[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-284":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},1223043,1620,"Chapter 284: Leaving Home Young, Returning Old","overthrowing-han-chapter-284",284,"\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun certainly could not feed over ten thousand refugees with chestnuts alone, and besides, it was summer, not the season for planting chestnuts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, it was almost imaginable that before the autumn harvest of the following year, these ten thousand people, along with other refugees arriving during that period, would mainly have to rely on their own fishing and hunting, supplemented by aid from the Anli Trading Company, just to barely survive here. And during this time, what Gongsun Xun truly had to do was nothing more than organize these refugees to settle down in Changping, build their homes, systematically use plant ash to treat the slightly acidic poor soil here, and then carefully reclaim the land in preparation for next year's cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, whether or not he went to Liaoxi, Gongsun Xun did not want to bear the infamy of annexing population. He... he very formally dispatched his General of the Guard's Chief Clerk, Lu Fan, to Jixian to pay a visit to the Grand Administrator of Guangyang, Liu Wei, and formally requested that the government office allocate the poor lands of Changping to resettle the refugees in the manner of official military-agricultural colonies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for what Gongsun Xun himself had to say about it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, it was quite a coincidence. The General of the Guard had noticed that there were quite a lot of wild chestnuts in the Yan Mountains, so he prepared to follow the example of his esteemed teacher, Master Lu, and his old acquaintance, Liu Yan, by establishing a private academy in Changping!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there was no need to hide it from the local gentry and commoners of Guangyang Commandery either. The General of the Guard's other esteemed teacher, the late Grand Commandant Master Liu, had left a final letter for his personally taught disciple before passing away, instructing him to let his virtue be vast enough to support all things... Therefore, the General of the Guard naturally had to follow this course by extending a helping hand to the Jizhou refugees stranded here, and to provide them with moral instruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is what is meant by donating one's family wealth to save the people!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Grand Administrator of Guangyang, Liu Wei, truly had no other choice. After hearing Lu Fan's introduction, he naturally offered a round of flattery and readily agreed to the matter of the official military-agricultural colony, providing everything from documents to clerks to some necessary aid, without missing a single thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after personally escorting Lu Ziheng ten li out of the city and seeing him off, Liu Wei turned around, and seeing only a few trusted confidants left around him, his smile instantly vanished outside the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me, what kind of Grand Administrator am I supposed to be?\" Liu Wei, already over forty years of age, sat in his carriage, reluctant to move, and instead questioned his trusted subordinate officials in a tone of near grief and indignation. \"I have been in Guangyang for two years, and I should have gradually taken control of the situation. Yet now, is there not a single inch of land left for me, the Grand Administrator, to govern?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trusted subordinate officials around him thought it over carefully, and one after another fell silent, for their master's complaint this time seemed particularly accurate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be understood that because the thousand-year-old capital of Jixian lay within its borders (the capital of the Yan state had been located here since the 7th century BC, truly nearly a thousand years ago), it was considered the very foundation of the Yan region. Therefore, Guangyang Commandery was not large in area, governing only a mere five counties, which was essentially just over half of a capital city from another time and space, one thousand eight hundred years later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And originally, as Grand Administrator, as long as his relationship with the Inspector of Youzhou, who was permanently stationed in Jixian, was not too poor, this place was still prosperous and peaceful... However, had not that unreasonable Tao Qian, Tao Gongzu, arrived? Ever since this barbarian came to Jixian, the Grand Administrator of Guangyang, Liu Wei, had basically felt more and more stifled, and his control over Jixian and Guangyang County, which bordered Jixian, naturally grew weaker and weaker. Now, these two central counties had essentially been seized by the overbearing Tao Qian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, Anci County to the south was the very source of the Guangyang Yellow Turbans back in the day. Tens of thousands of people revolted all at once, and that city was basically emptied. During this year's spring planting, it was forcibly taken by Tao Qian and used to resettle Jizhou refugees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, Gongsun Xun had come as well. He sat himself down in Changping, said he was not leaving, and even spoke of official military-agricultural colonies... Without even thinking, one knew that the two northern counties of Changping and Jundu would certainly fall into this General of the Guard's hands as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if that were the case, what would remain for our Grand Administrator Liu?