Chapter 249: Why Must We Constantly Strive in Battle?

In late June, in the Northern Palace of Luoyang, the afternoon heat was at its peak.

Surrounded by dozens of Junior Attendants of the Yellow Gates and Lesser Attendants of the Yellow Gates, the Grand Prolonger of Autumn, Supervisor of the Yellow Gates, and Regular Palace Attendant Zhao Zhong was returning here from the Southern Palace via the imperial way when he came face to face with his political ally, Regular Palace Attendant Zhang Rang.

Ever since Cao Jie and Wang Fu died one after another, Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong had divided their efforts — one focused solely on the Northern Palace, flattering the Son of Heaven, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress; the other focused solely on the Southern Palace, interfering with the Secretariat and suppressing the outer court. That they cooperated so seamlessly with each other was truly astonishing.

Of course, the two of them knew perfectly well that the situation they faced was different from that of their predecessors. Outside, the partisans and gentry clans discussed killing them openly, almost daily. If they did not work together, carefully flatter the Son of Heaven, and unite to suppress the outer court, how could they preserve the glory and wealth of themselves and their families?!

If these two truly had the ability to dominate the court the way Cao Teng and Cao Jie had, they would have long since torn each other apart like dogs fighting over brains.

So, to return to the point, for the time being, this situation of mutual support would likely have to continue for quite a long while.

"The weather is unbearably hot. Give me the memorials; the rest of you, disperse." Zhao Zhong seemed to have anticipated Zhang Rang waiting for him. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the surrounding Yellow Gate attendants, personally took a stack of memorials, and came before Zhang Rang. The two then walked on together at a leisurely pace.

Now, with the spread of Gongsun paper and the added pressure of war, the court, to facilitate the transmission of information, had formally permitted memorials to be written on paper. In this regard, the Secretariat and the Office of the Yellow Gate Supervisor in both the Southern and Northern Palaces ought to thank Lady Gongsun. Zhao Zhong, who could walk so unhurriedly while carrying a stack of memorials, had even more reason to thank this distant, roundabout relative.

"Anything important today?" Zhang Rang asked as he walked, untying the cap-strings of his Regular Palace Attendant headdress. He bounced it in his arms, and in the sunlight, a head of graying hair was revealed.

And although Zhao Zhong was magnificently attired, beneath his cap-strings was likewise a patch of gray.

"Trouble has come for you." Zhao Zhong pursed his lips slightly toward the memorials in his arms. "Wang Zishi's trip to Yingchuan was indeed made with ill intentions. He submitted a memorial saying that when he followed Huangfu Song to accept the surrender of the Yellow Turban rebels in Yan County, he searched and found letters between your family members and the Yellow Turban rebels. He then impeached you for colluding with the Yellow Turbans with intent to rebel."

"What kind of trouble is this? It was entirely expected." Zhang Rang was not anxious at all. "Back when they took advantage of the Yellow Turbans' great momentum to push for Wang Zishi to be made Inspector of Yuzhou, I anticipated this day would come. I long ago laid the groundwork with His Majesty. I just didn't expect them to be so hasty, and so laughable."

"It's good that Attendant Zhang is prepared." Zhao Zhong gave a cold laugh. "But since Wang Zishi has torn off all pretense, what do you intend to do?"

"Since he came looking for me, I will handle it myself." Zhang Rang sighed. "It's just a pity. Wang Zishi is the pillar of the Wang clan of Taiyuan, a regional governor, and he spent decades in the Censorate. He has deep foundations and enjoys universal renown. If we truly kill him, I fear it will cause a great upheaval... We are still at war; it is not appropriate!"

"Then find a way to throw him in prison. Perhaps he has a strong and unyielding character like Attendant Lü, and would rather not suffer humiliation at the hands of prison officials." Zhao Zhong still wore a cold sneer.

"That seems to be the only way." Zhang Rang smiled. "When the time comes, we'll find a way to humiliate him in prison and see if he can endure it." But at this point, Attendant Zhang's expression suddenly turned solemn, and his tone became serious. "Actually, the way I see it, the most critical thing in this matter is not Wang Zishi or those letters, but Huangfu Song!"

