Chapter 327: Straight to the Border City, the Tiger's Wings Soar

After resting for several more days, at the end of the fourth month, Gongsun Xun formally led his army back to the heartland of Youzhou.

It was indeed time to leave.

After all, the arrival of Lady Gongsun and Zhao Bao meant that someone would now oversee the military and administrative affairs here in Liaoxi, and Lady Gongsun would stay here for many days to ensure that the nearly two hundred thousand Wuhuan and mixed Hu population would ultimately be incorporated into her treasured son's pocket... For this, the price Gongsun Xun paid was temporarily leaving his two older sons at Zhao Bao's side, with both parties agreeing that Gongsun Ding and Gongsun Ping would only return to Changping with their grandmother after autumn.

And the arrival of Mo Hu Tan and Lou Ban signified the complete end of the Liaoxi campaign.

However, the reason for staying a few more days before leaving was actually related to Mo Hu Tan... In Lady Gongsun's words, the fact that Mo Hu Tan could awaken his own ethnic consciousness, yet ultimately chose unconditional surrender, precisely showed that his choice to sinicize had been tempered at the level of his soul, and he might even prove to be the most reliable in the future! And for tribes with such a sincere desire to sinicize, formal recognition should be given to strengthen their sense of identity.

Thus, Lady Gongsun and Gongsun Xun together specially carried out certain symbolic reorganizations for the three tribes: the Mohu tribe, the Duan tribe, and the Sifen tribe.

The Mohu tribe would no longer be called the Mohu tribe, but was renamed the Murong tribe. Every member of the tribe, except for Mo Hu Tan himself, who would retain the surname Mohu as a mark of his guilt and as a warning, would immediately change their surname to Murong, signifying a fresh start and reformation.

Among them, Mo Hu Tan's son, already old enough to ride a horse, was directly given the name Murong Bo by Lady Gongsun.

As for the Duan tribe, there was little to say; they remained the Duan tribe, but could no longer casually use four-character names as before. From now on, they too had to observe proper customs. For example, Duan Riyuming's son was renamed Duan Zhixing by the Lady.

As for the Sifen tribe, formed by merging twelve into one, their new chieftain Heita seemed to have understood from the start that the surname Tianwang was far too outrageous, so he immediately took the initiative to request a new surname and given name. For some unknown reason, Lady Gongsun very ingeniously gave him the surname Yuwen, but did not change his given name.

In other words, from now on, the Sifen tribe would be the Yuwen tribe, and Heita Tianwang became Yuwen Heita!

Moreover, since no merit surpasses saving one's lord, Yuwen Heita had rendered extraordinary service this time, and the Murong tribe had to be severely punished. Therefore, Gongsun Xun formally reclaimed Chengde City, which the Murong tribe had previously occupied, as punishment, and instead awarded it to the Yuwen tribe as a reward. He also permitted the Yuwen tribe to temporarily remain in Liaoxi and take the lead in annexing several mixed Hu tribes that opposed household registration and integration, as a supplement, thereby creating a balance of power with the Mohu and Duan tribes.

According to Gongsun Xun's arrangement, these three tribes were clearly still to serve as a barrier on the northern border of Youzhou. Since all three originated from Liaoxi and were simultaneously restructured with Han surnames, formally becoming vassals or retainers of the Gongsun clan, the names "Three Garrisons of Liaoxi" and "Three Surnames of Liaoxi" spread almost instantly.

But whether they were the Three Garrisons of Liaoxi or the Three Surnames of Liaoxi, in the first ten days of the fifth month, Gongsun Xun, having hastily made these arrangements, still led his army of over twenty thousand back to Lulong Pass and onto the solid North China Plain. There, he gathered the remaining tens of thousands of conscripted laborers, totaling fifty to sixty thousand men, before turning back toward Changping.

To this, Liu Yu, Xianyu Fu, Yan Rou, and others far away in Shanggu and Dai Commandery thought little of it... After all, from Gongsun Xun's perspective, this campaign was indeed arduous, with moments of extreme danger; he himself had even been momentarily at a loss, and his state of mind had undergone a rare tempering. However, from the perspective of Liu Yu, Xianyu Fu, and Yan Rou, or even from Zhao Bao and Lady Gongsun's point of view, the impact might not have been so profound.