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Originally, if it were just that barbarian Tao being overbearing, it would be one thing,\" Liu Wei sat in his carriage, growing more sorrowful the more he spoke. \"I could still hope to outlast him. Who could have known that a General of the Guard would suddenly appear in Changping to the north, and also intend to reside here for the long term? Can a dignified Grand Administrator truly not even control his own jurisdiction?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His trusted confidants were helpless and could only try their best to console him: \"My lord need not grieve too much. You said yourself that the Regional Governor is overbearing and cannot last long. Since that is the case, endure it for a while. Once he leaves, will not Jixian and Guangyang County still be yours alone to manage?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wei pondered this carefully in his carriage, then let out a long sigh and shook his head repeatedly: \"No, I absolutely cannot sit and wait for death. The current situation is quite turbulent, unlike before... If the imperial court merely cannot stand that barbarian Tao's reckless behavior, that would be one thing. But what if the central government intends to use his overbearing nature to suppress the local powers? If he ends up staying here for several years, and with that General of the Guard added to the mix, would I not be an empty-title Grand Administrator for many years? Gentlemen, at my age, how many more years do I have left to waste away?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trusted confidants looked at each other in dismay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, one particularly loyal man among them could not help but remind his master: \"My lord, you must not bring disaster upon yourself! As for the Regional Governor, though that man is detestable, he is the Inspector of an entire province, precisely in a position to supervise the commandery-level officials of two thousand shi, and perfectly able to keep you, my lord, in check. He is a dragon crossing the river. And as for the General of the Guard, this man not only vastly surpasses you, my lord, in both fame and rank, but is also a figure of local prestige in Youzhou... For you, my lord, his staying in Changping is not a dragon crossing the river, but rather a fierce tiger sitting on the ground, and he absolutely must not be provoked!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could I not understand this reasoning? It is precisely this that makes it so disheartening!\" Liu Wei lamented, but then his heart stirred. \"A dragon and a tiger lying together in my chamber, truly putting me in a difficult position... Let us return to the city for today!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The men dared not delay and quickly organized the Grand Administrator's procession, swaggering back toward the thousand-year-old capital of Jixian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And upon returning to the government office in Jixian, Liu Wei simply gave the order to have the official documents regarding Gongsun Xun's 'request' for 'official military-agricultural colonies' in Changping sorted out and specially delivered to the Inspector of Youzhou, Tao Qian, who shared the same city with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ostensibly, it was to 'seek instructions.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Gongzu was over fifty years old this year. He was born in Danyang Commandery, and the Danyang of this era was not the prosperous and beautiful Jiangnan region of later times, but a wild place bordering the Shanyue tribes, where one often had to draw a blade and cut people down... When Liu Wei called him the Tao Barbarian, it was not a randomly given nickname. And Tao Qian himself indeed possessed much of this 'barbaric spirit.' In his youth, he was dissolute, and even at fourteen, he was still riding a bamboo pole and leading the village children in war games. Even in adulthood, he did not become reserved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As it happened, once a fellow townsman from his commandery, a retired Grand Administrator surnamed Gan of the two-thousand-shi rank, encountered him while traveling. Noticing his outstanding appearance, he called him up into his carriage to converse. After a sincere talk, the Grand Administrator Gan actually betrothed his daughter directly to this prodigal son. It is said that the Grand Administrator's wife was furious at the time, but Grand Administrator Gan insisted he had not misjudged the man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Tao Qian did not disappoint his father-in-law. After marrying, he quickly began to study diligently, first serving as a clerk in the province and commandery, drifting about for a long time. In his middle age, he was unexpectedly recommended as an Abundant Talent and appointed as a Gentleman of the Masters of Writing, later serving successively as a county magistrate in two places. By last year, at the age of fifty-two, his excellent governance record finally led to his summons as a Gentleman Consultant, and then his appointment as Inspector of Youzhou, becoming a major regional official.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this time, his father-in-law and mother-in-law had long since passed away, and his wife, Lady Gan, was also already advanced in years. The only thing unchanged was that this Tao Gongzu, born of wild lands, remained as overbearing in character as he had been back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Returning to the present, Tao Qian was at that moment in the main hall discussing matters with his subordinates when he suddenly received the documents sent by Liu Wei. After merely glancing at them twice, he immediately passed the documents around for the various provincial officials to examine, and directly questioned them in Luoyang-accented speech tinged with the Xuzhou and Yangzhou dialects, his tone stern:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gentlemen, what do you think Grand Administrator Liu means by this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The provincial officials looked at one another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, Wei You, a noted scholar of Youzhou from Youbeiping and serving as Attendant Clerk, slowly stepped forward to return the documents, and then took the opportunity to face Tao Qian and offer a solemn bow: \"Regional Governor, please forgive my bluntness, but Grand Administrator Liu's attempt to sow discord is far too obvious.