Chapter 134: Abduction (Part 2)

Gongsun Xun was forced into a corner with no other choice, so he resorted to this desperate measure… What else could he do? To stop that old scoundrel Cao Poshi from committing evil, what was there besides seizing him directly?

Fortunately, the man was truly useless. The moment he was seized, his courage shattered entirely; he knelt there meekly, not daring to utter a single extra word, which saved them a great deal of trouble. In fact, he was so cooperative that even the people outside the courtyard never realized something had gone wrong inside.

"Close the main gate. Tie up all these soldiers, gag them, and lock them in the main hall." With this heaven-sent opportunity and the matter so urgent, Gongsun Xun sat upright in the courtyard, paying no heed to anything else, and simply issued orders on his own. "Also, bring Captain Cao's seal and ribbon, then find some paper, brush, and sealing clay…"

Now, Yang Qiu's household was large, but most were servants and maids. His true family consisted only of a concubine and a few clansmen who had followed him from his old home in Yuyang; even his principal wife had been sent back to the old home because of his earlier plan to marry Lady Cheng. And this was no time to speak of human rights. So Gongsun Xun gathered Lady Xu and the few members of the Yang clan together, and handed them, along with a rolled paper bearing the clay seal of the Yueji Colonel, over to Wei Yue.

"Please give your instructions, Young Lord." Having seen much in Luoyang after all, Wei Yue was uncharacteristically obedient at this moment.

"There is not much to say," Gongsun Xun replied coolly. "Take a few men, and under the pretext of escorting the family of an indicted official, bring these people out of the city and have them go after Shen Pei… With Cao Poshi pinned down here by us, no one should know for a while, and no one should stop you on the road. If anyone does stop you, show them this written order bearing the seal of the Yueji Colonel."

"Yes!" Wei Yue dared not say more. He immediately assumed the manner of an escort, and led Lady Cheng and the Yang clan members out.

As he watched the main gate open and then close again, and heard no unusual stir from Sima Fang's position at the gate, Gongsun Xun finally set his mind at ease… Ultimately, whether it was the fact that the man could produce the "Eight Paragons of the Sima," or that he could hold the notoriously difficult post of Luoyang Magistrate for years without falling, it all proved that this Sima Fang was no fool!

So it was almost certain that the other party knew something fishy was going on inside the Yang residence. In truth, Gongsun Xun had never expected to keep it from him. And to put it bluntly, if the man had truly hardened his heart, gritted his teeth, and led those several hundred men outside through the gate, then declared, "By the precedent of Lord Qiao, attack and slay without mercy," then he, Gongsun Xun, would have died for nothing.

Yet even so, Gongsun Xun still had to keep testing the other's bottom line on the edge of self-destruction… There was no other way; if he could not borrow this man's influence, he was truly out of options.

"Yigong." Gongsun Xun wrote out two more documents, but instead of handing them directly to Han Dang, he gave an order and stood up. "Come out with me for a moment…"

Han Dang glanced at Cao Poshi, who had collapsed into a limp heap on the ground, signaled one of the retainers with his eyes, and then followed him out.

"Magistrate Sima." Gongsun Xun stepped outside, looked around, and only then spotted Sima Fang standing with drooping eyelids a full several zhang away from the Yang residence gate. He walked straight up to the visibly uneasy man. "Captain Cao has just written a military order. The sealing clay is still fresh. Would you care to verify it…?"

Sima Fang felt constrained and awkward, but after glancing back at the curious clerks, officers, and soldiers further behind him, he steeled himself and accepted the two documents.

"Indeed, it is Captain Cao's seal." Sima Fang examined them very carefully, and once he was certain, made to hand them back, but the other party did not take them.

"Captain Cao has ordered," Gongsun Xun declared loudly, his hands clasped behind his back, ensuring that the other officers and soldiers on the street in the distance could hear. "That the four households of imperial convicts, if searched one by one, cannot all be finished tonight. Therefore, he requests that Magistrate Sima go and search the residences of the two Lius, Liu He and Liu Ne. He and I will go shortly to search the residence of Chen Qiu… It is all written in the documents. Magistrate Sima might as well open them and see."

Sima Fang thought it over for a moment, felt that these words likely held no trap and also offered him a clever way to extricate himself. Moreover, behind him, many of the soldiers, including Cao Poshi's own subordinates, were all growing excited, just waiting to get rich… So he went along with it, tore open the documents, and nodded with a pretense of confirmation.

