Chapter 288: Reading Ten Thousand Scrolls, Yet Not Seeking a Livelihood

"My lord truly had foresight." It was Lou Gui who had drawn Du Ji's attention away. The man stroked his beard and gave a cold laugh, seeming to have long anticipated the battle unfolding thousands of miles away. "Last winter, when the battle plans from that region arrived and we discussed this campaign, I already had a premonition... Consider this: the hearts of the people in Liangzhou have not belonged to the Han for many years now. Yet Zhang Wen, faced with such an opportunity for victory, instead of concentrating his forces to swallow Han Sui whole, split his army into six routes. Was that not simply exposing his own weakness?"

Du Ji felt a chill in his heart. Only then did it abruptly strike him that this Lou Gui, Lou Zibo, whose speech had been so casual and flippant that he had secretly come to hold him in some contempt along the journey, was also one of the foremost figures in military strategy of the age... The man had followed Gongsun Xun for many years, had often contributed to planning on the battlefield, and was hailed as a military advisor.

"Once the army splits into six routes," Lou Gui continued, stroking his beard as he explained to those around him, "the outcome of the entire campaign hangs solely on the outcome of that one route against Han Sui at Yuzhong. In other words, if the government forces win at Yuzhong against Han Sui, then the other government routes win without fighting. But if the rebels win there, then the Qiang people and the local powerful clans of Liangzhou on the other routes will inevitably rise up and counterattack, driving the government forces back out. There is only one thing I truly do not understand: how did those thirty thousand government troops lose? Clearly, they only needed to rely on their numerical advantage, detach a portion to cut off the enemy's supply lines, and then they could have leisurely besieged the city... Could it be that those thirty thousand men were the ones who had their own grain route severed instead?"

The crowd buzzed with discussion, yet from Lou Gui to Tian Yu, from Du Ji to Jing Ze, they could not help but glance repeatedly at Gongsun Xun, whose expression remained as calm as ever, hoping he would offer some explanation.

"In the final analysis, it still comes down to the hearts of the people in Liangzhou not belonging to the Han." Gongsun Xun, however, did not express any particular stance on such a major event, instead appearing somewhat unconcerned. "In any case, the matter in Liangzhou will not be resolved anytime soon. Just as the power of the eunuchs in the court will not be easily checked for a while... We need not think too much on it."

The people on the field ridge hurriedly voiced their agreement.

"For now, the best course is to handle our own affairs well." Having said this, Gongsun Xun turned with a smiling expression toward Du Ji, who had been stealing glances at him all along. "Youxi says that Bohou possesses the talent of a Xiao He. I naturally believe that. But there is a matter recently that truly troubles me, and I was just thinking of seeking your advice, Bohou."

Du Ji quickly collected his thoughts, then slightly raised his head and asked, "Is my lord troubled by how the refugee military colonies should coexist with the surrounding government offices, established clans, powerful local families, and commoners?"

"The government offices are manageable. It is mainly the established clans and powerful families, along with the commoners who are often vying to join the refugee colonies..." Gongsun Xun hastened to explain, but halfway through his words, he paused in sudden realization. "Did Zibo tell you on the road?"

"He mentioned some of it," Du Ji answered immediately.

"I didn't say anything!" Lou Gui was momentarily speechless.

Jing Ze, one foot still sunk in the mud, was too stunned to speak.

Gongsun Xun burst out laughing despite himself, then turned to look at Ju Zong, Ju Gongtiao.

"Brother Zibo only mentioned that too many refugees are now participating in the military colonies, while there is too little empty land, so my lord has been forced to disperse and resettle refugees everywhere from Yuyang to Liangxiang." Ju Zong thought for a moment, then recounted the matter exactly as it was. "I imagine Bohou, with his quick mind, drew inferences and from this perceived where my lord's difficulty lay."

Gongsun Xun laughed even more, then turned back to Du Ji. "Since that is the case, does Bohou have advice for me?"

