Jinting Han people

Liu Xian originally wanted to take over Yinping County in one fell swoop before the New Year, but when he returned to Xiabian, it was the deep winter of the twelfth lunar month, and suddenly a heavy snow fell from the sky, blocking the way for the Jin army in the south.

The winter snow was so heavy that it fluttered down like falling leaves. As the day wore on, the tent's supports began to creak. Braving the freezing cold, the soldiers came out to see that the snow on the tent roof was half a foot high. If it wasn't cleared, it would probably collapse.

The once dark grey world now transformed into a silvery white. Mountains and rivers were completely obscured by snow, stretching endlessly as far as the eye could see. The silence was eerie, and even late at night, there was no wind. The soldiers developed a false impression, as if everything was frozen in time and they, too, would be buried beneath the snow. Consequently, many dared not sleep too deeply, often waking in the middle of the night.

Under these circumstances, not only could the army not continue its advance, but even logistical supplies could not arrive on time. Fortunately, the army always carried about a month's worth of food, which allowed them to persevere. Water was also not a concern; they could boil snow to make water, but it had a bitter and unpleasant taste.

However, after pacifying three tribes in succession, Liu Xian believed that pacification was the inevitable trend and that the Baima Di tribe in Qiuchi would be difficult to resist. Whether the army could advance into Yinping was no longer important; the most important thing now was to establish contact with the enemy first.

According to the information obtained from Li Xiang in advance, although the Baima Di occupied the entire Yinping, their real base camp was actually in Qiuchi Mountain in the south of Wudu, less than two hundred miles away from Xiabian.

At such a distance, Liu Xian sent two teams of fifty people to Qiuchi Mountain to inquire about the news, while he himself waited for a reply in Xiabian City.

This went on for about ten days. The snow stopped and the sun rose. Liu Xian organized his men to clear the snow. The melting water turned into a bone-chilling cold, freezing the tents to a crisp. But the ice on the river wasn't thick enough. Some elk came to drink, and with a single tread, it shattered into dozens of pieces. The surrounding tree branches were covered in shimmering rime, as if covered in pear blossoms. It was a refreshing and relaxing experience.

Liu Xian's mind was no longer on appeasement at this time. After meeting the Li family, his mind was now completely immersed in future plans.

After the end of the pacification, he would leave Guanlong and return to Luoyang. The reason why he took such risks along the way and made many moves that should not be done by the commander-in-chief was actually to earn more political capital so that Jia Mi would not be lost and at least get a fourth-rank official position.

Once this rebellion was quelled, the struggle between the Prince's faction and the Empress's faction in Luoyang was bound to intensify. As a thorn in Jia Mi's side, he had no room for maneuver and, as a diehard Prince's faction member, he had to support Sima Yi in seizing power. The ideal situation would be to secure a provincial governorship after Sima Yi took power, which would increase the possibility of restoring the country.

Directly seeking the post of Governor of Liangzhou or Yizhou was unrealistic due to concerns about avoiding suspicion, but what about the Governor of Qinzhou? This was arguably the most ideal position possible. It offered access to Shu, the imperial court's control was weak, and he would still have a certain level of prestige.

At the same time, we must also consider maintaining our influence in Guanlong, especially in Hedong, Xiayang, and Beidi...

What about Luzhu and Fengyao? If they shouldn't be taken back to Luoyang, where should they stay?
While Liu Xian was lost in thought, the scouts who had gone to Qiuchi Mountain came back. They met Yang Maosou, the leader of the Baima Di tribe. As Liu Xian had expected, Yang Maosou agreed to surrender, but hoped that Liu Xian could go to Qiuchi Mountain to discuss the specific matters of the surrender in detail.

This was the final leg of the campaign, and Liu Xian readily agreed. He left most of his generals and troops at Xiabian, and brought only a handful of his closest associates, including Li Sheng, Meng Ping, Zhang Gu, Lü Quyang, and Xue Xing, along with a hundred or so guards. Among the senior officers, only Li Ju and Zhang Guang, who were close to him, accompanied him.

The weather was still cold as they walked along, but with the exception of Liu Xian, who was still lost in thought, everyone was in a relaxed mood. After receiving the news that Yang Maosou had agreed to the surrender, everyone felt that the war was over. All they had to do now was lay the foundation for future peace. Aside from a large banner with the word "Jin" on it, most of the Jin people hadn't even brought their armor or military flags. For them, this trip to Qiuchi Mountain was more like a journey.

