Chapter 429: Old Grudges Settled, New Resentments Grow (Continuing the Small 2-in-1)

Returning from the upper reaches of the Yi River, the army's mood was inevitably somewhat somber, mainly because the commander Gongsun Xun's spirits had taken a clear turn — when he set out, fresh from a great victory, it was as joyful as taking a child on a spring outing to visit relatives, and even Mo Huku had been all smiles and banter along the way; but on the return, though this General of the Guard showed no obvious signs of dejection, he remained silent and unsmiling, so much so that even Gongsun Ding, riding a small horse with a new friend, dared not speak much in his excitement, let alone the others.

Of course, the journey ahead was never going to be easy anyway. The group followed the Yi River downstream, leaving the borders of Zhuo Commandery and entering Hejian, where they gazed from afar upon a vast expanse of marshland ahead... The Yi, Xu, Lu, Kou, Heng, Gu, and Juma rivers gradually converged ahead, forming a major component of the North China Hai River system.

And beyond this marshland lay the battlefield of Yixian and Maoxian, where Gongsun Zan and Zhang He faced off... Gongsun Bogui was no fool; when he retreated that day and chose to station himself here, he had indeed seized a vital position on the North China battlefield, which was also why Yuan Shao had to swallow his pride and let him be for the time being.

In truth, this marshland was not yet famous at this time, but if left to the passage of time, just as the Liao Marsh would gradually vanish, this place, because of the northward shift of the Hutuo River, would expand its wetlands over the next eighteen hundred years, eventually becoming the renowned Baiyangdian.

Returning to the present, before reaching the marsh, the entire army had already entered combat readiness. This was because after the Battle of Jieqiao, although Gongsun Zan immediately launched a massive counteroffensive and Gongsun Fan advanced like splitting bamboo through Bohai, Zhang He, relying on the strategic terrain and his personal prestige in his hometown, still held out in Maoxian... Coupled with Gongsun Zan's limited troops, the stalemate here was an objective reality.

However, since Gongsun Xun had arrived here, bringing five thousand cavalry and infantry, it seemed this place would soon see a resolution.

And indeed it was so. When the troops crossed the river confluence and arrived at Gecheng, the key town west of the marsh, faced with the banner of the General of the Guard and five thousand cavalry and infantry, plus the promise that those who surrendered the city would not face decimation, the eight hundred troops of one detached division and four companies in the city lost their will to fight almost instantly, and under the leadership of the detached division Major, they offered up the city and surrendered. When the army set out again, circling south along the outer edge of the marsh, no one gave it a second thought — from a military perspective, bypassing from the south to get directly behind Maoxian was indeed the obvious course of action.

After two more days of travel, they reached Gaoyang, the major town at the southern end of this vast marsh. Perhaps due to the direction of the defensive line, for such a large county, the garrison here consisted of only two companies of regular troops and some conscripted laborers... Zhang He's predicament of limited forces was plain to see... But regardless, when the local gentry and people saw Gongsun Xun's banner, they felt as if a great burden had been lifted. Before the two company commanders could reach a decision, the prominent local families and laborers simply opened the city gates, forcing the two companies of soldiers to bow their heads and surrender.

For this, Gongsun Xun showed no courtesy, directly carrying out decimation on the officers as a warning to others.

Immediately, this General of the Guard stationed himself in Gaoyang and sent the surrendered troops from both Gecheng and Gaoyang to deliver a letter to Maoxian... It must be understood that by this time, it was already late in the third month. Zhang Junyi had long known of the great defeat at Jieqiao, knew that Gongsun Fan was bypassing via Bohai, and that Dong Zhao had split his forces to take Anping. A day before the letter arrived, he already knew Gecheng had fallen, and at this point he was simply sitting idly in an isolated city.

Thus, upon hearing that a letter from Gongsun Xun had arrived, the officers of his subordinate companies who were natives of Maoxian, along with the city officials, all came to the hall to inquire. Zhang He had no choice but to open the letter in public, and saw only four characters written on it — "Come quickly within three days!"

Seeing these four characters, everyone immediately understood... Gaoyang was forty to fifty li from Maocheng, exactly a single day's ride by fast horse. This was clearly the General of the Guard, mindful of his old ties with Zhang Junyi, giving him a way out. If Zhang He could make up his mind within a day and hurry to Gaoyang, he could follow the precedent of Gecheng, with a promise of no killing and reorganization; but if he could not come quickly, then the precedent of Gaoyang would apply — even if he surrendered later, the officers would all face decimation!

