Jinting Han people

Although the Battle of Yi'an ended in victory for the Han army, as Ying Zhan said, this did not mean the end of the war in Jingzhou.

The Han army had fought a major battle, achieving a great victory, but also suffering considerable casualties. They needed rest and recuperation, as well as the processing and resettlement of prisoners. Therefore, they were indeed unable to launch another offensive in the short term. This allowed the Jin army to remain in Jingnan, maintaining a stalemate with the Han army. Meanwhile, the fighting on the battlefields of Yiling and Xiangnan was not yet over, leaving room for maneuver.

But victory is victory. Through this battle, the Han army has shaken off the strategic passivity caused by its previous numerical disadvantage and has instead seized the strategic initiative. At the very least, the Jin army can no longer prevent the various forces in southern Jing from actively aligning themselves with the Han army.

The first to react were the Wuxi and Jingmen barbarians who had fled back. Just three days after the battle, they sent seven leaders to Yi'an to plead guilty before the King of Han. Upon meeting the King, they appeared extremely frightened, kowtowing repeatedly, but also very devout. The leaders earnestly recalled the past relationship between their ancestors and the King of Han, while also explaining their helplessness in being caught up in the Jin army. When they spoke of their deepest emotions, they even wept, leaving Liu Xian both amused and exasperated.

Liu Xian naturally wouldn't stoop to their level. Even if the war were to end, and even after pacifying Jingzhou, Liu Xian probably wouldn't have the time or energy to deal with these barbarians deep in the mountains. His priority was to quickly restore order and stability.

Therefore, he offered these people relatively lenient terms, totaling four: first, each tribe would offer over a hundred of their own children as hostages to the King of Han; second, Tan Zhou, who was in league with Ying Zhan, would commit suicide as punishment; third, all the counties they occupied would be returned; and fourth, according to the old practice in Ningzhou, each tribe would be subject to the supervision of the Han envoy.

These barbarians readily agreed, and thus, the two commanderies of Tianmen and Wuling were once again under the control of the Han army.

Following them were the various powerful clans of Jingzhou. Before this great battle, due to the Han army's disadvantage, they had adopted a conservative approach, mostly staying in their family fortified villages to observe the situation. Now, having received the Han army's proclamation and news of the great victory at Yi'an, they sent envoys to pay their respects under the pretext of supplying military provisions.

It must be said that under Liu Hong's rule, Jingzhou enjoyed a long period of peace, attracting many scholars from the Central Plains. As a result, its literary atmosphere was far more flourishing than that of Yizhou. Within half a month after the war, more than twenty prominent families, including the Fan family of Nanyang, the Guo family of Shunyang, the Pan family of Wuling, the Wu family of Wuling, and the Liu family of Lingling, came to surrender. Liu Xian met with and investigated them one by one, and found that these scholars were all well-versed in literature and history, and especially skilled in discussing the classics.

This scripture was not a Buddhist scripture, but a traditional Confucian classic. Perhaps influenced by Liu Hong, the academic atmosphere in Jingzhou was more pragmatic, not yet as frivolous and empty as in Luoyang. Since Liu Xian established his state, especially after Lu Zhi's arrival, the civil administration in Yizhou had improved, but it was still insufficient. This was exactly the kind of talent Liu Xian urgently needed. Among them were even Confucian scholars like Pan Jing and Wu Chao, who were already famous in Luoyang. He was naturally very pleased and thus recruited many scholars to supplement the court.

However, considering that they were newcomers and had not yet achieved any significant accomplishments, they needed time to integrate into the Shu Han court. Therefore, Liu Xian put considerable thought into personnel appointments.

Logically, to stabilize the region, when recruiting scholars, one should leverage their influence by appointing them to local official positions as a gesture of appeasement and appeasement. However, Liu Xian could not do this, because he had just implemented new policies in Shu the previous year. Doing so would inevitably violate the principles of the new policies and create obstacles for their future implementation. Therefore, while recruiting scholars, Liu Xian prioritized the promotion of the new policies.

