[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-31":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Overthrowing Han",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1222790,1620,"Chapter 31: The Way Made Clear, Principles Understood (Happy Birthday, Er Niu)","overthrowing-han-chapter-31",31,"\u003Cp>Though we call her Aunt Jin, she is actually only in her early thirties this year — after all, back when Lady Gongsun bought this batch of Sanhan slave girls, they were all just a bunch of little maids. But then again, no matter what, she did watch Gongsun Xun grow up, so there was never any problem with him calling her Aunt, and their relationship had always been quite harmonious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A-Xun, what brings you here?\" Seeing Gongsun Xun arrive, Aunt Jin in the rear courtyard was naturally quite pleased. \"You've just gotten back; you should wash up first and then eat. Is something the matter?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just a small matter.\" Gongsun Xun sat down on a little stool — another of Lady Gongsun's \"inventions,\" only unusable outside due to propriety — and answered with a smile. \"I must trouble you, Aunt, to fetch some money and goods. Tomorrow I plan to buy a small property in Luoyang and also socialize with the scholars of the city...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's no trouble at all.\" Aunt Jin heard this and took it lightly. \"Before we came, the mistress gave instructions: for anything that helps A-Xun make a name for himself, such as socializing with the scholars of Luoyang... there are to be no limits on spending.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun nodded, clearly intending to go on, but when the words reached his lips, he suddenly changed tack: \"It's been a long time since I've talked with you, Aunt. I'll eat here today and we can chat about idle things.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As long as A-Xun doesn't mind my rambling.\" Aunt Jin laughed, then immediately rose to instruct the little maids to fetch water, set the table, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After tidying up, the two sat down, and naturally a little maid brought the food. Gongsun Xun looked down and couldn't help laughing: \"Chicken stew, is it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What, not to your taste?\" Aunt Jin was slightly taken aback. \"I remember you're quite fond of chicken. If not, I can have the kitchen bring something else — a kitchen serving over a hundred people can't possibly be making only chicken stew.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's not that.\" Gongsun Xun stared at the chicken before him, shaking his head with a smile. \"It just suddenly reminded me of an old incident from when I was little...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What old incident?\" Aunt Jin was genuinely curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was so long ago, I'm not entirely sure,\" Gongsun Xun said as he used his chopsticks to pull apart the tender, thoroughly stewed chicken. \"I'll tell it, and you, Aunt, help me recall whether it really happened... I vaguely remember being five or six years old, once during a meal around New Year's. Right in the middle of eating, I suddenly wanted chicken, but the chicken on the kang table had already been eaten up. Fortunately, there was plenty of chicken at home that had been chopped into pieces, marinated, and hung under the eaves to freeze. So Mother told Aunt Li to go outside and fetch some of those frozen chicken pieces to cook for me...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I remember!\" Before he could finish, Aunt Jin burst out laughing. \"You remembered right — it did happen. But the one who cooked the meat wasn't your Aunt Li; it was me! Normally, frozen meat should be thawed in warm water first, and only then cooked. But that day, weren't we right in the middle of eating? And we girls were at the age when we could eat the most. I was afraid those others would snatch up all the good food, so I cut corners and just threw the whole frozen chicken piece straight into the pot, lit the fire, and came back. In the end, when the piping hot chicken stew was served, the outer meat was mostly cooked, but the inside was still frozen rock-hard and couldn't be pulled apart at all... The mistress was so angry she forbade me from eating, and I was so frantic I just stood to the side and wept.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So it really did happen?\" Gongsun Xun laughed too. \"I thought I'd remembered wrong... But Aunt, I don't understand cooking, yet this chicken frozen into a solid lump — you say a few rinses in warm water would thaw it. Why is it that when you put it in a pot and boil it until the water is bubbling and the outside meat is cooked, the inside is still a chunk of ice?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How would I understand the principle behind that?\" Aunt Jin shook her head, smiling. \"When I was little, I still did some rough work, but within two years our family business had grown so large that even I didn't have to cook personally anymore. Now I only know how to keep accounts.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I do have some thoughts, though I don't know if they're right,\" Gongsun Xun said, lowering his head. \"Look... when it comes to melting ice, warm water and boiling water may not actually differ that much in effect — after all, both are far hotter than ice. But from our human perspective, warm water is tolerable, while boiling water exceeds our limits, so we inevitably overestimate the effectiveness of boiling water and underestimate the ability of warm water.