Jinting Han people

Things turned out just as Zu Ti had expected. Two days later, Sima Lun, King of Zhao and General of Chariots and Cavalry, invited Liu Xian to his palace as a guest.

Unlike the private invitation by King Sima Jue of Qi, King Zhao invited Liu Xian this time under the pretext that King Sima Rong of Liang had arranged to visit him at his residence. Since both had served as Generals of the Western Expedition, they reminisced about their time together. At King Liang's suggestion, he immediately invited all his former subordinates, including Liu Xian, to a banquet.

And the one who came to invite Liu Xian was indeed Liu Kun.

Liu Xian originally wanted to refuse. A private invitation like the King of Qi was fine, but if he also attended such a large banquet, once that was set, the subsequent invitations to drinking parties would be endless. Liu Xian was not a drinker, and he didn't like the King of Zhao either.

But considering the nature of this reception, Liu Xian had no choice but to attend. First, it involved the honor of the two princes, second, there was an old acquaintance from the Western Expedition Army, and third, Liu Kun was also a good friend, and since he had personally invited him, he couldn't refuse him. He had no choice but to put aside his current affairs, thinking: This must be another of Sun Xiu's ideas.

Liu Kun saw that he looked unhappy and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Are you unhappy to see me?"

Liu Xian shook his head and said, "No matter how delicious a bowl of soup is, it's hard to swallow if you think there's a rat dropping mixed in it!"

Liu Kun teased him, saying, "Haha, Huai Chong, you sound like a hermit living in seclusion. Now that you're a high-ranking official of the fourth rank, how can you not socialize with the lowly? You should just be humble and be yourself."

This was true. In this day and age, who could avoid breathing dust? Liu Xian simply reminded himself to always stay true to his original aspirations. Only then could he believe he could live up to everyone's expectations.

But once he arrived at Prince Zhao's mansion, Liu Xian realized it wasn't that bad after all. Sun Xiu clearly understood what was good. Although he was a rather vulgar political broker on a daily basis, that was his outward display. When it came time to be refined, he could be refined too.

In the West Garden of the Prince of Zhao's palace, bamboos abound, a winding stream flows through the center, and jagged rocks flank the garden. There's also a small stone bridge and a pavilion over the pond, with azaleas in full bloom. It was here that Sun Xiu held his banquet, curtained with cyan gauze, creating a light and elegant atmosphere. The occasion was accompanied by some zither music, creating a wondrous and beautiful sense of harmony between man and nature.

As mentioned earlier, Liu Xian met up with his colleagues from the rebellion suppression effort. Besides those still employed by the Western Expedition Army, Lu Bo, Xiahou Jun, Meng Guan, Fu Zhi, Zhang Lin, and Huangfu Shang were also present. But there were also many others Liu Xian didn't recognize. Most of these unknowns were retainers of the Prince of Zhao's household, with the remainder being relatives of the Prince of Zhao.

Liu Kun introduced them to him one by one.

The first person introduced was, of course, Sima Yi, the crown prince of Zhao. He was the eldest son of the King of Zhao, nearly forty years old, tall and bearded, and a handsome man. However, as soon as he opened his mouth, he disappointed Liu Xian. He said, "You must be Liu Xian, right? You caused a lot of trouble for my family in Guanzhong, but my master values you very much and doesn't care about those past events. You should be grateful!"

This was a shallow remark, and Liu Kun felt embarrassed. However, Sima Yi was his brother-in-law after all, so Liu Kun defended him, saying, "Your Highness the Prince of Zhao doesn't pay much attention to etiquette and literature, so the Crown Prince isn't very good at speaking, but he still has a good heart."

How could this be considered a nice thing to say? Liu Xian found it amusing, but he hadn't expected it to be so. He then met the other sons of King Zhao: Sima Fu, Sima Qian, and Sima Xu. Their speech was not only shallow, but also more arrogant than the next, with sarcastic remarks and no trace of brotherly love. In comparison, Sima Yi was indeed a relatively easygoing person.

