"Has my Uncle Gao arrived? Do not disturb his rest!" Liu Cheng shouted at once in front of the crowd at the ferry, snapping back to his senses.
Just then, many people at the ferry turned together to look at one man. He appeared to be in his forties, roughly the same age as Wang Xizhi, yet was dressed plainly in an ordinary headwrap, coarse hemp robe, and lined jacket. He had only been watching from the rear, but upon hearing the call, he hurried forward and asked in a raised voice, "Is that worthy nephew Acheng of the Pengcheng Liu clan before me? Gao Rou is here."
Liu Cheng promptly stepped forward and bowed low before everyone. Establishing these layers of kinship and connection to cement his standing was precisely what he wanted, after all.
To his surprise, the other man was even more impassioned. He rushed over and caught Liu Cheng by the shoulders, choking up on the spot. "Drifting for over a decade... to think that on this New Year's festival I would be visited by a scion of our family's generational acquaintances. My bitterness has finally turned to sweet."
Indeed, Liu Cheng had not wept, yet the other man broke into tears first.
Looking up, the young man felt an inexplicable flutter of panic, because no matter how he looked, the man seemed entirely genuine. Considering Gao Rou's life experiences, Liu Cheng could only steel himself to offer comfort: "Uncle, what are you saying? This is only the beginning... Thanks to Uncle Wenzhen's rescue, Ren Gong's side is already secure. Though we may now seem uprooted from our ancestral homes, as long as our two clans continue to support each other in the future, branching out, sending our youth to study, and joining through marriage, our ties will be renewed once more."
Though Gao Rou had been choking up, he had still been able to speak. Hearing these words, however, he broke into a loud wail, unable to utter a single syllable, only patting the youth's shoulders repeatedly. Two young men from his household came over and worked hard to support him, and even then, it took a long while before his tears finally ceased.
By now, Liu Cheng felt terribly guilty and uneasy, terrified that the man had misunderstood something and genuinely taken him for someone else.
Yet after Gao Rou subsided from his grief and returned to his residence under the gaze of the onlookers at the ferry, and after the boats had departed, Liu Cheng sat on a couch slowly conversing with him while taking in his surroundings, gradually tasting the true flavor of the situation.
There was certainly some measure of pretense. Uncle Gao had crossed south alone over a decade earlier, facing circumstances almost identical to his own; how could he not understand what Liu Cheng had come for?
Furthermore, that boatload of gifts and the Xi family bondservants gave him ample reason to put on a show.
Yet if one insisted it was entirely an act, that would be measuring the heart of a gentleman with the yardstick of a small-minded knave. In truth, Liu Cheng could see and hear that this uncle had genuinely suffered through years of bitterness and humiliation—hardships largely stemming from being entirely alone, stripped of clan and friends.
When he came south, his wife had reportedly died, and being young, he had thought he could blaze a trail in the south as an advance scout for his clan. But after scuffling and drifting here for four or five years, he had managed to marry a new wife—who happened to be a native of Qiuting in Kuaiji. The eldest child at home was only five or six, and the youngest was merely two or three... Settling down in Qiuting a few years ago had been no lifelong aspiration, but rather his sole refuge after losing his official post.
Even the young men who had supported him earlier, and his so-called household, were mostly kin from his wife's side.
Here, he lived almost like a live-in son-in-law.
Yet to say his wife's clan held any real prestige would also be nonsense. Which truly great clan—or even decent native lineage—would give the time of day to a solitary outsider like him? They were merely a down-and-out southern gentry clan that at least possessed a local kin group.
Furthermore, his official career was at a dead end, and his financial standing was poor.
Though he had served one term as a county magistrate, according to Uncle Gao, he had still clung to a glimmer of ambition back then, hoping to rise higher. He had not followed others in looting the public granaries; instead, he had drafted a bundle of political governance philosophies and submitted them to Xie Shang, who had recommended him.
In the end, Xie Shang showed those writings to Liu Tan, the leader of the famed gentlemen at the time, only for Liu Tan to scoff, remarking that people from remote backwaters knew nothing yet loved to offer unsolicited advice. Out of indignation, Uncle Gao had retorted that he never expected to gain anything from men of their ilk and was merely sharing insights on governance. But Liu Tan had snapped back that he had never intended to grant someone like Gao Rou anything in the first place.
