Chapter 85: Inspection (8k)

The weather grew colder by the day, and Pingcheng, located at the northernmost frontier of the Great Han, bore the brunt of it. One must understand, the Baideng Mountain to the north of this place was no lofty, imposing range; it could never, like the Yin Mountains, shelter the Hetao from wind and snow and fundamentally alter a region's climate.

In fact, not long after winter set in, Pingcheng had already suffered several consecutive snowfalls.

But what was rather interesting was that, unlike past years when the entire area would sink into a semi-hibernation once winter arrived, Pingcheng this year was exceptionally lively.

The culprit behind this situation was none other than Gongsun Xun and his garrison. To be precise, it was the military games day his troops held every five days during the winter!

There was no helping it — this era was so starved for entertainment that even scholars sitting around and whistling into the air was considered fashionable. Cockfighting and dog racing would remain wildly popular for centuries to come, so how much more so an activity involving hundreds of people?

Archery and horse racing were one thing — they had been seen before — but the cuju played here was vastly different from anywhere else!

Gongsun Xun and Lu Fan had, of course, initially operated according to Lady Gongsun's brilliant guidance: dividing into teams by garrison unit, holding round-robin and knockout tournaments, with eleven players, a goalkeeper, no touching the ball with hands, and so on. But once put into practice, it was a different story entirely. To begin with, the quality of the ball made it utterly impossible to execute the long passes and lob shots Lady Gongsun had described. More crucially, how could a bunch of soldiers who had taken half a year just to learn left from right possibly grasp so many rules?

And so, as time passed, it devolved into a spectacle of clutching the ball and charging at the goal.

Had Lady Gongsun herself been present, she might have declared it a hybrid of football, handball, rugby, and Russian mass brawling — a fusion of multiple traditional confrontational sports!

In any case, it was great fun and immensely popular with the soldiers.

But the crux of the matter did not lie here, but in the chain reaction it set off.

One must understand, the army had one garrison of infantry and one garrison of cavalry, nearly all drawn from the Wuyuan immigrants. And back when Gongsun Xun had sought to prevent these people from being bullied — and of course, to secure the best soldiers among them — he had gone to great lengths to settle all of these thousand-plus individuals near the military camp, constructing a crude but habitable settlement for them between the camp and Pingcheng.

And people — there is nothing in the world more formidable than people. After these thousand-odd Wuyuan immigrants settled here, they quickly developed all sorts of unimaginable enterprises on their own... For instance, some elderly women would wait specifically for the fifth and tenth days of the month, when soldiers had more time outside camp, and station themselves outside the camp gates with a basket filled with cloth scraps and needles and thread, mending clothes for the soldiers in exchange for money. Some older immigrants who knew how to make bows and arrows would come to help the soldiers maintain their equipment.

And of course, there was one trade that could never be avoided — one practiced not only by widows among the Wuyuan immigrants but also by the locals of Pingcheng... Gongsun Xun tried several times to stop it, but was dissuaded each time by Lu Fan. In the end, he simply forbade these people from approaching the camp and let the matter drop.

In truth, Gongsun Xun himself understood that this trade was unavoidable. Even near the military colony settlements back in Liaoxi, there were so-called women's quarters, except the prostitutes there were mostly trafficked from the Three Han and Goguryeo, so no one cared.

In short, centered around this military camp and the generous rewards Gongsun Xun lavishly distributed, a somewhat peculiar yet strangely organic market had fully taken shape.

And once this wildly popular cuju activity began, the market swiftly merged with it and developed further... Now, every five days, as the matches commenced, an almost permanent market fair would spring up along the official road between Pingcheng, the Wuyuan immigrant settlement, and the military camp.

Gradually, it was not just the locals of Pingcheng; prominent families from all over Yanmen Commandery would arrive by carriage a day early, solely to watch the next day's matches. This, in turn, further stimulated the market's growth. What astonished Gongsun Xun was that he even saw, for the first time, the eight-year-old Zhang Liao. At that moment, this little brat was organizing a mass brawl with the local Wuyuan immigrant brats over the match in progress. One had to admit, judging by his daring, ferocity, and willingness to fight against greater numbers, his title of "Valor Against Ten Thousand Bugs" was due for an upgrade — Gongsun Xun just hadn't figured out what to call him yet.

