Chapter 97

After several months of handling all sorts of affairs as a county magistrate, Shi Xun found that returning to Cao Cao's side to handle documents was much more comfortable than before. First, there were fewer urgent matters that required his attention, and he had more free time. Second, after the experience of local governance, he had become more adept at handling official business.

Of course, compared to his previous role as a fake assistant, the documents he had to handle as a clerk in Jiyin Commandery were more complicated. According to the later "Book of the Later Han: Officials," the duties of a clerk in a commandery were to "oversee the processing of documents and investigate illegal activities," which meant receiving and reviewing various official documents from Jiyin Commandery, issuing and enforcing state policies, and investigating and reporting any illegal activities of local officials through the documents.

After a period of internship and adaptation, Shi Xun no longer felt as nervous and cautious as before when writing official documents. As a result, his writing became more organized, but the language was not as vivid, often seeming dry and lifeless.

This was because he began to plagiarize extensively from ancient... well, for this era, it should be said, from the future. After all, when copying poetry, one had to copy large sections, but when copying prose, one could just extract famous sayings. By inserting a few famous sayings into long official documents, the meaning could be elevated, making the writing appear more brilliant and extraordinary. Writing was like this; a few good words were enough to serve as the finishing touch.

For example, when handling documents related to encouraging education in Jiyin, Shi Xun wrote, "Diligent study is like a seedling in spring; though you don't see it grow, it grows day by day; neglecting study is like a whetstone; though you don't see it wear down, it diminishes day by day." "Learning is improved through diligence and ruined by idleness; a gentleman's conduct is shaped by thought and destroyed by carelessness."

When handling documents related to government affairs, he wrote, "Even if a wrong is small, do not commit it; even if a good deed is small, do not neglect it." "According to the classics, hard work can build a nation; according to history, ease and comfort can lead to its downfall."

When handling documents related to personnel appointments, he wrote, "A jade is tested for three days before its value is known; a tree is observed for seven years before it can be used as timber." "A long journey reveals the strength of a horse; time reveals the heart of a man."

He kept the original meaning of these ancient... future sayings but slightly altered the language to fit the style and tone of the documents. This not only made the writing more consistent but also gave him a sense of satisfaction, like a sadistic pleasure in defacing good things. For example, he thought, "Let's see how Liu Bei can instruct his son at the end of his life with my pearls of wisdom in front of him..."

Xun Yu, as Cao Cao's chief advisor, had to review most of Shi Xun's important documents—though it was unclear where he found the time and energy. Once, he took a document to Cao Cao and said, "Shi Xun's writing has improved, but it is becoming too ornate, which may not be the right path." Cao Cao replied, "That's not true. Writing doesn't have to be plain to be effective. Ornate writing can be just as powerful. Look at these sentences—'Buildings near water get the moon first; flowers and trees facing the sun become spring sooner.' 'A mirror of bronze can correct one's appearance; a mirror of history can show the rise and fall of nations; a mirror of people can reveal right and wrong.' The depth of meaning in these sentences is profound."

He stroked his beard proudly, "I sent Shi Xun to supervise Jiyin and then to serve as the magistrate of Chengyang, which boosted his confidence and made his talents shine—Gao Cheng was right about him."

Shi Xun, of course, had no idea that Xun Yu and Cao Cao were discussing him. He was now addicted to plagiarism, constantly racking his brain to recall proverbs and sayings from the future, writing them down as they came to mind, planning to rely on this for the rest of his life—this was much easier than copying poetry.

Of course, life wasn't always perfect, and there were plenty of worries. First, Guan Hai's wound had barely healed, but his health remained poor, and he often coughed up blood, unable to get out of bed. Shi Xun thought that since his heart wasn't injured, it must be his lungs. Was this yellow-faced giant going to become a cripple? Every time he saw Guan Hai's furrowed brows, Shi Xun's good mood would vanish, and he couldn't help but sigh along with him.

Second, Cao De frequently sent letters, complaining that the people Shi Xun had recommended—Taishi Ci and Lu Hong—had both been taken by his brother. "Taishi Ci is the best in the world, and Jiyin Commandery can't contain such a fierce dragon. As for Lu Hong, I don't know what skills he has, but my brother won't let him go. You also recommended Shi Yi and Wang Xiu, but the guests from Qingzhou reported that Shi Yi has gone south to Xu Province to join his sons, and Wang Xiu insisted on staying with Kong Rong until the entire Qingzhou was taken by Yuan Tan. Kong Rong returned to his hometown to live in seclusion, and Wang Xiu had to surrender to Yuan Tan and was appointed as a clerk."

"Shi Xun, you recommended four people, and all of them are unavailable. You can't just walk away. You need to find more people for me."

Shi Xun thought, "What does this have to do with me? Cao Cao even took the Daoist Xie Zheng that I found. Besides, are there no capable people in Jiyin Commandery? After much thought, he recommended Ning Ke from Chengyang and the Li brothers, Li Fu and Li Deng, from Chengshi, but made it clear that he only had a superficial relationship with them and didn't know them well. He advised Cao De to investigate them before using them, and if anything went wrong, it wouldn't be his responsibility.

He then replied to Cao De, saying, "There are countless scholars between Yingchuan and Chenliu, and they are all in Xun Wenruo's mind. Go to him for recommendations. Look, when your brother asked, 'It's a pity that Xi Zhicai is dead. Is there anyone with similar abilities and qualities?' Xun Wenruo immediately recommended Guo Jia."

