Chapter 427: A Ruler and His Minister Are Not Easily Met

Why should the weak fight?

After Wang Lang took up his tally and withdrew from Liaocheng, Xu You, who had been accompanying Yuan Shao on the city wall, had been pondering this absurd question in utter boredom... After all, if the weak do not fight, how can they ever become the strong?

But when this question was placed in the context of the battle between Yuan Shao and Gongsun Xun, it truly left one feeling somewhat helpless.

First of all, if these great commanderies north of the Yellow River, and even the rich Qingzhou, were all part of a cage for a so-called strategic decisive battle, then what exactly had Yuan Shao and all the people and all the forces gathered around him, including Xu Ziyuan himself, been doing from the very beginning?

Were they just amusements for that White Horse Guard General's pet? Like his family cat?

Of course not. On closer thought, it was simply that people like himself had been far too foolish, merely led into the trap by the other side through a method of great skill appearing clumsy, through a trick of a mental blind spot... It was just like the ambush he, Xu Ziyuan, had laid at Jieqiao—an ordinary bridge, seemingly an advantageous factor, yet under the specific circumstances of both sides having excessively large forces, it became a killing move for an ambush.

The only difference between the two was that one was a tactical design, and the other a strategic ambush, nothing more.

But one point had to be acknowledged: his own ambush had clearly succeeded, yet it was smashed to pieces by the other side's courage and violence; and the other side's ambush had also succeeded, yet it simply never needed to be used... The Liaodong troops came crossing the sea, but Yuan's army was already at the end of its road. Even without the Liaodong troops, Yuan Shao fled to Beihai—and then what?

Then he would still be caught in the vast net of a hundred thousand pursuers. Even if he luckily escaped Qingzhou, he was destined for no good end... Perhaps he would truly be made a puppet by some powerful clan in Yanzhou, perhaps he would be captured or killed by a village chief halfway, or perhaps he would be sent back as a gift by some other warlord. The most miserable possibility was no more than a few pitiful souls on the road, without grain or water, dying and exposing their corpses in the wild, devoured by wolves and insects.

In other words, one defeat naturally meant utter ruin.

And so the matter circled back. Even without considering these things, supposing people like himself had thought of the danger from Liaodong and known of the other side's first-mover advantage with northern elite troops, what then should have been done?

It was simple: they should have avoided Hebei, not touched Pingyuan or Lean, simply held the line along the river, then appointed a Regional Commander in Beihai to sweep south through the Central Plains, taking all of Qingzhou, Yanzhou, Yuzhou, Xuzhou, and even Yangzhou. Once the advisors had adapted to military thinking and the soldiers had honed battlefield experience, then they could have fought a decisive battle across the river!

At that time, Gongsun Xun's advantage in elite troops would have been diminished, and their own side's advantage in population and economy would have been elevated. The two sides might truly have fought a thrilling, protracted great decisive battle across the river.

But even so, it still would not have been right... Xu You suddenly gave a bitter laugh... The reason was simple: if Yuan Shao had not from the very start displayed the posture of marching north to confront Gongsun Xun, he could not possibly have risen so quickly. All of Yanzhou accepting his command, the Confucian scholars of Qingzhou flocking to follow him, the local strongmen of Pingyuan defecting on the eve of battle, the aristocratic families of Yecheng joining hands to betray their master—on what basis?

Was it not because they feared Gongsun Xun, feared this overbearing and harsh Liaoxi brute?

These people feared the Legalist style of his administration, feared the great foundation he had built in the north, feared how he had step by step transformed from a frontier commandery brute into the Empire's rightful ruler, feared his arrogance before the Weiyang Palace, feared that one day he would truly cleanse the realm and scourge all under heaven, and then seize the lands and privileges they regarded as their very foundation, leaving them panicked and stripped of what they had been accustomed to for centuries... But on one hand, out of fear, hatred, and contempt, they did not wish to follow him, and on the other hand, they truly dared not resist him themselves. Thus they hit it off at once with the General of Chariots and Cavalry Yuan, who was bustling back and forth along the Yellow River, and in less than three years built a Yuan clan foundation that seemed no less than that of the White Horse Gongsun.

So, if Yuan Shao had truly taken the path through the Central Plains and ignored Hebei, his rise might not have been so swift. Perhaps before he had even taken two provinces, Gongsun Xun would have crossed the river and come.

