Chapter 452: The Han Court Ministers' Jade Pendants Chime

Casting aside that old man who sought fame or genuinely believed the Fiery Han possessed Heaven's Mandate — but was, in any case, merely a pedantic Confucian — the General of the Guards, Gongsun Xun, continued west along the river without pause.

His procession reached Hangu Pass on the eleventh day of the seventh month, arrived at Shanxian on the fourteenth, and by the seventeenth had reached Tongguan, where court envoys who had received word and hurried to meet him were already present.

On the nineteenth of the seventh month, after the General of the Guards entered Huayin and assembled Xu Rong's division, he paused briefly — first, to summon the three Guanzhong garrison commanders Wang Xiu, Jia Xu, and Zhong Yao; second, to conduct a modest troop review and bestow rewards under the pretext of Lady Gongsun's birthday.

Thus they waited until the twenty-fifth of the seventh month, when ten thousand riders surged forward, escorting the General of the Guards' procession, and only then, as the assembled officials of Chang'an craned their necks in anticipation or restless unease, did they grandly cross Mount Li and head straight for Chang'an.

Upon receiving word, the Grand Commandant and Director of the Secretariat, Liu Yu, took the lead; the Three Excellencies, the Nine Ministers, and officials of equivalent rank, as well as supernumerary officials, all went out of the city several dozen li eastward, arriving early at Baqiao to welcome him.

Upon careful reckoning, only four of the Chang'an Han court's high officials had failed to appear... The first two were naturally Huangfu Song and his son. The former Minister over the Masses, Huangfu Song, whose earlier resignation had been approved, had departed with remarkable swiftness; he even took his son Huangfu Jianshou, who had resigned as Palace Attendant, and father and son traveled together, having long since bypassed Gongsun Xun via Pujin to go teach at Yecheng. Another was the Minister of Ceremonies, Zheng Xuan, who was permanently stationed at the Ye University. The last was the Deputy Director of the Secretariat, Wang Lang, who happened to be on leave and busy moving house... As for Kong Rong, Gongsun Xun had already sent him to Ye to be personally supervised the year before last; he was now the foremost grumbler at the Ye University... Aside from these, all other officials, from top to bottom, could be said to be present without exception.

The principal officials were roughly as follows:

Grand Commandant and Director of the Secretariat, Liu Yu;

Minister of Works, Yang Biao;

Grandee of the Palace, Huang Wan;

Grand Palace Grandee, Wang Yun;

Grandee Remonstrant, Zhong Shao;

Palace Grandee, Zhao Qian;

Superintendent of the Imperial Household, Shi Sunrui;

Commandant of the Guards, Gongsun Zan;

Minister Coachman, Wang Yi;

Commandant of Justice, Zhou Zhong;

Grand Herald, Zhao Ping;

Director of the Imperial Clan, Liu Song;

Grand Minister of Agriculture, Feng Fang;

Privy Treasurer, Zhang Fan;

Court Architect, Liu Fan;

Bearer of the Gilded Mace, Li Shao;

Captain of the City Gates, Dong Cheng; General of the Gentlemen of the Left, Fu Wan; General of the Gentlemen of the Right, Wang Bin;

Palace Attendants Yang Qi, Yang Zhong, Liu Dan, She Jian, Jin Xuan;

Gentlemen of the Yellow Gate Ma Yu, Ding Chong, Fu Gan, Gai Shun, Zhang Chang, Huangfu Li;

Also, Masters of Writing Ma Midi, Yang Mi, Tian Fen, Handan Shang, Chunyu Jia, and others;

In addition, there were those who had accompanied him early on, such as Zhong Yao, who held the post of Inspector of Yongzhou as Assistant to the Imperial Secretary; the General of the Gentlemen of the Household Rapid as Tigers, Jing Ze, who was responsible for the strategic capital region; the Governor of the Capital District, Han Xuan; the Prefect of Chang'an, Han Rui; and others — a vast assembly. Compared to two or three years prior, the changes were numerous, but in any case, it could be described as a gathering of caps and canopies like clouds.

However, the greater the array, the more it seemed to display Gongsun Xun's arrogance.

