Chapter 351: Standing Firm Amidst Tigers and Wolves

Jia Xu led a group of women back to his Luoyang home where he had lived for many years. After dismissing the Chancellor’s armored guards who had escorted them, he immediately summoned his eldest son Jia Mu, who had already come of age and received his cap.

“Father, the same as before?” Facing his father, who was clearly somewhat downcast today, Jia Mu could not help but be a little cautious.

“Yes.” Jia Xu sat in the central hall, lowering his head and answering softly. “But there is no need to search for their families this time… deliver them directly to Minister Xun’s residence. They are all from Yingchuan.”

“Understood!” Jia Mu hurriedly bowed and nodded, but did not leave in haste, for he knew his father would surely have further instructions.

“The Chancellor’s mind is set on moving the capital.” Jia Xu continued, head still lowered. “When I was at Xiaoping Ford earlier, I did not realize he was not merely afraid of the coalition against Dong, but had also grown somewhat disheartened, intending to return to Guanzhong for pleasure and retirement… Do not keep any valuables; sell everything and buy grain. Apart from the carriage I use for travel, sell off all other livestock, carts, and horses. When the time comes, the army will naturally provide military horses to receive us… There is only one thing: starting next month, you must bring the surrounding neighbors and old friends in Luoyang to our home early. When the time comes, say they are servants of our household; only then can we keep them safe.”

Jia Mu hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping.

“What is it?” Jia Xu noticed his son’s unease.

“Father was at Xiaoping Ford before and probably does not yet know.” Jia Mu answered helplessly. “These days, relatives and friends in Luoyang, even our immediate neighbors, have been visiting less and less… Some even regard our home as a den of tigers and wolves, avoiding us as if afraid of getting too close.”

Jia Xu was stunned for a moment, then managed a bitter smile: “Ever since the Chancellor led the Guanxi troops into Henan in force, some of them have had innocent friends or kin die at the hands of the Xiliang soldiers, others have had their property and homes seized by them… It is only natural that they see me, the Chancellor’s trusted aide, as an enemy. I do not blame them!”

“Then…”

“Do what you can!” Before his own son, Jia Xu finally no longer needed to hide his helplessness. He slumped back in his chair, staring upward, eyes tightly shut, one hand hanging limp and the other covering his face. “Do what you can! Such are the times. I, Jia Wenhe, have not, in the end, betrayed my conscience!”

Jia Mu bowed and withdrew.

It must be said, Jia Xu’s residence was in the southeastern part of the city, where common folk lived, while Xun Shuang, as Minister of Works, and his grandnephew Xun You lived in the western part of the city, where the nobles and high officials dwelled… Carriages came and went like weaving, and with the New Year’s Day festival, the atmosphere was especially lively. Countless servants and retainers of noble houses bustled about, carrying ceremonial incense and candles, leading sacrificial livestock, and bearing New Year’s gifts.

One could imagine that Yangcheng had originally shared a similar atmosphere, only to be suddenly set upon by troops under Dong Zhuo’s command.

“It has been thoroughly investigated.” Even the deeply reserved Xun Gongda, standing now before his granduncle, seemed somewhat powerless. “They were all commoners of Yangcheng… Sun Jian had not yet had time to dispatch troops, but Li Jue, jealous of the military merits of Xu Rong and Li Meng, led his cavalry out of Huanyuan Pass. The people there were in the marketplace preparing for the New Year’s Day sacrifices…”

“Say no more.” Xun Shuang, who had been sitting numbly on the heated brick bed ever since returning, could not help but cut off his grandnephew’s report, and then uttered words that shook heaven and earth. “Dong Zhuo must be killed, only then can the state be saved!”

His expression was furious, his full head of white hair trembling uncontrollably under the lamplight. It was hard to imagine that he had spent the entire previous day chatting and laughing amiably with Dong Zhongying.

However, Xun You had by now recovered his usual unshakable composure, and seemed to have long anticipated his granduncle’s resolve: “Dong Zhuo is brutal and without restraint, and of course must be eliminated as soon as possible. But now the main Guanxi forces have all come out of Hangu Pass, with forty to fifty thousand Guanxi troops deployed around Luoyang. If we kill Dong Zhuo at this moment, Luoyang will inevitably become a battlefield. Not only will Henan turn into a realm of ghosts, but even the Son of Heaven and the high officials might come to harm… Granduncle, since Prince of Hongnong, Liu Bian, is dead, the current Son of Heaven is the sole legitimate scion of the Han house. If anything goes wrong, then let alone saving the state, I fear the Han realm itself would perish at our hands.”

