Chapter 96: Great Matters (Part One)

Gongsun Zan’s affair was handled both casually and deliberately.

First of all, in everyone’s eyes — including Gongsun Xun’s — this loud-voiced, handsome fellow was bound to rise sooner or later, because his personal qualities and connections had long been in place; he really didn’t lack this bit of drama. But on the other hand, Gongsun Xun also hoped to use this method to speed up his clan brother’s break with Xia Yu, so as to prevent some awkward situations in the future.

However, after spending two million coins to bribe a Wuhuan chieftain, then ransoming Gongsun Zan, seizing back those coins, silencing the witnesses, and making off with over two hundred warhorses, Gongsun Xun still could not witness in person the scene of his clan brother accompanying Xia Yu into Luoyang in a prisoner’s cage… because the imperial envoys did not come in batches, but were dispatched all at once — several dozen of them!

A moment’s thought makes it clear: with such a crushing defeat, the entire northern frontier was shaken; how could the central government possibly delay or procrastinate?

In fact, never mind supervising Xia Yu and Zang Min being carted into Luoyang in cages; never mind offering condolences to the Southern Xiongnu Chanyu, whose fate was unknown, or to the Wuhuan people, who had suffered terrible casualties — just the envoys sent to order the various border commanderies’ two-thousand-bushel officials and the two provincial inspectors to strengthen border defenses probably numbered far more than a few dozen…

And Gongsun Xun, as a detached division major registered with the court, although his performance was extremely brilliant — one could even say he achieved the only victory in this northern expedition beyond the frontier — this was clearly not the time to discuss merits and faults… The central government dispatched an envoy, jointly sealed by the Grand Commandant’s office and the Imperial Secretariat, ordering him to immediately lead his troops back to Pingcheng, then take control of the original Pingcheng camp as a directly subordinate imperial officer, and assist the Yanmen Grand Administrator, Guo Yun, in maintaining the currently most vulnerable Yanmen Commandery border defenses.

There was naturally nothing to argue about. Upon receiving the order, Gongsun Xun, disregarding the fact that his left arm injury had not yet fully healed, left Lu Fan to look after the wounded, and then personally led his troops across provinces and commanderies, racing back to Pingcheng.

It must be said, although they had not been away from this place for very long, for some reason, from Gongsun Xun on down, nearly everyone felt a sense of being in a different world when they returned to Pingcheng.

The summer sun was bright and beautiful, and everything in sight was vividly colored. Yet, ever since the army passed Mount Bailang, they had hardly seen any signs of human habitation along the way.

It was not that there were no villages scattered across the plains north of Pingcheng, but most were deserted. No one knew whether the people had left on their own long ago, or had hidden upon seeing the army approach, or had first fallen prey to bandits, refugees, and rogue soldiers, and then hidden when the army came.

Arriving outside Pingcheng, there were indeed signs of people, and once they recognized this army’s banners, they were quite enthusiastic, but it still made one furrow one’s brow… because there were too few people. And that vast military camp north of the city, the one Gongsun Xun had personally supervised the construction of and was now about to formally take over, was now even more speechlessly desolate — to call it dilapidated would be an understatement!

In short, everything in sight was a mess.

And since Lu Fan was not present, Gongsun Xun had to personally handle all the miscellaneous affairs.

“There are military dependents from the Jiuyuan immigrants lingering outside? Let the soldiers of Jiuyuan immigrant origin enter the city to visit their families, but the officers must return quickly.”

“The Yanmen Grand Administrator, Guo Gong, is waiting for me right here in Pingcheng? Let me first get my subordinates in order, and I will pay him a visit this evening.”

“Don’t try to tidy up the entire camp at the start. First, concentrate on clearing one section so we can settle in temporarily, then send people around to check if there is still… You mean there are still arms and provisions in the camp?”

“Yes!” The clerk left behind by Zang Min bowed his head and replied. “Please follow me, Major.”

Gongsun Xun quickly led a group of officers and followed the man over.

“Major, please look.” The clerk produced a key and unlocked the broad lock hanging on a storehouse door, then pushed the door open.

Indeed, inside were bundles of fodder and piled-up millet — dry grass on the left, grain on the right, arranged in perfect order, which greatly stirred everyone present.

