Chapter 132: Striking Straight Down

Cheng Huang, nicknamed Lord Cheng, was a eunuch elder who had entered the palace as far back as the reign of Emperor Shun. With his seniority beyond question, he had long since reached the pinnacle of the eunuch ranks and become a Regular Palace Attendant.

Moreover, despite his advanced age, he was the classic example of a smooth operator, adept at playing both sides. After the new Emperor ascended the throne, he was extremely skilled at currying favor with the Empress Dowager and the Son of Heaven, and thus was not regarded as one of the so-called old-guard eunuchs... Quite the contrary, in this wave of backlash against the old eunuchs, the one wielding the knife, Yang Qiu, was none other than his son-in-law!

Of course, as one might guess from the nickname Lord Cheng, Cheng Huang likely had many, many beautiful adopted daughters, and therefore should also have many, many formidable sons-in-law. However, he did not necessarily have many, many guards of high martial prowess...

"Crash!"

As the wooden door to the bedchamber was yanked open, Lord Cheng Huang, still lost in his dreams, was dragged straight out of the room in a daze by two sword-bearing retainers of the Cao household. Before Lord Cheng could figure out what was happening, beneath the light of the original torches, two burly men directly dumped a bucket of cold well water over his head... Lord Cheng immediately snapped wide awake!

"Lord Cheng." Cao Jie let out a sneer and then stepped forward with measured strides.

"A worthless old wretch like me, how would I dare be called 'Lord' in front of Master Cao?" Without even needing to look at the visitor, upon hearing the voice, Cheng Huang ignored his drenched state and immediately knelt to beg for mercy. "Master Cao, please do not mock this humble one so."

"Ah." Cao Jie stood with his hands clasped behind his back, shaking his head repeatedly. "I have come today to ask a favor of Attendant Cheng. If I do not address you as 'Lord,' I fear that, given your esteemed customs, the matter could not be settled."

"If Master Cao has an order, a single word of instruction would suffice. Why trouble yourself to pay a personal visit in the middle of the night?" Cheng Huang grew increasingly terrified.

"I already told you, I am here to ask Lord Cheng to handle a matter." As he spoke, Cao Jie even raised his foot and nudged the other man. "Lord Cheng, please rise quickly."

Cheng Huang's terror deepened, but he forced himself to stand. Then, his eyes went wide... for right in front of him, behind Cao Jie, beneath the torchlight, there conspicuously sat a chest of treasures, filled to the brim with objects of gold and jade!

"Well?" Cao Jie leaned in closer and asked with a smile. "I have called you 'Lord,' and I have sent gifts of wealth... So, Lord Cheng, shouldn't you now handle this matter for me, Cao Hanfeng?"

Cheng Huang immediately shuddered, and then it suddenly dawned on him — the man before him was the very person who had controlled the imperial court for over a decade, and who was now both the Grand Prolonger of Autumn and the Prefect of the Masters of Writing, the foremost man in the dynasty, the illustrious Cao Jie, Cao Hanfeng!

Not to mention, his own family and servants were all silent now, clearly all subdued, while the dozen or so Cao household retainers before him were also gripping their swords and staring him down!

And of course, there was that chest of treasures sitting in the courtyard... Truly a sight to behold!

"Master Cao, please speak freely!" With this thought, Cheng Huang immediately ignored his drenched state, bowed deeply, and his tone grew considerably firmer. "Whatever your command, this humble one will carry it out with all his strength."

"It is like this." Cao Jie could not help but clasp his hands behind his back and give a dry laugh. "I wish to inquire about something from you, Lord Cheng. Your two sons-in-law, the Commandant of the Guards Yang Qiu and the Minister over the Masses Liu He, have been associating closely of late. I wonder what they are privately plotting?"

Even though Cheng Huang had already been thoroughly cowed, his expression could not help but turn bitter at this. One must understand, Liu He and Yang Qiu were both the very men he had counted on to support him in his old age. How could he just sell them out on a whim?