During the day, the accompanying knights would spot foxes and rabbits roaming the woods, and when they were in the mood, they would even whip their horses and leave the group to hunt. As long as they returned on time, Liu Xian would turn a blind eye.

However, the local guide said to Liu Xian, "Your Excellency, please be careful. There are many wild men around here. If you run into them, there might be some accidents."

"Savage?" Liu Xian was very surprised. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "What kind of savage?"

"All sorts of wild people," the guide, a Di, gestured as he spoke. "Your Excellency, you may not know this, but in your eyes, we Di people are already unruly. But in reality, remote mountainous areas like Wudu and Yinping are beyond the reach of the imperial court, and all sorts of people flock here, many of them illiterate. The better ones know how to farm and use fire, while the worse ones are half-naked, drink blood, and eat raw meat. Some even eat humans!"

"There is such a thing?" Liu Xian was surprised. Having lived in Luoyang for a long time, he was exposed to poetry, books and elegance. Even when he read history books, he knew that there were many mountain barbarians, but he never thought they would be so barbaric.

As an outsider, Liu Xian respected his guide's advice. After such a long journey, if they were to fall to the hands of the barbarians, they would become a laughing stock. He immediately ordered the accompanying knights to behave themselves and not leave the group without his permission.

But when these words were spoken, no one took them seriously. Especially Meng Ping. In the past six months, he had been traveling around with Liu Xian and had seen many people he had never seen before, as well as many unusual sights. This had broadened his horizons and made him feel that everything was new. Hearing that there were wild men nearby, he was actually very excited and pestered the guide to ask:

"I haven't encountered savages yet. How are they different from ordinary people? What do they wear? What weapons do they use? What do they eat? Do they really eat human flesh?"

Liu Xian interrupted, "It shouldn't be any different. I know someone in Chang'an who likes to eat human flesh. You wouldn't like it."

He was referring to Zhang Fang. Ever since the first time the imperial court sent reinforcements into the pass, Zhou Chu had been advocating for his suppression, having heard of Zhang Fang's habit of cannibalism. After the Battle of Rufeng, Zhang Fang remained in Chang'an and was not given a high position.

After stopping and starting like this, by the evening of the fourth day, they were only about thirty miles from Qiuchi Mountain, and would arrive by noon the next day. As darkness fell, the group found a pine forest, camped on the ground, and cooked a meal. Since the journey was almost over, they prepared a hearty meal. They scalded the hair of a wild boar they had shot, cut the meat into strips, and then skewered it on bamboo sticks and grilled it.

As the son of the Duke of Shanggu, Meng Ping had a dedicated cook assigned to him by Meng Guan. He also brought in some fine seasonings like salt, pepper, mustard, and sesame seeds, which he also contributed. While the meat was sizzling and oozing with oil, he mixed the seasonings with fermented black beans and brushed them on. The enticing aroma of the meat immediately ignited, and everyone seated around him salivated and their appetites grew.

At this point, Meng Ping pulled out two more jars of pickled vegetables, which turned out to be vinegar celery and pickled radish, with a sweet and sour taste that whetted the appetite. Lü Quyang contributed a jar of rice wine, a gift from his parents when he returned home to visit his family in Lueyang. As they ate the pickled vegetables and drank the rice wine, waiting for the barbecue to finish, they felt a lingering sense of the New Year.

As they chatted, Li Ju suddenly felt something strange. He first noticed the light and shadows in the shadows of the nearby forest swaying slightly, and then heard the faint sound of footsteps. He leaned back slightly without making a sound, deliberately shaking his cloak to the ground, and then quietly picked it up. He glanced quickly at the forest behind him, then returned to his normal state, holding the bowl and whispering to Liu Xian:
"Brother, there seems to be someone behind us."

Liu Xian was startled when he heard this, but he immediately suppressed his emotion. With Li Ju's reminder, he drew his Zhaowu sword and placed it across his legs, while using hand gestures to signal the few old buddies around him. Except for Meng Ping, everyone understood. After secretly holding the weapon, Li Ju tied a pine torch to an arrow and pretended to add firewood. Suddenly, he turned around and shot an arrow, shouting:
"Who's there?!"

The rockets were nailed to a pine tree, the flames igniting the bark, instantly illuminating the figures of a dozen people. They were dressed strangely, wearing conical hats and animal skins, standing in the snow on the hillside. The sudden arrow startled them all, and they instinctively locked eyes with Liu Xian and the others. Their faces were covered in hair, their features unclear. In their hands, they held a broken spear, its tip black and rusty.