The contempt had been laid bare without reserve.
His official career had ended with that single magistrate post.
What little wealth and reputation he had scraped together were poured into supporting his brother Gao Jian when the latter came south, leaving Gao Rou entirely marginalized ever since.
Naturally, there was another reason that Liu Cheng saw clearly. Ever since arriving in Kuaiji, he had noticed that the estates and fortified manors here were quite different from those in Wuxing and Danyang. The manors here were newly established and had generally not achieved internal economic self-sufficiency. As a result, the wealthy clans who had seized mountains, forests, and fields on a massive scale often had to maintain several shops in the commandery seat of Shanyin, both to sell local specialties and surplus goods and to trade for other necessities required on their estates.
To be fair, it was hard to say whether this model was an interim measure or a historical step forward. If turbulence continued, it would naturally regress toward the self-contained fortified style of Wuxing and Danyang; but conversely, if peace endured, Kuaiji's setup represented a more advanced manorial economic model.
Returning to Uncle Gao Rou, though he had secured a foothold in Kuaiji with his status as a famed gentleman and his past post as magistrate, setting up a modest manor, it was not enough to afford him any financial ease. Especially in the past two years, most of the yields had been converted into coin and silk to support those in Jingkou. Coupled with the costs of running his local manor and maintaining social connections, it was difficult even for him to travel to Jingkou to visit his clan's younger generation.
It was harder still for those clan youths to make the trip here.
In truth, if the brothers Gao Rou and Gao Jian possessed real strength, the Gao family would have moved straight to Kuaiji long ago; why would they need to remain in Jingkou as stalwart soldiers?
Looking back from Uncle Gao's vantage at this moment, the prime dozen years of his life had slipped by in grievance and compromise. And what had barred him from advancing, suffocating every prospect, was nothing more than his background as a northern émigré.
How could he not feel aggrieved?
Small wonder he was so thrilled by Liu Cheng's arrival.
This man genuinely yearned to regain the backing of his clan and generational ties.
Since this was the case, Liu Cheng naturally reciprocated, acting the part of the dutiful nephew to a benevolent uncle.
"Uncle, there is actually an affair in Kuaiji that I would like to ask your counsel on." After discussing matters large and small in Jingkou and Jiankang, Liu Cheng hesitated briefly, then leaned forward on the couch with a solemn expression.
"Please speak freely, worthy nephew." Gao Rou, having wiped his face with a warm cloth and heard Liu Cheng recount the state of his clan in Jingkou and Liu Ren Gong's camp—from Gao Heng's betrothal to Liu's sister to the confrontations involving Liu Jili, Cai Mo, and Yin Hao—was visibly revitalized.
Liu Cheng did not hold back. He laid out his plan to urge Xi Yin and Wang Xizhi to host public and private lustration gatherings for the Shangsi Festival, coupled with a joint petition calling for political unity. He also listed the conditions already in place: Wang Xizhi was deeply tempted; Xi Yin had agreed; Xi Yin's eldest son, Xi Chao, tacitly assented; Lu Song, who had likewise fled from the north yet possessed an authentic northern Daoist lineage, had gone to bribe Master Du's household; and the awkward political situation in Jiankang genuinely called for such an honorable pretext to appeal for solidarity.
"This matter should be achievable," Gao Rou replied thoughtfully after a moment's reflection. "If Xi Linhai and Wang Jiangzhou both have the inclination, the affair itself ought to succeed. Yet that is only 'ought to'—there are still two people you must watch out for..."
"Do you mean Wang Lantian and Xie Dongshan?" Liu Cheng asked at once.
"Indeed." Gao Rou showed genuine delight. "That you thought of these two shows you have already seen through Kuaiji's underlying currents."
"It is nothing," Liu Cheng said frankly. "In pedigree and authority, only those two can influence Wang Jiangzhou and Xi Linhai. Wang Lantian is the Internal Historian of Kuaiji, the magistrate on the spot, so it is easy for him to intervene. As for Xie Dongshan, his vision is clear as a flame; he observes Jiankang and the overall situation closely, so he may weigh it politically. But with the string of recent incidents in Jiankang, I suspect Xie Dongshan will tacitly consent even if he does not openly agree."