As for fighting to the death?

To be frank, if Zhang Junyi dared to do such a thing, his own local followers would tie him up first. The reason they had followed orders and continued to hold out against Gongsun Zan was only because Gongsun Bogui was notoriously petty, and the two armies had been locked in stalemate here for a year with heavy casualties on both sides, so no one dared surrender to him lightly... Otherwise, Zhang Junyi would have been dead two months ago!

And so, Zhang He was forced by circumstance, not daring to delay a moment. He could only instruct everyone to guard the city firmly and maintain the northern front, while he himself, accompanied by the messenger, rode south alone in haste.

On the twenty-fourth day of the third month, the third morning after Gongsun Xun had sent the letter, Zhang Junyi finally arrived at Gaoyang and met his former superior, General of the Guard Gongsun Xun, in the rear courtyard of the government office.

At that moment, this newly minted master of the nine provinces of Hebei was sitting on the veranda of the rear courtyard, watching his eldest son Gongsun Ding teach the even younger Lu Yu how to draw a small bow and shoot at willow branches by the courtyard pond, while Zhang Cheng and Mo Huku attended nearby.

"What are you crying for?" Gongsun Xun, hearing the commotion, turned around at the sound, only to see Zhang He prostrating himself while tears streamed down his face, and was momentarily puzzled. "Have you been crying the whole way here?"

"It is not so." Zhang Junyi removed his helmet and placed it on the ground, then continued kneeling and weeping as he spoke. "It was just now, when I reached the front hall, I heard the county clerks discussing animatedly that the General of Chariots and Cavalry, Yuan, has already died at the mouth of the great river by the sea. I, your subordinate, heard that my former lord has perished..."

At this point, Zhang He was nearly choking on his sobs and could only kowtow in response.

"Yuan Benchu is dead?" Gongsun Xun was momentarily bewildered.

"News just arrived from the south!" Zhang Ji, who had led Zhang He in, dared not delay and immediately replied. "It arrived almost at the same time as General Zhang. But my lord had given orders that until General Zhang arrived, no matters were to be reported..."

"Congratulations, my lord!" Mo Huku was the first to jump up and offer felicitations.

Gongsun Xun, sitting cross-legged on the veranda, hastily nodded in perfunctory acknowledgment, then continued to press the man on the ground: "Junyi, were you and Yuan Benchu so well acquainted that hearing of his death grieves you so deeply?"

"I dare not claim acquaintance." Zhang He forced himself to look up, answering through tears. "It is just that the bond of lord and subject was established, and as a lord, he never failed his subject. As for me, since I was his subject, entrusted with a regional command yet reduced to such dire straits, I have already failed my lord... Now, hearing again of my former lord's death, so long as I am not made of wood or grass, how could I be unmoved?"

"So that is how it is." Gongsun Xun seemed thoughtful. "Indeed... Yuan Benchu did not fail you. Not only did he not fail you, he entrusted you with a regional command, placing great trust in you. In that case, it is only natural to weep a little. But Junyi..."

"Here!"

"Then did I fail you?" Gongsun Xun asked with sudden solemnity.

Zhang He prostrated himself and answered: "My lord has never failed me, it is just that..."

"It is just that when you were under my command back then, it was entirely an imperial appointment, barely counting as a former subordinate, but not a bond of lord and subject, correct?"

Zhang Junyi kowtowed, not daring to respond.

"I do not blame you, but it is a pity." Gongsun Xun reached out and placed his hand on the other's shoulder. "I have always lacked infantry commanders. If you had been serving me from the start, holding a halberd as my vanguard, we should have been lord and subject in mutual accord, achieving greatness together! My western campaign against Dong Zhuo would have been much easier, and you, a famed general of Hebei, would not now be sprawled on the ground weeping like a child... But how did you become a surrendered general again? You know as well as I do that the army places great weight on seniority and record. You have the seniority, but you lack far too much in the way of record. You did not endure the hardships of the western campaign, and you missed the merit of pacifying Hebei. How am I to entrust you with heavy responsibilities in the future?"