The Three Excellencies, Nine Ministers, and all officials gathered on the west side of Baqiao to meet him face to face. Gongsun Xun approached with ten thousand riders, and when the two sides faced each other at the bridgehead, this General of the Guards ordered the entire army to halt and personally dismounted. Yet he only exchanged courtesies and a few idle words with Liu Yu, who oversaw the court administration, and then stood motionless, leaning back against the ten thousand riders, hand on his sword, coldly observing the Han court officials before him as they rose one after another.

He watched for a long time, until every official's heart grew uneasy. Then this General of the Guards suddenly laughed in spite of himself, walked straight past Yang Biao, Huang Wan, and the others, and stopped before the Commandant of Justice, Zhou Zhong, shaking his head repeatedly: "Duke Zhou, I asked you to persuade your clan nephew to come to Hebei. I do not know what words you used, but now you have instead made him a thorn in my side... Was this intentional?"

Zhou Zhong bowed his head helplessly: "General of the Guards, my nephew Zhou Gongjin has always had his own opinions, and Chang'an is thousands of li from Huainan — how could I truly restrain him? Besides, he is merely a headstrong young man. How can he be called a thorn in the General of the Guards' side?"

"People differ from one another. When General Huo Qubing achieved his great deeds, did anyone discuss his age?" Gongsun Xun shook his head and laughed even more. "Duke Zhou, I have heard that in Chang'an, people often say that I, wielding the blade of Xiang Yu, am just like Xiang Yu, destined to suffer a single defeat at Gaixia from which I cannot recover. Well then, perhaps your nephew is the Han Xin who will destroy Xiang Yu's hegemony!"

Zhou Zhong could only lower his head, not daring to speak further, while those around him wore varied expressions.

Gongsun Xun turned his head and casually exchanged a greeting with the stern-faced Gongsun Zan, then returned to the front, stopping before Yang Biao and behind Liu Yu. With slow steps and hands clasped behind his back, he looked over these Han court grandees one by one. When he encountered those he knew and was familiar with, he basically said not a word; it was only those he did not recognize whose names and native places he inquired about one by one... After he finished asking about Jin Xuan's background and saw that Han Xuan, Han Rui, and the others behind were all old acquaintances, he understood the situation in his heart and simply turned around and mounted his horse!

From his demeanor, it seemed he actually intended to abandon the officials who had come out to welcome him and lead his troops directly into the city of Chang'an.

At this, chaos erupted among the officials. Even those who were relatives, former subordinates, or protégés of Gongsun Xun himself could not help but look at each other in dismay. At this moment, the Palace Attendant Yang Qi could endure it no longer and simply stepped directly onto the bridgehead to block Gongsun Xun's horse: "General of the Guards, why must you be so overbearing? Before even hearing the imperial edict, you intend to privately lead troops into the capital — how does this differ from Dong Zhuo?"

Gongsun Xun was not angered. Instead, he looked down from his high position and asked in return: "I have received an edict to oversee the military and civil administration of the nine provinces and forty-two commanderies, bearing the staff of authority to command the troops and military affairs of the nine provinces. Now, leading troops into Chang'an, what need have I for a transfer order? Whose transfer order would I need?"

"That is not what I meant." Yang Qi immediately realized he had misspoken and promptly corrected himself. "I meant to say, the court still has an edict for the General of the Guards, right here. Why not receive the edict here before entering Chang'an?"

Gongsun Xun's face showed sudden understanding. Only then did he dismount and casually ask in return: "What edict? The Son of Heaven has yet to assume personal rule, and I am the General Assisting in Governance. How can military and state affairs produce an edict without my knowledge?"

"What military and state affairs? It is merely an edict commending the General of the Guards' achievements and granting additional offices!" Yang Qi was half helpless, half indignant. "Such matters are naturally discussed by the court ministers and the various Masters of Writing. How could the General of the Guards himself be informed?"

Gongsun Xun slowly nodded: "In that case, I am willing to hear your kind intentions!"

Only then did the atmosphere ease slightly. The Grand Palace Grandee, Wang Yun, hastily produced the imperial edict and set out the staff of authority... Without regard for Gongsun Xun standing above him on the bridge, he was about to hurriedly proclaim the edict from the lower ground.

