Chapter 469: The Partiality of Literary Pursuits at Yecheng

In the sixth year of Jian'an, the situation beneath the surface of the realm had a distinct air of "dark clouds pressing down on the city, threatening to destroy it."

In truth, as early as the year before, nearly everyone with any foresight — even including Xu Shu — knew that as the Son of Heaven bound up his hair, began his studies, and took consorts, the realm would inevitably be thrown into turmoil by the Son of Heaven and the Han imperial house's desperate desire to reclaim their authority.

However, at that time, many people, especially the various lords of the Central Plains, were optimistic about this, because from the perspective of that moment, the trouble was clearly General of the Guards Gongsun Xun's — no matter how badly things went between Gongsun Xun and the Son of Heaven, it would all be good news for the Central Plains lords... Only, who could have imagined that Gongsun Xun would devise such a bizarre stratagem?!

Who could have imagined he would have the audacity to let the Son of Heaven go?

And with the Son of Heaven's journey eastward, the splitting of the Han imperial court, and Gongsun Xun's declaration of ducal rank and establishment of his own government, the Central Plains lords suddenly came to a realization — the trouble was immense, because a decisive battle had suddenly become, in fact, unavoidable!

However, perhaps because men like Gongsun Xun, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Liu Biao were, to some degree, a cut above the likes of Dong Zhuo and Yuan Shu before them, even though the underlying situation had reached an insoluble point, both sides still maintained an outward appearance of composure and magnanimity.

In fact, throughout the spring planting season at the beginning of the sixth year of Jian'an, aside from the many envoys traveling ceaselessly back and forth along the roads of the Central Plains, Hebei, and Guanxi, the entire realm actually showed no sense of tension whatsoever, and even seemed to have a somewhat thriving, prosperous feeling — or rather, when the most important agricultural production activity of this agrarian society was temporarily unimpeded, the comings and goings of those great figures and the revelries of those in power within the cities were still not enough to outwardly alter the complexion of this world by much.

Of course, conversely, thanks to the cover provided by the spring planting, no matter how unseemly the nobles in the cities behaved, it was of no great consequence.

Throughout the Central Plains, Cao Cao's envoys, bearing the so-called name of the Son of Heaven, rushed about in all directions, attempting to bring about a new Central Plains coalition; Liu Biao and Liu Bei seemed to have no way to avoid it, while Sun Ce in the Jiangdong region and Liu Yan in Ba-Shu further west were also being contacted. Beyond this, Cao Cao's strategists began intensively formulating plans for the decisive battle, and famous scholars from Nanyang and Yingchuan, bearing diplomatic missions, also traveled back and forth between Huainan and Jing-Xiang, attempting to get the other side to reveal their full strength in preparation for war.

In contrast, in the Hebei region, especially around Yecheng, as envoys arrived in a steady stream, the area sank into a kind of celebratory frenzy... Gongsun Xun had established his government and founded his state. Although the process deliberately avoided the posture of using Hebei's overwhelming power to coerce others — even the most crucial military was deliberately suppressed from voicing any opinion, and the position was obtained purely through legal political operations in the Sanfu region — the final distribution of rewards and titles undoubtedly saw the officials of Yecheng take the largest share.

Among these, the most representative were those seven substantive chancellor positions!

This was the first time since Emperor Wu of Han established the inner court and seized the chancellors' authority that a sovereign had proactively and openly ceded substantive power. Although there was a design splitting it into seven, these were, after all, publicly acknowledged substantive chancellor positions. Add to that the fact that the so-called Yan Principality, with only five commanderies of fief land, now effectively ruled half the realm, and one might ask: who would not be stirred?

To borrow a phrase from those reckless students at the Yecheng University, the seven men — Lu Fan, Shen Pei, Lou Gui, Wang Xiu, Tian Feng, Han Dang, and Xi Zhong — if judged solely by the authority and achievements they now held, had, at this point in their lives, already surpassed the highest peak reachable by any traditional scholar-official or humble martial man in the preceding three hundred years.

