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The unexpected situation naturally interrupted the proceedings, and Fei Qian had to go see it for himself. Thus, the discussion could not continue and ended hastily.
Ma Yue, Xu Huang, and others withdrew first. Jia Qu, however, remained seated, not moving. He smoothed his robe, adjusted his headpiece, and dawdled, staying until last.
Fei Qian saw this and naturally understood Jia Qu's intention. He waited until almost everyone else had left before asking Jia Qu, "Liangdao, do you have some instruction for me?"
Jia Qu assumed a solemn expression and said, "Qu does not presume. I have a question. May I ask, what are the Lord's future intentions?"
Ah?!
Fei Qian looked at Jia Qu. What did he mean by this?
Are we entering the lord-and-retainer assessment stage already?
Such a sudden move! I'm not prepared at all!
Should I talk about how the common people are suffering so, so much, then mention how everyone else besides me is so, so terrible, and finally declare my intention to conquer the earth, the skies, the entire universe?
Then Jia Qu would thump down on his knees and sing "Conquer"?
Hmm hmm.
Well...
Jia Qu, Jia Liangdao, comrade, your sudden attack like this is not conducive to a stable, harmonious social environment, nor to the healthy cultural needs of the masses. It puts me in a very passive position...
Just what should I say?
Fei Qian's mind suddenly turned to mush. Random thoughts swirled; for a moment, he truly didn't know what to say.
Fortunately, Jia Qu did not press him, merely sitting quietly, waiting.
"...The common people are exhausted and destitute, while the wealthy grow ever more extravagant; the people hear the lord's commands as if fleeing from bandits and foes; at court, grain stores rot and are devoured by insects, while village elders freeze and starve; straw dogs are made for rituals, then trampled and discarded; slaughter by blade and spear leaves corpses littering the wild; bell cauldrons and ritual vessels are destroyed overnight—these are signs of a decaying age. How can one escape them?"
Fei Qian spoke slowly, organizing his thoughts as he went. "First came eating raw meat and drinking blood, then the transmission of fire-making; first came knotting ropes for records, then Cang Jie's invention of writing brought blessings of grain; first came carving with knives and axes, then the creation of brush, inkstone, paper, and ink. Now, beacon fires rise on all sides, bandits run rampant; jade leaves are shrouded in dust, jade branches lie scattered. Therefore, the human heart is perilous, the heart of the Way is subtle. One must be refined and single-minded, holding fast to the mean. I wish to grasp regional authority, expand commandery territories, lead strong, capable troops, preserve the beauty of written records, protect the principles of ritual and music, maintain the literature of the Han people, and preserve the cultural legacy of Huaxia. The road ahead is arduous, thorns and brambles hinder the way. I earnestly ask Liangdao to lend me your strength!"
Having finished speaking, Fei Qian rose from his mat and bowed towards Jia Qu.
After much thought, Fei Qian ultimately decided to speak pragmatically, avoiding empty, nonsensical talk. In essence, it was similar to what he had told his mentor Cai Yong: not denying his ambition but clarifying that his ambition was to accomplish real tasks.
Jia Qu hurried forward to help Fei Qian rise. He seemed somewhat moved but also somewhat awkward. "...This humble one is greatly impressed by the Lord's aspirations... Originally, Qu merely intended to ask... the Lord... about the current situation on the board..."
Ah?!
This...
This was extremely awkward.
He had misunderstood. No wonder he was thinking how Jia Qu could suddenly, without any warning, initiate a "lord-and-retainer exchange"...
So Jia Qu's meaning was simply to ask Fei Qian about his next moves on the current board, about the general direction. Yet Fei Qian had been utterly serious, babbling on at length...
Truly quite awkward. The two men looked at each other, speechless for a moment.
Whose fault was it?
Fei Qian could only smile self-deprecatingly and say, "No matter. It is my mistake. Recently overworked, mind muddled, I misheard. I've made a fool of myself before Liangdao..." Lately, there had indeed been too many matters, his nerves were strained, and he hadn't been able to rest properly. Now he had made a joke of himself. Fortunately, what he said was mostly heartfelt. So though it was mortifyingly embarrassing, at least he had formally stated his aspirations...
What Fei Qian didn't expect was that after hearing his self-mockery, Jia Qu paused slightly, his eyes flickering. He instead took a step back, straightened his robe and headpiece, then performed a deep bow with clasped hands. Following that, with a solemn expression, he kowtowed and said, "Jia Qu pays respects to my Lord."
Happiness came too suddenly. Fei Qian didn't react immediately, frozen for a few seconds before hurriedly helping Jia Qu up. The two looked at each other, recalling the earlier scene, and couldn't help but laugh heartily together...
When they both sat down again, they immediately felt their relationship had become closer and more relaxed.
Fei Qian didn't bother with excessive formality and asked directly, "Liangdao, do you have reservations regarding the Hedong Wei clan?"
Jia Qu nodded and said, "In ancient times, when Wu invaded Chen, they cut down sacrificial trees and killed the sick. As their army was leaving Chen's borders, Chen's Grand Minister of Ceremonies, Pi, went to the army and said, 'In ancient times, those who invaded others did not cut down sacrificial trees, did not kill the sick, did not capture those with graying hair. Now, this army of yours—does it kill the sick? Can it not be called an army that kills the sick?' Therefore, my Lord must carefully consider whether it is to be an army that kills the sick, or an army with a righteous name."
Fei Qian knew of this incident.
Now, although the Han Dynasty was some distance from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, certain influences remained in some aspects, such as the "just cause for military action" Jia Qu mentioned...
Not cutting down sacrificial trees, not killing the sick, not capturing those with graying hair meant not destroying places of worship, not slaughtering the weak or ill, and not seizing elderly people with white hair.
And now, the Hedong elder in Fei Qian's hands naturally belonged to the "graying hair" category.
Observing Fei Qian's expression, Jia Qu continued, "Now, my Lord seeks a place for himself, yet your strength is weak and your position low. Therefore, you cannot afford to make too many enemies. The Hedong Wei clan has deep roots and a sturdy trunk; it cannot be toppled in a single day. You must handle them skillfully, plan for them gradually, and absolutely must not act too hastily."
The reason Jia Qu stayed behind alone to discuss this was also that speaking plainly in front of everyone might have made it difficult for Fei Qian to save face or change course, rendering it ineffective. Now, he naturally spoke frankly, stating his considerations fully for Fei Qian's reference.
Fei Qian remained silent for a long time, weighing the matter repeatedly in his heart. He nodded and said, "In that case, we can only cease hostilities for now... However, if that's the case, why the feigned madness?" Fei Qian pointed outward, meaning he absolutely didn't believe the delivered black-robed elder had coincidentally just gone mad, lost his mind...
Jia Qu smiled and said, "With the Hu, it was no issue—they could use recruiting Hu mercenaries as an excuse. But once delivered here, fearing my Lord might charge them with collaborating with the White Wave bandits, they feigned madness. Accusing a madman of collaborating with the enemy—even if my Lord's evidence were ample, with material and witness proof, it naturally couldn't be tied to the Wei clan."
"If that's the case, there's no rush to see him..." Fei Qian chuckled. "Let him rave a while longer..."
Jia Qu also smiled.
Fei Qian picked up the gift list on the table and said, "High ministers debate crimes based on merit; we common folk debate crimes based on goods. Liangdao, what do you think? How much can we obtain?"
"Naturally, we cannot let them off cheaply!" Jia Qu understood Fei Qian's meaning and laughed. "Allow Qu to calculate a bit..."