Chapter 285: Hometown Accent Unchanged, Temple Hair Worn Thin

Seeing Wei You temporarily suppress Tao Qian's arrogance, the assembled men could not help but inwardly cheer their good fortune. They each flattered Wei You a few times, then dispersed one after another.

Only Wei You himself, though his face remained calm, could not hide the worry in his heart. Whether he returned to his office that day or went home, he could neither sit nor sleep in peace.

And sure enough, that day passed without incident, but early the next morning, while Wei You was still having breakfast in his residence within Jixian city, he suddenly heard a commotion of squawking fowl and barking dogs in the front courtyard. Then a man with a crimson headband, a graying beard, a straight-hemmed robe and light shirt strode boldly straight in... who else could it be but the Provincial Governor himself, Tao Qian, Tao Gongzu?

"Old Wei, go on with your meal," said Tao Qian in his thick Xuyang accent as he entered the residence without any formality, then simply sat himself down on a long bench just inside the door. "Pay me no mind. We'll talk once you've finished eating."

Wei You gave a bitter smile, but there was nothing he could do; he could only hurriedly drink his congee.

"No need to change clothes or bring your official seal," Tao Qian added in his unsettling Xuyang accent, watching the other man rinse his mouth after finishing the congee. "That plain, clean informal attire is quite fine. I've even prepared a half-copper seal for you."

A so-called half-copper seal meant that only half of the official seal was copper, while the other half was simply base iron. This was not some claim of a superior alloy, but rather the standard-issue official seal assigned to the lowest-ranking petty clerks and minor functionaries.

Wei You was rendered even more speechless. He could only hastily wash his hands, then take the grimy-looking half-copper seal and cord that the other man produced from who-knows-where, tie it haphazardly around his waist, and follow him out the door. Once outside, he saw that what waited before Wei You's residence was an open donkey cart, upon which were casually tossed some firewood, hay, a wooden pitchfork, and the like... which only added to his bewilderment.

Now, although Wei You was quite advanced in years, he was actually two years younger than Tao Qian. Moreover, the other man was the Provincial Governor and he was merely a subordinate official of that governor, so, very self-aware, this Biejia of Youzhou and renowned scholar of the region said nothing, and of his own accord sat at the front, preparing to drive this open donkey cart.

However, before the cart could even start moving, seeing Wei You flustered and utterly clueless about the crucial workings of such a lowly vehicle, Tao Qian could not bear to watch any longer. He stepped forward, snatched the reins right out of Wei You's hands, and said, "Old Wei, go lie down on the cart in the back. I'll drive!"

Wei You had no choice but to tuck his hands into his sleeves, turn around, and clamber onto the back of the cart, then let this barbarian of a governor flick the reins and drive the donkey cart straight out of the city, heading north all the way.

The distance from Jixian to Changping was neither short nor long. However, thanks to the superb driving skills honed over decades by Youzhou's Governor Tao Gongzu, and the fact that in this era and place there was indeed no traffic, they managed to arrive before noon outside Changping city at the foot of Mount Mang.

By this time, the place was already a sea of people and a forest of fluttering banners. It seemed the local Anli Company, the county clerks of both Changping and Jundu, plus the powerful and wealthy households from nearby who wished to curry favor with General of the Guard, had all long since arrived on the scene.

"Resettling refugees, yet they've made it look like a New Year's celebration," Tao Qian could not help but critique with his hands clasped behind his back as soon as he dismounted. Only Wei You, who rarely rode such open flatbed carts, was somewhat jolted and, having only had a single bowl of congee that morning, was now feeling nauseous and unable to converse with him, which ultimately gave Governor Tao the feeling of talking to himself.

"We are subordinate officials of the province, here on orders to inspect the official resettlement farms for refugees," Tao Qian declared to a warrior who had stepped forward to greet them, flashing the half-copper seal and cord at his waist. "Pay us no mind; go about your own business!"

Although the tall, imposing warrior found the old man's accent exceedingly strange and thought this mere petty clerk was far too arrogant, the other man's companion was so elderly that he ultimately could not bring himself to make an issue of it. Instead, he bowed with clasped hands and then withdrew.

