Chapter 184: The Old Pheasant Gazes at the River and Laments (Supplement for Yesterday)

One pot boiled fiercely, two sheep bleated in alarm.

In the twilight, the powerful figures of Zhao Kingdom tumbled into a chaotic heap, and Gongsun Xun stood there with his hand on his saber, waiting for a long while, until Wei Song finally forced a dry laugh and rose:

"Gentlemen, please rise. We are all men of the same district. Now, with the kingdom's senior officials lying idle and the common people suffering in dire straits, it is precisely the time to pull together in the same boat. If we can sacrifice our own interests for the good of the whole kingdom, why should we not?"

"Lord Wei of lofty virtue!" The crowd bowed neatly to the ground, shouting in unison.

Immediately, those with tact or ulterior motives began calling out in succession, "Brother Handan of lofty righteousness!" and "Brother Li of lofty righteousness!" forcing the two clan elders to hurriedly rise and cup their hands in acknowledgment.

"Gentlemen," Gongsun Xun, seeing that these three families had conceded, suddenly spoke, instantly quieting the chaotic scene. "All of you, sit back down. I have further matters to discuss... You two, continue slaughtering the sheep and slicing the meat for the pot!"

Order was immediately restored in the courtyard. Zhao Ping had already fled back in panic, and the two Xianbei giants seized the chance to cleanly slit the throats of the two sheep. As fresh blood streamed out, no one spoke anymore of 'a gentleman keeping his distance from the kitchen.'

Quite the contrary, most of the people in the courtyard now wore expressions of vigilance, though for the majority, it was vigilance mixed with excitement.

One must understand, Zhao was a commandery-kingdom with a registered population of one hundred eighty thousand, the smallest in Jizhou. By regulation, it had only one Filial and Incorrupt nomination per year. Therefore, even assuming everyone was willing to abide by this agreement, and assuming Xiang Xu did not leave in the next two years, allowing this public recommendation system to persist, there would only be two Filial and Incorrupt nominees over the next two years. And the three families—Wang, Zhang, and Lu—competing for those two slots was certainly interesting!

And what of the commandery posts these families were relinquishing? Would the Marquis of Wulu take a few key ones for himself? The remainder, divided among seven or eight major households in the kingdom, would still not be enough to go around, would it?

In other words, this group immediately realized that this Marquis of Wulu, who had turned guest into host, intended to hold these things in reserve to observe future conduct, and what he was about to say next was likely the crux of the matter.

"Shuzhi, I must trouble you." Sure enough, after Gongsun Xun had seated himself back in the place of honor with great aplomb, he immediately turned his head and gave an instruction.

Wang Xiu, who had remained silent all along, nodded slightly upon hearing this, then carried the wooden box in his hands and walked down. At each low table he approached, Yang Kai on his left would help lift the box's lid, while Qian Zhao on his right would take out one of the items inside and distribute it. At this moment, who would dare be negligent? Each person hurriedly rose and received the item with utmost respect.

It was a sheet of paper, black characters on white, covered with densely written clauses. Naturally, everyone present was literate, so by the light of the fires to their left and right, they understood at a glance.

It turned out that on the paper, clearly written, was first a line of large characters, titled:

Handan County Two-Year Plan.

Below the large characters, a series of items were listed from top to bottom. Regardless of the detailed rules within, the items were, in order, as follows:

First, combine suppression with pacification to return the refugees in the Taihang Mountains west of Handan to their homes, or register them as common households on the spot;

Second, conduct a thorough census of households, able-bodied men, and farmland, and organize them into units of five and ten;

Third, establish public schools and reorganize ritual sacrifices;

Fourth, emulate Lord Bai's past efforts in managing the Fuyang River south of Handan city by managing the Gelu River north of the city and constructing water conservancy works.

To speak frankly, taken individually, none of these four matters seemed particularly out of line under the current circumstances:

Clearing the Taihang Mountains might appear extremely difficult—after all, matters deep in the mountain hollows are terribly hard to handle—but the difficulty of this task was mainly concentrated on Gongsun Xun's own operations. The powerful and great households present would only need to contribute a small portion of military rations and guides;

Managing the Gelu River might require vast amounts of manpower and resources, but it carried absolute political correctness. Even if some privately shirked or evaded their duties, on the surface, no one could oppose it no matter how eloquently they argued;

The final item, the census and organization into units of five and ten, might be somewhat sensitive for the various clans who concealed households. But after the upheavals of the past few days, Gongsun Xun's military might and deterrence had been fully displayed—disobedience meant clan extermination. Moreover, this open and frank approach clearly carried a sense of letting bygones be bygones. Calculated, it merely meant guaranteeing future poll taxes, a disguised form of paying for peace, which was not unacceptable.