In truth, faced with these developments, Gongsun Xun was somewhat troubled. Zhang Liao aside, he was deeply worried that this situation would make the soldiers restless and distracted. Yet he dared not abruptly halt such a wildly popular competition. And so, this Major of a Separate Detachment could only, on one hand, hastily write to consult his mother, the expert, and on the other, hurriedly erect simple fences to separate the spontaneously formed "spectator stands" of the common folk on the other three sides from the playing field and the military camp.

Of course, Lu Fan still felt this was no issue at all. Or rather, he had always believed that the army his lord envisioned was nothing short of a fantasy, and the situation before them was already quite excellent.

Returning to the present, this day was another major fifth-day occasion. Although it had snowed two days prior, it could not dampen the enthusiasm of the soldiers and the surrounding populace. By late morning, the entire camp and its surroundings were already boiling with excitement... Today, besides the morning archery, there were, as usual, two cuju matches in the afternoon. One was a free challenge match: the garrison of veterans transferred from Xihe within the cavalry company was to play against Gongsun Xun's Yanmen Volunteers. Then there was a round-robin match with official league points to be held, the two sides being none other than the Peili Garrison and the Wuyuan Cavalry Garrison.

From morning to afternoon, Gongsun Xun and the officers of various ranks sat high upon the rammed-earth viewing platform to watch the matches... No matter what, even if Gongsun Xun felt uneasy about this scene, as long as he had not decided to abandon this form of reward, he would personally attend the grounds, personally award the prize money, and hand out the little trinkets commissioned from the Yanmen Iron Office — a small iron plaque engraved with the character for "valor," to be worn on the chest, one per match, reserved exclusively for the most outstanding player on the winning side.

Of course, this was also the invention of a certain lady.

"Wei Yue is still full of aggressive drive," Han Dang remarked, pointing at a man on the field clutching the ball and charging forward with all his might.

"Most of the soldiers from Wuyuan are like that," Cheng Pu shook his head and sighed. "They charge straight ahead without a care. If they break through, it's a success; if they don't, they'll be hit by a counterattack from the resilient Xihe veterans..."

His words had barely faded when, sure enough, Wei Yue was intercepted by several men layer upon layer just a few dozen paces from the opponent's goal. Losing his support, he was forced to attempt a long shot, but the leather ball had lost all momentum by the time it reached the goal. It was easily scooped up by the goalkeeper and swiftly thrown to his own teammates.

Next, the Xihe veterans calmly launched their attack. On one hand, they dispatched men to block the Wuyuan soldiers from returning to defend; on the other, a sharp three-man squad raced toward the opponent's goal. Although Cheng Lian fearlessly threw himself at the ball carrier and managed to tackle him, he could not prevent the carrier from passing the leather ball in time to his support. The latter then pressed on to the Wuyuan Garrison's goal and successfully completed a shot.

A chorus of cheers and lamentations, even curses, erupted at once, while the officers on the viewing platform could only shake their heads and, with sighs, praise the foresight of Infantry Company Commander Cheng Pu.

"Wenqi."

Just as Gongsun Xun was laughing heartily and clapping, Lu Fan's voice suddenly came from behind him, which greatly surprised the former... It must be understood, not everyone enjoyed these matches and the bustle. Although Lu Fan strongly approved of this activity's existence — and was even its most important protector — he himself would rather read in the barracks than come here to watch some ball game.

"What's happened?" Gongsun Xun quickly turned and asked.

"This is no place to talk. Come out at once," Lu Fan said with a grave expression.

Gongsun Xun, puzzled, hastily excused himself and followed the man away. The surrounding officers exchanged glances, but not one of them uttered a word... Lu Fan was merely a subordinate clerk, unranked in official terms. But in reality, not to mention the many officers present, even the camp cooks knew that this scholar, deeply trusted by the Major, was less a subordinate clerk and more the camp's chief steward! He was the solid number-two figure in the camp.

The number-two figure seeking out the Major to discuss something — what could be more proper?

"Isn't this far too strange?" Gongsun Xun had barely walked a few steps shoulder-to-shoulder with Lu Ziheng before his face filled with astonishment. "Dong Zhuo, Guo Yun, and Zang Min are all coming here together? And they're barely twenty li from Pingcheng? This..."

"There is no 'strange' about it," Lu Fan corrected him with a serious face. "An Inspector must tour his commanderies, a Grand Administrator must tour his counties, and a General of the Household has every right to come inspect a garrison."