Because in the several hundred years of the Han, aside from the Son of Heaven himself, those who were truly illustrious for a time after Emperor Wu mostly exercised power by borrowing the sovereign's authority... They were all either imperial in-laws or members of the imperial clan. Even Huo Guang's act of deposing and enthroning an emperor was, in fact, based on the auxiliary governance authority bequeathed by Emperor Wu of Han. In other words, although those powers were immense, they were all lent to them by the imperial house, clearly marked with the word "loan" from the very beginning. But for these seven men, regardless of whether they personally obeyed Gongsun Xun's every word, their authority came solidly from the bureaucratic system. This was something Gongsun Xun personally acknowledged as a gift, not a loan. In the future, they themselves might leave their posts, but these seven positions and their corresponding authority would remain permanently, belonging to the bureaucracy.

One might ask, under such circumstances, which of those granted such titles would not be stirred to enthusiasm?

And which young man engaged in study, or mid-level bureaucrat climbing the ranks, would not be tempted?

Amidst the agitation and excitement, some even secretly suggested that this was Yan Gong's intention to proclaim himself emperor, using this to buy the hearts of the realm's scholars... Of course, this was immediately ridiculed, because this freshly minted Yan Gong not only still solely held military power (there was no military restructuring throughout the entire process; the troops of Yecheng and Guanzhong merely received monetary and material rewards), but of the so-called seven chancellors, except for Tian Feng and Xi Zhong, who could be considered to have joined somewhat later, all the rest were personal followers Gongsun Xun had brought under his command since he was a young man of twenty.

They were true original followers!

Moreover, if one were to calculate carefully, Lu Fan, Lu Ziheng, was a destitute household from Runan; Lou Gui was a fugitive from Nanyang; Wang Xiu and Lu Fan had extremely similar backgrounds, both being men who could not even be called from humble families, the only difference being that their families had not fallen into bankruptcy to the point of being unable to afford even a duck; Han Dang goes without saying, he was practically a man of household servant origin; and Xi Zhong, in the final analysis, was also a destitute man with no ties or attachments, who followed alone!

Only Shen Pei and Tian Feng could be considered to come from great Hebei clans, and could somewhat represent the interests of certain local aristocratic families of Jizhou.

So, to put it bluntly, who buys the hearts of scholar-officials with men of such backgrounds? These were truly the top seven figures when seniority and merit were combined.

And these seven men, including Han Dang, had in fact not dabbled in military authority for several years. These were positions they rightfully deserved.

In fact, it was precisely because of this that the Guanzhong faction and the military did not harbor much doubt about these selections.

"It is still somewhat inappropriate." On the cuju field west of the city, the closest to Yecheng University, with no official matches and the spring scenery just right, many Yecheng students were gathered there to converse, debate, and enjoy the spring outing. Among them, a young man with a Guanxi accent was on a viewing platform, indignant about certain matters, to the point of speaking wildly. "Dong of Jizhou and Zhong of Yongzhou are now the two most important regional governors in Hebei and Guanxi. For the sake of local stability, it's one thing for them not to be chancellors — they will surely have their due in the future. But why could the two military advisors, Jia and Xun, not become chancellors? Especially Jia Gong, who has rendered countless strategic achievements. Even the General of the Guards... even Yan Gong has repeatedly told people that in all the realm, none surpass Jia and Xun in wisdom and stratagem! He also said that gaining Guanzhong was not the joy; the joy was gaining Jia and Xun! In the past at Yecheng, whenever there were rewards and appointments, Jia Gong was always at the forefront..."

At these words, several Guanxi scholars already gathered on this viewing platform nodded in agreement, crying out at the injustice, drawing the sidelong glances of many.

"But according to your words, sir, there are only seven positions. Even if Jia Gong deserves such a position, who should step down?" With the Guanxi group clamoring thus, a youth with a Hebei accent on the platform could not help but interject in retort from a distance. "Could it be that you, sir, believe there is someone unsuitable among the seven chancellors?"

