Chapter 205: Emotions Revealed on the Face (Continued)

A high-ranking member of the imperial clan, the Inspector of Jizhou, Liu Yan, Liu Junlang, has never been a simple man who can be summed up in a single phrase. But if one absolutely had to use one sentence to describe him, Gongsun Xun would certainly say: he is a clever man selfish to the extreme!

Bullying the weak and fearing the strong, chasing profit and avoiding harm, speaking the language of men before men and the language of ghosts before ghosts, even to the point of hiding criticism beneath a veneer of praise and appearing loyal and cautious on the surface… these are all merely outward manifestations. Even his deference and concessions toward Gongsun Xun were nothing more than an unwillingness to encounter risk; there was no appreciation or respect to speak of.

At his core, this man is simply someone selfish to the utmost limit!

So now, how should such a selfish person deal with the Way of Great Peace? Gongsun Xun was genuinely intrigued. After all, the assassination attempt itself had undoubtedly violated the most central interest of a selfish and self-serving man; it was impossible for Liu Yan not to retaliate against the Way of Great Peace with everything at his disposal. But at the same time, the tide of events was surging… was the Way of Great Peace truly so easy to deal with?

The night was deep. Liu Yan, with his hands behind his back and his eyes completely bloodshot, paced round and round inside the "work shed" where he was staying, while Gongsun Xun watched him with keen interest.

"The Way of Great Peace has audacity that reaches to the heavens!" After who knows how many circuits, Liu Yan suddenly stopped, gnashed his teeth, and spoke. "To openly assassinate a Provincial Inspector is tantamount to rebellion! If we cannot eradicate them, how can you and I ever gain a foothold in Jizhou?!"

Gongsun Xun remained silent as before… What did he mean, 'you and I'? They were trying to kill you!

"However…" Liu Yan's tone suddenly calmed again. "Those people have a multitude of followers spread across the entire realm. If we cannot strike them down in one blow, I fear it will stir up calamity, and those ignorant wretches will pin the blame for throwing the world into chaos on you and me."

Gongsun Xun still said nothing.

"Therefore, the best course of action now," Liu Yan said, standing several paces away and staring fixedly at Gongsun Xun, "is to first secure a definitive judgment against the Way of Great Peace at court, to grasp righteous authority in our hands. Then, with a single thunderous strike, seize all three Zhang brothers and execute them on the spot… If these three men perish in a single day, then even though the Way of Great Peace is vast, it will be a host of snakes without heads and will naturally disperse!"

Gongsun Xun finally looked squarely at this petty man of exalted status before him, because the other party had actually proposed a seemingly feasible plan… If this were truly done, the Way of Great Peace might very well be finished! After all, Zhang Jiao and his Way of Great Peace were currently too dispersed in strength. Although the thirty-six divisions, large and small, were developing rapidly across the country, in his old base of Julu alone, he had not necessarily gathered that many followers!

Even those so-called Yellow Turban Strongmen, could they not only hide within the Dalu Marsh?

In other words, employing a decapitation tactic—leading a few hundred cavalry in a sudden raid to directly slaughter the three Zhang brothers—was actually entirely feasible!

Yet if that were the case, Gongsun Xun had to consider a serious matter: what would become of the overall situation of the realm?

Zhang Jiao and the Way of Great Peace were the very ones who would toll the death knell of the four-hundred-year Great Han dynasty!

Of course, this process of deliberation did not require much time, because the answer was very simple—if he truly did this, regardless of success or failure, there were only two paths: either the Way of Great Peace would fight to the death prematurely, and the age of chaos would begin several years early; or the Way of Great Peace would decline and perish from this, and as the court continued to decay day by day, the age of chaos would erupt from other wounds, such as Xiliang.

What else could happen?

Given the state of the realm, could the Great Han possibly be resurrected from the dead?!

With this thought, Gongsun Xun steeled his heart and cast aside his hesitations. Since a true man seeks to establish merit and a career, how could he be so indecisive and fussy?! If he truly set this age of chaos in motion with his own hands, it would not be in vain that he came to this land of Zhao! Could the decay of the Great Han dynasty possibly be blamed on him, a loyal and righteous man suppressing rebels?

"What does the Regional Governor wish me to do?!" Gongsun Xun asked with a serious expression.

"First, I ask Wenqi to make contact with the Way of Great Peace on my behalf, to feign compliance for a time, so as not to alert them!" Liu Yan said with a grim face, taking a step forward. "Tell them that I, Liu Junlang, am timid and fearful, that this assassination attempt has already frightened me out of my wits, and that I am willing to no longer interfere with their proselytizing."

"That can be done." Gongsun Xun did not even blink.

"Second, I will go myself to make contacts at court and, by whatever means necessary, strive to secure a definitive judgment against the Way of Great Peace." Liu Yan continued, his eyes still red, taking another step toward Gongsun Xun. "Rest assured, I have a general idea of how they have managed to make the Son of Heaven ignore them… it is nothing more than some among the inner attendants having been bribed by them. I naturally have ways to bypass them!"

