Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 232 Re-dividing Factions
Taishi Ci leaped down from the inner courtyard wall and snatched the memorial.

Wearing a crimson official robe at night would certainly be conspicuous, but Taishi Ci didn't change his clothes in order to find Kong Rong.

Not only did they not change their clothes, but they also specially sought out a black feather crown from Liu Yu. This combination became the night patrol attire for the various commanders of Luoyang.

When Cao Cao served as the Northern Commandant, his men wore similar attire when patrolling at night.

There's a curfew in Luoyang at night. If you're dressed in black and out at night, you'll most likely be caught and crippled on the street—Brother Lang got beaten up back then, luckily Cao Cao showed mercy...

On the contrary, he was dressed in a conspicuous red outfit and carried a knife while "patrolling at night," and no one paid any attention to him.

Taishi Ci was incredibly calm and collected as he committed the crime, and he walked into the Langshu (official residence) openly and honestly.

However, there were many attendants and guards guarding the gate of Kong Rong's inner courtyard, so Taishi Ci climbed over the wall and entered the inner courtyard.

After snatching the memorial, Taishi Ci immediately overturned the wine boiling on the stove, threw the memorial into the stove, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

The wine cauldron fell to the ground with a loud clatter.

The maid serving drinks screamed, then immediately and sensibly covered her head and squatted down on the ground.

"How dare you, thief!"

Kong Rong was greatly surprised, then recognized Taishi Ci: "It's you!"

Taishi Ci didn't reply, and turned to run away.

"Don't run! Catch him..."

Upon seeing this, Yang Biao immediately planned to call for help to catch the thief.

But Taishi Ci didn't run away. Instead, he quickly retreated to the courtyard gate and bolted it from the inside in an instant.

Kong Rong and Yang Biao were drinking and talking in the inner courtyard. Naturally, there were no attendants in the courtyard, only a maid serving them drinks.

Taishi Ci closed the courtyard gate, and Yang Biao immediately shut his mouth.

The attendant outside the courtyard gate heard the maid's scream and asked, "My lord, what is it?"

Just as Kong Rong was about to speak, he saw Taishi Ci draw his dagger.

Kong Rong wisely swallowed and said, "It's nothing, don't bother me!"

Taishi Ci nodded, gestured with his waist knife, and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry to have disturbed your drinking... Magistrate Kong, would you mind seeing me out?"

"Taishi Ziyi...do you know that this crime deserves death?!"

Kong Rong gritted his teeth as he stared at the memorials burning in the stove, then turned to Taishi Ci: "As the official in charge of memorials, you burned them! This is an outrageous act of treason! Aren't you afraid of having your entire clan exterminated?!"

He spoke quite harshly, but his voice was even lower than Taishi Ci's.

Clearly, the knife in Taishi Ci's hand was far more intimidating than any punishment of execution.

"Destroying the memorials was the intention of Magistrate Kong of Donglai, and Magistrate Kong was also aware of it... Destroying one more or one less makes little difference to me. If Magistrate Kong uses this to punish me, I will not bear this punishment alone..."

Taishi Ci once again relayed the same words he had spoken to Sun Qian to Kong Rong.

"You...you're quite the Taishi Ci..."

Kong Rong's face twisted with rage: "For committing such a disloyal act, I fear you will find it difficult to remain in Donglai! Taishi Ci, if you bear the name of a traitor, how can your parents live with any face in this world?!"

Kong Rong actually said something similar to Sun Qian...

Taishi Ci sighed, "Ha... to uphold righteousness is to be disloyal, to be loyal to the emperor is to be unrighteous... it's always difficult to have both. Today, I've finally realized the danger of this situation. Kong Lingcheng, since you intend to use your reputation to blackmail me, then I'm sorry..."

Having said that, he brandished his dagger, a fierce glint in his eyes.

"and many more!"

Yang Biao suddenly spoke up: "I don't care about your personal grudges, but this matter has nothing to do with me. If you cause trouble for others, can that be considered a righteous act?"

Taishi Ci stopped what he was doing: "This is indeed against reason, but I have no other choice... May I ask who you are, and if you have a way to have the best of both worlds?"

“Yang Biao of Hongnong.” Yang Biao said in a low voice, “Brave warrior, if you want to leave this place, I can send you out of the city, and it will be as if nothing happened tonight. But if you kill someone here, you will not only surely die, but you will also be confirmed as disloyal and unjust… With me here, Wenju will no longer punish you, otherwise I will also have a hard time clearing my name.”