Zhang He hastily prostrated himself again and answered: "I, your general, am dull-witted and failed to recognize the Mandate of Heaven... Now, to be able to preserve the safety of my hometown comrades and old troops is already enough for me. I dare not seek further fame and rank!"

"You must still seek it." Gongsun Xun pressed down on the other's shoulder with slight force while tilting his head to look at the sky. "Otherwise, wouldn't this skill of yours be wasted? Even now, I still remember your heroic bearing by the banks of the Hutuo River... Once you have finished weeping, how about doing something for me?"

Zhang Cheng remained composed, but Zhang Ji and Mo Huku both felt a stir in their hearts.

"I am willing to heed my lord's command!" Zhang He immediately kowtowed on the veranda through his tears.

Several days passed without mention. On the twenty-seventh day of the third month, Gongsun Zan, who had long since learned that Gongsun Xun had bypassed him via Gaoyang, suddenly received news by the Yi River that banners everywhere in Maoxian had changed sides in unison, and white-horsed cavalry were coming and going from Maocheng. He could only turn livid with rage, helpless to do anything.

Then, on the twenty-eighth, several white-horsed riders came north to the Yi River, bringing a letter from Gongsun Xun, who was reportedly still at Gaoyang — this letter was as short as the one previously given to Zhang He, containing only the four characters "Elder Brother, come quickly," with the sole addition of the General of the Guard's official seal.

Gongsun Zan, furious and exasperated, simply threw a tantrum and refused to go, but he encountered the same predicament Zhang He had faced before... Throughout the army, anyone with a modicum of sense, from Tian Kai to the many officers of Youzhou origin, all took the initiative to inquire about "the General of the Guard's military order." Tian Kai even privately urged Gongsun Zan to go south early to pay his respects to Gongsun Xun and establish the bond of lord and subject.

It must be understood that Gongsun Bogui was no fool, or rather, he had been mentally prepared for this ever since the Battle of Liangqi. But he had never imagined that the matter would be handled in this manner... He had thought that after the capture of Maocheng, Gongsun Xun would enter the city with an imperial edict appointing him Governor of Yingzhou and a general's seal and ribbon, at which point both sides would ambiguously gloss over his earlier act of striking out on his own, and all would be well.

Yet now, Gongsun Xun, disregarding his year of bitter fighting against Zhang He here, had directly bypassed him, first accepting Zhang He's surrender, and then with a single letter bearing the General of the Guard's seal, summoned him alone to what had originally been enemy territory... Such an action, to put it bluntly, not only failed to leave Gongsun Zan any military merit as a way to step down gracefully, but more critically, it was a posture of outright suspicion!

He was all but openly telling Gongsun Zan that he, the master of the nine provinces of Hebei, trusted Zhang He, a surrendered general, more than he trusted you, his elder brother by the Yi River!

Gongsun Zan's stubbornness was notorious, so for a time, he was so inwardly twisted with resentment that no one could persuade him. And Gongsun Xun was in no hurry, simply waiting quietly in Gaoyang... Within just two or three days, the pressure on Gongsun Bogui mounted sharply. The army went from murmurs of discussion to a surge of indignation, and later, someone even confronted Gongsun Zan directly, asking if he was "plotting disloyalty"?!

For these soldiers of Youzhou origin, it was unthinkable to oppose Gongsun Xun under such circumstances. More importantly, now that even Zhang He on the opposing side had surrendered, while they themselves remained in this ambiguous state — whose fault would that be?!

Gongsun Zan was of course unconvinced in his heart, but the only thing he could rely on was this army. At this point, he could hardly suppress the voices within the ranks and could only grow increasingly sullen.

By the last day of the third month, even Guan Jing, Gongsun Zan's most trusted confidant, who had been stationed in Yixian in the rear overseeing logistics, could sit still no longer. Guan Shiqi rode over alone and went straight into the camp to urge his lord to travel south and pay his respects to Gongsun Xun.

"What foolishness has seized my lord?!" Guan Jing burst into tears the moment he entered the tent. "Is this the time for a fit of pique? From the broader perspective, Yuan Shao is dead, and the General of the Guard has at the very least taken all of Hebei. Back then, after Emperor Shizu Guangwu took Hebei, he proclaimed himself emperor even before securing the Three Adjuncts. What standing does my lord have to oppose the General of the Guard? And from the narrower perspective, not only is the army's morale unstable now, but even if morale here held, Zhang He with several thousand troops at Maoxian has always been our equal, not to mention the General of the Guard backing him with five thousand cavalry and infantry at Gaoyang!"

