Chapter 283: Thus the Historian's Straight Brush Writes the Spring and Autumn Annals (Part 2)

"What do you mean there's no room to take them in?" The one asking was Lou Gui, at Dukang Station south of Fanyang City in Zhuo Commandery, and the person being questioned was the trembling County Magistrate of Fanyang. "It's only been a little over a year, and Youzhou is already short of people?"

The Fanyang County Magistrate did not answer directly, but instead cautiously stole a glance at Gongsun Xun, who was mounted on horseback.

"Why is the Fanyang Magistrate looking at me?" Gongsun Xun smiled and asked in return when he saw this. "Zibo is asking you a question. If there are difficulties, just tell him directly."

"My lord!"

Seeing Gongsun Xun speak, the Fanyang Magistrate immediately breathed a sigh of relief, then bowed deeply before turning and hastily explaining the reason to Lou Gui.

It turned out that, according to this magistrate who had already served two years, Fanyang—and even the whole of Zhuo Commandery—truly could take in no more refugees now.

The reasons were simple, just two:

First, there were far too many refugees coming from south to north. It was not just that Jizhou had completely fallen into disorder this year; in truth, as early as last year when the Yellow Turban rebellion was at its height, people from Jizhou had already begun fleeing to Youzhou in great numbers.

Second was a geographical factor: Zhuo Commandery lay at the border between Jizhou and Youzhou, serving as the gateway to Youzhou. Refugees heading to Youzhou invariably had to pass through here.

In other words, Fanyang, and even the whole of Zhuo Commandery, had long since lost all interest in the refugees from Jizhou.

"What you say does make sense," Gongsun Xun said thoughtfully. "At the very least, these two points are indisputable... But is that truly all there is to it?"

"This humble official would never dare deceive you!" The Fanyang Magistrate knelt helplessly to beg forgiveness. "Everything I have said is the truth. In fact, not only does the local government have no more idle wildlands to assign to refugees for reclamation and settlement, but even Guangyang, which was thrown into chaos during the Yellow Turban uprising, had already allocated all its unclaimed land to the refugees coming from the south before this year's spring planting... The government truly has no more land left for resettlement."

"Then what about the local powerful families?" Gongsun Xun dismounted and came before him, asking with an increasingly serious expression. "Even if the government is powerless to resettle them, what of the local powerful families? Do they not wish to take in people for their own use?"

The Fanyang Magistrate was momentarily speechless.

"He's asking you a question!" Wei Yue, standing to the side, barked impatiently as he tugged at his horsewhip.

Yet Gongsun Xun and Lou Gui did nothing to restrain him.

"My lord," the Fanyang Magistrate said helplessly, raising his head from the ground to reply, "with your heroic brilliance and divine might, I know full well that some things cannot be hidden from you..."

Standing before him with hands clasped behind his back, Gongsun Xun nearly burst out laughing at the man's words. "Who taught you to talk like that? Just speak plainly."

"Yes!" The Fanyang Magistrate hastily answered. "If the powerful families are to take them in, there are two critical points. One is that the powerful families themselves are picky. If they were purely able-bodied adults, whether male or female, they would naturally scramble to take them—just as when you, my lord, sold off the prisoners of war from Quyang, they were extremely eager. But those who have only managed to flee here by now mostly come with entire families, complete with women, children, the old and the weak... In such circumstances, how many powerful families would be willing to take them in?"

Gongsun Xun turned to look back at the column following behind him and gave a rare cold laugh. "So that's how it is. I think I understand their thinking now... Let the women, children, old, and weak perish over time, until only the able-bodied remain, their spirits worn down—then they'll be easy to take home as slaves."

"That is roughly the idea," the Fanyang Magistrate sighed helplessly from the ground. "But in such matters, one cannot exactly pin the attrition of the women, children, old, and weak on them, can one? It is merely guiding circumstances to their natural conclusion. In the end, with the times growing worse by the day, who would be willing to waste grain on keeping the old and weak, when there are young able-bodied folk who have lost all spirit and are willing to be slaves?"

