Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

Chapter 712: Underlying Currents

"Brother Han, are we really just going to let him leave like that?" Gongsun Du asked, watching Xun Yan’s departing figure as he addressed Han Xun.

"Do you really want to chase after him and kill him? Don’t be foolish. Our mission isn’t to deal with Xun Yan. Unload the goods and prepare to head toward Taishan and Fenggao," Han Xun replied calmly, retracting his gaze. "Besides, Xun Yan might not even be our enemy. If he fails to act appropriately, someone else will deal with him."

"Xun Yan, huh?" Gongsun Du frowned. "Fine, forget it then." He then turned to his subordinates and commanded, "Unload the goods, load them onto the carts, and transport them to Taishan."

Xun Yan left the dock with a calm expression, just as he had planned. Once he returned to Donglai, he closed his doors and refused all visitors. Any noble family members who came to visit were told that Xun Yan had fallen ill.

The fact that Xun Yan, who held actual military and political power in Donglai, had suddenly fallen ill at such a critical moment was something that the noble families could not help but ponder. The more they thought about it, the more they felt emboldened.

The rebellious factions within the noble families had already grown arrogant after the arrival of Yuan Shao’s army. With Xun Yan’s tacit support, they became even more brazen. What had once been cautious, covert actions were now openly displayed—they were hungry for power.

With Xun Yan leading by example and with Zang Ba and others having moved north, loosening their grip on Qingzhou, many of Qingzhou’s prefects simply allowed the noble families to act as they wished. As long as the noble families didn’t cause trouble in their own jurisdictions, the prefects turned a blind eye. Of course, if any noble families dared to challenge the prefects’ absolute authority in their counties, the prefects would not hesitate to respond harshly.

In this environment, where the people were indifferent and the officials did not interfere, the noble families felt that their opportunity had arrived. Although some noble scions were puzzled by the behavior of Qingzhou’s prefects, they justified it by their own newfound strength.

"Brother Sun, what should we do?" Yin Li and Wu Dun, prefects of Le’an and Jinan in Qingzhou, were well aware of the situation in their jurisdictions, so they came to Linzi together to consult with Sun Kang.

"Wait," Sun Kang said after a moment of thought. "I was appointed Prefect of the Qi State by Prime Minister Fa’s trust when he left. Before he left, he reminded me that no matter what happens, the prefects should focus on their duties.""What about the noble families under our jurisdiction?" Yin Li frowned. "I’m worried that if they continue to gather like this, they’ll gain enough strength to attack the cities. My deputy, Hua Yan, has advised me to bring troops into the city."

"My deputy has also suggested bringing troops into the city," Wu Dun said, his expression dark. "The noble families have amassed a significant number of private soldiers. If something goes wrong, it’ll be a huge problem."

"Bringing troops into the city is fine, but don’t provoke the noble families. Our task is to protect the people and maintain peace. If we lack sufficient forces, then conscript able-bodied citizens. The people of Qingzhou have mostly seen bloodshed before," Sun Kang replied after frowning for a moment.

"Conscripting the common people..." Wu Dun clearly wasn’t optimistic. These were the same people who had been Yellow Turbans two years ago. While they could certainly fight, Wu Dun was concerned about their discipline. If they were conscripted and a battle broke out, they might cause more damage than the noble families.

"Don’t worry. While their discipline might not be great, they have a strong sense of right and wrong in certain matters. The Yellow Turbans may have had poor military discipline, but in some cases, their values will surprise you," Sun Kang said, waving his hand dismissively. He had witnessed firsthand the scene of tens of thousands of Yellow Turbans mourning for their fallen leader, where nearly all the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou grieved.

Because of that experience, Sun Kang knew that while the Yellow Turbans might have had poor discipline, they wouldn’t turn against those who had helped them. To this day, the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou still followed the traditional rites to honor their great leader and chief. Zang Ba himself was often moved when he saw people honoring him, even if it initially caused him some distress.

As the saying goes, "Righteousness often dwells among those who are rough." The situation with the Yellow Turbans was no different. They knew exactly how they had come to enjoy their current way of life, and they were willing to defend it with their lives—the life where they had clothes to wear, food to eat, and a roof over their heads.

In April of 194 AD, a rebellion broke out in Donghai, Qingzhou. A man claiming to be a disciple of Zhang Jiao laid siege to Beihai. Using this as an excuse, many civil and military officials accused Chen Xi of harboring ill intentions and petitioned Liu Bei to crack down on the Qingzhou Yellow Turbans, reduce investments in the common people, and strengthen military and political control.

Following Xun Yue’s advice, Liu Bei acceded to the officials’ demands. Taishan once again sent troops to Donghai to quell the rebellion, reducing Taishan’s military strength to a historic low. As for the officials who had proposed holding Chen Xi accountable, they were now idle at home.

Soon after, allegations emerged that students from the Taishan Academy lacked virtue and were accepting bribes, leading to unjust rulings in Qingzhou.

The noble families began to clamor that the widespread education initiative would only empower unworthy individuals with knowledge, amplifying their potential to disrupt society. They argued that the noble temperament and cultivation couldn’t be instilled in just one generation and that the influence of one’s forebears was crucial to one’s character. According to them, providing education to the common people would only lead to a degradation of the entire bureaucratic system.

In essence, the noble families started attacking the education initiative. Despite the program only having been in place for three years, its massive investment was something the noble families found intolerable. To them, with such vast resources, there were many better things to be done. And where had these resources come from?

A class comprising only one percent of the population controlled ninety percent of the power and eighty percent of the wealth, all while wanting to keep it within their families forever.

Thus, the noble families naturally didn’t want anyone disrupting this system. Although most of them still didn’t take the education initiative seriously—believing that even if commoners learned from books, they would still remain commoners, unworthy of standing alongside them—they clung to the idea that it was their place to determine who was worthy.

The noble families under Liu Bei’s rule had complex feelings about him. They certainly wanted to be among those who followed a rising dragon. By now, it was clear to anyone with eyes that Liu Bei was on the rise. However, Liu Bei’s continued success offered them little benefit.

While they could be considered his followers, they found that Liu Bei’s growth was leaving them without what they truly desired—power and status. Therefore, they felt compelled to ensure that Liu Bei’s rise depended on them rather than on Liu Bei’s own capabilities.

As a result, although Yuan Shao had his own calculations, so too did the noble families. Why should they submit to Yuan Shao and fall under the influence of Jizhou’s noble families? Why not trim Liu Bei’s wings and then help him rise with the backing of the Qingzhou and Xuzhou noble families?

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