Taiheiki

Chapter 63: Zhong Huang Tai Yi
"My father and Mr. Cai are cousins, so I call him uncle!"

"Well, no wonder!" Feng Gun stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Zhang Boxen and I were acquainted when we were in Luoyang. His wife is your uncle's sister. If you meet Zhang Boxen, you should call him uncle! We're family after all!"

Hearing Feng Gun address him as "one of our own," Cai Buyi was secretly delighted and quickly replied, "My father and Lord Cai of Xiangyang are within the fifth degree of mourning, and they often visit each other. A while ago, his son Cai Mao and Lord Cao, the grandson of Lord Cao, the Grand Chamberlain, passed through Xinye, and I entertained them for several days!"

"Are you talking about that Cao Aman?" Feng Gun nodded. "Although he is young, he is very brave. Not long ago, he took hundreds of guests on a boat across the river to Hanshou to transport grain. On the way, he met the prefect of Wuling and was rescued. He has made great contributions. The prefect Han and this general will mention it in their memorials to the court!" Having said this, he paused for a moment and looked at Cai Buyi. "You have been in the army for some time. I have noticed that you are quite cautious in your daily actions. I have an errand for you. I wonder if you want to go!"

"The general has given an order, and I shall obey it!" Cai Buyi said hurriedly.

"Okay! Ying will join the army. Tell him what you want to do!"

Ying Feng responded and recounted his plan, concluding, "You were originally a military officer under the general with a salary of 400 dan. If you accept my order, you will be promoted to 600 dan. The general will recommend you as a Jianwu commander. What do you think?"

"Jianwu Duwei?" Cai Buyi's eyes lit up. He didn't mind the salary increase from 400 dan to 600 dan. With his family's wealth, he didn't lack the annual salary of 200 dan. But Jianwu Duwei was different. Although he was just a miscellaneous duwei, he was also the leader of his own army. When it came to rewarding merits, he had to be rewarded according to the commander of the army. If he was lucky, he would have no problem getting a county magistrate or county magistrate after this battle. As for danger, how could joining the army to fight be risk-free? Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice: "I obey your orders!"

"Okay!" Feng Gun nodded. "I'll give you ten days to recruit people. Besides that, Luo Hong!"

"Yes!" Luo Hongtang responded from outside.

"Select two hundred elite soldiers and go with Captain Cai and obey his orders!" Feng Kun said.

"Subordinates obey orders!"

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Hanshou County.

Lei Qian, the son of the Changsha barbarian leader, was scouting the area ahead. He soon returned with news of a military garrison: "Judging from their campfires, there are at least five thousand men," he said. "Their flag is white, with a bird with nine heads on it."

"Is it Jingfu (the name given to tribal military leaders by ethnic minorities in the southwest at that time, here specifically referring to the commander of the Wuling Barbarians)?" Qian Wen asked.

"That's right, only that man dares to use the Nine-Headed Bird banner!" Liu Xin laughed. "Besides, we'll find out soon enough!" He turned, his gaze sweeping over the tattered ranks behind him: approximately three hundred warriors from seven or eight tribes, including the Changsha and Guilin barbarians. In addition, there were four Han Chinese, representatives chosen by the Yuzhang rebels. This was the seed of his grand plan. He couldn't imagine what Li Gu (a prominent minister during the reign of Emperor Shun of Han, who twice advocated for the enthronement of Liu Suan, Prince of Qinghe, as emperor after the deaths of Emperor Shun and Emperor Chong of Han, clashing with General Liang Ji and Grand Chamberlain Cao Teng. Shortly after Emperor Huan ascended the throne, Liu Wen of Ganling and Liu Yu of Weijun plotted to enthronize Liu Suan, implicating Li Gu and leading him to his death) would think if he saw him mingling with these disheveled, animal-skin-clad barbarians and rebels. In truth, he didn't know what to say himself. Was he using them, or were they using him? It was probably a bit of both.

"I'd better go first!" Liu Xin said to the barbarian warrior behind him.

"I don't think so!" a warrior retorted.

"Right!" Another one-eyed warrior stared at Liu Xin fiercely with his only eye: "You'd better come with us, so that if you lie, I can chop off your neck immediately!"

