Chapter 12: Requesting Rewards

Prefect Hou was past forty. Though his attire was rather casual because he was in a military fortress — wearing neither official robes nor his signature blue ribbon seal-cord — he was still impeccably groomed, and with the three long strands of beard beneath his chin, he looked especially spirited.

In truth, this prefect was indeed at the prime age for a high-ranking official. And from Gongsun Xun's impression of him, this man was also quite capable and not at all easy to fool.

"Worthy nephew, rise quickly." With no one else in the room, Prefect Hou stroked the long beard beneath his chin and very amiably bade the other to stand. "Come, sit."

Rising was one thing, but going over to sit was out of the question. The gap in status between the two was simply too great — not only were they lord and vassal, but with Gongsun Zan standing right before the door and the prefect addressing him as "worthy nephew," the man was in a roundabout way an elder of sorts. Where was the logic in him going over to sit?

As expected, Prefect Hou had only been polite for a moment before getting straight to the point: "This night raid is truly the greatest victory our Great Han border commanderies have seen in over a decade, ever since Tanshihuai rose to power. I honestly did not expect that you, worthy nephew, so young in years, would possess such courage — daring to strike the many with the few, engaging the enemy in night battle. As one would expect of a scion of a renowned clan."

"My lord is too kind," Gongsun Xun replied calmly, standing with hands clasped. "We sons of the border commanderies do not have the deep family scholarship of the great houses of the Central Plains. Instead, we are versed in bow and horse; taking the field to kill the enemy is simply our duty."

Prefect Hou smiled slightly at these words. "Speaking of scholarship, the night before last your elder cousin already told me that you also wish to go to Luoyang to study under the great Confucian Lu Zhi. Such ambition is of course admirable — without mastering the classics and commentaries, how can one understand morality and the hearts of men? How can one bring forth his talents to harmonize yin and yang for all under heaven? And this matter is, in truth, quite simple. Look, I have already written the letter of recommendation for you, and inside is also my name-card... After the new year, you shall go with your clan cousin, under the commandery's name, to pursue your studies. You can look after each other."

Gongsun Xun hurried forward to receive this letter of recommendation and name-card, which to him were worth more than a city's ransom, and then bowed in thanks once more. Yet after giving thanks, he still stood with hands clasped to the side — for he had gathered that his immediate superior was still being quite generous. One matter was kept separate from another: the business of studying in Luoyang had been accounted against the dozen or so chests of bribes secretly delivered the night before last, and had nothing to do with the earlier night raid.

Therefore, the other party was bound to have further instructions next.

As expected, Prefect Hou's eyes shifted, and he immediately followed up with a question about the heads: "Right, there is one more matter. Worthy nephew, you are the Deputy Clerk of the Accounting Office of our Liaoxi Commandery — this matter of tallying is originally your responsibility. Tell me, for this batch of severed heads, how should our Liaoxi Commandery and Youbeiping Commandery divide the credit?"

"In reply to my lord," Gongsun Xun answered without hesitation, as if he had long prepared for this question. "Such a matter should be discussed between the two prefects themselves. I am merely a minor subordinate official and truly dare not speak out of turn... However, the head of the enemy chieftain Kezuique was, in any case, taken solely by our Liaoxi Commandery. This is a deed of great merit. As long as the commandery holds firmly to this, then in my humble view, a few more or a few less of the common heads below hardly matters — it can be treated as a favor done for Prefect Wang."

Prefect Hou nodded repeatedly at these words, his face showing rare delight. It must be said, the Great Han still placed great weight on military merit. For a grand official of the two-thousand-bushel rank, if these heads were handled properly, they might well be exchanged for a noble title. If one were a bit more shameless and sent some money to the great eunuchs in Luoyang, even enfeoffment as a marquis was possible.

So, just as the other had said, a major matter like dividing merit between two commanderies was naturally something for the two two-thousand-bushel grand officials to personally wrangle over. How could a petty two-hundred-bushel clerk like him be allowed to allocate the credit? The key reason for summoning him to ask was, in truth, still that head of Kezuique. And Gongsun Xun's words clearly meant that, without even asking, he was directly handing this crucial merit over to the commandery — that is, to the prefect himself to dispose of freely. This could not help but bring a delighted smile to Prefect Hou's brow.

