Jinting Han people

Even though the people of Luoyang had anticipated this, the huge political turmoil brought about by Sima Yun's entry into the capital was beyond everyone's imagination.

Everyone assumed that no matter how deeply the Prince of Huainan disliked the Empress, he would at least maintain a semblance of peace, merely competing with the Empress's faction over personnel appointments—a tacit political understanding. However, upon entering court, the Prince of Huainan confronted the Empress and key members of her faction, profoundly shaking the court's confidence in peace and raising tensions in Luoyang.

Many people believed that a war was inevitable.

On the surface, however, this had little to do with Liu Xian. As a powerless general, he only attended the ceremony welcoming Sima Yun into the city and was not present at the tense banquet that followed. While Luoyang was in turmoil due to the Prince of Huainan's rebellion and rumors were rife, Liu Xian was still tinkering with renovations in his office, simultaneously seeking money and power from Wang Yan and preparing a marriage alliance with the Fu family.

This could be said to be the most important event in Anle Mansion in the past twenty years, second only to Liu Xian's marriage. The Fu family in the north was well-known throughout the world and was the top-ranking family in Guanxi. In terms of reputation, it was probably even more prestigious than the Juancheng Mansion. The two families' intention to form an alliance was no small matter in Luoyang, so everyone in the mansion was busy.

Liu Xian was very concerned about this. He admired Fu Chang very much and hoped that this marriage would satisfy both parties. Therefore, he discussed it with the elders of his family and carefully selected from more than ten sisters in the clan, spending five days to finalize the candidate.

He ultimately chose the third daughter of his fourth uncle, Liu Zan. Liu Jiao, sixteen years old, possessed fair complexion, a virtuous and quiet demeanor, and was well-read, making her a suitable marriageable age. Most importantly, she was neither arrogant nor impetuous, remaining graceful and courteous, a quality Liu Xian valued highly. After finalizing his choice, Liu Xian visited Fu Zhi, and the two set a date for the marriage proposal and the name exchange. Once the formalities were complete, the engagement should be announced in May, and the marriage could take place in June.

Unfortunately, due to the tense environment caused by the Prince of Huainan's visit to the capital, apart from a few friends who came to congratulate him, the rest of the nobles did not pay attention to this matter. Or, they did not want to make any statements that might lead to misunderstandings, and were still watching how the situation would develop.

While the elders felt it was a pity, Liu Xian didn't think it was a bad thing. In his opinion, true happiness between husband and wife was the most important thing. Since it was already an arranged marriage, there was no need to add any more political overtones.

Especially now, he has been entrusted with an important task by the prince.

According to the agreement, after the Prince of Huainan arrived in Beijing, Sima Yi would try to contact Liu Xian and order him to assassinate the Empress's followers and put pressure on the Empress. However, for several days, Liu Xian did not receive any news, which surprised him and made him wonder if something had happened.

But what was to come finally came. On April Yi-Hai, an uninvited guest came to visit the General Suppressing Bandits' residence.

The visitor was a Confucian scholar with a sword at his waist. He claimed to be a Tongshi Lingshi from the Menxia Province and came to various prefectures in Luoyang to report imperial edicts.

Liu Xian invited him to his study for a chat. The moment they met, he was immediately struck by his presence. Though dressed in Confucian garb, he exuded an aura of undeniable strength. He had dark skin, a high forehead, and a long, wiry beard that extended all the way to his chin, growing stiffly downward until it reached the collar of his white robe. He sat on a straw mat with his knees bent, his back straight. Even his snow-white robes couldn't conceal his muscular build, a body worthy of a ferocious beast.

He introduced himself, "My name is Gou Xi, also known as Daojiang. Nice to meet you, Envoy Liu."

"Oh, what can I do for you?"

"The recent situation is extraordinary. I have received an imperial decree to inform all prefectures that, effective today, all officials, with the exception of the night watchmen and imperial guards enforcing the curfew, must also obey the curfew. Any violation will be punished with demotion at the very least, or exile at the worst. Please, General Liu, inform your staff and refrain from violating this order."

"That's it, I understand."

Luoyang's curfew was better than nothing. It had always applied only to civilians, not to the bureaucrats and aristocrats. This led to a period of idleness in Luoyang at night, with even the night market open as usual. Liu Xian thought the queen might sense the atmosphere was off and use this opportunity to reassert her authority. This was a perfectly normal tactic. He agreed, but didn't really take it seriously.

Unexpectedly, when Gou Xi said goodbye and left, seeing that no one was around, he pulled out a piece of yellow silk from his sleeve and decisively stuffed it into Liu Xian's hand. Before Liu Xian could react, he left in a hurry.