"Master Cao!" Cheng Huang immediately knelt on the ground and spoke earnestly. "It is not that I am unwilling to answer, it is just... Although these two are my sons-in-law, they are merely 'junior sons-in-law.' Moreover, they themselves are high ministers and distinguished nobles. Even if they are privately plotting something, they would not necessarily discuss it with me, their father-in-law, would they?"

"That is reasonable." Cao Jie immediately nodded. "In that case... Zixian!"

Luo Mu, standing in the shadows behind them, immediately waved his hand upon hearing this. At once, Cheng Huang's gaze became transfixed once more... It turned out that at the bearded scholar's gesture, another full chest of valuables was carried up with its lid open. And this time, although it was not as dazzling as the previous chest of gold and jade, the discerning Lord Cheng knew full well in his heart that these Liaodong ginseng and Xuantu river pearls were rare treasures in the present world, even more substantial than the previous chest of gold and jade.

And it did not end there. Just as Cheng Huang could not help but swallow his saliva, he suddenly heard a miserable scream from the side courtyard, which frightened him so much that he collapsed limp on the ground. A short while later, the bloody head of a young woman was carried over by a Cao household retainer... Lord Cheng stared intently, and nearly fainted — it was actually a newly adopted daughter of his.

Cao Jie, with a smile that was not quite a smile, directly took the head and tossed it at the other man's feet: "Lord Cheng, do you think I don't know what you raise all these adopted daughters for? You teach them how to serve men, you teach them how to gather information, and you also tell them that as junior wives, if they want to secure favor they must rely on you, and then pass information to you... There is nothing new under the sun. This is merely an old trick, the same one Empress Dowager Dou used back when she distributed palace maids to the various ministers."

Cheng Huang trembled all over like chaff in a sieve. It was not that he did not want to turn his face away from the severed head of his adopted daughter... but under Cao Jie's overbearing might, he simply did not dare to move his head.

"Speak," Cao Jie continued impatiently. "I have added another chest of treasures. You cannot just take the money and not handle the matter, can you? What are Yang Qiu and Liu He discussing?"

"I dare not deceive Master Cao." Only then did Cheng Huang seize the chance to raise his head. Under the torchlight, his face was covered in droplets, impossible to tell if it was from the earlier well water, tears, or sweat. "Those two fools, Yang Qiu and Liu He, are indeed plotting against Master Cao. Moreover, at first Liu He was unwilling to agree. It was only later, when the Privy Treasurer of the Yongle Palace, Chen Qiu, wrote a letter to Liu He, and also asked the Colonel of Infantry Liu Na to go and persuade him in person, that Liu He finally agreed..."

Cao Jie could not help but turn his head and exchange a glance with his trusted aide Luo Mu... This matched up perfectly. Luo Mu's speculation had been entirely correct!

"And they also know their own limitations. All they are seeking now is merely to push Yang Qiu back into the position of Colonel-Director of Retainers." At this point, Cheng Huang avoided looking at his adopted daughter's severed head and repeatedly kowtowed on the ground. "Beyond this, I know nothing at all."

Upon hearing this, Cao Jie first could not help but sneer in unison with Luo Mu, and then he turned back around, looking down condescendingly at Cheng Huang as he spoke:

"Lord Cheng, you cannot 'know nothing at all beyond this.' The matter of Yang Qiu, Chen Qiu, Liu Na, Liu He... er, and also Gongsun Xun, these people linking together, plotting treason, intending first to execute the Grand Prolonger of Autumn and Prefect of the Masters of Writing, Cao Jie, and then to incite the infantry battalion troops to mutiny and force the palace, and finally to elevate Liu He as the Son of Heaven — this matter still requires you to come forward and denounce them!"

At these words, not only did Cheng Huang's face show terror, but even Luo Mu, who had been laughing a moment before, momentarily lost his composure.

"Master Cao!" Cheng Huang immediately shrieked in alarm. "This joke cannot be made!"