This was because that setback was far too brief in the context of the entire campaign, not to mention that it was immediately followed by a classic, decisive victory that overshadowed everything... For Liu Yu and the others, separated by a thousand li, they might not even have noticed such a minor defeat had occurred.

As for the destruction of the Wuhuan, Kebineng's defeat and flight, and Zhang Ju's beheading... wasn't that within everyone's expectations from the start? When the General of the Guards marched out, did anyone think he would lose?

The only slight surprise was that the General of the Guards was quite fast again this time. With the isolated frontier beyond the passes and a five-hundred-li road stretching out, just the round trip for a large army would take twenty to thirty days, yet Gongsun Xun had finished the fighting and the post-war settlement in just over a month.

That was all.

However, after Gongsun Xun arrived at Changping with his victorious army of fifty thousand, something interesting happened. He did not disband his army on the spot at Changping, but instead led his troops further west, arriving at Ju Yang City (the area of later Huailai County), the administrative seat of Shanggu Commandery west of Juyong Pass, which was also where Liu Yu's provincial headquarters had been since his arrival in Youzhou. He then sent an invitation for Liu Yu, who was inspecting Gaoliu in Dai Commandery, to come and see him, bringing along the newly appointed Colonel of the Wuhuan Guard, Yan Rou.

A visitor with ill intent comes with no good purpose. Liu Yu was by no means a fool; upon receiving the message, his scalp immediately tingled, and he inwardly cursed, yet found himself powerless.

Because along with Gongsun Xun's invitation, tens of thousands of troops continued to advance westward, some occupying Guangning (later Zhangjiakou), others closing in on Ning County and Ma City (where the Shanggu Wuhuan resided and the Colonel of the Wuhuan Guard was stationed) from both flanks. There was even Tian Yu, a scion of a prominent Youzhou clan, galloping in with three thousand cavalry to take over Gaoliu Pass.

Immediately, before Liu Yu could think further, the Grand Administrator of Dai Commandery, Wang Ze, and the Grand Administrator of Shanggu, Gao Yan, came in person to request his presence. Faced with such a situation, Liu Yu had nothing left to say and could only prepare to return to Ju Yang.

The night before he set out from Gaoliu for Ju Yang, he even sent a special messenger to Ning County to summon Yan Rou, instructing him, per Gongsun Xun's wishes, to prepare to accompany him.

However, before the messenger could depart, Yan Rou himself arrived at Gaoliu overnight, galloping with only a few dozen elite Xianbei cavalry.

"Go with you to Ning County?" Liu Yu summoned Yan Rou to his private chamber that very night, only to hear such an absurd suggestion. "Why would I go with you to Ning County?"

"Lord Liu!" Yan Rou was not yet thirty in actual age, but years of life on the steppe had weathered his face. Now, frantic with anxiety, his brow tightly furrowed, his disheveled hair making him look even older. "Given the current situation, I fear this cannot end well. If you go to Ju Yang, unspeakable things might happen! But if you go to Ning County, I have seven or eight thousand Xianbei troops there, plus the Shanggu Wuhuan..."

"Nonsense!" Liu Yu rebuked him before he could even finish. "What do you mean 'unspeakable'? Tell me yourself, can the General of the Guards kill me, or can he dismiss me? Moreover, with the Grand General still in Luoyang, even if he truly tears off all pretense and carts us both to the capital in a cage cart, I could still extricate myself with ease. On the contrary, going with you to Ning County to gather forces and confront him would be what truly makes a peaceful resolution impossible!"

Yan Rou, prostrate on the ground, drew in a sharp breath but found himself with no retort... This reaction was not because Liu Yu was overly pedantic or weak, but quite the opposite—Liu Yu's words were, to a certain extent, far too reasonable!

