[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-27":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Overthrowing Han",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1222786,1620,"Chapter 27: Inside Luoyang City","overthrowing-han-chapter-27",27,"\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun never worried that he would be targeted by Zhu Ye, because having served as a commandery clerk for several years, he understood the nature of those mid- and low-level bureaucrats better than anyone. The officials in Goushi County, as well as the subordinate officers of the Henan Yin, would on one hand be compelled to deliver this \"sky-piercing\" Yuanzhong to Zhu Ye, but on the other hand they would also do everything in their power to frame the incident as Yuanzhong's \"personal act\" and an \"isolated occurrence,\" in order to mitigate the fallout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, although his own actions felt a bit like tugging at a tiger's whiskers, he, who knew the tiger's habits well, was in very little real danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, even if Zhu Ye did find out... it wouldn't matter. If he had the guts, let him come to the \"Goushi Mountain Academy\" of the renowned Confucian scholar Lu Zhi and arrest several dozen Hebei scholars. You could do whatever you wanted to Yuanzhong, a mere youxia ringleader, but a group of Hebei scholars merely composed a couple of lines and got a tattoo — they hadn't broken any law. When it comes to scholars, can it really be called a crime?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, what happened later confirmed Gongsun Xun's speculation: Yuanzhong was beaten to death, and nothing happened to the rest of them at all. However, what was unpleasant was that a crackdown began!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crackdown had a considerable impact, and perhaps there was also a touch of guilty conscience involved. So, without any urging from Gongsun Xun, the Hebei scholars, having nowhere else to go for amusement, all went up to Goushi Mountain to study diligently. It wasn't just the Hebei scholars, either; the locals of Goushi County and the noble scions from Wan, Luo, and various places all began to behave themselves — especially after they saw, with their own eyes in the mourning hall, the corpse of that Yuanzhong grand hero who had gone to meet the King of Youdu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the corpse did produce a slight side effect: now, whenever those people saw the Hebei scholars, it was as if they had seen the King of Youdu himself, and they always slipped away as fast as their feet could carry them, which immensely frustrated Gongsun Xun, who wanted to have some in-depth exchanges with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like that, they studied earnestly for about half a month, until around the first ten days of the fourth month. Just as these young gentlemen were about to lose patience, it was Gongsun Xun, the very one who had made the agreement with everyone, who first broke the rule, saying he needed to ask for leave to go to Luoyang. This instantly gave everyone else an excuse to skip class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun's leave to go to Luoyang City was certainly not for wild debauchery. He had legitimate business. In fact, he had received word that a figure he had long been paying close attention to, Liu Yu, Liu Boan, had returned to the capital upon receiving an imperial edict. No matter what, Gongsun Xun wanted to see this important personage, who was very likely to have direct and significant ties with the Gongsun clan in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, compared to Liu Biao, who was listed among the Eight Paragons yet trapped by the Partisan Prohibitions, and compared to Liu Yan, who lived in seclusion teaching on Mount Yangcheng east of Luoyang City, this Liu Yu, Liu Boan, though of very high lineage — his grandfather was one of the Nine Ministers, his father a Grand Administrator — clearly had a personal reputation a notch below theirs. Moreover, he was widely known to be approachable. Thus, Gongsun Xun held great expectations of meeting him and forming a connection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please wait a moment, Young Master.\" The gatekeeper at Liu Yu's residence was plainly dressed and, just as the rumors said, completely unassuming. Even though Gongsun Xun was clearly not yet capped, the gatekeeper showed no sign of disdain, politely accepted the presented calling card, and went straight in to announce him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after going in for only a short while, the gatekeeper came back out, still just as polite: \"Young Master, please return. The master is currently receiving guests in the main hall, and we dare not disturb him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun narrowed his eyes — a rare gesture — then put away his calling card, turned, and took his leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dare not disturb him\" was nonsense; otherwise, they wouldn't have accepted the calling card in the first place. It must have been that someone of standing in the household looked at the card, questioned the gatekeeper about the situation, and, deeming him insignificant, had the gatekeeper send him away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no helping it; this was the way of the world — layer upon layer, with clear-cut social strata.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Local strongmen regarded commoners as nothing, annexing their land and oppressing them at will. Great aristocratic clans regarded the strongmen as stepping stones, absolutely refusing to leave them even a sliver of real power. And even among the great aristocratic clans, there were ranks. Frontier commandery clans generally could only operate within the frontier commanderies, rarely having the chance to transform into classical scholarship clans and participate in court politics. And while the classical scholarship clans held the pure and prestigious posts and participated in court politics, they too could not escape being treated as household retainers by top-tier clans like the Yuan and Yang, who had produced the Three Excellencies for four generations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun's mother often lamented her good fortune in meeting a deadbeat surnamed Gongsun, which allowed her to establish a foothold in this world. But in Gongsun Xun's view, this was rather a woman's narrow perspective. A person living should look upward; how could one feel grateful simply because they weren't in the layer below?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And besides, was his own family really so enviable?