"And the other point?" Gongsun Xun put away his cold smile, showing neither pleasure nor anger, and continued questioning.

"The other point lies with the current Governor of Youzhou, Tao Gong," the Fanyang Magistrate, ultimately more in awe of Gongsun Xun, answered readily enough. "Do you know of this man, Tao Qian, Tao Gongzu, my lord?"

"Tao Qian, Tao Gongzu—naturally I have heard of him somewhat... What of this man?"

"This man is unlike Guo Gong, who blended softness with steel and tempered leniency with severity. He is utterly rigid and unyielding." The Fanyang Magistrate's words were rather refreshingly novel. "As early as before the spring planting, barely two months into his tenure, he openly clashed with several of the province's two-thousand-bushel officials, showing not the slightest regard for face... The Grand Administrator of our own commandery, Lord Cui, was humiliated by him to his face as incompetent because there were powerful families in the commandery keeping private troops. The Grand Administrator of Guangyang, Lord Liu, was publicly berated by him as weak because unclaimed land in the commandery had been seized by powerful families. The Colonel Protector of the Wuhuan, Lord Zong, before he was transferred to Luoyang for his merits, had accepted bribes from the Wuhuan chieftains of Shanggu, and Tao Gong publicly stopped his carriage to search it, then directly submitted a memorial of impeachment... Incidents like these are too numerous to count."

"In times of turmoil, it is normal for these powerful families to make such moves; the Inspector is perhaps being too harsh," Lou Gui could not help but interject. "But as far as the refugee matter is concerned, shouldn't this be a good thing?"

"Zibo, you're overthinking it." The one who cut in now was Xi Zhong, who had been riding in a carriage all along out of laziness. He had probably just entered Youzhou and arrived at the famous Dukang region, so he had roused himself to move about for once—only to unexpectedly encounter the scene before him.

"In such matters, I am indeed no match for Zhicai. Please, speak plainly," Lou Gui actually cupped his hands slightly in salute.

Seeing this, Xi Zhong could hardly keep them in suspense and immediately explained: "In truth, governing with thunderous efficiency is not necessarily good—especially when this Tao Gongzu, an outsider coming to Youzhou, stirred up so much trouble before his footing was even secure. It was bound to alienate people and make them wary... If I am not mistaken, this Inspector of Youzhou must have issued a relevant order forbidding the powerful families from absorbing too many able-bodied adults!"

The Fanyang Magistrate hastily nodded.

"Monitoring the powerful families is fundamentally the Inspector's basic duty. If the Inspector previously issued such strict orders, to the point that the commandery dared not allow the powerful families to take in refugees, that is not unreasonable," Lou Gui sighed. "But now the situation is nothing like it was during the spring planting. The refugees from Jizhou have reached such numbers, and the government has no more good unclaimed land left. Can the commandery and the province not show some flexibility?"

"This is precisely the result of alienating people," Xi Zhong said with a sneer. "How could the commandery and the province possibly not know the situation has changed? It's just that this Tao Gong in the province is so rigid, he is surely not one to lose face. And the various two-thousand-bushel officials in the commandery, having been repeatedly bullied by him, simply and deliberately keep silent—or even wave his banner to enforce the rules with deliberate strictness, obstructing the powerful families from taking in refugees, all to make this Tao Gong look bad! Zibo, such a situation is simply the norm in officialdom."

Lou Gui was momentarily speechless.

"It is indeed as this gentleman says," the Fanyang Magistrate, watching Gongsun Xun's expression, admitted helplessly. "With the province and commandery at odds, the government is inevitably rigid on the matter of whether to allow the powerful families to gather refugees... We, as subordinate officials, dare not disobey orders on our own and arbitrarily lift the ban!"

