Chapter 300

In the fifth year of Zhongping, at the end of the eleventh month, in the depths of winter, General of the Guard Gongsun Xun, bearing a staff of authority, traveled up along the Great River. Leading his own sworn followers and the former subordinates and clerks who had rejoined him in Henei, he crossed the frozen Great River within Hedong territory and turned west of Hangu Pass, entering the territory of Hongnong Commandery, which lay between Luoyang and Chang’an.

The reason for this was that Gongsun Xun was unwilling to break his former oath made at Mengjin, when he cut a flask and offered wine, and unwilling to set foot in Luoyang territory without due cause — even though he had already, in fact, deeply and gravely involved himself in the political struggles of Luoyang.

But let us set aside these petty gestures of self-deception. Returning to the matter at hand, as Gongsun Xun moved his White Horse Banner to this place, the area west of Hangu Pass was already thick with massed armies.

It must be said that Grand General He Jin was true to his word. To show his support for Gongsun Xun, and indeed for the safety of Chang’an, he not only dispatched the entire Five Regiments of the Northern Army without discount, conscripted cavalry from Hedong, Henei, and Henan, but also threw open the Luoyang armories completely, doing everything possible to equip this western expedition force with the finest gear.

After all, soldiers might be lost, but the iron armor, steel blades, and the like recovered after the pacification of the Yellow Turbans could not simply vanish. In particular, the accumulated resources of the great Han dynasty, built over centuries of brilliance, were beyond the imagination of ordinary men.

However, Gongsun Xun was still not entirely satisfied. Entering through the side gate of the military camp, he immediately noticed with sensitivity that the Three Rivers warriors of today were nothing like their former selves. During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the Three Rivers cavalry had all been young and strong, their morale high, their family assets considerable; many brought their own warhorses and pack animals, and some even had armed attendants.

But now, not only had the proportion of so-called cavalrymen bringing their own horses greatly decreased, but more importantly, many faces were familiar ones, while the few remaining faces inevitably tended toward the old and weak.

All of this left Gongsun Xun, riding into the camp, quite dissatisfied.

Of course, facing the Three Rivers cavalrymen who came out of their tents to salute and pay respects, Gongsun Xun merely smiled and nodded from horseback, revealing not a trace of his feelings.

"The troops are mostly veterans, which is a good thing in terms of combat strength," Lou Gui, riding behind his lord, had naturally noticed this as well. Thus, as they approached the central army tent, he could not help but stroke his beard and bring up the matter. "But from this, one can also see that the realm is in turmoil, and the Three Rivers cavalry have begun to grow weary and depleted. Those old and weak substitutes are clear proof. Master Wenhe has long managed military affairs in the Grand Commandant's office; he should have some understanding of this, no?"

"Master Zibo speaks correctly," Jia Xu, the newly appointed Army Major, riding half a horse-length further back, replied with lowered head. "After the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the Three Rivers cavalry actually suffered few losses. But earlier, when Zhang Wen campaigned west, a hundred thousand troops entered Liangzhou, and only sixty or seventy thousand withdrew. That campaign inflicted considerable damage on the Three Rivers cavalry. Furthermore, some remained west of the passes under the control of Former General Dong to guard against the rebels, and thus are not visible here."

"And there is also the court's recent repeated conscriptions, with the young and strong recruits mostly entering the Western Garden Army, is there not?" Xi Zhong also interjected.

"Exactly so," Jia Xu replied, still neither servile nor overbearing, answering as soon as he was addressed.

Gongsun Xun, riding ahead, could not help but frown slightly upon hearing this. Although he had easily brought this Jia Wenhe under his command with a single imperial edict and appointed him Army Major with a single letter, the man always seemed somewhat lukewarm. He answered when asked, and always in exhaustive detail — yet this performance was still far too distant from the man of unfailing stratagems his mother had spoken of.

