Chapter 331: A Righteous Man in Hebei

"So, Dong Zhuo deposed and enthroned an emperor in three days, and actually succeeded?"

In Zhending, Changshan, Jizhou, torrential rain poured down. Inside the government office in the city, Gongsun Xun was conversing with a visitor.

"Exactly." In the sweltering, humid summer weather, the visitor was drenched in sweat, but today his sweat was clearly not just from the heat. "It was only on the twenty-eighth of the fifth month that he led troops to escort the Son of Heaven into the court. At that time, he still publicly handed the Son of Heaven and the Prince of Chenliu over to Grand Tutor Yuan Kui in good faith, and everyone thought he truly was a pillar of the state... But on the thirtieth, after he was appointed Minister of Works, he proposed the deposition and enthronement right there in the Xianyang Garrison barracks. Yuan Benchu refuted him on the spot, and Dong Zhuo actually drew his blade and threatened him directly. Then came the grand court assembly on the first of the sixth month..."

"What happened at the grand court assembly on the first of the sixth month?" Gongsun Xun's expression remained calm as he continued to ask with curiosity.

"At the grand court assembly on the first of the sixth month, he brought armored soldiers into the court, openly proposed the deposition and enthronement, and even told everyone directly that he would uphold court discipline by military law. In the end, in the entire court, only Lord Lu alone rose to argue against him, but he was merely driven out, on account of your esteemed face." The man's sweat continued to pour.

"Where is my teacher Lu?"

"He went to Henei at the time; I don't know where he went afterward."

"How did Grand Tutor Yuan react?"

"Like a wooden puppet — he agreed directly." The man sighed, a rare display. "The next day, he was the one who performed the deposition and enthronement ceremony. Not only that, on the same day, Dong Zhuo also ordered that no more eunuchs be appointed, and that the hundred officials and ministers send their clan sons into the palace to serve as court gentlemen..."

"..."

"And on the third of the sixth month, just after the deposition and enthronement succeeded, Dong Zhuo directly ordered Empress Dowager He poisoned, had He Miao's corpse exhumed and flogged, and even the Empress Dowager He's mother, the Lady of Wuyang, was killed... Only the family of Grand General He, because you, my lord, had shown them some care, were seized by Wenchao leading troops from Dong Zhuo's subordinates, and Dong Zhuo did not retaliate or obstruct it."

Gongsun Xun suddenly raised his head and fixed his gaze on the visitor: "Wenchao... what are you trying to say?"

"My lord... there are rumors in Luoyang that Dong Zhongying acted with such impunity this time because he made a pact with you back in the Guanzhong days." The man looked at Gongsun Xun and spoke earnestly. "And these words have spread quite widely."

"Is it because the Northern Army defected to him? And because I have always been on good terms with the Northern Army?" Gongsun Xun gave a cold snort. "If we argue by that logic, Dong Zhuo was also a subordinate under Grand Tutor Yuan's patronage. Should today's events all be blamed on the Yuan clan?"

"That is also true." The man was momentarily embarrassed.

"Those people in Luoyang are merely worried that I might be won over by Dong Zhuo, and then truly become impossible to control, correct?"

"Probably so... but it was not stated outright, since the events were so sudden. However, that day when Yuan Benchu was intimidated at Xianyang Garrison, after he came out and met Bao Xin, he said outright that when he saw Lu Bu standing behind Dong Zhuo, he truly believed that you, my lord, along with Liu Yizhou, had joined forces with Dong Zhuo, which was why Dong Zhuo acted so recklessly. It was only later, when Gongsun Wenchao led your lord's personal followers to seize Grand General He's family and then actually fled directly to Henei, and when Liu Yizhou's sons also offered explanations one after another, that everyone came to their senses... In short, things happened too urgently; everyone was at a loss, and chaos reigned everywhere."

"Where is Yuan Benchu now?"

"In Henei."

"Why Henei as well?" Gongsun Xun was momentarily taken aback, a rare reaction.