"I dare not say unsuitable, but if we speak of those who are debatable, naturally there are some!" This Guanxi scholar had thrown caution to the wind and directly named names through gritted teeth. "For example, Tian Gong of the Censorate. May I ask in what way is Jia Gong inferior to Tian Gong?"

"In moral virtue, perhaps?" The several young Hebei scholars were first taken aback, but then could not help but grow heated. One of them, a youth with bound hair who seemed to be the leader, probably relying on his family background, was also bold and directly retorted with mockery. "First he followed Dong Zhuo, bringing chaos to Sanjin with warfare, then he betrayed his lord, offering up the pass at Tongguan... Though his stratagems are many, they are all underhanded schemes; though his wisdom is high, he does not govern the classics nor cultivate moral virtue. In contrast, look at Tian Gong, renowned throughout the realm for his outspoken remonstrance, famous in Hebei since youth, properly nominated as an Abundant Talent and sent out as an Attending Censor..."

"Nominated as an Abundant Talent by whose family?!" The Guanxi scholar sneered, interrupting him. "And speaking of morality, what qualifications does your Sima clan have to speak of morality? When Dong Zhuo ran amok, I did not see your father or elder brother rise up against him. Had it not been for Yan Gong's rescue, your brother would have died on the road during the relocation of the capital. Had it not been for Jia Gong offering up the pass, your father might well have been serving Dong Zhuo for a lifetime! Today you mock Jia Gong — could it be because on that day, your father could only stand with head bowed beneath the left watchtower before Weiyang Palace?! Was it not Emperor Ling and your honored father and their ilk who brought chaos to the realm?!"

At these words, the surrounding Guanxi scholars burst into loud laughter.

The youth with the Hebei accent, who was none other than the sixteen-year-old Sima Fu, who had just entered the university half a year ago, was laughed at until his face flushed red, yet he dared not retort. The young man glanced left and right on the platform, and seeing a bamboo broom standing to one side, simply grabbed it and charged upward with all his might: "Yin Feng! You insult my father and brother — today I will surely make you pay!"

The Guanxi scholar named Yin Feng, seeing this, was not angered but rather pleased, and directly rolled up his sleeves: "Let this man from Henei witness the valor of Guanxi!"

As soon as the words fell, he reached out and grabbed the bamboo broom thrust at him, wrenched it away with a twist, and then began lashing Sima Fu wildly across the back, beating him until Sima Fu could only cover his head and endure... Below, Sima Fu originally had companions from Henei and Wei Commandery. At first, seeing Sima Fu charge up on his own, they had hesitated, but seeing their companion being beaten, how could they endure it?

So they also surged forward en masse!

However, Yin Feng above also had his Guanxi companions — who was supposed to be afraid of whom?

And so, the two sides immediately clashed back and forth, fighting in a chaotic brawl on the viewing platform!

Not only that, because this involved regional tensions and touched upon the most hotly debated topic of late — the seven chancellor positions — and with the sun shining brightly on a day of rest, who knew how many university scholars were at the cuju field that morning? Moreover, scholars from Hebei and Guanxi accounted for nearly eighty percent of the university's enrollment. So, in the end, the entire cuju field was drawn in, and for a time, chaos reigned, a complete mess!

Faced with such a scene, the surrounding citizens and scholars were thrown into a panic. Those who were going to report to the authorities went to report; those who were going to find Huangfu Song, who was in charge of security at the university, went to find Huangfu Song!

However, after the newly appointed Bearer of the Gilded Mace, Ma Teng, led the Gilded Mace Guards there to cooperate with his old superior Huangfu Song in apprehending all the brawling students, what left everyone dumbfounded was that the Hebei scholars, who held an absolute numerical advantage, were almost completely routed across the board, every single one bearing injuries! The Guanxi scholars, on the contrary, had won a complete victory and were extremely elated!

