Chapter 273: Old Customs Exhaust a Mediocre Sovereign

Throughout the first month of the second year of Zhongping, the situation across the realm deteriorated without pause.

In the Guandong region, the aftermath of war began to erupt in full force — bandits, refugees, plague. At the same time, the very provinces and commanderies ravaged by war were short on grain, short on funds, short on military supplies... Under such conditions, even Jizhou, with Huangfu Song stationed there, could not control the situation, let alone other places.

One must understand, the chaos was not confined to Jizhou and the Central Plains alone — bandits, plague, and refugees all had legs! In truth, from the moment the typhoid outbreak began, the entire core area of Guandong started sliding, one after another, toward disorder.

Meanwhile, the Guanxi region was hardly faring any better.

Zhang Xiu of the Five Pecks of Rice sect in Hanzhong had still not been wiped out, though he had not expanded either. But the rebel army in Xiliang was growing stronger by the day — or rather, throughout the entire first month, the bad news from Liangzhou never stopped coming.

The Great Han's Liang Province comprised ten commanderies plus one dependent state. However, west of Zhangye — namely Zhangye, Dunhuang, Jiuquan, and the Zhangye Juyan Dependent State — these three commanderies and one state, whether due to their own strength or geographical limitations, were incapable of exerting any significant influence on the situation.

What remained were the seven commanderies of Wuwei, Anding, Beidi, Jincheng, Longxi, Hanyang, and Wudu.

At first, the rebellion broke out on the border between Longxi and Jincheng commanderies. The main participants were Han bandits from Longxi and the Huangzhong Yicong Hu tribesmen from Jincheng. At this stage, it was a classic case of officials driving the people to revolt — something that had already happened before Han Sui came to Luoyang. This was the first minor phase of the rebellion.

Then, while Han Sui was hurrying back, these two groups rapidly swelled in strength. They joined forces, with the Hu and Han each putting forward a leader — namely Beigong Boyu and Li Wenhou — both calling themselves generals. This was a proper, full-blown raising of the rebel banner. At the same time, their sphere of operations shifted into Jincheng Commandery, where they began attacking cities and seizing territory on all sides.

But it is worth noting that at this point, they still could not be considered a real force to be reckoned with. One can tell just by looking at their main base — at that time, their base was still the old homeland of the Huangzhong Yicong, that is, the area just east of Qinghai Lake... This was the second minor phase.

Immediately after came that battle in which the Han army's Colonel Protector of the Qiang died for the state. In this battle, the Han army was completely annihilated and a two-thousand-bushel official died in combat. More importantly, Han Sui and Bian Zhang, two renowned scholars of Xiliang, were coerced into joining the rebellion in the chaos. This changed the very nature of the entire uprising... In fact, this rebel army soon openly raised the banner of "punish the eunuchs" and swept through half of Jincheng Commandery in the process!

This was the third minor phase.

And just during the first month, news continued to arrive: the rebel army, under the banners of Han Sui and Bian Zhang, swept through like an autumn gale scattering fallen leaves and swiftly swallowed the entirety of Jincheng Commandery. The Grand Administrator of Jincheng, Chen Yi, died for the state, and the rebels occupied a complete commandery... This was the fourth phase.

Up to this point, the most terrifying thing was still not the military situation itself, but the fact that the Inspector of Liang Province, Zuo Chang, was still making trouble even now... Because he had been reported by Gai Xun and other locals of Liangzhou for reselling military grain, he bore a grudge. He then ordered Gai Xun and other provincial attendants to lead troops out of the city to hold small towns along the road like Lueyang as resistance, while he himself sat secure within the fully fortified commandery seat of Hanyang, Ji City.

It is said he harbored the thought of sitting back and watching whether Gai Xun and the others lived or died.

