Jinting Han people

In July, Liu Xian began his journey back north.

This time, he did not return via the same route. To amplify the impact of his tour, he took a different path, heading north from Yongchang to Yunnan Prefecture. This place is the upper reaches of the rivers of Ningzhou, with extremely high mountains, said to connect to the Kunlun Mountains to the west. When passing through Xiongcang Mountain, one can see clouds and streams converging at the mountainside. Because the clouds mostly gather on the south side, it is called Yunnan.

July in Yunnan was still blessed with excellent weather: bright sunshine, clear skies, wildflowers carpeting the valleys, and lush forests. A gentle breeze blew through the valleys, and the horses trotted along happily. Liu Xian's mood was also greatly lifted by this scene. When he reached the mountaintop, he asked everyone to stop and quietly watch the ever-changing sea of ​​clouds on the mountainside. He then told his son, Liu Lang, his wish: "If I could be buried amidst the sea of ​​clouds when I die of old age, how wonderful that would be!"

Liu Xian was thirty-five this year, no longer young. Especially after experiencing a near-death experience, he was no longer unfamiliar with death, and he couldn't help but think about it when he had free time. Compared to being buried in a mausoleum, being buried in the sea of ​​clouds was probably the most romantic way to die. However, no one dared to respond to his words, after all, the fate of the entire nation rested on Liu Xian's shoulders, and no one would discuss such an ominous topic with him.

Two days later, however, the people encountered an unforgettable scene. On this day, a light rain fell, and the sky was foggy. The people packed their bags and continued on their way, but unexpectedly, several high mountains suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the clouds. The mountains were covered in snow, and there were faint figures moving about, but they seemed to be suspended in mid-air, exuding an ethereal and dreamlike quality, as if there were another world in the sky.

People were stunned for a moment, and they didn't know what had happened until the sun rose and the spectacle disappeared.

Some said this was probably the world of celestial beings, others said it might be the work of demons, and still others said it might be a revelation for the King of Han. Everyone discussed it animatedly, talking about it the whole way.

Liu Xian was naturally extremely shocked. He had never believed in ghosts and gods before, and now he felt somewhat bewildered. He turned to ask Fan Ben for an explanation. The Taoist priest was speechless; he had never seen anything like this before. After a long while, he came up with a bunch of terms like "Taiqing" and "Shangqing," but none of them satisfied Liu Xian.

Liu Lang had recently been reading the Book of Han and remembered that the Treatise on Astronomy mentioned a similar phenomenon at sea. Ban Gu called it mirage, and mirage is a type of dragon whose breath can transform into towering palaces and jade mountains.

Could it be that he had encountered a mirage? Upon hearing this, Liu Xian couldn't help but feel somewhat pleased, as it was, from any perspective, an auspicious omen. He had now essentially restored all of Shu Han's territory except for Badong Commandery; perhaps this was a form of recognition from the ancestors of the Han Dynasty?
Liu Xian strained his eyes to search the clear sky, but all he could see were thin clouds and seemingly some twisted cloud patterns. He couldn't find any real evidence, which made him feel somewhat discouraged.

Liu Xian secretly comforted himself, perhaps fate truly has its own will, but it is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people, so he shouldn't think too much about it. But he still couldn't help thinking that if one day he could fly with the mirage in the sky, then he would have no regrets in this life.

After this incident, Liu Xian quickened his pace to return north. He passed through Huiwu County, then the Yan River and the Lu River, and re-entered Zhuti County. They rested for two days in Zhuti County, waiting for Meng Biao and others from Nanning to bring their troops and the spoils from the southern expedition to join them. Only then did Liu Xian set off again. The group returned to Bodao via the Yangguan River, which was now part of Yizhou.

Prefect Fu Chang of Jianwei had received the news early on. Before Liu Xian even reached the Bidao Pass, he had already led his men to meet him, preparing ships for the northward journey while simultaneously sending a messenger to Chengdu to report the return of the King of Han. Liu Xian was in a good mood and said to Fu Chang, "There's no need for such a fuss. You're practically my brother-in-law. How about the two of us just travel around a bit?"