Upon closer investigation, it turned out that on one hand, the Guanxi scholars were all men who had seen killing, or even committed it themselves, and thus were able to unite as one and fight collectively, dividing and conquering their disorganized opponents. On the other hand, the Bingzhou scholars, who had traditionally favored Hebei, had for once reversed their stance, almost entirely siding with Guanxi, which was what allowed the Guanxi side to achieve such a great victory!

Faced with this outcome, Ma Shoucheng laughed for a while, then led his troops away with his hands behind his back. As for those who had fought on both sides, they were naturally subjected to a thorough investigation of the cause by Huangfu Song and severely punished... Among them, the most unlucky was naturally Sima Fu. Having been scolded, beaten, and finally punished, he had no choice but to swallow his tears and go to the library inside the city's university to seek out his elder brother Sima Yi, asking the latter for help.

However, Sima Yi was about to take his graduation exams and was full of ambitious spirit, with no time to vent some petty grievance for his younger brother... Given the current situation, someone of his stature could not do much venting anyway! He could only, under the astonished gazes of his classmates in the library, take his younger brother back to tend to his injuries!

"A'fu, if you ask me, you brought this entirely upon yourself this time." In the afternoon, after bringing his brother back to his residence from the library, Sima Yi, while personally cleaning the other's wounds and applying medicine and bandages, could not help but scold him. "Matters among the chancellors — how can they be discussed by a bunch of you who have just bound your hair and begun your studies?"

"Everyone is discussing it..." Sima Fu was utterly aggrieved.

"Blind discussion!" Sima Yi scolded as he cleaned the red swelling on his brother's back. "What do a bunch of kids like you understand? Tian Gong was able to take this position clearly because the post of the Censorate suits him best! And the fact that the two military advisors, Jia and Xun, did not become chancellors does not mean they have lost favor... It means that half the realm has yet to be swallowed by Yan Gong. Jia and Xun have always been outstanding in planning and strategy, and are clearly to be continually used in military affairs. As for the seven chancellors, even Han Gong no longer actually leads troops — they are all so-called civil chancellors. One might ask, how could Jia and Xun, who are to be used in military affairs, properly take such posts? If we followed your logic, wouldn't it mean that Guan and Cheng have completely lost Yan Gong's regard?"

"But... but everyone in the university says the seven chancellor positions are the most honored in nearly three hundred years!"

"That's not wrong." Sima Yi was momentarily speechless. "But that's for the future, when there are no more wars in the realm and peace is restored, only then can the seven be uniquely honored... At the founding of a state, meritorious officials naturally have their own ways of being evaluated. Mere chancellors... Let me ask you, in the early years of the Former Han, the chancellor was a sole chancellor. Even Zhang Liang never served as any kind of chancellor, while Xiao He, Cao Can, and Chen Ping all served as chancellor. Does that mean Zhang Liang was inferior to Chen Ping or Cao Can?"

Sima Fu seemed to have an awakening: "Second Brother means that although the seven chancellors are important, firstly, the realm is not yet unified, and secondly, Yan Gong is still here, so they are not of much use..."

"That's not what I mean either!" Sima Yi grew even more speechless. "How can the chancellors be useless? What I mean is, we are living in a time of settling chaos that comes once in two hundred years, a transformation unseen in four hundred years. The heroes and gallants of this era, even the losers and the defeated, are destined to be illustrious for ten thousand generations, let alone those who succeed? One can only say that the generation of Yan Gong are the founders, and founders cannot be evaluated by official positions, success or failure, or rank... They are destined to ascend into the luminous annals of history, remembered like the figures from the times of Emperor Gaozu, Emperor Shizu, and even the Qin Emperor and Xiang Yu. You bunch of ungrateful brats, using the gain or loss of official positions to cry injustice for them — if they themselves heard it, they would probably only laugh!"