"My lord." Luo Mu was also somewhat panicked. "Would it not suffice to eliminate the chief conspirators? Why must you exterminate entire clans? The families behind these men are all great clans, each connected by marriage..."

"Zixian is overthinking it." Cao Jie ignored Cheng Huang and turned back to patiently explain to his trusted aide. "How could I intend to exterminate their clans? As you said, behind these people are all prestigious great clans, each connected by marriage, entrenched in their respective regions... To deal with such people, if you want to eliminate the chief conspirators, you must charge them with a crime warranting clan extermination. But if you only seek to eliminate the chief conspirators from the start, I fear the result would merely be demotion and dismissal."

Luo Mu immediately understood.

"In the final analysis," Cao Jie continued with a smug smile under the torchlight, "they have brought this upon themselves. Yang Qiu previously defied the Son of Heaven to his face, which has already made the Son of Heaven furious. And Chen Qiu is the leader of the great clans of Xuzhou, Liu Na is the Colonel of Infantry, and Liu He is a key minister of the imperial clan... With such a group, even if there is no evidence, so what? As long as the charge of rebellion is submitted, the Son of Heaven will feel as if a thorn is lodged in his heart, unable to bear it. These men are certain to die!"

Cheng Huang, still kneeling on the ground, kowtowed once more: "If that is the case, why must Master Cao force this old man to play the villain? You could simply find anyone to come forward and denounce them..."

"Who could be more suitable than you, Lord Cheng?" Cao Jie immediately scoffed. "You are the father-in-law of Yang Qiu and Liu He. If you come forward to denounce them... the Son of Heaven might also believe it a bit more, no?"

Cheng Huang felt like weeping but had no tears: "Why must Master Cao make things difficult for me? If I come forward to denounce my two sons-in-law, never mind what the people of the world might say — what right does an old castrated wretch like me have to speak of the people of the world? Just speaking of within this palace and Luoyang, so many people call me 'Lord.' If I truly come forward to denounce my own sons-in-law, how many among them would still hold me in any regard? I fear each and every one would see me as a petty man who betrays his kin, each and every one would turn against me, right? The network of connections I have painstakingly built over so many years would also dissipate in a single day."

Cao Jie, with a look of complete indifference, waved his hand once more... Presently, another chest of Shu brocade was carried up.

But at this moment, far from showing delight, Cheng Huang was instead terrified: "What more does Master Cao want? Was killing one of my adopted daughters not enough?"

"What do adopted daughters count for?" Cao Jie could not help but clasp his hands and laugh in spite of himself. "Do you even take such adopted daughters seriously? I heard you adopted a son from your clan..."

Cheng Huang's expression changed drastically.

"Go, first cut off an ear and bring it here. If Lord Cheng is still unwilling to come forward and denounce them, then bring his head directly." Luo Mu suddenly also stepped out from the shadows. "Lord Cheng, I will speak plainly with you. Three chests of valuables, my lord has already delivered them to you. And he has also humbled himself to call you 'Lord' several times... So today, this deal — you will take it whether you want to or not, and you will take it even if you don't want to!"

Cheng Huang was left gaping, almost unable to speak.

"Quickly, go cut off the ear!" Luo Mu could not help but urge.

"Don't go!" Lord Cheng finally sat on the ground and wailed loudly. "I will come forward and denounce them, alright? You speak, and I will write it. Just don't touch my adopted son!"

Luo Mu immediately laughed in spite of himself and called back the retainer who had just set off.

"No." Cao Jie also burst into laughter. "Better to go cut off the ear and come back before writing..."

"Master Cao!" Cheng Huang's tears and snot streamed down his face. "Why do you treat me so?"

"Why else?" Cao Jie said dismissively. "You, Lord Cheng, sell out your sons-in-law and will be despised by the world. But we of the Cao household have always been as good as our word. So what my Zixian said must be honored... Since he said an ear must be cut off, then an ear must be cut off first before we discuss anything else."

Luo Mu immediately bowed his head, while Cheng Huang's tears flowed unceasingly.