Unexpectedly, Fu Chang seriously advised Liu Xian, "Your Highness, you are now the king, and the fate of the nation rests on your shoulders. Now that the war is over, it is not advisable to stay away from home for long. It is best to be cautious and return to Chengdu as soon as possible."

Liu Xian was taken aback by Fu Chang's words. Fu Chang had always been an extremely carefree young man, and the two of them used to joke around in private. He never expected him to be so cautious after becoming king. However, Liu Xian did not harbor any resentment because he quickly realized that this was the price of being a king. Since he had chosen this path, he was destined to find it difficult to have equal friends anymore.

At this moment, Liu Xian inexplicably thought of Zu Ti. He had heard that the Central Plains were in chaos, and Zu Ti was currently in Luoyang. He wondered what his situation was like and whether he could manage. Given his current predicament, Zu Ti's situation must be quite difficult, but Liu Xian was thousands of miles away and could not help him.

He then thought of Lu Zhi. He had always believed that after the death of Sima Ying, the Prince of Chengdu, Lu Zhi would come to him for refuge. But so much time had passed without any news, which inevitably disappointed Liu Xian. Was he truly going to remain faithful to him until the end?
However, these were all personal choices, so Liu Xian stopped thinking about them and agreed to Fu Chang's request. It was better to go back sooner; judging by the time, the autumn tax was being collected now, and hopefully this year would be a good one.

With boats, the convoy moved much faster. Liu Xian rode in a double-decker pleasure boat, the hull swaying gently with the river, giving him a sense of leisurely pleasure. Looking at the scenery on both banks, one could see layered mountains painted in autumn colors, or picturesque forests stretching as far as the eye could see. The harvested fields possessed a serene beauty, and the market town bustled with boats, teeming with life. Aside from the occasional abandoned house, a glimpse into the cruel past remained, the wounds of war being healed at an astonishing pace.

It seems everything is proceeding as expected; without the chaos of war, Sichuan and Chongqing have indeed enjoyed an exceptionally harmonious year. Furthermore, Liu Xian's victory in Ningzhou this year makes this even more cause for celebration.

Eight days later, Liu Xian and his entourage returned to Chengdu and held a grand entry ceremony to celebrate the pacification of Ningzhou. This attracted large crowds of Chengdu residents who were amazed by the spectacle.

Before the Lunar New Year, Liu Xian led an army of only ten thousand south. The people in the city discussed this, believing the King of Han had made a mistake. After all, when Prime Minister Zhuge Liang campaigned south, he led nearly thirty thousand soldiers. The King of Han's attempt to pacify the south with only ten thousand men seemed overconfident. If a plague were to strike, the soldiers might not even have a chance to fight. Unexpectedly, Liu Xian returned from the south with an even larger army, numbering over twenty thousand.

Moreover, Liu Xian brought back a considerable amount of spoils of war. Various pearls, jade, gemstones, gold, silver, and glass filled over thirty carts—a truly dazzling and overwhelming sight. At the same time, various tribes presented a large number of livestock, including over ten thousand Yunnan horses, over four thousand Western Qiang horses, and over thirty thousand cattle and sheep. Chengdu had never seen so many livestock before, causing the roads south of the city to become extremely congested, practically impassable.

The most eye-catching item was the ten elephants captured by the Han army in Tanzhi. Although these elephants caused Liu Xian some trouble on the battlefield, he still liked them very much and brought them back along with their trainers. As expected, this caused a sensation in Chengdu. Even in Sichuan, people had heard of them, but this was the first time they had seen such giant beasts. Therefore, the crowd was unprecedentedly large, and the atmosphere was unprecedentedly high, making the elephant trainers a little nervous, and they had to repeatedly soothe the somewhat agitated elephants under their mounts.

