Jinting Han people

Chapter 275: End of the Appeasement
But after saying so much, they are all about the past and the future. What Liu Xian should really consider is the present.

The first issue is how to accommodate these eighteen people.

One or two would be fine, but eighteen was too many. If they joined the entourage, they would be too conspicuous, making it difficult to explain Geng Hui and his men's origins to the rest of the Jin army. But leaving them here was impossible. After all the hardships and suffering they had endured, Liu Xian had to give them a proper explanation.

Liu Xian thought for a moment and said to them, "Things in Luoyang are crowded and full of people, so it's easy for accidents to happen. Why don't you go to Xiayang first? I have friends there, and many compatriots are there too. Everyone will wait for my news there. Once I'm done in Luoyang, I'll take everyone home. What do you think?"

After that, he asked Li Sheng to stay, gave him some money, food, cheese, salt, etc., and asked Li Sheng to lead the way to Xiayang and then come back to meet him.

They had just met and were about to part again. Everyone was in tears, but they also knew that this was the most appropriate way to deal with the situation. Geng Hui said to Liu Xian, "As long as Your Highness still remembers your mission, what does it matter if you wait another ten or twenty years? Even if you can't return home while you're still alive, your soul will follow Your Highness home after death."

After that, they followed Liu Xian's orders and began to pack their luggage, planning to leave early tomorrow morning.

But Zhuge Yan was unwilling to do so. He said to Liu Xian, "Since Zhuge has come to the Han Dynasty, there is no reason for us to separate. I will go with you!"

Zhuge Yan was two years older than Liu Xian, but perhaps due to his inexperience and long years of wandering in the mountains, he looked even younger. Furthermore, he possessed a confident and fearless demeanor, buoyed by the care and love of those around him and the pride he held in his Zhuge family name.

But Liu Xian knew his origins and was hesitant. It would be easy to arrange an identity for Zhuge Yan, but he grew up among the Hu people, his behavior was different from others, and his surname was Zhuge, which would probably arouse suspicion wherever he went.

Geng Hui noticed Liu Xian's hesitation and advised him, "Your Highness, Nan Qiao has never seen much in his life. We have already taught him everything we should. You can take him with you."

Thinking of his family's debt to him, Liu Xian made up his mind. He made three rules to Zhuge Yan:
"First, if there's anything you don't understand, come and consult me directly. Don't act on your own."

"Second, don't tell others your last name is Zhuge, just say your last name is Zhu."

"Third, be my guard. Without my order, you are not allowed to leave me more than three feet away."

"As long as you can do this, I will take you with me."

Zhuge Yan naturally agreed and said, "Don't worry, I won't cause you any trouble."

He was quite familiar. Liu Xian gave him a razor and shaved his beard, then had him bathe in a nearby stone pond. Then he tied his hair up, changed into a military uniform, fastened his belt, and put on boots. Everyone present was stunned. Zhuge Yan was indeed a man of great stature. His stature was imposing, his complexion as white as jade. He was truly heroic, like an immortal. Even though years of living in the mountains had lent him a touch of wildness, he still felt approachable.

Liu Xian looked at him and smiled, "He really is like a jade mountain. Even if he were in Luoyang, he would be considered a great man."

Zhuge Yan was not quite used to the attire he was wearing. He shook his head and said, "Is this how all rich people dress? How troublesome."

Li Sheng said from the side: "Prime Minister Zhuge is famous for his feather fan and long scarf, but he is even more troublesome than this!"

Zhuge Yan immediately stopped complaining and stood up straight, then heard Liu Xian say to Geng Hui, "Lord Geng, we'll meet again in Xiayang."

Geng Hui and others waved goodbye to Liu Xian, and then, under the guidance of Li Sheng, slowly disappeared into the foothills.

The forest became quiet, and only Liu Xian, Zhang Gu, and Zhuge Yan were left.

Liu Xian and his group then headed back. On the way, Liu Xian instructed Zhuge Yan: If anyone asked about his identity, he should say that he was a refugee from Longshang, and that he had happened to meet Liu Xian while hunting. Liu Xian saw that Liu Xian had a magnificent appearance and was strong and powerful, so he was attracted by his talent and took him under his command.

After returning to Baiqingyuan, Zhuge Yan indeed attracted the attention of his followers. However, thanks to Zhuge Yan's appearance, Liu Xian's fabricated story successfully got away with it. After all, no one would mind having a handsome man around them.

But the crowd still made Zhuge Yan quite angry. When he returned to Liu Xian's residence and there was no one else around, he complained to Liu Xian, "Zhuge was famous for his talent and wisdom. When did he become a monkey for people to watch?"

