Chapter 382: A Single Oar Always Follows the Tide's Rise and Fall

In the seventh month the Fire Star descends — as the name implies, once the seventh month arrives it is early autumn, and the weather will soon turn cold. This traditional seasonal description may have become somewhat out of step with reality as the weather has gradually grown colder over the years, but at the very least it still holds strong guiding significance in the Yellow River basin, the very foundation of the Central Plains dynasty.

In other words, by the seventh month the summer heat along the Wei River can be said to have dissipated, yet the busy autumn harvest and the somewhat chilly deep autumn have not yet arrived — this is precisely the best time of year to get in touch with nature.

Of course, whether this saying is entirely accurate compared to the Double Ninth Festival after the autumn harvest or the balmy third month after spring plowing may be debatable.

But returning to the present moment in the Sanfu region — specifically, if one further considers the brutal slaughter during the year of Dong Zhuo's misrule, the suffering of the Henan gentry and commoners during their forced migration, the pressure on civilian relocation under successive military campaigns, and the overbearing stance Gongsun Xun displayed before the Weiyang Palace... then the officials of the central court, the local people of Sanfu and the newly migrated Henan populace, and even the surrendered Dong Zhuo troops and the You and Bing forces brought by Gongsun Xun — all seemed to need a proper, ceremonial activity to seek a sense of security.

Even if he had slaughtered Dong Zhuo, swallowed up Sanfu, and cowed the central court, did the General of the Guards Gongsun Xun not need to ease the atmosphere somewhat, to soothe the hearts of the people within the Pass?

Thus, this banquet, originally scheduled to begin "tomorrow," was delayed again and again as the preparations kept expanding and the number of participants grew ever larger — so much so that tomorrow after tomorrow, how many tomorrows are there? In the end, it was only successfully held in the last ten days of the seventh month, and the scale of the event had transformed from a standalone banquet for key central ministers into a sprawling three-day grand feast.

It is said that, perhaps considering the political implications behind this banquet, even Ma Teng and Han Sui, who had already led their troops away, once thought of hastily disbanding their forces and returning to participate, only to be driven back by Gongsun Xun.

A three-day banquet.

On the morning of the first day, the General of the Guards presided, first conducting a ceremonial sacrifice, and additionally summoning the local village elders and renowned scholars of Sanfu. It was less a banquet and more a political gesture — necessary, but with little worth discussing.

From that afternoon until the evening of the second day, the activities became extraordinarily rich and varied.

Among them, there was a cuju performance that drew the people of Chang'an, young and old alike, to gather and watch; there were scriptural debates and scholarly discussions attended by numerous famous scholars; there was a recruitment assembly for civilian laborers by the Hedong salt pools and iron offices; there were spring outings spontaneously joined by the young scions of noble and official families — which is to say, matchmaking events... Of course, the main feature was undoubtedly the spontaneous political networking of various scales under the open-format activities. From the key central ministers on down, many meritorious military officers, officials from the various bureaus, and many local aristocratic figures from Sanfu formed their own groups, using the banquet and various activities as cover for semi-public exchanges and expressions of stance.

The only thing worth mentioning is that it is said Cai Bojie, the world-renowned scholar and General of the Household of the Right, who had just become related by marriage to the General of the Guards and should have been most suited to such an occasion, never once showed his face. In contrast, the General of the Guards himself, along with Yang Biao, Wang Yun, Huang Wan, Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun — these truly great figures — as well as the core staff of the General of the Guards' headquarters and the backbone of the army, every last one of them, without putting on any airs, spent nearly the entire day by the Wei River enjoying themselves alongside the common soldiers and people.

But regardless, all in all, this event, whether viewed from the perspective of sharing joy with the people or from the angle of soothing the hearts of the middle and lower-ranking officials, was highly effective.

On the morning of the third day, Gongsun Xun, acting as host, invited key ministers and core personnel from the court, the military, and the regions to a formal banquet held on a small slope on the southern bank of the Wei Bridge north of Chang'an city, where silk screens were erected as enclosures.

From the Grand Marshal Liu Yu, who had just rushed over from Hedong, down through the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers of the court and their subordinate officials; plus the full membership of the Imperial Secretariat, the Censorate, and the Yellow Gate Supervisors; as well as the members of the Gentlemen's Corps, who after Dong Zhuo's death were filled by the sons and younger brothers of high officials and now effectively served as the core imperial guard; along with the core military commanders currently temporarily stationed in Sanfu and the staff of the General of the Guards; and further counting the commandery and county officials of Jingzhao commandery itself, as well as renowned scholars like Wei Duan and Zhao Qi who, though not holding office, commanded immense local prestige... In other words, everyone within the Pass and Sanfu who truly possessed influence, all who could come, came.

In a certain sense, if the scene before the Weiyang Palace had established Gongsun Xun's supreme authority over the central court and the Sanfu region, then this occasion was the prelude and trial balloon for deciding the concrete division of power within the Pass in the future.

Why call it a prelude?

