[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-129":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},1222888,1620,"Chapter 129: Where To Go","overthrowing-han-chapter-129",129,"\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun only learned the news that very evening, and as most would have expected, he was both shocked and furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could the edict be delivered directly into the hands of the Colonel-Director of Retainers?\" Facing Wang Lang, who had come to deliver the message, Gongsun Xun practically roared. \"Wasn't the whole point of having Qiao Gong head the Imperial Secretariat precisely so he could stall at a time like this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Lang hurriedly explained, \"The Northern Palace first issued a decree to have Cao Jie replace Qiao Gong as Prefect of the Imperial Secretariat...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And he just nodded and accepted it?!\" Gongsun Xun grew even more furious. \"He is a renowned minister of the realm — could he not have pushed back? If he pushed back, could the Son of Heaven have killed him?! A man in his seventies or eighties — would the Son of Heaven dare kill him?! Would he even dare curse him?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Lang found it even harder to speak, and could only lower his head in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, I must go and ask Qiao Gong face to face for an explanation!\" Gongsun Xun paced twice around his own hall with his hands behind his back, and finally could not contain himself. In the end, he simply flung his sleeves and went straight out the door to question Qiao Xuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in the April night, with warm breezes wafting, Gongsun Xun rode alone on his horse, and the closer he drew to the Qiao residence, the more disheartened he became.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the end, he had grown somewhat despairing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Gongsun Xun was no fool... How could he not know that the reason he and Yang Qiu had been able to slaughter eunuchs like dogs was, in truth, because of infighting between the old and new eunuch factions — that they had been executing eunuchs by imperial decree! And within that lay the one-in-a-million opportunity brought by Yuan Feng's sudden stroke!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So once Cao Jie reached a reconciliation with Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, and that group of newly risen eunuchs, everything became irreversible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, ever since that day when he had been outmaneuvered and Cao Jie had slipped into the Northern Palace, Gongsun Xun had already been mentally prepared, and had even imagined worse outcomes. The reason he was so furious today was simply that Cao Jie's methods had been too brilliant — in a mere half day, the tables had been completely turned. Events had come too fast, and after all, how many people can truly remain unflinching when a mountain crumbles before them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Qiao Xuan, truth be told, the old man was far too shrewd a person. By the time he received the decree from the palace, he probably understood at once that the overall situation was settled. Besides, he was indeed old now; on one hand, he had seen too much, and on the other, he truly could not be bothered. So he simply handed over his seal and cord, waved his hand, and went home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That being the case, what did he himself have to question?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, realizing this was simple, but forcing himself to calm down took time. And by the time Gongsun Xun found it all pointless, he had already arrived directly inside the gates of the Qiao residence... At this point, leaving without seeing Qiao Xuan seemed rather inappropriate, though of course, there was nothing to say even if he did see him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, Gongsun Xun did something utterly baffling — he followed the Qiao household servants straight into the inner hall, bowed once with clasped hands toward Qiao Xuan, who was playing with a small child, and then turned directly to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Qiao Xuan, seeing Gongsun Xun so abrupt, could not help but rise and call after him: \"Wenqi, wait — why come and go in such haste?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I came in indignation, hence the haste; I leave finding it pointless, hence the haste as well.\" Gongsun Xun stopped at once and sighed. \"What else did you expect of me, Qiao Gong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think, Wenqi, that you need neither be indignant nor find it pointless.\" Qiao Xun also sighed, then stepped forward slowly and said, \"In this campaign of yours with Yang Qiu, though you borrowed the authority of the Son of Heaven and exploited the eunuchs' infighting to use one against the other, you still truly put to death Wang Fu, Duan Jiong, and Chen Jiu, and expelled the powerful eunuchs Zhang Feng, Feng Yu, Yuan She, and Chunyu Deng... Is that not enough for you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qiao Xuan's meaning was clear: in terms of personal objectives, whatever others might say, you, Gongsun Xun, have already made your name resound across the realm through this wave of action — you sought benevolence and obtained it. That being so, what more is there to dwell on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I merely regret not being able to achieve complete success.\" Gongsun Xun shook his head repeatedly. \"Outmaneuvered by a single move — I truly cannot accept it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do not cling to obsession.