Chapter 120: No Life

Gongsun Xun had no idea that he had been let off so easily because someone mistook him for Geng Yan.

Still, if he had known, what would his reaction have been?

Probably... he would have been quite pleased! After all, in his life plan, what he set out to do was nothing more than be a Geng Yan — or even just a slightly lesser Geng Yan — honestly working for whichever "Emperor Guangwu" came along, earning himself the title of "Master of Liaoxi." And wasn't Yuan Feng elevating him even further by calling him the Master of the North?

So yes, he probably would have been!

Of course, not only did Gongsun Xun not know any of this, but even if he had, this was hardly the time to be thinking about Geng Yan.

In fact, right now, on this morning in mid-March, everything he saw and thought was focused on three words: Champion Marquis!

Who was the Champion Marquis?

In the history of the Great Han, there had been three Champion Marquises before. The first, without question, was Huo Qubing, who sealed Langjuxu — his deeds need no elaboration.

The second was Jia Fu, the foremost warrior under Emperor Guangwu, the founding emperor of the Later Han. His title of Champion Marquis was well-deserved, not to mention that he later had his title changed.

The third was Dou Xian, a Later Han consort kin who died less than a hundred years ago. His character was admittedly poor — he assassinated the Empress Dowager's favored minister and framed Cai Lun, the inventor of paper. Yet even this man, cornered in a political struggle, had no choice but to strike north against the Xiongnu — and with one battle he succeeded, carving stone at Yanran!

Sealing Langjuxu and carving stone at Yanran — these are achievements destined to be paired in history. So when he returned to court in triumph, it was acceptable for him to grant himself the title of Champion Marquis in his smug satisfaction.

However — and this is the however — Gongsun Xun never imagined that the Great Han would have a fourth legitimate Champion Marquis! And a eunuch at that! Had he not seen with his own eyes the three characters "Champion Marquis" displayed on Wang Fu's gate, he would have thought he was dreaming!

Poor Gongsun Xun, born in a border commandery, who as a child reading history with his mother had dreamed of becoming a Champion Marquis... who would have thought that today he would learn the title had been snatched away by Wang Fu! In all honesty, with this title in that man's hands for so long, whoever truly earned the title of Champion Marquis in the future would find it revolting, wouldn't they?!

"Young Master!" Since following Gongsun Xun, Han Dang had learned a few characters, but his literacy was limited. He did not understand what the writing on that magnificent mansion's gate represented, nor why Gongsun Xun kept staring at the gate. "Everything is in position. Shall we go in and seize him? I've been to this residence before. With this many men, plus the armored troops directly under the Colonel Director of Retainers, we can charge straight in and guarantee we take him!"

"Not yet!" Gongsun Xun snapped back to attention and quickly said. "Lord Yang has not yet returned from the palace with the decree. We must wait... This is an arrest, not a mutiny. For now, we are only blocking him to prevent him from fleeing into the palace!"

"Understood!" Han Dang did not fully grasp the reasoning, but he understood how to follow orders.

"Be careful. Keep the bystanders far back, and watch out for hidden passages or anything of the sort!"

"Understood..."

As the two were speaking, they heard the gate of the Champion Marquis residence creak open. Wang Fu, who was home on leave, stormed out aggressively with a group of armed retainers. The passersby who had been lingering nearby, craning their necks, were instantly terrified — some fled clutching their heads, others drove their carts away in panic.

In an instant, the broad Luoyang street was empty, leaving only two groups standing openly opposed with weapons drawn.

"Gongsun Xun! You brat, humiliating me at my own door time and again — do you want to die?" The pale, slightly plump Wang Fu erupted in fury. "Your wife's uncle's face is not worth as much to me as you think!"

"When did I humiliate him at his door time and again?" Gongsun Xun, momentarily confused, could only ask Han Dang beside him.

