Chapter 248: The Surging World of Men Remains Unsettled

In truth, it was hardly only Gongsun Xun who had guessed their purpose in coming.

Cao Mengde was perfectly clear on it in his own mind as well. Even many of the officers behind him probably had some inkling, to say nothing of Lou Gui, Xi Zhong, and the others concealed within the ranks.

In a word, it was nothing other than the demand to slay the eunuchs!

Slay the eunuchs! Slay the eunuchs! Slay the eunuchs!

Gongsun Xun had long grown sick of hearing it, yet this was the dominant refrain of court strife in this era, and the unanimous heartfelt wish of the scholar-officials.

Over and over for decades — how many had died, how much blood had been spilled, how many families had been destroyed and their gates exterminated? And still, it was slay the eunuchs! If at first it had been purely a matter of so-called righteous principle, then later on, for both sides, it had simply become family hatred and national enmity, a mortal struggle where only one could survive.

One need only look at Wang Yun and Kong Rong to understand.

Wang Yun's patron died at the hands of the eunuchs because of Wang Yun's own youthful recklessness. Given Wang Zishi's unbending character, was there any possibility of him making the slightest compromise with the eunuchs?

And how did Kong Rong's own elder brother die? Though Zhang Jian was the cause of his implication, was it not the eunuchs who carried out the deed? For these two, it truly was family hatred and national enmity!

Correspondingly, given the current situation at court, whether for political opportunism or a genuine desire to accomplish something... one had to slay the eunuchs! Because only by slaying the eunuchs could one unite the scholar-officials and win their support!

In the realm today, whether you want to get things done or pursue personal ambition and advancement, you can hardly say, "I won't use the proper talents among the scholar-officials; I'll use the Ten Regular Attendants instead," can you?!

However, though they understood the other party's intent, Gongsun Xun, Cao Cao, and the many officials present each harbored their own thoughts. Setting aside the fear or ignorance of those lower-ranking officials, the mindsets of Gongsun Xun and Cao Cao — these two young Two-Thousand-Bushel officials who understood the greater trends — were also quite subtle and seriously at odds.

Cao Cao was deeply conflicted, and to be honest, at this moment he felt somewhat helpless and weary. The excitement he had felt earlier upon seeing these two leading scholar-officials had momentarily dimmed.

Did the eunuchs deserve to die? What stance should one take in this so-called "slay the eunuchs" campaign?

These two questions admitted no doubt. Setting aside the eunuchs' own vile conduct, the overall strategy of the Cao family's collective transition from eunuch origins toward a scholar-official lineage simply did not permit him to waver. Had not Qiao Xuan himself instructed him? At the very least, one must not take the wrong side.

But, after all, Cao Cao had his own private difficulties.

One must understand that over the past few years, under the leadership of Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong, the eunuch faction at court had been riding high, utterly insufferable in their arrogance. Yet the Cao family, precisely because of the earlier extermination of the Empress's clan, had suffered a precipitous fall and been forced to halt their transformation into a scholar-official family, turning instead to rely on their old connections within the palace to seek a recovery of influence.

That was the truth of it: the Cao family was currently in the midst of transition and simply could not make a clean break with the eunuchs. For instance, right now, as the eldest son and principal grandson of the next generation, the future leader of the Cao, Xiahou, and Ding clan bloc, Cao Cao — by his past actions and political stance — should without question be a mainstay of the slay-the-eunuchs faction. Yet at this very same time, Cao Cao's own father, Cao Song, was relying on his cozy relations with the eunuchs to serve as Grand Herald, and given that gentleman's character, he might well be planning to spend some money and have a go at one of the Three Excellencies posts in the future... The man was a standard eunuch partisan!

So even if father and son had found each other an eyesore for decades, could he really take up a blade and cut down his own father? If it truly came to a scene of armed conflict, given the bizarre state of the Cao clan right now, how could he guarantee that his family would not be torn apart by the political storm?

But then again, could he even avoid it?

