own abilities." Xu You could not help but sigh with emotion. "If you truly have the ability to accomplish something, they will naturally shift their stance and take the initiative to strike, without the slightest hesitation. But as of this moment alone, no matter what, it seems the Yuan clan intends to help Cao Jie, Wang Fu, Yuan She, and the other eunuchs stabilize the situation."

"But why, ultimately?"

"Who the hell knows? Perhaps as early as before the solar eclipse in the tenth month, Grand Coachman Yuan had already reached a tacit understanding with Cao Jie and the others, preparing to advance or retreat together on certain matters. Or perhaps he feels this political tide is too fierce, exceeding certain limits, and has thus temporarily decided to help Cao Jie and ease the situation. It is impossible to know for sure."

Gongsun Xun's heart could not help but stir.

He had to admit, judging from the overall situation, the possibility of 'the political tide being too fierce, so they need to stabilize the situation' was undoubtedly greater. However, the other man's words also suddenly reminded Gongsun Xun of the scene when he had first arrived in Luoyang... At that time, the solar eclipse had just occurred, and there were no signs of a political tide yet, but he had encountered Cao Jie, Yuan Feng, Yang Ci, and others gathered together at the Imperial Secretariat.

That scene at the time could certainly be explained as them discussing major court affairs, but it also indisputably demonstrated that the noble houses could indeed sit together with the eunuchs.

But what matter or target could make these people set aside their various entanglements of interest and temporarily unite? It must be understood that, leaving aside the animosity between the noble houses and the eunuchs, even the relationship between the Yuan and Yang clans was subtly fraught.

"Brother Ziyuan, I have one more matter to ask you about." Thinking up to this point, Gongsun Xun could not help but sigh.

"Please, speak."

"If the Son of Heaven and the Yuan clan were to contend at this moment, who would prevail and who would fall?"

Xu You pondered in silence.

After waiting a while and seeing that the other man still would not speak, Gongsun Xun could not resist pinching the tail of the fat cat beside him, startling the creature into a yowl before it leapt up and fled.

Xu You could not help but smile bitterly: "It is not that I am unwilling to answer—what cannot be said within a private chamber? Nor is it that I cannot answer, for the answer is obvious. It is just that this question implicates too much, and I cannot speak of it thoroughly in a short time... I can only say, considering the Son of Heaven and the Yuan clan alone, if the Son of Heaven were to cast aside all restraint, the Yuan clan would be worth nothing!"

"Why do you say that?" Gongsun Xun could not help but frown. "The Yuan clan's foundation is deep, their fame fills the realm. If they can collude with Cao Jie and control the Imperial Guard, then..."

"The great trend of the realm lies in the hearts of the people." Xu You immediately scoffed. "The current Son of Heaven has just come of age. Although there was the matter of expanding the Proscription, there were also matters of erecting the Stone Classics, honoring the rites, and respecting his teachers. Even more so, for the commanderies and kingdoms outside Henan, the Son of Heaven in their eyes is probably still just a child obscured by the eunuchs... In summary, no matter how impressive the Yuan clan may seem, seventy to eighty percent of the realm's hearts still lie with the Northern Palace!"

Gongsun Xun nodded slightly.

"Besides," Xu You continued with a smile, "if it truly came to an open, undisguised confrontation with the Son of Heaven, the Yuan clan, born of the noble houses, would likely lose all popular support. By the tradition of this dynasty, those who can infringe upon sovereign power and control the court administration are none other than eunuchs and external relatives. Where is there a place for the noble houses? If people like them wish to accomplish things, they must rely on the commands issued by one of those two factions to achieve anything... When eunuchs hold power, they perfunctorily go along with the eunuchs; when external relatives hold power, they follow the external relatives. The best possible scenario is merely to sideline both, but even then, it is only sidelining!"

Having reached this point, Xu You could not help but lean forward and heavily slap the other man's thigh: "Wenqi, you must understand, the reason these noble houses are noble houses is that no matter the time, they never lose face, never lose their fundamental principles, never lose their independence, yet can still stabilize the court at critical moments. Otherwise, what use would they be? Once the leader of the scholars becomes part of a noble house, he is no longer the same as the scholars."

Gongsun Xun nodded slightly once more, but then suddenly stared at Xu You, who was now very close, and burst out laughing.

