Chapter 274: Cultural Relics Often Model the Ancients (Part 1)

"Why shouldn't people be allowed to rebel? If it were me, I'd rebel too!"

Late February, morning, spring light radiant. Sima Lang stood outside the side door of the government hall, holding a clay pot filled with water. On top of the pot rested a large red flower with green leaves, and as far as he knew, inside the pot there should also be two tadpoles and a green shrimp — personally crafted just moments ago by the most beloved young lady of the entire government compound, Gongsun Li, who had a serving woman entrust him to deliver it to the master of the compound.

For the fifteen-year-old Sima Lang, this kind of task had long become routine.

By the same token, standing quietly in wait outside the government hall was also a routine matter for Sima Lang. After all, years of education compelled him to avoid such clearly seditious talk, and lately, seditious talk had become far too common.

Of course, he merely avoided it — because even Sima Lang would not think of remonstrating or offering a reminder... Or rather, even Sima Lang, as the information he received gradually increased, had begun to feel something akin to anger toward that most sacred and supreme Son of Heaven in Luoyang.

Within a span of ten days, as the Emperor's decree to raise taxes spread, Hebei and the Central Plains were almost instantly swarming with bandits, and the people's hearts were thrown into chaos. How many common folk, having barely survived the spring planting and escaped the great plague, now resolutely abandoned the green shoots in their fields to follow those violent men in raiding homes and plundering, drifting destitute in all directions?

And at this very moment, inside the hall, they seemed to be discussing precisely this — the bandits rising everywhere in Hebei and Huangfu Song's failure to suppress them.

"My lord is absolutely right!" Inside the main hall, Lou Zibo was continuing Gongsun Xun's words, openly spreading certain seditious opinions. "For the common people of Jizhou, starting from the second month of last year, first came seven or eight months of continuous warfare — over half the population was lost, and over half the autumn harvest was lost too. Then came the bitter winter, with countless people freezing or starving to death. They barely heard that taxes and grain levies had been waived, so they toiled back home, borrowed seeds to plant their fields — and then the plague struck. And just as the plague was beginning to recede, now they're told the waiver is being revoked and taxes are being raised instead... Why shouldn't they rebel? Gentlemen, please put yourselves in their place. If you were a respectable householder in Jizhou, in such circumstances, would you rebel or not?!"

"As for Huangfu Song's failure to suppress them?" Xi Zhicai was also there, drawling on with biting sarcasm. "Who could suppress them effectively? Could our lord go and do it? This time, the people truly do not fear death — so how can you threaten them with death? Chaos is spreading across Hebei; even the immortals couldn't save it!"

Lou Gui and Xi Zhong echoed each other, their words utterly seditious and disrespectful in the extreme. Yet from Chang Lin and Zhang Cheng on down, all the Henei scholars merely turned pale, and not a single one refuted them — let alone the staff members who had long followed Gongsun Xun.

"Huangfu Yizhen is probably going to leave," Gongsun Xun suddenly said thoughtfully amid the silence. "The day before yesterday, there was word from Luoyang that they want to transfer Huangfu Song to quell the Liangzhou rebellion. I thought it was because the central government didn't want him holding military and civil authority over a province for too long, but now I think perhaps he himself is desperate to flee Jizhou!"

"Indeed." Xi Zhong continued shaking his head with a bitter laugh. "Whatever else Huangfu Yizhen may be, he still has a sense of shame. Last winter, it was he who petitioned to waive Jizhou's taxes and grain levies, and there were even songs praising him for it. Now they want him to issue orders to collect these extra taxes... If he doesn't leave, what else can he do?"

The others were even more at a loss for words.

"Let us set aside others for now." Seeing that the morale of the local Henei subordinate officials had been beaten to its lowest point, Lu Fan suddenly stepped forward and spoke with a serious expression. "The commandery has finished its calculations — Henei must deliver over fifty million cash to Luoyang as palace repair funds... So the question at hand is, how should we ourselves deal with this matter? Gentlemen, this matter must ultimately have a conclusion and a clear stance!"

Hearing the Chief Clerk pose such a formal question, everyone in the hall — whether original followers or local Henei men — wore increasingly complex expressions, most of them pained.

Because this question was far too difficult to answer.

As far as the people of Henei were concerned, they were of course extremely resistant to raising taxes. Setting aside the fact that an extra levy of ten cash per mu would impose an enormous financial burden on the common people of Henei, and even on some clan scions who maintained their households with clean hands — just considering scholarly reputation and the judgment of their fellow villagers, they absolutely could not openly say that Gongsun Xun should follow the imperial decree.