"I do not." Du Ji remained composed. "I have served as a Commandery Merit Evaluator, County Magistrate, and Commandery Assistant, handling many administrative affairs, so upon first arriving, I could identify where the problem lay. However, precisely because I have handled many administrative affairs, I also know that different places and different circumstances call for different approaches. Without seeing the reality, without hearing the details, one must not speak recklessly."

Gongsun Xun smiled even more broadly. "In that case, Bohou, why not go to the Changping Academy and serve as a lecturer for a time? Once you have gained some insight, come find me again."

This was clearly a matter of mutual evaluation. Du Ji immediately bowed his head in assent.

Gongsun Xun then turned his gaze to Jing Ze, causing the latter a moment of nervousness.

"Youxi, you should go as well," Gongsun Xun instructed after a moment's thought. "Is your learning not passed down through your family? Go and lecture on your family's 'Jing Shi Yi'..."

"Understood." Jing Ze did not know whether this was good or bad, but he quickly nodded.

"And Gongtiao." Gongsun Xun turned back to Ju Zong. "The spring plowing is busy, and yet the academy happens to be short-handed. You must go to Changping to assist Ziheng in handling my documents and miscellaneous affairs, and also go to the academy to lecture... Now at the Changping Private Academy, from myself on down, whether local Youzhou scholars or my personal subordinates, even veteran officials from the province and commanderies, all must serve concurrently as lecturers."

Ju Zong naturally agreed wholeheartedly, while Jing Ze and Du Ji could not help exchanging a glance. By now, both understood perfectly well that this lecturer post at the Changping Private Academy likely combined the dual characteristics of a Gentleman Cadet and an Erudite in Luoyang, and more besides. And for newcomers like them, this place was clearly an excellent position from which one could advance or retreat.

The meeting on the field ridge ended easily in a pleasant atmosphere. After inspecting the colony site there, Gongsun Xun entrusted the matters to the site's manager, Zao Zhi, then made a tour of the colony site north of Yuyang City managed by Han Hao, before finally turning back toward Changping.

By this time, Gongsun Xun finally learned the specific details of the government army's great defeat in Liangzhou.

As it turned out, Lou Zibo had been exactly right: the government forces, despite their numerical advantage, had their own supply lines cut by the rebels instead!

The story goes that General Zhou Shen, General Who Subdues Bandits, led thirty thousand troops under orders to march on Yuzhong City to suppress Han Sui, whose forces already numbered fewer than twenty thousand. Sun Jian, the Army Major previously inserted into the ranks by Zhang Wen, had early on taken the initiative to propose that ten thousand troops be detached to him, Sun Wentai, to go directly outside Yuzhong City and isolate the rebel supply lines. Zhou Shen would then follow with the remaining twenty thousand men, protecting the supply line while forming a strategic deterrent.

Under such an arrangement, if the rebels came out of the city for a decisive battle, Zhou Shen and Sun Jian could attack from front and rear, achieving victory in a single stroke. If the rebels did not move, they could simply wait for the enemy to run out of provisions and collapse on their own... In any case, the government forces would have uninterrupted supplies, while the rebels would be unable to resupply.

However, Zhou Shen publicly rejected this extremely prudent suggestion from Sun Jian. Moreover, he openly told those around him that as a man of Liangzhou fighting in Liangzhou, how could he possibly let Sun Jian, a man from Yangzhou, seize the chief merit?

And correspondingly, this General Who Subdues Bandits actually personally led his entire army to the walls of Yuzhong City to confront Han Sui and Bian Zhang directly.

At first, the situation was fairly good. For the Han army, although the roads were difficult, they had the upstream waterway of the Yellow River as a natural supply line. For the rebels, it was a desperate situation with their city besieged and their supply lines cut off!

However, just as the grain in the city was running low, Han Sui, with most of his main force trapped in Yuzhong City, sought life in the midst of death and actually employed a rather familiar tactic—he had his peripheral small units abandon efforts to restore the supply line and instead, relying on their familiarity with the terrain, circle around behind the government forces, block the Yellow River waterway, and in turn cut off the government army's supply line!