With a force of only around ten thousand men, achieving so much at such a minimal cost, the success of this southern expedition is undeniable. The entire city of Chengdu praised it. The officials who came to greet Liu Xian were also extremely pleased, led by Li Ju, who, upon seeing Liu Xian, lavished praise on his merits. At this moment, the soldiers sang the "Southern Expedition Song," a piece created by Emperor Wu of Han during his earlier pacification of the southwestern barbarians. The music was magnificent and powerful, and the voices were as loud as boiling water. They chanted in unison: "The virtue of Han is vast, opening up all to the outside world. Crossing the Bo Nan, traversing the Lan Jin. Crossing the Lan Cang, for the sake of others."

The so-called "Bubin" refers to the ancient Ailao Kingdom. Bonan and Lanjin are both place names in Yongchang Prefecture. Crossing the Lancang River (Lancang River) leads to Buwei County, the southwestern border of the country. Since Liu Xian had traveled south to Buwei County on the border, it is most appropriate for him to sing this now.

After entering the city, Liu Xian hosted a banquet in the palace to entertain the officials and nobles. Everyone drank and celebrated all night long, and the banquet did not end until it was almost dark the next day.

Soon after, the imperial court reviewed the merits of the pacification of the south and bestowed titles and rewards. The order of merit among the generals who followed Liu Xian south was: Li Feng first, Fan Ben second, Wen Shuo third, Zhang Bao fourth, and Huo Biao and Guo Mo tied for fifth.

Although Li Feng was not as brave as others, he had made significant contributions by offering strategic advice. During his journey south with Liu Xian, he presented four plans: deploying the Changsheng Army, feigning an attack on Yuexi, launching a night raid on Yak, and engaging in a decisive battle at Tanzhi. All of these strategies proved highly effective, demonstrating that he was indeed a first-rate military talent. Although Liu Xian had some reservations about him, he recognized Li Feng's exceptional military abilities and, seeing his talent, transferred him to the central government, appointing him Minister of War in the Imperial Secretariat, and rewarding him with three hundred gold pieces.

Li Feng was overjoyed. Although he was a distant relative, he had never been given a prominent position under Li Xiong. Now, however, he had risen to prominence and was practically the most powerful person among the former subjects of Chengdu. It was a world of difference. However, after being warned by Liu Xian, he knew that his identity was sensitive. If he were too ostentatious, he might attract jealousy. Therefore, he declined the gold and silver offered by Liu Xian and instead asked for a house in a corner of Chengdu to prepare for a period of quiet contemplation.

Although Fan Ben did not offer any strategic advice, his ability to quickly pacify the various Yi tribes and unite with the Western Qiang was inseparable from the strong support of the Celestial Masters sect. The Souyi people valued spirits and gods more than life and death; with the Celestial Masters sect proclaiming the will of Heaven, their will to resist was significantly weakened. Therefore, as the leader of the Celestial Masters sect, Fan Ben's contributions surpassed those of other generals. However, Liu Xian had already promoted him to the position of Attendant-in-Ordinary, leaving him with no real power to bestow upon him further honors. Therefore, he promoted him to Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent to demonstrate their close relationship.

Wen Shuo ranked third. He was a man of few words but boldness and meticulousness, and actively pledged his loyalty to Liu Xian. Liu Xian greatly admired him, so he promoted him to Protector-General, appointed him as the General of the Feathered Forest Guard, and made him his personal guard, in charge of the warriors at the gate.

Zhang Bao ranked fourth. He followed Wen Shuo in attacking the Yak, and later, when resisting the army's attack, he took the risk and repelled a herd of elephants, proving himself to be a valiant general. Liu Xian had previously agreed with him to promote him to the rank of garrison commander. However, this treatment was clearly excessive and would not be accepted by the troops. But since Liu Xian had made a prior agreement, he could not deny it, so he appointed him as Tiger-General of the Central Army, acting as a garrison commander. He would be promoted to a full rank after further merit.

In contrast, Guo Mo's southward campaign, focused on protecting Liu Xian, meant he had few opportunities to shine except for the final major battle, and his contributions were not particularly outstanding. However, his accumulated merits led to his promotion to General Jianwu, fulfilling his aspirations.

