Chapter 140

"Young master, what is the meaning of this?"

Han Dang was utterly astonished. He hurriedly released the reins to stop his lord, but in the end, constrained by the other man's growing authority, he did not dare to actually pull him back. He could only turn and rebuke the village chief on the ground. "My young master has just been appointed as a thousand-bushel county magistrate and is on his way to take up his post. He heard of Dian Wei's reputation for valor and came to pay a visit, perhaps with the intention of recruiting him. How could he be here to arrest him? You are truly ridiculous!"

The middle-aged village chief was momentarily stunned by these words, but then immediately lowered his head and fell silent.

Seeing this, Han Dang was also speechless. Moreover, his lord still remained silent, and actually mounted his horse directly and rode away. Han Dang had no choice but to lead the few attendants and turn to follow.

Lou Gui, however, suddenly understood. He could not help but sigh quietly, then led his horse and turned to leave. "Since that is the case, village chief, you must remember my young master's kindness!"

"May I ask your honored master's name?" The village chief, hearing this, looked even more ashamed.

"Gongsun Xun of Liaoxi!" Lou Gui said as he mounted his horse and rode off in pursuit.

For a moment, only the village chief was left kneeling alone before Dian Wei's gate.

"Young master, why bother getting angry with such a person?" Han Dang, whose horsemanship was astonishing, caught up and asked from horseback.

"How am I angry?" Gongsun Xun could not help but sneer at this, and he slowed his pace. "As you said, why should I be angry with this person?"

Han Dang was momentarily speechless.

"The reason I am somewhat dejected is actually that I feel the sun has baked my head dizzy, leading me to make such a pointless gesture." At this, Gongsun Xun sighed seriously. "I am a man of Liaoxi about to take up a post in Liaodong, vainly attempting to recruit a warrior of the Central Plains who has a family and enjoys the strong support of his village. Is this not a waste of effort?"

Han Dang, after all, was merely a military man and did not know how to console him for a moment.

"This is the young master having self-awareness, coupled with the benevolent heart of an elder!" Just then, Lou Gui spurred his horse and caught up from behind. "So why sigh?"

This time, it was Gongsun Xun's turn to be speechless. Benevolent heart, perhaps... but how had he also become an elder?

"What does Zibo mean by this?" Han Dang was also baffled.

"Yigong, look," Lou Gui immediately smiled from horseback. "This land of the Central Plains is a place contested on all sides. Once chaos erupts, it will inevitably be plagued by continuous warfare. And a man like Dian Wei, with his unparalleled valor, as long as he is here for a day, he can always protect the peace of his village..."

"That is indeed true." Han Dang nodded with emotion. "Even with just bandits linking up, this village chief was already deeply worried and unwilling to let Dian Wei leave, let alone during war and chaos. If war truly comes, I fear Dian Wei will be put forward to serve as a military leader to continue protecting his homeland."

"That is precisely the point." Lou Gui could not help but speak solemnly. "That village chief feared that if the young master arrested Dian Wei, this place would lose its protector. But our young master understood that, never mind arresting him, even recruiting and taking Dian Wei away would be the same thing, would it not? Both would cause the local villagers to lose their support. That is why our young master turned and left immediately... It was not merely retreating in the face of difficulty, but also an act of benevolence, not wishing for this place to suffer the ravages of soldiers and bandits after losing Dian Wei."

Han Dang and the several attendants each suddenly understood, and when they looked at their lord again, there was a bit more respect in their eyes.

Gongsun Xun naturally could not be bothered to explain... In truth, the benevolence Lou Gui spoke of, which was also a sense of compassion, he had indeed felt, but only to a small degree, and it could not be called the main reason. The true main reason lay in the four words: 'powerless to do anything.'

To put it plainly, in this era, regional identity was far too strong. Even if you had background and reputation, you could only attract some scholars who had the power to choose; you might not necessarily move these local strongmen, great and small, who were rooted in their regions. After all, after over a hundred years of differentiation and tempering, what were strongmen in the Great Han now? They were local powers unable to obtain proper official careers, and the vast majority of their interests came from their native soil. These people lacked the courage and strength to detach themselves from their homeland.

Of course, you could not say Dian Wei was qualified to be called a strongman; after all, his background was far too different from that of a strongman.