Only then did Sima Fu fully understand his elder brother's meaning: "Elder Brother means that the meritorious officials of the founding will have their own judgment, and if Yan Gong can truly unify the realm, then in the future, when we take office, no matter what, we won't be able to compare with the present, nor is there any need to compare?"

"That is precisely the point!" Sima Yi put down the hot towel in his hand and suddenly sighed. "This, in fact, is why I, your brother, must graduate as soon as possible and seek to join the Volunteer Followers. Because no one knows when the realm will be unified, and yet only by joining the army and participating in the war can one obtain the resume of a founding meritorious official. Therefore, even if it's just a slight participation, I must try my utmost. Otherwise, how could I compete in the future with those meritorious officials who experienced the wars for the position of Prime Chancellor?"

"Elder Brother wants to be Prime Chancellor?" Sima Fu turned his head in astonishment.

"Can I not?" Sima Yi stared back at his own younger brother, his bearing proud. "In the future, the chancellors of our generation will inevitably come from within the university, and among my peers in the academy, I am the most outstanding. If I can also obtain the resume of a meritorious official, how could I not serve a term as Prime Chancellor?"

"Wang Can..."

"Wang Can is just a bookworm, frivolous in character, not knowing what is serious — a figure just like Cai Bojie and Kong Wenju. No matter how close he is to Yan Gong's family, no matter how great his literary talent, he is destined never to be a chancellor!"

"Zhuge Liang..."

"That man Zhuge Liang, although he has gained the favor of Yan Gong and the Empress Dowager, nine times out of ten it is merely because of his fine appearance and the encounter of reading in the snow that day." Sima Yi grew increasingly dismissive. "Though he likes to read, his grades never reach the top; though he has great ambitions, his interests are always too diverse. More importantly, he is from Langya, grew up in Taishan, and lost his father at a young age, lacking sufficient clan connections to support him — unlike our Sima clan, which has many fellow townsmen serving as high officials who can be relied upon for support. For instance, the newly appointed Governor of Bingzhou, Chang Gong, and General of the Household Guard, Han Gong — both were recommended to Yan Gong by our clan uncle back in the day... And don't forget, I am also two years older than him. Do not underestimate these two years. With these two years, I may well be able to obtain the resume of a founding meritorious official, while he and you may well not... In this way, how can he compare with me? If you ask me, at most he can have a position as Left Chancellor in the future, serving as my assistant!"

"Then... what about Eldest Brother?"

"If not for Eldest Brother, I would not have even conceived this ambition!" Hearing this, Sima Yi suddenly became exasperated. "Speaking of closeness and opportunity, what was that between Eldest Brother and Yan Gong? Outsiders say Eldest Brother is practically half a son to Yan Gong! Yet he is so utterly pedantic, letting the chance with Yan Gong's two young ladies slip by in vain. Marrying some daughter of the Zhen clan is one thing — after all, one has no choice in such matters — but this time, with the Son of Heaven fleeing and Yan Gong establishing his government, he actually wrote to Father, a lengthy discourse, going on about how the virtue of the Han house and the grace of Yan Gong put one in a dilemma... In my view, his chancellor position will sooner or later be fretted away by him! It is precisely because of this that I must strive with all my might to seek a term as Prime Chancellor, lest the Sima clan decline from this point on!"

With Second Brother scolding Eldest Brother, Sima Fu did not know what to say for a moment.

"Let it be!" Sima Yi also found it pointless, so he rose to leave. "It's still early; I need to return to the library to study. You should argue less with those people... You must understand, our Sima clan has a deep relationship with Duke Yan. Though we are not among his original followers, we are still considered his direct line, and our prospects are generally secure. Why bother quarreling with people whose foundations are unknown? The heroes of the realm are not for you to discuss."

Sima Fu mumbled his assent.

However, as Sima Yi reached the door, he suddenly turned his head back, his expression stern, like a wolf glancing over its shoulder. "There is one thing I almost forgot to tell you... Discussing the Chancellor is one thing, since everyone is doing it, but there is one matter you must never get involved in, even if it kills you!"