"Good then." Gongsun Xun continued to give orders in a loud voice. "You go and conduct the searches. Just hand over the family members of the two Lius to this Captain Han to be brought back for interrogation. As for everything else, we ask no questions!"

Sima Fang's expression changed drastically, but the soldiers on the street in the distance were already elated, and some, led by impatient officers, had even begun to leave the area on their own…

"Magistrate Sima!" Gongsun Xun reached out and pressed down on the other man's arm, stared him squarely in the eye with a frank expression, and asked in a low voice, "Do you know where the imperial convict Zhang Jian, Zhang Yuanjie, is right now?"

Sima Fang opened his mouth but found no words.

"I won't deceive you, Magistrate Sima." Gongsun Xun answered softly. "That man is currently living in leisure at a property of my family's beyond the frontier… Do you want to arrest me and take me to the authorities?"

Sima Fang was momentarily stunned, then even more speechless… To hell with taking him to the authorities! Who under heaven would dare to report Zhang Jian? If someone truly did, wouldn't the scores of local noble clans across the land who had gained renown by being implicated through Zhang Jian tear that person to pieces alive?

"Do not blame me, a mere youth, for dragging you into the water." Gongsun Xun could not help but shake his head. "The times are perilous, and the line between righteous and wicked is clear. Even if you, Magistrate Sima, lack the courage to ruin your house for the sake of righteousness, you might as well find it convenient to play the fool!"

With that, Gongsun Xun paid him no more attention, simply turned around and returned to the Yang residence. Han Dang, having received the signal, had already stepped forward with several retainers and blocked Sima Fang's path.

Sima Jiangong was truly at a loss for words. After a long moment, he finally clutched the two sheets of Gongsun paper, turned around, and ordered all the soldiers on the street to follow him to search the residences of the two Lius!

For a moment, no one dared to cheer, but an excited clamor was unavoidable. The soldiers all immediately began to act on their own… And amid the chaos, regarding the party of "Captain Han" openly following behind him, Sima Fang, who had not dared to refuse earlier, could now only lower his head and tacitly permit it.

Things had gone far too smoothly. But after returning to the Yang residence and instructing his retainers to guard the gate outside, Gongsun Xun realized he had driven himself into a dead end… The families of those four men could probably be saved, but what was he supposed to do next?

How should he deal with Cao Poshi right in front of him?

Kill him? Release him? Or take him hostage and flee the city?

And what about the several dozen Yueji Camp soldiers who had been caught up and seized along with Cao Poshi? They could neither be released nor taken hostage, could they? As for killing them… he couldn't just dig a pit and bury them alive, could he? Even if he buried them alive, there'd be no way to destroy the evidence completely, right? So even killing them was no simple matter!

Besides, there were also the Yang household servants, scared out of their wits… Did he have to slaughter them all too?

Then, should he risk fleeing right now, or wait until nightfall, when the two families would likely all be rescued, and then slip out under cover of darkness? The former risked being quickly exposed in broad daylight, wasting all his painstaking effort. The latter… who knew how long this place could hold out? At any moment, a messenger from Cao Jie might arrive calling his younger brother home for dinner!

In short, every choice had its drawbacks; there was truly no perfect, foolproof plan!

However, after much deliberation, Gongsun Xun reluctantly settled on what he considered the best course of action: wait here idly until dark, then abandon the Yueji Camp soldiers and the Yang household servants, and flee the city directly with Cao Poshi as his hostage! When the time came, he would see what Cao Jie had to say. If he cared for this younger brother and gave him a way out, fine. If not, he would simply have to cut the man down and be done with it!

Now, as Gongsun Xun sat in the courtyard, staring at Cao Poshi with his wet, soiled trousers, his expression shifting between dark and uncertain, the latter was instantly terrified out of his wits!

"Court Gentleman Gongsun…" After waiting in vain for a while, Cao Poshi could bear it no longer and spoke up on his own. "I was merely following orders in coming here. The case of Yang Qiu truly has nothing to do with me. Even that woman just now was nothing more than a concubine. Of course, I was also at fault. I beg you…"

"Cut off one of his ears," Gongsun Xun ordered casually.

At these words, a warrior immediately stepped forward with drawn blade, cleanly sliced off one of the man's ears, and tossed it casually onto the ground.

