Chapter 511: Exactly the Same Path as This Intent (Continued)

In the late Han, the custom of keeping vigil on New Year's Eve was already beginning to emerge. Though it varied from place to place, the practice of lighting candles and the whole family staying up through the night to greet the new year did exist.

Thus, seeing that the New Year banquet had passed without incident and the hour was growing late, Gongsun Xun simply declared the banquet dissolved, sending his ministers and officers home to celebrate the new year with their families, which also made it convenient for his own private family vigil.

However, since the intentions of several envoys with requests were quite clear, at the end of the banquet Gongsun Xun still spent less than a quarter of an hour speaking with these people one by one and giving them clear replies.

To Shi Wu, of course, he offered kind words of comfort, and Gongsun Xun even directly asked whether the other party had any interest in staying to serve as an official in Yecheng.

If so, he would directly enter the Terrace Pavilion as an official; if not, it was no matter—he would simply bestow generous rewards and let the other party return at ease. The words were spoken plainly and clearly. On this, Shi Wu had long been prepared; he directly kowtowed in gratitude, changed his form of address on the spot, and became a subject of the Yan state.

Gongsun Xun was naturally satisfied. Using the excuse that the other had come from afar and had no place to keep vigil, he then kept him overnight at Bronze Sparrow Terrace, to keep vigil together with the terrace guards and volunteer retinue.

Next, to Liu Mao, the Duke of Yan, in front of the many envoys, reiterated the inevitability of the campaign against Shu, and then urged surrender as before, but in the end still preserved decorum, keeping this third son of Liu Yan, whose status was awkward, overnight at Bronze Sparrow Terrace.

Next came Kuai Liang, the envoy of Liu Biao.

In truth, after the handover of Nanyang was completed and Gongsun Xun had publicly expressed his intent to attack Shu, there were no longer excessive core interests entangling Hebei and Jingzhou. Kuai Liang's purpose on this trip was merely a political gesture of expressing deference and avoiding conflict, plus a request to bring back Huang Zhong and his unit.

On this, Gongsun Xun's refusal was very direct: not a chance.

His reason was also lofty: he intended to use this Jingzhou force to restore the old capital of Luoyang. Therefore, not only would he not give them back, he also wanted Kuai Liang to return and notify Liu Biao to send tens of thousands more men, to demonstrate Liu Biao's and the Jingzhou leaders' loyalty to the Great Han and their respect for him, the Duke of Yan.

Kuai Liang was helpless, could only mutter assent, and awkwardly returned to his seat. And Gongsun Xun, surprisingly, did not even open his mouth to keep this man, who had likewise come from afar, overnight at Bronze Sparrow Terrace.

Next, the conditions and requests from Liu Bei's envoy Zhang Hong were very direct and highly actionable... The condition he brought was that, taking the spring plowing as the boundary, the two sides would peacefully hand over the lands of the Two Huai; the request was the return of Liu Ye and the prisoners from Guandu.

On this, Gongsun Xun was also very pragmatic. He recognized, even respected, Liu Bei's excellent proposal to avoid casualties and accommodate agricultural production, and agreed in principle. However, according to the amnesty decree he personally issued after this war, Liu Ye and his surrendered soldiers had already received amnesty, so their own wishes should be respected... In a word, out of respect for Liu Bei having put forward a very constructive suggestion, he was willing to lift restrictions: those who wished to follow Liu Bei to Jiangnan he would not detain, but those who wished to stay in Hebei or be resettled in the Two Huai, Liu Bei had no reason to take away!

Zhang Hong clearly had long been given the bottom line for negotiation; seeing Gongsun Xun so direct and candid, he simply agreed on the spot.

Immediately after, Zhang Hong was also kept and lodged at Bronze Sparrow Terrace.

Next, Sun Quan's envoy Qin Song brought nothing that surprised Gongsun Xun, and did not even give the Duke of Yan a chance to utter a line like "a son should be like Sun Quan"... Come to think of it, Sun Ce had just died in Hebei; it was impossible for the Sun clan to utter the word "surrender" so quickly. Moreover, Sun Quan had just succeeded to power—the ruler was young and the state uncertain, it was unclear whether internal opinions could be unified or whether they could even continue. How could there possibly be any definitive stance?