Because this was, after all, a banquet — an occasion to ease the atmosphere and draw closer relationships. Personnel appointments inevitably involve competition, quarrels, gains and losses, and the General of the Guards presumably did not wish to disrupt the harmonious mood of the previous two days.

In fact, many believed that Gongsun Xun would likely wait until the grand court assembly on the first day of the eighth month, or perhaps simply the one on the first day of the ninth month, to formally announce his appointments and arrangements... In particular, the latter view was more widespread. This was because if a comprehensive personnel reshuffle were carried out on the first of the ninth month, firstly, Gongsun Xun could leisurely complete political consultations and formulate a thorough list of headquarters staff and court officials; secondly, Gongsun Xun could take the opportunity to first complete this year's critically important autumn harvest in Sanfu under military control, thereby seizing the most vital asset for Sanfu in the coming year — grain.

Sure enough, in the late morning, under the bright autumn sun, with the emerald waves of the Wei River rippling, and faint cheers drifting over from the cuju field across the river, after Gongsun Xun took his seat together with several key court ministers — namely Liu Yu, Yang Biao, Huang Wan, Wang Yun, Huangfu Song, and others — he was all smiles and cheerful conversation, chatting quite happily... There was not the slightest trace of the man who, a mere half-month ago before the eastern watchtower of the Weiyang Palace, had seemed ready to pick someone out and devour them on the spot. Especially since the very gentlemen sitting there laughing so happily were precisely the prey who had nearly been devoured that day.

Of course, once the General of the Guards, the Grand Marshal, the Three Excellencies, and the Nine Ministers had all taken their seats together, the atmosphere below quickly turned solemn — with these people gathered together, it would have been difficult for it not to be solemn.

"To the General of the Guards' long life." Once seated, after a round of rather tentative demurrals from the crowd, it was actually Huangfu Song, the Deputy Censor-in-Chief, who took the initiative to rise, humbling himself and making a gesture toward Gongsun Xun, his former colleague and junior.

After all, no matter what, Gongsun Xun's fundamental political stance as host had already been established.

"To the General of the Guards' long life." Gongsun Xun sat upright and motionless; with a mere sweep of his gaze, everyone around him, from Liu Yu on down, rose in unison and raised their cups.

Yet upon hearing this, Gongsun Xun merely lifted his wine cup as if about to drink, then suddenly set it down again, and continued to sit upright and motionless.

There were far more than three or four hundred people at the banquet. Aside from a few who had prior knowledge or had long anticipated this, the rest, regardless of their faction or background, all felt their hearts chill... and then most of them could only stand there holding their wine goblets, awkward and not daring to move, their hearts gradually filling with alarm.

Of course, there were always those naturally bold and with a clear conscience.

"What is the meaning of this, General of the Guards?" Zhu Jun, the Colonel of the City Gates, raising his cup, demanded indignantly. "If you are dissatisfied with us, then deal with us as you see fit! But I have one thing to say — if you repeatedly regard everyone as an enemy, how are you any different from Dong Zhuo?"

"Master Zhu thinks too much." Gongsun Xun sighed deeply, yet his voice was resonant, showing neither fear nor guilt. "It is merely that seeing everyone raise their cups to toast my long life, such a grand scene naturally reminded me of the time several years ago when my teacher Liu passed away, and at Mengjin I sat facing the various central officials of that time, sharing a bottle of wine, and we pledged together to cleanse the court's order... Everyone, please sit... Tell me, setting aside how people and circumstances have changed, why is it that the fatuous ruler has perished and the eunuchs have been annihilated, yet the situation of the realm has instead collapsed to this state?"

Hearing this, the crowd sat back down and set aside their cups. Though they sensed something was amiss, each was left speechless. Even Zhu Gongwei, who had just spoken out in defiance, now looked somewhat dejected — after all, like Gongsun Xun, he had left Luoyang around the same time to observe mourning, and upon returning, was faced with this mess of a steadily deteriorating situation.

"Then what does the General of the Guards think?" After a long pause, it was the Grandee of the Palace Yang Biao who, having no choice, spoke up to keep the conversation from dying. "What is the reason?"

It should be noted that after the incident of opposing the relocation of the capital, among the Three Excellencies, the Minister over the Masses Yang Biao and the Grand Commandant Huang Wan were both dismissed and given the sinecure title of Grandee of the Palace, while the Minister of Works Xun Shuang attempted to assassinate Dong Zhuo, failed, and then committed suicide. This was what allowed Wang Yun, as Minister over the Masses overseeing the Imperial Secretariat, to become the head of the ministers.

And now, the wheel of fortune had turned. The current ruling ministers, led by the Minister over the Masses Wang Yun, had been thoroughly battered before the Weiyang Palace when Gongsun Xun pointed at Dong Zhuo and launched into a tirade. Although they were not dismissed, their political prestige was greatly diminished, and they could no longer stick their necks out on every matter. This allowed Yang Biao, Huang Wan, Zhu Jun — who had stood proudly beneath the right watchtower that day — and Huangfu Song, who had always commanded immense prestige within the Pass, to regain political influence.