"I am simply furious at how he bullies people beyond all limits!" In front of Guan Shiqi, Gongsun Zan was completely candid. He sat sideways on the couch in the rear of the tent, turned his face away, seething with indignation. "After all, I am his elder brother. I have been his elder brother since the day he was born, brothers for thirty or forty years. Should he not at least save me some face? Summoning me with such a posture, with thousands of cavalry here all witnessing it — how am I to lead troops in the future?"

"If my surmise is correct, this is precisely the General of the Guard's intent." Guan Jing quickly composed himself and stepped forward. "I beg my lord not to bring ruin upon himself."

Gongsun Zan suddenly understood and turned back to face him: "You mean he intended to strip me of my military authority all along?"

"My lord is confused!" Seeing this, Guan Jing was truly helpless and could only continue forward to the couch to speak. "After all, my lord previously acted as an independent power in fact. How could he allow my lord to truly hold so many cavalry again?"

"But without military authority, what can I do?" Gongsun Zan came to his senses, yet felt somewhat despondent. "In the end, I am merely a military officer... If I cannot go into battle, what else is there?"

"There is still the post of Governor of Yingzhou!" Guan Jing hastily wiped his tear-streaked face and spoke with solemnity. "Earlier, when the General of the Guard divided the provinces and appointed governors, the post of Yingzhou Governor alone was left vacant. Everyone believed it was reserved for my lord, and I too thought so... But has my lord considered why it is Yingzhou?"

"Is that not only logical?" Gongsun Zan spread his hands on the couch. "I was already fighting in Hejian, and I spent many years in Bohai..." At this point, Gongsun Zan frowned deeply. "Shiqi, forgive my bluntness, but now that he is wary of me to this degree, how could he still leave me in a fine place like Yingzhou? I fear that even if I go, no governor's seal and ribbon will be waiting for me!"

"My lord... it is precisely because he is wary that the General of the Guard will keep my lord in Yingzhou." Guan Jing stepped even closer to him. "If my surmise is correct, once you reach Gaoyang, this appointment will certainly be there."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Consider the location of Yingzhou, my lord. Is it not right in the heart of Hebei?" Guan Jing shook his head and sighed. "Surrounded on all sides — Guan Yu to the south, Gongsun Fan to the north, Dong Zhao to the west, and across the sea to the east, Liaodong. All around are either men with whom my lord has had friction, or the General of the Guard's most trusted confidants and most relied-upon men... This is meant to keep my lord firmly under watch!"

"..." Gongsun Zan was momentarily dazed.

"Therefore, so long as my lord truly has no intention of reviving his ambitions, this post of Yingzhou Governor will instead put the General of the Guard at ease... And consider this, my lord: when you rose in the chaos before, you held barely half of Yingzhou and were driven back within half a year. How does that compare to the satisfaction of being governor of an entire province? Full two-thousand-bushel rank, governing the four richest commanderies of Hebei — what more could you want? This is the pinnacle of what a subject can achieve! It is also the pinnacle of what a kinsman and brother can achieve! Why still cling to this military authority?"

"If I go to Gaoyang, there will indeed be a Yingzhou governorship?" Gongsun Zan finally relented. "And what of a general's title?"

Guan Jing was utterly speechless.

"Fine!" Gongsun Zan, seeing this, felt rather embarrassed himself. "I'll listen to Shiqi's words and endure it. We set out tomorrow, pass through Maoxian, and head south to Gaoyang to see him... Once we actually meet face to face, who's to say who will be more embarrassed?"

Guan Jing finally let out a long breath.

The night passed without a word. The next day was the first day of the fourth month. Gongsun Bogui took Wang Men, Guan Jing, and other trusted aides south, entering Maoxian, where they met Zhang He, who had been waiting there. The latter was extremely deferential, but Gongsun Zan merely gave a cold snort and could not be bothered to acknowledge him, his arrogance perfectly matching his usual demeanor... Yet Zhang He did not mind; instead, he grew even more meticulously attentive. They first stayed a night in Maoxian, and the next day, accompanied by his personal guards, they set out again, traveling south all the way until that very afternoon, when they galloped together into Gaoyang city.