“There are two more storehouses like this,” the clerk said, head lowered. “In addition, there is one storehouse of armor and one of weapons… The former were requisitioned from the various commanderies and princedoms of Henei, Hedong, and Hebei; the latter were sent directly from the Nanyang iron depot. The reason Lord Zang had me stay here and wait for you, Major, was precisely for these five storehouses!”

At this point, the clerk paused briefly before continuing: “To be honest with you, Major, the other storehouses were already swept clean by the Xiongnu and scattered civilian laborers when the defeated army returned. Only these five were guarded by clerks and troops from the Yanmen Commandery government itself, which is why they were preserved…”

The surrounding officers were all overjoyed, but Gongsun Xun alone remained expressionless and unconcerned: “Lord Zang’s fate is truly regrettable. Since that is the case, I will naturally handle this with care… You are also a local Yanmen clerk who was conscripted into the camp?”

“Yes!”

“Then return to Yinguan,” Gongsun Xun said, waving his hand casually. “When I see Grand Administrator Guo this evening, I will naturally explain your meritorious service.”

“…Understood!”

After withdrawing from the storehouse, Gongsun Xun shook his head repeatedly, though no one knew what he was thinking. He also forbade anyone from opening the storehouses and using their contents; instead, he had them locked up again, as if he had not seen these storehouses at all, and continued urging the soldiers in the camp to clean up the main camp.

Of course, such a thing could not be kept secret. Before long, the entire camp knew that a large quantity of arms and provisions was stored inside, and everyone worked much more diligently.

“Is your family well? Are the folks from Jiuyuan safe and sound?” In the afternoon, at the center of the camp, which was beginning to show some signs of life, Gongsun Xun sat on the steps of the high platform, holding his horsewhip and speaking with Cheng Lian. The latter had just returned from visiting the city of Pingcheng with Wei Yue and others.

“There is only my wife at home, so naturally there is no worry,” Cheng Lian hurriedly bowed and replied. “As for the Jiuyuan folks, quite a few did flee for fear of the Xiongnu crossing the border, but most of the rest are safe and sound. We must thank you, Major, for sending them into the city when you left…”

“Setting aside the wounded left in Juyang City,” Gongsun Xun said, glancing at the busy soldiers in the camp before continuing, “all those who died in battle or went missing this time — in short, so many who did not return — have you heard anyone cursing me, the recruiter?”

Cheng Lian, Wei Yue, and a few other officers of Jiuyuan immigrant origin exchanged glances.

“As expected, there is some resentment,” Gongsun Xun said with a bitter smile. “I should have realized.”

“Major, allow me to report,” Cheng Lian cupped his hands again. “It cannot be said there is no resentment at all, but…”

“Hmm?”

“But most of the folks still feel that you, Major, are more reliable,” Cheng Lian said, his expression turning somewhat somber as he spoke. “No worries about food and clothing, and no lack of rewards — one person enlisting can support an entire household. So, when I went into the city to visit this time, quite a few people actually asked me whether, since the army had suffered losses, they could send their sons and younger brothers over again. As for their resentment, it was actually when they heard that you, Major, had already replenished the ranks with elite troops from Ningcheng and were not short of soldiers — only then did some inconsiderate people grumble a bit…”

“Has the people’s livelihood become so harsh?” Gongsun Xun sighed softly. “I understand the situation now. You may withdraw.”

Cheng Lian murmured his assent, but Wei Yue seemed eager and reluctant to leave.

“You want to speak?” Gongsun Xun had naturally noticed the man’s fidgeting.

“Yes, Major!” Wei Yue quickly stepped forward and saluted. “If I may be blunt, although our army is already at full strength, there would be no harm in supporting a few more troops!”

Gongsun Xun looked at him with amused interest: “What do you mean by that? You see your fellow villagers with no means of livelihood, so you want to plead on their behalf?”

“There is indeed that intention,” Wei Yue said, growing even more pleased with himself. “But I am not speaking recklessly… Supporting troops, after all, is nothing more than a matter of coin and silk, arms, and provisions!”