“Then what should be done?” Xun Shuang raised his head indignantly and asked in return. “Just let him go on killing like this? Yangcheng belongs to Yingchuan, it is our homeland. The Grand Administrator was boiled alive in a cauldron, the common folk who went out to celebrate New Year’s Day had their heads cut off and hung from horses, and yet we must go to his residence and smile obsequiously! And still be grateful he gave me the position of the Three Excellencies?! Did you not see today? Even a young man like Liu Fan regards me as one who aids the tiger in its savagery!”

Xun You remained silent and did not refute him.

However, after this rare outburst of indignation, the usually magnanimous Xun Shuang slowly nodded: “Gongda is right. The timing is not good; we cannot act rashly… But speaking of which, Liu Fan was so out of control today — he won’t be executed by Dong Zhuo, will he?”

“He will not be executed.” Xun You said quietly. “I hear that Dong Zhuo intends to use troops against Yizhou after moving the capital, to serve as a foundation for Guanzhong… And since he must contend with Liu Yizhou, Liu Fan will, in the short term, be as secure as Mount Tai!”

“Can we draw him to our side?” Xun Shuang continued to ask. “Though Liu Junlang is selfish by nature, he is still a scholar-official of our class, and this Liu Fan is a young man whose blood has not yet cooled… If through him we could get Liu Junlang to send troops to assist, or ask Liu Junlang to coordinate with Han Sui and Ma Teng of Liangzhou, there might be some opportunity.”

“I think there is no need to draw him in.” Xun You said thoughtfully. “After this incident, Liu Fan will nine times out of ten resolve to kill Dong Zhuo himself. Even if we do not seek him out, he will act on his own; but if we do seek him out, it might instead easily expose us!”

“What about Wang Yun?” Xun Shuang asked again. “Is Wang Yun trustworthy?”

“Trustworthy!” Xun You still answered fluently, as if discussing everyday matters. “Wang Yun never refuses Dong Zhuo’s rewards, and always personally handles the tasks Dong Zhuo assigns him. This shows he set his mind on plotting against Dong Zhuo very early on… I suspect that from the very beginning, when Dong Zhuo deposed and enthroned the emperor, he had already resolved to kill Dong. Otherwise, with his previously rigid and unyielding character and his loyalty to the Han house, how could he have yielded to such an extent from the outset?”

“So that is how it is.” Xun Shuang’s face showed sudden understanding. “Then today, that…”

“Jia Wenhe is, after all, a Xiliang man, and one who seeks only self-preservation. How could he plot against Dong Zhuo?” Xun You remained composed. “Moreover, when he was at the gate today, he likely already saw through the intentions of Wang Yun, Liu Fan, and you, Granduncle.”

Xun Shuang was startled and alarmed, but when he saw the calm expression on his grandnephew’s face, he ultimately relaxed a little: “You mean that while he certainly would not plot against Dong, he also would not denounce us?”

“Correct.” Xun You nodded immediately.

“But as they say, you can know a man’s face but not his heart.” Xun Shuang was still somewhat worried. “He is, after all, a Xiliang man. And this recent chaos and military violence in Henei nearly cost Yuan Benchu his life and ruined the greater situation. What if…”

Before the words were finished, suddenly there was a clamor outside, startling Xun Shuang into immediate silence. However, a trusted family servant soon came to report: Captain Jia Xu had sent a group of women over, saying that because his own home was cramped and had no place to house them, he asked the Minister to help look after these fellow countrywomen from Yingchuan.

Xun Shuang glanced at his grandnephew, whose expression remained as calm as ever, and nodded in sudden understanding. Setting aside the earlier discussion of plotting against Dong, he heaved a long sigh and then personally went to make arrangements for those fellow countrywomen who no longer had fathers, brothers, husbands, or perhaps even children.

After his granduncle left the room, Xun Gongda remained standing in the chamber like a wooden statue, staring fixedly at the candle flame before the couch, lost in thought for a long time.

In the first month of the new year, Dong Zhuo formally dispatched envoys to proclaim to the realm the change of the era name to Chuping. Yet along with this new era name from the young Son of Heaven, the realm formally entered an age of chaos and war.

