[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-243":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},1223002,1620,"Chapter 243: At the City Gate, Gongsun Bullies the Administrator by Flaunting His Authority","overthrowing-han-chapter-243",243,"\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun's bitter smile had a reason behind it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having Zhong Yao right before his eyes could hardly be a bad thing, and how could he not know that this man possessed \"the talent of a Chancellor of State\"?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the problem was that the Zhong clan of Changshe was already a renowned gentry family of Yingchuan. Zhong Yao's great-grandfather Zhong Hao had been one of the Four Elders of Yingchuan, had mentored Chen Qun's grandfather Chen Shi, had served as a Clerk to the Minister over the Masses, and had lectured openly for decades, with regular students numbering two to three thousand. Moreover, the Zhong clan had intermarried for generations with the family of the previous Paragon of the Realm, Li Ying, intertwining and fusing into a single entity. Zhong Yao himself had held successive commandery posts, and as early as the tenure of the previous Administrator of Yingchuan, Yin Xiu, he had already reached the position of Commandery Merit Evaluator, a post that could be called the pinnacle of commandery clerkship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, against the present backdrop of the Partisan Prohibitions being lifted, given the Zhong clan's network and Zhong Yao's own talent, this Zhong Yuanchang could at any moment receive an imperial summons to court, taking up a post like Gentleman of the Masters of Writing, and from there follow a path of unsullied prestige with a brilliant future ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the above was merely conjecture based on common sense, what the vast majority of people could imagine, but Gongsun Xun knew better than anyone that Zhong Yao's official career would only be greater than anyone imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With what could you recruit such a man? The knife in your hand?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same reasoning applied to the Xun clan of Yingyin, neighbors to Changshe, where there were even more talents, yet even more formidable... It was said that the moment the Partisan Prohibitions were lifted, the capital had already begun discussing summoning Xun Yu's uncle Xun Shuang to serve as a high minister or something of the sort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In summary, when the Partisan Prohibitions were still in force, Gongsun Xun's status had not yet arrived, the opportunity had not yet come, and these Yingchuan talents of gentry background were beyond his reach; now that the prohibitions were fully lifted, his own status was sufficient, but each of them had a brilliant future ahead, so there was no need to think of them bending their ambitions to serve as anyone's retainer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And besides, this was not the time to dwell on such matters — after all, Zhong Yao was merely a great figure of the future, whereas a man who was already a great figure in the present, Huangfu Song, was right before his eyes, and this was the one he had to deal with first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Gongsun Xun, seeing the welcoming party from afar, dismounted directly, then walked forward while turning matters over in his mind. Unexpectedly, the entire Zhong clan on that side, along with Huangfu Song and his retainers, were also observing him with complex expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you think?\" Seeing that Huangfu Song had also moved forward to greet him, Zhong Yao's uncle Zhong Yu, lagging behind, took the chance to ask his nephew in a low voice. \"Yuanchang, you served as Commandery Merit Evaluator for many years and have seen countless people. What kind of man do you take this White Horse General to be?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Yao walked slowly forward while shaking his head slightly. \"I have gained nothing at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could that be?\" Zhong Yu found this somewhat hard to understand. \"At the very least, one could glean a thing or two from his bearing, let alone the fact that this man's past deeds are known to all under Heaven!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Too young!\" Zhong Yao lowered his head and answered. \"This man is five or six years younger than me, yet already shows signs of rising to the pinnacle of officialdom. Therefore, no common principle can be applied to this man. Moreover, the situation under Heaven is already faintly amiss — whether the principles of old still hold true is hard to say.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Yu fell silent for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However,\" Zhong Yao suddenly spoke again, \"since he has entered the city and we are accompanying him, perhaps we can observe this man's true substance up close. Then we might gain something after all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whether we gain anything or not hardly matters,\" Zhong Yu replied with a bitter smile instead. \"In any case, with this great victory won and the siege of Changshe lifted, why worry about what kind of man he is? It's not like before, when a hundred thousand troops besieged the city, and if it fell, our entire clan would be ground to dust — only then would we have been guessing endlessly about these generals...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time it was Zhong Yao who said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Huangfu!