However...

"My lord Marquis." Left with no choice, Zhang Shu, who theoretically had not yet been relieved of his post as Commandery Assistant, could only force himself to stand under the gaze of those around him. Holding the thin sheet of paper in both hands, he saluted and spoke. "Regarding my lord Marquis's plan, we are all in full agreement, but I have one thing to say..."

"Elder Zhang, please speak freely, do not stand on ceremony," Gongsun Xun replied easily. "The reason I distributed this to everyone was precisely to be open and frank, and to widely solicit advice."

"My lord Marquis." Relieved, Zhang Shu spoke bluntly. "In this old man's view, these several matters are all excellent. To accomplish even one or two of them would be enough to shame the two-thousand-bushel officials of other commanderies known for their capable governance, let alone my lord Marquis achieving four things as a mere county-level official. However..."

"However?"

"However, there are too many tasks, and I fear our strength may fall short," Zhang Shu said very sincerely. "The first matter requires military rations and soldiers; the second requires the full cooperation of all the clans in our kingdom, from top to bottom; the third, let us not even speak of it; the fourth matter, even more so, requires a massive mobilization of able-bodied men and corvée laborers from the entire kingdom. Therefore, even if all the clans in our kingdom were willing to wholeheartedly assist my lord Marquis, I fear it would be a case of a clever wife unable to cook without rice!"

Gongsun Xun first nodded slightly, but upon hearing the last sentence, he could not help but laugh: "Elder Zhang misunderstands... I never said these four matters must be done simultaneously, nor did I ever say all four must be accomplished."

Hearing this, Commandery Assistant Zhang perked up: "My lord Marquis means...?"

"My meaning is simple." Gongsun Xun sat in the seat of honor, speaking eloquently to those below. For a moment, aside from the sounds of butchering the sheep—cutting flesh and deboning—only his voice could be heard. "These four matters shall proceed in sequence, and if one matter is not completed, we shall not proceed to the next. As for why I have invited everyone here today, taking advantage of Lord Wei's banquet, besides discussing the matter of order in the kingdom, it is precisely to ask everyone to deliberate on the sequence of these four matters..."

The crowd let out a long breath... This made it seem even more sincere.

"Why not start with establishing the school?" someone said impatiently. "Gentlemen, look at what is written on this paper. After the school is established, Lord Wei will be invited to reside there permanently as the chief lecturer, and even my lord Marquis will go to the school to lecture on the Mao Poetry and the Han Poetry... In this way, if we send our own sons and younger kin to the school, would they not become Lord Wei's students? And even become the second-generation disciples of that elder of the realm, Lord Liu, and that renowned Confucian of the realm, Lord Lu?!"

The person who said this was clearly trying to avoid the important and dwell on the trivial, for this matter was not only the easiest to accomplish, but crucially, it required no effort from the various clans... and seemed to bring them benefit instead?

However, the speaker clearly failed to notice the surrounding atmosphere. Gongsun Xun had set up a pot and slaughtered sheep, forcing Zhao Ping, a man well past twenty, to cry like a child; then, by some unknown means, he had persuaded Wei Song to yield two Filial and Incorrupt nominations, distributing benefits from top to bottom among the kingdom's clans. Did you think this was to let you avoid the heavy and pick the light? Not to mention 'You gave me a peach, I repay you with a fine jade,' but even out of respect for the many warriors standing behind him, they had to show some commitment on this first matter, no matter what.

Therefore, as soon as this man spoke, he was shouted down by the clear-headed majority.

However, after shouting this man down, these people were not entirely unified themselves... For instance, the Zhang, Wang, and Lu families, though they had lost their commandery posts, the weight of the Filial and Incorrupt nominations was beyond compare. The prospect of three competing for two slots brought both pressure and motivation. Moreover, since Gongsun Xun showed no intention of draining the pond to get all the fish, they could not help but feel eager to try, and actually vied to propose repairing the Gelu River!

They clearly wanted to demonstrate their family's strength!

As for the somewhat smaller wealthy and great households, lacking sufficient strength, they were inevitably somewhat timid about matters like constructing waterworks, fearing that too many laborers would be conscripted, negatively impacting their production and livelihood.