And besides, he himself was a mere Cavalry Commandant of the Equivalent Two-Thousand-Bushel rank, who had never even served as a Grand Administrator. If trouble truly came pressing down, his shoulders were hardly sturdy enough to bear it!

Thus it was that Cao Mengde, outwardly composed, was inwardly utterly alarmed.

As for Gongsun Xun, standing to the side with his hand on his sword, he was far more at ease... because he stood high and saw far, perceiving the situation with perfect clarity, and he had nothing to fear!

First, Gongsun Xun understood perfectly well what this group was all about.

Wang Yun and Kong Rong — these two, like Yuan Shao, Xu You, and that crowd before them — were without question radicals among the scholar-officials, the kind who wished they could slaughter the eunuchs' entire families this very day. At the same time, they were in contact with one another and might even have long since formed a radical political alliance.

But one must squarely face one point: these two groups were entirely different kinds of people.

Yuan Shao and his circle were standard militant activists!

When Zhao Zhong warned Yuan Kui that his eldest nephew Yuan Shao was "cultivating a reputation and fond of keeping death-sworn retainers," that was no slander. In fact, among Yuan Benchu's several "roving friends," men like Zhang Miao, Zhang Mengzhuo, had long ago used their family wealth to "maintain several thousand retainers" at home, while another, Wu Ju, Wu Ziqing — as far as Gongsun Xun knew — was outright dedicated to recruiting swordsmen and death-sworn assassins for Yuan Shao.

In other words, at the very least, Yuan Shao's group had long since formed a clear-eyed understanding of the situation and knew that without resorting to the blade, nothing could be done.

In contrast, however, were the traditional scholar-officials like Wang Yun and Kong Rong — they were the naive faction.

By "naive faction," I mean these scholar-officials had grand ambitions but meager abilities. Though they shared a blood-deep hatred with the eunuchs, they fundamentally failed to grasp that the eunuchs were an extension and the claws and fangs of imperial power. They were still brimming with hot blood, brimming with loyalty to the sovereign and love of country... In their eyes, the Son of Heaven could somehow be separated from the eunuchs.

In other words, they still harbored illusions about the Son of Heaven, hoping that he could be forced by circumstances to see the situation clearly and would, of his own accord, choose the scholar-officials and cast aside the eunuchs.

Indeed, they absolutely dared not imagine, and would never commit, any act that offended imperial power. All they wanted was to slay the eunuchs! Never mind Kong Rong gripping his sword with such swagger and bravado — if it truly came to taking some drastic step, he would be the first to shrink back.

If this is not naivety, what is? Perhaps it is sheer childishness.

But even so, Gongsun Xun did not fear that the childishness of these men would draw the flames onto himself, because he had nothing to fear... He held tens of thousands of troops in his hands. Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong were not nearly as foolish as Wang Yun and Kong Rong. Moreover, from what Gongsun Xun had observed, the Son of Heaven might be a severe money-grubber, and his energies might have been greatly sapped by the pleasures of the Western Garden, but he was by no means a fool. This Son of Heaven could absolutely distinguish between who could be killed as a sacrifice to Heaven, who could be thrown into prison as a warning, and who he still needed to rely upon to safeguard the imperial throne beneath his backside.

So, let them come... Gongsun Xun was perfectly composed, even impatient to see what tricks this group could come up with!

Returning to the matter at hand, Wang Yun and Xun Shuang were, after all, men of mature experience, and naturally would not allow a hothead like Kong Rong to keep stirring up trouble. Thus, having received such a straightforward declaration from Gongsun Xun, the two men immediately breathed a sigh of relief. After some covering pleasantries, they each mounted their carriages or horses and set off ahead toward Yangzhai City.

Upon reaching Yangzhai, Wang Yun declined to enter the city and, following protocol, lodged at the city's relay station quarters. After a brief round of feasting, these men, their minds elsewhere, dismissed all idle attendants, leaving only a handful of key figures remaining at the banquet: Wang Yun, Xun Shuang, Kong Rong; Gongsun Xun, Cao Cao; and Yan Zhong, who had just arrived in Yangzhai as Huangfu Song's envoy.

