[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-55":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Overthrowing Han",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1222814,1620,"Chapter 55: Returning Home","overthrowing-han-chapter-55",55,"\u003Cp>The Gongsun clan lived together as a concentrated settlement. In fact, the area inside the city next to the west gate — nearly one-eighth of Lingzhi City — was practically all Gongsun family territory. The clan alone occupied three inner-city wards, to the point that even the ward gates and ward walls were dispensed with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That they occupied such a vast area was not because the main branch of the Gongsun clan had a huge population, but rather because so many Gongsun clansmen had taken office as officials. One must understand that any person who became a court-appointed official with a salary of six hundred dan, once they split off to establish their own household, could build a residence of corresponding scale according to official regulations. And so, over time, generation after generation, large and small residences gradually multiplied — which was how the Gongsun clan came to hold its unchallenged position in Lingzhi City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That said, the reverse was also true. For instance, although Gongsun Xun’s family was very wealthy, although the market outside the west gate and the warehouse outside the south gate were all the handiwork of Lady Gongsun, although eight or nine out of ten newly built residences in recent years had her sponsorship, and although her real estate development projects had even reached as far as Guanzicheng beyond the frontier… the lintel of the residence he himself lived in was, in truth, not very high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because one could not exceed the regulations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But precisely because of this, after casually waving goodbye to Gongsun Yue, the moment he stepped through the door of his own home, Gongsun Xun saw his mother waiting there long in advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thereupon, he immediately knelt at the threshold to show his offense of unfilial conduct in traveling so far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Gongsun had originally had a thousand things to say, but now, seeing her son kneeling at the door to beg forgiveness, she was instantly in tears, and words failed her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gone for over a year,” Lady Gongsun finally managed to recover. Without even waiting to wipe her precious spectacles, she hurried forward and pulled her son up from the ground. “You’ve even got a courtesy name now, and you’ve become so rigid — kneeling the moment you enter the door?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun stood up and forced a smile. “It’s true. Having experienced more out in the world, coming back so suddenly, I’m afraid my manner may not suit Mother’s style…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Gongsun shook her head repeatedly. “What style do I even have left? After all these decades, no matter how different one’s style, it’s been worn smooth by this world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can still sense it,” Gongsun Xun continued smiling. “In Luoyang for over a year, I met all kinds of people — every word had to follow ritual propriety. But seeing Mother, I’m ultimately much more at ease.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s because I’m your mother. It has nothing to do with style,” Lady Gongsun shook her head again, but at these words she finally broke into a smile. “But it doesn’t matter anyway. Why should we two, mother and son, care about style or no style?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his mother show a smiling face, Gongsun Xun finally breathed a sigh of relief, and then quickly urged her to go wash her spectacles so she could conveniently look over the various items he had brought back. And you know what — they truly were mother and son, for the things this son brought back basically all matched his mother’s values:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That whole litter of cats went without saying. Lady Gongsun picked up the heaviest fat cat among them and sighed repeatedly, saying something about how across two lifetimes combined she had finally made it as a successful person who owned a cat — only, since this tomcat had already sired a litter of kittens, it ought to be gelded as soon as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Confucian Seven Classics and the Sutra of Forty-Two Sections written by Cai Yong, they also delighted Lady Gongsun immensely. In her words, the originals could not only be stored away as family heirlooms, but could also be perfectly used with the woodblock printing technique she was currently developing — she was planning to use this thing to leave her name for a thousand ages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then there was Lou Gui, the accountant from Nanyang, with whom Lady Gongsun was even more exceptionally satisfied… although it was said he had been smuggled across the Yellow River packed in a crate, a so-called “stowaway”… still, having a historical celebrity as an accountant was thrilling just to think about! But she also said he was a bit young, and she didn’t know whether his intelligence stat was up to par yet, so in a minute she summoned Li Sanniang, the current head of the accounting office, and told her to take the man away for training!