Sheng Tang: What is Liu Jianjun going to do today?

Chapter 212 New arrival
Weary from the journey, weary from our travels.

Leaving Chang'an and heading north, the scenery becomes completely different from the bustling and beautiful capitals.

At first, the Guanzhong Plain was a vast expanse of fertile land, but gradually it became loess gullies. After crossing the Yellow River and entering the northern part of Hedong Road, what came into view were mostly continuous mountains and somewhat barren land.

The official roads were no longer as flat and wide as they were near the two capitals; sometimes they were just narrow paths made of rammed earth, and the ride was very bumpy.

Wu Zetian did not provide Li Xian with any troops for this northward expedition, so Li Xian only led a guard of a hundred men to protect him.

This was also within Liu Jianjun and Li Xian's expectations.

Military power has always been something that those in power fear.

The air was filled with dust, horses, and a desolate smell unique to the wilderness. Li Xian was bored sitting in the carriage and wanted to experience this land more deeply, so he took a horse and walked side by side with Liu Jianjun on the official road.

Horse hooves trod across the dry loess, raising fine dust.

The wind in the north was also rougher than in the two capitals. It swept past his ears with a strong force, making his robes flutter. Li Xian looked around and saw that the sky was high and the land was vast, with rolling mountains and sparse vegetation. A sense of desolation and grandeur arose spontaneously.

But Liu Jianjun was extremely adaptable. He casually straddled the horse, his hands clasped in front of him, holding the reins, letting the horse walk on its own.

Facing the wind, he squinted and said loudly, "The wind in the north is much stronger than the wind in the Luoyang Palace!"

Li Xian smiled but remained silent.

But Liu Jianjun, who was good at dealing with Li Xian's feigned profundity, leaned over and teased, "Stunned?"

Before Li Xian could respond, he continued, "This is just the beginning. Once we pass Yanmen Pass, the north wind will sweep across the land and break the white grass!"

This time, Li Xian's eyes lit up slightly, and he asked, "This poem... what comes next?"

Li Xian knew that Liu Jianjun was good at reciting frontier poems, but unfortunately he just didn't cherish his talent. Back then, he wrote a poem about spring breezes not reaching Yumen Pass, but he insisted on writing it for a woman in a brothel.

"Tch, I just blurted out a line, how could I possibly remember the rest?"

Liu Jianjun chuckled, then pointed to the earthen walls winding along the mountain ridge in the distance and said, "See those broken walls and ruins? This place has been a tug-of-war for thousands of years, a place where Han and non-Han people live together. Today you attack, tomorrow I kill you. The people who survive here don't rely on poetry and songs, but on archery, horsemanship, and strength."

Li Xian knew that Liu Jianjun was once again belittling poetry and prose.

He possessed rare talent, yet he disdained these things as worthless.

Li Xian retorted: "If the world is in chaos, archery and strength are naturally the best remedies, but if the world is prosperous, wouldn't poetry and songs be considered icing on the cake?"

Liu Jianjun scoffed again, "Adding flowers to brocade? Don't poetry gatherings and banquets cost money? Don't singing and dancing cost money?"
Where did this money come from? And what effect did it have?
"If this money had made millions of people live a life free from worries about food and clothing, then I wouldn't say anything. But what else can this money do besides create a mess of broken dishes and cups?"

At this point, Liu Jianjun suddenly waved his hand somewhat listlessly: "Forget it, forget it, I'm getting a bit too idealistic. The main thing is that these things don't make sense to you. They involve economics and social systems. Thinking about these things at this point will only add to your troubles."

Li Xian pursed his lips; he could sense the frustration in Liu Jianjun's heart.

He thought for a moment, then rode closer to Liu Jianjun and asked, "If...we really do return to Luoyang one day, will I be able to help you resolve the knot in your heart right now?"

Liu Jianjun glanced at Li Xian in astonishment.

Then he suddenly chuckled, flicked his whip, and made the horse gallop a short distance.

As Li Xian watched his retreating figure, he suddenly heard Liu Jianjun loudly chanting: "If only I had ten thousand mansions, I could shelter all the poor scholars of the world and make them all smile with joy!"

Li Xian was taken aback.

