Jinting Han people

While Qingcheng Mountain was experiencing fierce winds and torrential rain, the sun shone brightly in Luocheng.

As a native of the Central Plains, this was Liu Xian's first summer in Sichuan. Previously, during the winters in Hanzhong, Liu Xian hadn't felt any difference from Guanzhong or Luoyang; the only difference was that the winters were warmer, and the verdant green of the pines and cypresses amidst the snow and wind had filled him with endless admiration. After traveling south to Sichuan in the spring, the various flowers he had never seen before broadened his horizons even further: forsythia, weeping crabapple, purple azalea, white jade rose, poppy… all kinds of spring flowers vying for attention, increasingly delighting Liu Xian. But now, in May, he was finally experiencing a bit of the discomfort of acclimatization.

After the sudden downpour, the camp was filled with puddles of varying heights. The people who had camped there naturally carried a lingering dampness with them, from under their tents and inside their clothes to their skin. As the sun rose, the sunlight intensified, and the temperature soared. The dampness instantly evaporated throughout the camp, making it feel like a sauna, causing people to sweat uncontrollably. Even fanning themselves didn't keep them drenched.

Furthermore, the mosquitoes of Sichuan and Chongqing seemed to be larger and more venomous than those of the north. The largest were almost the size of a thumb, and their buzzing could be heard from three zhang away, making them truly annoying. One bite would immediately leave a swollen welt; a slap would leave a clearly visible bright red mark on the hand. Living among such mosquitoes made many soldiers fighting at the river mouth listless. Quite a few soldiers fell ill as a result, as most of them came from Guanzhong and had never experienced such a humid and sweltering environment.

Therefore, Liu Xian's typhoid fever was nothing out of the ordinary in the army. But he was, after all, the commander-in-chief of the three armies, and he bore a different kind of responsibility. Especially when he heard that guests from Qingcheng Mountain had come from afar, he insisted on receiving them even though he was unwell.

To ensure safety, Liu Xian did not receive the guest alone; he was accompanied by Zhuge Yan, Wen Yan, and others. Because Wen Yan was knowledgeable about the situation in Shu, Liu Xian had promoted him to the position of Attendant Gentleman of the Anle Duke's Mansion for consultation purposes. He himself sat reclining on a wooden couch, dressed in robes, drinking bitter medicinal soup while leaning against a low table, waiting for the guests to enter.

After Li A and Chen Hui entered the tent, they first bowed to Liu Xian, then observed Liu Xian's expression before introducing themselves.

"I am Li A, the Left Libationer of Pingzhi in Zhenyang."

"I am Chen Hui, the Right Assistant Minister of the Zhenlu Hall."

Wen Yan, standing nearby, quietly introduced the two places to Liu Xian: Yangpingzhi was the headquarters of the First Celestial Master when he preached, and Lutangzhi was the legendary place where the Celestial Master attained enlightenment and learned from Laozi. Therefore, these two places held extraordinary status, and together with Qingcheng Mountain, they were known as the Three Celestial Masters, naturally elevating the status of their chief priests. The fact that the Celestial Masters sent these two chief priests to negotiate with Liu Xian this time clearly demonstrated the importance they placed on him.

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian coughed and nodded, returned the greeting with a cupped hand, and said with a smile, "Both of you are commendable. I am not feeling well and cannot perform the usual formalities. Please forgive me if there is anything inappropriate."

Having said that, he waved his hand, signaling Liu Lang to serve tea to the two guests. Such courteous treatment deeply moved the two high-ranking officials. After a few words of thanks, they explained their purpose. It turned out that they had arrived in Mianzhu several days ago, but were misled by Liu Xian's intelligence campaign and did not know Liu Xian's whereabouts, thus missing him for a while. It was only after he besieged Luo County that they finally arrived.

Chen Hui sincerely praised, "Your Highness's military tactics are truly divine, just like those of Prime Minister Zhuge Liang in his prime."

This was, of course, just polite talk. Liu Xian's style of warfare was completely different from Zhuge Liang's, but Liu Xian did find it agreeable. However, he was not feeling well and could not exchange pleasantries with the two for too long. After coughing, he asked, "You two distinguished guests have traveled a long way, surely not to praise my military tactics? Please feel free to speak your mind. Liu Xian has always been a hospitable person, and I will listen to anything a guest has to say."

Upon hearing this, Chen and Li hesitated slightly. After exchanging a glance, Chen Hui stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, we have come here for the peace of Xichuan."

"Peace and tranquility?" This question surprised Liu Xian. He had expected the other party to say something superstitious or mysterious. Unexpectedly, what he said had nothing to do with ghosts or gods.

"Yes, Your Highness." Chen Hui was a thin man, but his tone was very steady. He continued, "Your Highness, since the Zhao Xin Rebellion, the Liang and Yi regions have been in chaos for almost five years. During this time, the people have been displaced, the common people have lost their homes, the dead lie strewn across the fields, and countless people live in constant fear. The tragedy is unprecedented in the world. If this chaos is allowed to continue, I don't know how many more families will be torn apart, how many more will live in constant sorrow!"