And thinking this way, then for Yuan Shao to have reached this point today, thirty percent was because Gongsun Xun's first-mover advantage was too strong and he had schemed meticulously, thirty percent was because Yuan Benchu's own character was arrogantly self-important and unwilling to face reality, and the final forty percent must be counted against those who had pushed him to do these things...

Those who killed Yuan Shao were not only Gongsun Xun; rather, it was more Yuan Shao himself and those gathered around him!

Of course, he, Xu Ziyuan, also had his share!

"What is Benchu looking at?"

On the deserted city wall, Xu Ziyuan came back to his senses and suddenly noticed that Yuan Shao, who had been sitting there all along, had long since lost the intense disappointment and desolation he had shown when Wang Lang first left. Instead, his complexion was ruddy, his demeanor much more composed, and he was gazing eastward toward where the Yellow River entered the sea, lost in pleasant contemplation.

"Watching the sight of the sun setting into the eastern sea," Yuan Shao lay back in the Grand Commandant's chair where he had sat when summoning Wang Lang, his tone surprisingly calm. "Wasn't I watching it before? I even had Wang Jingxing come here specially to see me... Truly discourteous."

"The scene springs from the heart!" Xu You paced to Yuan Shao's side, standing with his hands behind his back facing east. "This is clearly just the reflection of the setting sun behind us shining onto the sea to the east, yet to you it has become the sight of the sun setting... Benchu, if you want to see the true lingering glow of the setting sun, why not turn your head around? What meaning is there in facing a false setting sun?"

"Is it not more fitting for a deluded man to gaze upon a deluded scene?" Yuan Shao gave a faint smile. "I still remember four years ago, when the Son of Heaven's health was gradually failing, He Jin began to seize power, and I emerged from seclusion to plan great affairs. You went to Changping on my behalf to seek out Gongsun Xun. At that time, although I did not truly regard this man as a chess piece, I still looked down upon him from a height in my heart..."

"When have you ever not looked down upon someone from a height?" Xu You, hands behind his back gazing at the sea, gave a snort of laughter.

"Indeed!" Yuan Shao did not refute him, and his smile remained undiminished. "After that, Gongsun Wenqi entrenched himself at Mengjin, and He Jin relied on him to seize all military power in Luoyang. Ridiculously, in order to drive him away, I actually had him lead troops toward Guanzhong... That was the first great mistake I made against him, and a colossal mistake at that. Later, his ability to drive straight into the Three Adjuncts relied entirely on me having secured the victory of the Three Adjuncts decisive battle for him in advance... And at the time, instead of seeing it as a loss, I thought it a gain. Isn't that laughable? Isn't that deluded?"

"Well said," Xu You raised his head and sighed. "Thinking carefully, our greatest problem these four years has been seeking grand strategy in everything, seeking the center in everything, yet not knowing how to calm our hearts and lower our heads to build a true foundation... That is why, starting with Dong Zhuo, we were often at a loss, and even more so when facing the well-prepared Gongsun Xun."

"Dong Zhongying was a wonder through the ages, his actions nothing more than the desperate, perverse acts of one at the end of his road. Only, as a frontier brute who suddenly seized control of the realm, he made everyone under heaven think they could replace him, which can be said to have opened the chaotic era, and thus is worth mentioning. But Gongsun Wenqi..." Yuan Shao fell silent for a moment, then continued, "Gongsun Wenqi has his own system and bearing; he is no ordinary brute. And with the realm in chaos, an age of great contention must ultimately be opened by the blade, so he is even more like a fish in water! But now that things have come to this, why should I still reckon with these people? I, Yuan Shao, thought myself extraordinary, believing that the affairs of the realm were only a matter of the Gongsun clan and the Yuan clan. Only at the end did I discover that I was merely bait used by others to catch fish..."

Xu You's heart stirred slightly: "What do you mean?"

"Nothing much. That day north of Liangqi City, on the battlefield, Gongsun Wenqi told me bluntly that he wanted to thank me for gathering all those under heaven who did not value him into one place... I thought it was just to deliberately provoke me before the battle, but now it seems there was a certain frankness to it." Yuan Shao smiled again, speaking slowly, though with an unmistakable hint of self-mockery. "I saw him as the foremost rival in the struggle for the realm, yet he saw me as bait to gather those who would resist on his path of revolution. This is no longer merely laughable."

"Benchu need not belittle himself so excessively," Xu You pondered for a moment, then could not help but laugh mockingly. "Gongsun Wenqi may not necessarily have looked down on you so much. It is simply that he had clearly long been fully prepared, and after the Battle of Jieqiao, his inevitable momentum was even more obvious, so he took the opportunity to let his staff lead the troops to display his authority... He was putting on a pose, seemingly unconcerned, but in truth he was seizing the chance to establish the authority of his own command, and in turn borrowing you to elevate his own status."

