Chapter 269: Old Friends Stand Before the Gate (Part 1)

Previously, Gongsun Xun had cumulatively served as a Separate Division Major, a Gentleman of the Secretariat, two terms as County Magistrate, two terms as Grand Administrator, and one term as General of the Household — a richly experienced record, one might say.

Yet he had never felt as relaxed and delighted as he did this time taking up the post of Grand Administrator of Henei.

Truly exceptionally relaxed, and no empty words.

Before the spring plowing ended next year, just as Sima Zhi had said, the commandery mainly needed to handle two matters: suppressing bandits and resettling refugees. And if one considered the principle that employing the right people must come before any undertaking, then one more prerequisite had to be added — recruiting worthy talents from the commandery — which barely made it three matters in total.

But it was precisely these three matters, which would give anyone else a splitting headache, that went more smoothly one after another under Gongsun Xun's tenure as Grand Administrator of Henei.

First was the recruitment.

That day Sima Zhi had recommended twelve talents in one breath; except for one Sima Lang and his student Zhao Zi, the rest all required Gongsun Xun to take the initiative and summon them. Yet starting with Chang Lin, these men actually came forward to accept the summons one after another.

Even though the descendant of the Marquis of Liu, Zhang Liang — the eldest of the three brothers, Zhang Fan — did not come, having held no hope whatsoever, he still sent his second brother Zhang Cheng to accept the summons and serve as the commandery's Merit Officer... Here it must be said, do not underestimate empty reputation. Just as Sima Lang coming to serve as an attendant, even if this Zhang Cheng came and did nothing at all, it still had an enormous demonstrative effect.

In truth, Gongsun Xun was more or less aware in his heart that the reason all seven men on that list later accepted the official summons was, to some degree, because of the Xiuwu Zhang clan's straightforward declaration.

With the strong support of the local great and lesser gentry clans, and the compliance of powerful local families like those of Han Hao, Hao Meng, and Fang Yue, the matters that followed appeared even more to yield twice the result with half the effort.

And the first matter resolved next was the resettlement of refugees.

In all fairness, Gongsun Xun always treated such issues concerning land and people's livelihood with the utmost seriousness, yet it was resolved cleanly and efficiently.

The one who proposed the method was none other than the just-capped Sima Lang... Of course, Gongsun Xun knew in his heart that the one truly offering the counsel had to be Sima Zhi. And this method, shocking as it sounded, was actually the "well-field system"!

Sima Lang probably will never forget in this lifetime the way Gongsun Xun looked at him in the government office's main hall as if looking at a mentally deficient child. But in fact, after a detailed explanation, Gongsun Xun immediately saw the light — this was not the real well-field system, but official military-agricultural colonies dressed in the grandiose outer garb of the well-field system.

Hadn't some people abandoned their fields and fled because of the chaos of war? Weren't there still refugees subsequently fleeing over from Jizhou? With unclaimed land and unclaimed people, they would verify the land, reclaim it as official property, and then let the government act as the powerful landlord — directly gathering the refugees, distributing seeds and farming tools, settling and farming them. After the autumn harvest, after deducting the poll tax, the government and the refugees would split the yield in half to offset the earlier costs of seeds and tools.

If this isn't called official military-agricultural colonies, what is it?

The well-field system? Then let it be the well-field system!

As for opponents, under the current circumstances, even if the commandery office had no money and needed to "borrow" seeds and tools from the local powerful families, and needed to clear out the land and refugees these powerful families had conveniently swallowed up, how many powerful families dared to make a sound against the General of the Guards?

Especially since Gongsun Xun, under the banner of suppressing bandits, had almost swiftly and completely seized control of all military force in the commandery from top to bottom.

This had nothing to do with the support of those gentry clans and powerful families; it was more or less Gongsun Xun's own ability... The arrangement of Guan Yu at Zhaoge and Qian Zhao at Bo County to lock down the heartland of Henei was no empty gesture. And more importantly, the Henei cavalry among the Three He cavalry were originally Gongsun Xun's old troops from the campaign against the Yellow Turbans!

How could these sons of good Henei families, in so short a time, possibly forget the ever-victorious and exceptionally generous General of the Guards?

With this powerful military force, which penetrated deep into the marrow of Henei, loyal and obedient to him, coordinating with those five hundred White Horse Volunteers, who in all of Henei had gone mad enough to insist on opposing Lord Gongsun the Grand Administrator? Or to put it more bluntly, from the very beginning, when Han Hao, Hao Meng, and Fang Yue, these three men, honestly brought their private armed forces and accepted Gongsun Xun's summons to become his personal subordinates, public order in Henei was destined never to be a problem.