However, the Xiliang rebels, now with Han Sui and Bian Zhang and in possession of an entire commandery, were no longer what they had been before. Tens of thousands strong, they bypassed Lueyang and marched straight for the walls of Ji City! Zuo Chang panicked and begged for aid, but his conduct since arriving in Liangzhou had utterly lost him the people's hearts — almost no one was willing to go to his rescue!

Of course, times of turmoil reveal loyal ministers — loyal ministers always exist. Gai Xun, the Provincial Attendant of Liangzhou, once again stepped forward. Half by threat, half by entreaty, he finally managed to bring the troops back to Ji City.

And at this point, Zuo Chang no longer dared to make trouble and immediately followed every word of Gai Xun's advice. Once Gai Xun gained the initiative, his very first measure was to request a pardon for Han Sui and Bian Zhang.

But at this stage, how could Bian Zhang and Han Sui possibly have a path back? The two men replied directly: if Zuo Chang had heeded Attendant Gai's words earlier and come to accept their surrender a month ago, they could still have turned back. But now, having killed a commandery administrator, swallowed an entire commandery, and besieged a provincial inspector, what room was left for a pardon?

Nevertheless, whether because the return of reinforcements made the strong city difficult to take, or because they truly felt some guilt in their hearts, these two actually withdrew their troops and left.

A grand drama in Liangzhou, utter misery in Guandong — by contrast, Henei here could naturally be described as a realm of peace.

First, the fundamental reason was certainly that the scale of warfare Henei experienced was relatively small, and the refugees had been properly settled from the very beginning. Second, whether one attributes it to the theory of heavenly resonance — that Gongsun Xun, as the chief administrator, possessed great virtue — or to the fact that the epidemic prevention strategies taught by Lady Gongsun ultimately proved effective... In any case, typhoid did not spread into an epidemic within Henei.

Of course, things were certainly not all harmony and without problems where Gongsun Xun was concerned. Otherwise, what was that sudden flare-up of conflict between Lu Fan and Wang Xiu all about?

On this point, even though the two men later ceased hostilities, it was more than enough to leave Gongsun Xun brooding and troubled for a time.

That's right — the root of Lu Fan's dispute with Chang Lin that day did not lie in some conflict between local scholars and outside followers, but between Lu Fan and Wang Xiu... This was mainly because Gongsun Xun's rank was too high. The authority of the General of the Guards far exceeded the remit of a mere Grand Administrator. Moreover, after the Yellow Turban Rebellion was quelled, the political halo of the Marquis of Ji still shone brightly. As the saying goes, a mighty dragon presses down from above — with Gongsun Xun here, the local powers could not form an independent faction, nor could they stir up trouble!

And Lu Ziheng, being a clever man himself, understood very well who his true rival was.

No matter how trusted Gongsun Yue was, what did that have to do with him?

No matter how overbearing Guan Yu was, could he compete with him for the position of Chief of the General Staff?

Everyone had previously assumed that Shen Pei was the aggressive one, but Lu Fan had seen through it long ago. Perhaps Shen Zhengnan truly did have that competitiveness and influence, but Gongsun Xun had only ever used him for regional assignments... And without Gongsun Xun's recognition and support, Shen Pei was destined to pose no threat in the short term.

Then, setting aside Lou Gui, who had no such ambitions whatsoever, the only person capable of challenging Lu Fan's position was Wang Xiu, Wang Shuzhi, who deeply enjoyed Gongsun Xun's trust... Lu Fan had long been aware of this, Wang Xiu knew it in his heart, and Gongsun Xun understood it as clearly as the back of his hand.

It was just that before coming to Henei, Wang Shuzhi, for all his ability, loyalty, and Gongsun Xun's favor, was utterly without wings. Moreover, he was cautious by nature and never overstepped his bounds. Thus, the two sides had coexisted peacefully and even cooperated quite a bit.

But now, with the appearance of Chang Lin and Zao Zhi — especially Chang Lin, the leader of the Henei scholars — it meant that Wang Xiu had suddenly gained the strength to challenge Lu Fan...