But conversely, were they supposed to encourage the General of the Guard to openly defy an imperial edict?

The principles and standards they had studied since childhood did not permit them to act or speak in such a way.

As for the original followers, it was even more complicated... Some spoke of conscience, some of political stratagem, some weighed gains and losses — but no matter what, they had to devise a meticulous and reasonable plan for Gongsun Xun. Yet Gongsun Xun himself was in a dilemma! Should he defy the imperial decree, or should he aid the tyrant in his oppression?

Sima Lang was silent for a moment, then shook his head sadly. But then he lifted his foot and, carrying the clay pot, stepped into the hall.

Before he could even speak, Gongsun Xun's face immediately broke into a smile, and he quickly rose and waved him over: "Come, come, come! Set it on this desk here!"

Sima Lang did as instructed, carefully stepping forward amid the silence and stares of the assembly to place the clay pot down, and even added a reminder: "My lord, there are still tadpoles inside... Please be very careful not to let little frogs crawl onto the official documents like last time."

Gongsun Xun nodded repeatedly as he bent over to tidy the desk, though it was unclear whether he had actually taken it in.

After this brief disruption, Sima Lang retreated to a corner of the hall, and at last someone in the hall stepped forward to be the first to declare a stance — it was, as expected, Chang Lin, Chang Bohuai: "My lord, your subordinate has a word to offer."

"Bohuai, please speak." Gongsun Xun replied crisply while continuing to fiddle with the flower with his head lowered.

Chang Lin paid no mind to Gongsun Xun's discourtesy, still standing perfectly straight and speaking with unmistakable clarity: "Several days ago, when the edict first arrived, Chief Clerk Lu remarked that if my lord were to obey the edict and collect the money, he would be breaking faith with Henei. In my view, those words were absolutely correct!"

Lu Fan could not help but glance at Chang Bohuai.

Yet Chang Lin remained unperturbed, merely continuing to speak forthrightly with his head held high: "Although my lord did not, like the General of the Left Chariots and Cavalry, petition in advance on behalf of the people under his governance to waive the poll tax, ever since taking office, all of my lord's policies have centered on pacification and recovery — the intent to let the people rest and recuperate is self-evident. Moreover, nominally it is fifty million cash, but in actual collection, with the toil of clerks and officials and the people struggling to make ends meet, the true loss is far more than fifty million cash. Therefore, even if no explicit covenant was made before, this sudden imposition of additional land tax is enough to turn the people of Henei from gratitude toward my lord to resentment."

"Well said!" Gongsun Xun finally raised his head. "What else?"

"Also..." Chang Lin hesitated slightly, but still forced himself to continue. "For my lord's personal considerations, under no circumstances must you use private wealth to pay the taxes. That is the worst possible course — it would invite suspicion."

"Then what should I do?" Gongsun Xun sat back down in the seat of honor, his expression calm, and asked with feigned curiosity. "I can't go against my conscience and exploit the people, nor can I use private wealth to buy popular favor... Bohuai, what exactly am I supposed to do? Surely I can't just tear up this official document?"

"At present, there are only two paths," Chang Lin said, his voice growing even more strained. "One is to assemble the powerful and wealthy households of the commandery and have them pay this sum..."

"Would that not also be breaking faith with people?" Gongsun Xun asked mildly in return. "Previously, in order to resettle the refugees and carry out the official land colonies, I immediately asked them to contribute — vacating land, releasing refugees — and the farming tools and seeds lent out by the commandery were actually contributed by them. In these matters, they showed not the slightest inclination to shirk. And later, at the spring sacrifice, I specially invited them all to attend the scriptural debate together — was that not a tacit understanding, a gesture of reassurance and an agreement made?"

Chang Lin pressed his lips together: "My lord is quite right; I was thoughtless... Then there is only one path left."

"What path?"

"My lord could follow the example of the General of the Left Chariots and Cavalry — leave Henei and take up a post that does not directly govern the people... Enter the court as a high minister, or go out to Liangzhou to quell the rebellion. Something along those lines." Chang Lin answered helplessly, but having said this, he still could not resist adding one more sentence. "But if that happens, and a different official comes to replace you, Henei will still have to impose the additional tax..."

Gongsun Xun let out a dry laugh; Chang Lin retreated in shame.