Yang Biao in particular — his clan was originally the third most prominent family in the realm after the Yuan clan, always mentioned together as "Yuan and Yang." Counting Yang Biao himself, they had also achieved the great feat of four generations producing the Three Excellencies... More importantly, his clan was based in Guanxi (Huayin in Hongnong, west of Tongguan), which meant that both he and his clan held local prestige in Guanxi as well as authority in the central court. Thus, he had grandly become the representative of the court ministers, and in a certain special sense, the focus of popular sentiment.

"What can be done?" Gongsun Xun shook his head and sighed aloud. "As for the deeper reasons, didn't I make them very clear before the Weiyang Palace? The fatuous ruler's misgovernment led to excessive exploitation, the aristocracy's corruption blocked the advancement of worthy talent, powerful families annexed land until the common people had no ground to stand on... These chronic ailments of the Great Han, centuries in the making, are right there for all to see. We are not blind, so why pretend ignorance? I hear that a man of the Xun clan named Xun Zhongyu even wrote a treatise specifically discussing these matters. If you truly do not understand, you might as well seek out Xun Gongda to copy a version and study it carefully. One can only say that when Emperor Guangwu of our dynastic origin carried out his land surveys, he had foresight, but then ended up with a descendant like Emperor Ling — it truly leaves one helpless."

A momentary silence fell over the gathering... Come to think of it, it had only been a few days, yet these high ministers and officials had already grown accustomed to keeping a low profile when Gongsun Xun spoke. Those who could not learn had, save for a few stubborn holdouts, long since perished during the Dong Zhuo period.

"However," Gongsun Xun continued, "today is not for discussing these grand principles... Rather, it suddenly occurred to me that when I left back then, the misgoverning Dong Zhuo was still a pillar of the state; Yuan Shao, who has now killed a host of Nine Ministers and still seeks to swallow the entire Guandong, was still merely a partisan leader thinking only of eliminating the eunuchs for the state; Yuan Gonglu, who now straddles provinces and commanderies, was then just an ordinary scion of a noble house. Even Liu Yan and Liu Biao — who among you back then could have imagined that these men would now have carved out territories for themselves?"

"My father was merely cut off by the Rice Bandits blocking the roads." Several men hastily stepped forward and knelt to beg forgiveness — it was the three brothers led by Liu Fan. "In truth, his heart is wholly with the Han; it is not secession... General of the Guards, you have known my father for a long time and should know that he is merely a cautious and prudent man... Moreover, our family are legitimate imperial clansmen of the Han. How could we possibly do such a thing?"

Huang Wan, Liu Yan's maternal cousin, also hurriedly stepped forward to speak on their behalf: "General of the Guards, I have a heartfelt word to say... Men like the two Yuans, judging by their current posture, indeed cannot be said to be free of disloyal intentions. But men like Liu Junlang, Liu Jingsheng, as well as Tao Gongzu of Xuzhou and Kong Wenju of Beihai — they are merely constrained by current events, forced to raise troops in self-defense. It does not necessarily mean they harbor disloyal hearts. If the court issued orders and the roads were open, they would certainly obey the court's commands."

"Do you all know that Jia Wenhe has already taken Li Jue's head at Wuguan?" Gongsun Xun shook his head for a moment, then gestured with a pout. "And now that Wuguan is open, memorials have arrived from the south... Jia Kui, show Lord Huang the memorial Liu Biao sent from Wuguan the day before yesterday."

Huang Wan, puzzled, reached out and took it. He opened it and read only a few lines before his face turned deathly pale, to the point of being speechless.

Liu Fan, the eldest of the three brothers beside him, saw his uncle's horrified expression and knew something was wrong. Caring for nothing else, he hurriedly rose and squeezed over to look. With just one glance, his expression turned to panic, yet he immediately cried out loudly: "General of the Guards, this must be Liu Jingsheng slandering my father! He knows you have pacified the Pass, so he is diverting disaster eastward!"

Gongsun Xun paid no heed, merely having Jia Kui take the memorial around for the court ministers to read one by one. And every last one of them, after barely a glance under the bright sunlight, looked as if they had seen a ghost.

It turned out that Liu Biao's memorial stated clearly — he said that after Liu Yan had previously repelled Dong Zhuo's attack in Yizhou and smoothly cleared out the province, and with the news of the General of the Guards entering the Pass being delayed at that very moment, the man had grown utterly complacent and actually went so far as to imitate the imperial regalia, constructing several thousand imperial carriages in Yizhou! Some people fleeing from Nanyang to Yizhou could not stand the sight and ran back to inform Liu Biao.

On this matter, Liu Biao did not forget to elegantly express his own opinion in the memorial, stating that Liu Yan's actions were "akin to Zixia's discourse on the Sage west of the River"!

Zixia was one of the Ten Disciples of Confucius, yet he abandoned the doctrine of "self-restraint and returning to ritual" and effectively became one of the founding fathers of Legalist thought. The phrase was mocking Liu Yan — a member of the Han imperial clan who actually thought of setting up his own separate establishment... And what it means for a Han imperial clansman to set up his own separate establishment is self-evident.

