Chapter 268: A Display of Great Virtue by the Field Path

"A pity!" After putting away the roster, Gongsun Xun let out a long sigh. "Brother Shuyi has a boundless future ahead — he was already a Court Consultant seven years ago. I am in no position to casually recruit him... but should there be any difficulty in governing Henei, I ask that you do not refuse me then."

"If it were not so, why would I pour out my heart and send everyone I know into your fold, General?" Sima Zhi rose proudly and bowed with deep respect. "The realm is in turmoil, and it is precisely someone like you, General, who is needed to bring peace to our homeland... Whatever you require, though my virtue is shallow, I can still offer what little strength I have!"

Gongsun Xun truly grew ever more appreciative of such a person — one with morality, ability, and no pretension.

Yet appreciation was one thing; unless the man himself willingly abandoned his official career, this was truly not someone Gongsun Xun could recruit. In truth, seeing that the man harbored a strong desire to bring order, it was clear he had long intended to enter office swiftly and take charge of governing a region! Therefore, all Gongsun Xun could do at this moment was to recommend and praise him to the imperial court.

All in all, this visit could be called an unexpected delight. Gongsun Xun reaped many rewards and also came to know a remarkable person... Truly, he had almost been tempted to ask if the man would one day change his name to Sima Hui.

Of course, one small flaw did emerge — just before departure, when Sima Lang learned he was to serve as someone's attendant, he was utterly unwilling! This left Gongsun Xun somewhat embarrassed; he guessed that when they first met, he had frightened the other party, who was still a child then, and left a shadow on the lad.

Sima Zhi, however, paid no heed to any of this. He simply grabbed his sash and strode straight into Sima Fang's house to the west, cornering Sima Lang inside. Moments later, Lady Sima herself came out to give her consent, then even stepped outside to invite Gongsun Xun into the hall to pay his respects.

Only after entering the hall did Gongsun Xun notice that beside Lady Sima stood a young boy of five or six, and behind her a maidservant held an infant in swaddling clothes... Presumably, had it not been for the need of childbirth, Lady Sima would not have been living apart from her husband, returning to her hometown to reside.

As for this young boy called Sima Yi, however —

Gongsun Xun glanced at him, then simply rose, took out a piece of malt sugar wrapped in oiled paper and coated with honey from his brocade pouch, and handed it to him. Watching the boy glance at his mother before bowing respectfully, taking the candy, and eating it, the General of the Guard could not help but laugh heartily. He then took a piece of jade from his pouch, presented it to Lady Sima, and declared with proud confidence: "Brother Jiangong raises outstanding sons. Today, let your eldest son follow me; when your second son comes of binding age, he too may come serve as a clerk under my command!"

Lady Sima bowed gracefully right there in the hall, calmly accepting the gift on her son's behalf... Was the General of the Guard and Marquis of Ji not worthy of advancing her son?

And while Gongsun Xun, relying on his official authority, was outside "bullying" the women and children of a household whose master was away, inside the house, Sima Zhi had already begun personally binding Sima Lang's hair.

Binding the hair — it was not even the capping ceremony, so what need was there for so many formalities? Yet, as Sima Zhi loosened the boy's hair and bound it with the sash, he still could not help but offer a few words of advice:

"Eldest son!"

"Yes!" The tall and sturdy Sima Lang, who indeed already looked like a proper youth with bound hair, was momentarily flustered.

"For a son of a great house to serve as a clerk in his home commandery is a common practice. It will not hinder your studies. In the future, when your father engages a renowned teacher for you or summons you, you may go without hesitation. Moreover, this time, Zhao Zi, Chang Lin, Yang Jun, Wang Xiang — most of the talented young scholars in this county are likely to accept the Marquis of Ji's summons. You can also seek learning from them." Sima Zhi earnestly consoled him.

"I know." Sima Lang nodded, yet his eyes still reddened. "It is just that this General of the Guard is far too fond of bullying people. I fear being bullied if I follow him."