These words deeply moved Liu Xian. Indeed, in times of chaos, the common people suffer the most, and the people of Bashu had endured nearly five years of war, truly living in misery. This was something Liu Xian had witnessed firsthand; how many fields lay barren, how many cities and counties were abandoned—this apparent tranquility concealed unspoken sorrow. Even Liu Xian himself could not claim that the people were unaffected by the war he led; he was simply doing his best to alleviate their suffering.

Therefore, he nodded and said, "It has always been my wish to bring peace and tranquility to the people of the world."

Chen Hui quickly replied, "Therefore, we have come here in the hope of helping Your Highness to restore peace to Xichuan as soon as possible."

"Oh? Does Chancellor Chen have any suggestions?"

"This is not my suggestion, but the voice of the people. They want to find peace of mind first."

"Inner peace?"

“Your Highness, we cultivators often say that cultivating the Tao is also cultivating the mind. If a person’s mind is not at peace, chaos will arise. The reason why there is so much turmoil in the world today is that people’s minds are not at peace, they follow their desires, and then they do not know where to go or where to go. Chaos then flows like a flood, leading to the present situation.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian pondered for a moment, then slowly raised his eyes and said, "May I ask what I should do?"

Chen Hui gave a friendly smile and said, "Your Highness may become the True Lord of Peace in my Dao."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian almost chuckled. Although he had anticipated the Celestial Masters would present this condition, he hadn't expected it to be presented in this way. Liu Xian couldn't help but inwardly applaud their eloquence. He asked with great interest, "Can becoming the True Lord of Peace truly bring peace to people's hearts?"

Li A, who was standing to the side, finally couldn't hold back any longer and said, "The common people are always weak. If they don't have a true master to guide them, they can only rely on themselves. It's like an ant trying to shake a tree or a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Even if there are millions or tens of millions of them, they will not be able to survive this Jiazi calamity and reach a peaceful and prosperous world. Only when the True Lord of Peace appears will they know where to follow and look to him without hesitation. Only then will people's hearts be at peace."

Liu Xian's eyes turned cold upon hearing this. He coughed again and retorted, "Even the emperor can't do it?"

Li A said frankly, "Nowadays, there are countless people in the world who want to become emperor, so it is not surprising whether they become emperor or not. But there is only one True Lord of Peace, and only this True Lord of Peace can win the hearts of the people of Bashu."

These words were extremely harsh, almost a blatant threat. Zhuge Yan, standing nearby, was enraged and immediately drew his sword, but Liu Xian waved him off. Liu Xian sat up slightly, looked at Li A, and said, word by word, "So, it seems that becoming the True Lord of Peace is unavoidable?"

The atmosphere inside was as cold as the dead of winter. Liu Xian's face was expressionless, showing neither anger nor a smile. Although his hands trembled slightly due to typhoid fever, his eyes were as calm as a lake, seemingly reflecting the true nature of everyone, yet beneath them seemed to surge a torrent, ready to engulf the enemy at any moment.

Faced with such a face, Li A found it difficult to look at him directly, and before he knew it, his gaze had lowered to his knees.

Chen Hui glared at Li A, then quickly tried to ease the tension, saying, "Your Highness, the so-called sage has no fixed mind, but takes the people's mind as his own. He treats the good with goodness, and the bad with goodness as well, thus attaining goodness. This is the highest good, like water. Since you have such great ambitions, you should understand the feelings of the people." Liu Xian then smiled, coughed, and continued, "Chancellor Chen speaks well, but I wonder, how does one become this True Lord of Peace?"

Chen Hui cupped his hands again and said, “Your Highness, the so-called Taiping Zhenjun is the Holy King. When the Holy King receives the mandate, there is a divine response. To demonstrate the mandate of Taiping Zhenjun, you must ascend the altar to receive the talisman, and the Heavenly Supervisor will preside over the ceremony to grant the Liu family the mandate again. In this way, the people will see that Your Highness is protected by divine virtue, and their hearts will naturally be at peace.”

Hearing this, Liu Xian felt a growing sense of revulsion. According to this logic, wouldn't the Imperial Observatory hold a higher position than the emperor? In the eyes of the people, was it the emperor who governed the country, or the Imperial Observatory? This was an extremely serious question, and if not handled properly, it could very well lead to internal strife in the future.

But Liu Xian knew that this was definitely not the only condition, so he continued to ask, "Are there any other requirements?"

Chen Hui said, "The people's hearts are drawn to the Way. If Your Highness agrees, I hope that after Your Highness ascends the throne, you will respect the Way and establish temples, and reduce taxes and levies for those who follow the Way."