Of course, these people had other considerations as well... First, compared to the three powerful clans, they actually had few unlawful dealings; second, having now obtained commandery posts, they wished to use these positions to display some ability; finally, they needed to plan for the time after Gongsun Xun left office, and thus harbored intentions of jointly suppressing those three powerful clans and replacing them.

Therefore, they actually wanted to start with the most sensitive matter—namely, the census of households and able-bodied men, and the organization into units of five and ten.

For a time, the two factions argued back and forth, locked in an irresolvable dispute.

Interestingly, just as the two factions were deadlocked, the clan elders of the Handan and Li families exchanged a glance and actually proposed a new plan... They suggested starting with the first matter—clearing the Taihang Mountains!

This suggestion carried a subtle sense of testing Gongsun Xun's ability... If this overbearing and tyrannical Marquis stumbled and fell in the Taihang Mountains, then could the situation in the kingdom be reconsidered? Could this matter of the three great clans withdrawing from the public discussion of Filial and Incorrupt nominations be renegotiated?

At this, the Wei family estate grew even more boisterous, and even the volunteer guards and county soldiers standing sentry with spears all around turned their heads to look.

After an unknown length of time, the great cauldron had boiled so fiercely that water had to be added again. The two Xianbei men had long since drained the sheep's blood and skinned them, waiting only to slice the meat into the pot... Yet Gongsun Xun simply sat upright in the main seat of honor, holding a cup of wine and savoring it carefully, not uttering a single word, leaving everyone helpless.

"Gentlemen, regarding this matter, I have something to say!" At that moment, Wei Song, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke, causing everyone to fall silent at once.

"We were just waiting to hear Lord Wei's lofty opinion," Gongsun Xun immediately raised his cup in salute.

"My meaning is simple," Wei Song said solemnly, tucking his sleeves together. "Each of you has your own agenda, locked in stalemate, but have any of you considered the question of seasonal timing? And have any of you considered that these four matters can be interconnected?"

Everyone was momentarily stunned, and even Gongsun Xun could not help but cast an extra glance at Wei Song... This was, after all, a man who had served a term as Chancellor of a kingdom.

"First, let us discuss clearing the mountain areas and registering the people as common households." Wei Song rapped the table with his hand and spoke seriously. "Is not the time between the harvests, in the summer, the most suitable? The season right before us is the best. We can absolutely use grain to entice those fugitive households and refugees in the mountains to accept the government's registration and guidance. Moreover, after accepting government relief, those people will more easily come to trust the government again. Even hardened bandits, due to the grain shortage at this time, are easiest to deal with!"

A sudden understanding dawned on the crowd.

"And the census," Wei Song continued to speak eloquently. "Why conduct a census of households and fields, and organize them into units of five and ten? Is it not for the sake of fair poll taxation and to broaden financial resources? This sort of thing is actually best carried out in parallel with the autumn tax collection, to save manpower. Furthermore, at harvest time, the size of the fields and the yield are clear at a glance, making it easier to determine which fields are good and which are poor!"

Hearing this, the crowd was utterly convinced and could not help but sit up straight with proper respect.

"As for establishing a school and having the sons and younger kin of each family enroll..." Wei Song sighed. "Have you forgotten when the Filial and Incorrupt are recommended? It is in the tenth month, precisely after the autumn harvest! At that time, everyone will gather, and after selecting one outstanding talent from among the Zhang, Wang, and Lu families, should not the sons and younger kin of the other families remain behind precisely to enroll in the school?"

At this point, not only the people below, but even Wang Xiu, who had remained expressionless all along, could not help but fix his gaze on this former Chancellor of Lu... because when Gongsun Xun and he had put this plan together, it had been designed exactly along these lines.

"By the tenth month," Wei Song now spoke without any restraint, "if County Magistrate Gongsun cleared the mountain areas during the summer, stabilized public order, and thereby demonstrated his talent, dispelling all remaining doubts; and then, taking advantage of the autumn harvest, conducted the census of households and fields, understood the actual strength of Handan from top to bottom, and organized the common people into units of five and ten for ease of mobilization; and finally, at that time, fulfilled his promise by recommending the Filial and Incorrupt, established the school, and held the sacrifices, thereby uniting the people's hearts... then, when winter comes and the farming season is idle, why could we not seize the opportunity to dig canals and construct water conservancy works?!"