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, all the grievances Lady Gongsun had accumulated over the past year vanished without a trace the moment they met, and now she simply kept sighing about how filial her son was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this behavior was undoubtedly a common failing of mothers everywhere under heaven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they returned inside the house holding that fat cat, Lady Gongsun, who had not left Liaoxi in nearly twenty years, hurriedly had the maids prepare warm water, and then began listening to her son recount various amusing anecdotes… The matter of Lu Zhi went unmentioned by tacit understanding between them, but some other observations truly left Lady Gongsun with mixed feelings:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, that Cao Cao and the Xiahou family were merely relatives by generations of intermarriage, and were not of the same clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another example, that Lu Fan had easily seen through her schemes, yet because he had spoken up in his defense, had sworn allegiance to him on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet another example, that Cai Wenji was still at the finger-gnawing age, and considering her father’s looks, the guess that she could not possibly be a beauty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, there was also his fellow disciple Zhen Yi, who in a daze seemed to be the father of that Goddess of the Luo — but when he encountered him on the way back, he had just named his newborn daughter Zhen Jiang…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In sum, all these various things left Lady Gongsun bewildered and uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thinking about it now, I’m afraid this is what they call historical truth,” Lady Gongsun said with slight unease. “Those things I told you before were nothing more than viewing flowers through the fog from eighteen hundred years away. Many are probably apocryphal tales like Emperor Gaozu of Han slaying the white serpent…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the general trends are correct,” Gongsun Xun answered without hesitation after swallowing a mouthful of warm water. “Zhang Jiao of the Way of Great Peace harbors disloyal intentions. After his failed rebellion, he instead learned his lesson and is making a comeback. Once he gets through this period, he will likely grow even larger. And according to Han Sui, the hidden danger of the Qiang rebellion in Xiliang has not gone away — who knows when the situation will boil over. As for Shandong and Hebei, your son saw it with his own eyes: the oppression by powerful families is growing heavier and heavier, and the common people can barely survive. Yet at the same time, the scholar-officials at court are all holding their posts and doing nothing, while the eunuchs only know how to plunder by force. The two factions fight endlessly among themselves, and few are willing to look after the situation. So, Mother, what you said — setting aside minor details — is eight or nine parts correct. It’s just like reading the Records of the Grand Historian now: anyone with a bit of sense knows that tales like Emperor Gaozu slaying the white serpent are the same sort of thing as ‘Great Chu shall rise, Chen Sheng shall be king.’ But the one who won the empire, just as the Records say, was that son of the Liu family from Peixian!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Gongsun, holding the big cat, slowly nodded. “That’s right then. I’m just a writer of palace intrigue mixed with the supernatural from the women’s channel — I don’t expect to have any ability to assist you in becoming a hegemon or a king. As long as we two, mother and son, can survive this chaotic age, that’s enough. As they say, ‘Strive to be known among the feudal lords, so as to barely preserve one’s life in a chaotic world’ — that will suffice!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun nodded repeatedly, but then steered the topic toward the family of the Grand Administrator he had encountered on his way back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In other words,” Gongsun Xun could not help praising after recounting this encounter, “that old lady truly had extraordinary bearing. A son raised by such a person can hardly be too poor. I just wonder how Liaoxi here views this newly arrived Administrator Zhao?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve actually hit the mark,” Lady Gongsun said, frowning slightly at his words. “The clan is very hesitant about this Administrator Zhao, and Administrator Zhao’s conduct indeed leaves one not knowing how to judge him…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That is strange,” Gongsun Xun said curiously. “The clan has always been about seeking advantage and avoiding harm. If this Administrator Zhao does not touch the clan’s foundations, then he is naturally a ‘good administrator.’ If he does touch the clan’s foundations, then he is naturally a ‘bad administrator.’ How could there be any hesitation? And Mother, you are also a person of extraordinary insight, well-informed, with your own standards and methods for judging people… how is it that even you don’t know how to judge him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because this Zhao Bao, Administrator Zhao, truly makes one feel at a loss,” Lady Gongsun continued, frowning. “His background alone is very strange… Do you know that he is the younger patrilineal cousin of the Regular Palace Attendant Zhao Zhong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun, who was just about to raise his pottery cup to take another sip of water, suddenly froze, and nearly let the water in his hand spill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A younger patrilineal cousin, not a more distant clan cousin — this meant that this Grand Administrator and that great eunuch who held sway over the court were brothers within the five degrees of mourning. And in this era, the concept of clan was extremely strong. As long as one was within the five degrees of mourning, they were brothers recorded in official archives — very close, bound by shared honor and disgrace, and even jointly bearing legal responsibility! In other words, barring any major surprise, the world would generally regard you as one and the same!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To add a word here: people like Gongsun Xun and Gongsun Zan, Gongsun Yue, and that Gongsun Fan from the direct line of the Gongsun clan — all of them were in exactly this kind of relationship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You understand now?” Lady Gongsun continued. “This is a true god one cannot afford to offend. When you first arrived in Luoyang, didn’t you write a letter saying that the sons and younger relatives of eunuchs were wantonly poisoning the countryside? Well, this Zhao Bao, Administrator Zhao of ours, is probably the most formidable ‘eunuch relative’ under heaven, and probably the highest-ranking ‘eunuch relative’ under heaven as well… Tell me, how could the clan not hesitate? To curry favor with him, they fear drawing criticism from the scholars. Not to curry favor, they fear truly angering him and bringing disaster upon themselves!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun was full of doubt, yet he felt that something was not quite right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right,” Lady Gongsun suddenly remembered something else. “A-Zan is not in the commandery now either. Administrator Hou was also worried that his own son-in-law would fall into the hands of a eunuch relative and be humiliated. Besides, Shanggu is not very far, and there might even be opportunities to earn merit there, so he simply took him along there…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wh-what about me?” Gongsun Xun’s mind had already turned into a complete muddle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You… you might as well wait at home for now,” Lady Gongsun sighed. “If it really won’t work, then resign from this clerkship, stay at home to cultivate your reputation for a couple of years, and then directly arrange a Filial and Incorrupt nomination… Liaoxi is a border commandery, so there are preferential policies in this regard — with a population of over a hundred thousand, they get one Filial and Incorrupt nominee every year. And now that A-Zan has gone to Shanggu, and the Gongsun clan’s foundation is here, in the commandery there’s only a Gongsun Fan and a Tian Kai of the Tian clan who might be some trouble. Even if you don’t serve as a clerk, within two or three years your turn will come — you, the personal disciple of the current Superintendent of the Imperial Household!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun fell silent, but then suddenly thought again of the bearing of that old Lady Zhao… To be honest, from the way the Zhao family traveled on the road, they did not look at all like the style of ‘eunuch relatives.’ Instead, they faintly had the air of a renowned official’s family. Did one really need to avoid such a person?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But, but…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun truly did not know what to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know what you’re thinking,” Lady Gongsun continued, frowning. “From your description, this old Lady Zhao is also a person of some stature, and her son may not be as we imagine… In fact, this is precisely what worries me the most. Otherwise, I could rest easy and let you return to Yang Le to continue as the Deputy Clerk of the Accounting Office.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun grew even more puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though this Administrator Zhao has only been here half a month, one can already discern some clues,” Lady Gongsun explained seriously. “His conduct and style are not as crude and unreasonable as one might think. On the contrary, he has something of the air of a famous scholar. Moreover, both the clan and I have secretly sent people to his old home in Qinghe to make inquiries… Do you know? It turns out that this Administrator Zhao’s family cut ties with Zhao Zhong as early as over ten years ago, during the first Proscription, and even moved directly from Anping to Qinghe. At that time, this Administrator Zhao had just come of age. And for all these years since, he has kept submitting memorials attacking his own elder brother…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun finally could not hold back. “If that’s the case, shouldn’t we feel at ease