Chapter 58, Gongsun Baogui

  Out of the county town and back to Beiguo Village, the ancestral mansion still hangs many black and white flags, and the sound of Buddhist scriptures is rolling in.

  Inside the stone slab road, there were not a few people who also had decorative offerings, either in response to the ancestral family's estate or perhaps they were the families of those who had encountered difficulties. Zu Chao and others walked slowly on the main road, constantly feeling a murderous aura coming over them. It is said that men from the north are full of righteousness, but only when one truly experiences life and death will they understand that some things are not as simple and easy as imagined. Or perhaps it was just that this winter had come more swiftly than before...

  The main gate of the ancestral mansion has been open for several days, and after passing through the gate is the front yard and the front hall. Now this place is decorated as a ceremonial hall, on the west side are monks and Taoist priests who are holding rituals, sitting in rows, playing various musical instruments with low but harmonious rhythms; On the east side is the banquet venue, where a 20-day sacrificial ceremony is expected to take place, every day at every hour there will be a grand feast, dishes and wine will be constantly changing, guests will come to pay their respects and then immediately take their seats. Ordinary people are only allowed in the outer courtyard, relatives of the family are only allowed in the inner courtyard near the hall, while noble guests and elders are seated in the front hall.

  At such a grand and long-lasting banquet, the outermost seats are always the most crowded and frequently changed. As long as you slightly know the family members of the victims who died in the 39th exchange, neighbors, and fellow villagers, you can go to the manor to wait for a while.

  At this time, although it was after noon, Zu Zhao and others saw the front hall of the front yard still bustling with activity as they entered the mansion through the main gate. Many diners and visitors who saw the young master and others return hastily got up to ask for courtesy, among whom many were staggering and drunk. Regardless of whether these people knew him or not, whether their status was humble or noble, Zu Zhao responded politely.

  Proceeding to the front hall, there were only a few guests inside, all of whom were from neighboring counties and were members of prominent families. Zu Zhao exchanged courtesies with these people.

  As soon as he came out of the front hall, two servants stood at the side of the back door and saluted Zu Zhao. One of the servants said: "The young master is finally back, there are guests in the house, they are currently in the middle hall."

  Before Zu Zhao could ask, Zu Ke behind him said with some discontent: "These days, there are noble guests coming to the door every day, what's so special about it? It's just a formality."

  He bowed his head again and said, "The guest who came just now seems to be here to discuss the matter of catching the thief five days ago. The old master also instructed me that if the young master returns, I should let him hurry to the side hall."

  Zu Zhaow saw many horse-drawn carriages parked outside the gate when he entered, including luxurious cars and large chariots. He didn't think much of it since there were often many carriages coming and going every day. Now that the servant mentioned it, it seemed that some unusual guests had indeed arrived at home. He didn't ask any more questions, just nodded slightly in response, and quickly walked towards the side hall of the central hall.

  Outside the main hall of the Zhong Tang mansion, only seven or eight figures were seen on the porch near the main hall. Among them, several were young men from the Zu family, while the others wore black clothes with official knives at their waists, looking like guards or gatekeepers. These people were chatting casually, occasionally glancing towards the side hall. Zu Zhao walked along the corridor and came forward, the young men of the Zu family hurried to pay their respects, but the several black-clad knife-wielding men did not make much movement until one of the young men introduced them before they nodded slightly to Zu Zhao.

  A young servant ran ahead and announced their arrival in the side hall, followed closely by Zu Zhao entering the door.

  The atmosphere in the hall was solemn, with Grandfather Zhang sitting upright on the upper seat. Gong Sunzhi and Chunyu Pei sat beside him on one side, while on the other side were three guests dressed in fine clothes, with silk belts around their waists. Zu Chao recognized one of the three guests at a glance - it was none other than Zhang Yuandang, the elder brother of Zhang Yutang from Anyang Pavilion, and Zhang Nan, the county magistrate of Fanyang County in Zhuo Prefecture. As for the other two guests, the one sitting on the upper seat had a dignified appearance, a majestic demeanor, and a robust beard, with an age of no more than thirty years old, having a noble bearing; the one sitting beside him was sturdy in build, with a somewhat imposing manner, and his age was not much different from Zhang Nan's.

  Zu Zhaohad some doubts in his mind: this time he came, should be a high-ranking official, why only let Gongsunzhi and Sun Bowen accompany him?

  Zu Jie saw Zu Zhao enter the door, his face was stern and he introduced to the three guests: "This is my grandson. Zhao Er, come quickly to greet the three adults. This is the Long History of Liaodong, Mr. Gongsun Boke." After introducing Zu Zhao, he pointed to the guest who lived upstairs.

  Zu Zhao heard the name "Gongsun Boke" and his heart skipped a beat, unable to help but secretly sigh: So this person is Gongsun Zan? However, after the shock, he soon had some doubts. At this time, Gongsun Zan should still be an unknown minor official, how could he come to Xu Wujun to visit his family?

  He hesitated for a moment, then gathered his sleeves and bowed to Gong Sun: "The little one has seen Lord Gong Sun."

  Gongsun Zan burst out laughing and stretched out his hand to offer a virtual support, saying: "Young Master indeed has an extraordinary appearance, worthy of being called a young hero. Today's meeting is truly delightful."