"Wasn't this also long anticipated?" Seeing that they had arrived at the shade of a tall palace hall, Zhao Zhong stopped in his tracks, his tone becoming as serious as the other's. "Those frontier generals nowadays are each more brazen than the last..."

"Still nursing a grudge against that grandnephew-in-law of yours?" Zhang Rang also stopped and took the opportunity to put his Regular Palace Attendant headdress back on. "Look at you, saying it was all anticipated, yet you're still so indignant."

"I just never imagined that brat would be so arrogant!" At these words, Zhao Zhong couldn't help but gnash his teeth. "Though it was detestable that he publicly flogged my trusted retainer to death for fame, it was still a common enough posture. I hated it, but I didn't resent it! But that brat actually dared to send me a single wen as 'life-money'?! Who does he think he is? Does he think that I, the dignified Grand Prolonger of Autumn, will one day need to buy my life from this Youzhou brat?"

Zhang Rang immediately burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Zhao Zhong grew even more indignant.

"Attendant Zhao." Zhang Rang, unhurried and unafraid, faced him sternly. "Ever since the Zhang Huan affair, we must be especially wary of these people from frontier commanderies, especially the young ones. You failed to see the situation clearly and brought humiliation upon yourself in vain. Now that things have come to this, why still put on such an act?"

"Enough!" Zhao Zhong suppressed his anger and instead mocked him in return. "Didn't you also want to solicit a bribe from Huangfu Song before, to test him? It's just that now Huangfu Song has jumped out on his own, saving you the trouble of putting on an act."

"Is Huangfu Song the same as that grandnephew-in-law of yours?" Zhang Rang disagreed. "Huangfu Song is already fifty; he leaves room for maneuver in his actions. That's why, although he set the precedent of requesting the lifting of the Proscription, it seemed more like going with the flow and seizing an opportunity. Before this current matter came up, it was truly hard to say what his true intentions were!"

"You do realize it was before this current matter, don't you?" Zhao Zhong shot back again, but ultimately gave up this ridiculous confrontation and turned serious. "Attendant Zhang, what you just said has some truth to it... In this affair, the troublesome one is not Wang Yun, Wang Zishi, but Huangfu Song. In fact, the current situation is that almost every one of these military commanders is at odds with us... We can't just sit back and do nothing, can we?"

"We must indeed strike back." Zhang Rang also turned serious. "But we must know what's important and what's not... Huangfu Song, Gongsun Xun, Zhu Jun — none of these three can be rashly moved against right now!"

Zhao Zhong was slightly taken aback, then couldn't help but ask: "Why do you say that? Do you think they would dare lead troops into Luoyang?"

"That's unlikely." Zhang Rang sneered. "The Son of Heaven is alive and well, and the Han dynasty's realm has stood for centuries. Who would dare lead troops into Luoyang without authorization? Even if one day the Grand General held power and summoned these men to bring troops into Luoyang, which one of them would dare touch the Southern and Northern Palaces?"

"Then..."

"The key point is, the Son of Heaven will not agree to you or me moving against these three." Zhang Rang put away his smile for the second time and spoke seriously as he looked at the other.

Zhao Zhong fell silent for a moment, but still seemed unwilling to accept it: "In His Majesty's eyes, are frontier generals truly more important than those scholar-officials?"

"It's not His Majesty; it's the Son of Heaven." Zhang Rang clasped his hands and looked at his narrow-minded ally. "Any Son of Heaven with a clear mind knows that frontier generals are more important than scholar-officials... And when it comes to fighting wars like now, you and I aren't worth a few wen in front of a victorious general."

"On what grounds?" The mention of "a few wen" immediately made Zhao Zhong bristle again.

"Attendant Zhao, Grand Prolonger of Autumn!" Zhang Rang couldn't help but sigh. "What do you think the relationship between us and the Son of Heaven is? Why does the Son of Heaven trust and rely on us?"

