Jinting Han people

Chapter 18: Being kicked out by Sun Hao

With the reduction of tributes now settled, life in the Anle Mansion returned to normal. Although there were heated arguments during the settlement, once the rules were finally established, life was no different from before, save for the frequent sighs of a few uncles.

Liu Xian didn't want to pay attention to the trivial matters of his elders. He still had many books to read and many questions he wanted answered. He wanted to study with his teacher Chen Shou for as long as he could.

But time flies. One day in June, Chen Shou and Liu Xian were sitting in the study of their thatched cottage when a cool mountain mist suddenly blew in, sweeping away the summer heat. Chen Shou, enjoying it so much, squinted his eyes, slowly spread his arms and legs, and lay down on his back.

"Bi Ji, how long have you been studying with me?" Chen Shou said to the disciple who was sitting at the table and reading.

Liu Xian glanced at his teacher, put down his book, and counted on his fingers, "I started studying with you in February of the fourth year of Xianning. It's been the fifth year of Xianning, and now it's the sixth month of the first year of Taikang. It's been almost twenty-six months."

"Oh, it's already the twenty-sixth month. It seems my mourning period is over."

Liu Xian was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized: the teacher had built a hut here to observe mourning for his mother, and the mourning period was twenty-seven months, which is commonly known as the three-year mourning period. After that, the teacher could remove his mourning clothes, drink and eat meat normally, and return to secular life. But Liu Xian soon became puzzled again. Why did the teacher bring up this matter?
Liu Xian said tentatively, "Teacher, you've worked so hard and taught me for three years, but I haven't shown you any appreciation. If you don't mind, I'll go back and talk to my mother about arranging a family dinner for you."

Chen Shou shook his head and said with a smile, "That's not necessary. I don't want to see the stern face of my lord."

He let out a long sigh and sat up again, a smile of emotion on his face. He said, "I mentioned this to you because I want to tell you that I will probably be leaving Gyeonggi soon."

"Ah?" Liu Xian was surprised. He didn't understand and asked, "Teacher, is there something urgent?"

"It's not urgent, but it's a big deal." Chen Shou picked up a draft he had just written yesterday and waved it towards Liu Xian. "You know, I've been planning to write a history book about the Three Kingdoms for about ten years now," he said. "I've already finished about 70% of 'The Book of Wei' and 'The Book of Shu'."

"There's only the Book of Wu. Since the Sun family hasn't been destroyed yet, I don't know where to start."

"Fortunately, this year, the country was finally unified, and Jiangdong was incorporated into the Jin Dynasty. I can now begin preparing to write the 'Book of Wu.'" Chen Shou paused and said to Liu Xianzhi, "After observing my mourning period, I plan to travel south to visit the prominent families in Jing, Yang, Guang, and Jiao provinces to collect some historical materials and collections."

Liu Xian finally reacted and asked, "Is the teacher leaving? Can't I go with the teacher?" There was another sentence he couldn't say. He really didn't want to stay at home.

Chen Shou shook his head slightly. "This journey is long and arduous, and I don't know how long it will take. How could Madam let you go with confidence? Biji, you should just stay in the mansion and study."

Seeing Liu Xian's depressed expression, Chen Shou smiled, reached out and rubbed his hair, and said, "Don't think too much. I'm not leaving right away. Aren't there quite a few people from Jiangdong moving to Luoyang these days? I'm going to go check them out so I can make some preparations for moving south. It will probably take a month or two. I'll also find time to find a new teacher for you."

"As for these books, I have so many that it's inconvenient for me to take them with me. I'll leave them at your house in a few days. You can read them at will, but you must take good care of them for me."

"When I die of old age, I will leave these books to you."

Listening to the teacher's chatter, Liu Xian's eyes unconsciously turned red.

After nearly three years, a deep bond had developed between master and disciple. Chen Shou, childless, had unknowingly come to regard Liu Xian as his own. In Liu Xian's eyes, compared to the cruel and indifferent Liu Xun, Chen Shou was more like a father. He was deeply reluctant to see his teacher leave, but Liu Xian also knew that his teacher's greatest obsession in life was to complete the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," and nothing else. He couldn't stop him, nor should he.

So he cherished the time he spent with his teacher, but unexpectedly, an unpleasant incident still happened.

The next afternoon, Chen Shou packed his luggage and books, hired two carriages, and transported the bookcases from the thatched cottage to the Anle Mansion. Liu Xian had already informed his mother of this, so Zhang Ximiao had someone clear out a side room while they waited at the door.

After Chen Shou arrived, the group exchanged a few forced pleasantries. As Chen Shou had previously stated, he declined the invitation to dine at the palace and immediately began his search for figures from the Eastern Wu. However, to Liu Xian's surprise, his teacher's first stop was the Guiming Marquis' Mansion, just across the street from the palace.

Liu Xian had met the fallen ruler of Jiangdong twice before. While not a close acquaintance, he had left a deep impression on him. It wasn't because of anything else, but simply because Sun Hao had a familiar yet unfamiliar aura, reminiscent of his own father, Liu Xun. Liu Xian didn't want to get close to him, but he couldn't help but want to understand his inner thoughts.

