Chapter 391: A Year

At the turn of spring and summer, when all things burst forth with life, on the western wall of Pingyuan City, Bohai Grand Administrator Gongsun Zan, fully armored and gripping a horsewhip, stood alone atop the gate tower, staring blankly at the old course of the great river in the distance.

This so-called old course of the great river was the abandoned channel left behind after water conservancy expert Wang Jing, who hailed from Lelang, built the Golden Embankment and reorganized the Yellow River. Since the original commandery and kingdom boundaries had relied on the Yellow River’s old course, it remained as a border line; and because it stretched several thousand li from Wei Commandery to Bohai, combined with the frequent flooding in Hebei in those years, it naturally evolved into the largest seasonal river within Hebei.

In other words, this long river had long since lost the majestic surging waves of over a hundred years ago. In winter, one could mostly see only a trickling stream, or it would even dry up and break its flow. Only as spring turned to summer and the rains gradually increased would it slowly swell and grow abundant again.

Returning to the present moment, it was precisely the turn of spring and summer, when the water surface was gradually rising, and the river channel was especially broad. Thus, in the afternoon, with the sunlight slanting down from the west and the waves shimmering, Gongsun Zan could “gaze upon” this river from seven or eight li away.

It is worth mentioning that Yuan Shao’s military camp was on the opposite bank of the old course of the great river… One old course, one new river—it took two Yellow Rivers to barely hold back Yuan Benchu’s offensive.

“My lord, is my lord pondering a strategy to defeat the enemy?”

Suddenly, someone spoke from behind, startling Gongsun Bogui, who had been lost in thought atop the city wall. He turned his head and saw it was none other than his trusted aide who had just arrived in Pingyuan today—Guan Jing, the Commandery Assistant who had originally been left to guard Bohai. It must be said, Gongsun Zan had never obtained a general’s seal and could only use his Bohai Grand Administrator seal to appoint subordinates. That Guan Shiqi could serve as Commandery Assistant and be left to guard the rear already spoke volumes.

“Yes and no.” Seeing it was his most trusted subordinate, Gongsun Zan turned back, holding his whip as he gazed west. “I was merely sighing at the river, recalling some youthful memories.”

“It seems my lord’s mind is already set, or else he would not be so at ease.” Guan Jing immediately echoed. “But I wonder what kind of past events could make my lord so absorbed that he did not hear my footsteps all the way up the tower?”

“They were not some intoxicatingly pleasant old matters.” Gongsun Zan, upon hearing this, did not turn his head, only letting out a helpless laugh. “Shiqi, you know that my mother was of very low birth… Of course, not to the extent of Yuan Benchu’s mother, who didn’t even have a proper account given.”

Guan Jing took a few steps forward but lowered his head in silence. After all, at such a moment, there truly was no way to speak.

“Yet in my childhood, among all the cousins of my generation in the clan, I happened to be the eldest, the tallest, the most handsome, and had the loudest voice. So whenever guests came to visit, they would always praise me first… But the clan elders, and my father, all disapproved. Especially my father—if he was not present, it was one thing, but if he was, not only would he not take pride in it, he would often show embarrassment, and after returning home, he would harshly scold my mother.” Gongsun Bogui’s tone was calm, as if he were truly recounting some amusing youthful anecdotes. “And my mother was always at a loss. She understood nothing. On one hand, she always wanted me to be praised and admired; on the other, she was constantly being reprimanded. After being reprimanded, she would wallow in self-pity, yet she still wanted me to be praised… In the end, it was my aunt who repeatedly could not stand to watch and, after gaining control of the clan’s finances, often protected me. I remember once she even publicly mocked my father, making him restrain himself considerably, and then she had my mother come out to work and broaden her horizons, so she wouldn’t suffer in vain at home… Do you know which aunt I am referring to?”

“My lord jests.” Guan Jing shook his head helplessly with a bitter smile.

