Jinting Han people

Chapter 173 Return to Xiayang (4k)

The banquet at Woyunju was a delight. Listening to guzheng music, drinking fine grape wine, and discussing state affairs and personalities with colleagues, Liu Xian felt as if he were back in Luoyang, surrounded by Lu Ji, Zu Ti, Jiang Tong, and others.

But upon waking, the illusion disappeared. When Liu Xian sat up from the large bunk bed, the loud snoring of Hu Mogen and the others rang in his ears, and the dazzling and unfamiliar sunlight before his eyes made him feel a little dazed.

Liu Xian, barely conscious, fumbled to sit up, put on his clothes, pushed open the door, and went out to ask the shopkeeper for a basin of cold water to wash his face. Then, he stood at the door, feeling the breeze on the streets of Chang'an while surveying this ancient city.

As the capital of the Former Han Dynasty, the vice-capital of the Later Han Dynasty, and one of the Five Capitals of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Chang'an today bears a far cry from its former prosperity. The Western Expeditionary Army's garrison in Chang'an is said to number 150,000, overwhelming the city's 80,000 ordinary citizens. This resulted in Chang'an feeling more like a military fortress than a megacity. Soldiers could be seen everywhere on the streets, making it difficult to convey the impression of a peaceful and prosperous era.

Liu Xian couldn't help but think back to yesterday's dinner, the colleagues and the Hu people he met, and he couldn't help feeling a little gloomy in his heart.

Although they were very happy while drinking, it was not difficult to find that there was a clear distinction between the Hu people and the Zhengxi Army. Both sides tacitly and resolutely sat in their own camps at the banquet and did not disturb each other.

This is not a good performance. At least it shows that the contradiction between the Hu people and the Han people has only been put on hold and has not been actually resolved.

At the banquet, Liu Xian looked at Wannian's performance and vaguely understood why he came to Chang'an.

Compared with the reclusive Hao Duyuan, Qi Wannian's attitude was undoubtedly much more radical. He was not willing to develop on the Shuofang Plateau, and his goal was actually to develop within the Great Wall.

With Zhao Wang Sima Lun and Sun Xiu acting recklessly within the Western Expedition Army, the people of Guanzhong were in disarray. Qi Wannian probably felt that instead of accumulating strength in Shuofang, it would be better to attack directly from within the Western Expedition Army.

So he came to Chang'an for three reasons:

Firstly, they could contact the Hu people heroes who were held as hostages in the Zhengxi Army and secretly plot a rebellion against the Jin Dynasty;
Secondly, it can clarify the internal personnel of the Zhengxi Army. As the saying goes, knowing yourself and knowing your enemy will ensure victory in a hundred battles. In the future, when we meet on the battlefield, we will have a countermeasure.
Thirdly, he could take advantage of the situation. With the preparation of the first two, if he started a rebellion, he would surely shine in the future anti-Jin cause. He might even be able to suppress Hao Duyuan and seize power.

What a great plan that kills three birds with one stone! Liu Xian couldn't help but cheer for Qi Wannian in his heart.

To dare to make such a decision is to completely disregard one's own life and to gain that little chance of success in the heart of the enemy with amazing courage and outstanding wisdom. It is a plan that only a madman can come up with.

Liu Xian asked himself, if it were him, he would have to be a running dog under Jia Mi, and then win over a group of anti-Jia factions to overthrow Jia Mi. He would never do this.

But admiration didn't mean Liu Xian would sit back and watch things unfold. Putting aside the question of how many people in Guanzhong would suffer if Qi Wannian succeeded, Liu Xian was also responsible for Qi Wannian's actions, as he had been recruited by Liu Xian.

The danger should be nipped in the bud. After Liu Xian understood Qi Wannian's idea, he was already thinking about how to quietly eliminate Qi Wannian without alerting Hao Duyuan.

Just as he was pondering this, a middle-aged man dressed as a government official approached the inn's doorway. He looked at Liu Xian for a moment and asked, "Are you Lord Liu, the governor of Xiayang?"

Liu Xian was stunned for a moment, then immediately broke free from his thoughts and replied, "I am. You are...?"

"I'm here on the orders of Sun Changshi. He has something to tell you."

"Ah, I see."

Then Liu Xian met Sun Xiu again.

Sun Xiu still looked as absent-minded as yesterday, but at least he finally talked about some serious business.

He said with a grin, "Ha, Huai Chong, your contribution this time really frightens me! I can't even imagine how furious Duke Lu will be when he hears this news!"

Then he handed Liu Xian a piece of yellow silk covered with words and said, "This is the memorial I promised you to receive for your merit. Take a look. I spent a whole night thinking hard about it."

Liu Xian took a glance and found that Sun Xiu was indeed a talented writer, and his writing was very corny, with words like "I have heard that he is profound and rarely fathomed, his bravery and achievements are well-known, and his wisdom and reputation are renowned" coming out. If one didn't know better, one would have thought he was writing a eulogy.