When Liu Xian learned that his teacher was planning to visit, the idea came back to him. He begged Chen Shou to let him sit in on the class. After some thought, Chen Shou felt that there was no harm in doing so and agreed to the request.

Soon, Chen Shou knocked on the door of Guiminghou Mansion and handed in his name. Soon, a servant came to lead the way.

Perhaps because both were supervised by Zhang Hua, the layout of Sun Hao's residence was almost the same as that of Anle Mansion. After walking through a corridor behind the front yard, one arrived at the main hall for receiving guests.

At this moment, Sun Hao sat in the front of the main hall, with his wife, Teng Fanglan, to his right, and his eldest son, Sun Jin, to his left. Sun Hao's expression was calm and serious, as if he were about to engage in a battle. Inside the hall, members of the Sun Wu clan sat on either side according to their seniority, surrounded by maids who had come from Jianye. They were dressed in fine clothes and had a very attentive attitude.

When Sun Hao was in Jianye, if the weather was fine, he would sit in Zhaoming Palace like this, with the windows open. That way, the towering silhouette of Mount Zhongshan against the shimmering waves of Xuanwu Lake would add a beautiful scene to the banquet. But now, he could only gaze out the window at the peach tree, wine cup in hand.

After Chen Shou and Liu Xian sat down, Liu Xian couldn't help but look Sun Hao up and down, because unlike the last conversation, Sun Hao's temperament had changed this time. His eyes were gloomy and his mouth was slightly pursed. He no longer had that hard and eye-catching feeling.

Sun Hao also glanced at Liu Xian and couldn't help but smile, "Why are you here too? Do you want to try the delicacies of Jiangnan?"

Liu Xian asked curiously, "What delicacies are there in Jiangnan?"

Mrs. Teng, standing by, smiled. Her voice was as soft as willow catkins as she continued, "That's a lot. Taihu perch is fresh and sweet, Jianye's wild rice is refreshing, Danyang's water shield soup is mellow, Xuancheng's glutinous rice is soft and sticky, Qiantang's Huadiao wine is intoxicating, Lingnan's sugarcane is juicy, and Nanchang's loquats are refreshing..." She reeled off a long list of Jiangnan specialties, leaving Liu Xian feeling refreshed and salivating. Only when Chen Shou patted Liu Xian on the shoulder did he come back to his senses.

Chen Shou brought the topic back to Sun Hao and explained, "Bi Ji is my student. Today, I have the honor of meeting you, Lord Marquis, and I wanted to help him broaden his horizons. I hope you will forgive me."

"Oh, sir, you're still willing to work for your old master under the new dynasty. That's remarkable." Sun Hao's eyes softened a little, and he raised his glass with a self-deprecating smile. "Back when I was in Jianye, so many people swore to die for their country. But once Wang Jun's army arrived, they vanished overnight. Those old ministers who claimed to share life and death with me, now not a single one is by my side, let alone doing anything for me."

He repeated, "Sir, you are a man of conscience." But this made Chen Shou feel ashamed. When Zhang Ximiao brought Liu Xian to see him, he wanted to refuse, but Zhang Ximiao insisted, and he had no choice but to go along with it. So he said sincerely, "Your Excellency is too kind."

Sun Hao was unwilling to say more on this issue, but got straight to the point and asked:
"I heard that the reason you came to me was because you were writing a history book?"

"Yes, I want to write a history of the past hundred years."

"That's not easy. There are so many things that happened in the world, and so many heroes. It's hard to write about them. And if I finish writing, I don't know how many people will criticize me."

Chen Shou replied, "It's not that difficult. No matter what kind of hero he is, when written on paper, it's just a blank page and a few lines of ink."

Sun Hao was silent for a moment, then asked, "What can I do for you, sir?"

Chen Shou bowed and said, "I came to visit you for the first and foremost to hear Your Excellency's personal account of the history of Wu. Secondly, I wanted to ask Your Excellency if I were to write a history of Wu, which famous historians in Jiangdong I might consider."

Sun Hao didn't answer immediately. He raised his cup and slowly drank it. Then he said, "Very well. Writing history is a great and immortal undertaking. If it can be of any use to you, sir, I will certainly tell you everything I know."

After this, Sun Hao immediately arranged for Chen Shou to use pen and paper and began to recount in detail his knowledge of the rise and fall of the Wu Kingdom. As I have already mentioned the relevant content in the previous article, I will not repeat it here.

However, for Liu Xian, this experience was very novel.

Before, when he saw Chen Shou's history, because Chen Shou had already spent a lot of time searching for historical materials, he had only seen the work of rummaging through piles of old papers, so his impression of history was still very distant. After all, seeing is believing, and no matter how much he loved reading history, there was always a layer of separation between him and empathy with the characters.