However, upon entering the city and finding the government office, then entering the main hall, Gongsun Zan sat for a long time in the hall under Zhang He's escort, but Gongsun Xun was nowhere to be seen... Not only that, from afternoon until evening, until the lamps were lit, no one even came out to receive them!

At first, Gongsun Zan, judging others by his own standards, assumed the other party meant to deliberately leave him waiting to assert authority, and so, under Guan Jing's repeated hints, he endured it... But in the end, with his stomach growling from hunger, he finally confirmed that Gongsun Xun had no intention of seeing him today, and could not help but fly into a towering rage, simply heading straight for the rear courtyard of the government office.

Zhang He, Guan Jing, and the others all hurried to catch up, but for some reason, none of the armored soldiers standing guard along the way blocked him, actually allowing Gongsun Zan to enter the rear courtyard unimpeded.

"Where is Gongsun Wenqi? Have you forgotten who protected you on the road to study all those years ago?" Upon reaching the rear courtyard, Gongsun Bogui still could not find the man, and in his fury, he gripped his sword and bellowed his question in the courtyard. "Why dare you not come out to see me today?!"

"General, you misunderstand," at that moment, Zhang He, who had been following all along, suddenly also gripped his sword and spoke. "His Excellency merely instructed you to come here; it was never his intention to meet you here..."

Gongsun Zan, who had been in the heat of anger, was jolted awake as if a basin of ice water had been poured over his head, and stood there stunned.

"General Zhang, what do you mean?" Guan Jing, standing to the side, was even more bewildered and anxious.

"No other meaning." Zhang He's expression was composed, his hand still on his sword. "General of the Guard was never here to begin with. Summoning Gongsun Bohai here was merely to issue an appointment at this location..."

Guan Jing remained baffled: "If it's an appointment, why is General of the Guard not here?"

"Brother Shiqi, you're overthinking it. An appointment is merely a document bearing a seal; why would General of the Guard need to be present in person?" As he spoke, Zhang He drew a document from his bosom with one hand, preparing to read it.

"Which of the Nine Ministers is it?" Gongsun Zan, who had been stunned for a long while, suddenly sneered.

"It is Commandant of the Guard." Zhang He could not help but give an awkward laugh at this, while Guan Jing had long since frozen in shock.

"He was waiting in Maoxian all along... I came to Gaoyang, and he instead went to the Yi River to take over my troops, isn't that right?" Gongsun Zan continued to sneer.

"Since the Commandant of the Guard already understands clearly, I need say no more." So saying, Zhang He handed the document, stamped with the seal of General of the Guard, to the utterly bewildered Wang Men beside him.

"Understand my ass?" Beneath the lamplight of the corridor, Gongsun Zan's face flushed crimson as he furiously drew his blade and roared. "Why must you treat me like this?!"

"Please, Commandant of the Guard, go and ask General of the Guard yourself for a clear answer." Seeing this, Zhang He, unflustered, directly drew his own blade as well. "Do not make things difficult for us 'minor officials'..."

Gongsun Zan looked around and saw armored soldiers gripping their swords in the doorway and along the corridor, all watching him. He instead sheathed his blade and sneered: "You think I dare not? My troops are surely gone by now anyway; I am a man alone. To go ask him face to face, even curse him a little, what can he do to me? Would he really bear the name of a brother-killer over this?"

"Of course the Commandant of the Guard dares!" Zhang He replied with a solemn expression. "I have faced off against the Commandant for a year; how could I not know your courage? But since I have been ordered to deliver this document, there is one thing I must say. Please be absolutely clear in your heart: some matters are not the same as fighting a war. Going to ask face to face may only bring humiliation upon yourself."

Gongsun Zan's smile vanished completely. He merely stared coldly at Zhang He for a long while before finally gripping his sword and leaving.

However, Gongsun Zan had once again misjudged the situation. Just the next day, the third day of the fourth month, as soon as he turned back and returned to Maoxian, he encountered Gongsun Xun waiting for him by the roadside... The latter was sitting idly in the courtyard of a post station, seemingly having anticipated this very scene long ago, and had not personally gone to the military camp by the Yi River to take command of those cavalry at all.

"Elder brother, are you looking for me in such a towering rage?" Gongsun Xun looked up to see Gongsun Zan and a few trusted aides, their weapons already confiscated, storming in furiously, and was entirely unperturbed.

