Jinting Han people

Three years had passed since Liu Xian and Lu Zhi parted ways in Hedong. Three years later, Liu Xian had already established a solid foundation, but for Lu Zhi, those same three years were nothing short of a nightmare from which he could not wake up and was constantly falling.

Countless times in the dead of night, he would suddenly dream of the battlefield of the Battle of Zhangnan, his 80,000 Northern Army driven like livestock by the Western Army, dust billowing everywhere, shouts of men and neighing of horses, filled with the clashing of weapons and armor. Then he would see Qian Xiu and others running towards him, covered in arrows and bleeding from their mouths, shouting through the air, "Our army has been defeated! Our army has been defeated!" And he would hear people in the distance shouting, "Lu Zhi is incompetent! Lu Zhi is incompetent!"

Often, just as Zhang Fang charged menacingly toward him on horseback, the cold glint of his spear flashing before his eyes, Lu Zhi would jolt awake from his nightmare, only to find his forehead drenched in cold sweat and his body trembling uncontrollably. The images of swords and shadows from his dream would still replay in his mind, vivid as if they were right before his eyes.

But that was not the case. He remembered the battle that took place on the south bank of the Zhang River very clearly.

It was a sunny day with a clear sky. It had rained a few days earlier, and a rainbow hung in the sky. There was no dust at all, and there was no question of swords clashing.

The situation that day was quite simple. After days of long marches, the morale of the Northern Army was already on the verge of collapse. When Gou Xi and Zhang Fang appeared on both the north and south sides at the same time, everyone knew that something was wrong. Although Lu Zhi tried his best to maintain military discipline, the generals had no will to fight. After fighting for less than half an hour, everyone scattered, allowing Zhang Fang to easily cut through them, as if it were child's play.

That day, no one shouted, no one yelled; instead, there were many pleas for mercy. Just like in his dream, the only result was a crushing defeat. Many died—some hacked to death, some shot, some trampled, and some drowned—but few truly died in battle. In his final recollections, Lu Zhi couldn't remember how he escaped the battlefield. Perhaps it was because, in his mind, the act was too shameful, causing him to subconsciously forget it.

He had always wanted to forget these things completely, but he could never do it.

This nightmare haunted him like a ghost, haunting him no matter where he was.

Because Lu Zhi understood that from this day forward, his envisioned path to sainthood had come to an end. Although the chances of success had already become slim before this day, it was after this battle that there was no longer any hope of success. Nightmares constantly reminded him that everything he had clung to in the past was now just a passing cloud. All his efforts on this path had been in vain.

This caused him to occasionally dream of Lu Ji, in which Lu Ji would silently gaze at him, his face cold and mocking. Although the other man did not utter a word, Lu Zhi understood his meaning: Lu Zhi had always considered himself superior and ridiculed Lu Ji for his unscrupulous methods, but in the end, what was the difference between Lu Zhi and Lu Ji?

Lu Zhi didn't want to admit it, but when Zhang Fang's army swept through Hebei and Jizhou was devastated, he had to admit that, in the eyes of later generations, he and Lu Ji were indeed no different.

Perhaps he wasn't having a nightmare; perhaps he was previously having a very long, beautiful dream, which he named the Way of the Holy King. But now, the dream is over.

Upon waking, Lu Zhi followed Sima Ying through Hebei. Everywhere he looked, the roads were filled with endless streams of displaced men and women, and the roadside was littered with broken walls, withered trees, and abandoned wells. Passing through deserted villages, the fields were littered with bones, and eerie green will-o'-the-wisps flickered in the dead of night. Vultures circled high above, and flocks of crows perched fearlessly in the roadside trees. Inside houses, jackals would often leap out carrying human leg bones, or swarms of rats would burst forth, sending chills down one's spine.

Whose fault is this? This thought always lingered in Lu Zhi's mind, and then he sighed for a long time, realizing that since he was in this position, it was his own fault.

Let the time that follows be an opportunity to atone for my mistakes.

In his melancholy, Lu Zhi worked even harder for the stability of the allied forces. He traveled to various places, resettling refugees, raising funds, and collecting money, managing everything meticulously and earning great renown. He constantly used his busyness to numb himself, because whenever he had a moment of leisure, he couldn't help but think of the bleak future: the Northern Expeditionary Army was finished, Hebei was finished, and even the Jin Dynasty was finished. There would be decades of chaos here, because people's hearts were in turmoil, and he saw no hope for a future of peace.