"We are house slaves." Zhao Zhong answered casually, but then immediately added, "And also retainers... you told me this yourself."

"Correct!" Zhang Rang nodded heavily. "The Son of Heaven is, in truth, the head of a great household whose estate is the entire realm. We are both retainers and house slaves. Surrounded and flattered by us all day, the Son of Heaven naturally trusts and relies on us. Yet those scholars never understand this principle! What are they? They are, in fact, the stewards of the estates, the managers of the residences. Unwilling to earn their wages in peace and stability, they always want to dictate to the owner of the estate and meddle in its affairs! And they constantly call for the extermination of eunuchs. Where is the master who listens to outsiders and kills all his trusted retainers and house slaves?!"

Zhao Zhong looked down at the stack of memorials in his arms and couldn't help but laugh dryly: "Attendant Zhang's words are extremely reasonable. So, are you saying that those military officers are the master's patrol guards?"

"What else?" Zhang Rang asked in return.

"Indeed." Zhao Zhong nodded slowly. "I now fully understand Attendant Zhang's reasoning. With bandits causing chaos outside, even as the master's trusted retainers or house slaves, we cannot persuade the master to dispose of the guards who are currently defending against the enemy, especially those who have performed outstandingly."

"To take a step back, if the family gate is broken, can we house slaves escape, let alone the master?" Zhang Rang shook his head even more. "Therefore, as long as the war is not settled, Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and Gongsun Xun cannot be touched for a single day. The Son of Heaven will not permit it, and neither should you or I, lest we bring humiliation upon ourselves!"

"Then we shall endure for a time!" As he spoke, Zhao Zhong couldn't help but glance at the memorials in his arms. "Since these three who are winning battles cannot be touched, what about the others?"

"The others likewise cannot be killed." Zhang Rang shook his head. "The Son of Heaven is not muddled; he will not kill any military commander who has no intention of rebelling at this time. That would make all the warriors of the realm feel that when one's lips are gone, the teeth grow cold, and might provoke new unrest."

"Cannot be killed either?" Zhao Zhong sighed.

"Cannot be killed, but not necessarily cannot be touched." Zhang Rang calmly consoled him. "After all, the Son of Heaven might not necessarily be displeased with their ineffective prosecution of the war... The other three are all winning battles, destroying forty thousand, a hundred thousand at a time. Why are you few so sluggish?"

"Then we shall take the lead, strip them of their military authority as a warning!" Zhao Zhong, having grasped the other's meaning, immediately raised his tone. "Lest the whole realm think we cannot touch these military officers and act clever on their own!"

"We can solicit bribes from Lu Zhi and Guo Xun." Zhang Rang clearly already had a plan in mind. "But there's no need to press too hard. You and I need not appear personally; find some Junior or Lesser Attendant of the Yellow Gates to go and test the waters... If they refuse, then we can advise the Son of Heaven that they are deliberately prolonging the war with ulterior motives!"

"Still not appropriate." Zhao Zhong suddenly calmed down. "The three generals in the south have just pacified Yingchuan and are all waiting for orders from the central government. If we don't make arrangements first, even if we remove Lu Zhi or Guo Xun, I fear it will only add to the achievements of these three in vain..."

"How is it inappropriate? Zhu Jun goes to Nanyang, Huangfu Song goes to Yingchuan, Gongsun Xun..." Zhang Rang stopped mid-sentence and looked at Zhao Zhong. "Gongsun Xun goes to Hebei to assist Lu Zhi. These were all the general directions discussed in court earlier, and His Majesty has already approved them. The rewards and transfer orders will be sent out in a couple of days."

"Gongsun Xun cannot go to Lu Zhi's side." Zhao Zhong spoke through gritted teeth. "Have you considered that if Gongsun Xun is at Lu Zhi's side, once we bring down Lu Zhi, wouldn't he naturally take over command of the sixty thousand elite main force of the government army? That brat already has ten thousand elite troops and ten thousand newly recruited troops stationed at Yangzhai, making it hard for you and me to eat or sleep in peace. If we give him sixty thousand troops, and then he defeats Zhang Jiao and Zhang Liang, his might will awe the realm... When that time comes, will I really have to take a single wen to buy my own life?!"