"Why do you treat me like this?" Gongsun Zan did as he had said he would. Upon seeing Gongsun Xun, heedless of Mo Hukuan and Zhang Cheng at his side, and ignoring Zhang He and Guan Jing following behind, he directly demanded in fury. His naturally loud voice resounded through the post station. "Setting aside the underhanded means to strip me of military authority, isn't Commandant of the Guard far too harsh a post?! What exactly am I in your eyes?!"

"If the Nine Ministers are considered harsh, then what of the Three Excellencies?" Gongsun Xun, seated upright behind a small table, was unhurried. "Would elder brother be satisfied?"

Gongsun Zan strode up to the table before leaning on it and sneering: "With my level of classical scholarship and my age, would taking a Three Excellencies post not make me a laughingstock?"

"Then Yuan Shao has just died... the post of General of Chariots and Cavalry is vacant. Does elder brother want it?" Gongsun Xun also responded coldly and bluntly.

"If I took this General of Chariots and Cavalry post, even if it were just an idle position in Chang'an, I fear that crossing the Great River, I would be sunk to the riverbed by that flock of subordinates of yours, following in Yuan Benchu's footsteps!" Gongsun Zan grew even angrier. "You've bullied me to this extent and it's still not enough? Do you truly wish me dead?"

"Then what exactly does elder brother want?" Hearing the word 'dead,' Gongsun Xun finally grew impatient as well.

"I just want to know, why do you treat me like this?" Gongsun Zan's face was flushed red, his emotions still uncontrollable. "Just because I did not submit to your command after the campaign against Dong?"

"How could it be?" Gongsun Xun remained seated and spoke quietly. "If it were for that, I would not have let you settle in Yixian back then. And I can even tolerate a surrendered man like Zhang Junyi; how could I not tolerate my own elder brother, with whom I've spent decades?... Besides, that post of Governor of Yingzhou was deliberately left vacant at the Boundary Bridge back then. If not for you, then for whom?"

"Then why, in less than three months, has it become Commandant of the Guard?"

"How did Master Lu's eldest son die?" Gongsun Xun lowered his head and spoke softly. "I only learned of this matter after arriving in Zhuo Commandery..."

"What do you mean?" Gongsun Zan felt as if struck by lightning. "What does the life or death of his eldest son have to do with me?"

"Master Lu had several grown sons," Gongsun Xun said unhurriedly, speaking slowly. "Over the years, some met with plague, some fell directly ill, some perished unexpectedly in war, all dying while serving in posts away from home. But there was one eldest son who, because he had committed a crime and I had administered the punishment of shaving his head, had never taken an official post. Yet two years ago, seeing another student of his father's rising to power in Bohai, he went to join him. Who would have thought he would go and never return? So much so that when Master Lu returned home, he found nothing there, and had no choice but to abandon his home and live in seclusion..."

"It is true that I governed Bohai at that time, but Bohai had a million people, and countless died or were injured in the chaos of war. How can this be blamed on me?" Gongsun Zan, half-startled and half-enraged, answered furiously. "I didn't even know of this matter until you spoke of it! On what grounds do you suspect me?"

"I still remember when we were young, going to Goushi to study, gathering at the Lu residence in Fanyang. That man was arrogant and rude. Elder brother said to me then, 'If I ever gain power one day, I will surely kill this man.'... That remark suddenly came back to me. How could you expect me not to suspect you?" Gongsun Xun raised his head and met his gaze. "We've been brothers for decades; do I not know your character? And as you said, you governed Bohai at that time... How could I not suspect you?"

"Just because of suspicion, you treat me like this?" Gongsun Zan suddenly regained his composure.

"If it were merely a matter between brothers, I naturally would not treat you this way. But the matter of the Yingzhou governorship is not a brotherly matter; it is a matter between lord and vassal." Gongsun Xun stared at him without the slightest hesitation. "Between lord and vassal, once suspicion arises, must I explain to you what I wish to do? Furthermore, you insist on speaking of brotherly affection... Elder brother, this time your foolish younger brother did not personally go to the Yi River to take your troops, but only sent Zhang Ji to seek out Tian Kai. And today, I waited for you specifically here on this roadside wilderness, precisely to shield you, elder brother, from this ugly affair, precisely so that you, elder brother, would not lose your footing before outsiders. What more do you want from me?"