"Have someone else proclaim it!" Gongsun Xun frowned slightly, his face full of disdain, clearly once again forcibly stirring up trouble. "On my way here, at Mengjin in Henei, I encountered an old man who urged me to return the great governance to the Son of Heaven and retire alone to Liaoxi, to fulfill the virtue of the Duke of Zhou. I asked him where he dwelt during the times of Huan, Ling, Dong, and Yuan. The man knew the meaning of the word 'shame' and covered his face as he fled... If you wish to commend my achievements and manifest the Han dynasty's majesty and virtue, you must at least find someone who did not bend the knee and serve Dong Zhuo to do it, no?"

Wang Yun's face was as dark as water. Though his hands, holding the edict, trembled slightly, he managed to endure it. Instead, without a word, he calmly handed the imperial edict to Liu Yu beside him.

Liu Yu took the edict, but instead became tense for a moment. It was a long while before he began to proclaim the edict aloud.

It read thus:

"The Emperor declares: The Han possesses the realm under Heaven; its ordained span is boundless. Now there is the General of the Guards, Gongsun Xun, born of loyal and virtuous stock, who has repeatedly established meritorious deeds — overthrowing Goguryeo in the remote wilds, crushing the Yellow Turbans in the Central Plains, executing Dong Zhuo in the Three Adjuncts, destroying Yuan Shao in Hebei, pacifying the nine provinces, and imposing his might upon the world. Moreover, We have heard that Heaven's Mandate cannot be without support, the altars of state cannot be without protection. We are young in years and ought to permit the General of the Guards to oversee the court administration, appointing him Grand General, Director of the Secretariat, with command over the nine provinces..."

"This is a reckless decree!" Gongsun Xun had already grown impatient halfway through, and with that single sentence, he startled the officials before him into commotion and made the ten thousand riders behind him tense for a moment. Even Liu Yu immediately stopped proclaiming the edict. "In four hundred years of the Han dynasty, there has never been one who became Grand General solely by merit! All Grand Generals, Generals of Chariots and Cavalry, and Generals of the Agile Cavalry have been relatives by marriage to the Liu clan, or simply members of the Liu imperial clan themselves — it is by virtue of kinship that they naturally act on behalf of the state..."

"It is precisely intended to request that the General of the Guards' virtuous daughter become Empress." Liu Yu seemed to have anticipated this argument long ago, yet after a moment's hesitation, he gritted his teeth, bowed, and made the request. Behind him, from Yang Biao on down, more than half of the officials bowed their heads in supplication; those below the rank of full two thousand piculs had many who knelt to the ground in response.

Gongsun Xun gazed at the Han court officials who had come prepared, a look of evident dimness and disappointment in his eyes. Yet he said not a word, still standing silently at the bridgehead... Behind him, Wang Xiu, Zhong Yao, Jia Xu, and the others, who had been holding the horses and waiting in silence, looked at each other and could not help but lower their heads in silence. Only Pang De and Zhang Liao, who had led the volunteer corps and the vanguard to this place, were each tense.

"General of the Guards." Seeing that Gongsun Xun would not speak, the Superintendent of the Imperial Household, Shi Sunrui, stepped forward and earnestly advised: "Now that the Son of Heaven has come of age and is intelligent and decisive, he ought to gradually assume governance. But the General's achievements are so high that all under Heaven know of them. As ministers, we must consider the realm and the altars of state. How could we be like that rustic old man in Henei, ignorant and forcing you to relinquish power? To achieve the best of both worlds, this is the only way. According to Han tradition, the General, as a relative by marriage, would become Grand General and continue to assist in governance — then no one in the world could object. And as for the Son of Heaven, although by custom the Ladies Dong and Fu were established within the year, the position of Empress has always remained vacant... In other words, the Son of Heaven also understands the stakes and is willing to wholeheartedly repay the General of the Guards' grace in supporting the Han dynasty!"

"Duke Shisun has been deceived!" Gongsun Xun listened quietly until the other finished, then looked up to heaven and sighed. "The one who came up with this idea does not seek the best of both worlds, but bears a personal grudge against me and wishes to exterminate my entire Gongsun clan! And the Son of Heaven's agreement to this matter is the Han dynasty betraying me!"

Liu Yu's shoulders stirred slightly, and Gongsun Zan, standing ramrod straight not far behind him, also gave a slight start.

"What words are these?" Shi Sunrui grew greatly anxious. "We absolutely have no such intention..."