"Then let him bully you!" Sima Zhi shook his head. "After Emperor Gaozu established the dynasty, Lu Jia said to Chen Ping: 'When the realm is at peace, heed the Chancellor; when the realm is in peril, heed the General.' Now the four seas are in turmoil, a time of danger. Although the Son of Heaven intends to reinvigorate, the situation is plain before our eyes. In the coming years, those who decide the fate of the realm will no longer be the Three Excellencies or the Prefect of the Masters of Writing in the central government, but rather Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and this Gongsun Xun. Not to mention, he is also the Grand Administrator of Henei, naturally our commandery lord. In truth, were it not that I have cultivated my reputation for seven years with my heart set on an official career, wishing to accomplish much in governance, I would have long since recommended myself as a private retainer in his staff. Since neither I nor your father can serve him, you, as the legitimate eldest son of this generation of the clan, should naturally set an example. How can you dare not go simply because he enjoys teasing you?"

Sima Lang, fourteen years old and barely of hair-binding age, upon hearing this, hastily bowed deeply. When he raised his head again, he had forcefully controlled his expression and quickly said: "Uncle, rest assured. I will serve this General with utmost diligence and will not bring shame upon the Henei Sima clan!"

Sima Zhi nodded slightly, then continued to console him: "In truth, you need not fear him. Though this General of the Guard appears quite intimidating, he is in fact a man of authority and virtue..."

"Uncle, I have only seen his authority, but I have seen no virtue." Sima Lang gritted his teeth and retorted. "If he has virtue, why did he address a son by his father's name? Why did he intimidate the neighborhood gate warden?"

"Not so." Sima Zhi shook his head. "The moment I saw him before the neighborhood gate today, I knew he was a man of true virtue... Did you see the white-horsed cavalrymen accompanying him?"

"Naturally."

"Then did you notice that his cavalrymen all stayed on the road?" Sima Zhi continued to ask.

"What of it if they stayed on the road?" Sima Lang was unimpressed. "Where else would they be if not on the road — in the ditches?"

Sima Zhi smiled but did not answer. Instead, he pressed down on the boy's tall shoulders, which were disproportionate to his age, and gave him a push: "Go! They are likely growing impatient outside. Lead your commandery lord to find Chang Bohuai. Do you know where he is?"

"Your nephew knows." Sima Lang bowed, turned, and walked out.

Gongsun Xun naturally had no idea what the uncle and nephew had said inside the house — and even if he had known, it would not have mattered. Seeing Sima Lang changed into proper attire and bowing to him with utmost respect, he felt pleased, yet also could not wait to go see this Chang Lin.

The party took their leave of Sima Zhi and Sima Lang's mother, then, guided by Sima Lang, went straight to find Chang Lin.

However, as Sima Lang carefully rode a horse past a neighborhood gate, he pointed at the gate and said plainly: "Commandery Lord, Brother Bohuai resides here. But at this hour, he is surely not at home. Should we go in and wait, or go directly to the fields to find him?"

"What is he doing in the fields at this hour?" Lou Zibo asked, momentarily curious.

"On one hand, he must go pile compost; on the other, he must chop and store firewood for the coming winter." Sima Lang bowed respectfully to Lou Gui in explanation, yet could not help feeling a touch of pride and satisfaction for this fellow villager. "Brother Bohuai has been poor since childhood and became an orphan at the age of hair-binding. But he has always stressed practicing what one preaches. As long as he has the strength, he absolutely refuses to accept gifts from others. So he always takes his classics with him to the fields — when he tires from labor, he reads..."

Sima Lang suddenly fell silent.

Lou Zibo and the others followed his gaze and saw a young woman carrying a clay pot emerge from the neighborhood gate. Seeing so many white warhorses from afar, she was naturally startled, but after collecting herself, she bowed and then turned to leave.

"That is precisely Brother Bohuai's wife." Sima Lang said quietly. "She must be bringing him soup... I have heard that these two have been married for several years, and even when they meet in the fields, they treat each other with the respect due to a guest."

