[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-113":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},1222872,1620,"Chapter 113: A Major Matter","overthrowing-han-chapter-113",113,"\u003Cp>\"What did Ziheng say?\" That evening, as soon as Gongsun Xun returned home with Han Dang and the others, he stood stunned on the spot. \"One of Cao Jie's trusted retainers took the initiative to meet and correspond with you in secret?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly so.\" Lu Fan hurriedly cupped his hands and gave a detailed account.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As it turned out, it had been mentioned before: the Charity Lodge, situated on the vital southeast road out of Luoyang, easily attracted all sorts of idle men — but the kind of idle men it attracted depended entirely on who was in charge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Han Dang ran it, they were mostly wandering swordsmen and martial men;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Lu Fan ran it, they were mostly down-and-out scholars hoping to find a path forward in Luoyang;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Gongsun Fan ran it, the tone of the place was said to have risen considerably;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, under Lou Gui, they were said to be mostly ambitious schemers and desperate fugitives!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, to return to the matter at hand: the person who delivered a letter to the Charity Lodge and thereby contacted Lu Fan was in fact one of those down-and-out scholars whom Lu Ziheng had taken in back when he was in charge there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man was a native of Xiling in Jiangxia, surnamed Luo, given name Mu, courtesy name Zixian. His background was actually far better than Lu Fan's, for his ancestors had served in commandery and county offices for generations, and his great-grandfather had even once held the post of commandery clerk at the three-hundred-dan rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By his generation, however, he was no different from Lu Fan — a poor scholar in a small county town, and without a daughter of the wealthy Liu family gazing at him from across the river, nor a good classmate willing to spend money to buy him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, with his house bare and his circumstances utterly destitute, this Luo Mu, whose family had served in commandery and county for generations, had no choice but to abandon his family and ancestral land and come to Luoyang to seek his fortune. And this \"seeking his fortune\" was in truth nothing more than clinging to powerful patrons, hoping to scrape together some wealth, or even land an official post... a common enough story throughout the four centuries of the Great Han.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that said, this Luo Mu had actually started out with some ambition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After arriving in Luoyang, he saw that the great and noble houses looked down on him, while he himself held the eunuch faction in contempt, so he prepared to return home directly — but as it happened, just as he left Luoyang he was caught in a downpour. As they say, \"a stranger in a strange land, beset by poverty and illness,\" he had no choice but to shamelessly take shelter at the Charity Lodge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi.\" Seated in a high-backed chair in the hall, Lu Fan continued with a touch of emotion. \"That day I saw he had a fair bit of talent and also seemed rather pitiable, so I couldn't help but take a little extra interest. I had even thought that when you returned I would bring him into your retinue, but who would have thought...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who would have thought what?\" Han Dang, sitting across from him, was already thoroughly engrossed and couldn't help leaning forward to press him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who would have thought that after staying in Goushi for a while, he suddenly ran into a fellow townsman from Jiangxia. The townsman told him that not long after he left, his young sister at home, stricken by poverty and illness, had already succumbed to sickness and died.\" At this point, Lu Fan's expression darkened as well. \"And when he asked where her grave was, the man told him bluntly that after his young sister died, they couldn't afford a coffin, so they simply wrapped her in a straw mat and tossed her into a rotting ditch...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Gongsun Xun could not help but sigh: \"A true man living in this world — how could he let his own young sister die in poverty and then be devoured by wild dogs? If it were me, my nature would change drastically too, and I would go straight to serve the eunuchs!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indeed.\" Lu Fan nodded slowly, his expression complicated. \"That day he said nothing more, but the next day he used the paper and brush at the Charity Lodge to leave a letter, thanking Wenqi and me for our generosity, and then stated plainly that he was going to Luoyang to cling to the eunuchs and castrati, in order to seek wealth, goods, and power.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It seems he succeeded?\" Gongsun Xun steadied his mind slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just so. Today, after I received the letter, I did not go to meet him directly. Instead, I first went to the market near Cao Jie's residence to make some inquiries, and only then learned that this man had indeed become one of Cao Jie's trusted confidants. There is even a rumor that Cao Jie once intended to have him change his surname and become his adopted son, and though he did not agree, he did begin addressing the other man as 'my lord'... it does make one sigh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But seen in this light, he truly has become a trusted confidant.