Gongsun Xun was momentarily speechless, but finally shook his head repeatedly: "I'm not saying these three have no reason to come to Pingcheng. I'm saying there's no reason for the three of them to come together... There must be some major event, surely?"

"Wenqi," Lu Fan said helplessly. "Of course I know there's a major event, otherwise I wouldn't have called you. But there's no time for any speculation now... I merely wanted to remind you: since these three are coming here to conduct normal inspections according to the law, you must naturally respond according to the law. Do not give anyone a handle against you!"

Gongsun Xun finally snapped out of his shock at this news: "I understand Ziheng's meaning. General of the Household Zang is coming to inspect the troops, so I must naturally set out immediately to welcome him... As for encountering Grand Administrator Guo and Inspector Dong on the road, those will be chance meetings. And if Inspector Dong has matters to ask me, I must naturally answer frankly. But if Grand Administrator Guo has words for me, I can only ask him to wait until the end."

"That is roughly the principle."

"However," Gongsun Xun suddenly frowned again. "This is merely a response based on the three having different positions. What if the three are already in tacit understanding when they arrive?"

Lu Fan immediately shook his head: "Then there is even less need for pointless speculation. Wenqi, if the Inspector, Grand Administrator, and General of the Household are in tacit accord, what other course do you have besides directly nodding in agreement?"

Gongsun Xun could not help but sigh inwardly, yet ultimately had no choice. He could only hastily turn back, summon Han Dang and several of his Volunteers, urgently prepare horses, and ride straight out to meet the arrivals.

However, though Gongsun Xun reacted with extreme speed, the three military and political grandees of Bingzhou on the other side were not slow either. Barely ten li past Pingcheng's south gate, he saw, across the frozen-solid official road and amidst the vast, snowy plains, a large contingent approaching head-on, with banners unfurled and ceremonial insignia arrayed in succession — clearly, these three great figures were arriving together.

At the very front were the banners of the host, Grand Administrator of Yanmen Guo Yun. This man hailed from one of the foremost noble families in Bingzhou, a clan deeply entrenched in the province. On this patch of land called Bingzhou, there was likely no one who could afford to underestimate him!

Following closely behind was the Inspector of Bingzhou, Dong Zhuo. Even if others did not know Dong Zhongying's prestige and heroic spirit, how could Gongsun Xun not? Moreover, this man was now the Regional Governor of a province, with the authority to impeach and investigate any court-appointed official within Bingzhou's borders. Who would dare ignore him?

As for the last man, it was the General of the Household in Charge of the Southern Xiongnu, Zang Min, styled Boqing... Setting aside the fact that this man had risen through the ranks by accumulated merit and was likely no mere figurehead, even if he were entirely a figurehead, one still had to be ten thousand times cautious! Because he was not only Gongsun Xun's direct superior, but had also come bearing a staff of authority this time! In other words, so long as this General of the Household Zang was willing, a mere Major of a Separate Detachment, rank equivalent to a thousand bushels, no matter how powerful his backers, could be executed on the spot!

This was why Zang Min was ranked first in the order of importance Lu Fan had laid out, and why Dong Zhuo and Guo Yun willingly served as the vanguard clearing the path... In the latter's procession, that staff of authority was clearly visible from afar.

And upon seeing that staff of authority with his own eyes, even though he had come fully prepared, in full armor and even draped in a great cloak, Gongsun Xun could not help but feel his hairs stand on end. He immediately summoned every ounce of his focus:

"Gongsun Xun, Major of a Separate Detachment of Han's Pingcheng, having learned that the General of the Household is conducting an inspection bearing the staff of authority, that the Regional Governor is touring the commandery to this point, and that the Grand Administrator is passing through on his county tour, hereby stands in attendance!"

"Aiya!" Gongsun Xun had barely finished his announcement when Dong Zhuo's laughter rang out from the other side. Clearly, upon hearing the voice, this Inspector of Bingzhou had immediately bypassed the order of precedence and hurriedly disembarked from his carriage. "Wenqi, why go to such lengths? The weather is so bitterly cold, and you still came out over ten li from camp to greet us?"

"Has the Regional Governor been in good health lately?"

"Good, good." Dong Zhuo laughed heartily, then, bringing along his son-in-law Niu Fu, Li Ru, and others, disregarded protocol and passed right by Guo Yun's procession. He stepped forward directly and grasped Gongsun Xun's hand, then suddenly lowered his voice to console him: "Wenqi, don't be frightened. It was Lord Zang who suddenly decided to come to your place. Fearing he might do something untoward, I took the opportunity to follow along. As for Guo Yun, he probably saw Lord Zang and me coming together and decided to join the excitement here, adapting as he goes!"