"Get up," Gongsun Xun said, neither pleased nor angry, only sighing slightly. "The affairs of the realm have already decayed to such a degree, and they are still playing these games..."

"My lord, the urgent task now is to consider where and how to resettle the refugees," Xi Zhong said solemnly, cupping his hands in counsel. "With your authority and virtue, my lord, you could certainly submit a memorial impeaching this Tao Gongzu. Presumably, the various two-thousand-bushel officials in the province have long had grievances and taken action in Luoyang as well; the matter would surely succeed! However, this will take time... And right now, having just returned to your homeland, for you, my lord, to confront an Inspector of such fierce temperament while holding no official post—even if you could suppress him, I fear it would bring a heap of trouble upon you."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Gongsun Xun turned back and asked with a frown. "Tens of thousands have toiled to get here, and the provisions they carry are exhausted. They must be settled quickly."

"In my opinion, it would be better to relocate these ten thousand people to Liaodong, or have them follow us all the way to Liaoxi," Xi Zhong seemed to have prepared this in advance. "As for the long journey... my lord, you should immediately organize the refugees here at Dukang into squads and companies for easier control. Then, based on this organization, select the able-bodied, distribute simple swords, bows, and wooden staves for defense, and have them march in military fashion, setting up camps along the way. Of course, you will inevitably have to spend from your own private funds to purchase tents, staves, axes, and other essential equipment in Youzhou, as well as buy grain from the great households along the route for unified distribution and relief."

"That seems the only way," Lou Gui also said with a frown from the side. "Even if the powerful families along the route through Youzhou feel the times are unstable and need to hoard grain for their own defense, they probably wouldn't dare haggle with you, my lord. And as for the local governments along the way, merely assisting with grain and wages and permitting encampment—surely they wouldn't refuse to give you face either."

"If we do this, it will certainly work!" Even the Fanyang Magistrate could not help but let out a long breath of relief. "A mere ten thousand people, taken in by your authority and virtue, my lord, within your home region—surely no one will gossip, and no one along the way will cause trouble."

Gongsun Xun nodded slightly as he listened, yet he could not help but furrow his brow even more tightly.

And so, the refugee column, having entered Youzhou but still with nowhere to settle, paused briefly at Dukang Station to rest and reorganize. Then, naturally, the Anli Trading Company—which had resurged after the Yellow Turban chaos—delivered supplies like tents, staves, and axes. Xi Zhong, after all, did not understand the strength that Lady Gongsun and the Gongsun clan had built up over so many years of operation in Youzhou; why would such things need to be purchased?

As for grain, that truly could not be helped. One must understand that ever since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, disasters and unrest had continued unabated, and people's hearts were unsettled. The powerful families largely intended to hoard grain for their own protection. And although the Anli Trading Company had some strategic reserves, most of them were far away in Liaodong. Within the area inside Lulong Pass, they truly had little stockpiled.

Of course, with Gongsun Xun returning to Youzhou with his private troops in the capacity of General of the Guards and Marquis of Ji, at least here in Zhuo Commandery—where people had witnessed him easily pacify the Guangyang Yellow Turbans and force Zhang Bao to retreat—there truly was no fool who dared refuse the Anli Trading Company's fair buying and selling.

In fact, upon hearing that Gongsun Xun had arrived, aside from the local county magistrate who had ridden out alone to Dukang Station to await him from afar upon first receiving word, the various gentry clans, powerful families, former subordinates, and village elders from all over Zhuo Commandery also came in droves to pay their respects in the following days... Even the Grand Administrator of Zhuo Commandery, Cui Min, came in person to welcome him.

Even after Gongsun Xun had finished organizing the refugees and set out on the road, the commandery administrators of the three neighboring commanderies—Guangyang, Yuyang, and Shanggu—all sent envoys to convey greetings and regards.