“Indeed.” Gongsun Zan leaned on the gate tower and sighed softly. “As things stand now, who under heaven does not know of that aunt of mine? But in those days, I was truly grateful to her. Without her, I do not know how much more grievance I would have suffered in my childhood and youth. After I tied my hair and went to Yangle to serve as a minor official, a place five hundred li from my home within the borders, it was also thanks to her care. For several years, I slept with that cousin of mine in her family’s trading post.”

Guan Jing’s heart stirred slightly, but he did not speak.

“Later on,” Gongsun Zan straightened his body, gripping his horsewhip, and gazed at the old course of the great river to the west, his eyes gradually narrowing, “my fortunes turned. I was able to go to Luoyang to study with two of my cousins, becoming a disciple under Master Lu, and by chance, I also became a disciple under Master Liu… I also came to know Yuan Benchu, Yuan Gonglu, Fu Nanrong, and Liu Xuande.”

“These matters I do know.” Guan Jing suddenly interjected. “I heard that at the time, Yuan Benchu had eyes but failed to recognize a true hero. Relying on his lofty family status, he often showed contempt, forcing you, my lord, and your two cousins to leave in indignation. But Yuan Benchu probably never imagined that times would change, and now the one who can contend with the Yuan clan for the realm is actually the Gongsun clan, is it not?”

“Indeed.” Gongsun Bogui also sneered. “Yuan Benchu, four generations of Three Excellencies… If you count his self-proclaimed General of Chariots and Cavalry, it is actually five generations with six men ascending to the ten-thousand-dan rank—the very ‘second surname’ of the realm. Over a decade ago, he naturally felt we were unworthy of a single favor from him, yet now he must contend for the realm with us, a border commandery aristocratic clan from Youzhou. It is utterly laughable.”

Guan Jing hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping.

“I know what Shiqi wants to say.” Gongsun Zan, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, turned directly to look at his Commandery Assistant. “You came specially from Bohai this time precisely because you feel the situation is untenable and wish to persuade me to abandon Pingyuan, abandon the twenty to thirty thousand infantry and auxiliary troops by the Yellow River, and directly lead five thousand cavalry back to Bohai, is that not so?”

“My lord.” Guan Jing bowed his head solemnly. “In those days, it was my mistake. I should not have encouraged you, my lord, to march south to Pingyuan to contend for supremacy over Qing and Ji. For as we see now, compared to… compared to the General of the Guards and Yuan Benchu, our foundation is truly shallow. Now that Han Fu has been defeated, Pingyuan is already a dead end. Why not withdraw north? Forgive my bluntness, but if you go to Bohai, first, my lord has managed it for many years and enjoys popular support there; second, my lord need only ride lightly to Fanyang in Zhuo Commandery, and General Who Sweeps Away the Bandits will have to help one way or another. At that time…”

“At that time, will I be able to hold half a commandery of Bohai, or just stabilize the northernmost two or three cities?” Gongsun Bogui directly interrupted him. “Or should I simply lead these five thousand cavalry to the Yixian area in Hejian, across the Yishui River, to serve as a buffer for Gongsun Fan? To the point of living under another’s roof, worth not a single coin!”

Guan Jing immediately paled and hurriedly knelt to beg forgiveness beneath the western sun: “My lord, my loyalty is absolute. From the day you took me in at Gaoliu Fortress, I resolved to serve you for life…”

“I know your loyalty.” Gongsun Zan, seeing this, shook his head helplessly, tossed aside his horsewhip, and bent down to help him up. “I also know you mean well… But Shiqi, I truly do not wish to be looked down upon again, to be treated as something utterly worthless!”

Guan Jing was three parts dawning understanding, three parts helplessness, yet still somewhat puzzled: “My lord, I know the General Who Sweeps Away the Bandits is of the main Gongsun line, and it is normal for you to feel some resentment because of your childhood experiences. But now, after all, the one in charge is the General of the Guards, and he is merely a garrison commander appointed by the General of the Guards. You two are both cousins of the General of the Guards, and you grew up together with him. Even if you went, you would not necessarily be beneath others, would you?!”