"So that's how it is. I've put the Regional Governor to much trouble." Even though Gongsun Xun harbored prejudices against Dong Zhuo, he could not help but feel a warmth in his heart at this.

"Speaking of which, is that short blade I gifted you still sharp?" After conveying the key point, and before the other two could react, this Dong Zhongying suddenly asked.

Gongsun Xun naturally understood what the other was referring to, and immediately replied with a smile: "Lord Dong's blade was sharp enough to sever the retreat of a two-thousand-bushel official. That Xun was able to accomplish this matter was entirely thanks to Lord Dong's prestige!"

Dong Zhuo burst into laughter again upon hearing this: "In the end, the blade is sharper than official documents!"

Gongsun Xun's heart jolted, yet he found himself utterly unable to reply.

Over here, Gongsun Xun and Dong Zhuo were standing by the roadside, disregarding their status, holding hands and chatting amiably, which made Grand Administrator of Yanmen Guo Yun, who had just alighted from his carriage over on the other side, twitch his eyelids uncontrollably.

It must be said, Guo Yun had been in Yanmen for some time now. His family was from Taiyuan, making him something of a local power, and his family background was lofty. Whether in ability or execution, he was likely no match for a waste like Zhang Qi. Yet, even a domineering Grand Administrator like him had no choice but to deliberately overlook the situation at Pingcheng and the grain and fodder inexplicably paid out by the commandery... After all, the man had relied on his own skill to topple a two-thousand-bushel official. Who would dare object?

But knowing it in his mind was one thing; seeing with his own eyes the thousand-dan Major stationed in his own commandery being so intimate with the Regional Governor above him — that still made Governor Guo’s heart pound with alarm.

On the other side, seeing Guo Yun step down from the carriage, Gongsun Xun naturally hurried forward to pay his respects as well. He had already toppled one Grand Administrator — did he need to topple a second? Since he had already made the whole of Yanmen aware of his strength, there was no need to deliberately put on airs anymore.

Besides, today there was still a credential-bearing superior officer right behind him.

“Are you Gongsun Wenqi?” The last to appear, Zang Min, styled Boqing, cut an imposing figure. Though the beard on his upper lip and chin was not as lush as Dong Zhuo’s, it was groomed exceptionally clean and neat. At first glance, it truly gave off a sense of mere showmanship, but his very next sentence immediately made Gongsun Xun dismiss that thought. “Meeting you for the first time, you suddenly remind me of another subordinate from the old days when we quelled the rebellion in Yangzhou — just as young, just as fierce, just as utterly unrestrained... Still, there are some differences between you and that lad called Sun Jian!”

Gongsun Xun, who had just raised his head after completing his salute, felt a slight stir in his heart, yet his face remained calmly smiling and composed: “Reporting to the General of the Household, that Sun Jian is presumably a hero of the south, whereas I was born in the lands of You and Yan...”

“That’s not it,” Zang Min said, shaking his head as he spoke. “I mean his family background is not as good as yours!”

Gongsun Xun could not help but be momentarily speechless.

“That Sun Jian, Sun Wentai, comes from a family in decline, barely managing to be considered a powerful local house in his county,” Zang Min said, resting a hand on his sword as he circled around Gongsun Xun, while Dong Zhuo and Guo Yun wisely retreated several steps. “He raised a thousand men himself, toiled bitterly to suppress the rebels, yet only gained the post of Assistant County Magistrate. You, on the other hand, come from a family with a two-thousand-dan legacy, have a renowned Confucian scholar of the realm as your teacher, were accepted as an inner-chamber disciple by the current Grand Commandant, and were taken as a son-in-law by the Grand Administrator of your home commandery. I’ve even heard that celebrated scholars at court, such as Cai Bojie, are on very close terms with you, and that Yuan Shao, scion of the Yuans — a line that has produced Three Excellencies in four generations — greatly admires your heroic spirit. So as soon as you were summoned, you were appointed a thousand-dan Major... In short, you are accomplished in both civil and martial affairs, made your name before reaching manhood, lacking in neither classical learning nor military merit. Even a blind man could see that you are destined for great things.”

“It is all the generous affection of my elders,” Gongsun Xun managed to respond.

