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That night, those who could not sleep were not limited to Liu Xie alone...
Within the main hall of Minister Over the Masses Wang Yun's official residence, candles and lamps blazed with bright light.
The most striking object in the very center of the great hall was a wooden screen, carved and painted with a base of black lacquer, upon which the image of a fierce tiger was delineated in gold leaf. Under the flickering glow of the candlelight, the tiger's stripes gleamed and shimmered, as if the beast were poised to pounce at any moment.
Before this screen of black lacquer and gold tiger stripes was the seat of the host. Upon a fine mat woven from white grasses sat a table likewise coated in black lacquer, with only its edges traced in gold. The tabletop was extraordinarily thick, exceeding the width of five fingers, projecting an air of solidity and grandeur.
Black served as the dominant color, with gold as its accent, decorating the entirety of Wang Yun's reception hall. Amidst an atmosphere of solemn dignity, it also exuded an aggressive, opulent wealth.
Though Fei Qian had already been waiting here for quite a long time, he remained meticulously proper, not daring to show the slightest negligence. With eyes fixed on his nose, and his gaze lowered to his mouth, he knelt perfectly upright at the side of the hall, not venturing to glance around carelessly. He only used the very corners of his eyes to surreptitiously assess his surroundings.
The sound of footsteps approached.
Fei Qian hurriedly rose to greet the arrival.
A servant walked ahead, holding aloft a lantern to lead the way. Minister Over the Masses Wang Yun followed with great, swaggering strides, flanked by several personal guards.
Fei Qian quickly stepped forward and gave a respectful salute. "This humble official has come presumptuously, disturbing Your Excellency's rest. My offense warrants ten thousand deaths."
Wang Yun chuckled a couple of times. As he took his seat in the position of honor, he gestured for Fei Qian to sit as well. First, he stroked his beard, then brushed away the creases on his robes. Only then did he speak slowly: "Ziyuan, you have waited long. If you have some important matter, speak freely, without reserve."
Fei Qian knew in his heart that the trace of a smile currently on Wang Yun's face was mostly owing to the auspicious omen he had previously presented. Otherwise, for a probationary general of merely equivalent rank to a full two-thousand-bushel official, with shallow years of service, to meet a true power-broker who controlled the overall administration and oversaw the Imperial Secretariat without a prior appointment was by no means an easy feat.
Moreover, the underlying message in Wang Yun's tone was obvious: if Fei Qian had not come to report a matter of state importance, well...
Fei Qian drew a small bamboo tube from his bosom. An attendant nearby swiftly stepped forward, received it with both hands, and presented it to Wang Yun.
With one hand holding back his voluminous sleeve, Wang Yun used the other to gently pick up the small bamboo tube. Noticing that the wax seal on the tube was already broken, he could not help but frown and shoot a glance at Fei Qian. Then, he lightly tapped the bottom of the tube with his finger, letting the fine silk slip tucked inside fall out.
Wang Yun slowly unfurled the fine silk, squinting his eyes and holding it far from his face. He angled it towards the lamplight to read. In an instant, his eyes flew wide open. His mouth opened abruptly as if to speak, but he immediately clamped it shut. His pupils darted left and right. He clutched the silk tight in his fist and barked an order: "Serve the tea!"
Then, Wang Yun closed his eyes and sat as still as a wooden statue.
He did not move again until the servants had brought the brewed tea soup and presented it. Waving a hand, he sent the attendants far away. Only then did he spread the fine silk back out on the table and carefully re-read its contents several times over. Finally, he raised his head and fixed his stare directly on Fei Qian. In a deep voice, he asked, "This is a military matter. Why deliver it to this old man?"
Fei Qian hurriedly rose and replied with a somewhat embarrassed look, "Well... this humble official did not give it much thought. The matter was urgent, and the Grand Commandant is... and Your Excellency controls the overall administration, with the Grand Sacrifice approaching... therefore..."
Fei Qian's explanation was somewhat disjointed, but Wang Yun understood the gist of it. He smiled.
The Grand Commandant was originally the official in charge of the state's military affairs, so he naturally would be the primary person responsible for such matters. However, ever since Dong Zhuo had executed Zhang Wen, no one had been appointed to the post, leaving it vacant up to this day. So, Fei Qian's claim of not knowing whom to report to was, barely, plausible.