\" Gongsun Xun nodded with a touch of emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said that eunuchs, lacking potency, placed extreme importance on virility. Precisely for this reason, they were fond of anything that could be associated with a display of virility — adopted sons and foster fathers aside, forms of address like \"my lord\" and \"lesser man\" were indeed rampant within the Han palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, take Yang Qiu, Gongsun Xun's current superior's superior. When he was awaiting judgment in Luoyang, he befriended the Regular Palace Attendant Cheng Huang, and when Cheng Huang sent a serving maid to be the other man's concubine, he even went so far as to formally adopt her as a nominal daughter first. And this same Regular Palace Attendant, relying on his seniority in the Northern Palace, bullied others into calling him \"my lord\" every day, to the point that his nickname was simply Lord Cheng!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, these palace figures were very likely the origin of the usage where \"great man\" referred to the powerful and \"lesser man\" was the self-deprecating term for the lowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, all of this is a digression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But Ziheng,\" Gongsun Xun continued seriously, \"since he has already become Cao Jie's trusted confidant, this Luo Mu, Luo Zixian, has gotten exactly what he asked for. Why would he want to meet and communicate with you in secret? Surely he doesn't think the kindness of a few meals back then can compare to what Cao Jie, the Grand Prolonger of Autumn, has given him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"According to his own words, on the one hand, he does wish to repay the kindness of former days; on the other hand, it is because certain things he has recently learned have left him uneasy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uneasy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"On this visit, he told me of two major matters, and it is precisely one of them that has left him rather uneasy.\" Lu Fan's expression grew solemn. \"He said that Wang Fu has been keeping to himself these days not because he intends to move against you, Wenqi, but rather because he seems to be plotting to have the Son of Heaven depose the Empress!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, Han Dang across from him started up from his seat in shock, but Gongsun Xun's expression remained as calm as ever, which made Lu Fan inwardly admire his composure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What does that mean, exactly? There must be a cause and effect,\" Gongsun Xun asked evenly. \"He is Cao Jie's trusted confidant, not Wang Fu's.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is like this: according to him, that day when Wang Fu was alarmed by Yigong, he wanted to go to the Northern Palace to seek an audience with His Majesty, but Cao Jie stopped him. At the time, Cao Jie also urged those older Regular Attendants to think about their retreat. Who would have thought that after Wang Fu took this to heart, his first reaction was precisely the matter of deposing the Empress? This is because back when his power was at its peak, he had killed the entire family of the Empress Song's paternal aunt for fifty million cash. For this reason, he even sought out Cao Jie specifically, hoping Cao Jie would not obstruct him... At first hearing, this matter is truly shocking, yet it is also stated with evidence. Though I believe it to some extent in my heart, I find it hard to reach a firm conclusion.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun knew the whole story of this affair inside and out, so without needing Lu Fan's relayed account and judgment, he had already believed it completely. At this moment, he simply nodded slightly and in turn gave his two trusted confidants a brief explanation:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The eunuchs are powerful, their influence dominating the court. Yet constrained by the institutions of our dynasty, the core eunuch positions — that is, the posts of Regular Palace Attendant at the two-thousand-dan rank — number only twelve. Since there are only so many seats, there is bound to be conflict between old and new. It is only natural that this group of older Regular Attendants would think about their retreat... Given Wang Fu's character, such a reaction is entirely within reason; and from Cao Jie's perspective, he is likely watching the fire from across the river, taking no stance either way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So it's actually true?!\" Han Dang no longer knew what to say. \"The Empress has done nothing to violate her virtue!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When old and new contend, who cares about violations of virtue or the lack thereof?\" Lu Fan, by contrast, seemed to have grasped this earlier. \"Besides, Empress Song herself may be innocent, but the mere fact that her uncle dared to promise fifty million cash shows that the family behind her is not necessarily innocent... Still, I imagine that an ordinary scholar-official hearing of such deeds would indeed be shaken. No wonder this Luo Mu has grown indignant toward men like Wang Fu.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In any case, the Son of Heaven deposing the Empress has long been within expectations.\" Because of Zhao Zhong, Gongsun Xun was unwilling to spell out more of the reasons behind the deposition, and simply hurried to a direct conclusion. \"And this matter is not something you or I can influence or intervene in. Keep it in mind, and then go sell some goodwill to He Suigao. What was the other matter he spoke of?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, the other matter is that the Son of Heaven intends to make the Hongdu Gate Academy an official institution and to grant prominent positions to its most outstanding members. In truth, this matter is also rather shocking. I have heard of this Hongdu Gate Academy — the people there are mostly skilled in rhapsodies, calligraphy, painting, and music. To grant official posts on such a basis — would that not make one a laughingstock?