Wei Qiao said, “You are an excellent general and should better understand the principle that favorable timing is not as good as advantageous terrain, and advantageous terrain is not as good as harmony among people.”
He continued, “Qingzhou’s city walls are not low, its moats are not shallow, its weapons and armor are strong and sharp, nor does it lack grain. Why then does it suffer defeat after defeat? It’s because advantageous terrain is not as good as harmony among people. General Gou Chun has lost the people’s hearts in Qingzhou. Continuing to attack will yield half the results with twice the effort. The General might as well yield a step with the current momentum.”
Gou Xi’s character was rigid, his personality stubborn. He directly refused, but his staff members had brains and could think. After Gou Xi refused, they still pursued the question. “How would General Wei suggest yielding this step?”
Wei Qiao said, “Divide Qingzhou in two, but Le’an Commandery can be incorporated into Yanzhou.”
The staff member’s eyes flickered. He felt this was feasible, but their demands were not limited to Le’an Commandery alone. He said, “Besides Le’an Commandery, there is also Jinan Commandery. Of the remaining Qi State, Beihai Commandery, Chengyang Commandery, Donglai, and Changguang, divide those in two again.”
Wei Qiao looked at Gou Xi.
The staff member quietly advised Gou Xi, “My lord, given Qingzhou’s situation, continuing to fight will bring us more harm than benefit. Better that we each yield a step. Spring plowing is what matters.”
Wei Qiao on the side reminded him, “General, Inspector Zhao may not intend to take advantage of others’ difficulties, but Liu Yuan and Shi Le are not necessarily gentlemen.”
Gou Xi’s face looked terrible. The staff member advised him further, and only then did he agree to yield a step.
When he agreed here, Wang Jun and Wang Dun did not agree. If Jinan Commandery was also incorporated into Yanzhou, both Wang Jun and Wang Dun would have to retreat.
The territory they had captured with their own abilities—why should they retreat just because Gou Xi said one sentence?
However, at least all three parties had loosened their stance. Everyone temporarily ceased fighting to negotiate.
In the end, Zhao Hanzhang and the Emperor acted as mediators, maneuvering among the three men. They divided Jinan Commandery in two as well—half to Gou Xi, half to Wang Jun. As for Wang Dun, the court exchanged the position of Guangzhou Inspector for him to relinquish the two counties of Jinan Commandery he had occupied.
The war subsided. The Emperor finally breathed a sigh of relief. He issued three consecutive government decrees. First was dividing Qingzhou into Qingzhou and Guangzhou, each with clearly demarcated jurisdictions. Second was appointing Wang Jun as Qingzhou Inspector and Wang Dun as Guangzhou Inspector. Third, certain counties of Jinan Commandery together with Le’an Commandery would be placed under Yanzhou’s jurisdiction…
Zhao Hanzhang, seeing the hostilities had ceased, only then submitted a memorial impeaching Gou Chun, requesting that the Emperor and Gou Xi severely punish Gou Chun. She believed his harsh cruelty had greatly lost the people’s hearts, thus brewing this disaster. She requested they replace the officials managing Le’an Commandery.
The Emperor thought Zhao Hanzhang was correct. He specially summoned Gou Xi, hoping he could restrain Gou Chun, and appointed a new commandery governor for Le’an Commandery.
Because of the Qingzhou matter, the Gou brothers had greatly lost popular support. Gou Xi’s prestige had fallen dramatically. He could already feel the dissent among his subordinate commanders toward him.
This feeling—he had only experienced it once after killing Yan Heng. This time, it was even more obvious.
So Gou Xi did not agree to the Emperor’s directive. He did not trust the commandery governor chosen by the Emperor. He selected one himself, but recalled Gou Chun to Yuncheng.
After wallowing in sensual pleasures for a year, nearly destroying both his will and body, Gou Xi finally developed a sense of crisis. He walked out of his General’s Mansion and began to inspect his army.
However, having grown accustomed to rising after the sun was high in the sky, how could he possibly return to his former habit of getting out of bed before dawn in the bitter cold to go to the crude and freezing military camp to drill troops?
Having grown accustomed to high beds and soft pillows, how could he possibly sleep on a wooden plank in the military camp as before, with only a thin quilt covering him?