Besides, even Yan Zhong, whom he had met before, had personally said at Changshe that this Jia Wenhe possessed the talents of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping. This proved that the man's ability was no mere rumor; he truly must have the talents of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping. And the man was already over forty, his son about to undergo the capping ceremony — he could hardly be an unfinished product, could he?

One could only conclude that either the man looked down on Gongsun Xun and was unwilling to exert himself, or he harbored some resentment over being suddenly conscripted into the army. Why else would this Master Wenhe, whom his mother had called a 'harbinger of chaos,' still be brooding — unless it was over the death of that young Gu?

That was it!

That young Gu had finally died. After being pulled from the water, he had been utterly exhausted and caught a chill. At first, it seemed like nothing, but after being sent back to Luoyang, the chill worsened, and a high fever persisted. Then, like so many who fell ill in these times, he simply died — swift and clean.

Moreover, there were other factors involved. Gongsun Xun heard from the subordinates who had escorted him that this young Gu, relying on his youth and strength while living alone in Luoyang, often sent his wealth back to his clan in Chang’an for support. Returning to his dwelling, he forced himself to manage without asking for help. Unluckily, at the critical moment, he lacked charcoal and attendants, and in the end, breathed his last.

In this light, whether it was the drowning or the subsequent chill, the blame could hardly be placed on Jia Xu's head. How could it leave Jia Xu brooding? It was more likely that his own position as General of the Guard had simply not yet had time to win this man's sincere submission.

Gongsun Xun let his thoughts wander as he rode directly to the front of the central army tent and dismounted.

At this moment, the Northern Army officers who had earlier gone out the main gate to welcome him came running back in a fluster. By the time they returned to the central army tent, the White Horse Volunteers had already taken control of it. The staff of authority, representing supreme power, was already planted before the tent, and Gongsun Xun himself was seated upright within.

Before these men could gather their thoughts, they suddenly heard drums sounding beside the tent — clearly the drums for summoning the officers. They hurried even more frantically to assemble in the tent. One could not blame them for being so flustered; it was truly because Gongsun Xun had a 'prior record' — that time before the Henei campaign when he had sought fault and killed both men and horses.

Back then, this man had been a mere General of the Household, yet he had killed the mounts of a Northern Army Major and an Army Supervisor in one go to establish his authority. Now that he was General of the Guard, and with Luoyang in such chaos, who knew if there would be a purge?

Interestingly, when Gongsun Xun saw these men, he could not help but laugh.

It turned out that military affairs were too urgent, and moreover, Gongsun Xun had an agreement with He Jin that the entire Northern Army must be given to him for the campaign. As a result, quite a few people who should not have been present had appeared in the Northern Army this time.

What does that mean?

One must understand that under the Han bureaucratic system, senior military posts in the Imperial Guard carried an air of noble purity. Often, they were held by the sons of high ministers and nobles, or even the ministers themselves, serving as a necessary path for gilded promotions. However, since the outbreak of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the central government had also taken note of this problem. Thus, the number of posts in the Northern Army used for gilding had somewhat decreased, and quite a few true military professionals had been retained.

For example, Colonel of Garrison Cavalry Xu Rong and Colonel of Archers Who Shoot at Sound Lu Bu — these two men were a major reason Gongsun Xun had requested the Northern Army. But on the other hand, because of the urgency, many gilded sons of noble houses and sons of eunuchs were also present here, having been muddle-headedly driven to Hangu Pass along with the Northern Army by Grand General He Jin.

To name a few: there was a Colonel of Cavalry named Bao Xin, who had come along as a deputy general; and there was a North Army Probationary Officer named Liu Biao. Bao Xin was one thing — he came as a deputy general and looked the part. But Liu Biao serving as this North Army Probationary Officer was somewhat like a fishbone stuck in the throat.

Why say this?

Because although the North Army Probationary Officer was only at the rank of a regimental commander with a salary of six hundred dan, he was the supervising officer within the Northern Army, with the authority to oversee all five regiments of the Northern Army.