"Do not cry out. If you cry out again, I'll cut out your tongue!" Before the other could react, Gongsun Xun continued his intimidation. "I cut off your ear precisely because you spoke without permission. Do you understand?!"

Cao Jie had been a Regular Palace Attendant since the reign of Emperor Huan, and Cao Poshi had followed him in lording it over others for half a lifetime. He had never experienced anything like this. So he immediately clutched his ear as snot, tears, and blood all gushed out together… yet he dared not make a sound.

"I ask, you answer," Gongsun Xun said, sitting there unconcerned, merely out of boredom. Then, in a daze, a previous doubt suddenly surfaced in his mind. "Was it that Luo Mu failed to stop you, or were you careless and never imagined I could bypass the guards outside and appear directly before you?"

"I truly do not understand the Court Gentleman's words." Cao Poshi's face was twisted as he clutched his ear, yet he dared not refuse to answer, nor dared he answer loudly.

"Oh… Just tell me, did Luo Mu try to stop you from coming to confiscate this household?"

"Of course he stopped me!" Cao Poshi hurriedly answered, still clutching his ear. "This morning at Cheng Huang's residence in Shangguan Lane, when I said I was coming to confiscate the property, he said my character was poor, and that coming to do this might bring calamity of extermination upon the Cao clan. Later, in a fit of rage, I even picked up a side table and struck him with it, which infuriated my elder brother greatly…"

"That happened?" Gongsun Xun said dismissively. "Luo Mu didn't mention it when he came to find me today. He only spoke of how he and your elder brother coerced Cheng Huang into falsely implicating Lord Yang and the others…"

"…!"

"Never mind that. I ask you, after the message came from the palace today, did Luo Mu try to stop you?"

"No!" Cao Poshi on the ground quickly shook his head. "When I set out today, I didn't see him at all!"

Gongsun Xun was slightly taken aback, and then his heart jolted with alarm… In that flash of understanding, how could he not realize that he and this waste before him had both fallen into Luo Mu's scheme of killing two birds with one stone!

Indeed, it was killing two birds with one stone, not simply borrowing a knife to kill. Think about it: Cao Poshi, the greatest flaw in the Cao household and Luo Mu's personal adversary, had indeed been maneuvered into falling into his hands. But wasn't he himself, the fish that slipped through the net of Cao Jie's counterattack, also on the verge of becoming an imperial convict?

Was he truly as foolish as the man before him? Gongsun Xun was suddenly furious!

However, just as he was about to stand up and vent his anger, he suddenly felt that something was amiss… And after sitting down and thinking it over carefully, Gongsun Xun was once again filled with growing doubts!

Consider this: Luo Mu had come to deliver the warning, and he was not the only one who knew of it. How could Lu Fan and the others not figure it out afterward? In other words, no matter what, the fact that he, Luo Mu, had tipped them off could not possibly be kept hidden! Then what would become of him, Luo Zixian? How would Cao Jie view him?!

And furthermore, if he truly wanted to be thorough, he should have had a backup plan. For instance, just now, when there were so many soldiers outside, he could have come in person and exposed the matter, or simply sent someone to do it… At that point, what way out would he and Cao Poshi have had?!

Why had he been allowed to calmly send Sima Fang away? Why had he been allowed to calmly rescue these people's families? What exactly was Luo Mu's intention?!

Finally, he had to ask himself… hadn't he, from the very start, failed to follow the other's suggestion and come directly? Hadn't he walked all the way outside the city before his sense of shame became unbearable, and he turned back to save them?

So, again, what exactly was Luo Mu's intention?

But regardless, at this moment, besides waiting for nightfall to flee for his life, there seemed to be nothing else he could do!

At this thought, Gongsun Xun could not help but fix his gaze on Cao Poshi before him with a dark and icy expression… No matter what, if Luo Mu's cunning could still inspire a measure of grudging respect, then this man before him was loathsome from head to toe.

"Gongsun Physician... though I had words to say, I did not presume to speak out of turn!" Cao Poshi, seeing the other glare at him, made yet another grave blunder.

"Did you not just now speak out of turn?" Gongsun Xun was so furious he laughed.

Cao Poshi was instantly terrified and could only kowtow repeatedly!

"Speak, then!" Gongsun Xun by now could not be bothered to quibble. "I won't cut off your ear. If you have something to say, say it plainly."

Cao Poshi could not help but be overjoyed. Then, covering his ear with one hand and pointing at the paper and brush on the ground with the other, he said, "Gongsun Physician, might I be allowed to write a letter?"