Having eaten his fill of delicacies, his intestines and stomach soaked through with rich food, how could he possibly gnaw on coarse grain steamed buns again?
So after persisting for less than ten days, when his heart and stomach were both clamoring for delicious delicacies, he couldn’t resist. He ordered fish, meat, and fine wine. After a hearty drink, he couldn’t help but follow his heart’s desire and sleep. The next day when he awoke again, it was nearly noon…
A concubine Gou Xi had recently taken brought chicken soup to see him. Together with a crowd of maidservants, they served him as he rose. She said softly, “General, this is what your concubine personally got up before dawn to simmer. I’ve kept it on low heat, stewing it for a full three hours. Try it—is the soup flavorful enough?”
The chicken soup had already had the fat skimmed off. It wasn’t greasy at all, but rather clear and bright. Yet when it entered the nose, it was fragrant. Taking a sip, the impulse toward meat that had built up over consecutive days of frugality was greatly relieved—even better than the big fish and meat he’d eaten last night.
Gou Xi leaned back contentedly against the raised pillows, letting out a great breath. He asked, “Where is Erlang?”
The concubine replied, “The young general went out early this morning. I heard the county office arrested several thieves yesterday. He went to handle it.”
Gou Xi frowned slightly and got up to dress. “He is the commandery governor. Judging thieves is the county magistrate’s business. Why is he interfering with this?”
The concubine smiled. “Venting his anger, probably. These past few days the young general’s temper has been terrible. In the mansion he’s punished several people. Outside, whenever he encounters someone committing an offense, he applies flogging or beating at the slightest provocation…”
Before she finished speaking, the maidservants attending in the room had already turned pale, falling to their knees and trembling.
The concubine looked bewildered, not understanding what was wrong with them.
Gou Xi looked at her coldly, then called outside, “Someone come. Take her down and teach her some rules.”
Before the concubine could speak, two personal guards entered from outside. Keeping their heads lowered without looking at Gou Xi, they covered the concubine’s mouth and dragged her away.
Gou Xi’s face was gloomy as he finished dressing. Looking at the maidservants still kneeling on the ground, he frowned slightly. “Go receive your punishment yourselves. In the future, if any of the ladies misbehave, it means you haven’t taught them well.”
The maidservants trembled as they assented, only then daring to rise and attend to Gou Xi. After he left, the maidservants in the room dutifully went to the punishment room to receive their punishment. No one dared to try to get away with it.
The dining hall had already prepared the meal. The manager knew things were bad when Gou Xi hadn’t risen at the Hour of the Rabbit this morning. He immediately had people go outside the mansion to purchase large quantities of ingredients and began preparing from morning until now—finally managing to produce a table of dishes barely acceptable to the eye.
There were twenty-eight dishes in total, both cold and hot, soup and meat, and even the tender vegetable shoots most difficult to obtain at this time of year.
Gou Xi sat down at the table with an unchanged expression. The manager knew he had guessed correctly and quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately stepped forward to attend him at the meal.
Seeing the manager’s old face, Gou Xi frowned.
The manager instantly understood. He immediately bowed and withdrew. With a wave of his hand, the beautiful maidservants waiting outside entered immediately—one on the left and one on the right, two on each side. Holding chopsticks, they selected dishes for him. Their movements were graceful, chopsticks flying. Basically, as soon as his eyes fell on any dish, someone would immediately pick it up and present it to him…
Gou Xi ate this meal very comfortably, feeling that this was what life should be.
By the time he finished eating, it was past the Hour of the Goat. The sun outside had brightened somewhat, but having just eaten his fill, he inevitably felt drowsy. He also felt his shoulders were a bit sore from riding horses, shooting arrows, and practicing martial arts these past few days.
So he sat outside, basking in the sun while having maidservants massage him.
Since he was already sunbathing, how could there be no song and dance to relieve boredom?
Gou Xi’s mansion now kept over two hundred maidservants, among whom those with outstanding talents were countless. So those who sang, sang; those who danced, danced; those who played instruments, played instruments. The General’s Mansion restored its former liveliness.
An official passed by beneath the General’s Mansion walls. He deliberately had his ox-cart stop to listen to the singing and instrumental music inside. After a moment, he shook his head in disappointment, his eyes filled with sorrow that couldn’t dissolve. “The General is ruined.”