This was yet another typical Han system practice of using a low-ranked official to oversee higher-ranked ones.

As for He Jin sending this man here, it was truly hard to tell whether it was out of good intentions or ill. After all, with Liu Biao's reputation and political influence serving as Army Supervisor, even Gongsun Xun would likely find it uncomfortable.

Of course, at this point, saying all this was useless. In any case, everything would have to be purged and rearranged anew.

"The army currently has over thirteen thousand personnel," Gongsun Xun said after the third roll of drums and the completion of the roll call, proceeding to make arrangements on his own. "It is evident that the Grand General has indeed exerted his full effort. However, there are quite a few old and weak among them. Where is North Army Probationary Officer Liu Jingsheng?"

"Your subordinate is here," Liu Biao responded, showing no sign of resentment at having been abruptly reduced from a noble and pure status to a man receiving orders under a tent. When he rose to salute, he was still as calm and unruffled as a cloud, utterly unperturbed. Only his height — a full eight chi — meant that even when he bent over, he was still taller than ordinary men. "Please give your orders, General."

"Your talents do not lie here. You will no longer manage matters of military law. From tomorrow, you will serve as my deputy general, concurrently overseeing provisions, civilian laborers, and other logistics matters. After today's military council, immediately weed out the old and weak from the camp and assign them to the rear camp as guards. Keep only ten thousand combat soldiers. Troops are valued for quality, not quantity. Keeping those who are too old or too young in the regular ranks will only sap the army's sharpness." Gongsun Xun did not even raise his head as he gave these direct orders. "We march west tomorrow; this must be done swiftly today."

Liu Biao's expression remained as usual; he showed no intention of arguing and immediately accepted the military order.

In fact, seeing that no one in the entire army raised a single objection when he stripped Liu Biao of his supervisory duties right from the start, Gongsun Xun was already at ease. It seemed his years of reputation and battle record were not for nothing after all.

"Colonel of Garrison Cavalry... Xu Bojin!" Gongsun Xun continued his orders. "In addition to your own unit, you will concurrently command the Hedong cavalry."

"Aye!" Xu Rong immediately stepped forward, his expression one of taking it for granted.

"Fengxian!" Gongsun Xun then called another man's courtesy name.

"Your subordinate is here!" Lu Bu, in his excitement, actually had a slight tremor in his voice. "Please give your orders, General of the Guard!"

"You will concurrently command the Henan cavalry!"

"I thank the General! I will not fail the trust you have placed in me!" Lu Bu was naturally overjoyed.

"I will personally command the Henei cavalry... Yigong, you will serve as Major of my General's Office, concurrently holding the post of Cavalry Commander. You will have to work harder this time."

Han Dang stepped forward from behind onto the dais, also bowing and acknowledging the order.

"Army Major Jia Wenhe," Gongsun Xun then called another name.

"Your subordinate is here," Jia Xu immediately stepped forward with a solemn expression.

"In the past, Yan Zhong, Yan Shude, spoke at length of your talents at Changshe. Therefore, I have specifically transferred you here this time, intending to rely on you..." Gongsun Xun spoke a few extra words after all. "You shall remain at my central army, participate in military strategy alongside my two Attendant Internuncios of the General's Office, and concurrently oversee military law for the three armies. You must serve diligently and uphold your duties!"

This was openly and honorably giving Liu Biao's authority to Jia Xu. And interestingly, Jia Wenhe, just like Liu Jingsheng, showed no change in expression and bowed deeply to the ground:

"I thank the General for his trust!"

