The War of Words at the Assembly
Countless notables from Hebei glared at me with pure killing intent.
But I refused to yield an inch.
In my previous life, I had done plenty of things where I staked my life on the line. When I enlisted, lured by the promise of good pay, I ended up deployed to overseas battlefields I had only ever seen on the news—international peacekeeping operations. Later, working for a construction company, I never backed down at the negotiation table against older, rough crews of laborers who liked to gang up.
So let’s do this. A proper war of words right here, right now.
“Aigoo, ouch, ouch, ouch—”
“General of the Right!”
Yuan Shao, who should have been kneeling before the imperial edict, suddenly stood up and began dramatically pounding his waist and legs, making a great show of his agony. Naturally, it was nothing more than an act. He simply didn’t want to be seen kneeling.
With his sturdy frame, valiant face, and bear-like presence, Yuan Shao looked every bit the fierce general, yet his behavior revealed him to be nothing but a fox.
“Aigoo— Please convey to His Majesty that this disloyal subject begs forgiveness for his rudeness. My body is unwell, so I could not remain kneeling for long. I listened while seated upon the chair.”
It was positively comical to watch a man claim he was too ill to bow properly yet sit upon steps deliberately built to resemble the Emperor’s own throne. Still, since Yuan Shao was the audience here, I decided to simply let the show play out.
“Zhao Ziyue! If you belong to the Cao clan of Qiao County, does that not make you a member of the Polluted Faction, those who rose through consort clans and eunuch politics? Is your family once again trying to blind His Majesty’s eyes and ears so you can manipulate Hebei with your influence?”
Setting aside the respect and fame he would earn from later generations, the scholar was essentially insulting me as a member of the Polluted Faction—the household that had adopted Cao Teng, a man who wielded power through his eunuch connections.
I rolled up the bamboo slip I had brought, held it firmly, and answered.
“The Pure Faction and Polluted Faction spent all their time looking down on each other and fighting until Luoyang burned to the ground. You’re still spouting that nonsense? So the noble, lofty members of the Pure Faction intend to keep turning their backs on His Majesty, who remains in Luoyang?”
“How dare the descendants of Polluted Faction traitors deliver what is claimed to be His Majesty’s letter?”
He had crossed the line, openly calling the Cao family of Qiao County the descendants of “Polluted Faction traitors.”
“Very well. Then next time, shall we have one of those lofty Pure Faction ministers whom the people of Hebei find so agreeable deliver the letter? By then, His Majesty—growing ever more exhausted in the ruins of Luoyang—will simply order you to pay more than double the current amount of goods and military rations in taxes.”
“Y-you—!”
“How about it? Would you prefer I withdraw and wait until the next season for a Pure Faction minister to take my place? By then, the taxes you failed to pay this time will be added with compound interest when presented to the court.”
The scholar’s outstretched finger trembled violently before dropping to his side. Attacking the messenger instead of the message… I was an envoy, for heaven’s sake. Stop babbling about Pure and Polluted factions and simply obey what is written in the edict!
After a round of agitated murmuring, another of Yuan Shao’s ministers stepped forward. He had a gaunt face and long, narrow eyes. At a glance, the man practically screamed, I am a master of schemes and intrigue.
“Ah, from now on, please state who is speaking. This person must relay the words of Hebei’s notables, after all.”
“What? Such insolence!”
“Is it insolent or discourteous to wag one’s tongue without even giving one’s name?”
“Argh!”
The man who had been ranting about the Polluted Faction earlier tried to speak again but gained nothing for his trouble.
“Ziyue, I am Guo Tu of Yingchuan, Attendant Official of Ji Province. My courtesy name is Gongze.”
Guo Tu? I had thought he looked like a strategist, and sure enough, it was the famous Guo Tu, advisor to Yuan Shao. He glared at me with those slit eyes and declared,
“It is well known that the Grand Assistant of the Han Dynasty stands above the Grand General, who holds his position by imperial command. Yet for the Grand General to manipulate the Grand Assistant above him while clutching military power and the Son of Heaven—what nation’s law permits such a thing?”
I knew this argument was coming. The Grand Assistant was essentially a prime minister who also oversaw national defense, while the Grand General was the man who actually commanded the armies in the field. Yet here they were, granting a powerless Grand Assistant post and claiming it ranked below the Grand General.
“Furthermore, before he ever became Grand General, Cao Cao of Yan Province only rose as far as he did because General of the Right Yuan—Governor of Ji Province in Hebei—assisted him through countless defeats. Do you truly believe it is proper for such a man to wield military authority as Grand General?”
In other words: Cao Cao was originally a nobody who barely played at being a warlord thanks to our lord Yuan Shao’s support. Now that same man holds real power and dares to overshadow the very lord who nurtured him? What an ungrateful wretch!