Zhang Rang also paused slightly and nodded seriously: "Gongsun Xun is young and acts with extreme intensity... indeed, we must guard against him."

"Send him back to Hebei, to the northern front to replace Guo Xun!" Zhao Zhong had an idea after a moment's thought. "His subordinates are originally troops from Youzhou, Bingzhou, and Henei; it would be unreasonable not to send him to Hebei. First, remove Guo Xun on grounds of ineffective prosecution of the war, then have him take over. Once he arrives at the northern front and formally takes over the campaign, it won't be too late to test Lu Zhi!"

Zhang Rang also pondered briefly, then immediately nodded: "That works perfectly! As for Wang Zishi, we'll wait until Huangfu Song leaves Yuzhou to deal with him."

Having said this, in the shadow of the afternoon palace, the two first felt a moment of relief, but soon both fell completely silent.

After a long while, Zhao Zhong couldn't help but shake his head and sigh: "I never imagined that for you and me to discipline a few people, we would have to expend so much thought and effort to this extent?"

"Let's just wait." Zhang Rang smiled helplessly. "In extraordinary times, one must naturally respond in extraordinary ways. When the realm is pacified and the wars are over, we can slowly settle accounts with these people... Let's go, to the Western Garden to submit the memorials. Today, before the Son of Heaven, you and I must still be in tacit understanding."

Zhao Zhong nodded slowly and took the lead, holding the memorials in his arms, heading toward the Western Garden. However, just as he started walking, as if suddenly realizing something, he stopped again and beckoned to a Junior Attendant of the Yellow Gates not far away.

Zhang Rang did not understand why, but couldn't be bothered to ask, and simply waited quietly to the side.

"Your orders, my lords." The Junior Attendant of the Yellow Gates rushed over despite the sweltering heat and immediately bowed as soon as he arrived.

"Enough." Zhao Zhong said impatiently. "Nothing else. Go quickly to our Yellow Gate prison. First cut out Xiang Xu's tongue, then beat him to death with clubs... Be quick!"

The Junior Attendant of the Yellow Gates nodded slightly, turned without a word, and rushed off to carry out the order. Zhao Zhong also turned back and continued toward the Western Garden.

"Why is this?" Zhang Rang followed along, still baffled. "I was hoping to properly put that foul-mouthed, arrogant scholar in his place!"

"Gongsun Xun submitted a memorial today, saying that when he was Magistrate of Handan, Xiang Xu was his Chancellor of Zhao, and the bond of favor between superior and subordinate is hard to forget... therefore he is willing to use his own merits to offset the other's crimes." Zhao Zhong remarked offhandedly. "Just in case, that's all."

"So that's how it is." Zhang Rang suddenly understood, and likewise dismissed it entirely.

The summer heat was unbearable. On the road from the Northern Palace to the Western Garden, the two gray-haired Regular Palace Attendants were stretched into long shadows by the sunlight.

"They actually want me to go back and deal with Zhang Bao?" A few days later in Yangzhai, in the empty main hall of the commandery office, Gongsun Xun was momentarily puzzled after receiving the edict. "Shouldn't they be sending me to Guangzong to support the battle?"

"In reply to the Marquis of Liangxiang." The Junior Attendant of the Yellow Gates who had delivered the edict promptly smiled. "It is said that Inspector Guo Xun has repeatedly attacked Xiaquyang without success, and has been unable to properly command Grand Administrator Guo of Julu and Grand Administrator Zhang of Zhongshan. The two two-thousand-bushel officials have frequently voiced complaints... therefore the court intends for you to replace him. As for Guangzong, the central authorities intend to send Cavalry Commandant Cao Cao to lead troops and assist the General of the Household of the North, Lord Lu."