"Why is it that when the world suffers, only those who follow the Way are subject to light taxes and levies?"

"Your Highness, to be a True Lord of Peace naturally means sharing in the glory and loss of our Dao. Your administration in this way is like going with the flow, increasing the number of those who follow the Dao and decreasing the number of those who do not. When the whole world is devoted to the Dao, won't the nation be as stable as Mount Tai when Your Highness becomes a True Lord of Peace?"

Liu Xian's head was spinning. He truly didn't know how to evaluate the Celestial Masters Sect. They were openly cracking down on those with different beliefs, yet they spoke with such self-righteousness. Moreover, he himself was reducing taxes and levies, all under the guise of promoting Taoism. Didn't this mean that this was something the Celestial Masters Sect was entitled to, and had nothing to do with his governance?
This was another condition that Liu Xian found difficult to accept.

Seeing Chen Hui's amiable nature, Liu Xian suppressed his anger and said calmly, "I wonder if Chen Dugong has any other conditions?"

Chen Hui said, "Actually, these are the conditions. Apart from these, Fan Tianjian has only one suggestion for me to tell Your Highness. If Your Highness agrees, the people of Xichuan will be overjoyed."

"What advice?"

"Your Highness, Sichuan has been ravaged by war for so long that it needs time to recuperate. I hope that after we assist Your Highness, Your Highness can rest for ten years and temporarily refrain from any thoughts of contending for supremacy. It will not be too late to raise an army again once Sichuan has recovered its strength."

This sentence immediately extinguished Liu Xian's desire for cooperation. A ten-year truce? What a joke! The war in Guandong is raging, and the situation is changing every month. If he doesn't seize the opportunity to send troops now and waits here for ten years, who knows how the situation in Guandong will change? What if someone unifies the Central Plains first?

Liu Xian now roughly understood the Celestial Masters' sect's intentions. These people didn't really care about the world; they only wanted to protect their own little territory. Wasn't this exactly what they were preparing to do by betraying Li Xiong? And if one day he found himself in a weaker position, they might betray him just the same way.

Thinking of this, Liu Xian felt a deep sense of disgust. Liu Xian didn't have a clear faith, but he couldn't be considered an atheist either; he was more of a simple, pragmatic individual. Sometimes, for psychological comfort, he might believe in spirits and offer a little prayer. But ultimately, he was a person who lived in the present and dealt with immediate problems. To ask him to wholeheartedly believe in such an unambitious and extremely xenophobic sect was worse than killing him.

Thinking this, Liu Xian began to cough. While coughing, he suddenly had a mischievous thought and asked Chen Hui with a smile, "Chen Dugong, after hearing about your teachings, I have always had a question. I wonder if you could answer it?"

Upon hearing that the discussion would focus on doctrine, Chen Hui smiled and nodded, saying, "Please feel free to ask."

Liu Xian asked, "I've heard that people who follow the Zhengyi sect can go to the Immortal Hall after death, is that right?"

"That's right. After becoming a race, one may suffer in life, but enjoy eternal bliss after death."

What evidence is there for this?

"If you believe it, you have it; if you don't believe it, you don't have it."

"So, without becoming a member of the race, one cannot enter the Celestial Hall?"

"That's it."

"Chancellor Chen, you must be over sixty years old, right? Is your mother still alive?"

Hearing this question, Chen Hui was somewhat puzzled. He replied, "My mother passed away thirty years ago."

"Thirty years ago... So, did your mother also believe in the Zhengyi sect?"

“My mother doesn’t believe in them; she prefers to worship Prime Minister Zhuge Liang and General Jiang…”

"So, your mother doesn't believe in the Zhengyi sect and therefore cannot enter the Immortal Hall. Yet you want to separate from your mother and go to the Immortal Hall alone? Is this in accordance with the principles of loyalty and filial piety?"

Chen Hui remained silent, speechless for a moment. Li A, standing beside him, was also stunned. They had never imagined that there was such a way of blaming someone.

Liu Xian coughed again and said softly, "My mother doesn't believe in the Zhengyi sect either. According to you, she's probably a wandering ghost in the mountains. If that's the case, even if my soul is scattered, I would never want to enter the Immortal Hall. I must stay by her side."

“I have many brothers, relatives, and friends who have passed away, and they are not in the Celestial Hall. Oh, and Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, General Jiang Wei, and the ancestors of the Han Dynasty are not in the Celestial Hall either. To me, the place where they are is the true Celestial Hall. The Celestial Hall without them is not worth mentioning at all.”

Because of his illness, Liu Xian's words remained light and airy. But to Chen and Li, they were like arrows striking right at their core. This wasn't a rebuttal of interests, but a pure doctrinal critique, a critique of their imagination of the afterlife—yet its power was far greater, almost applicable to everyone who didn't believe in the Celestial Masters sect. For a moment, they wanted to refute him, but didn't know how, and finally looked at each other, uneasy. (End of Chapter)