"What is the meaning of this, Wenqi?" Xu You could not help but be taken aback.

"Nothing, I am merely lamenting your perspicacity, Ziyuan, as well as Feng Ji's intellect and Xin Ping's steadiness..." Gongsun Xun shook his head repeatedly, laughing. "So many talents like you have devoted yourselves to Yuan Benchu's side, originally intending to inherit the will of the Partisans, execute the eunuchs, and purify the court. Yet who would have thought you would be bound hand and foot by the very father of the man acclaimed as the paragon of the realm? The Yuan clan can certainly be smooth and slick in all directions, but Yuan Benchu's entire future, as the leader of the Partisans, is staked entirely on those four words: 'execute the eunuchs.' It is truly pitiable and lamentable!"

Upon hearing this, Xu You also smiled with relief: "I won't hide it from you, Wenqi. Yuan Benchu has often sighed with the same sentiment recently... Otherwise, how could I have come to your place so readily?"

Gongsun Xun was suddenly stunned: "I never imagined that Yuan Benchu, the paragon of the realm, harbors resentment against his own father?"

"Born of a lowly maidservant, then adopted out to another's household, and then denied a future... If it fell upon you, Gongsun Wenqi, would you not resent it?"

Gongsun Xun fell silent at this... Although he did not know when this Yuan Feng would die, he imagined that once he did, it would probably mark the beginning of Yuan Benchu and Yuan Gonglu acting without any restraint whatsoever. That fellow Yuan Kui, a mere placeholder like a wooden statue—a man like that, relying solely on the status of an uncle, probably truly could not restrain those two, could he?

"Does Wenqi have anything else to ask?" Seeing the other man silent, Xu You could not help but urge him earnestly. "This opportunity is rare."

Gongsun Xun thought seriously for a moment, but in the end, simply rose to his feet: "The sky is not yet completely dark. Let me see Ziyuan back home."

"And that hundred gold pieces and the pearls..." Xu You was not the least bit polite.

"They will naturally be given to you." Gongsun Xun replied dismissively.

Xu Ziyuan was greatly satisfied.

The two stepped outside, and by the time they reached the gate, the world outside was already draped in silver.

"The scenery of the northern lands..." Gongsun Xun began with a sigh, but then closed his mouth and said no more.

"Wenqi, ah, Wenqi." Watching as servants indeed carried a small wooden chest onto his cart, Xu You could not help but step forward and grasp Gongsun Xun's hand. "It is rare for Wenqi to be so generous, yet I have long since entrusted myself to Yuan Benchu..."

Gongsun Xun could not be bothered to pay him any mind.

"However, let me say one serious thing." Xu You tugged at Gongsun Xun's hand. "I spoke so thoroughly today, so why do I see no sign of dejection in Wenqi?"

"Why should I be dejected?" Gongsun Xun immediately asked with a defiant glare.

"Cao Jie and Wang Fu have dominated the court administration for many years. The matter of executing the eunuchs was always going to be like snatching meat from a tiger's jaws amidst a political tide." Xu You said dismissively. "And now, with the Yuan clan's attitude so ambiguous, covertly acting in collusion with them, this endeavor is likely to be even more difficult than difficult..."

"So what?" Gongsun Xun replied dismissively. "If one day I can carry the head of one of those two men and take a stroll down Bronze Camel Street, then even if it is beset by ten thousand difficulties, it will all have been worth it!"

"That is true," Xu You nodded repeatedly. "Never mind the heads of those two — even if you could carry the head of any other Regular Attendant, like Yuan She, through Luoyang, no one under heaven would dare dismiss you as just a frontier commandery soldier anymore. The last shackle on you, Gongsun Xun, would be gone... and in the future, who knows? The Gongsun clan might rise overnight because of you and become one of the top aristocratic families under heaven."

With that, this thoroughly perceptive and brilliantly astute Nanyang man, known for his 'ferocity and licentiousness,' turned, climbed into his carriage, clutched the chest of valuables tightly, and hurriedly sent his coachman speeding home.

Gongsun Xun stood with his hands behind his back at the gate, watching the other depart through the snow, before turning around and going back inside.

A moment later, Zhao Yun returned from He Jin's residence, simply saying the matter had been explained clearly. Then, a servant returned from Lu Zhi's place, reporting that Teacher Lu had accepted the gifts but would not come here for the New Year, and had returned the beautiful maidservant, bluntly instructing Gongsun Xun to 'know his place and mind his own business!'

