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Today was the agreed-upon day for the first batch of books from the Cai residence to be transported. Once again, Fei Qian arrived at Cai Yong's mansion.
Since he had been visiting frequently lately, it had become inconvenient to announce his arrival every time. Cai Yong had thus instructed the gatekeeper that if Fei Qian came alone, he could enter directly without needing to be announced.
As soon as the gatekeeper spotted Fei Qian approaching from a distance, he hurried down the steps, greeted him with a deep bow, and eagerly led the way.
Fei Qian pulled out a small string of wuzhu coins from his sleeve and tossed them to the gatekeeper, saying, "I can manage on my own. No need to trouble yourself." Then, amidst the gatekeeper's effusive thanks, he stepped into the Cai residence.
The Cai family steward was directing servants in cleaning the courtyard when he noticed Fei Qian's arrival. He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Greetings, Young Master Fei. The elder master is in his study…" He then made to guide Fei Qian there.
Fei Qian returned the gesture and replied, "No need to trouble the steward. I can find my own way."
"Very well. Young Master Fei, the elder master had no appetite during the morning meal. If it's convenient, perhaps you could persuade him…"
Ah, so Old Man Cai is in a bad mood today.
Fei Qian acknowledged the request with a nod, bowed slightly to the steward, and headed toward the study.
When he arrived, Cai Yong gestured for him to take a seat and then said, "...Recently, many clerks and minor officials have resigned from their posts…"
Fei Qian immediately grasped the implication—this was a passive resistance tactic to undermine Dong Zhuo and Li Ru's plans!
For a government or policy to function effectively, relying solely on a handful of individuals might extend control over a single county at best. But to expand beyond that, grassroots officials were indispensable.
The entire Sili region, though not as vast as some larger provinces, had a high population density. Without lower-level bureaucrats, how could the court's decrees be implemented?
Now, with these officials resigning en masse, Dong Zhuo and Li Ru's relocation plan was effectively crippled. This move struck at the heart of the matter. If this trend continued, the capital relocation could very well remain nothing more than an empty decree discussed in court, never materializing in practice.
This was a peculiar feature of the Han Dynasty's political landscape. For local gentry and powerful clans in the countryside, the power struggles at court were beyond their reach, but that didn't diminish their influence in their own domains. No matter who emerged victorious in the imperial power struggles, the cooperation of these local elites was essential. Thus, while some might be purged during the power shifts, the majority would survive as long as they submitted to the eventual victor. This cycle repeated until the next regime took over.
For these minor officials, who hailed from local gentry families, the conflict between Dong Zhuo and Yuan Wei was a matter of siding with the stronger party—they had no strong ideological stance. Yet this time, their resolute opposition suggested that Dong Zhuo's relocation plan had struck at the very foundation of their power.
Leaving their ancestral lands would reduce them to mere refugees—a status these proud local elites could never accept.
This was especially true for the most prominent clan in Sili—the Hongnong Yang clan. Forced relocation to Chang'an would be nothing short of a catastrophe for the Yangs, who had spent over a century consolidating their power in Sili.
The speed at which news of the relocation spread and the coordinated resignations of lower officials made it clear that someone was orchestrating this behind the scenes.
After a moment's thought, Fei Qian said, "This matter… likely has someone pulling the strings in secret."
Cai Yong nodded, then shook his head.
The resigning officials didn't belong to a single faction. Some were affiliated with the Yang clan, others with the Yuan clan, and still others' allegiances were unclear.
The Yang-affiliated officials resigning was expected—Cai Yong could understand that.
But earlier, he had noted that Yuan Wei, as one of the Three Excellencies, had remained silent in court, failing to fulfill his duties. Now, it seemed even members of the Yuan faction were participating in this resistance. This left Cai Yong puzzled—just what stance was Grand Tutor Yuan Wei taking?
Just then, the Cai family steward returned with surprising news: rumors were spreading that Grand Commandant Yang and Minister over the Masses Huang had both resigned, citing illness!
Cai Yong asked, "Any news about Grand Tutor Yuan Wei or Minister of Works Xun Shuang?"
The steward shook his head, indicating no word about those two, then withdrew.
Yuan Wei…
Xun Shuang…
Cai Yong's brow furrowed deeply.
The Hongnong Yang clan had openly and decisively broken with Dong Zhuo.
But in contrast, the Yuan and Xun clans were far more ambiguous in their positions.
As Cai Yong pondered further, he noticed a pattern: among the resigning lower officials, those connected to the Yang clan—members of the Hongnong Yang faction—had almost entirely withdrawn from court affairs. Meanwhile, the Yuan faction, another major power with extensive influence, had only seen a small portion of its members resign.
The remaining resignees were either minor gentry from the Henei and Luoyang regions or simply followers jumping on the bandwagon.
The Xun clan, newly elevated to the Three Excellencies, was also unusually quiet. While Xun Shuang's seclusion could be attributed to his high-profile position, even Xun You had reportedly withdrawn, citing illness, and refrained from commenting on the relocation—a move that seemed suspicious.
What are the Yuan and Xun clans planning?
Truthfully, no one would willingly abandon a long-established home for an unfamiliar land without good reason—let alone move from a prosperous region to a less developed one.
Like most, Cai Yong privately opposed the relocation. But he was acutely aware that while he held considerable prestige in scholarly circles, his political influence paled in comparison to the current Three Excellencies.
At this critical juncture, the entire bureaucracy was watching the Three Excellencies for guidance. Their stance would determine how most officials responded to the relocation.
The current situation was thus: the Hongnong Yang clan, representing Sili's native interests, had unsurprisingly taken a firm stand against the move. Meanwhile, Xun Shuang, newly appointed from Yingchuan's scholarly circles, remained noncommittal.
As for the Yuan clan, whose disciples and protégés spanned both court and countryside, their position was inscrutable. If they supported the relocation, why were some Yuan-affiliated officials resigning? But if they opposed it, why not resist as decisively as the Yangs?
Cai Yong had been mulling over this since morning, so preoccupied that he had skipped breakfast. Suddenly, a disturbing possibility occurred to him—but he quickly dismissed the thought.
He glanced at Fei Qian. Perhaps an outsider's perspective might offer clarity.
Why, historically, had Yuan Wei not opposed the relocation?
One theory was that he was cowardly, fearing Dong Zhuo's wrath. But given his experiences—the two Partisan Prohibitions, even palace coups—could he truly be that timid?
So then...