Never mind any leeway or lack thereof; as long as Liu Boan himself did nothing foolish or superfluous, Gongsun Xun would not kill Liu Yu. This was the political rule of the high ranks. But if Liu Yu truly went to Ning County and rallied tens of thousands of Wuhuan and Xianbei to resist stubbornly, then he could not blame the swords for being blind... At that point, the crime of killing Liu Yu could even be directly pinned on him, Yan Rou.

Therefore, given the current situation, Liu Yu going to meet Gongsun Xun was actually the safest, most secure, and even the most correct course of action for him personally.

But the problem was, what about him, Yan Rou?

Guangning and Gaoliu were blocked, and Ning County and Ma City were watched by superior Han forces on both flanks. As things stood now, if that General of the Guards wanted to deal with him, he, Yan Rou, was nothing more than a piece of salted meat on a chopping block. And the only way to regain the initiative was precisely what he was doing right now—asking Liu Yu to go to Ning County!

In all of Youzhou, only Liu Yu now possessed the political appeal to oppose Gongsun Xun, and only under this man's protection could he, Yan Rou, barely manage to grasp his own fate with his weak military forces.

Liu Yu's legitimacy, combined with his, Yan Rou's, troops, could barely contend against Gongsun Xun—though only barely.

But the crux of the matter was, Liu Yu truly had no need to do so!

"I..." Yan Rou looked up, wanting to speak, but ultimately just bowed his head and sighed. "I was thoughtless. Truly, if not for you, Lord Liu, I would still be roaming the steppe, a homeless cur. How could I now, out of some selfish motive, place you, Lord Liu, in danger?"

"It's nothing." Seeing the other man's sincerity, Liu Yu was somewhat moved and personally stepped forward to help him up. "Go tie up your hair, put on a straight-hemmed robe, and come with me to Ju Yang this time. I will bear all responsibility before the General of the Guards and will do my utmost to protect you... In my view, all he seeks is the administrative authority over these remaining two commanderies and the troops of the Shanggu Wuhuan. At worst, we simply yield them to him."

Yan Rou gave a bitter smile and could only nod helplessly.

Thus, three days later, the Governor of Youzhou, Liu Yu, accompanied by his provincial subordinates, the newly appointed Colonel of the Wuhuan Guard Yan Rou, the Grand Administrator of Dai Commandery Wang Ze, and the Grand Administrator of Shanggu Gao Yan, calmly returned to Ju Yang City. As the host, Grand Administrator Gao Yan immediately fulfilled his duties; the moment he returned to the city, he arranged a banquet in the main hall of the commandery office, inviting Gongsun Xun and Liu Yu to attend together... ostensibly to celebrate the General of the Guards' successful campaign.

Gao Yan was an old acquaintance of Gongsun Xun. Back when he was Grand Administrator of Liaodong, Gongsun Xun had served under him as Prefect of Xiangping. For this man to act as intermediary was, of course, most appropriate.

In fact, Gongsun Xun accepted the invitation almost immediately and gladly led his retinue to the banquet.

That afternoon, once the banquet began and the gates of the office were sealed, the assembled guests first unanimously invited the General of the Guards and the Governor of Youzhou to sit together at the head of the hall, which was naturally beyond dispute. Then, the various two-thousand-bushel officials and provincial subordinates were seated on the left side, while the officers and subordinates who had rendered meritorious service in this campaign—that is, the subordinates of the General of the Guards' office, numbering several dozen—were all seated on the right side... This arrangement clearly gave ample face to the General of the Guards; otherwise, given their ranks, these men would never have been able to sit as equals opposite those on the other side.

Following that, fine wine, delicacies, song, and dance were all arranged quite properly. Clearly, the hope was to liven up the atmosphere, lest the impending dispute between the two become too awkward.

"This troupe of musicians, come to think of it, was acquired from Liaodong," said Grand Administrator Gao Yan, seated at the head of the left side, clapping his hands and laughing impatiently as soon as the music began. "It was a parting gift from the Elder Lady Gongsun when I left my post. A few of the tunes are particularly outstanding... I originally hesitated, wondering whether to play triumphal music for the General of the Guards' victorious return. But then I thought, the General is probably tired of such martial music, whereas these old tunes from his own household might feel more intimate at this moment."

