Chapter 509: Heavy Snow Shining Like a Vessel of Ice

The winter sky stretched vast and pale, snow gradually beginning to swirl — and with it came the end of a certain phase of the war.

As it happened, with Cao Cao dead in battle and Xun Yu fleeing into Runan, the Yan army’s assault on Cao Cao’s territory became remarkably easy. By the eleventh month — just as the Son of Heaven and his party had struggled their way to the banks of the Great River and were catching a momentary… momentary breath — the so-called traditional Central Plains, in the narrow sense, fell entirely into Yan hands.

Among these events, Xiahou Dun and Cao Cao’s eldest son Cao Ang, besieged at Changyi by Gao Shun, Xu Huang, and Yu Jin, chose to surrender.

Cao Ren, besieged at his family home in Qiaoxian by Yang Kai, Tian Yu, Tian Chou, Zhang He, and others, chose to take his own life after personally burying several severed heads.

And somewhat unexpectedly, Xun Yu, who had already reached Xincai with certain scholars and officials of the Central Plains, chose to split from them when news of Cao Cao’s and Lu Bu’s deaths arrived… The majority of the accompanying scholars, because of Lu Bu’s death, began to doubt Gongsun Xun’s political credibility at this moment and, gripped by momentary fear, chose to join Liu Bei instead. Xun Yu himself, however, turned back with a portion of the scholars and formally surrendered to Jia Xu, who had advanced into Chen.

Faced with Xun Wenruo’s return, Jia Wenhe, who understood the human heart, felt some emotion — but he could comprehend the other man’s state of mind even more.

It was, in truth, very simple:

First, with Cao Cao dead, Xun Yu naturally felt that there was no one left who could save the Han — or rather, at this stage, even though Liu Bei still seemed to be an option, Xun Wenruo could no longer cast aside the label of Cao Mengde and go seek another.

Second, if he cast aside the revival of the Han — that most self-persuasive of reasons and the knot in his heart — Xun Wenruo had no reason left to oppose Gongsun Xun. He wanted to see what Gongsun Xun’s future would hold… As for Lu Bu’s death, which so rankled the scholars of Yingchuan, Runan, Chen, Pei, and Liang, to him it was no grievance at all. It was not that Xun Wenruo carried his own incense and could not smell the stench; rather, he would have gladly taken the place of his nephew Xun Gongda to watch Lu Bu die there with his own eyes, to comfort the spirit of Cao Mengde!

To put it bluntly — without Cao Mengde, what was he, Xun Wenruo, anyway?

By this point, the former territory of Cao Cao, the greater part of Xuzhou, and the Nanyang region had essentially fallen into Yan hands.

But with the winter snows arriving and logistics growing arduous, the Yan army’s offensive could not help but pause slightly — which allowed Liu Bei to withdraw at his leisure to his original territory south of the Sui River in Pei, linking up with Lu Su, who had returned to Runan, and barely holding on in the Huaibei region… This was within expectations. Although the decisive battle had been won, and the Yan army could certainly take the lands north of the Huai River at its ease — even to the point that, come next spring, Liu Bei, having lost most of his elite troops and his navy, would likely be unable to hold even the Great River defense line nine times out of ten — the process of taking possession alone would still require considerable time.

Add to that the accompanying tasks of restoring order, pacifying the populace, and reviving production, and it would likely take a year or two to truly take in all the lands north of the River and gradually bring them to stability.

And it was in this interval that Gongsun Xun, halting at Xuxian, suddenly made his move. In the name of the Lord of Yan, he issued a succession of decrees. The content of these decrees could not be called earth-shattering, but nearly every one of them carried the weight of a thousand jun.

It read: Dismiss Lu Fan as Prime Minister of Yan, appoint him Grand Marshal and Grand Commander, bestow upon him banners, drums, and ceremonial regalia, to act on behalf of the Lord of Yan as Viceroy over the military and civil affairs of Yu, Xu, Jing, and Yang provinces, to command the entire front-line army, to soothe the soldiers and people, to appoint officials, to assess military merits, and to march south to chastise Liu Bei, who refuses to hand over the Son of Heaven, and to be certain to take all of the Two Huai region.

It read: Dismiss Shen Pei as Governor of Qingzhou, for military merit enfeoff him as Marquis, with a stipend equivalent to ten Battalion Commander’ tax, and return him to Yexia as Chancellor of the Left, as before.

It read: Dismiss Lou Gui as Governor of Sizhou, for military merit enfeoff him as Marquis, with a stipend equivalent to ten Battalion Commander’ tax, and return him to Yexia as Chancellor of the Right, as before.

It read: Dismiss Jia Xu from the post of Military Advisor General of the Left, for military merit enfeoff him as Marquis, with a stipend equivalent to ten Battalion Commander’ tax, and appoint him Prime Minister.

It read: Promote Military Advisor General of the Right Xun You to Military Advisor General, to serve as Deputy Commander. As the war is not yet settled, enfeoff him as Marquis, without calculating the stipend equivalent, to serve as second to the Grand Marshal, continuing as before to command the central army and administer punishments, rewards, and military strategy.