The memorial was passed down the line. After roughly completing a circuit among the Three Excellencies, Nine Ministers, Imperial Secretariat, and Censorate, Jia Kui then read it aloud in a loud voice before the censors, Yellow Gate officials, gentlemen, subordinate officers, and renowned scholars below.

At this, every single face bore a spectacular expression.

"Lord Huang, based on this memorial, let us be fair-minded — either Liu Junlang has truly harbored rebellious intentions, or Liu Jingsheng is slandering him, correct?" Gongsun Xun laughed aloud from above. "And if this Liu Jingsheng, once one of the famed Eight Steeds of old, is thus slandering the Governor of Yizhou, there is really only one explanation — as that whelp Liu Fan just said, Liu Jingsheng, seeing my success in punishing Dong Zhuo, wishes to divert disaster eastward... But if that is the case, does it not mean that Liu Jingsheng also regards Jingzhou as his own territory, unwilling to let the court and me touch him? Therefore, of these two Han imperial clansmen, these two universally acknowledged moral exemplars of the past, these two governors of entire provinces — one of them must harbor disloyal intentions, or perhaps both harbor disloyal intentions, correct?"

Huang Wan stammered, unable to reply.

Gongsun Xun laughed even more, drained his wine cup in one gulp, then abruptly rose and looked around, raising his voice: "It may be unpleasant to say, but gentlemen, in my opinion, this is only to be expected! As the saying goes, poverty shortens one's breath, and desperate straits make men bend — that is roughly the meaning. They too have been forced by circumstances... My lords, have you ever seen common folk in famine years exchange their children to eat?"

A burst of cheers came from the cuju field across the Wei River, yet within the curtained banquet where Gongsun Xun sat, it was nearly silent enough to hear a pin drop.

"If you have not seen children exchanged for food, then surely you must have seen common folk kill or abandon their infants?" Gongsun Xun continued with a cold laugh. "You are all well-read men and should understand that killing infants is perhaps the most wicked act under heaven, let alone parents killing their own children. Yet everywhere under heaven, in every single place, where do they not kill infants? And in what place is infanticide treated as a true crime? Why is this so... Lord Yang, why is this so? Can you explain it to me?"

"Because the common people are poor and destitute; if they do not kill the infant, they cannot raise it." Yang Biao had no choice but to rise, bow with clasped hands, and answer. "For the parents, rather than being unable to support it later, it is better to kill it early..."

"This is precisely the crux of the problem." Gongsun Xun bent down to pick up the empty cup from the table; Jia Kui beside him immediately refilled it. The General of the Guards then, under the watchful eyes of all, drained it in one gulp once more before continuing. "The common people are poor; one extra mouth means there is no food to eat, so they have no choice but to kill. Over time, infanticide becomes a matter of course... Not only do ordinary common folk grow accustomed to it, but even you renowned ministers and prominent officials, though you understand in your hearts that it is evil, can only sit by and ignore it, until in the end you too grow accustomed to it... Is that the meaning?"

"Exactly, exactly so."

"Then are not Liu Biao, Liu Yan, Tao Qian, the two Yuans, and even Dong Zhuo all the same?" Gongsun Xun held the empty goblet and laughed ruefully. "It is merely that for them, what is impoverished is the overall situation of the realm! When we just spoke of why the loyal ministers and good generals by the Mengjin riverbank back then turned out as they did, is this not the reason? Emperor Ling ruined the realm beyond repair; from the central court to the localities, everything was incurable. Thus the overall situation of the realm became impoverished. And these men, situated in such chaos and hardship, what they saw, witnessed, encountered, and heard was all slaughter, plunder, seizure, rapine, conspiracy, and usurpation. Immersed in such things, with great power in their hands and no one to restrain them, how could they not grow daily more arrogant and suspicious? It is merely that they did not fall as quickly as Dong Zhuo! In the past, I saw someone appraise a figure, saying a certain man was 'a capable minister in times of order, a treacherous hero in times of chaos'... Thinking on it now, is this not a verbal paradox? Among those of good birth who wield power in this realm, which one is not 'a capable minister in times of order, a treacherous hero in times of chaos'?!"

Having spoken thus, amid the utter silence, Gongsun Xun hurled the empty cup in his hand to the ground, then grasped his sword and looked about defiantly: "My lords, we are able to sit here today, wine set out and seated high, gazing upon the splendid autumn scenery of the Wei River, watching the common folk and soldiers frolic on the opposite bank — do you know how difficult this was to achieve? Believe it or not, in a few more years, men like Dong Zhuo will grow more and more numerous? Believe it or not, in a few years, if the fragmentation continues, Liu Biao will also, like Liu Yan, have his 'Zixia's discourse on the Sage west of the River'? Believe it or not, in a few years, if Yuan Shao remains unrestrained, he will probably not merely self-appoint as General of Chariots and Cavalry, but will carve an imperial seal for himself? Believe it or not, in a few years, I too will slaughter high ministers as wantonly as Yuan Shao and Dong Zhuo, and no one will think anything of it? Grand Marshal, you truly ought to thank me!"

