Jinting Han people

Several days later, at the end of April, Lu Zhi, the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat, led the civil and military officials stationed in Chengdu to Yi'an, where Liu Xian personally led all the officials to the dock to welcome them.

Nearly ten months had passed since they last met, and Lu Zhi's figure remained as thin as ever. Holding a feather fan, he led Fu Chang, Xiahou Cheng, and others off the ship first, bowing to Liu Xian and saying, "Congratulations, Your Highness! Congratulations! You have worked tirelessly day and night for many days, and Your Highness has finally accomplished this great feat. The restoration of the Han Dynasty is imminent!"

Liu Xian then raised his cup in front of everyone and said, "Last year's war went so smoothly, largely thanks to the efforts of the Imperial Supervisor! With the Imperial Supervisor by my side, I am truly like a tiger with wings. Let us drink this cup!"

Liu Xian's words were sincere. From the eastern expedition last August until Wang Dun's defection, Lu Zhi had indeed perfectly managed the rear. In the four months after leaving Yong'an, Liu Xian barely concerned himself with affairs in Bashu, leaving them entirely to Lu Zhi and Liu Kun. Under these circumstances, wherever Liu Xian fought, Lu Zhi was able to maintain a continuous supply of provisions and provisions, while also replenishing Liu Xian's warships lost at the front. He even managed to get Liu Xian to use surplus resources to carry out some relief work in Yi'an.

Previously, this would have been completely unimaginable. Back in Hedong or Hanzhong, Liu Xian had always been meticulous and deliberate in his planning. Yet, even so, he was often caught off guard by sudden events like the rebellion of the Celestial Masters. Liu Xian had to spend a great deal of energy adjusting government and personnel affairs before dealing with military matters. Although he could eventually win, the process left Liu Xian physically and mentally exhausted.

This time, however, facing the unexpected outbreak of the Jingzhou war, Lu Zhi's command allowed Liu Xian to focus on military affairs and concentrate wholeheartedly on the battle against the Jin army. From the start of the campaign to the victory, although there were inevitably some unexpected events, Liu Xian generally handled the situation with ease and confidence. The generals in the army were well aware of this, and they privately praised Lu Zhi, saying that Supervisor Lu truly possessed the talent of Xiao He.

Lu Zhi did not refuse. He took the cup and drank it all in one gulp. He then smiled and said, "Please do not slack off, Your Highness. The journey of a hundred miles is only half complete at ninety. The southern lands are not yet pacified, and the central plains are not yet at peace. You still have many important things to do!"

Liu Xian did indeed have many ideas he wanted to discuss with Lu Zhi, and nodded, saying, "Of course, once the Supervisor has settled in, I have important matters to discuss with you."

Adjusting the national system is a complex matter with far-reaching consequences; no matter how eager Liu Xian is, he must first wait for the officials in Shu to settle their families and residences before making a thorough discussion. These next few days are still a time for families to reunite.

Accompanying Lu Zhi and his entourage were not only civil and military officials from the Chengdu court, but also the families of the soldiers on the eastern expedition. This group was extremely large; almost all the families of officials of the rank of Sima or above in the eastern expeditionary army had come along. As a result, the number of accompanying persons reached several thousand, and with their luggage and valuables, the fleet, fully loaded, numbered over a hundred ships.

Therefore, after the simple welcoming ceremony, the dock was filled with shouts and cheers, and the crowd gradually became chaotic. Elderly men leaned on canes, wives carried luggage, and children called out their fathers' names from among the valuables and goods. Amidst the bustling crowd, everyone smiled and chatted, catching up with family members, and even comparing themselves to others, at one point blocking the road. Only after Li Sheng sent people to urge them on did they slowly leave the dock and head towards their new homes.

Liu Xian was among them. After bidding farewell to Lu Zhi and others, he and Liu Lang went to the largest ship in the fleet to pick up people. His family and members of the Shu Han imperial family were almost all there. Liu He, Liu Yu, and others led their horses off the sampans and were directing their servants to unload the cloth and brocade brought from Chengdu. Behind them was another pile of boxes containing scrolls, calligraphy, and paintings.

Before Liu Xian could even stand still, a young child darted off the sampan and into his arms. Liu Cheng was almost four years old. Liu Xian lifted him up, examined him closely for a moment, then laughed and hoisted him onto his shoulders, saying, "Doujiang, you've grown taller again. When you're a few years older, we'll teach you to ride a horse." He then asked, "Where are your mother and the others? Where are they?"

Liu Cheng pointed to the bow of the warship and said in a childish voice, "There!"

Only then did Liu Xian see several women. They wore veils and different colored, round-necked palace dresses, some leading young children and others holding infants, looking at him from the bow of the boat. It was none other than A Luo, Lü Zhu, and A Die.