"Naturally, Henei." The visitor wiped the sweat from his head and spread his hands as he spoke. "Everyone is in Henei. After the deposition and enthronement, compounded by the poisoning of Empress Dowager He, Grand General He's former subordinate Wang Kuang probably came to his senses, and so he also led several hundred trusted troops to Henei. Even Zhang Yang of Bingzhou, returning from recruiting troops, reached Shangdang, heard that the Grand General and Bearer of the Gilded Mace Ding Yuan had been killed, and simply halted, raising the banner of punishing Dong Zhuo, and also advanced his army into Henei territory as a gesture."

Only then did Gongsun Xun realize... he had indeed been muddled. In the rush, the closest place to flee from Luoyang was Henei, and with the Yellow River as a barrier, it naturally guarded against large-scale armies and was safe enough. Besides, Henei was, after all, part of the Sili region; going there still did not signify a complete break from the central authority for those with ambitions.

In fact, earlier when Zhang Rang had abducted the Son of Heaven and fled toward Henei, and even when Gongsun Xun himself had stayed in Henei that day, it had been for the same reason.

The crux this time was that Dong Zhuo was too outrageous and too swift — deposing and enthroning the Son of Heaven in three days, poisoning the Empress Dowager in five. No one had a backup plan, so, unable to react in time, they could only flee to Henei.

"My lord!" Seeing Gongsun Xun lost in thought for a moment, the visitor could not help but ask one more question. "With such a sudden upheaval in Luoyang, what do you intend to do?"

"I wanted to ask you the same thing." Gongsun Xun countered. "Dong Zhuo so easily deposed and enthroned an emperor — what do you people think about it... Tell me honestly, do you care about the deposition and enthronement?"

"How could one not care? It is, after all, a matter of deposing and enthroning an emperor." The man wiped his sweat again.

"Would you like to write a few characters before answering?" Gongsun Xun teased, seeing his state.

"No need." The man — none other than Gentleman Attendant of the Yellow Gate, Zhong Yao — upon hearing this, could not help but sit up straight. "On such a matter, I have searched my heart before coming here and already have my thoughts..."

"But you must tell me the truth." Gongsun Xun scoffed.

"Yes." Zhong Yao bowed forward in acknowledgment, then spoke with a solemn expression. "I believe, putting myself in his place and looking at it from Dong Zhuo's side, he is a frontier general and a military man. If not for the successful deposition and enthronement, how could he seize control of the court and leap to become the holder of power over all under heaven? When I came, he had already sent orders to General Huangfu in Guanzhong, demanding he relinquish his military command, and also sent men to Liangzhou to summon Han Sui and Ma Teng to surrender. Furthermore, he wants Jingzhaoyin Gai Yuangu to enter Luoyang... I believe these few matters will certainly succeed. When that time comes, with strong troops in hand and Yong and Liang under his control, is it not all because the Son of Heaven is in his grasp?"

Gongsun Xun slowly nodded: "I am also impressed... If it were me, I truly would not have such boldness."

"But this is, after all, a matter of deposing and enthroning an emperor. He, a military man, doing such a thing — who could be sincerely convinced?" Zhong Yao sighed again. "Not to mention, during the deposition and enthronement, he actually led troops into the palace, intending to uphold court discipline by military law. And after the deposition and enthronement, he actually poisoned the Empress Dowager and flogged He Miao's corpse... Even if the He clan needed to be purged, the Lady of Wuyang was an old woman of advanced age, bereft of both children — and he could still kill her?! Therefore, I believe, based on these two points alone, he is certain to fail!"

"Well said." Gongsun Xun nodded in agreement. "To put it plainly... the court ministers detest him: three parts because the act of deposition and enthronement itself is too shocking, and he, a military man, doing it, broke the rules; three parts because his martial style is overbearing and unrestrained, with endless indiscriminate killing; and three parts because his origins are lowly, and the court figures naturally refuse to conspire with him... The last part — some people may not truly care about these things, but because of the previous nine parts, they know he cannot succeed, and so they become alienated and disloyal."

Zhong Yao was speechless.

Amid a stretch of silence, suddenly a plump, tiger-cub-like orange exotic beast waddled out from behind Gongsun Xun, swinging its rear. It completely ignored the two seated men, came to the corridor in front of the hall, and stared curiously at the falling lines of water.