"You can read and write?" Gongsun Xun could not help but be greatly surprised.

"After serving as an official at court for several decades, even if one couldn't read and write, one learns," Cao Poshi replied awkwardly. "Only my handwriting is exceedingly ugly."

"I underestimated you after all," Gongsun Xun said, unconcerned. "Very well, since that's the case, I'll have someone bring water for you to wash your hands. Write your letter quickly... Is it for your family?"

"Exactly! For my son and son-in-law... Of course, my only son and only daughter were both adopted by my elder brother, so you could also say they are my nephew and niece."

"Your son... hmm, your nephew — is he called Cao Ling? It seems he was just recently promoted to Grand Coachman? He should be on duty at the government offices right now?"

"Correct!"

"And your niece married my colleague in the Imperial Secretariat, Feng Fang? I've heard that man is also due for a promotion soon?"

"Correct!"

"I never imagined a man like you would still have a parent's tender love. Seeing that you are about to die, you actually know to leave a final letter for your son and son-in-law..."

"..."

"What is it?" Gongsun Xun immediately frowned and asked. "What's with that expression? Why aren't you writing?"

"I am..." Cao Poshi hesitated.

"You are what!" Gongsun Xun grew even more impatient. "Losing one ear and you've forgotten how to write?! It's just a final letter!"

"No!" Cao Poshi could not help but grow frantic. "I want to write a letter to trick my son and son-in-law into coming here, and then have them take my place as hostages... Even though they were adopted out, does being adopted out mean they shouldn't fulfill their filial duties?"

"..."

"Gongsun Physician, you took me hostage only because my elder brother opposes you. That being the case, taking me hostage or taking my son and son-in-law hostage makes no difference! I beg you, considering my advanced age, to release me once they arrive!"

Gongsun Xun was dumbfounded, then immediately burst into laughter: "In any case, my fate is nothing more than a life of wandering the rivers and lakes... Since that's how it is, write quickly! I was just looking forward to drinking and making merry with Brother Feng and the others!"

Leaving aside how Gongsun Xun was shaken beyond measure by Cao Poshi's utter lack of scruples, on the other side, within the Cao residence, Luo Mu could not exactly be said to have broken his word... Although he had not stopped Cao Poshi earlier, after Cao Poshi's letter was sent, he personally intercepted Cao Jie, Cao Hanfeng.

In truth, the reason Gongsun Xun could continue chatting and laughing with Cao Poshi within the Yang residence was all thanks to none other than Luo Zixian!

"Zixian, why did you have someone urgently summon me home?" In the afternoon, as soon as Cao Jie returned from the Northern Palace, he went straight to Luo Mu's room. "Your complexion is poor — is your wound still not healed?"

"It's not the wound on my head, but something in my gut," behind a desk piled with papers, Luo Mu forced a smile and replied. "I must speak or I'll burst!"

Cao Jie, hearing this, could not help but give an awkward smile. He then sat sideways by the door, not looking at the other, but turning his head toward the corridor where the shadows were gradually lengthening, and said, "I know Zixian means well for me. But Zixian, think about it — Poshi adopted out his only son and only daughter to me. To me, what a great kindness that is! Although I am the elder brother, I often feel indebted before him, which is why I often indulge him a little."

"But..."

"I understand," Cao Jie said hastily. "But rest assured, after this incident, no one at court will dare move against me, Cao Jie. Even Gongsun Xun will be going to Xiangping in Liaodong... On my way here, I passed by the Imperial Secretariat, and young Feng told me personally that Lu Zhi is urgently arranging this matter for his student... Since that's the case, no one will keep harping on Poshi's affairs."

"But my lord, all men must die. Even a man of supreme wisdom and strategy cannot control what happens after death. The Second Master, he..."

Hearing the other repeatedly mention the word death, Cao Jie could not help but frown. Yet, feeling guilty at heart after all, he still made an effort and said, "In that case, I will simply restrain him more strictly. And before I die, I will certainly drive him back to our hometown... Zixian, what do you think?"

"This brat is guilty!"

"What?" Cao Jie could not help but turn his head and ask. The light at the doorway was far too different from inside the room, and with a desk between them, he could not make out the other's expression at all for a moment.

"I said... this brat is guilty!" Luo Mu answered through gritted teeth. "I have betrayed you, my lord. I have been secretly communicating with Gongsun Xun..."