Seeing this, Liu Xian couldn't help but admire Sun Xiu. He could actually thrive in such a family. He wondered what kind of efforts he had put in.

The next person to be introduced is King Zhao’s current retainer.

Sun Xiu, needless to say, knew that Liu Xian would be angry at the sight of him, so he tactfully stayed in a corner. Others, such as Xie Xian, Luo Xiu, and Wang Qian, were also relatively unknown, but most served in the three ministries within the palace or even the three divisions of the imperial guards, exemplifying the lowly position yet powerful influence.

The only notable figure is Sun Qi, the core general. He was a member of the Le'an Sun clan, his father being Sun Li, the former governor of Youzhou and right general. Sun Qi, a figure on par with the two Xies, was renowned for his filial piety and self-reliance. In his early years, he served as governor of Jingzhou and then as a military officer. Later, he was transferred to Yanzhou and later became the governor of Pingnan. His current position as core general puts him at the top of the heap for a second-rate aristocratic family.

However, what Liu Xian knew most about him was the major incident of a fire in the armory during his tenure as Weiwei.

The arsenal was the most important military treasury in the entire country, and it also housed the imperial treasury. During the Gaopingling Incident, Sima Yi used his death squad to seize the arsenal and obtain the weapons within. This intimidated his political enemy, Cao Shuang, and he dared not to become his enemy. This demonstrates the importance of the arsenal.

Unexpectedly, in the fifth year of the Yuankang reign, even with the arsenal under constant surveillance, a fire erupted. Rare treasures stored there, including Wang Mang's head, Confucius' sandals, Emperor Gaozu's Broken White Snake Sword, and 2.08 million pieces of military equipment, were completely destroyed. This calamity, unprecedented in the nearly 300 years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, even impacted the logistics of suppressing the rebellion in Guanxi.

As the Weiwei, Sun Qi was directly responsible for the fire in the armory. However, despite making such a serious mistake, his punishment was only to be dismissed from office for half a year. He was soon reinstated as the General Pingnan and his official position was not reduced.

Liu Xian couldn't help but talk to him about this matter, asking, "Envoy Sun, I really don't understand why such a huge fire broke out in the armory back then."

Sun Qi looked a little embarrassed, but he still explained: "The incident happened suddenly. By the time I found out, the fire had already burned two houses and was getting out of control."

"That won't burn down the arsenal, will it?"

"Zhang Zhongshu also came over at the time. He was afraid that there were thieves causing trouble that night, so he told me not to rush to put out the fire, but to monitor the streets and make sure everything was clear before putting out the fire. That's what happened. Because of this, the court didn't pursue me too closely."

"So that's how it is." Liu Xian understood a little and asked, "But there's one thing I still don't quite understand. Could you please enlighten me, Lord Sun?"

"It's one thing for the fire to burn Wang Mang's head and Confucius's sandals, but the Chixiao Sword (the White Snake-slaying Sword) is made of fine iron. At most, they burned the scabbard and hilt. How could it disappear?"

"This..." Sun Qi seemed to have encountered some difficulties and spoke for a long time. "We are also very curious, but Zhang Zhongshu said that this Chixiao Sword is not an ordinary thing from this world. He saw it transform into a red light, pass through the house, and disappear without a trace."

Liu Xian probably knew what was going on. He kept it in mind and didn't ask too many questions. He was just surprised why Sun Qi was with King Zhao. After all, logically speaking, he should be closer to the Houdang.

However, the doubt did not last long, as he soon discovered that Sun Qi's four sons were also here, calling Sun Xiu their fourth uncle.

It turned out to be a relative recognized by Sun Xiu! Liu Xian secretly criticized Sun Xiu, a Langya native, and he even started to randomly claim his ancestors.