By now, having fully grasped the situation, Gongsun Xun took no offense.

That night, the heavy snow fell without further comment.

However, the saying 'With a soft fire of creek-wood and warm barbarian felt, my cat and I shall not venture out' is merely the self-consolation of an unemployed poor scholar. In truth, for a centrally appointed court official like Gongsun Xun, the most troublesome and exhausting time of the year was just beginning... because with the approach of the first day of the first month and the melting of the heavy snow, the annual Grand Court Assembly was about to be held in the Jiade Hall of the Southern Palace!

In preparation for this day, the court had to hastily clear the backlog of affairs in every department, receive and accommodate the princes, marquises, and reporting clerks from all the commanderies and kingdoms under heaven, and even urgently repair the collapsed gate of the Southern Palace.

For this event, not even the Son of Heaven could slack off!

In fact, from before dawn, the imperial clansmen in the capital, the full marquises, generals, officials, academicians, the two-thousand-bushel officials currently on duty in the capital, plus the reporting clerks and special salt-and-iron officials arriving from the various commanderies and kingdoms, along with returning inspection officials, and so on and so forth... in short, several thousand officials had already begun lining up in the bitter cold before the Southern Palace hall, preparing to participate in this Grand Court Assembly.

The first part, naturally, consisted of the tedious but necessary rituals.

The Grand Herald and the Grand Minister of Ceremonies, one guiding and the other supervising, directed the music, welcomed the Son of Heaven, chanted the rites, performed the obeisances, presented the offerings, gestured with hands, and moved with feet... the unbroken sequence of ceremonies left Gongsun Xun, positioned at the outermost fringe, dizzy and confused, yet he had no choice but to be meticulously careful.

After much difficulty, the rituals were finally over, and by then the sky had brightened. Officials in the capital of six-hundred-bushel rank and above were finally permitted to enter the vast Jiade Hall and take their kneeling seats, which signaled the start of the serious discussions.

Of course, Gongsun Xun's position was too low; he could only barely see and hear some of the activity in the center of the hall. As for the Son of Heaven further up, it was all a blur — he occasionally caught a few words, but couldn't make out the figure at all... In truth, what he didn't know was that unless you were in the first three rows, you couldn't even see the Son of Heaven's face.

The first to step forward was none other than the Minister over the Masses, Yang Ci, who was to receive the reports from the reporting clerks of each commandery and kingdom in batches.

Of course, the actual report materials were all in the Imperial Secretariat and the offices of the Three Excellencies; here, they were merely brought up as a formality. What was said was generally perfunctory, and after a basic question, answer, and acknowledgment, they would step down directly, and the next batch would be hurried up...

However, even such bureaucratic formalities encountered an unavoidable awkward moment — of the seven commanderies in Jiaozhou, four had fallen. The reporting clerks from those four commanderies could never have imagined that the stable situation when they departed would end up like this, so they could only kowtow directly in the great hall and report the truth.

Consequently, the Minister over the Masses, Yang Ci, who theoretically oversaw 'civil affairs,' directly removed his cap to apologize. But the throne hastily consoled him, telling him to put his cap back on and stand... What a joke! Dismissing one of the Three Excellencies was perfectly normal, but it couldn't be done in front of all under heaven at the Grand Court Assembly! That would practically be forcing him to commit suicide!

Next, the newly appointed Minister of Works, Chen Dan, stepped forward. This position had evolved from the Imperial Counselor of the Former Han; in other words, he was theoretically the head of the inspection system... and his stepping forward was naturally to receive the reports from the Inspectors of the various provinces, or rather, their envoys.

Of course, when it was Jiaozhou's turn, this was also rather awkward.

Immediately after, the Grand Commandant, Meng Yu, could not escape the same fate and was even more unfortunate... because besides the fall of Jiaozhou, there was the great defeat beyond the northern frontier, where tens of thousands died, and three two-thousand-bushel generals were directly demoted to commoners. In the annual summary, there was simply no way around it.

In fact, after this round of formalities was completed, the expressions of the thousand-plus officials throughout the entire court became somewhat unnatural.

Next came the reports from the Nine Ministers.