Before the establishment of the Western Garden Imperial Army, the so-called Three Rivers and Five Regiments system of the Imperial Guard essentially meant that whenever a campaign arose, the numerically small Five Regiments of the Northern Army would immediately take command of the Three Rivers cavalry in the capacity of officers, forming a combat-effective force. And Gongsun Xun, entering the central army tent directly, had immediately arranged for Xu Rong, Lu Bu, and Han Dang to each take command of the Three Rivers cavalry, while separately assigning Liu Biao to manage logistics and Jia Xu to serve as military judge — all without anyone obstructing him. At this point, this General of the Guard had already, by relying on his prestige and handling it with effortless ease, successfully taken over this army.

However, just as Gongsun Xun had roughly arranged these matters, he noticed that some in the tent were still uneasy, still eager to make a move. Even Gongsun Xun himself felt that something seemed to have been overlooked.

But then, with a sudden cough from Xi Zhong beside him amidst the silence, Gongsun Xun finally had a flash of understanding and could not help but smile. He immediately called out another name in the tent: "Where is Colonel of Infantry Zhao Yan?"

Zhao Yan, the most relied-upon clansman of Zhao Zhong, came shivering out from the side upon hearing this, his heart panicked and terrified to the extreme.

It must be known that before coming, he had clung to ten thousand hopes of luck, thinking that as a Colonel with a rank of two thousand dan, Gongsun Xun could not do anything to him. And with great matters ahead, Zhao Zhong was, after all, unwilling to relinquish such a crucial position. In the struggle between the Grand General and Jian Shuo over the Western Garden Army, for these old eunuchs, only the Northern Army was a place they could still barely meddle in, so he truly could not bear to let it go.

But then again, at this moment, Gongsun Xun was neither angry nor impatient, merely handling things lightly, even with a faint smile. Yet after he had finished consolidating military authority, Zhao Yan was already drenched in cold sweat. Thinking about it beforehand was one thing, but truly being in the situation, a lamb entering the tiger's mouth, was another matter entirely!

"Colonel Zhao..." Gongsun Xun, seeing this, smiled even more cheerfully.

"General of the Guards!" Zhao Yan actually dropped to his knees with a thud. "Colonel of the Rapid Cavalry Zhang Bin is a clan nephew of Attendant Zhang... Please, for the sake of my being of your wife's clan, just kill Zhang Bin to make an example and let me return to Luoyang!"

Colonel of the Rapid Cavalry Zhang Bin, hearing these words, also lost all composure in public. Without even pausing to curse Zhao Yan, he too dropped to his knees and kowtowed, begging for mercy.

The two men behaved so disgracefully, yet few in the army, from top to bottom, truly looked askance at them. This was simply because, in these times, the eunuchs' encroachment upon the Northern Army was immense; two or three out of every ten officers in the tent were either eunuch progeny or men who had thrown in their lot with them. Thus, many were terrified.

Gongsun Xun grew increasingly amused. "You two plead so earnestly, you've quite embarrassed me... Someone fetch a single coin."

The men in the tent were momentarily baffled, but Zhao Yan could not help feeling a stir in his heart. In a flash, someone indeed hastily produced a single wuzhu coin and presented it. Gongsun Xun took the coin and, unhurriedly, had the very tall Liu Biao step forward and toss it onto the back of his hand.

After the toss, Gongsun Xun glanced at it casually and then told Liu Jingsheng to cover the back of his hand himself. Then, smiling once more, he looked down at the two men kneeling before him. "I have heard that you eunuch progeny are particularly skilled at gambling. That wretch Cao Poshi worked in my household for years; every day he toiled hard, and apart from meals, whenever he got money, he would go gamble with his fellow workers... Zhao Yan, with Liu Jingsheng, one of the Eight Paragons of the partisans, here as witness, tell me: is the inscribed side up or the blank side up?"

Hearing this, Zhao Yan felt three parts alarm, three parts anger, yet unexpectedly, also three parts joy. "Is this the meaning of the single coin? Is the General of the Guards saying that if I guess correctly, I may leave with my life intact?"

"Precisely." Gongsun Xun replied with a solemn expression. "Guess correctly, you leave, and Zhang Bin is sacrificed to the banners. Guess wrong, you die, and Zhang Bin leaves!"