Tao Qian gave a cold snort. Once Wei You behind him had recovered his breath, Tao Qian hoisted a wooden pitchfork from the cart, and both men fished out broad-brimmed sun hats and put them on. Only then did they leisurely follow the foot of Mount Mang to inspect several bustling areas marked out with many lines of lime.

After just half a circuit, Tao Qian had roughly grasped the method behind it. It was nothing more than queuing by number tags, a system that Youzhou and indeed the whole realm were gradually adapting to, then proceeding in order to various places to handle various matters. Here was grain distribution; there was the allocation of plots for building shacks; to the left, latrines were being dug; to the right, irrigation channels; ahead, they were discussing when to go up the mountain to burn plant ash and treat the poor soil; behind was the place for publicly resolving disputes among the refugees.

"It is merely governing the people by military law, compelling them with the sharp edge of blade and sword, and luring them with the grace of full bellies. Only thus can it be so crisp and efficient," Tao Qian said, leaning on his pitchfork and wearing his sun hat as he stood beneath Mount Mang, his sneer deepening. "With money, supplies, and troops, one can naturally accomplish things. Nothing remarkable."

Wei You seemed about to speak, then stopped.

"Let us go see what sort of men this General of the Guard and his trusted subordinates are!" As Tao Qian spoke, he directly picked up his pitchfork and, heedless of anything else, went off on his own to find them.

Wei You could only helplessly follow.

"Our lord? He... what business do you have with him? You two... never mind, he's digging a channel at the foot of the eastern mountain." It took the guard considerable effort to understand the other man's Xuyang accent. He had originally intended to question them, but seeing they were two old men, one of whom clearly looked too weak to truss a chicken, he dismissed any further thoughts and simply gave them directions.

"I see," Tao Qian nodded slightly, but then turned and headed north.

Wei You followed speechlessly, finally voicing his first question of the day: "Lord Tao, why head north when your goal lies east? Did you not say the General of the Guard was digging a channel to the east?"

"Of course I wish to see the man's bearing," Tao Qian replied dismissively. "But since he is personally digging a channel... Old Wei, let me ask you, what is there to see in a grown man stripped to the waist digging a channel under the scorching sun? It is nothing more than currying favor. And since it is currying favor, and the man is young and strong, would he possibly dare to slack off in public?"

"Whether it is earnestly practicing what he preaches or merely currying favor!" Wei You could not help but retort. "One cannot mock a man simply because he personally does farm labor! Fang... Lord Tao, your Danyang is also a border commandery. Tell me, for us scholars of the border commanderies—plowing in spring, studying in summer, hunting in autumn, fighting in winter—which of these is not a first-rate matter of establishing oneself and securing one's livelihood? Whatever falls within this should be praised, not ridiculed, should it not?"

"I know Old Wei is an honest man," Tao Qian said, striding swaggeringly ahead with the pitchfork over his shoulder, while passersby on either side, seeing two old men, could only hurriedly step aside. "And because those people are natives of your Youzhou, you are inclined to defend them. But I know that for a man like General of the Guard, in his eyes there is no righteous path or evil path, only what is useful and what is useless. Old Wei, do you know? In my youth, until I was fourteen or fifteen, I spent all day riding a bamboo pole, leading children in games of horse-riding and war-fighting. To people like you, this was naturally laughable, worthless mischief, with not the slightest bearing on establishing oneself. But my father-in-law understood: our Danyang has always been troubled by the Shanyue. If one day the Shanyue launched a surprise attack beneath the city walls, a wastrel like me could instead, just as I commanded children in my youth, command the grown young men of the town—my former playmates—to meet them head-on in battle! It was precisely because he saw this point that he insisted on marrying his daughter down to me. Old Wei, people like you are excellent in every way—you have both virtue and learning, you value the bond between lord and subject and are protective of your fellow townsmen—but you are, uniquely, a bit too pedantic..."

