Chapter 291: The Starry River Hangs at the Door, the Night Is Long as Dawn

"It doesn't matter how you answer."

Beneath the shade of the trees, Gongsun Xun glanced at the other man's hand gripping the melon, paused only a moment, then answered decisively. "Because I will absolutely not get involved in this matter."

Xu You withdrew his hand once more, yet showed neither haste nor anger: "Wenqi's wisdom, I too admire it. But you have long resided in Youzhou, and perhaps do not know the situation beyond. These past years, the Son of Heaven has utterly lost the hearts of the people. In private, everyone speaks of him as a rare benighted and perverse ruler, unprecedented in history; the respect of old is long gone. Thus, if this deposition and enthronement truly succeeds, the hearts of all under Heaven might well breathe a sigh of relief, and even rejoice to see it done!"

"And after it succeeds?" Gongsun Xun said dismissively. "Who can guarantee the Marquis of Hefei will be any better than the present Son of Heaven? Moreover, to forcibly depose and enthrone by force of arms — the Marquis of Hefei is already a grown man. Whether he proves worthy or benighted, once he is Son of Heaven, how will he regard the 'Yi Yin and Huo Guang' who carried out this deed? Will he not feel a constant thorn in his side? And when that time comes, how should Wang Wenzu and people like you and me conduct ourselves? Besides, a man as clever as you, Xu Ziyuan, actually using a cicada that will rot after autumn as a metaphor — clearly you too hold no hope for this affair, and are merely going through the motions with utter indifference. Why bother trying to fool me?"

Faced with this string of counter-questions, Xu You only smiled and said nothing.

"Ziyuan." A summer breeze swept by, the trees overhead rustling slightly, light and shadow dancing. Gongsun Xun fixed his gaze on the other man and asked seriously. "Is Yuan Benchu really so eager for me to climb the tree and swat cicadas for him, while he stands below with open mouth to catch them? Do not tell me this matter has nothing to do with him."

Xu You's expression finally turned solemn. Yet he reached out once more toward the largest melon on the low table, gathered it into his arms, and only after the gust of wind had fully passed and the tree shadows ceased their swaying did this wealth-loving advisor stroke the melon and softly counter: "How much does Wenqi wish to hear?"

"I want to hear it all, to the very bottom!" Gongsun Xun stared coldly at him. "Name your price!"

Xu You raised the melon in his arms as a gesture: "A thousand jin of gold."

"My money is not blown in by the wind either." Gongsun Xun could not help but sneer. "And since becoming head of the household, I have grown rather stingy. A thousand jin of gold — how many refugees could that settle? Brother Ziyuan, you must guarantee your words are worth that price."

"Why must Wenqi be like this?" Xu You replied helplessly. "Has my home not suffered a flood? Besides, these years, on one hand the court recklessly mints new coin, on the other the realm is in chaos, and much hidden gold and silver has been brought out to buy grain and silk. Though gold and silver are weighty, they have gradually become easier to come by. Why must you be so miserly?"

Gongsun Xun sneered and did not answer.

"Very well!" Xu You said, increasingly resigned. "Wenqi, between you and me, dealings have always been fair, and we have cooperated for a long time. So... I trust you. This time, I will speak first. If you feel Yuan Benchu's calculations against you are not worth a thousand jin, then simply do not give it to me. But I believe that with Wenqi's wisdom, when the time comes, you will certainly have a thousand jin for me!"

Gongsun Xun gestured with his hand for him to proceed.

"Just as Wenqi said." Xu You spoke, one hand cradling the melon, the other stroking his beard. "This time, it is indeed Yuan Benchu's doing. We first learned that the Son of Heaven intended to make a tour of his home region, and only then did we hastily leave Luoyang to bribe that diviner, having him speak those words to Wang Fen. And this move is in truth a stratagem of driving the tiger to devour the wolf!"

"Who is the tiger, and who is the wolf?"

"If the affair succeeds, then naturally you bold spirits of Hebei and Shandong are the tigers, and the Son of Heaven and the eunuchs are the wolves!" Xu You answered calmly. "But if the affair fails, then naturally the Son of Heaven is the tiger, and you are the wolves!"

"The first statement is easy to understand." Gongsun Xun's mind stirred slightly. "How do you explain the second?"