"What nonsense are you talking?" Facing the western sunlight, Cao Jie contentedly removed his two-thousand-dan official cap and gently flicked the dust from it, then could not help but laugh. "Your secret dealings with Gongsun Xun were a stratagem you and I personally devised — using Wang Fu and the others to go after Yang Qiu and Gongsun Xun's hearts, while feeding the appetites of Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, and the rest, and then using their miserable state to bind all the inner officials... All of this was a plan you painstakingly laid out, and I gave my approval. How can you speak of guilt?"

"The secret dealings this brat speaks of are not about that earlier matter. I will not deceive you, my lord... At noon today, I just went to see Gongsun Xun and laid bare everything that happened last night... This brat is guilty!" In the shadows within the room, Luo Mu's expression was somewhat twisted and unsightly.

Cao Jie did not look at this trusted confidant whom he regarded as his own son. He merely lowered his head and continued blowing dust from his official cap, his expression still unchanged: "It doesn't matter! In the end, those people did show you kindness, and harboring a heart that seeks to repay kindness is only human. How could I blame you for repaying kindness with gratitude? Besides, you should also know — when I entered the palace today, Zhao Zhong was right at the Son of Heaven's side, so it never implicated those people at all... But Zixian, while I am certainly happy you could tell me this, if you had come directly to plead with me earlier, I would certainly have agreed too! He's just a brat who can only borrow influence to hop around wildly — I truly never took him seriously. How could he compare to the bond between you and me?!"

The veins on Luo Mu's face bulged, then gradually subsided. He continued with effort: "My lord, it is not only that. I also advised Gongsun Xun to go rescue the family members of Yang Qiu and the others, lest they be humiliated by the Second Master. And I promised him that I would block and delay the Second Master."

"It doesn't matter," Cao Jie could not help but sigh. "Family members, that's all... Do you know why I was gone so long? In truth, Yang Ci, Liu Kuan, Yuan Kui, and Qiao Xuan all entered the palace to plead before the Son of Heaven! And the Son of Heaven still holds some respect for these few, especially those two imperial tutors — their bond with him is no less than mine. As we said before, even the crime of plotting rebellion only results in the execution of the ringleaders. These family members will at most be exiled to the borderlands. If he rescues them, so be it... It doesn't matter."

"It is not like that." Luo Mu's expression suddenly twisted again. Only with great difficulty did he grit his teeth and utter the next words. "I, in fact... in fact, did not block the Second Master at all... If my guess is correct, if the Second Master truly could not control himself and committed evil there, and if Gongsun Xun truly is a hero who went personally to save people... I fear by now, the Second Master has already been subdued by Gongsun Xun!"

Cao Jie narrowed his eyes slightly, then suddenly understood. He immediately threw down the two-thousand-dan high cap in his hand and rose to go rescue the man!

However, after walking only a few steps along the corridor, he abruptly came to his senses again — his younger brother was probably indeed already in Gongsun Xun's hands by now. Either already dead, or about to be taken hostage out of Luoyang... That being the case, this matter required long-term planning! Should he mount a large-scale siege and threaten the other party, or should he feign compliance and prioritize preserving life? And in this haste, which troops should he mobilize? Who should be sent to negotiate?

At this thought, Cao Jie made a prompt decision, resolving to prioritize saving his younger brother's life. He called out to a distant servant, telling him to summon his son-in-law Feng Fang with all haste... This man was also one of the thirty-six Minister Lang in the Imperial Secretariat, and could, after all, speak with Gongsun Xun. Then, he returned to Luo Mu's room, not only wanting to question him before his son-in-law arrived, but also because the one who tied the bell must untie it — he needed the other to abandon that foolish notion and give him a plan!

Only...

Only, as soon as he re-entered Luo Mu's room, Cao Jie could not help but panic... It turned out that the big-bearded scholar whom he treated like his own son had a twisted expression, had rolled onto the ground, and had even kicked the desk, stools, paper, brushes, and pottery in the room into utter disarray.

Could it be that before his own younger brother necessarily died first, this godson of his was going to die first?!

"What's wrong with Zixian?" After regaining his senses, Cao Jie could not help but be overcome with grief. He no longer cared about any questioning and directly went forward to support him. "Why is this happening?"

"My lord, it hurts!" Luo Mu's face was twisted. As soon as he opened his mouth, tears and snot uncontrollably streamed out.

