Jinting Han people

Chapter 170: Re-entering Chang'an (4k)

This autumn, the Tiele people's team that surrendered to the Zhengxi Army became the biggest topic of discussion among the people of Chang'an this year.

Since Sima Lun, the Prince of Zhao, was appointed General of the Western Expedition and Sun Xiu, the Prince of Zhao's Chief Clerk, took charge of the Western Expedition Army, it wasn't just the Han people who suffered. The Qiang, Di, Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Jie peoples in the various regions under his jurisdiction also suffered terribly.

Let's talk about the household tax. To ensure that the Hu people didn't cause trouble, the Hu people's household tax was originally lower than that of the Han people. Han people were required to provide three bolts of cloth per person, while the Hu people only needed one bolt. Then Sun Xiu arrived and said that the Hu and Han people were one family and should be treated equally, so how could there be any difference? So, the Hu people were brought into line with the Han people and the household tax was raised to three bolts.

However, while the Hu people cultivated land, they had no tradition of raising silkworms or weaving cloth, so even getting a single piece of cloth was difficult. With the increased household tax, how could they possibly obtain so much cloth? They could only sell cattle, sheep, and corn at low prices in the market, effectively increasing taxes by four or five times.

This led to some tribes migrating to Guanzhong and submitting to the throne in previous years. However, after Sima Lun took office, no Hu tribe surrendered for two years.

This time, people not only saw the scene of the Hu people offering gifts again, but the scene was also quite grand.

Qi Wannian single-handedly orchestrated this tribute, bringing with him over a thousand strong men, nearly ten thousand cattle and sheep, eight chests of gold, and two tigers. The procession's momentum was truly astonishing, especially the two tigers, which were so tamed they resembled two large cats that the common people along the way reached out to pet them, drawing widespread admiration.

Facing such a strange scene, people could not help but recall the glorious days of the past and began to discuss with each other:
"Ah, I'm reminded of the time when Emperor Wu was still alive, when Wen Yang led his army to defeat Tubo Shuji Neng and returned in triumph with over a thousand hostages. It's like it happened just yesterday!"

"Yes! But General Wen Yang is already dead! He was murdered by treacherous officials! How come there are still people coming to Chang'an to offer gifts when there's no war going on?"

"I'm also curious! I heard that the one who presented the gift this time was a great bandit from the border area, with over ten thousand men under his command! Such a person shouldn't be a fool."

"Could it be that we have wrongly accused His Royal Highness Prince Zhao and Sun Changshi? They are in this position, so they might really be capable!"

Of course, no one would believe such words. The people could get the correct answer with simple moral values. A scum like Sun Xiu would definitely not do anything good.

Therefore, the truth soon came out:
"What are you talking about! Sun Changshi has such ability, what was he doing when he was robbed last year? I have a relative who works in the Zhengxi Army Headquarters, and he told me that the hero of this tribute is someone else!"

"Who is it?" everyone asked in unison.

"It's that Prince Anle..."

"Are you talking about that Xia Yangchang who ranked first in Guanzhong in performance evaluation? The one who defied His Royal Highness the Prince of Zhao and refused to increase taxes on the people?"

"Yes, it is said that under his rule, Longmen Ferry has become the largest ferry crossing in Hedong. People from all over the area flock to him, and even the Hu people praise him!"

"Is that so? It seems that he is not only outstanding in civil administration, but also able to pacify foreign invaders. His martial arts skills are also not to be ignored! Should we say that he is worthy of being a descendant of Liu Bei?"

"Speaking of which, with such talent and background, shouldn't he be a high-ranking official in Beijing? Why was he released to become a county magistrate?"

"Oh, you don't know this. I heard that the Queen made some mistakes in her administration, and he was not able to advise her, and was instead hated..."

"Look, that young man riding a horse in the middle of the crowd! That's him! How young he is!"

Amidst these discussions, Liu Xian's reputation in Chang'an skyrocketed. Watching the crowds gather to watch the excitement, Liu Xian had no idea how many rumors, true or false, they were secretly spreading. Although he felt a certain joy at his success, he also felt a certain amount of worry.

He looked at Qi Wannian, who was looking very proud beside him, and said with emotion: "Chief Qi, is it necessary for you to bring so many people? You must have brought all the best and strongest people in the tribe."

Qi Wannian, riding a white horse, was walking alongside Liu Xian, holding the reins. He looked around the city of Chang'an curiously, nodding frequently to the people around him, like a victorious general. It took him a long time to answer Liu Xian:
"There's no need for you to pretend to be confused, Mr. Liu. You've already said that Sun Xiu and the King of Zhao are the kind of villains who appear powerful but are actually weak. If we don't pretend to be stupid, how can we control them?"