The first, the Grand Minister of Ceremonies, Liu Yi, had no choice but to formally report the previous incidents of the hen turning into a rooster at the Imperial Secretariat and the inexplicable collapse of the Southern Palace gate.

At this point, the young Son of Heaven spoke again, saying only that these matters were of great importance and that the Grand Prolonger of Autumn, Cao Jie, and the Regular Palace Attendant, Wang Fu, should lead the hundred officials in discussing them. All Three Excellencies, Nine Ministers, academicians, imperial secretaries, two-thousand-bushel officials in the capital, provincial inspectors, court advisors, and palace attendant censors were permitted to step forward and state their views according to protocol.

The hundred officials could scarcely believe their ears... Indeed, such matters were to be presided over by Cao Jie and Wang Fu! Was this not simply letting the thieves judge themselves?

Even Gongsun Xun, upon hearing this, wore an expression of utter disbelief... Yet this was the most distinctive feature of the Great Han's eunuch politics! Just when you thought everything was in place, the eunuchs could always twist the situation from the very core!

Upon hearing the imperial decree, Cao Jie and Wang Fu immediately descended the steps briskly, then scanned the hundred officials, one on the left and one on the right. Most of the officials in the front rows, when caught by their gaze, simply lowered their heads in silence. And if even the high officials in front dared not step forward, then the lower-ranked officials at the back, who could only 'see' the Son of Heaven once a year, dared even less to overstep their rank and speak.

For a moment, cowed by the two men's towering and infamous reputations, the court of over a thousand people fell utterly silent!

"Brilliant!"

Whether his mind had slipped or not, Gongsun Xun, sitting in the farthest corner, couldn't help but secretly admire this when he saw the situation.

Of course, he had his reasons... because if Yuan Feng had indeed joined forces with Cao Jie and Wang Fu, then this political storm might actually be weathered by these two great eunuchs. If so, it was better to let them blatantly display their power before the Son of Heaven and the hundred officials, and see how the hundred officials continued their covert maneuvering, and see how the Son of Heaven viewed these two 'old eunuchs.'

However, before a certain petty man could inwardly rejoice for more than a few breaths over the eunuchs' display of power, someone suddenly stood up, fearing neither heaven nor earth... and it was none other than the Minister over the Masses, Yang Ci.

Of course, this man truly feared neither heaven nor earth; he was, after all, the Imperial Tutor from a family that had produced Three Excellencies for three generations! Unless there was a full-blown coup, the worst Cao Jie and Wang Fu could do was to push him out of his position as one of the Three Excellencies again.

As he spoke, Yang Ci began with the Spring and Autumn Annals, and a pile of allusions left people dizzy. However, through these, he bluntly reached a conclusion: these celestial phenomena and disasters were all standard bad omens, and if the court and the Son of Heaven did not respond appropriately, great chaos would ensue!

He even argued that the fall of Jiaozhou was itself a consequence of the previous insufficient attention paid to the solar eclipses and earthquakes.

At this, Cao Jie clasped his hands and asked on behalf of the Son of Heaven: "In that case, the Son of Heaven has a question for the Minister over the Masses: how should this matter be resolved?"

"This matter is simple," Yang Ci replied without hesitation, holding his tablet before Cao Jie. "Such calamities arise entirely because of the eunuch minions who arbitrarily meddle in state governance. The Book of Zhou says: 'When the Son of Heaven sees anomalies, he cultivates virtue; when feudal lords see anomalies, they cultivate governance; when ministers and grandees see anomalies, they cultivate their duties; when scholars and commoners see anomalies, they cultivate their persons.' Therefore, as long as Your Majesty can dismiss and distance these eunuch sycophants and cunning ministers, and swiftly summon and recruit some truly lofty and pure scholars, then Heaven will naturally display its majesty, and these disasters will naturally dissipate!"

From the moment the word 'eunuch' left his mouth, Wang Fu's face flushed red, and he glared furiously the entire time. But Cao Jie remained utterly impassive, waiting until the other had finished before calmly pursuing the matter:

"Then may I ask the Minister over the Masses, who exactly in the court are these sycophants and cunning ministers?"