And of course, there was one "half-person" — Cheng Pu, whom Gongsun Xun had beckoned to stay, ordering him to stand guard with his hand on his sword outside the main hall's threshold to keep watch over the proceedings.

"Earlier outside the city, from what Elder Brother Zishi said, it seems some matters in Luoyang have delayed my memorials?" After a moment of silence, Gongsun Xun, wine cup in hand, leaned forward slightly and spoke as if unconcerned. "And you also hurried here because of this matter?"

"Indeed." Wang Yun glanced at Cheng Pu, sitting rigidly upright before the doorway, then abruptly straightened his expression and spoke solemnly. "Does Wenqi know that ever since you, Lord Huangfu, and Lord Zhu together annihilated the hundred-thousand-strong host in Yingchuan, the situation at court has suddenly tightened?"

"That was to be expected." Gongsun Xun raised his cup and took a small sip. "Previously, the Son of Heaven's willingness to lift the Proscription was due in no small part to the fact that with a hundred thousand rebels before them, the court eunuchs were too alarmed and uncertain to act recklessly. Once the immediate enemy had been swept away, and they had caught their breath, given the vengeful natures of the two Regular Attendants Zhang and Zhao, if they did not strike back, would they not have been called chief villains of the eunuchs for nothing?"

"Wenqi sees through it all!" Kong Rong could not help interjecting. "That is precisely the point. In truth, if only you had been able to communicate with us before launching your campaign here, how could things have come to this?"

At these words, not only did Cao Cao and Yan Zhong immediately exchange bewildered glances, but even Wang Yun and Xun Shuang looked somewhat embarrassed. Only Gongsun Xun remained perfectly composed, as if he had long been mentally prepared for this.

"Wenju is speaking nonsense." In the end, it was Wang Yun who spoke helplessly. "Military affairs of state — the window of opportunity vanishes in an instant. How could such things be communicated in advance? Besides, the Yellow Turban rebels are wreaking havoc across the realm. If they can be eliminated a day earlier, they should always be eliminated a day earlier."

"Quite so." Xun Shuang could not help adding a remark. "The situation in the realm remains very grave... Perhaps the General of the Household of All Purposes and the Cavalry Commandant are not yet aware, but just a few days ago, the Five Pecks of Rice sect in Hanzhong also rose in revolt. Their leader, Zhang Xiu, is a figure much like Zhang Jiao — he gathered a mob and rebelled, plundering the provinces and counties. Moreover, Jiaozhou has rebelled again. In Hepu Commandery, a so-called Heaven-Pillar General has emerged, whose very title suggests a connection to sorcery and Daoism. The Grand Administrator and the Inspector have both been taken captive. At the time, before the tidings of victory from the three Generals of the Household had arrived, the common people of Luoyang spoke among themselves in private, saying that before the Moth Bandits had departed, the Rice Bandits had come again. Of the Thirteen Provinces of the realm, Yanzhou had just been pacified, only for Yizhou and Jiaozhou to fall back into chaos."

Gongsun Xun and the others truly had not known of these two matters, and upon hearing them, they could only sigh with dismay. Even Yan Zhong stroked his beard and shook his head without cease.

How could they not sigh? Reckoning thus, of the Great Han's Thirteen Provinces, only Sili, Liang, Bing, and Yang had been spared the scourge of war — and places like Liang and Bing had been broken and ravaged for over a century already... In sum, the realm of the House of Han at this moment was truly beyond words.

However, after this bout of lamentation, seeing Kong Rong's embarrassment at being rebuked by everyone, Cao Cao seized the chance to defuse the tension and earn some goodwill: "Brother Wenju is so indignant — might I ask just how the Luoyang eunuchs have been striking back these past few days?"

Kong Rong opened his mouth to speak, but then, overcome by a surge of fury, he instead lowered his head and drained a large cup of wine, while Xun Shuang also promptly let his eyelids droop.