However, this was only his own opinion. In the eyes of others, Lu Zhi was undoubtedly still the most strategist in Hebei. After the Northern Army defeated the Western Army, forcing Zhang Fang to flee west in disarray, Ji Sang, Wang Jun, and Sima Teng all greatly admired Lu Zhi and secretly recruited him, hoping he would stay in Hebei and work together to achieve great things.

But Lu Zhi refused them all, saying he wanted to remain faithful to the King of Chengdu and share life and death with him. However, it's hard to say whether Lu Zhi's refusal was truly out of a sense of responsibility, or if there were other reasons.

However, he did indeed fulfill his utmost responsibility to Sima Ying.

After the crushing defeat at Zhangnan, only a handful of officials remained who had followed Sima Ying. Meng Jiu and Meng Chao, whom Sima Ying had favored, had vanished without a trace. Wang Yan, Wang Cheng, and others who had regularly sought reinforcements from Sima Ying remained silent. Only Lu Zhi, busy with various chores, diligently cared for Sima Ying's family, protecting their reputation and prestige.

Seeing how hard Lu Zhi was working, the allied forces gave him some face, but secretly they were saying: "Lu Changshi may seem to be a subject of the King of Chengdu, but in reality he is the King of Chengdu's prime minister!"
Only then did Sima Ying realize that among all the people around him, Lu Zhi was the only truly talented and loyal advisor. Thinking of this, he would often weep bitterly, choking back tears as he swore an oath to the heavens to Lu Zhi:

"Zidao, from now on, I will always follow your advice and obey your word! Let's start over and rebuild our empire!"

Facing the still innocent face of the King of Chengdu, Lu Zhi could only offer a bitter smile. He had heard Sima Ying's words far too many times and no longer took them seriously. Besides, Sima Ying had realized this far too late; having come to this point, what future was there left to speak of?
As expected, after the pacification of Hebei, Ji Sang, Sima Teng, and Wang Jun reached an agreement to send Sima Ying away from Hebei and escort him to Xuchang. Once in Xuchang, Zu Ti immediately placed the troublesome Sima Ying under house arrest, forbidding anyone from receiving him and granting him no authority whatsoever.

Not long after, Zu Ti was exiled to Luoyang, and Wang Yan took control of Xuchang. Sima Ying thought he could regain his freedom, but before he could even rejoice, a cup of poisoned wine was sent from the palace, and the Prince of Chengdu was poisoned to death in his palace.

At this point, Sima Ying, the Prince of Chengdu, was only twenty-eight years old. He had two sons, who were also killed.

Prior to this, Lu Zhi was still lobbying the court in Xuchang, hoping that Wang Yan could give Sima Ying a chance to return to his fiefdom, so as to show that he had no desire for power and only sought peace. Who would have thought that this would happen.

When Lu Zhi finally saw Sima Ying's body, he was utterly heartbroken.

Those in the know believed that while Sima Ying had many faults, for Lu Zhi, the Prince of Chengdu was his spiritual anchor, both a mentor who appreciated him and a benefactor who trusted him. Sima Ying may have wronged the world, but no one could criticize those around him. He wholeheartedly trusted anyone who had done him a favor. Even if he disagreed with their opinions, he merely ignored them, not neglected them.

Therefore, no matter what mistakes Sima Ying made, Lu Zhi could hardly blame him.

Ultimately, the King of Chengdu was simply unworthy of his position. He was kind-hearted, but otherwise, he was of average ability, lacking both unwavering will and exceptional wisdom. Various people, driven by their own ambitions, stirred up trouble around him, leaving him bewildered and ultimately leading to his downfall.

After the hasty burial of the King of Chengdu, Lu Zhi stared at the newly carved tombstone and then sadly thought that he was like a boat adrift, and that the last thread of connection with the Jin Dynasty had been severed.

Afterwards, Wang Yan invited him to his residence as the Military Advisor, declaring that he would temporarily entrust him with important military and national affairs, and that he would be of great use in the future. However, Lu Zhi politely declined. Wang Yan's previous actions had almost completely ruined the future of the Northern Expeditionary Army, and he would never forgive him.

Wang Yan was fully aware of this, and he originally intended to kill Lu Zhi directly. However, considering Lu Zhi's talent, he knew he would be wary. Moreover, Lu Zhi was extremely principled, mindful of the overall situation, and renowned throughout the land; anyone would be tempted to admire his talent. Killing him in Xuchang would be difficult, and it would severely damage his reputation.