But it was very clear that, as the world gradually grew unstable, this wandering knight of unparalleled martial prowess was passively receiving the support and unity of his fellow villagers. The wealthy household next door sent him money and asked him to avenge them; the local officials shielded him; the villagers treated his home as the place where problems could truly be solved...

Under such circumstances, even though Dian Wei himself was still that local wandering knight of honest character and outstanding martial skill, he had also taken on some of the characteristics of a strongman!

In a word, the villagers would not let Dian Wei leave, and Dian Wei could not possibly abandon his homeland and leave just because of a recruitment offer from a Liaodong county magistrate like himself. Even if Gongsun Xun promised to take the other man's parents along and care for them well, it probably would not work!

Just as Lou Gui said, a man like Dian Wei would likely stay here, protecting the peace of this region. And when chaos arose, the villagers would organize an armed force and have him lead it... If bandits attacked, he would meet them; if men from the imperial court came, he would lead his unit to join the army... until one day, a person with a discerning eye recognized the hero, took him as a trusted confidant, and then they would campaign across the land and leave their names in history!

Of course, that person would have to be the legitimate ruler of Chenliu Commandery, or a fellow villager from nearby, or a fellow villager from nearby who was also the ruler of Chenliu!

Otherwise, it was fundamentally impossible for Dian Wei to appear under his command!

So, did Cao Mengde truly possess the Mandate of Heaven? And speaking of strongmen with the courage to detach from their homeland, was Sun Wentai truly a first-rate hero? And did Yuan Benchu leave his hometown to establish a base in Hebei, only to end up mired in internal strife between Hebei and Nanyang, also have deep underlying reasons? But why was Emperor Guangwu able to mediate the conflicts between the Hebei and Nanyang strongmen under his command and then rebuild the divine land?

Living in this world, could there truly be fortune and a Mandate of Heaven?

Gongsun Xun traveled along, his mind wandering wildly, yet for two consecutive days he could not find an answer... And in a daze, amidst the blazing summer heat, he had already arrived at the outskirts of Qiaoxian, located on the border of Peiguo and Liangguo!

Cao Mengde, who was living at home in leisure and assiduously studying, heard of this and was overjoyed. He took up a broom and went out to welcome him.

Gongsun Xun dismounted, and regardless of the sweat covering his body, he snatched the broom from the other's hand and tossed it aside, then clasped hands with him and laughed.

"When we parted in Luoyang before, I thought our next meeting would be when our temples were frosted with age. I never expected to see Wenqi again so soon." After several months, Cao Mengde's stature had not grown taller, but as he spoke, he seemed even more relaxed and content. And this relaxation came from within; compared to the feigned broad-mindedness he had displayed in Luoyang, it carried an indescribable sense of ease.

"Someone left without saying goodbye and even played the gentleman thief. As the scion of a renowned Confucian, how could I not emulate the ancient sages and come to offer some instruction to the thief?" Gongsun Xun also wore a smile, temporarily casting aside all his previous thoughts and musings.

"So you've come chasing after me to urge me toward virtue?" Cao Mengde could not help but laugh heartily, his eyes narrowing into slits.

Then, he hurried forward to greet Lou Gui. Even Han Dang and the several attendants from Yanmen all received clasped-hand greetings.

The man was open-minded and witty by nature, and he never put on airs with anyone. This quickly made the visiting party feel quite at home.

But honestly, perhaps because he had been thinking about many things lately, seeing this scene, Gongsun Xun actually thought again of Liu Bei, who could strike up a conversation with anyone... He wondered what the latter was actually doing now?

"Wenqi." After the bustle, Cao Cao took the other's hand and led him into the courtyard of his residence. "The weather is so scorching, and yet you've come specifically to visit me. Have you truly come to seek me out for a drink, or is there some serious business?"

"There are indeed three important matters." Gongsun Xun took the other's arm and spoke solemnly.

"Three?" Even someone as broad-minded as Cao Mengde could not help but be greatly surprised, and he stopped right there in the courtyard.