Liu Xian immediately stepped forward to greet his wife and children. After everything they had been through, they were so familiar with each other that they had developed a tacit understanding. They no longer needed to say much; a single glance was enough for them to know what the other wanted to do. Liu Xian simply looked his wives up and down, noticing that they all looked well and had no illnesses. He then looked at his three children, whom he had not yet met.

The three children were born one after the other, and they were almost indistinguishable. The third son, Liu Fen, was a bit bigger, while the fourth son, Liu Xun, had a more wrinkled face. These two boys had very bad tempers, probably because they had been traveling for more than ten days and had never seen Liu Xian before. As soon as Liu Xian approached to hug them, they cried out in unison, which made his wives giggle and made Liu Xian quite embarrassed.

Although he was already a father of six, he was busy with official duties and didn't actually spend much time taking care of his children. Initially, he left it to A'Luo and Lü Zhu to figure out the medicine and spiritual protection themselves. As a result, even now, Liu Xian is not considered a father that his children like.

Fortunately, the second daughter, Cherry, was very affectionate. She had been fast asleep, but when Liu Xian picked her up, she woke up and turned her bright black eyes to laugh at her father. This greatly comforted Liu Xian, who also loved the child very much. He then said to Adie, "This is the birth of a female bodhisattva!"

After seeing the children, Liu Xian turned back to chat with his wives and realized that while his peers had come, many elders, such as Fei Xiu, Liu Zan, and Liu Ju, were nowhere to be seen. It turned out that they all felt they were too old to endure such a long journey, so they decided to stay in Chengdu and live out their remaining years in their hometown.

Actually, it wasn't just them. During this period, many more elderly people passed away in the country. After all, they were all advanced in years and had endured such a long migration. Having achieved their goals, they had no regrets and were naturally at peace. After Lai Zhong, other elders of Shu Han, such as Ma Ming and Pang Xiang, also passed away one after another. These were all people who had wholeheartedly supported him. According to etiquette, Cao Shangrou personally arranged for people to go and mourn them, and presented them with gifts.

Among them were people Liu Xian knew. For example, Lai Fu and Zhu Fu, the servants who had watched Liu Xian grow up. They were both old, one sixty-seven and the other seventy-two, and neither survived the previous winter, dying emaciated and skin and bones. But they had no regrets, and both died with smiles on their faces.

Upon hearing this news, Liu Xian was once again stunned. He thought that although these people were servants, they were no different from his own family. As the saying goes, when a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. Now that they have left, and he wasn't by their side to see them one last time, it was undoubtedly a great regret.

Fortunately, Shang Rou understood Liu Xian's feelings and had already made arrangements for their burial at the foot of Wudan Mountain. Lai Fu had a son and a daughter, both married with children, so Shang Rou granted each of them fifty mu of cultivated land. Zhu Fu had no children, so Shang Rou arranged for him to adopt an orphan and rewarded him with a hundred bolts of silk to continue his family line. These arrangements were not lavish, but they were all selected by Shang Rou from the royal treasury, demonstrating a clear distinction between public and private matters. This was Lu Zhi's suggestion. Shang Rou originally wanted to bestow more rewards, and arranging some official positions would be ideal. However, Lu Zhi dissuaded her, believing that rewards from the court should be based on merit. If it stemmed from personal feelings within the royal family, then the royal family should allocate the funds themselves to avoid unnecessary expenses and to reflect the royal family's sentiments. Shang Rou agreed with this.

Hearing this, Liu Xian sighed and slowly said, "Then let's leave it at that for now. They are actually from Luoyang, and it's not appropriate to bury them in Chengdu. Once I return to Luoyang, I'll bring them back as well."

That concluded the conversation, and Liu Xian turned and led everyone to Yi'an Palace. It was the first time the family members had ever seen Yi'an City, and also the first time they had ever stayed in such a spacious palace, so they couldn't help but marvel.

Liu Xian had already arranged accommodations for them. Besides Jianchang Hall, where government affairs were handled, and Hongde Hall, where grand ceremonies were held, there were five other halls remaining in the palace. Four of these were allocated to his wives: A'luo lived in Ming'an Hall, Lüzhu in Zhaofu Hall, A'die in Zhanghua Hall, and Li Xiu in Zhaofeng Hall. The remaining hall, named Hande Hall, was built for Fei Xiu and other elders. However, since his aunt hadn't arrived yet, it would remain empty for the time being.

Although the palace has seven main halls, which seems numerous, the construction is actually quite incomplete. For example, the East Palace, which Liu Xian has not yet built, is still being raised in the palace. In addition, there should be royal gardens like the Journey to the West Garden, banquet halls like the Bronze Sparrow Terrace for entertaining guests, and icehouses for storing ice, but these are not yet constructed. Therefore, members of the clan and royal family who wish to stay overnight in the palace have no decent accommodations and can only temporarily reside in the side wing where the palace servants usually live.

However, since it was a time for family reunion, there was no need to be picky. Everyone was very understanding, and Liu Xian was also very happy, so he let them all stay in the palace, and the whole family had dinner together that evening.