Of course, the moment the words left his mouth, Gongsun Xun glanced at Han Dang and immediately understood. Wasn't it so? On the night of the first day of the new year, "he" had climbed over this very wall and shot arrows into the man's house, then shouted something about sooner or later taking his head!

Half of Luoyang knew about this — there was no reason he, the person involved, would not know!

"Lord Wang!" Just as Wang Fu, seeing Gongsun Xun completely ignoring him, was about to explode, a quick-witted retainer suddenly tugged at Wang Fu's sleeve. "Something is wrong — there are armored troops behind them..."

Wang Fu's heart jolted in alarm!

The eunuchs of the Great Han, in truth, far surpassed the scholars and consort kin in political sensitivity and decisiveness. Their outstanding tradition of political struggle, combined with the natural protection of the Northern Palace's imperial authority, was precisely their chief weapon for repeatedly defeating the strong while being the weak.

And although Wang Fu had held court power for over a decade and had grown corrupt and degenerate for over a decade, he had, after all, crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood! During the September coup, seventeen men conspired together. Cao Jie may have been the leader, but Wang Fu was by no means unworthy of his reputation. It was he who was boldest, falsely claiming an edict to name himself Prefect of the Yellow Gates, and then took the lead in stirring up a storm of blood. The man's arrogance had a foundation!

So, back to the present. Home on leave, moments ago feasting and drinking inside, tallying the spoils from this venture — the moment Wang Fu heard the words "armored troops," he knew something was terribly wrong. Luoyang was full of great houses; it was common for retainers to carry blades and bows. But soldiers clad in iron armor could only represent formal military force!

With this single thought, the last shred of political instinct left in his bones drove Wang Fu to turn and flee back into his residence without a second thought.

Seeing this, the armored troops directly under the Colonel Director of Retainers made no move. They were, after all, a key military force in the capital region, and they answered to the Colonel Director of Retainers. Until Yang Qiu returned with a decree from the palace, they would not act.

This, however, was precisely where Gongsun Xun's value lay!

"As long as Wang Fu and Wang Meng are alive, the rest do not matter!"

Seeing the situation, although Gongsun Xun inwardly sensed trouble, he no longer hesitated. He immediately drew the "Broken Blade of Xiang Yu," pointed it forward, and led his personal followers in the charge!

In an instant, screams rang out incessantly before the Champion Marquis residence.

Wang Fu's retainers, though many were men of unusual ability, were no match for Gongsun Xun's followers, who were border army veterans and acted with discipline. Moreover, one side was caught off guard while the other was fully prepared. After the first clash, Wang Fu's men suffered heavy casualties and collapsed instantly!

As for the somewhat portly Wang Fu, he was soon dragged out by his hair by Han Dang, in full view of the public, from inside the gate!

"Young man of the Gongsun clan, do not be used by others!" Wang Fu, his hair disheveled, was dragged by Han Dang down the bloodstained steps, still shouting as he went. "Those scholars only see that your blade is sharp and want to use you as a sharp weapon for the moment — once they're done, they'll throw you away! Think carefully: I am the Champion Marquis, a Regular Palace Attendant with a full two-thousand-dan rank. Killing a two-thousand-dan official in broad daylight without an edict... neither your teacher nor your wife's uncle can save you! Why throw your life away for those scholars?!"

"No matter." Gongsun Xun flicked the blood droplets from the "Broken Blade of Xiang Yu" and let out a rough breath. "Lord Wang, please sit quietly. I have no intention of killing you and your son. We will speak once the Colonel Director of Retainers arrives with the decree!"

Wang Fu froze for a moment, then burst into loud laughter as he sat in the pool of blood on the ground: "Are you truly this foolish? For centuries in our Great Han, it has always been we who borrow the Northern Palace's power to kill you. When has it ever been your turn to borrow the Northern Palace's power to kill us?!"

Gongsun Xun smiled without speaking. Wang Fu had indeed been so corrupted by over a decade of wealth and luxury that he had lost his edge. So many people in the Northern Palace wanted him dead — did he truly not know?

