Chapter 199: All Pity the Palace's Soil

"...That millet sways so lush and tall, the grain of the broomcorn swells to fall.

I walk with steps so slow and weak, my heart is choked, I cannot speak.

Those who know me say my heart is grieved; those who know me not ask what I have achieved.

O boundless azure Heaven above, what kind of man has lost this love?"

On the second day after Liu Yan left the State of Zhao, and several days after the start of the school term, in a classroom at the rear of the Handan Public Academy, after this recitation, Gongsun Xun, wearing a beam-shaped cap, set down the scroll in his hand. Looking at the students below, who were really not much younger than himself, he appeared exceptionally seasoned: "Today we discuss 'The Millet,' the first piece in 'Airs of Wang,' part of the 'Airs of the States' in the *Classic of Poetry*. Why is it the first? Because the 'Airs of Wang' collect the airs of the Zhou Son of Heaven's capital, considering not only geography but also politics."

"After the chaos of King You of Zhou, the ancestral Zhou (Western Zhou) perished. King Ping moved east, initiating the so-called Eastern Zhou, and the Son of Heaven's power declined from then on. The feudal lords warred, and thus began the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. According to the preface of the *Mao Poetry*, this poem was composed when a grandee of Eastern Zhou traveled west, passed the old lands of the ancestral Zhou (Western Zhou), and saw millet sprouts growing in the ruins of the former palaces. This scene was exactly like when Jizi, the uncle of King Zhou, was enfeoffed in Korea after King Wu conquered Zhou, and passing the former capital of Shang, saw his own ancestral Shang capital overgrown with millet sprouts. Thus, this grandee, pitying the decline of the ancestral Zhou (Western Zhou), wandered in irresolute sorrow and composed this poem in lament... A grandee of Eastern Zhou, living through the wars of feudal lords, using the allusion of the Shang dynasty's fall to lament the decline of the ancestral Zhou—is it not perfectly fitting that his poem is placed first among the 'Airs of Wang'?"

"Finally, setting aside all the subtle and profound meanings of rise and fall, of decay and succession just discussed, and judging by poetic sentiment alone, this poem is also worthy of being ranked first among the 'Airs of Wang.' The vast and sorrowful longing within it... is like one climbing high and pondering antiquity, not seeing the ancients before nor the comers after, thinking of the boundless vastness of heaven and earth, alone and sorrowful, tears streaming down; or like Qu Yuan facing the river, seeing the state's power wane while the meat-eaters are base, all the world is muddy and I alone am clear, all men are drunk and I alone am sober... Wei Zhongmao (Wei Chang, courtesy name), do you have something to say?"

The students below were listening with rapt fascination, and at this sudden interruption, they could not help but glare angrily at the offending Wei Chang.

"It is not that this student wished to disturb, only that a momentary doubt arose and I could not help but show it," Wei Chang, who had provoked public anger, hurriedly rose to apologize and explain. "Teacher Gongsun, the way you described those two allusions just now perfectly captured the vast and sorrowful longing of this poem 'The Millet.' I too was listening and could hardly contain myself. However, the latter allusion of Qu Yuan throwing himself into the river is known to all, and I also know that the words 'all the world is muddy, all men are drunk' come from the same source as the Qu Yuan story in the *Songs of Chu*. 'The meat-eaters are base' is even more universally known. But the former allusion of climbing high and pondering antiquity, with the words 'not seeing the ancients before'... such vast sentiment—why have I never heard of it? From what allusion does it come?"

Hearing this, the students also showed puzzled expressions and began discussing it animatedly among themselves.

Gongsun Xun sat upright on the dais and merely cast a light glance below, and the commotion immediately subsided.

Only then did he calmly explain to Wei Chang: "Your thinking is not wrong. The earlier words about climbing high and pondering antiquity are not actually an allusion. They were just a couple of idle lines that came to me from the heart several months ago, when I first arrived in the State of Zhao and climbed Mount Mafu to ponder antiquity, reflecting on the six hundred years of Handan City's rise and fall."

"They were actually the teacher's own words?" Wei Chang was momentarily dazed. Of course, he must have also recalled the circumstances of his first meeting with this teacher—it must have been at that time. "This student was impertinent..."