Finally, Liu Kun led Liu Xian before the King of Zhao. Liu Xian and the King of Zhao had met several times in Guanzhong, but this was the first time they had ever met and spoken face to face. After Sima Lun examined Liu Xian from head to toe, his first question was, "Liu Xian, do you think I look like a virtuous king?" What kind of question was this? Liu Xian, feeling both amused and embarrassed, replied, "Your Highness, talent is never measured by appearance. Even Pang Tong's ugliness didn't stop him from being a virtuous minister."

But Sima Lun was a bit persistent and asked again: "Then tell me, can I be a wise king?"

This statement was somewhat ignorant, but Liu Xian realized that Sima Lun actually wanted to recruit him.

As expected, he heard the King of Zhao continue, "Alas, in the past, I was ignorant of government affairs and lacked moral cultivation. I made some foolish decisions in Guanxi and caused a lot of trouble. Thanks to you, my good ministers, I was able to avoid making serious mistakes. Now that the country is in danger, as the son of Emperor Xuan and a member of the royal family, I dare not fail to correct my past mistakes. However, my talent is limited, and I cannot distinguish between the wise and the foolish. I need the assistance of good ministers, that is, you! Huai Chong, can you help me become a wise king?"

Sima Lun's words were not fluent and his emotions were not deep. Liu Xian knew as soon as he heard them that he had memorized them at the last minute.

Liu Xian was amused. He thought, I've known the King of Zhao was stupid for a long time, but seeing is better than knowing. Even compared to the emperor, the King of Zhao's stupidity was no less. How dare Sun Xiu ask the King of Zhao to recruit him? Where did his confidence come from?

But then again, the King of Zhao was so attentive, so he couldn't just turn him down coldly. So he said vaguely, "If Your Highness encounters any confusion, you can certainly write to me."

The implication was that Liu Xian would not provide any assistance beyond replying to the letter. However, King Zhao had no idea what he was saying. He simply assumed that Liu Xian had agreed and sent Sima Yi to lead Liu Xian to the table.

However, one thing that surprised Liu Xian was the complete presence of his former colleagues. Not only Huangfu Shang and the others, but even Meng Guan had arrived. As the commander-in-chief who ultimately suppressed the rebellion, Meng Guan didn't have much of a relationship with the Kings of Zhao and Liang.

But on second thought, it was normal. After all, suppressing the rebellion in Guanxi was Meng Guan's masterpiece. How could he miss the opportunity to brag about it openly?

Sure enough, as soon as I sat down, I heard everyone talking about the past of Kansai and discussing some of the current developments in Kansai.

Huangfu Shang's brother, Huangfu Chong, had by then been promoted to the position of Governor of Qinzhou. They were in frequent contact, and he complained to everyone, "After the Prince of Hejian returned to Chang'an, he began to reorganize the Western Expedition Army. Those two villains, Zhang Fang and Li Han, have lucked out. The Prince of Hejian values them highly, recommending Li Han as Chief Clerk of the Western Expedition and Zhang Fang as General Zhenwu. One civil, one military, they're like his right-hand men!"

Li Han was a mean-spirited person, hating the upper classes and being unsociable, making him unpopular with his colleagues. Zhang Fang's penchant for cannibalism was even more offensive. Unexpectedly, after the rebellion was suppressed and Sima Yong, Prince of Hejian, arrived, these two men experienced a sudden turn of events, their careers prospering. Everyone was amazed and shocked.

Liu Xian was also secretly surprised, but he was more concerned about the plight of Zhang Gui, Suo Jing, and Zhang Guang. He asked Huangfu Shang about them, and Huangfu Shang said, "Mr. Suo and Brother Zhang are fine. Aren't they already serving as county magistrates? Only General Zhang is still suppressing the rebellion."

"Although most of the Hu people in Qinzhou have been pacified, there's unrest in Liangzhou. It's said that the Tuoba's westward migration forced many Xianbei people to flee to Hexi and cause rebellion. As a result, every one of Liangzhou's seven counties is now plagued by bandits. Military Commander Zhang has been suppressing the rebellion back and forth, but he can't completely wipe it out. My brother told me that Military Commander Zhang believes this isn't a situation that can be resolved simply by suppression, and he wants to recommend himself as the Governor of Liangzhou, believing that only a combination of suppression and appeasement can restore peace to the province."