The banquet that evening was held in Ming'an Hall. The food was typical Jingchu cuisine, consisting of common dishes such as cabbage, bamboo shoots, fish, and duck. It was plentiful but not extravagant, but the atmosphere was truly lively and extraordinary.

When Liu Xian was a child, the Anle Duke's mansion had about thirty members. Now, at the age of thirty-seven, the clan has expanded to over a hundred. Liu Xian's own family alone has eleven members, a testament to the clan's flourishing and bringing honor to its ancestors. The clan members are naturally very attentive. Although they had noticed the Prince of Han's extraordinary qualities when he was young, none of them had imagined he would achieve such success. Therefore, they took turns toasting the Prince of Han.

Liu Xian was not a good drinker, and after drinking for a while, he naturally became a little tipsy. Suddenly, someone burst into tears, which was out of place with the atmosphere. Everyone looked closely and saw that it was Liu Zan's eldest son, Liu He. Liu He was drinking and wiping away tears from the corners of his eyes. He said to everyone, "I was thinking about A Ke. If he were still here, how wonderful it would be if he could see this day."

Liu Ke was the second son of Liu Qian, Liu Xian's seventh uncle. In the Anle Duke's mansion, he became familiar with Liu He, Liu Xuan, Liu Xian, and others from a young age, and the group had a good relationship and played together a lot. However, in the third year of Tai'an, Liu Xian led his troops to contain the Western Army. Yan Ding plotted to attack the camp at night. In order to cover Liu Xian, Liu Ke was hit by a stray arrow shot by the enemy and died on the spot.

Liu Xian heard his words and felt deep regret. He said, "Yes, it was almost five years ago when we camped at the Wei River and fought a fierce battle against the Western Army. My eighth brother risked his life to save me."

It wasn't just Liu Ke; during those five years, four of the fifteen clansmen who followed Liu Xian to Hedong died. His elder cousin Liu Shou was killed by Li Guo in the Battle of Yinping, his younger cousin Liu Yun was killed by Li Xiong in the Battle of Chengdu, and his half-brother Liu Tai died of illness in Chengdu due to the change in climate. Thinking of this, the relatives couldn't help but shed tears of sorrow.

Unexpectedly, Liu Xuan walked over at this moment, slightly drunk, and asked Liu Xian as if talking to himself, "Huai Chong, when do you plan to attack Huainan?"

Liu Xian didn't know what he meant, because this was a matter of great importance to the military and the country and it was inconvenient to reveal it in advance, so he said, "It is still under discussion and has not been decided yet."

Liu Xuan then seized the opportunity to say, "Let's conquer it as soon as possible. Delay will only lead to unforeseen changes. If you ascend the throne sooner, everyone will feel at ease."

He then took another sip of wine, feigning drunkenness, and said, “When you become emperor, you should take better care of your own family. Look at the Jin dynasty now, how many treacherous officials and villains are there? They are all usurpers and opportunists, impossible to guard against! In the end, family members are more trustworthy. Back then, Emperor Gaozu secured the throne precisely because he heavily relied on his own family members.”

The atmosphere fell silent at these words. Even with his eyes half-closed, Liu Xian could feel the gazes of many clansmen fixed on him. He now realized that they were using this opportunity to push Liu Xuan forward to claim power.

It seems that after the great victory, not only are people in the court and the army becoming complacent, but even his own family is under scrutiny. Although he knew this was human nature, Liu Xian couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. He calmly took a sip of wine, pondered for a moment, and then replied, "Let's wait and see. The affairs of the world are not just a matter of one family or clan; it's better to be cautious."

Liu Xuan tried to persuade him again, but Liu Xian, unable to hold his liquor, leaned against the Queen in front of everyone and began snoring, seemingly asleep. Shang Rou understood immediately and quickly called a palace maid to bring a robe for Liu Xian, draped it over him, and laid him flat on a bamboo mat. Then she said apologetically to Liu Xuan, "Alas, whatever it is, we can talk to him slowly after he sobers up."

Liu Xuan and the others exchanged bewildered glances, speechless for a moment. Just then, the banquet was drawing to a close, and even with Shang Rou presiding, they couldn't stay any longer. They packed their belongings, bowed, and took their leave. Shang Rou then escorted them to the door one by one. When she returned, she saw Liu Cheng squatting beside Liu Xian, curiously tugging at his father's short beard, and then saying to Shang Rou with surprise, "The master doesn't sleep on the bed!"

Shang Rou chuckled and coaxed Liu Cheng, "Dou Jiang, it's getting late. You should rest early, or you won't grow tall." After Liu Cheng left with Yang Hui'ai, Shang Rou patted Liu Xian's face and whispered, "Bi Ji, you don't need to pretend to be asleep anymore. They're all gone."

Liu Xian remained lying motionless on the table. Shang Rou then realized that her husband was truly asleep. (End of Chapter)