“Then tell me, where do these coins and silk, arms, and provisions come from?” Gongsun Xun continued to stare at him with a mocking expression.

“As for coin and silk, your family, Major, presumably does not lack them.”

“Oh,” Gongsun Xun said with a look of sudden understanding. “You want me to use private wealth for military pay. Then what about arms and provisions?”

“Arms and provisions are right before our eyes!” Wei Yue said, pointing toward the storehouses. “By the time we were still in the city, word had already spread that there are several storehouses of provisions and arms in the camp, completely untouched…”

“That is hardly a long-term solution, is it?” Gongsun Xun said, enduring the pain as he switched his horsewhip from his left hand to his right behind his back. “What happens when we sit idle and eat through it all?”

“Then we go demand more from the Yanmen Commandery office!” Wei Yue answered without hesitation. “They already agreed to bear the provisions for our volunteers and attached personnel. We might as well ask for a bit more. We can also demand arms replenishment from the Yanmen Commandery’s iron office. Even for military pay… if you, Major, are reluctant to spend so much money, we can ask them for that too!”

Gongsun Xun nodded repeatedly: “I understand your meaning… I provide the military pay, we take the arms from the main camp, and we requisition the provisions locally — this way we can support a few hundred more troops… Is that what you mean?”

“Yes!” Wei Yue agreed with exceptional alacrity.

Beside him, Cheng Lian’s face had already turned ashen, but he dared not say a single word.

Gongsun Xun ignored this blockhead, instead pulling the horsewhip from behind his back and tossing it into Cheng Lian’s face: “Take him down and personally give him twenty lashes. You are his superior; make sure he understands what he should and should not say. And while you’re at it, help me find out clearly — whose bribe did he take this time?”

At the last sentence, Wei Yue’s face instantly changed color, and Cheng Lian, seeing his childhood friend’s sudden shift in expression, was also somewhat dumbfounded… Of course, regardless, the latter ultimately gripped the horsewhip and, along with several officers, quickly dragged the former away.

Gongsun Xun shook his head repeatedly.

Just then, someone suddenly came to report that, for some unknown reason, the Yanmen Grand Administrator, Guo Yun, seemed unable to wait. He had actually come in a light carriage with only a few clerks, and in a moment had already arrived at the camp gate.

Gongsun Xun let out a long breath and immediately rose to go welcome him.

“Wenqi.” Guo Yun, dressed in plain clothes and accompanied by only a few commandery clerks, cupped his hands from a distance at the camp gate.

“Lord Guo.” Gongsun Xun did not raise his hands to return the salute — not because he was unwilling, but because he truly could not. “I have an injury on my shoulder and cannot perform the full courtesy; I beg your forgiveness.”

“I understand, I understand.” Guo Yun did not mind in the slightest. He directly stepped forward and took hold of the other man’s right hand, which appeared uninjured. “When we heard that you, Wenqi, were coming back, everyone in the commandery, from top to bottom, broke into smiles… You have no idea — during this period, everyone in Yanmen was startled three times a day. The slightest stir beyond the frontier would set our hearts burning with anxiety. Yet when it came to receiving reinforcements, we did not know whether to be glad or worried. It was not until the commandery received the official dispatch and saw your name, Wenqi, that we finally breathed a sigh of relief.”

With such gestures and such words, one had to admit, this two-thousand-bushel Grand Administrator Guo had given full face to the mere “equivalent to a thousand bushels” Gongsun Xun — even to the point of excessive courtesy… Although everyone knew that Gongsun Xun was the sole bright spot in this campaign and would be put to great use once the situation stabilized, and everyone knew that Yanmen’s situation needed this man to steady it, still, this was somewhat overly enthusiastic.

Moreover, Gongsun Xun’s reaction was somewhat too cold, beyond what was expected.

“Lord Guo flatters me.” Gongsun Xun gave a derisive laugh at these words. “Though perhaps he is not flattering me at all, but venting his frustration… Were those Xiongnu soldiers truly so useless?”