Sima Fu was startled. "Please speak plainly, Second Brother."

"The matter of the heir!" Sima Yi turned back and warned him solemnly. "The heir will certainly be Prince Ding, there is no doubt about that... And the reason Duke Yan has not yet appointed an heir comes down to three possibilities. One, he has a new system for establishing succession in mind and does not wish to appoint one early. Two, he intends to use this to warn the General of the Right in Liaodong, urging him to relinquish control over Pingzhou's military and civil affairs sooner... This is the most likely. But there is also a third possibility: Duke Yan has sensed the strife between Guanxi and Hebei and finds it somewhat distasteful. So, while he is still in his prime, he is deliberately elevating Prince Ping to lure out those of weak resolve in Hebei and Guanxi, using the opportunity to purge a wave of them! To be safe, you must absolutely not get too close to either prince right now, lest you fall into great calamity!"

Recalling the brawl today, Sima Fu nodded with complete conviction.

Seeing this, Sima Yi had nothing more to say. He left his beaten younger brother behind and strode out the door to return to the library and continue his studies for the exams. However, as he walked out, turned from the small alley into the academy's side gate, and then from the side gate to the front of the quiet study hall beneath the library, he was suddenly dumbstruck.

It turned out that the quiet study hall of the library, which had been completely packed earlier, now had only the ever-present Zhuge Liang still sitting in his usual spot reading. Everyone else had vanished without a trace.

Seeing that the pretty boy Zhuge Liang, whom he had always looked down upon, was still sitting there reading, Sima Yi naturally refused to lose in terms of composure. So he forcibly suppressed his curiosity, sat down, and continued reading his own book. After all, no matter how great the matter, his classmates would have to return eventually, and then he would naturally know... However, he waited a full quarter of an hour without seeing a single person return. Instead, people kept dashing past the door, heading toward the academy gate. He grew increasingly anxious but could only forcibly endure it!

After waiting another full quarter of an hour, still no one returned. Worse, some people, disregarding all rules, were sprinting past the quiet study hall door while loudly discussing something, seemingly about going to war. Hearing this talk, Sima Yi was momentarily panicked and finally could bear it no longer. He threw down his book and went out to question these classmates.

"War is coming!" These classmates outside told him directly before Sima Yi could even speak. "Duke Yan has issued a proclamation to the realm, once again demanding that Cao Mengde personally escort the Son of Heaven back to Chang'an. And if it cannot be done this time, he will certainly come to Nanyang himself within the year to receive him. When that time comes, let it not be said that no warning was given! More critically, the Three Departments, Six Ministries, and Four Courts have jointly issued official documents, ordering all provinces and commanderies to immediately muster and inspect their squads of able-bodied men after the spring planting, and to inventory arms and supplies. The area before the academy gate is already nearing a boiling point..."

Sima Yi, who was only eighteen this year, felt his blood surge at these words. What did he care for composure now? He immediately sprinted to catch up, running with these classmates toward the bulletin board outside the academy gate... And so, in mere moments, inside the quiet study hall, only Zhuge Liang remained, continuing to read his "Elementary Geography"!

—————I am the dividing line of the elementary stage—————

"The conduct of a gentleman: quietude cultivates the self, frugality nurtures virtue. Without indifference to fame and fortune, one cannot make clear his aspirations; without tranquility, one cannot reach far. Learning requires stillness; talent requires study. Without study, one cannot broaden his talents; without aspiration, one cannot complete his learning. Indolence and recklessness cannot sharpen the spirit; rashness and impatience cannot discipline the nature. As the years race by and the will fades with the days, one withers and falls, often out of touch with the world, sorrowfully confined to a humble dwelling—what chance will there be to recover?" — Zhuge Liang

PS: Thanks to Demon King Wanmeng, slyshen, and Private Puhuo Fei'e for their tips.

Also, continuing to promote and offer as sacrifice the book "Cao Cao's Chef."

(End of Chapter)