To be frank, Gongsun Xun somewhat regretted his misstep in assigning personnel.

Chang Lin was indeed a pragmatic and serious-minded gentleman, but he naturally possessed the bearing of a local leader. Aside from people like Han Xuan and Zhang Cheng, who clearly used Gongsun Xun's staff office as a springboard for official careers elsewhere, the other young Henei scholars generally looked to him as their chief. Sending such a person to serve under Wang Xiu inevitably caused the Henei scholars to gravitate in that direction naturally. And Wang Shuzhi, a pure and loyal minister, though he certainly would not actively seek conflict, found himself carried along by circumstance once the number of people supporting and favoring him grew.

For example, Yang Jun, Wang Xiang, and Zhao Zi — these three were theoretically all members of the central staff directly subordinate to Lu Fan. Yet, after Wang Xiu returned to Huai County with Chang Lin and Zao Zhi, whenever matters arose, they would always, intentionally or not, drift toward Wang Xiu's side, seeking Chang Lin's counsel and paying their respects... Who, placed in Lu Fan's position, would not be angered by this?

Therefore, the dispute at the gathering that day was precisely Lu Fan's double warning to both Wang Xiu and Chang Lin — a way of beating the grass to startle the snake.

It was just that Gongsun Xun's reprimand and his abrupt departure in the middle of it ultimately forced Lu Ziheng to restrain himself somewhat, and also compelled Wang Xiu to remain behind and offer his regards... The two sides barely managed to reconcile, suppressing the conflict in its budding stage.

But what had happened could not be undone, and this problem would inevitably have to be faced again someday.

And although Gongsun Xun understood in his heart that as his staff office grew more and more substantial, such things were unavoidable, the fact that it ultimately arose among the people he trusted most still left him feeling somewhat stifled.

One could only be thankful that it had not yet hindered any affairs!

The spring breeze of the second month was mildly intoxicating, but the stifled sovereign was not Gongsun Xun alone. In truth, just across the river, the Son of Heaven had not slept soundly for many days over the past few months.

In the North Palace, within the Zhuolong Garden (the West Garden), the night was deep.

"How is it?"

Beneath the flickering bronze palace lantern in the outer hall, as soon as the Junior Yellow Gate attendant emerged, he was urgently summoned over by Zhang Rang, who had been waiting there.

"Reporting to the Regular Attendant," the Junior Yellow Gate attendant hurried over and quickly knelt to report. "His Majesty is still vexed and irritable. The serving palace maids were all dismissed hastily and driven out. Even now, His Majesty tosses and turns on the couch, unable to sleep. We are at our wits' end."

Zhang Rang nodded slowly, but then stood silent in thought beneath the lamplight.

"Regular Attendant!" The Junior Yellow Gate attendant could not help but ask in a low voice from the ground. "My master..."

"Your master?" Zhang Rang, whose expression was somewhat haggard, was briefly taken aback, but immediately understood. "You were brought into the palace by Regular Attendant Duan, weren't you? What does old Duan mean by this?"

"My master has no other intention," the Junior Yellow Gate attendant quickly answered. "He merely says that such a situation is truly hard to endure, and so he wanted me to ask you, by the way, what is to be done? He is willing to follow your lead."

"I know, I know," Zhang Rang, standing with his hands behind his back, nodded repeatedly. "This situation truly cannot be stubbornly endured any longer... Very well, send someone now to summon old Duan here... No, summon all the Regular Palace Attendants in the palace to gather at my residence within the palace."

The Junior Yellow Gate attendant was overjoyed and repeatedly kowtowed on the ground in assent.

Watching the Junior Yellow Gate attendant on the ground, Zhang Rang was all the more speechless... It seemed the pressure had spread from top to bottom, reaching even the lowest ranks of the eunuchs. A resolution truly needed to be made.

The night was deep and secluded, the southern breeze warm and gentle, the air dry.

