Chapter 44: Perhaps It Was So, Perhaps Not

Gongsun Xun never mentioned what happened that night to anyone, which only made Lu Fan and Gongsun Yue admire his composure even more. In Lu Fan's words, whether it was stepping forward that night to personally sneak in and steal the seal, or now acting as if nothing had happened, Young Lord Gongsun was displaying the makings of a man who does great things... though who knows what he would think if he ever learned the truth.

But then again, no matter what, even Lu Zhi admitted that, setting aside the disproportionate risk, Gongsun Xun's plan itself had several commendable points.

In fact, judging from the reports that came back over the following days, the plan went so smoothly it was almost unbelievable:

First, Xu You reported back that when Cai Yong saw this "linked" memorial and asked about its specific contents, his pedantic streak immediately flared up, and he actually wrote some kind of memorial about "The Great Harmony of Old Text and New Text," and in the end, all three memorials were bound together, sealed with clay, and submitted to the throne!

Next, His Majesty the Emperor was greatly pleased and directly issued an edict commending his favorite teacher, Liu Kuan Liu Wenrao, and his greatly admired fellow townsman, Lu Zhi Lu Zigan, saying these two men possessed both talent and virtue, set aside their differences for the state, and could serve as models, truly complementing each other like the Han Shi and Mao Shi... of course, he did not forget to wave his hand grandly and formally permit the Mao Shi to be inscribed on the officially authorized stone classics as a supplementary text, and he also forwarded the decree to the overall supervisor of this stone classics project, the Grand Master of the Palace, Yang Ci.

And what happened next was not something one could learn through official channels.

It is said that under the Han system, court was held once every five days, and seeing that the formal court session was to convene again tomorrow, the former Minister of Works and current Han Grand Master of the Palace, Yang Ci, specially invited several senior statesmen and important officials of the current dynasty to his home for a small gathering. Those present included the former Minister over the Masses and current Grand Herald, Yuan Kui; the Superintendent of the Imperial Household, Liu Kuan; the Intendant of Henan, Yin Zhuye; the Grand Minister of Ceremonies, Liu Yi; the Minister of Works, Xu Xun; the Palace Attendant, Liu Tao; and the Grand Minister of Agriculture, Zhang Ji... all were illustrious officials from the great clans of Wan, Luo, Ru, and Ying, all heirs to the New Text classical tradition.

The weather was sweltering, so the banquet was held in the rear garden of the Yang residence.

Mats were spread beneath the shade of the trees, low tables set out, cool breezes blowing, fine wine and delicacies laid forth, with Yang Ci seated at the head and his son Yang Biao personally leading several Yang clan juniors to hold the ewers and cups... and since no one stood on official rank, seating themselves only by age, for a time the gathering seemed quite harmonious and pleasant.

"Speaking of which, does Lord Wenrao have a disciple with the double surname Gongsun, who also seems to be studying under Lu Zigan?" Suddenly, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, Zhang Ji, turned to the Superintendent of the Imperial Household, Liu Kuan, and asked.

"Indeed." Liu Kuan's eyelid twitched, clearly triggered by the three words "Lu Zigan," instantly recalling that inexplicable joint memorial. "And not just one, but three brothers, named Gongsun Zan, Gongsun Xun, and Gongsun Yue. They first became disciples under Lu Zigan, and some days ago when Lu Zigan was in Jiujiang, I cherished that these three brothers were all uncut jade, so I took them on as inner disciples. May I ask if the Grand Minister of Agriculture has some instruction to offer? Have any of them caused trouble?"

"Ah, how could it be called instruction?" Zhang Ji shook his head with a smile. "Nor is it trouble. It is rather an amusing and delightful affair... and I recall now, it was indeed done by this Gongsun Xun."

Everyone loves a story, and at these words, all the noble lords in their purple and blue ribbons turned their heads to listen.

It turned out that Zhang Ji's ancestral home was Xiyang in Runan, and although, like the Yuan clan of Runan, his family had remained in Luoyang for several generations, a branch had been left in Xiyang City specifically to tend the clan graves... Indeed, the matter Zhang Ji recounted was precisely the anecdote of "Lu Lang Endures Poverty," which he had heard from his clansmen! Good news from one's hometown, after all, naturally carried an obligation to spread it around.