\" When they were a dozen or so paces apart, Gongsun Xun saluted from a distance. \"We parted in haste at the Hall of Excellent Virtue over a month ago. I did not expect to behold your distinguished bearing again today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi truly shames this old man,\" Huangfu Song, nearing fifty and born of a military family, spoke with the gentle tone of a pure Confucian scholar, forming a stark contrast with the renowned Confucian of the realm, Teacher Lu. \"Since the Yellow Turban rebellion erupted, among the various provinces where tens of thousands gathered, the first to be pacified were none other than Guangyang and Dong Commandery — both easily swept clean by Wenqi. It is precisely because of this that you and I can meet again today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun immediately laughed. \"The Yellow Turbans of Guangyang numbered thirty thousand, those of Dong Commandery forty thousand — combined they cannot compare to Lord Zhu's feat in this battle of routing a hundred thousand enemies before him! If we speak of skill in warfare, Lord Zhu must be ranked first... May I ask where Lord Zhu is now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huangfu Song was briefly taken aback, then could not help but laugh as well. \"Truly as Wenqi says. Lord Zhu Gongwei feigned defeat to lure them here, then spied the chance for Tian Dan's fire stratagem — his merit is supreme... He has now left the city to direct the battle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So that is how it is.\" Hearing this, Gongsun Xun turned to Han Dang with a solemn expression. \"Yigong, relay the order at once: outside the city, the only general bearing a staff of authority is the Right General of the Household, Lord Zhu. Therefore, from Cavalry Commandant Cao Mengde on down, every unit is to follow his orders!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Dang immediately clasped his hands in acknowledgment, and at once several dozen White Horse riders scattered from the column to deliver the orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi's White Horse Volunteers truly live up to their fame!\" Huangfu Song was a general after all, and seeing the Volunteers' instant obedience, he could not help but stroke his beard in admiration. \"Truly heroic and extraordinary — on the battlefield they must be worth ten men apiece!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Huangfu thinks too highly of them. Though they have some renown, it has nothing to do with battlefield merit; they earned their fame years ago in Luo during the execution of the eunuchs.\" At this point, Gongsun Xun could not help but cast a sidelong sneer. \"In the eyes of the realm, no matter how hard we martial men toil on the battlefield, no matter how desperately we fight, it cannot compare to barging into Wang Fu's residence that day and flaunting our might... As the saying goes, doing well is not as good as doing it cleverly — that is probably what it means!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said that the two had just met and, without any visible stir, had tacitly agreed in words to yield the credit to Zhu Jun. Huangfu Song had thought the other man easy to deal with. Who would have guessed that just as they were about to grow more familiar, Gongsun Xun would deliver such a veiled barb, leaving Huangfu Yizhen publicly snubbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Huangfu Song, with the bearing of a scholar-general after all, and nearly twice the other's age, was unwilling to quibble further. He merely gave a dry laugh and let the matter drop, turning instead to introduce the others beside him to Gongsun Xun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The foremost among them, unexpectedly, wore a silver seal on a blue cord, which piqued Gongsun Xun's curiosity for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the Administrator of Yingchuan, Lord Wen.\" Huangfu Song pointed to this pallid man in his forties. \"When Yangzhai fell, of Yingchuan's nineteen cities, only the three eastern cities of Xu County, Yingyin, and Changshe were preserved. Lord Wen had no choice but to withdraw here... Ahem, the preservation of Changshe owes in part to his efforts as well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, the man hastily offered an ingratiating smile. \"I never imagined I would only today behold the White Horse General's distinguished bearing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So it is Administrator Wen!\" Once Gongsun Xun knew the man's identity, he did not return the courtesy. Instead, he looked down loftily, clasped his hands behind his back, and sneered to his face. \"Don't think of clinging to any credit. Hurry and submit your plea of guilt and resign! If your memorial can enter the court together with the news of this great victory, His Majesty might permit you to withdraw with your life intact! What a pity — the post of Yingchuan Administrator is so precious, and you toiled more than half your life to reach it, only to lose it all in a single morning. Who knows, it might even affect your family and clansmen in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Administrator Wen immediately turned pale... Did he not know he was in for disaster? Of nineteen counties, sixteen were lost, including Yingchuan's capital Yangzhai, which led to Huan Yuan Pass, the gateway to Luoyang, being attacked by Bo Cai. It would be strange if he were not in trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only, understanding it in his heart was one thing; having it dragged out to his face was somewhat hard to accept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General, why do you say such things?\" Administrator Wen forced himself to ask, still clinging to a sliver of hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Has Lord Wen not heard yet?\" Gongsun Xun grew even more mocking at this. \"When I came to Yingchuan from Dong Commandery, the court had already decided on Wang Yun, Wang Zishi of Taiyuan, as Inspector of Yuzhou, to tour and inspect all parts of Yuzhou. I have had some dealings with that Wang Zishi and know his proud and unyielding temper... If you do not take the initiative to request resignation before he sets out, I fear you will be carted into Luo in a caged cart.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the last sentence, Administrator Wen lost his composure on the spot and collapsed sitting. Only two commandery clerks behind him hurried forward to support him, preventing him from utterly disgracing himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said that when Gongsun Xun had just dismounted and privately settled the matter of yielding credit to Zhu Jun with Huangfu Song, everyone had thought him a modest gentleman. Yet in the blink of an eye, he had proceeded to mock the two highest-ranking men present in succession, causing the military and commandery figures at the city gate to look on askance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, in the eyes of so-called discerning people, this was not incomprehensible... Including Huangfu Song, many felt that Gongsun Xun's little temper was entirely acceptable. After all, he was young yet high in rank, and had voluntarily yielded such great merit — so what if he threw a small tantrum?