A special thank you to all my patrons.
The List of My "Wandering Reader":
-Cain
-Goha21
-Jacob Mooe
-Varun Madhu
-Mp Gaming
-Austin Levy
-TylerD
-Orion Chung
You can read 50 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - [email protected]/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
—————————————————————
Extra Chapter: On Every 50 powerstone
—————————————————————
'The longer I stayed in the Han Dynasty, the more deeply I felt the weight of the term "scholar-gentry." Take this very city before me—who would believe that half of it was connected to the Yuan family in some way?' Even the small courtyard where Fei Qian currently resided was part of the Yuan family's property. It could be said that in the regions of Runan and Nanyang, the Yuan family owned estates in every county, large or small, comparable to the sprawling conglomerates of later eras…
The scholar-gentry of the Han Dynasty were divided into five ranks. The fifth rank consisted of local strongmen—landowners who mostly sustained themselves with self-sufficient manors and commanded a retinue of dependent servants and retainers.
The fourth rank was the "great surnames"—local strongmen who had developed to a certain stage, branching out with numerous descendants, becoming well-known names within a region. Examples from later eras would be villages like Chen Family Village or Ma Family Fortress, which fell into this category.
The third rank was the "great clans." Through generations of effort, these great surnames had permeated every level of society, amassing large kinship networks through blood relations. These dependent populations and clan members gradually formed private militias, and at this stage, they typically constructed large fortified manors for self-protection.
By this point, the great clans had become regional elites, presiding over local discourse, evaluating local figures, and even influencing the selection of political officials.
But ascending beyond the great clans to become a "prominent clan" was no easy feat.
A prominent clan, as the name suggested, required fame—and the primary prerequisite for fame was having renowned scholars within the family. Without such scholars, a powerful gentry family could at best be called a "strong lineage," not a prominent clan.
Renowned scholars were not just spokesmen for their families; they were also inheritors of family culture. By maintaining their family's scholarly traditions and entering officialdom through classical studies and recommendations, they gradually became a significant social force in the Han Dynasty.
Above the prominent clans were the "crowned clans"—literally, the crowns of the world.
These crowned clans possessed long-standing cultural heritage, with generations of descendants entering officialdom through classical studies, some even achieving the status of high-ranking ministers across multiple generations. They recruited disciples, students, and appointed subordinates, forming lifelong networks of protégés and former subordinates. After generations of such development, the crowned clans' disciples and former subordinates spread across the land, making them leaders of the scholar-official class and, ultimately, influential political, economic, and ideological magnates.
The Yuan family was one such crowned clan of the era.
Apart from the Yuans, there were also the Yangs of Hongnong and the Wangs of Taiyuan…
Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, with four generations producing three high ministers, had disciples and former subordinates everywhere, wielding nationwide influence. Regional governors, officials, and scholars all maintained extremely close ties with the Yuan family.
Fei Qian suspected this was why Yuan Wei dared to remain alone in Luoyang while Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao entrenched themselves north and south of the Yellow River.
Yuan Wei's actions were somewhat like modern-day militants strapped with explosives—except his "explosives" were the vast network of the Yuan family's disciples and subordinates. That was why he dared to swagger before Dong Zhuo. Though Yuan Wei never openly clashed with Dong Zhuo, his subtle expressions and demeanor practically screamed, "Go ahead, try me."
This was why Fei Qian felt so insignificant now. Outside the Jingxiang region, which gentry families had even heard of his name? Who would pay him any attention?
Reputation in the Han Dynasty wasn't something one could simply acquire at will.
Fei Qian recalled watching 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' adaptations in his past life, where the white-bearded Tao Qian of Xuzhou "yielded Xuzhou three times." Back then, he had wondered—did Tao Qian not want to leave his son an inheritance?
Now, he understood. Tao Qian had no choice. It was a desperate move. If his son lacked reputation, forcing the issue would only lead to the same fate as Liu Biao's son, Liu Cong—immediately provoking ambitious schemes from others.
And the consequences of such schemes were often severe.
Human hearts were always the hardest to predict.
Now, Fei Qian found himself expending more mental energy than ever on deciphering people's intentions. Sometimes he wondered—if he had been this meticulous in his past life, he might have climbed much higher by now.
Truly, human potential was squeezed out under pressure.
Take, for example, the letter in his hands now.
Yang Hong had arrived at their courtyard early in the morning, exchanging pleasantries with Fei Qian and Yi Ji about whether they had rested well or how the food was before requesting a private conversation with Fei Qian.
Though Yi Ji was puzzled, he excused himself with a bow and left.
And so, this letter from Liu Biao—which Yi Ji had painstakingly concealed the entire journey—was now laid bare before Fei Qian's eyes.
Stripping away the irrelevant formalities, the key points of the letter were threefold:
1. Liu Biao expressed support for Yuan Shu's campaign against Dong Zhuo, aligning himself with Yuan Shu.
2. To demonstrate sincerity, Liu Biao had petitioned the court to appoint Yuan Shu as Governor of Nanyang.
3. To avoid misunderstandings and leave room for future cooperation, Liu Biao had decided to withdraw most of his troops from Wan County…
No wonder Liu Biao had Yi Ji deliver this in secret.
A bona fide imperial clansman openly supporting a high-ranking noble in defying court authority—it wasn't a good look, no matter how you spun it.
That said, Liu Biao's decisiveness was ruthless. To abandon Wan County just like that… though this left the Huang family in an awkward position. That was going to be tricky…
But why had Yang Hong shown him this letter?
Or rather, why had Yuan Shu allowed it?
From Yuan Shu's perspective, Fei Qian might represent a faction of the Jingxiang gentry. So—
Was Yuan Shu using this example to show that siding with Liu Biao was a risky move?
Or was he signaling his imminent control over more Jingxiang territory, implying Liu Biao's days were numbered and that defecting to Yuan Shu was the wiser choice?
Perhaps Yuan Shu was using Fei Qian to demonstrate his own transparency—unlike Liu Biao's scheming—to the Jingxiang gentry?
Or was he suggesting that even an imperial clansman supported him, proving he was the chosen one, favored by heaven?
Or maybe he was hinting that if the Huang family, now thrust into the buffer zone, turned against Liu Biao, Yuan Shu would back them?
All were possibilities. For now, Fei Qian couldn't pinpoint which one—or which combination—Yuan Shu intended.
He knew Yang Hong was observing his reaction, so he remained silent, carefully re-sealing the letter and handing it back.
Yang Hong raised an eyebrow slightly. 'No wonder Yuan Shu thinks highly of this man—his composure is commendable. Then again, one wouldn't secure a marriage alliance with the Jingxiang gentry without some shrewdness.'
With a faint smile, Yang Hong asked, "Does Ziyuan grasp my lord's intentions?"
"Forgive my dullness. I would appreciate your guidance," Fei Qian replied. There was no way he would admit to understanding Yuan Shu's message outright.
Yang Hong chuckled. "My lord's heart embraces the world. He often laments that forests may hide untapped timber, and abysses may conceal unclaimed pearls. Thus, whether it be overlooked elders or reclusive sages, he thirsts for talent."
Fei Qian was beginning to understand—though something about the phrasing struck him as odd…