Of course, since that was the case — with both wealth and merit involved — Prefect Hou told himself that, returning a peach for a plum, he certainly would not let this young man come out on the short end.

"These words are the prudent counsel of one who plans for the state." After the flash of delight on his face passed, Prefect Hou nodded with great poise. "The commandery will certainly have an accounting... Right, worthy nephew, I have heard that your esteemed mother, Lady Gongsun, is of benevolent heart. A few days ago, not only did she personally send beef and wine to honor the troops, but she also had your family's Anli Trading House take in many homeless refugees?"

"Ah!" Gongsun Xun's eyelid twitched immediately.

Now, as for gathering refugees — based on his understanding of his own mother, it was of course not entirely pure, but it could also be called a kind of good deed. At the very least, it gave those refugees who had lost their homes a path to survival, right? Yet from an official standpoint, it did seem somewhat sensitive... What was Prefect Hou's intention in bringing this up now?

"I will not hide it from you, worthy nephew." Prefect Hou seemed to perceive the other's worry, and soon resumed stroking his beard as he spoke. "Our Liaoxi Commandery is a border commandery — vast in area and difficult to manage. At the same time, various mixed barbarians, Wuhuan and Xianbei, live interspersed within the commandery. What is more troublesome is that the Xianbei raid the border year after year, and over time, far too many households have been lost. Your esteemed mother's actions in this matter are not only harmless, but beneficial... Do you still remember the matter of Guanzicheng being breached this past autumn?"

"Naturally, I remember."

"Go and tell your esteemed mother that the Anli Trading House is to be troubled to take extra care with Guanzicheng. First, the depths of winter are hard to endure, and we must still ask the Anli Trading House to help gather the refugees of Guanzicheng, who to this day must still rely on the commandery for relief. Second, Guanzicheng lies at the gathering point of the various Wuhuan and Xianbei tribes. The court will never abandon it. When the funds and grain from Qingzhou, Jizhou, and Yanzhou arrive next year, it is expected to be rebuilt. At that time, it would be better to simply entrust the task to the Anli Trading House."

There was even such an operation? Giving away both people and business, and phrasing it so considerately? And furthermore, given his mother's methods, after all the maneuvering at Guanzicheng, wouldn't a small half of it end up belonging to their family?

Of course, though he thought this in his heart, it did not delay Gongsun Xun from making a deep, long bow, graciously accepting on behalf of the Anli Trading House.

"There is one more matter," Prefect Hou continued. "Worthy nephew, in this instance, you ultimately faced the enemy in formation and personally took to the field to fight. I imagine you must be thoroughly familiar with the battle that night. Do you know, then, who in our Liaoxi Commandery distinguished themselves with exceptional merit in this battle and are worthy of special commendation?"

This was precisely what Gongsun Xun had been waiting for. He bowed once more, hands clasped, and said: "In reply to my enlightened lord, in this battle, two men from our Liaoxi Commandery performed truly remarkably."

"Tell me, let me hear."

"One is my clan cousin, Gongsun Yue. Although he did not personally face the enemy in battle, he assisted my clan uncle, Chief Clerk Gongsun of Youbeiping, in the rear, directing operations with calm assurance and seizing the moment of battle... Launching the cavalry to attack from front and rear, and sending the infantry in successive waves to provide support — these were all his original proposals..."

"Excellent!" Prefect Hou stroked his long beard with his left hand and slapped the armrest with his right, directly cutting off Gongsun Xun's words. "I knew it! Your Gongsun clan truly deserves to be the foremost renowned clan of our Liaoxi. Not only do you serve the royal cause with loyalty through the generations, shunning neither death nor danger, but outstanding talents also emerge in endless succession... How old is this clan cousin of yours this year?"

"Only one year younger than this humble clerk. His physique is fully developed, he is proficient in both bow and horse, and he has a rough grasp of letters and accounts, understanding ledgers and numbers. If this young man could receive my lord's favorable regard, I have heard... I have heard that the position of Revenue Clerk of our Lingzhi County fell vacant just last month?"