But when Chen Shou and Sun Hao began to talk, mentioning events from decades ago as well as things that had happened in the past few years, things Liu Xian had personally experienced or heard about, Liu Xian suddenly realized that history wasn't actually that far away; it was a living reality that had already happened.

The middle-aged man before him, slightly older than his father, was Sun Quan's grandson and the Emperor of Wu. He had been held in Lu Xun's arms at birth. He had experienced the entire Second Palace Rebellion as a child and participated in palace intrigues. After ascending to power, he turned his back on the powerful ministers who had supported him. He had also led the Wu army, repelling two attacks from the Jin army before his defeat this year. He became the last monarch of the Three Kingdoms to lose his kingdom, and now resides in Luoyang as a Marquis of Guiming.

This sent Liu Xian's thoughts swirling like waves. He turned to look at Chen Shou again, wondering what his teacher had experienced in the past, and why he wanted to write history. For three years, although his teacher would share some historical stories with him, and discuss the military deployments between the two countries at the time of the fall of the country, he never mentioned him, as if he were a completely invisible person during the fall of the country.

Liu Xian then thought of Wang Fu and Liu Xun. What had they been through more than a decade earlier? His father, in particular, was a contemporary of the Duke of Anle. He certainly hadn't been immune to the fall of Shu Han. Sun Hao seemed dejected and depressed, yet in his own words, he portrayed a past Sun Hao as high-spirited and godlike. Did his father have similar experiences?
Liu Xian held onto this thought, yet he found it difficult to imagine Liu Xun like this. After all, in his memory, his father had never shown a similar side of him. Liu Xian even felt that his father had no ability to feel happiness, or perhaps he was born that way.

Thinking of this, Liu Xian continued to listen to Sun Hao's narration.

At this time, Sun Hao had finished his story, saying that he had been humiliated several times after entering Luoyang.

A few days ago, Duke Jia Chong of Lu mocked him at a banquet and asked him, "I heard that you gouged out people's eyes and peeled off their faces in the south. What kind of punishment is this?"

Sun Hao sarcastically replied, "If any minister is treacherous and disloyal, and kills the monarch, this punishment shall be imposed."

This is a mockery of the fact that before the Sima family usurped the throne, Emperor Cao Mao of Wei led his people to attack Sima Zhao, but was killed by Jia Chong.

After hearing this, Jia Chong was speechless for a long time. He was extremely ashamed.

At this point, Sun Hao's inherent cruelty was exposed. He first said angrily, "I was defeated and humiliated by a villain! I wish I could eat his flesh alive!" Then he realized that his words were self-deception and said sadly, "How hateful! The country has been overthrown, and I will die in a foreign land. How can I face my ancestors after death? When Wang Jun's army was at the gates of the city, I should have followed King Zhou's example and burned myself in the Deer Tower to show my determination!"

Liu Xian was baffled by these words, but he sensed a sense of déjà vu again and blurted out, "Since the Marquis has already surrendered, why bother to make assumptions?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Hao looked at Liu Xian in astonishment. After staring at him for a long moment, a sarcastic smile formed on his lips, which finally turned into sharp words: "Yes, you are Liu Chan's grandson, the future Duke of Anle. How could you know the shame of losing a country and the pain of failure? In a few years, when you become an official, you will still kowtow to the Sima family and express your gratitude. After all, without them, how could you, a well-fed little dog, have such a life?!"

"What did you say!" This sudden humiliation was like a blow to the head, deeply hurting Liu Xian. He knew what it meant to destroy a country, but after the commotion at Sunset Pavilion, no one had ever mentioned it to him again.

Studying for a long time distanced him from the mundane affairs and worries of daily life, and gradually healed the doubts he had before starting school. But now, those emotions that had driven him to restlessness resurfaced, forcing him to confront known history and connect the reality of his country's demise with his own origins.

Liu Xian wanted to deny this, but he quickly restrained himself, unable to deny it. Within him, a chorus of thoughts collided fiercely like lightning, giving rise to pure hostility and hatred, ultimately brewing the most vicious retort in his life: "My Lord, you say I'm servile. So, my Lord, do you mean to be an old dog with your head held high?"

Sun Hao was furious. He threw the wine glass in his hand and hit Liu Xian on the forehead.

After a "bang", the wine cup broke into several pieces on the ground, and there was silence inside and outside the courtyard. Whether it was Chen Shou, Madam Teng, or the Sun Wu royal family, they all sat there at a loss.

Liu Xian stood up with his head covered, blood oozing from between his fingers, but he seemed to be unaware of the pain. He stared at Sun Hao quietly with a hard and concentrated look.

Sun Hao felt a prick. He suddenly remembered a similar look he had seen at the captive offering ceremony, seemingly coming from the young man before him. Within those clear eyes, a crystal-like, uncontaminated will was condensed. He suddenly saw himself in them: an angry, violent, and utterly embarrassed self.

This look quickly calmed him down, and he pointed at Liu Xian and said to the servant, "Kick him out."

This was Liu Xian’s second and last communication with Sun Hao in his life.

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(End of this chapter)