However, it is worth mentioning that the Inspector of Youzhou, Tao Qian, Tao Gongzu, alone remained holed up in his administrative seat close at hand—Ji County in Guangyang Commandery, which was precisely the fief of Gongsun Xun, this district marquis—and had neither sent an envoy nor made any communication whatsoever for a long time... Presumably, a man so rigid as he, seeing these commandery administrators all going to pay their respects to Gongsun Xun, had already formed a preconceived prejudice and was seething with resentment. It was just that, hindered by Gongsun Xun's rank and great reputation, he found it awkward to pick a fight on his own initiative.

Of course, Gongsun Xun was not dwelling on such extraneous matters either. Along the journey, he was simultaneously pacifying the refugees and lost in a myriad of thoughts—how could he have the mind to think about this Tao Qian of such vile temperament? Moreover, the further north Gongsun Xun traveled, the heavier and more unbearable his thoughts became. By the time he slowly led the multitude through Liangxiang into Guangyang Commandery, arriving before Ji County (the future capital), and was about to cross the River (later the Sanggan River, Yongding River) to continue westward, this General of the Guards could finally bear it no longer. He summoned all the respected elders among the refugees, the sturdy young men of good families, the local clerks, and the Anli Trading Company's manager in this area before him.

"Let me ask you one thing," Gongsun Xun said earnestly to these refugee leaders before the riverbank. "If you had not encountered me this time, how would you have managed?"

The refugee leaders looked at one another and shook their heads one after another... Clearly, they had merely followed the famine-flight tradition of central Jizhou and come to Youzhou—just as people from western Jizhou would flee to the Taihang Mountains, and people from Qingzhou and Bohai Commandery would cross the sea to Liaodong. It was all passed down by word of mouth, that there might be a way to survive in Zhuo Commandery or Guangyang to the north.

"And what of those who came before?" Gongsun Xun's frown deepened further. He turned back toward the local village and station clerks of Ji County and the managers of the Anli Trading Company and questioned them. "You are right here—did you ever participate in resettling them? Do you know where they ultimately ended up?"

These people also looked at one another repeatedly, but dared not refuse to answer.

"Reporting to Young Master," a younger local manager of the Anli Trading Company immediately cupped his hands and replied. "Although our Anli Company has a ready-made system handed down by the Old Mistress, specifically designed to guide these people to Liaoxi and then ferry them by boat to Liaodong... we are, after all, mere merchants. Moreover, Liaodong is too far away. Not to mention that our capabilities were inherently insufficient, even these refugees did not entirely trust us. How could they follow us just because we said so, to go farm a place they had no idea even existed? So the number of people we actually saved was not large, and cannot be compared at all to what you, Young Master, have accomplished with such action."

"As for their ultimate fate, from what I know, it was mostly not good," another older manager added helplessly. "You, Young Master, have also seen the refugees this time. If you had not arrived in Zhuo Commandery, where the great households dared not refuse to sell grain and the government dared not refrain from assisting, then these people would have been without food or clothing in Zhuo Commandery! Then, like blind men approaching a deep pool at midnight, they would have stumbled northward in panic. Countless women, children, old, and weak would have collapsed and died along the way, until ultimately only a few young able-bodied adults barely survived. Then they would either be taken in by local powerful clans, or flee into the mountains to the north, even drifting beyond the frontier..."

"Beyond the frontier?" Gongsun Xun was momentarily stunned and could not help interrupting him.

"Indeed, beyond the frontier!" A local station chief hastily explained. "My lord, you may not know, but this humble clerk, serving here, often sees refugees who, after crossing the river here, are at a complete loss. Some wander blankly further east—those who go that way have found the right path and can still be taken in by the great households in various places. But nearly half turn north instead, passing along the Dagu River through Yuyang and out beyond the frontier, to seek refuge with the Xianbei or Wuhuan. Or they simply find a valley in the mountains, half-farming and half-hunting, and gather to live there."