"And then?" Gongsun Xun pressed.

"And then, the final strike." From the moment Gongsun Xun had entered, Liu Yan had dismissed all attendants. From beginning to end, only the two of them were in the work shed, yet this Inspector of Jizhou still strained to lower his voice, only speaking after drawing close to Gongsun Xun. "I taught on Mount Yangcheng for eighteen years and have not a single trusted confidant by my side. The various officials in the province were all temporarily promoted from within Jizhou itself—heaven knows if they have any collusion with the Way of Great Peace, which has entrenched itself here for many years! Moreover, even if they are innocent, most of them are civil clerks and likely incapable of great deeds. And if we assemble troops from the various commanderies before carrying out the execution, that would alert the enemy long beforehand. In summary…"

"In summary," Gongsun Xun picked up the thread, "my lord wishes to borrow my blade to sever the heads of the Zhang brothers?"

"This blade of Wenqi's—I have long admired its great name!" Liu Yan placed both hands on the other's arm and spoke earnestly. "I beg Wenqi to let me witness it for myself!"

"And after that?" Gongsun Xun asked loftily, his expression unchanged. "Back then, when I asked my lord to lend me his presence for a scene, I could offer ten thousand scrolls of books as recompense. Today, in this secret chamber, my lord wants me to undertake such a perilous deed for you—why then do you still put on the air of a righteous hero? Heaven knows and earth knows; would we not be laughed at by Heaven and Earth?"

"Am I one to accept merit without reward?" Upon hearing this, Liu Yan directly released the other's arm, instead stroking his beard and pacing slowly with a cold sneer. "Although I do not know for what matter your esteemed teacher wishes to discipline you, it is a fact that he restrains you at court. Now, the Xia Embankment is nearing completion, and your age and achievements have also reached the mark. Though he certainly cannot stop you from receiving a two-thousand-dan post, given his official duties, it would be a common matter for him to find a way to give you a small commandery or petty kingdom, like this Zhao Kingdom, wouldn't it?"

Gongsun Xun started to speak, then stopped.

"Therefore, leave this matter to me." Liu Yan put his hands behind his back, puffed out his chest, and declared. "Although I, Liu Junlang, have long been on Mount Yangcheng, my connections in Jianghan remain. And ultimately, I am the Inspector of Jizhou—your achievements are mine to assess! Thus, as long as you agree to my request here today, a grand commandery will surely be waiting for you!"

"I only fear that if the affair should fail by any chance, the Regional Governor will not honor the agreement!" The reward the other offered perfectly matched his own desires. Gongsun Xun had wanted to agree immediately but forced himself to hold back. "After all, there are only the two of us here…"

"I can secure this appointment for Wenqi first." Liu Yan said coldly, stroking his beard and turning his head. "I will do it after the new year. That should set your mind at ease, yes?"

"That would be perfect." Gongsun Xun answered, meeting the other's cold gaze without the slightest fear. "At that time, I will feign a journey to Luoyang to take up my new post, openly assembling my men. Then, midway, I will suddenly wheel around and strike… that will make success even easier!"

Liu Yan pondered this seriously for a moment, and his expression softened somewhat. "That would indeed be perfect. Wenqi truly deserves your reputation as a renowned commander acknowledged by all under heaven!"

"Then I shall return and sleep, and quietly await the negotiations with Zhang Jiao?" Now that the plan was set, Gongsun Xun was disinclined to entangle himself further with the other man. "If there are matters, my lord might have your family's A'Zhang deliver letters…"

"That will do." Liu Yan sighed deeply. "Tomorrow, I shall also use the pretext of excessive fright to return to Yecheng first."

Gongsun Xun cupped his hands and took his leave.

"Wenqi!" Liu Yan suddenly called out to stop him. "Do not hide it from me. If everything proceeds smoothly, just how confident are you?"

"If it is merely as the situation stands before us, without too many changes…" Gongsun Xun could not help but laugh, and he walked out without looking back. "I would say ten-tenths confident!"

Liu Yan felt his eyelid twitch involuntarily.

—————I am a speechless dividing line—————

"When Xun was serving in Hebei, he saw Zhang Jiao deluding the masses with the sorcerous teachings of the Way of Great Peace, its power growing ever more uncontrollable. Troubled at heart by this, he repeatedly submitted memorials discussing it. However, Jiao used wealth and goods to bribe the inner attendants, so the memorials were repeatedly blocked from being presented. Xun, knowing it would bring disaster, secretly coordinated with the Inspector of Jizhou, Liu Yan, to privately plot against Zhang Jiao." — Records of Heroes at the End of Han, by Wang Can.

PS: Taking this opportunity to adjust my daily routine… 1. Starting today, I will turn over a new leaf; 2. This month's 150k target remains unchanged!

(End of Chapter)