It read: Appoint General Who Guards the East, Guan Yu, as Governor of Xuzhou, for military merit enfeoff him as Marquis, without calculating the stipend equivalent, to command the eastern front as before.

It read: Temporarily attach Nanyang to Sizhou; appoint General Who Guards the South, Cheng Pu, as Governor of Sizhou, enfeoff him as Marquis, without calculating the stipend equivalent, to command the western front as before.

It read: Send out the former Grand Administrator of Guangyang, Zao Zhi, as Governor of Qingzhou.

It read: Send out the former Grand Administrator of Henei, Qian Zhao, as Governor of Yuzhou.

It read: Send out the former Grand Administrator of Hedong, Du Ji, as Governor of Yanzhou.

It read: Send out the former Grand Administrator of Tianshui, Zhang Ji, as Governor of Liangzhou.

It read: For all generals and meritorious officials in the army, from Han Dang, Director of the Privy Council, on down — those in this campaign who have verifiably taken the heads of wanted enemy chieftains or captured them, excepting those who died in battle such as Guo Yuan and Xu Xing — all shall, as the war is not yet settled, be temporarily enfeoffed as Marquis to establish their rank and status. The remaining stipend equivalents and specific rewards shall all be determined once the war has subsided.

Guo Yuan and Xu Xing shall both receive substantive enfiefments.

All of these decrees, issued in an unbroken stream, made it seem as though Lord Gongsun Xun of Yan had long had a complete plan in mind. And compared to matters like generals becoming ministers, marquisates and stipends, and governors and generals flying thick as snowflakes, the decrees appointing all manner of oddly credentialed figures — Zhang Lu, Han Hao, Guo Jia, Jia Kui, Pang De, Ma Chao, Jiang Gan, Zhu Ling, Zhang Wei, Cheng Wu, Yang Jun, and so on and so forth — as Grand Administrators, Ministers of the Court, Generals of the Household, Cavalry Commandants, and Commandery Commandants basically felt like things to be noted down and nothing more.

In all fairness, this great wave of appointments was largely anticipated. With nearly half again as much territory and population suddenly added, there were bound to be rewards and transfers of this magnitude.

In fact, once the lands north of the River were fully pacified a year or two later, besides determining the actual ranks and stipends for the generals’ marquisates, there would likely be a further division of provinces, and perhaps even the rumored rectification of commandery and kingdom borders — at which time there would be even more high-level personnel reshuffles.

Even so, some of these appointments, being overly sensitive, still set imaginations racing.

For instance, Lu Fan’s appointment as Grand Marshal and Grand Commander, authorized to campaign on behalf of the Lord of Yan and bestowed with banners and ceremonial regalia — this was fundamentally a treatment that exceeded the normal order… One must understand that Lu Ziheng had no need of such things now; everyone knew he was the foremost among the Yan ministers. His being sent out at this time to oversee the overall situation was nothing other than Gongsun Xun deliberately bestowing grace upon his “man of merit,” to compensate for the death of his eldest son, to grant him treatment surpassing the rites due a subject, to send him additional military merit, to let that pauper who once could not afford shoes return home in brocade robes with an absolute status!

It was just like a few days earlier, after Cai Mao formally handed over Nanyang, when Gongsun Xun insisted that Lou Zibo, who was about to return to Yexia, and Cheng Pu immediately lead tens of thousands of troops from Wancheng southward to take possession — unnecessary in itself, but why not do it?

Everyone knew Lou Zibo was a man of Nanyang; everyone knew that in his youth he had been ridiculed by his fellow townsmen for his ambitions; and now everyone knew that he was the foremost man who, through military strategy, had assisted the Lord of Yan in pacifying Hebei, Guanxi, and the Central Plains — and then he truly returned with a mighty army at his back.

Such things were truly unnecessary, but when actually done, they made one intoxicated with the gesture.

And if Lu Fan’s appointment merely raised eyebrows and caused a surface stir, then the fact that after Lu Fan was sent out as Grand Marshal and Grand Commander, it was Jia Xu who leaped into the position of Prime Minister — that was somewhat hard to keep people from whispering among themselves, and even from some out-of-bounds discussions…

After all, though in terms of both merit and ability, Jia Wenhe was absolutely beyond reproach, the problem was that as a surrendered man who had only come over during the campaign against Dong Zhuo, there were far, far too many people more “suitable” than him for the post of Prime Minister!

Would it not have been better to move any one of Shen Pei, Lou Gui, or Wang Xiu forward one step?

Could not the two heavyweights of the imperial clan, Gongsun Yue and Gongsun Fan, have done it?

Even Dong Zhao or Xun Gongda taking the post would have been far stronger than Jia Xu, because if Dong Zhao or Xun You had become Prime Minister — or even merely one of the Three Chancellors — it would inevitably have sent a powerful signal to the traditional scholars and great clans of the Central Plains and the south, and would absolutely have done a tremendous amount to soothe people’s hearts!