"Indeed, then only Wang Lantian remains," Gao Rou said gravely. "And there is one thing you might not know: though Wang Lantian and Wang Jiangzhou have not openly clashed, there is friction beneath the surface."
"Over what?" Liu Cheng paused, asking earnestly.
"Because Wang Jiangzhou prides himself on the Langya Wang clan being half a cut above the Taiyuan Wang clan, and considers himself half a step superior to Wang Lantian. Yet Wang Lantian has enjoyed a smoother official career, unlike Wang Xizhi, who dared not even take up his post in Jiangzhou; hence Wang Jiangzhou harbors no small resentment. Moreover, Wang Lantian serves as Internal Historian in Kuaiji, so local famed gentlemen constantly fawn over him, which further irks Wang Jiangzhou, who regards himself as the leader of Kuaiji's scholars." Gao Rou leaned sideways on the couch with a faint smile. "In truth, Wang Jiangzhou is just that sort of man... If you say he has no interest in officialdom, he always frets over such things; if you say he cares solely for fame and profit, he manages by and large to maintain decorum... It is the same regarding Jiankang and the north. He claims not to meddle, yet sighs and frets from time to time; but if you ask him to abandon his life of leisure, he is never willing."
"That is understandable." Liu Cheng pondered this and smiled as well. "Human nature being what it is, it does not spoil the broader picture... Besides, I have heard that Wang Jiangzhou is already considered one of the more decent men here in Kuaiji."
"Quite true. Wang Jiangzhou is a decent man, far better than many so-called famed gentlemen. So is Xie Dongshan; though sharp-tongued at times, he can generally tolerate others and knows to leave people room to maneuver." Gao Rou sighed, perhaps recalling past slights. "Only when you truly meet those other famed gentlemen will you learn what muddleheadedness, spite, greed, and shamelessness really mean... Yet they are famed gentlemen, backed by their clans and monopolizing official posts. It is only ever you begging them, never them begging you."
"So, the matter can roughly succeed?" Liu Cheng sidestepped the sharp topic and pressed on.
"Roughly so," Gao Rou nodded earnestly. "Even if Wang Lantian meddles, I expect it will at most leave Wang Jiangzhou disgruntled; it won't derail the event itself."
"Then I would like to ask Uncle Gao to do your utmost to help facilitate and sustain this matter," Liu Cheng continued.
"Naturally," Gao Rou said casually. "Leaving aside that if this succeeds, anyone in Kuaiji claiming to be a famed gentleman will flock to join in, how could I refuse when you have come to me yourself? But Acheng, let me ask you first: why go through so much toil to bring this about? What is it you want?"
"I want quite a lot," Liu Cheng smiled. "For instance, helping Lu Song—who also drifted south from the north this year—gain a firm footing, so our northern émigrés have another layer of connection. Or, having entered the Xi household, I must find ways to please my superiors to secure my position—doesn't Master Xi love such affairs? Or seeing the mountain of wealth piling up unused in Master Xi's storehouses, I thought of relieving the common folk of Kuaiji on his behalf... Yet at the very core, I have a selfish motive of my own."
At this point, Liu Cheng turned serious, and Gao Rou, who had been smiling, grew solemn as well. "Uncle, I want to strive so that my name might also be listed at the tail end of that joint petition."
Gao Rou fell silent at last, sitting cross-legged on the couch in deep contemplation.
Liu Cheng did not rush him, waiting in silence.
After an indeterminate span, Gao Rou looked at the youth beside him and spoke slowly: "Acheng, tell me honestly: do you truly seek only to have your name listed at the end?"
"Of course." Liu Cheng was candid. "To have my name among them would already mean establishing a foothold in Kuaiji. From then on, Liu Cheng would be counted among Kuaiji's famed gentlemen. Could I dare hope for more? Young as I am, could I expect to replace Wang Lantian or Wang Jiangzhou as a leader?"
"And afterward?" Gao Rou asked intently. "If your name is placed at the end, what comes after this? What other aspirations do you have? Or what if it fails completely right now?"
Liu Cheng thought for a moment and slowly shook his head. "I will see this through first; I truly haven't thought about what follows. In fact, even this affair came together by chance. If it falls through, I can accept it. After all, how old am I? I can turn this into an annual gathering and see if I might add my name in the coming years."