Guo Yun was slightly taken aback, but in the end he still spoke the honest truth: “I cannot easily say how the Xiongnu were… after all, they have been settled in Xihe for over a hundred years, and even the Han tongue is spoken by the majority of their clans. Our Taiyuan Guo clan also has many dealings with the great Xiongnu families. Moreover, before this campaign, Lord Zang did his utmost to restrain them. But, setting aside the conduct of the defeated troops after the battle, just speaking of those ten thousand soldiers and the tens of thousands of conscripted laborers — even ignoring military discipline, merely their passage in and out of our Yanmen has already made our entire commandery suffer beyond endurance. Does Wenqi know how many people live in Yanmen?”

“I have seen the documents in the commandery office.” Gongsun Xun could not help but sigh at these words. “Just over one hundred twenty thousand. One hundred twenty thousand people supporting over ten thousand soldiers, plus tens of thousands of laborers — truly a bitter hardship!”

“Then do you know how many people lived in our Yanmen Commandery thirty or forty years ago, before the Xianbei had risen to power?” Guo Yun asked again.

“…”

“Two hundred forty thousand!” Guo Yun grew increasingly helpless, and the several commandery clerks behind him also shook their heads one after another. “In a little over thirty years, the population has halved! This is all the result of the Xianbei’s incessant harassment, but it is also the result of the court’s frequent military campaigns, which the people of this commandery could no longer sustain!”

Gongsun Xun remained silent, merely suddenly exerting force to drag the other man toward the inside of the camp gate… though they did not go far, because Wei Yue, stripped of his armor, was kneeling on the ground before the high platform in the center of the main camp, receiving his lashes. And Cheng Lian, seeing Gongsun Xun approach, immediately began flogging with even greater force, while Wei Yue’s howls grew even more intense.

“Wenqi…” Guo Yun glanced over at this scene with some discomfort, then took hold of Gongsun Xun’s right arm to stop him from going further.

“Lord Guo disregards status to visit a subordinate with such courtesy — surely you have something to discuss with me. If so, you might as well be direct.” Gongsun Xun said helplessly.

“Wenqi’s mind is perceptive, so I will not dissemble.” Guo Yun finally spoke with a serious expression. “In this battle, the army of the Yanmen route was nearly annihilated. Lord Zang was sent to Luoyang in a cage cart. The Xiongnu Chanyu’s fate is unknown, and he lies recuperating in Yinguan, not daring to act rashly. And the tens of thousands of laborers originally gathered here scattered in a single morning — some fleeing back to their homes, others joining scattered soldiers and deserters, vanishing into the surrounding mountains to become refugees and bandits… I will not hide it from you: the entire northern half of Yanmen Commandery is now utterly devastated. So…”

“Lord Guo, please speak plainly!” Gongsun Xun urged him once more. “What exactly do you want from me?”

“There are two major matters!” Guo Yun gave a bitter smile. “I beg Wenqi to assist with them.”

“Speak.”

“First, if the border defenses ease, would you be willing to dispatch elite troops to join the commandery soldiers in sweeping out the bandits in the surrounding areas?”

“That is of course no problem.” Gongsun Xun frowned slightly. “Making these men into tenant retainers is far better than letting them run wild as bandits. What is the other matter?”

Guo Yun was for a moment quite embarrassed. With his level of insight, he had long vaguely sensed that this visit might meet with a rebuff, but now that things had come to this, he could only brace himself and explain: “Wenqi must also understand that these laborers who have turned into refugees and bandits would normally be taken into government custody as convict laborers or sold off… That is lawful, not the same as what that Grand Administrator Zhang did in selling off migrants!”

“I understand, I understand… and then? Were there not two major matters?”

“And then, after this affair, production in Yanmen has ground to a halt. The autumn harvest is imminent, yet the green crops have been trampled… If no relief is provided, many common people will likely become refugees after autumn, yet the government granaries are empty…”

Gongsun Xun immediately looked as if he had suddenly understood: “Could it be that Lord Guo has set his eyes on the remaining grain and fodder in my camp? And since the grain in this camp is military provisions which you have no authority to touch, you thought to have me open the granaries for relief?”

“You need not distribute too much.” Guo Yun revised his plan on the spot. “It will suffice merely to stabilize the situation before the autumn harvest. After the harvest, I will send dispatches to Taiyuan, Zhongshan, and other commanderies to borrow grain.”