Gongsun Xun, now transformed into the Marquis of Liangxiang, glanced at the Junior Attendant of the Yellow Gates before him, whose ingratiating smile carried a trace of fear, and his mind grew clear... The central authorities' appointment was well-reasoned and well-founded; he probably truly had nothing to say against it.

It was only natural for a group of cavalrymen from Youzhou, Bingzhou, and Henei to follow him back to northern Hebei for battle, and it also seemed a perfectly reasonable arrangement for Cao Cao to lead those newly acquired infantry from Dong Commandery to assist Lu Zhi, who was not far from Dong Commandery.

And besides, given the current situation, could you refuse when the central authorities dispatched you to fight somewhere? And in all fairness, while Guangzong was indeed the main battlefield, it didn't seem like a particularly good place to go either.

"What of Lord Huangfu and Lord Zhu?" After a long pause, Gongsun Xun set aside these chaotic thoughts for the moment and asked again seriously.

"Lord Huangfu has been enfeoffed as Marquis of Duxiang and sent to Chen and Runan to suppress the Peng Tuo bandit division." The Junior Attendant of the Yellow Gates quickly answered with a solemn expression. "Lord Zhu has been enfeoffed as Marquis of Xixiang and sent to Wancheng in Nanyang... With Yingchuan pacified, everyone has their assignments."

"And the rewards for my subordinates..." Gongsun Xun paused briefly, then continued his inquiry.

"The Son of Heaven praised all three generals highly, and all requests made by the three were granted without exception." The Junior Attendant of the Yellow Gates spoke again, unable to contain his eagerness. "This time, the two appointments you requested at the rank of equivalent to one thousand bushels have also been approved. I wonder..."

"Go and tell Liu Xuande yourselves." Gongsun Xun extended a hand and said. "The other one is about to depart separately; I will tell him personally."

"As is only proper." The Junior Attendant of the Yellow Gates dared not be negligent, and the attendant behind him immediately presented a box containing seals, ribbons, and documents. "The Marquis of Liangxiang may handle it himself. If there is nothing else..."

"Go on!" Gongsun Xun had no mind to flaunt his authority before a Junior Attendant of the Yellow Gates with such an attitude, and simply waved his hand in dismissal.

The Junior Attendant of the Yellow Gates felt as if he had been granted a great pardon, and immediately hurried away with his men, preparing to deliver edicts elsewhere.

However, at that very moment, Gongsun Xun, who had just placed the box on the low table, suddenly recalled something and abruptly turned back: "Hold there. How was Xiang Xu, Xiang Gong, dealt with? I once submitted a memorial asking to use my own merits to offset his crimes, yet now I have actually been promoted to Marquis of Liangxiang... If I remember correctly, this Liangxiang should be the primary township under Ji County, Guangyang Commandery, the seat of Youzhou. With such a glorious reward, what fate befell Xiang Gong?"

Sweat beaded on the Junior Attendant of the Yellow Gates' forehead, and he could only force out some rambling nonsense: "In truth, Lord Huangfu's Duxiang is also the primary township of Huaili County, the seat of Right Fufeng; Lord Zhu's Xixiang is also the primary township of Liyang, where the Inspectorate of Yangzhou is located... all are equally glorious."

"He's dead?" Gongsun Xun waited for the other to finish before coldly questioning.

"Before the General's memorial reached Luoyang, he had already died in prison." The Junior Attendant of the Yellow Gates replied helplessly.

Gongsun Xun sneered without end.

Seeing this, the Junior Attendant of the Yellow Gates dared not linger, and hastily fled in panic.

As soon as the Junior Attendant of the Yellow Gates had left, private retainers such as Lu Fan, Lou Gui, Xi Zhong, and Han Dang swarmed in. They had heard clearly from outside that Gongsun Xun had been promoted to Marquis of Liangxiang. Whatever else, this was good news, and they naturally came to offer congratulations.