"I did not kill him!" Gongsun Zan stared fixedly at this clan brother of his for a long time, his anger somewhat abated, but then suddenly shook his head repeatedly, stepping back again and again. "Today I have nothing to say. I will accept your appointment for now and go to Chang'an to serve as Commandant of the Guard. But do not expect me to be of use to you in the future!"

Gongsun Xun remained silent and did not respond. Gongsun Zan turned and left. Thus the two brothers parted ways... However, as Gongsun Bogui exited the gate, took back his saber, mounted his horse, and headed south furiously with his few trusted aides, after only a few hundred paces, one rider among them suddenly halted.

Gongsun Zan assumed it was someone who, seeing his fall from power, was unwilling to follow him further. But when he turned his head back with an impatient look, he found it was actually Guan Shiqi. The latter's face was full of shame and indignation as he sat hesitantly on his horse, as if troubled by some difficult matter.

"Shiqi." Seeing this, Gongsun Bogui could not help but sigh. "This matter is not your fault. That man in the pavilion clearly made up his mind long ago not to give me an answer..."

"That is not the only meaning." Guan Jing dismounted, his expression growing even more ashamed. "My lord, back when you were in Pingyuan, Bohai was left to my management. It was indeed I who deliberately caused the death of Lu Zhi's eldest son... At that time, the powerful Gao clan of the commandery was plotting rebellion. I sent him to transport grain through a chaotic area, effectively using him as bait, and he died under the chaos of blades... The matter today is entirely my doing!"

Gongsun Zan was dumbstruck, momentarily at a loss.

And Wang Men, unable to restrain himself, pressed the question from horseback: "Why did you do such a thing, harming others and yourself?"

"Because on the road of retreat from Gaoliu that day, my lord had spoken those words to me... He said that in his youth, he had been humiliated by Lu Zhi's son, and if he ever gained power, he would surely kill him..." Guan Jing could not continue at all, and could only kneel on the ground toward the still-stunned Gongsun Zan to beg forgiveness. "Your servant deserves death ten thousand times over for ruining my lord's great undertaking!"

"I do not blame you!" Gongsun Zan was stunned for a moment, and as the resentment in his heart dissipated like smoke, he hurriedly dismounted and helped the other man up. "The matter has come to this. I have only you and these gentlemen here... If I were to abandon you now because of this, would I not truly become a man utterly alone? Besides, in chaotic times, mercy cannot command troops. What of using him as bait? Just because he was Lu Zhi's son?! Enough, enough... Let us all go to Chang'an and enjoy a life of leisurely wealth and honor. What of it?"

Seeing their lord so frank and sincere, Guan Jing and Wang Men could only bow their heads and accept their fate.

On the other side, Gongsun Xun, learning that Gongsun Zan had gone far away, only then rose and left the pavilion, preparing to go into Maoxian city to reorganize the troops.

After all, with all matters now settled and the fighting ceased, arrangements had to be made. And after dealing with the various troops here, he still had to make a trip south... Although he had said to leave everything to Lu Fan, Yuan Shao was dead, Hebei was effectively taken, and while Lu Fan's grand strategic task was complete, there were also letters arriving reporting matters even he found difficult to handle. A trip south was always necessary.

Of course, the main point was that the spring plowing was over, Gongsun Zan's matter was concluded, and as the master of the Nine Provinces, was he supposed to stay here raising children all day?

Thus, Gongsun Xun, his mind full of myriad thoughts, exited the gate and mounted his horse. But as soon as he looked up, he discovered that the person leading the horse was actually Mo Hukuan.

"What matter do you have?" Gongsun Xun at first paid it no mind, but quickly realized what was happening.

"There is a matter that this humble one always thought should never be spoken of again," Mo Hukuan, hearing this, knelt by the roadside in public, speaking with rare earnestness and trembling all over. "But this time, accompanying Your Excellency on this tour, seeing Your Excellency prioritize farming as if it were the very foundation, just as the great Khan Tanshihuai campaigned to fish for his tribesmen, I have come to know that Your Excellency's momentum is irresistible, and my heart is filled with reverence. And these past few days, seeing even more clearly that Your Excellency's insight illuminates a thousand miles, with every matter weighed and decided in your mind, I feel even more..."