“Generous affection or not?” Having completed two circles, Zang Min finally stopped on the road in front of Gongsun Xun. “In this day and age, holding office depends precisely on having someone above who shows you ‘generous affection.’ What is there to decline? It’s just... Wenqi, before I came, I could never figure out why, with your family background and such ‘generous affection’ from your elders, you would still act so rashly, just like that Sun Wentai. Sun Wentai has ambition in his heart, and after all, he hasn’t read many classics. But why is there such urgency in your heart? Could it be that my experience is too narrow, and men of the northern frontier commanderies are naturally like this, never leaving any leeway for others?”

Dong Zhuo, hands on his belt, narrowed his eyes. Guo Yun, expressionless, watched the sparrows on the branches that had been startled earlier and were now flying back.

Gongsun Xun first glanced at Dong Zhuo, then solemnly faced Zang Min and replied: “Lord Zang... May I ask what matter exactly Your Lordship refers to with the word ‘urgency’?”

Zang Min remained silent.

After waiting a long while and seeing that the other would not answer, Gongsun Xun gathered his courage and continued: “Does Your Lordship refer to when I infiltrated the enemy camp in Liaoxi to rescue the Commandery Governor’s mother, or to when I, several months ago, imitated the story of Lord Qiao and rid Yanmen of a villain who preyed upon the people?”

Zang Min still said nothing.

“Lord Zang,” Dong Zhuo, the Inspector of Bingzhou standing to the side, suddenly sighed. “I have heard it said that those who hold loyalty and righteousness in their hearts will always see loyalty and righteousness in matters, and those with virtue will find virtue in matters. But if one’s eyes hold only self-interest, then would they not see all things under heaven as merely self-interest? In my view, all the deeds Wenqi has done are exceedingly fine!”

Zang Min, hand on his sword, turned around, and Dong Zhuo, also with his hand on his belt, met him. The two stared at each other, neither yielding. At the same time, the Bingzhou elites and Xiliang armored soldiers under their respective commands also stood faintly opposed, led by their own chiefs... Guo Yun himself was fine, but the group of Yanmen commandery clerks behind him could not help but feel their heads steaming with heat.

Thus, the credential-bearing General of the Household Who Envoys the Xiongnu and the Bingzhou Regional Governor, representing the imperial court on his inspection tour of the nine commanderies of Bingzhou, stood in a standoff for a long while, until finally the former sighed first.

“Lord Dong,” Zang Min shook his head helplessly. “I do not mean to lightly scorn you frontier heroes, nor do I intend to deliberately make things difficult for this young man... Think about it: if I wished to humiliate him, I would go directly to his camp, plant my tally and staff to the side, and then no matter how I humiliated him, could you and Governor Guo still stand aside and speak as you do now? And what could he himself do? That I stopped here by the roadside in the wilds to speak with him is precisely out of care for him, wanting to say some words from the heart...”

Having said this, Zang Min turned back and looked at Gongsun Xun once more: “Major Gongsun, I do not mean to make trouble for you either... But are you aware? Word has come from Luoyang that Governor Zhang, exiled to Rinan, reached Changsha last month. Unaware that most snakes in our south are venomous, he was bitten by one and died from the bite... And this very month, a general amnesty was declared!”

Gongsun Xun was dumbstruck. He opened his mouth once as if to speak, but finally shut it and said nothing. Even Dong Zhuo and Guo Yun could not help but look at each other in bewilderment... This manner of death was, to say the least, refreshingly novel.

“Enough!” Zang Boqing sighed. “Lord Dong’s words have merit. What you did, after all, stood on the side of state law. That Zhang Qi was simply unlucky. It is I who was somewhat overbearing and lost my composure.”

“I would not dare to accept such blame,” Gongsun Xun hurriedly lowered his head, though he could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

“I did not leave Xihe for Yanmen just to vent anger on behalf of that Zhang Qi,” Zang Min suddenly rallied his spirits and said solemnly, having been put at a disadvantage in his standoff with Dong Zhuo. “There is urgent military business. First, since your unit has been formed, it must eventually be inspected. Second, if your unit is properly established here, there are two major matters to discuss with you... On this matter, perhaps Lord Dong and Lord Guo should also come and listen, for I fear it won’t be long before word from Luoyang reaches you as well.”

Dong Zhuo and Guo Yun naturally had no objection.

And so, the three men returned to their carriages, while Gongsun Xun led the way ahead, guiding the processions of the three grand officials around Pingcheng and straight to the military camp.