Tao Qian delivered this lengthy discourse, and Wei You behind him, who knows whether he took it in or not, ultimately did not retort. Instead, he followed the other man all the way to the north side, where they saw a man standing proudly atop a mound of earth, speaking sternly about something.

"Everyone, since you have faith in our lord's authority and virtue, have followed him all the way here, and are prepared to settle here long-term, then you must observe the laws and regulations. Otherwise, even our lord here cannot accommodate you! And though governing the people should be simple, the principle that murder is repaid with death, assault with punishment, and arson and theft with restitution of property plus corporal punishment, and that violations of rules are penalized—this principle must always be enforced, must it not?" Having said this, the man pointed to the two bound individuals before the mound and continued, "These two wished yesterday to go on their own to Jixian to seek a way out. That in itself should not warrant punishment. But when leaving, they attempted to steal public grain and also tried to entice women to accompany them. This must be severely punished to establish authority. Today I sentence these two to thirty lashes, and the punishment of shaving the head with three years of hard labor, without parole, without private quarters or allotted land. All you village elders are present—does anyone object?"

Before the earthen mound, the elders among the refugees all stroked their beards and voiced their approval. And sure enough, immediately, brawny, broad-waisted warriors stepped forward, bound the two men, gagged them, and began flogging them on the spot.

"Who is that man speaking on the mound?" Tao Qian, watching with keen interest, could not help but turn his head and ask.

Wei You naturally recognized him. He pressed down the brim of his sun hat and answered in a low voice: "That man is called Wang Xiu, Wang Shuzhi. He is from Beihai..."

"I know, I know," Tao Gongzu nodded and laughed hurriedly before the other could finish. "Wang Shuzhi, who killed the corrupt Shen clan clerks in Handan that day. Truly his reputation is not unfounded! Though there is an intent to kill the chicken to scare the monkey, to intimidate the refugees from daring to flee, after all, it is reasoned and well-founded, and done crisply and directly, without concealment or pretense. It greatly suits this old man's taste. Only a pity—how is such a talent not under my command?"

Wei You promptly shut his mouth in exasperation.

"Let us go elsewhere!" Though Tao Qian's words spoke of appreciation, he turned and left immediately. Wei You, helpless, once again followed.

As for Wang Xiu, although from his high vantage point he spotted these two old gray-heads in sun hats from afar, and sensed an extraordinary bearing in their demeanor and movements, he still had criminals to deal with, cases to judge, and also had to agree with the refugee elders on establishing written rules and organizing the so-called court matters. So the man chose to ignore them and continued busily with his work.

"Lord Tao, where exactly are we going this time?" Wei You, after all, was advanced in years and physically frail. Following the other man around for so long on a summer afternoon, he was finally beginning to falter.

"To the grain distribution point," Tao Qian said. Though he still wore an expression of complete assurance, he also took the initiative to stop and let Wei You sit down to catch his breath. "Since this General of the Guard of ours is so full of confidence, I do not suppose there is anything he 'cannot do.' Therefore, since he intends to gather people and establish a settlement here, he should focus his efforts solely on the three words: 'how to do it'..."

"Lord Tao speaks truly," Wei You replied with effort, panting as he sat on a stone by the roadside.

"And this place today is merely a rudimentary beginning; one cannot see its true essence in a moment. Thus, even regarding the three words 'how to do it,' we can only glimpse a fraction, like looking at a leopard through a tube," Tao Qian continued discoursing. "What does Old Wei think is most important at this moment?"

"Fairness, impartiality, openness," Wei You said at once. "Lord Tao, in this place of Youzhou, even a little child recognizes the slogan in the accounting office of the Anli Company trading post, let alone this General of the Guard. To observe the punishments and then go observe the grain distribution, using this to see whether this General of the Guard is impartial—this is a perfectly ordinary approach. You need not explain further."

For once, Tao Qian shut his mouth.

The grain distribution point was utterly different from the place where punishments were discussed. Here, it was silent and still. The women, carrying cloth sacks or brand-new earthenware jars, waiting to receive grain, not one of them made a sound. They all just watched eagerly the man on the high platform before them.

