Chapter 326: A Single Banner Subdues a Thousand Horsemen

"I already know everything about the matter."

Lady Gongsun personally carried a fat cat into the rear courtyard of her family's trading post, then casually sat down. After settling the cat on her lap, she adjusted her black-rimmed spectacles and unhurriedly continued, "The approach is roughly on the right track, but only roughly. There are still some things I need to make clear to you."

"Mother, please speak plainly." Gongsun Xun, who had followed her in, sighed and sat down as well. The maids and attendants who had been in the courtyard tactfully withdrew.

"Wiping out the Wuhuan nobility and directly registering them as common households is certainly correct, but it may not last." The elder lady casually remarked while pinching the fat cat's chin. "Because the Wuhuan are semi-settled and semi-nomadic, organized by clan camps. And as you yourself said, you intend to collect the blood tax..."

Gongsun Xun showed no great puzzlement at the term "blood tax," for he instantly grasped its meaning from the words themselves.

"So, Wenqi," Lady Gongsun continued calmly, "the Wuhuan will inevitably produce new noble headmen—whether battlefield leaders or guides during clan migrations—and then pass it down again through bloodlines... It's unavoidable. It's the same as with the Han people: over time, those with wealth and strength become local magnates, those with fame and power become hereditary clans. The pot shouldn't call the kettle black."

"But..." Gongsun Xun couldn't help frowning slightly. "Mother, isn't this different from the Han situation? When Han magnates and hereditary clans emerge, they don't rebel because of it. Yet these barbarian headmen seem inherently unstable and untrustworthy."

"That is another matter entirely." Lady Gongsun seemed to have long anticipated her son's doubts. "Ultimately, the Han system you see was born from Han agricultural civilization. It is the fruit of countless Han worthies over a thousand years, groping and practicing based on the circumstances around them. It was never inherently designed to deal with nomads..."

Gongsun Xun opened his mouth to speak, evidently recalling his father-in-law's earlier words.

"Are you asking whether there is a system that can accommodate both nomads and farmers, so the steppe ceases to be a scourge?" Lady Gongsun still read her son's thoughts like an open book.

"Yes."

"Behind any system must be a foundation of economy and productive power... If we could truly build railways and have firearms and cannons, then any system could be effectively enforced on the steppe." At this point, even Lady Gongsun couldn't help sighing. "But your mother truly has the will but not the strength. After all these years, just managing to produce iron pots and salted fish, and reprinting a few old books every year, has already been exhausting. Even when I previously located Taishi Ci, brought his mother to Liaodong, and wrote to urge him to seek you out—in the end, it couldn't match a single official summons from your father-in-law..."

"..."

"But then again," Lady Gongsun continued pensively, "it is precisely because we lack productive power and technological level to rely on that we must now depend on institutions. On the journey here, I thought about it for a long time, and I could only think of building temples, constructing cities, and the jimi system... just these old methods."

Gongsun Xun said nothing, assuming a posture of attentive listening.

"By building temples, I mean using religion to numb and weaken them... Daoism won't work—in this era, Daoism is far too prone to incite rebellion. Send Buddhism instead... Monks are the perfect match for the steppe! When the day comes that you take Taiyuan and Luoyang, drive all the monks from White Horse Temple and Mount Wutai out onto the grasslands, and you can become a Manjusri Bodhisattva yourself!"

Although Gongsun Xun only knew that Manjusri Bodhisattva had once helped Sun Wukong, he roughly understood the meaning and did not pursue it further.

"And by constructing cities, I mean at critical nodes... like Chengde, for instance—appropriately building walled cities to force steppe powers to fragment, preventing them from rising. However, for now we can only follow the terrain, and the cost is great; it must be done slowly. If we truly wanted to do it on a large scale, we would need cement... but your mother truly has the will but not the strength for that either. Whose fault is it that I'm not an engineering dog?"

Gongsun Xun remained speechless.

"As for the jimi system, that is what you were doing earlier at Chengde—supporting pro-Han forces on the steppe's periphery..."

"On this point," Gongsun Xun, who had been listening carefully, suddenly frowned and interrupted his mother, "pure jimi is simply too unstable... Someone like Mo Hukuan suddenly betraying us, and I also had some misgivings about Duan Riyuming's earlier behavior... Father-in-law told me the other day that these methods are only temporary. Once the situation shifts, or with a simple change of leader, you end up nurturing a tiger only to court disaster. Although I outwardly dismissed it, inwardly I took it to heart. Yet precisely as you said, Mother, both building temples and constructing cities require the efforts of generations and must proceed slowly. Only the jimi system is something I can implement right now. So, how exactly should jimi be done? How does one choose the right people?"