"Perhaps so!" Yuan Shao could not help but laugh dryly. "Thanks to Ziyuan's consolation, my heart feels much better..."

"Then do you still want to watch the sun setting into the eastern sea?" Xu You stroked his beard and teased. "Won't you turn your head to look at the setting sun?"

Yuan Shao shook his head repeatedly.

"Why?" Xu You was momentarily puzzled. "Is Benchu still unwilling to face reality? Upon the eastern sea there are only ten thousand hectares of waves, like a dream, like an illusion, while the hundred thousand troops to the west are where reality lies."

"I won't hide it from you, Ziyuan. I sit facing east not only to watch the illusory setting sun, but also to watch the great river enter the sea." Yuan Shao immediately broke into a laugh, and his eyes suddenly seemed to shine with spirit. "I still remember you and I climbing the tower in Chenggao City to watch the great river flow east, discussing future strategy, our hearts full of ambition, attempting to reorder the realm and achieve supremacy... And now, thinking back, some of the words spoken that day are not off the mark even today. After all, life is just like the river flowing east; all have the ambition to enter the sea. Since I was born into such a family, if I did not contend for the main current, would that not be even more laughable?"

"And then?" Hearing the word 'laughable,' Xu You found it increasingly laughable. "You contended with the Gongsun clan for supremacy, but clearly it was he who seized your river channel. So no matter how correct the principle, it applies only to him. Even if we must further discuss who will enter the sea in the future, it is absolutely not you... What use is there in watching it?"

"Ziyuan is too harsh!" Yuan Shao put away his smile and gave a long sigh.

"I have always been this harsh," Xu You was completely unbothered.

"Ziyuan," Yuan Shao exhaled slightly and spoke with a somewhat serious expression. "I have sat here in desolation for a long time, watching the great river enter the sea while carefully reflecting on my past. To say I feel nothing would be forced... In truth, not only is life's ambition just like the river's ambition to flow east and enter the sea, but life's many misfortunes also closely resemble the river's arduous journey, slowly traveling east. Only, the river flows slowly, changing course and merging streams, until one day it converges into one and rolls into the sea, while human life is limited, and often great ambitions remain unfulfilled before fate extinguishes the body, which cannot help but leave one slightly regretful!"

"Only slightly?" The mocking expression on Xu You's face could no longer be concealed.

"Indeed, only slightly." Yuan Shao suddenly lifted his head with effort and answered loudly. "No matter what, I ultimately tried, I contended, and the stir I caused was not small... Do you still remember the old course of the great river? Though I have been diverted, I am just like that old course—dead but not stiff, and when the spring waters rise, there is still a flow that spills over. To live a life and not achieve one's ambition is certainly a pity, but why should one sink into despondency?"

"Do not put on airs before me," Xu You immediately said helplessly. "If you, Benchu, are so penetrating, why did you insist on seeing Gongsun Xun before? Was it not to vent the resentment in your heart before his face before you die?"

"Not at all! I merely wanted to tell him that since he is the one who defeated me, Yuan Shao, then he must become that current which enters the sea. Otherwise, this old course of mine will also be dragged down by him, unknown and unlamented by anyone!" Yuan Shao immediately raised his voice in reply.

"So penetrating and magnanimous?" Xu You pressed on relentlessly.

"Indeed!"

"Truly no hatred for Gongsun Wenqi?!"

"No hatred!"

"What about those who betrayed you? Those who left you? No resentment?"

"The pursuing troops along the way are tight; it is only natural that they were captured or forced to flee to other cities... How could I resent them?"

"Then what about yourself? Arrogant on the outside, self-loathing on the inside, rampant when momentarily successful, fearful when momentarily thwarted... Do you feel no self-resentment?"

"Didn't I already say?" Yuan Shao smiled bitterly. "Toward myself, I do feel some regret and resentment, but only some. Looking across this life, it can be considered to have been boisterous for a time; I am not overly resentful or regretful..."

"You are about to die! At the moment of your final radiance, can you not show a little true emotion, explain your last affairs, and stop pretending to be a hero here?! Stop pretending to be a hero?!" Xu You finally could not hold back and shouted sternly. "Can you not be a bit more honest? Truly no hatred?!"

"Truly no hatred!" Yuan Shao replied earnestly.