"But I really didn't expect you to have so much gold. It must be ten thousand gold."

"Didn't I tell you? Gold is of no use to us in Shuofang. This is all we've saved up over the years, and it's perfect as a gift now."

"Then these two tigers..."

"I found this in a tiger den after I killed a tigress five years ago. I felt sorry for the two cubs, so I kept them. Now that their wildness has faded, I'd give them to you as a gift. What's wrong with that?"

Liu Xian was speechless. These things all made sense, but Liu Xian did not believe what Qi Wannian said.

Qi Wannian's actions, while seemingly impulsive, seemed to be long-planned, as if he had long intended to defect to the Western Expedition Army. But what good would he gain from doing this? What was his agenda?

Although Liu Xian didn't know Qi Wannian's secret plans, he knew at least one thing: he was an ambitious man who would never be content to be a lackey of the Western Expedition Army. After all, Qi Wannian had never even concealed his intention to replace Hao Duyuan.

However, the two of them had just met by chance. After finishing this matter, Liu Xian didn't know when they would meet again, so he didn't bother to ask.

At least this time, he had successfully completed the task entrusted by Sun Xiu. Next, it would depend on whether Sun Xiu could fulfill his promise.

After the group arrived at the Zhicheng Gate in the west of the city, King of Zhao Sima Lun and King of Zhao's Chief Clerk Sun Xiu also came out to meet them.

This was Liu Xian's first time meeting Sima Lun. He looked like a rather lazy old man. Perhaps he'd pulled an all-nighter the previous night, but his eye bags were heavy, his eyes listless, and his voice weak. Despite such a daunting situation, the expression on his face clearly spelled out two words: trouble.

After Liu Xian and Qi Wannian came over, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao said some encouraging words, shook their hands, then yawned and said that he would let the Chief Secretary Sun Xiu handle the matter with full authority, and then he hurried away.

And Sun Xiu's performance is just talking nonsense.

He accepted Liu Xian and Qi Wannian into the office of the Western Expedition Army, and after hastily skimming over some of the conditions proposed by the Tiele people and the list of gifts to be contributed, he made some very high-sounding speeches.

First, the emperor expressed the emperor's great grace and forgiveness for the Tiele people's misconduct. Then, he warned the Tiele people that the emperor had a clear distinction between rewards and punishments. While those who made contributions would be rewarded, those who disobeyed the emperor's orders and harbored unreasonable desires could be eradicated at any time.

Then he accepted all the gifts and said that the specific rewards would have to wait for the court's reply. He would report to the court immediately and asked Qi Wannian to wait for the reply in Chang'an.

Finally, there was the reward for Liu Xian. Liu Xian suspected that Sun Xiu must have a lot to say to him. Whether it was to fool him with big promises or to set up some other conspiracy trap, it would always take some effort.

Unexpectedly, Sun Xiu's reaction was quite calm, with a few bland remarks like, "I'll definitely report my achievements to the higher-ups." As for the remaining matters—where to rest, how long to wait, who would arrange meals—he simply handed them all off to Xin Ran. Then, he disappeared without a trace.

After everything was arranged, Qi Wannian smiled at Liu Xian and said, "Mr. Liu, it seems that His Royal Highness the Prince of Zhao and the Chief Secretary are not very good at entertaining guests." As the one who was trying to surrender, Liu Xian also felt a little embarrassed.

Regardless of Hao Duyuan and Qi Wannian's intentions, their hidden plots and schemes, they at least appeared to be acting with openness and splendor. As the Celestial Empire, even if they couldn't offer the same level of reciprocity, they should at least show respect and courtesy. The actions of Prince Zhao and Sun Xiu were, at the very least, a disgrace to Liu Xian, the one in charge of appeasement.

Liu Xian could only apologize, saying, "Hey, Brother Qi, don't take it to heart. How about this, tonight, let's go to a tavern and have a drink together. That will be my way of apologizing to you."

"Haha, that's a deal! You have to drink eight bowls with me today, and you won't leave until you're drunk!"

"I'll go find a place to stay first. It's 15:45 now. How about we meet at Hengmen Gate at 15:45?"

"Okay! But I'll bring a few guests. Will Mr. Liu think that there are too many people?"

"What's going on? See you then!"

The two said goodbye at the Zhengxi Army Headquarters. Liu Xian walked out of the office and led Lu Quyang and others to Shangguanqian Street to find an inn.

Since Liu Xian was rather simple, they found three bunk beds and settled for it. Fortunately, these barbarians were not picky either. They were excited about their first visit to a big city like Chang'an and couldn't wait to go to the market to see the hustle and bustle.

Liu Xian was well aware of this, and he knew that these Hu people had been through a lot following him. So he happily gave them three days off and gave each of them a gold cake, telling them to buy anything they liked and take it back as a gift.