In fact, the only thing about Qin Song that drew the attention of the Yecheng officials was that, as an envoy who had come from afar, he, along with Kuai Liang, had not been permitted to stay overnight at Bronze Sparrow Terrace... It must be understood that before the Duke of Yan returned, Lady Gongsun had been in charge here. According to her orders, many unmarried officials, military officers, and even soldiers whose native places were elsewhere had been specially permitted to remain at Bronze Sparrow Terrace today, and were bestowed wine and meat to participate in the vigil!

One could only say that these two being sent back to the post station directly reflected the Duke of Yan's personal likes and dislikes; the only uncertainty was whether it was directed at these two individuals or at the people behind them.

In truth, there is nothing much to say about keeping vigil—just have a meal and endure the night. The only thing worth mentioning was that the Duke of Yan had been away for a full seven months. After distributing the rewards and comforting the officials who had stayed behind at Bronze Sparrow Terrace, he took the opportunity to turn back into the inner hall and exchange a few more words with his family.

Especially Lady Gongsun; after this war, mother and son ought to have had some exchanges.

In fact, seeing Gongsun Xun and Lady Gongsun sitting side by side in a corner at the back of the hall, with only serving maids offering fresh tea around them, the State Consort of Yan (in truth merely the Duchess) Zhao Yun and those below each restrained their children, all tactfully refraining from disturbing them. Even the several cats were carefully watched over for the moment.

"I only just realized when checking the reward lists earlier that, after Shuzhi's wife passed away in Chang'an several years ago, he has actually never remarried. Does Mother know of this?"

Unexpectedly, neither mother nor son spoke of the deaths of Cao Cao or Lu Bu, but instead began from an unexpected topic.

"Your mother only learned of this a few days ago as well." Lady Gongsun adjusted her spectacles, which meant she appeared somewhat embarrassed. "This matter may be my fault..."

"How so?" Gongsun Xun could not help but be curious.

"Back then, not long after his wife passed away, I sent him two maidservants of Samhan origin, with the intent that they serve as concubines." Lady Gongsun adjusted her spectacles again. "You also know the background of that batch of Samhan maidservants; basically none of your subordinates cared, and those who did kept it to themselves... But I never imagined that, in his case, he never took them into his chambers, nor did he remarry, merely keeping them to help raise his two sons."

"This is rather..." Gongsun Xun also grew somewhat embarrassed. "We must arrange a marriage for him."

"Not easy to find." Lady Gongsun shook her head repeatedly. "His status and age are what they are; where is there such a suitable widow? Yet if we look for a proper young girl who has just come of age, we must consider seniority and status."

"Shuzhi's character and appearance are without fault." Gongsun Xun shook his head repeatedly. "He is also one of the grand Seven Ministers; when the day comes to establish the state and set the term system, he might well, like Shen Zhengnan, serve another term as Prime Minister. How can he not find a wife? Wouldn't that be utterly absurd?"

"It's not that he can't find one." Lady Gongsun grew increasingly helpless. "There are certainly plenty who would be willing in their hearts to marry their daughters to him, but either they truly are just seeking wealth and climbing the social ladder, or they worry about being accused of seeking wealth and climbing the social ladder... Mainly, his age is neither here nor there... A little lower, under thirty-five, and he could easily remarry no matter what; a little higher, past forty-five, with his children having bound their hair, there would be no need to look. Only his current situation is truly difficult."

"The more it is so, the more we must find him one." Gongsun Xun spread his hands. "After all, he could have easily remarried in Chang'an... Wasn't that cut short because of us?"

Lady Gongsun was also momentarily helpless.

After a long while, for some unknown reason, Lady Gongsun gazed at someone in front of the hall and grew thoughtful. Mother and son were connected at heart; Gongsun Xun followed his mother's gaze, and immediately thought of a candidate as well.

"Is it feasible?" Gongsun Xun instead became somewhat uneasy. "The seniority is indeed suitably matched, but that girl is seventeen or eighteen and has never discussed marriage; clearly Old Man Cai wants to find a good match... I've always thought Sima Yi would be suitable; how about I speak to him about it someday?"

"Let Sima Yi go find that old nuisance himself; what does he want with a daughter of the Cai clan?" Lady Gongsun was dismissive. "And you, never mind your random matchmaking—do you think his faction of Henei compatriots isn't strong enough already?"

Gongsun Xun smiled faintly and did not say more.

No one knows a son better than his mother; seeing her son smile, Lady Gongsun immediately understood: "Don't you laugh at me for being sensitive. Wasn't your killing of Lu Bu the same?"