Revenue — as the name implies, it was the county department managing household registries, corvée labor, agriculture, sericulture, and roads — a department of supreme practical authority. Add to this that, during the Eastern Han, the greatest wealth of local magnates was in fact the concealed households, and the importance of this Revenue Clerk position was self-evident without asking.

Not to mention, this was the Revenue Clerk of Lingzhi, the very county where the Gongsun clan itself resided. Both the Gongsun main clan and the Anli Trading House headquarters would be directly affected by this position.

In short, the rank of this Revenue Clerk was merely that of a hundred-bushel clerk, but like Gongsun Xun's own Chief Accountant post, its power was immense. Meanwhile, the position of Village Chief that Han Dang was so diligently seeking, yet still worried he might not obtain, was a rank equivalent to two hundred bushels — but if you truly asked someone to choose, nine out of ten ordinary people would probably still pick the Revenue Clerk.

In fact, had Prefect Hou's attitude not been so favorable earlier, Gongsun Xun might not have dared to so blatantly seek this position.

"Ah!" Prefect Hou pondered for a moment, then immediately shook his head. "Having rendered such merit, how can he be relegated to a mere Revenue Clerk? If word got out, wouldn't people laugh at me for treating the scions of a renowned clan harshly?"

Gongsun Xun's eyelid twitched; he truly did not know what to say.

"Let us do it this way. You say this clan cousin of yours is one year younger than you?"

"Yes."

"He has not yet studied the classics and commentaries?"

"Yes." A sudden joy rose in Gongsun Xun's heart.

"Master Lu is also a renowned Confucian of the realm," Prefect Hou continued. "It would not be appropriate for me to recommend too many people in the commandery's name. As it happens, Prefect Wang of Youbeiping is also here in Lulongsai, and your clan cousin's merit was earned while assisting your clan uncle, who serves as Chief Clerk in Youbeiping — so it can be considered a legitimate basis. Let us do it this way: this evening I will speak with Prefect Wang and ask him to write a letter of recommendation in the name of Youbeiping Commandery, so that your clan cousin may also go to study... Three brothers serving the same master — when word spreads, it will be a fine tale!"

"Many thanks to the Prefect for his gracious fulfillment. Xun is endlessly grateful!" Gongsun Xun's face lit up with joy, and he directly bowed low in thanks.

In truth, Gongsun Xun was genuinely happy for Gongsun Yue, that thick-browed, big-eyed clan cousin of his. To say nothing else, the matter of the other offering to go into battle in his place before the night raid had moved him deeply. That a clan cousin so close to him could open a true channel of advancement — how could it not fill him with delighted surprise?

"Very good!" Prefect Hou also clapped his hands and laughed. "You mentioned two men just now. Who is the other?"

"In reply to my lord, it is precisely Han Dang, Han Yigong — the one who first proposed the night raid, was the first to engage the enemy, and forced Kezuique to flee on the field. This man possesses surpassing physical strength and took countless heads in battle. For this great victory, his merit is the highest." By now, Gongsun Xun's mood was exceptionally relaxed. If Prefect Hou thought even the Revenue Clerk position was too low and unworthy for Gongsun Yue, then what did Han Dang's request for a mere Village Chief count for?

"Han Dang..." Prefect Hou stroked his beard, a look of doubt appearing on his face. "Is he a man of our Liaoxi Commandery?"

"Yes."

"But I have been serving in Liaoxi for nearly a year now," Prefect Hou said, frowning. "The commandery has five great cities, over fifteen Battalion Commander, and nearly a hundred thousand souls. I wouldn't say I know them all like the back of my hand, but I have some impression of them all. I have never heard of any major clan surnamed Han?"

Gongsun Xun's heart thumped, and he could only brace himself to explain: "I dare not deceive my lord. This man is the son of a humble family. However, his valor truly surpasses the entire army!"

"Ah!" Prefect Hou immediately shook his head. "A son of a humble family — no matter how great his valor, he is still nothing more than a man of mere brawn... Enough. Tell me, what post does he currently hold here in Lulongsai, and what post does he seek?"

Gongsun Xun's heart was thrown into turmoil by the other's words, yet he could only lower his head and respond: "This man is currently a Squad Leader of cavalry. Might it be possible to make him a Village Chief of cavalry?"