Gongsun Xun, who had come in plain clothes, immediately tapped the table and laughed upon hearing this: "So that's it. Lord Gao, you are most thoughtful... When they played 'The Song of Heroes' earlier, I was a bit puzzled. It seems I was blind to my own family's music."

"This song is called 'The Song of Heroes'?" Cui Min, the Grand Administrator of Zhuo Commandery, asked, half out of curiosity and half to join the conversation. "Is there a story behind it?"

"There is," Gongsun Xun replied, lowering his head with a smile. "And this tune actually originates from Qingzhou, just across the river from Lord Cui's ancestral home in Qinghe. It tells of a group of law-abiding people from the Central Plains who, because of the murky times and excessive oppression by officials and local strongmen, ultimately gathered in a marsh to become bandits, killing officials and rebelling... Although they were quickly suppressed, because they raised the banner of 'Delivering Justice on Heaven's Behalf,' eliminating the cruel, bringing peace to the good, and robbing the rich to aid the poor, the common people of Qingzhou still commemorate them, and thus this song has been passed down."

Cui Min was speechless for a moment before finally responding: "In the end, it all comes down to the bad state of the world."

"Indeed," Gongsun Xun finally raised his head and solemnly swept his gaze across everyone present. "In the end, it all comes down to the bad state of the world. Not to mention good citizens turning to banditry, in this world, a handful of eunuchs can control the court for decades, and a slippery bandit from Yuyang can proclaim himself Son of Heaven. What deed is impossible now?"

The tone alone was hostile, so Gao Yan, Cui Min, and the others promptly shut their mouths. Liu Yu also stroked his beard and waited quietly, prepared for what was to come.

"The General of the Guards worries too much."

After a pause, someone was still willing to make an effort for the sake of overall harmony. The speaker was Wang Ze, the Grand Administrator of Dai Commandery. Compared to the weak-willed Gao Yan and the self-preserving Cui Min, this Grand Administrator from the Taiyuan Wang clan possessed a measure of backbone and resolve. "Thanks to the General of the Guards' decisive military action, has not that rebel who presumptuously called himself Son of Heaven already had his head paraded through Youzhou? It has even been sent to Luoyang. And the rebellious Liaoxi Wuhuan, I hear, have now been exterminated and registered into households by the General... Youzhou has returned to peace."

"Though peace has returned, the stench of barbarians still fills the room; it cannot be called clean!" Gongsun Xun raised his head and responded, showing no intention of dragging things out any further. "I have heard that while I was suppressing the rebellion beyond the passes, someone arbitrarily appointed a Xianbei chieftain to the critical post of Colonel of the Wuhuan Guard, allowing nearly ten thousand Xianbei soldiers into the passes... Is this true?"

Yan Rou let out a long sigh, remained silent, and rose from his seat to offer an apology.

"He was my appointee," Liu Yu immediately defended. "General of the Guards, you were suppressing the rebellion at the time, and I even sent my son to deliver a letter to you explaining the matter..."

"Did I reply and give my consent?" Gongsun Xun turned his head sharply and asked sternly. "Moreover, is the Colonel of the Wuhuan Guard not a military post? In wartime, should the appointment and dismissal not be handled by me, the one bearing the imperial tally and overseeing the military affairs of the nine commanderies?! Furthermore, this man already relied on his Hu troops to bolster his own importance, and now you grant him military authority over the Wuhuan. If he were to rebel one day and bring calamity upon Youzhou, who could bear that responsibility?"

Liu Yu fell silent for a moment, then ultimately resigned himself: "If Wenqi disapproves, then simply dismiss him from this post of Colonel."

Gongsun Xun looked at Liu Yu, whose clothes were simple and whose hat even had patches on it. After a moment, he suddenly turned his head and waved his hand with a stern expression: "Drag him out and execute him!"

Cheng Pu, who was already seated beside Yan Rou, was the first to rise and restrain him. Opposite them, Han Dang, Gao Shun, Zhao Yun, Wei Yue, Han Hao, Zhang Nan, Jiao Chu, and Wen Ze, among other officers, had also long been prepared. Before Yan Rou could resist, they all rose, drew their blades, and controlled the situation... Then guards naturally came forward to bind him.