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the second matter was brought up, Han Dang, not understanding its significance, paid it no mind, but Lu Fan seemed to find it rather hard to accept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun grew even more rueful: \"This matter is nine-tenths certain to be true as well. The Son of Heaven has come of age; so long as he is not a complete fool, how could he not want to use his own men? But among the so-called proper scholars versed in the classics today, which one does not come from a 'family of deep scholarly tradition'? Finding men versed in rhapsodies is already quite good. It's just that by doing this, the Son of Heaven will only tear himself further apart from the mainstream scholar-officials of the realm!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, Gongsun Xun could not help but think again of Cai Yong, from whom he had just parted not long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said that Cai Bojie's mad outburst might very well have been prompted by hearing vague rumors of this... One must understand, Cai Yong had truly borne a great name in vain for decades, and had also wasted decades in his official career. Now, seeing men whose rhapsodies were inferior to his, whose calligraphy and painting were inferior to his, and whose music was inferior to his, about to ascend to high positions precisely on the strength of those very things — how could his heart be at peace?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder the man had to write in his memorial that this two-thousand-dan official was unfit for office, and that that Nine Minister was a bastard, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we follow what you say, Young Lord,\" Han Dang could not help but venture a judgment, \"this man surnamed Luo is actually trustworthy? Both of the major matters he spoke of turned out to be true.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The matters are true, and they are of considerable value,\" Gongsun Xun admitted frankly. \"But we must still guard against the man himself...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi, do you mean...\" Lu Fan could not help but ask in a low voice, \"that this Luo Mu may indeed have been stirred by such a shocking affair as the deposition of the Empress and thus sincerely came to speak with us; or perhaps he was simply instructed by Cao Jie to deliberately reveal this to us, so as to use false letters to sow discord when necessary?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly so,\" Gongsun Xun said without hesitation. \"However, as long as Ziheng keeps this consideration in mind, we should still listen to this man's information... I presume he and Ziheng have worked out some means of communication?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, he and I agreed on some methods of contact. But interestingly, he also made it clear beforehand: regarding eunuch affairs, so long as they do not involve Cao Jie's personal safety, he is willing to inform us as much as possible. But if it touches upon Cao Jie himself\" — at this point, Lu Fan could not help but sigh — \"he will absolutely not open his mouth, because in the end, he feels he has received Cao Jie's kindness.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That only makes it seem all the more reasonable,\" Gongsun Xun nodded slightly. \"Ziheng, you handle this matter on your own; just report any information to me... Yigong, I must trouble you — let us go out again!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\" Probably still unsettled by the earlier matter of deposing the Empress, Han Dang did not come back to his senses for a moment. \"The second watch is nearly over now... the curfew is about to begin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am an Attendant Officer of the Capital Magistrates,\" Gongsun Xun said dismissively. \"Does the curfew apply to me? As for He Suigao — after Wang Fu wants to depose the Empress, telling him even one day earlier will earn ten times the goodwill... Tonight, I will make him weep with gratitude toward me, and be my supporter for a lifetime!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Dang thought for a moment and found nothing to object to, so he went straight out to make preparations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ones enforcing the curfew were the patrol soldiers directly under the Magistrate of Luoyang, and sure enough, they dared not challenge an Attendant Officer of the Capital Magistrates who held law-enforcement authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Gongsun Xun, taking only a few guards, galloped at full speed straight to the gate of He Jin's still rather modest residence, and immediately dismounted and pounded on the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a flurry of alarm within the courtyard, but upon hearing that it was Gongsun Xun's voice, He Jin hurriedly had the door opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi, what matter brings you here in the middle of the night?\" He Suigao had managed to throw a robe over himself, but his feet were bare, and he had only had time to slip on a pair of wooden clogs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Suigao.\" Gongsun Xun entered alone, turned and shut the main gate behind him with his own hands, then pushed aside He Jin's servants carrying lanterns and pulled He Jin by the hand toward a corner of the courtyard. \"I have an urgent and important matter to discuss with you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Jin, flustered and at a loss, could only stammer as he was dragged along, not even managing to ask what the matter was — which made Gongsun Xun feel a momentary pity for the man's fine physique and his still relatively honest character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Suigao, do you know that Wang Fu is preparing to undertake a major matter?