"Squad Leader, Village Chief?" Prefect Hou pondered briefly, then shook his head again. "Since it is you, worthy nephew, speaking on his behalf, a Village Chief is not out of the question. But where is there a vacancy? In this great victory, our casualties were only a few dozen, and there are even fewer vacancies among the officers at any level... Let us do it this way: since you value him so highly, your Lingzhi County still lacks a Barrier Defense Commandant. That can be considered doing him a favor."

Gongsun Xun's heart instantly turned ice-cold.

Barrier Defense Commandant was also a two-hundred-bushel rank, theoretically half a step higher than Village Chief, and the same rank as his own current post of Deputy Clerk of the Accounting Office.

But was a Battalion Commandant the same thing as a Provincial Inspector just because both were six-hundred-bushel court-appointed officials? When a Provincial Inspector went on a rampage, he could make the two-thousand-bushel grand officials of a dozen commanderies and kingdoms too terrified to sleep. What kind of thing was a Battalion Commandant, then? Believe it or not, if the two-thousand-bushel grand official before him now were to execute every single Battalion Commandant in this Lulongsai, no one would so much as let out a fart.

And returning to the matter at hand, what exactly did this Barrier Defense Commandant, also of the two-hundred-bushel rank, actually do? The answer was simple. Did not this entire border defense system stretch for several hundred li? Thus, the nearby counties all had the obligation to carry out maintenance and resupply. So each county behind the border defenses would establish a Barrier Defense Commandant, responsible for leading the civilian laborers in these tasks.

You wanted to make Han Dang — a bow-and-horse warrior whose valor surpassed the entire army — into a foreman of civilian laborers... This was like, in later ages, a special forces squad leader rendering great merit and requesting to be a field company commander, only for the higher-ups to wave a hand grandly and say, there are no vacancies for company commander, go be a deputy director of the county People's Armed Forces Department and enjoy your retirement! The salary was even half a rank higher!

What kind of logic was this?!

"Worthy nephew, say no more." Prefect Hou was already growing somewhat impatient. It was only seeing the uncertain, shocked look on Gongsun Xun's face that made him add a couple more sentences. "You and that clan cousin of yours are both scions of a renowned clan. Your mother Lady Gongsun's Anli Trading House is, with the Gongsun clan, one entity in two forms. As an administrator, I must naturally treat you with sincerity. But this Han Dang is no more than a son of a humble family. How can he be entrusted with heavy responsibility? If his merit is indeed outstanding, then tomorrow, when merits are assessed, I will simply reward him with extra coin and silk. If he is still insatiable, I can hardly be bothered to employ him! You are dismissed. Do not forget to take your clan cousin to pay a visit to Prefect Wang — that is the important matter!"

Gongsun Xun had the mind to argue further, but official authority is like the sea; in the end, he dared not say more. He could only sigh inwardly, bow low once more, and take his leave.

"Lu Zhi, courtesy name Zigan, studied under Ma Rong, authored Minister Zhangju and Sanli Jiegu, and was renowned in the world as a Confucian. During the Xiping era of Han, the Grand Ancestor, together with his clan cousin Gongsun Zan, clan cousin Gongsun Yue, and Liu Bei of Zhuo Commandery, all studied together under Lu Zhi's tutelage at Mount Goushi. From this, the Fanyang Lu clan rose to prominence and its name was passed down through the ages." — Old Book of Yan, Volume 79, Biographies, Chapter 29

Just signed the contract, and Erniu became an Alliance Master, while Nai Ba and Mao Buhuai both gave red-tier tips — it's got me... under so much pressure I'm ready to just say "to hell with it" and go for broke.

By the way, in the last chapter many people raised the issue of "gaining Long and coveting Shu"... Actually, the allusion "gaining Long and coveting Shu" originates from Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu. By the time Cao Cao used it, it was already a transformed allusion. However, because of *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, people immediately think of Cao Cao when they see this phrase... So, using it here is not necessarily inappropriate.

But putting that aside, this sort of thing is really hard to avoid... Some things everyone can recognize, others they might not necessarily recall. The late Han is still too distant; if one really had to be strict about many allusions and terms, it truly would be impossible to write.

As for those asking about the typo joke — it's actually just Boss Cao being flirtatious. You can look up the allusion of "Gun (Rolling) Snow."

(End of Chapter)