"Young Master Shao, I, Yu Liang from Yingchuan, pay my respects," the young man bowed respectfully.
Shao Xun returned the gesture.
He was slightly surprised.
Over the years, only Mi Huang and Pei Dun, two scholars, had ever bowed to him.
This self-proclaimed Yu Liang was likely the third.
He understood the reason behind it.
Sometimes, one couldn't help but sigh.
People needed to demonstrate their worth.
Without value, you were nothing.
With value, you could rise above others, at least improving your circumstances.
Of course, people were different.
Some only needed to show a tiny bit of value to climb to high positions.
Others needed immense value and the right timing to take even a small step forward.
This was the power of family background.
This was reality.
"Could Young Master Shao do me a favor?" Yu Liang asked directly.
Shao Xun glanced at him and nodded, "Please follow me."
With that, he led Yu Liang to a pavilion at the base of the western wall.
Chen Yougen watched from a distance, then shouldered his heavy sword and ran to stand guard outside the pavilion, ensuring no one disturbed them.
"Have we met before?" Shao Xun handed a cushion to Yu Liang and gestured for him to sit.
"We met last year," Yu Liang smiled.
"I was chopping firewood at the time. You probably didn't notice."
Shao Xun nodded with a smile, recalling the time he had escorted Yu Ai.
He then said, "I didn't realize you were from a prestigious family."
Yu Liang shook his head with a bitter smile, "I'm just living under someone else's roof. I can't really be considered part of the noble class."
He didn't hold back and explained a bit to Shao Xun.
The Yu family from Yingchuan wasn't originally from a prominent clan.
During the Later Han dynasty, their ancestor Yu Cheng worked as a gatekeeper in the county office.
The famous scholar Guo Tai took a liking to him, "saw his potential and encouraged him to study."
Later, Yu Cheng became known for his Confucian scholarship but declined official appointments, never entering government service.
Yu Cheng had two sons.
The elder, Yu Yi, rose to the position of Grand Coachman during the Wei dynasty but later fell into obscurity, "his branch of the family faded into insignificance."
The younger, Yu Dun, served as a Grand Master of Remonstrance during the Wei dynasty.
Yu Dun had four sons.
Since the family focused on Confucian studies, their political careers were rocky.
Only the eldest, Yu Jun, and the second son, Yu Chun, entered government service.
The former became a Grand Scholar, lecturing the emperor on Confucian classics, while the latter offended the powerful Jia Chong and was dismissed from office.
The situation for Yu Dun's grandchildren was similar.
Because "the times favored Laozi and Zhuangzi over Confucian classics," they struggled to rise.
Yu Jun's branch fared slightly better.
His eldest son, Yu Min, served as the Prefectural Judge of Yingchuan, and his third son, Yu Ai, became an official in the Ministry of Personnel.
The other branches didn't do as well.
Yu Liang's father, Yu Chen, only held a minor position in the court and was relatively unknown.
When Shao Xun escorted Yu Ai last time, he saw that Yu Chen's family home in the city had been seized and destroyed by Sima Jiong, forcing the family to "live like snails" in the countryside.
This was a true reflection of their status.
Although people didn't strictly categorize family backgrounds at the time, terms like "noble families," "lesser clans," and "commoners" were already in use.
Noble families, also known as "great clans," wielded significant influence.
Yu Jun's branch, represented by Yu Ai, could barely be considered a "noble family" since they still held some prestige in Yingchuan.
But the Yu family was large, with many members, and the other branches weren't as fortunate.
For example, the branch of Yu Dun's elder brother, Yu Yi, was considered "impoverished" in the eyes of scholars, even though they still lived comfortably.
Yu Chen and Yu Liang could use the name of the Yu family from Yingchuan, but in reality, they knew their true standing.
Of course, this was Yu Liang's account, and Shao Xun wasn't entirely convinced.
Even if they were from a lesser branch, as long as they weren't too far removed, they couldn't be doing too poorly.
For instance, Yu Liang's uncle, Yu Gun, who fled to the mountains last year, was just a "recluse" who never held office, but his wife came from the Xun family.
And Yu Liang's mother, Lady Qiu, wasn't from a lowly background either.
Due to the imminent war, their family had recently moved from the outskirts of Luoyang to the southern part of the city, staying in a villa owned by their relative Yu Ai.
Hence, they were "living under someone else's roof."
Though they made it sound pitiful, Shao Xun suspected their family wasn't doing too badly.
At worst, they might not have much in Luoyang, but back in their hometown of Yingchuan, their overall strength likely surpassed that of many local magnates.
If given the chance to serve as officials elsewhere, their status would rise even further, as they could leverage their family's local reputation—the Yu family from Yingchuan was rated as a fourth-tier family by the Prefectural Judge.
"What brings you to me, Yu Liang?" Shao Xun asked patiently after hearing the introduction.