Gongsun Xun did not speak; at times like this, the more he said, the more mistakes he would make.

"Let's settle it this way." Lady Gongsun suddenly felt entirely at ease. "After the new year, I will go speak to Old Man Cai. If he truly does not wish to marry her off, then so be it. If he hesitates, your mother will simply push the boat along with the current..."

Gongsun Xun nodded slightly, but then continued to gaze at the front of the hall, which was gradually growing lively due to too many children and too many cats, and seemed about to speak but hesitated.

"What does A'li say?" Lady Gongsun simply brought it into the open. "You previously hesitated because of Lu Fu and never agreed. Now that Lu Fu has perished like that on the battlefield, and you have given Lu Ziheng such great compensation, surely you won't hesitate any longer?"

"Then let it be Zhuge Liang!" Gongsun Xun took a sip of tea in his seat and then sighed softly. "Hasn't Mother mentioned it many times? There truly is no better candidate."

"Then it's settled!" Lady Gongsun also breathed a sigh of relief. "To think that when that girl was little, I even considered Zhou Yu and Sun Ce, and as a result, you killed them all cleanly in this one battle, even chopping their heads off!"

"Before I killed them, they had both already married. One ranked among the feudal lords, the other was the new helmsman of the foremost great clan in Yangzhou—how could they not have been betrothed from childhood? And with Sun Ce's temperament, even if it came to it, Mother would not have been willing."

"That is true. I wonder where the Two Qiaos are now?"

"Let's not think about the Two Qiaos anymore. Let them live in peace. Not having married those two might well be a good thing."

"Then... what about A'ding? The Zhen family's... Zhen Ji?" Mother and son spoke more and more smoothly as they went on.

"Does that even need to be said? I promised this marriage over a decade ago; it cannot be changed."

"A'ping is Dong Bai... For those fifteen and above, there's still A'zhen left."

"Does Mother have a candidate?"

"What do you think of Wen Hui? A very well-bred child, an orphan too, with a clean family background."

"Acceptable..." Gongsun Xun had a very good impression of Wen Hui, so after a moment's thought, he directly nodded.

It must be said, it was not that he looked down upon Gongsun Zhen; it was mainly that upon returning this time, even his eldest son had been promoted to General of the Household of All Purposes. As a father, he had already gained some awareness—when it was time to let go, he had to let go.

"In truth, according to 'experience,' imperial children should marry into the families of meritorious officials, especially those of the original followers and military heroes." Lady Gongsun then sighed slightly again. "When the news of Lu Fu's death arrived, I did consider Lu Ju. That child Lu Ju is actually quite good; it's just that his temperament is a bit impatient."

"A'yue has many daughters over there; match one to him." Gongsun Xun said dismissively. "Mainly, our own children, especially these four eldest, were raised before our very eyes; we can't bear to part with them. Fortunately, we still have many children; we can take our time with the later ones."

"But by that logic, what of A'ping's marriage? Wasn't it used by you to appease Dong Zhuo's old followers?"

"Half and half. I still held some personal friendship for Dong Zhuo; he also helped me greatly during his tenure in Bingzhou. Moreover, on that day, I had already resolved to absolutely kill his younger brother and nephew to answer to the world... In other words, at that time, the Dong clan could already be considered to have no heirs, which is why I felt a moment of compassion."

"It still seems somewhat unfair to A'ping. Because of this marriage, he is often treated with distant respect by others at the academy."

"Why is that?"

"What can be done? Those with ambition always think you mean to elevate him to restrain A-Ding. But given A-Ding's position, he cannot be shaken in the long run, so the clever ones cannot help worrying that one day he will be thrown out by you as a sacrificial blade."

"How could it come to that?"

"This is simply the ordinary 'old tale' of an imperial house."

Mother and son suddenly fell into silence.

Though they were an imperial house now, they had after all only recently transformed from an ordinary family, and Lady Gongsun, the head of the household, had never been one for decorum. So in the hall not far away, things had long since gotten out of hand... Of course, it was probably still a bit more refined than a family banquet of Han Gaozu, but only just.

At that moment, Gongsun Xun's youngest daughter, the one born of Lady Cai, who was barely three years old and had not even been given a formal name, could just about walk and was babbling her first words. She broke free directly from the arms of her elder sister Gongsun Zhen. And Gongsun Zhen happened to be speaking with her elder sister Gongsun Li about something, so for a moment she did not notice, allowing the little sister to circle around the hall and then head straight for her grandmother in the corner behind the hall.

