Chapter 793: The Death of Gongsun Zan

Perhaps in the eyes of many warlords, Liu Bei’s journey to Yu Province in search of talents was nothing short of a joke.

Back then, Liu Bei wandered through Yu Province, accompanied by Chen Xi, and while they both left together, with hindsight, it's clear that the scholars of Yu Province at that time were blind to Liu Bei’s potential. However, it's undeniable that Liu Bei’s trip was indeed somewhat humiliating.

But in the end, Liu Bei managed to take Chen Xi with him. Even though it might have seemed like entering a treasure mountain and leaving empty-handed, Liu Bei had already secured the greatest treasure of all.

Xu Shu's arrival at Mount Tai was meant to compensate for that earlier embarrassment. It was to prove that back then, Liu Bei wasn’t abandoned because he lacked worthy followers; rather, it was the people of Yu Province who were blind, mistaking a phoenix for a crow. Not only had Liu Bei taken away the finest talent from Yu Province, but he had also taken me, Xu Shu, the strongest of them all.

“I will prove that among the so-called wise men of Yu Province, I am the only one left, while the rest are nothing but mediocre fools!” Xu Shu thought resolutely, raising his cup and drinking it all in one gulp, his gaze fixed on Liu Bei. This was the point he was most determined to prove.

“Xin Pi, Cheng Yu, Xun Yue, Xun Yan... I’ve thoroughly looked into it. You were the only ones left in Yu Province at the time. Though defeating you may not be easy now, it won't be too difficult either. Xin Pi, Cheng Yu, we’ll meet on the battlefield!” Xu Shu downed his drink, his eyes no longer filled with doubt. He was ready to surpass his fellow countrymen.

After that, Chen Xi didn’t linger much longer. He knew that Liu Bei was the best person to entertain Xu Shu, so he left the task to him. He didn’t feel the need to test Xu Shu further, as it was clear Xu Shu had thoroughly absorbed the information sent to him in Jingzhou, making him even stronger than his historical counterpart.

"Why are you here, Wenhe?" Chen Xi asked, frowning as he stepped outside and spotted Jia Xu leaning against the wall.

"I didn’t want to spoil the mood during the banquet earlier, so there’s something I haven’t mentioned yet." Jia Xu calmly pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Chen Xi.

"What is it?" Chen Xi asked, puzzled. He unfolded the paper and quickly skimmed through it before saying, "General Gongsun has passed away."

"Yes, he’s gone," Jia Xu sighed.

"It’s rare to see you so sentimental," Chen Xi said, his emotions steady as he processed the news.

Chen Xi wasn’t particularly familiar with Gongsun Zan. He hadn’t interacted with him much during the Battle of Hulao Pass, and his impression of Gongsun Zan was vague. Besides his major defeat at Jieqiao, what stood out most to Chen Xi was Gongsun’s reputation as a national hero—one who was too rigid and unwilling to heed advice.

"You don’t understand the deep-seated hatred the people of the North have for the barbarians beyond the Great Wall. The Han Dynasty, despite its strength, couldn’t fully eradicate the threat of these nomads," Jia Xu murmured, his expression tinged with sadness.

Jia Xu had hoped to save Gongsun Zan. While Gongsun Zan had made many mistakes, Jia Xu, knowing the dire situation in the North, could understand his hatred for the nomads.

Though Jia Xu was someone who usually looked out for himself, he still adhered to Confucian ideals—"When poor, one should care for oneself; when prosperous, one should care for the world." In the past, Jia Xu couldn’t afford to think about such matters, but now that aiding the people of the North wouldn’t harm him, he was willing to lend a hand.

"We’ll have another chance in the future. When the time comes, we’ll handle it together," Chen Xi said, noticing Jia Xu's rare moment of melancholy.

"Another loyal defender of the Han border is gone. Guan Jing, Zou Dan, and Tian Kai all perished with Gongsun Zan. Zou Dan, in particular, blocked the city gate and fought fiercely against Zhang He, sustaining more than a dozen wounds before dying of exhaustion," Jia Xu said quietly.

"No betrayal, then. What about their families?" Chen Xi asked.

Gongsun Zan could have fled but chose to stay and die. Chen Xi found this baffling, especially since he had written to Gongsun, promising that he would have another chance to defend the northern borders of the Han Dynasty in the future.

But Gongsun Zan had refused, saying only that after his death, someone else would take his place, and if Liu Bei managed to conquer the North, he hoped his son could continue to guard the frontier.

"Such loyal men would never betray their cause," Jia Xu said, his tone displeased. "As for their families, they were sent to safety by boat long ago. With no worries about their loved ones, they were free to follow Gongsun Zan into death without hesitation. It’s a pity."

"That was poorly phrased on my part," Chen Xi admitted, acknowledging his mistake. As for how to care for the widows and orphans, he didn’t need to give any special instructions—he trusted it would be handled.

"With Gongsun Zan gone, there’s no longer any obstacle for Yuan Shao in the North. To honor Gongsun Zan, Yuan Shao gathered over ten thousand Hu barbarians and forced them into Changli, then set the entire city ablaze, essentially giving them as a funeral offering for Gongsun Zan. He’s also gone to Chang'an to request the emperor posthumously honor Gongsun Zan," Jia Xu said, detailing what had happened after Gongsun’s death.

"How ruthless!" Chen Xi shivered. "Was that Shen Pei’s idea? So vicious... This way, even if the people of Youzhou are unhappy with Yuan Shao for attacking Gongsun Zan, they won’t hold it against him. After all, in their eyes, this was a war between lords, and Yuan Shao has shown what they’ll perceive as the utmost respect for Gongsun Zan."

"While requesting the emperor's posthumous honor, Yuan Shao also repaired Gongsun Zan’s ancestral tomb, relocated his mother’s grave, and had her interred in the ancestral shrine—fulfilling a task Gongsun Zan never completed," Jia Xu said, his expression hard to read.

"He’s left nothing to chance. The people of Youzhou probably don’t even know what to criticize Yuan Shao for now. As long as he keeps them fed, Gongsun’s legacy will slowly fade into history," Chen Xi marveled.

Though Chen Xi had long known that Shen Pei wasn’t to be underestimated, he hadn’t expected him to handle this matter so thoroughly. No wonder Shen Pei had been able to fend off Cao Cao’s attacks.

"We’re all familiar with Shen Pei’s tactics. Yuan Shao has gathered many talented men under his banner—Xun Chen, Tian Feng, Ju Shou, Xu You, Shen Pei, Dong Zhao, Xin Pi—all of them are remarkable figures," Jia Xu said calmly.

Seeing that Chen Xi remained silent, Jia Xu continued, "However, it's undeniable that each of these men has their flaws. Xun Chen is somewhat detached from the others. Tian Feng is poor at handling interpersonal relations. Ju Shou is too honest and lacks flexibility. Xu You is overly indulgent in his greed. Shen Pei is too autocratic. Dong Zhao lacks integrity. And Xin Pi is too pragmatic."

"Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. That's only natural, isn't it?" Chen Xi rolled his eyes. "Although their weaknesses are obvious, as long as Yuan Shao doesn’t lose his mind and can keep them united, their combined abilities will ensure that Yuan Shao doesn’t lose to us in terms of strategists. After all, we have our own issues to deal with too."

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