For established figures like Pan Jing, Wu Chao, and Fan Jian, he appointed them all as Imperial Academy Doctors and bestowed upon them special honors such as insignia and staffs. As for scholars who had already served in the Jin Dynasty but were now living in seclusion, Liu Xian divided them into two categories: those with higher learning, such as Guo Shu, Guo Jing, and Zhou Gai, were appointed as Secretaries to assist Lu Zhi in the Imperial Secretariat; those with less learning, such as Guanqiu Ao, Yang Qian, and Guo Mai, were appointed as Agricultural Commandants to cultivate land in Ningzhou. Finally, Liu Xian recruited over two hundred young men from aristocratic families as Imperial Academy students and sent them all to Chengdu. After passing examinations, they would be appointed as local officials.

However, for Liu Xian, the most important gain from this battle was not these scholars from Jingzhou, but the high-ranking officials of the Jin dynasty who were captured in the battle.

Although the Jin court was quite corrupt during the Taikang and Yuankang eras, with figures like Jia Mi, Shi Chong, Wang Kai, and Wang Ji being extremely ruthless and domineering, causing widespread suffering among the people, the situation improved significantly after several coups in Luoyang, which purged many corrupt and arrogant nobles.

The best illustration of this is the fate of the eight founding noble families. For example, the Jia family of Pingyang was wiped out, and the four major families—the Shi family of Bohai, the Pei family of Hedong, the Wang family of Taiyuan, and the He family of Chen—lost more than half their number. Only the Zheng family of Xingyang, the Chen family of Linhuai, and the Xun family of Yingchuan escaped major harm. This was only because the Zheng and Chen families had few members, and the Xun family actively avoided disaster.

Against this backdrop of the decline of powerful families, talented individuals from humble backgrounds emerged in various regions. Especially among those still serving on the front lines, aside from the commanders, there were few incompetent individuals left. Figures like Zhu Si, Zhao You, and Ying Zhan all left a deep impression on Liu Xian.

Moreover, the scholars appointed by Wang Yan were essentially a mix of factions from both the Changsha King and the Chengdu King, and had varying degrees of connection with Liu Xian. Liu Xian, wanting to reunify the country, naturally couldn't rely solely on the power of one province or region. Any ruler seeking to establish rule must be able to recruit talented individuals from across the land. And if he could utilize some of these talents for his own purposes, it would serve as an excellent example for further winning over the hearts and minds of the people and dismantling the Shouchun court.

Therefore, a few days after the battle, Liu Xian first sent medical officers to treat the prisoners' wounds. After their injuries had healed somewhat, he arranged a date to hold a banquet and meet with the prisoners again.

Because the guest was a prisoner, the banquet was not a grand affair. Apart from the guards, no officials were present, and the food was rather simple, consisting mainly of chicken, duck, fish, and vegetables like sunflower, cabbage, and winter bamboo shoots. There was no wine or maids, but fortunately, the atmosphere was relaxed. Since the banquet was held in a stone pavilion, offering ample opportunity to enjoy the snow, Liu Xian seemed more like he was meeting with friends and chatting casually.

However, this was indeed the truth, because there was indeed a good friend of Liu Xian among the prisoners, and the two had not seen each other for a long time.

As the guests filed in, Liu Xian quickly spotted Zhou Yi. He immediately rose with a smile and hurried down the steps to greet him. Taking his hand, he looked Zhou Yi up and down carefully, then laughed, "Bo Ren, you haven't changed at all!"

To attend the banquet, Zhou Yi had just taken a bath and changed into a green and yellow mountain-patterned robe given to him by Liu Xian. With a turban wrapped around his head, he looked refined and cultured. Even though he was almost forty years old, his skin was still as fair as a young man's. Apart from a few more whiskers between his lips, his handsome appearance from back then was undiminished.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi gave a wry smile, subconsciously touched his slightly graying hair, and sighed as he replied, "Huai Chong, you've changed quite a bit; I hardly recognize you."

"How could one not change amidst the hustle and bustle of military life and the elements? It's rare to remain unchanged!" Liu Xian asked with emotion, "Bo Ren, how many years has it been since we last met?"