At this point, Wei Song let out a heavy breath before continuing: "Gentlemen, building waterworks is a major undertaking. It requires mobilizing nearly the entire strength of Handan, and it must also withstand the tests of the spring and summer floods, with constant repairs, before it can be considered a success. Therefore, unless the one governing possesses prestige, virtue, and strength all at once, it cannot be lightly undertaken! And in the Worry-Free Marquis's plan, points one, two, three, and four — seemingly random — are in fact all arranged according to the seasons and proper principles. Only when the first three matters are accomplished in their seasonal order, and he and the county have gained prestige, strength, and virtue, can the final great undertaking proceed! Gentlemen, you sit here chattering and quarreling over your own private interests — have you truly failed to see the Worry-Free Marquis's painstaking intentions? Do you think he casually tossed this out for the sake of personal achievement and fame? Truly, this old man can bear to watch no longer!"

The crowd stood dumbstruck as wooden chickens.

Gongsun Xun, however, clapped his hands and laughed heartily: "The one who understands me is Lord Wei! You two — put in the mutton, then serve it to these gentlemen. And gentlemen, if you have no misgivings about this two-year plan, please sign your names upon this plan document, in exchange for the meat from my pot!"

The Han people placed extreme weight on promises and covenants. Once a name was written, black ink on white paper, it became public consensus throughout the land, something all would accept. And to take this signed document and exchange it for the Worry-Free Marquis's "meat from the pot" — that was hardly subtle.

This was practically equivalent to a sworn oath... except, of course, it was merely the entire domain of Zhao unilaterally swearing an oath to Gongsun Xun, the master-servant dynamic exceedingly clear.

But at this moment, who would be unwilling to sign? Even the two clan heads of the Handan clan and the Li clan felt their hearts stir... The two-year ban on competing for Filial and Incorrupt was already a foregone conclusion under the endorsement of Gongsun Xun and Wei Song. And in that case, taking each matter on its own, if the things in this plan document truly came to pass, the entire domain of Zhao would take on a wholly new appearance — would that not benefit them as well?

Besides, with blades and axes behind them, all the clans of the domain to their left and right, and a pot of mutton stewing right before their eyes... was this a place to nurse grievances, or a time to do so?

What was more, once brush and ink were presented, Wei Song was actually the first to set down his name and signature, even affixing his personal seal.

Under such circumstances, there was naturally no room for anyone to keep deliberating. The two clan heads of the Handan clan and the Li clan exchanged a glance, then each crisply set down their brush... Next came the local strongmen and great households, led by Zhang Shu... Finally, even the Zhao princely officials who had been drinking and watching the show were forced by Zhao Ping's intimidation to reluctantly sign their names — though what use that served, who could say? Could they possibly extract funds from the Prince of Zhao's private treasury to repair the river?

A moment later, the document, its ink still wet, was gathered up, and steaming hot mutton was laid out upon everyone's tables. Gongsun Xun finally rose proudly, cup of wine in hand, and gave it a fine-sounding name:

"To Lord Wei's longevity!"

None dared be remiss; they all rose in turn and shouted in a jumbled chorus: "To Lord Wei's longevity! To the Worry-Free Marquis's longevity!"

Immediately after, each took their seat and fell to dividing the mutton, vegetables, and wine.

For a time, what had been expected to be a "Feast at Hongmen" of gloom and misery instead saw host and guests part in full contentment. By evening, nearly everyone had retired to stay within the Wei clan estate.

………………

That evening, with frogs croaking ceaselessly outside the window, Gongsun Xun, having had a few extra cups, was in the vacated main chamber speaking of various scattered matters with Wang Xiu, who had greatly surprised and delighted him this time:

"I hope Shuzhi will not hold this against me."

"What words are these, my lord?" Wang Xiu was greatly puzzled. "Why would I hold anything against you?"

Gongsun Xun gave a dry laugh: "Though today's actions were told to Shuzhi well in advance, letting these strongmen off the hook and not allowing you to reap the full achievement — I cannot help but feel somewhat uneasy. In truth, I know full well that every one of those commandery clerks deserves death, and that exterminating the clans of those strongmen would be no injustice. Yet I hope Shuzhi can understand my difficulties."