Gongsun Xun himself took no particular notice of this... For a high-ranking official of his level, the true rewards would certainly only come after the fighting had ceased. This so-called increase in noble rank, which others saw as an extraordinary matter, was in his eyes merely a political signal indicating that things were still under control — nothing more.

As for the death of Xiang Xu... how to put it? Gongsun Xun found himself neither pleased nor saddened, without the slightest melancholy. After all, great chaos had already erupted, and such a person was never destined to live long. There was only one thing: he gained a somewhat clearer understanding of the eunuchs' ruthlessness... The trick of receiving an edict at the front gate and killing a man at the back — as if no one knew about it?

Therefore, Gongsun Xun merely brushed past this matter briefly, discussed the next destination with his private retainers, then instructed Han Dang to fetch something, while signaling Lou Gui to summon someone.

"Zhicai." Watching the two leave, Gongsun Xun then turned with keen interest to Xi Zhicai. "Do you know whom I am having Zibo summon?"

Xi Zhong pondered briefly, then simply cupped his hands and said: "In reply to my lord, this subordinate believes that this person may be surnamed Li, or perhaps surnamed Yue."

Gongsun Xun and Lu Fan exchanged a glance, and couldn't help but laugh together.

"Zhicai is truly clever." Lu Fan sighed sincerely. "He actually guessed correctly."

With Lou Gui absent, Xi Zhong had a rare chance to hold his head high, and so, his eyes shifting, he couldn't resist adding another remark: "My lord, as the saying goes, balance grace with authority. This subordinate happens to have a thought..."

Gongsun Xun's interest grew even stronger.

A moment later, Han Dang came from the rear courtyard carrying a box, and after another short while, a report came from the front of the hall that Platoon Leader Li Jin requested an audience, accompanied by Lou Gui.

Indeed, since being conscripted after the Battle of Weixiang, Li Jin had led three thousand clan soldiers through two major battles and several minor skirmishes, missing virtually none, with hundreds of casualties — a truly arduous effort... Yet this fellow had remained merely a Platoon Leader all this time! And the three thousand clan soldiers could only draw pay for one hundred men!

Not only that, the Li clan of Jiyin had received treatment akin to bloodletting. The three thousand clan soldiers, shifting between two battlefields, had to supply their own weapons and provisions. Even when in Dong Commandery, while the entire army campaigned south of the Yellow River, they still had to toil in support and serve as eyes and ears.

And all of this, every bit of it, was the doing of Gongsun Xun, this Staff-Bearing General of the Household from a border commandery!

Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, Li Jin, Li Tuizhi, was utterly unwilling to come and see Gongsun Xun.

"Li Tuizhi." Gongsun Xun remained cold as he watched the other prostrate himself deeply on the ground. "I have good news for you... The Son of Heaven has just issued an edict ordering me to take the army's cavalry to the northern front of Jizhou, to Xiaquyang, to deal with Zhang Bao. All of you infantrymen recruited from Dong Commandery are to be placed under the command of Cavalry Commandant Meng De. It is said you are to go to Guangzong to face Zhang Jiao."

A fierce surge of joy rose in Li Jin's heart; his hands, pressed against the ground, nearly trembled... Were he and the three thousand soldiers of the Li clan finally about to break free from the clutches of the man in this hall? As long as they no longer followed this person, surely their days would become considerably easier?

"However, there is also bad news." Gongsun Xun, looking down from above, continued slowly. "Since you are leaving me, given your background as a local strongman, your official career is likely at an end as well. I had originally intended to take you campaigning across the four corners of the realm, and ultimately grant your family a future at the two-thousand-bushel rank. I never expected we would part midway... In the days to come, you must not harbor any lingering thoughts of me. After all, those like me who employ men regardless of their background are truly few and far between."

Even though Li Jin did not wish to look at Gongsun Xun's face, he could not help but raise his head in bewilderment at these words.

"Give them to him!" Gongsun Xun gestured slightly with a pout of his lips.

Immediately, Han Dang and Lou Gui each stepped forward, carrying a box.