"It's nothing." Gongsun Xun gestured for him to sit, then raised his head to glance at Lou Gui, who had been standing outside the classroom listening for quite a while, and showed no further intention of continuing the lecture. "In truth, what is learned from paper ultimately feels shallow; the vastness of climbing high and pondering antiquity cannot be conjured from thin air. Fortunately, there are many historical sites around Handan City. The day is still young; you might as well go out in groups, each seek out an ancient site to reflect upon, and write an essay on the sentiment of the times. There is no restriction on length; just submit it at the next class... Dismissed!"

With that, Gongsun Xun directly picked up his scroll, rose, and left. The many students below also hurriedly rose to bow and see him off... and then, calling out to friends and companions, they excitedly left the academy in groups of three or five.

"My lord, what splendid literary thought!" Lou Gui, having met his lord head-on, also sighed repeatedly. "Not seeing the ancients before, nor the comers after; thinking of the boundless vastness of heaven and earth, alone and sorrowful, tears streaming down... A pity I was not at my lord's side at that time!"

"If you had been at my side, I would not have been sorrowful and in tears," Gongsun Xun replied with a smile, holding his scroll as he walked out. "Let's not speak of that. Zibo, your coming now must mean that the matter I instructed you to handle the day before yesterday has yielded some results?"

Lou Gui, following behind, immediately composed his expression: "Indeed it has. A few days ago, after receiving your instructions, my lord, I went to consult with Daoist Wang and also sent men to investigate thoroughly. We have now roughly cleared up the influence of the Way of Great Peace within the State of Zhao..."

"What do you have to say?"

"Actually, it is rather interesting," Lou Gui stated frankly. "Looking at the entire realm, the Way of Great Peace, with its thirty-six divisions large and small, can be said to have an imposing momentum. But here in Hebei, its core region, although it is extremely widespread, it cannot be called rampant. Especially since Zhang Jiao's failed rebellion that day, it has always felt somewhat unable to break through the situation. In the State of Zhao, there are three key locations in total. One is naturally in Handan City; the other two are both in Xiangguo County, and all are directly subordinate to Zhang Jiao."

"That is strange," Gongsun Xun said, inevitably puzzled upon hearing this. "Although Xiangguo County is adjacent to Julu, it is ultimately just a small county, and not a vital communication route either—further west is Mount Taixing... Why would they set up dens here, and two dens at that?"

"To report to my lord," Lou Gui had clearly come prepared, "we have already investigated thoroughly. It is said that Handan is a major city, so that location stands alone. As for the Way of Great Peace followers in the other four counties of the state, they are all directly subordinate to those two dens in Xiangguo, and from there proceed to Julu... As for why there are two, it is simply a matter of rich and poor."

Gongsun Xun abruptly stopped in his tracks and turned his head.

Seeing this, Lou Gui dared not keep him in suspense any longer and quickly explained: "These two locations in Xiangguo: one is a manor belonging to the Zhao clan of Julu, said to be the property of a distant cousin of Zhao Ping, the Prefect of the Gentlemen of the Palace. The Way of Great Peace followers there use the manor steward's identity to interact with the powerful and wealthy households of Xiangguo and the four northern counties, spreading the Way of Great Peace among them as they go. The other location is just a common village outside Xiangguo City. The person in charge there is a down-and-out local scholar. He has a few dozen followers under him, but their daily dealings are mostly with marketplace idlers and the poor of the village's left side... Duke Yi has already assigned men to watch both locations; he himself is also in Xiangguo."

"This is somewhat interesting," Gongsun Xun said thoughtfully.

"What exactly is my lord's intention?" Lou Gui also asked seriously. "Previously, you sent me and Duke Yi to investigate the Way of Great Peace, but took no action. And now, according to plan, next month we are to mobilize civilian labor to dredge the Gelu River. The Gelu River flows through Handan and Xiangguo, entering the Dalu Marsh in Julu... If we stir up trouble with Zhang Jiao now, although we need not fear him causing a disturbance, we must worry about delaying the agricultural off-season work period, making the water conservancy project difficult to complete."