A moment later, Wei Yue also came over, pushing Wang Fu's adopted son, Wang Meng, the Lesser Prefect of the Yongle Palace. This man, upon hearing that his father had been captured outside, had come out and surrendered directly. He had offered no resistance throughout, so his clothes, hat, and shoes were all in order.

However, when Wang Meng saw his father lying in a pool of blood in such a state, speaking incoherently, he grew frantic. Only Wei Yue's grip prevented him from rushing over: "We father and son are indeed guilty of grave sins, but my father is already at such an age — why treat him like this?! If you must vent your hatred through punishment, start with me!"

"Meng'er!" As the saying goes, true feelings emerge in times of turmoil. Seeing his adopted son so filial, Wang Fu was not alarmed but delighted. "I am not seriously hurt, merely sitting in a pool of blood. Without an edict, they dare not kill us, two two-thousand-dan officials... Let us wait for someone from the palace to rescue us!"

Wang Meng, seeing his father unharmed, was overjoyed at first, but after hearing these words, he raised his head to the sky and sighed deeply: "Father, there is no need to deceive ourselves. The things we have done these years — others may not know, but do we not know ourselves? We deserve to die ten thousand times over! And the matter of confining the Empress — I said before, when the Son of Heaven made us do it, it was not necessarily out of good will..."

"It is nothing!" Wang Fu struggled to comfort him. "I have killed even the Grand General — a mere Empress..."

"My lord!" Wang Meng could bear it no longer. "Even if the Northern Palace were willing to spare us, we have no path of escape today! Look at the blood on his blade — now that the blade has tasted blood, given this White Horse General's ferocity in burning Danhan, even if a decree truly came from the palace to rescue us, before he fled he would still take our heads, father and son, to make his name known across the realm! My lord, from the moment blades were drawn, we father and son were fated to have no way out!"

Wang Fu's expression finally changed.

But Gongsun Xun, hearing this, could not help but laugh heartily, laughing until tears came: "I never imagined Lord Wang had raised such a filial and clear-sighted adopted son... A pity, to have such good fortune yet not know restraint, not to follow the example of Cao Teng in befriending scholars to secure a future for one's descendants, but instead to drag one's son to death?!"

Wang Fu's face was ashen. He tried to crawl over and clutch Gongsun Xun's trouser leg, but Han Dang dragged him back by the hair and slammed him to the ground. He could only prostrate himself in the street and kowtow: "I beg Gentleman of the Household Gongsun to spare the lives of me and my son. I am willing to swear an oath to heaven here and now that I will never pursue this matter, and to offer all the treasures of my household. I only ask..."

"Why must Lord Wang jest?" Gongsun Xun sheathed his blade, clasped his hands behind his back, and stood before him, his expression suddenly turning stern. "As your son said, we have already drawn our blades — how could this possibly end here? If a decree comes from the palace ordering you to prison, then naturally it will be Lord Yang, the Colonel Director of Retainers, who speaks with you. But if a decree comes from the palace to rescue you, then I will have no choice but to kill you both, father and son, and flee beyond the frontier like Zhang Jian... Does Lord Wang know Zhang Jian? Do you know his story?"

Wang Fu lay prostrate on the ground, trembling like chaff in a sieve, and spoke no more. Wang Meng, too, sighed once and fell silent.

A unit of armored troops directly under the Colonel Director of Retainers stood arrayed in the street, utterly still.

The retainers of the Champion Marquis residence had been disarmed, then driven to huddle against the wall, heads clutched in their hands, forbidden to make a sound.

Dozens of followers from the Yanmen border commandery patrolled back and forth before the marquis residence gate, weapons in hand, but did not enter the residence to search.

Inside the marquis residence, there had been a brief commotion, but once they realized both the front and back gates were blocked, they too sank into a despairing silence.