"Wang Fen has been in Jizhou for three or four years, and you have been in Youzhou for over three years. If the affair fails, can the Son of Heaven spare the officials of Jizhou? Can he spare you, Gongsun Xun?"

"But what if I do not go along with this affair?"

"Is it up to you to say whether you went along or not? Someone wants to carry out a deposition and enthronement in Hebei. Though the chief instigator is Wang Fen of Jizhou, can you, the master of the north who sits securely in Youzhou, escape implication? Or rather, will the Son of Heaven believe you can escape implication?"

"Even if I cannot escape implication, what can he do to me?" Gongsun Xun suddenly countered. "Liangzhou has rebelled in its entirety, pressing straight toward Chang'an; the rebellion in Jiangxia is not yet quelled, and the White Wave bandits have risen in Bingzhou; the floods between the Huai and Si rivers have barely receded, and the Yellow Turbans of Qing and Xu have already seized Mount Tai to wreak havoc in the Central Plains. In the third month, Liu Yan submitted a memorial to the court, proposing the restoration of the Zhoumu system due to the chaos in all directions. The only reason it was barely rejected was that at the time, the Central Plains had not yet suffered floods, and You and Ji provinces were still peaceful. Now that the Central Plains, Qing, and Xu are in great chaos, does he still wish to throw You and Ji into chaos as well?"

"Who knows?" Xu You, unhurried, continued with a mocking smile. "Perhaps that Son of Heaven in Luoyang understands this in his heart, perhaps he does not. But even if he does understand, even if he does not move against the General of the Guards, are there no other methods and means at his disposal?"

"I am not yet one to fear a bit of wind and waves."

"I can see that as well." Xu You remained perfectly amiable. "Our General of the Guards has sunk roots so deep in Youzhou that as long as he is here in Changping, he fears nothing at all. But will Wenqi spend his entire life only in Youzhou? Was it not you yourself who said that sooner or later, you must walk the central stage once more? That being the case, what of all those arrangements Wenqi made in Jizhou for your return journey?"

"What do you mean?" Gongsun Xun asked curiously.

"Why put on such an act?" Xu You lowered his head dismissively and flicked at his robes. "These past few years, the realm has been in chaos, and Wang Fen is not the only one sitting securely as a provincial inspector without moving. Early last year, because of the defeat in Liangzhou, coupled with the earlier matter of twelve eunuchs being enfeoffed as marquises, the court was once thrown into instability. Everyone said the court was unjust, and so the Son of Heaven was forced to re-appease the meritorious officials who had quelled the Yellow Turbans, allowing many of them to keep their positions. Not to mention others — Shen Zhengnan in Qinghe, Dong Gongren in Zhao, and your brother Gongsun Zan in Bohai. These three men have held three sides of Jizhou's borders for many years now. If the Son of Heaven were to dismiss them because of this affair, what could you do? Wang Fen is guilty of high treason, and he has been in Jizhou for years with deep roots. For the Son of Heaven to purge Jizhou as a precaution — would that not be entirely within reason?"

Gongsun Xun's expression remained as usual, still unmoved.

"Wenqi, this is precisely Yuan Benchu's killing move against you." Xu You looked at the other man's face and sighed quietly. "This man Wang Fen — his ambition is great but his talent meager, and he lacks sufficient military force in his hands. For a matter of deposition and enthronement, he actually calls out to friends and companions, from Qingzhou to Yuzhou, from Yanzhou to Youzhou, seeking bold spirits everywhere, making it known to all..."

Gongsun Xun's expression still did not change.

Xu You paused, and seeing this, could not help but let out a scoff before continuing: "In truth, if you, Wenqi, were to participate, then Yuan Benchu, in order to roast you over the fire, would coordinate matters in Luoyang, and this affair might still have a twenty or thirty percent chance. But a capable and clever man like you, Wenqi, would never participate at all, so this affair is certain to fail! And once the affair is exposed, a purge of the Jizhou officialdom is an absolute certainty. Even Youzhou and Bingzhou might well be implicated. This chain of events — there is absolutely no chance of escaping unscathed!"

Gongsun Xun's expression remained calm, as if he had not understood at all.