Liu Xian opened the yellow silk and saw the words: "Tonight at midnight we will discuss important matters. Meet in front of the Chu King Temple at Dongming Pavilion."

Liu Xian was very familiar with the handwriting; it was the handwriting of Crown Prince Sima Yi. Liu Xian couldn't help but think to himself, "Finally."

Unexpectedly, the Prince's faction had already extended its influence to the Ministry of Personnel, and Gou Xi was clearly no ordinary person. Unknowingly, the foundation of the Hou Party had been completely eroded, and it was on par with the Three Yangs of the past.

Liu Xian didn't hesitate. Seeing that no one had noticed, he immediately lit an oil lamp and dipped the yellow silk into the flame, watching it burn to ashes. After dinner in the evening, he excused himself to rest early, saying he had drunk too much. He then returned to his bedroom, changed into a darker suit, put on his bamboo hat, and left the office through the back door.

Dongming Pavilion is located in the eastern suburbs of Luoyang, almost fifteen miles away from Jianchun Gate. It can be said to be the outermost part of the entire Luoyang city. The houses and pedestrians are not as bustling as those in the city, but they are not sparse either. The most important feature is that you can see the Qilijian flowing through it, irrigating the lush bean fields on both sides. In this bean field, there stands a dilapidated ancestral hall, which is the ancestral hall of the King of Chu.

After the death of Sima Wei, the King of Chu, the people of Luoyang raised funds to build a temple here, which became a place for many people to pray and worship. However, Empress Jia Nanfeng was jealous of this behavior and would come to the temple to arrest people every once in a while. After coming three or four times, the temple fell into decline.

It was Liu Xian's first time in this place. When he reached the ancestral hall, he found it overgrown with weeds, with field mice and pythons roaming among the grass. Since it was summer, mosquitoes were buzzing around the bushes, making it very annoying.

But as soon as Liu Xian stepped into the ancestral hall, he couldn't help but laugh. There was a skylight on the east side of the hall. A beam of moonlight shone down from the sky, shining directly on the face of the deity in the center of the hall, allowing Liu Xian to see the green and white clay figurine Sima Wei.

It must be said that this clay figurine bears a striking resemblance to Sima Wei himself. The eyebrows are drawn too long, the eyes too small, and the head-to-body ratio is severely distorted. This is perfectly normal, but the main difference is the temperament. In Liu Xian's impression, Sima Wei is someone with burning ambition and a strong drive for progress. This clay figurine, on the other hand, seems a bit too compassionate. If there's one thing that definitely resembles Sima Wei, it's probably his age. This clay figurine looks very young, apparently in his early twenties.

Liu Xian looked at the clay figurine for a moment and couldn't help but sigh in his heart: Time flies so fast, Your Highness the King of Chu, you are still so young, but I am older than you.

He thought again: If one day I am no longer in this world, will anyone build a ancestral hall for me?
But this thought only flashed through his mind, because what he wanted to achieve could not be accommodated in a ancestral hall.

Thinking of this, he leaned against the wall of the ancestral hall and began to wait, wondering who Sima Yi would send to be his assistants.

As expected, the first person to arrive was Gou Xi. His eyes were sharp, and even though Liu Xian was standing in the corner next to the statue, he could see at a glance and said:
"Envoy Liu arrived a little too early. If something unexpected happens and someone discovers it in advance, that would be bad."

Liu Xian smiled and said, "If this leads to being discovered, it only means that this plan isn't well-planned. Since His Royal Highness the Crown Prince trusts you, I believe that General Gou Dao is definitely not such an incompetent person."

Gou Xi remained calm upon hearing this, but his tone softened. "Indeed, Envoy Liu is truly discerning. The head of Dongming Pavilion is the King of Qi's man and will help us cover up. However, it's always better to be cautious. Envoy Liu would be wise to exercise caution."

"Of course." Liu Xian asked again, "How many more people do we need to wait for?"

"Three of us." Gou Xi didn't intend to elaborate. He tried to introduce it briefly: "This is just a brief secret meeting. After we get to know each other and you are sure there are no problems, we can consider doing things."

As they were talking, the second person arrived. He was an acquaintance of Liu Xian, and it turned out to be Lu Ji.

He was wearing a dark robe similar to Liu Xian's and greeted him, "Huai Chong, long time no see."

Liu Xian was naturally very happy to see his old friend. The two took a few steps forward, shook hands, and looked at each other.

After not seeing him for a few years, Lu Ji began to look older. He was nearly ten years older than Liu Xian, but he had always looked younger because he had taken good care of himself. But now, time had finally begun to erode his face, and fine lines appeared around his eyes and forehead. He didn't think much of it until he noticed it, but after a closer look, he realized that he had become undeniably older.