In the Henei direction, Yuan Shao’s main force was not lost, but it could still be said he had suffered damage to sinew and bone. Thus, while strengthening defenses at the three fords of Henei, he also forced himself to rally, reorganizing his troops and building up strength… And perhaps because he had been provoked, his actions became increasingly decisive and ruthless.

Dong Zhuo had the court send a host of high officials — Grand Herald Han Rong, Minister Steward Yin Xun, Court Architect Wu Xun, Bearer of the Gilded Mace Hu Wuban, Colonel of Elite Cavalry Wang Gui, and others — to persuade him to cease hostilities. Not only did Yuan Shao refuse to see them, he ordered Wang Kuang, who no longer had troops, to use his position as Grand Administrator of Henei to arrest all the envoys in one sweep and throw them into prison, to demonstrate his resolve.

As for the Suanzao side, although the Suanzao coalition had sworn a blood oath to attack Dong, because orders came from multiple sources, they had been unable to organize an effective offensive and had been dragging their feet at the border between Chenliu and Henan. But after the new year, as Yuan Shao, licking his wounds in Henei, repeatedly issued orders to press forward — each time more harshly worded, each time more blunt — until the final time, he simply had all those high officials, arrested only two or three days earlier, escorted to Suanzao and publicly executed… Only then did the various feudal lords finally dare not delay any longer. Under Cao Cao’s coordination, they formally began their western campaign and swiftly advanced to the very gates of Hulao Pass within the first ten days of the month.

On the other side, with the Yingchuan Grand Administrator Li Min boiled alive, Yuan Shu and Sun Jian finally faced Dong Zhuo’s main army directly.

In fact, just five days after Li Min was boiled alive, Xu Rong and Li Meng suddenly led cavalry to raid Luyang City in Nanyang Commandery, which Sun Jian was now using as his base of operations. At that time, Sun Wentai was actually outside the city, holding a spring banquet with his army’s officers. All the army officers, as well as local officials and village elders, were drinking on a high platform, with some troops arrayed below the platform.

At that moment, if Dong’s cavalry had launched a surprise attack, they might well have wiped them all out in one stroke.

However, Sun Jian remained fearless in the face of danger. Seeing that only the enemy’s vanguard had arrived and that there was no senior general in command, he feigned calm, continuing to drink and make merry on the platform, chatting and laughing without the slightest disorder. Only after the wine was finished did he unhurriedly and methodically arrange for the officials and troops to enter the city in an orderly fashion, then set up defenses.

Dong Zhuo’s army, full of suspicion and fearing an ambush, did not dare make any rash moves the entire time… By the time Xu Rong and Li Meng, the two in overall command, arrived, they were faced with a firmly defended strong city and had no choice but to withdraw.

In any case, as previously stated, with Jia Xu and Lu Bu’s awe-inspiring feats at the three fords, the last veil over the realm had been torn away. The chaotic era of warlord melees had arrived, where the strong-armed and well-equipped prevailed — the so-called Great Age of Contention had fully come.

In fact, by this point, even Gongsun Xun in Taiyuan could feel the impact of the era’s tide, and inevitably had to experience some collisions with the era’s center.

Of course, given the geographical distance, these were only indirect collisions.

“Yufuluo has sent someone to offer congratulations for the Shangyuan Festival?”

While making a brief stop in Jinyang to regroup, and relying on property confiscations and ‘donations’ to gather grain, military supplies, able-bodied men, and even talent, Gongsun Xun received a rather interesting piece of news.

“Indeed. The envoy has already arrived in the city — it is Yufuluo’s own younger brother, Hu Chuquan. I believe his sincerity is quite substantial.” Xi Zhong stated his opinion quite bluntly while making his report.

Gongsun Xun fell into thought for a moment.

It must be said, Gongsun Xun’s halt in Jinyang for over half a month was not merely to gather grain and auxiliary troops, nor had he become addicted to playing the ridiculous game of property confiscation and donations with the many local aristocratic families… From a military standpoint, the army did not need much rest. If he wanted to dispatch troops, he could do so immediately after gaining control of Taiyuan’s sixteen counties and twenty-odd cities. And if he wanted to discipline the local aristocratic families, he could always come back and deal with them after the campaign against Dong.

In truth, Gongsun Xun and his Youzhou army had truly encountered two difficult problems:

First was the direction of advance.