Zhong Yuanchang naturally knew this was a cat. In earlier years, they were rarely seen, but in recent years, they had become quite common in the residences of high officials and nobles. It seemed the trend had started precisely because of the General of the Guards before him.

"I will ask you one more thing." After staring at the fat cat's rear for a moment, Gongsun Xun suddenly inquired again with a serious expression. "Yuanchang, do you think my presence here in the north, with regard to Luoyang, has stabilized the situation, or hastened it?"

Zhong Yao remained silent.

"I understand." Gongsun Xun let out a long sigh, then turned his head back and spoke softly toward the rear of the hall. "Mother, it seems you were right this time after all."

"It is not that I was right." An older female voice suddenly rose from behind. Following it, dozens of maidservants carrying candles streamed into the hall. Only then did an elegantly dressed older woman, surrounded by several beautiful attendants, emerge from the back. "Rather, it is that all things in this world, visible and invisible, must abide by rules and principles..."

Hearing the word "Mother," Zhong Yao immediately knew who it was. He hurriedly bowed forward in salute. The noblewoman — none other than Lady Gongsun — also looked Zhong Yao over with keen interest as she approached.

However, Gongsun Xun beside her still seemed somewhat helpless: "I thought that with me here, Yuan Shao and Dong Zhuo would both exercise some restraint."

Upon hearing this, Lady Gongsun laughed again: "You thought that because you are ever-victorious and quite powerful, you could overawe the court. But you did not realize that the Han house has long been in decay, the people under heaven have long been destitute, and the hearts of men have long been overgrown with weeds. As for Luoyang, it is the flashpoint of all the Great Han's contradictions. This turmoil was not because of He Jin's negligence, nor because of Yuan Shao's boldness, and still less because Dong Zhuo happened to lead his troops outside the city... It is because the common people under heaven cannot fill their bellies, the local strongmen cannot gain official posts, and the noble houses are as corrupt as the eunuchs. And the existence of a frontier military boss like you, for a centralized court, will at most intensify the contradictions, not alleviate them. In truth, you have long understood this principle; you just did not yet grasp the relationship between chance and necessity."

Gongsun Xun slowly nodded, then suddenly straightened his robes, gripping his sword, his expression solemn: "Mother is absolutely right. From the time I came of age and left Liaoxi, the figures I have met include, of course, mediocre and cowardly men who fear death, but there has never been a shortage of heroes unafraid of life, death, success, or failure. Among the routed Yellow Turbans, there are those who do not fear death; among the local strongmen and village clerks, there are those who do not fear death; among the gentry generals, there are likewise those who do not fear death... The world is in chaos. Some of these heroes act for fame, some for profit, some for loyalty, some for righteousness, some for strength, some for vision, some to dominate all under heaven, some to bring peace to the land. No matter what, each and every one has their pursuit. How could they possibly abandon what they wish to do just because I am stronger than them? If that were the case, what right would they have to call themselves heroes? If they truly harbor ambitions, they will only, seeing me ahead of them, strive all the harder to catch up. That is all."

"Well said." Lady Gongsun stared at her son, momentarily stunned — a rare occurrence — then nodded again. "To expect these heroes to bow their heads just because your power is great — unless they all suddenly lose their wits and become idiots overnight. Setting aside how men like Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang act against the tide, even Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and Dong Zhuo — which of them did not initially rise against the current, pitting weakness against strength?... So, there are some things I can help you with, but there are some things you can only do yourself. I cannot help you with those."

Zhong Yao was momentarily bewildered... because he only half-understood what this mother and son were saying.

"Let us set that aside for now." Lady Gongsun suddenly turned toward Zhong Yao. "Are you Zhong Yuanchang?"

"Yes!" The sweat-drenched Zhong Yao bowed forward once more. "Zhong Yao of Yingchuan pays his respects to the Old Madam. I did not expect the Old Madam to be here."