And besides, never mind that Dong Zhao had already been acting in the role of Chancellor of the Left for a long time — just considering Xun You’s merit, ability, and even his seniority, were they not exactly the same as Jia Xu’s?

So on what grounds was it Jia Xu?

Amid the buzzing discussions, especially in the Central Plains heartland where the reaction was strongest, some among the newly surrendered even said in private that the Lord of Yan had killed Lu Bu, arousing misgivings among some of the surrendered men, and that the Lord of Yan had deliberately done this to shake off the disturbance.

Because once the matter of killing Lu Bu and the matter of Jia Xu becoming Prime Minister were set out together, everyone would be more concerned with why Jia Xu was made Prime Minister, and no one would continue to care about Lu Bu… Was Lu Bu not just a warrior? A cesspit… he merely lost his footing in a cesspit.

But Prime Minister — that was Prime Minister!

A mere poisonous scholar from Guanxi!

But Gongsun Xun was destined not to hear these golden words of wisdom. In truth, Gongsun Xun, who lately, having taken the entire Central Plains, had grown somewhat willful to the point of “resembling Emperor Huan,” did not even receive Xun Yu or Xiahou Dun. On a day of swirling winter snow, he set out north with three thousand Volunteers, heading in the direction of the old capital, Luoyang.

Up to this point, the accompanying Volunteers, especially Wang Can, who had finally been restored to his original post, discussed and speculated, at one point genuinely believing that Gongsun Xun had come here to stage some sort of political show, dig up some treasure, and then take things a step further — he even prepared a poem in advance!

Of course, such conjectures were entirely reasonable. After the Battle of Guandu, the Lord of Yan held seven or eight parts in ten of the realm, and the House of Han had grown increasingly unseemly, actually fleeing from the banks of the Yellow River to the banks of the Great River — and word had it that there had been internal strife along the way, with the Empress herself rising in revolt.

And besides, on this journey the Lord of Yan had brought his eldest son, Gongsun Ding, who had already bound up his hair and seen the battlefield, which inevitably gave rise to wild thoughts.

However, such notions quickly vanished. For after arriving at Luoyang, the Lord of Yan did indeed stop and have men search the abandoned wells of the Southern Palace and Northern Palace once more, as if he truly meant to dig up some treasure… But when nothing came of it, he immediately set out again, directly ordering the newly appointed Wen Protector of the Army, Sima Yi, and Wu Protector of the Army, Ma Dai, to continue opening the road, heading straight for Hongnong. By the time of the La month, they crossed the already frozen Great River and arrived in the Wangwu Mountains on the opposite bank of the Yellow River.

At this, everyone suddenly understood — the Lord of Yan had come to pay homage at the tomb of his teacher, Liu Zhaolie.

The sacrificial ceremony was exceptionally solemn and formal, and of an exceptionally high standard. The Lord of Yan himself, accompanied by his eldest son and all participants in the sacrifice, bathed and waited in stillness for seven days, then chose an auspicious hour and presented the three sacrificial beasts — the Tailao rite.

Then, to everyone’s surprise, after the sacrifice was complete, the Lord of Yan himself took up Xiang Yu’s broken blade and cut the meat of the three beasts, distributing it to his eldest son Gongsun Ding and the many accompanying Volunteers to boil and eat, saying it should not be wasted.

This was something absolutely not in the rites before. But at this time, among the retinue, aside from the habitually mute Wang Xiang and the loyal Han Hao, who was about to be appointed Grand Administrator of Hedong, the highest-ranking persons were merely Sima Yi and Ma Dai — the “Two Mas” — who had just taken up their posts as Protectors of the Army, and no one dared question the Lord of Yan. In fact, Wang Can once again took the initiative to step forward and explain that this was the Lord of Yan initiating the custom of simplicity and practicality, and that all future sacrifices should be conducted thus!

Just like the story of how Emperor Gaozu of Han forcibly declared himself the Black Emperor back in the day!

As for this, the accompanying Volunteers and the scholars among the retinue were all indifferent… Because just as the gods of ancient Greece only inhaled the aroma while the sacrificial offerings were eaten by the priests, the Confucian sages of old had certainly debated the waste of sacrificial offerings. In particular, with life growing harder by the day over the preceding decades, the doctrines of frugal burials and simplified rites had gained increasing esteem, and Yexia had always emphasized practicality — so it was not enough to provoke anyone’s discontent.

Moreover, the Lord of Yan himself had explained it perfectly: with Teacher Liu’s magnanimity and open-mindedness, if he truly came back to life, he would be delighted to see his student leading a group of young men eating the meat from his family’s offerings!

In sum, matters proceeded fairly smoothly. Only Wang Can, these past few days, leaping about and forcing explanations, insisting that everything the Lord of Yan did was right, could not help but invite silent grumbling and secret slander from some of the more straightforward men.