At Zhang Rang's invitation, very soon, beginning with the Empress's Chamberlain Zhao Zhong, there came Xia Yun, Guo Sheng, Sun Zhang, Bi Lan, Li Song, Duan Gui, Gao Wang, Zhang Gong, Han Kui, Song Dian, and others — twelve in total!

That's right, it is common knowledge that the Ten Regular Attendants numbered twelve. This was mainly because the trusted eunuchs around the Son of Heaven were numerous, so the system was altered to twelve Regular Attendants. However, the century-old convention of the Ten Regular Attendants still led people to habitually refer to the leading eunuchs of the two-thousand-bushel rank by that name.

Incidentally, Jian Shuo was not among them. The tall and sturdily built Jian Shuo, utterly loyal to the Son of Heaven, was at present merely a Junior Yellow Gate attendant — his speed of promotion could not even compare to that of Gongsun Xun and Cao Cao!

Of course, the fact that he was not summoned at this time might have had other reasons.

Returning to the matter at hand, the twelve two-thousand-bushel Regular Palace Attendants sat in a circle beneath the flickering candlelight of the palace lanterns. The atmosphere was frozen solid, and for a long while, no one spoke, until gradually, everyone's gaze converged on the two leaders, Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong.

"The situation in Liangzhou has blown up into something huge," Zhao Zhong, the Empress's Chamberlain and Supervisor of the Yellow Gate, helplessly began to complain. "A bunch of rebels — after capturing Jincheng Commandery, they actually raised the banner of 'punish the eunuchs'! The outer court is using this to make things difficult for us. And the newly appointed Prefect of the Masters of Writing, Liu Yu, Liu Boan — though he is unwilling to oppose us, he is even less willing to oppose the scholars. Yet the man we sent there, Zuo Chang, suffers defeat after defeat. I, too, find it increasingly difficult to respond when I am in the South Palace."

Zhang Rang removed his own two-thousand-bushel official cap, placed it on the ground, and answered calmly: "Zuo Chang obtained this post through my connections, yet he has disgraced himself to this degree — he is truly beyond saving... I know the Empress's Chamberlain has come to hear my opinion, and my opinion is simple enough: what should be withdrawn, withdraw; what should be replaced, replace. If the scholars have someone to nominate, then let them have that Inspector of Liangzhou post... Victory or defeat is up to them. What is there to say?"

Zhao Zhong started to speak but then hesitated, while the others all sighed in lament.

Amid the sighs, Bi Lan, the Prefect of the Lateral Courts, felt more and more aggrieved the more he thought about it, and could not help but voice his complaint: "The scholars outside shout every day about executing the eunuchs. Before, those generals also submitted memorials one after another demanding we be punished. Now even the rebels want to kill us. What in the world has become of this age?"

"When it comes down to it, it's because the wings under our command are not solid," another person spoke up to analyze. "The true talents of the realm are unwilling to flock to us. If we had people of genuine ability and learning under our command, who could go up and pacify Liangzhou, would there be so many troubles? How would it have come to rebels calling for our execution and the loss of the post of Inspector of Liangzhou?"

"This has nothing to do with Liangzhou," Zhang Rang, sick of hearing this, directly rebuked them harshly. "And what does it matter if we let go of one Inspector of Liangzhou? Not to mention whether the situation in Liangzhou now could be salvaged by replacing him with a scholar — even if the outer court were utterly defeated, how could that shake the foundation of you and me?! We are palace men, the close attendants of the Son of Heaven. All favor and glory rest on the Son of Heaven alone. If the Son of Heaven's favor and trust remain, then all things are possible; if the Son of Heaven's favor and trust are lost, then nothing is possible. Must I repeat this principle to you over and over again?"

"But the problem is, His Majesty has been in low spirits for several months now," Zhao Zhong said quietly at the side. "The situation outside grows ever more unstable, everyone demands the execution of the eunuchs, and the Son of Heaven, as it happens, is also in poor spirits."