\" Qiao Xuan continued to counsel. \"Since the matter cannot be pursued and the path of retreat is clear, you should extricate yourself early.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun nodded reluctantly, for what was called 'reason' told him this was exactly right: \"Qiao Gong speaks truly. In that case, I shall go pay a visit to Teacher Lu.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go then!\" Qiao Xuan waved a hand casually. \"At this moment, you need have no misgivings. Quickly borrow your teacher's authority and responsibility, find a large county, and serve a term as County Magistrate — nothing is more proper than that...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun naturally had nothing to say. He bowed deeply, took his leave once more, and departed. And though Qiao Xuan watched his retreating figure for a moment, as if wanting to say more, in the end he said nothing further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And indeed, once Gongsun Xun was out the main gate of the Qiao residence, he pulled himself together and swiftly headed to Lu Zhi's place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact was, events had broken suddenly. Now that Cao Jie once again controlled the Tiger Guard Army and the Feathered Forest Army, what if he took the chance while Gongsun Xun entered the Southern Palace to stage some sort of Vermilion Bird Gate Incident... Well, in any case, Gongsun Xun had no reason to stake his life on a eunuch's 'goodwill'!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Consider Wang Fu, whose corpse was dismembered — he probably never imagined that he was, in fact, a sacrificial offering thrown out by his good partner Cao Jie to blood-let, did he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, looking back now, Cao Jie's retreat-as-advance that day clearly had the flavor of pushing Wang Fu forward as a sacrificial offering, and the fact that Luo Mu repeatedly came to pass along news of Wang Fu and the others was the best proof of it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing such a man, perhaps Qiao Xuan was right — he should take what he had gained and stop, then seek a path of retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where do you plan to go?\" Lu Zhi was seated on the couch at home writing something, and did not even bother to look up when he heard his student enter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where does my teacher think I could go?\" Gongsun Xun asked urgently, before he could even sit down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let me think.\" Lu Zhi continued writing on the paper without pause, merely answering offhandedly. \"You are too young. Otherwise, based on your merits, a direct appointment at two thousand shi would be no problem. But since you are only twenty-two, still in your cap-wearing youth, you will have to serve as a county magistrate. Yet not all county magistrate posts are the same. By our dynasty's system, a small county may even have a county chief of three hundred shi, while a large county can have a county magistrate of up to one thousand shi. You were originally a Major of a Separate Detachment at equivalent-to-one-thousand-shi rank, and after achieving merit you entered the court as a Gentleman — so an external appointment can only be to the highest-level large county, serving a term as a thousand-shi County Magistrate, to conform to regulations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the occupational ailment that came from serving too long as Minister of the Bureau of Personnel Selection. Gongsun Xun could not be bothered to interrupt him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And by our dynasty's convention, appointments must observe the Law of Three Mutual Exclusions, yet beyond that, one should be as close to one's home district as possible, to fulfill both loyalty and filial piety... Hmm, in terms of distance from Liaoxi, the surrounding large counties of ten Battalion Commander are none other than Tuyin in Youbeiping, Jixian in Guangyang Commandery, Yuyang County in Yuyang Commandery, Quanzhou in Yuyang Commandery, Zhuoxian in Zhuo Commandery, Nanpi in Bohai Commandery, Lecheng in Hejian Commandery, and Xiangping in Liaodong Commandery — just these few. And if we speak of famous places in Hebei, naturally there are also Handan, Yecheng, Jinyang, Pingyuan, Linji, and the like. What do you think?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun's head instantly swelled to the size of a bushel basket... How was he supposed to know? By the rules of officialdom, he should have served at least a full year as a Gentleman of the Masters of Writing, and only discussed external assignment in the tenth month — even serving three years would have been normal. But now, with Cao Jie's sudden counterattack, he was clearly in the position of fleeing in panic — how could he have thought this far?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this was also a kind of happy vexation, because if he were truly someone without backing, he would probably have fled straight home overnight, and would not be sitting here fretting over which famous county in Hebei to go to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So after thinking for a long while, Gongsun Xun could only bow helplessly: \"I leave it entirely to my teacher's arrangement.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is not easy to arrange either!\" Lu Zhi continued writing his documents without pause, yet added helplessly, \"These large counties I just mentioned — in truth, none of them have vacancies. Those appointed to these large counties are either veteran officials or young talents like yourself. The Bureau of Personnel Selection keeps a special eye on them, and there is absolutely no reason to promote or demote them without cause.