But very soon, this slander, too, vanished completely with the sudden arrival of three wholly unexpected high ministers at Wangwu Mountain in Hedong.

The arrivals were none other than Chief Censor Tian Feng, General of the North Garrison Gongsun Fan, and General of the West Garrison Gongsun Yue. Gongsun Yue had even brought along Gongsun Xu, the eldest son of Gongsun Zan, who had been living idly in Chang'an.

Of these three, two had set out from Yexia and one from Liangzhou, yet all happened to arrive one after another on the second day after the sacrificial rites had concluded — clearly summoned by the Duke of Yan.

"Your Highness has mishandled three matters!" Tian Yuanhao had no sooner arrived than, after merely taking a bath and changing into formal attire to show due solemnity, he immediately began to fulfill his duties with a dark expression right there in the Liu Family Fortress at the foot of Mount Wangwu.

"Yuanhao, please speak."

Liu Song had gone to Yexia to take up an official post, so Gongsun Xun had brazenly taken over the man's residence. When drinking on the kang in the rear quarters, he did not even bother to wear his shoes.

However, as Gongsun Xun and Tian Feng began their dialogue, the four others who had also been shoeless — namely Gongsun Fan, Gongsun Yue, Wang Xiang, and Han Hao — immediately got off the kang and put on their shoes. Only Gongsun Xun remained on the kang, draped in a great cloak, watching Gongsun Ding and Gongsun Xu turn the meat and warm the wine before the kang.

Perhaps because they were not at court, or perhaps because these three matters had been pent up in his heart for so long, Tian Feng paid no heed to such minor formalities and immediately faced him with a stern countenance:

"First: the Chancellor and the Generals are the pillars of state, internal and external. How can they all be overturned at once in a single morning? It is not that Chancellor Lü cannot serve as Grand Marshal and Grand Commander, nor that Jia Wenhe, Shen Zhengnan, and Lou Zibo cannot serve as Chancellors. But why could the transitions not be staggered slightly, to guard against contingencies? Half a month ago, before the Grand Marshal had even reached the front, Your Highness had already returned north. What if the front lines had shifted? And even if one says that Xun Gongda was still there at the front, capable of commanding the central army, then consider this: before I and the General of the North Garrison departed Yexia, three of the seven Chancellors in Yexia were removed in a single stroke, while the three new Chancellors were all still in Henan at that time. For over ten days in between, of the three most critical central Chancellors, only Dong Jizhou, acting as Left Chancellor, remained at his post! Had some major event occurred, who would have handled it?!"

Gongsun Xun pondered this seriously for a moment, then solemnly nodded: "Yuanhao is absolutely right. I was at fault in this matter. I had thought that with the Empress Dowager in Hebei and myself in Hedong, and with Liu Bei at the front stripped of field troops, all affairs were stable and the overall situation gave no cause for concern. But I forgot that the Chancellor-General system concerns the very foundation of the state. It truly should not have been so rash; there ought to have been institutional safeguards internally. Let it be as you say: henceforth, when Chancellors and Generals are rotated, first, of the three central Chancellors, two shall not depart at the same time; second, of the seven Chancellors, three shall not depart at the same time. Let this become established rule."

Tian Feng's expression eased somewhat, but he continued with a stern face: "Second: Your Highness, as Duke of the State acting on behalf of the sovereign of all under Heaven, naturally holds the authority to appoint and dismiss officials throughout the realm. No one under Heaven would question Your Highness's appointments and dismissals, especially since this round largely involved the newly acquired lands of the Central Plains, and Your Highness originally had discretionary authority in the south. Yet many officials were still dispatched to posts in Hebei, or removed from office in Hebei. Since Your Highness established the Three Departments, Six Ministries, Four Bureaus, and Twelve Courts, you ought to show some respect for the system. At the very least, there should be proper records and procedures — a swift horse to Yexia to make a round before issuing orders. How did it come to pass that white-robed messengers bearing documents scattered in all directions, while Governors and Prefects simply acted on their own?"

Gongsun Xun hesitated, but still nodded again: "What Yuanhao says is reasonable. In this matter, authority should indeed be delegated as much as possible to Yexia. But I ask Yuanhao to bear in mind that we were still in wartime, and the theater was vast, so do not be overly harsh in your censure. Some matters inherently admit no fixed conclusion; it is not necessarily a question of who is right or wrong, merely a debate over the weighting of authority. And I have already resolved that after this war, authority shall be returned as much as possible to the central government."

Tian Feng slowly stroked his beard and nodded, but then grew stern once more: "Your Highness, what crime did Lü Bu commit?!"

Gongsun Xun gazed quietly at the wine cup that had long since grown warm but had not yet been served, and suddenly laughed in spite of himself: "No crime!"

"If he was without crime, why kill him?" Tian Feng pressed relentlessly.

Gongsun Xun leaned back against the earthen wall behind him by the window, gestured for his nephew Gongsun Xu to bring the warm wine, and only after taking a sip of the hot liquor did he answer with a straight face: "Personal enmity! This will not happen again!"

