Chapter 9: Dong He

Dong He waited in the reception hall for an audience with the Governor of Yizhou. Watching the sunlight spill into the room, he noted that the sun had shifted significantly toward the west.

He calculated the time; it was likely past two in the afternoon. He would have to leave soon. It seemed that today, once again, he would fail to secure an audience with the newly appointed Governor of Yizhou, Liu Zhang. He had visited the Governor’s mansion several times already, yet he had never managed to meet the man.

The room was filled with others waiting in the same weary silence. Some were already stifling yawns, while others had abandoned any semblance of proper posture, their bodies slumped from the exhaustion of waiting.

"Wait a little longer," Dong He thought, maintaining his composed posture.

He had initially intended to stop seeking an audience with Liu Zhang. After all, this new Governor’s reputation was less than stellar; he was rumored to be weak-willed. A bird chooses its tree with care, and this Governor was no phoenix-attracting paulownia; by his reputation, he was merely a cypress. However, the current plight of his clan would not allow him to remain secluded in study, ignoring the path of officialdom.

*Yuan Shu.* The mere thought of that name filled Dong He with resentment. His current predicament was all the fault of Yuan Shu—that noble scion of a family whose members had held the highest offices for four generations, a man who possessed neither merit nor a shred of virtue.

Yuan Shu, in league with the "Tiger of Jiangdong," Sun Jian, had murdered the former Inspector of Jingzhou, Wang Rui, and the Administrator of Nanyang, Zhang Zi. Yuan Shu was extravagant and debauched, his heavy exactions leaving the Nanyang region in ruins. Many died of starvation; it was likely that fewer than one in ten households remained in Nanyang. The neighboring Nanyang Commandery was also frequently raided by Yuan Shu’s brutal soldiers. To prevent his family from being wiped out under Yuan Shu’s rule, he had led hundreds of his clansmen to migrate from Nanyang to Yizhou. As his ancestors were originally from Jiangzhou in Ba Commandery, coming to Yizhou was, in a sense, a return to his ancestral homeland.

The long migration from Jingzhou to Ba and Shu had exhausted most of the clan’s wealth. With hundreds of people—the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the young—all waiting to be fed, he had no choice but to repeatedly petition Liu Zhang, hoping for an official post to support his kin.

Within his clan, Dong He was known as a "thousand-mile colt." He considered himself profoundly learned and upright, confident that if he could only meet Liu Zhang and speak with him, he would surely secure a position. He knew that as a newcomer, he would likely not be appointed to a high rank; a magistracy of a large county with ten thousand households was likely out of reach, but he believed he could obtain the position of a county magistrate for a smaller district. If Liu Zhang truly lacked the discernment to recognize talent, he would even be willing to serve as a commandery assistant.

Just as Dong He was about to give up and seek other avenues—perhaps approaching Wang Shang, the Attendant Official of Yizhou, who was known for recommending virtuous men—a sharp-witted youth appeared in the sunlit doorway.

"Which gentleman is Mr. Dong Youzai?" the youth asked the crowd. "The Governor summons you."

Amidst the envious gazes of those around him, Dong He rose with measured grace and cupped his hands toward the youth. "I am he."

***

Guided by the youth, Pang Que, Dong He made his way through the front halls toward the back of the estate.

Dong He felt a flicker of doubt as they bypassed the main reception area and passed through a gate, entering a garden of pavilions, towers, ponds, and misty islets—the private residence of the Governor. Was Liu Zhang intending to meet him here? He did not question the youth, but followed in silence.

Rounding a rockery, Dong He saw his objective: the Governor of Yizhou sitting in a pavilion.

Liu Zhang caught sight of Dong He as well. He stood and cupped his hands, asking, "Are you Mr. Dong Youzai?"

Dong He hurried forward until he was a few paces away and bowed. "Dong He of Nanyang, courtesy name Youzai, pays his respects to the Governor."