"Yuanchang, do not be alarmed." Gongsun Xun, walking outward, smiled as he gripped his sword. "My mother is very fond of your calligraphy. She came this time to help me manage the prisoners of war and was originally supposed to return to Changping yesterday... She stayed specifically because she heard you were coming and wanted to meet you."

Zhong Yao breathed a rare sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Lady Gongsun had already signaled a beautiful attendant behind her to step forward and help Zhong Yao up. Smiling warmly, she ordered writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone to be set out: "Since I have met Zhong Yuanchang, I must request a sample of your treasured calligraphy... Copy the Sutra of Forty-Two Sections for me!"

"..."

Gongsun Xun paid no further attention to the matters here. He walked to the doorway, kicked the increasingly fat old cat with one foot into a puddle outside the corridor, then strode directly out of the main hall, gripping his sword, and followed the long corridor toward a certain side room near the inner hall of the government office.

Inside this spacious side room, candles had been lit early because the rainy sky made it dim. Under the candlelight, several men dressed as scholars were engaged in heated debate. Seeing Gongsun Xun enter, they all rose to greet him.

"Well?" Gongsun Xun paid no mind and sat directly in a chair in the room. "Have you reached a conclusion in your discussions?"

"We have debated at length, but cannot reach a conclusion." Lou Gui, the most senior person present, could not help but stroke his beard and laugh wryly. "Never mind those later matters — even regarding the post of General of Chariots and Cavalry that Zhong Yuanchang brought with him, we are divided. After all, although it is something Dong Zhuo is using to win over you, my lord, accepting it would inevitably confirm the suspicion of collusion with Dong Zhuo. Yet, the General of Chariots and Cavalry ranks alongside the Three Excellencies, and in our dynasty, it has traditionally carried the precedent of holding court authority. With it, one might be able to appoint and dismiss officials at will, so we are somewhat reluctant to refuse it."

"Then let the debate end." Gongsun Xun sat in the chair and spoke with a solemn expression. "My mind is made up."

From Lou Gui on down, the men in the room — including Xi Zhong, Dong Zhao, Du Ji, and Wang Xiu — all rose to their feet.

"Dong Zhuo is a subject of the Han house, yet he has arbitrarily deposed and enthroned an emperor and poisoned the Empress Dowager. How can this be tolerated? I, Gongsun Xun, am wholeheartedly devoted to restoring peace under heaven. How could I collude with a man like Dong Zhuo, who is a Han subject in name but a Han traitor in deed?" Gongsun Xun spoke unhurriedly. "Besides, I already hold the legitimate and proper post of General of the Guards, with orders to command the troops of the nine local commanderies. Why would I need an appointment from such a traitor?"

"Understood," Lou Gui and the others responded in a scattered chorus.

"And that is not all," Gongsun Xun continued. "Dong Zhuo is truly a freak unprecedented in all history. Since this man dared to depose and enthrone within three days, and poison the Empress Dowager within five or six, it is entirely possible he has already begun slaughtering ministers and commoners, moved the capital to Guanzhong within two months, and killed the abdicated Prince of Hongnong within three... I was careless before. Knowing the Grand General had died, I still assumed there would be a buffer of several months. Instead of gathering troops, I rashly brought a light force to Changshan to try to drive Zhang Yan out of Zishan, leaving us caught off guard now... In short, we must prepare as quickly as possible."

"My lord, you need not blame yourself," Lou Gui said, doing his best to console him. "The Taihang Mountains stretch a thousand li from north to south, extending from Dai Commandery all the way to Henei, overlooking Youzhou and Jizhou. Moreover, from Zhang Yan to Yu Du, there are dozens of bandit bands, large and small, amassing a million followers, holding the high ground. From a military standpoint, they had to be eliminated no matter what... Of course, being suddenly caught in this heavy rain now is simply beyond our control."

The current Commandant of Changshan, the short, stout Dong Zhao, who had been keeping his head lowered, took the opportunity to look up. But seeing no additional expression on Gongsun Xun's face, he immediately lowered his head again.