Here at Qi County in Taiyuan, the main route through Jin territory was no longer a single line but split into two. One led southwest along the Fen River toward the wealthy Hedong region; the other led southeast toward the Shangdang basin, and then connected to Henei and… Wei Commandery.

Whichever direction he took, the advantages and disadvantages were obvious… The Hedong road was easier to travel, and the Fen River, which had already begun to thaw, could serve as a natural supply line. But directly ahead were over a hundred thousand regular troops of the Bobo bandits, their morale high after defeating Niu Fu, and their leader Guo Tai, as a remnant of the Yellow Turbans, was unlikely to have any friendly words for Gongsun Xun. As for going through Shangdang to Henei, the road was more difficult, with many mountains and passes along the way, but the forces of the Xiongnu’s proper Chanyu, Yufuluo, and the self-proclaimed Grand Administrator Zhang Yang in Shangdang were relatively few, and there was potential for political negotiation between the two sides.

In all honesty, if Gongsun Xun had sufficient troops at this time, he would definitely split his forces, but he only had twenty thousand men, so to be safe, he had to make a decision.

Second was the question of who would stay behind in Jinyang to serve as Grand Administrator of Taiyuan.

To be frank, if he merely needed to select a qualified Grand Administrator, Gongsun Xun had far too many people at his disposal now. To name a few, the abilities and qualifications of the brothers Guo Xun and Guo Yun were beyond doubt, and Wang Ze’s elder brother Wang Rou was also idle at home and had expressed willingness to submit. But the internal political weight of these people within Gongsun Xun’s faction was, frankly, somewhat laughable.

In fact, according to the plan, Gongsun Xun intended to place these ‘newcomers’ with rich administrative experience and political seniority in his own heartland to work, and then transfer young subordinates he truly trusted and relied upon, like Chang Lin and Du Ji, to these critical junctures.

In other words, logically, he should now transfer Chang Lin or Du Ji to serve as this Grand Administrator of Taiyuan.

But the problem was not so simple, because Taiyuan — or rather, Jinyang — needed more than just a Grand Administrator.

It must be said, although Gongsun Xun had easily taken Jinyang thanks to the valor of his troops and the aid of inside agents, no one could deny the value of this city! In fact, after this battle, once he found himself mired in the dilemma of which direction to advance, he came to fully understand why Taiyuan was the core of the Jin region!

The reason was simple: the geography was right here, the military advantages were right here — this place was the very heart of Jin... With this one city in hand, he could control Yanmen to the north, press down on Hedong to the west, and hold Shangdang by the throat to the east!

In other words, Jinyang was not only the lifeblood of Gongsun Xun and his Youzhou army at this very moment, but also a political node in his future strategic plans second in importance only to Changping.

Therefore, this place had to be garrisoned by someone both loyal and politically weighty... someone who could, on the one hand, let Gongsun Xun march south with peace of mind, and on the other, leave the Taiyuan gentry and the old Youzhou and Jizhou subordinates with nothing to say.

But unfortunately, Gongsun Xun had no such suitable candidate at hand at the moment... Guo Xun, Guo Yun, and Wang Rou could not yet be trusted, nor would they be accepted by Gongsun Xun's subordinates; while Chang Lin and Du Ji did not yet have the political prestige to overawe the local gentry and later coordinate the entire Jin region.

If one really had to name suitable people, it could only be the handful of Lu Fan, Wang Xiu, Shen Pei, Dong Zhao, and Gongsun Fan — but aside from Wang Xiu, the other four all had their own strategic nodes to control. How could they possibly be transferred from several hundred li away?

As for Wang Xiu, Wang Shuzhi — Gongsun Xun still had to fight a war, and truly could not do without him managing logistics in the rear! In fact, Wang Shuzhi was no longer even in Jinyang at this moment, but had already gone to Qixian to make logistical preparations there.

In truth, at his wits' end, Gongsun Xun had actually already sent an invitation to his own mother, asking Lady Gongsun to come south from Yanmen and stop by Jinyang to temporarily help her son discipline the local gentry. And Lady Gongsun had already agreed... But even so, for the long term, a permanent appointment still had to be made, did it not?

The direction of advance, and the Jinyang garrison commander — a decision had to be reached as quickly as possible.