On the steps, strewn with several corpses, Gongsun Xun stood while Wang Fu and his son knelt — each silent.

Even the retainers and servants of various households craning their necks in the distance, along with a few bold passersby, dared not make a sound!

The entire situation was eerily strange. Everyone was silent, everyone waiting for the decree from the palace. And what was interesting was that the person both sides expected to deliver that decree was none other than Yang Qiu, the Colonel Director of Retainers — not a eunuch.

No one knew how much time had passed when the thunder of hoofbeats sounded. Everyone could not help but look up, and to everyone's relief, the newcomer was indeed Yang Qiu, Yang Fangzheng, who had taken advantage of Wang Fu's home leave to enter the palace under the pretext of offering thanks and seek an audience with the Son of Heaven!

"No!" At the final moment, Wang Fu, who had thought he had escaped disaster, suddenly regained a sliver of clarity as if in a final rally before death. "I am a eunuch — all my countless favors and glories came from the Northern Palace. Now that the Son of Heaven has abandoned me, even if I cling to life for a while, once I enter the imperial prison, it will be certain death with no chance of survival..."

Wang Meng, standing nearby, could not help but look dejected as well: "If that is the case, then it would be better to die right now under Gongsun Xun's sharp blade!"

"I knew Wenqi's saber was exceedingly sharp and would never let this villain escape!" Yang Qiu, seeing from a distance that both Wang Fu and his son had been captured, was overjoyed on horseback. "Wenqi, rest assured — I reported to the throne that Wang Fu extorted over seventy million cash in just a few days in Jingzhao. The Son of Heaven was furious and has granted me the authority to punish them at my discretion! Even if we were to dismember these two today, it would be of no consequence!"

Gongsun Xun could not help but rejoice as well... Not having to follow Zhang Jian's example was certainly the better option!

Yang Qiu dismounted and, too lazy even to present the imperial decree, immediately urged the armored soldiers forward to seize the prisoners. He then turned and instructed Gongsun Xun: "When I submitted the memorial earlier, I included Wang Fu's henchman Duan Wei along with several other Regular Palace Attendants. The rest are of little concern, but Duan Wei alone — if he is not captured this very day, neither you nor I will have a moment's peace. I will now assign Wenqi a squad of armored soldiers. I must trouble you to spare no effort and swiftly bind that tiger, lest he struggle free and cause trouble!"

Gongsun Xun naturally had nothing to object to — he was even somewhat impatient to act. He immediately agreed, then set off at once, turning and departing without delay.

"Lord Yang!" At that moment, Wang Meng suddenly knelt in the middle of the street and spoke with earnest entreaty. "Lord Yang, I too once served as Colonel-Director of Retainers. By the conventions of officialdom, you and I are what they call 'predecessor and successor in office' — there is some connection between us. Moreover, you and I have shared many banquets and cups of wine..."

"And then?" Yang Qiu could not help but sneer.

Gongsun Xun also paused his steps with keen interest.

"I know that we, father and son, are steeped in monstrous crimes and doomed to die!" Wang Meng kowtowed repeatedly. "But my father is advanced in years. I only beg that once we are in prison, you do not have him tortured — grant him a swift end. Let every punishment fall upon me alone!"

Wang Fu's face was already ashen as death; he showed no reaction.

But upon hearing these words, Yang Qiu's expression suddenly changed, and he fiercely raised his horsewhip and lashed it across the other man's face — again and again without pause:

"So you know that you, father and son, are steeped in monstrous crimes? Yesterday, while reviewing case files in the Colonel-Director of Retainers' office, I examined the record of your younger brother Wang Ji. Relying on your family's power, he served as Chancellor in Pei for five years and killed nearly ten thousand people in total. After killing them, he would have their bodies dismembered and placed on carts, forbidding anyone from collecting them, and paraded through every county for all to see! Mounds of white bones and rotting flesh — the whole world has witnessed it with their own eyes. The case files for those ten thousand murders were listed in his own hand and are now in the Retainers' office... For this one matter alone, how could I possibly let you, father and son, die so easily?! Why do you think I risked entering the palace the moment the Empress died? Was it not precisely because I could not endure such things?!"

