fake gentry

Tao Kan took a quick bath and then ordered his old servant to summon his four sons to the council hall.

A huge map hung in the council chamber. He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the several red dots he had circled with cinnabar on the map.

Chang'an in Yongzhou.

Luoyang in Sizhou.

Both prefectures have fallen into the hands of the Hu people.

Then came Jiankang in Yangzhou, and Wuchang in Jingzhou.

Tao Kan looked at Wuchang, his eyelids narrowing slightly.

Wang Ahei, you will regret taking my Jingzhou sooner or later.

Before long, Tao Kan's four sons filed in.

The eldest son, Tao Zhan, walked at the front. He was thirty-five years old this year, and his height was similar to that of Tao Kan. He had a broad forehead and thick eyebrows, and he was usually taciturn. Even his walking posture was exactly the same as Tao Kan's.

Tao Zhan grew up in the army with his father from a young age, rising from a sergeant and squad leader to a lieutenant general and prefect. Now he has been enfeoffed as the Marquis of Duting and summoned by the court to serve as a Gentleman Attendant.

Tao Xia, the second son, followed closely behind. He was three years younger than Tao Zhan, but stronger than his elder brother. He was quite prestigious in the army, but not as composed as Tao Zhan. He was also enfeoffed as the Marquis of Duting because of Tao Kan's merits.

The highest rank in the Eastern Jin Dynasty was Duke of a Commandery, but the rank of Marquis was divided into six levels: County Marquis, Township Marquis, Capital Township Marquis, Pavilion Marquis, Capital Pavilion Marquis, and Marquis within the Pass.

The so-called Marquis of Duting was a person whose fief was located in Duting. Duting was not a place name, but rather a pavilion near the county seat, unlike ordinary marquises who were enfeoffed in rural areas.

To put it bluntly, one is the honorary mayor of a suburban town, and the other is the honorary mayor of a remote town.

Marquis titles in the Eastern Jin Dynasty were not valuable; they were simply bestowed in bulk. While they weren't entirely without merit, they certainly couldn't compare to the marquis titles of the Qin and Han Dynasties.

The other two are Tao Bin. Tao said that the two are about the same age, both young men in their twenties.

Tao Zhan died in the Su Jun Rebellion, and more than ten years later, after Tao Kan passed away, Tao Xia and Tao Bin fought each other. The two divided Tao Kan's army, each commanding tens of thousands of troops, and fought a bloody war. In the end, Tao Xia killed Tao Bin, and the Tao family fell into decline.

The four men greeted Tao Kan according to military etiquette, and then sat down at the table.

"Michijin, this is for you."

Tao Kan handed the letters written by Xie Kun and Tao Mao to Tao Zhan.

After reading it, Tao Zhan's expression turned somewhat strange: "What does the General think?"

"This is what I just received," Tao Kan said. "You've also read your brother's letter from the other day. Originally, you were going to Jiankang, and I was thinking that you could go directly to recruit Xie's son on the way. However, Wang Ahei detained him in Wuchang. Xie Youyu wants me to step in and get him out of Wang Ahei's hands. What do you think?"

Tao Zhan said directly, "It would be entirely beneficial for Xie's son to join my father's staff."

Tao Xia frowned and said to Tao Kan, "Father, this is absolutely unacceptable. Who is Wang Dun? He doesn't even respect the emperor. He killed Dai Yuan and Zhou Yi like chickens. Father barely escaped from his clutches. It would be extremely unwise to offend Wang Dun for the sake of a Xie family member."

Tao Cheng chimed in, "What 'prodigy of the Xie family of Chen Commandery'? In the end, it's just scholars boasting. Back in Wuchang, did Xie Youyu ever even give his father a second glance?"

Tao Bin pondered for a moment and said, "Father, what my elder brother said makes sense. Taking Xie's son into the government and giving him a high position is like buying a horse's bones with a thousand pieces of gold. It can also get Xie's help to obtain the status of a scholar for my Tao family."

The four sons split into two factions, and Tao Kan pondered for a moment.

"Daozhen," Tao Kan said, looking at his eldest son, "tell me more about it."

Tao Zhan sat up straight: "General, the gentry of the world have long looked down on the Tao family. Now the Xie family has asked for our help. Although they are sincere, it is right for you to have concerns, brother. But even if a talented man like Xie’s son is not used by Father, we cannot let him fall into Wang Dun’s hands."

Tao Kan frowned, then nodded.

His eldest son understood him best. With his son succeeding him as clan leader, Tao could rest easy even in death.