Liu Jianjun... so that's what he was thinking about?
But then Li Xian heard Liu Jianjun say, "Oh no, Lao Du is going to cause me trouble later!"

Li Xian chuckled, spurred his horse to catch up with Liu Jianjun, and said, "You mean Old Du, is that Du Shenyan?"

"No, his grandson."

"what?"

Li Xian was completely bewildered. Du Shenyan... has a grandson?
Liu Jianjun is an extremely strange person.

……

The convoy turned east and traveled for more than ten days before entering the northern part of Hebei Province.

A small fork in the road appeared ahead, with a simple tea stall set up by the roadside, its cloth banner rustling in the wind.

A dozen or so merchants, dressed in sheepskin coats and carrying curved knives at their waists, were resting and drinking tea under the awning, their eyes warily sweeping over Li Xian and his group of officials, who were dressed in bright armor and in neat formation.

Li Xian could sense the scrutiny, distance, and even a hint of rejection in those gazes, which was completely different from the awe or curiosity that the common people showed when they saw the royal procession in the two capitals.

The captain of the guard instinctively spurred his horse closer, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

Liu Jianjun, however, didn't care at all. Instead, he raised his chin towards the direction of the tea stall and whispered, "See? These people who run trade routes beyond the Great Wall are all people who live on the edge. The official roads are not always peaceful. You might run into small groups of bandits, wandering soldiers, or even Hu spies disguised as caravans."

“Our group of about a hundred people may look impressive, but if we really encounter desperate criminals, we might not be enough.”

Fortunately, the two sides passed each other peacefully.

Continuing on, we passed a small village built on a hillside.

The mud-brick houses were low but sturdy. At the entrance of the village was a simple gate made of rough wood. Several children dressed in tattered hemp clothes were chasing and playing in the open space. When they saw the convoy coming, they stopped immediately, staring at them with their big, dark eyes, both timid and curious.

An old man sat on his doorstep, weaving a wicker basket. His eyes were cloudy. He glanced at the convoy, lingered on Li Xian and Liu Jianjun for a moment, and then lowered his head indifferently.

There are almost no able-bodied young men to be seen in the village.

“The able-bodied men were either conscripted into the army, or they went to transport grain and build city walls for the government, or… went into the mountains.” Liu Jianjun’s voice lowered, carrying a hint of imperceptible heaviness. “The old, weak, women and children were left to guard this small plot of land, relying on the weather for their livelihood, and they also had to be wary of any disasters that might occur at any time.”

As evening fell, the entourage finally arrived at Liucheng, the seat of Yingzhou.

This place is already the northeastern border of Hebei Province. Further east is the Liaoxi Corridor. Beyond the prefectures and counties previously controlled by the imperial court lies the active area of ​​nomadic tribes such as the Khitan and Xi, as well as the Goryeo and Mohe tribes.

The territory of the Andong Protectorate is vast and complex. Xue Ne's current camp is located here so that he can directly deal with the threats from the Khitan, Xi, and Goryeo and Mohe in the northeast.

Yingzhou City was more fortified than Li Xian had imagined.

The city wall is tall and mainly constructed of rammed earth. In some sections, traces of newly repaired bricks and stones can be seen, indicating that it has been through war.

The soldiers guarding the city gate were not dressed smartly, and were even a bit worn. Their armor was covered with mottled rust and cut marks, but each of them had sharp eyes and a straight posture. When they inspected the pedestrians and vehicles coming and going, they had a kind of fierceness and competence that was unique to veterans of the battlefield.

After verifying the official documents and seals, the convoy slowly entered the city.

The streets in the city were not wide, and the shops and houses on both sides were mostly low and simple. Most of the pedestrians were wearing fur coats or coarse cloth clothes and walked in a hurry.

The air was filled with the smells of livestock, hay, leather, and cooking smoke. Occasionally, military academy students in leather armor and carrying swords would ride by on horseback, their hooves clattering, breaking the hustle and bustle of the street before quickly blending back into it.

Compared to the perfumed and fragrant atmosphere of Luoyang and the solemn prosperity of Chang'an, everything here seems primitive, rugged, and even somewhat crude.