"This is precisely why I have summoned you all here," Zhang Rang gave a cold laugh. "As Regular Attendants, if we cannot ensure the Son of Heaven's peace and well-being, that is the true path to bringing disaster upon ourselves."

The people in the chamber all nodded in agreement, but then, most of them turned their gazes toward Bi Lan, the Prefect of the Lateral Courts among them.

"Regular Attendant Bi," seeing that everyone had unified their thinking, Zhang Rang also looked at Bi Lan with a hint of expectation and asked, "You are the Prefect of the Lateral Courts and are most skilled in ingenious and curious contrivances. The bronze men before, the great bell, the water-spitting toad, the automatic water-sprinkling cart — all of them kept His Majesty's face full of delight. Now…"

Before the other had finished speaking, Bi Lan nodded repeatedly, but then shook his head again and again.

"What is the meaning of this?" Zhao Zhong was utterly speechless.

"There are always methods," Bi Lan cupped his hands and sighed. "I won't deceive you, my fellow Regular Attendants. I have a full complement of skilled craftsmen under me, and the world is not short of novel amusements. If we want to make something, we naturally can — but we must not make it!"

"Why?" someone asked in confusion.

"Why else?" Bi Lan helplessly extended both hands and spread them before the crowd. "Even a clever wife cannot cook without rice! Without money, what trinket can we make to coax a smile from His Majesty? Don't pretend otherwise — I am the Prefect of the Lateral Courts, and it is true that I manage the palace account books. But do you all truly not know that the palace has no money? Why has the Son of Heaven been unable to eat or sleep peacefully for months? Why has the Empress Dowager's temper grown? It all comes down to one thing — the palace is out of money!"

At these words, all the other Regular Attendants looked as if they had swallowed a fly — both disgusted and helpless.

"It's all because of that earlier Yellow Turban rebellion," someone cursed helplessly. "It took a hundred-thousand-strong army over half a year to put down the revolt. Not only were the savings of the Western Garden and the savings of the local government treasuries all used up, but even all those fine horses kept under the Western Garden corridors before are all gone now… The Son of Heaven and the Empress Dowager come from the same stock — both have been accustomed to poverty since childhood. With no money in hand, they are naturally miserable in every way."

"It's not just that," another person added. "The official money income on the Western Garden side has also decreased greatly these past few months…"

"Why is that?"

"It's because there are too many meritorious officials from the pacification of the rebellion," someone explained helplessly. "These meritorious officials — it's not easy to take money from them, nor is it easy to casually dismiss them from their posts. Because of this, the income on the Western Garden side has been exceptionally low these past few months…"

"Not only that," yet another person said. "After all, it was a war that lasted over half a year. The local treasuries are also very empty. Because of this, His Majesty also exempted Jizhou, the Central Plains, and other places from a year's poll tax… So it's not just the official money — the income from proper taxes has also decreased far too much."

"There's also the great plague in Guandong. I heard from a family member who came from my hometown…"

"Don't forget Liangzhou. That place is remote, and fighting a war there is even more costly…"

"What does any of this have to do with us?!"

Just as the Regular Attendants were busily lamenting the situation, Zhang Rang suddenly cut off their discussion with an icy tone, leaving the chamber momentarily stunned.

"What does any of this have to do with us?!" Amid the dead silence, Zhang Rang stood up and, in his shrill voice, asked fiercely once more. "We are eunuchs. Our life and death, glory and disgrace, are all tied to the Son of Heaven alone. How many times must I teach you this principle? Do you not know what end befalls a eunuch who loses the Son of Heaven's trust? Do you not remember what that rotting lump of flesh, Wang Fu, looked like?!"

The eleven Regular Attendants all changed color.