The facts proved that when both sides lost their supply lines, the smaller number of local rebels could hold out better than the larger number of government troops who had come from afar. Within just a few days, the Han army fell into disorder first. Then, in a panic, Zhou Shen actually chose to strike camp and retreat with the entire army. At this moment, Han Sui and Bian Zhang, having regained their supplies, immediately pursued along the route, and the Han army collapsed in a complete rout!

Next, just as Lou Gui had said earlier, the hearts of the people in Xiliang did not belong to the Han. The vast majority had actually been watching and waiting. Seeing Han Sui's desperate counterattack, the neutral Han and Qiang forces in the various commanderies of Liangzhou also firmly took their stand and counterattacked against the Han army... Of the six government routes, five collapsed directly in rout. Only one, Dong Zhuo, Dong Zhongying, camped with his back to the river, then built a dam and pretended to fish, lulling the opposing Qiang people into complacency, and was thus able to secretly lead his army across the river via the dam, returning with his entire force intact.

After this battle, Dong Zhongying alone preserved thirty thousand troops. Together with the remnant defeated soldiers from the other routes, there were still fifty to sixty thousand men. But the previous hundred-thousand-strong army had fought bitterly for half a year, exhausting the people and draining the treasury for this purpose, and now all previous efforts were wasted. In the end, it was a total defeat on all fronts.

And although the rebels had successfully counterattacked, they had, after all, suffered a major defeat earlier as well, and were fighting within their own territory with scarce military supplies, so they had absolutely no strength to counterattack into Hanyang, which was heavily defended by Dong Zhuo's troops. The situation in Liangzhou once again entered a stalemate.

It is said that currently in Liangzhou, the entire commandery of Hanyang is held by government forces, and the entire commandery of Jincheng is held by the rebels. The remaining Anding, Beidi, Wudu, Longxi, and Wuwei are in a bizarre configuration where the major cities are under government jurisdiction, but the countryside and tribal areas outside the cities are entirely in rebel hands.

"As expected, it will drag on." Within the Changping Private Academy, Gongsun Xun, having just returned, shook his head helplessly over this detailed intelligence report from his two younger brothers in the central government. "Though it is said that in affairs under Heaven, the strong in arms and sturdy in horses prevail, yet if the hearts of the people are lost, where will strong arms and sturdy horses come from?"

Lu Fan, Lou Gui, and the others who had come before Gongsun Xun to review this intelligence were all full of sighs as well. Only Ju Zong stood with his hands clasped, silent and motionless.

Gongsun Xun was momentarily curious. "Does Gongtiao have something to say?"

"There is indeed a matter to mention," Ju Zong said with a serious expression. "Earlier, my lord said that if Du Bohou gained some insight, he could come to find you... And since the day before yesterday, he has been constantly asking me when my lord will return."

Gongsun Xun could not help but be taken aback. "I parted with him at Liangxiang to go to Yuyang, and stayed there no more than seven days in total. If we count from the day before yesterday, even trimming the ends, he has been in Changping no more than six or seven days... and he has already gained insight?"

Lou Zibo and the others also looked at each other in astonishment.

Lu Fan, however, had a moment of sudden realization and actually turned around to ask Ju Zong, "Gongtiao, was that Du Ji, Du Bohou, the one who has been talking incessantly in your home these past two days?"

Ju Zong immediately nodded.

Gongsun Xun, Lou Gui, and the others were even more baffled upon hearing this.

"My lord may not be aware," Lu Fan explained with a laugh. "Gongtiao and I had not seen each other for many years, and now that he is assisting me in my work, when I previously arranged lodgings, I placed him in the empty suite to my left... The previous few days were fine, but starting the evening of the day before yesterday, someone there began holding forth at length, expounding entirely on the gains and losses of the refugee colonies..."

Gongsun Xun burst into helpless laughter.