The group all sighed with admiration.

It must be said, the group had come in such haste that ordinary people likely did not even know Gongsun Xun had become Grand Administrator of Henei. Even if Chang Lin had wanted to put on an act, he would not have had time... In other words, if Chang Lin truly was in the fields, then this character of his was indeed genuine!

Or to put it another way — judging by deeds, not by heart — even if he had ulterior motives, the fact that he had supported himself and studied unceasingly since the age of hair-binding left one with nothing to criticize.

In fact, even the most unconventional people like Lou Zibo and Xi Zhicai were left speechless... It must be known that earlier, when Sima Zhi had put on that display, these two had been somewhat skeptical, so they had specifically snooped around the neighborhood to observe. Yet after watching for half a day, they could only hold their noses and admit that this Sima Zhi was indeed a man of simple virtue — a poor but upright member of a great clan.

As for Gongsun Xun, his thoughts at this moment ran even deeper.

The longer he spent mingling in the commanderies and princedoms of the interior, the more Gongsun Xun had come to a sobering realization: among those so-called lofty and aloof great clans, there were often individuals of truly noble character and exceptional talent... Sima Zhi earlier was such a person, and this Chang Lin recommended by Sima Zhi was the same. They were both of prominent lineage, yet could strictly uphold morality and discipline themselves rigorously.

The reason was simple: the bureaucratic world was like a battlefield. Without a certain reputation for integrity to rely on, the great clans could not sustain their political power through brutal political struggles. Thus, the moral education of the great clans was quite genuine. In contrast, the powerful local magnates, stripped of political power and kept in a position of subjugation, instead acted with unrestrained extravagance and were habitually lawless... The reason was also simple: without political power, the magnates could only focus their energies on economic expansion.

This was the matter of class being class, and the individual being the individual.

And therein lay the complexity of the matter.

That day, when Gongsun Xun wrote to his mother discussing "the Great Han is finished," he had also, drawing on his many years of experience serving as a senior official, reiterated his view on governance and peace: break the political monopoly of the great clans and the economic monopoly of the magnates; use the free flow of political power and wealth, both upward and downward, as a means of adjustment; and reconstruct the foundation of social classes.

But at this moment, the task seemed heavy and the road long.

After all, at this very moment, nearly all political talent lay among the scholar-officials. You needed to use their own talents to break their own political privileges. And then, the so-called means of production (in the words of Lady Gongsun) were held in the hands of the magnates, so you also needed to mobilize them to break their own economic privileges... This would greatly test the skill of those in power.

"My lord." Lou Gui could not help calling out to Gongsun Xun. "What should we do?"

"Let us follow directly!" Gongsun Xun sighed, set aside his thoughts, and spurred his horse onward.

Sure enough, moments later, the group indeed saw a married couple who treated each other with the respect due to a guest. The husband had been piling compost in the field, drenched in sweat, yet had not lost his decorum, while the wife raised the pot to the level of her brows as she offered it.

It must be understood that the surrounding fields were not empty of people, but by now they had either fled in panic or stood frozen in place. Only this young man, who had seen so many riders trailing his wife approach from afar, merely glanced once before lowering his head to continue piling compost. Then, when his wife came before him, he openly took the pot, drank a few mouthfuls of hot soup, thanked his wife, and only then, neither servile nor overbearing, walked up from the field.

"I greet you, General Gongsun!" The young man bowed.

"White horses like a forest — it does make one easy to recognize." Gongsun Xun laughed from atop his horse. "Are you Chang Lin, Chang Bohuai?"

"I am he." The young man straightened up and answered with his head held high.

"May I see your hands?" Gongsun Xun remained looking down from above, appearing quite discourteous.

Chang Lin, however, remained composed. He simply stepped forward two paces and spread his hands open.