"In reply to His Majesty," Yang Ci continued, raising the tablet in his hand, "this is the Grand Court Assembly, and the sycophants and cunning ministers are all present here. If they are rebuked to their faces, it will undoubtedly lead to mutual recriminations, making it difficult for the assembly to continue... I humbly request that Your Majesty permit those in the court who wish to speak on this matter to submit written memorials directly after we withdraw, for Your Majesty's personal perusal!"

Cao Jie turned to glance at the imperial throne, then without the slightest hesitation nodded to Yang Ci and said, "Approved!"

Yang Ci immediately sat back down, satisfied.

At this, the hall instantly surged with excitement, to the point that many people began whispering to one another.

"Silence!" Cao Jie raised his voice slightly and once again swept his gaze across the hundred officials in every part of the great hall.

It had to be said, this single look from him was more effective than anything else, producing an immediate result, and soon the hall returned to its previous quiet.

"The Minister over the Masses has already offered his counsel. Does anyone else wish to speak on this matter?" Cao Jie raised his head and inquired, letting his gaze linger for a long time on the ranks of the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers.

Once again, there was utter silence... After all, Yang Ci had used the term 'eunuch minions' to their faces to turn the situation around for everyone, securing the opportunity to avoid directly confronting these two great eunuchs. Who would be so idle as to engage in a face-to-face denunciation with these two?

Not everyone was the Imperial Tutor!

However, just at that moment, another fearless high minister rose and came to the center of the hall. When everyone focused their eyes, they saw it was the Grand Coachman, Yuan Feng, and each of them felt a surge of excitement.

Like Yang Ci, Yuan Feng began with the classics. Of course, his family's scholarly tradition was the Book of Changes, which was not the same as the Yang family's Spring and Autumn Annals.

Nevertheless, Yuan Feng also firmly asserted that these many incidents were disasters and anomalies arising from the resonance between Heaven and man, and if they were not dealt with promptly, a major calamity was certain to occur.

"Grand Coachman," Cao Jie remained standing with his hands clasped, "since the classics clearly indicate that such calamities are indeed warnings from Heaven, His Majesty asks you: how exactly should they be resolved?"

"First, the welcoming of the ethers at the five suburban altars, the sacrifices at the ancestral temple, and the nurturing of the aged at the imperial academy — these are all important sacrificial activities that His Majesty should perform. Yet since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has long neglected such matters," Yuan Feng replied with a solemn expression. "Therefore, His Majesty should personally go outside the city to perform the sacrifices, carrying out the so-called welcoming of the ethers at the five suburban altars."

"Oh!" Cao Jie suddenly understood. "So it is a lack of sacrificial activities. His Majesty has heard this. May I ask the Grand Coachman, is there anything else that needs to be done?"

"Furthermore, naturally, there is what the Minister over the Masses mentioned earlier: dismissing petty men and recruiting worthy scholars," Yuan Feng said. The moment these words left his mouth, the hundred officials behind him grew even more excited, and even Gongsun Xun was somewhat astonished... Could it be that he had misunderstood Yuan Feng?

"Then may I ask the Grand Coachman, setting aside the recruitment of worthy scholars, who exactly are these so-called petty men?" Wang Fu couldn't help but cut in before Cao Jie, frowning as he asked. "Could it be that the Grand Coachman also wishes to say that the petty men are here in the court, but to avoid disputes, the hundred officials should withdraw and submit written memorials directly to the throne?"

"That is not necessary!" Yuan Feng also raised his tablet and answered with his head held high. "Although the petty men are indeed here in the court, I believe there is nothing to avoid or taboo. Speaking frankly is perfectly fine."

Wang Fu fixed his gaze on Yuan Feng and asked with a stern expression: "Then His Majesty asks the Grand Coachman again: who exactly in the court are the petty men?"

"Of course, it is those Filial Sons of Xuanling who were enfeoffed and rewarded last autumn!" Grand Coachman Yuan declared, his words ringing with righteous authority.

Like Wang Fu, who was presiding over the questioning, the assembled officials all failed to react for a moment… What on earth was this "Filial Son of Xuanling" business?

Of course, they soon recalled that something of the sort had indeed happened in Luoyang last autumn. And listening to the implication from Lord Yuan, the leader of the gentry—could it be that this dense cluster of celestial omens and calamities had actually been stirred up by this lot?

Others might not have known, but Gongsun Xun could not suppress a laugh.