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Attendant Clerk Wei is right.\" Tao Qian immediately laughed. \"For an honest man like Old Wei to speak so bluntly shows that this Liu Wei has truly regressed with age! To bring out such childish tricks to make a fool of himself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said that in the past, the provincial attendants and clerks would have put on mournful faces and tried their best to persuade Tao Qian not to show such utter disregard for a two-thousand-shi official in public, especially when the Grand Administrator of Guangyang was right there in the same city... However, today, seeing their Inspector so discourteous, these men actually let out long breaths of relief. Among them, many of the provincial clerks of local Youzhou origin even had the air of those who had once followed Guo Xun on the walls of Fanyang City to watch Gongsun Xun's night battle, having survived a great calamity and now congratulating each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They truly were congratulating each other, because if Tao Qian really clashed with Gongsun Xun, they, the locally-born provincial clerks, would have no choice but to throw away their official caps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What else could they do? To go and clash with Gongsun Xun themselves? They certainly would not do that, would rather die than do that. But if they disobeyed orders while remaining in the provincial office, given Inspector Tao Qian's style, he would likely make their lives utterly miserable first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, what did you think these provincial officials had been gathered in the main hall doing earlier? It was precisely because they had learned of Lu Fan's arrival and knew that Gongsun Xun intended to settle refugees in Changping that they had hurriedly come to Tao Qian to take preventive measures. And long before Liu Wei's documents arrived, these men had already praised Gongsun Xun and the Gongsun clan to the skies, just short of kneeling down and directly saying that this was a tiger whose rear end could not be touched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Continue speaking,\" Tao Qian tossed the documents beside his armrest, shifted his rear on the high-legged Grand Commandant's chair, and continued to question with a sneer. \"This Gongsun clan you speak of so miraculously, how is it that I find it somewhat hard to believe? A single aristocratic clan, how can it possess both moral prestige and deep foundations, both wealth and authority? I do not doubt his family's influence; from Yangzhou to Youzhou, I have seen my fair share of the world. Whether it be the truly great houses of successive generations of the Three Excellencies, the powerful local magnates whose influence spans provinces and commanderies, the merchants with fortunes of a hundred million, or even the local heroes whose word is law, all are commonplace. Yet this is the first time I have heard of such a strange family, one that supposedly embodies all four of these distinct qualities...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei You looked at the strange smile on Tao Qian's face and could only helplessly respond: \"Regional Governor, what you just said has actually already laid bare the inner workings of the Gongsun clan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean by that?\" Tao Qian grew even more curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To answer the Regional Governor,\" Wei You continued with a sigh, \"the Gongsun clan of today, twenty or thirty years ago, was merely a typical border commandery aristocratic clan... mindful of public criticism, not associating with local magnates; as the family branched out, connections lessened, naturally forming separate branch clans. However, about twenty or thirty years ago, the widowed mother of the current General of the Guard, citing the difficulty of raising her son alone, suddenly began engaging in trade under the protection of the Gongsun clan, and from then on, things became completely different.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A widow engaging in trade is also common. In our Yangzhou, there is also Zhu Gongwei's widowed mother who traded to raise her son. The border commanderies are not so particular about such things. I too lost my father young; how could I not understand the hardships involved?\" Tao Qian sighed softly from his seat of honor. \"But I imagine, compared to General Zhu's mother, this Lady Gongsun merely had greater talent for business, and with the Gongsun clan's patronage, that is how today's situation came to be... But this is only wealth, is it not? Where do all those other things you mentioned come from?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Forgive my impertinence,\" Wei You could not help but become solemn upon hearing this. \"Regional Governor, you are not from Youzhou, and I fear you simply do not understand the weight of the three words 'Anli Trading Company.' In truth, the Anli Trading Company is not merely about accumulating wealth; it is fundamentally different from an ordinary merchant house.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I would like to hear the details.