"My previous reluctance to stir up trouble was indeed due to this consideration," Gongsun Xun said, having nothing to hide from Lou Gui. "But a few days ago, Inspector Liu spoke with me privately, saying that the various lords at court and he himself all feel that the momentum of the Way of Great Peace is somewhat excessively alarming, yet the Son of Heaven simply pays it no heed... so they could only suggest that I diligently perform my duties and clean things up a bit here in the State of Zhao, to guard against any contingency."

"So that is how it is," Lou Zibo said, his expression showing sudden understanding. "Then..."

"Including Handan, seize all three locations," Gongsun Xun said after a moment of thought, immediately reaching a decision. "Here in Handan, let Shuzhi handle it. For the Zhao clan manor, let Duke Yi go. As for the other location... have Chu Yan act in his capacity as Xiangguo County Commandant. After capturing them, send them all to Xiangguo County and hand them over to Dong Gongren for disposal. As for you and me, we will set out now. Under the banner of you, the Central Region Inspector, and riding in your official carriage, we will make a trip to Xiangguo."

"Is my lord still intent on testing that Dong Gongren?" Lou Gui could not help but frown. "Since this man came to Xiangguo, he has been fairly cooperative, has he not? Previously, when my lord appointed Chu Yan as Xiangguo County Commandant, he did not utter a word. When I became Central Region Inspector, I also saw no petty scheming from him... Why does my lord repeatedly, time and again, still refuse to trust him?"

Gongsun Xun lowered his head to look at the copy of the *Mao Poetry* personally annotated by Lu Zhi in his hand, and unexpectedly did not answer.

Lou Gui, not daring to press further, hurried off to arrange the matter.

It must be said that although Xiangguo and Handan are neighboring counties, the two county seats, Handan City and Xiangguo City, are a hundred li apart—even farther than the distance between Handan and Ye City... In fact, considering the existence of the Gelu River between the two counties, from a purely economic and livelihood perspective, Xiangguo actually has a closer relationship with Yingtao County in Julu Commandery to the east.

It was probably precisely for this reason that the tentacles of the Way of Great Peace infiltrating the State of Zhao used this place as a node.

"What was Dong Gongren's reaction?" Outside the Xiangguo County office, Gongsun Xun was still dressed as he had been at the Public Academy, in a beam-shaped cap and straight-hemmed robe, not even wearing his official seal and cord—looking every bit the son of a noble house and a scholar. However, the moment he stepped down from the Inspector's official carriage, he directed a pointed question at the person greeting him, his imposing manner impossible to conceal no matter what.

"To report to my lord," Han Dang, who had come to receive him, stepped past Chu Yan and answered directly, "Yesterday, when we seized the men and delivered them to the county, Magistrate Dong simply had them imprisoned and asked no further questions, saying to wait for the Inspector to arrive and handle it. And today, upon suddenly hearing of Zibo's official retinue arriving, he merely ordered the prisoners brought to the hall, showing no intention of coming out to welcome them."

Lou Gui shook his head repeatedly: "This is somewhat out of pique. But he probably never imagined that my lord has come in person."

"When you two seized the men, was there any particular situation?" Gongsun Xun ignored these remarks and only asked seriously about the Way of Great Peace matter. "Did anyone there stir up opposition, or did they surrender without resistance?"

"My lord is truly perceptive!" Upon hearing this, Han Dang could not help but turn his head to glance at Chu Feiyan, who was half a step behind him. "When I went to the manor to seize the men, it was quite ordinary. The steward panicked at the mere sight of the white horse and dared not even offer a defense, allowing himself to be taken by me in a daze. But as for Commandant Chu's location..."

"To report to my lord," Chu Yan hurriedly cupped his hands and answered, "There were indeed quite a few mishaps at my end. When the locals saw me going to arrest that Way of Great Peace Daoist, many gathered to watch, and some even clamored to proclaim his innocence. However, the leader among those Way of Great Peace Daoists was truly admirable—he personally came out to pacify them and then surrendered without resistance..."

Gongsun Xun's face was expressionless, betraying neither pleasure nor anger, as he continued to question: "Chu Yan, when you were in the mountains, did the Way of Great Peace have any contact or liaison with you?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Yan repeatedly shook his head, even looking bewildered... Of course, to be honest, given the current state of the Way of Great Peace in the State of Zhao, it indeed seemed they had not yet reached the point of contacting mountain bandits.