Gongsun Xun knew full well that this little daughter did not recognize him, and his heart could not help but soften. He went straight up and intercepted her midway, then held her in his arms. Only then did he rally his spirits and sigh with emotion: "To think that back in Liucheng in Liaoxi, Mother was still worrying about my marriage. I never imagined that in the blink of an eye, my own children, big and small, would already be at the age for discussing betrothals. Truly, the years hasten a man's aging."

"You're still fine. Look at your physique — at most, five more years to unify the realm, ascend the throne and proclaim yourself Emperor, and then another twenty years of governance... that should be within reach."

"Since ancient times, has there ever been a forty-year-old Crown Prince?" Gongsun Xun, while teasing the daughter in his arms, suddenly found it amusing. "According to Mother's 'experiences,' if it really goes on another twenty-five years, A-Ding and I might only be able to keep one of us by then."

"You are the founding sovereign. As long as you do not push him too far, what standing would he have to oppose you?" Lady Gongsun said with exasperation. "Look at the people you've left for him — Guo Jia, Zhao Yun, Zhuge Liang, at most adding Sima Yi and Wang Can. Apart from Sima Yi, which of them would dare harbor disloyalty toward you?"

"Sima Yi, on the contrary, is probably the most honest one," Gongsun Xun said dismissively. "What I fear is that I myself will grow old and act absurdly in the future."

"If we're truly speaking of fearing the future, how is it only a matter of the Crown Prince? You've toiled so hard to suppress the great clans and powerful magnates — do you not fear that the moment you die, new great clans will replace the old ones, and local worthies will take the place of the magnates, rendering all your bitter labor in vain?"

"How could I not fear it?" The daughter in his arms was no longer shy with strangers, so Gongsun Xun simply stroked her cheek and answered seriously. "In truth, whenever I carefully ponder those 'stories' of yours, Mother, I cannot help but feel dread. And as the trend toward unification of the realm grows ever clearer, this dread grows ever clearer too, and my thoughts grow ever more contradictory..."

"For instance?"

"For instance, I wish to unify the realm a day sooner, to preserve a little more vitality, yet I also wish to sweep away a few more people, preferring to delay a few years to make the world a bit clearer. I wish to treat meritorious officials with warmth and affection, yet I also wish to establish institutions to restrain men's hearts. I wish to inherit the merits of the old system, yet I also wish to cast out the old and bring forth the new. I wish to cast aside selfish motives, yet I find it hard to control my own inclinations. I wish to open an era of enduring peace for ten thousand generations, yet I have long known the impermanence of rule by men. The more I examine, the more I know, the more I feel — the more difficult it seems, the more terrifying it becomes!"

"No matter how much you dread it, now that Cao Cao is dead, you already possess the substance of an emperor," Lady Gongsun said, her gaze toward her son unavoidably tinged with a little more pity. "Some things are beyond your control; you can only steel yourself and press on. You must understand, this is the path you chose yourself!"

"Indeed. Since I have already accomplished this and occupy this position, I should naturally do my utmost. Besides, am I seeking some eight-hundred-year unshakable dynasty? If I can pacify the realm, implement equal-field land distribution and open the imperial examinations, replace the great clans and magnates with humble households, and fulfill that declaration before the Weiyang Palace, that will be enough to answer to heaven and earth and my own conscience." As his little daughter, who had been somewhat shy at first, broke into a smile, Gongsun Xun also suddenly laughed. "But speaking of which, beyond family matters, there is something your son wishes to discuss with you, Mother."

"Speak."

"Han Hao is leaving his post, so the position of Central Protector of the Army is vacant. It is a critical post. Among Zhang He, Yang Kai, and Yu Jin, which one does Mother think is suitable?"

"Naturally, I think Yang Kai is suitable, just as you inevitably think Zhang He is suitable," Lady Gongsun said. Having reached this point, mother and son were already frank with each other, and she made no effort to conceal it. "But still, let Yang Kai take it. Zhang He is suited to go to Hanzhong, and Yu Jin, I fear, cannot command respect."

"I had indeed forgotten that point," Gongsun Xun said, suddenly enlightened. "True, if the handover of the Two Huai regions is peaceful, Zhang He can certainly be sent to Hanzhong... However?"