On the other side, Lu Fan had long since made arrangements. He ordered the competitions halted, dispersed the market, and had the auxiliary convicts garrison the camp. The remaining companies and platoons filed out in sequence, forming neat and orderly ranks right before the camp gate, awaiting the General of the Household’s inspection.

A moment later, Zang Min, Dong Zhuo, and Guo Yun descended from their carriages. Seeing the five or six hundred troops before them, fully equipped in armor, brimming with vigor, standing in orderly ranks despite the winter cold, they were all uniformly startled.

“I see I still underestimated Major Gongsun,” Yanmen Grand Administrator Guo Yun was the first to exclaim. “Such military bearing — has it truly only been a few months since the unit was formed?”

“Lord Zang?” Dong Zhuo could not help but let out a loud laugh. “Can a man who can train troops like this not kill a two-thousand-dan official?”

Zang Min was silent for a long while, then glanced at Gongsun Xun standing to the side. He then directly led his entourage, tally in hand, into the military camp. Dong Zhuo gave a cold laugh and naturally followed immediately. Guo Yun, expressionless, certainly had no reason to retreat at this moment. Gongsun Xun, even less daring to make a move, hurriedly summoned the officers of all ranks to follow him into the camp and await orders.

And when Zang Min ascended the high platform in the center of the main camp, and the rest of the men stood solemnly below the platform, this General of the Household Who Envoys the Xiongnu finally spoke no more idle words and directly summoned Gongsun Xun forward: “Major Gongsun, I too have spent long years in the army. One glance at your unit is enough for me — it can indeed be called a strong force! You... have done well!”

“Many thanks for the General of the Household’s praise.”

“In that case, I now have two military orders for you.”

“Yes!”

“First: from this day forward, your unit shall bear an important task — to supervise the construction, by civilian laborers from across Bingzhou, of a great encampment at this location. The encampment shall be based on a standard of ten thousand cavalry, with corresponding stables, granaries, fodder depots, and armories. In addition, there must be lodging houses sufficient for roughly thirty thousand civilian laborers and garrison troops to rest!”

“Yes!”

“Remember, you are only to supervise the construction,” Zang Min suddenly reminded him in a gentler tone. “You need not participate directly. Once the edict reaches the Bingzhou provincial administration and the various commanderies, civilian laborers will naturally come to this place. Those in charge of this matter shall be Inspector Dong and Grand Administrator Guo. You need only take next year’s sixth month as the deadline and report the progress of the works at any time!”

“Yes!”

“Second,” Zang Min paused here. “If the construction proceeds smoothly, by the middle of next year, after your unit reports to me, you may leave this place directly, exit via Mount Baideng, and proceed to garrison at Gaoliu Fortress in Dai Commandery. At that time, the credential-bearing Colonel Protector of the Wuhuan, Lord Xia, shall take command of your unit!”

“Yes!”

“That is all,” Zang Min said with an indifferent expression. “You may rise!”

Gongsun Xun straightened up, his face pale and bewildered. In truth, it was not just him — Guo Yun and Dong Zhuo beside him, Lu Fan and Cheng Pu behind him, Li Ru and Niu Fu behind Dong Zhuo, the Yanmen commandery clerks behind Guo Yun, and the county magistrate of Pingcheng — all were the same.

“Major Gongsun,” Zang Min stood on the platform, hand on his sword, and asked calmly, “Is there confusion in your heart? If so, ask freely.”

Gongsun Xun could not help but cup his hands: “Lord Zang, are we to march beyond the frontier by the middle of next year? Is that not too hasty? I do not know about other matters, but my unit has only been at full strength for a few months...”

“Major Gongsun,” Zang Min replied calmly, “it is indeed by the middle of next year that you are to march beyond the frontier... I will not hide it from you. Just days ago, Colonel Protector of the Wuhuan Lord Xia’s memorial requesting battle had already been delivered before the throne. The court openly debated the matter of marching beyond the frontier. Although opinions were divided, and even Cai Bojie submitted a memorial directly opposing it, the matter was ultimately decided. As for whether it is hasty or not, I cannot answer you... Because, since the court’s will is set, this is no longer a question for subjects to discuss.”

“Then why is my unit to be transferred to Gaoliu?” Gongsun Xun continued to ask, growing more and more confused. “Are we not supervising the construction of a great encampment here? Yet why is the encampment only for ten thousand cavalry? Could it be that only Han troops from the Yanmen side are to march beyond the frontier? Will the Xiongnu not send troops?”