"Not so," Gongsun Xun said, leaning back in his chair with perfect composure. "Matters have their urgency. I originally planned to drive and clear out the million bandits of the Taihang Mountains from north to south, like splitting firewood along the way. In doing so, first, I would secure the natural barrier of the Taihang Mountains and, following the route, take control of Dai Commandery, Changshan, Zhao State, Wei Commandery, and Henei, reaching all the way to the Great River. Second, I could register those million bandits as households and establish military farms to strengthen our power. Third, I could use the opportunity to press close to Luoyang... But Dong Zhuo is simply too fast! So fast one cannot catch one's breath! It is foreseeable that in the coming months, Dong Zhuo will defy the world's condemnation and wreak havoc on the court. And the people of the realm will either be dazed and at a loss, or rise up to resist. At this very moment, if one holds the great cause of righteousness and raises a call to action, one can win hearts with a single dispatch, worth more than a hundred thousand troops. Therefore, the most important thing right now is to assemble like-minded men of purpose, raise the righteous banner, and campaign against Dong! The matter of the Taihang Mountain bandits can be postponed."

Lou Gui slowly nodded and closed his mouth, saying no more. Wang Xiu also folded his hands into his sleeves and remained silent.

The other few men, however, had shifting, uncertain looks in their eyes... It must be understood that Gongsun Xun's words clearly assumed Dong Zhuo would bring about his own destruction and that the realm would no longer obey Luoyang. Otherwise, how could one simply raise a call and directly carve out territory?

Yet even these men felt somewhat uneasy at heart, because this Dong of Luoyang... Grand Commandant Dong... from a purely political maneuvering standpoint, still seemed quite formidable.

Here, an additional remark is necessary: this man Dong Zhuo, Dong Zhongying, is already Grand Commandant! And he enters court without hastening, is praised without having his name announced, and may wear his sword and shoes when ascending the hall.

Indeed, Grand Commandant Dong not only deposed and enthroned with extraordinary speed, and killed the Empress Dowager with extraordinary speed, but also rose through the ranks with extraordinary speed! And Grand Commandant Dong promoted not only himself; everyone's rank rose very quickly!

In fact, right after Dong Zhuo killed Empress Dowager He and purged the He clan, he immediately implemented his 'New Policies.' Specifically, he attempted to reconcile with everyone, so that together they might revive the Han dynasty... You read that correctly. Dong Zhuo, including a portion of his trusted advisors, all had political ideals, and this group genuinely believed that everyone would accept his sudden deposition and enthronement, and then unite with him to build an era of peace.

At this very moment, he truly never imagined that his deposition and enthronement would invite a full-scale siege, and he genuinely believed that his gestures of goodwill could bring about reconciliation.

For example, Zhong Yao's current mission bearing the imperial tally was precisely to promote Gongsun Xun and Liu Yu. Liu Yu, that universally acknowledged Han clan relative and assisting minister, was given the new post of Grand Marshal, while Gongsun Xun, this General of the Guard... originally, hadn't He Jin intended to make him General of the Agile Cavalry? Very well, then simply make him General of Chariots and Cavalry.

Also, Yuan Shao, Wang Kuang, Bao Xin, and the others who had fled were all granted offices. Bao Xin became Chancellor of Jibei, Yuan Shao became Grand Administrator of Bohai, Wang Kuang was appointed Grand Administrator of Henei, and Zhu Jun of Henei was summoned to court to be Grand Coachman.

For those who did not flee: Yuan Kui, as Grand Tutor, could be promoted no further; Yuan Shu was appointed General of the Rear; Yuan Ji was appointed Minister of Ceremonies; Wang Yun became Prefect of the Masters of Writing; Yang Biao became Minister of Works; the Imperial Clerk Han Fu was sent out as Governor of Jizhou; and Cao Cao was appointed Colonel of the Elite Cavalry.

As for renowned scholars out of office, it was even more absurd. For instance, Xun Shuang was initially appointed Chancellor of Pingyuan. He hemmed and hawed, and before he had even traveled half the distance, he was made Superintendent of the Imperial Household. Then there was Cai Yong. That old fellow was initially summoned just like Xun Shuang and also wished to refuse. But just like Xun Shuang, their families were both near Luoyang (the Cai clan in Chenliu, the Xun clan in Yingchuan). Once the messenger threatened them, they still went, obediently and weeping.

