[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-211":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Overthrowing Han",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1222970,1620,"Chapter 211: Discourse at Fan Yu","overthrowing-han-chapter-211",211,"\u003Cp>\"Is Yunzhang still reading?\" Gongsun Xun lifted the door curtain, then immediately laughed. \"The Master said: 'To learn without tiring of it' — that describes Yunzhang perfectly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the room, Lady Hu, Guan Yu's wife, who was holding their sleeping child, tactfully withdrew at the sight. Guan Yu set down his book, rose, and gave a composed salute, addressing him as Lord Marquis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The truth is, the longer Gongsun Xun spent with Guan Yu, the more he felt this man was destined for great achievements... Nine chi tall and immensely strong, he could have coasted on his natural gifts — eating his fill, drinking well, training his muscles, and becoming a top-tier general who charges into battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, contrary to all that, whether in action or at rest, a book never left his hand!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the saying goes, born stronger than you and still harder working... As Gongsun Xun's rank grew higher and the talents under him multiplied, even Shen Pei, who was particularly at odds with Guan Yu, had to admit that Gongsun Xun's act of chasing down that Hedong murderer through the night back then was truly a case of keen eyes recognizing a hero!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am reading the Records of the Grand Historian,\" Guan Yu said, putting away his book after both had settled back into their seats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Which chapter, and have you gained any insights?\" Gongsun Xun asked casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Hereditary House of Chen She,\" Guan Yu replied with a frown. \"But I have some doubts...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reading history is not like reading the classics. The classics are about subtle words and profound meanings; history is about using the past to reflect on the present...\" Gongsun Xun spoke slowly. \"When I read the Records of the Grand Historian, from the chapter on Chen She, I took away nothing more than three lines.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I would hear your esteemed insights, Lord Marquis,\" Guan Yu said, cupping his hands with a serious expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The first: 'How can a sparrow know the ambition of a swan?' The second: 'The realm has long suffered under Qin.' The third: 'Are kings, lords, generals, and ministers born into their kind?'\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Yunchang was not one to parrot others, so after pondering for a moment, he earnestly sought clarification: \"'Are kings, lords, generals, and ministers born into their kind?' and 'How can a sparrow know the ambition of a swan?' — are they not both expressions of grand ambition? Why does the Lord Marquis separate them into two?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To me, they are not the same.\" Beneath the lamplight, Gongsun Xun, his neatly trimmed mustache above his lip, shook his head. \"The 'sparrow' saying is to spur oneself not to fear the words of others; when the world changes, people will naturally understand your pains and abilities. The 'kings and lords' saying, however, is about discerning people. As one in a position of authority, you must not distinguish people by their birth, but should observe their words and examine their deeds...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So that is how it is.\" Guan Yu, uncharacteristically, smiled. \"The Lord Marquis, being in a position of authority, looks down from above and naturally sees the 'kings and lords' saying differently. It is I whose perspective is somewhat narrow, still using it as a phrase to spur myself on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Today you are in a low position; tomorrow you may well be in a high one, governing a region or commanding an army... Yunzhang, do not let a single leaf block your view of Mount Tai. The saying 'Are they born into their kind?' not only implies that worthy talents may come from humble origins, but also implies that they may come from powerful families. One must treat all equally!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Yu stroked his beard and remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun chuckled softly: \"What is the meaning of this, Yunzhang?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nothing, I know the Lord Marquis's words are sincere and well-intentioned, meant to instruct me. Therefore, if I were to turn hostile and refute them, it would be a breach of propriety. Yet, to ask me to look upon those from powerful families with higher regard is something I find extremely difficult to do... How can I agree to something I cannot do? Better not to respond!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun clapped his hands and laughed heartily... This Guan Yu was stubbornly endearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after the laughter, Guan Yunchang continued his earnest questioning: \"Lord Marquis, what of the other line, 'The realm has long suffered under Qin'? Can that also be used to reflect on the present?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun's expression immediately turned solemn: \"I am not saying that the Great Han has completely lost the hearts of the people in this present age, but rather that if a single spark can start a prairie fire, then those in power must thoroughly reflect upon themselves!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Lord Marquis speaks truly!