And it was under these circumstances that Yufuluo, facing Shangdang from the other side, suddenly sent his own younger brother to pay a visit to Gongsun Xun... Given the timing, one could only say this man was absolutely worth meeting.

And so, under the banner of the approaching Shangyuan Festival, Gongsun Xun held a banquet in the government offices within Jinyang, inviting army officers, city officials, and local gentry to enjoy fine food together, and incidentally to entertain Huchuquan... It truly was fine food, because along with Lady Gongsun's reply agreeing to come, a new type of cooking vessel called a hotpot stove had also arrived in Taiyuan!

And according to the instructions provided by Lady Gongsun, this was apparently for eating something called instant-boiled mutton, so it was probably most fitting for entertaining the Xiongnu's Right Worthy Prince, Huchuquan.

Yet unexpectedly, Huchuquan was just like everyone else — utterly fascinated by this business of hotpot instant-boiled mutton. He even jumped in fright when Yuwen Heita personally drew his knife in the hall to slice meat for Gongsun Xun... Guo Yun and those others were not startled at all.

But soon enough, Gongsun Xun understood... It turned out that although these people were of the so-called Xiongnu royal clan, their degree of Sinicization was already very high. Their speech and manner were just like traditional Han nobles of the border commanderies. Without Gongsun Xun even needing to grant them a surname, they called themselves the Liu clan, and the rest of the local Bingzhou gentry universally accepted this.

Upon asking, he learned this was an old custom. Ever since Modu Chanyu and Liu Bang swore brotherhood, and the Xiongnu and Han imperial house began intermarriage, the two families had shared grudges and affections for several hundred years. Later, when the Southern Xiongnu submitted to the Later Han, the Xiongnu royal clan took the Liu surname for themselves, and the Han court also recognized these kinsmen.

In short, Huchuquan's behavior was far too Sinicized, and the entire exchange proceeded smoothly.

He first took the initiative to recount to Gongsun Xun the battle between Lu Bu and Jia Xu before the new year. Then, pressed by a group of people, he related various news from Luoyang, Henei, and Suanzao to the south — matters of moving the capital, the affair of Wang Kuang arresting his own brother-in-law Hu Wuban, and finally how Hu Wuban, before his execution, had entrusted his family to Wang Kuang... After this exchange, he finally and impatiently conveyed, on behalf of Zhang Yang and Yufuluo, their desire for amity.

This was of course understandable, even long anticipated... The Xiongnu were now split into three. The former Xiutu tribes had changed their name to Zhang, and led their followers to the foot of the Yinshan Mountains in the Hetao region. A few old princes, with a motley collection of tribes, guarded the royal court in Hexi. Meanwhile, the brothers Yufuluo and Huchuquan, with several thousand troops, were entrenched in Shangdang, unable to advance or retreat.

Now that Gongsun Xun controlled northern Bing, if these brothers wished to restore the Xiongnu Liu clan's rule over the Xiongnu, they clearly could not bypass this General of the Guard.

However...

"May I ask the Right Worthy Prince," at that moment, Tian Feng suddenly disregarded etiquette and, while dipping meat in the pot, frowned and interjected from his seat, "what exactly do you mean by 'amity'? Could it be that while our general marches south to punish Dong, you originally intended to meet us with blades in Shangdang?"

"How would I dare meet the General of the Guard with blades?!" Although Huchuquan was a recognized "Prince" within the Han system, how would he dare put on airs here? In fact, faced with Tian Feng's question, he immediately set aside his tally, left his mat, and answered with the utmost deference.

"If you do not dare meet us with blades, why has your elder brother sent two thousand cavalry and a thousand infantry from Zhang Yang's division to garrison Niexian together? Why has Zhang Yang even sent two companies, four hundred men, to Mount Yangtou?" Lou Gui, sweating profusely from eating, seized the moment to withdraw his hand and sneered repeatedly. "Niexian lies on the main road linking Taiyuan to Shangdang, and Mount Yangtou is a natural stronghold on the side path... Do not tell me you have stationed troops in these two places to deal with Dong Zhuo! You cannot even use the Bobo bandits as an excuse, can you? Because when our lord entered and garrisoned Taiyuan, the Bobo bandits who had been raiding Shangdang immediately withdrew back to Hedong, and are now deploying defenses along the Fen River in Hedong."