"However what?"

"However, Liu Bei's situation here is rather interesting," Gongsun Xun said thoughtfully. "Although he has no troops left and cannot hold us back, since he clearly knows that what he lacks most is time, why would he still take the initiative to request a peaceful handover of the Two Huai regions? I wonder what scheme he has in mind?"

Lady Gongsun was also momentarily puzzled: "That sort of thing I wouldn't know. You surely understand it better!"

The daughter was at a restless age and soon began struggling in his arms again. Gongsun Xun beckoned to his eldest daughter A-Li, then smoothly released the little girl, letting her run off and tumble into her eldest sister's embrace.

Seeing that her son was disinclined to say more, Lady Gongsun did not press further: "Is there anything else?"

"If the handover of the Two Huai goes smoothly, then the campaign against Shu will be the first priority," Gongsun Xun turned his head and said with a serious expression. "I have a mind to stuff a few more people in... but I fear that too many people will instead cause disorder for no reason?"

"Stuff whom in?"

"Since Yang Biao is dead, Yang Xiu will naturally request leave to observe mourning. I intend to take advantage of this to recall him from mourning, using the pretext that the realm is not yet pacified, and transfer him from Liaodong. Fa Zheng and Meng Da have followed Cheng Pu through the entire Guandu front-line campaign and have also gained the necessary experience..."

"What is there to fear in that?" Lady Gongsun grew even more dismissive. "Are you afraid they'll start fighting again at the battlefront? Can Guo Jia and Zhao Yun not keep them in line? You even dared to throw Ma Chao over there."

Gongsun Xun immediately said no more.

"If you have nothing else, I do have one more matter here," Lady Gongsun then spoke up again on her own initiative.

"Please speak, Mother."

"Word has come from Liaodong, forwarded from your wife... Although A-Fan has not yet reached Liaodong, your father-in-law has already made it clear that he is unwilling to relinquish power."

"Why?"

"He says he once swore an oath before the late Emperor Ling that as long as he was in Liaodong, Liaodong would remain Han territory... He cannot hand Pingzhou over to a scion of the Yan imperial clan while he holds it, and he is even less willing to come to Yecheng and become a subject of Yan."

"Ridiculous. Still invoking the late Emperor Ling?!" Gongsun Xun was stunned for a moment, then instead of growing angry, he laughed. "He still remembers it was Emperor Ling? Plugging his ears to steal a bell, deceiving himself. But who can blame him — he is my father-in-law, my elder. Let it rest for a while. Once the front lines are stable, I will send Taishi Ci back, have him hand Pingzhou over to Taishi Ziyi, and then let Ziyi conduct the formal transfer... As for the old man himself, let him do as he pleases. Like Zhang Jian, coming to the university in Yecheng as a lecturer is also a path, is it not?"

Lady Gongsun seemed about to speak but stopped.

Gongsun Xun could not help but be curious.

"I only just learned this as well. Before the battle of Guandu, Dian Wei followed the same path as that Xu Xing who died in battle — he brought several hundred villagers from Chenliu to Yecheng, and he himself took a minor post as a security clerk at the university." Lady Gongsun sighed with emotion. "It was Zhang Yuanjie who told me this earlier."

Gongsun Xun was dumbfounded for a moment. He did not know what came to mind, but instead he nodded repeatedly: "That is also quite good. A twist of fate, never getting to meet — in truth, that is also quite fine... When the Cao clan members and Li clan members are settled here, I ask you, Mother, to handle it on my behalf. I will not inquire further."

"No matter. You focus on receiving the Central Plains and contemplate the campaign against Shu!" Lady Gongsun did not decline. "I will do my utmost to handle these matters for you."

Gongsun Xun nodded repeatedly. Then his little daughter came running back, chasing a small white cat. Gongsun Xun sighed faintly, but ultimately rallied his spirits, kicked the kitten aside with one foot, then went to meet his daughter again and personally carried her back to the front of the hall. Seeing this, Lady Gongsun also rose and followed over.

Only then did the atmosphere in the hall truly open up completely.

Staying up on New Year's Eve — it is always thus, placid and uneventful, a pattern repeated a thousand times. Even for an imperial house, what difference is there?