"Your Majesty!" Yuan Feng, the Grand Coachman, held his tablet with both hands and spoke with earnest sincerity. "Your servant has heard that in the time of Emperor Xiaowen, he issued a special edict requiring all under Heaven to wear mourning garments for the Son of Heaven for thirty-six days. Even the succeeding emperor, his own sons, and the ministers and officials he personally promoted—no matter how great the favor—all had to follow this regulation and dared not overstep it by a fraction. Now, these hypocritical petty men have neither ties of blood and bone to the late Emperor, nor any private bond of grace, nor have they ever partaken of his bounty. So from where exactly does their 'filial piety' spring? That they could wait until years after the late Emperor's passing to come and wail in mourning?"

Cao Jie and Wang Fu nodded in succession. Among the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers, aside from Yang Ci, who stared fixedly at Yuan Feng's back, most kept their mouths shut. And among the assembled officials, not a few disciples of the Yuan clan were nodding their heads repeatedly right there.

"To be frank with Your Majesty," Yuan Feng continued, "ever since those celestial omens appeared, I have suspected that this group of Filial Sons of Xuanling was the cause of the trouble, and so I made a special investigation. Would Your Majesty care to guess what I found?"

"What did you find?" Wang Fu asked impatiently.

"Among them, there was actually a fugitive!" Yuan Feng lamented. "This man, in Dong Commandery, broke into a house and violated a man's wife. Later, under the pretext of observing mourning rites, he fled by night and eventually came to Luoyang, and now he has gone to Xuanling to wail in filial piety. To commend such a man as a filial son of the late Emperor and even appoint him as a Gentleman Attendant—how could celestial omens and calamities not appear? Your servant implores Your Majesty to dismiss all these men from their posts, and then let those who should be dealt with by law be dealt with by law, and those who should be expelled be expelled!"

"So that is how it is!" Cao Jie could not help but ask with a solemn expression. "In that case, will the calamities be thoroughly eliminated?"

"If that were so, how could one convince the realm?" Gongsun Xun clearly heard someone beside him, he knew not who, utter this mockery.

"Not so," Yuan Feng said, as if he had heard those very words, shaking his head repeatedly. "This alone is not yet enough to pacify the realm. A third great matter must also be undertaken!"

"Pray, Grand Coachman, enlighten us."

"Your servant, Yuan Feng, Grand Coachman, implores Your Majesty to change the reign title!" Yuan Feng bowed deeply and spoke with composure. "In this way, this present calamity will naturally be dispelled!"

Gongsun Xun was dumbstruck, yet he could not help but feel a secret admiration… A fine "change the reign title" indeed! A fine head of the Yuan clan!

Back in the hall, once these words were spoken, the Son of Heaven was immediately overjoyed. Bypassing Cao Jie and Wang Fu directly, he pressed from the imperial seat: would handling it in this way truly and thoroughly resolve the calamities?

Yuan Feng affirmed this notion without the slightest hesitation.

At this, from the Son of Heaven down to the two great eunuchs, each beamed with delight, while the court officials below wore complex expressions. Yet, whatever the case, not a single one stepped forward to debate the matter further… To do otherwise, would it not be to offend the ruling eunuchs and the leader of the gentry at the same time!

"In that case," Cao Jie said, as he walked back up the steps, suddenly bringing up a matter as if casually, "Your Majesty, this matter should no longer require the officials to submit private memorials, should it?"

The Son of Heaven immediately gave his assent.

The grand court session continued, but everyone felt a mix of emotions… The eunuchs' vicious tyranny truly left one speechless.

Finally, as the sun slanted west and the sky darkened, the imperial carriage departed first, with Cao Jie in attendance. Wang Fu stood upon the steps, cast a cold sneer around him, and only then flicked his sleeves and left.

Next, the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers departed in silence, some quickly, some slowly. The Two Thousand Bushels officials followed, and behind them, the rest of the officials vied to exit… In other words, this grand court session, which so many had placed their hopes on, had at last "concluded victoriously."

Gongsun Xun followed the crowd out of the hall, but instead of heading straight for the gate and onto Bronze Camel Street, he looked around and made inquiries, intending to find Tian Feng to discuss matters.

However, while Gongsun Xun was still looking around at the back, he was unaware that Tian Feng had long since left the hall. In fact, Tian Yuanhao, disregarding all decorum, had rushed straight out of the hall and blocked the path of the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers.