Tian Feng grew furious: "Even if it was personal enmity, even if it will not happen again, why kill him with filth? Does Your Highness think the tale of a misstep can cover this up?"

"My hatred was extreme!"

"What hatred?"

"Has Yuanhao heard a certain poem?" Gongsun Xun's expression did not change as he suddenly raised his cup toward him.

"What poem?"

"Before wine, let us sing — for how long is a man's life? Like the morning dew, the days gone by are many indeed. My song is full of passion, my troubled thoughts hard to forget. How can I dispel my sorrow? Only with Du Kang." Sitting on the kang, leaning against the earthen wall, Gongsun Xun suddenly raised his cup toward the southeast. The moment the words left his lips, the room, brimming with swirling steam, fell instantly silent. "Blue, blue is the collar — long, long my heart. It is only for your sake that I murmur to this day."

Amid utter silence, Gongsun Xun continued to raise his cup and chant: "Yu, yu cry the deer, feeding on the wormwood of the field. I have fine guests; strike the zithers, blow the reed pipes."

"Bright as the moon — when can I pluck it down? Sorrow rises from within and cannot be severed. Crossing the paths, traversing the fields, you trouble yourself to come and ask after me. In reunion and parting we spoke, hearts mindful of old kindness."

Hearing this, nearly everyone in the room with any learning realized that the Duke of Yan was mourning Cao Cao. The lines from "I have fine guests" to "hearts mindful of old kindness" were the Duke recalling the time he visited Cao Cao and was hosted in Qiaoxian.

But Tian Feng remained indignant, as if waiting for Gongsun Xun to finish reciting so he could resume his interrogation.

Yet Gongsun Xun lowered his head, drained the cup of wine in his hand, let out a long breath, and raised the empty cup, his voice ringing out one word at a time as he intoned the final four lines: "The moon is bright, the stars are sparse; crows and magpies fly south. Thrice they circle the tree — on what branch can they perch? The mountain never deems itself too high, the sea never deems itself too deep. The Duke of Zhou spat out his meal, and all under Heaven turned their hearts to him!"

The room fell into absolute silence. Only the rustle of snowflakes beyond the window reminded those within that this was not a moonlit night, but a snowy day.

"Yuanhao, is it a fine poem?" Gongsun Xun set down his cup and faced him.

"Truly exquisite!" Tian Feng gave a long sigh, but still seemed to want to say more.

"This is the poem I intended to chant, spear held crosswise, in Qiaoxian after I had slain Cao Mengde!" Gongsun Xun then faced him with a solemn expression. "And earlier this year, when the clouds of war were gathering thick, I even wrote this poem out especially for Cao Mengde, telling him that if he won, he must also chant it three times, spear held crosswise, on my behalf at the Bronze Sparrow Terrace in Yexia! And now, I can only recite it once here in vain, then cast my cup into the snow."

As he spoke, Gongsun Xun, without turning his head, flung the wine cup in his hand backward out the window beside him.

"Your servant knows that Your Highness and Cao Mengde were the closest of friends, and that you deeply resent Lü Bu's interference, but that is still no excuse for this matter." Tian Feng grew increasingly helpless, but also increasingly resolute.

"I know I was wrong," Gongsun Xun suddenly said with a rueful laugh, signaling his eldest son to bring another cup of wine. "Looking back now, how could I not know what sort of man Lü Bu was? This matter was partly due to my own carelessness. He may even have thought I was hinting for him to do it! But if I had to choose again, I might not kill him with filth, but I would still hack him to pieces to vent the hatred in my heart. Yuanhao, this will not happen again!"

"How can 'this will not happen again' win back the hearts of men?" Tian Feng shook his head repeatedly, his dissatisfaction written plainly on his face.

"That is precisely what I wish to speak to you about, Yuanhao..." Gongsun Xun took another sip of hot wine, then smiled calmly at Tian Feng. "If we speak of winning hearts, at this moment I truly have no desire to win any hearts!"

Tian Feng's expression changed drastically, but he hesitated, wanting to speak yet holding back.

"Why does Yuanhao stop halfway?" Gongsun Xun's smile was ambiguous. "Were you not relentless just a moment ago? Is there truly something you dare not speak of?"

"Your Highness." Tian Feng clasped his hands behind his back and sighed. "In truth, on this journey your servant had four matters he wished to truly interrogate you about. The reason there are only three left is that, after thinking on the road, I felt one matter was perhaps not for me to ask — I should recuse myself. But now, with Your Highness being so candid, if I do not ask, it would instead seem a dereliction of duty."

"Is it the matter of Wenhe becoming Chief Chancellor?" Gongsun Xun had clearly anticipated this. Beside him, the brothers Gongsun Yue and Gongsun Fan, along with the assembled aides and sworn followers, all wore subtly peculiar expressions. Only Wang Xiang, born a slave and whose mind was ever focused on literature and institutions — one who is said to be without desire and therefore firm — remained as composed as ever.