\" There in the darkness of the courtyard, Gongsun Xun, without revealing the source of his information, simply recounted to He Jin Wang Fu's plan to take the initiative and depose the Empress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing, Gongsun Xun immediately asked: \"Brother Suigao, has there been any word on that matter of praying for rain we discussed earlier?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I…\" He Jin finally showed some reaction. \"To be honest with you, Wenqi, I did receive an edict from the Northern Palace yesterday, ordering me to go to Nanyang to pray for rain. I even told my wife today to visit your household tomorrow to discuss it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That settles it, and the timing is perfect!\" Gongsun Xun nodded at once, then asked with a solemn expression. \"I was just worrying that you, Brother Suigao, might not be able to get away… Do you know how you should handle yourself in this matter?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Jin looked utterly bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Suigao, let me ask you something.\" Gongsun Xun could not help but let out a long sigh, then lowered his voice again. \"Since His Majesty is sending you to pray for rain, he must intend to promote you greatly. And from what we discussed earlier, we can see that His Majesty has, at this moment, already made up his mind to elevate your family's honored lady to the position of Empress. In other words, the matter of replacing the Empress is His Majesty's own will… But if that is so, why is it that among the Regular Palace Attendants who are on excellent terms with your family's honored lady — men like Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong — not a single one has followed His Majesty's wishes and moved against Empress Song? Why do they instead stand by and watch Wang Fu take this action?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Jin remained utterly speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Suigao, the honored lady in the palace is your younger sister. You should know that the Regular Palace Attendants who hold power in the palace are divided into old and new factions. Wang Fu is not on good terms with those Attendants around your family's honored lady…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That much I do know,\" He Jin finally sorted out a thread of thought. \"What Wenqi asks does make sense. If this succeeds, wouldn't it let Wang Fu seize the chance to win His Majesty's favor and advance even further? This matter truly defies understanding.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because Empress Song is innocent!\" At this point, Gongsun Xun finally spoke the crux of the matter. \"She is the august Empress, the very symbol of the state's legitimacy. To be deposed without cause — even if His Majesty has long since made his decision — no one is willing to carry out such filthy work! Whoever does it will surely become the target of universal condemnation from the court and the common people alike! Even if they rely on His Majesty's protection to evade consequences for a time, they cannot evade them forever! Wang Fu was forced into this — he has a blood feud with the Empress, who killed his aunt! As for the other Attendants, they are watching coldly from the sidelines, and may even be deliberately pushing him into this pit of fire!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then what should I do?\" He Jin could not help but grow flustered. \"My position is sensitive, yet my rank is lowly… If the innocent Empress is deposed, will the scholars of the court not turn their hatred toward me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is precisely what I came to discuss!\" Gongsun Xun answered immediately. \"Brother Suigao, you should set out at once and hide away in Nanyang praying for rain. Until this matter is settled, do not return for even a single day!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand!\" He Jin immediately grasped Gongsun Xun's hands as if he had found his anchor. \"My deepest thanks to Wenqi for coming through the night to report this and offer guidance. I shall depart directly for Nanyang first thing tomorrow morning!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We are brothers — why speak of thanks?\" Gongsun Xun nodded slightly, then turned and left, heading straight home without further ado.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Jin hurriedly chased after him to the gate, but heard only the sound of horse hooves fading away, with no figure in sight… He could not help but sigh softly, secretly rejoicing that he had managed to befriend a man of such loyalty and insight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night passed without further words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And from the next day onward, the entire city of Luoyang began to descend into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, Cao Jie semi-publicly leaked Cai Yong's memorial… This Grand Prolonger of Autumn had, after all, kept his wits about him. He had taken note of these memorials that reached His Majesty directly, and while the Emperor was using the privy, he read through the memorials with perfect clarity. Afterward, he smilingly recounted every detail to certain involved parties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, to say nothing of the others, the Emperor's wet nurse, Lady Zhao, and that Regular Palace Attendant nicknamed \"Master Cheng\" were both shrewish by nature. So, in less than a day, the entire city of Luoyang could already recite the text from memory!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And once the assessments in the memorial had been thoroughly distorted through retelling, these involved parties, along with their relatives, former subordinates, and clansmen, now wanted nothing more than to burn Cai Bojie alive — only that, they felt, could vent such a bellyful of rage!