“No,” Zang Min’s expression finally stirred slightly in the cold wind. “The encampment here is only for my own troops and the Xiongnu cavalry. Ten thousand cavalry is sufficient.”

Gongsun Xun was even more puzzled: “What of the garrison troops from across Bingzhou that Your Lordship originally commanded?”

“The same as your unit,” Zang Min answered as he descended from the high platform. “Assigned to others. Since I have stepped down from the command platform, I shall speak plainly. Minister over the Masses Lord Yuan wrote to me, explaining it with particular clarity. The former Colonel Protector of the Qiang, Tian Yan, was dismissed for an offense and happened to be in the capital. Hearing the court’s discussions of sending troops, he... he went to entreat the Central Regular Attendant Wang Fu, who leads the court administration. And the court, considering that he had cooperated quite effectively with Lord Xia in past campaigns, appointed him General of the Household Who Smashes the Xianbei, granting him the chance to redeem himself through merit. As for the nearly ten thousand Han cavalry under my command, they have already been ordered by the Imperial Secretariat to be entirely reassigned to him. My current duty is merely to oversee the Xiongnu Chanyu, Tute Ruoshi Zhujiu, leading his troops beyond the frontier. As for your unit, it is said that Grand Commandant Lord Liu personally arranged it, considering that you are of Youzhou origin and more familiar with Wuhuan customs, and thus specially transferred you to Lord Xia... another expression of particular care and affection.”

Gongsun Xun was stunned speechless. Behind him, Lu Fan, Han Dang, Cheng Pu, and the others also looked at each other in dismay... No matter how you put it, wasn’t this just changing commanders and dividing forces before battle? And his unit, having to supervise the construction of a great encampment and then shift garrisons, was actually considered to be specially looked after?

As for Yanmen Grand Administrator Guo Yun and the local officials of Yanmen, their faces were already drained of color... One could well imagine how much corvée labor Yanmen would have to provide over the next year, and how heavy the burden on their own shoulders would be. Compared to this, the military discipline of the Xiongnu was not even within the scope of consideration.

“Lord Zang,” at that moment, Dong Zhuo, who had been standing to the side with his hand on his belt, suddenly spoke with awe-inspiring gravity. “Why did Lord Yuan write to you, but not to me?”

Zang Min could not help but laugh: “What does Lord Dong think?”

Dong Zhuo’s face immediately flushed with anger, yet Zang Min met him with a smile... The two men had once again fallen into a standoff.

However, after a long while, this time it was Dong Zhuo who first let out a dry laugh and sighed: “I remember now. I, Dong Zhongying, am a coarse man. Lord Yuan is not in the habit of writing letters to me!”

Watching this scene, Gongsun Xun remained expressionless, but in his heart, he could not help but feel gratitude toward Liu Kuan, far away in Luoyang... At this moment, being able to escape Bingzhou might be a tremendous stroke of fortune!

“At the end of the Xiping era, the credential-bearing General of the Household Who Envoys the Xiongnu, Zang Min, was Xun’s superior officer. He had long been on good terms with Yanmen Grand Administrator Zhang Qi. When Xun exposed Qi’s evil deeds and sent him to Luoyang in a prison cart, Min secretly harbored resentment and used the pretext of an inspection tour to make trouble for him. He first made Xun go ten li out of camp to greet him by the roadside, then stood on his carriage with his tally and staff and rebuked him: ‘You are a thousand-dan official at barely twenty; why do you use self-interest to hound a renowned scholar so urgently?’ Xun raised his head and argued boldly, saying: ‘Your servant has always heard that in any matter, the virtuous see virtue, the benevolent see benevolence, the righteous see righteousness. I truly do not know how Your Excellency sees self-interest.’ Min was shamed. He proceeded to the camp, observed Xun’s command of the troops, and was even more deeply ashamed. He then took Xun by the hand and said: ‘Only today do I realize that the affairs of the world shall rest with you!’” — Records of the Heroes of the Late Han, by Wang Can

PS: Embarrassing — I mixed up Zhang Qi and Zhao Qi... Mainly because the late Han had both a Zhang Qi and a Zhao Qi, the latter being more formidable and leaving a deeper impression. My apologies.

Also, there’s a new book group. Interested readers can join: 684558115.

(End of Chapter)