Wang Xiu found this rather amusing: "My lord, why go so far? Am I, Wang Shuzhi, a man who delights in killing? I said that very day — it is not that I take pleasure in curbing the strong and aiding the weak, but that the strong too often lack self-restraint, while the weak have nothing to rely upon. Now, what my lord is doing — is it not precisely to bring these strongmen under regulation, and to give the common people something to rely upon? That being so, how could I hold anything against my lord? Besides, do you think I do not understand the principle at work here? Without these strongmen and great households, how could Handan be governed? Even when striking at strongmen, one can only pick the most egregious to make an example."

Gongsun Xun let out a long sigh, then tilted his head back and lay down.

"But my lord, there is one matter I truly do not understand." Wang Xiu, seated opposite, suddenly grew earnest again.

"Speak." Gongsun Xun had already lain down fully upon the couch.

"I understand my lord leaving leeway for the strongmen — after all, to accomplish things, their cooperation is needed. But why take what belongs to the gentry clans and distribute it downward, layer by layer, bestowing favor as you go? From ancient times to the present..."

"From ancient times to the present, capable officials and diligent clerks have mostly only struck at the strongmen, but none have touched the gentry clans." Gongsun Xun smiled derisively. "The reason — everyone knows it. Doing it that way, the gentry clans stand by with folded hands since it does not concern them, the common people at the bottom sing the officials' wisdom, and a region's plight is temporarily relieved... Only, once those capable officials and diligent clerks leave, the remaining strongmen, along with the great households a rung lower who were originally suppressed by the strongmen, will swarm in together and become the new strongmen. The situation remains as rotten as ever."

"Does my lord mean that this approach will bring lasting peace and order?" Wang Xiu asked, puzzled. "The strongmen will rebound — will the gentry clans not do the same?"

"How would I know?" Gongsun Xun stared up at the roof beam and sighed. "Perhaps it will have some effect; perhaps it will be even worse. It is only that, ever since the Exalted Ancestor established the dynasty, this chaotic situation — the gentry, the strongmen, and the common people grinding each other down yet depending on each other — has not changed for centuries. Yet the old methods this dynasty has clung to for centuries have gradually lost their force. That being so, whether good or bad, those who govern must always try some new methods, must they not? And today's matter, whatever else may be said, at the very least united the strength of the domain as much as possible."

Wang Xiu was speechless for a time. Only after a long while did he sigh: "We can only do our best to try. But my lord must be clear in his heart — even if this governance succeeds, it may be hard to make it last... The gentry clans govern for generations, linked to the central court, and they have committed no moral failing. How can they be so easily offended?"

Gongsun Xun smiled without speaking. In truth, he understood certain principles even more clearly than Wang Xiu.

The gentry clans and the strongmen — the former monopolized knowledge and official posts, the latter monopolized social wealth and even a considerable portion of the population. When the two are regarded as one, their power is nearly invincible... because before knowledge is widely disseminated, opposing these people is like waging war against oneself.

One could even put it another way: the protagonists of this era were always these people. The previous centuries had been a balancing game between the central court and them; the century and more to come, after the empire collapsed, would be a game where the heroes among them, realizing the gravity of the situation, would try to step forward themselves and rebuild order.

Truly, they could not be done without.

Of course, Lady Gongsun might, in a moment of inspiration, utter such an incisive summary, but her son could never do so... This Handan Magistrate in fact only had some vague notions, and then, as he had told Wang Xiu, was conducting some new experiments — or rather, using an experimental approach to meet the coming chaos.

Indeed, Wang Xiu was quite right: the gentry clans were harder to deal with. But from Gongsun Xun's perspective, was the realm not going to undergo a great upheaval in a few more years? Was the social order not going to be reshuffled?

When that time came, once the central authority collapsed, the gap between the gentry clans and the strongmen would vanish at once, because political power would then be built upon the provinces and commanderies. These commandery and provincial strongmen, who ordinarily possessed enormous wealth and populations, would rapidly combine with local warlords, thereby seizing political power and transforming overnight into a new kind of gentry clan... possessing both political authority and local economic strength.

At that point, one could no longer deal with them using the simple approach of striking at strongmen. Those in power would need a method that both struck and pulled, while still maintaining order, to handle this hybrid of gentry and strongmen.

And this time was precisely an attempt Gongsun Xun had devised after much hard thought... First, the especially lawless strongmen still had to be struck; Wang Xiu's law enforcement had to be unconditionally supported and endorsed. But after striking at the strongmen, one had to start from the gentry clans and downward, delegating certain originally monopolized powers layer by layer, in order to seek the maximum unity of all people.