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, the speed with which the matter erupted caught even Gongsun Xun off guard, frightening him into immediately sending men to Cai Yong's residence to move his books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, as the saying goes, one wave had barely settled before another rose… A few days later, taking advantage of a vacancy for a Minister in the Imperial Secretariat, His Majesty suddenly and inexplicably appointed a man named Yue Song to the post, even adding the title of Palace Attendant. Upon closer investigation, it turned out this man was a trusted favorite of His Majesty from the Hongdu School, who had won favor by telling the Emperor folk jokes… For such a man to serve as a Minister — how interesting indeed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, but before the gentlemen of the Imperial Secretariat could even catch their breath, several days later, His Majesty issued a special edict to the Secretariat, ordering them to paint portraits of the \"various worthies\" of the Hongdu School, to be hung in a certain pavilion within the palace as a mark of reverence!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, he had truly stirred up a hornet's nest!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So many scholars from Runan, Yingchuan, Wan, and Luoyang were barred from office by the Partisan Prohibitions; so many Filially Pious and Incorrupt nominees were still languishing in the Gentlemen's Bureau, grinding through seniority; so many Abundant Talents had resigned and returned home in frustration… How was it that a few painters and rhapsody-composers had become Palace Attendants and Ministers, and were now to have their portraits painted in commemoration?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What had they done to deserve the treatment accorded to the Twenty-Eight Generals of the Cloud Terrace?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, it was not only old-school scholars like Liu Tao who could not stomach this — even Yang Qiu, a trusted henchman of His Majesty, could not bear it, for he too was a man of proper Filially Pious and Incorrupt background. Thus, the current Prefect of the Imperial Secretariat, with crisp efficiency, led every official of the Secretariat — save that fellow Yue Song — in submitting a joint memorial, vehemently rejecting the demand in the harshest terms!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Majesty, having been thoroughly rebuffed, dropped the matter of the portraits, but his edicts granting official posts to these men from the Hongdu School continued without pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There is a specific phrase for this: to persist in one's own way regardless of all opposition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, the entire court boiled over. Nearly every man submitted a memorial demanding the abolition of the Hongdu School. Even Cai Yong, who had long since thrown caution to the wind, did not forget to submit a memorial bluntly stating that His Majesty was setting himself against the scholars of the realm!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this point, the entire court was in a fever pitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the surface, everyone was united in denouncing His Majesty, and in the process, bullying those imperial favorites from the Hongdu School!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the scenes, each had his own calculations. Some exchanged letters, forming factions sworn to kill Cai Yong before anything else; some plotted in secret, preparing to carry out great schemes; some let out long breaths, as if feeling they had dodged a calamity; some harbored gloom, uneasy and dissatisfied with the shifting tides of the court; and still others were eager to act, waiting to pour oil on the flames…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And of course, there were those who lurked behind the scenes, lost in melancholy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All my painstaking efforts, solely to stabilize the court,\" Yuan Feng, seated at the head of the inner hall of the Grand Coachman's residence, wore an expression of utter helplessness. \"For this, I even lost my post among the Nine Ministers, and came to serve as some mere Colonel of the Chang River Encampment with a rank of Equivalent to Two Thousand Bushels…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elder Brother,\" Yuan Kui, seated to the side, explained in a low voice, \"there was no helping it. You voluntarily requested punishment, but the only critical vacancy in the central administration was the Colonel of the Chang River Encampment. All other posts had long since been arranged.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am not truly disdainful of this post,\" Yuan Feng explained, growing ever more helpless. \"I can do this sort of thing for a few months, and when a vacancy opens among the Nine Ministers, I will simply return. What pains me is that despite all my hard work, I still could not stem this political tide. Look — everyone under Heaven is fixated on Cai Bojie and that Hongdu School. No one sees my grievances and my caution. Truly, all my efforts were in vain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Kui nodded slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, looking back from this moment, the grand court assembly on the first day of the month and the subsequent tacit concessions by Cao Jie and Yuan Feng had not only failed to stabilize the court — they seemed instead to have provided all parties with an unrestrained point of leverage. It was a case of \"twists of fate\" compounded by \"wasted efforts.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By the way, Elder Brother,\" Yuan Kui, after nodding, suddenly cupped his sleeves and asked, \"Since the situation has come to this, what should we do about it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What can we do?