"Lu Lang endures poverty indeed! Does Lu Lang truly endure poverty?" Zhang Ji clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "Truly worthy of Lord Wenrao's finest disciple!"

Liu Kuan laughed awkwardly: "This Gongsun Xun is indeed outstanding, but what the Grand Minister of Agriculture may not know is that some days ago when Lu Zigan returned to the capital, the first thing he did was complain that I had stolen his student, and so he took this Gongsun Xun back. Now among the three brothers, the eldest, Gongsun Zan, attends upon me, while Gongsun Xun and his younger brother Gongsun Yue attend upon Lu Zigan... such brilliance is likely more the result of Lu Zigan's teaching."

"Let us set that aside for a moment." Yin Zhuye, the Intendant of Henan, seated at the far end, suddenly interjected. "May I ask Lord Liu, what is the background of these Gongsun brothers? I have never heard of any classical studies clan with the double surname Gongsun, have I?"

"There is only one famous clan surnamed Gongsun, with the main branch currently residing in Liaoxi, and offshoots spread throughout the commanderies along the Bohai Sea... This family, though also a renowned clan producing officials of the two-thousand-bushel rank for generations, arose in the border commanderies and often held military posts, not being known for classical scholarship." Liu Yi, the Grand Minister of Ceremonies, possessed broad knowledge and a strong memory, and at once identified the origins of the three brothers.

"So that is how it is." Upon hearing "not being known for classical scholarship," Yin Zhuye lost interest almost instantly. In his view, anyone not from a classical studies clan was a lowborn person, not worth discussing.

Unexpectedly, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, Zhang Ji, upon hearing this, was somewhat moved: "Liaoxi is a strategic choke point, and the Gongsun clan has long resided there with deep roots... In my opinion, since this clan excels in martial prowess, and these three brothers are all exceptional talents, we might as well look after them more. Perhaps in the future, there will be a 'place to use their martial skills'!"

At these words, everyone's expressions changed.

"Ahem!" Xu Xun, the current Minister of Works, immediately coughed. "The Grand Minister of Agriculture should choose his words carefully. If such words spread, there might be suspicion of forming a faction. The Proscription is right before our eyes; do not bring disaster upon yourself!"

Zhang Ji, Yin Zhuye, and the others were so frightened they immediately shut their mouths, and the others mostly looked embarrassed.

Unexpectedly, Xu Xun's words offended another major figure present—none other than the host himself, the Grand Master of the Palace, Yang Ci!

Yang Ci's eyebrows shot up as he suppressed his anger and demanded: "Lord Xu, this is faction-forming, that is faction-forming... is supporting a few junior disciples who have become our students also faction-forming? If we follow this logic, does our gathering here today also carry the suspicion of forming a faction?"

Xu Xun raised an eyebrow and replied bluntly: "Indeed, I do have such a concern. I was originally unwilling to come here!"

"Xu Jishi!" At this, Yang Ci finally erupted completely. "Your Runan Xu clan is also one of the top renowned families under heaven, producing high ministers for generations. How is it that in your generation, a despicable wretch who fawns upon the eunuchs has emerged?! Do you think I do not know how you obtained your position as Minister of Works? Do you not fear the ridicule of all under heaven?"

"I obtained the Three Ducal Ranks by my own ability; whose ridicule should I fear?" Xu Xun stiffened his neck, showing no sign of backing down. "Could it be that Lord Yang is envious? If so, why not invite some sorcerers and diviners at home to curse the realm into chaos? Then when we few are convicted, with your family background, Lord Yang, you can naturally fill the vacancy!"

At these words, not only did all the noble lords in their blue and purple ribbons look on askance, but Yang Biao and the other Yang clan juniors turned red in the face. Had they not been mindful of his rank among the Three Dukes, they would likely have rushed forward to strike him the very next moment.

"Enough." However, upon hearing this, Yang Ci, who should have been the angriest, instead sighed and waved his hand at the other man. "Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together. Xu Jishi, your fawning upon the eunuchs is a grave taboo among the scholar-officials. Even your own clan nephew, Xu Shao, refuses to accept your summons. Why should I associate with someone like you? I should not have invited you today. Please leave!"

Xu Xun said nothing in reply, simply rose to his feet and made to leave with a flick of his sleeves.

"One more thing." Yang Ci suddenly added. "As for the matter of faction-forming, if you believe we are forming a faction here, feel free to go back and inform those Regular Attendants in the palace. I, Yang Ci, will naturally be waiting right here."