Yu Liang was taken aback by Shao Xun's directness.
After a moment, he smiled wryly, "Then I'll be frank. Could you release my family's retainers? Earlier, when we were pursuing the fleeing enemy, I was inspired by the righteousness of Battalion Commander Mi and yourself. I led over thirty servants and retainers into battle, but they were incorporated into the military ranks by Battalion Commander Mi and are now under military discipline, unable to return home."
So that was the issue! Shao Xun found it somewhat amusing.
Releasing them was out of the question—now and forever.
The servants of wealthy families were generally strong and robust, and the retainers they brought were carefully selected, at least physically fit.
How could he let them go? Didn't they realize the times they were in?
"Why didn't you ask Battalion Commander Mi?" Shao Xun asked curiously.
"If you give your permission, the Battalion Commander won't object," Yu Liang replied.
Shao Xun couldn't help but take another look at the man.
Fair-skinned and handsome, in another era, he would have been considered quite the catch.
However, his demeanor was far more composed than the shallow pretty boys of later times.
At this moment, his brows were slightly furrowed, his lips tightly pressed, and in his eyes, one could detect a hint of helplessness and hope—he seemed fully aware of his current predicament.
He was indeed a smart man who knew when to bend and when to stand firm.
"To be honest, releasing them is impossible," Shao Xun said.
"If I let your family's servants go, what if others come asking? Should I release them all? I just heard from the Battalion Commander that, due to the destruction of the water mills, the Grand Commander has issued a military order to conscript servants and slaves from wealthy families to pound grain for military supplies. Given the situation, what else can you do?"
"There's such an order?" Yu Liang was shocked, his face darkening.
He knew there was no way to get his people back.
With Luoyang in such chaos, the soldiers had grown bolder and were harder to control than before.
If you angered them, they might quietly kill your entire family during the chaos and blame it on Zhang Fang.
What could you do?
Power and family background only mattered when order was stable.
Once chaos erupted, many things lost their value.
Would this Shao Xun resort to underhanded tactics? No one could say for sure.
"Don't waste your energy," Shao Xun stood up.
"If you trust me, gather your relatives and bring your retainers and servants to the Piyong Academy. It's spacious, and many families are already staying there. You won't be left without a place. If you bring enough able-bodied men, I can even arrange the best accommodations for you. I might even give up my own quarters for you. How about that?"
"Is the situation really that dire?" Yu Liang also stood up, asking in a low voice.
"The combined forces of the Prince of Chengdu and the Prince of Hejian number three hundred thousand and are advancing with great momentum. Do you think they'll let go easily?" Shao Xun asked.
"If the Grand Commander decides to fight to the death, Luoyang will surely be destroyed. Don't hold onto any illusions. As the saying goes, many hands make light work. I don't have many troops here. If Zhang Fang sends a large force, we won't last long. But if we can gather around a thousand men and defend behind high walls, we might just hold out. That's all I can say. The decision is yours."
"I understand," Yu Liang bowed and left.
"Ah…" A piercing scream echoed through the night.
Huang Biao held a dagger, thrusting it into the prisoner's thigh and then yanking it out with a cruel laugh.
"I heard you came up with all sorts of ways to eat people in Hongnong, especially fond of cutting off women's breasts, saying the meat is the most tender. You may not have much meat on your chest, but do you believe I could cut out your heart and liver? That would be even more tender."
The prisoner's face turned pale, his lips trembling, unable to speak clearly.
"Worthless!" Huang Biao pulled out the dagger and swiftly cut off two of the prisoner's fingers, eliciting more agonized screams.
"One more chance. Think carefully before you speak!" Huang Biao barked.
Shao Xun glanced over but quickly lost interest.
He took a wooden bowl from Wang Que'er and began drinking the meat soup.
"Young Master Shao," Wu Qian emerged from the shadows and whispered, "We just found out. The bandit leader you killed this afternoon was named Li Yi."
"A nobody…" Shao Xun said.
At best, he was a low-ranking officer in charge of a couple of battalions, maybe even a battalion commander.
Not much value.
"Squad Leader Huang also found out through interrogation that Zhang Fang suffered a defeat in the northern part of the city, losing over three thousand men," Wu Qian added.
"Who defeated him?"
"Assistant Central Officer Gou Xi led a unit of the Imperial Guards and routed him."
"Who is this Gou Xi?"
"According to Battalion Commander Mi, Gou Xi is from the Gou family in Henei. He once served as a staff officer under Prince Qi, Sima Jiong. After Sima Jiong's execution, he joined Prince Changsha's staff as an Assistant Central Officer."
"The Gou family from Henei? Is that a prominent family?" Shao Xun asked.
Wu Qian frowned, thinking for a moment, then shook his head.
"I haven't heard much about them."
Shao Xun understood.
The Gou family from Henei was likely no longer part of the noble class.