\" Guan Yunchang was filled with solemn respect. \"If all the rulers of the realm's commanderies and kingdoms were like the Lord Marquis, how could the current situation have come to be?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun fell silent for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did I say something wrong?\" Guan Yu remained as earnest as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you still remember when we left Zhao and encountered the Taiping Dao gathering refugees and heading toward Julu?\" Gongsun Xun asked calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Naturally,\" Guan Yu answered immediately. \"I fear I will never forget it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And do you know how the various lords at court responded?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Was it not left unresolved?\" Guan Yu countered boldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When we arrived in Luoyang that day, my teacher, Lord Liu, had just been dismissed due to the earthquake in the capital region and could not easily submit a memorial on the matter. So I went to see the Minister over the Masses, Lord Yang Ci, and recounted the affair in detail.\" Gongsun Xun narrated the story methodically, neither angry nor agitated. \"Lord Yang was already alert to the Taiping Dao, and after hearing my account, he was even more shaken. In my presence, he formulated a plan to deal with the Taiping Dao and Zhang Jiao... The situation at the time was such that if Zhang Jiao were urgently sought for arrest, it would likely provoke an immediate rebellion, throwing the realm into turmoil. So Lord Yang suggested in his memorial not to move against Zhang Jiao first, but to notify the various regional Inspectors and Commandery Administrators to act simultaneously — first seize the leaders of the Taiping Dao's thirty-six divisions, then pacify the Taiping Dao followers locally, and finally deploy the main army to besiege Julu!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is an extremely sound strategy!\" Guan Yu praised without hesitation. \"That is exactly how it should have been handled... So why was no action taken?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I do not know.\" Gongsun Xun spread his hands. \"In any case, the one presiding over affairs at the time, the Prefect of the Masters of Writing, Lord Cao, knew his days were numbered and was amiable to all. Even Lord Yang, with whom he was usually at odds, faced no obstruction; they even submitted a joint memorial. Therefore, the memorial must have reached the Northern Palace... As for why the Son of Heaven did not adopt it, or whether he even saw the memorial at all, that is a matter for later. But regardless, at the central hub, the Three Excellencies and the Masters of Writing truly fulfilled their duties that day.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Yu was silent for a moment. He had been in Luoyang at the time; how could he not know that Cao Jie was a relative of Lady Feng... These words were likely true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And then there was the great epidemic in Hebei this past summer,\" Gongsun Xun continued. \"Yunzhang may know that we in Zhongshan filled in sewage, exterminated mosquitoes, and isolated the disease; you may also know that Zhang Jiao in the south continued to delude the people with talisman water, growing ever stronger...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This time he also had experience, and those he recruited were all able-bodied men. Around Julu, it now seems people only know the Taiping Dao and not the government!\" Guan Yu could not help but interject. \"If this continues, a great disaster will occur.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"True. But Yunzhang, did you know that this time, the far-sighted men in the court also exerted their utmost effort, as always, intending to deal with these people?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I would hear the details.\" Guan Yu's expression grew even more serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The one leading the effort this time was my former superior in the Masters of Writing, Minister Liu Tao.\" Gongsun Xun introduced him methodically. \"Minister Liu is a key minister of the imperial clan and oversaw the Metropolitan Officials Section of the Masters of Writing for many years. This matter was originally within his purview, and in his memorial this time, he stated outright that Zhang Jiao was going to rebel!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Presumably, after Cao Jie's death from illness, Zhao Zhong and Zhang Rang monopolized the court's reins. One is narrow-minded, the other greedy, and together they shielded the matter from the Son of Heaven?\" Guan Yu could not resist interjecting again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\" A cold sneer lingered at the corner of Gongsun Xun's mouth. \"Zhao Zhong is narrow-minded and has always had friction with Minister Liu, so from what I know, he did indeed try to block this memorial in his capacity as Grand Prolonger of Autumn and Supervisor of the Yellow Gates. However, the matter was suddenly intervened in by my teacher, Lord Liu, who had been reappointed as Grand Commandant. Lord Liu, in his capacity as Grand Commandant, submitted a joint memorial with Minister Liu... Therefore, the Son of Heaven personally saw the memorial and even read it carefully. Yet, after reading it, the Son of Heaven bypassed my teacher, summoned only Minister Liu before him, and, citing the exceptional hardship of the Metropolitan Officials Section, relieved Minister Liu of his ministerial duties on the spot. He even granted him an additional honorary post and sent him off to compile the 'Spring and Autumn Annals and Their Commentaries'! As for Zhang Jiao and the Taiping Dao, the matter was thus left unresolved.