Xu Xun sneered upon hearing this: "Spare me. You bunch of hypocrites gathered together for no other reason than to discuss how to suppress the lords of the Old Text from Guandong, don't you? Engaging in such partisan attacks on dissenters, and you still have the nerve to say you are not forming a faction? But rest assured, I, Xu Jishi, am not like you lot. I am a man of lofty virtue and would never stoop to informing. Go ahead and make a disgraceful spectacle of yourselves here!"

With that, Xu Xun, heedless of the changing expressions of everyone else, simply strode off.

After this disruption, the banquet inevitably became somewhat awkward. However, watching Liu Kuan seize the opportunity to pour himself cup after cup of wine, Yang Ci, fearing the man would drink himself into a stupor, finally could not help but bring the topic into the open.

"Lord Liu! Lord Wenrao!" Yang Ci called out loudly to stop him. "I have yet to ask you, what exactly was the meaning of that joint memorial? Why was it different from what we discussed beforehand?"

"The matter is thus." Liu Kuan set down his wine cup and explained frankly. "That day, after I spoke with you, I left the Southern Palace and went straight to Goushi to find Lu Zhi. When I arrived, because of the heat, and because that student of mine named Gongsun Xun is particularly wealthy and had stored a great deal of cooled grape wine in a deep well... ah, I succumbed to my greed for a cup, and inevitably drank a bit too much. Then, tipsy, I went to discuss the matter with Lu Zigan, and in the midst of it, I somehow passed out drunk, and when I awoke, it was already the next day. Finally, when I returned to Luoyang City, that Cai Yong suddenly came to tell me that he had already submitted the memorial on my orders. Before I could ask him clearly, His Majesty's commendation arrived. And then today, I had originally intended to find Cai Yong and my few disciples to carefully inquire about this matter, when the Grand Master of the Palace's invitation arrived..."

This convoluted explanation left everyone dumbfounded.

"You mean to say, you did not submit this memorial?" It took Yang Ci a long while to finally grasp a hint of the situation.

"It is hard to say. This matter... perhaps it was so, perhaps not!" Liu Kuan mused thoughtfully. "I recall that before I became drunk, quite a few trusted disciples and juniors came to find me, urging Lu Zigan and me to turn swords into plowshares on this Old Text and New Text matter, and at the time I agreed. And later, as the drunkenness surged, whether I agreed to Lu Zigan's proposal during our discussion, I cannot quite remember either... After all, I went there carrying my seal and ribbon. Perhaps on that day, when the document was drafted, I did nod in approval, only I drank too much and cannot recall... Think about it, Lu Zigan would never do something like forging a document and stealing a seal, would he?"

The crowd was increasingly speechless.

"Lord Liu!" Finally, Yang Biao, who had been standing in attendance at the side, could not hold back any longer. "How can a 'perhaps it was so, perhaps not' satisfy the realm?"

Yang Biao was already over thirty years old, in fact only slightly younger than Lu Zhi, and no one treated him as a junior. It was only because his father, Yang Ci, was present that he was made to stand in attendance.

"Wenxian (Yang Biao's courtesy name)," Liu Kuan glanced at him without haste or anger. "This 'perhaps it was so, perhaps not' need not satisfy the realm... What is done is done, as they say, the wood is already carved into a boat. The question now is, am I supposed to tell His Majesty that the memorial was fake and ask him to retract his commendation? Or, without any proof whatsoever, am I to accuse Lu Zigan of stealing my silver seal and forging a document? Besides, this matter is ultimately 'perhaps so, perhaps not.' It truly is possible that I nodded my approval that day, only the wine was too strong and I do not remember... Speaking of which, the wine that day truly had flavor, the first time in my life I drank so freely, what they call 'Three bowls and you cannot cross the ridge'..."

Yang Biao, as well as all the high ministers seated there, remained utterly silent.

What else could they do? Rise and gag this Granny Liu?

After a long while, as the initiator of the gathering and the only senior statesman present whose seniority matched Liu Kuan's, Yang Ci finally offered a helpless remonstrance: "If you, Lord Liu, do not speak up on this matter, I fear it will become a settled fact..."