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, Zhong Yu could only suppress a low chuckle to his nephew: \"In the end, he is a man from the border commanderies — his joys and angers show on his face...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not so!\" Zhong Yao immediately denied it. \"To yield such enormous merit as easily as that — what breadth of spirit is that? How could he be sullen over such a thing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then what does it mean?\" Zhong Yu was baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Yao lowered his head deeply and answered: \"I fear he first yielded merit to the Right General of the Household, and now yields virtue to the Left General of the Household... Lord Huangfu first spoke to lift the Partisan Prohibitions, and now his grace and virtue are manifest to all around him. Trouble may come of this in the future!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who did you say will have trouble?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just at that moment, Zhong Yuanchang, who had been speaking with his head lowered, suddenly heard someone ask from in front of him. He looked up — and it was none other than the White Horse General, Marquis of Wulu, Staff-Bearing General of the Household for All Purposes, Gongsun Xun!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sounds of battle from the west grew more and more distant, and at the city gate, uncle and nephew exchanged a glance, instantly drenched in sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, let it be!\" Gongsun Xun unexpectedly let the matter drop lightly. \"Are you Zhong Yuanchang?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is I,\" Zhong Yao, recovering from his profuse sweating, hurriedly saluted with respect. \"I did not imagine the General knew my humble name.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yingchuan abounds in heroes, but Yuanchang is a hero among heroes — how could I possibly not know of you?\" Gongsun Xun replied with a smile. \"What's more, just now someone told me you possess the talent of a Chancellor of State!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhong gave an awkward, ingratiating laugh, but then immediately turned solemn... Huangfu Song had been abruptly mocked, and although most people, including Huangfu Yizhen himself, did not much mind, as his retainer, Yan Zhong could hardly keep up the same warm demeanor as before, could he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Gongsun Xun seemed to pay no further mind to Yan Zhong either. He merely turned to a scholar behind him and said: \"Zibo, earlier on the battlefield, seeing Sun Wentai's heroic and bold bearing, I already felt I had witnessed something today. I never thought that now I would also meet Zhong Yuanchang. To know two heroes in a single day — tell me, is this not my good fortune?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young scholar who had accompanied Gongsun Xun burst into loud laughter at these words, then suddenly composed his expression, clasped his hands, and offered congratulations: \"My lord, your luck today is indeed extraordinary!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From this entire display, everyone could naturally perceive that Gongsun Xun's words at this moment were, unexpectedly, full of courtesy and amiability. And the fact that he held such high regard for a former Commandery Merit Evaluator living idly at home — compared to his veiled mockery of the staff-bearing general Huangfu Song and his open ridicule of the two-thousand-bushel Administrator Wen just moments before — was like the difference between heaven and earth, leaving people all the more marveling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Zhong Yao, who had become the focus of everyone's attention, even as he bowed low with clasped hands to express his thanks, could not help but break out in a profuse sweat once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——————I am the profuse sweating dividing line——————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zhong Yao, styled Yuanchang, was a man of Changshe in Yingchuan. Once, together with his uncle Yu, he went to Luoyang. On the road they met a physiognomist, who said: 'This child has a noble countenance, but he will suffer misfortune by water — strive hard and be cautious!' They had not traveled ten li when they crossed a bridge; the horse took fright, and he fell into the water and nearly died. Because the physiognomist's words had proven true, Yu valued Yao all the more, and provided him with funds and resources, enabling him to focus solely on his studies.\" — A New Account of the Tales of the World, Chapter on Recognition and Judgment\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: I must admit my fault... I can't keep updating like this... Laziness acting up... In the evening I only focused on chatting with people in the group and had no mind to write at all. As the time approached, I was too sleepy... In the end, nothing came of it, just a mere three thousand words, truly too ashamed to face anyone... I have to change back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I am formally requesting leave. The next chapter will be tomorrow evening... I'll put together a big chapter then as an apology, and also as a perfect end to this month's update volume. From now on, I'll write and post in the evening... It's not that this so-called scheduled morning posting is bad, but I simply have too little self-control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The experiment failed... My apologies!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2785,"2026-06-04T19:42:26.060Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","7795f29bc699cc5425fd5af1f64308de2926845e181cf21160c80a2d02291f24","overthrowing-han-chapter-244","overthrowing-han-chapter-242",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]