Everyone understood the preceding words, but the final sentence left them baffled... Yet as Liu Yu, sitting withered at the head seat, let out a sigh, then rose and performed a grand ceremonial bow, the crowd more or less grasped the meaning.

"What exactly does the General of the Guards mean today? Might you clarify?" In the silence, Huangfu Song forced himself to ask. "Surely you cannot simply wish to make the Grand Marshal bow to you?"

"I only wished to say two things," Gongsun Xun answered frankly. "First, the realm has already fractured into warlord domains, the central authority has lost its prestige — do not dream of pacifying the land with a single decree; that path is blocked. Second, a chaotic age should be short, not long — do not dream of slowly plotting your way forward either. You must race against every dawn... otherwise, under the realm's dire straits, men's hearts will rot with terrifying speed. Today, after I pacify Dong Zhuo, I can still use righteous cause to soothe the regions and absorb his surrendered troops, I can still think of aiding the helpless scholars and commoners of Henan. But do you believe — if chaos drags on for several years, there will be massacres after cities fall? Do you believe — if chaos drags on for ten years, there will be atrocities like the slaughter of over a hundred thousand captives after Changping? Do you believe — if chaos drags on for twenty years, there will be the horror of entire clans of noble sons being drowned in rivers? Do none of you read history?"

Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, Yang Biao, Huang Wan, and the others looked at one another in confusion. In the end, it was Yang Biao who took the lead, bowing with a salute: "The General of the Guard's desire to swiftly pacify the realm is indeed a heart of benevolence... We are willing to give our full support, to aid the General of the Guard in restoring the Han altars."

"Well said." Gongsun Xun suddenly laughed, then, in full view of all, bent down at the feet of the already trembling Liu Zhang and picked up the golden goblet that had been hurled aside. He signaled Jia Kui to pour wine, and once it was full, raised the cup before Yang Biao and said with a soft smile: "But I am a man of plain speech by nature, and I disdain concealment... Lord Yang, I do indeed wish for speed, yet precisely because you are all here, I cannot even gather men's hearts — what am I to do? With you before me, how can I even attempt speed? With you here, the hearts of the Three Adjuncts cannot unite to aid me — what then?"

Yang Biao, who had been bowing, raised his head. His face showed three parts dawning comprehension, three parts bewilderment, three parts shock, and one part terror — yet in the end, no words came out.

"Bestow the staff of the Grandee of the Palace!" Gongsun Xun held the wine cup motionless and called out directly. "Proclaim the edict..."

In the flurry of confusion, as Zhong Yao emerged from behind the curtain bearing an imperial edict, and armored soldiers brought forth a staff of authority, Yang Biao could only hurriedly kneel to receive the decree.

"Hold!" At that moment, Wang Yun rose in alarmed suspicion and demanded: "General of the Guard, why am I unaware of this edict and staff? Even if the Son of Heaven is young and you assist in governance, without passing through the formal process of the Secretariat, how can this be considered an imperial edict?"

"The Minister over the Masses Wang Yun colluded with Dong Zhuo, flattered the rebel and curried favor, greatly disappointing the realm." Gongsun Xun did not even turn his head, answering without hesitation. "This very morning, I entered the palace in person and requested an edict to dismiss him from the post of Minister over the Masses and the duty of overseeing the Secretariat. Only in consideration that during his tenure he did much to uphold the court's framework, he remains Grandee of the Grand Palace. Also, the Grand Marshal Liu Yu, on account of the meteor at the start of the month, is dismissed as Grand Marshal and reassigned as Grand Commandant, overseeing the Secretariat. The Grand Commandant Zhao Qian is transferred to Minister over the Masses... Brother Zishi, since this morning you have no longer overseen the Secretariat. The one now overseeing the Secretariat is Liu Boan. It is merely that the Gentleman of the Yellow Gate delivering the edict could not find you at home, so you remain unaware."

Wang Yun looked at Liu Yu, who had earlier bowed to Gongsun Xun and now sat expressionless in his original seat. Seeing the latter's blank face, Wang Yun could not utter a single word in rebuttal... because even by political tradition, he ought to have returned the duty of overseeing the Secretariat to this, the sole remaining imperial clansman among the central ministers. For everyone knew that Liu Yu had always held the duty of assisting the young emperor as an imperial kinsman.

So this reassignment — not only could he, Wang Yun, not oppose it, but no one in the entire central court could oppose it! And as a loyal minister of the Great Han, there was no reason, nor should there be any reason, to oppose it!

With this thought, Wang Yun, now reduced to Grandee of the Grand Palace, could only slump dejectedly back into his seat.

And so, the Gentleman of the Yellow Gate Zhong Yao continued to proclaim the edict, openly announcing before the assembly an appointment: the Grandee of the Palace Yang Biao was to serve as envoy, bearing the staff to Yuzhou. The edict commanded Yang Biao to clearly inform all commanderies and counties of Yuzhou that the court-appointed Inspector of Yuzhou was Liu Bei, Liu Xuande; and that Cao Cao, nominated by Yuan Shao, and Sun Jian, nominated by Yuan Shu, were both illegitimate appointments.