“Shiqi!” Gongsun Zan bent down to pick up his horsewhip again, and before he even raised his head, he was already sneering continuously. “You probably do not know that at this very moment, the one who despises me the most, the one who regards me, Gongsun Zan, as nothing, is precisely this ‘General of the Guards’!”

Guan Jing was stunned on the spot.

“He thinks I do not know his thoughts; he thinks I do not understand his schemes.” On the gate tower, as the Bohai Grand Administrator paced with his hands behind his back, his voice grew louder and louder, and the mockery—or self-mockery—in it grew increasingly thick. “But if others do not understand, how could I not? From the age of sixteen, I ate and lived with him under the same roof, kept accounts, wrote, and delivered messages in the same commandery office. I watched him grow up, and he watched me grow up…”

“The year before last, during the campaign against Dong Zhuo, the Youzhou locals and clan elders all sent letters questioning me, asking why I did not follow him. But how could those people know that if I followed him, the foundation of a million people in Bohai would have to be directly abandoned? Because he would most likely have wanted me to lead troops with him to Guanzhong. That is why I humbly sent people to request a general’s title, hoping to hint that I should remain to guard a region… But what I never expected was that thirty years of brotherhood meant nothing in his eyes. He would not even give me a general’s title, nor even the qualification to guard a region. Instead, he gave general’s seals to people like Guan Yu and Cheng Pu!”

Having spoken to this point, Gongsun Zan, at the peak of his indignation, suddenly calmed down and spoke his true feelings to Guan Jing: “Shiqi, I am a man who clearly distinguishes kindness from grievance. From childhood to adulthood, I have firmly remembered in my heart those who thought highly of me… My aunt looked after me, and I will never forget it for my entire life. You were the first to devote yourself to me; Tian Kai brought his clan’s sons to join me; Wang Men and Yan Gang were willing to follow me—I will not forget them either. And my clan uncle Gongsun Fang, my clan cousin Gongsun Du, who were willing to follow me, I also hold gratitude for. Even those sworn brothers of mine of extremely low birth—during these days when I held Bohai and Pingyuan, I have looked after them quite a bit. But on the other hand, those who looked down on me—like Gongsun Fan, Yuan Shao, Gongsun Xun—how could I ever tolerate them? Now Yuan Benchu is before me, and you want me to flee without a fight and seek Gongsun Xun’s protection at Gongsun Fan’s place… The reasoning is correct, the pros and cons are correct, but my heart cannot be at peace!”

“Then what does my lord intend to do?” Guan Jing asked with effort.

“I have already sent Tian Kai, Wang Men, and Yan Gang to prepare.” Gongsun Zan once again gazed toward the old course of the Yellow River west of the city, where the golden shimmer had become even clearer as the evening sun set. “You will know tonight.”

Guan Jing earnestly pleaded: “My lord, your person is worth a thousand pieces of gold. Do not take risks.”

“If I do not take this risk, then for my entire life, before that cousin of mine, before Yuan Benchu, I will be worth nothing!” Gongsun Zan responded sternly. “For thirty years, I have watched that cousin of mine rise day by day like a serpent transforming into a dragon. I have also asked myself, at what point and in what matter did I fall behind him, and I have come to some realizations… Others may not know, but Shiqi, you should know which time it was, right?”

Guan Jing raised his head and sighed: “Is my lord speaking of the time we left Gaoliu Fortress?”

“Correct!” Gongsun Zan turned his head back, staring at his most trusted subordinate, speaking neither hurriedly nor slowly. “It was precisely that time! Although by then his official rank was already far above mine… I still refused to accept it. Only after that event did I suddenly understand clearly in my heart that I could never catch up to him in this lifetime… When the fire rose at Danhan Mountain, I once wanted to disregard everything and turn back to find him, but in the end, I could only be swept away by the defeated troops! Shiqi, a true man born into this world, watching his former brothers either rampage across the realm or hold sway over a region—how can he endure being worth nothing himself? Today, if I leave and flee to Fanyang, I will certainly live, and there will be some measure of future prospects and wealth. But for the rest of my life, I will never again be able to lift my head before those brothers of mine, or before that dog thief Yuan Benchu, born of a serving maid.”