He handed the yellow silk back and said, "Right and wrong cannot be decided by one or two people. The Chief Secretary will do his best."

Sun Xiu then continued, "I heard that your efforts to pacify the barbarians, Huai Chong, were quite costly. His Highness the Prince of Zhao was deeply moved when he heard about this. He said that Xiayang was poor, so how could such a thing be possible? So he ordered me to transfer twice as much supplies from the treasury for you to take back to Xiayang. I'll give the order today, and you can collect them from the treasury west of the city tomorrow night. Is that all right?"

"It's out of the way."

"Hahaha, that's good. I know you've been traveling a lot, and you can rest for a few more days in Chang'an. But things like rewards are always troublesome. I estimate that with the efficiency of the court, it will probably take until the end of the year to be finalized, so you don't have to worry too much."

"I will obey your orders."

Perhaps it was because they didn't get along, Sun Xiu's smile was so fake, and Liu Xian's response so blunt. It seemed that whenever the two of them were alone in a room, the atmosphere would become extremely awkward.

Originally, Liu Xian wanted to talk to Sun Xiu about Qi Wannian, but seeing his appearance, there was nothing to talk about. Even if he did, he probably wouldn't take it seriously.

Sun Xiu originally had some scenes to perform, but in this atmosphere, he was stuck.

The two of them simply acted as if nothing had happened, and after exchanging a few words, they parted ways directly.

All in all, the purpose of this trip has been accomplished, and it's time to return to Xiayang. This trip will take a month, and when I return, I will be in charge of this year's summer harvest and tax collection. Thinking this, Liu Xian simply started packing his luggage.

That night, Li Ju came to Liu Xian to drink again, this time it was just the two of them.

Liu Xian said to Li Ju, "In this glamorous world, alcohol and sex are the most harmful. You should drink less on a daily basis, otherwise you will easily make mistakes."

Li Ju could sense Liu Xian's concern and replied, "Don't worry, my lord. This is just a social event in Chang'an. I have never given up my cultivation for a single day."

"That's good, that's good. Don't call me so formal. If Shihui doesn't mind, I would like to become your sworn brother. What do you think?" Li Ju was of course overjoyed and would not refuse at all.

After dinner that evening, Liu Xian and Li Ju lit incense and swore to heaven that they would become brothers, sharing life and death. Li Ju then addressed Liu Xian as "brother," and Liu Xian as "brother."

Liu Xian warned Li Ju, "Chang'an is certainly a good place, but it's also a place full of controversy. You must choose your friends carefully and be loyal to the king. It's better to give the impression of being noble than to flatter. I think the King of Zhao is going to cause trouble in the future."

Li Ju actually felt the same way, but when it came to his future plans, he felt a little lost. He couldn't help but ask Liu Xian, "In your opinion, where should I go from here?"

Liu Xian actually wanted to recruit Li Ju, but considering that Li Ju's official position was higher than his own, he couldn't bring himself to say it. So he analyzed, "I think Zhang Junsi is indeed a wise man. He is humble and knows how to be humble, but he also knows how to strike a balance. If you build a good relationship with him and follow his lead in everything, you will never go wrong."

"If there's anything you don't understand, or if you need any connections, you can write to me. I have some friends in Luoyang who might be able to help you."

Li Ju was deeply moved after hearing this and said, "If anything unusual happens in Chang'an, I will definitely write to inform you, brother."

Then Liu Xian took out a letter and said, "Please give this letter to Zhang Junsi. This is a suggestion I wrote. Ask him to keep an eye on Qi Wannian."

Li Ju was a little surprised. After all, they seemed to admire each other yesterday. "Brother, you don't trust this Hu man?"

"Qi Wannian is a talented man, but also a restless one. If we don't guard against him now, he'll cause disaster in the future. It would be best if we could find a way to either send him back and use someone else as a hostage. If that doesn't work, we have to stop him from causing trouble. If that doesn't work, we can secretly find someone to kill him without anyone noticing!"

The reason why Liu Xian entrusted this matter to Zhang Gui was because he remembered Zhang Gui's performance at the banquet.

Facing Qi Wannian's questioning, the military commander seemed to have guessed his intentions and always changed the subject. Compared to Sun Xiu, Zhang Gui, who was in charge of the Zhengxi Army, was obviously more trustworthy.

Li Ju was extremely surprised by Liu Xian's suggestion. In the past, he had known Liu Xian as a kind and gentle person, but he had never expected him to have such a sinister and decisive side.

Liu Xian also saw his doubts and said with emotion: "The current situation forces us to do things that are not as we wish. Compared with the people of the world, we must be cruel when we need to be cruel."

Just like that, everything that needed to be explained was done. Liu Xian's mood gradually lightened. There was no end to the preparations for the future, but maintaining a positive mood and a calm mind was the most important thing. So, it was better to think about more happy things on a daily basis.