Soon, the group was led to a temporary inn in the city, which had been converted from a government office. The inn was quite rudimentary, with earthen walls and wooden windows. Inside, there was nothing but a couch, a small table, and two wooden boxes. The air was filled with a faint musty and dusty smell.

Clearly, the border town was short of supplies, and the reception was only to meet the most basic needs. Before Li Xian could even rest, Xue Ne's personal guards came to report that General Xue was waiting for him at the governor's mansion.

Li Xian and Liu Jianjun exchanged a glance, then followed the guard to the governor's mansion.

The Governor's Office was equally simple and unadorned, with strict guards at the gate, exuding the solemn atmosphere unique to the border region.

Li Xian followed his personal guards into the main hall and saw a man who was not wearing armor, but only a dark blue casual robe. The man was standing with his back to them in front of a huge map of Liaodong.

This place is the main hall of the Governor's Mansion, so the identity of the person in front of you is self-evident.

Xue Ne, the legendary general who pacified the Tianshan Mountains with three arrows, was the eldest son of Xue Rengui.

This was the first time Li Xian had met Xue Ne.

Although Xue Ne had his back to Li Xian, Li Xian could feel a powerful aura just by looking at his back.

He had very broad shoulders, but he wasn't very tall. At least, Li Xian estimated that he was an inch or two shorter than him. But the way he stood there gave people a sense of solidity.

At this moment, hearing footsteps, Xue Ne turned around and quickly clasped his hands in a salute: "This humble general, Xue Ne, greets Your Highness, Prince Pei!"

His voice was loud and clear, and his posture was neither humble nor arrogant.

Li Xian was also able to see his face.

Judging from his appearance, Xue Ne was about thirty or forty years old, or at most in his early forties, but Li Xian knew that this man was already a veteran of the battlefield, nearly fifty years old.

"General Xue, no need for formalities." Li Xian hurriedly stepped forward to help him up, his tone gentle. "All matters in the northern frontier depend on your command. You have worked hard. I have come here on imperial orders to assist in the management of supplies and equipment. I will need your guidance in the future."

"Your Highness is too kind. It is my duty, not something to be ashamed of."

Xue Ne straightened up, met Li Xian's gaze frankly for a moment, and then turned to Liu Jianjun, who was half a step behind him, dressed casually and looking around.

Xue Ne's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, clearly not used to Liu Jianjun's somewhat casual demeanor, but he was very well-mannered and still cupped his hands and said, "This gentleman must be the famous Chief Secretary Liu, who is renowned in both capitals?"

His tone was flat, neither praising nor criticizing, but considering Liu Jianjun's current behavior, Li Xian felt that there seemed to be a hint of scrutiny in his words.

Liu Jianjun seemed to have just come to his senses, and with a grin, he cupped his hands in greeting: "General Xue, greetings! I've long admired your name, and today I'm finally meeting you in person!"

Xue Ne's lips twitched almost imperceptibly again.

He didn't respond to Liu Jianjun's words, but instead turned around and swished away the huge map scroll behind him, seemingly not wanting anything irrelevant to interfere with the conversation.

He leaned him against the wall, then turned to Li Xian, his tone still steady: "Your Highness and Chief Secretary Liu have come from afar; you must be tired from your journey."

"Yingzhou is located on the frontier and its conditions are simple, unlike the two capitals. I hope Your Highness will understand. The matter of supervising the transport of grain and weapons is of great importance. Your Highness is new here, so you may first familiarize yourself with the environment and settle in. If you have any needs, you may instruct the staff of the post station."

The tone was very polite, but the arrangements made seemed too simplistic, without even a promise to arrange someone to guide the process.

Although Li Xian felt somewhat puzzled, he thought that the other party was a veteran of the battlefield and might not be good at dealing with members of the royal family. In addition, he was new to the area and it was not appropriate for him to ask too many questions. So he nodded and said, "I will trouble General Xue to make the arrangements."

Xue Ne nodded: "In that case, I still have military affairs to attend to in my camp, so I will not disturb Your Highness's rest any longer."

After saying this, he summoned his personal guards and said, "Send His Highness Prince Pei and Chief Secretary Liu back to the guesthouse."