It was Wang Yun who, still sitting upright and unyielding, simply slammed his wine cup onto the low table: "Lu Qiang, Regular Attendant Lu, is dead!"

Gongsun Xun and Cao Cao were instantly stunned, and Yan Zhong was likewise momentarily dumbfounded.

Immediately after, Kong Rong finally ground his teeth and added another matter: "The Court Gentleman Zhang Jun had previously submitted a memorial stating that the chaos in the realm was entirely due to the Ten Regular Attendants' misrule, and he petitioned for the Ten Regular Attendants to be executed. The Ten Regular Attendants held their tongues at the time, but now that the Yingchuan campaign is settled, they have falsely accused Court Gentleman Zhang of colluding with the Yellow Turbans and have likewise thrown him directly into prison and beaten him to death."

For a moment, everyone was even more speechless.

"And there is also the Palace Attendant Xiang Xu." Xun Shuang could not help looking at Gongsun Xun as he spoke. "Because he mocked the eunuchs in the Southern Palace over these two incidents, he has now also been thrown into prison."

Gongsun Xun was slightly taken aback, and then truly did not know what to say anymore.

"May I ask, my lords, just what is the story behind all these events?" In the midst of the eerie silence, Yan Zhong could not help but voice his question. "How am I to report back to my general? For instance, Regular Attendant Lu — he too was a Regular Attendant of the palace, always trusted and valued by the Son of Heaven. How did he suddenly die? And in the case of Court Gentleman Zhang, what was the Son of Heaven's attitude? And that Palace Attendant Xiang..."

"Allow me to explain." Wang Yun, his face stern, spoke slowly. "The cause of Regular Attendant Lu's case need hardly be elaborated... He was that rare upright Regular Attendant in the Northern Palace. In the Son of Heaven's lifting of the Proscription this time, his contribution was immense, but it also earned him the enmity of the other eunuchs. This time, the other Regular Attendants collectively slandered him, saying that Regular Attendant Lu was corrupt, and further claiming that he met in secret with the partisans to conspire, and finally even alleged that he often read the 'Biography of Huo Guang' in his private chamber!"

Everyone's hearts clenched... Corruption was one thing — in this day and age, from the palace Regular Attendants down to the so-called upright officials at the bottom, who was not corrupt? But to accuse him of meeting with the partisans while simultaneously reading the "Biography of Huo Guang" — that was far too insidious, and far too lethal!

This business of reading the "Biography of Huo Guang" was not a mockery of someone's lack of learning, but an insinuation that Lu Qiang wished to emulate Huo Guang and carry out an act of deposition and enthronement.

"Could it be that because of this charge, the outer court found it inconvenient to rescue him, and that is why Eunuch Lü was killed?" Gongsun Xun asked with a frown.

"No." Wang Yun's hands trembled. "The Son of Heaven, deceived by the eunuchs, ordered the Inner Yellow Gates to lead troops and summon Eunuch Lü to prison to await trial. Unwilling to suffer humiliation, Eunuch Lü simply took his own life." At this point, Wang Zishi's voice began to quaver. "It is said that before he died, he drew his sword and said to those who came to arrest him: 'A true man serves the state with all his loyalty — how can he end up facing prison wardens?' The only pity is that after his death, I fear the situation will truly descend into chaos!"

Gongsun Xun was rarely shaken... because he had to admit that Lü Qiang, that eunuch, might very well have been a true man of honor!

This "true man" was not only about his willingness to die bravely; more importantly, his final words — "When I die, chaos will come" — completely changed Gongsun Xun's understanding of him.

For a long time, Gongsun Xun had regarded this scholar-official's backer in the Northern Palace as a "scholar in spirit," an inside agent, even a political traitor. But now it seemed this man had likely seen the situation with piercing clarity and had therefore deliberately compromised.

Think about it — as the only heavyweight Regular Attendant in the Northern Palace capable of communicating with the scholar-officials, his death would undoubtedly sever any possibility of negotiation between the two sides. And as the empire's two most powerful political blocs, once they lost the flexibility of mutual compromise, the consequences hardly needed to be spelled out.