"Do you think I don't know the situation in the realm is bad?" Zhang Rang demanded indignantly. "Do you think I don't know there is a great plague in Guandong? Do you think I don't know Liangzhou is in chaos? Do you think I don't know that we, though seemingly at the height of splendor, are in fact the target of a myriad arrows?" Having said this, Zhang Rang suddenly bent down in the midst of the crowd, turned a full circle, and only then slowed his tone and spoke earnestly: "Gentlemen, the more difficult the situation ahead, the more carefully we must flatter and serve the Son of Heaven well… Otherwise, we will truly end up with the same fate as Wang Fu."

The other eleven were each grief-stricken and tense. In the end, it was actually Zhao Zhong who first removed his two-thousand-dan official cap and led the others to bow prostrate toward Zhang Rang, who stood in their midst.

"Regular Attendant Zhang's words have struck at the vital point," after raising his head, Zhao Zhong said through gritted teeth. "What does the situation in the realm have to do with us? Is that not what those scholars ought to worry about? Yet those scholars all want to kill us first to vent their spleen — why should we worry about the situation in the realm? Securing favor before the Son of Heaven is our sole concern… Regular Attendant Zhang, I know you have a plan. Please, give us your orders!"

The other ten Regular Attendants did not dare to be remiss, and also bowed deeply one after another, declaring their obedience.

"We must still amass wealth for the Son of Heaven," Zhang Rang answered through gritted teeth. "Only thus can we secure favor, only thus can we evade this calamity, and only thus can we maintain this present scene of flourishing splendor, or even take a step further."

"But right now there truly is no room to amass wealth," someone said helplessly. "We can't just say that the Marquis of Ji in Henei has money at home, so make him donate a hundred million cash, or that the Marquis of Huaili in Jizhou has saved up quite a bit of money from fighting, so make him donate a hundred million cash too… Doing that would serve no purpose other than making everyone in the realm learn from Liangzhou and rebel, wouldn't it?"

"How could we make those who hold blades lose their entire family fortunes?" Zhang Rang sneered. "If we truly pushed all these people to desperation, I fear the house of Han would indeed perish. Even ordinary noble clans, in the current situation, are probably not easy to squeeze… At most, we can transfer them around frequently and make these people who serve the country and the people pay a drizzle of promotion money."

"Then…"

"The Son of Heaven is the sovereign father of the myriad people of the realm," Zhang Rang sat back down and said. "Naturally, the whole realm should contribute money together to put the Son of Heaven at ease… I have a plan… Regular Attendant Zhao, you have long dealt with the Secretariat. Do you happen to know how much cultivated land there is in the realm?"

"I can't quite remember the exact registered figures, but I vaguely recall a certain Secretariat Gentleman mentioning it once — it seems there are about over three hundred million mu in total…" Zhao Zhong furrowed his brow slightly, then immediately panicked. "What are you planning to do?"

"Ten cash per mu, that is at least three billion cash…" Zhang Rang responded sternly. "Three billion cash, Regular Attendant Bi — that would be enough to do a great many things, wouldn't it?"

Bi Lan stammered, not daring to answer.

"The Son of Heaven has just reduced or exempted the poll tax for half of Guandong. Wouldn't this make him lose the trust of the realm?" Someone finally could not hold back — it was Duan Gui. "When the time comes and the realm is in uproar, what then?"

"Regular Attendant Duan, weren't you just kneeling and bowing to me a moment ago?" Zhang Rang glared at him. "How many times must I explain the principle? What does the realm's uproar have to do with you and me? They only want us dead! And only the Son of Heaven can give us a path to life, along with wealth and rank! Besides, Guandong has just passed through the great calamity of the Yellow Turbans — how many still dare to rebel again?"

"That's not what I meant," Duan Gui said hurriedly. "I mean, the Son of Heaven probably would not be willing to lose the realm's trust like this, would he? Although His Majesty has been accustomed to poverty since childhood and truly loves money, after all, he is a student taught by the two masters Yang and Liu, and he is naturally intelligent. He would also consider the situation, wouldn't he?"