"The beloved son of the Grand Master of the Palace just said it himself, how can a 'perhaps it was so, perhaps not' satisfy the realm?" Liu Kuan shook his head repeatedly. "Speak no more of this matter. I will absolutely not sully the reputation of a great Confucian scholar of the realm over something that is 'perhaps so, perhaps not'!"

This statement was entirely within expectations; Yang Ci was merely asking one more time out of his responsibility as the convener... In truth, he could not possibly slander Lu Zhi for forging documents and stealing a seal over such a matter either.

However...

"Since that is the case, the Mao Shi being inscribed as a supplementary text on the back of the stone classics has likely become a settled fact, and further words are useless." Yang Ci reached this conclusion as if swallowing a fly. "But we must now guard against Lu Zigan using this as an opportunity to have all the Old Text classics placed as supplements behind the New Text steles... On this matter, we can concede no further!"

Yet, what made Yang Ci both angry and baffled was that after he spoke these perfectly logical words, not a single person voiced their agreement.

"Lord Yuan." Dissatisfied, Yang Ci directly called someone out. "Your family has produced four generations of Three Dukes, relying on the Meng Shi Yi as your family tradition. Do you truly have no words to instruct me?"

"Lord Yang." Yuan Kui, who had remained silent all along, rose and bowed to him. "Although my Yuan clan is a New Text family, my father-in-law, Lord Ma (Ma Rong), was a grandmaster of the Old Text tradition. I am in a position of divided loyalties and cannot speak much on this matter!"

Yang Ci stared at him for a long time, but ultimately could do nothing.

"Lord Yang," at that moment, the last of the current Emperor's three imperial teachers, the Grand Minister of Agriculture Zhang Ji, spoke up again. "I have a word to offer."

"Lord Zhang, please speak." Yang Ci finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this voice. It must be said, although Zhang Ji, like himself, was ranked among the three imperial teachers, he had been recommended by Yang Ci and was half an ally.

"Lord Yang." Zhang Ji replied in a low voice. "If I may be blunt, this matter has its priorities. The debate between Old Text and New Text is, after all, merely a philosophical dispute among scholars, whereas the chronic ailment of the realm today lies with the eunuchs! So in my view, having the Old Text included on the stone classics as a supplementary stele is not necessarily a bad thing. If we can thereby win the hearts of the people east of the mountains, then the great undertaking can be accomplished!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Ci fell silent once more... After a long while, he suddenly raised his cup and drained it in one gulp, then rose with a flick of his sleeves: "I am drunk. I take my leave first."

Everyone was stunned, and the banquet promptly broke up in discord.

"A pack of worthless bastards, none fit to plan with!" Moments later, the instant he returned to his own room, Yang Ci burst out cursing. "Liu Kuan is muddle-headed, all day long just pretending to be drunk to hide from the world; Yuan Kui holds a post but does no work, like a watchdog guarding a door; Zhang Ji does nothing but idle talk, utterly useless; Zhu Ye knows only how to boast about his ancestors; and the most hateful of all is that Xu Xun... from a line of ministers for generations, yet he's thrown in with the eunuchs?! None of them are worth planning with!"

"My lord." Yang Biao, who had followed him back, immediately tried to dissuade him. "Do not let these men anger you to the point of harming your health."

"How can they not understand the need to unite as one?" Yang Ci slumped dejectedly onto his mat. "All my painstaking efforts, wasted..."

Yang Biao could not help but sigh as well. "Father, set these men aside for now. Tomorrow we must attend court after all, and we will still need a proposal for how to handle this."

"The Mao Commentary cannot be stopped," Yang Ci said, shaking his head. "Lu Zigan used a clever tactic, but there is absolutely no way I will yield any further. We must find a way to block the excuse for the other Old Text secondary steles... They refuse to help me, so I will do it myself. My son, do you have any ideas?"

"Just now, I did think of one method," Yang Biao said, lowering his head thoughtfully. "But it may offend quite a few people."

"When has Yang Boxian ever feared offending people?"

"It is like this, my lord. Consider this: within the New Text, a single classic can have multiple lines of transmission," Yang Biao said in a low voice. "Why not imitate the clever strategy of the Han and Mao Commentaries serving as each other's complement, and select one as the orthodox version, with the rest as secondary?"

