[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-358":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Overthrowing Han",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1223117,1620,"Chapter 358: Yao, Shun, Jie, and Zhou All Turn to Rotten Bones","overthrowing-han-chapter-358",358,"\u003Cp>Southwest of Gaoliangting, west of Xiangling City, east of Pingyang City, on the unobstructed Fenshui Plain stands a very prominent and famous structure. Incense offerings burn there all year round, and when major political events occur, the Grand Administrator of Hedong would even come in person to pay respects and perform sacrifices... This is a Yao Shrine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yao, universally acknowledged by Confucians as a sage sovereign of high antiquity, is naturally a proper object of sacrifice in this era, so there are many Yao Shrines. However, probably because Pingyang was Yao's capital, the scale of this shrine here is far from ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is said that ever since General of the Guard Gongsun Xun subdued seventy to eighty thousand Hedong troops at the Battle of Gaoliangting, from late February to early March, he has been stationed right here... This is of course perfectly reasonable, because seventy to eighty thousand prisoners, plus the over twenty thousand combat troops and twenty thousand auxiliary troops led by Gongsun Xun himself, altogether over a hundred thousand people, need to be properly reorganized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who should be pardoned and sent home, and who should be punished?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How to effectively manage and resettle those pardoned and sent home, and what method of punishment should be used for those who are to be punished?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Execute or spare? Confiscate their property or exterminate their clans? Allow them to join the army and redeem themselves, or kill them and absorb their followers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The matter is not so simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then again, with over a hundred thousand people, if one does not wish to sit idle and exhaust provisions, they truly must be dealt with as quickly as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord!\" That afternoon, General of the Household Who Guards the Army, Wang Xiu, Wang Shuzhi, came in from outside the Yao Shrine, drenched in sweat, clearly having toiled another full day. \"Today, the law-abiding commoners of these last two counties have also all been released and sent back. But as before, many are willing to join the army. I also followed your previous instructions and told them that sons of good families who join the army will receive many preferential treatments, but they must wait until the local villages and townships are restored before anything else is discussed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wearing a pheasant-feather cap and straight-hemmed robe, Gongsun Xun, who was inside the Yao Shrine admiring some stele inscriptions, slowly nodded, then turned his head in response: \"You have toiled hard, Shuzhi. But this is also unavoidable. In Yanmen and Taiyuan, the Han institutions still exist, the townships and villages are not lost, making things convenient. Only here, by my reckoning, there has been no government jurisdiction for two years. Everything must be started anew.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However,\" Wang Xiu, upon hearing this, suddenly sighed. \"When these people hear about restoring the villages and townships, they all show some degree of unease. I suppose that after these days without poll taxes and corvée labor, they have rather developed a taste for it...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The more this is so, the sooner the institutions must be restored,\" Wei Ji could not help but interject from the side. \"Only by selecting outstanding figures can the localities be governed and the people's hearts pacified. Moreover, we must swiftly deal with those local magnates and rebel leaders, to prevent them from returning to the countryside to delude the people and cause chaos again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is the way of it,\" Gongsun Xun said with a sardonic laugh from the side. \"But the matter is not so simple. Just like this time, if it were not for you, Boyu, waiting here in advance and providing a rough plan, I fear even now I would not know how to handle these prisoners... Sometimes I think, no wonder there have been so many who slaughtered captives since ancient times. How could they all have been merely cruel? Clearly, they could neither afford to feed them nor dared to release them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we argue from this, then to practice benevolent governance, one must first possess wisdom, courage, wealth, and resources, and only then can it be carried out,\" Tian Feng could not help but sigh from the side. \"This is precisely the reason why benevolent governance is so difficult in the world, while wicked governance is seen again and again. No wonder the world always grows worse...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However, I believe this cannot serve as a reason to not practice benevolent governance,\" Wei Ji, standing nearby, earnestly admonished Gongsun Xun. \"The world is collapsing, the situation is dire. Harsh punishments and strict laws may bring temporary results, and even provide a momentary satisfaction, but abiding by institutions, with authority and virtue having a basis, is the path to lasting order.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boyu, these are words of gold and jade!\" Gongsun Xun also sighed with emotion. \"But matters have their urgency. Conversely, the current situation against Dong Zhuo is severe, every moment counts. And from this perspective, that day I was still somewhat soft-hearted. Now, thinking back, if I could have endured a little longer that day, waited until dark, and gritted my teeth to charge once more, at the very least, handling the prisoners today would be much more straightforward... Thinking of those Hedong magnates, some of whom still have their strength largely intact, still entangled and hard to separate from their own troops, and who surrendered as whole units, making them difficult to deal with arbitrarily, it is truly troubling.