"Where does it hurt?!" Cao Jie grew even more panicked. "Tell me!"

"In my gut..." Luo Mu's face was completely flushed, his voice hoarse. "When I did this deed, I naturally knew that in the future, my lord's children could not tolerate me. Yet I had no home to return to, nowhere to go, so I resolved to die! And knowing I was guilty, I used the method of swallowing gold, to atone to you, my lord!"

Cao Jie was dumbstruck, and then immediately tears streamed down his face: "How did it come to this? How did it come to this?"

"I knew that swallowing gold would destroy the internal organs, the pain like being tortured," Luo Mu clutched his stomach, finding it increasingly unbearable. "But I never imagined it would hurt this much..."

Cao Jie's tears flowed unceasingly. He wanted to call for help, yet knew it was useless... The method of swallowing gold was itself a cruel punishment that relied on the sharp edges of metal to destroy the internal organs. And once swallowed, there was almost no chance of survival! How else, in such a situation, could one cut open the belly to save a man on short notice?

"My lord," Luo Mu continued through gritted teeth. "I do not regret it... The Second Master truly would bring calamity upon the Cao clan. I deliberately sought to eliminate him. Yet I also know the bond of flesh and blood between you. Having received your great kindness, I can only repay his life with mine!"

Hearing these words, Cao Jie wept even more bitterly: "Does Zixian truly not know? I also regard you as my own flesh and blood!!!"

"My lord," Luo Mu was in unbearable agony and could not hear the other's words at all. He could only use his words to give his final instructions on his own. "I have one more thing to ask of you... If the Second Master truly dies, then it was I who killed him. In the days when I was destitute, that Gongsun Xun saved my life. If you can spare him, please, you must spare him... Moreover, the Gongsun clan resides at the strategic pass of Liaoxi, with deep roots and spreading branches, wealthy and prosperous — they may not be so easy to deal with!"

Cao Jie's tears flowed endlessly, yet he was speechless.

"The realm is about to descend into chaos. The Northern Palace cannot be relied upon for long. The Cao clan will sooner or later lose power... I have written it all in my final letter." For some unknown reason, Luo Mu suddenly felt much more comfortable all over. His speech even became fluent, and his eyes grew clearer. "In summary, in the coming years, my lord, holding both inner and outer authority, must restrain the clan's sons and younger members, blend with the common dust, and absolutely must not monopolize power and dominate governance again! As long as you do not provoke the Son of Heaven's wrath, you can seize the opportunity to diligently bestow kindness upon the outer court. Toward young heroes, no matter who, you must be greatly forbearing..." At this point, Luo Mu's breath grew faint as gossamer, and his gaze gradually scattered. He then suddenly realized. "All this has already been written in my final letter. I should not have spoken more... I only hope my lord will strive to eat well... After I die, I beg to be returned home for burial..."

Before the last word was finished, Luo Zixian had already passed away in silence. Cao Jie was overcome with boundless grief.

—————— I am the dividing line of a very painful stomach ——————

"When (Luo Mu) returned, the matter came to light. The Cao clan imprisoned and interrogated him under torture; all five cruel punishments were applied. They also heated an iron axe-blade and made him clamp it under his arm. Luo Mu remained impassive and wordless, his expression unchanged. Someone asked, 'Does it not hurt?' Luo Mu bent down, picked up a piece of cooked flesh and ate it, still saying nothing. In the end, the Cao clan could do nothing to him. When Cao Jie returned from the Northern Palace and heard of this, he was furious and went in person to rebuke him. Only then did Luo Mu say: 'My lord slandered and poisoned the loyal and good; I went to report it — that was righteousness. Having received my lord's utmost grace, to betray one's master and collude with others is truly disloyal. Therefore, before I came, I had already swallowed gold. The pain is like a knife twisting — I punished myself and sought death! The reason I did not die was that I had not yet seen my lord!' Cao Jie was greatly shocked, then deeply grieved. Luo Mu then slowly continued: 'The great trend of the realm will not ultimately lie with the eunuchs. I hope my lord will perform many righteous deeds to preserve your family, and also make an effort to eat more...' Before he finished speaking, he died on the spot. The people of the time all sighed with admiration!" — *Old Book of Yan*, Biographies of the Solitary and Righteous.

PS: Finally played myself into a corner... Also, there's a reader group 684558115, everyone can join.

(End of Chapter)