Yang Biao was actually saying this to Kong Rong.

If Kong Rong is to prosecute Taishi Ci, then the matter of Kong Rong asking Yang Biao to recommend him for an official post outside the capital must be made public tonight.

Although Yang Biao did not accept the gift on the spot, everyone knew that such private collusion must involve an exchange of benefits, which was clearly a case of forming cliques for personal gain.

This would not only damage Yang Biao's reputation, but it was also a major taboo—in those days, forming factions was extremely sensitive, and regardless of the reason for forming a faction, it was considered a political mistake.

Kong Rong gritted his teeth and nodded to Taishi Ci, saying, "Yes... You can leave now. Let's pretend tonight's events never happened. I don't know you, and I've never received a memorial from Donglai..."

Taishi Ci bowed to Yang Biao and said, "Thank you, Lord Yang. I will trouble you to see me off."

Yang Biao got up, wiped the cold sweat from his brow, and left with Taishi Ci.

Kong Rong's attendants outside the door were somewhat surprised to see someone following Yang Biao, but none of them asked any questions. Yang Biao's status meant that not just anyone could talk to him.

After all, Yang Biao's ancestors for three generations were Grand Commandants, and Yang Biao's father, Yang Ci, was the Imperial Tutor. Yang Biao was Liu Hong's senior brother and inherited Yang Ci's title of Marquis of Linjin. In terms of reputation and status, he was in the top tier in the entire country.

However, unlike the Yuan family, the Yang family was not able to navigate between the eunuch faction and the reformist faction effectively, and thus did not control as much power as the Yuan family.

After Yang Biao and Taishi Ci left, Kong Rong's attendants and retainers entered the courtyard. Seeing Kong Rong's gloomy face, they asked him why.

Kong Rong glanced at the maid squatting beside him: "It's all because this maid spilled the wine, which angered Doctor Yang and ruined my important plans! ...Kill this maid!"

……

Yang Biao did not leave the Langshu (official residence), but only escorted Taishi Ci to the gate of the Langshu.

Taishi Ci didn't care. He adjusted the black feathered crown on his head and swaggered away like a night patrolman.

Yang Biao watched Taishi Ci leave from the entrance of the Langshu (official residence), then looked at the guards in front of the Langshu. He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not allow the guards to pursue Taishi Ci. Instead, he returned to his own courtyard.

But the next morning, as Yang Biao went out to court, he had his servants move his family back to the Linjin Marquis's residence in the south of the city, no longer living in the official residence.

……

The next day, there was a court meeting.

No one mentioned Qingzhou at the court meeting.

Liu Yu stepped forward to petition the emperor to establish additional military agricultural colonies—this was originally a proposal that Liu Bei had asked Liu Yu to make.

Other matters need to be reported by Liu Bei himself, but this proposal should be made by Liu Yu, since Liu Bei cannot attend court, and everyone knows that this matter will inevitably cause a quarrel in the court.

After Liu Yu raised this matter in the court, the court immediately split into three factions, and not according to the division between Guandong and Guanxi or the eunuch faction.

The supporters were led by members of the imperial clan, including Liu Yan and Liu Biao, and most of them supported the proposal.

The opposition consisted of powerful families, led by Yuan Ji, Yang Biao, He Jin, and others, and also included many eunuchs.

Not only the gentry, but most powerful families with large tracts of land in the localities opposed this, but Cao Song was an exception.

There is also a fence-sitter, mostly generals and officers who currently hold military power, such as General of Chariots and Cavalry He Miao, as well as Xiyuan Colonels such as Bao Hong, Zhao Rong, and Feng Fang.

Cao Song also stood on the sidelines, observing this faction.

The original factional strife seemed to have vanished at this moment... After all, the matter of the Colonel of the Military Farms involved land, grain, military power, and finances in various prefectures and counties, touching on everyone's sensitive points.

Liu Hong himself was extremely supportive of this matter, and he knew that if it could be successfully implemented, the Han Dynasty would truly be able to stabilize.

But the obstacles faced by the emperor were not limited to powerful and influential families.

Many eunuchs and relatives of the emperor, including He Jin, also sided with the opposing side this time.

It's truly remarkable that the upright officials, the eunuch faction, and the imperial relatives have temporarily united because of this incident.

Only Zhang Rang shared the same stance as the emperor.

(End of this chapter)