Zhou Yi pondered for a moment and replied, "The last time we met was in the first year of Yuan Kang. I, along with Chu Zhong, Ying Yuan, Shi Heng, and Hong Yuan, saw you off as you left Luoyang. You were only nineteen years old that year." "Nineteen years old..." Liu Xian sighed, "Yes, I am thirty-six now. So, it has been seventeen years since we last met."

At this point, both of them felt the immense power of time, as if they had returned to the carefree and peaceful years of seventeen years ago. Back then, they were all spirited young people, debating and arguing about things that hadn't even happened yet, until they were red in the face. But now, in middle age, things have changed, friends have each embarked on their own fixed and unchangeable paths, many are no longer here, but those who are alive must continue on their journey.

Thinking of this, both of them had a lot to say, but when the words reached their lips, they both felt powerless and spoke in a distant manner. So Liu Xian sighed and said, "We're both getting old!"

Then he glanced around at the assembled guests. Besides Zhou Yi, there were Zhou Fu, Zhu Si, Tian Hui, Zhao Gong, Su Wen, Dai Miao, Hao Gu, and others. Basically, all the surviving Jin army officials without any notorious misdeeds were present. However, they were in far worse shape than Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi, clearly a civil official, hadn't been given much trouble by the soldiers, but the others were in a much worse state, many bearing battlefield wounds. Zhu Si had an arrow in his ankle, Zhao Gong in his shoulder, and Tian Hui had a knife wound to the abdomen. Almost everyone was covered in cuts and bruises, and when they met Liu Xian, they all appeared extremely apprehensive.

Before meeting Liu Xian, some people wanted to appear assertive, like Ying Zhan, to demonstrate their loyalty as subjects. However, after Liu Xian's conversation with Zhou Yi, they suddenly realized that Liu Xian was not only the King of Han, but also the former Grand Commandant of the Jin Dynasty. From this perspective, everyone present was not only his defeated opponent, but also someone who had once been Liu Xian's subordinate.

After examining their injuries and confirming that they were not serious, Liu Xian smiled and began to reminisce with them one by one.

Zhou Fu was Zhou Yi's cousin and had served as a scholar under the Prince of Chengdu. When Liu Xian returned to Luoyang for the second time, he served as the Left Chief Secretary of the Minister of Works and the Assistant Minister of Personnel. Then, during Sima Yi's reign, due to his considerable reputation, he was promoted to Vice Censor-in-Chief at the suggestion of Sima Yue, and later transferred to the position of Governor of Xuzhou. Now, he has been reassigned by Wang Yan as the Governor of Huainan.

Liu Xian then talked to him about the old days in Luoyang. He asked Zhou Fu, "Back then, when I was in Luoyang with the King of Changsha, we resisted Zhang Fang and called on all the prefectures and counties in Guandong to come to the aid of the emperor. Why did Qing, Yu, and Yan provinces all send reinforcements, but Xu province did nothing?"

Liu Xian was actually asking a question he already knew the answer to. At that time, the governor of Xuzhou was Sima Mao, the Prince of Dongping, and Zhou Fu had no military power, so he naturally couldn't mobilize the Xuzhou army. However, Liu Xian knew that Zhou Fu was arrogant and would not easily surrender. Now that the question was brought up, Zhou Fu was indeed filled with shame. He had originally prepared some strong words, intending to rebuke Liu Xian like Ying Zhan did, and take the opportunity to express his loyalty. But when Liu Xian brought up his failure to defend the emperor, he suddenly felt his words were pale and powerless, and he didn't know where to begin in his desire to uphold the court.

Afterwards, Liu Xian spoke with Tian Hui. Tian Hui was an old acquaintance of Liu Xian's; in his early years, he served as Protector-General under Sima Xiao, the Prince of Fanyang, and was renowned for his martial prowess. However, after the Battle of Xingyang, the Eastern Expeditionary Army suffered a major defeat at the hands of Sima Yi, and Tian Hui switched allegiance to Liu Tun. In the following years, he suppressed refugees in the Central Plains and fought against Wang Mi and Liu Cong, achieving considerable success. If Wang Zan's contribution in protecting Xuchang after Liu Xian's departure was considered the greatest, then Tian Hui would probably rank second.