In that sudden turn, men like Gao Yan and Cui Min all paled and covered their faces.

But Liu Yu, who had after all made a promise, immediately rose and demanded, "Wenqi, why must it come to this?!"

"I refuse to accept this!" Though already bound, Yan Rou still cried out his grievances. "I came today already with the intent to admit guilt and beg mercy — why must the General of the Guard be so utterly ruthless?!"

"You blur the line between Hu and Han! I dare not keep you!" Gongsun Xun ignored Liu Yu entirely, but did respond to Yan Rou.

"What kind of talk is that?!" Seeing the binding nearly complete, Yan Rou grew ever more frantic. "We all blur the line between Hu and Han — you could tolerate Mo Huchuan, a Hu man, so why can you not tolerate me? I am, after all, a Han!"

"It is good that you understand this!" Gongsun Xun suddenly sneered, unhurried and unflustered. "Then I shall let you die knowing why... Mo Huchuan, though a Hu, is a Han-assimilated Hu; while you, though a Han, are a Hu-assimilated Han! Mo Huchuan dwells beyond the frontier and serves as my hawk and hound toward the steppe; but you gained power on the steppe and plotted to lead Hu troops to seize Han land! Now that the realm is in turmoil, it is precisely men like you that I can least tolerate! Drag him away!"

"This is plainly factionalism! Plainly 'those who submit flourish, those who resist perish'!" Dragged backward and out, Yan Rou laughed coldly without cease. "And I was a fool — to even speak of Hu and Han with you? As if I, Yan Rou, fear death..."

The gate of the government temple swung open; Yan Rou was dragged out mid-sentence, and Cheng Pu unhurriedly followed behind the man. A moment later, when he turned and came back, there was already a severed head in his hand.

Before the government temple hall, utter silence fell — even Liu Yu had slumped back into his seat.

"Xianyu Fu." Unhurried and unflustered, Gongsun Xun continued calling the roll.

"Does the General of the Guard mean to kill me as well?" Xianyu Fu, seated behind to Liu Yu's side, stepped forward with a cold sneer.

"You ought to know that I do not wish to kill you," Gongsun Xun sighed heavily.

"That is only natural," Xianyu Fu laughed coldly. "I should have realized sooner. Yan Rou has eight or nine thousand Xianbei troops, plus nine thousand Wuhuan who have settled in Shanggu — if the General of the Guard did not kill him, how could he truly cleanse Youzhou? Heaven is vast, earth is vast, but troops and horses are the vastest! Whereas I am not so important — is that not so?"

Gongsun Xun made no reply in the silence, only turned to look back at him.

"Yan Rou entered the frontier and surrendered to Lord Liu on my guarantee. Now that he has met a violent death, I have no face left to live on alone!" Xianyu Fu pondered a moment, then ultimately shook his head and sighed. "I have only one plea... Today Yan Rou and I both die; our two households will surely be thrown into turmoil, perhaps even rise in revolt, and end up with our clans exterminated in a moment. So I beg the General of the Guard to send men now, before they can react, to seize them all and banish them to Lelang and Joseon... My Xianyu clan is, after all, of the legitimate Jizi Joseon line. If we can return to our roots in this time of chaos and preserve the family, then generations hence, they will surely come to understand and be grateful to the General of the Guard."

"I understand," Gongsun Xun said with a slight wave of his hand. "You may go on your own."

Xianyu Fu bowed his head to Liu Yu in a parting kowtow, then kowtowed to Gongsun Xun in thanks. Only then did he rise and walk out the government temple gate on his own. Moments later, Han Dang, who had followed him out, brought back his severed head.

"You two, ride light cavalry at once to Ning County and Macheng." Gongsun Xun then pointed to Cheng Pu and Han Dang and instructed them. "The main army is already deployed there. Dispatch troops immediately and seize all the Xianbei and Wuhuan! Those who surrender are to be incorporated; those who do not, kill without exception!"