"Indeed." Tian Feng sighed with emotion. "In truth, since ancient times, the realm has been the property of a single clan. Other matters aside, the appointment of the Chief Chancellor — or rather, the Chancellorship — ought to be the sole prerogative of the sovereign; others should not interfere. Yet at this juncture, your servant still wishes to take advantage of this private place, this Liu residence, to ask Your Highness privately: why Jia Wenhe?"

"Just as Yuanhao surmises, and just as I hinted a moment ago, I intend to use this appointment to tell those who harbor false hopes that the realm of Yan has nothing to do with their ilk!" As he spoke the first half, Gongsun Xun still wore a faint smile; by the latter half, his expression had turned stern. "I would rather delay unification by three years than make peace with them in exchange for their delivering Liu Biao and Liu Yan into my hands! Because in settling a chaotic age, walking the right path is sometimes more important than walking the fast path! Besides, at this stage, do they truly still believe the realm is theirs?! I have toiled for eight years, with ceaseless warfare — were those eight years of war fought in vain?!"

Tian Feng fell silent for a moment, while many others, in their alarm, could not help but show puzzled expressions. Even Zhuge Liang furrowed his brow briefly. Only Sima Yi sighed inwardly, then sat lost in thought in a corner.

"This matter has indeed wronged Zhengnan. In truth, by seniority and my original intent, he should have succeeded as Chief Chancellor. It has also wronged Gongda; if we speak of correcting the times, he should have been brought into Yexia..." Gongsun Xun continued to raise his cup and drink deeply. "But so long as the realm remains unsettled for a single day, I cannot, for a single day, properly place them in these positions! Still, they should understand my predicament. Once all under Heaven is at peace, there will always be positions for them."

Tian Feng finally had nothing more to say. Sima Yi, however, could not help but feel a slight surge of hope.

Outside the window, heavy snow swirled. On the second day after Tian Feng and the two senior members of the ducal clan arrived, the Duke of Yan, after conferring with the three, issued new decrees:

Appoint Gongsun Fan as Governor of Pingzhou, to proceed to Liaodong and take up his post, replacing General of the Right and Governor of Pingzhou Zhao Bao; dismiss General of the Right Zhao Bao from the governorship of Pingzhou, summoning him 'to court' as Chief Censor!

Thereupon, additionally confer the title of Regional Commander upon General of the West Garrison Gongsun Yue, stationing him at Chang'an, with overall military and civil authority over the four provinces of Yong, Liang, Zang, and Yi; further dismiss Tian Feng from the post of Chief Censor, sending him out as Governor of Yizhou, with the additional title of Deputy Regional Commander; appoint General of the Champion Zhao Yun with the additional title of Deputy Regional Commander, continuing to be stationed at Hanzhong.

Finally, appoint the Duke of Yan's eldest son, Gongsun Ding, as General of the Household for All Purposes, to establish military farms at Wudu, under the joint jurisdiction of Western Front Regional Commander Gongsun Yue, Deputy Commanders-in-Chief Tian Feng and Zhao Yun, Governor of Liangzhou Zhang Ji, and Grand Administrator of Wudu Pang De!

Incidentally, he also became neighbors with the newly appointed Grand Administrator of Hanzhong Guo Jia, Commandant of Hanzhong Ma Chao, and Commandant of Southern Longxi (established to deal with the Qiang people) Jiang Gan.

Once this news spread — to say nothing of how the realm would inevitably be shaken once more, how Yizhou would inevitably be terrified, and how Yexia would inevitably rejoice — no one knew what reaction the already hollowed-out Pingzhou might have. On this day, having settled the strategy for Yizhou, Gongsun Xun did not even wait for his eldest son to return to Yexia for the New Year. In the depths of winter, in the twelfth month, he personally escorted his eldest son 'across' the river, preparing to let him depart for his post together with Gongsun Yue and Tian Feng.

The newly appointed General of the Household for All Purposes had only three accompanying aides, all personally designated by Gongsun Xun: Wang Can, Zhuge Liang, and Gongsun Xu. Presumably, however young these three might be, they would at least not miscalculate the accounts when it came to running military farms and raising livestock...

In the depths of winter, in the twelfth month, the Yellow River was frozen solid. The many sworn followers, now understanding who the true protagonist of this Hedong journey was, mostly cast envious glances as Wang Can and Zhuge Liang departed with the General of the Household for All Purposes — the son succeeding to his father's former post. The latter, at this moment, was kneeling in the snow before his own father, requesting instruction.

"There is nothing to instruct." Amid the wind and snow, Gongsun Xun helped his son to his feet by the riverbank and could not help but laugh, yet his words were utterly candid. "Each generation has its own responsibilities. Even if your father proves useless, he can at least leave you a realm at peace. This assignment is simply because, now that you have bound up your hair, you should begin to gain some practical experience. And since the realm is not yet at peace, I cannot very well let you be enfeoffed as heir with no military merit at all — hence this appointment. When you reach your post, focus on farming and doing your duty; obey your superiors' orders. Nothing else is for you to meddle in."