Perhaps to bribe Liu Xian and prevent him from causing trouble, Sun Xiu actually offered to triple the price to cover Liu Xian's expenses for this mission. This was a huge sum of money, worth approximately 1,500 gold. To be able to extract money from the Chief Secretary of Zhao was probably a unique achievement in the entire Guanzhong area.

Liu Xian had already figured out how to spend the money: Xiayang's iron lawsuit not only lacked manpower, but also its craftsmanship was still not up to par. He might as well spend 500 gold to recruit people in Chang'an and hire a dozen blacksmiths;
Then, I'll buy some good horses for 500 gold. There aren't many good horses in Hanyuan Horse Farm, so this is a good time to change the breed.
The last thing is to buy some food and fodder. Xiayang is still absorbing population. The newly arrived refugees have not yet harvested their crops and have to borrow money from the government to survive. Although the current food reserves can barely cope with it, we also have to consider how to deal with it if a disaster occurs.

Liu Xian lingered in Chang'an for several days. One day, many young men and women, dressed in colorful clothes, went out to the banks of the Wei River to enjoy the flowers, laughing and chatting. The scene was quite lively. Liu Xian suddenly remembered that it was Qixi Festival.

Looking at the affectionate atmosphere all over the street, Liu Xian couldn't help but think of A Luo and Lu Zhu.

The last time he celebrated Qixi Festival was, I think, three years ago. In this rural area of Xiayang, no one even remembered it. With this in mind, Liu Xian made a rare trip to the West Market to buy a double-beaded tortoiseshell hairpin and a pair of jade bracelets with cloud patterns. He planned to send the hairpin to Ah Luo and the bracelets to Lu Zhu.

This marked the end of their journey to Chang'an. Early the morning of the day after Qixi Festival, the group slowly set off in their motorcade. Liu Xian had arrived with only twenty-six men, but by the time they left Chang'an, his group had swelled to forty-three. At a speed of thirty miles a day, it would take them about thirteen days to return to Xiayang.

The weather this year was excellent. Aside from a reported hailstorm in Hongnong County in June, the year could almost be described as favorable. Liu Xian was therefore in a relatively relaxed and cheerful mood. He crossed the Wei Bridge and gazed back at the vast reeds by the Wei River, the golden sunlight shining through. He couldn't help but recall the famous Qin Dynasty poem, "Jiang Jia":

"Reeds are lush and green, white dew turns to frost. My beloved is on the other side of the water. If I follow her upstream, the way is long and difficult. If I follow her downstream, she seems to be in the center of the water."

The poets who wrote poems back then probably wrote them in such scenes.

Liu Xian recited the poem to himself, wondering if he should write a poem himself in this situation. After a moment's thought, his attention was drawn to the sound of crying again.

He turned and looked over to see several county officials collecting rent in the fields. They held a terrifyingly large measuring stick and were scolding a farmer in front of a house with sullen faces, shaking out grain bags. A peasant woman was standing behind her, holding several children, some older and some younger. The two waist-sized children were so frightened by the scolding that they trembled and burst into tears.

Liu Xian watched them pass by, their cries growing louder and softer, then gradually fading away in the wind. He felt a wave of desolation. In such an environment, simply writing poetry as a poet would be a sign of incompetence.

He suddenly felt a bit absurd and heavy about his own arrangements: under the rule of Sun Xiu and Sima Lun, the situation in Guanzhong was constantly deteriorating, and this deterioration could not be reversed by killing one or two Qi Wannian. On the contrary, if Empress Jia's rule was not overthrown, countless Qi Wannian would emerge.

Thinking of this, he was suddenly shocked and realized a fact that he had overlooked: Sun Xiu actually had no reason to bribe him.

Judging from past relationships, he had always been a man of many words but few deeds, both to his subordinates and to the common people. If I hadn't put a sword to his neck, I'm afraid he wouldn't even have had this chance to risk his life and achieve merit.

Why would he give in for no reason now?

Liu Xian's blood ran cold as he pondered this. There was no other answer: he was most likely scheming against him, simply trying to make him relax. He had been so busy traveling these past few days that he hadn't been on guard. It was truly unforgivable!

Then came a stabbing headache: What would Sun Xiu do? Where would he start?
In fact, the answer is very simple. There are only two ways: start from Xia Yang or start on the road.

Liu Xian immediately found Lu Quyang and said to him, "Quyang, I have to go back to Xiayang first."

"County Lord, what happened?"

"It's hard to explain right now. I have to go back first. You take these people and walk slowly. Don't rush. Just stick to the main roads and official paths. Don't rush and take the small roads! Don't travel at night! Rest in the official pavilion at night."

Lu Quyang nodded blankly and replied, "I remember."

After getting the answer, Liu Xian no longer hesitated. He immediately whipped his horse at full speed and galloped away on the road, gradually becoming out of reach.

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(End of this chapter)