  Gongsun Zan was of noble birth, but his family was poor and humble. He had to be careful in what he said and did, so he still knew how to get along with the sons of aristocratic families.

  "This is Hao Shang, the gentleman from the office of the General of Chariots and Cavalry, Zhang Bojian. Last month, General Zhang received an imperial edict to lead a campaign against Han Sui and Bian Zhang's rebellion in Liangzhou. He arrived in our Youzhou to recruit soldiers. Recently, we heard that local bandits have been causing trouble at the border, so he specially sent Gentleman Hao to inquire about this matter."

  Zhang Boshen is actually the famous Eastern Han minister Zhang Wen, styled Boshen. This time when Zhang Wen went north to Youzhou, he had a great connection with Gongsun Zan's rise to prominence. It can be said that Gongsun Zan rose from being an ordinary civil official to becoming a general leading troops, all thanks to Zhang Wen's promotion. Zu Chao couldn't help but think deeply about this, and he didn't consider the fact that in Youzhou during this time period, there were so many unexpected major events happening at the same time.

  He bowed again to Hao Shu and asked for his well-being, who nodded slightly in response.

  Zu was just about to introduce Zhang Nan, but Zhang Nan smiled and said first: "No need for General Zu to introduce me, I met the Crown Prince last month at Anyang Pavilion and we are already acquainted."

  Zu Zhao smiled and replied: "Wen Qiao brother, it's been a long time. I hope you're doing well." After finishing speaking, he bowed politely.

  Zu Jie was a bit surprised when Zu Zhao and Zhang Nan met, but he didn't pay much attention to it. After the introduction, he asked Zu Zhao to sit down beside him, and before taking his seat, Zu Zhao also paid respects to Gong Sunzhi and Chun Yubai.

  "This time, the three adults came to visit because of the recent chaos caused by bandits in the border areas. A few days ago, Zhao Er led the local militia to defeat the bandits, although it was a heroic act, but there are also concerns." Zu Ji said with a deep tone.

  "My family's General Zhang has come to Youzhou this time to recruit soldiers, originally to suppress the rebellion of the alien tribes in Liangzhou. Previously, the governor of Pingyuan County, Liu, sent a letter stating that the bandits were causing trouble in Zhi County. When my general learned of this matter, he attached great importance to it and dispatched me, Hao Yan, to investigate the details."

  "Zhaor, you just went to see County Magistrate Chen, what did he say?" asked Zu Jiu.

  Previously, Zu Zhao and Chen Xianjun met without discussing the impact of the banditry. He had planned to first win over Chen Xianjun to clarify the truth about Ming Zheng's case, so that more people would know that there was a hidden plot behind the banditry in Lingzhou County. If even this couldn't be done, everything would depend on Wang Xianjun of Lingzhou County fabricating and spreading rumors, and it was uncertain what would happen after the matter got out. However, since Gongsun Zan, Hao Yan, Zhang Nan and others were present, he naturally wanted to use their official authority to express his views.

  "After meeting with the county magistrate, I will present a detailed report on the beginning and end of the discussion. From the bandits' hijacking of horses to their gathering in the forest, there are too many suspicious places from start to finish. Moreover, this matter involves both the Taiping Sect and the Hu Zei bandits, making me think more about it. The Taiping Sect is spread throughout various states and counties, its teachings seem to be saving and relieving suffering, but actually lure people's hearts, making believers infatuated with them. Our great Han Dynasty has had consecutive disasters in recent years, the people are impoverished, I fear that if there is even a slight mistake, it will lead to chaos throughout the country. Now the local Taiping Sect disciples collude with the Hu Zei bandits, committing crimes and violating laws, isn't this the beginning of trouble?"

  With a dignified and proper sitting posture, he had a serious attitude, and his insights were expressed clearly.

  Regardless of whether Gongsun Zan, Zhang Nan and others have foresight or can see the benefits from a heroic perspective, he wants to expose the harm of the Taiping Tao ahead of time. If everything goes smoothly, his plan will be carried out as scheduled. One step back, even if all the people present do not think so and take it lightly, after the Yellow Turban Rebellion breaks out, when looking back, they will remember that someone had a far-sighted insight to point out where the disaster lies.

  After hearing this, several people in the room either whispered to each other or bowed their heads in contemplation. Even Zu Jie was moved by Zu Zhao's analysis, frequently stroking his beard, his expression gradually becoming more solemn.

  Zhang Wen, a minister of the Eastern Han dynasty, styled Boshen, was from Nanyang (present-day Nanyang, Henan). During Emperor Huan's reign, he served as a Shangshu Lang and later promoted to Shangshu Ling and Da Sinong. In the first year of Zhongping (184), he was appointed as Siku. Two years later, he was appointed as Chejiu Jiangjun and led an expedition against Qiang tribes in Liangzhou. Three years later, he was appointed as Taiwei. Later, he served as Sili Xuewei. At the beginning of Emperor Xian's reign, he served as Weiwei. At that time, Dong Zhuo dominated the government, and due to past grievances, he had someone falsely accuse Zhang Wen of colluding with Yuan Shu, and subsequently had him flogged in the market and killed.