Perhaps because the hotpot induced too much sweating, Huchuquan was momentarily drenched in perspiration. After thinking for a long while, he could only come to the center of the hall, kneel, and kowtow to Gongsun Xun, who sat silently at the head seat doing nothing but continuously dipping from the pot: "General of the Guard, it is not that we dared to plot against you, General. It is simply that we two brothers are stranded far from home, with only a few thousand troops to rely on, and everywhere is at war... As the saying goes, one need not have the heart to harm others, but one must have the heart to guard against others."

"What exactly do you brothers want?" Once a plate of mutton was finished and Yuwen Heita hurried off to slice more, Gongsun Xun, the true master of the northern lands, finally took the opening to speak. "If you only wish to return to the Meiji royal court, I can guarantee the safety of you two brothers and your main force, and let you cross the river via Taiyuan."

Huchuquan hesitated for a moment.

"Are you afraid I will swallow up your brothers' troops on the way?" Gongsun Xun frowned at this. "I am the dignified General of the Guard. If I grant you this publicly today, how could I go back on my word and grow fat on broken promises? If you brothers return to Meiji, I will absolutely make no trouble!"

Huchuquan immediately grew frantic and kowtowed again: "General of the Guard, forgive me. It is not that I do not trust you, General, but that we swore a covenant with Grand Administrator Zhang Yang to punish Dong. With that great undertaking not yet complete, we dare not easily turn back!"

"Then what do you mean by 'amity'?" Gongsun Xun was speechless.

"It is..." Huchuquan hesitated again.

"Do not be evasive!" As Yuwen Heita brought over a plate of thinly sliced mutton, Gongsun Xun grew even more impatient. "When do I have time to guess Shangyuan lantern riddles with you here? Speak quickly."

Not daring to delay further, Huchuquan bowed his head and stated the purpose of his visit: "My brother and Grand Administrator Zhang's intent is to request that you, General, must advance via Hedong. We absolutely would not dare take the opportunity to encroach upon Taiyuan's dependencies... And if so, with the General of Chariots and Cavalry Yuan in Henei and the General of the Guard in Hedong, you could also advance on two fronts simultaneously."

Gongsun Xun and his several trusted advisors immediately understood and broke into laughter. Even Guo Yun and Wang Rou exchanged a glance and could not help but sneer... And after laughing, Gongsun Xun paid this man no further attention, instead lowering his head and continuing to eat from the hotpot.

As for the crowd in the hall — on one side, starting with Lou Gui, Tian Feng, and Han Dang, all the way to Linghu Hua who had just joined the army; on the other side, starting with Wang Rou and Guo Yun, all the way to the youth Wen Hui in the corner — all lowered their heads, endlessly dipping from pots and warming wine, until goblets and cups crossed in merry confusion, chatting idly and discussing affairs... For a time, what great cheer!

Huchuquan looked around, growing more frantic. After waiting a long while, seeing that Gongsun Xun was indeed determined to leave him completely out in the cold here, he suddenly recalled a matter and kowtowed once more, saying: "General of the Guard, if you, General, would agree, not only would the General of Chariots and Cavalry Yuan be at peace with you, but also your teacher, Master Lu, and your younger brother, Gongsun Wenchao..."

"Master Lu and my younger brother have been detained by you in Shangdang?" Gongsun Xun shot to his feet and kicked over the hotpot before him. Amid the swirling steam, the surrounding officers all gripped their blades.

"That is not the case!" Huchuquan, half his hand splashed with oily broth, dared not say more, only kowtowing and explaining. "Your teacher and your younger brother are currently in Boxian in Henei, south of the Taihang Mountains, holding that place firmly with County Magistrate Qian Zhao. They are truly not in Shangdang... What I meant was, if the covenant is made, then those in Boxian could cross Shangdang at their leisure and come to see you, General!"

Gongsun Xun felt a surge of relief upon hearing this, but then sneered coldly: "For today, you may return to the post station... Do not disturb my rare good mood!"

Not daring to say more, Huchuquan retreated in panic under the guard of armored soldiers. Immediately, someone naturally came to clear away the overturned hotpot stove, clean it thoroughly anew, then add broth and charcoal and start the pot afresh... Of course, Yuwen Heita also immediately sliced another plate of meat for Gongsun Xun.

The enjoyment of that day need not be mentioned further. After the banquet... Gongsun Xun saw off the various guests and returned to the rear quarters of the government office, only to find Tian Feng, Lou Gui, and Xi Zhong already there.