Yet after Chang Lin stepped back, for a long while no one else came forward to speak... After all, no matter what, Chang Bohuai had analyzed the matter with great precision. The current situation was this: the Emperor's reckless decree was there. To comply was to aid the tyrant in his oppression; to refuse was to defy the Son of Heaven and shoulder enormous political risk.

This matter was destined to have no good outcome.

"Is there anyone else who wishes to speak?" Gongsun Xun sat at the head of the hall, looking over the assembly of talented men with a faint, knowing smile. "I understand. Such a matter is fated to have no solution that satisfies both sides — either your reputation suffers, or you bear the Emperor's wrath. Bohuai has already laid it out very thoroughly... If we absolutely must collect the money, then collect it from the powerful and wealthy households; if we absolutely must defy the edict, then change posts as soon as possible... These are already the two best options, are they not?"

The hall was utterly silent.

"Why must you all put on such an appearance?" Gongsun Xun suddenly dropped his smile and sighed softly. "This is simply a choice between two options. In the end, I am the only one who truly needs to make the decision... As aides, you have done all you can by reaching this point. Go attend to your respective duties; I will handle this myself."

From Lu Fan on down, everyone took their leave.

Then, within a single day, they all came privately, one after another, to request an audience — some urging Gongsun Xun to seize the property of powerful households, others urging him to withdraw early. This was purely a declaration of stance. Because seizing the property of powerful households would benefit Henei but not Gongsun Xun; withdrawing early would benefit Gongsun Xun but not Henei.

Of course, despite what Gongsun Xun had said to Chang Lin about this and that, in reality, after his initial fury had passed, he too had already calmed down. Now, he merely wished to use this kind of analysis to lay his dilemma bare, thereby shaping public opinion, further highlighting his own spirit of sacrifice, and mitigating the negative fallout...

That's right — in the days since the court's official dispatch had arrived, Gongsun Xun had, after all, reached a decision with a few of his trusted confidants: they would target the local powerful households — in other words, strike the local tyrants and feast on the great houses.

There was no helping it; this was the only way!

However, just as Gongsun Xun had delayed for two days and was preparing to half-reluctantly, half-resignedly, hold his nose and take the knife to the local great houses, a new official dispatch fluttered lightly from Luoyang across the river to Henei and was laid upon the desk in the main hall of the Henei commandery office — the very desk that held a pot of withered branches and fallen leaves.

"My mind is made up — I will not collect the money!" After reading the new dispatch, Gongsun Xun immediately declared with a cold laugh. "Nor will I request a transfer..."

Before the others could react, they saw Gongsun Xun suddenly rise to his feet, his expression furious: "I will stay right here in Henei and do nothing at all! I want to see — will the Northern Palace kill me for this, or will they cart me off to Luoyang in a cage cart?"

Having said this, Gongsun Xun lashed out with a kick, sending the desk before him flying, then swept his sleeves and stormed out.

The clay pot shattered, filthy water splashed everywhere — a complete mess.

The others were baffled, but Wang Xiu, heedless of the filthy floor, bent down, picked up a tiny frog that still had its tail, and then retrieved the sodden official dispatch from the puddle.

Wang Shuzhi took only one glance before he too could not suppress a long sigh, and then explained to the still-bewildered assembly before him: "The central government has ordered all provinces and commanderies to source timber, patterned stone, and deliver them to the capital... At this rate, who knows how many merchant and wealthy households will see their families ruined and their members perish."

The faces of the assembly turned deathly pale. Only Lu Fan said nothing, but went straight inside to pursue Gongsun Xun.

On that very same day, south of the Great River, in the city of Luoyang, in the evening — the former Grand Commandant Liu Kuan, bedridden with illness, suddenly summoned his son Liu Song and two students who had recently been attending him at his bedside — namely, Gongsun Yue and Gongsun Fan — to come before him.

—————I am the dividing line of great disrespect—————

"The Regular Palace Attendants Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong persuaded the Emperor to levy a tax on all land under Heaven, ten cash per mu, to repair the palaces... The Grand Administrator of Le'an, Lu Kang, submitted a memorial of remonstrance, saying: 'In former times, when Duke Xuan of Lu taxed the mu, locust calamities arose of their own accord. When Duke Ai increased levies, Confucius condemned him. How can one seize and plunder the people's goods to build useless things, cast aside the sacred precepts, and willingly walk the path of a doomed ruler!' The palace favorites slandered Kang, saying he cited a fallen state to analogize the sacred and enlightened — an act of great disrespect — and he was summoned in a cage cart to the Commandant of Justice." — Book of the Later Han, Biographies of the Eunuchs

(End of Chapter)