Such cases were too numerous to count.

And the very doubt plaguing Gongsun Xun's advisors lay precisely here... What they feared was: if everyone, like Cai Yong and Xun Shuang, accepted Dong Zhuo's 'invitation to cooperate' for various reasons, then what would Gongsun Xun's 'raising a call' amount to?

When the time came, would he not be the first to raise the banner of rebellion, only to lose all popular support? Ending up with the same outcome as Han Sui?

Oh, no, at this moment Grand Commandant Dong had also already sent signals of reconciliation to Han Wenyue and Ma Shoucheng. Liangzhou was about to be pacified! And one could well imagine that those two would be the most willing to cooperate with Grand Commandant Dong.

However, Gongsun Xun's opening statement that his mind was made up made it difficult for everyone to speak up... As advisors, if the general will not listen, speaking is useless, and might even shake the army's morale. Besides, no one knew what Zhong Yao had said to Gongsun Xun in private!

Correspondingly, in fact, it was precisely because Gongsun Xun had guessed they would have such concerns that he had sat there from the start, arms and legs spread wide, and declared, 'My mind is made up!'

Of course it must be made up! At this moment, it absolutely must be!

Because Gongsun Xun had just thought it through thoroughly, from the inside out. Just as Dong Zhuo would not consider him, Gongsun Xun, before presumptuously 'acting on behalf of the realm,' these people would not truly cooperate with Dong Zhuo because of his might... Among these people, those scholars without swords would feign submission; those scholars with swords would draw their swords and test them against Dong Zhuo. As for Ma Teng and Han Sui, it was even more laughable — reconciled, pacified, so would they hand over their territory?!

In summary, for these heroes, most of them indeed lacked real strength. They would smilingly accept the official seals Dong Zhuo sent, then immediately use those seals to claim territory, raise armies, and build up their power, before fighting Dong Zhuo with blades. And those who already possessed sufficient strength and renown, like Gongsun Xun and Yuan Shao, simply did not care at all... In fact, if he was not mistaken, Yuan Shao at this moment had certainly also made up his mind and was preparing to raise a call to action!

Even more, according to some credible facts recounted by Lady Gongsun, a hero like Cao Cao would simply throw away his office and return home as a commoner to raise troops... How could anyone possibly cooperate with Dong Zhuo?

So, returning to Gongsun Xun's case, setting aside why anyone in the realm would cooperate with Dong Zhuo, let us speak of just one thing: what reason did he, Gongsun Xun himself, have to cooperate with Dong Zhuo?

Putting aside ambition, putting aside the matter of frontier men versus inland men, putting aside warriors versus scholars, even putting aside the four-hundred-year authority of the Han dynasty and the matter of unauthorized deposition and enthronement... let us speak of just one thing: why should he, Gongsun Xun, cooperate with a man who kills an old woman to establish his authority?

Even if political struggle required purging the He clan, what crime had He Jin's mother committed?

How could such a man, no matter how decisive, how overbearing, even how full of political ideals, possibly succeed?

Thus, Gongsun Xun's current thinking was very simple: the campaign against Dong was the greater cause, irreversible... Yuan Shao was in Henei, adjacent to Luoyang, backed by Guandong. He was closer and could move faster, so he, Gongsun Xun, must also raise his banner as quickly as possible! Otherwise, if they waited until Dong Zhuo committed some further outrage that spurred Yuan Shao to directly raise troops, he, this General of the Guard, would be put in an awkward position.

"It is just, my lord..." Du Ji hesitated for a moment, then finally interjected with a technical question. "Since you have refused the title of General of Chariots and Cavalry, under what name shall we summon men of purpose? The General of the Guard has never, in this dynasty, had the tradition of supporting the court's authority."

"Is there not the Grand Marshal?" Gongsun Xun answered frankly. "I will not accept the title of General of Chariots and Cavalry, but I can have Liu Boan accept the appointment of Grand Marshal, and then let him, as Grand Marshal, whose rank equals the Three Excellencies and even surpasses them, organize a covenant assembly."