And a moment later, following a miserable scream and a human ear being tossed beside that woman's severed head, under the faint light of dawn rising in the east, Cheng Huang completely lost any will to resist.

Seeing this situation, Luo Mu also hurriedly saluted Cao Jie: "My lord, you still have to enter the palace after daybreak to deal with the Son of Heaven. Why not go and rest for a while? I will stay here and teach Lord Cheng to write out the denunciation."

Cao Jie nodded with satisfaction and turned to walk out first.

And as soon as his lord turned away, Luo Mu set his eyes sternly and harshly berated Cheng Huang: "Get up now and wash up. Then I will dictate and you will write. Finally, affix your seal as the two-thousand-bushel Regular Palace Attendant... Not a single word is to be altered!"

Hearing these words, Cao Jie, who was about to step out of the rear courtyard, grew increasingly smug.

And so, after a whole night of turmoil, as the sky was about to brighten, Luo Mu finally emerged through the gate holding a written complaint, only to nearly trip over an object.

The several retainers nearby hurriedly steadied him upon seeing this, but at the same time could not help but reproach one another: "How could you fellows forget to take the head away? It nearly tripped Lord Luo!"

"Wasn't it you, Brother Zhang, who said to leave this thing here to intimidate him?"

"Did I say that?"

"Brother Zhang, don't take this the wrong way, but how could the leader of a bunch of nominal daughters intimidate someone like Cheng Huang? Look at how he behaves at night — when has he ever treated those nominal daughters as real people? Sooner or later they'll belong to other families anyway, so the head of a nominal daughter isn't even worth one ear of a nominal son."

"Exactly. The only reason those wretches bow their heads and prick up their ears is because of our Lord Cao's and Lord Luo's authority..."

"Enough." Hearing this, Luo Mu felt a surge of irritation and immediately cut them off. "Where is Lord Cao... the Excellency right now?"

"He was sound asleep in the front courtyard bedroom, but about half a quarter-hour ago the Second Master suddenly arrived as well, and now he's in the front courtyard bedroom talking with him."

"I'm going to see the Excellency." Luo Mu frowned and instructed them. "And in a little while, the Excellency and I will likely have to go out on business. You will stay here and keep strict watch over the Cheng household. Remember — unless Cheng Huang is summoned by the palace, no one is to be released!"

"Aye!" The assembled retainers hastily acknowledged.

Only then did Luo Mu take the written complaint and hurry off to see Cao Jie.

"Excellent!" Cao Jie took the complaint, scanned a few lines hastily, and could not help but be overjoyed. "With this, the matter is settled! As soon as day breaks, I will go straight to the palace... Poshi!"

"Elder Brother!" Cao Poshi, standing nearby, immediately bent forward to receive his orders.

"Haven't you been talking to me for half the day about wanting to go confiscate some households?" Cao Jie pointed at several names on the complaint, his expression animated with delight. "Just go home and wait quietly. Once I've settled things from the palace and sent the Imperial Guard to arrest these four — Chen Qiu, Liu He, Yang Qiu, and Liu Ne — you will use the pretext of searching for evidence in my name, go see the Luoyang Magistrate Sima Fang, and then you can openly and honorably search and confiscate each of these four men's homes in turn. Consider it a little supplement to the household budget..."

Cao Poshi could not help but laugh smugly.

"Excellency!" Luo Mu suddenly interjected with a serious expression. "You cannot let the Second Master go confiscate those households!"

"Why not?" Cao Poshi instantly flew into a rage. "Since when do you get to point fingers when we brothers are talking?"

"Excellency!" Luo Mu urgently addressed Cao Jie. "We spoke earlier about how Chen Qiu, Yang Qiu, Liu He, Liu Ne, and the others are all from great aristocratic clans... This move, though framed as addressing treason, is only aimed at executing the ringleaders. And you know the Second Master's character as well as I do — back in the Yueqi Camp, he demanded a subordinate's wife and drove a man to his death, causing all of Luoyang to look at him askance. If he takes a fancy to some woman in the Chen or Liu residences, it could very well lead to a great disaster!"