"Good, good. It is well that you think this way." Gao Rou nodded, then let out a sigh. "Strive to accomplish this first and don't dwell on the rest... Acheng, I am already an old failure. Some words sound dispiriting, and you young people dislike hearing them. But I arrived in Jiangzuo before you and have drifted here in Kuaiji for over a decade. All I have left to pass on to you are these disheartening truths. If I kept silent, I would be failing in honesty toward our younger generation."
"Please instruct me, Uncle." Liu Cheng quickly turned on the couch and clasped his hands in respect.
"If you manage to have your name listed and harbor grand ambitions, do not linger in Kuaiji afterward—at least not for long." Gao Rou's face tightened once more. "Of course, when I say linger, I mean mingling among these famed gentlemen. If you stay in the Xi household to study and practice calligraphy diligently, that is naturally harmless..."
"Is it because rising any further after being listed becomes difficult?" Liu Cheng asked curiously.
"Far beyond difficult," Gao Rou chuckled bitterly. "Do you think these famed gentlemen are all fools? Even if foolish in some respects, when it comes to fame and profit, every one of them is razor-sharp... For low-ranking northern émigré scholars like us, unless one is sharp and talented, one cannot even gain entry into their ranks... But do not imagine their tolerance in letting us in stems from benevolence. Rather, our talent and learning serve merely as a fig leaf for them!
"'Look, a man of such talent and erudition is ranked only at the bottom—doesn't that show how much superior we of the high-born class are?'"
Liu Cheng let out a bitter smile as well.
"And once inside, if you still attempt to surpass them with your talent and learning, they will almost certainly unite to stomp you down, leaving you unable to take a single step forward," Gao Rou said with mounting bitterness. "After all, the standing of so-called famed gentlemen's romantic elegance does not hinge on learning or intellect—in the end, it depends on family pedigree. And as for being a famed gentleman, aside from a tiny handful of elite great families who truly need not care about wealth and nobility, most are just like us: pursuing fame to secure office. In that contest, they naturally fight tooth and nail over rank. When I served as magistrate and tried to be slightly diligent, they mocked me. When our entire clan fled south and I sought a garrison commander post for Wenzhen so our clan youths might survive, they mocked me for that as well. Yet what about them? To plunder wealth, they solicit offices directly and do so without shame... By what right?"
"Indeed. Unless one becomes a Buddhist monk or Daoist priest and stays out of the scramble for office, one cannot rise within the circle of famed gentlemen," Liu Cheng nodded, offering his own observation. "Even Wang Jiangzhou, with his pedigree and reputation as a decent man, envies Wang Lantian—let alone those spiteful, muddleheaded, caustic, rapacious, and shameless sorts Uncle mentioned."
Gao Rou nodded repeatedly.
"To tell Uncle the truth, I have considered this before. Yet before meeting you, I did entertain a sliver of illusion... But having heard your heartfelt words, I will stick to my original thought: once my name is listed behind Kuaiji's famed gentlemen, I will hone myself for a few years, and when I come of age, I will find every means to enter official service directly—whether in Jiankang or locally, or even as a stalwart soldier," Liu Cheng said frankly. "I certainly cannot waste half my life lingering here."
"Those very words!" Reaching across the edge of the couch, Gao Rou pressed the back of the youth's hand, once more unable to hold back his choking tears. "Those very words... Take me as your warning; do not follow my path and squander ten years... That was also why I had Wenzhen stay in Jingkou... Acheng, this path may allow a slight rise, but it is ultimately a dead end. For us northern émigrés to stand upright in Jiangzuo, we must either risk our lives in a Northern Expedition, or advance step by step, pooling our strength to build something together."
Liu Cheng had slipped off his shoes to sit on the couch, but hearing this, he hopped down barefoot onto the cold floor and bowed deeply to the man, saying in all sincerity, "I shall never forget Uncle's teachings as long as I live."
---
When Taizu, Emperor Gao... came to Kuaiji, he met his generational uncle Gao Rou. Surprised that even a man of Rou's benevolence and intellect could stumble along in such plight, he fully understood that northern émigrés had no place in Jiangzuo, and thus conceived the thought of building his own enterprise.
—*New Book of Qi*, Volume 1, Basic Annals of Taizu, Emperor Gao, Part One
Chapter 46