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ji was slightly taken aback, then could not help but sigh: \"Affairs of the world are indeed difficult!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In truth, my lord need not be so overly worried,\" Ju Zong said from the side, stroking his beard. \"In my view, that day at Gaoliangting, my lord was divinely martial, almost single-handedly forcing seventy to eighty thousand rebels to surrender. We were all awestruck. And after that battle, those leaders from prominent Hedong families likely dare not entertain any further thoughts... Just take them into the army and use them as needed; there is no need for excessive concern.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indeed,\" Lou Gui also sighed. \"Regardless of anything else, although our army won a great victory in this battle, we also suffered considerable casualties. Of the twenty thousand cavalry, two to three thousand were killed or wounded. Of the six thousand infantry, nearly two thousand were killed or wounded... And after crossing Hedong, we face Dong Zhuo, who holds massive military power. Just the veteran troops from Guanxi and the Luoyang Imperial Guard number no less than fifty to sixty thousand. So, these men must be used when they can be.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As long as we do not release them back to their hometowns,\" Wang Xiu also spoke with a serious expression. \"Such magnates are precisely the kind who should be expended on the battlefield!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It would still be best to intimidate them a bit more,\" Gongsun Xun said as he walked out of the main gate of the Yao Shrine, looking thoughtfully at the massive military encampment that suddenly appeared before him. \"And those who should be dealt with must be dealt with. Thinking back, the reason so many survived that day was, first, the soldiers toiled bitterly in battle, and the entire army risked their lives to secure the overall situation; second, I myself showed a woman's soft heart; third, Guo Tai voluntarily gave his life, sacrificing himself to practice benevolence... How can these people simply reap the benefits without effort?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the accompanying advisors had held different opinions during the earlier discussion, when it came to the handling of those captured magnates, not a single one objected... After all, governance is governance, and military command is military command. In wartime, the fact that Gongsun Xun could maintain basic rules was already enough to leave these scholars with nothing to criticize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By the way!\" Gongsun Xun suddenly remembered another matter. \"The matter of me inviting my senior fellow apprentice Wang Wendu and the various Hedong clan leaders to come here the day after tomorrow to sacrifice to the sage sovereign... There won't be any delay, will there? Why has no one arrived yet?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A letter from my family says they have already reached Jiangyi. Reckoning the time, they will certainly arrive tomorrow evening,\" Wei Ji answered solemnly. \"The reason no one has arrived early is that they must first gather in Anyi, and then come together with Grand Administrator Wang.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It seems my senior fellow apprentice holds considerable prestige in Hedong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indeed so,\" Wei Ji continued. \"Lord Wang took office after the Bōbō bandit rebellion. He served for nearly two years previously. Although he could not recover Hedong, in Anyi he more or less managed to hold his ground without abandoning it, and the various noble clans largely relied on him for their preservation... Later, with the Bōbō bandits to the north and Dong Zhuo's misrule to the south, Lord Wang did his utmost in Anyi. Everyone saw it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I recall that Cui Jun, Cui Zhouping, the Grand Administrator of Xihe, was also like this,\" Gongsun Xun said thoughtfully. \"In Xihe, although he could not control the Xiongnu due to their strength, he was more or less able to pacify the region, widely winning the people's hearts, and he did not lose his greater integrity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correct,\" this time it was Tian Feng, Tian Yuanhao, who nodded in agreement. \"The Cui clan of Anping, despite Cui Lie acquiring the name 'Stink of Copper,' ultimately did not lose their greater righteousness. Especially Cui Zhouping. That day when my lord arrived in Taiyuan, he took the initiative to send a letter, requesting to join together against Dong Zhuo. However, my lord, citing the few troops in Xihe, instead advised him to assist in pacifying the Xiongnu...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then invite him to come as well!\" Gongsun Xun sighed. \"Even if he cannot make it in time for the sacrifice to the sage sovereign, he should be invited to join the great righteous cause against Dong Zhuo!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The General is magnanimous.\" Everyone knew of the past grudge between Gongsun Xun and Cui Lie, and they quickly offered praise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Tian Feng, unusually, nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am not a magnanimous person!\" Gongsun Xun shook his head repeatedly, then left the Yao Shrine on his own and entered the military camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others did not understand his meaning, but did not feel it appropriate to press further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, just as Wei Ji had said, Wang Yi, the Grand Administrator of Hedong, leading the officials and famous clans of the commandery, arrived punctually at the Yao Shrine... This was of course a good thing, and Gongsun Xun also took the initiative that evening to host a banquet in the shrine's courtyard as a matter of courtesy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Advisors and military officers from the entire camp, famous Hedong clans, including those surrendered Hedong magnates, all attended and took their seats. Not only that, everyone was even astonished to see the Grand Marshal and Governor of You Province, Liu Yu, seated side-by-side with Gongsun Xun in the seats of honor... Compared to this man, all the other officials and famous scholars of the Two Thousand Shi rank, or those who had once held such high positions, seemed quite ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why is the Pei clan of Wenxi not among the guests today?