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had money, true. His mother had prepared enough money for him to last a lifetime, but what did money really count for in this age?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mi family of Xuzhou drove over a hundred carts to Luoyang to bribe the powerful, seeking office — did they get it? And if you don't seek office, what use is having money?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With money, can you build yourself a grand mansion? Can you get yourself a carriage pulled by four horses? Can you watch sixty-four people dance together? Do you know what constitutes a sumptuary violation? Do you know the dignity of a prison clerk?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this money was ultimately earned by his mother. As long as she was around, he had endless money to spend; if she were gone... could he really hold onto this colossal family fortune?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for influence, the Gongsun clan could be considered a great aristocratic family, deeply entrenched in Liaoxi. Many people in Lingzhi even knew only of the Gongsun clan and not of the government, making them local emperors in every sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what did being a local emperor in Lingzhi, Liaoxi, count for? Before coming to Luoyang, Gongsun Xun had thought his family was something, but after arriving here he understood. A place like Liaoxi, with a population of less than one hundred seventy or eighty thousand, could only recommend one Filial and Incorrupt candidate each year. The commandery seat, Yangle City, was not even as prosperous as that crossroads outside Goushi County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder the people in Liu Yu's household looked down on him and wouldn't even let him through the gate. If it had been Yuan Shao who came, would Liu Yu have dared to put on airs and refuse to see him?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And besides, was the Gongsun clan's influence truly his own influence?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the rules of legitimate and concubine-born sons, the one who would head the family in the future should be that Gongsun Fan, who had entered the academy very early on!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And judging by the things his mother had told him, in the future the entire clan would have to attach itself to Gongsun Zan... what did any of that have to do with him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Strive to be known and heard by the feudal lords\"... it's easy to say. Even Liu Yu, the famous good-natured man his mother spoke of, wouldn't let him through the door. Would Cao Cao and the four-generation Three Excellencies Yuan Shao really allow him to \"be known and heard\"?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he wanted to break free from this cage of social class, seeking nothing else but to ascend into the hall and not be looked down upon, what was he to do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the middle of the day, Gongsun Xun let out a long sigh, then turned his head and stared blankly at the distant Southern Palace of the Great Han, its corner faintly visible. Could it be that he still had to rely on imperial power? Only that autocrat living inside there could, to some degree, treat the classical scholarship clans, the great clan strongmen, and even the humble single-surname families with a measure of equality, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the representatives of imperial power in this age were the eunuchs. Not to mention that the warning of that County Lord Cui of Nanhe County still rang in his ears — as a scholar, once he attached himself to the eunuchs, he would be cutting himself off from his own origins. Just speaking of the eunuchs' cruelty, Gongsun Xun himself probably couldn't overcome the hurdle in his own heart!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If only there were a powerful figure trusted by the Emperor, yet not a eunuch, whom he could attach himself to!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who is that person, and why is he standing motionless outside our gate?\" Just as Gongsun Xun at the street corner was staring at the Great Han Southern Palace, lost in wild thoughts, he failed to notice a simple, unadorned carriage pass by him and stop at the entrance of Liu Yu's residence. From the carriage stepped a youth who had just bound up his hair; his age seemed comparable to Liu Bei's, and he was unmistakably Liu Yu's eldest son, Liu He.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In reply to the Young Master,\" the gatekeeper hurriedly lowered his head and explained. \"He is a scion of an aristocratic family, said to be studying in Luoyang. Just now he failed to gain an audience with the master. I don't know if he harbors resentment, but he just stands there and won't leave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Could it be that you were discourteous?\" Liu He asked with a serious expression. \"Father assigned you, his trusted man, to watch the gate precisely because he feared giving offense without cause.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I would absolutely never dare,\" the gatekeeper bowed again. \"I have always kept the master's teachings in mind. I'm afraid this man is young and proud; being denied entry, he feels humiliated. This is a common occurrence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is true,\" Liu He nodded. \"But since he is a scion of an aristocratic family, why not let him in?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The mistress refused it,\" the gatekeeper answered carefully. \"She said Liaoxi is remote and desolate, not worth a meeting...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where is he from?\" Liu He was suddenly taken aback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Liaoxi,\" the gatekeeper lowered his head and replied. \"The Gongsun clan of Liaoxi. He had a calling card from the Commandery Governor of Liaoxi, and also one from his own uncle, the Chief Clerk of Youbeiping...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will go speak with Mother,\" Liu He said, frowning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young Master...\" the gatekeeper hesitated, as if wanting to dissuade him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don't understand,\" Liu He couldn't help but add a few more words. \"I just learned at the Yang residence that Father was likely appointed by His Majesty as the Inspector of Youzhou on this trip to the capital. That being the case, how can we refuse to see a renowned clan of Liaoxi? And besides, Father's formal appointment hasn't even been issued yet; even I only found out through the four-generation Three Excellencies Yang family. Yet a son of the Gongsun clan has already come knocking — doesn't that further prove he is no ordinary person?