Of course, given Wang Yan's character, he still tested Lu Zhi a little. Seeing that Lu Zhi wasn't prepared to serve in Xuchang, he pondered for a while and then came up with an idea. He asked Lu Zhi, "Zidao, would you like to go south to Jingzhou? Zhang Fang is currently wreaking havoc, and a great sage is needed to punish the wicked. I can offer you the position of Prefect of Xiangyang." This was a test to see if Lu Zhi had any intention of rising again. Wang Yan had already planned ahead. If Lu Zhi agreed, Wang Yan would instruct Wang Dun to devise a plan to capture and kill him as soon as he arrived in Xiangyang, imitating the story of Cao Cao and Mi Heng. Even if Lu Zhi died, no one would blame him.

Unexpectedly, Lu Zhi immediately refused, saying instead, "Your Highness, I have only one place to go, and I beg Your Highness to grant my request."

"Where is it?"

"Ye City!" Faced with Wang Yan's astonished expression, Lu Zhi slowly said, "I have managed Ye City for more than ten years, and it is no different from my hometown. Now that Hebei is in great chaos again, I want to return to Ye City to protect the peace of this region."

This answer surprised Wang Yan, but upon reflection, it made perfect sense. At that time, Liu Yuan and Liu Bogen were rising in power, and Hebei was in a state of great unrest. Wang Yan knew Sima Teng, the Prince of Xincai; with his abilities, he certainly couldn't handle such a chaotic situation, nor would he trust Lu Zhi. However, if Lu Zhi were in the north, given his integrity, he would never defect to the rebels. At least in the short term, he could delay the rebel army, buying time for his own side—a win-win situation.

Hesitantly, Lu Zhi submitted another memorial to Wang Yan, requesting to borrow some troops when he went north to Ye City. This finally convinced Wang Yan of his determination to return north. Wang Yan was naturally unwilling to lend troops, but he agreed to the previous request and let Lu Zhi leave Xuchang.

Lu Zhi was thus freed again and was able to leave Xuchang with his family. It was now October of the first year of the Qiming era of the Han Dynasty.

At that time, Wang Mi was wreaking havoc in the Central Plains, with rebel armies and bandits running rampant. Unable to cross the river from Yanzhou, he detoured to Luoyang, intending to disguise himself as a merchant and head north from Mengjin. Then, following the route he had taken to enter Luoyang during the campaign against Zhao, he returned to Yecheng by the same route.

Returning to Luoyang, a place of sorrow, Lu Zhi was taken aback. Although he had previously managed Luoyang, managing to revive it somewhat, he had mainly focused on rebuilding the city walls and clearing away the tombs and remains from abandoned villages. But he clearly remembered that the capital region still lacked vitality, and the nights were eerily desolate.

But by this time, the scene in the capital region was vastly different. When Lu Zhi arrived, it was early winter, and the temperature had plummeted, yet busy farmers could be seen frequently along the roadsides. They were dressed in thin, tattered clothes, often in groups of three or five, young and old, either cutting down trees in the mountains or collecting stones in the fields. Then, hundreds of them would gather in the valleys, tamping earth and piling stones to mark the foundations. This scene was so common that it initially gave Lu Zhi the illusion of a bustling, vibrant city.

With Lu Zhi's knowledge, he could naturally tell that these people were all refugees who were building fortified villages in this land called Jingji. Before even entering Luoyang, he had already encountered no fewer than twenty such fortified village prototypes, and secretly estimated that there were over ten thousand refugees here.

When Lu Zhi saw Luoyang City, he was surprised again. The Luoyang City that he had repaired in the past had now been demolished into pieces. Apart from the Jinyong City, whose structure was still intact, the mansions and palaces in the city had been basically demolished by the refugees. Needless to say, they were used to build fortified villages.

Then he saw Zu Ti. This loser in the political struggle was now regrouping in Jinyong City. He was overjoyed to hear of Lu Zhi's arrival and immediately invited the group to dine. It turned out that all of this was his scheme. Seeing the chaos in Hebei and the Central Plains, with people displaced, he used the fertile land of Henan Prefecture to recruit refugees, forcing them to settle there and instructing them to build fortified villages to defend against the rebel armies from the north and south.

In less than half a year, Zu Ti had achieved great success. He had gathered more than 70,000 people. Although it was far from the prosperity of Luoyang in the past, it was still a normal prefecture.