\" After some initial pleasantries, Gongsun Xun, seated in the place of honor, curiously asked Wang Yi, who was seated at the secondary seat to his left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pei Mao is still in the court,\" Wang Yi replied with a helpless, bitter smile. \"His five sons are all by his side as well...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This matter cannot be blamed on Lord Pei,\" Wang Yi, seeing this, hurriedly explained. \"Wenqi may not yet know, but ever since Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and the others fled and raised righteous troops, Dong Zhuo has often dealt severely with officials who fled Luoyang without authorization once discovered, ranging from extermination of their clans to imprisonment, and everything in between. And although Lord Pei previously served as Prefect of the Masters of Writing, a position of high rank and great virtue, it is said that he has some connection to one of the Guandong warlords, namely that Liu Bei, Liu Xuande, who followed Wenqi back then... so he is kept under strict watch.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun waved his hands repeatedly, laughing: \"Brother Wendu, you overthink it. I have no intention of blaming him. I was just thinking that Cui Zhouping of the Boling Cui clan is about to come to our army to jointly plan against Dong Zhuo, and Grand Administrator Cui of Zhuo Commandery from the Qinghe Cui clan also formed an alliance with me early on to campaign against Dong Zhuo. As for the Tian clan of Yuyang, the Wang clan of Jinyang, the Guo clan of Yangqu, the Li clan, Wei clan, and Handan clan of Handan, and also the Wang clan of Taishan, they all have sons serving in my army. If we add the Wei, Jia, Fan, and Liu clans of Hedong who have arrived this time... I too have now seen the scenery of more than half the famous clans under heaven!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those whose family names were mentioned mostly showed expressions of pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So that is how it is,\" Wang Yi could not help but laugh as well. \"In that case, we should have summoned a few sons of the Pei clan of Wenxi to come along earlier...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It does not matter,\" Gongsun Xun waved his hand again, smiling. \"It is merely fate. If it is there, it is there; if not, it is not. There is no need to force it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How is it merely a coincidence of fate?\" Wang Yi continued to flatter. \"Wenqi, this campaign against Dong Zhuo responds to Heaven's mandate above and follows the people's hearts below. Moreover, you have won victory after victory. Only thus can you gather the famous clans of the world, causing everyone to unite their hearts and strive together for the great cause... This is what is meant by 'He who possesses the Way finds much help; he who loses the Way finds little help!'\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well said!\" Gongsun Xun laughed even more heartily. \"But if we reckon it this way, why are there no sons of the Yuan clan of Runan or the Yang clan of Hongnong under my command? If sons of the Yuan and Yang were to stand guard inside the gate, blades in hand alongside the Xiongnu Chanyu, would that not be even more fitting for the current times?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yi was immediately struck speechless, and many among those seated also changed countenance... After all, Gongsun Xun had delayed far too long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said, the warm spring breeze was just right, torches and braziers brightly illuminated the courtyard, and with wine and dishes fully prepared, many who had traveled all day with Wang Yi were already starving. But Gongsun Xun persistently refused to start the banquet, which inevitably raised suspicions. And now, speaking such arrogant words in public, this banquet was bound to encounter complications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some among the seats clearly intended to offer remonstrance, but Gongsun Xun gave them no opportunity:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have heard that Senior Fellow Apprentice, in Hedong, was able to survive amidst tigers and wolves thanks to two noble heroes of the commandery's clans... one called Wei Gu, the other called Fan Xian. I wonder which two they are?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One man hastily left his seat to pay respects, and Wang Yi immediately made the introduction: \"This is the Commandery Military Officer, Wei Gu. As for the Commandery Major, Fan Xian, since Anyi requires someone to watch over it, I left him to guard the city.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So that is how it is,\" Gongsun Xun did not bid the man on the ground to rise, but only pressed on with his questioning. \"Then may I ask, Senior Fellow Apprentice, what kind of man is Major Fan? Does he understand the meaning of 'interests' and 'harm'?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This...\" Wang Yi knew things were not good, but could only brace himself and ask. \"Wenqi, your foolish elder brother was already known for dullness back under Master Liu's tutelage. I truly do not know what you mean. What is understanding interests and harm? Please, enlighten me clearly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will not hide it from Senior Fellow Apprentice,\" Gongsun Xun still smiled calmly, perfectly composed. \"When I previously invited you here to sacrifice to the sage sovereign, I was also worried that Anyi might be lost, thereby affecting the main army. So I dispatched my detached division major, Cheng Lian, leading four thousand cavalry, to take a detour through Jie Mountain to guard Anyi. Before his departure, I instructed him that state affairs are paramount; if there is any obstruction, kill without mercy... It would be better if Major Fan were not there. But since he is there, if he happens not to understand the words 'interests' and 'harm,' he might already be dead by now, for all we know!