These words were a bit too blunt, making the eyelids of the surrounding officials, aides, and sworn followers twitch involuntarily. But after nodding carefully, Gongsun Ding still hesitated in the snow, wanting to speak yet holding back.

"If you have something to say, say it," Gongsun Xun said, unconcerned. "Must you keep secrets before your own father? As for these people, they are all your elders and friends. At your age, no thought you have is shameful."

"Father, it is like this." Gongsun Ding, upon hearing this, forced himself to bow properly. "Previously, when Yuan Shao was defeated and destroyed, Father entrusted the great affairs to Chancellor Lü and privately took me to see Lu Yu's father — that is, one of Father's two esteemed teachers, my own grand-teacher. Now you have brought me to pay respects at the grave of your other esteemed teacher. Such actions must surely be because you wish me to receive some teaching before I depart. Father, setting aside official duties, you must have some expectations of me, surely?"

"Naturally. Have you not grasped them?" Gongsun Xun raised an eyebrow slightly.

"This time, your son truly only half-understands," Gongsun Ding replied earnestly, raising his head. "The Illustrious and Glorious Duke has, after all, been deceased for many years; your son cannot receive direct teaching from him. And although Father has taught by word and deed, it seems you have not truly laid out what you wish to impart. The day before yesterday in the residence, your son felt that Father was clearly holding back some words, not speaking them fully."

"It is merely a matter of lacking the final step of explanation," Gongsun Xun said with a laugh to his eldest son. "In taking you to meet my two esteemed teachers, my intention was simply for you to receive some instruction, so that you might become a hero."

Gongsun Ding's heart tightened, yet he looked up in bewilderment, his expression still somewhat nervous: "May I ask, Father, what is a hero?"

Gongsun Xun gazed solemnly at the sky and sighed. "I wanted to ask you the same thing — what, in your eyes, is a hero?"

Not only Wang Can, but even Zhuge Liang and Gongsun Ding tacitly kept their silence.

"Before the troubled times began, the word 'hero' mostly referred to people of ability... By that measure, Guan Yunchang is a hero, Shen Zhengnan is a hero, Chancellor Lu, Chancellor Lou, Yigong, Lingming, and Suqing are all heroes, and even Ma Mengqi and Lu Fengxian are heroes among common men." Gongsun Xun stood tall in the snow, hand resting on his sword, and indeed answered his own question. "But since the late reign of Emperor Ling, when the signs of the end times appeared, the so-called hero has come to mean more than mere talent — because talent alone is not enough to face a chaotic world, and may even bring disaster upon it."

Around him, Tian Feng, Gongsun Yue, Han Hao, and many of the older men sighed with emotion. Even the ever-steady Wang Xiang, Wang Xibo, let out a soft sigh, while the younger men mostly grew solemn. The latter had not lived through the collapse of order as the former had, but they had witnessed and experienced the perils of that most vicious era in their youth and childhood.

Wang Can and Zhuge Liang had both become orphans during that time, and Sima Yi's entire family had experienced Dong Zhuo's rebellion at close quarters.

"And it was around the time I was opening military farms in Youzhou, when this very man beside me today, the Governor of Yizhou, Tian Feng, Tian Yuanhao, saw Hebei in chaos, the common people displaced, bandits numbering in the millions, and was deeply moved. He sent me a letter through the Anli Trading Company... In that letter, he too spoke of heroes." At this, Gongsun Xun turned to consult Tian Feng. "Yuanhao, do you still remember what you said then?"

"How could I not remember?" Tian Feng stroked his beard with a bitter smile. "Now the realm is in great chaos, heroes rise together, and there must be one destined by fate who can quell the chaos of the world... In other words, when I saw that the troubled times were unavoidable, I finally changed my thinking. I came to believe that in an age of chaos, one who can be called a hero cannot merely be a person of talent, but must be one who can quell the chaos of the world!"

"It was not only Yuanhao." Gongsun Xun grew ever more emotional. "At that time, Dong Gongren and Cheng Zhongde were not yet actually my subordinates, but they both spoke similar words to me! In those days, the wisest men in the realm all knew that the troubled times had arrived, and they knew what the realm needed — that someone ought to prepare to set the chaos in order. So they believed that only one who could settle the troubled times was a true hero! And since they could not do it themselves, or were unwilling to do it themselves, they had no choice but to seek out such a person and lend him their strength, hoping to quell the chaos and restore peace to the realm."

"Father is such a man!" Gongsun Ding blurted out. "All three Governors recognized this in Father!"