"Duke Shisun, why pretend?" Gongsun Xun grew increasingly desolate and rueful. "The consort kin of the Han dynasty, from the founding ancestor's primary wife, the Lady Lü, down to He Jin, who died in the Hall of Excellent Virtue several years ago — which consort kin ever met a good end? Without me, He Jin could not even preserve his sole grandson! If one must name the best among them, the best consort kin was Huo Guang, was it not? And in four hundred years of Han, Emperor Xuan is considered one of the top restoration sovereigns. Your greatest hope for the Son of Heaven is surely that he might become an Emperor Xuan, is it not? Yet once Huo Guang died, how did Emperor Xuan treat the entire Huo clan? Do you truly believe the Huo clan did not plot rebellion while Huo Guang was alive, but instead waited until after his death to do so?"

Speaking to this point, Gongsun Xun stepped past the bowing Liu Yu, Yang Biao, and Huang Wan, and grasped Shi Sunrui's hands, his tone growing ever more grief-stricken and indignant: "Duke Shisun, do you still remember the circumstances during Dong Zhuo's time? The Son of Heaven and the Empress Dowager were slaughtered like chickens and dogs, the imperial tombs were hollowed out, the capital was reduced to white ash, forty regional lords rose across the realm, each harboring their own schemes. To say at that time that the universe was seared, the four seas were boiling, and the Han dynasty was hanging by a thread — would that be an overstatement?"

Shi Sunrui was, after all, a so-called traditional Han dynasty renowned scholar and, to some extent, a sincere Confucian. For a moment, he could not refute it: "It was indeed so."

"Then, Duke Shisun," Gongsun Xun grasped the other's hand and continued, his voice raised in grief and indignation, "at that time, what were those who had received the Han dynasty's grace — those from clans that had produced Excellencies for four generations — doing? Were they not seizing territory and contending for fame and position? Was it not only I, a commoner from Liaoxi, who stepped forward to chastise the lawless, safeguard the realm, and bear the Han dynasty alone upon my back as I walked here?"

"Truly, no one can deny the General of the Guards' great achievements." Yang Biao, standing nearby, could finally endure it no longer and turned his head to respond.

"What do you, Yang Wenxian, know?!" Gongsun Xun, seeing it was Yang Biao, turned sideways and erupted in fury. "Had the world been without me, who among you so-called loyal ministers of the Han today would not have long since perished under Dong Zhuo's blade or died amid the chaos of mutinous soldiers! Had the world been without me, who knows how many would have declared themselves emperor, how many would have declared themselves king! Had the world been without me, who knows how many millions upon millions of the realm's people would have turned to white bones by the roadside! My service to you, to the House of Han, to the realm — no merit could be greater, and even the bestowal of Ten Honors would be insufficient to match it! Yet for such great merit, instead of seeking to repay me, you actually scheme to force my daughter into marriage and exterminate my entire Gongsun clan! Have the generations of moral teachings passed down in your families all been eaten by dogs?! I may have failed the House of Han, but the House of Han has failed my heart! The most shameless under heaven are none other than people like you!"

Like the hundred officials behind him, Yang Biao could not help but be shaken for a moment, trembling and barely daring to breathe. Behind Baqiao, countless armored horsemen stirred with a clamor, and not a few riders actually surged forward with blades drawn, frightening many officials into panic and distress.

"These past few years... last year!" Gongsun Xun exhaled a breath of pent-up frustration. Releasing Shi Sunrui, he rose by bracing on his sword, then raised a hand to restrain the troops behind him. He continued to look down from his elevated position, pacing left and right, and resumed his loud rebuke. "Last year, when you said the Son of Heaven was coming of age and his harem should be filled, did I not permit it? After the Honored Lady Dong and the Honored Lady Fu entered Weiyang Palace, the Son of Heaven said that, according to custom, the imperial in-laws should be enfeoffed. And so Dong Cheng, a worthless soldier-chief from Dong Zhuo's former ranks, was promoted in one leap to Captain. Fu Wan, an inept imperial relative who merely married a princess, became General of the Household of the Left in one leap. Wang Bin, a man who had only ever driven a carriage in Weiyang Palace, became General of the Household of the Right in one leap... To put it bluntly, even Dong Zhuo had to rely on military merit to become a General of the Household back then. What are these people? Is it not simply that the Son of Heaven and all of you suspect me, and wish to rely on imperial in-laws to support the Son of Heaven against me? Yet I endured for the sake of the state and permitted it all the same! Why are you still not satisfied? Why do you still seek to harm me?!"

