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Suddenly, a gust of night wind swept through the hall, sending the candle flames into a chaotic dance. The shadows cast by the hanging draperies upon the floor seemed to be suddenly infused with some unknowable energy, twisting and writhing like a host of demons...
"This humble official is overcome with dread! May Your Excellency quell your anger!" Fei Qian hurriedly rose from his seat and prostrated himself in the center of the hall to beg forgiveness.
The elderly may require shorter periods of sleep, but that does not mean they have no need for it at all. Compared to the young, a lack of good quality sleep more easily triggers migraines, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, and other related problems.
Normally, at this hour, Wang Yun should have been just about waking up. But due to this sudden, urgent matter, he had still not been able to sleep. It made his head feel as though a dull, throbbing pain was pulsing in time with his very breathing...
Wang Yun spoke in a grim voice: "General Fei, do you admit your offense?"
"Well..." Fei Qian stammered for a moment. Prostrate on the ground, he replied in a low voice, "...This humble official admits his offense... I should not have shrunk from battle when facing a crisis... However, this matter is of such monumental gravity that I... I feared my abilities would prove insufficient..."
Hearing this, Wang Yun stroked his beard. Fei Qian's frank admission caused Wang Yun's attitude to soften somewhat. The deep nasolabial furrows framing his mouth relaxed slightly.
Officials who behaved as Fei Qian was demonstrating—rushing forward when there was advantage to be gained and stepping aside when there was none—were hardly a rarity in Wang Yun's long political career. Under ordinary circumstances, Wang Yun would have long since ordered such a man thrown out of his residence to await disciplinary action. But now...
The Grand Sacrifice was imminent. If he were to now punish this presenter of an auspicious omen on grounds of flawed moral character, would that not be tantamount to informing the whole world that the omen had been brought by a man lacking virtue?
And if it had been brought by a man without virtue...
Could it still even be called an auspicious omen? And if not, how could he rely on this omen to build the momentum he so desperately needed right now?
Wang Yun felt as though a blood vessel in the corner of his temple was throbbing and pulsing...
Therefore, he had no choice but... to refrain from punishing him, as far as possible...
Enduring the discomfort of his headache, Wang Yun glared at the kneeling Fei Qian. In a tone tinged with the frustration of one seeing promise wasted, he rebuked him: "If you wish a tree to grow tall, you must first secure its roots. If you desire a river to flow far, you must first dredge its source! To be wise and protect oneself is, admittedly, common human nature. But as a subject of the sovereign, holding the seal of office and wielding authority, you must contemplate the grace of your lord and treat the weight of your responsibilities with utmost care! Those who make a good beginning dwell upon safety in times of danger, eschew extravagance in favor of frugality, deny themselves for the public good, and never slacken nor grow negligent—only thus do they achieve complete merit. Now you have been appointed as a general of the household. Since you possess wisdom and strategy, you should exert your courage to the fullest, striving in both civil and martial affairs. How can you allow the fear of evil to drive out the rectification of your own person?"
Fei Qian pressed his forehead firmly to the floor, his voice seeming to catch with emotion. "...This humble official... admits his offense..."
Wang Yun let out a sigh.
Yet it was not a sigh on Fei Qian's behalf.
Huangfu Song was, of course, the ideal candidate; sending him north to command the troops was not out of the question. However, while the plan Fei Qian had proposed was viable, the risks were also extremely high. Striking at Budugen's royal court by circling around to his rear—though it would, nine times out of ten, compel Budugen to retreat—still...
How many of those soldiers, trapped deep behind enemy lines, could return safely was a huge and questionable concern. If Budugen's main force managed to block their route of retreat, the resulting disaster would be too horrific to contemplate.
Wang Yun himself could see this point, and he believed that Huangfu Song would see it too. Therefore, convincing that wily old bureaucratic veteran to undertake such a mission...
Would be far more difficult than convincing the green young sprout before him.
The Xianbei were moving south, the situation was urgent, yet it could not be widely publicized, for that would ruin the impact of the Grand Sacrifice...