Cao Poshi could no longer contain himself. A murderous rage surged up within him, and he actually reached for his waist — but the moment his hand went there, he suddenly remembered he had come in haste and had not worn his blade. So he picked up a small side table from this Cheng residence bedroom and swung it straight at the other man's head.

In that flash of lightning, before Cao Jie could intervene, Luo Mu was struck, his head split open and blood flowing!

"You bastard!" Cao Jie, recovering from the shock, flew into a towering rage and hastily grabbed hold of the small table. "Kneel!"

Cao Poshi, too, suddenly came to his senses. He hurriedly set down the small table to make amends, while Cao Jie rushed over to examine Luo Mu's injury.

"It's nothing." Luo Mu wiped the blood from his face, only to find that the blood had soaked into his beard and hair and could not easily be cleaned away at all. He simply ignored it and once again bent forward to remonstrate with Cao Jie. "Excellency... please reconsider this matter! If the Second Master's nature is not restrained, sooner or later he will bring calamity upon the entire Cao clan. We carry out this thunderous action today only so that we may live in peace and stability hereafter!"

"I understand." Cao Jie, deeply pained, helped the man up. "I understand."

"Elder Brother." Cao Poshi, seeing that Luo Mu was not seriously hurt and was still spouting alarmist talk, could not help but interject indignantly. "All I'm asking is to oversee a little household confiscation and make a bit of petty profit. How could that possibly bring calamity upon our entire clan? At worst, I simply won't touch any women... How about that?!"

Cao Jie's heart was vexed beyond measure. On one hand, he felt Luo Mu was truly loyal; on the other, he ultimately felt he could hardly refuse his own blood brother's request. So he could only reluctantly smooth things over: "Zixian, you needn't worry. You see, Poshi has also agreed not to touch any women..."

Luo Mu felt a knot of frustration in his chest and was about to remonstrate further, but the moment he caught a glimpse of his master's slightly impatient look, for some reason, he shut his mouth and said nothing more... No one knew what he was thinking.

Cao Jie had no time to ponder it. He simply assumed he had smoothed over yet another domestic headache and, taking the written complaint, made to rise and flee the place.

But just as he stood up, Cao Poshi suddenly started clamoring again: "Elder Brother... you just named four men. Why did you deliberately leave out that Gongsun Xun? That brat came knocking on our door back then and humiliated us brothers for nothing... Did that Luo Mu kid leave him off the list because he remembers the kindness of a few meals back at the charity lodge and is waiting to repay the favor?"

Luo Mu kept his mouth shut and did not move, letting the blood flow from his forehead and soak into his beard.

"Can you shut your mouth?" Cao Jie no longer had the energy to be angry. "Gongsun Xun's wife is Zhao Zhong's niece, and the man himself is a student of Liu Kuan. If we really wrote his name down and ended up failing to take down the other four because of it, that would be a true blunder!"

"So are we just going to let it go?" Cao Poshi persisted relentlessly.

"What do you mean, let it go or not?" Cao Jie could not help but rise and retort. "He's just a brat bouncing around on borrowed influence. How important could he possibly be? I, Cao Hanfeng, have truly never even taken him seriously!"

"The humiliation we suffered that day was truly unbearable," Cao Poshi said urgently.

"Then we'll wait until after I've had an audience with the Son of Heaven before making any decision." Cao Jie answered offhandedly as he walked out. "If Zhao Zhong is present, I simply won't mention his name. But if Zhao Zhong is not there, I'll just casually bring it up. At that point, we won't seek the death penalty for him — we'll just find some charge of association and throw him in prison for a few days. By the time Liu Kuan gets him out, he may very well have been beaten crippled by us... I'd like to see then, when he can't even ride a horse, how he's going to play the White Horse Gentleman?"