Xu You paid no heed. He merely leaned on the low table and rose, drawing closer to the other man: "Wenqi, I only ask you this: without those claws and fangs spread across Hebei to serve as your distant support, when the Son of Heaven one day passes away, on what basis will you enter Luoyang to contend with Yuan Benchu? And furthermore, once the Jizhou officialdom is emptied, how many of the newly arrived officials do you think will be disciples and former subordinates of the Yuan clan? If it truly comes to comparing that, can your mere handful of men compare to theirs? In fact, considering the contest between you and Yuan Benchu alone, originally it was he who held Luoyang, and you who held Hebei. But now, with one brilliant move from him, the entire situation in Hebei has been reversed. This is a stratagem of Guo Tu of Yingchuan. Before I came, I was utterly prostrate with admiration for this move."

"So," Gongsun Xun finally showed a slight change of expression. "Yuan Benchu has actually taken a fancy to this broken place, Hebei? With such deep foundations in Ru, Ying, Wan, and Luo, why would he want to come to a place like this?"

"Who knows?" Now that the other party had finally reacted, Xu You himself seemed somewhat perplexed. "Perhaps Yuan Ji and Yuan Shu are contending with him for the foundations in Luoyang and the south. Perhaps he has other plans. It is not for me to speculate too much..."

Gongsun Xun understood in his heart. Ultimately, to say that Yuan Benchu was now, like him, Gongsun Xun, preparing for a standoff of separatist regimes — that was nonsense.

After all, from Yuan Shao's perspective, at this moment he must still be pinning his hopes on resolving matters in Luoyang, achieving a joint regency between the Yuan clan and He Jin, and then taking further steps to manipulate and sideline He Jin, thereby allowing the Yuan clan to seize governing power. When that time came, whether the Yuan clan wished to emulate Wang Mang in usurping the Han, or Huo Guang in deposing and enthroning, or whatever else... in any case, the entire Yuan family could never have imagined the dramatic turn events would later take.

One must understand, the collapse of the Han had both inevitabilities and contingencies. The inevitabilities need not be mentioned, but without Dong Zhuo, that reckless brute from Xiliang, how could there have been such a sudden and total fragmentation into warlord regimes? Even if Yuan Shao had ten thousand suspicions, he could never have imagined that Dong Zhuo, a former subordinate of the Yuan clan, would, upon entering Luoyang, overturn the table without a care, and in a flash seize the central authority for himself.

Such actions can only be said to show that, after the great bloodshed and lessons of the preceding decades, Yuan Shao and the majority of radical scholar-officials had all come to realize that the coming situation would still require military force to resolve. That was why they put some thought into the provinces, seeking to obtain military support to oppose the Son of Heaven and the eunuchs. Of course, according to Xu You's implication, Yuan Shao's actions this time clearly also had the intent of killing two birds with one stone, incidentally targeting him, Gongsun Xun.

And it had truly struck a vital point.

For several years, Dong Zhao and Shen Pei had remained secure in their positions. Yet according to his mother's warning, the beginning of the great era of contention was just next year. How could they be lost all at once now?

"Ziyuan came merely to deliver this news?" At this thought, Gongsun Xun finally furrowed his brows slightly.

"Is delivering the news not enough?" Xu You was utterly speechless. "Wenqi, knowing this news, you can extract Dong Gongren and Shen Zhengnan in advance, and send them back once the dust has settled. Does my news not count as worth a thousand jin?"

Gongsun Xun was actually left with no words to reply.

What else could he do? He could hardly say: if I extract them now, it will be too late, right? Oh, the Son of Heaven only has a few good months left — how do you know that? When the time comes and the Son of Heaven truly kicks the bucket, whose fault will it be? Did you hex him to death?

This was no joke. Given the superstitions of this era, it would likely truly be pinned on him.

Therefore, even if he were to discuss countermeasures based on this premise, he would have to do so with his trusted confidants. Facing Xu You, Gongsun Xun truly had nothing he could say.

Xu Ziyuan, for once, grew somewhat flustered: "What does Wenqi mean by this?"

"I have doubts in my heart." Gongsun Xun abruptly rose. "Therefore, I will first give you one hundred jin. If in the end, I still follow your suggestion and have Shen Zhengnan and the others evade this calamity, I will give you the remaining nine hundred jin. If they cannot evade it, then this news is worth only one hundred jin."

"Be that as it may," Xu You hastily threw down the melon, rose, and seized the other man's arm. "I also trust Wenqi... But why? Why not quickly have them evade it?"