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Yu's brows shot up, but he did not know what to say!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Minister Liu is a loyal minister,\" Gongsun Xun sighed deeply. \"Everyone in the realm knows this...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What exactly is the Son of Heaven's intention?\" Guan Yu truly could not contain himself. \"Everyone in the realm knows Lord Liu is a loyal minister — does he not know it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If he did not know, why would the Son of Heaven go through such a roundabout process, relieving Minister Liu of his duties with kind words?\" Gongsun Xun sighed even more deeply. \"In my view, the Son of Heaven simply finds it troublesome. This and that — pull it all apart and it's all a great nuisance. Better to just muddle through! Take the major events of last year: the Three Excellencies, following precedent, cleaned up the civil service, dismissing hundreds at once. The scholars and eunuchs wrangled endlessly over it, yet he kept all the dismissed men in Luoyang by adding the title of Court Gentleman. When Tanshihuai died, the Western Xianbei rebelled on the spot, and the Administrator of Beidi, Huangfu Song, requested to recover Hexi, but he ignored it, instead opening a palace market and doing business in the Western Garden. Only when the Ba commandery barbarians rebelled did he take it somewhat seriously, but once the rebellion was quelled, he again cast it behind his mind and turned to renovating Luoyang on a grand scale... Though, I hear the renovations in Luoyang are indeed quite good; they even have water-sprinkling carts now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Yu sighed: \"Is the Lord Marquis implying that the Son of Heaven is the one who should truly reflect... that if he does not rouse himself, a single spark will ignite a great conflagration?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No!\" Gongsun Xun stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, and shook his head. \"Last month, the Daoist Wang sent word through the Anli Trading Company that Zhang Jiao's beloved disciple, the Grand Division Commander Ma Yuanyi, is about to set out for Jingzhou and Yangzhou to gather one hundred thousand local able-bodied youths, preparing to return and settle in Hebei. Meanwhile, in Julu itself, the grain, fodder, cloth, and silk donated by followers and powerful families have already piled up like mountains. By now, the making of banners and weapons may have already begun... Yunzhang, great chaos is upon us. There is no need for the Son of Heaven to rouse himself! I only hope that after this affair, he will be capable of some reflection.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guan Yu stood with a solemn expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By the way,\" Gongsun Xun turned his head back and added, \"That 'Frosty Beauty' blade my mother gifted you last year — have you grown accustomed to it by now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Accustomed or not, it matters little. To slay traitors for the state, duty brooks no refusal!\" Guan Yu bowed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun nodded and walked straight out the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the door, Lady Hu, holding her three-year-old child, managed a bow. Gongsun Xun patted the head of the boy, named Guan Ping, before striding out with his head held high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Fan Yu Pavilion was the gateway to Youzhou and a famous pavilion in the realm, always mentioned alongside Du Kang Pavilion in Zhuo Commandery, which represented the heartland of Youzhou. Thus, its layout was not like an ordinary post station. Gongsun Xun had met with Guan Yu, the only one still awake, and after stepping outside, he did not go to sleep. Instead, he continued to stand in the broad courtyard of the post station, gazing up at the stars overhead... Yet, between winter and spring, what celestial signs could there possibly be to read?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The concubines in the rooms waited for a long time, but seeing no sign of their lord for ages, they eventually settled down to sleep, some with their children, some alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After who knows how long, the sound of horse hooves suddenly came from outside the post station, only to disappear as they drew near — clearly, the riders had dismounted and proceeded on foot for fear of causing a disturbance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, accompanied by a rustle of hushed voices, several dozen men clustered around Han Dang as he returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have worked hard, Yigong.\" Gongsun Xun first reassured the other several dozen riders before speaking with Han Dang alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is nothing; rather, I have put the Lord Marquis to the trouble of waiting so late.\" With no one else around, Han Dang hastened to report. \"But the Lord Marquis can rest assured, the loose ends in Zhongshan have all been tied up. Even the students of the public academy in Lunu (the seat of Zhongshan Commandery) have been sent home...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is good.\" Gongsun Xun smiled. \"You have truly worked hard, Yigong. I was in a hurry to take up my post in Zhuo Commandery and grasp the situation, so things in Zhongshan were inevitably a bit rushed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Dang hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Between you and me, speak plainly,\" Gongsun Xun said, unconcerned. \"If even you have reservations before me, then I will never hear the truth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is really not a major matter,\" Han Dang quickly explained. \"I was speaking of that youth from a humble family in Zhending, the one whose name resembles the Lady's — the one called Zhao Yun...