"Forget it, let's go!" After a moment of thought, Gongsun Xun grabbed his copy of the *Mao Poetry*, which he had been carrying all along, from the carriage and strode proudly into the county office.

None dared be remiss, and they immediately clustered around him like stars surrounding the moon, escorting him inside.

In the main hall of the county office, there were only five or six people. The somewhat short and stout Dong Zhao sat high in the seat of honor. A tall, thin Daoist in plain cloth stood upright below the dais, both of them expressionless. Meanwhile, another elderly man, even shorter and fatter than Magistrate Dong, dressed in silk and satin like a country landlord, knelt before the dais, constantly looking left and right, unable to stay still for a moment... Aside from them, there were only two county runners.

Of course, when Gongsun Xun, leading a crowd, strode proudly into this place, the short and stout Dong Gongren scrambled to his feet in alarm as if he had seen a ghost.

"Greet—"

"I hear that Magistrate Dong has arrested two followers of the Way of Great Peace," Gongsun Xun said, clasping his hands behind his back and directly cutting off the other's greeting. "I was truly curious about the crimes these two have committed, so I took the liberty of coming along with Inspector Lou's carriage to observe. I hope Magistrate Dong will not take offense and will continue to handle the case impartially!"

Dong Zhao stood rigidly for a long moment, then could only order the county runners to bring seats for Gongsun Xun and Lou Gui. Meanwhile, Han Dang, who held the title of Handan County Commandant, and Chu Yan, the serving Xiangguo County Commandant, had no choice but to stand on either side of the doorway.

"If I may be so bold," just as Gongsun Xun had taken his seat, that extremely short and stout elderly prisoner suddenly shuffled forward on his knees and spoke with a fawning smile, "the noble gentleman comes from Handan—might he recognize Prefect of the Gentlemen of the Palace, Lord Zhao?"

"Prefect of the Gentlemen of the Palace, Lord Zhao?" Gongsun Xun placed the scroll in his hand on a side table, his expression unchanged. "Is the Lord Zhao you speak of the one who is a nephew of the Regular Palace Attendant Zhao Zhong?"

"Exactly as the noble gentleman says!" The short, stout old man was overjoyed at this. "I knew Lord Zhao would not abandon me."

"I am a relation by marriage of the Lord Zhao you speak of," Gongsun Xun said with a slight smile after settling into his seat. "My wife is also surnamed Zhao, and she is a cousin within five degrees of mourning to him."

"So that is how it is!" The short, stout old man shuffled forward on his knees again, his words becoming even more obsequious. "My lord above, my daughter is married to a capable steward of Lord Zhao of Julu. You are the brother-in-law of Lord Zhao of Handan, so naturally you are also the brother-in-law of Lord Zhao of Julu, and naturally count as a lord of my household... This little old man, Ma Fei, in the Julu countryside of old, was known as Old Man Ma... This time, many thanks to my lord for coming to the rescue!"

As he spoke, this Old Man Ma actually kowtowed in thanks to Gongsun Xun right there before the dais.

"What rescue or no rescue?" Gongsun Xun felt a moment of dazed confusion upon hearing this name, as if he had heard it somewhere before, but his face revealed nothing. He merely offered a couple of fake laughs in response. "I am no man of Xiangguo County; I am only here to observe and bear witness. This case of yours still depends on Magistrate Dong's judgment. However, Magistrate Dong..."

"If you have something to say, sir, please speak directly," Dong Zhao responded as if waking from a trance.

"I have no other intention," Gongsun Xun said nonchalantly. "It is just that the case is not yet decided, and this Old Man Ma is a man advanced in years. There is no need to keep him kneeling on the ground the whole time. How about fetching a rush cushion for him to rest on?"

"As you suggest, sir," Dong Zhao said helplessly, and could only wave for a county runner to fetch a rush cushion. Of course, he could not avoid adding an extra explanation: "It was not this county magistrate who made him kneel, but rather, the moment he entered the hall, he began claiming to be of the Hongnong Ma clan and whatnot, and also said his son-in-law was a trusted confidant of the Zhao clan. I could not contain my anger and reprimanded him a couple of times, and then he knelt and kowtowed without cease..."