This man was sturdily built. Though he wore a jinxian cap, in the summer heat he had rolled up his sleeves, revealing arms full of muscle. He held a measuring dipper and sat upright on the platform, beside him a large urn. Clerks from the Anli Company continuously brought grain and poured it into the urn. Whenever a woman came forward holding a bamboo number tag and carrying a container on her back, this man would personally wield the dipper and dispense grain according to the tag.

Throughout the entire process, his gaze never strayed, watching only whether the measuring dipper was accurate.

And each time a distribution was complete, when those women bowed to express their thanks, this man would also earnestly return the salute with clasped hands. When he encountered someone elderly, he would even rise from his seat and return the courtesy with full formality, only then silently taking up the dipper again to wait for the next person.

Tao Qian and Wei You watched, dumbfounded.

After a long while, the two finally turned and left. Among them, Tao Qian could not help but ask in a low voice: "Old Wei, do you recognize this man? Is that Lou Zibo or Lu Ziheng? It can't be that Shen Zheng'nan, who has already reached the rank of Commandant, resigned his post and followed him here?"

Wei You shook his head repeatedly: "It is neither. It must be a new man recruited after the General of the Guard left Youzhou last year."

Tao Qian was momentarily speechless. In the end, he could not resist grabbing a guard to ask, and only then learned that this was a subordinate clerk Gongsun Xun had recruited during his tenure in Henei, called Chang Lin, Chang Bohuai. Although Gongsun Xun had been in Henei for only a few short months, several men had voluntarily followed him in this retreat.

The two men looked at each other, increasingly at a loss for words.

And just as they were inwardly sighing, unsure where to go next, they suddenly saw a man leading a group approaching them from afar. Wei You recognized this man: it was none other than Gongsun Xun's chief confidant, the Chief Clerk of the Household, Lu Fan, Lu Ziheng. At this moment, how could the two not understand that their half-day of aimless wandering had long since alerted the managers of this place?

And sure enough, Lu Fan came before them, directly prostrated himself, and showed extreme respect to Wei You, while also directly addressing Tao Qian as Fangbo.

"I did not know that Fangbo had arrived here; it is truly a breach of etiquette. I must ask Fangbo and Lord Wei to rest here a moment. I have already sent someone to summon our lord to come welcome you both," Lu Fan hastily and warmly invited them. "The weather is sweltering; a cup of cool boiled water to dispel the heat would at least be good."

"That won't be necessary," Tao Qian said, leaning on his wooden pitchfork with one hand while stroking his beard proudly with the other. "Coming here today, I have seen all that needed to be seen. I was just preparing to drive the cart back to Jixian to sleep. I shall not see the General of the Guard, nor drink your household's cool boiled water."

Lu Fan was speechless and could only look to Wei You.

"What are you looking at my Biejia for?" Seeing this, Tao Qian suddenly hurled his pitchfork to the ground and gave a scornful laugh in front of everyone. "Do you intend to communicate with him right before my eyes, and have him commit an act of betraying his master?"

Lu Fan immediately lowered his head. This was not because he feared the man, but simply because Tao Qian's age was there for all to see; the two were clearly of different generations. In such matters of public decorum, not to mention him, even if Gongsun Xun himself came, he could only endure such treatment in vain.

"Let's go!" Tao Qian suddenly laughed, then bent down to pick up the pitchfork and turned to call his Biejia to leave. "Old Wei, come with me. We're returning to Jixian."

Wei You had no choice but to fling his sleeves and follow.

Yet after only a few steps, Tao Gongzu suddenly turned back and questioned Lu Fan, who was still standing there with his head down, uncomprehending: "Lu Ziheng, where are your lord's family and your own family right now?"

"In reply to the Governor," Lu Fan raised his head and answered solemnly. "They are all settled within Changping city."

"I knew it... in the end, there is still selfish motive, no sage after all." Tao Qian gave a cold laugh, then continued striding proudly off to find his donkey cart.

At this point, Lu Fan still had not figured out what this man had come for.

"My lord, what are we going back to do?" Once they were on the cart and heading back from Changping, after barely two or three li, Wei You could no longer contain his agitation and, hugging his wooden pitchfork, asked directly from the cart.