Cheng Pu and Han Dang cast aside the heads and immediately took their orders and departed.

At this sight, many among those seated actually let out long breaths — only Liu Yu, seated level with Gongsun Xun, remained dazed and at a loss. He had clearly promised to preserve Yan Rou as best he could, yet had been utterly powerless, to say nothing of having Xianyu Fu dragged down as well.

"Lord Liu, I have a question for you." And at that moment, Gongsun Xun suddenly turned back to look at the man, showing no sign of stopping there. "I hear that Xianyu Fu procured several concubines for you last month?"

Liu Yu, in his patched cloth cap, turned back in alarm: "What do you mean by this?"

"I mean nothing else!" Gongsun Xun answered easily. "Lord Liu's wife has not yet arrived, and he lacks people to care for him. Taking concubines while in office is an ordinary matter. Besides, the mourning period for the Son of Heaven had already passed, and word of the Empress Dowager's death had not yet reached here, so naturally there is no impediment... However, there are those who use this matter to ruin Lord Liu's reputation — that I cannot ignore."

As he spoke, with a slight clap of Gongsun Xun's hands, several people were suddenly led in through the government temple gate. Among them were several young and alluring women; Liu Yu's eldest son Liu He, who for safety's sake had been left at home and had not come to the feast; and several household servants and maids. Besides these, a troop of soldiers came bearing a pile of furniture, chests, and trunks before the hall.

"You searched my residence?" Liu Yu was even more shocked and enraged. "Why must it come to this?!"

"Let me ask Lord Liu," Gongsun Xun said unhurriedly, with a mocking laugh. "You and your noble son wear clothes of homespun cloth, and the cap on your head is covered in patches — so why do all your concubines wear silks and brocades? The furniture in your outer chambers is all old belongings from the residence, yet the furniture in the inner chambers is mostly lavish and extravagant? I recall that when you arrived to take office, you had only a few official carts and no surplus goods or wealth — how, in a mere two or three months, have you accumulated so much?"

Liu Yu's face flushed crimson, but he was too furious to speak.

"Lord Liu is a moral exemplar for the realm — how could he be outwardly one thing and inwardly another?" Still unhurried and unflustered, Gongsun Xun issued his own orders. "This must be the household servants doing this behind his back. Escort Lord Liu's ladies back properly... As for the rest of his household, every last one of them — drag them out and kill them!"

The entire hall was stupefied, but could only watch as every trusted family member Liu Yu had brought with him was dragged out on the spot, crying for help, and beheaded in public outside the government temple, their heads then tossed back onto the open ground before the hall.

In an instant, only Liu He remained standing before the hall, beside the heads of his own family, trembling uncontrollably!

"Does the General of the Guard not fear that others will call you cruel, violent, and warlike for this act?" Just as Gongsun Xun prepared to continue, Liu Yu, trembling just as violently, finally rose in fury. "I beg you to give some thought to your posthumous name!"

Gongsun Xun looked up to heaven and gave a long sigh. Then, dressed in plain clothes and steadying his sword, he slowly rose and walked to Liu He's side in the middle of the hall. Only then did he turn to face Liu Yu: "Lord Liu, allow me to ask Lord Liu one more thing, if I may?"

"You have already killed all my people — what is there left that you may not ask?" Liu Yu, enraged and losing all composure, actually pointed his finger at him.

"Lord Liu, oh Lord Liu, I ask you — why did you come to Youzhou to be Governor of Youzhou?" Gongsun Xun suddenly asked with a solemn expression.

"This was the Son of Heaven's command!" Liu Yu answered, lifting his head proudly.

"Then was Liu Yan, Liu Junlang, made Governor of Yizhou also by the Son of Heaven's command?" Gongsun Xun abruptly brought up an unrelated person.

"That is only natural," Liu Yu declared defiantly. "Liu Junlang and I are both important ministers of the imperial clan, and thus trusted by the central authority!"

"Then do you know that Liu Junlang, seeing the realm's situation collapsing and the so-called posthumous Emperor Ling being nothing but a self-serving tyrant of the Jie and Zhou sort, initially planned to seek the post of Governor of Jiaozhou to flee from disaster?"