"That depends on whether you're thinking long-term or short-term." Lady Gongsun raised an eyebrow slightly.

"What about the short term?" Gongsun Xun sighed.

"For the short term, naturally, those who obey you prosper, and those who defy you perish. Strike whoever rebels, toss a bone to whoever behaves. You called me here precisely because you want Anli Trading to cooperate with you—while swallowing up the Wuhuan, to also seize the chance to devour some of the miscellaneous Hu tribes that previously followed the Wuhuan, and then support a few new tribes to replace the Mohu tribe. There's nothing more to say about it, and it's correct. The Eighteen Lords' campaign against Dong Zhuo is imminent—where is the time to quibble over these things? Cut the tangled knot with a sharp blade and just do it! In any case, you've won the war in Liaoxi now; you call the shots!"

"But what about the long term?"

"For the long term, there is only one standard—not judging by individuals, but by tribes... Specifically, it depends on the degree of sinicization a tribe has achieved. If a tribe as a whole generally realizes that being Han is better than being Hu, and is willing to practice sinicization earnestly, accept Han institutions, and even awaken to certain... ideals in the process—then you shouldn't quibble over headmen or no headmen! After all, you yourself said that the loyalty of headmen constantly shifts with circumstances and time, utterly unreliable. But the overall loyalty and controllability of a large tribe is, relatively speaking, more stable." At this point, Lady Gongsun's tone couldn't help but turn airy. "In my view, the two Han dynasties over these centuries have been most unreasonable in this regard... The Liangzhou Qiang and Han have already fused in blood and culture, yet the court refuses to recognize and absorb the Qiang, and instead despises the Liangzhou Han. The Di people, since the Former Han, have been almost completely sinicized—they've even all adopted Han surnames and primarily farm—yet the court still doesn't treat them as people. They've been obedient for centuries; no matter what, they should have been granted Great Han household registration by now! You must not repeat such mistakes in the future. You must know how to be flexible!"

Gongsun Xun was extremely clear on the Liangzhou situation, and his impression was deeply profound, so he found himself with no argument to make.

"I will remember this." With this thought, Gongsun Xun nodded seriously, then asked again, "One more matter... Mother, are A'ding and A'ping with Father-in-law?"

"Correct." Lady Gongsun smiled as she kneaded the lazy fat cat in her arms. "I had Zhao Zilong escort them there. I also know what you're about to say... Gongsun Du vanished, but then Zhao Bao, who has even greater renown, appeared. And as soon as he arrived in Liaodong, he summoned Taishi Ci—showing his ability and influence are both outstanding. I was also startled and suspicious at the time. But thinking it over later, we are family after all; he wouldn't harm you, would he? And if a truly major crisis occurs, he couldn't possibly stand by and do nothing, could he? Besides, in the current situation, even if you wanted to drive him away, it's too late."

"That's not what I meant." Gongsun Xun was also helpless. "However, He Jin has indeed begun summoning outside troops into the capital. I've also received private letters... Counting the days, the Son of Heaven has been dead for nearly two months now. Those who were meant to die are already dead. By the time I turn back and deal with Liu Yu, the dust may well have settled. But I still don't know what the final outcome in Luoyang will be under the current circumstances, or whether the victor will still be Dong Zhongying. Liucheng is still too remote; I can only watch flowers through the fog! And Mother, after I've dealt with Liu Yu and consolidated the power of the northern frontier, what then? Should I march south to seize Jizhou, or should I first feign compliance, raise a banner in response to Luoyang, and organize some kind of alliance?"

"It doesn't matter." Lady Gongsun said dismissively. "That is your affair; make your own decisions. If you need my help, if you need Anli Trading to do things for you, that is only natural. Who asked me to have only one son? Just like this time—you can now prepare to take the main force back to Lulong Fortress to resolve the Chengde situation. I will certainly help you swallow up Liaoxi from the rear. You needn't worry about the reorganization of the Wuhuan and the miscellaneous Hu tribes either; your father-in-law can hold the fort here, but he can't do anything about me. But when it comes to matters of grand strategy, you must decide for yourself. If you insist on asking me, I can only offer you one piece of advice drawn from my experience in business..."