Gongsun Xun shook his head repeatedly: “Lord Guo, your words are mistaken. All along my journey here, what I saw was people driven from their homes, scholars and commoners suffering beyond endurance. If I, Gongsun Xun, had no resources, that would be one thing, but since I hold so much grain in my hands, how could I sit by and ignore the people? There are three granaries of provisions in the camp. One granary I will keep for my own use. The grain in the remaining two — send men to cart it all away!”

Throughout the entire camp, for a moment, there was silence. Even Wei Yue, who had just been flogged, could not help stealing a glance back.

“This truly is, this truly is…” Guo Yun did not know what to say for a moment, but then he suddenly withdrew his hand and bowed openly to Gongsun Xun. “On behalf of all Yanmen, Guo Mou thanks Wenqi.”

Gongsun Xun calmly accepted the bow.

“I will send men at once to move the grain.” Guo Yun, having risen, immediately turned to leave.

“Lord Guo, wait a moment.” Just then, Gongsun Xun suddenly called out to stop him with a smile. “For moving the grain, just give the order and let others handle it… My conversation with you is not yet finished!”

Hearing this, Guo Yun gestured for the commandery clerks to summon men to move the grain, while hastily turning back: “Wenqi, if you have words, please speak freely!”

“Lord Guo!” Gongsun Xun asked with a smile. “In truth, there was something you said earlier that I took strong exception to…”

“May I ask which words?”

“It was your argument about Yanmen’s population.” Gongsun Xun continued smiling. “You said that thirty years ago Yanmen had two hundred forty thousand people, and now it has one hundred twenty thousand…”

“Exactly!”

“Does Yanmen truly have only one hundred twenty thousand people now?”

Guo Yun started in alarm: “What does Wenqi mean by this? It is written clearly in the documents! The court also acknowledges it!”

“Why must Lord Guo deceive me?” Gongsun Xun immediately shook his head, laughing. “In our Great Han, from east to west, south to north, though customs differ, as far as I know, the so-called population loss follows the same pattern everywhere. Half is due to natural disasters and man-made calamities; the other half is concealed by the local powerful families. Our Yanmen is surrounded by mountains — I imagine a considerable population resides in the fortified manors hidden in certain mountain hollows, do they not?”

Guo Yun immediately sighed: “Wenqi, what does this have to do with the matter we are discussing today?”

“It has nothing to do with it.” Gongsun Xun sighed deeply. “I have merely heard that these fortified manors, while clearly concealing large populations, pay no taxes and render no corvée service. The court’s so-called military mobilizations do not touch them at all. I imagine their stored grain must also be plentiful!”

The skin of Guo Yun’s face twitched involuntarily: “What exactly does Wenqi intend to do?”

“Nothing in particular. It is simply that I have never been willing to suffer a loss.” Gongsun Xun sneered. “I believe that the commandery granaries are empty. I have seen with my own eyes the people displaced and the crops utterly destroyed. Therefore, compelled by conscience, I must risk censure from the central authorities and hand over military grain for relief. But… however much grain I give, I request that you, Grand Administrator Guo, make these local powerful families of Yanmen give the same amount! Otherwise, my heart probably cannot be at peace! And if my heart is not at peace, then I must voice it or act upon it! Lord Guo, tell me — are the fortified manors of Yanmen sturdier than the Xianbei royal court?”

Guo Yun opened his mouth but could not speak.

“Lord Guo, a great man’s word once spoken cannot be overtaken by a team of four horses. Those two granaries of grain — I have already designated them for you and will absolutely not take them back! And on your side, Lord Guo, I must ask you, with the stature of a renowned family of Bingzhou, to properly pressure these powerful families! You and I join hands — you do not begrudge your reputation, and I do not begrudge my strength. Who in all Yanmen could stir up any waves? Besides, before Lord Zang left, he did not give the grain directly to you but left it with me — was that not precisely because he hoped you and I would cross this river together?”

Guo Yun was dazed and at a loss, but in the end he dared not say much… On one hand, it was indeed because Gongsun Xun had exposed the little scheme between him and Zang Min; on the other hand, that phrase “Are they sturdier than the Xianbei royal court?” truly shook his spirit and seized his will, leaving him unable to retort… But, to move against those powerful families — would he not then be saddled with the reputation of a harsh official?