In any case, Yang Biao's wife was the full elder sister of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, so there was no worry that those two would, in a fit of rage, behead him... From this angle, the appointment was, on the contrary, exceedingly reasonable.

"Lord Yang." Yang Biao, in a daze, received the edict and accepted the staff. Before he could steady himself leaning on the staff, Gongsun Xun was already before him, presenting the cup. "Your house has produced Excellencies for four generations, and you have long held great renown. Today, bearing the staff to Yuzhou, proclaim the court's authority — I hope you will not fail in your mission!"

"This is... natural," Yang Biao replied awkwardly.

"The journey ahead is long and distant, and there is still war in those parts." Gongsun Xun grew ever more emotional. "Please drain this cup, as a farewell toast..."

The edict already accepted, Yang Biao, helpless and with a thread of muddled confusion, actually failed to catch the implication in the other's words. Before the dumbfounded stares of the remaining ministers, he took the wine that Gongsun Xun personally handed him and drained it in one gulp.

Having drunk, Yang Wenxian returned the wine cup and, still in a daze, leaned on his staff and sat back down.

Gongsun Xun took the empty goblet, turned and had Jia Kui fill it again, then suddenly wheeled around, his expression shifting: "Having received your orders and already been toasted farewell, why is Lord Yang still here?"

Yang Biao broke out in a profuse sweat. Instinctively he wanted to speak, yet truly did not know what to say... Gongsun Xun had spoken so thoroughly that it already counted as courtesy before force. Since that was the case, why should he invite trouble upon himself?

Or rather — after all, he was a man who had survived Dong Zhuo's filtering — how could he, when all legal procedures were in place, truly clash over fundamental interests with Gongsun Xun, who held absolute military power, just to preserve some shred of central authority?

And so, left with no choice, the man gave a sigh, declared that he would not disgrace his mission, and then, clutching the staff, took his leave on the spot. Immediately, armored soldiers escorted him — he could not even return home — bypassing Chang'an without entering, heading straight for Wuguan. And when he reached Wuguan, Yang Wenxian was further astonished to find that the deputy envoy waiting there was his own cousin, the Internuncio and Servant of the Imperial Messengers Yang Zhong, a trusted attendant of the Son of Heaven. There was even less to say then.

The truth is, a man like Gongsun Xun, who disdained concealment, once he decided to purge, how could he only sweep the surface?

"Lord Huang, please receive the edict and the staff." Gongsun Xun held the full cup and signaled Zhong Yao to continue proclaiming.

Zhong Yuanchang, drenched in sweat, turned and fetched another edict and staff from behind the curtain. The decree commanded Huang Wan to bear the staff as envoy to Jingzhou, and from Jingzhou to proceed to Yizhou, to specifically investigate the matter of Liu Biao, Inspector of Jingzhou, accusing Liu Yan, Governor of Yizhou, of plotting sedition... and to mediate.

This appointment was equally reasonable and proper. Huang Wan himself was of a great Jingzhou clan and was Liu Yan's elder cousin. Just as the two Yuans would not butcher their own brother-in-law, Huang Wan would face no danger in either of these two places.

The edict proclaimed, the staff received, Gongsun Xun personally offered another cup of wine, and then sent this Grandee of the Palace, whose influence in the central court was likewise immense, directly on his way.

It is worth noting that on the matter of Yizhou, Gongsun Xun still maintained sufficient rationality and restraint. The deputy envoy was none other than Liu Yan's second son, the Attendant Censor Liu Dan.

The next was Huangfu Song. He did not receive a staff but was directly appointed to a new post — Inspector of Liangzhou.

In all fairness, this too was a position beyond reproach, even perfectly reasonable. The Inspector of Liangzhou could only govern half a commandery, while simultaneously bearing the responsibility of mediating, monitoring, and pacifying the Liangzhou warlords. To appoint Huangfu Song, with his prestige in Liangzhou, to this post was truly making full use of his talents.

Of course, since he was thus rolling off to Liangzhou, he would no longer be able to use his prestige in the Three Adjuncts to influence any old subordinates or build any faction. Gongsun Xun's grip on the Guanzhong troops would naturally deepen further.

The same procedure: under the gaze of the crowd, one imperial edict, one cup of wine, and then — without even being able to return home — he departed directly for his post.

The next was the city gate commandant Zhu Jun, Zhu Gongwei, a man of utterly unyielding character who held a certain defensive force within Chang'an.

His appointment was as envoy to Jiaozhou, to mediate the conflict between Shi Xie and Zhu Fu... Zhu Fu was the Inspector of Jiaozhou, but his extortionate taxes had made him deeply unpopular, while Shi Xie was the sole great hereditary clan of Jiaozhou and enjoyed profound popular support. The two families were having a merry time of it in Jiaozhou, no more peaceful than anywhere else in this Great Han realm.

And this appointment was also well justified. Zhu Jun was a man of Yangzhou and had once successfully campaigned against a Jiaozhou rebellion. In particular, this extortionate Zhu Fu was none other than Zhu Gongwei's own son — this could be considered a case of impartiality not shunning one's kin. In the future, it might even be recounted as a fine story.