Of course, this attempt was very naive, merely a temporary measure based on the special circumstance of State Chancellor Xiang Xu's vacancy, and might even bring more loss than gain... As Wang Xiu said, he had offended the three gentry clans of Zhao who had men at court, and these people were not easy to offend.

But when everyone else was still muddled and unable to discern the road ahead, Gongsun Xun was at least clear-headed enough to tentatively step one foot into the river blocking the way. And if, having stepped out, he could keep his footing, then his tenure as Handan Magistrate would not have been in vain!

As for how to determine whether he kept his footing... was today's plan document not the best test?

Wei Song said that undertaking something like building waterworks, which required the whole domain's effort, demanded prestige, strength, and virtue... Yet, if one replaced prestige and virtue with the two words "the people's hearts," then when the age of chaos arrived, was it not precisely these things that would be pitted against each other?

Still, Wei Song's attitude today was rather intriguing.

As he thought on and on, Gongsun Xun's tangled thoughts grew hazy, and he drifted off into a blurry sleep... Though Wang Xiu remained awake, he dared not stay longer, so he went out and called for a serving maid to go in and attend. He himself set aside those superfluous thoughts and hurried off to rest.

…………………………

"Is everything arranged?" At that very same moment, in the rear courtyard of the estate, Wei Song, sitting cross-legged beneath the window, heard the door open and immediately asked.

"In reply to my lord, everything is arranged." Wei Chang sighed. "Fortunately, we prepared early; otherwise, so many people might not have been accommodated."

"That is good." Wei Song nodded slightly, then continued gazing out the window, as if staring blankly at the Silver River overhead.

"My lord!" After a moment, Wei Chang finally could not hold back.

"Feeling indignant?" Wei Song asked without turning his head.

"Yes!" Wei Chang admitted frankly. "And it is not only for my own personal gain or loss. The key point is that throughout the entire domain, even those immoral and lawless strongmen received some form of compensation. Only our three gentry clans, whose virtue shines bright, have suffered a loss — and in the eyes of the other two clans, we even bear the faint suspicion of having broken faith... What the Worry-Free Marquis has done is truly excessive."

"Perhaps." Wei Song sighed. "Chang'er... you have come of age. Originally, being recommended as Filial and Incorrupt was all but certain. To have it forcibly postponed by two years — I can understand your anger. But if you discuss this in terms of the clan's affairs, you cannot merely be angry; you must also take two matters to heart."

"Please instruct me, my lord." Wei Chang immediately bowed his head.

"First, he holds the blade." Wei Song looked up at the starry sky, his expression calm. "The blade at the Worry-Free Marquis's waist never left its sheath, but Zhao Ping's terror and his words were not empty. You and I both know that if that blade were truly drawn, whether you are a gentry clan or a strongman, no one in this domain of Zhao could withstand it... The Shen clan is not merely Shen Meng's branch alone, yet today not a single one of them came. What fate do you think befell the remaining members of their clan? And where did these volunteer followers and county soldiers come from? I fear it was precisely Zhao Ping jumping out that saved the Worry-Free Marquis from having to bring out a few more things for show. Was that great pot truly prepared only for boiling mutton?"

Wei Chang drew a sharp breath, but his words remained stubborn: "But to coerce by force of arms is ultimately a base method... Men of the border commanderies are truly barbaric."

"That brings us to the second matter." Wei Song spoke slowly. "In the end, he did not rely purely on armed coercion. What do you think of today's plan document?"

Wei Chang immediately sneered: "Did you not already say so yourself, Father? It is painstakingly conceived, and if every step goes smoothly, it may well be truly feasible."

"And if every step truly does go smoothly, and it is ultimately accomplished, what kind of situation will that be?" Wei Song pressed his son relentlessly.

"That..."

"Let me say it!" Wei Song finally turned around. "If the refugees and bandits in the Taihang Mountains are pacified and recruited, the hidden households, able-bodied men, and fields of the domain's prominent clans are brought to light, public schools are established, and the Gelu River is brought under control — then Handan may well be said to have entered an age of good governance... In such a situation, what are two Filial and Incorrupt slots? They are merely the small weight that shifts the great balance. Our Wei clan has stood in Handan for a hundred years — do we truly lack even this much breadth of mind? What makes a gentry clan a gentry clan, if not learning and virtue?! The Filial and Incorrupt nomination delayed by two years — are you really so impatient?!"