"Indeed." Gongsun Xun also answered seriously. "First, when I left Luoyang, I remembered the unfinished business of Brother Mengde, so I specifically sought out He Jin He Suigao, the brother of Consort He, for help. This man is on excellent terms with me, and he immediately agreed that Empress Song and the entire Song family must be properly buried... Brother Mengde might as well send someone to inquire; perhaps there will be good news within ten days or so."

Cao Cao, hearing this, did not speak, but merely shook the other's hands repeatedly to express his feelings.

"Second," Gongsun Xun continued, "when I came, the situation in Luoyang had changed dramatically. Brother Mengde's entire family has been demoted, and I imagine you would like to know the details clearly, yet you have no one in Luoyang to observe... This is a long story; why don't we discuss it slowly this evening?"

Cao Cao naturally had no objection.

"Third," Gongsun Xun's expression suddenly changed. "Brother Mengde, do not think I am joking... You must return my family's fat cat to me!"

Cao Cao was instantly dumbfounded. "You truly came to pursue this matter?"

"Mengde does not know," Lou Gui helplessly stepped forward to explain. "That leopard cat is extraordinary. It was a gift my young master gave to the young mistress when they first met. Later, when my young mistress encountered the Xianbei at Liucheng in Liaoxi, all her old acquaintances and family around her were slaughtered, leaving only this one cat..."

"I know of this matter," Cao Mengde said, his head suddenly aching, and he hastily interrupted. "I also understand what Zibo means... Could it be that this matter has caused considerable discord in Wenqi's household?"

Lou Gui naturally shut his mouth and did not answer, while Gongsun Xun could not help but sigh. "How about this: Brother Mengde returns that leopard cat to me, and in a few days, I will send someone to deliver a similar one to you!"

"This..." Cao Cao rubbed his hands awkwardly. "Wenqi has come from afar, and in this intense summer heat. Why not first bathe and change clothes, then go pay respects to my father? We can discuss this further during the evening banquet?"

Gongsun Xun immediately grew wary in his heart, but ultimately he was covered in stinking sweat, sticky and uncomfortable... Moreover, since he was already here, he truly did not believe the other could keep stalling, so he nodded in agreement on the spot.

What followed need not be elaborated. After bathing and changing, Gongsun Xun and his party immediately went to pay respects to that Cao Song who 'liked plump women'... Cao Song was not particularly interested in matters like collecting corpses, but he was exceptionally concerned about the situation in Luoyang. Not only did he have many questions, but he also hinted that Gongsun Xun could discuss it in detail with his son that evening, and then have his son report back to him.

To be honest, Gongsun Xun rather disapproved of the other's urgency... because the Cao clan's current situation, though seemingly at a low point, had already hit rock bottom. Moreover, Cao Cao's grandfather, Cao Teng, was truly a remarkable man. The important ministers in the court who had received his favor were countless, and there was no shortage of people around the Son of Heaven constantly speaking well of the Cao clan.

Not to mention within the palace, just taking an example from the noble families: the Zhong clan, a famous house in Luoyang, had its first member to reach the Three Excellencies, the renowned minister Zhong Hao, who did such a thing... When he was sent out as Inspector of Yizhou, the Grand Administrator of Shu Commandery went to bribe Cao Teng. On the way, Zhong Hao discovered this. The fellow's brain twitched, and he directly used this to impeach Cao Teng. As expected, Emperor Huan was furious upon seeing the memorial. Never mind that this was the unilateral action of the Shu Grand Administrator and Cao Teng had not even received the bribe; even if Cao Teng had truly taken a bribe, with the grace of having supported the Emperor's enthronement, the one who should die would still be you, Zhong Hao, right?

However, Zhong Hao still survived and enjoyed a smooth official career, serving both as the General Who Crosses the Liao, overseeing military affairs on the northern frontier, and holding a position among the Three Excellencies, truly reaching the pinnacle of ministerial rank... And the Luoyang Zhong clan also flourished from then on.

What happened? It was very simple. On that day, when the Son of Heaven was furious and wanted to punish Zhong Hao, it was the very man he had impeached, Cao Teng, who went to the Emperor to plead for mercy! And not only did he plead for mercy, Cao Teng even listed Zhong Hao's previous achievements and virtues one by one to Emperor Huan, then publicly praised the man as a capable official and recommended him for important posts... The rest naturally goes without saying. From then on, Zhong Hao told people every day, 'Had it not been for the benevolence of the Grand Prolonger of Autumn, how could there be a Zhong Hao today?'