"Even more that if you do not speak, the Murong tribe will find it difficult to find its place in the future." Gongsun Xun sighed slightly and continued for him. "Chieftain Mo... it is rare that you have the courage to bring this matter up."

"Your Excellency already knows what I am about to say?" Mo Hukuan raised his head, his face deathly pale.

"I guessed it the moment you opened your mouth..." Gongsun Xun laughed in spite of himself on horseback. "Is it not that you shot an arrow at me at Danhan Mountain back then, nearly taking my life? What else could it be? The Liaoxi matter, we settled accounts long ago."

Mo Hukuan dared not speak again. He immediately prostrated himself flat on the ground, while the attendants around him all stared in shock, then one after another drew their blades.

"None of that is necessary." Gongsun Xun quickly raised a hand to stop them. "You need not panic, and Chieftain Mo Hu need not be terrified either... This matter... very well, I forgive you!"

Mo Hukuan kowtowed without ceasing.

"But you must understand why I am so magnanimous." Gongsun Xun deliberated briefly on horseback, then spoke slowly. "First, the matter is far in the past — so far that I had nearly forgotten it until you spoke. Old grudges fade on their own, let alone when you take the initiative to confess honestly. Second, at that time I was merely a Major. Just as with Junyi and myself back then, there was no true formal bond between us. You were a Xianbei man; seeing me burn your royal court, you struck at me in a fit of rage — that hardly counts as betraying one's lord. Third, this affair in truth harmed only me alone. Even though it led to the matter of Gao Suqing, that was fundamentally rooted in my discord with Xia Yu and had nothing to do with you... And since I alone was the one harmed, I can naturally forgive you. It is not like the matter of my elder brother — though only a suspicion, because it involves Teacher Lu, my heart remains tangled and I still cannot let it go. Finally, and most importantly, you are now my 'lesser man.' What is past is past. How to serve me effectively is what you should be considering most!"

Mo Hukuan kowtowed all the more incessantly, until his forehead bled.

"Chieftain Mo Hu," Gongsun Xun turned around and looked at the somewhat stunned Zhang Cheng as he spoke. "You should have guessed by now — it is no accident that I have called you and General Zhang Cheng together. Once this affair is settled, General Zhang will gradually relocate the people of Mount Taixing to the Hetao region of Shanzhou for settlement and cultivation. In that place, our Xiongnu people hold sole dominance, and an imbalance is unavoidable... You, beyond the frontier, shall lead the Murong tribe to advance into the Yinshan Mountains, gathering scattered Xianbei and miscellaneous Hu along the way. You and he shall form a mutual exterior-and-interior, serving as support and protection for each other. Do not disappoint me!"

"This lesser man is willing to give his life in service!" Mo Hukuan knocked his head fiercely upon the ground.

"Since that is so, rise and lead my horse for me," Gongsun Xun said quietly. "The sky has grown dark; we must be on our way regardless."

——————I am the horse-leading dividing line——————

"After the Grand Ancestor executed Yuan Shao and pacified Hebei, he divided the provinces and appointed Governors, expanding his overlord's administration. All received formal appointments, serving as Provincial Governors, Generals, Army Advisors, and Bureau Clerks subordinate to the General of the Guard's office. Only Gongsun Zan was not ranked among them; he was appointed Minister of the Guards. Zan grew suspicious. Hearing that the Grand Ancestor was on a northern inspection tour, he met him by the roadside to seek an explanation. The Grand Ancestor then grasped his arm and laughed: 'I have heard that the highest is to treat a minister as a teacher, the next to treat him as a friend. A minister is a man of esteemed virtue — how could a mere subordinate post under the General of the Guard be worthy of humbling my elder brother?' Zan then raised his head high and accepted the appointment." — Old Book of Yan, Biographies of the Various Gongsuns

PS: Three matters:

1. Thanks to the new Alliance Master, Flying Big Silly Bear!

2. Happy Dragon Boat Festival to everyone, and happy Gaokao as well!

3. Yesterday the Qidian staff specifically contacted me. The character Lady Gongsun's birthday is 7.19. If she can reach two stars before then, there will be a cover feature birthday celebration. I hope everyone will give more hearts, or help complete the character milestone records.

4. The chapter comments are finally back. Without the witty netizens' commentary, I wouldn't even know how to copy book reviews anymore!

(End of Chapter)