"Go back and impeach Liu Wei." Wearing his bamboo hat, Tao Qian answered casually while driving the cart.

"On what grounds?" Wei You was momentarily stunned.

"Naturally, impeach him for excessive power-grabbing and petty conduct, openly sowing discord between the Inspector and the General of the Guards." Tao Qian remained as casual as ever.

"The former charge might be manageable," Wei You replied gravely. "But if the latter is submitted, this Administrator Liu will at the very least be dismissed from office and sent home."

"Isn't that just perfect?" Tao Qian suddenly pulled his donkey cart to a halt by the roadside, then turned to look at his Mounted Escort. "The General of the Guards has deep roots in Youzhou; only his abrupt halt at Changping seems somewhat hasty. But if Administrator Liu Wei, who has held office for a long time, is removed, and then I leave as well, both the Inspector and the Administrator will be newly arrived men. At that point, even if these two wish to contend with this General of the Guards in Guangyang, they will ultimately lack the strength... Doesn't this suit the wishes of you Youzhou people perfectly?"

Wei You remained bewildered: "Setting other matters aside, why must you also leave, Lord Tao?"

"It is already settled." Tao Qian turned back and sighed softly. "The official dispatch arrived the day before yesterday; I did not tell you. There is a rebellion in Xiliang, and perhaps a great war is coming. General of Chariots and Cavalry of the Left, Lord Huangfu, recommended me to the court. Tomorrow I am to set out for Fufeng in Guanxi, to take up the post of Captain and assist Lord Huangfu in quelling the rebellion."

"This is good news." Wei You let out a deep breath of relief. "Lord Tao is originally from a border commandery and has long wished to pursue military affairs. Moreover, your tenure as Inspector of Youzhou has been unpleasant—I know all this..."

"Unpleasant is an understatement." Tao Qian laughed ruefully with his back to Wei You. "Even my most trusted and valued Mounted Escort publicly intimidated me in the hall. What meaning is there in my being Inspector? So, this departure of mine is actually better news for you than it is for me. You lose a bad-tempered old man over your heads, and you can openly and honorably ingratiate yourselves with that General of the Guards. How wonderful is that?"

Wei You sighed, but could not help hugging his wooden pitchfork and speaking solemnly: "Lord Tao, I thought this trip of yours might at least dispel some of the misunderstandings in your heart. I simply do not understand—the General of the Guards acts openly and honorably; what exactly is wrong with him?"

"Extremely good." Tao Qian answered frankly. "Otherwise, why would I, on the eve of my departure, lend him a hand by toppling Liu Wei?"

"If that is so, why still... why still adopt such an attitude?" Wei You truly could not comprehend.

"Because good is one thing, and appreciation is one thing, but refusal to submit is still refusal to submit." Tao Qian suddenly gripped the reins, his expression turning stern. "And I won't hide it from you, Old Wei. Had Lord Huangfu's recommendation not arrived early, making my departure a foregone conclusion, I would certainly have tested my strength against this General of the Guards this time. Even if it were fated to end with my hair turning white at fifty and being dismissed from office and sent home, I would still have fought him to the bitter end!"

Wei You was dumbstruck, his eyes filled with incomprehension.

"Old Wei!" Tao Qian turned his head and looked at his Mounted Escort, shaking his head with another smile. "This is where you and I differ from that General of the Guards... For you scholars, when faced with a chaotic situation, you always want to consider the bigger picture and seek stability. Yet you yourselves lack the strength, so you always seek the strongest and best among the strong to lend him your aid... Am I right?"

"Is that not good?" Wei You still did not understand.

"Of course it is good, but why could it not be me?" Tao Qian asked proudly.

Wei You was left speechless for a long while by the question. Only after a long time did he force out a reply: "My lord is already advanced in years, older even than I..."