"Father, forgive my offense." Hearing his own father's tone grow heavier and heavier, Wei Chang hurriedly knelt to beg pardon. "Your son is not a man without virtue. It is only that today, seeing that Worry-Free Marquis spout endless lies and use his power to coerce you, my heart was filled with indignation..."

"Rise. I do not blame you." Wei Song also let out a long sigh. "I am angry at myself... Do you know why, after I was dismissed from my post as Chancellor of Lu, I have never again taken office?"

"My lord?"

"In those days, your uncle and I were called the Two Weis in our home county. Then we traveled together to study in Ru, Ying, Wan, and Luo, entered official service together, and in the end both rose to the rank of two thousand shi. His nature was hasty, mine was slow. He was bold, I was steady in conduct. He excelled at getting things done, I excelled at judging men. And so, all along, people in the realm said we brothers were like two fine steeds, each a model for the other. But what they did not know is that I understood in my heart from childhood: your uncle was a phoenix, and I am merely a wild pheasant... Our feathers are equally splendid, and we both beat our wings to take flight, but one can soar to build a nest in the parasol tree, while the other can only alight upon a haystack and gasp for breath."

At this point, Wei Song could not help but furrow his brow slightly. "Back when I held office in Lu, the people's livelihood there was just as hard, the powerful families just as unrestrained, and I too once wished to accomplish something. But when I truly set about dealing with it, I discovered how utterly incapable I was. Never mind turning clouds over with a flip of the hand and summoning rain with the other, as the Marquis of Wulu did today — gathering the strength of all the clans in the domain and laying down a grand plan amid laughter and conversation. Even at the very start, when I wanted to deal with a single powerful family, I lacked the ability that Wang Shuzhi displayed standing behind the Marquis of Wulu... First, I fell for their delaying tactics, and then they seized upon a sore point and forced me to resign and leave."

With his own father laying bare his shortcomings, as a son, Wei Chang did not know what to say either.

"Zhongmao!"

"Yes!"

"You must always remember: for a noble lineage to endure, first, it depends on the continuity of the family tradition. Do not lightly provoke powerful men who resist. Now that they hold the blade and are the senior officials directly governing us, you are not permitted to harbor resentment in your heart. Second, it must be supported by virtue and conduct. They are engaged in worthy endeavors, and we cannot abandon public-mindedness because of private grievances. Therefore, you also should not harbor resentment... Only by remembering these two principles can the Wei clan long endure."

"Father, these are words of true insight! Your son receives your teaching!" Wei Chang bowed all the way to the ground.

"What words of true insight?" Wei Song turned his head to gaze at the starry sky outside the window and sighed with emotion. "The times are hard, the road ahead is murky... I am an old, featherless pheasant. Seeing that I cannot fly across the river, I can only gaze at the river and sigh, letting out a few dry cries... The night is deep. Go and rest now."

Wei Chang bowed again and was about to leave, but then abruptly turned back. "That being so... Father, you have always been renowned for judging men. What kind of man do you judge the Marquis of Wulu to be, after seeing him today? Can he endure?"

Wei Song turned his head to look at his son, and then spoke without any evasion. "Whether he endures or not, I do not know. But his actions today are roughly comparable to Emperor Gaozu wielding the Hegemon's Blade. Something like that."

Wei Chang was struck with terror and awe.

—————— I am the shedding dividing line ——————

"The Grand Ancestor once served as Prefect of Handan, and brought two hundred righteous followers to take up his post. Upon arrival, within ten days, he first dismissed all the county clerks in one stroke, then exterminated the entire clan of the wicked and tyrannical Shen family of the domain. He then led his troops and gathered the renowned clans of the domain in the Wei family garden. All were anxious and uneasy. But the Grand Ancestor arrived bearing his blade, and setting aside all other matters, he spoke exhaustively of the domain's complex governmental affairs — from bandit suppression and establishing schools to land reclamation, and more besides. All were greatly reassured, and one after another they swore oaths to follow him. When the feast ended and each returned home, the Wei clan elder Wei Song, former Chancellor of Lu, a hereditary renowned minister famed for judging men, shut his door and panted for breath. His son Chang, perplexed, questioned him, and he then said: 'Today I have seen Emperor Gaozu of Han, bearing the Hegemon's Blade, making a three-article covenant with the elders of Zhao. How could I not be alarmed?!'" — A New Account of the Tales of the World, Chapter on Recognition and Judgment

PS: Stayed up late to write this... Going to sleep!

(End of chapter)