"Savages!" The guide couldn't help but shout. After hearing this, those people probably felt that the power gap between the two sides was too great and they had no chance of winning in a fight, so they turned around and hurriedly dived into the depths of the mountains and forests, disappearing without a trace.

But when they finally left, some savage shouted at them: "Jin dogs, you will not die well!"

Liu Xian and the others didn't chase after them. Although they were puzzled, they were about to reach Qiuchi Mountain, so for safety's sake, there was no need to cause any trouble. So, after confirming that the other party had left, they resumed the dinner. However, after this incident, everyone's enthusiasm had greatly decreased, and they had to keep an eye out for any wild men who might attack.

Meng Ping said to Liu Xian, "Those barbarians are so slovenly. I don't know how they live on a daily basis."

Liu Xian also found it hard to imagine, but what impressed him even more was the shouting and cursing of the savages. They actually spoke Chinese and called their own side Jin dogs. This didn't sound like what the savages would say.
However, the mission was important, and seeing the savages running away quickly, no one took them seriously. They only asked ten people to keep watch at night, and the rest of them ate the barbecue and soon fell asleep.

Early the next morning, a bright light shone through the woods. Liu Xian opened his eyes to see a golden sun shining brightly in the sky, a warm glow. The faint fragrance of plum blossoms wafted through the air, refreshing his spirits. Liu Xian brewed himself a cup of snow water and basked in the sunshine, his unpleasantness from the previous day's encounter with the wildlings vanishing.

The group continued on their journey, and at noon, they finally saw Qiuchi Mountain.

Qiuchi Mountain, nestled within the Qinling Mountains, is not a single mountain, but rather a continuous, undulating mountain range. The West Han River flows from the northwest around the foot of the mountain and flows southward, while the Luoyu River flows from the southeast along the foot of the mountain to join the West Han River. The two rivers converge at the foot of the mountain, creating a scenic spot surrounded by water on three sides and flanked by mountains on one side.

Unlike other peaks, Qiuchi Mountain's summit is a rare expanse of flat land, known as the Hundred Acres Plain. Measuring 9,040 steps in circumference, it's roughly half the size of the city of Ye. Naturally square in shape, it rises 7,000 feet above the ground, creating a formidable pass that deterred enemies. Only two narrow paths, east and west, allow for easy traversal. Due to their difficulty, the locals call them "Bird Paths," meaning only birds can traverse them freely.

Most remarkable of all, the mountains boast not only springs and ponds, but also unique saline soil. Simply boiling the local soil, and upon evaporation, it crystallizes into salt. This means the Di people of Qiuchi Mountain can farm, boil their own salt, and obtain their own water without ever having to leave the mountains, achieving self-sufficiency.

This truly was a natural fortress. It's said that Yang Ju, the ancestor of the Yang family, prospered thanks to this precious land, becoming one of the largest clans among the Di people. However, they were later forced to relocate to Lueyang by the Jin army, forcing them to abandon their homeland.

Liu Xian had not understood before why the Yang family, even though they had arrived in Longyou, were still obsessed with Qiuchi Mountain in the deep mountains and old forests, so much so that they took the opportunity of Qi Wannian's rebellion to rebel and return to their ancestral land.

At this moment, Liu Xian couldn't help but express the same sentiment as Yang Ju: This is truly a piece of Feng Shui treasure land! If used wisely, it can also be the foundation of hegemony!

At the same time, Yang Maosou had led his son Yang Nandi and Yang Jiantou down the mountain to greet them.

Unlike many of the candidates Liu Xian had previously sought, Yang Nandi and Yang Jiantou had both met on the battlefield. After the Battle of Chenmayuan, they had survived the ordeal and fled with their remaining troops all the way back to Qiuchi Mountain. Seeing Liu Xian approach, they inevitably felt a sense of shame and mortification, and their voices softened considerably.

They stammered to Liu Xian, "We have strayed from the right path and have offended you, Your Excellency. Please forgive us."

Liu Xian smiled and said, "Brother Yang, why do you have to be like this? The most important thing now is to make peace, not to harbor hatred. Let the past be the past. I'm here on orders, not to settle old scores."

Yang Maosou, on the other hand, regarded Liu Xian indifferently. After a long moment, he said, "It is the end of the year now. I have prepared wine and food for you, sir. Let's discuss the matter of pacification at the banquet."

However, the subsequent developments were beyond Liu Xian's expectations. This attempt to pacify the enemy did not go as smoothly as he had imagined. (End of this chapter)