And once New Year's Eve had passed, spring arrived. In the spring of the seventh year of Jian'an in Han, thanks to the diplomatic agreement between Liu Bei and Gongsun Xun, a vast swath of the southern Central Plains in the broad sense — including Runan, the southern part of Pei, Guangling, Lujiang, and Jiujiang, the so-called Two Huai region — began to undergo a strategic transfer in an orderly fashion.

The benefit of this transfer was not merely that agricultural production was not disrupted. In truth, household registers, schools, and government offices were all handed over in a peaceful manner. In response, the Grand Marshal and Grand Commander of the Southern Front, Lu Fan, directly submitted a memorial to Yecheng, stating that the speed of the restoration of order in the Two Huai region far exceeded imagination, and that this region might be brought under the effective rule of Yan even sooner than the traditional Central Plains to the north.

In response, Duke of Yan Gongsun Xun also publicly expressed great admiration for Liu Xuande, and in the transition from spring to early summer of that year, he formally memorialized to appoint General of the Left Liu Xuande as Governor of Jingzhou!

Of course, at the same time, he did not forget to strip Liu Biao of his post as Governor of Jingzhou on the grounds of 'disrespect,' and dispatched an envoy to severely rebuke Liu Jingsheng, because he had failed to send, as ordered, tens of thousands of troops to repair the old capital of Luoyang! As a member of the imperial clan, his disloyalty to the House of Han was utterly manifest!

Faced with such humiliation, Liu Biao could only respond with a posture of total silence, for he knew that Gongsun Xun was merely mocking him and would not go so far as to start a war over this... After all, it was plain to see: as the spring plowing of the seventh year of Jian'an concluded, as the southern and eastern fronts gradually stabilized, and as more and more capable officials and troops were dispatched to Guanxi, everyone knew that the next round of war was about to begin, and that the land of Shu would be the new starting point that decided everyone's fate.

In fact, according to rumor, the reason Liu Jingsheng had angered the Duke of Yan and brought humiliation upon himself was that he had secretly sent large quantities of weapons and military funds to his old rival Liu Junlang via the Great River, and had voluntarily withdrawn the garrison troops stationed at their western border.

"I hope Liu Junlang can emulate Gongsun Shu's resistance against Emperor Guangwu and hold out for three or five years," this was Liu Jingsheng's original words to his second wife, Lady Cai. "Thus we may delay things a little longer."

—————I am the dividing line that delays a little longer—————

"In the seventh year of Jian'an in Han, the Grand Ancestor had just pacified the Central Plains and advanced into the Two Huai when he dispatched General Who Guards the West Gongsun Yue, Governor of Yizhou Tian Feng, General of the Champion Zhao Yun, and Governor of Hanzhong Guo Jia to attack Shu... General Who Pacifies the South Liu Biao secretly supplied Yizhou with weapons and gold and silk... He returned and sighed: 'In the past, Emperor Guangwu attacked Shu and debated the Mandate of Heaven with Gongsun Shu. Now, unexpectedly, the Gongsun clan in turn attacks the Liu clan's Shu — could this be Heaven's will?' His wife Lady Cai was taken aback: 'Does my lord mean that the Gongsun clan has received the Mandate of Heaven?' Biao replied: 'With Meng De dead, the Gongsun clan has in truth already fulfilled the Mandate of Heaven. With Liu Junlang's talent and virtue, if he can emulate Gongsun Shu and hold out for three to five years, that would be worthy of respect.' Lady Cai said uneasily: 'If that is so, why not surrender early?' Biao replied dejectedly: 'Am I one to defy Heaven's will? Yet Lu Fengxian slipped and perished in a privy — is that not something to fear? If I surrender now, others may all live, but I alone fear I would not be spared.' Lady Cai then fell silent." — Dianlüe, Yan, annotated by Pei Songzhi

A small PS: Thanks to the book friend Mo Shaoshang for the new sponsorship! Immensely grateful!

Also promoting a book by the way... The Tale of Heike in the Warring States, whose author is the prototype for that minor character who swallowed gold and committed suicide in this book. This book has been serialized for ten years... When it first started, the author was still a youthful figure who could play basketball, and I was still a pirated reader who didn't even know who Kiso Yoshinaka was. I ran into their group, chatted a few lines, and was so thoroughly mocked that I withdrew in shame and indignation.

I truly never imagined that this book, after being abandoned for so many years, could actually be completed when the author reached middle age. I am deeply moved.

I, too, am a man who has followed a single book for ten years!

(End of Chapter)