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yi opened his mouth to speak, but finally said nothing more, and many among the seats also became completely solemn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for Wei Gu, Officer Wei, do you know your crime?\" At this point, Gongsun Xun could not be bothered to conceal anything, yet his expression remained unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Gu, prostrating himself in the courtyard, said not a word, repeatedly kowtowing, only in the intervals between kowtows could not help but glance toward Wei Ji, who was seated somewhere to Gongsun Xun's right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Wei Ji merely closed his eyes in repose, feigning ignorance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Officer Wei, General of the Guard is asking you a question!\" Wang Yi, seeing the situation was bad, could not help but rebuke him. \"What crime have you actually committed?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Gu, panicked and unable to endure, could only force himself to kowtow: \"I will not hide it from you, my lord. Previously, to preserve Anyi, I, as a fellow villager, had many contacts with various members of the Bōbō Army, urging them not to advance into the several counties south of the commandery. I suppose that with General of the Guard's great victory this time, he has inspected and discovered those past letters...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, Wei Gu turned his gaze again toward Yang Feng and the others seated there, but Yang Feng and his companions were themselves still in a state of anxious uncertainty — how would they dare to speak up on their own?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You truly are muddled!\" Wang Yi rose indignantly and pointed accusingly. \"Though the times are perilous, how could you so lightly traffic with bandits without first going through me, the Grand Administrator?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Gu hastily took the hint, kowtowed, and admitted his fault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi, this man's audacity is indeed shameful, but I beg you, in consideration of his merit in preserving this region, to show him greater leniency.\" Wang Yi was truly helpless and could only plead on the spot for his subordinate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My senior brother and I have not seen each other in over ten years. Since it is you who speaks today, then I shall spare him the death penalty.\" Gongsun Xun spoke offhandedly. \"Confiscate all household property of Wei Gu, Military Cao Scribe of Hedong Commandery, excepting his dwelling; surrender his retainers and private troops... The man himself shall receive twenty strokes of the cane and be punished with one year of penal servitude. Drag him to the rear camp immediately to carry out the sentence, then enroll him in the ranks as a penal bondsman!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yi was stupefied, but numerous armored soldiers with drawn white blades had already surged into the courtyard of Yao Shrine, and before everyone's eyes, Wei Gu, who had just moments ago been a guest of honor, was dragged out... And Wei Gu, glancing at Gongsun Xun, whose expression was as casual as if discussing the weather, then at Wang Yi, who was furious yet speechless, finally cast his gaze toward his clansman Wei Ji, who sat with eyes closed in silence — in the end, he dared not utter a single useless word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi...\" Under the mocking gaze of Liu Yu, the other eminent figure seated at the head, Wang Yi, Grand Administrator of Hedong, finally slumped back into his seat, utterly deflated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have heard that previously, among the Nine Ministers, the Bearer of the Gilded Mace, Hu Wuban, was killed by his wife's brother, Wang Kuang, Grand Administrator of Henei, leaving that post vacant. And Wendu, my brother, has long served in Hedong, toiling to maintain order with much merit... Might I suggest we petition the Grand Marshal to appoint Wendu as Bearer of the Gilded Mace? What do you think?\" Gongsun Xun showed no intention of dragging things out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yu gave a cold laugh and said nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wang Yi answered with awe-struck defiance: \"Wenqi sits in command of a mighty army, his troops strong and his horses vigorous — naturally, whatever you say, goes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun laughed scornfully and shook his head: \"It seems my senior brother still does not understand what an army is... As it happens, Master Liu's final letter contained instruction for me on precisely this matter. Would you care to hear it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yi shut his mouth and said nothing. The assembled men were ravenously hungry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—————I am the dividing line of whatever you say goes—————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wang Yi was impetuous by nature but lacked courage; Wei Gu was full of schemes but lacked decisiveness; Fan Xian relied on brute force but lacked ability... Hedong was a place of mediocrity, and could be easily pacified!\" — Old Book of Yan, Volume 75, Biographies 25\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Thanks to book friend Evil God Zhou, the fortieth patron... Even now I'm still not sure if he's actually a certain senior schoolmate of mine in real life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, I kowtow in apology to everyone. I did my best last night, but my whole state collapsed, and I truly couldn't concentrate... I broke my word and grew fat on it — I deserve to get fatter!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3674,"2026-06-04T19:42:26.060Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","312b522f7ff324597191cf11ad29ca5dfad847cfb526a8ba18a0229d9f65e8d0","overthrowing-han-chapter-359","overthrowing-han-chapter-357",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]