One must understand that Cao Teng served four emperors and participated in assisting governance for decades. Favors of this bone-deep, unforgettable kind were spread throughout Luoyang, inside and out... So, how could the Cao clan possibly be down and out forever? Endure for a few years, and they would naturally rise again!

Of course, Gongsun Xun did not care what Cao Song thought, and Cao Song probably did not care what he thought either… In truth, what Gongsun Xun really cared about were the people he was about to meet next:

Lady Ding, who dared to "divorce her husband" — the Ding clan was a great family of Qiaoxian, long ranked alongside the Xiahou and Cao clans, and the three families had intermarried for generations;

Cao Ang, still an infant in swaddling clothes, born of Cao Cao's lesser wife Lady Liu, but Lady Liu had died shortly after childbirth, so the child was effectively raised by Lady Ding herself;

And Cao Cao's brother-in-law Xiahou Yuan — yes, this Brother Miaocai had just married Lady Ding's own younger sister;

Then naturally there was no missing Cao Ren, just ten years old, and Cao Chun, just eight — the two boys' elder sister was none other than the sister-in-law of Empress Song… so whether they had been instructed by their elders or had matured greatly after this upheaval, they were in any case exceptionally deferential toward Gongsun Xun;

And interestingly, Cao Cao actually had a half-brother born of a concubine, Cao De — rather odd… though on second thought, the man was probably later dragged down by his father, hence his name never became known!

"Wenqi, why haven't you taken your seat yet?" Cao Cao shook out his sleeves and sat down cross-legged without the slightest ceremony. "Do you find my humble fare too simple, or are you unaccustomed to these old-style low tables and rush mats? I've no choice — my household has had considerable expenses lately, and I can't afford those high-legged furnishings now fashionable in Luoyang and Hebei. I've heard that ever since your teacher Lord Liu took the lead in using such furniture in Luoyang, the price of those high-backed chairs — they call them Grand Commandant chairs — has soared…"

"Not at all, not at all." Gongsun Xun likewise seated himself casually before speaking. "I thought there were still others to be seated."

"What others could there be?" Cao Cao laughed at once. "I was precisely afraid that if the elders came it would make things awkward, so everyone here is of the same generation — make yourself at ease!"

"What I meant was…" Watching as everyone from Xiahou Yuan to Cao Chun, from Lou Gui to Han Dang, took their seats one after another, Gongsun Xun finally asked directly, "Why are Xiahou Yuanrang and Cao Zilian, whom Brother Mengde mentioned in Luoyang, not here? You said that day you would act as an intermediary so I could make their acquaintance…"

Before the words had even faded, Cao Cao, ordinarily so open and magnanimous, suddenly changed expression — he actually turned his face away, not even narrowing his eyes anymore!

As for the rest of the company, apart from Lady Ding, who had come out to receive the guest and now frowned slightly, they all burst into laughter.

Gongsun Xun was naturally baffled.

"What the White Horse Gentleman does not know," Xiahou Yuan said with a slight bow and a smile, "is that my clansman Xiahou Yuanrang, ever since spending half a year as a fugitive, has often roamed about making friends with bold men… These past few days, he has happened to go visiting a friend in Chen State."

Gongsun Xun nodded slightly — nothing to be done about that.

"As for the matter between Brother Zilian and our eldest brother," Cao De beside them also explained helplessly, "the two of them have been at odds recently… truly an embarrassment before the Gentleman Gongsun!"

"What embarrassment?" Cao Cao, hearing this, flared up with anger. "How could Cao Zilian's household possibly be poorer than mine? When the county came to collect the poll tax, of all the clan it was my household that owed the most! How could my family have more wealth than his? I said he had secretly bribed the county clerks, and he said I was slandering him… Such an obvious matter — what slander is there in that?"

It turned out that Cao Cao's entire clan had been dismissed from office, and the Chancellor of Pei at the time was none other than Wang Fu's nephew — that same Wang Ji who killed indiscriminately. This man naturally had to make a show of it, so he ordered Qiaoxian to go collect the fu-suan tax from the Cao family, that is, the poll tax and property tax… So be it, collect it they did. But after Cao Cao returned home and personally took charge of the household, he discovered that among all the clan households, his own poll tax assessment was the highest! Yet the wealthiest family in the clan was clearly Cao Hong's!