Hearing these words, Guan Jing fell silent and speechless, merely accompanying his benefactor as they stood together atop the city wall, quietly watching the evening sun gradually sink beneath the opposite bank of the old course of the Yellow River in the distance. Only then, in the twilight, did they leave together.

When dinner time came, Gongsun Zan once again summoned all the military officers, clerks, and trusted aides in the city, yet still did not remove his armor or set aside his blade, and strictly ordered the officers to do the same.

It must be said, within Pingyuan City at this time, under Gongsun Zan, there were roughly the following key figures.

In civil matters, naturally, there was Guan Jing. In military matters, there were Wang Men and Yan Gang. Then there was Gongsun Zan’s distant clan uncle from Qinghe, Gongsun Fang, and his distant clan cousin from Pingyuan, Gongsun Du. Apart from these, there was also a military diviner, Liu Weitai… This last person, along with Li Yizi, who ran a loom workshop and cloth business at home, and Yue Hedang, who ran a pawnbroking business, were all affiliated merchants of the Anli Trading Company, and all were from Yuyang. They were sworn brothers Gongsun Zan had befriended during his tenure in Yuyang and had greatly sponsored Gongsun Bogui’s raising of troops. It was just that the latter two were not currently in Pingyuan.

In short, these people were either Gongsun Zan’s trusted confidants, his clansmen, or his personal friends—all figures of standing and reputation… However, the one who truly occupied the second seat at this banquet was Tian Kai, Tian Gongzhi of Liaoxi.

It must be understood that Tian Kai came from an aristocratic family of Youzhou and was an outstanding member of a branch of the Liaoxi Tian clan, considered the second most prominent clan in Liaoxi. He was also a commandery colleague and youthful friend of Gongsun Xun, Gongsun Zan, Gongsun Yue, Gongsun Fan, and others… The reason this man did not follow Gongsun Xun but chose Gongsun Zan was, on the surface, because he was located in Liaoxi and acted somewhat tardily. When the campaign against Dong Zhuo began, he hesitated for a time, unsure whether to shrink back like Zhao Bao or venture forth with Gongsun Xun, and thus was a step too late.

But in reality, his mentality was somewhat similar to Gongsun Zan’s. Gongsun Xun’s former old acquaintances had suddenly risen high above. Not only did he have no thought of clinging to their coattails, but he instead found it hard to accept for a time. Moreover, with so many talents gathered there, he also worried that if he went, he would not be given important duties. It was for these reasons that he accepted Gongsun Zan’s invitation and went… When the chaos first began, there were too many such people. Zhang Miao and Zhang Chao fell to that state precisely because they could not accept their former ally Yuan Shao suddenly becoming their “illustrious lord.”

However, when this man arrived in Bohai, his wishes were truly fulfilled, becoming what one might call second only to one and above ten thousand… After all, Gongsun Zan held Bohai, with a population of a million, and with the local armories and such, it was very easy to raise a force of infantry. But to equip a cavalry force was an especially arduous task.

Because a cavalry force requires not only equipment but, more importantly, warhorses. Yet what is even more crucial is the cavalrymen themselves.

For Gongsun Zan, his five thousand cavalry were equipped thanks to the Bohai armories. The warhorses were purchased from the north with the full assistance of his several sworn brothers from Yuyang. And the cavalrymen had to be recruited from the border commanderies relying on Gongsun Zan’s own prestige. Tian Kai was one who came only after bringing many of his clan’s sons and incidentally recruiting many border commandery youths and mixed Hu warriors from Liaoxi and Liaodong.

In other words, this was a true partner who brought his own assets, not an ordinary subordinate.