Lu Ji said self-deprecatingly: "I have reached my age, but I have still accomplished nothing."

Liu Xian had no choice but to comfort him: "It's never too late for the phoenix to cry out and startle everyone."

The third person was a young man, probably in his early twenties, but with a calm personality. Gou Xi introduced him to Liu Xian, saying, "This is Chen Gui, the son of Chen Gong, the Minister of the Central Secretariat."

The fourth person came wearing a straw hat. After arriving at the ancestral hall, he took off the hat, revealing an ugly and shrewd rat face, which surprised Liu Xian. It turned out to be Sun Xiu, the chief secretary of King Zhao!

He was still the same as always. As soon as they met, he showed Liu Xian a familiar lewd smile and said to him with a grin, "I never thought that one day I would be able to work with Liu Huai Chong. It's really a great honor."

Liu Xian, however, did not feel fortunate. He turned around and asked Gou Xi, "Can't we change someone else?"

Gou Xi sighed and replied, "This was not decided by Your Highness the Crown Prince alone. It was decided jointly by His Highness the King of Qi, the King of Zhao, and the King of Huainan, along with Your Highness the Crown Prince. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

Liu Xian also understood that this pressure on the Empress's faction was crucial to the overall situation. The Crown Prince nominally put him in charge, but the opinions of the other princes were also crucial. Obviously, Gou Xi was a member of the King of Qi's army, Chen Gui was a member of the King of Huainan's army, and Sun Xiu was a member of the King of Zhao's army. Only Lu Ji could be considered his assistant.

Thinking of this, Liu Xian suddenly felt pessimistic. He immediately said to Gou Xi, "With so many people, all talking nonsense, and no unity, how can we guarantee the smooth implementation of the plan?"

Gou Xi said, "The four of us are only responsible for providing you with information, not for killing people, so you can rest assured."

"Oh? What does that mean?"

Gou Xi finally laid out his plan to Liu Xian. "Your Highness," he said, "I will be responsible for informing you of the latest news from the court. Lord Lu will provide you with a list of those who need to be dealt with urgently. Lord Sun will provide you with information on their activities, and Lord Chen will arrange for your backup. As for what you do, we will not interfere, and you do not need to inform us."

"As for the personnel to be used in the assassination, the Crown Prince has also made arrangements. The King of Huainan has hidden a hundred assassins in this pavilion. They are all talented swordsmen he recruited from Huainan. Whether it's archery, swordsmanship, or horsemanship, they are all extraordinary. Most importantly, they are absolutely loyal. If you agree, all these men will be at your command. How do you do it?"

After hearing this, Liu Xian finally felt that this plan had some feasibility. While it still involved some risk, at least he could reduce the risk by planning on his own. Even if the information was incorrect, he could verify it himself beforehand.

He now only had one doubt left. After a moment of silence, he asked Gou Xi, "Shall we meet here again in the future?"

"Yes."

"I don't think it's appropriate."

"Oh? What do you think, sir?"

"For things like this, the fewer people who know about it, the better. Even the less you know about it, the better."

Liu Xian closed his eyes slightly and told his plan:
"To reduce suspicion, from today on, unless it's a grand court meeting, we can no longer gather privately. Instead, we must communicate one-on-one. Each of us will determine the location and method of contact, and I will be solely responsible for it. Only in this way can we increase the possibility of maintaining confidentiality."

Of course, this was just a superficial excuse. The deeper reason was that Liu Xian could not trust Sun Xiu, or even the princes behind them.

Although the princes were currently allies of the crown prince, they could actually turn against him at any time and betray him to the queen's party in exchange for benefits. Especially at such a critical juncture, if someone defected and leaked the secrets, the negative impact would be immeasurable.

Therefore, Liu Xian could only use this method to minimize the possibility of his plan being betrayed.

Gou Xi didn't know Liu Xian's true intentions, but he thought what he said made sense. After discussing it with each other, Sun Xiu didn't refuse, so each of them agreed with Liu Xian on the method and location of a private meeting.

Afterward, Gou Xi took Liu Xian to meet Sima Yun's assassins. Disguised as merchants from Jiangnan, they were staying at the Dongming Pavilion guesthouse. Liu Xian observed them and saw they were indeed exceptionally skilled fighters. Furthermore, Gou Xi explained that these assassins' wives and children were in Sima Yun's hands, and that they would not hesitate to commit suicide on the spot.

Gou Xi gave Liu Xian a jade pendant with dragon pattern, which was the token of King Huainan. With it, Liu Xian could mobilize these death warriors at will.

From this moment on, Liu Xian knew he was about to start a fire. (End of this chapter)