Regardless of how Magistrate Dong might explain it, by this point the horse‑fat Elder Ma was already overjoyed beyond all expectation… because in his view, this matter was now completely worry‑free.

“Magistrate Dong, there is no need to dwell on such trivial details.” Gongsun Xun rested his hand on the desk and urged him softly, as if the prisoner really had been captured by Magistrate Dong himself. “Just conclude this case quickly… Magistrate Dong has apprehended these two members of the Taiping Dao and brought them to justice, causing a stir throughout the district. But what exactly is their crime? May I ask Your Honour to make a clear statement?”

Dong Zhao was also rather speechless. Only after a long pause did he ask in return: “Does Your Excellency think… that gathering a crowd for excessive, improper worship is permissible?”

“Excessive” here does not refer to sexual excess, but to lack of restraint and overindulgence. “Improper worship,” as the term implies, means using the banner of ritual sacrifice to organize excessive sacrificial activities, wasting manpower and resources. At the same time, because of extreme superstition, improper worship is often accompanied by the blind veneration of certain religious spokesmen by ignorant men and women, to the point that these sorcerers and witches, relying on their religious influence, become a different kind of local strongman. They conceal households and land on one hand, while on the other they engage in special commercial activities under the banner of religion… all things that the government finds hard to tolerate.

Throughout the Han dynasty, capable local officials would generally suppress irregular sacrificial activities and shamanic clans within their jurisdiction, in order to free up manpower and resources.

In fact, regarding the famous filial daughter Cao E of Kuaiji Commandery several decades ago, there is a vague account. It is said that Cao E’s family had been a shamanic clan in Kuaiji for generations, and her father died under a crackdown by the local officials. But after his death, the local people not only did not cease their improper worship, but grew even more rampant, and the Cao clan’s influence remained as strong as ever. Later local officials, in order to placate the people and suppress the matter, turned instead to promoting Cao E’s filial conduct… this was a kind of alternative capitulation by the authorities.

Returning to the matter at hand, Dong Zhao’s thought of this charge was actually born of a speculation about why Gongsun Xun was suddenly moving against the Taiping Dao… Did this Marquis feel that the widespread existence of the Taiping Dao was affecting his control over the Zhao domain? Was he afraid that when the waterworks construction began, these people would jump out to obstruct it, and therefore decided to strike first?

Otherwise? Without cause or reason…

“In my opinion,” Gongsun Xun sighed upon hearing this, then ignored that Elder Ma and fixed his gaze on the tall, thin Taiping Dao leader as he spoke, “the crimes of the Taiping Dao are not limited to improper worship alone, but consist of five great crimes… First, improper worship; second, heretical talk; third, deluding the masses; fourth, colluding with the palace eunuchs; fifth, plotting rebellion… What does Magistrate Dong think of these five?”

Elder Ma sat on the rush cushion, his face a complete blank, clearly having failed to react.

It was the tall, thin Daoist who had been standing erect and unbowed below the hall who now finally furrowed his brows slightly and turned to Gongsun Xun with indignation: “If My Lord Marquis simply wishes to eliminate dissidents, why must you pin such unbearable charges on us?!”

Gongsun Xun smiled faintly, utterly unperturbed, and merely raised his hand as he said: “You are permitted to defend yourself!”

——————I am the dividing line that gives you a chance——————

“Earlier, Zhang Jiao of Julu called himself the Great Worthy and Good Teacher, served and worshipped the ‘Way of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi,’ nurtured disciples, and had them kneel and confess their faults; he used talisman water and incantations to heal the sick, and the sick often recovered, so the common people believed in and followed him. Jiao dispatched eight disciples to travel the four directions, using the good Way to teach and transform all under Heaven, but in turn they deceived and deluded one another. In the space of ten-odd years, his followers numbered in the hundreds of thousands, linking commanderies and kingdoms. From the provinces of Qing, Xu, You, Ji, Jing, Yang, Yan, and Yu, there was no one who did not answer his call.” — Dianlüe, annotated by Pei Songzhi of Yan

(End of Chapter)