"The realm is in chaos, and Liangzhou is beyond anyone's control." Gongsun Xun, expressionless, turned back and answered. "After autumn, the rebels are certain to besiege the Guanzhong region in force. When that time comes, should the state have need, I, as General of the Guards, might well have to set aside personal grievances and march forth bearing heavy burdens. In that case, firstly, there would be no time to make adjustments for Shen Zhengnan and Dong Gongren, and secondly, it would no longer be necessary."

This time it was Xu You's turn to be speechless. He of course suspected this might be a perfunctory excuse, but he also dared not definitively rule out that the other man would actually do such a thing. After all, he also understood Gongsun Xun's character. This man had lain low and endured for three or four years; it was about time he could no longer hold back and prepared to return!

Moreover, Gongsun Xun was ultimately a man of his word. So Xu You could only helplessly release his grip, silently praying that the other man would ultimately follow his strategy and make arrangements in advance, rather than growing restless in stillness and emerging from the mountains once more.

That evening, setting aside how Xu You lodged there and how many sour looks he cast at Wang Fen's trusted aides and advisors, Gongsun Xun also summoned his own confidants to discuss this matter in depth.

And to Lu Fan, Lou Gui, Wang Xiu, Xi Zhong, and the increasingly valued Du Ji, Gongsun Xun naturally had no need to repeat such perfunctory excuses as campaigning after autumn. Instead, he bluntly voiced his hidden worry:

"The situation is thus: Yuan Benchu is driving the tiger to devour the wolf, and as it happens, the Son of Heaven's health is already failing. I fear that dodging at this moment is already too late, and would instead backfire, causing us to lose the initiative. Yet if we ignore it and do nothing, we can only sit by and lose years of arrangements in Jizhou."

The group fell silent for a time.

Wang Xiu was always silent when encountering such matters. Lou Gui was not skilled in political intrigue. Lu Fan had grown increasingly prudent and was unwilling to be drawn lightly into disputes. Du Ji, after all, was still relatively new. However, the fact that Xi Zhong, who was always perceptive and exceedingly adept at such matters, remained silent at this moment was somewhat strange.

Thus, it was not only Gongsun Xun; in the end, nearly everyone looked toward Xi Zhicai.

Xi Zhicai could not help but sigh: "My lord, if it is truly so, I can only advise you to abandon something. Or else, follow Xu Ziyuan's warning, and have Dong Gongren and Shen Zhengnan withdraw in time. You could even directly invite them to come here and quietly await the turn of Heaven's seasons. After all, we are here in Youzhou at this moment, and have no other means to interfere in the affairs of Luoyang and Jizhou. And since we cannot interfere, we can only sit and watch the changes unfold."

At this point, Xi Zhong could not help but fix his gaze on Gongsun Xun and solemnly warn him: "Surely you cannot have endured these bitter years in Youzhou, only to waver over such a matter when the moment is at hand? The Son of Heaven is muddled and perverse, yet he remains the Son of Heaven who has held the Mandate for decades. Whatever my lord intends, his death is the optimal moment to act… and my lord himself has said that his life will not last much longer."

Gongsun Xun met this with silence, and turned instead to look at Du Ji.

Du Ji was equally blunt and direct: "I believe what Zhicai has said is exactly right. My lord has endured here in concealment for several years; he would not waver over two arrangements in Jizhou. For as long as my lord remains in Youzhou and keeps the situation stable, then once the Son of Heaven passes and the opportune moment appears, even without support from Jizhou, my lord, wielding the strength of Youzhou, will be unstoppable advancing from north to south… There is no need to shake the greater plan for this. I imagine both Shen and Dong understand my lord's difficulties as well."

Gongsun Xun's expression remained as usual, and he turned again to look at Lu Fan.

Lu Fan was silent for a moment, then nodded in agreement: "As long as Wenqi sits steady in Guangyang, when the time of Heaven arrives, success will come naturally. There is no need to disrupt the plan for this."

With his trusted confidants so unanimous, Gongsun Xun finally nodded slowly: "In that case, write to the two of them and tell them to be cautious, and expose Wang Fen's affair ahead of time, so as to avoid trouble brewing in the long night."

Everyone voiced their approval. And once their views were aligned, they did not linger, but took their leave one after another and departed the General of the Guards' residence.