"Why do you think so?" Liu Xin laughed and said, "I have already sworn an oath to you in front of Zhonghuang Taiyi—"

"Your Han words are like leaves, blown away by the wind!" another short warrior retorted, "I was deceived by your Han official. He said that if we sent people to help him fight, we would no longer have to pay taxes. But the next year he sent people to extort hemp cloth from us!"

"It wasn't me who deceived your Han Chinese official!" Liu Xin explained with a smile, "Besides, I'm a Taoist priest, and I swore an oath before Zhong Huang Tai Yi. If I break my oath, I'll get seriously ill and die!"

"That's right!" Qian Wen said, "When Nanhua Zhenren set up the altar to invite the gods, he swore an oath in front of Zhonghuang Taiyi in front of the altar. You all watched it at that time. How could I deceive you!"

Upon hearing Qian Wen's support, the barbarian warriors fell silent. It wasn't because they revered the Taoist's "Zhong Huang Tai Yi," but rather because of the Han Chinese rebels behind Qian Wen. These barbarian warriors knew that although this Han Chinese rebel army consisted of only six or seven hundred men, they were fully equipped with armor, weapons, bows and crossbows, and their commander was well versed in Han Chinese military tactics, making them formidable. Without their help, Jingzhou Governor Liu Du wouldn't have been defeated, let alone captured Wuling County.

Liu Xin smiled gratefully at Qian Wen and said to everyone, "How about this, each of your tribe sends one person to go with me, and the rest of you stay here, but don't fight among yourselves!" After that, he kicked the horse's belly and went forward without giving the barbarian warriors time to hesitate.

Qian Wen and Liu Xin walked side by side, trailed by seven barbarian warriors on short ponies, mules, and even donkeys. They kept a distance from one another, warily eyeing each other, their hands close to their weapons. It wasn't that they were overly suspicious; these tribes, while often clashing with the Han, also clashed with each other for various reasons. Their hands were often stained with the blood of their respective tribes, but facing an overpowering enemy, they temporarily put aside their hatred and formed an alliance.

The group descended the foothills. In the distance, guards from a wooden watchtower peered down. A hunting falcon flapped its wings and soared high. The mountain path wedged between exposed rocks. They reached the first guarded checkpoint. The path was blocked by a four-foot-high wall, with a dozen archers perched high on either side. Liu Xin ordered his companions to stop out of range and rode closer alone. "Who's in charge here?"

The small leader in charge of this checkpoint soon appeared. Liu Xin pulled a wooden talisman from his sleeve and handed it to the small leader. After the small leader confirmed that it was correct, he immediately let them pass. They quickly passed through the charred fields and burned-out villages. Although Liu Xin did not see any corpses, the air was filled with the smell of crows that feed on carrion; it was clear that there had been a recent battle here.

About half a mile from the camp, a defensive fortification of sharpened wooden stakes was erected, behind which stood spearmen and archers. Behind it, the camp stretched into the distance, smoke rising like slender fingers from hundreds of campfires. Heavily armed men sat under trees sharpening their weapons, flags fluttering in the wind, their flagpoles sunk deep into the muddy ground.

"The camp is arranged in a very organized manner. Has this smart guy ever been in our Han army before?" Qian Wen asked in a low voice.

"That's not important!" Liu Xin said with a smile, "As long as he can help you achieve your goal, that's all that matters!"

"I wouldn't dare to hope for that!" Qian Wen gave a wry smile. As they approached the wooden fence, a dozen mounted barbarian warriors approached to question them. The leader wore a liangdang armor and had his head wrapped in a white cloth. From the outside, he looked like a Han knight.

Liu Xin reined in his horse and said with a smile, "Lord Fan, you don't recognize me!"

"It's you, old man!" The knight's eyes widened. "It's been a few years since I last saw you! You're still the same, unchanged. You're truly a living god!" He looked hesitantly at the people behind Liu Xin. "These...companions of yours..."

"I dare not pretend to be a god!" Liu Xin said with a smile: "They are all my friends. I want to take them to see Jingfu!"

"Jingfu is in that house over there!" The knight pointed to a wooden house not far away: "It's the one under that big flag!"

"Okay, I'll be there right away!" Liu Xin said with a smile.

"Yes, sir!" The knight turned around and waved his hand. The soldiers behind him moved the barricades aside, revealing a path for the group to pass through.