\" Tao Qian also became uncharacteristically solemn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That Lady Gongsun is indeed worthy of being the one who raised a hero like the General of the Guard,\" Wei You could not help but stroke his beard and sigh deeply. \"Others trade only for profit, but this lady... I still remember, back when the Anli Trading Company was first established, I was still very young. At home in Youbeiping, I heard the company proclaim locally that the Anli Trading Company sought only to pave thoroughfares, to share profits with the countryside, and to bring convenience to others. At first, I too thought this was merely a facade put up by the Gongsun clan for the sake of their reputation. However, over these twenty or thirty years, I have seen with my own eyes in Youzhou that despite facing many difficult times, they have consistently acted in this manner, never wavering for a moment over these decades.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Qian's expression turned solemn with awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whether in years of plenty or famine, the Anli Trading Company never hoards or speculates. It always opens its granaries with clear notice, buying and selling grain at fair prices. Whenever it has savings, it never hides gold and copper in earthen cellars, but invariably purchases land in neighboring counties and townships, inquires about local specialties, and establishes trading posts. Wherever it goes, it always forms joint ventures with local magnates and great houses, sharing profits through a downstream network. Whenever goods are transported along trade routes, whether by sea around Bohai or by land, if anyone requests to travel with them, they invariably grant permission. Whenever a small, weak downstream partner encounters unforeseen disaster, as long as they have not broken faith, the company invariably provides assistance... Such things, I do not know about other places, but in the three commanderies of Liaoxi, Youbeiping, and Liaodong, the Anli Trading Company has long since penetrated every single village. In Yuyang, Guangyang, and Bohai, it has spread to every county town. And its main trade artery circles the entire Bohai Sea without omission to the east, extends south along Zhuo Commandery straight to Ye City, and reaches west through Shanggu and Dai Commanderies into Bingzhou... Regional Governor, from Yangzhou to Youzhou, have you ever seen a second trading company like this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Qian's expression remained solemn, and he was silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is precisely this extraordinary Anli Trading Company that has, in a way that does not affect the Gongsun clan's reputation, forcibly bonded together the great and small magnates of various regions, the weaker aristocratic clans, and the various branch clans of the Gongsun family. Therefore, the strength of the Gongsun clan is not merely that of one Gongsun clan; it truly combines the power of an aristocratic clan, local magnates, and merchants.\" Wei You declared boldly. \"This is how today's colossal and indestructible power came to be.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Such a colossal entity, and yet the many previous Inspectors did nothing about it?\" Tao Qian grew even more serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Such a colossal entity, from the perspective of each successive Regional Governor, was not deliberately indulged. Because just a few years ago, this colossal entity still had a very obvious fatal weakness.\" Wei You declared boldly. \"Everyone in Youzhou knows that the strength of the Anli Trading Company rested solely on this one extraordinary woman, Lady Gongsun. Should she one day grow old, with no successor, whether handed over to the clan or separated out for her son to inherit in a family division, it would be difficult to sustain its influence. It is just that...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is just that since the General of the Guard has become the General of the Guard, this Anli Trading Company can no longer be restrained!\" Tao Qian interjected solemnly. \"Is that correct?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The General of the Guard is a renowned commander of the realm.\" Wei You still declared boldly. \"He burned Danhan Mountain to protect Shanggu and Dai Commanderies; he destroyed Goguryeo to secure Liaodong and Xuantu; he crushed the Guangyang Yellow Turbans to stabilize Guangyang and Zhuo Commandery; he killed Zhang Bao to support the entirety of Youzhou... With such achievements, prestige, and virtue, coupled with the sentiment of his homeland, I ask you, Regional Governor, who in Youzhou could restrain the Gongsun clan? And who in Youzhou would be willing to restrain the Gongsun clan?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Qian stared at Wei You for a long time, saying not a single word. After a long while, he finally rose and went to the rear of the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>———I am the dividing line that no one can restrain———\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tao Qian, styled Gongzu, was a man of Danyang. Qian's father was the former Chief of Yuyao. Qian lost his father young and was initially known in the county for his unrestrained nature. At the age of fourteen, he still tied silk to make banners and rode a bamboo horse in play, with all the children of the town following him. The former Grand Administrator of Cangwu, Master Gan of the same county, encountered him on the road, noticed his appearance, and, finding it extraordinary, called out to him. He stopped his carriage to speak with him, was greatly pleased, and therefore promised his daughter to him in marriage. Master Gan's wife heard of this and said angrily: 'I have heard that the Tao family's son is wild and without restraint. How can you promise our daughter to him?' The Master said: 'He has an extraordinary bearing, and when grown, will surely achieve great things.' Thus he gave her in marriage.\" — Old Book of Yan, Volume 65, Biographies, Chapter 15\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3563,"2026-06-04T19:42:26.060Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","d74c906c59686406f2cf657e5e19c81c8efd6dad7ad1ca7a2d033c8389443135","overthrowing-han-chapter-285","overthrowing-han-chapter-283",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]