Cao Poshi was immediately overjoyed. But when he turned his head back, he saw that big-bearded Luo staring at him, and could not help cursing his bad luck inwardly. Then, paying no further heed, he got up and chased after his elder brother out the door, clearly heading home to await good news.

Let us set aside how Cao Jie went straight into the palace, intent on settling everything in one decisive stroke... It was not until noon that the Son of Heaven finally made up his mind and issued an edict to arrest the four men implicated. Whether Chen Qiu or Yang Qiu, virtually none of them had any warning before they were seized one by one by the well-prepared Imperial Guard.

However, when the men at the Imperial Secretariat learned the vague news of Yang Qiu's arrest and sent Wang Lang galloping to Gongsun Xun's residence to deliver the warning, the latter was astonished to find... Gongsun Xun was long gone from the place. Instead, Lady Gongsun came out calmly to receive him.

"Sister-in-law!" Wang Lang hurriedly paid his respects. "I have been sent by the two Ministers, Lu and Liu, with urgent news. May I ask where Brother Wenqi is at present?"

"Greetings, Chief Clerk of the Secretariat." Zhao Yun remained composed as ever. "May I ask, Chief Clerk Wang, are you here because of Cao Jie's false accusation that Lord Yang and the others are plotting treason?"

Wang Lang could not help but be shocked, then immediately understood. "Since Brother Wenqi already knows of this matter, that is for the best. I presume he has already left the city to take refuge?"

"He only just learned of it," Zhao Yun continued. "Just moments ago, two groups of people arrived at our home one after the other to report. When my husband heard the first report, he hurriedly left the city."

"No matter." Though inwardly astonished and suspicious, Wang Lang could only nod repeatedly. "In that case, I shall go and report back to Lord Lu..."

"That won't be necessary." Zhao Yun remained composed as she answered. "I have already sent a household servant to report to Teacher Lu. Moreover, the second messenger who just arrived brought new information that my husband needs to know. And since I am but a weak woman... Chief Clerk Wang, you were sent by Teacher Lu, so you are certainly trustworthy. I wonder if...?"

"Sister-in-law, please speak freely." Wang Lang naturally would not refuse. "I shall go after Brother Wenqi at once."

"That is good, then." Zhao Yun quickly spoke. "The person who just came was sent by my clan uncle. He said that when Cao Jie had his audience with the Son of Heaven today, he saw my uncle right before his eyes, and therefore did not mention my husband's name... I must ask the Chief Clerk, after leaving the city, to pursue in the direction of Goushi and relay this information."

This was good news as well. Wang Lang naturally agreed readily. But Wang Jingxing was Wang Jingxing after all — even as he agreed, he also realized... This Lady Gongsun's clan uncle was none other than the Regular Palace Attendant Zhao Zhong, was it not? And since Zhao Zhong was present before the throne, it was only natural that the matter had not implicated Gongsun Xun.

Of course, no matter what, now that Yang Qiu, Chen Qiu, Liu He, Liu Ne, and the others had all become imperial convicts, after this affair, Cao Jie's power was thoroughly revived, and Luoyang was no longer a place where Gongsun Xun could linger for long.

So, thinking it over carefully, this Lady Gongsun, while sending word to Minister Lu on one hand, was also sending him to chase after her husband on the other... Clearly, she wanted her husband to lie low in Goushi, and then entrust Minister Lu to swiftly issue an appointment, so that the former could make a composed escape under the banner of going to take up his post!

To be honest, this was far better than fleeing back to his Liaoxi hometown in panic as a commoner. It could even be considered a clean getaway.

And whatever Wang Lang was thinking privately, he showed not the slightest hesitation on his face. He merely cupped his hands briefly, then rode straight out of the city toward the southeast. Moreover, no more than a few li southeast of the city, he was utterly delighted and reined in his horse by the roadside... As it turned out, Gongsun Xun was actually sitting on a small camp stool by the road, clearly waiting for news!