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why not take him under your command?\" Gongsun Xun cut in with a smile before the other could finish. \"Is that what you mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly,\" Han Dang said frankly. \"Others may not know, but do I not know how highly my lord regards that young man? In three years, you first sent me several times to Zhending to seek him out, and after finding him, you gave him books and a horse. My lord, forgive my bluntness, but although he had to remain in his hometown to observe mourning for his deceased parents, he is after all from a humble family of modest means, and only the second son at that. Now that he has come of age, and my lord both favors him and has repeatedly shown him kindness — if you were to send a single letter, surely he would not refuse?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A man of such caliber need not be pressed,\" Gongsun Xun shook his head. \"It was only after I came to know of him that I suddenly understood something... As the saying goes, those who follow the Dao gain many supporters, while those who abandon it gain few. With heroes who have their own convictions like this, even if you win their service for a time, when the day comes that you must act or refrain from acting, they will naturally decide for themselves whether to stay or go. That being the case, it is better to focus quietly on my work and temper myself. If in the future I truly have a Heaven-ordained destiny, then these dragons among men, who already share a bond of fate with me, will naturally gather around me like rivers flowing into the sea! In fact, it is not only him — I also had Qian Zhao keep an eye out for a certain person in Zhuo Commandery. Even with Yun Chang by my side for years, I have no certainty of keeping him forever... That is roughly how it is!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Dang, whose understanding had its limits, was somewhat bewildered by these words, but since Gongsun Xun had explained, he could only set aside his superfluous thoughts on the matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over these past few years in Zhongshan, Gongsun Xun had worked diligently — governing, establishing schools, settling the people, building his enterprise... He had not shown any sharp edge to the outside world for quite some time, nor had he, as before, collected the so-called heroes of the Three Kingdoms like postage stamps (to use Lady Gongsun's phrase).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not that he did not want to... In truth, during these three years, just within the three neighboring commanderies around Zhongshan alone, he had located three extraordinary figures. One was in Zhending, named Zhao Yun, who had just come of age a few days ago and was called Zhao Zilong. Another was in Zhuo Commandery, where he was about to take office, named Zhang Fei, courtesy name Yide. And a third was in Hejian, named Zhang He, courtesy name Junyi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By all reason, once these three were found, they should have been brought directly into his fold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, just after finding Zhao Yun, an unexpected event profoundly moved Gongsun Xun and changed his mind — his elder cousin Gongsun Zan, having earned merit in his post in the Liaodong Dependent State, was transferred to become the County Magistrate of Zhuo County. Before he even took office, he wrote to Liu Bei, inviting him to serve as Zhuo County Commandant. But that fellow Liu Bei actually declined on the grounds of observing mourning!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Zhao and Liu Bei were sworn friends who would die for each other, and he had sensed something of the other's intent... The reason, it turned out, was remarkably simple: with Gongsun Xun nearby, Liu Bei would rather wait for the former than follow Gongsun Zan. He felt that Gongsun Xun was the one who would accomplish great things, whereas Gongsun Zan was somewhat too narrow-minded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, Liu Bei — a commoner with no office, and by all appearances still without any great ambition — actually looked down on Gongsun Zan at this point!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This matter was casually mentioned by Qian Zhao in the form of flattery at a private banquet, but it had a tremendous, jolting effect on Gongsun Xun himself. And at the same time, Gongsun Zan's arrival also reminded him of the story his mother had told about Zhao Yun and this elder cousin of his from beginning to end... Zhao Zilong initially served Gongsun Zan, and once that formal bond was established, yet in the end he left on the pretext of his elder brother's death and never returned. However, after waiting seven years, once Gongsun Zan had met his downfall, Zhao Zilong encountered Liu Bei, who was living under another's roof in Yecheng, and then swore unto death to follow him, accompanying him through half a lifetime of hardship!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, it was only then that Gongsun Xun truly realized: with heroes such as these, would merely summoning them decide anything one way or the other? If their paths diverged, they would rather abandon their post for seven years than lend you a hand; but if their aspirations aligned, they would follow you to the end through every conceivable hardship! Zhao Yun was like this — and was Guan Yu, already under his command, not the same? And what of Zhang Fei?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the most important point was that it was unnecessary!