Huo Biao was promoted to Protector-General of the Qiang. He had extensive experience in dealing with the Yi and Yue peoples, and Liu Xian planned to have him recruit a new Western Qiang army based on his existing troops. During this southern expedition, Liu Xian was most impressed by the Western Qiang people on the border of Yuexi. They lived in the extremely cold and harsh highlands, and were therefore quite hardworking and skilled at horseback riding. Liu Xian thought they could be a useful source of soldiers.

In addition, the other generals were also rewarded according to their merits, with various gifts bestowed upon them. Because the spoils were so plentiful, almost all the officials in the court and the soldiers in the army received some kind of reward. These gifts ranged from gold and silver to cattle and sheep; this was the first time since the re-establishment of the country that the court had provided such substantial material rewards.

During the six months or so that Liu Xian was away, the affairs of the court continued to function normally under the leadership of Li Ju and Liu Kun. With the cooperation of the Celestial Masters sect, the planned tasks such as repairing water conservancy projects, encouraging agriculture to resume cultivation, and checking household registrations were largely successful.

Without taking a census of Ningzhou, it is known that Yizhou had a total of 340,000 households and 1,527,000 people. This figure is certainly inaccurate, as the refugees in Bashu had not yet been completely eliminated at this time, and the hidden households among the gentry had not been thoroughly investigated. However, this figure was already equal to the data from the fifth year of the Yuankang era. It can be said that this was far beyond the court's expectations.

After all, Yizhou had suffered repeated turmoil, and according to everyone's estimates, at least 300,000 people had migrated to Ningzhou and Jingzhou in the past six or seven years. Given this achievement, it can be said that the population registration system was not a failure, but a great success.

However, a closer analysis reveals the reasons behind this. Since the Wei and Jin dynasties, the grassroots system had been on the verge of collapse, and checking household registrations required the cooperation of local powerful clans. Furthermore, the Sima clan frequently employed local scholars as officials, essentially meaning they were checking their own records. Local scholars were naturally happy to underreport their household registrations to reduce taxes. Adding to this, the Celestial Masters sect in Sichuan and Chongqing were also involved in concealing household registrations. If the Sima clan's registered households were even half the actual number, it would be considered a stroke of luck.

Liu Xian had previously brought nearly 200,000 people from Hedong and Guanzhong when he entered Shu. During the previous wars, Hanzhong had also taken in tens of thousands of refugees from Guanzhong and Longxi. In addition, the Qiang and Di people from Qiuchi were also included in the population count, and with the support of the Celestial Masters sect, such a successful population census was achieved.

Therefore, even though Liu Xian promised to halve the land rent this year, the tax revenue was still considerable. According to the accounts, three million bushels of grain and two million bolts of silk had been collected. While not as wealthy as Ji Province, it was undoubtedly among the top in the Nine Provinces. Next year, once Ning Province stabilizes and can also pay its taxes, the nation's strength will likely reach even greater heights.

Of course, there were also shortcomings. For example, Liu Xian's long-cherished effort to promote the *Ziya Lü* (a set of ancient Chinese legal codes) yielded very little result. It proved that making some people learn to read and write might be more painful than killing them. Few of the officials sent from various regions to learn the new laws met the requirements, and even those who did often faced resistance in their localities, hindering its widespread adoption.

For example, Liu Xian noticed that the military discipline remaining in Chengdu seemed somewhat lax. Perhaps because he was away, court officials were busy governing the people, leaving the generals with nothing to do, which led to complacency and hindered troop training. In this world, not only learning is like rowing against the current, but everything is the same. The army's combat strength is crucial to future campaigns, and Liu Xian could not afford to ignore it.

Overall, Liu Xian was satisfied with the state of the court. He planned to spend a year in Chengdu consolidating his power before heading out of Sichuan to fight again next autumn. As for whether to head north or east, Liu Xian agreed with Li Feng's view and leaned towards heading east. However, the specific actions would depend on the development of the situation across the country, and then a concrete decision would be made.

Unfortunately, not long after Liu Xian returned to Chengdu, in late August, a momentous event occurred in the north that could change the course of the empire, causing an uproar throughout the court and shaking the course of future strategies—just half a month earlier, Liu Yuan, the King of Hu-Han, had preemptively declared himself emperor! (End of Chapter)