"Seek refuge with the Xianbei and Wuhuan?" Gongsun Xun was so furious he laughed. "Ever since Tanshihuai died, the Xianbei have been splintered and warring among themselves to this day... A bunch of Han people, unable to survive at home, flee to lands under Han rule, and with no one to take them in, they instead go live as savages in the mountains, or even seek refuge with the barbarian Xianbei? And the Wuhuan? The Wuhuan people to the north—what are they even?"

"Young Proprietor," an older trading post manager cautiously reminded him, "this is also a matter of helplessness. What we speak of is all what happened after the great plague. During the period before the plague subsided, even our Anli Company dared not easily take in those refugees, and could only let them scatter and flee..."

Gongsun Xun's smile grew even more pronounced.

"Young Master, I have something to say," the manager who had spoken earlier, seeing that things were going badly, could only force himself to offer counsel. "The Old Mistress is in Liaodong, and the greater part of our Gongsun clan's power has also been diverted to Liaodong. What little remains can only maintain a foothold in Liaoxi. And we are but mere merchants. Although we can travel unimpeded through Youzhou thanks to the Gongsun clan's reputation and the Young Proprietor's authority and virtue, neither of you two were within Lulong Pass before. How could we have acted freely and on a grand scale?"

Gongsun Xun’s smile did not fade; he simply waved his hand and said, “I am not blaming you… I only want to ask you one more thing. On the opposite bank of the river, north of Jixian, what place is that?”

“That is Changping County!” This was something everyone knew.

“I also remember it as Changping.” Gongsun Xun still wore a smile. “And if I recall correctly, those who go into the mountains, beyond the frontier, to seek out the Xianbei and Wuhuan — do they not turn east from Changping into Anle County in Yuyang Commandery, and from there follow the Dagu River upstream, so they can cross the frontier at their leisure?”

“Yes!”

“Correct.”

“There are two routes beyond the frontier — one is here, one is in Dai Commandery, but this one is the main route.”

“Changping and Anle counties cover an extremely broad area. I remember there should be much wasteland there — could it settle commoners?” Gongsun Xun pressed on.

“It cannot!” A local village headman immediately shook his head. “My lord does not know — north of Jixian, whether Changping or Anle, there are many mountains and few plains, and the soil is slightly acidic. It is famously poor land, difficult for farming.”

“Indeed.” The old steward of the Anli Trading House beside them could not help but interject. “Even our Anli Trading House mostly collects chestnuts and jujubes there… The Yanshan chestnut is a specialty of our Anli Trading House, but we have never collected grain there.”

“Chestnuts can be grown there?” Gongsun Xun laughed again. “I seem to recall that the chestnuts I ate as a child mostly came from Changping and Anle?”

“Correct.”

“I understand.” Gongsun Xun’s expression suddenly turned solemn. “Go about your business. After crossing the river, head for Changping and encamp there!”

The crowd did not understand, but could only cup their hands in assent and then disperse.

A moment later, only Gongsun Xun remained, with the silent Han Dang and the hesitant Lou Gui standing on the riverbank, gazing thoughtfully at the water before them.

“Wenqi.” After those men had returned to the ranks and new orders had been issued, a short while later, Lu Fan and Xi Zhong indeed came to inquire. “Why turn toward Changping? Did we not say we would pass Jixian without entering and go straight east all the way to Liaoxi?”

“We are not going!” Gongsun Xun did not turn his head; he simply gazed at the river, hands clasped behind his back, and answered loudly.

Lou Gui beside him gave a long sigh, but in the end said nothing.

“What do you mean, we are not going?” Lu Fan and Xi Zhong remained bewildered.

They must understand that, according to their previous thinking — and the plan Gongsun Xun had written to his mother about — their journey was to go to Liaoxi. The reason was simple: Lulong Fortress was there! The sole passage linking the Liaodong Plain and the Hebei Plain was also there!