"In that case, I shall go out of the city and surrender now, leaving you here alone to wait for death!" Xu You said with a dark face, flicking his sleeves. "When I see Gongsun Wenqi in the future, I will certainly not speak of your appearance before death. Anyway, you have your own heroic spirit; why need you care whether others know or not?!"

With these words, he turned around and actually began to descend the city wall.

"Ziyuan, wait!" Yuan Shao hurriedly called out to stop him, his tone actually carrying a note of pleading. "Ziyuan, wait... After a bitter half-lifetime, reduced to such desolation, to have only one old friend still here before death is both a misfortune and an extreme fortune. How can you bear to leave me at this moment? At the very least, you must see me off, no?"

"I merely do not wish to see you still pretending to be a hero before you die... that is all." Xu You turned back helplessly, and seeing that the other man could not even leave his chair, his heart could not help but darken. "At this point, why do you still care about bearing? If your heart is full of resentment, why still hide it?"

Yuan Shao smiled bitterly: "It is not that I have no resentment, but since a man is about to die, why leave behind malicious words? I hate Gongsun Xun. When I invited him to meet earlier, my whole breast was filled with 'Since Shao was born, why was Xun born?'... I wished I could ask him that three times to his face! But he was not even here, regarding me as nothing at all. What use is my hatred for him? Would it not make people laugh? And those many advisors and subordinates—some rebelled, some surrendered. I certainly hate them too, but are the mistakes I made myself any fewer than theirs? Moreover..."

At these words, Yuan Shao suddenly showed emotion and shed tears: "And yet... and yet in the end, were there not He Boqiu, Chen Gongtai, and Feng Yuantu who went to their deaths for me one after another? Were there not General Wen, General Chunyu, General Yan, and those others who gave their loyalty unto death for me? And are there not you, Xu Ziyuan, who even now have neither left nor abandoned me? If I were to voice resentment now, first, before death upon these walls, what face would I have to meet you? Second, after death below in the Yellow Springs, what face would I have to meet them?"

Xu You remained silent.

"Ziyuan." After speaking these words, Yuan Shao suddenly seemed utterly exhausted, yet he forced himself to lift his head and look at Xu You. "I know you are proud at heart, and in truth have always looked down on me. It was only by chance and circumstance, coupled with the eminence of my family, that we had sixteen years of lord and minister in substance. And along this whole journey, through gatherings in life and partings in death, of so many aides and ministers, down to this very day and hour, you alone remain by my side... I—I do bear resentment, but I absolutely cannot let you, even now, still look down on me! So I truly did not wish to voice resentment before your face. I have already lost..."

Before the sentence was finished, Yuan Shao had no strength left. His oil was spent and his lamp extinguished. He died where the great river enters the sea, atop the eastern wall of Liaocheng, at the age of thirty-eight.

Beneath the setting sun, Yuan Shao's head tilted, his arms hung down, and Xu You stood to one side, for a time showing no reaction at all, merely staring speechless. Only after a long while did Xu Ziyuan seem to come to himself, then step forward half a pace and try to reach out a hand to support the other. But his hand halted in midair, and he suddenly stiffened, until tears streamed down his face...

It was at this moment that Xu You abruptly came to a realization. Yuan Shao had fallen to such a state, and with a heart as narrow as his, the reason he had never spoken harshly or vented resentment, but had instead remained graceful and composed throughout, was not that he did not hate Gongsun Xun, nor that he did not resent those who had left, nor even that he was not furious at his own misjudgments — it was actually because there was still one person by his side. Though he, Yuan Benchu, was dying, though he bore resentment, he was unwilling to leave his last minister with an ugly image of him!

————I am the dividing line of "death is but death"————

"...Shao, having been defeated and fled to Liaocheng, had only a few hundred men left at his side, and knew nothing could be done. It happened that the Deputy Director of the Secretariat, Wang Lang, bearing an imperial tally, came to urge surrender. Shao summoned him from the city wall and requested to see the General of the Guards. Lang truthfully told him: 'The General of the Guards, knowing victory was certain, has already gone north to inspect the spring plowing for two months now, and thus certainly cannot be seen.' Shao fell into a daze and said nothing. When the sun set and he watched the great river enter the sea, he then let out a long cry and sighed: 'Since Shao was born, why was Xun born?!' Three times he repeated this, and then his breath ceased." — Records of the Heroes of the Late Han, by Wang Can

PS: Aaah, it's so painful having no chapter comments!

(End of Chapter)