Liu Zhang stepped forward, took Dong He’s hands, and helped him up. "Youzai, you have crossed mountains and rivers from Nanyang to reach the land of Shu. It has not been an easy journey."

"Please, sit." Liu Zhang gestured for him to take a seat in the pavilion, then turned to Pang Que. "Ziman, bring some wine. The Master and I shall have a few cups."

Liu Zhang’s soothing words warmed Dong He’s heart. His clan had suffered greatly on the long journey from Nanyang, with many relatives succumbing to illness caused by the harsh travel and unfamiliar climate. They had been forced to bury their dead by the roadside, unable to bring their souls back to their homeland.

"I am deeply grateful for your concern, Governor," Dong He replied, feeling moved. He took the opportunity to observe this new Governor: he stood about seven or eight feet tall, his face calm, his authority veiled, his every movement steady as a mountain.

Liu Zhang was also observing Dong He. He was twenty-six or seven, clean-shaven, elegant and refined. His manners were impeccable. Though dressed in simple, coarse cloth, he did not appear wretched; rather, he possessed an air of noble austerity.

*Just as the history books say,* Liu Zhang thought, *Dong He is a man of thrift and integrity.*

The wine arrived. Liu Zhang filled a cup for Dong He, then poured one for himself. He raised his cup and said, "Youzai, please, drink."

Dong He raised his own cup, keeping it slightly lower than Liu Zhang’s. "Governor, please."

After three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere grew harmonious. For Liu Zhang, wine was a fine tool; it bridged the gap between men with remarkable speed.

***

Liu Zhang asked, "Youzai, why did you move your entire clan from Nanyang to Yizhou?"

Dong He set down his cup, his tone tinged with bitterness. "The world is in chaos. Nanyang was a crossroads of conflict. To protect my clan, I had no choice but to migrate west." He paused. "My ancestors were originally from Jiangzhou in Ba Commandery. In a way, coming to Yizhou is a return to my roots—a wanderer finally coming home."

Liu Zhang shook his head meaningfully upon hearing this. "Nanyang is indeed a place of conflict, but I suspect the real reason for your migration has more to do with the General of the Rear, Yuan Shu."

He had pierced through to the true motive of Dong He’s migration.

Realizing there was no point in concealment, Dong He spoke plainly. "The Governor is discerning. Sun Jian, the Administrator of Changsha, killed the Inspector of Jingzhou and pledged his loyalty to General of the Rear, Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu currently holds Nanyang, but he ignores the laws. He does not collect supplies through proper official channels; instead, he plunders the people of Nanyang. They suffer greatly."

"Furthermore, Yuan Shu is recklessly extravagant. When he lacks supplies, he squeezes the populace. When Nanyang could no longer provide, his unruly soldiers roamed everywhere. Many reached Nanyang, and many clans were wiped out by these bands of marauders. My clan numbers only a few hundred; we could not withstand such force. With the 'Tiger of Jiangdong,' Sun Jian, under Yuan Shu’s command, I had no choice but to lead my family west."

Dong He had finally confessed the truth. Originally, he had not wanted to criticize a man of such high birth as Yuan Shu in front of the Governor, as his own status was too low to comment on a General of the Rear.

"Yuan Gonglu is truly nothing but a skeleton in a tomb," Liu Zhang remarked, using the historical epitaph for Yuan Shu.

Compared to Yuan Shao, the adopted heir of the Yuan family, the true scion Yuan Shu was vastly inferior. Yuan Shao could soar over the northern plains and leave Cao Cao breathless, while this waste Yuan Shu knew only how to act against the natural order and slaughter his people, to the point that he could not even find a drop of honey water to drink before his death.

*'A skeleton in a tomb.'* Dong He murmured the phrase, his eyes lighting up. It was an incredibly apt metaphor.

He raised his cup toward Liu Zhang. "The Governor’s words are perfect. This deserves a toast."

The two drank together, united in their condemnation of the tyrant Yuan Shu. With a common enemy, the distance between them closed. It was time to discuss the real business at hand.