Liu Xian couldn't help but laugh when he heard this. He said to Zhuge Yan, "I don't know what you can do yet."

Zhuge Yan suddenly became spirited and told Liu Xian, "Mr. Geng has shown me all the books my master left me. I have read the military strategy and Confucian classics, and I am also proficient in the art of riding and archery."

Liu Xian was immediately interested when he heard this and asked, "Really? Then Nan Qiao must have read The Art of War!"

"Of course I have."

"Then I wonder which nine lands are the nine lands mentioned in The Art of War?"

Zhuge Yan hesitated and was unable to answer. This was normal. After all, without a teacher's systematic instruction, it was extremely difficult for him to learn to read. How could he really show off his knowledge to Liu Xian? However, he was very thick-skinned and changed the subject directly, saying:

"When a man reads, he focuses on the big picture, not on trivial matters. Merely studying is worse than having no books at all."

This kind of scoundrel energy of his was truly rare. Liu Xian then jokingly said, "Oh? So, Nan Qiao has reached the level of Prime Minister Zhuge?"

Zhuge Yan laughed heartily and said, "Of course I haven't reached that level yet, but I'm still at about 40 or 50 percent. Otherwise, how could I have captured His Highness alive?"

"So, you were the mastermind that day?"

"Of course!" Zhuge Yan usually had no peers to talk to, so now that he had the opportunity, he immediately started talking non-stop:

"In fact, over the years, we have been wandering around in the mountains, dealing with various Liao tribes, and have no idea of the situation outside the mountains. It was only after a large number of Liao people migrated south, and the Baima Di tribe returned with them, that we realized what must have happened outside the mountains."

"Uncle Geng originally wanted to seek cooperation with Yang Maosou, but unfortunately, we were too few in number and they simply ignored us. I wanted to go south back to Shu, but Uncle Geng refused, saying what if my father came back? So I had no choice but to continue hanging around here."

"Alas, even so, we still want to do something. That night, when I saw you at the foot of the mountain, I knew you were probably here to surrender. So I came up with a plan to ruin the surrender."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian couldn't help but ask, "What's the plan?"

"I was the one who discovered this path on the north side of the mountain. I plan to climb up the mountain from here and find out where you are resting. Then, on a dark and windy night, I will burn all of you. By then, everyone will die in Qiuchi Mountain, and the Yang family will have no way to explain themselves, so they will have to keep fighting you." This is actually a very simple plan. The key lies in discovering the unknown path on the north side of the mountain. The fact that Zhuge Yan was able to discover it is enough to show how bold and careful he is.

Liu Xian admired his fearless, untamed air; it reminded him of the young Hu boy Afule, but with a twist. Afule had a playful air about him, while Zhuge Yan's was more of an instinct tempered by hardship, a quality he couldn't have otherwise survived.

However, reading was not an option. Liu Xian took out the "Collected Works of Zhuge Liang" from his luggage, handed it to Zhuge Yan and said, "This is what my teacher left for me. You can read it one volume at a time. If you have any questions, you can ask me."

Zhuge Yan was not polite either. He took it and began to flip through it. As he did so, he questioned Liu Xian, "Your Highness, do you look like you understand everything?"

Liu Xian shook his head slightly and said truthfully, "How can anyone in this world know everything? I have endless problems to deal with. Right here in Qiuchi Mountain, there's something giving me a headache."

Zhuge Yan said "Oh", and immediately stood up and asked: "What's the matter? Tell me."

Liu Xian was thinking about how to persuade Yang Maosou to compromise. He didn't want to talk to Zhuge Yan about it, but then he thought, this isn't a secret, so it might be worth discussing it. So he said truthfully:

"I was ordered to come here to recruit Lord Yang, but he offered a condition that the court could not accept, which has delayed the recruitment process. I am currently considering a countermeasure."

"What conditions?"

"He wants to serve as the imperial governor of Yinping, but he's unwilling to hand over hostages. These conditions are too harsh, and the imperial court will never agree to them."

"Why are you unwilling to agree? I've been wandering around in this mountain for so long, and I've only heard of the Yinping prefect's name. Apart from a few Jin soldiers occasionally, I've never seen the Yinping prefect's shadow. The Jin emperor probably doesn't care much about this position."

This was the truth. Yinping and Wudu counties were overpopulated by the Hu people, and the terrain was too complex, resulting in the state's poor control over the two counties. If it weren't for this recent unrest, Liu Xian wouldn't have been able to go deep enough to pacify them. The last time they deployed large-scale troops there was when Deng Ai sneaked across Yinping and attacked Chengdu.

Therefore, several years before the Wannian Rebellion in Qi, the posts of prefect of Yinping and Wudu had already been vacant, and even no one in the county was willing to take up the post of county magistrate.