The last thing Wang Yun wanted was for his assembled officials to stand there during the rites chattering about barbarians and Xianbei!
Furthermore, Huangfu Song was an extremely important card that Wang Yun was holding in his hand. If Lü Bu's control over the troops in the capital region proved inadequate, Huangfu Song would be needed to step in and restore order. How could he be casually tossed away onto the battlefields of Bingzhou?
There was another point: Huangfu Song had no personal ties with the Southern Xiongnu. This Fei Qian before him, on the other hand, seemed to have some private friendship with Yu Fuluo. Presumably, if borrowing troops, communication would proceed far more smoothly.
Wang Yun softened his tone, bidding Fei Qian to rise and take his seat again. Then he spoke: "Now that the state's altars have just been stabilized, this is precisely the time for us, as ministers, to unfold our life's ambitions. If one's virtue does not dwell in profound depths, and one's emotions cannot overcome selfish desire—then to hack at the roots yet expect the tree to flourish, or to block the source yet wish the stream to flow long—even if one evades disaster for a time, one will surely become an object of ridicule under Heaven! Ziyuan, do not lead yourself astray!"
"This humble official understands Your Excellency's meaning..." Fei Qian left his mat and bowed. "...I am willing to accept Your Excellency's assignment..."
Wang Yun stood up, helped Fei Qian to his feet, and clapped him on the shoulder. "Ziyuan, your talent is worthy of great use. However, without meritorious achievements, you cannot command the respect of the masses. Now, with the Xianbei moving south, though there is risk, if you can bravely undertake this task, quell the barbarian threat, and overawe the northern lands with your might, it will be an unparalleled achievement—sufficient to comfort the sovereign above and bring peace to the people below. Is this not what we strive for all our lives?"
"What Your Excellency says is profoundly true. This humble official... was momentarily muddled..." Fei Qian replied, his head lowered.
When one needs a man to risk his life, after the scolding, one must naturally offer some incentive.
Wang Yun smiled broadly. "Ziyuan, in guarding the borders and bringing auspicious omens, your service to the altars of the state is clear. This old man shall memorialize His Majesty to seek due reward for your achievements." Removing the "probationary" prefix from this young man's title should be about right, Wang Yun figured. Of course, it also depended on whether the young man was clever enough to cooperate properly...
Fei Qian immediately bowed in thanks, then asked, "In that case... what is Your Excellency's opinion on when this humble official should depart? Should I wait until after the Grand Sacrifice?"
Wang Yun's pupils shifted slightly. "Military intelligence is urgent and brooks no delay! Ziyuan should set out immediately!"
"...This humble official obeys Your Excellency's command." Fei Qian seemed to suddenly recall a matter and said, "To report to Your Excellency, regarding the two requests made by the Southern Xiongnu's Yu Fuluo..."
The matter of the Southern Xiongnu's Yu Fuluo...
The first was his request for formal investiture as Chanyu. This was not a huge issue; naturally, if they wanted the Southern Xiongnu to provide troops, they could not refuse to give any sweetener at all. However, the timing was crucial. If it were granted outright—though Fei Qian and Yu Fuluo seemed to have some connection—the possibility that the barbarians would take the title and then immediately turn hostile could not be ignored...
The second matter was Yu Fuluo's personal desire to invite a great Confucian scholar of the current court to seek academic guidance...
Barbarians actually understanding the need to study the classics!
Heh. Wang Yun found it amusing, but for Han Confucian scholarship, it was a good thing, was it not? After all, it could also be counted as a measure of his own civilizing influence!
So, of course, it should be supported. And furthermore, the matter should be widely publicized...
But who would be best to send? If he could make Yang Biao go, it would simply be the ideal choice. However, hmm, that was far too difficult. He was, after all, from the Hongnong Yang clan, and the political entanglements involved were too numerous...
If handled poorly, he would be handing ammunition to his critics, inviting attacks and damaging his own prestige.
Therefore, he needed to find someone perfectly suited for the task...