\" Yuan Feng countered. \"His Majesty's temperament is now fully evident — he is open to persuasion but not to coercion, persisting in his own way regardless of all opposition. Yet this matter touches upon fundamentals, and we can hardly ask the scholars to yield again… So, you submit a memorial, I submit a memorial — in a word, the Hongdu School cannot remain. As for Cai Bojie, who the hell cares whether he lives or dies!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Kui nodded slightly once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not only that,\" Yuan Feng continued. \"In the days to come, His Majesty will surely press his advantage, and his moves to purge old hands from the court may well grow even bolder. It is quite possible that even the struggle over the rear palace, which has dragged on for a year or two, will reach a resolution within this year… Therefore, we must be cautious and prudent. On the one hand, we must keep in step with the mainstream of the court; on the other, we must not become the ones sticking our necks out, lest we provoke His Majesty's wrath and bring about some unforeseen calamity!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand!\" This time, Yuan Kui nodded with particular alacrity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course you understand! Yuan Feng grumbled inwardly at his own blood brother… After all, when it came to holding a post without doing a shred of work, no one under Heaven was more adept than this gentleman!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet just as Yuan Feng had finally managed to set aside the unease in his heart, a figure suddenly darted past the doorway and prostrated himself directly outside the threshold. This was the inner hall — no one who was not a close confidant could reach this place. So the Colonel of the Chang River Encampment, barely half a month into his tenure, assumed it was that \"Roadside Hungry Ghost\" Yuan Gonglu arriving. But upon closer inspection, he was surprised to find it was his own eldest son, the ever-steady Yuan Ji.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is it?\" Yuan Feng immediately frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Father, Uncle,\" Yuan Ji's face was flushed, his breath coming in ragged gasps, but he forced himself to answer. \"Just now, Uncle from the Northern Palace sent word. He said that scoundrel Wang Fu went to see His Majesty, claiming that the Empress is practicing sorcery and cursing His Majesty! His Majesty flew into a great rage and ordered Wang Fu to thoroughly investigate this case!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wang Fu is a son of a bitch!\" By now, utterly helpless and driven to exasperation, Yuan Feng could only speak while covering his face. \"Why are these palace eunuchs all in such a damned hurry?! And sorcery… this is demanding the Empress's life, isn't it?! Couldn't they be a little more…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could finish, another figure came dashing in from outside and, with a crash, collided with the kneeling Yuan Ji, sending both tumbling head over heels. It was none other than the genuine \"Roadside Hungry Ghost,\" Yuan Gonglu himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the sight, Yuan Feng could not help but cover his face once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Shu, however, had no time for such things. Clutching a wooden tablet and wearing a panicked expression, he stepped directly over his elder brother and leaned against the threshold, shouting, \"Father, a great disaster has struck Luoyang!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get out!\" Yuan Feng erupted in fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuan Kui nodded slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————————I am the dividing line of impending disaster————————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant prostrates himself in contemplation of these manifold anomalies; all are portents of a kingdom's ruin. Heaven, toward the Great Han, is diligent and unceasing, and thus repeatedly sends forth calamitous changes to serve as reproof, desiring to make the ruler awaken to understanding, to alter danger and secure peace. Now the outbreaks of disaster and affliction occur not in other places — at a distance, they are at the gates and walls; close at hand, they are in the temple offices. Their service as warning and caution may be called most urgent. The falling of the rainbow and the transformation of the hen are both brought about by women meddling in governance. Formerly, the wet nurse Zhao Rao, esteemed and honored throughout the realm, in life amassed treasures rivaling the imperial treasury, and in death her tomb-mound exceeded the imperial gardens and mausoleums; her two sons received enfeoffments, and her brothers governed commanderies. Following her, the Clerk of the Yongle Gate, Huo Yu, relying on the shelter of the city altars, has also practiced wickedness and evil. Now the roads are abuzz with rumor, speaking again of one called Master Cheng; observing the signs of his influence, he will become a calamity to the state.\" — From \"Memorial in Response to the Change of Reign Title\" by Cai Yong\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Thanks to book friend Ran Yingyuan for the lavish reward, and to book friends Tan Wan and \"User Does Not Exist or Has Left\" for their tips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The previous chapter contained a massive, unforgivable error of common knowledge, and it was only discovered late at night through the reminder of book friend Ying Shanjun. It has been corrected. When one has a cold and headache… does one's intelligence truly drop? Or is it just age…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, the book friend group is 684558115 — everyone is welcome to join.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",5405,"2026-06-04T19:42:03.441Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","ffcbebdefb601848eac4d0acb729a01be6d6e09c9a72df527acdcafa9faf148b","overthrowing-han-chapter-114","overthrowing-han-chapter-112",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]