How could he not understand now? This Du Ji was clearly a man of 'deliberate intent.' On one hand, he had entrusted Ju Zong not to forget to remind him, the General of the Guards, to summon him, Du Bohou, to hear his opinions and evaluate his abilities. On the other hand, he had employed a little trick, broadcasting his arguments in advance so that Lu Fan, the Chief Clerk to the General of the Guards and the foremost figure in Changping in his absence, would hear his discourse ahead of time... In this way, whether he himself returned too late, or Ju Zong forgot to recommend him, nothing would cause him delay.

Even darker, if Ju Zong were a petty man preparing to use underhanded means to plagiarize his 'insights,' he would only bring disgrace upon himself.

Of course, Gongsun Xun was not incapable of understanding him. After all, this era ultimately still emphasized status and class. People like himself, who had been instilled with certain ideals from childhood and were willing to treat the worthy with courtesy, were truly rare... Every single one counted as an extraordinary figure.

That the man had some minor tricks was not entirely unacceptable.

However, the converse must also be said: if this Du Ji was all grandiose talk with no real talent or solid learning in his breast, then all this posturing and petty cleverness would only swiftly cut short his future prospects.

In summary, it ultimately depended on what goods he had in his belly.

With this thought, Gongsun Xun disregarded his fatigue, did not even ask Ju Zong or Lu Fan about the man's level, and simply rose to his feet, actually going to seek the man out on his own initiative.

It was afternoon, and Du Ji had no classes. He was reading in the academy's library. This man was different from Jing Ze, who had come with him... Jing Ze knew his own abilities were insufficient, lacking fundamental talent to rely on, so he was always amiable with everyone, spending every spare moment socializing with the various figures in the academy. Du Ji, however, was widely acknowledged to carry a certain aloofness. Except for a few people he deemed critical, he was never one to waste pleasantries.

Even so, when Gongsun Xun, having just returned to Changping, came alone to seek him out, the man was more or less stirred.

"Bohou, please remain seated. Gongtiao says you have gained some insight. I must ask you to speak frankly and offer your instruction." Seeing that the building was sparsely populated in the afternoon, and that the second floor where Du Ji sat was almost empty, Gongsun Xun simply offered a respectful bow, then impatiently came straight to the point.

Seeing the other man bow, Du Ji could not help but adopt a serious expression. "My lord treats others with such sincerity. If I did not respond with all my heart, would that not be laughable?"

Gongsun Xun sat down and composed himself to listen attentively.

"Forgive my presumption." Du Ji also settled back into his seat and spoke frankly. "In my view, my lord, though everything here seems to be going smoothly, hidden troubles lurk beneath... Of course, if that were not the case, my lord would not have questioned me as you did earlier."

"Then what specific troubles do you see?" Gongsun Xun asked with a serious expression. "And from whom do these troubles come?"

"The first question is simple — one can learn the answer with a little inquiry. The second question is the crux, the true heart of the matter." Du Bohou remained poised and self-assured. "In the few days I have been here, I have already seen clearly... As for the government offices, things seem fairly smooth. Whether in Guangyang, Yuyang, or Zhuo Commandery, the senior officials and court-appointed officers in these places are mostly willing to cooperate fully with my lord. This is not to say they do so willingly, nor that they are happy to watch my lord throw his weight around in their jurisdictions. Rather, it is because my lord possesses rank, reputation, local prestige, financial resources, material resources, and military force in full... These men, here merely to serve their terms of office, have no wish to stir up trouble, nor do they have any fundamental conflict with my lord. Thus, though they appear the strongest and have the most reason to oppose my lord, they are precisely not where the real trouble lies."

"True."

"In other words, those truly resentful of my lord overstepping his authority with the civilian colonies are not these officials, but the local gentry clans!" Du Ji let out a brief laugh. "However, they are only half-suspicious and half-wary, half-resisting and half-complying. In the future, they may even come to support my lord's actions... as long as the realm continues to descend into chaos. For when that time comes, they will instead wish to rely on my lord to ensure local stability."

Gongsun Xun remained silent.