On a summer night, the River of Stars hung high, illuminating the road with remarkable clarity. The men carried no lanterns, nor did they let servants follow, but simply strolled back toward the quarters where the shogunate staff were lodged further behind.

A few dozen paces out from the General of the Guards' residence, Xi Zhong suddenly spoke: "Today I finally understand how Dong Gongren felt that day by the riverbank."

The others all broke into laughter.

"Gentlemen, do not just laugh — what is to be done?" Xi Zhong asked with a rueful smile. "Our lord's bearing makes it plain that prolonged stillness has stirred a desire to move."

"In truth, ever since word of Fu Nanrong's death arrived last winter, Wenqi has been finding it hard to restrain himself." Lu Fan gazed up at the River of Stars overhead and sighed. "Since his youth, he has never been able to rein in that heroic spirit of his. Once it flares, he ignores all considerations of the situation and insists on stepping forward directly — so it was at Liucheng, so it was at Mount Danhan, so it was when he purged the eunuchs in Luoyang… and so it was that day by the Hutuo River, when Dong Gongren was utterly won over!"

"It is not only Fu Nanrong. This time Yuan Benchu has made a rare frontal provocation, and our lord is surely unwilling to yield as well," Lou Gui added from the side. "It is just that as our lord grows older, his emotions no longer show on his face… Were we not long in his service, I fear we would not even perceive it."

"Leaving aside how to counter such a formidable move from Yuan Benchu," Du Ji interjected helplessly, "the situation in Youzhou right now is truly excellent. If he could endure for three years… and if what our lord says is true, then why can he not endure this final year? Why must he wade into troubled waters now?"

"The stability of Youzhou rests entirely on our lord's presence here; he truly should not leave without authorization," Wang Xiu also earnestly expressed his view. "The moment he departs, who knows how those powerful clans and foreign tribes will stir, or whether the military colonies will be affected?"

"But if he could endure, would he still be our lord?" Lou Gui snorted with a helpless laugh. "Besides, if our lord were not one who repeatedly does what others cannot, why would we follow him? What is called a hero, is it not precisely one who does things that are against self-interest yet righteous? To go and do them, and to succeed — only then can one win the hearts of all under Heaven."

Beneath the River of Stars, the five men all came to a halt.

"I shall go!" Xi Zhong suddenly sighed. "It was I who first spoke to say it could not be done, so let it be I who resolves this… After all, if it is done swiftly enough, perhaps I can still return to Youzhou in time to oversee the greater situation. As for what Shuzhi said — the situation in Youzhou is excellent, and I imagine it will not waver merely because our lord is temporarily absent. And even if it does waver somewhat, it will settle the moment our lord returns."

With these words, the man turned around and headed back.

The other four each remained silent for a moment, then continued on their way forward.

For a time, the River of Stars hung high, and cicadas sang in the still night.

——————I am the dividing line of ceaseless cicada song——————

"The Grand Ancestor dwelt in Guangyang. Shortly thereafter, Wang Fen, Inspector of Jizhou, sent Xu You as an envoy to propose deposing the emperor. The Grand Ancestor angrily rebuked him. After You departed, the Grand Ancestor stood at night beneath the River of Stars and sighed. His close attendants, understanding his intent, all urged him: 'The Son of Heaven is muddled and chaotic, and thus our lord finds no place at court. Now the realm has already risen in revolt, yet our forces are insufficient even to defend ourselves. The villages and districts of Youzhou have received our lord's grace and favor, and will surely follow him. You should dwell peacefully in Guangyang, lead and encourage righteous men, watch for the Way to appear, and then act, so as to deliver all under Heaven.' The Grand Ancestor sighed deeply: 'The Son of Heaven is indeed muddled, but in the chaos of Guanxi, what crime did Fu Nanrong commit? In Wang Fen's treachery, what hardship have the officials of Jizhou deserved? And the common people of both regions are likewise greatly entangled in suffering… A true man, born into this world, must do what ought to be done.' His attendants thereupon ceased their persuasion." — The Old Book of Yan, Scroll 1, Annals of the Martial Emperor, Grand Ancestor

A note about the group… The original group of 1,600 people seems to have been maliciously destroyed… there was no choice… a new group has been formed: 931557287. This is not a VIP group. Answer a plot question when joining to prove you are genuinely following the story, and you may enter.

(End of Chapter)