Upon hearing this, everyone present praised it. Anyone who had spent any time with the Western Expedition Army would undoubtedly admire Zhang Gui's talent. With his qualifications and abilities, he was more than qualified to serve as a provincial governor. The fact that he hadn't yet been appointed governor was a testament to the court's failure in personnel selection.

After a while of idle chatter, Liu Xian looked around and saw that most of the people were already a little drunk. He calmly asked Huangfu Shang, "I heard that the over 100,000 refugees led by Li Xiang have left Hanzhong and entered Yizhou. Are they staying put? Have they caused any trouble?"

Huangfu Shang actually knew something. He said, "Hey, with over a hundred thousand people migrating there, how could there not be trouble? I heard there were quite a few conflicts with the local natives."

"But there wasn't any major unrest. You know Yizhou Governor Zhao Xin, right? He married the Queen's cousin and has a strong background. He got along well with the Li brothers, so he recruited the refugees and suppressed any unrest."

Liu Xian secretly cried out inwardly, "Oh no! This isn't good news." If the Queen started a fight with this side, wouldn't Zhao Xin also cause chaos in Bashu? But he suppressed these thoughts, remaining secretive on the surface, making it impossible to see through his emotions.

After drinking too much, Liu Xian got up to use the restroom. After washing his hands, he was about to return to the banquet when he found Sun Xiu blocking the corridor. Now it was just the two of them. Sun Xiu, with his hands behind his back, said with a grin, "Are you really not coming to our Zhao Palace? The Zhao Palace is now well-equipped with soldiers and horses!"

Liu Xian smiled and said, "If you have a strong army, I won't be a big deal if you don't have one."

"Who would complain about having too many men?" Sun Xiu leaned over, looked up at Liu Xian, and said, "You can see that His Highness the Prince of Zhao is a fool. He can be used by smart people like us. Aren't you tempted? Come to our Prince of Zhao's mansion. After the matter is settled, the Prince of Zhao can make you the Governor of Yizhou!"

Liu Xian was startled and stared at Sun Xiu's deep gray-brown eyes. The sunken eye sockets seemed to hide a lot of terrifying wisdom.

Seeing Liu Xian's surprised look, Sun Xiu shook his head and laughed for a while before saying, "Liu Xian, don't think you can fool me. This is Luoyang, not Xiayang. I still have some ways to deal with you."

"In fact, I didn't lie to you. I am a Taoist priest, and I want to find the True Lord of Taiping in the apocalypse. And then I found that no one is more suitable to be the True Lord of Taiping than His Royal Highness Prince Zhao, right? Many people like His Royal Highness Prince Zhao, and they have quietly joined the Prince Zhao's Mansion. The number is beyond your imagination, and there are even many of your friends among them."

"Victory will definitely belong to us. You are a smart person, you should know what this means."

Liu Xian sneered, "You're talking to me like this, aren't you afraid that I'll tell the Crown Prince about this?"

Sun Xiu shrugged and said, "You can do that. Do you think I'm afraid? It's the Crown Prince who can't live without the King of Zhao, not the King of Zhao who can't live without the Crown Prince. If both sides suffer, the Crown Prince will be finished too. The Crown Prince is a smart man and he understands this."

He then revealed a somewhat regretful expression and said, "It seems that I failed to convince you."

Liu Xian was silent for a moment before answering, "I may not be a perfect person, but I am a principled person. Within the principles, I have no objections, but I will never do anything outside of the principles."

"Haha, it seems I'm a villain! It doesn't matter, I will give you another chance."

Sun Xiu waved his hand, ready to end the conversation. He said with a mocking smile, "Oh, Liu Xian, I really admire you. But when I accomplish something greater than you, you must not feel ashamed!" (End of this chapter)