As she spoke, Lady Gongsun suddenly glanced up at Han Dang, who had appeared outside the rear gate of the courtyard. The latter stood guard outside the gate, hand on his saber, confirming that both people in the courtyard had noticed him before wordlessly withdrawing again.

"Please speak, Mother." Gongsun Xun said as he stood up.

"There is no perfect plan in this world. Overthinking only leads to more losses. You must have decisiveness... And once you've made a decision, you must accomplish it regardless of everything! When you've accomplished enough things, the overall situation will be yours!" Lady Gongsun tossed aside the fat cat in her arms and urged, "Go. Han Yigong is a reliable man; if he seeks you out, it must be for something important."

Gongsun Xun immediately nodded and turned to leave, but halfway there he was called back by his mother:

"By the way, Zhao Yun is indeed excellent! I failed to help you snag Taishi Ci and was quite annoyed, but with Zhao Zilong here, it's a case of losing in the east and gaining in the west after all! He deserves praise!"

Understanding his mother's temperament, Gongsun Xun gave a dry laugh and could only turn back to offer a word of earnest advice: "Taishi Ziyi comes from a hereditary clan and is a man of his own ideas. Mother, don't take it to heart! Besides, how many heroes are there under heaven? The key is to hold the greater momentum in your own hands. If you do, true heroes will always come seeking you!"

"It's good that you can think that way." Lady Gongsun waved her hand again, urging her son to go about his business. However, just as Gongsun Xun reached the gate, he heard his mother's voice once more. "Wait a moment. Were you about to say something just now but held back? About my in-law..."

"Mother must have misheard." Gongsun Xun laughed again and directly stepped out of the rear courtyard gate of the Anli Trading post.

Lady Gongsun chuckled lightly, too lazy to bother with her long-grown son.

"What is it?" Gongsun Xun, dressed in plain clothes, asked with a solemn expression the moment he stepped out.

"My lord, Mo Hukuan has come." Han Dang answered with his hand on his saber, concise and to the point.

Even though Gongsun Xun had just received a thorough lecture from his mother and believed his mind was settled, fully ready to reorganize his thoughts and set out anew, at this moment he could only stand stunned for a while. After a long pause, he managed a strained, dry laugh:

"How did he come? How many people?"

"Over two thousand, many wounded. They've halted at the military stockade west of the Daling River. Mo Hukuan came alone, dressed in white, barefoot, hair unbound, carrying only a severed head—Louban's. He crossed the river by himself and is now kneeling outside the west city gate, awaiting my lord. That area has long been cleared. Zibo and Master Zhicai are both there, just waiting for you, my lord."

Gongsun Xun's sneer grew even more pronounced. Abruptly, he reached back and drew Han Dang's saber from his waist, then strode out the door, dragging the bare blade behind him.

Han Dang, helpless, could only follow closely.

"Headman Mohu!" Half a quarter-hour later, before the city gate, Gongsun Xun spotted the figure from afar and could barely contain his fury. He actually bypassed Lou Gui and Xi Zhong, who were bowing in greeting, and advanced, blade dragging, yet his face was wreathed in smiles, as if bathed in spring breeze. "It's been a while! I heard that during the half-year I was away from Youzhou, you accomplished great things in the north!"

Seeing Gongsun Xun approaching from a distance, dragging a bare blade, Mo Hukuan merely kowtowed and replied: "My lord! This lowly one was previously of two minds and knows he cannot escape. If my lord wishes to kill me, I truly have nothing to say... And I have not come today with any hope of begging you, my lord, to spare my life! I only beg that after you kill me, my lord, you will leave a path of survival for the Mohu tribe..."

"You, Headman Mohu, are clear in rewards and punishments and possess great prestige. If I kill you, how could the Mohu tribe possibly submit to me?" Gongsun Xun's light laughter continued unabated as he arrived before the man. "But if I don't kill you, how can I make the various tribes of Youzhou accept this? Headman Mohu, what makes you think I would kill only you but pardon your tribe?"