A later event also confirmed Shi Xun's thoughts. Xun Yu had many more people to recommend, but the timing wasn't right, or the positions weren't suitable, so he hadn't brought them up yet. One day, Cao Cao, Guo Jia, and Shi Xun were discussing issues in Yuzhou. Cao Cao said, "That Yuzhou Inspector Guo Gong is despicable. When I retreated to fight Lu Bu, he secretly recruited soldiers and planned to stab me in the back. If I hadn't left Zixiao (Cao Ren) to guard the northern part of Runan, his plot would have succeeded. We need to remove him and replace him with someone else."

He asked the two, "Who should replace Guo Gong?" Guo Jia suggested, "Since General Zixiao is there, why not let him take over?" Shi Xun said, "Qu Ji's talents are also suitable for the position and can replace Guo Gong." Cao Cao shook his head, "They are all my brothers. Appointing a relative as an inspector might invite criticism."

Shi Xun glanced at Guo Jia and said in a light, teasing tone, "Lord, if you don't break the five thieves, your hegemony will be difficult to achieve." Cao Cao was surprised, "What are the five thieves?" Guo Jia pondered, "I know that there are five thieves that harm crops, and I've also heard that there are five thieves that harm the body—joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, and desire..."

Cao Cao said, "Yes, yes, Shi Xun must be referring to this. I am an emotional person with strong desires—though I don't seek luxurious houses, fine food, gold, or silk, I can't resist beautiful women (Shi Xun thought, 'Or power'). This is a hard habit to break."

Shi Xun smiled and shook his head. He thought, "This is a joke from the 'Song Baisao,' which you wouldn't understand. Let me explain: 'The five thieves are not others but the five virtues—benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness.'"

Cao Cao was confused, "These are the five virtues, how do they become the five thieves?"

"Five virtues for scholars, five thieves for hegemony," Shi Xun explained, counting on his fingers, "Duke Xiang of Song didn't break his benevolence and suffered defeat at the Battle of Hongshui; the Spring and Autumn period had no just wars, yet the Five Hegemons emerged; Emperor Gaozu was rude and disrespectful, yet he founded the Han Dynasty; Han Xin's intelligence led to his death in the bell tower; the Overlord trusted the truce at Honggou and was trapped at Gaixia. If you want to achieve the hegemony of Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Wen of Jin, you must break these five thieves. Anything that benefits the revival of the Han Dynasty, benevolence and righteousness can be abandoned, and propriety and trustworthiness can be removed—fearing public opinion is just tying your own hands."

Cao Cao laughed loudly, tears streaming down his face, "I didn't expect Shi Xun to be like Dongfang Manqian (Dongfang Shuo). Hearing your words, my worries of many days have vanished." Guo Jia also laughed, but not as wildly as Cao Cao. Shi Xun clapped, "If you laugh well, it shows that you have broken the 'propriety' thief." He observed Guo Jia with a sidelong glance, thinking, "This kid is deep, I can't see through him."

Cao Cao was a man who laughed without restraint and often joked. Joking with him had no negative consequences and even brought them closer. Besides, though it was a joke, the deeper meaning was enough to make one's back sweat. However, if someone like Xun Yu, a member of a noble family, or Mao Jie, a man of integrity, were present, Shi Xun wouldn't dare to speak so freely—after all, that would be asking for trouble. Now, with only Cao Cao and Guo Jia present, he decided to test the waters.

Historical records say that Guo Fengxiao "was criticized for his unconventional behavior," meaning his reputation wasn't good, and he was often criticized. Some speculated that it was because of his low birth and commoner background, while others thought it was because of his lack of propriety and loose behavior. But from Shi Xun's perspective, both points were questionable: first, Guo Jia's birth was low, but it wasn't as low as some of Cao Cao's other subordinates, and it wasn't as bad as Wu Zhi, a small landlord or even a wealthy farmer. Compared to Cheng Yu and Mao Jie, his background wasn't much worse. Second, Guo Jia, whether it was his usual behavior or because he was new and more reserved, always showed politeness and never displayed any loose behavior.

So today, he decided to test Guo Jia, to see if he, like Cao Cao, despised traditional morals and propriety, which was why he was criticized. Unfortunately, Guo Jia neither stood up to sternly rebuke him for his inappropriate joke nor laughed so hard that he almost fainted. He just "haha"ed in a perfunctory manner—what was he thinking? Shi Xun couldn't tell.

After the laughter, they returned to serious matters. Shi Xun reviewed the records of high officials who had recently entered the court, looking for clues. Surprisingly, he found one: "Former Minister of Works, Yuan Pang of Chen, has a son named Yuan Huan, who was appointed as the magistrate of Qiao but refused to take the position. I wonder where he is now?"

Guo Jia, being from Chenliu, which bordered Chen, answered, "He is in seclusion at home." Shi Xun suggested, "We can recommend Yuan Huan as an outstanding talent, and then replace Guo Gong with him." Yuan Huan, also known as Yuan Yaogong, was a well-known figure in the "Book of Wei," with a good background, making him an ideal candidate for the position of Inspector of Yuzhou. Cao Cao was still hesitant, saying, "Yuan Yaogong is from Yuzhou. Is it appropriate to appoint him as the Inspector of Yuzhou?"

Shi Xun thought, "What kind of time is this? You're still clinging to these old rules. Clearly, the five thieves haven't been broken." He knew that Cao Cao had previously appointed Sun Song as the Inspector of Qingzhou, despite the fact that Liu Biao, a relative and a great scholar, had broken the old rules. "Why should you be afraid?"

Cao Cao slapped his thigh and said, "Alright, let's do it. Xun Wenruo mentioned Yuan Huan a few days ago, but said there was no suitable position for him. This time, I'll ask Xun Wenruo to invite him out of seclusion."

Shi Xun thought, "See, it's still Xun Wenruo's people."

After the page break, the ad begins.

After the page break, the ad ends.