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, hearing this back-and-forth, Gongsun Xun, whose confidence had risen somewhat after the eunuch executions, began to feel apprehensive again. After all, facing Teacher Lu, he always felt a bit inadequate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teacher, there is really no need to be too close to home — a bit farther is fine too.\" Yet no matter what, Gongsun Xun could only steel himself and press on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm, the post of Prefect of Chengdu in Shu Commandery, Yi Province, happens to be vacant — that is one of the top large counties in the realm... Do you want to go?\" Lu Zhi finally set down his brush, turned his head, and asked seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun shook his head repeatedly... What kind of joke was this? A man from Liaoxi going to be County Magistrate of Chengdu — had he lost his mind? And with the precedent of Gongsun Shu there, truth be told, he had always been somewhat wary of the Shu region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Prefect of Luoyang, Sima Fang, has rendered great and meritorious service. The court has long considered promoting him to two thousand shi, so he could be reassigned as a Gentleman Consultant at any time... Do you want the post?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun shook his head again... Had he gone mad? The whole reason he sought an external transfer was to avoid Cao Jie! In fact, not just Luoyang Prefect — he was not prepared to accept any post in Wan, Luo, Ru, Ying, or any of the other counties under the Colonel-Director of Retainers!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then it becomes difficult.\" Lu Zhi glanced at the document, and finally turned around to sit upright on the couch and answer. \"Wenqi, why don't you wait a while longer?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teacher.\" Gongsun Xun's scalp tingled. \"But your student is now in urgent peril!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that so?\" Lu Zhi said dismissively. \"What is this urgent peril of yours — could it be that someone wants to kill you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun was briefly taken aback, but still steeled himself and answered honestly: \"I killed so many eunuchs before, yet now Cao Jie has regained control of the Tiger Guard Army, and the Imperial Secretariat is under the Tiger Guard Army's supervision. What if he should suddenly go mad...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you are in such a hurry, then go be Prefect of Pingguo — under Liaodong Commandery, six hundred shi.\" Lu Zhi suddenly cut his student off. \"The County Magistrate was bitten to death by a tiger while patrolling the county. Tomorrow morning I will handle the official documents for you, then have someone deliver them to your home. You can go home now and pack your things, then set out tomorrow at noon with the documents, and go to Liaodong to take over from the Assistant County Magistrate. How about that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun was momentarily speechless. On what grounds should a thousand-shi County Magistrate become six hundred shi?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi.\" Lu Zhi sat upright on the couch with his hands folded, his expression still calm. \"It is certainly true that a gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall, but judging solely from today, do you think Cao Jie will truly launch a bloodbath?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your student does not know.\" Gongsun Xun set aside his extraneous thoughts and pondered seriously along the lines of Lu Zhi's hint, but still shook his head repeatedly. \"After all, there is too little information. Judging merely from the fact that after his successful counterattack, he only had Yang Fangzheng reassigned as Commandant of the Guards, it seems he also intends to let matters rest. And this is not without reason — he has, after all, lost his wings, and even if he has reconciled with the other Regular Attendants, he should still exercise some restraint and not pursue further schemes, lest divisions arise again. Yet in the end, I cannot stake my life on conjecture, can I?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Quite right — too little information.\" Lu Zhi could not help but nod. \"But Wenqi, in terms of preserving your life alone, though the matter holds some danger, there is no need to show a panicked demeanor... When you were single-mindedly executing eunuchs before, I actually disapproved. Do you know why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Using one force against another, of no benefit to the larger situation; moreover, the actions taken were not self-directed but in service of others; and furthermore, the methods were too harsh, inviting future counterattack... precisely what I worry about today.\" Gongsun Xun was quite candid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So remember this: never be like a mad dog when in power, nor like a beaten dog when out of power.\" Lu Zhi instructed his student with a stern expression. \"That way, you will be looked down upon by all under Heaven! And the great deed of executing the eunuchs, which you previously labored so hard to accomplish, will be discounted because of it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun's face showed sudden understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi, what you worry about is nothing more than the Tiger Guard Army and the Feathered Forest Army. Yet both these armies are stationed within the palace and will not easily be deployed.