Liu Xian explained to Zhuge Dan, "Nan Qiao doesn't understand. This position is indeed not very important, but the court's failure to establish it and being threatened by the barbarians are two different things. As the saying goes, inner sage and outer king, the kingly way places the greatest emphasis on nominal majesty. If the barbarians are disrespectful, it means that the rebellion has not been completely quelled in the future."

"The court has never had a precedent of a Hu person serving as a county governor. If this bad precedent is set now, it means that a Hu person can be promoted even if he causes rebellion. This is truly a loss of dignity for the Celestial Empire, and they will not agree to it."

Zhuge Yan curled his lips and said, "Since it's a loss of face, then let's fight! Isn't the Luoyang court willing to fight?"

Liu Xian sighed and said, "There are so many Hu people. If we attack them one by one, how can we defeat them? It's difficult because it's difficult to use troops!"

After hearing this, Zhuge Yan paced back and forth for a while, and suddenly an idea flashed in his mind. He said to Liu Xian:

"Your Highness, I don't think this is a difficult problem."

"Huh? Tell me."

Zhuge Yan analyzed, "According to what you just said, the Luoyang court wants face, while Old Man Yang wants tangible benefits. So we can compromise and each get what we need!"

"compromise?"

"You can promise to let Old Man Yang and his men declare themselves the governor of Yinping, let them carve their own seals, and govern Qiuchi Mountain and the various Hu people within the county. But in name only, they still have to write a letter of surrender to the court, outlining the difficulties and complexity of the disaster here, so that the court won't be able to send officials here. Isn't that the end of it?"

What a daring idea! Liu Xian was shocked at first, but after thinking about it, he couldn't help but applaud.

To put it bluntly, Zhuge Yan's strategy was a classic case of deceiving his superiors and concealing the truth from his subordinates. Since the emperor was far away, it was impossible for the two sides to verify each other's information. At most, he could have informed Meng Guan and the people from the Western Expedition Army in advance and have Yang Mao search for some money and give it to them. Who would be willing to report this to the higher-ups?
However, this plan was indeed too disrespectful to the emperor. Anyone with even a shred of respect for the imperial court's laws would have been unable to come up with it. After all, if this were discovered, it would be a crime of treason, and the execution of three generations of the clan would be justified.

However, it is obvious that Liu Xian's crimes are enough to punish the execution of his entire clan, and this one is not a big deal.

That afternoon, Liu Xian went to meet with Yang Nandi to discuss the matter. Yang Nandi was naturally delighted, believing this was the best possible solution. He immediately explained to Liu Xian that while the Yang family wasn't as wealthy as the Li family, they could still afford some taxes. He immediately prepared three boxes containing nine thousand gold worth of jewelry: three thousand for Liu Xian and six thousand for Meng Guan, along with a letter of surrender. They were then sent to Chencang overnight.

Seven days later, Meng Guan's reply arrived. This time, it was a close confidant who came, ostensibly to urge Liu Xian's progress, but in reality, he secretly brought Liu Xian a black package. Liu Xian accepted it without batting an eyelid, and then quietly handed it to Yang Nandi during the banquet.

After all these procedures, Yang Maosou finally got what he wanted, and Liu Xian's trip to recruit and pacify the enemy was successfully completed.

Before leaving, Yang Maosou held a farewell banquet for the group, during which he said:

"Envoy Liu, the most painful thing in the world is separation from loved ones, yet it's also what's most abundant in the world. I'm not a belligerent, but this is the way the world is. If you can't fight with your life, then death is nothing to worry about. But for all these years, I've only ever had one wish: for peace and reunion for my family. I hope that from today on, there will be no more wars!"

Over the past eight years, Liu Xian has witnessed too many tragedies of life and death in Guanxi. He deeply agrees with what Yang Maosou said and raises his glass in response:
"Mr. Yang is right. I also hope that there will be no more wars in the world. Let's encourage each other!"

But when he said this, Liu Xian knew very well that this was an unattainable wish, just like wishing for a life without birth, old age, sickness, and death. And when he returned, he would inevitably have to fight.

Therefore, on the way down the mountain, everyone was in a relaxed mood, but Liu Xian was in a very sad mood.

Amidst everyone's laughter, a small stone suddenly hit Liu Xian's brow, making him startled and raise his head reflexively.

On the left hillside, Yang Huiai was in a shrubbery, holding Bai Li. She rocked the little paws of the fire fox in her arms and said to him silently:
"Hey, Liu Huai Chong, I wish you all the success!"

The two of them made eye contact, and soon the girl blushed uncontrollably and ran away.

It was the first month of the ninth year of Yuankang.

(End of this chapter)