"What kind of talk is this?"

"This is a truth known to all," Gongsun Xun answered slowly. "In these times, so many resign from office to flee disaster — what is so strange about seeking office to flee disaster? Among all those seated here, how many do not understand this principle? And besides, what Liu Junlang did is nothing remarkable... I only ask you — do you know why he changed his mind and sought the post of Governor of Yizhou instead?"

"How would I know?" Liu Yu grew ever more agitated. "And what does Liu Junlang's conduct have to do with me?"

"Liu Junlang originally wished to seek the post of Governor of Jiaozhou to flee disaster." Gongsun Xun turned to Wang Ze, the Grand Administrator of Dai Commandery, who wore the gravest expression among those present, and smiled. "Who would have guessed that the Yizhou fangshi Dong Fu would tell Liu Junlang... that Yizhou possesses the qi of a Son of Heaven!"

At these words, the entire assembly was shocked.

"And so Liu Junlang changed his request to Governor of Yizhou," Gongsun Xun continued, looking around at the many two-thousand-bushel officials with a mocking laugh. "And Dong Fu, seeing that the Son of Heaven had died, the General of the Agile Cavalry had been killed, the Empress Dowager had died in Yongle Palace, and Luoyang was in chaos, actually abandoned his post and fled back to Yizhou... Before leaving, he smugly told people of this matter, and even said that upon returning to Yizhou, he was certain to enjoy a lifetime of wealth and rank."

Amidst the general alarm, the entire assembly understood Gongsun Xun's meaning — and then turned to look at Liu Yu, who had long since been struck dumb.

"Lord Liu," Gongsun Xun sneered even more coldly, and likewise looked toward Liu Yu. "Dare I ask Lord Liu — does Youzhou possess the qi of a Son of Heaven? Are Yan Rou's troops strong? Do the hearts of the people of Youzhou adhere to you?"

"This is slander!" Liu Yu, recovering his senses, roared almost beside himself. "Who seeks to harm me?"

"Lord Liu!" Gongsun Xun gave a long sigh, and at last drew the broken blade from his waist, pointing it from a distance at the other man. "Do you still not understand? The realm is out of control, men's hearts are scattered, and there is no place not in chaos. It is not that I cannot kill you — it is precisely because I trust you, precisely to preserve you, precisely to let the realm know that I, Gongsun Xun, still mean to uphold reason and uphold rules, that I killed all these people to spare you alone... Otherwise, killing only you would have been enough to pacify Youzhou! Today, these people — from Yan Rou to Xianyu Fu, to all your household — all died in your place, to pay with their lives for you alone!"

Liu Yu lost control and collapsed to sit behind his desk.

"As for talk of being warlike?" Gongsun Xun held his blade and looked around at those on both sides, his words fierce. "All you lords are in Youzhou... I would rather ask you lords — do you know that all of Liangzhou is in rebellion? Do you know that Liu Yan instigated Zhang Lu to ambush and kill Zhang Xiu, plunging Hanzhong back into chaos and cutting off all communication? Do you know that the Qing and Xu Yellow Turbans have once again reached a million strong? Do you know that in the mountains just south of Shanggu, there are also a million bandits? Why is it that Youzhou, where I, this warlike man, reside, alone enjoys peace beyond the world's troubles?! Is it because Youzhou has good fengshui?!"

At this point, Gongsun Xun's eyes blazed and his voice grew harsh, his emotions also hard to control: "You must all understand... without me, the Heishan bandits would have long since struck Dai Commandery! Without me, the hundreds of thousands of refugees in Jizhou would have long since had nowhere to settle! Without me, this time Yan Rou would not have gone through all those twists and turns to kowtow and beg Liu Yu for a Captain's post — he would have directly led his troops into the frontier, killed the officials, and taken their place! Without me, petty clowns like Zhang Ju would still be in Guanzi City calling themselves Son of Heaven and mocking you all! Without me, Qiuliju and Kebineng would have long since joined hands to invade the frontier and ravage Hebei, and none of your families, your women and children, would be safe!"