The current situation was this: Lu Fan, leading Han Xuan, Yang Jun, Wang Xiang, and Zhao Zi, formed a veritable central staff team, directly interfacing with the commandery office and handling the commandery's general affairs on its behalf. Meanwhile, Wang Xiu led Chang Lin and Zao Zhi, organizing an external inspection team to handle the official colonies — or rather, the well-field matters. Then Han Dang was also dispatched, leading Han Hao, Hao Meng, and Fang Yue, combining with the returned Henei cavalry, to carry out in an orderly fashion, in step with Wang Xiu's movements, the public security campaign of "Protect Spring Plowing, Suppress Bandits for One Hundred Days"!

Of course, according to Gongsun Xun's arrangement, after the new year, once the spring plowing was secured without mishap, they would ultimately cross beyond Bo County and Zhaoge to go properly suppress bandits in the Taihang Mountains to the north — after the previous Yellow Turban defeat, a large number of bandits had indeed fled into the Taihang mountain range. This was an undeniable fact, and for the time being, there was truly no way to deal with them.

But that was a matter for after the new year. At this very moment, everything was proceeding smoothly. Gongsun Xun basically just listened to a progress report on matters once a day, cleared up some criminal cases, played cards with idle men like Lou Gui and Xi Zhong, and received letters from old subordinates far away, and so on. Then, he looked forward to his wives and concubines all coming here for a reunion... It must be known, those coming this time were not only Zhao Yun and the others due to arrive soon, but also Lady Bian from Liaodong!

Earlier, he had received another formal letter from Lady Gongsun, saying that now that her son had also made something of himself, and it was some rare window of free time, she thought there should be no problem ensuring the safety of his wife and children. So she would have Lady Bian, bringing his eldest granddaughter A'li, and the youngest granddaughter A'zhen born of Qin Luofu, all come together to Henei, which could also be considered getting closer to their father.

Regarding this, Gongsun Xun had long been looking forward to it, so much so that at night, holding Feng Zhi, the skinny cat, and his young son, he was somewhat distracted... To a father, are daughters and sons the same thing?

In early November, on the afternoon of this day, snowflakes began drifting outside again. After Gongsun Xun gave orders to send condolences to Wang Xiu and the others toiling outside, he simply returned to the rear courtyard of the government office, called over Lou Gui and Xi Zhong, plus Sima Lang who followed behind him all day as an attendant, and directly started playing animal cards on the newly repaired and heated kang bed.

After a few rounds, however, he directly expelled Sima Lang, telling him to go find Lu Fan and fetch the commandery office's daily briefing, and then turned to mention to his two confidants some minor matters not quite suitable for public discussion.

"Yesterday, Shen Zheng Nan sent a letter." Seeing Sima Lang leave the door, Gongsun Xun threw out a card and spoke casually. "But yesterday I went to comfort the commandery's elders, delivering charcoal and inquiring after their well-being, and was busy for half the day, so I momentarily forgot to tell you."

"Didn't Commandant Shen (Commandant is called Commandant of the Capital in a principality, same meaning) send a letter earlier when he took office?" Xi Zhong immediately caught on. "It's only been a few days, and he suddenly writes again? Could something be the matter?"

"Two matters." Gongsun Xun shook his head and smiled. "One concerns our General of the Left, Chariots and Cavalry, Lord Huangfu. It's said that ever since this Governor of Jizhou petitioned to remit Jizhou's taxes and grain for one year, the common people of Jizhou have been cheering and weeping with gratitude toward their provincial governor. In just a few days, even children's rhymes have emerged."

Xi Zhong and Lou Gui exchanged a glance, each sneering wordlessly.

"It goes: 'The realm is in chaos, the markets are ruins; mothers cannot protect their children, wives lose their husbands; relying on Huangfu, we dwell in peace again'... What do you think of it?" Gongsun Xun pressed further.

"What is there to think?" Lou Gui threw out several cards and spoke bluntly. "Nine out of ten such children's rhymes are deliberately composed by someone. And so convoluted too — could it be some scholar so desperate to become Jizhou's Abundant Talent next year that he came up with this? As for the General of the Left, Chariots and Cavalry himself, petitioning to remit taxes and grain is indeed a great meritorious deed, but why seek fame to such an extent?"

"No, no." Xi Zhong immediately raised his voice in rebuttal. "When it comes to battlefield military planning, I am not as good as Zibo. But when it comes to the ways of men's hearts and the trends of power, Zibo is not as good as me... You must understand, at Huangfu Song's age, with his official rank and titles having reached this point, if he does not rebel, then all he seeks is fame. So, although this sort of thing seems to us to bring more loss than gain, it is precisely what Huangfu Yizhen seeks in his heart. For him to secretly permit it, or even add fuel to the flames, is an ordinary posture."

Lou Gui thought for a moment, then simply nodded in acknowledgment.