“Support, you say? Well spoken. My uncle, His Excellency the Grand General Cao, received great favor from Hebei. With that support, he raised troops, repelled traitors across the realm, and crushed remnants of the Yellow Turbans and other bandits. There is nothing more to say about military talent. Is it not perfectly natural, then, for Excellency Cao—who actually led and maneuvered the army—to serve as Grand General, while General Yuan, who originally provided the support, continues in the role of Grand Assistant as before? What exactly is the problem?”
It was true that Cao Cao had played the part of the blade beneath Yuan Shao’s patronage. I gave them the perfectly reasonable answer that they should simply formalize that arrangement through official titles and continue suppressing rebels.
If they argued further, I was ready to snap, “Are we just going to keep bickering about influence and military power?” and dismiss the whole thing.
Yet Guo Tu refused to retreat. He shouted again.
“Do you not know that the position of Grand Assistant became a symbol of the selling of offices during times of chaos? In the past, did not the father of Excellency Cao from the Polluted Faction purchase that very office for one hundred million coins without a single military achievement to his name? Appointing General Yuan as Grand Assistant is nothing but another instance of selling offices under the guise of taxation!”
Guo Tu had finally dragged Cao Cao’s father, Cao Song, into it. He was mocking the fact that Cao Song had paid one hundred million coins to the previous emperor—Lingdi, father of the current Emperor—to buy the position of Grand Assistant.
“Therefore, at that time, the venerable Excellency Cao Ju who held the post of Grand Assistant served the present Emperor, of the previous emperor’s bloodline, and rose to the position of Grand Tutor. The one hundred million coins were offered for the sake of the court’s authority. Even now, despite his advanced age, he continues to fulfill the duties of Grand Tutor. Furthermore, you claim the Grand Assistant is a symbol of office-selling? Then would you also call Generals Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song—who bravely led armies and fought during the Yellow Turban Rebellion—office-buyers when they later rose to the same position?”
When I brought up the generals who had distinguished themselves in the Yellow Turban Rebellion and later became respected elder statesmen as Grand Assistants, even Guo Tu had nothing left to say. Especially since the men who succeeded Cao Song in that office were Liu Yu, Zhu Jun, and Huangfu Song.
Eventually Guo Tu withdrew. The next man to step forward was a scholar with a gentle countenance.
“Everyone, please calm yourselves. This has become far too much of a mud-slinging contest.”
This time the newcomer seemed more magnanimous—a rather handsome middle-aged man with a splendid mustache.
“Lord Ziyue, this person is of the Xun clan of Yingchuan in Yu Province. My name is Xun Xin, courtesy name Wuyue.”
“Ah, Master Xun. I have heard much about you.”
Xun Xin was Xun Yu’s elder brother and Xun You’s uncle. His courtesy names were similar to theirs, and the family resemblance was unmistakable.
“Lord Ziyue, the General of the Right and the ministers of Hebei are not angry about the positions of Grand Assistant and Grand General, nor are they furious over military authority or taxation.”
“Indeed. Hebei is also Han territory, and this is an imperial command concerning His Majesty. How could we possibly be angry about that?”
When he said this and glanced around, the expressions on the faces of Hebei’s ministers were spectacular. Even Yuan Shao, sitting arrogantly upon his throne, looked down at me with an expression that clearly said, Interesting. Do continue.
“We are merely pointing out that the situation does not align with reason. This is a criticism of the flawed decisions made by the ministers beneath His Majesty, not of His Majesty himself. I hope there is no misunderstanding.”
Xun Xin had drawn a neat line: We obey the Emperor, but the Cao Cao faction beneath him is the problem.
“According to the edict, His Majesty is residing in the devastated Luoyang. He requires taxes to restore the capital and must designate a temporary capital in the meantime. Is that correct?”
“It is.”
Since Xun Xin spoke gently, I responded with matching courtesy.
“Rebuilding the capital of Han is the obvious duty of any subject of Han. The General of the Right will gladly bear that cost. In the meantime, however, a temporary capital must be decided upon, yes?”
“Correct.”
“Then would not this place, Ye City, be the most suitable? What is your opinion?”
Oh, this was clever. Instead of raising his voice like the others to crush my spirit, he was slyly suggesting—under the pretext of a temporary capital—that the Emperor be moved to Ye City, the very heart of Yuan Shao’s power.
“In Hebei, the General of the Right has driven out rebels, accepted refugees fleeing the Yellow Turbans to stabilize the people’s livelihood, cultivated fields, raised troops, and maintained order. There is no place in the realm as stable as this.”
“I… agree. Ye City does appear to be an exceedingly prosperous and safe land.”