This Gou Xi was just an ordinary man, another Zhang Fang!
This excited him.
In times of chaos, even ordinary people had opportunities, though so far, he had only seen two examples: Zhang Fang and Gou Xi.
"Gou Xi has greatly humiliated Zhang Fang, which is good news for us," Shao Xun added.
Wu Qian nodded, hesitating to speak further.
"Speak your mind," Shao Xun glanced at him.
"Young Master Shao, today you killed an enemy commander and boosted morale, but you shouldn't do that again in the future," Wu Qian said softly.
"Why do you say that?"
"Let me ask you this: what are you striving for?"
Shao Xun paused, then after a long while, said, "An official position."
"Do you know how the court selects officials?"
Shao Xun nodded.
This had actually been his main focus over the past year, and he had done some research.
During the Western Zhou dynasty, it was a simple "hereditary system."
Under the feudal system, bloodline was everything, and positions were passed down through generations.
By the Warring States and Qin dynasty, there was some progress, with methods like recommendations, military merit, guest scholars, and promotions from lower officials.
By the Han and Western Jin dynasties, the main paths to office were through recommendations and direct appointments.
For ordinary people, it was less favorable than during the Warring States and Qin periods.
Social stratification had solidified, and in some ways, it was a step backward.
In essence, the Warring States period was highly competitive, with states vying for talent.
Even those with dubious backgrounds, if lucky and with a few generations of effort, could rise to prominence.
The Western Jin dynasty was a standard aristocratic politics, where bloodline was paramount.
Although this system was beginning to crumble, its inertia was hard to overcome.
Shao Xun realized that if he wanted to advance within the system, his only path was to become a "subordinate official."
Yes, high-ranking officials at this time had the power to recommend and appoint officials.
Those they appointed were "subordinate officials," who were personally dependent on them.
Zhang Fang, who came from a humble background, was actually a subordinate official of Prince Hejian, Sima Yong.
Liu Qia, the Left Marshal of Sima Yue's staff, also had no family background and was an ordinary man.
He too was a subordinate official.
But such people were rare.
Without family connections, this path was too treacherous.
Of course, you could also rise outside the system.
For example, leaders of fortified villages, refugee leaders, or tribal chieftains were local powerholders.
If the court lost control of certain areas, they might issue a decree appointing you as an official, effectively expanding the map.
This was more common in the north during the Eastern Jin period.
After the court moved south, the north fell into chaos, and for refugee leaders or tribal chieftains who remained loyal to the court, the Jin court was willing to be generous.
If these refugee leaders were foolish enough to go south, they were digging their own graves.
At best, they might become cannon fodder, like officers in the Northern Garrison Army.
But then again, if refugee leaders stayed in the north, they might not survive either.
It was hard to judge.
For the more daring, there was always the option of starting a peasant rebellion, essentially creating a new power structure, and ignoring the Jin court altogether.
Or even siding with the barbarians, who were quite generous.
If you had territory and troops, they would grant you official titles, no questions asked.
Shao Xun thought he could try walking the path of a "subordinate official" for now.
Reaching the level of Zhang Fang as a subordinate official was already quite impressive.
He suspected even Sima Yong might find it hard to control him now.
Zhang Fang burned, killed, and looted, ate human flesh, abused noblewomen, and slaughtered wealthy families.
Wasn't he undermining his master Sima Yong's reputation and influence?
But could Sima Yong still control him? It was hard to say.
To capture and kill Zhang Fang, you'd first have to disband his seventy thousand troops, then strike when he least expected it.
To rise as a subordinate official to the point where your master feared you—Zhang Fang had truly made it.
While Zhang Fang's brutality wasn't something to emulate, there were lessons to be learned.
At the very least, you couldn't let your master issue an order and have you arrested and killed without a fight.
In short, you needed a power base loyal only to you.
Only then could you negotiate, or even make your master think twice about acting against you, fearing the consequences.
Zhang Fang's power base was a group of brutal soldiers.
What about mine?
"Don't worry, I have my plans," Shao Xun patted Wu Qian's shoulder.
"In these turbulent times, opportunities still exist."
"As long as you're aware, Young Master Shao," Wu Qian nodded, then added, "But leading from the front is too dangerous."
Shao Xun smiled wryly, "If I don't take risks, I won't seize any opportunities."
Wu Qian fell silent.
"You do have some insight," Shao Xun said.
"So many people have come from the East Sea, most of them aimless, not knowing what to do or what they want, just drifting through life. You took the initiative to remind me, and I appreciate it, truly."
"Young Master Shao has great ambitions. I've noticed that," Wu Qian smiled.
"I've said what needed to be said. Please be careful. My abilities are limited, so I'll do my best to take care of those children."
"If you can handle that, it will be a great contribution," Shao Xun said.
"They are the key to breaking the deadlock."
(End of Chapter)