"Minister of Works," Tian Feng said, raising his tablet and bowing slightly to his direct superior, Chen Dan.

"Yuanhao!" It was not only Chen Dan; eight out of ten of the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers recognized Tian Feng, for this man was an Abundant Talent of Jizhou. As one of the talents produced only once a year by a top-tier province of the Great Han, how could they possibly have no impression of him?

"If there is a matter, why not discuss it at the Censorate or the Ministry of Works?" Chen Dan gestured at the dense flow of officials around them and forced a smile.

The "Ministry of Works" here did not refer to Chen Dan's personal residence, but to the official administrative office of the Minister of Works located on Bronze Camel Street.

"That will not be necessary," Tian Feng said, his expression as usual, betraying neither joy nor anger. He merely bowed once more, and then, in the light of the setting sun, removed his seal and cord and handed them over together with his tablet. "Feng has come to request leave to resign and return home. I beg the Minister of Works to graciously grant his permission."

Yuan Feng, standing nearby, was the first to change color, but his expression quickly returned to normal. Chen Dan, however, grew increasingly anxious… He had no wish to bear the infamy of driving away a renowned scholar and great talent of a province so soon after taking office.

"The Minister of Works need not be concerned," Tian Feng said with a slight sigh. Then, right there outside the Jiade Hall, before the throng of assembled officials, he declared loudly: "With the eunuchs dominating the court, Feng's heart is willing but his strength is insufficient. To remain forcibly at the Censorate, I fear my heart could not be at peace. Since that is the case, it is better to return home and study in seclusion."

Chen Dan breathed a sigh of relief, then sighed again. Almost instinctively, he glanced at the expressionless Yuan Feng before turning back to accept Tian Feng's tablet and seal of office. "Since that is the case, I too have nothing to say… You may go, then!"

Tian Feng bowed once more, and also bowed deeply to his patron, Yuan Kui, before stepping aside. The Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers each lowered their heads and quickly departed.

"Why must Yuanhao do this?!" Gongsun Xun, having rushed over from behind and heard this news, felt as if struck by lightning. Right there outside the hall, heedless of all else, he grabbed hold of the other man. "Hear me out—there is still much that can be done in this matter. I already have a plan in mind! Today was but a momentary setback. Do you not know the allusion of Qiao Gong's indomitable perseverance? Why take such a drastic step?!"

The Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers had long since left, but the Grand Master of Splendid Happiness, Qiao Xuan, was truly advanced in years and frail. At that moment, he was shuffling slowly past, and upon hearing these four words, he could not help but pause briefly, though he soon shook his head and walked on.

"This matter has nothing to do with indomitable perseverance," Tian Feng could not help but sigh. "Does Wenqi truly not understand? I, this Attendant Censor, was recruited and recommended by Lord Ciyang when he was Grand Commandant. In other words, I am a former retainer of the Yuan clan. Now that Lord Zhouyang is clearly colluding with Cao Jie, Wang Fu, and the other ruling eunuchs, for me to remain here in this post and still think of executing the eunuchs—would that not make me a laughingstock before all the realm?"

Gongsun Xun shook his head repeatedly. "Then let us set aside the matter of official posts. I ask Yuanhao to remain here and advise me on my plans. I truly need to rely on your wisdom and strategy…"

"That will not be necessary," Tian Feng said, right there beneath the stone steps outside the hall where the flow of people was gradually thinning, crisply and decisively refusing Gongsun Xun's invitation. "My mind is made up… I must return!"

"Yuanhao!" Gongsun Xun grew even more anxious and could only grip the other man tightly. "You must at least leave me with a word, surely?"

"Very well!" Tian Feng could not help but sigh. "I had not intended to speak of this to Wenqi… Do you know where I am from?"

"Julu!" Gongsun Xun answered immediately. "I have long known this."

"Then do you know who is the powerful eunuch who has brought the greatest harm to Julu?"

Gongsun Xun froze on the spot, and his hands involuntarily loosened their grip. Yet he still spoke in a low voice: "Zhao Zhong!"

"Precisely your wife's uncle, Regular Attendant Zhao!"

Gongsun Xun opened his mouth to speak, but not a single word could come out.