Zhang Bin, hearing this, could not help but look toward Zhao Yan beside him, his face filled with terror. Zhao Yan, knowing full well there was no chance of escape, also gritted his teeth, his eyes red, and took the gamble. "Inscribed! The inscribed side is up!"

Gongsun Xun smiled at these words, exchanged a glance with Liu Biao, and then smiled faintly again at the two men below him. "Execute Zhao Yan right here!"

Both Zhao Yan and Zhang Bin were momentarily petrified with shock. Before they could even react, Lu Bu, standing nearby, drew his blade and beheaded Zhao Yan with a single stroke.

Blood sprayed three chi, and the severed head rolled to a stop before Zhang Bin. The latter was splashed in the face by the pillar of blood from the body beside him, and then saw the unblinking, dead eyes of his former comrade. With a wetness spreading beneath him, he simply passed out entirely.

The entire tent fell into solemn silence.

No one had expected that Gongsun Xun would arbitrarily execute a two-thousand-dan Colonel, and Zhao Zhong's most relied-upon clan younger brother at that. Moreover, though no one voiced it, they all silently mused: was this man not, in theory, an elder of Gongsun Xun's wife's clan? Could it be that behind the scenes, they truly had no dealings, as appearances suggested, and had become enemies for the sake of righteousness?

In any case, wielding the imperial tally was not meant to be done this way, was it?

But then again, considering the current situation, a two-thousand-dan Colonel had been killed, and that was that. What could the Son of Heaven in Luoyang do about it? Did he dare do anything?!

A long silence fell over the central army tent, and the first to gradually grow restless was, unexpectedly, Cavalry Commandant Bao Xin, who served as deputy commander.

But just as Bao Xin was about to speak, Gongsun Xun, who had been silently staring at the corpse, suddenly spoke again with a solemn expression. "Gentlemen, when Zhang Bin awakens later, have him surrender his seal and leave on his own. Then, let the officers of these two encampments elect their own commanders; I shall grant provisional authority for the appointments... And let there be no further entanglements!"

Bao Xin was momentarily speechless, but upon recovering his wits, he felt an even stronger urge to speak.

Yet Gongsun Xun gave him no opportunity. "Since I have already arbitrarily executed a two-thousand-dan officer, I shall speak frankly with you all. It is not that I do not detest the eunuchs, nor that I do not wish to kill. But now, Chang'an is in peril, Guanzhong is in peril, and the realm is in peril. The Grand General has entrusted me with the military affairs of Guanzhong; I must, above all, prioritize the greater good! Even today's killing of one man to establish authority was an unavoidable necessity to make my stance clear and prove my integrity... Brother Jingsheng."

"Your subordinate is here." Liu Biao, who stood before the commander's desk, stepped back several paces and bowed deeply.

"You are one of the Eight Paragons of the partisans and the Army Inspector of the Northern Army. The scholar-officers in the army should look to you as their leader." Gongsun Xun spoke with solemn sincerity. "I have one instruction to impart. From tomorrow, when we march west, no mention of eunuch or partisan factions shall be permitted in this army. As Regional Commander, I shall bear full responsibility for matters concerning Luoyang behind the lines for all of you. You need only fight with all your might and drive the rebels out of Guanzhong as soon as possible. Should any violation occur, I shall deal personally with the disciples and progeny of the eunuchs, but for the partisans, I shall hold you alone accountable!"

Having said this, Gongsun Xun directly drew the broken blade from his waist and thrust it into the desk before him.

And Liu Biao, with the utmost respect, performed a grand ceremonial bow once more. "Please set your mind at ease, General of the Guards. From this day forward, should anyone in the army recklessly engage in factional strife, Biao shall bear full responsibility!"

Bao Xin was thoroughly stifled on the spot, while those in the tent who had thrown in their lot with the eunuchs all visibly relaxed.