"Zhicai has spoken thoroughly." Gongsun Xun continued. "Then in Shen Zheng Nan's letter, he also mentioned a personnel matter — Liu Yu, Liu Bo'an, the Chancellor of Qinghe, has been recalled to the court."

This time, Lou Gui took the initiative to look toward Xi Zhong.

And Xi Zhong immediately furrowed his brows slightly: "Qinghe's entire territory fell earlier, and even the enfeoffed king was captured. The court sent Liu Yu, Liu Bo'an, to Qinghe as Chancellor precisely because he had served as Chancellor of Qinghe before, wanting to leverage his reputation in Qinghe to pacify the region. Given that, he should at least have stayed through the spring plowing... Yet now, never mind the spring plowing, barely a month of winter has passed. What is the court thinking, recalling him?"

"I was somewhat puzzled at first too." Gongsun Xun put down the cards in his hand and spoke frankly. "But just this afternoon, my younger brother Gongsun Fan and Gongsun Yue, who had just arrived in Luoyang, jointly sent a brief letter. After reading the letter, I began to form some conjectures..."

Lou Gui and Xi Zhong also put down the animal cards in their hands in unison and grew serious.

"The letter also only mentioned two personnel matters." Gongsun Xun spoke solemnly. "One is that Inspector Guo Xun has been transferred to be Chancellor of Pingyuan, and then Tao Qian, Tao Gongzu of Danyang, succeeds him as Inspector of Youzhou... That one is nothing special. The other personnel matter, however, is that Wang Yun, Wang Zishi, the Inspector of Yuzhou, has been arrested again."

Lou Gui immediately shook his head: "It's only been a few days since the general amnesty, and he's already been thrown back into prison. It seems Zhang Rang's determination to deal with Wang Zishi is set."

"Correct." Gongsun Xun nodded in response. "This time he was arrested, everyone in Luoyang, high and low, felt he was going to suffer. It's said that before he was imprisoned, word leaked out, and Lord Yang hurriedly sent his trusted retainer to Yuzhou to meet Wang Zishi face to face, urging him to temporarily bow his head to Zhang Rang, otherwise he truly might not be able to preserve himself. And it wasn't just Lord Yang..." Gongsun Xun suddenly laughed as he spoke to this point. "Wang Zishi's own subordinate officials also felt their superior would be humiliated by Zhang Rang in prison, or simply beaten to death under torture, so they actually prepared poisoned wine in advance before Wang Zishi was arrested, and when the prisoner cart arrived, they directly offered it to him."

Lou Gui and Xi Zhong, who had been silent for a good while before this, looked at each other in dismay.

"Then Wang Zishi's reaction truly made me regard him in a much higher light. From this day forward, we can no longer view him as a naively laughable man..." Speaking to this point, Gongsun Xun could not help shaking his head in reflection. "He dashed the poisoned wine onto the ground and directly replied to his subordinates, saying that he would neither bow his head to Zhang Rang, nor would he lightly seek death for the sake of so-called reputation. If the Son of Heaven issued an explicit edict for him to die, then let them escort him to the execution ground and carry out the punishment openly and justly. As a minister of Han, he would have absolutely no second word. But if there was no edict, then even if he had to endure utter humiliation, he would devote his mind and will with all his heart, to plan for the future!"

"Men are only tempered through such experiences!" Lou Gui let out a long sigh. "Just as My Lord said, if this Wang Zishi can truly endure this ordeal, we can never underestimate him again!"

"I understand!" At that moment, Xi Zhong suddenly slapped the small table on the kang bed and spoke startling words. "Liu Yu, Liu Bo'an, returning to Luoyang this time, is inevitably going to succeed Liu Tao, Liu Ziqi, as Prefect of the Masters of Writing, taking charge of the Imperial Secretariat!"

"That is also what I think." Gongsun Xun immediately smiled and nodded. "In the way of methods, power, and trends, Zhicai indeed possesses a unique insight."

Lou Gui shook his head for a moment; he truly was not skilled in this domain... However, since Xi Zhong had already spoken it out, with his, Lou Zibo's, intelligence, it was not as if he was still completely in the dark:

"Is Zhicai saying that Wang Zishi's imprisonment signifies that in this conflict between partisans and eunuchs stirred up by the Yellow Turbans, the court eunuchs have ultimately won a complete victory? And that Liu Tao, Lord Liu, the Prefect of the Masters of Writing, as the leading figure of the gentry in this confrontation, is bound to lose power as well?"

"Correct." Xi Zhong immediately responded.

"But why is it Liu Yu, Liu Bo'an, who comes to replace Liu Tao, Liu Ziqi?" Lou Gui still had one point he could not figure out.