Among them, Han Yigong was the first to set down the box in his hands. Opening it revealed a set of seals, ribbons, and documents.

"This is the official appointment as a six-hundred-bushel Army Marquis of a Detached Command that my lord requested from the court on your behalf, Li Tuizhi, after the Battle of Dong Commandery." Lu Fan said with his hands behind his back, standing to the side. "Do not be surprised. My lord is by no means one who fails to reward merit. It is simply that your Li clan's posture as local strongmen was too excessive. Had you been repeatedly promoted within the army, there might have been those who refused to accept it... Therefore, it has been kept here at my lord's side all along."

At this point, before Li Jin could react, Lou Gui beside him also set down the box in his hands and opened it, then straightened up and said with a sneer: "This is the seal and ribbon for a one-thousand-bushel Major of a Separate Division that my lord requested for you after the Battle of Changshe... It was also originally intended to be temporarily kept at his side, but since we are to part now, it no longer matters."

Li Jin stared at the two sets of seals and ribbons on the ground before him, a tumult of emotions surging within him. Even he himself could not discern his feelings at this moment. But after a long silence, he ultimately slowly prostrated himself once more, performing a grand ritual of obeisance upon the ground: "My lord's grace and virtue, I shall never forget unto death."

The words had barely fallen, before he could even react, when Li Jin on the ground suddenly felt a heavy weight upon his back. Turning his head to look, he saw that four or five of the Volunteer Followers standing in attendance had pressed down firmly on him from behind! And before Li Tuizhi could figure out what was happening, or whether he should resist... Han Dang came forward again, and actually seized the man's topknot, yanking his head up and exposing his neck.

At this moment, Gongsun Xun, seated upright in the hall, said not a word. He simply walked straight down, and then actually drew that broken blade of his, long renowned throughout the realm.

Li Jin on the ground was panic-stricken, trembling all over... Such a sudden and unexpected situation left him with no other way to react.

However, Gongsun Xun came with blade in hand, smilingly gestured across the other's neck, then suddenly swung the blade — merely severing the man's topknot — before sheathing the blade and returning to his seat.

The Volunteer Followers released their grip. Throughout the hall, everyone sneered coldly. And at this moment, only Lou Gui and Li Jin in the entire hall were somewhat stunned.

"Merit is indeed rewarded, but you slandered my lord daily among your clan soldiers — did you think my lord was unaware?!" Xi Zhong, standing nearby, rebuked him haughtily. "But considering the war is not yet settled and the state still has use for you, we shall temporarily cut your hair in place of your head! Get out!"

Li Jin's mind went completely blank. He could only clutch the box containing the one-thousand-bushel seal and ribbon, his hair disheveled, and flee in utter disarray.

Lou Zibo grew even more bewildered.

————I am a new hairstyle dividing line————

"In the Later Han, when the Yellow Turbans rose, the realm was thrown into panic. The Proscription of Partisans was fully lifted, and scholars and eunuchs were largely irreconcilable. Wang Yun, Inspector of Yuzhou, heard that the household of Zhang Rang of the Ten Regular Attendants was in Yingchuan, and that Yingchuan's bandits were severe. Firmly believing the two to be in collusion, he searched and examined surrendered Yellow Turbans seeking letters, but repeatedly found none. Kong Rong, serving as a Provincial Clerk, then plotted together with Yan Zhong, an advisor in the tent of General of the Household of the Left Huangfu Song, to forge a letter and have surrendered soldiers present it. Xun Shuang, as a Provincial Assistant, secretly discovered this. Deeming the eunuchs to be without principle, he did not expose it, yet also felt ashamed for failing to report it as a subordinate official. He therefore hung up his seal and returned to his hometown, seeking peace for himself." — A New Account of the Tales of the World, Chapter on Technical Understanding

One more digression: the idea that the Son of Heaven was a profligate and the eunuchs were his retainers is not my own view, but one put forward by Lu Simian when discussing eunuch misrule in the Eastern Han... I don't know how many years ago that was.

(End of Chapter)