The military council ended there. Apart from those required to remain at central command, everyone else dispersed.

Shortly after leaving the tent, Bao Xin indignantly caught up with Liu Biao. "Brother Jingsheng, why were you so weak-willed? This was precisely the moment to persuade the General of the Guards to purge the Northern Army's ranks... A golden opportunity that comes once in a thousand years!"

"With national calamity upon us, should we not, as the General of the Guards said, first do our utmost against the rebels before us?" Liu Biao, standing eight chi tall, his expression unchanged, actually countered. "Moreover, I, who endured over a decade of proscription, am fully convinced by the General of the Guards. Where does the Cavalry Commandant get such a thirst for blood?"

With these words, Liu Biao clenched the coin in his hand and strode away.

Bao Xin was left speechless. As Gongsun Xun had pointed out earlier, Liu Biao was the leader of the scholar-officers in the army. If even he was convinced, what could you, Bao Xin, do about it?

Returning to the tent, Han Dang went off to take command of the Henei cavalry. Gongsun Xun, along with Lou Gui, Xi Zhong, Jia Xu, and the others, were to remain at central command after all. And since they were to march west tomorrow, there was no reason to change the main tent. Thus, only a few personal guards entered and dragged the corpse out.

"My lord, how... how should this be reported?" The speaker was Wang Xiang of Henei. A man of outstanding literary talent, he had been recalled by Gongsun Xun to serve as a clerk, given the shortage of staff after his temporary appointment as general with imperial tally.

"First, draft a dispatch to the Grand General's office, recommending his dismissal from his post and demotion to Army Major." Gongsun Xun stared at the bloodstains on the ground and sneered. "Once that dispatch is approved, draft another, stating that this Army Major failed to report for roll call... and was therefore executed."

"Understood." Wang Xiang responded helplessly and went directly to the rear to draft the documents.

"General, why did you insist on killing him? Would killing Zhang Bin not have sufficed? He is, after all, of your wife's clan, is he not?" After a moment's hesitation, seeing Gongsun Xun sitting silently in the tent, Jia Xu could not resist asking a question. This also drew the curious gazes of Lou Gui and Xi Zhong, who stood on either side.

"It is easy to kill the man before your eyes; it is hard to kill the man within your heart." Gongsun Xun, seated there, sighed with emotion at the question. "If I did not kill him, how could I face myself and honestly declare that this western campaign is to rescue the scholars and commoners of Guanzhong from their plight, and to avenge Fu Nanrong? Were the Zhao family not among those who have plagued the realm for years? Was it not Zhao Yan who, as Zhao Zhong's claw, drove Nanrong to his death back then? What is a wife's clan? Besides, did I not give him a chance?"

Jia Xu, Lou Gui, and Xi Zhong all fell silent, just as Xi Zhong had.

As for Gongsun Xun, he abruptly pulled the broken blade from the desk, turned, and went to the rear tent to rest.

—————I am the dividing line of slaying the thief within one's heart—————

"When the Grand Ancestor marched west and reached Hangu Pass, he took command of the five regiments of the Three He region. Over half of the officers in the five regiments were eunuch progeny. The Grand Ancestor, bearing the imperial tally, rebuked them. Among them was Infantry Colonel Zhao Yan, a clan younger brother of Zhao Zhong and also a clan younger brother of the Grand Ancestor's father-in-law, Zhao Bao. Citing his connection as a wife's clansman, Zhao Yan knelt and wept, begging to leave. The Grand Ancestor heard this and sighed: 'Precisely because he is of my wife's clan, he alone cannot be spared!' He then executed Zhao Yan and pardoned the entire army. The army was shaken, and thereafter obeyed his commands as if they were his own limbs." — New Book of Yan, Volume 1, Annals of the Grand Ancestor, the Martial Emperor

PS: Thanks to the new Alliance Master, Mountain Partridge. Well, this can also be considered an old reader...

(End of Chapter)