"Since Dong Zhuo has already begun moving the capital, we must march via Hedong!" Tian Feng gave a slight salute and came straight to the point. "Only this way can we ensure both objectives are met."

"Correct!" Lou Gui also immediately nodded in agreement. "We must go via Hedong! Dong Zhuo is moving too fast. Who knows how long moving the capital will actually take him? If we laboriously defeat Zhang Yang and Yufuluo and enter Henei, only to find he has already moved the capital to Chang'an, then our efforts will have been in vain. But if we go via Hedong into Hongnong, we can respond at leisure to either Chang'an or Luoyang... What's more, if we fight quickly enough, we might even intercept his capital-moving procession in Hongnong!"

"Not only that." Gongsun Xun, somewhat overstuffed, sat on the couch and brought up another matter. "I originally thought A-Yue had gone via Zhaoge and was cut off by Han Fu at Yunchang's place. Only now do I know he is actually with Zijing... This saves trouble. I can just memorialize to grant him a general's title and have him come to garrison Jinyang. And Zijing, after many years of hard work, can rightly become Grand Administrator of Taiyuan, guarding the rear path for me together with A-Yue."

No one spoke about this arrangement; after all, it was too sensitive. However, the absence of objections also indicated that this appointment was undoubtedly a reasonable arrangement... After all, as Gongsun Xun's clansman and one of the people he trusted most, Gongsun Yue coming to hold Jinyang was indeed very suitable.

"In that case," Tian Feng frowned and said, "shall we simply agree to Huchuquan's request?"

Gongsun Xun first nodded, then shook his head repeatedly.

"The General is still unwilling to give up Shangdang?" Tian Feng of course understood his meaning.

"And I am also unwilling to let the Xiongnu meddle in the great affairs of the realm." Facing these three, Gongsun Xun had no need for any concealment or pretense. "What General of Chariots and Cavalry Yuan — Yuan Shao is just a pretext. It is simply that with the chaotic times arriving, Zhang Yang and Yufuluo have both developed ambitions... Zhang Yang is one thing, but the Xiongnu — I always want to eliminate or swallow them up. At the very least, I want to drive them to Xihe... How is it their turn to covet the affairs of the realm?"

Tian Feng frowned for a moment.

"My lord, this is asking for the impossible." Lou Gui could not help but laugh. "You want to march via Hedong, yet still want Shangdang. You want Wenchao, Master Lu, and Zijing to come quickly from Shangdang to Taiyuan, yet you still want to swallow up the Xiongnu tribes... How can there be such a good bargain? Even to coax fruit from a child's hand, you must offer something bigger in exchange. How can you expect to gain a commandery from someone with empty hands?"

Gongsun Xun knew he had succumbed to greed and shook his head repeatedly.

And just as he was about to grit his teeth and make a decision — to abandon Shangdang and strike straight for Hedong — suddenly, Xi Zhong, who had remained silent all along, spoke softly: "My lord, today, listening to Huchuquan recount so much news from the south, I have been pondering all the while. I now have a stratagem. Perhaps, with only a few thousand light troops and without staining a blade with blood, we could easily take all of Shangdang and swallow up Yufuluo's forces."

A sudden silence fell upon the room.

"An excellent stratagem!" Suddenly, Tian Feng spoke in praise. "My lord, why not first take Shangdang, then attack Hedong."

"Indeed." Gongsun Xun also suddenly understood. "Truly an excellent stratagem!"

Lou Gui slowly nodded.

—————I am the dividing line that knows nothing—————

"When the Grand Ancestor campaigned against Dong and reached Taiyuan, he faced Hedong and Shangdang. With few troops, he knew not where to advance. When Zhang Yang and Yufuluo of Shangdang sued for amity, all thought the Grand Ancestor should decide and march to take Hedong. Only Zhong smiled. When someone questioned him, Zhong said: 'Of old, Mencius said one cannot have both fish and bear's paw. Yet I, Zhong, having long followed our Illustrious Lord, know well that our Illustrious Lord not only desires both fish and bear's paw, but is also loath to part with cattle and sheep!' Later, the Grand Ancestor indeed hesitated as before. Zhong then visited him by night and offered a stratagem to swiftly take Shangdang." — New Book of Yan, Volume 70, Biographies, Chapter 20

PS: Does 7.9k count as paying off my debt? These past few days have been so tough.

(End of chapter)