Chapter Sixteen: Gongsun Zan and Liu Yu

Chen Xi tugged at the corner of his mouth but said nothing. This was not a matter of confidence or the lack thereof. He was supremely confident about the general trend of events, but when it came to details and the abilities of certain individuals, he truly had no solution.

Seeing Chen Xi remain silent, Liu Bei did not press further. At this point, Liu Bei was already moving toward the youthful goal he had once aspired to. Chen Xi’s series of arrangements had given him great confidence.

“Report!” A messenger soldier ran up to Liu Bei.

“What is it?” Liu Bei looked up and asked.

“General Gongsun has dispatched three hundred white horses from Yi and also allocated three hundred more mounts. The general is requested to go for the handover,” the messenger announced loudly.

“Truly a wealthy man…” Chen Xi muttered quietly.

Yesterday, during the battle at Si Shui Pass, Liu Bei’s troops had suffered some losses. After Gongsun Zan replenished his own forces, he also casually sent a squad to Liu Bei. For now, Gongsun Zan was still considered a wealthy lord. As far as cavalry went, aside from Dong Zhuo, he had the most—years of fighting against the Xianbei and Wuhuan tribes had earned him many fine horses.

“Gongsun Bo Gui…” Liu Bei sighed. At this moment, he had no way to repay Gongsun Zan and could only keep in mind the saying, “If fortune comes, do not forget your friends.”

“They’ve already been sent to camp; there’s no need for debate—just accept them. We will prosper sooner or later. When that time comes, don’t forget the friendship of these days,” Chen Xi smiled. He admired Gongsun Zan’s gesture very much. This pure nationalist’s string of kindnesses had left a strong impression on Chen Xi.

One must understand that Liu Bei was currently nothing more than a small-time nobody. Others might not know this, but Gongsun Zan did, yet he never looked down on Liu Bei because of his status. Even though their positions had diverged—from classmates to a regional governor and a commoner—Gongsun Zan had maintained his early friendship without condescension.

“Under General Gongsun’s command, Captain Du Bo salutes General Liu,” a pale, beardless young officer greeted Liu Bei respectfully as he approached.

“No need for formalities. How is General Gongsun?” Liu Bei reached out to help him up. From the man’s demeanor, Liu Bei understood that this captain was also part of the handover and likely a capable cavalry leader.

“The northern barbarians from the frontier plan to invade again. Last year’s heavy snow caused many deaths from starvation, and with spring coming, they might move southward. General Gongsun hesitates about whether to return in aid; he is worried about Youzhou,” the captain replied clearly. It seemed he had been sent by Gongsun Zan with this message.

Liu Bei was still pondering when Chen Xi spoke, “If General Gongsun is uneasy, he may return to Youzhou first. The matter of eliminating Dong Zhuo in Luoyang can be entrusted to Lord Xuande. As for the troubles in Youzhou under Governor Liu Yu, let Dong Zhuo handle them.”

Gongsun Zan might not have grasped the alliance’s full nature, but his concern was for the people of Youzhou. Hearing that the northern barbarians would invade, he intended to return to Youzhou and crush those scoundrels. Unlike most of the Han Dynasty’s officials, Gongsun Zan had no concept of appeasement.

The White Horse General and the White Horses from Yi—those were names forged in the blood of the barbarians!

This was also why Gongsun Zan nearly came to blows with Youzhou Governor Liu Yu. Liu Yu was a legitimate member of the Han royal family, and his prestige was to be respected in the Han dynasty, but in 193 AD, Gongsun Zan killed him outright.

Liu Yu was one of the few capable governors in the late Eastern Han, having governed the barren land of Youzhou well enough to rival neighboring Jizhou. However, he had a fatal flaw: he sought to appease the barbarians. Although Youzhou was relatively stable, his leniency toward the barbarians led to constant raids and the suffering of the common people.

Gongsun Zan believed that only dead barbarians were good barbarians, whereas Liu Yu aimed to assimilate them. Naturally, their political views clashed, leading to bitter hostility and ultimately armed conflict, in which Gongsun Zan emerged victorious.

Later, when Yuan Shao fought Gongsun Zan, large numbers of barbarians came to aid him under the banner of avenging Liu Yu. From this perspective, Liu Yu did hold some esteem among the barbarians.

It could be said that if Liu Yu had not hindered Gongsun Zan by meddling, the barbarians north of the Great Wall would have long been driven out. Gongsun Zan might even have crossed the Changbai Mountains to deal with the barbarians in Bingzhou.

Chen Xi’s current thought was to have Dong Zhuo summon Liu Yu back to Luoyang and perhaps grant him a high-ranking post—one superior to Liu Yu’s—on the basis of Gongsun Zan’s departure. This would justify keeping Liu Yu in check, allowing Gongsun Zan, once free in Youzhou, to expel the barbarians of the northern frontier without hindrance.

As for the idea that Gongsun Zan’s returning home to deal with the barbarians and withdrawing from the Eighteen Kingdoms alliance would harm the greater cause—well, who said he was withdrawing? General Gongsun was simply returning home to defend his land and guard the border. His loyal soldiers remained in the alliance, commanded by Lord Xuande. Who could say he was withdrawing? He was merely fulfilling his duty by returning to Youzhou’s frontier.

Chen Xi went on at length explaining this to the captain, whose eyes grew ever brighter.

Those living in the Central Plains could hardly imagine the misery of frontier peoples. This was why Gongsun Zan enjoyed such prestige in the northern lands; this also explained why Lü Bu’s character was so despised, yet his Bingzhou troops, including Zhang Liao and Gao Shun, never betrayed him; likewise, it explained why Lü Bu, after leaving Bingzhou, never returned despite many chances.

“Zichuan, isn’t this a bit improper?” Liu Bei hesitated and asked after the captain left.

“There’s nothing improper about it. Honestly, General Gongsun probably very much wants to return. Having spent years in Youzhou, Lord Xuande surely understands Gongsun’s attitude toward the barbarians and also knows how Liu Yu treats Gongsun Zan,” Chen Xi smiled.

Chen Xi was certain that by Gongsun Zan’s thinking, as long as someone could keep Liu Yu from undermining him, a little blemish on his record wouldn’t matter. For such a man, the people’s livelihoods were more important than official praise. After all, history records that despite explicit orders forbidding offensive action, upon seeing displaced refugees hiding in Liaoxi Commandery, Gongsun Zan could no longer restrain himself and launched an attack.

Defying orders to the point of risking execution, he drove back the invading barbarians and then, unable to tolerate Liu Yu any longer, killed him. After that, no one undermined him again, and the barbarian raids ceased. However, this victory brought its own challenges: Gongsun Zan was simply not as skilled a governor as Liu Yu. As the adage goes, those who conquer the world may not be able to govern it, and indeed, he soon found himself at a loss.