"Then there are the common people." Du Ji continued with a smile. "The troubles between the civilian colonies and the common people — I have also seen these clearly. The occasional incidents that arise are not really due to clashes in customs or struggles over land. In truth, although there is much good farmland here, and my lord urgently needs good land to settle the refugees, even in Youzhou, how much of the finest acreage actually belongs to these ordinary farming households? In fact, from what I have observed, the local people actually envy the simple governance and clean administration of the civilian colonies. After all, under my lord's system, though they have agreed to pay taxes and deliver grain levies, only what is stipulated is taken. Compared to the local people, who nominally pay light poll taxes but suffer under layers of complex exploitation, the colony settlers actually live more easily."

"Civilian colonies of this sort, with their heavy taxes and strict controls and restrictions on freedom, are no long-term solution," Gongsun Xun sighed. "Sooner or later, they must be relaxed. Yet with the outside world in such chaos, the poor suffer extraordinary hardship, which makes the colonies seem advantageous by comparison."

"This brings us to the fourth category of people — those my lord must be most vigilant against." Du Ji's expression suddenly turned grave. "The powerful magnates of Youzhou. Though on the surface they bow their heads and obey my lord, and not a single discordant word seems to escape their lips... yet registered households, population, and land are the very foundation of their standing. My lord's current actions will sooner or later provoke their discontent. And in the future, if you wish to settle even more refugees, you can only take from them. These men, I have also seen clearly — whether in Youzhou or Yizhou, whether north of the Yellow River or west of the passes, they are all brutal and short-sighted wretches. Should they spy an opportunity, there will surely be rebellion and treachery!"

"Well said." Hearing this, Gongsun Xun had already mentally graded Du Ji as excellent, but he pressed on relentlessly. "But the magnates — or rather, the matter of the magnates, the households, and the population — how exactly should it be handled?"

"I have four strategies." Du Ji raised his head and answered. "If my lord can implement them, you will surely be able to suppress those people, and may even seize the opportunity to grasp the heartland of Youzhou!"

Gongsun Xun smiled but did not respond.

"These four strategies: the first is called Reputation, the second Substance, the third Binding, and the fourth Killing!" Du Ji's speech remained composed.

Gongsun Xun laughed again. "Bohou, hold your words for a moment. I have already fully grasped your ability... The reason I returned to Changping so early is that my mother will arrive in two days. You should also know that these civilian colonies rely entirely on the financial and material support of the Anli Trading House, which my mother founded. As for why the powerful magnates appear so obedient on the surface, that too is largely connected to the Anli Trading House. Go and prepare first — draw up a detailed, itemized proposal. I must present it to her."

————I am the dividing line for reporting to my old mother————

"Du Ji, styled Bohou, was a man of Duling in Jingzhao. Orphaned young, he was mistreated by his stepmother, yet became known for his filial piety. At the age of twenty, he served as a Merit Officer for the commandery and acting Magistrate of Zheng County. The county prison held several hundred inmates; Ji personally visited the jail, weighed the severity of their cases, and adjudicated and released them all. Though not every judgment was perfectly fitting, the commandery marveled that one so young could possess such grand vision. He was recommended as Filial and Incorrupt and appointed Assistant Magistrate of Hanzhong. When the realm fell into chaos, he abandoned his post and sojourned in Youzhou. Ji arrived at Changping and attached himself to the Grand Ancestor. The Grand Ancestor treated him as ordinary and did not draw him close. Ji therefore lodged at the residence of his old friend Ju Zong and spoke with him through the night. Lu Fan, then serving as Chief Clerk to the Guard General and in charge of confidential affairs, lived next door to Zong. Hearing Ji's words by night, he was struck by them. At dawn, he sent a man to tell Zong: 'You have a talent worthy of a state, yet you do not present him — how will you answer to the General?' Upon meeting Ji, he knew him as if they were old acquaintances, and thus recommended Ji to the Grand Ancestor." — New Book of Yan, Volume 74, Biography 24

Apologies, my schedule has collapsed.

(End of Chapter)