\" Lu Zhi continued. \"So you would do better to stay home at ease and read. If something truly breaks out suddenly, then take refuge in Liu Wenrao's residence. The Son of Heaven is a man who values old ties — Cao Jie's face may not be as useful as Liu Wenrao's! And if you do that, your life will absolutely be safe. As for the Imperial Secretariat, I will first report you ill on your behalf. Later, when I see a suitable place, a place with a vacancy, I will unhurriedly prepare the documents and send someone to deliver them to you! How about that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun slowly nodded, but could not help mentioning one person: \"But Teacher, earlier Qiao Gong urged me to seek an external appointment as quickly as possible...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Qiao Gong is not worried that you will be retaliated against by Cao Jie.\" Lu Zhi's expression remained unchanged as he answered calmly. \"He is afraid that you will stir up trouble again!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could that be?\" Gongsun Xun could not help but laugh dryly. \"I am no fool. Now that the overall situation is settled, what more could I do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But some people may not be as rational as you.\" Lu Zhi continued. \"Do you know that this evening, Yang Qiu first refused to accept the edict, then went straight to the palace hall, kowtowed before the Son of Heaven, Cao Jie, Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, and the others until his forehead bled, declaring he would continue to exterminate the jackals and wolves, and only after repeating this over and over did he finally accept the edict?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun was first stunned, then relieved... This explained clearly why Qiao Xuan had called him back and urged him to leave Luoyang as soon as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That man Yang Fangzheng — to put it nicely, he has a fierce temperament; to put it bluntly, he is prone to losing control!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In that case, I should instead go visit him.\" With this thought, Gongsun Xun abruptly rose. \"Yang Fangzheng is after all a capable official, and in this purge of the eunuchs I was much in his care. If I were to leave without saying goodbye and look only to my own safety, it would be hard to settle my conscience...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then go!\" Lu Zhi sighed. \"As you said, although Yang Fangzheng is a harsh official, he has rendered service to the state. Advise him if you can, comfort him if you can.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun immediately took his leave, then went out and rode off swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said, after Yang Qiu returned home earlier, he was deeply dejected. He would not eat, nor allow his family to wipe the bloodstains from his forehead, much less bandage the wound. He simply sat alone in the courtyard brooding... And no one in the entire household dared approach to console him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the moment he heard that Gongsun Xun had come to visit, Yang Qiu was overjoyed and rushed out to welcome him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi!\" Yang Qiu came up and grasped the other's hands, tears already beyond his control. \"After such an event, I thought you would go straight to seek Lord Lu and request a post as magistrate in some large county far from the capital. I never imagined you would still think to come see me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun was deeply embarrassed and could only force a smile: \"Lord Yang, what are you saying? If I were to flee in terror at the first sign of trouble, how would the world look upon me? And to be honest with you, Lord Yang, I was worried that you had suffered this setback and were sunk in irremediable gloom, or else that you might persist in your course against all odds...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Some gloom is hard to dispel,\" Yang Qiu said, pulling the other toward his rear courtyard while calling for his household to bring wine and food. \"But what do you mean by persisting in my course against all odds?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was merely judging others by myself.\" Gongsun Xun followed him to the rear courtyard and sat down, then hastened to offer counsel. \"That day Cao Jie won the move by a single stroke — a hairsbreadth miss, a thousand miles astray — and I too harbor resentment in my heart... But Lord Yang, having lost the authority of the Colonel-Director of Retainers, you and I are utterly powerless. You must not let a moment's hatred make you a pawn of others!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I, Yang Fangzheng, am not that foolish.\" Yang Qiu could not help but smile bitterly. \"Even to kill a man, one must gather men and sharpen blades. Now I am merely a Commandant of the Guards... Does Wenqi not understand the meaning of this appointment? The Commandant of the Guards oversees the supplies and regalia of the Imperial Guard, but the so-called Imperial Guard, whether the Rapid as Tigers or the Feathered Forest, is entirely under Cao Jie's control. Is this appointment not meant to keep me under watch? Your teacher Lord Wenrao has not even vacated the post of Commandant of the Guards, yet they hastily confer it upon me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun could not help but laugh: \"It seems my teacher will benefit from your misfortune, Lord Yang. I fear he will soon be appointed as one of the Three Excellencies again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indeed,\" Yang Qiu sighed. \"The Grand Commandant Zhang Hao has been sent back to his hometown, there has just been an earthquake in Hebei, and then perhaps Lord Qiao will also resign from the post of Minister over the Masses. Thus the Three Excellencies may all be replaced in one rare round, and Lord Wenrao will in all likelihood become Grand Commandant once more.