What did he mean? It was simple. The New Text itself had factions; for example, the Spring and Autumn Annals in the New Text was divided into the Gongyang Commentary and the Guliang Commentary. That being the case, why not have the New Text create its own primary and secondary versions? For instance, carve the Gongyang Commentary on the front and the Guliang Commentary on the back... In this way, the reverse side of the stone classics would be filled up by the New Text itself, leaving no room for the Old Text to squeeze in, right?

"My son, that is a brilliant plan!" Yang Ci was instantly enlightened. "This is excellent. Not only will it shut the Old Text out at the door, but it will also clarify the orthodox source within the New Text. Excellent!"

Hearing his father's praise, Yang Biao, for once, stroked his beard with a touch of self-satisfaction.

"However, my son," after a moment of excitement, Yang Ci glanced at his beloved son, then suddenly shook his head with a hint of helplessness. "For the next two years, I must still ask you to endure a slight grievance."

Yang Biao thought for a moment and immediately understood. "Father still does not wish to let Lu Zigan off?"

"Correct," Yang Ci answered solemnly. "The more capable he proves, the more I must shelve him away. Otherwise, would we not be letting him overturn the heavens? At tomorrow's morning court, we must still have him sent to the Eastern Pavilion to compile the histories. You will continue to accompany him, leaving him with no words to object!"

Yang Biao pursed his lips slightly, then cupped his hands and said, "My lord, it is not that I cannot endure solitude. At my age, spending two years compiling histories with Lu Zigan is no great matter. It is just that what the Grand Minister of Agriculture, Lord Zhang, said does hold some truth... The eunuchs are the true malady at our heart! Whether it is Lu Zigan or the various lords from Shandong, in the end, they are friends, not enemies!"

"How could I possibly not understand this principle?" Yang Ci could not help but shake his head at these words. "But I, Yang Ci, have my own principles in conducting myself and dealing with the world... Listen carefully."

"Yes!" Yang Biao hurriedly bowed low in salute.

"My son," Yang Ci, seated on his mat, strained with great effort to straighten his back and place his hand on his son's shoulder. "Whatever you do, you must take yourself as the master!"

Yang Biao looked slightly bewildered.

"By taking oneself as the master, I do not mean you must always occupy the dominant position, but rather that you must not lose your own position," Yang Ci explained with difficulty. "The eunuchs are indeed our great enemy, but if, as Zhang Ji proposed, we set aside the Old Text–New Text debate and draw on the strength of the Shandong lords... I ask you, even if we succeed, could we still remain entrenched here for long?"

Yang Biao fell silent at this, and it was unclear whether he had taken the words to heart.

Now, on the other side, after the banquet had broken up in discord, the various ministers departed in silence, merely bidding each other farewell. Liu Kuan also returned home in his ox-cart. Once home, he made no mention whatsoever of the events at the Yang residence, but simply went to the rear courtyard, had his servants place the rocking chair gifted by Gongsun Xun under the shade of a tree, personally fetched a pot of sweet wine, and continued leisurely whiling away the time as before.

Yet, when the wine had reached a pleasant state of intoxication, Liu Kuan Liu Wenrao, fifteenth-generation descendant of Han Gaozu Liu Bang, son of the Minister over the Masses Liu Qi, and current Superintendent of the Imperial Household, suddenly burst into loud wailing, his tears impossible to stop.

"Kuan was always fond of wine. One day, returning from a meeting with the ministers, he drank alone. When the wine reached a pleasant state, he suddenly burst into loud wailing. His son Song, at a loss, knelt and asked humbly: 'My lord, why are you like this?' Kuan replied: 'The Great Han is about to fall; how can I not be grieved?' Song asked in alarm: 'Why speak of Han's fall?' He answered: 'Today I saw the entire court of ministers: Yuan Kui holds a post but does no work; Zhu Ye is utterly empty-headed; Zhang Ji's idle talk harms the state; Yang Ci is stubborn and lacks virtue; and there is Xu Xun, who fawns upon the eunuchs all the way to the position of the Three Excellencies... The eunuchs have long brought calamity upon the state, and with these men as the pillars of the court and the mainstays of the scholars, how can one say it will not fall?' Song asked again: 'That being so, my lord, as the head of the imperial clan and having received the Han's grace for generations, why not bestir yourself to some action?' He then said: 'The world's affairs are such that my heart is as troubled as if drunk; this body is of no use anymore!'" — A New Account of the Tales of the World, Chapter on Cultivated Tolerance

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(End of Chapter)