Du Ji immediately shut his mouth and said no more.

"My lord, do you mean to have Liu Yu serve as the covenant leader of this assembly?" Dong Zhao, the master of this government office, suddenly spoke up.

"Of course I will serve as leader," Gongsun Xun replied unhurriedly. "He will merely be the initiator."

Dong Zhao: "..."

"Is there anything else to add?" Gongsun Xun asked, looking around the room.

"Ah." Seeing that the matter was already settled, Wang Xiu quickly spoke up as well. "May my lord clearly indicate where and when the assembly will be held? So that we may make proper preparations."

"The Northern Sacred Peak, Mount Chang, is right before our eyes. Why change to another place? Issue the summons in the name of Grand Marshal Liu. Send it out to everyone, from Youzhou to Jizhou, from Lord Zhao still in Liaoxi to Shen Zhengnan in Zhao State. Have them all come here for the assembly within one month. Have Ziheng and Demou come as well." Gongsun Xun was, as ever, fully prepared. "We must tell all under heaven that it is Grand Marshal Liu and General of the Guard Gongsun Xun who first raised the righteous banner and called this assembly to campaign against Dong!"

"My lord, it is raining at this moment," Wang Xiu said, utterly helpless. "It has been raining incessantly for months, and it likely covers all of Hebei. Even the campaign against the Taihang Mountain bandits was abruptly halted because of this heavy rain. In such weather, some people may make it in time, but others may not, surely?"

"If they cannot make it, so be it. But we can wait no longer," Gongsun Xun said, rising and walking toward the door with his hand on his sword. He sighed quietly. "Neither Yuan Benchu nor Dong Zhongying will wait for me!"

"May I ask my lord, under what cause shall we campaign against Dong one month from now?" Seeing his lord already had one foot out the door, Xi Zhong suddenly recalled an extremely important matter. "Are we to re-establish the former sovereign, Prince of Hongnong, Liu Bian?"

"Purge the sovereign's side, quell the national crisis... Why must it involve the Prince of Hongnong?!" As he spoke, the sound of Gongsun Xun's footsteps vanished on his own into the pouring rain outside the door. Only his voice, still resonant, echoed under the corridor. "In any case, we must let all under heaven know that the state has met calamity, the central authority has toppled, yet in Hebei there are still righteous men unwilling to betray the hearts of the realm! That is all!"

——————I am the dividing line of the Hard Road——————

"After Dong Zhuo deposed and enthroned, he summoned renowned scholars and placated heroes. Because Liu Yu was a clan relative and renowned minister, and had been spoken of as an assisting regent, he sent an envoy to appoint him Grand Marshal. Because the Grand Ancestor possessed divine martial prowess and oversaw the nine commanderies in the north, he sent an envoy to appoint him General of Chariots and Cavalry, desiring to entrust the affairs of the realm to these two. When the edict arrived, the Grand Ancestor, considering Zhuo cruel and violent, and his deposition and enthronement an arbitrary act, refused it. Yu at first did not dare refuse; later, hearing that the Grand Ancestor had refused and denounced it, he also dared not display the seal to his attendants. The people of the time laughed at him." — Old Book of Yan, Volume 62, Biography 12

PS: Here is a historical tidbit for everyone. Historically, Yuan Shao's post of Grand Administrator of Bohai was casually given by Dong Zhuo, far inferior to Yuan Shu's General of the Rear and Yuan Ji's Minister of Ceremonies. He himself never used it, nor did he ever take up the post. Before seizing Jizhou, he was always moving around Henei, Chenliu, and Dong Commandery, organizing the covenant assembly, using the official seal of General of Chariots and Cavalry, second only to Grand General... He carved it himself, yet the vast majority of officials in Hebei and the Central Plains recognized it!

In the game, having him appear in Bohai in a certain scenario... is purely to fit the game mechanics... With Yuan Shao's renown, a single call from him could carve out a province, and he could casually support his little brother Cao Cao to become Grand Administrator of Dong Commandery and General of the Valiant Force. How could he possibly set his sights on a single commandery?

(End of Chapter)