"Perhaps so." Gongsun Xun answered calmly, speaking slowly. "But as I see it now, I am not the only hero in this realm... This is what I have left unsaid and unexplained on this journey! A-Ding, many people do not understand why I hold certain subordinates in especially high regard, just as among the feudal lords I hold Cao Mengde and Liu Xuande in especially high regard... Today I will speak plainly. Even without me, some among my subordinates would have devoted all their strength to aiding others in pacifying the chaos. So although they serve under another, they can truly be called heroes! And even without me, Cao and Liu are practically the only two among the feudal lords who could, as leaders of men, strive to settle the chaos — because they are among the few lords who have found the right path. Therefore, they are heroes all the more!"

At these words, the seasoned men around were all somewhat shaken, and some of the younger men felt as if a door had suddenly opened in their minds, as though awakened from a daze.

"Men like Dong Zhuo and Yuan Shao seemed mighty for a time, but their path was wrong from the very start. They were incapable of settling the chaos; instead, they only deepened it. So the word 'hero' will never apply to them, even in death!"

"Men like Liu Yan, Liu Biao, Shi Xie, Sun Jian, and even your maternal grandfather — they may be able to barely hold one region, or their talent and virtue may stand alone in the world, but they do not know where the path lies and can only halt and watch. So they too are incapable of settling the chaos, and are destined never to be true heroes!"

"And the likes of Lu Bu and Yuan Shu are merely obsessed with power and position, unwilling to even seek a path. They have even less to do with heroism!"

"Only Liu Bei and Cao Cao — these two have truly found the path. They may lag far behind me, they may harbor their own private ambitions, but that does not prevent them from being my true rivals, and heroes besides!" Gongsun Xun solemnly instructed his son. "I took you to see Teacher Lu, and brought you to pay respects to Teacher Liu, with only one purpose: I hope you will understand that even if you are destined to catch only the tail end of the chaos, I still hope you will be one who strives to quell the troubled times — to be a true hero!"

Gongsun Ding did not dare be remiss. He immediately led Wang Can, Zhuge Liang, and Gongsun Xu to prostrate themselves on the ground, acknowledging the teaching. The surrounding officials, staff, and sworn followers, seeing this, also dared not be remiss. Led by Gongsun Yue, they all knelt in the snow.

Gongsun Xun sighed softly, then waved his hand, signaling his eldest son to rise and set out at once. And after the other had disappeared into the wind and snow, he gazed at the swirling flakes filling the sky, and finally turned and headed north.

Snowflakes drifted down. Thousands of li from the Yellow River, north of the Huai River, by the banks of the Sui River, where the flakes rose like willow catkins — one of the true heroes personally acknowledged by Gongsun Xun, and after Cao Cao's death the only remaining hero among the southern lords, the General of the Left and Governor of Yuzhou, Liu Bei, was likewise sitting with his trusted and beloved commander Lu Su, Lu Zijing, warming wine by the river in the snow and conversing.

Seeing Lu Su speak of the campaign's losses with much sorrow, Liu Bei suddenly interrupted him and recited a poem on the spot: "In war, victory and defeat are never certain; to bear shame and swallow disgrace is the mark of a true man. The youths of Jiangdong are many and talented; who knows if they might not roll up the earth and come again... Zijing, why let the setback of a battle weigh so heavily on your heart?"

Lu Su was momentarily stunned, but could not help being moved. Rallying his spirits slightly, he asked, "Is that my lord's own poem?"

"No." Liu Bei set down his chopsticks, raised his cup, and answered calmly. "When I was young and studying, I discussed the Hegemon-King with my brother Gongsun Wenqi, and he composed it offhandedly... There is another one as well. Would Zijing like to hear it?"

"I would be glad to!"

"In life, one should be a hero among men; in death, a hero among ghosts. To this day I think of Xiang Yu, who refused to cross back to Jiangdong!" Liu Bei raised his cup and drained it in one draught. "Which one does Zijing prefer?"

Lu Zijing was already lost in a daze — how could he answer?

————I am the dividing line of falling snow————

"After the Grand Ancestor had defeated Cao and was about to return, a scholar kowtowed by the roadside and begged an audience, urging: 'Xu County has the aura of a king; you may declare yourself king here.' The Grand Ancestor sternly replied: 'Luoyang has the aura of an emperor.' The scholar was shocked and dared not speak further. When they reached Hedong, he again offered the Grand Sacrifice at the tomb of the late Teacher Liu, making his attendants even more unsettled. At that time, it was snowing heavily, and the General Who Guards the North, Gongsun Fan, arrived. Hearing of this, he laughed and said: 'Do you not know my brother's ambition?' The Grand Ancestor then calmly answered: 'Once Liu Xuande recorded the Jiangnan yuefu song "Ziye Sishi Ge" and sent it to me; it greatly pleased my heart.' Fan bowed and requested: 'Please let me hear it.' The Grand Ancestor then said: 'The deep ice is three feet thick, the white snow covers a thousand li. My heart is like the pine and cypress — what, my lord, does your heart resemble?' Fan bowed twice, and asked no more." — A New Account of the Tales of the World, Chapter on Speech

PS: Thanks to Kangcheng Feibai for the Alliance Sponsorship, the 125th of this book. Endless gratitude.

(End of Chapter)