But far more critically, the Grand Sacrifice was about to be held. If a piece of negative intelligence like this suddenly emerged to counter the auspicious omen, it would inevitably cause Wang Yun's original plans to be greatly diminished in effect.
Moreover, Fei Qian was himself the originator of the auspicious omen. This piece of information was likewise unfavorable to Fei Qian personally. For him, then, choosing to first report this matter privately to Wang Yun, rather than announcing it publicly at court for the whole world to know, was entirely logical.
As long as it remained within his control, Wang Yun did not care about the small calculations that Fei Qian revealed. Furthermore, Fei Qian's action was truly advantageous to Wang Yun as well. Thus, Wang Yun chose to let the slightly irregular protocol of the visit pass without comment.
"Is what is stated here true?" Wang Yun asked.
Fei Qian again moved to rise to reply, but Wang Yun waved his hand, indicating he should speak while seated.
Fei Qian cupped his hands in thanks and said, "To the best of this humble official's knowledge, it is indeed true. Over the past year, the region of Dai and Yan has suffered prolonged drought in the summer and severe cold in the winter. Grasses and trees were completely devastated. Many of the barbarians' cattle and sheep have perished... The temperature this autumn... thus, it is almost a certainty that the Xianbei will ride south to plunder..."
Barbarians were all of this wretched ilk, as Wang Yun well knew. In any case, the moment they suffered a natural disaster, they would inevitably scheme to recoup their losses from the heads of the Han people. Therefore, whenever there were abnormal weather conditions, there was a seventy to eighty percent certainty that they would face barbarian raids.
Raiding itself was not a major issue. As far as Wang Yun was concerned, what was the purpose of the frontier commanderies if not to share the central court's worries? Besides, barbarian raiders would generally withdraw before the deep winter cold truly set in. Thus, in most cases, they would not affect the capital region around Jingzhao...
But the scale this time...
Wang Yun felt a headache coming on. He suddenly recalled an urgent military report he had received the day before from Xihe Commandery, stating that unusual movements had been detected among the Northern Xianbei...
Correlated with the intelligence now in his hands, the objective of those movements became starkly clear.
Wang Yun tapped the fine silk on the table with his knuckle. "Who transmitted this information?"
Fei Qian replied with a touch of shame, "Your Excellency sees clearly. This humble official... has had some dealings with the Southern Xiongnu's Yu Fuluo..." In this era, a member of the gentry's friends were necessarily fellow gentry. For someone like Fei Qian, though it could be understood as necessary for Bingzhou military affairs, associating with barbarians would still invite the mockery of some gentry sons, who would say he had been tainted by the stench of sheep and mutton...
Wang Yun narrowed his eyes and smiled, offering a word of consolation: "You share the state's burdens; pay no heed to the idle gossip of others!"
Fei Qian prostrated himself on the ground and bowed. "A single word from Your Excellency is enough comfort for a lifetime!"
As Wang Yun gestured for Fei Qian to rise and dispense with ceremony, he mused to himself, 'It seems this information most likely did come from the Xiongnu...
Moreover, the Southern Xiongnu were precisely located along the route in question, so...
Still, barbarians were, after all, barbarians...'
"In Ziyuan's opinion, how much can the Xiongnu be trusted?" Wang Yun narrowed his eyes and looked at Fei Qian as he asked.
Fei Qian replied with absolute, cutting certainty: "To report to Your Excellency, barbarians do not understand reason, do not know ritual and propriety, and are ignorant of the written word. They absolutely cannot be trusted! However..."
The decisive and correct political stance Fei Qian displayed clearly struck a chord in Wang Yun's heart. He nodded slightly, signaling Fei Qian to continue.
"...However, barbarians are all fond of profit! To be honest with Your Excellency, this humble official has under his command a few capable soldiers. For just a modest sum of coin and silk, they would not hesitate even against their own brethren."
Wang Yun lowered his head and smiled. Inwardly, he thought, he does have some insight, but no matter what, he is still, after all, a young man...
Is it only barbarians under Heaven who are fond of profit?
What a joke! Are not Han people just as capable of forgetting all else at the sight of some benefit? Are the incidents of them slaughtering one another any fewer than among the barbarians?
Nevertheless, this is a line of thought worth pursuing.