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That reasoning is sound!\" Aunt Jin thought for a moment and then nodded repeatedly. \"The young master truly is the mistress's only son, with such intelligence... But A-Xun, you have something you want to say to me, don't you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" Gongsun Xun answered gravely. \"I know that before I came, Mother gave you instructions: if I'm associating with the various prominent figures of Luoyang, no matter how much I spend, don't interfere. But for matters of food, clothing, shelter, and travel, there must be limits forbidding excessive luxury.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is indeed the case.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To be honest with you, Aunt, I want to do something that will cost a great deal of money, but I believe it also counts as a way of associating with people. That's why I told that old story first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A-Xun, feel free to tell me. As long as it truly meets the mistress's requirements, I won't place any limits on it, no matter how much money.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's like this, Aunt. Look, the official road at the foot of Mount Goushi is the vital artery southeast of Luoyang. The flow of travelers and vehicles is truly endless, yet there is only one post station here. So each time, they can only provide food and lodging to the highest-ranking official and turn many others away at the door. Therefore, I want to buy the tavern across the way and the vacant land nearby, and establish a large free hostel here, providing food and lodging regardless of status or background.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The people willing to stay in a free hostel...\" Aunt Jin tilted her head up in thought. \"Officials can stay at the post station. People with reputations can casually find lodging with someone in Goushi County town. Even those with some money can pay to lodge at nearby homes. So those who would stay at this free hostel are likely mostly sons of humble families.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mostly ambitious sons of humble families,\" Gongsun Xun corrected. \"Traveling is not easy these days, and even harder for poor families. Yet they still undertake arduous journeys — if not to seek learning, then for urgent matters. There might even be desperate fugitives among them... In fact, Brother Yigong says he's not very happy staying in Luoyang. I'm planning to settle him here to recruit henchmen for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"According to the mistress's business strategy, in such matters you must be sure to put A-Xun's name out in the open,\" Aunt Jin continued to add. \"Otherwise, how will your reputation spread, and how will those passing sons of humble families feel grateful?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That goes without saying.\" Gongsun Xun nodded repeatedly. \"Then Aunt, you agree?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No problem.\" Aunt Jin nodded. \"Young master, the reasoning you laid out earlier was so thorough — what reason would I have to disagree? Just don't forget to write home and explain the situation to the mistress again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is a given.\" Gongsun Xun immediately laughed. \"To be honest, Aunt, when I write home, I'll not only tell of this matter, but also ask Mother to send more money... Not only to bestow kindness on the sons of humble families here, but I also plan in Luoyang, imitating those Eight Kitchens of the partisans, to extend generous, unrequited aid to those scholars of decent background who lack money, striving to become a 'Ninth Kitchen' among the literati!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Jin nodded again upon hearing this, but then a look of doubt appeared on her face: \"This sort of thing ought to be done anyway... But young master, the fame of these Eight Kitchens is immense — even I have heard of them. I wonder just how much money they gave away to earn this reputation?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The eight of them combined... about ten million coins a year,\" Gongsun Xun answered after a moment's thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Jin laughed again: \"Then that's only a million coins per person per year, just a thousand strings of cash... That's merely the annual net profit of our family's horse-trading business. Young master, go ahead and do it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could it be that simple? Gongsun Xun shook his head inwardly, but outwardly only smiled and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Du Shang, Zhang Miao, Wang Kao, Liu Ru, Hu Wuban, Qin Zhou, Fan Xiang, and Wang Zhang were the 'Eight Kitchens.' 'Kitchen' means those who can use wealth to save others. It is also said: 'The Eight Kitchens supplied wealth, strings of coins in the thousands.'\" — Book of the Later Han, Biographies of the Partisan Proscriptions\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: There's also a new book group. Interested readers can join: 684558115. You ask who Er Niu is? I don't know either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1638,"2026-06-04T19:42:03.441Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","c1ee4b323c5f41afa0284c32fb03fcd0081a29ffd84623490afd3633eae546e9","overthrowing-han-chapter-32","overthrowing-han-chapter-30",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]