"My lord! Lord Marquis! General of the Guards!" Mo Hukuan prostrated himself on the ground. Watching the other's footsteps approach and the blade edge lift slightly from the ground, he couldn't help trembling all over, yet his mouth still argued ceaselessly for his clansmen. "Though this lowly one wavered for a moment, the entire Mohu tribe is without guilt! From Lulong Fortress over a decade ago, when the Mohu tribe rose from a small Xianbei band, we have always risked our lives for you, my lord, never once pointing blade or spear at you! Before Lulong Fortress against Ke Zui Que, it was so! Between Liucheng and Yangyue against Ke Zui Tan, it was so! Before Mount Danhan, we guided your way! At Zuoyuan, we gave our lives at your command! Even when surrounded at Mount Bailang earlier, it was by your order! Even this time, when I was momentarily confused and wavered, from beginning to end, not a single person of the Mohu tribe dared to truly raise arms against you, Lord Marquis!"

Gongsun Xun sneered, halting before the man.

At this point, seeing Gongsun Xun's boots stop before his eyes, Mo Hukuan mustered his courage, raised his head, and continued with all his strength: "My lord is one who will accomplish great things... You may kill me out of resentment—I am but a worthless life, and having dared to defy you, my lord, I would have no complaint even if I died nine deaths! But to decide the fate of several thousand, even ten thousand lives, to determine the survival of a tribe—in this, my lord must set an example for all under heaven!"

"Are you saying my rewards and punishments are unjust?" Gongsun Xun looked down, his expression stern.

"That is not my meaning!" Mo Hukuan looked up to answer, tears streaming down his face. "How could I not know that without your grace, my lord, I, Mo Hukuan, and the Mohu tribe could never have reached this day? My lord has not wronged us in the slightest. But this time, truly, I alone was confused. It is I who betrayed you, my lord; the Mohu tribe did not betray you! In truth, given the kindness you have shown me, I should have died for you at the foot of Mount Bailang that day... How did it come to this? It is all my own doing, reaping what I sowed."

"Lower your head!" Gongsun Xun barked coldly.

Mo Hukuan dared not delay. He immediately pressed his forehead to the ground again, but glimpsed the bare blade in the other's hand already at the side of his neck. He trembled once more like chaff in a sieve... for in the next moment, his life might truly vanish.

"I ask you one final thing." Gongsun Xun said, tapping the man's neck with the flat of the blade. "Tell me the truth."

"Please speak, my lord." Facing life and death, Mo Hukuan's tears and snot flowed uncontrollably.

"Why exactly did you suddenly waver?" Gongsun Xun stepped on the man's shoulder, his anger finally erupting. "Was I not tolerant enough toward you? Were my rewards not generous enough? And with your intelligence, how could you fail to see the situation clearly?"

"Reporting to my lord, at that time Kebineng had surrounded me at Mount Bailang, then personally came before the line to rebuke me, saying that I was clearly a Xianbei." Mo Hugou suddenly stopped trembling, but tears streamed uncontrollably down his cheeks to the ground. "He asked why I would be a dog for the Han people. I actually could not answer!"

Gongsun Xun's expression finally changed.

"My lord, my Mo Hu tribe was originally a noble lineage of the central Xianbei, residing for generations at Mo Hu Temple southeast of Mount Danhan. Later we encountered the chaos of war, seven or eight out of ten of our people were scattered, and we were forced to migrate to Liaoxi. My father and elder brothers all perished, so the tribe was entrusted to me. At that time, my father left a last wish for me to revive the tribe and return to our ancestral land... Though I am a cowardly man, I have never forgotten this ambition. I managed things carefully in Liaoxi, only hoping that one day I could return to the central Xianbei. But I never expected to encounter the Old Madam and my lord!" As he spoke, Mo Hugou's tears flowed ever more freely, and his voice gradually choked with sobs. "For over ten years, by my lord's heavenly grace, the tribe has gradually prospered. Yet we have increasingly adopted Han ways — the people of the tribe mostly learn the Han language, live in cities, and some can even read Han books. Even I, while thinking of reviving the tribe's honor, have gradually come to look down on the achievements of my father, brothers, and ancestors. Yet my origins are clear, my lineage is unmistakable, and my Xianbei body is there for all to see... For many years, I have been in constant torment, not knowing whether I should be a Xianbei or a Han. So when Kebineng invited me to join an alliance in the name of restoring Xianbei prestige, I wavered for a moment... My lord, I say again: for that moment of wavering alone, I deserve to die. I only beg that you spare my tribe! They truly never for a moment thought of betraying my lord! And this time, when I led them to intercept and kill Kebineng's defeated army midway, it became even more impossible for them to ever join with the Xianbei again. Please, my lord, use them without worry!"

