Chapter 03
Don’t Hang Yourself on One Tree**
“Look at what you’ve done! Didn’t you say you had it all settled! My daughter is so outstanding, and he still dares to reject her?!” Madam Qian was the first to explode, reaching out to grab her husband’s ear.
“Something must have gone wrong!” Governor Liu didn’t even dare to dodge. “I specially had our Provincial Governor write the letter of recommendation. The Provincial Governor is a relative of the imperial familyâwe, we’re somewhat connected to him too… Kong Rong of Beihai wouldn’t refuse a relative of the emperor, would he?”
After saying that, not caring about the pain in his ear, he immediately scrambled for paper and brush: “I’ll send another letter right away, with more flattering words and gold and silver attached. I’ll make sure he agrees to take our Yi’er as his student!”
If only he had opened the letter himself first. But he had wanted to save the ceremonial moment of opening it for his daughter!
Now, his daughter had gone from hope to disappointment. It would have been better if she had never known about it at all.
Governor Liu didn’t even dare to turn his head and look at his daughter.
He had just written two characters when the letter paper was taken from his hand by his daughter.
“If he rejected us, so be it. The world is vast. Why hang ourselves on Kong Rong’s one tree?”
As a modern person, Liu Yi had her own set of criteria for evaluating the famous scholars of the Eastern Han.
As one of the future Seven Masters of the Jian’an period, Kong Rong’s scholarship was naturally extraordinary.
But he was not necessarily skilled in governance. In the future, when the Yellow Turban rebels and the warlords fought for supremacy, he would almost never win a battle. He would abandon his cities and flee several times, even leaving his wife and children behind. If she truly became his student, he probably wouldn’t take her with him when he ranâit would be jumping into a fire pit.
More importantly, Yuyang was prosperous and had few troopsâa tempting prize. Once war broke out, all sides would fight over it. Her father, as the governor, would be the first target. She wouldn’t abandon her family and flee far away alone.
“As expected of my daughter!” Madam Qian released her husband’s ear and switched to giving a thumbs up. “Kong Rong’s loss for not taking you. We’ll find an even better teacher!”
“That works too.” Governor Liu assumed it was just his daughter’s pride talking. “When I meet with the Inspector of You Province, I’ll have him personally recommend a good teacher for you.”
Liu Yi immediately looked at Governor Liu: “Father is going to Guangyang?”
Her reaction was so quick that Governor Liu and Madam Qian hadn’t even noticed they’d let it slip. Their expressions froze, and they missed the chance to cover it up.
If Yuyang Commandery was a city, You Province was a province. A commandery governor was like a mayor, and the Provincial Inspector could be understood as a provincial governorâher father’s immediate superior.
Guangyang Commandery was also a city within You Province, and it was the provincial capitalâwhere the Provincial Inspector’s office was located.
If Governor Liu said he was going to see the Provincial Inspector, he was most likely going to Guangyang Commandery.
He tried to mumble his way out of it, but Madam Qian anxiously blurted out the truth.
“Rebels have risen in the east and have already reached Guangyang. Your father is going to the front lines to fight!”
“Fighting?!” Liu Yi was slightly startledânot because of the rebellion, but because her father had never led troops in his life. Sending him to the front lines was no different from sending him to his death.
“It’s not that serious!” Governor Liu finally gave up resisting.
“The current emperor is young, and the eunuchs hold power, making the court corrupt and the people destitute… Many places can’t bear the heavy taxes and have risen in rebellion.”
“A few days ago, the court dispatched the Wuhuan cavalry to suppress rebels in Liang Province, but they delayed paying them. So the Wuhuan turned around and started pillaging our territory instead.”
For years, the Eastern Han court had employed a strategy of “using barbarians to control barbarians”âmeaning they wouldn’t move a single soldier of their own, but instead hired nearby fierce and impoverished tribes like the Wuhuan, Xianbei, and Xiongnu to eliminate other enemies.
If the Xiongnu rebelled, they’d pay the Wuhuan to fight them. If the Wuhuan rebelled, they’d pay the Xianbei to fight them…
The key principle was: “We don’t send troops, we only send money.”
But by this time, the Eastern Han treasury was nearly depleted and couldn’t come up with the money. When the Wuhuan cavalry passed through You Province and found that the court had issued them a blank check, they were furious and immediately began looting and killing throughout You Province.
Many people in You Province were also dissatisfied with the court, so instead of resisting, they joined the rebellion. In just a few months, the rebel force had swelled from a few thousand to tens of thousands.
The rebellion was on the eastern side of You Province, while Yuyang Commandery was to the west, separated by Guangyang Commandery in between. It had remained largely unaffected, so the common people hadn’t noticed much.
Governor Liu comforted his wife and daughter: “You don’t need to be nervous. The situation is now under control by our Provincial Inspector. General Gongsun at the front is short on suppliesâI’m just delivering some grain to Guangyang. I won’t be on the battlefield.”
“Father is delivering grain?” Liu Yi seized the opportunity. “Then I’ll go with you.”
“You!”
Liu Yi’s tone was too smooth, too matter-of-fact, and what she said was too shocking. Governor Liu had barely recovered, and now he nearly choked again.
“You’re a young lady! Is the battlefield any place for you to go?!”
“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t be on the battlefield?”
“I… you… This battlefield is not that battlefield!” Governor Liu was furious. “Delivering grain isn’t a pleasure trip. There’s a risk of attack too. You’d have to walk dozens of li every day, eat and live with those filthy, stinking soldiers. You are a young womanânot only would it be humiliating, but if your secret got out, what would the world think of you?”
Liu Yi counted on her fingers.
“First: I’ve disguised myself as a boy for over ten years. I’m long used to hiding my identity. I’ve traveled with classmates before and was never discovered. The soldiers on this trip will know I’m the governor’s son and won’t dare to offend me.”
“Second: I’m physically strong. Whether walking or riding, a few dozen li a day is nothing to me.”
“Third: You’re delivering grain. When it comes to knowledge of grain and crops, if I’m second in all of Yuyang Commandery, no one is first. With me along, I guarantee the grain we deliver to Guangyang will be full measure and fresh.”
And there was a fourth reason.
With war on the horizon, she couldn’t just stay cooped up at home waiting for disaster.
After saying all this, Liu Yi and her father stared at each other with wide eyes.
Just then, a minor official entered and whispered a few words into Governor Liu’s ear.
Governor Liu nodded and stood up, saying to his wife and daughter: “The supervising officer for the grain delivery to Guangyang has arrived. I need to go receive him now.”
Then he leaned down, grabbed Liu Yi’s fingers, and bent them back one by one.
“First: Military grain is official business. Whether it’s full measure or fresh is not your concern.”
“Second: As for sneaking into the armyâdon’t even think about it. Unless your father is dead.”
“Third: I’ll ask the Provincial Inspector to recommend a teacher for you when I reach Guangyang. In the meantime, behave yourself and stay home with your mother. If you come up with any more wild ideas, I’ll find you a fierce in-law family and marry you off!”