Dong Cheng knelt on the ground, his fists clenched tightly. Fu Wan and Wang Bin each trembled like chaff in a sieve.

"If you ask me, if you want imperial in-laws to hold power, why not make Wang Bin, the Son of Heaven's own maternal uncle, Grand General? Make Dong Cheng General of the Agile Cavalry, and Fu Wan General of the Chariots and Cavalry? If that's not enough, you might as well issue an edict stripping me of my General of the Guards title and giving it to Cao Cao. After all, the position of Empress is vacant — just marry another daughter of the Cao clan! Give Cao Cao the title of General of the Guards and let him serve as Chancellor... These people probably aren't afraid of having their clans exterminated, so why seek out a coward like me?" Gongsun Xun finally let out a scoff. "In short, I will never be an imperial in-law. The son of Emperor Ling is not worthy of my daughter, Gongsun Xun's daughter! As for this authority and position, if you gentlemen feel that I have overstepped, you are welcome to come and take it! But before that, unlike you gentlemen who are so consumed with worry for the state and its people, always preoccupied with grand affairs, I still have some tedious military matters to attend to... Liu Fan!"

Liu Fan, eldest son of Liu Yan, Governor of Yizhou, and currently Court Architect, shuddered violently and then rose in a daze.

"Crawl back and tell your father," Gongsun Xun drew his blade and rebuked him sternly. "He has held Yizhou as a separatist warlord for far too long, and the imperial aura of Yizhou clearly does not belong to him. I have come with ten thousand cavalry — how could it possibly be to wrangle with these petty men in court? It is to campaign against Shu and achieve merit, to reclaim the land of Shu for unification... Today is the end of the seventh month. I grant him until the tenth month to personally lay down his arms, shed his armor, and come to surrender. Then he may have hope of keeping his life! Otherwise, do not blame me for disregarding old ties!"

Liu Fan remained in a daze... for a moment, he did not know what to say.

And the hundred officials of the court — those standing, those kneeling, those bent at the waist — were all at a loss... Of course, most of them let out a long breath of relief.

To this, Gongsun Xun offered no further explanation. He simply turned, mounted his horse, and immediately the ten thousand cavalry surged forth like a torrent, sweeping up the hundred officials of the Han court and only stopping once they had entered Chang'an City.

After entering the city, the hundred officials each harbored their own thoughts, each plotting and deliberating. Liu Fan, though publicly rebuked, did not dare to return to Yizhou on his own. Instead, in a daze, he came to the newly bustling residence of the General of the Guards to plead his case.

As for Gongsun Xun's former subordinates and trusted confidants in the city, they all gathered at the General of the Guards' residence, which goes without saying. On the other side, after consulting with Yang Biao, Huang Wan, Wang Yun, Zhao Qian, and others, Liu Yu once again personally visited and earnestly requested that Gongsun Xun ascend Weiyang Palace the following day — first, to preside over court affairs at the Imperial Secretariat, and second, to meet with the Son of Heaven face-to-face and instruct him.

Gongsun Xun shut his gates and refused to receive him, merely sending his duty attendant Wang Ling out to deliver a single reply: "The General of the Guards dares not enter the palace. From this day forward, let the Son of Heaven and you gentlemen handle all matters yourselves. Do not delay his campaign against the land of Shu."

Liu Yu was nearly in despair.

————I am the dividing line of despair————

"In the fifth year of Jian'an, the Son of Heaven bound his hair and established Beauties, privately appointing Palace Attendants and Gentlemen of the Palace, intending to oppose the Grand Ancestor. The Grand Ancestor personally led ten thousand cavalry from Ye to Chang'an. The hundred officials were terrified. A petty man secretly sent a letter, saying: 'Your Lordship's achievements merit the bestowal of the Nine Honors.' The Grand Ancestor read it on the road and laughed, then turned to his attendants and said: 'If all under heaven were settled and the four seas united, what harm would even the Ten Honors be? How could a true man seek merely the Nine Honors?' None of his attendants dared to answer." — New Book of Yan, Volume 2, Annals of the Martial Emperor, Grand Ancestor

(End of Chapter)