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers, the Grand Administrators and County Magistrates — endlessly replaced. How many can truly devote themselves to getting things done?\" Gongsun Xun could not help but shake his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who says otherwise?\" Yang Qiu grew even more dejected at these words. \"How can key offices be changed midstream? If only I could ascend to the post of Colonel-Director of Retainers once more — just half a month, and I would stake my life on a forged edict. Wenqi would then lead his own loyal followers to kill Cao Jie, and all under Heaven would be at peace.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Gongsun Xun did not know what to say for a moment... Setting aside the naivety of this plan — after all, it was merely the disgruntled complaint of a frustrated Yang Qiu. The key point was that, for him, Gongsun Xun, purging the eunuchs had originally been nothing more than a means to seek the recognition of the scholar-officials. That day, targeting Cao Jie, Wang Fu, and Duan Wei had merely been a matter of momentary personal resentment. But after actually killing Wang Fu, Duan Wei, and the others, he had suddenly realized that for the scholar-officials, purging the eunuchs was no longer just a method of political struggle — it had become a way of forging political unity, even a political program.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the scholar-officials, only by eliminating the eunuch faction at court could they set about their work and bring peace to the realm! Over time, this had transformed into the belief that success in purging the eunuchs would itself bring peace to the realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, at this point in the conversation, Gongsun Xun had sobered up considerably, and that mindset of shared hatred had calmed significantly. Moreover, since Yang Qiu had explicitly stated that he would not be so foolish, there was no need for him to worry further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shortly after, when the wine and dishes were served, Gongsun Xun no longer pressed his advice, but instead kept the other company in drinking and conversation until they were both thoroughly drunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, perhaps because Gongsun Xun's household had never lacked for wine since his childhood, or perhaps because Yang Qiu was truly dejected at heart — in any case, by the time the latter was hopelessly drunk, the former could still maintain a measure of sobriety. He even called for Yang Qiu's household servants on his own to tend to their master's rest, then left the Yang residence by himself, braving the curfew to lead his horse home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ziheng, where did this cat come from?\" Returning home slightly tipsy, Gongsun Xun felt his vision was blurring. \"Could it be that Cao A'man had a change of heart and returned our family's cat?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\" Lu Fan replied awkwardly. \"It was Luo Mu, Luo Zixian, from Cao Jie's residence, who personally carried it here. He said that you, Wenqi, had personally requested it earlier...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun said not a word. He stared fixedly at the fat cat in the hall, which bore an uncanny resemblance to the former one, then suddenly gave a cold laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——————— I am the very ashamed line break for standing you up ———————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In former times, when the Grand Ancestor was in Luoyang, he served as an Attendant Official of the Capital and, together with the Colonel-Director of Retainers Yang Qiu, carried out the purge of the eunuchs. Day after day they exterminated Wang Fu, Duan Wei, and Chen Jiu, and drove out Yuan She, Zhang Feng, Chunyu Deng, and others. Only Cao Jie lurked and manipulated affairs, and was not detected... On a summer night, the Grand Ancestor suddenly heard that Cao Jie had regained power through the burial of Consort Yu at Zhangling and was moving urgently to remove Yang Qiu. Reflecting that the Prefect of the Masters of Writing Qiao Xuan would not save them, he grew resentful in his heart. Disregarding the night curfew patrols, he rode by night, wearing a sword at his waist, to confront him. Yet all the way he rode like the wind, and when he reached Xuan's inner gate, he did not go forward, but bowed from a distance and returned. His attendants asked the reason. The Grand Ancestor sighed and said: 'This all came about because Yang Fangzheng and I handled matters with oversights and acted carelessly, and so were fooled by others. Thus I came in indignation and returned in relief. Why must I speak with the Prefect of the Masters of Writing?'\" — New Book of Yan, Volume 1, Annals of the Martial Emperor, Grand Ancestor\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ps: I didn't dare look at the group chat, nor at the comments section... That's right, I stood you up. Not because of illness, but for the unspeakable reason of dozing off — I sprawled over the desk and slept until dawn. Now I'm secretly finishing this chapter in the lab, preparing to see how you all are cursing me... I'm so ashamed I could die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, the reader group is 684558115, everyone can join.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",4372,"2026-06-04T19:42:03.441Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","fa5a399bc25785bdc95718aecc11b43f5dc913d83e71b5a72a2677dcd4cef736","overthrowing-han-chapter-130","overthrowing-han-chapter-128",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]