"So old that I'm about to die?" Tao Qian could not help turning around to stare at the donkey pulling the cart and let out a scoff. "If a man lies in bed unable to move, on the verge of death, then naturally all ambition fades. But I am strong of body and vigorous in spirit; I am merely older, poorer, and weaker than that General of the Guards... Why can I not contend to be above him? Why do you not advise him to compromise and accommodate me? I am, after all, the Inspector!"

Wei You also shook his head with a solemn expression: "My lord, this is your selfish motives prevailing over public-mindedness. Let us set aside talk of victory or defeat and discuss the matter on its merits. Although you exerted considerable effort in resettling the refugees, it was far from being as composed and orderly as the General of the Guards' efforts today. Before this, you even provoked a joint counterattack from many of the two-thousand-bushel officials in the province, so much so that after the spring planting, you were powerless and wasted several months... Therefore, if one acts with public-mindedness, you should have yielded the matter to the worthy."

"Old Wei." Tao Qian laughed again. "That is another pedantic view of yours. What of selfish motives, and what of public-mindedness? Why can my selfish motives not slightly outweigh my public-mindedness? Or rather, why can you people not permit me to possess both selfish and public motives? Gongsun Xun settled his family in the city, then went out to put on a show of digging canals—is that entirely without selfish motive? A great man born into this world contends and seeks pleasure out of selfish motives, and aids the world and quells chaos out of public-mindedness—are these things mutually opposed? All men under heaven are like this! It is simply that my competitive spirit is a bit stronger, and yours, Old Wei, is a bit weaker. As for that General Gongsun... let us just watch! Is it not because I am leaving that I did not contend with him? I even cleared the path for him. As for what he can achieve, just watch slowly for yourself here in Youzhou."

Wei You wanted to speak but stopped, and finally remained silent.

And Tao Qian, a patch of graying hair at his temples revealed beneath his bamboo hat, tightened the reins again and leisurely drove his donkey cart southward... In a daze, this soon-to-be-departed Governor of Youzhou, for once, did not daydream about the war situation in Guanxi, about establishing his merit and career, quelling chaos and bringing peace to the people, as he had the previous two days. Instead, he recalled his hometown far south of the Great River.

Once upon a time, in his youth, under just such a scorching sun, he had bared his upper body and led a group of village youths playing in the mud and water, only to be called over by his father-in-law, who happened to be passing by... Thinking back, it had already been thirty or forty years.

At this very moment, what scene must his village present?

In this life, who knows when he might return home? Yet even if he could return, with his present achievements, he feared it would be difficult, as Zhuangzi put it, to contentedly be a turtle dragging its tail through the mud.

Of course, no matter what, he, Tao Gongzu, would never be a dead turtle displayed in a temple! Should he encounter such a person, this old man would surely, as Gongsun Xun and Fu Xie did to Cui Lie, spit in his face in public!

—————I am the dividing line of a scourge lasting a thousand years—————

"The Grand Ancestor encamped at Changping, personally dug irrigation ditches to the west, and further ordered Wang Xiu to administer justice in the south, and Chang Lin to distribute grain in the north. Tao Qian was Inspector of Youzhou, stationed at Ji County in Guangyang. Hearing that the Grand Ancestor was encamped nearby, he greatly disliked it, and thus, in plain clothes and a bamboo hat, drove a donkey cart out of Ji, intending to confront him face to face. He traveled from south to north, first meeting Xiu, then meeting Lin. When Lu Fan in the camp heard of this, he went to welcome him with great ceremony, saying the Grand Ancestor was to the west, and earnestly requested him to stay. Qian said nothing, turned his cart around himself, and went south, returning to Ji County. His attendants, puzzled, asked him about it. Qian then sighed and said: 'Wang Shuzhi is lenient yet strict in due measure, Chang Bohuai is meticulously exact, and Lu Ziheng is refined and courteous. These three are all men of outstanding talent. What need is there to see their master and invite humiliation upon myself? The affairs of Guangyang should be left to Gongsun.' At that time, Liangzhou was in rebellion, so Qian requested to serve as a Captain in the campaign, yielding the territory to the worthy." — "Miscellaneous Notes of the Scholarly Circles". Yan. Recorded by an Anonymous Author

(End of Chapter)