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yellow Turbans were approaching. He had planned for this for a long time and would rise to meet it head-on, sweeping through Hebei... These famous commanders of Youzhou and Jizhou, including Liu Bei himself, would likely all fall under his influence. When that time came, if he truly possessed authority and virtue, they would probably gather under his command of their own accord, without any need for recruitment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if his authority and virtue were insufficient, or his ability lacking, what use would there be in forcing these men to stay?! If one by one they all left to follow the more capable Liu Bei, would he not become a laughingstock like Gongsun Zan?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun had his plans, so Han Dang immediately shut his mouth and said no more on the subject. But just as he was about to turn and retire for the night, he remembered another matter: \"My lord, since chaos is about to break out, should we not have the Lady and the others take the two young masters and return to Liaoxi together, or even go to Liaodong to reunite with the two young ladies? Even if they do not go there, what about going to Yuyang for the time being?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuyang was where Gongsun Zan would be posted after Gongsun Xun was transferred to be Grand Administrator of Zhuo Commandery — he was now the Magistrate of Yuyang. The two young masters were Gongsun Xun's eldest legitimate son, Gongsun Ding, and his son by a concubine, Gongsun Ping. The former was born of Zhao Yun, the latter of Feng Zhi; both were still young and each was kept by their mother's side. And the two young ladies were his eldest daughter, Gongsun Li, and his youngest daughter, Gongsun Zhen. The former was born of Bian Yu, the latter of Qin Luofu, but both were being raised in Liaodong at Lady Gongsun's place — it was instead the two concubines who had followed him back again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need!\" Gongsun Xun hesitated for a moment, then immediately shook his head with firm resolve. \"Let them stay in Zhuo County... If even Zhuo County were to fall under my watch, I would be better off cutting my own throat here and sparing myself the ridicule of the realm!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Dang immediately cupped his hands and assented.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this point, it was already approaching the fourth watch. Gongsun Xun was about to retire with Han Dang to rest... But just then, from the main road outside the post station, there came yet another burst of galloping hoofbeats, rushing on without pause from far to near, until they finally came to a stop right outside the station.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only did Gongsun Xun and Han Dang each change color, but even the members of his retinue — Lu Fan, Lou Gui, Guan Yu, Shen Pei, Wang Xiu, and the others — all rose alertly one after another... For a time, the post station was thrown into confusion, with lamps flaring brightly everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have been presumptuous!\" There was a similar flurry of commotion outside the gate for a moment, and then someone suddenly spoke out boldly. \"I should not have come so hastily as to startle you all... May I ask if Grand Administrator Gongsun is lodging within this post station? I am Guo Xun, Inspector of Youzhou, come upon hearing the news to welcome you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun's face darkened. He stared coldly at the gate of the post station and did not speak for a long while. Seeing this, the people inside the station all held their breath in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing no further movement from within the station, the person outside paused for a moment, then added a few more words: \"I am a man of Taiyuan Commandery, a clan cousin of the former Grand Administrator of Yanmen, Guo Yun, and the younger brother of the former Inspector of Liangzhou, Guo Hong... I am, in truth, a family friend of Grand Administrator Gongsun! Though this visit is presumptuous, it is truly without ill intent! I beg Grand Administrator Gongsun to grant me a meeting face to face!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Open the gate!\" Gongsun Xun, who had not slept all night, waved his hand in resignation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—————— I am the dividing line, still 28k short ——————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When the Grand Ancestor served as Administrator of Zhongshan for three years, he already knew well the evil of the Way of Great Peace. It was a pity that the central government took no action, so he devoted himself quietly to affairs in Zhongshan, intending to strike only after the enemy moved. However, during the Guanghe reign era of the Later Han, Emperor Ling's thirst for wealth grew ever greater, and he frequently rotated officials in various posts to extract payment for appointments... The Grand Ancestor, after three years in office, was suddenly transferred to be Grand Administrator of Zhuo Commandery, thus losing his foundation.\" — Dianlüe, Yan, annotated by Pei Songzhi\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Both Yang Ci's and Liu Tao's memorials targeting the Way of Great Peace are recorded in the Zizhi Tongjian and various historical texts... That Emperor Ling of Han was posthumously named 'Ling' was by no means an injustice to him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, the new book group is 684558115 — everyone can join.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",4365,"2026-06-04T19:42:26.060Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","24c61b65a18705267611230132e92cd5ed6a0a5aa17ac5aba2ee5a0b63eec844","overthrowing-han-chapter-212","overthrowing-han-chapter-210",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]