Hu Morgan and the others were naturally grateful and deeply moved. After a month of getting along, their awe of Liu Xian, as they had in Xiayang, had gradually transformed into admiration, and they had already regarded Liu Xian as their true leader.

After they all left, Liu Xian lay down on the couch to rest, as he had a cocktail party in the evening and needed to recuperate. Only Lu Quyang was left in the room. He sat by the door, absorbed in reading a book.

The weather was beautiful, the sun was shining, and the wind carried the fragrance of sweet-scented osmanthus. Liu Xian didn't know if it was an illusion, but he always felt that the sweet-scented osmanthus in Chang'an was richer than that in Luoyang, which aroused many distracting thoughts in his mind.

Thinking about this recruitment, it should have been a great achievement, enough for a promotion, but looking at Sun Xiu's behavior, I'm afraid it will be another failure. If it fails this time, where will the next opportunity be?
When I was in Luoyang, I always said I wanted to travel the world, but after leaving Luoyang, I always felt a little uneasy and uneasy. Although Luo always said in her letters that everything was fine, was it really all right? Did they only report good news and not bad news?

And when it comes to going to Shu to restore the country, how long do I have to wait? My teacher once told me to wait for the right moment, but when I actually start waiting, I realize how painful it is. It's like waiting for a foolish rabbit by a tree stump—I don't know if it's the rabbit or I who's fooling around.

Filled with emotion, Liu Xian turned around to look at Lu Quyang and found that this young Di man was still reading. The sunlight shining on his face made him look very peaceful.

Liu Xian recalled something and couldn't help but ask, "Qu Yang, how long have you been studying abroad?"

Lü Quyang was startled, rolled up the scroll in his hand, and said, "County Master, I came out to study when I was fourteen. It has been about eight years now."

"How many times have you been home? I see you haven't been back in the past two years since I've been with me."

"Ha, indeed." Lu Quyang sighed with a nostalgic look, "The last time I went home was three years ago."

"Don't you miss your family?"

"Of course I miss you, but before I left home I made up my mind that if I couldn't become a famous scholar, I would never return home!"

"Why do you have such an idea?" Liu Xian was a little curious for a moment. To be honest, he had never asked why Lu Quyang wanted to travel and study Confucianism.

Lu Quyang smiled, looking embarrassed, and recalled, "It's nothing, actually. My family is a big clan, with more than 2,000 people in our tribe, so I have close ties with other big Di families in Lueyang."

"I had nothing to do since I was little. I just rode horses and fought dogs with my friends. By the time I was fourteen, I didn't even know a few Chinese characters."

"That summer, a Qiang merchant caravan passed through our village. There was a child, about seven years old, sitting in the front of the car, reading, while we were fighting and talking nonsense beside them."

"At the time, I knew nothing and boasted that the sword in my hand was a Yuchang sword, which could kill with one blow."

Liu Xian understood and said with a smile, "You were ridiculed by him, saying that you are unlearned and unskillful, right?"

Due to the influence of the Han Dynasty for hundreds of years, the knight-errant spirit of the Western Jin Dynasty, although weakened among scholars, was still widely spread among the common people. The knight-errant were good at swordsmanship and naturally liked to promote sword legends. The ten famous swords and the ten famous knives of later generations were summarized at this time.

At that time, Lü Quyang was just bragging about the name, not knowing that the Yuchang Sword was actually a small dagger that could be hidden in the belly of a fish and used for assassination. As a result, he was exposed by a child, and you can imagine how embarrassed he was.

Lu Quyang nodded and said with emotion, "From that day on, I made up my mind to reform myself and become a truly learned man."

"That's quite remarkable. It's not about forgetting the shame, but using it to motivate and prove yourself. Qu Yang, if you have this idea, you will definitely achieve something."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian couldn't help but recall the time when he was a child and was ridiculed as the "Duke of Lost Country" by Jia Mi and others. It was probably from that time that he began to have a desire to prove himself.

He then asked, "A seven-year-old Qiang boy can be so fluent in history books. This child should not be underestimated! What's his name?"

"I think his surname is Yao, and his name is, what is it... I remember, his name is Yao Yizhong!"

"Haha, what a strange name..."

Liu Xian chatted with Lu Quyang for a while. Seeing that there was still about half an hour before the cocktail party, he asked Lu Quyang to go out with him to see if there were any good taverns in advance.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he left the inn and stepped onto the street, he heard someone behind him calling Liu Xian, "Is that County Master Liu? Wait a moment!"

Liu Xian turned around, startled at first, then smiled and said, "Isn't this Shi Hui? Why are you here?"

The person who came was Li Ju, the chief of the Western Expedition Army.

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(End of this chapter)