If Lü Qiang's dying lament came from the heart, then it showed he likely did not act for the scholars out of personal interest, but truly for the greater good and the sake of the state.

"I have long heard of Eunuch Lü's great name, yet it is a pity we never met." Gongsun Xun let out a long sigh, straightened his robes and sat upright, then filled a cup of wine for himself — only to pour it out upon the ground. "Let this be an offering to him."

Cao Cao and the others dared not be remiss and one after another followed his example.

"May I ask, Senior Brother Zishi," Gongsun Xun set down his cup and asked gravely, "what of Court Physician Zhang? I recall he hailed from Zhongshan, and his younger brother was the Filial and Incorrupt nominee I recommended — I have even visited their home..."

"Court Physician Zhang, on the other hand, leaves little to be said." Wang Yun's expression was solemn. "When he submitted a memorial bluntly calling for the execution of the Ten Regular Attendants, he had already angered the Son of Heaven. His Majesty flew into a rage right there in the hall, calling him an 'arrogant fool,' and demanded of those around him whether among the Ten Regular Attendants there was not a single good man. He was then thrown into prison on the spot. Now that Eunuch Lü has taken his own life, the Ten Regular Attendants would naturally not let him go — they had their own sons and brothers falsely accuse him of colluding with the Yellow Turbans, and he was put to death in prison."

Gongsun Xun sighed... This was precisely what Lü Qiang had meant by "When I die, chaos will come"!

"And what of Lord Xiang?" Gongsun Xun asked again. "Lord Xiang served as Chancellor of Zhao for many years. Though we had our disagreements, they were mostly disputes over governance, with no personal enmity between us. And the man was merely a bit arrogant in manner, sharp-tongued and unforgiving — how did he too come to such an end?"

"Lord Xiang proposed sending someone to the banks of the Yellow River to recite the Classic of Filial Piety toward Hebei — after a thousand or ten thousand recitations, Zhang Jiao would surely perish!" Kong Rong could not suppress a scoff, but his expression quickly turned grave. "These words mocked Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong to the extreme, and touched upon the Son of Heaven as well. No wonder His Majesty and those two villains Zhang and Zhao were so furious — they pinned a charge of colluding with the Yellow Turbans on him too and threw him into prison."

Gongsun Xun understood Kong Rong's meaning... The current Son of Heaven had many famous sayings, the kind destined to be passed down through the ages. Setting aside the remark he had just made in dealing with Zhang Jun — "Among the Ten Regular Attendants, is there not a single good man?" — there was an even more renowned one: "Eunuch Zhang is my father, Eunuch Zhao is my mother!"

Therefore, to recite the Classic of Filial Piety toward Hebei and thereby bring about Zhang Jiao's destruction — in the eyes of clever men like Kong Rong, the Son of Heaven, Zhang Rang, and Zhao Zhong — was likely a supremely brilliant piece of mockery aimed at the Son of Heaven's own words.

However, as someone who had dealt with Xiang Xu on several occasions, Gongsun Xun had a faint suspicion that Xiang Xu had, in all likelihood, genuinely been acting like a fool. But since everyone else believed Xiang Xu was a fearless and upright man, why should he stir up pointless debate?

"Lord Xiang was once my superior." At this thought, Gongsun Xun immediately declared, "He cannot go unrescued. I shall promptly submit a memorial to the Son of Heaven, asking to use my own merits to pardon his crimes!"

"Wenqi, this is a most virtuous act."

"Nothing could be better."

"Exactly as it should be."

Amid the chorus of praise, the previously heavy atmosphere lightened somewhat.

But after hearing all this, Gongsun Xun had little heart left for pleasantries. He poured and drank alone once more, then asked bluntly: "Since matters have come to this, I ask Senior Brother Zishi, Master Liulong, and Brother Wenju to speak frankly — what is the purpose of your visit?"

"We wish to use the Yellow Turban affair to eliminate Zhang Rang!" Kong Rong was the first to answer, his voice ringing out.