Zhu Gongwei knelt to receive the edict, accepted the staff, and then in turn took the wine from Gongsun Xun, shaking his head for a moment: "I have failed to properly instruct my son. I have nothing to say against this appointment and will certainly do my utmost. But, General of the Guard, with all of us gone... I hope you will bear yourself well, and not forget the spirit you showed before the Weiyang Palace, when you steadied the crisis and quelled the chaos!"

With these words, the man took the initiative to drain the cup in one gulp, then heavily placed the empty goblet back into Gongsun Xun's hand, turned, and simply walked away.

After Zhu Jun, it was actually Lu Bu.

The truth is, although Gongsun Xun had long known that Lu Bu was a man with peerless martial skill and the ability of a Flying General, yet whose vision, moral level, and control of personal desires were at best those of an ordinary man — and thus rationally he held no expectations... still, reason was reason, and sentiment was sentiment. That Jia Wenhe had actually needed to send Lu Fengxian away before he could offer up the pass — though Gongsun Xun said nothing and asked nothing, how could he not feel a knot of disgust in his heart?

So, seizing this opportunity, Gongsun Xun formally stripped him of the title General of Tiger Might and reassigned him as Grand Herald... meaning to strip him of military authority while preserving his dignity.

Under this sudden assault, with no political support whatsoever, Lu Bu, a mere hero of the common man, received the edict in a state of flustered alarm — there is naturally no need to elaborate.

And next, seeing that the only four political threats and one military threat had all been safely eliminated by imperial edict, Gongsun Xun returned to his original seat and began issuing edicts in a great wave — promoting, appointing, dismissing, transferring... eliminating dissenters and plundering the central court's talent with all his might:

Appointing the Gentleman of the Yellow Gate Zhong Yao as Colonel-Director of Retainers;

Summoning Wei Kang, patriarch of the foremost clan of Jingzhao, to be Grand Administrator of Changshan; formally transferring Grand Administrator of Changshan Dong Zhao to be Grand Administrator of Julu; appointing Grand Administrator of Julu Li Shao as Commandant of the Guards;

Appointing former Grand Administrator of Hedong Wang Yi as Court Architect; formally transferring Du Ji to be Grand Administrator of Hedong;

Appointing Minister Hua Xin as Grand Administrator of Left Pingyi;

Appointing Deputy of the Secretariat Pei Mao as Grand Administrator of Shanggu; transferring Grand Administrator of Shanggu Gao Yan to be Deputy of the Secretariat;

Summoning Wang Rou of Taiyuan to be Grand Administrator of Right Fufeng;

Appointing General of the Household Li Meng to temporarily administer Hongnong;

Appointing General of the Household Duan Wei to temporarily administer Henan;

Appointing former Grand Administrator of Yunzhong Zhao Ping as Deputy of the Secretariat, assisting the Grand Commandant Liu Yu;

Appointing the Jingzhao notable Zhao Qi as Minister;

Appointing former Western Garden Captain Feng Fang as City Gate Commandant;

Appointing Jing Ze of Fufeng as General of the Household of Tiger Guards, commanding troops to garrison the Weiyang Palace; all former gentlemen of the court from the houses of ministers — including Yang Biao's son Yang Xiu, Liu Yan's son Liu Zhang, and Wang Yun's nephew Wang Ling — were dismissed and transferred into the White Horse Volunteers;

Appointing Yang Feng of Hedong as Commandant of Tongguan, guarding Tongguan;

Appointing Cheng Yin of Hedong as Commandant of Sanguan, guarding Sanguan;

Appointing Han Xian of Hedong as Commandant of Wuguan, guarding Wuguan;

Furthermore,

Appointing Wang Xiu as East Bureau Head of the General of the Guard's Office, concurrently acting as General of the Garrison Army, temporarily administering the overall strategy of the Three Adjuncts;

Appointing Tian Feng as Memorial Bureau Head of the General of the Guard's Office, concurrently acting as General of the Household of the Left Army Advisor;

Appoint Xi Zhong as West Section Clerk of the Guard General’s Office, concurrently holding the post of Right Army Advisor and General of the Household;

Appoint Jia Xu as Military Section Clerk of the Guard General’s Office, concurrently holding the post of Front Army Advisor and General of the Household;

Appoint Xun You as Security Section Clerk of the Guard General’s Office, concurrently holding the post of Rear Army Advisor and General of the Household;

Appoint Ju Zong as Civil Section Clerk of the Guard General’s Office;

Appoint Han Hao as Bandit Section Clerk of the Guard General’s Office, concurrently holding the post of Central Army Protector;

Appoint Wei Ji as Arbitration Section Clerk of the Guard General’s Office;

Appoint Tian Chou as Treasury Section Clerk of the Guard General’s Office;

Appoint Sima Lang as Law Section Clerk of the Guard General’s Office;

Summon the former Clerk of the Grand Commandant’s Office, Fu Xun, to be the Petition Section Clerk of the Guard General’s Office;

Summon the Master of Documents and Huan Jie of Changsha to be the Granary Section Clerk of the Guard General’s Office;

Appoint Wang Xiang as Registrar of the Yellow Pavilion.