“Is the flogging finished?” Gongsun Xun suddenly paid no more attention to Grand Administrator Guo, but turned toward Cheng Lian to question him.

“Reporting to the Major, twenty lashes — it is already done!” Cheng Lian obediently bent at the waist and handed the horsewhip back.

“Wei Yue, I ask you,” Gongsun Xun took the horsewhip and circled around to the front of the bare-backed man. “Whose bribe did you take to suggest that I expand the army?”

“Reporting to the Major!” Wei Yue hastily kowtowed in explanation. “No one put me up to urging the Major to expand the army. It was the fellows from Jiuyuan who wanted to join the army, so they gave me some money to entreat on their behalf. I care too much about face, and I had taken their money, so I did such a foolish thing…”

“You have always been greedy for wealth and frivolous in character. I have always turned a blind eye to it. Do you know why I had you beaten today?”

“I should not have played petty tricks, thinking I could manipulate the Major in the palm of my hand!” Wei Yue kowtowed again. “In truth, if I had spoken honestly, the Major might even have felt pity and permitted me to take in a few more fellows from my hometown…”

“So you have made some progress after all!” Gongsun Xun could not help laughing in spite of himself. “Very well, seeing you so sincere, I will give you a fine assignment… Back when I was in Juyang, my mother already sent word that she would personally set out to see me, and would bring my betrothed wife along to complete the marriage. You will lead men to welcome and escort them, and serve them well… My mother is by nature extremely generous — if she is pleased, she might just reward you with two million cash!”

Tears were about to well up in Wei Yue’s eyes: “Aside from what the Major bestows, I absolutely dare not accept money again. I only beg the Major not to expel me from the camp!”

“Lord Guo!” Gongsun Xun suddenly raised his head again and smiled at Guo Yun. “Did you hear that? In a few days I am to be married here, to accomplish a great life event… I must ask Lord Guo to come and grace the occasion when the time arrives!”

“Certainly, certainly!” Guo Yun, who had already taken several steps away, hastily turned back.

“My mother is also coming. If Lord Guo is so inclined, you may first ascend the hall with me to pay respects to my mother.”

“Certainly, certainly.” Guo Yun only wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible; how could he clearly hear what the other was saying?

“A great man’s word once spoken cannot be overtaken by a team of four horses!” Gongsun Xun suddenly reminded him with a serious expression. “Lord Guo, the people of Yanmen are still craning their necks in expectation!”

“A word once spoken cannot be overtaken by a team of four horses!” Forced into a corner, Guo Yun could only turn back with a somewhat bitter expression and formally bow in assent.

———————I am a pitiful dividing line———————

“Formerly, Guo Yun served as Grand Administrator of Yanmen. He encountered the time when Zang Min marched out beyond the frontier and lost his army. The defeated troops turned to banditry, trampling the green crops and plundering the scholars and commoners. For a time, Yanmen was in great ruin, especially with the autumn harvest hopeless and famine threatening to be severe. Hearing that Gongsun Xun had returned to garrison Pingcheng and that his camp still held military provisions intact, he wished to seek them. His attendants advised him: ‘The northern frontier is broken and ruined; every man looks to his own safety. The powerful families all hoard grain to protect themselves. Though the army has grain, they will likely not give it!’ Guo Yun did not listen, and thus went in plain clothes and a light carriage to call upon him and request provisions. When they met, they exchanged but a few words. Xun, knowing that Guo Yun wished to relieve the common people, and having in his camp three granaries of millet, each holding three thousand dan, pointed to two of the granaries at the camp gate and gave them to him. From this, Guo Yun knew for certain that Xun was extraordinary. At that time, Guo Yun was thirty-four years old, with a rank of two thousand dan; Xun was twenty years old, with a rank equivalent to one thousand dan. Guo Yun, though of superior rank visiting a subordinate, and an elder visiting a junior, ascended the hall to pay respects to Xun’s mother, witnessed his marriage, and established a bond like that of Ziqiao and Zha.” — “Records of Heroes at the End of Han” by Wang Can

(End of Chapter)