"No one denies the Marquis of Ji's achievements..." Gao Yan, Cui Min, and the others had long since been cowed into silence; only Wang Ze managed to speak with effort.

"But you are still not convinced!" Gongsun Xun cut him off with a harsh shout. "I tell you plainly today — the peace of the northern lands rests entirely on my person! The affairs of the northern lands must likewise all be controlled by my hand! And with matters having reached this state, my conscience is clear. The one whose conscience should be troubled is that lone tyrant in the Northern Palace in Luoyang, dead but not yet stiff! It was he who brought disaster upon the state to this extent, and it is I who have stepped forward for the safety of the northern lands! As for you people, sent here by decree — if you are willing to do something for the local scholars and commoners, I am not incapable of tolerating you! But if you are unwilling, then at the very least, do not emulate Liu Boan, who for personal whims undermines the greater good of the region!"

Wang Ze opened his mouth to speak, but could only stammer wordlessly.

"Lord Wang." Gongsun Xun suddenly sheathed his blade. "I know what you are hesitating about... But do my personal desires interfere with my public duty? In the affairs of these northern lands, is there anyone besides me who can shoulder them? In the affairs of the realm, one must always make choices!"

"General of the Guard... in Luoyang... there is still the Grand General!" Wang Ze, seated opposite Gongsun Xun, finally managed to utter a sentence.

"I will naturally submit a memorial to the Grand General reporting victory," Gongsun Xun said with a mocking laugh. "The Grand General will certainly not fail me."

"That is good then, that is good. Let us await the Grand General's instructions." Wang Ze exhaled a long breath, appearing greatly relieved.

Gongsun Xun gave another light laugh, then turned directly and walked away, steadying his sword as he passed the stupefied Liu He. The men on the right side of the banquet also rose one after another, abandoning the food and wine they had not yet touched, and followed directly after him.

Yet after walking out the government temple gate and just turning the corner, Gongsun Xun suddenly halted. It turned out that after all the killing earlier, the ground beside the gate outside the government temple was now covered in bloodstains.

Gongsun Xun stood there, gazing steadily for a while, then could not help but sigh softly:

"Those people — do they actually think I enjoy killing? Do they not know that if I do not kill now, far more will die for it in the future?"

The many civil and military officers behind him all remained silent.

And Gongsun Xun also laughed ruefully and shook his head, then raised his head, rested his hand on his saber, and with light steps walked directly over the bloodstains and left.

—————I am the dividing line of doing one's best—————

"At the end of the Zhongping era, after the Grand Ancestor had attacked Liaoxi and returned, he reached Juyang and held a great banquet for the meritorious officials of Youzhou, the two-thousand-bushel rank, and also met with the Provincial Governor Liu Yu. During the banquet, he summoned Yan Rou and rebuked him for bringing Hu soldiers into the passes, ordering his execution, and Liu Yu could not stop it. The Provincial Attendant Xianyu Fu, who had always been close to Yan Rou, then left his seat to beg for mercy, speaking at length of various matters. The Grand Ancestor slightly softened his expression, yet in the end still intended to execute him. Yan Rou sighed deeply: 'Faction against faction, the compliant prosper and the defiant perish — why speak of Hu? Am I, Rou, a man who fears death?' The Grand Ancestor, angered, also replied sternly: 'The northern lands are one body — how can another be allowed to snore beside one's own couch? Since you understand this, why say such things?' And so he was beheaded. When Xianyu Fu saw this, because he could not save his old friend, he bowed in farewell to Provincial Governor Liu Yu and also sought death. After Rou and Fu died, the Grand Ancestor thereupon took over the Wuhuan of Dai Commandery and simultaneously seized the governance of the province." — New Book of Yan, Volume 1, Annals of the Grand Ancestor, Martial Emperor

PS: Thanks to new Alliance Master lighterjt... it seems the new Alliance Master's nickname in the QQ group is also related to light... curious... and by the way, that makes twenty-four Alliance Masters... feels like twenty-four is even more awesome than eighteen!

(End of chapter)