"Brother Wenqi!" Wang Lang sized him up briefly, then hurriedly dismounted and came forward, relaying the news to him and taking the opportunity to earnestly advise him. "Although this matter has not implicated you, Brother Wenqi, the overall situation is already very urgent. Worthy brother, why not go stay temporarily in Goushi? Once Lord Lu has prepared your documents at the Imperial Secretariat today, and I have exchanged your seal for you, we can meet tomorrow in Goushi, and you can leave the capital directly to take up your post. Would that not be perfectly fitting?"

Gongsun Xun listened attentively. When he heard earlier that because Zhao Zhong had been at his side, he had not been directly implicated, he could not help but relax. But when he heard Wang Lang's later advice, he instead shook his head slightly: "When I fled in haste, I did not yet know whether I was wanted in the same case... If I had truly been designated a major criminal, and could not even protect myself, then so be it — I would simply turn around and flee back to my hometown. But since I am still safe for now, how could I abandon others and ignore them?"

"Brother Wenqi." Wang Lang quickly explained. "Lord Yang Qiu, Lord Chen Qiu, Lord Liu He, Lord Liu Ne, and the others have all already been arrested... In a major case like this, what use would it be even if you went back? Can you save those four men? How can this be considered abandoning others and ignoring them?"

"If I cannot save the four lords, what of their families, their sons and younger kin?" Gongsun Xun's expression turned stern. Then he suddenly rose to his feet, raised his brows, and retorted. "Are they also to be innocently dragged into this case? I won't hide it from you, Jingxing — I truly knew nothing of the four lords' conspiracy. But no matter what, since we were once comrades, now that all four of them have been thrown into prison, if I abandon their families and flee alone, and even go take up an official post... When that time comes, how will the world look upon me, Gongsun Xun?!"

Wang Lang was speechless for a moment. But when he saw Lu Fan behind the other man winking and making faces at him, he immediately understood... This Lu Ziheng must have already tried to dissuade him to no avail, and was therefore pinning his hopes on him. So he prepared to speak again, intending to offer some persuasion.

However, Gongsun Xun seemed to have long since made up his mind. He actually mounted his horse directly, heedless of all else, and then began issuing orders from horseback: "Jingxing, go quickly to Lord Yang's home to find your teacher, and beg him to enter the palace to intercede. I have also already sent my younger brother Gongsun Fan to beseech Teacher Liu. Then Ziheng, go southeast to meet Zibo and his men. Yigong, take the volunteer retinue and follow me back into the city... So long as I have one breath left in me today, I will never allow Cao Jie's arrogance to run so rampant!"

With these words, he actually struck his horse and rode off. Behind him, Han Dang and the others had no time to reply before they spurred their horses and followed.

Wang Lang stood by the roadside. Watching the other man's bearing, he too was momentarily swept away in spirit, and hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping. And after he watched Gongsun Xun's white horse ride straight into the city, he finally exchanged a glance with the bitterly smiling Lu Fan, and then each cupped his hands in farewell and hurried off to carry out their instructions.

————————I am the dividing line of fleeing in panic————————

"Luo Mu, styled Zixian, was a man of Xiling in Jiangxia. For generations his family served in the commanderies and counties, each generation holding a rank of six hundred dan. In his youth he gained a literary reputation and was known in his home district. He went to Luoyang to study, but was scorned by the great houses of the capital region. Trapped and unable to find a path, he attached himself to the powerful eunuch Cao Jie. Jie treated him as a son, and Mu likewise called him 'Excellency.' Later, having repeatedly witnessed the Cao clan bring disaster upon the court, he finally harbored thoughts of regret. In the first year of the Guanghe era, Jie falsely accused Yang Qiu, Chen Qiu, Liu He, and others of plotting treason, and intended to bring harm upon the Grand Ancestor as well. Mu heard of this, and knowing the Grand Ancestor's divine martial prowess, fled in haste to warn the Grand Ancestor." — The Old Book of Yan, Biographies of the Solitary and Exemplary

PS: There is also a reader group, 684558115. Everyone is welcome to join.

(End of Chapter)