Gongsun Xun had originally felt a measure of admiration for Wang Meng, but upon hearing this, his expression could not help but turn cold... How many people could there be in a single commandery, and yet over ten thousand were killed — could they all have been condemned prisoners guilty of capital offenses?! Behind the bones of those ten thousand, how many wails and cries of grief were there? Who among them was not more pitiable than Wang Meng?!

Just as Yang Qiu had said — for this one matter alone, the Wang Fu family deserved to be torn apart by five horses!

And so, after lashing out furiously for a spell, Yang Qiu had vented half his pent-up rage. But just as he turned to summon the armored soldiers to take the father and son away, Wang Meng, knowing full well there was no hope left, suddenly wiped his blood-streaked face and, stiffening his neck as he sat up, burst into a torrent of abuse:

"Yang Qiu, you wretch! Back when you were awaiting judgment in Luoyang, you wagged your tail everywhere like a dog! When you came to our house, you served us, father and son, at the banquet table like a slave attending his master! Now you turn and bite the hand that fed you — a slave betraying his master! In the future, you will surely suffer—"

"Gag him!" Gongsun Xun, like everyone else, had been momentarily stunned, but he was the first to recover his wits and give the order.

"Gag him with stones!" Yang Qiu's face was crimson, nearly driven to madness. "And bind him and drag him behind the cart! I will personally drive the cart and drag them, father and son, all the way into the prison — consider it my personally attending to them, father and son, one more time!"

Gongsun Xun felt a slight chill of awe, but he paid no further heed to the matter. He merely signaled Han Dang and the others to tear down the plaque bearing the title "Marquis of Champion" from the Wang residence gate, smear it in the pool of blood, and then headed straight for Duan Wei's residence at the Grand Palace Grandee's mansion.

———————I am the "personally attending to you" dividing line———————

"Wang Fu sent his disciples to monopolize official goods and wealth in the Jingzhao region, amassing over seventy million cash. Jingzhao Yin Yang Biao exposed his crimes and reported them to the Colonel-Director of Retainers. At that time, Wang Fu was on leave at his private residence, and Duan Wei had also returned home. Yang Qiu wished to go to the palace under the pretext of expressing gratitude for imperial grace, and thereby memorialize the crimes of Wang Fu, Duan Wei, and the Regular Palace Attendants Chunyu Deng, Yuan She, and Feng Yu. However, fearing that Wang Fu would hear of it and enter the palace to contend with him, he dared not act. The Grand Ancestor was then serving as an Attendant Official in the capital and volunteered to lead his loyal followers to blockade Wang Fu's residence! When they arrived, before Yang Qiu could even obtain the decree, the Grand Ancestor personally took up his blade and fought, leading his loyal followers in an assault on the residence. He first captured Wang Fu and his son Wang Meng, then dragged them by their hair and caps to the gate to stand guard. Wang Fu lay in a pool of blood, bewildered and uncomprehending: 'To attack a two-thousand-bushel official without a decree is a capital crime with no chance of pardon — what benefit is this to you, sir?' The Grand Ancestor answered with righteous indignation: 'You, father and son, and your clansmen are steeped in every vice — greedy, base, and cruel, taking lives wantonly. The realm has long suffered under you! Since the matter has been set in motion, there is only advancing, no retreating. Even if I must live as a fugitive in the wilderness, I will still rid the world of you wretches!' When the assault began, the scholars and commoners of Luoyang lined the streets to watch, and when they heard these words, they all leaped and cheered in praise, knowing then that Wang Fu would not live!" — The Old Book of Yan, Volume 1, Annals of the Grand Ancestor, the Martial Emperor

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(End of Chapter)