"Correct!" another person chimed in. "If that weren't the case, why would His Majesty have previously agreed to the memorials of Huangfu Song and others to exempt the localities from taxes? In my opinion, His Majesty may be greedy for money, but his heart is also exceptionally clear!"

"All of you are right, but also all wrong," Zhang Rang glanced disdainfully left and right, then spoke again with a solemn expression. "You people speak as if a clever person cannot be greedy for money, or as if one who is greedy for money cannot see the situation with piercing clarity… In fact, think about it — the Son of Heaven, over these past months, has gradually been unable to eat or sleep peacefully. Doesn't this precisely show that he is gradually losing patience, to the point that his heart is wavering? At a time like this, we, as close attendants, must, on one hand, propose ideas on how to collect money; and on the other hand, give him a way to step down, let him find a good reason to collect money! With both approaches applied together, once the breach is opened, His Majesty will also throw caution to the wind."

Zhao Zhong's heart stirred, and he could not help but open his mouth to ask: "That being the case, does Regular Attendant Zhang already have a calculation in mind?"

The other ten Regular Attendants also had a sudden realization, and then, under the flickering lamplight, their eyes each gleamed brightly.

Zhang Rang did not reply directly. Instead, he took out the small knife he carried at his waist and, in front of everyone, lightly drew a red line across his palm: "Gentlemen, this matter is not for my personal gain, but for the life and death of all of you. I ask you all to swear an oath to follow and never divulge it!"

Blood dripped to the ground; the words were spoken with firm conviction.

And this time, the eleven Regular Attendants, long since persuaded by Zhang Rang, did not hesitate in the slightest. Each directly took a knife from his waist and cut open his palm, then, led by Zhao Zhong, bared their arms and swore an oath never to divulge it.

"Please, Regular Attendant Zhang, speak plainly. What method can make the Son of Heaven have no further misgivings?" After the oath ended, it was again Zhao Zhong who was the first to ask with a solemn expression.

Zhang Rang smiled but said nothing, merely clapping his hands as a signal.

Several young Yellow Gates who had been waiting outside to keep watch immediately pulled open the chamber doors and bowed prostrate. Under the palace lanterns, their shadows were cast exceptionally long.

"Go and do it!" Zhang Rang commanded sternly. "This has been decided together by the twelve Regular Attendants of the palace. You need not worry."

The young Yellow Gates did not dare say more and kowtowed one after another before departing, leaving the eleven Regular Attendants still at a loss, staring at Zhang Rang.

"This…" someone wanted to open his mouth and ask for the details.

"There is no need to ask," as soon as the young Yellow Gates who were handling the matter had left, Zhang Rang suddenly let out a breath, his earlier spirit gone, and his back instantly hunched. "If the situation were not bad to the extreme, I would not be willing to do such a thing either… As for what it is, since it can no longer be reversed, you gentlemen might as well wait at ease for news."

Including Zhao Zhong, the eleven Regular Attendants felt as if a hundred claws were scratching at their hearts — anxious, expectant, and also somewhat fearful and apprehensive. In the tense atmosphere, they dared not whisper to one another; only their dozen or so disorderly shadows swayed left and right under the chamber's palace lanterns.

After an unknown length of time, suddenly, a shout came from afar, and then gongs sounded in waves. The entire palace erupted into commotion!

Zhang Rang said nothing, but directly stood up. The eleven Regular Attendants, half expectant and half baffled, had no choice but to hurriedly follow… And when the group came outside the chamber, they were all stunned on the spot.

There was no need for words, nor any need for explanation — it was clear at a glance. It turned out that in the direction of the Southern Palace in the night sky, there was now a patch of crimson red, as if towering flames blazed and raged fiercely.

Having lived long in the palace, just by looking at the direction, they knew this must be the Jade Hall, the Son of Heaven's favorite hall in the Southern Palace, suddenly catching fire, with the blaze difficult to control and spreading in all directions.

"This…" The Regular Attendants were drained of color, but when they turned back to look at the expressionless Zhang Rang, they all fell silent again.