Tian Hui never expected that, as the rear guard supporting the Jin army, he hadn't even had a chance to prove himself before being swept up by the fleeing soldiers and unwittingly captured by the Han army. He was incredibly unlucky.

However, to be fair, Tian Hui admired the King of Han immensely and was willing to surrender to the Han army. When Liu Xian arrived, before he could even speak, Tian Hui showered him with flattery, praising the King of Han's military prowess as unpredictable and awe-inspiring, leaving Liu Xian speechless. However, considering Tian Hui's prestige within the Jin army and his direct contact with both the Qi-Han and Zhao-Han armies, he patiently chatted with Tian Hui for a while.

He first chatted with Tian Hui about the previous battles, then took out a military report and placed it on the table, casually revealing to everyone, "I recently heard that Wang Kuang plans to submit a memorial to the court, attributing the defeat to the poor performance of the vanguard. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, everyone present changed their expressions, especially Zhu Si. However, in front of Liu Xian, no one dared to make a scene, so they simply kept drinking their tea.

Liu Xian knew he didn't need to overdo it, so he only touched on it briefly. He chuckled and moved on, changing the subject to the battles in the Central Plains and Hebei. He asked Tian Hui, "You encountered Wang Mi at Mount Tai and Liu Cong in Henan. I heard both were fierce battles. Between the two, who was stronger?"

Tian Hui thought for a moment and replied, "Liu Cong is good at strategizing, and Wang Mi is good at adapting to changing circumstances. They are both rare talents in command. If they don't fight, it will be difficult to determine who is better."

Liu Xian then asked, "How do you compare to me?"

Tian Hui sincerely said, "Your Highness is well-versed in both internal and external affairs, and your military leadership is like that of Wu Qi, your military tactics are like those of Sun Tzu. You have won the hearts of the people and possess the strengths of Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Shizu. You are a natural choice to be a holy ruler. Although there are many heroes and outstanding talents in the world, none can compare to you."

Even though Liu Xian had heard countless praises, he couldn't help but laugh out loud at such flattery. After laughing, he drank a cup of tea and said with a smile, "Lord Tian, ​​you are too kind! How can a person not know himself? I am a simple-minded person with no interest in politics. I have never forgotten the hatred between the country and my family, which is why I have been studying it until now. If I could gain even a third of Emperor Gaozu's understanding, I would be completely satisfied."

At this point, he straightened his clothes, stood up straight, looked around, and solemnly said, "You are all old friends, so I won't say any more polite words. I'll just speak frankly."

“A defeated general has no right to speak of bravery. Your Highness, please speak frankly.” Su Wen replied nervously.

"Now the Jin dynasty has lost its virtue, and heroes are vying for power. Liu Xian, overestimating his abilities, wishes to pacify the land and restore the Han dynasty. However, the imperial cause is of utmost importance, and the world is vast. Vastness cannot be controlled by one party, and weight cannot be shouldered by one person alone. A heavy responsibility requires the assistance of others, and controlling a vast world ultimately depends on the people. You are all talented individuals. Would you be willing to lend me a hand? If you are willing, Liu Xian will leave the position vacant for you."

The saying "a thousand pieces of gold to buy a horse's bones" refers to Liu Xian's first legitimate attempt to poach talent from the Jin army, which carries immense political significance and is naturally the most forceful. Liu Xian has already decided that anyone willing to surrender will be directly recruited at their original rank.

Faced with such an offer, Zhou Yi, Zhou Fu, and the others exchanged glances and hesitated for a moment. But soon, disregarding their injuries and illnesses, they all knelt down simultaneously, and more than a dozen people said in unison, "We are of limited talent and learning, and do not deserve Your Highness's kindness. Since Your Highness has not rejected us, we are willing to serve you with utmost loyalty and devotion." (End of Chapter)