Therefore, after Gongsun Zan crushed the Yellow Turbans who had split off to the north and occupied Pingyuan, he simply appointed Tian Kai as the Regional Commander of the southern front and even privately conferred upon him the title of Captain—making him the only other two-thousand-dan official within the faction. Now, he was even responsible for the entire Yellow River defense line, commanding twenty thousand infantry.

Of course, twenty thousand infantry who had been in formation for barely a year could not compare to those five thousand cavalry in any way… This was not merely a matter of combat effectiveness; more importantly, those five thousand cavalry were all men of Youzhou, the true core assets of Gongsun Zan’s small faction. As for those twenty thousand men, some were from Bohai, some from Pingyuan, and they were more like auxiliary troops attached to these five thousand cavalry.

But regardless, as the overall commander of the twenty-thousand-strong frontline army and the Yellow River defense line, his sudden return caught everyone somewhat off guard.

Of course, what was even more unexpected was yet to come.

“Uncle and A’Du will defend the city. Shiqi will return to Bohai overnight. Gongzhi and all below will follow me out on campaign.” After partaking of a little wine and food, Gongsun Zan set aside his banquet demeanor and rose directly. “My mind is made up. Taking advantage of the enemy’s great victory and lack of preparation, tonight we will take only the five thousand cavalry, cross the old course of the Yellow River, and launch a surprise attack on Yuan’s camp!”

Among those at the banquet, aside from Tian Kai and Guan Jing, who remained composed, even Wang Men and Yan Gang, who had been preparing the troops during the day, and all the other officers suddenly paled… They had thought Gongsun Zan’s preparations during the day, and his order for the soldiers to attend the banquet in armor tonight, meant they would flee under cover of darkness! As for Gongsun Fang and Gongsun Du, the former a man of the Qinghe aristocracy, the latter a local strongman of Pingyuan, they were even more dumbfounded on the spot.

At that moment, as Gongsun Zan’s words fell, a personal guard presented a double-headed steel lance. Gongsun Bogui took it right there at the banquet, then rose, leaning on the lance, and cast a sidelong glance around him: “Does anyone have any objections?”

“Our army is too few!” Someone steeled himself and rose. “My lord, you must not…”

Before the words were finished, Gongsun Zan, without even blinking, stepped forward directly, thrust his lance at the man, and killed him on the spot. His manner did not seem like killing a man, but rather like slaughtering a chicken.

Everyone was horrified. Gongsun Bogui then stood before the dead man’s seat, wiping his steel lance with a silk cloth, and once again raised his voice to ask: “Regarding what I just said, does anyone else have objections?”

Guan Jing rose in response: “My lord… I have an objection.”

Hearing this form of address, Gongsun Zan’s heart stirred slightly, and naturally, he did not thrust his lance. But he still shook his head: “Shiqi, do not try to dissuade me further. My mind is made up regarding the sortie.”

“It is not about that matter.” Guan Jing stepped away from his seat, prostrated himself publicly, and bowed his head. “Although I have not followed the army for many years, I can still ride and fight. I request to join the campaign!”

Gongsun Zan finally froze.

"My lord, you once used this subordinate's stratagem to advance into Qing and Ji, which has led to today's perilous situation. Now that my lord is going to fight a battle of life and death, how could this subordinate abandon my lord and flee?" Guan Jing raised his head and spoke with earnest sincerity. "Jing wishes to follow on this campaign!"

"Since that is so," Gongsun Zan raised his head with a sigh. He did not help the other man up, but stood among the seats, holding his lance in response. "Today you and I go together. We must make all under Heaven know that I, Gongsun Zan, am by no means a worthless man, and that you gentlemen are by no means worthless men either!"

As these words came to an end, the man once more swept his lance in a full circle, pointing at everyone around him, not only Guan Jing. From Tian Kai on down, including Wang Men, Yan Gang, and the other officers in the seats, all rose one after another, bowed their heads, and voiced their assent.

————— I am the dividing line of a collapsing mentality —————

"Zan is aloof and self-indulgent, vaunting his might and deceit." — Yuan Shao

(End of chapter)