"Fine calluses!" Under Sima Lang's dumbfounded gaze, Gongsun Xun directly used his horsewhip to brush against the other man's palms. Only then did he lead everyone in dismounting and speak with a serious expression: "I am now General of the Guard, acting as Grand Administrator of Henei. I wish to recruit you as a subordinate officer in my staff. Are you willing to come?"

"I am willing to follow." Chang Lin answered with his head high, utterly decisive.

Sima Lang, who had just tumbled off his horse, grew even more dazed, his face full of bewilderment.

"This young fellow from your hometown seems to have some doubts," Gongsun Xun turned back and pointed at Sima Lang with his horsewhip, laughing. "Would Bohuai be willing to clear them up for him?"

"The eldest son of the Sima family is indeed worth a word!" Chang Lin looked at Sima Lang and spoke frankly. "Eldest son, you must understand: first, General of the Guard is the Grand Administrator of this commandery, making him our commandery lord, and I am a commandery subject — this is called proper and rightful. Second, the realm is in turmoil, and it is precisely someone of General of the Guard's commanding presence who should take charge of a region, pacify a region, and restore peace to a region; as a local man, I should rightly assist him — this is called prioritizing state affairs. Moreover, although the General seemed discourteous just now, true virtue and propriety do not lie in such minor matters... In winter, the fields lie barren, yet several hundred white-horsed cavalrymen all crowded along the field paths and ridges, lining up all the way to the village gate without trampling a single field — clearly the General maintains strict military discipline in daily life and had given prior instructions... In other words, the General's virtue is great virtue, not the petty virtue of ritual etiquette. Finally, I, Chang Lin, read and till the land, living by my own labor, but it is not that I am unwilling to serve or unwilling to hold office. Now that the General possesses such authority and virtue, why would I not submit, and why would I not accept his summons?"

Sima Lang, who had just bound his hair in the coming-of-age style, was utterly dumbfounded.

"This dull bird!" Gongsun Xun could not help mocking Sima Lang, but then he smiled with irrepressible pride. "Chang Bohuai possesses both virtue and talent... Shuzhi, let him join Zao Zhi as your deputy!"

Chang Lin and Wang Xiu, who had stepped forward, bowed their heads to each other in acknowledgment, while Gongsun Xun, standing on the winter field paths, drew in the cold wind with an irrepressibly buoyant mood... No matter what, the scholars of the realm had finally understood that if one wished to protect the territory and bring peace to the people, he was an excellent choice.

Ten years of toil had not been in vain!

——————I am the not-in-vain dividing line——————

"The Grand Ancestor often led the army out, traveling through wheat fields, and ordered: 'Let no soldier damage the wheat; violators shall die.' Thus the cavalrymen were all cautious, not daring the slightest resistance. One winter day, the Grand Ancestor led troops through Henei and saw a man piling fertilizer in his field. His wife arrived carrying broth, raising the jar level with her eyebrows, and there were also classical texts upon the ridge. The Grand Ancestor observed him closely, then turned to his attendants and laughed, saying: 'This is either a man of talent and virtue, or a man feigning conduct. I shall test him.' He called the man forward and used his whip to examine his hands; seeing dense calluses on his fingers, he then dismounted, asked his name, and sought to recruit him. It was Chang Lin of Henei. Chang bowed deeply and accepted directly. The Grand Ancestor was greatly surprised: 'I was discourteous earlier; why would you go so far as this?' Chang Lin bowed again and said: 'Is it not that the General is skilled at discerning truth from falsehood? Now in winter the fields are barren, yet when the General led troops here, the cavalrymen all lined up on the paths. From this I knew the General is truly a man of authority and virtue, and I wished to follow him.' The Grand Ancestor was thus delighted." — A New Account of the Tales of the World, Chapter on Insight and Judgment

PS: Just discovered there's actually an Alliance Master... Thanks to new Alliance Master Crescent Moon Tear Hunt.

Also, you guessed right — it is Chang Lin, Minister, Privy Treasurer, and Grand Minister of Agriculture of Cao Wei.

(End of Chapter)