“You see clearly. Therefore, would it not be the ideal arrangement for the General of the Right to send a memorial requesting that His Majesty take Ye City as the temporary capital while Luoyang is restored, and for General Yuan—who is to be appointed Grand Assistant—to protect the Son of Heaven alongside Grand General Cao Cao?”
This was Yuan Shao’s proposal: that the Emperor whom I and the Cao army had rescued and enthroned through every possible effort should now be moved to Ye City with a mere wave of the hand.
In terms of both justification and logic, it was the most plausible suggestion yet. Yuan Shao nodded from behind him.
Had I been an ordinary envoy sent by Cao Cao of this era, I would have been racking my brains for a way to deflect such a political trap. But I was different.
“That cannot be permitted!”
I deliberately raised my voice so Yuan Shao himself could hear it clearly. Xun Xin maintained his kindly smile—the exact same expression Xun Yu often wore.
“Why not? You have seen it with your own eyes and acknowledged that no place is more fitting to serve the Son of Heaven than Ye City. Is there some deficiency that makes it unsuitable as a temporary capital?”
“Deficiency aside, I am here to inform you that Ye City can never become a temporary capital!”
As I raised my voice further, Yuan Shao’s expression began to twist. He kept having his subordinates speak his intentions in roundabout ways, but I was telling him to listen directly.
“State your reason.”
“Has it been ten years or a hundred years since His Majesty left Luoyang and went to Chang’an, a city rife with the threat of war? His Majesty has only just returned to Luoyang, yet you now suggest he should head north once more?”
“You spoke of a temporary capital. Why such a strong reaction to the past?”
“This person, while helping His Majesty escape the hands of traitors in Chang’an alongside General of the Rear Dong—the father of His Majesty’s concubine Lady Dong—encountered the White Wave Bandits and the Xiongnu in the north and was forced to flee for safety.”
“Hmm?”
“Afterward, although His Excellency Grand General Cao Cao repelled those White Wave Bandits, their remnants fled to Bing Province in Hebei. Above them, the Xiongnu Chanyu Yufu once again threatens the Han Dynasty. Do you truly believe the current Hebei is qualified to serve as a temporary capital?”
“!”
“What use is it if the army of Ye is prosperous and safe? Are you suggesting that Hebei—lurking with the White Wave Bandits of Bing Province to the west, Gongsun Zan of You Province to the north who massacred members of the imperial family and now acts as an independent warlord, and the Xiongnu beyond them—should become the temporary capital? There is a difference between a stable place and a place entirely free of the threat of war!”
“Hoh…”
Look at that. Yuan Shao’s eyes had widened on his throne, and he was staring at me while clicking his tongue in astonishment. Mentioning Gongsun Zan, the Xiongnu, and the White Waves—declaring that “Hebei is a land at risk of war, so even if Ye City is prosperous, it cannot serve as a temporary capital for the Son of Heaven”—had clearly struck a nerve.
That was exactly why I had said it loud enough for Yuan Shao to hear.
“If you truly intend to submit a memorial asking His Majesty to make Ye the temporary capital, should you not first repel the White Wave Bandits of Bing Province and the traitor Gongsun Zan of You Province, completely stabilize Hebei, and then write such a memorial?”
Xun Xin was still smiling, but cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
“Now, now. Let us stop here.”
Finally, Yuan Shao himself stepped forward to mediate. Of course, he called it mediation, but in truth he simply did not want to witness any more unsightly defeats.
“This is a place to receive and acknowledge His Majesty’s letter, not an arena for Hebei’s notables and His Majesty’s envoy to engage in a war of words.”
“Indeed, you are correct. As the old saying goes, ‘The mouth is the door that invites disaster, and the tongue is the blade that severs the body.’ If we continue wagging our tongues like this, I fear a blade may emerge instead of words.”
It was not actually an old saying but one from later times. Still, to win a verbal battle, who cared? If necessary, I could drag in anecdotes about Su Dongpo or Li Taibai.
“Huh… Hahaha!”
Yuan Shao’s expression grew spectacular once more before he burst into loud laughter, attempting to preserve his dignity.
“I now see that a truly great talent has been hiding in the central plains. A genius has emerged from Aman’s bloodline!”
Yuan Shao kept clicking his tongue while referring to Cao Cao by his childhood name, Aman. Then he looked at me, nodded in acknowledgment, and extended his hand.
“The envoy of the Son of Heaven must be weary from the long journey. Go and rest. I require time to prepare a memorial in acceptance of this edict.”
“Yes, Governor of Ji Province!”
I was able to leave the government office of Ye City with my head held high. Dozens—hundreds—of Hebei’s notables and scholars glared at me, yet not a single one dared step forward.
Thus, I walked proudly down the path that opened through their midst as they reluctantly gave way.