At this, Brother Mengde, managing a household for the first time, was immediately displeased… On what grounds? And then he could not help indulging in a bit of resentment toward the rich, confronting his clansman Cao Zilian with a sour face… Saying, did you, Cao Zilian, bribe the county clerks?

And Cao Hong, upon hearing this accusation, flew into a great rage — without a shred of proof, on what grounds are you saying I bribed the county clerks?

And so, the two brothers actually quarreled over this trifling matter — rather amusing, really.

"That is how it stands," Cao De finished his account, looking increasingly embarrassed.

Yet Gongsun Xun, after hearing this explanation, disregarded all decorum as a guest and the face of the Cao family, and burst out laughing on the spot, laughing until tears came.

"Why is Wenqi acting this way?" The others grew even more embarrassed, and even the fuming Cao Cao was speechless… So, we brothers have a falling out, and you find it amusing?

"Brother Mengde has indeed never served as a clerk," Gongsun Xun suppressed his laughter and said quickly. "As I see it, this matter most likely was not Cao Zilian's doing at all… It was the county clerks acting on their own authority!"

Everyone at the banquet was baffled.

"What do you mean by that?" Cao Cao asked with a serious expression.

"Does Cao Zilian's household have anyone ranked among the ministers and excellencies?" Gongsun Xun asked with a beaming smile.

"That, it does not."

"Anyone at the two-thousand-bushel rank?"

"Zilian's father, my late uncle, only served once as a county magistrate at the six-hundred-bushel rank."

"There you have it." Gongsun Xun put away his smile and spoke gravely. "How could it be that the household of a man ranked among the ministers and excellencies, the main line of the clan, possesses less property than the other clan members? If that were truly the case, I fear the Cao clan would lose immense face in the county! In truth, the county clerk had a difficult task… How would he dare let your household's poll tax assessment be lower than Cao Zilian's?"

Setting aside the others, Cao Cao was exceedingly clever and understood almost instantly — whereupon his face could not help but flush green and red, and he looked away and changed the subject:

"My lady, what of the songs and dances you mentioned earlier?"

Lady Ding, hearing this, took the cue and rose to bow, saying: "Gentleman Gongsun, in truth my household ordinarily has no song and dance, but as it happens, a wandering troupe of musicians and dancers recently came here from Langya. I hear their singing and dancing are both superb. They are presently lodging in Qiaoxian, so I took the liberty of inviting them over, just in time to add to the gentleman's enjoyment… Please wait a moment, sir, while I go fetch the performers."

Gongsun Xun hurriedly returned the courtesy, thinking nothing of it — he merely assumed this was Lady Ding's pretext to withdraw and formally begin the banquet… As the hostess, it was proper etiquette for her to appear once at the feast, but it was not suitable for her to remain throughout such an occasion, and once the singing and dancing girls came on, she could naturally make a graceful exit.

——————————I am the dividing line that drank chicken soup——————————

"The Lady Bian was originally of a musician's family. In the third year of the Yanxi reign of Han, on the jisi day of the twelfth month, she was born in Baiting in Qi Commandery. A yellow vapor filled the room and lingered for a full day. Bian's father thought it strange and asked the diviner Wang Dan about it. Dan said: 'This is auspicious.'" — Old Book of Yan, Biographies of Alchemists

PS: Thanks to book friends Four-Eyed Birdman, Loneliness Hao Le, and Partridge Bird for the tips, and thank you all for your concern. As for the tooth problem, there's nothing to be done for the moment — the treatment cycle is quite long, and there's suffering to endure. Yesterday's chapter was 6300 characters, this chapter is 5300… I'm keeping count, and I'll definitely make up the missing word count.

Also, the new book group is 684558115 — everyone please join.

I originally wanted to write more… ordered a chicken soup delivery and it directly wrecked my cherry keyboard… typed this on my phone… didn't have time to code the classical text, added it later… please understand.

Also, typing on a phone is too awful… if there are typos, just tell me directly in the group — what's the point of mocking me here?

(End of Chapter)