As for Lu Zhi, although Zu Ti had previously placed Sima Ying under house arrest and had some grudges against Lu Zhi, they were from the same hometown, and Zu Ti genuinely admired Lu Zhi. Upon learning that Lu Zhi planned to go north to Ye City, Zu Ti sincerely invited him, saying, "Brother Lu, why don't you stay in Luoyang and work with me on great things?"

Lu Zhi smiled wryly and waved his hand, saying, "Brother Zu is truly as firm as iron, unyielding. It's a pity I'm too old to have that kind of spirit."

After experiencing various upheavals, Lu Zhi was now over forty years old. All his past efforts had come to naught, and starting over was simply too difficult.

To his surprise, Zu Ti shook his head and encouraged him, saying, "Brother Lu, why do you say that? How do you know I won't be discouraged?"

"Even my elder brother gets discouraged?"

"Even Emperor Gaozu faced the predicament of Baideng, and Xiang Yu lamented at Wujiang. I am but a poor scholar, how can I not feel discouraged?"

At this point, Zu Ti recalled the past and couldn't help but look eastward and sigh. At that time, everyone was feasting on the hundred-foot tower, a cold wind blowing outside. He raised his cup and looked at the refugees and common people outside, then rallied his spirits and said to Lu Zhi:

“There are some things you can never let go of until you’ve experienced them. But after I got that position, I realized that it was far more comfortable to be with the common people than to be scheming and plotting with Wang Yan and his gang in the court.”

Lu Zhi understood Zu Ti's meaning; he was saying that when propriety is lost, one should seek it in the countryside, for there is always a bright side to the world. Lu Zhi had long understood this principle, and he used to think that as long as he was careful in his words and deeds and adhered to his principles, he could always endure these things. But now he realized that wherever there are people, there will be conflict. When people's hearts are in such turmoil, even in remote places, petty scheming is inevitable, and no one can endure it for long.

Therefore, he said, “What you say is very true, but the world is like this, and the world is falling apart. It is a foregone conclusion. Even if we do something for a while, in the long run, it will probably be useless. What is bound to happen will happen. There are some things that we can’t avoid.”

Zu Ti then said, “How can the affairs of the world be useless? If Brother Lu has developed a desire to withdraw from the world because of this, it would be a great pity. No matter when or where, doing something practical for the people of the Nine Provinces and saving more lives, even if it is a small thing, is a great thing in the eyes of others, isn’t it?”

Hearing Zu Ti's forthright words, Lu Zhi was invigorated and couldn't help but look at him with new respect. Indeed, many great things in the world begin with small steps. Sima Ying didn't understand this principle, hence his eagerness for quick success. Zu Ti, however, remained undeterred even in dire straits, truly deserving the title of hero, which greatly impressed Lu Zhi. But some things were simply better left unsaid.

At this moment, Zu Ti had already seen through Lu Zhi's intentions. He asked suspiciously, "Brother Lu, do you think my waters are too shallow to accommodate a hidden dragon like you?"

"Of course not." Seeing that Zu Ti had seen through him, Lu Zhi sighed and stopped hiding anything. He straightened his clothes and solemnly said, "Lu Zhi has a prior agreement with the King of Han. Brother Zu should know that the King of Han is a man of his word. If I cannot keep my promise, I will not be able to accept it."

Zu Ti was taken aback upon hearing this, then burst into laughter, and finally slammed his hand on the table, saying, "Huai Chong, oh Huai Chong, he always gets there first, it's infuriating!"

He did not obstruct Lu Zhi's journey, only spending some time informing Yan Ding before sending men to escort him into the pass. Upon arriving in Chang'an, it was already the twelfth month of the first year of the Qiming era, just as Liu Xian was leading his army south. Lu Zhi felt that with nothing to his name, it was not the best time to head south. Therefore, he devised a plan: he would linger in Guanzhong for several months until he received confirmation of Liu Xian's return, only then entering Hanzhong.

As soon as news of his arrival spread, Liu Xian was overjoyed. He first ordered Wei Jun to lead troops to escort Lu Zhi south. When Lu Zhi arrived in Fu County, Liu Xian personally led his men to greet him on horseback. Afterwards, he rode back to Chengdu with Lu Zhi in the same carriage. At the same time, he built a special mansion for Lu Zhi and invited him to stay there.

The meticulousness of his etiquette was evident to all, from top to bottom, so much so that a Chengdu children's rhyme went: "A hundred fine steeds are not worth a single tiger; of the three Li brothers from Guanzhong, only one Lu is truly worthy." (End of Chapter)