Having spoken to this point, Mo Hugou said no more, only prostrating himself on the ground and wailing uncontrollably... Whether from fear of death, or from thoughts of his father and brothers, his emotions could not be restrained.

"Do you know that my mother has arrived at Yangle?" Gongsun Xun, his face expressionless, suddenly pressed down with his foot.

"I only regret that I cannot bow before her in person to thank the Old Madam for her many years of kindness!" Mo Hugou, hearing this, sobbed even harder. "Had I known this, I would have come a few days later..."

Gongsun Xun said nothing, only gazing straight ahead. Without even glancing at what was beneath his foot, he suddenly slid the blade in his hand... Among those behind him, Xi Zhong remained composed, but Lou Gui and Han Dang both lowered their heads in sorrow.

As the other man moved, Mo Hugou felt a piercing pain in his neck just below his ear, and blood gushed forth. He could only close his eyes helplessly and await death... But as the blade slid past, he actually opened his eyes again, shocked and uncertain.

It turned out that Gongsun Xun had only cut off one of the man's ears.

"Had it not been for my mother speaking on your behalf, you would be dead by now... and those two thousand-plus able-bodied men of the Mo Hu tribe in Hexi would also be dead." As he spoke, Gongsun Xun handed the bloodied knife back to Han Dang, who had just regained his composure behind him. "Today, I will take only one of your ears for now, and from the Mo Hu tribe I will take back only Chengde City. Go into the city and seek out my mother to express your gratitude! I imagine she also has words for you!"

With these words, Gongsun Xun actually left Mo Hugou covered in blood and simply turned and walked away.

Lou Gui and Xi Zhong did not dare delay, and one after another turned to follow. Only Han Dang sighed helplessly, stepped forward, and helped the man on the ground to his feet.

"Brother Yigong!" The thoroughly disheveled Mo Hugou followed Han Dang into the city. Only when they reached the back entrance of the Anli Trading Company did he suddenly come to his senses and seize Han Dang's wrist. "I know... it is entirely because all of you old friends, mindful of our past ties, protected me in many ways. Otherwise, I absolutely would not have survived today!"

"You think too much!" Han Dang, facing this genuine old friend, could only sigh helplessly. "The Lord was truly furious with you this time. Under such intimidating authority, how could any of us have possibly pleaded for you? If you must thank anyone, thank the Old Madam — and yourself!"

"Myself..." Mo Hugou's face stung with pain, blood streaming down his face, and he could not help but smile bitterly. "Had I alone not lost my composure, how would it have implicated the entire tribe?"

"Had it not been that you ordinarily win the hearts of your tribesmen, so that killing you would mean exterminating the entire Mo Hu clan, you would certainly be dead today. Had it not been that even in your terror you still had some caution, and ultimately did not bring up the matter of killing Gongsun Du for the Lord that day as a merit, you would also certainly be dead today!" Han Dang shook his head helplessly and sighed. "Now go wash your face first, and do not deliberately play up your misery before the Old Madam!"

Mo Hugou suddenly understood, and hurriedly bowed his head to thank the other man.

———————I am the dividing line where Sinicization is the primary indicator———————

"After the Grand Ancestor had taken in the Wuhuan masses and defeated Kebineng, he then amalgamated the various mixed Hu tribes of Liaoxi, gaining a population of two hundred thousand, and Liaoxi was thus pacified. When Mo Hugou heard of this, he led his troops out of Chengde in full force to cut off Kebineng's rear, killed Qiu Liju's son Louban, and brought his head to Liucheng to request an audience. The Grand Ancestor saw him and ordered Han Dang to hold a white blade to his neck and ask: 'Why did you waver before, yet act so decisively now? A man as fickle as you — can he be relied upon?' With blood flowing from his neck, Hugou wept bitterly: 'In my life I have truly never betrayed you, my Illustrious Lord. My wavering in the past was only because you were not present and I did not submit to Chief Clerk Lu. If you are angry, my Illustrious Lord, you may kill me; I only beg that you spare my tribe.' Those around him all remonstrated, saying that Mo Hu was outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, and could not be relied upon. The Grand Ancestor then laughed: 'Do I lack the capacity to tolerate others? Since he is outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, then he shall not rebel again!' He then had Han Dang cut off one of Hugou's ears to show those around him, and pardoned him again." — Old Book of Yan, Volume 61, Biography 11

(End of Chapter)