"None of you should remain here," Zhang Rang said with a stern expression, giving his orders. "A fire has suddenly broken out in the palace. A few of you come with me to reassure the Son of Heaven, the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and the two Imperial Princes. The rest of you must follow Regular Attendant Zhao to the Southern Palace to fight the fire... Regular Attendant Zhao."

Zhao Zhong cupped his hands and acknowledged the order.

"The fire is too fierce; do not push yourself beyond your limits," Zhang Rang solemnly enjoined him.

Zhao Zhong let out a long sigh, then simply knelt and bowed. "I fully understand Regular Attendant Zhang's ability. Please be assured, I will follow your orders in all matters!"

Having said this, he then rose and led several Regular Attendants toward the Southern Palace.

This great fire burned for a full half month before it stopped, and even then it was extinguished by the rain. Not only was the Jade Hall Hall completely destroyed, but the fire also spread through a quarter of the Southern Palace, leaving the city-gate tower on one side of the Southern Palace so brittle that it collapsed outright with the spring rains.

Faced with this sight, the Son of Heaven felt as if a knife were twisting in his heart. In the end, he could bear it no longer, and so he heeded the counsel of Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, and the others, formally levying a palace repair tax of ten qian per mu upon all the commanderies and kingdoms of the empire.

After word of this spread, Liu Kuan, the former Grand Commandant who had endured the winter and had repeatedly stood in his courtyard observing the fire over the past half month, fell ill once more.

"First remit the annual poll tax, then levy ten qian per mu... This is, this is breaking faith with the people, breaking faith with the realm!" Inside the government office of Huai County in Henei Commandery, Wang Xiu looked at the official document bearing the seal of Luoyang, momentarily choked with indignation.

"And it will also cause our lord to break faith with the people of the commandery..." Xi Zhong, who had already read the document, was also uncharacteristically gnashing his teeth. "If this palace repair tax of ten qian per mu is truly collected, how will the people of Henei view our lord? All the painstaking efforts made before will turn to flowing water."

"Wenqi, what Zhicai says is absolutely right... This tax must not be collected, no matter what!" Lu Fan also stated his position without the slightest hesitation. "The Son of Heaven may break faith with the realm, but you must not break faith with Henei!"

"I..." Gongsun Xun, who had been sitting silently behind the desk on the dais for a long time, opened his mouth to speak but could not help letting out a cold laugh. "What I most want to do right now is precisely to break faith with someone. Tell me, what demon possessed me that day, that I actually left a single wen for Zhao Zhong? For this one act alone, all the Ten Regular Attendants should be like Wang Fu — their corpses hung from the Eastern Gate, to be torn apart and devoured by wild dogs!"

————— I am the dividing line of breaking faith —————

"In the second year of the Zhongping era of the Later Han, on the day of Jiyou in the second month, a great calamity befell the Southern Palace. The fire burned for half a month before it was extinguished. The Son of Heaven then followed the counsel of the Ten Regular Attendants and taxed the fields of the realm at ten qian per mu. At that time, the Grand Ancestor was serving as Governor of Henei. When the official document from Luoyang arrived at his headquarters, everyone present sighed with indignation. Wang Xiu lamented: 'In the tenth month, the poll tax for Jizhou was just remitted, and in the second month there is already an additional levy. This is the Son of Heaven breaking faith with the realm.' Lu Fan, who was at his side, also advised: 'The Son of Heaven may break faith with the realm, but Your Grace must not break faith with Henei!' The Grand Ancestor sighed and replied: 'In former days, when Wang Fu and Duan Jiong were executed, the Ten Regular Attendants were not exterminated — that was indeed breaking faith with the realm!'" — A New Account of the Tales of the World, Chapter on Admonitions

PS: A report — this month's output was 168k... but to be honest, I am not very satisfied with the quality... perhaps it is due to the pressing matter of job hunting.

(End of Chapter)