Furthermore, the former Chief Clerk of the General’s Office, Lu Fan; Major Han Dang; and Attendant Official of the Household, Lou Gui, along with the general titles held by the latter, remained unchanged. Only the Attendant Official of the Household post left vacant by Xi Zhong was reassigned to the newly arrived Zhang Ji, in recognition of his merits before Mei Fortress.

In addition, Gao Shun was promoted to General Who Sweeps the Wilds;

Xu Rong was promoted to General of the Long Drive;

Xu Huang was promoted to Colonel Who Vanquishes Bandits;

Zhang Liao was promoted to Commandant of Cavalry;

Cheng Lian was promoted to Commandant of Cavalry;

Wei Yue was promoted to Commandant of Cavalry;

Jiao Chu was promoted to Colonel of Infantry;

Zhao Yun, Tian Yu, Wen Ze, Yuwen Heita, Yang Kai, and others were appointed as Major of Separate Command;

Taishi Ci was also promoted to Commandant of Cavalry and transferred back to Liaodong to report on his mission.

The officers of the remaining various units each received rewards and promotions in rank, which need not be elaborated upon.

It is worth mentioning that Gongsun Xun specially dispatched envoys to grant exceptional rank promotions to General Who Displays Might, Guan Yu; General Who Establishes Might, Cheng Pu; Chancellor of Zhao State, Shen Pei; Grand Administrator of Julu, Dong Zhao; General Who Vanquishes Bandits, Gongsun Fan; and General Who Pacifies the North, Gongsun Yue. He also selected a large quantity of jewels and valuables from Mei Fortress to reward those who had remained in Changping, such as the Agricultural Colony Clerk, Zao Zhi, and the Changping Garrison Commander, Zhang Nan.

As for Chief Clerk Lu Fan, Lu Ziheng, who received nothing, Gongsun Xun merely had Han Dang and Lou Gui personally select a white jade tablet and send someone to deliver it to him after returning to his residence that evening.

By the same token, that evening, Gongsun Xun also politely declined all suggestions, including the granting of noble titles to his mother, Lady Gongsun, and his wife, Zhao Yun.

After expelling four political elders of Guanzhong in a single day and carrying out a series of appointments from the central administration to his own headquarters, Gongsun Xun began, from the second day onward, a large-scale reorganization of the Western Liang Army. He also used work-relief to recruit displaced commoners with no place to settle, sending them to Hedong and Hongnong to construct water conservancy projects. Following Lady Gongsun’s suggestion, he used the salt ponds and iron offices of Hedong as a guide to channel civilian population flows; and in Hongnong, being the closest, he encouraged fleeing commoners to return to their hometowns.

At the same time, he issued a public order requiring the Grand Administrators of the Three Adjuncts to consolidate all civil administration, legal affairs, granaries, and public security matters from their commanderies under the Guard General’s Office. In the same month, Fa Zheng, grandson of the Fufeng notable Fa Zhen renowned for his divination studies, and Meng Da, son of the former Inspector of Liangzhou, Meng Tuo, notorious for his sycophancy toward Zhang Rang, both, at the age of binding their hair, personally presented their name cards at the Guard General’s Office. Together with Pang De and other newly arrived youths from Western Liang, they entered the White Horse Volunteers.

In the eighth month came the autumn harvest; in the ninth month, the climbing of heights; by the tenth month, it gradually grew cold. Just as the scale of work-relief in the Three Adjuncts, Hedong, and Hongnong reached its peak, Guard General Gongsun Xun and Grand Commandant overseeing the Masters of Writing, Liu Yu, jointly submitted a memorial:

First, that since the reign title Chuping was established by Dong Zhuo, and considering the realm is effectively fragmented with great chaos already formed, they requested the reign title be changed to Jian’an, to take effect from the following year;

Second, that the capital region had suffered successive years of warfare, and the autumn harvest had been abandoned, so they requested a one-year ban on new wine brewing.

Third, that the capital region had relocated commoners numbering in the millions, accumulating in the Three Adjuncts, and they requested that, following the precedent of Emperor Shizu’s land survey, the lands of Guanzhong be inspected and cleared for resettlement.

—————I am the dividing line of drinking wine with two streams of tears—————

“During the Chuping years, the realm was in chaos and separation; the people abandoned agriculture. Armies rose together, all generally lacking grain supplies. With no year-end reserves, they plundered when hungry and discarded the surplus when full. Those who disintegrated, scattered, and destroyed themselves without an enemy were countless. Yuan Shao in Taishan, his soldiers fed on mulberries. Yuan Shu between the Huai and Si Rivers, took his supplies from river mussels. The Grand Ancestor in Guanzhong, though without incidents of starvation, also swept through fortified manors, pursued and collected poll taxes, and gathered provisions to survive. Two or three out of every ten powerful families in Guanzhong were ruined.” — New Book of Yan, Volume 2, Annals of the Martial Emperor, Grand Ancestor

(End of Chapter)