After all, in this era, sea transport was limited. At least up to now, Gongsun Xun found it very hard to imagine transporting a great army by sea. And the Qinhuang Island of this time — the future Shanhai Pass passage — was still more than half underwater; the remaining half was often submerged by the sea and was utterly impassable. At the same time, at the border of Liaodong and Liaoxi, in the lower reaches of the Liao River, there was also a marsh that would vanish in later ages but was now impassable — the Liao Marsh…

In other words, just as Gongsun Xun and Lou Gui had discussed many years ago, between Liaodong and Hebei, the only route that could truly move a large army was the single passage through Yangle – Liucheng – Guanzicheng – Lulong Fortress. This road stretched a full five hundred li! If one held only one end, it meant Liaodong was fated to be cut off from the greater picture.

Gongsun Xun’s return north this time, though triggered by Liu Kuan’s sudden death and his final letter, was ultimately a scheme driven by personal ambition. And he and his confidants had planned very clearly: these next few years, they would work together with his mother, pushing from both ends, using this five-hundred-li Lulong Road as the foundation of their operations, linking up with Liaodong, and then extending their influence onto the Hebei Plain. Then, once chaos erupted, with the five-hundred-li Lulong Road in their grasp, he could calmly raise the masses of Liaodong, combine the forces of Liaoxi and Youbeiping, and march south in great force!

Yet now, having come this far, Gongsun Xun suddenly said he was not going… What was the meaning of this?

“My lord?” Xi Zhong was equally baffled. “What do you mean, we are not going?”

“Not going means not going.” Gongsun Xun turned to face them sternly. “I intend to stay in Changping and live in seclusion.”

“Why?” Lu Fan was so anxious that sweat covered his forehead. Xi Zhong could not help but cast a meaningful glance at Lou Gui, but the latter remained silent and unresponsive.

“This is my teacher’s dying wish.” Gongsun Xun replied with a solemn expression. “Teacher Liu’s final letter instructed me to remain here…”

“How could Lord Liu have made such an arrangement?” Lu Fan grew even more speechless. “What exactly happened?”

“In his final letter, Teacher Liu told me: As Heaven moves with vigor, the noble man strives unceasingly to strengthen himself; as Earth’s disposition is receptive, the noble man carries all things with profound virtue… Only by attaining both can one bring peace to the realm.” Gongsun Xun sighed deeply. “Ziheng, if I were to return to Liaoxi, a remote and distant place, would I not be sitting idly by while refugees lose their way in Changping, sinking so far as to become cattle and horses for the barbarians? How could I still have the face to speak of ‘carrying all things with profound virtue’? Tell me — staying in Changping, using my own person to face the matter of Jizhou’s refugees, does that not perfectly match the expectations Teacher Liu placed upon me in his final letter?”

“Is Changping not a poor place?” Though still somewhat confused, Lu Fan had probably grasped Gongsun Xun’s resolve, and could only steel himself to remonstrate thus. “If you wish to settle the people, why not choose a better place?”

“Though the world is vast, in this brief moment, where is there a good place lying empty for me to nurture the people?” Gongsun Xun suddenly flung his sleeve and crossed the river. “However poor Changping may be, chestnuts can still be grown there… We shall stay in Changping!”

————I am the dividing line that can eat chestnuts————

“The Grand Ancestor led the refugees to Changping in Guangyang, intending to return to Liaoxi. The local village elders told him that in the past, refugees, having nothing to rely on, would scatter and settle here — some hiding in the Yan Mountains, some returning to the barbarian tribes beyond the frontier, few able to settle peacefully in the Yan lands. Hearing this, the Grand Ancestor sighed deeply, then halted his march and led the people to settle at the Changping road junction. He personally planted jujubes and chestnuts in the Yan Mountains to feed the people, while also blocking the barbarians’ path. Over several years, those who came to join him numbered in the millions. Some say: ‘The virtue of Yan Wu began from this.’” — New Book of Yan, Volume 1, Annals of the Grand Ancestor, the Martial Emperor

(End of Chapter)