The barbarian warriors along the way looked around, their mouths wide with surprise. Honestly, if all the young and strong men in their tribe were gathered together, there would be about the same number. But it would definitely not be as well-organized as this one. Their camp looked more like a mix of garbage dump and grocery market than a military camp. Liu Xin also noticed this, and he secretly rejoiced. This was undoubtedly to his advantage. The more shocked these barbarians were by the power of the Wuling Barbarians, the more they would be willing to be manipulated.

Six fully armed guards stood at the door of the house. Liu Xin recognized the leader and nodded to him. "Where's Jingfu himself? I want to see him!"

"It's in the hall!" The guard leader pointed to the door. "He's given instructions. You can go in as soon as you arrive. No need to be told!"

"Give these people some food and drink!" Liu Xin dismounted and pointed at the people behind him: "It's all up to you!" He walked into the house and immediately saw Jingfu.

When Liu Xin entered, Jingfu was at his desk, absorbed in his reading. He looked nothing like a general or a king, or even a barbarian. He was of medium height, slender, with a pointed face and shrewd brown-black eyes. His hair, braided into a bun like the Han Chinese, was propped up with a branch—most of it already gray. He wore no golden crown, no bracelets, no jeweled necklace—in short, no adornment at all. He wore a sheepskin coat, the only noticeable feature being his cloak, a patchwork of furs of different colors.

"Master, I'm so happy that you're here!" Jingfu stood up, opened his arms and greeted him.

"I'm glad to see that you're doing well!" Liu Xin stepped forward with a smile, shook the other's outstretched hands, and glanced at the book on the table. The cover had three words written on it: "Sima Fa" (a military work from the Warring States Period, which was said to have been completed during the reign of King Wei of Qi. Its content mainly includes the military laws, military etiquette, military regulations, decrees and other rules and regulations of the time).

"Yes, I'm doing fine!" Jingfu pointed to the book behind him and said, "Thank you for the books you gave me last time, especially this one. It helped me a lot!"

"Really? That's great!" Liu Xin said with a smile.

As the leader of the most threatening enemy force in Jingzhou, Jingfu's origins and original name were unknown. He seemed to emerge from thin air, ascending to the helm of this powerful force. After his ascension, Jingzhou's southwestern border remained relatively peaceful for a long time, and the Wuling Barbarians' population grew significantly. He even dispatched troops and caravans to the barbarians further west and south, acquiring slaves, medicinal herbs, and gems to trade with Han merchants. As the Wuling Barbarians' power grew, the people began to revere him by calling him "Military Commander." It wasn't until many years later that people realized the immense power this formidable figure had amassed.

"What would you like to drink?" Jingfu asked Liu Xin to sit down at the desk. He took the cup from the guard and said with a smile, "I have a lot of Han Chinese wines here. It's fine for you to choose any one you like!"

"Let's just drink water! Alcohol makes people lose their minds. I haven't drunk it for many years!" Liu Xin said with a smile.

"Really? Okay!" Jingfu was stunned when he heard that, then smiled and said, "I used to like drinking, but with more and more things going on these days, I've been drinking less."

"You really should drink less!" Liu Xin laughed. "Did you know? Feng Gun has already arrived in Jiangling!"

"So fast?" Jingfu was surprised. "Didn't the Han emperor appoint him as General of Chariots and Cavalry? He must be commanding a large army. How could it be so fast?"

"His entire army hasn't arrived yet, but his men have already arrived! They must have heard the news that you've captured Hanshou County!"

"Alright!" Jingfu sighed. "Actually, I hadn't planned on attacking Hanshou County so soon, but the arrow is on the string and must be released. After Liu Du's murder, the people in the Han city were shaken. It would be a shame to miss this opportunity! By the way, where did you go last time you left me?"

"I went to Yuzhang County!"

"Yuzhang County?" Jingfu's eyes flickered. "Why are you going there?"

"It's okay to tell you, but you have to agree to one condition of mine!"

"Conditions?" Jingfu laughed. "That's fine. I owe you so many favors anyway that I don't care about even a few. Tell me, what were you doing in Yuzhang County?"

"He killed a man, Nie Zheng of Chaisang, have you heard of him?" Liu Xin said with a smile.

"Chaisang Nie Zheng?" Jingfu frowned, thought hard for a moment, and then shook his head: "I don't know. Is he the local county magistrate?"

(End of this chapter)