Cao Cao and Yan Zhong immediately changed color.

Gongsun Xun, however, continued pouring and drinking without pause, his expression unchanged: "How do you plan to eliminate Zhang Rang?"

"The eunuchs at court have repeatedly used the charge of colluding with the Yellow Turbans to kill our comrades, yet all under heaven know that we scholar-officials are the orthodox lineage of Confucianism — how could we collude with sorcerers and Daoists?" Wang Yun answered fiercely. "It is those eunuchs who are in truth in constant collusion with the Yellow Turbans! Wenqi, I ask you — are the Yellow Turban captives still here?"

"All are here." Gongsun Xun understood at once. "I have over twenty thousand here. Lord Huangfu and Lord Zhu are still pressing their attacks — once Yingchuan is pacified, they should each have over ten thousand as well!"

"In that case," Wang Yun said through gritted teeth, "I intend to conduct a thorough search among the rebel captives, and also search the Zhang clan residence in Yangzhai, to find evidence of correspondence between the Zhangs and the rebels, and present it to the Son of Heaven!"

At the mention of searching the Zhang clan residence, Cao Cao felt a jolt in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged.

Gongsun Xun, still poised and composed, did not pause in the slightest: "I am willing to lend Senior Brother Zishi my full support."

Of course, doing this was not without risk, but Gongsun Xun, long prepared, knew in his heart that no matter how great the risk, when the moment came, refusal was simply impossible.

Wang Yun was immediately overjoyed.

Cao Mengde, seeing this, kept his expression neutral, but sighed inwardly in resignation, ready to declare his stance at the table.

Yet at that very moment, someone suddenly rose from his seat and knelt, preempting him: "There is no need to turn back and consult my general on this matter. My lord Huangfu gave clear instructions before we came — I can give my assent here and now. And, Your Excellency, I have one more thing to say."

"Master Shude, please speak." Wang Yun, seeing this, grew even more delighted.

"The Yellow Turbans have been in revolt for months now — I fear the Zhang residence will yield nothing of value." Yan Zhong laughed wryly. "And the twenty thousand captives here under General Gongsun have already undergone days of relocation and reorganization — there is likely nothing to be found among them either. It is my general's forces that are still besieging cities and seizing territory... We should go there first to seek evidence!"

Wang Yun could not help but fall into thought, while Kong Rong was eager to act.

As for Gongsun Xun, Cao Cao, and Xun Shuang — for the first time today, they took a proper measure of this celebrated scholar from Liangzhou seated among them. What the other two thought, none could say, but Gongsun Xun was very curious: was Yan Shude setting a trap for Huangfu Song? Or was he acting out of righteous conviction, truly wishing to assist Wang Yun in rooting out the eunuchs? One had to know that Huangfu Song could originally have easily avoided this wave of turmoil.

If it was the latter, could this celebrated scholar of Liangzhou truly be so naive as to think he could rely on the Son of Heaven to bring down Zhang Rang?! And yet, this man was a close friend of Jia Xu — Gongsun Xun would never believe he was that shallow!

But if it was the former... well, that made things interesting.

And, would that not conveniently remove one trouble? Even better — killing several birds with one stone!

——————Divider: Is There Not a Single Good Man?——————

"Regular Attendant Zhao Zhong and the others then together framed Qiang, saying: 'He deliberated state affairs with the partisans and repeatedly read the Biography of Huo Guang. Qiang and his brothers, wherever they are, are all corrupt and filthy.' The Emperor was displeased and sent the Inner Yellow Gates bearing arms to summon Qiang. When Qiang heard the Emperor had summoned him, he said angrily: 'When I die, chaos will arise. A true man wishes to serve the state with all his loyalty — how can he face prison wardens?' Thereupon he killed himself. Zhong and the others again slandered him, saying: 'When Qiang saw the summons, he did not ask what it concerned, but went into the grass to screen himself — there was clearly some wicked scheme.' They then arrested his clansmen and confiscated his property." — Book of the Later Han, Biographies of the Eunuchs

(End of Chapter)