"Because they are both surnamed Liu." Xi Zhicai answered with a cold laugh. "This Son of Heaven of ours is clever indeed! In his eyes, I'm afraid only members of the imperial clan, eunuchs, and imperial in-laws can be trusted. As for why it is Liu Yu, presumably it's because compared to that other imperial clan heavy official closely tied to the partisans, Liu Yan, Liu Junlang, this Liu Bo'an ordinarily appears much more docile, right?"

"So that's how it is." Lou Gui first looked enlightened, then shook his head again. "But, but Liu Tao acted like a partisan, irreconcilable with the eunuchs, and Liu Yan also befriended the partisans. So will this Liu Yu be obedient?"

"How could he possibly be obedient?" Gongsun Xun finally spoke up again. "What of it if he's of the imperial clan? If a member of the imperial clan dares to waver on this kind of issue, then he too is the leftover filth of the eunuchs! The people of the realm would not tolerate him either! That scoundrel Liu Yan, cunning and shameless, and extremely adept at preserving himself, probably deliberately avoided the hot potato that is the Prefect of the Masters of Writing. And Liu Yu, entering Luoyang this time, even if he becomes Prefect of the Masters of Writing, is probably just sitting on a fire to be roasted..."

"Then..."

"If my prediction is not wrong, I'm afraid after Liu Bo'an endures for a few months, the central government will revert to the state of the previous several years, with a eunuch leading as Prefect of the Masters of Writing!" Gongsun Xun's single sentence left his two confidants speechless.

"How many days has it been?" Only after a long while did Lou Gui sneer mockingly. "And His Sagely Majesty is already reverting to his old ways."

"What does that have to do with us?" Xi Zhicai murmured dismissively. "Let's just play our cards."

The three fell silent, simply picking up the cards again. After a brief dispute over whose turn it had been before, they let the matter drop... After all, the political turmoil in Luoyang did not seem likely to spread its flames across the Yellow River just yet. Even if it did, it would have to burn Liu Yu's backside first, then Huangfu Song's... They would deal with it when the time came.

However, not long after, Sima Lang, who had been sent out on an errand, returned. As soon as he entered, he cupped his hands in salute before the gate and reported a matter to Gongsun Xun: "My lord, I have just returned from Chief Clerk Lü's office. On the way, I happened to meet the messenger. The gate officer reports that a guest has suddenly arrived outside the government office, bearing the triple name cards of Master Wendian of the Secretariat (Gongsun Fan), Master Wenchao the Attendant Gentleman of the Yellow Gate (Gongsun Yue), and the Office of the Grand General. He claims to be an old acquaintance from Luoyang paying a visit!"

Gongsun Xun exchanged a glance with his two trusted confidants. They were not particularly concerned, assuming it was someone from Luoyang coming to ask Gongsun Xun to rescue Wang Yun, Wang Zishi. Of course, they dared not be negligent either. The three immediately cast aside their wooden cards, hastily rose, and hurried out to receive the guest.

However, Gongsun Xun, wearing wooden clogs and leading a few men hastily out the gate, was met at the entrance of the government office by three individuals, each holding a horse by the reins. Wearing conical bamboo hats, they stood before the office braving the wind and snow... This manner of bearing did not at all resemble the posture of those aristocratic clans from Luoyang, immediately arousing suspicion.

Yet when the leader heard movement and turned his head, he turned out to be an old acquaintance from Gongsun Xun's days in Luoyang — someone Gongsun Xun had never expected to see.

"Han Sui of Jincheng, Provincial Attendant of Liangzhou, pays his respects to General of the Guard!" The man removed his bamboo hat, bowed with the reins in hand before the government office, and as he raised his head, revealed an utterly exhausted face. "A decade has passed. Sui still drifts in obscurity, while the General has become renowned throughout the land. Yet the situation under Heaven remains murky and hard to discern. Would the General be willing to hear one more earnest word from the depths of an old friend's heart?"

—————I am the dividing line of old habits resurfacing—————

"Yun... received amnesty and was restored to Provincial Inspector. Within ten days, he was again arrested on other charges. Excellency Yang Ci, the Minister over the Masses, knowing Yun had always held himself high and wishing to spare him further humiliation and torment, sent a guest to bid him farewell, saying: 'Because of the matter with Zhang Rang, you have been summoned twice in a single month. The malice of the wicked is hard to fathom; it is fortunate to plan deeply for yourself.' Several of his Attendants, men of spirited resolve, together wept and offered him medicine. Yun sternly declared: 'I am a subject of the realm. Having offended my sovereign, I should submit to the great punishment to make amends to all under Heaven. How could I drink medicine to seek death! If I am to die, then I die; if I am to live, then I shall watch.' He then cast aside the cup, rose, and walked out to the prisoner's cart." — New Book of Yan, Volume 62, Biographies, Chapter 12

PS: Thanks again to new Alliance Leader Crescent Moon Tear Hunt for the reward...

(End of Chapter)