"Dare I ask, is Wenqi's relationship to Zhao Zhong any more innocent than the Yuan clan's relationship to Cao Jie and Wang Fu?" Tian Feng could not help but ask with a solemn expression. "Even if Cao and Wang were executed, would you ever execute Zhao? I do not begrudge you your disgust… That day on Bronze Camel Street when I told you 'the time to execute the eunuchs is now,' it was because, after seeing you draw your blade against Duan Jiong, I surmised there was internal strife between the old and new eunuchs. There was not the slightest bit of genuine admiration in my heart."

Gongsun Xun was rendered even more speechless.

The sky had darkened, and Tian Feng, perhaps feeling he had been a bit too harsh, slightly cupped his hands in salute, preparing to take his leave.

At this, Gongsun Xun truly could not restrain himself and actually grabbed the other man's sleeve again. "If we meet again in the future, I wonder if Yuanhao might face me with a changed countenance?"

Tian Feng started, then could not help but turn back with a bitter smile. "I thought Wenqi was going to ask when I would set out, so that you could have your White Horse Volunteers intercept and kill me along the road… I have spoken so bluntly and pricked you so—do you not feel resentment?"

"How could I feel resentment?" Gongsun Xun shook his head repeatedly. "If it were a mediocre man who toyed with me and mocked me so, I truly would have someone secretly intercept and kill him. But a man like Yuanhao, of such surpassing talent and noble character, is like a piece of fine jade. How could I hate the jade because I cannot afford to buy it? I would only hate the one selling it!"

"To receive such words from Wenqi makes me seem petty and narrow-minded," Tian Feng said, bowing solemnly. "If fate allows us to meet again, I, Tian Yuanhao, shall certainly regard you as an old friend. When that time comes, I hope you and I can face each other with open hearts. Farewell!"

Gongsun Xun helplessly released his grip and also bowed solemnly.

The rites complete, the two parted ways directly outside the Jiade Hall… One headed for the eastern gate, the other for the southern gate.

To be honest, today's grand court session truly meant little to Gongsun Xun, who had been prepared for it, because he really was prepared and had a new plan. He truly intended to emulate Qiao Xuan's indomitable perseverance… But losing Tian Feng truly left him feeling desolate.

After exiting the Southern Palace, Gongsun Xun's mood grew even worse. Moreover, the sky was now pitch-black, and he could not help but take advantage of the darkness to curse angrily: "Yuan Zhouyang, that vicious and tyrannical sort, will surely suffer retribution one day!"

"When at your wits' end, hiding in the dark to curse a dignified Grand Coachman as a vicious and tyrannical sort—could this also be considered an act of indomitable perseverance?"

Just then, an aged voice suddenly came from behind him, startling Gongsun Xun so much that his scalp tingled, and he even reached directly for his ceremonial blade.

However, almost instantly, he hurriedly let his hand drop, and then honestly bowed deeply in a grand salute: "I did not expect to find Lord Qiao here!"

——————I am the dividing line thanking the editor boss for the recommendation——————

"In the first year of the Guanghe era of the Later Han, Cao Jie and Wang Fu had long held the reins of power, and the realm seethed with unrest. Only they and the Yuan clan served as each other's facade and lining, truly difficult to uproot overnight. Once, during the grand court assembly on the first day of the month, the hundred officials sought to corner them with celestial omens and calamitous portents, nearly bringing the matter to fruition. Yuan Feng, serving as Grand Coachman, rose himself to speak of changing the reign title, thereby resolving the predicament of Cao and Wang. The hundred officials, many being former subordinates and old friends of the Yuan clan, all dared not speak further. That evening, the Grand Ancestor departed the Southern Palace and, outside Bronze Camel Street, privately sighed: 'Yuan Zhouyang is a man of vicious depravity. The realm shall descend into chaos, and the chief architect of that chaos will surely be this man. To deliver the realm and plead for the common people, if one does not first slay this wretch, chaos will erupt forthwith.' The Grand Master of Splendid Happiness, Qiao Xuan, Lord Qiao, aged sixty-nine, heard of this afterward and said slowly: 'As you have spoken, to deliver the realm — who else but you?'" — The Old Book of Yan, Scroll 26, Hereditary Houses, First

PS: Actually, just a moment ago the average subscriptions reached 2998, and I couldn't bear to update anymore. Also, the book friend group is 684558115, everyone can join.

(End of Chapter)