associating with him? Why instead avoid him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are still too young,” Lady Gongsun said. In order to adjust her black-framed spectacles, she handed the cat in her arms to the maid beside her, throwing the latter into a fluster. “Do you know? Although all these years, every time this Administrator Zhao changed posts he would go to some hardship place and do some hardship work, and every time he was diligent and devoted to public duty, and he even frequently submitted memorials cursing his own elder brother, even winning praise from many proscribed scholars and famous figures — yet, he has never once submitted a memorial discussing the Disaster of the Proscriptions! Moreover, although Zhao Zhong also often tells people that he quite detests this younger brother, and that if it weren’t for their aunt, he would have thrown him in prison long ago — in reality, every single time this Zhao Bao achieves some political accomplishment, the court always promotes him in rank without the slightest hindrance!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mother suspects…” Gongsun Xun’s heart suddenly stirred, and he clearly thought of the words Han Sui had spoken to him about the Yuan Shao brothers. “That the two brothers are outwardly opposed but inwardly in collusion, with a tacit understanding? Using this method to preserve the family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That is exactly what I mean,” Lady Gongsun clapped her hands sharply. “That trip to Luoyang was not in vain! Don’t you understand yet? You are now the disciple of a famous Confucian, a figure of some note in Liaoxi. That being the case, why take the risk of going to this Administrator Zhao’s side? Whether he plans to keep up the act for one lifetime or two, or whether he genuinely wants to join the scholars — once he takes notice of you, you are very likely to be noticed by Zhao Zhong as well. What benefit is there in that for you? Better to stay at home and cultivate your reputation — that’s the safer course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words were both reasonable and sensible, and Gongsun Xun could only slowly nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right then,” Lady Gongsun said, her face lighting up with joy. “Before, when your mother was alone, there were so many things I wanted to do but couldn’t. Now with your help, we can perfectly well hole up at home, farm for a few years, climb the technology tree, and by the way, give me some grandsons and granddaughters…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandsons and granddaughters?” Gongsun Xun was horrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly,” Lady Gongsun grew even more pleased with herself. “Of the three unfilial acts, having no heir is the greatest! Originally I thought to wait until you were married to discuss this matter, but this past year, worrying about you at home, I’ve instead come to understand… This age is so chaotic, who knows what dangers you might encounter out there? That being the case, no need to wait for marriage — I’ll first arrange some beautiful concubines for you, and get two children born first! You don’t know, before you came I had already sent people to Goguryeo, Samhan, and Buyeo to prepare one hundred and one maidservants for you — all fifteen or sixteen years old with some looks, all placed in the estate outside the south city, ready to be trained and winnowed at the same time. In less than a year I can produce a top-tier transnational concubine ensemble for you… Don’t look down on them for being barbarian girls — mixed-blood children are easier to raise…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun listened, his mouth dry and tongue parched… At first he felt some anticipation, but later he suddenly became alarmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Grand Ancestor lost his father in early childhood. At the time, the late Han was in turmoil, and seasonal epidemics ran rampant. His mother constantly worried that her own family would be without heirs. The family was wealthy, so she secretly purchased one hundred beautiful maidservants and taught them letters, mathematics, music, and dance. When he came of age, she presented them to fill his rear chambers. The Grand Ancestor was extremely filial and could not refuse, so he accepted them all. Yet until his marriage, though beautiful maidservants lined up before and behind him, warm fragrance and soft jade, conveying feelings with their eyes, the Grand Ancestor still held a candle and studied bitterly, remaining unmoved even with a beauty in his lap, observing ritual propriety all the more strictly. Thus his reputation grew daily.” — Old Book of Yan, Volume 1, Annals of the Grand Ancestor, the Martial Emperor\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Deeply ashamed… I feel like I’m getting more and more unreliable… Has the talent of Dan Lang truly run dry? Yet this is only the third volume… I plan to write several dozen volumes…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, new book group. Interested students can join: 684558115.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3244,"2026-06-04T19:42:03.441Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","c8099fbbba4d6fdb36adce71c38aae8a83006ff0314a80aaf13e57394ea32175","overthrowing-han-chapter-56","overthrowing-han-chapter-54",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]