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gatekeeper nodded repeatedly and no longer tried to dissuade him, allowing Liu He to go inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after a round of back and forth, when Liu He came out with his attendants to welcome the guest, he found that the street corner in front of the gate was already empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Completely unaware that he had missed an opportunity to connect with the future overlord of Youzhou, Gongsun Xun, full of worries and quite dejected, rode out of the city. By evening, he had returned to the foot of Goushi Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elder Brother isn't here?\" Gongsun Xun looked bewildered. \"If he's not here, then he's not here. What does it matter? Why did you need to wait here specifically to tell me? He's probably just staying the night in Goushi County town or up on the mountain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's not like that,\" Gongsun Yue, who had been waiting in the courtyard, shook his head repeatedly, making no effort to hide his complex expression. \"Brother, you don't know — Elder Brother had heaven-defying luck today. He went to Luoyang City with a newly acknowledged teacher!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean?\" Gongsun Xun grew even more puzzled. \"What new teacher, and he went to Luoyang City?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is Liu Kuan, Liu Gong, one of the current Nine Ministers, the Superintendent of the Imperial Household,\" Gongsun Yue hurriedly explained. \"Lord Liu was returning from visiting friends in Wancheng when the wheel of his carriage happened to break on the road right in front of our gate. He came to us to borrow a carriage, and Elder Brother happened to be home, so he came out to help. Lord Liu saw that Elder Brother was dignified in bearing and had a resonant voice, so he sat right here in our courtyard and questioned him in detail about his situation. Originally it was just to borrow a carriage, but in the end, he directly accepted Elder Brother as a student, and Elder Brother personally drove the carriage to escort this new teacher home.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun was stunned for a long while. Was this the damn gap between a protagonist blessed by great fortune and a passerby, just as his mother always said?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had made a special trip to visit Liu Yu, who wasn't even that high in position or power, and was turned away at the door. Yet his cheat-code-using clan brother just sat at home, and a teacher ranked among the Nine Ministers fell right out of the sky for him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's so damn unfair!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother, you don't understand,\" Gongsun Yue, seeing Gongsun Xun lost in wild thoughts, couldn't help but continue explaining this Lord Liu's background. \"After Elder Brother left, I had someone specifically inquire about this Lord Liu, who comes from the imperial clan. His origins are truly extraordinary! His father was already one of the Three Excellencies. He himself was acclaimed as a master of classical scholarship from a very young age. After entering official service, he successively served as Chancellor of Donghai, Prefect of the Masters of Writing, and Grand Administrator of Nanyang. Because of his easygoing manner, he has always been honored as an Elder of the Realm. Later, when His Majesty the current Emperor ascended the throne, he was summoned as Grand Palace Grandee to lecture the Emperor on the classics. Now that His Majesty has come of age, he naturally rose with the tide. In just a few years, he has served as Palace Attendant, Colonel of the Garrison Cavalry, Minister of the Imperial Clan, and Superintendent of the Imperial Household...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait a moment,\" Gongsun Xun suddenly interrupted him. \"What did you say this Lord Liu had done?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Palace Attendant, Colonel of the Garrison Cavalry, Minister of the Imperial Clan, Superintendent of the Imperial Household... all positions of the utmost purity and prestige,\" Gongsun Yue quickly repeated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Before that!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Before that, he was Grand Palace Grandee, lecturing His Majesty on the classics...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So he has His Majesty's deep trust?\" Gongsun Xun finished the sentence, narrowing his eyes slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Naturally. He was one of His Majesty's three official imperial tutors during his youth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go find Aunt Jin and ask her to prepare three sets of the most generous formal apprenticeship gifts!\" Gongsun Xun suddenly said with a solemn expression. \"Since my elder brother is formally taking a master, how can we not prepare the six ritual gifts and tuition? Tomorrow I will go with you to Luoyang to help him make up for it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Liu Yu, styled Boan, was a man of Tancheng in Donghai. His grandfather, Liu Jia, served as Superintendent of the Imperial Household. Liu Yu was first nominated as Filial and Incorrupt, and gradually promoted to Inspector of Youzhou... As he was about to take up his post, Gongsun Zan was then in Luoyang and went to call upon him. The gatekeeper, deeming him a coarse man from a border commandery, was arrogant and refused to admit him. Gongsun Zan withdrew, and in secret bit his finger, saying: 'This common fellow has no courtesy; when I rise in the world one day, I shall surely repay him handsomely!'\" — *Old Book of Yan*, Volume 67, *Collected Biographies of the Gongsuns*\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Historically, Gongsun Zan indeed had two teachers, meaning he did indeed take Liu Kuan as a second master, as evidenced by a very famous cultural relic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, there is a new book group; interested students can join: 684558115.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2924,"2026-06-04T19:42:03.441Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","eabcd96a3c485be419e5fcab13802350464af4cbb1dc70cbdfb09a5ec39bc0ac","overthrowing-han-chapter-28","overthrowing-han-chapter-26",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]