Tao Xia exchanged a glance with Tao Cheng, and a shadow of gloom flashed in Tao Xia's eyes.

Tao Zhan glanced at his brothers and said, "My tenth brother once said in a letter that Xie Zi was all alone, yet he dared to take in refugees in Lushan, and he was also able to collect honey, make ice, and make soap. Now he has formed a society with the sons of the gentry in the north and south to provide relief to the refugees."

"His talent and learning are evident in the fact that he could command respect from dozens of aristocratic families in the north and south, such as the Wang family of Langya, the Lu family of Wujun, and the He family of Kuaiji. His ability to raise millions of coins in one night also demonstrates his skill."

"This son is like his father; he is not one to boast or talk, but one to get things done."

Tao Kan's gaze swept across his sons' faces one by one: "What do you all think of what your elder brother has said?"

Tao Xia and the other two remained silent.

Tao Xia opened his mouth as if to retort, but found himself speechless, so he could only mutter, "Brother, what you say sounds nice, but how can we save them? We can't just lead troops to kidnap them, can we?"

Tao Zhan turned to Tao Kan, his voice now more resolute: "Father, please grant me the imperial insignia."

A flash of jealousy suddenly appeared in Tao Xia's eyes.

What does the general's insignia represent? Even a lowly soldier knows.

Tao Zhan continued, "Now that I have been summoned by the court, I can take the opportunity of going north to Jiankang to take up my post to go to Wuchang, and enter the city with my father's imperial edict to pay homage to Wang Dun. He may not respect the emperor, but he cannot disregard my father. At that time, I can act as I see fit to help Xie's son escape."

Tao Kan, however, remained solemn: "What if Wang Ahei attacks you?"

Tao Kan's worries were not unfounded. When he escaped from Wuchang, Wang Dun intended to keep Tao Zhan as a hostage.

Now that Tao Zhan has offered himself up, isn't this like a lamb being led to the slaughter?

Tao Zhan smiled faintly and said proudly, "I am a Gentleman Attendant summoned by the court. If Wang Dun really wants to make a move against me, then he will have to talk to my 100,000 elite troops. Father, don't worry, Wang Chuzhong can't take that risk and wouldn't dare to touch me."

Tao Bin respected his elder brother greatly and said with some worry, "Wang Dun is unpredictable. What if he detains you in a fit of anger, instead of killing you?"

Tao Zhan shook his head: "If Father hadn't established a firm foothold, there might have been a chance, but now Father is the ruler of the south, and I am a Gentleman-in-Attendance serving the Emperor, a close minister of the Son of Heaven. Moreover, Father has the imperial seal in hand, so he will weigh the gains and losses himself."

He paused, then said to Tao Kan, "I am not worried about Wang Dun, but I am worried about Wang Han and Wang Ying. Wang Ying is a narrow-minded and extremely jealous man. He is also Wang Dun's adopted son. Xie's son is arrogant and bold. If he is harmed by Wang Ying in Wuchang, not only will I lose an ally, but I will also be disliked by the Xie family. This will add obstacles to the Tao family's path to becoming a noble family. Therefore, I must go as soon as possible."

After listening to his eldest son's words, Tao Kan shouted, "What I hate most is idle talk that ruins the country. I hereby give you the imperial insignia; you shall go to war in your father's stead."

Tao Zhan was overjoyed: "As you command."

Tao Kan waved for Tao Xia's three sons to leave, leaving Tao Zhan to grind ink. He then picked up his brush and laid out paper to reply to Xie Kun.

Kan bows and kowtows again to Xie Gongyou:

Your letter has been received. I am fully aware of your nephew's situation. This young man is exceptionally talented. I have now dispatched my eldest son with imperial credentials northward to meet the Prime Minister on my behalf and to welcome your nephew southward on behalf of his father. Although I am stationed in Lingnan with limited resources and troops, I will do my utmost to manage the situation. You await good news in Yuzhang.

Kan bows deeply.

He sealed the letter, wrote a reply to Tao Mao, then summoned his servant and ordered him to deliver the letter to the messenger. He also instructed the servant to reward Xie Kun and the messenger sent by Tao Mao.

Finally, an order was issued to select fifty elite soldiers from the troops to accompany Tao Zhan northward.

He then removed the insignia of the General Who Conquers the South and placed it in Tao Zhan's hand.

"Azhen, when you see Wang Ahei, you don't need to be humble or obsequious, but you also don't need to offend him. If you can save him, then do it; if you can't, then don't force it. Your father can't let you get involved because of a Xie family son."