The whole process was swift and efficient, from meeting to seeing the guest off, consisting of only a few words, without any hint of small talk or in-depth exchange.

Back in the simple inn room, Li Xian looked around. Although he felt that Xue Ne's reception was a bit slow, he could still accept it, after all, everything at the border was kept simple.

He was about to tell Liu Jianjun to make the best of it when he saw Liu Jianjun plop down on the hard couch, cross his legs, and wear a half-smile on his face.

Li Xian recalled that he had acted the same way in front of Xue Ne earlier, and couldn't help but say irritably, "How come you still don't behave properly even in the Northern Frontier? General Xue is a soldier, and he probably can't stand your lazy demeanor!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Jianjun not only didn't restrain himself, but instead crossed his legs even higher and sneered, "My Prince Pei, do you really think he disapproves of my manners? General Xue doesn't even consider us a threat!"

Li Xian looked at him in confusion: "What do you mean?"

Liu Jianjun sat up straighter and counted on his fingers, saying, "First, we just arrived, travel-worn and dusty, without even having a sip of hot water, and he's already in a hurry to summon us. Is this a show of force, or is the military situation really that urgent? After meeting us, he saw us off after less than three sentences. Is that what you call taking him seriously?"
"Secondly, did you notice the way he put away the map? It was so quick and efficient! It was as if he was afraid we'd even glance at his military secrets. We're here to assist with the supply of provisions and equipment, but he won't even let us know the basic enemy and friendly situation or the route of the supply lines. What are we supposed to assist with? Are we just going to give orders blindly with our eyes closed?"

"Third, and most importantly, although I only glanced at the map a few times, the moment he put it away, I clearly saw that the focus on the map... wasn't on any grain route at all!"

He pointed heavily to a spot on the dusty table with his finger: "It's here, Wugu City! On that map, Wugu City is surrounded by red arrows and siege markers, but the city's own markings are as solid as a rock. Next to it are densely packed small characters written in red ink. Although the specific content is not clear, the atmosphere clearly shows the anxiety of being unable to take the city after a long siege!"

Li Xian frowned as well: "Wugu City? It's been under siege for so long without being taken?"

“That’s right!” Liu Jianjun’s eyes were sharp. “Think back to his attitude just now. If he were short of food and weapons, our ‘Deputy Commissioner for Food and Weapon Transport’ would still be of some use. But now his problem is that he’s stuck in a tough city. Siege equipment, soldier morale, and tactics are the key.”

"Grain supplies? Xue Ne has been managing the northern frontier for so many years. If he couldn't even handle basic grain supply distribution, he would have been driven into the interior long ago!"

He paused, then said in a strange tone, "So when he saw us, he probably thought: The court sent a pampered prince with a glib-tongued chief secretary, supposedly to assist in managing the grain and weapons, but actually we're here for political asylum... Oh, no, he probably doesn't know what happened in Luoyang, so he might even think we're here to gain prestige."

"He's busy with the siege, how could he have the time to play house with us? No wonder he's in a hurry to get rid of us!"

Li Xian suddenly realized, and his tone became less aggrieved and more thoughtful as he said, "So, General Xue wasn't deliberately being negligent, but rather... felt that our fighting here was of no benefit, and his mind was entirely on that Wugu City."

Liu Jianjun nodded: "Exactly! To conquer cities and seize strongholds, one needs fierce soldiers and generals, ingenious strategies and tactics, or... well, or some new things that can crack open hard shells... Our General Xue is currently preoccupied with how to crack open the hard walnut that is Wugu City. He naturally thinks that trivial matters such as the allocation of grain and fodder can be handled by his subordinates, so why bother our two 'noble people'?"
"Therefore, Xue Ne's behavior after meeting us can be explained. He is currently troubled by the war and sees us as the kind of spoiled rich kids who come to gain prestige. So he gave us a warning, meaning he wanted us to behave ourselves and wait until he resolved his current predicament before discussing the matter of gaining prestige with us."

“Then we…” Li Xian looked at Liu Jianjun.

"sleep."

"Huh?" Li Xian felt that Liu Jianjun didn't seem like the kind of person who would give up when faced with difficulties.

"What time is it now? My butt hurts from all the bumpy ride. Let's rest early. Tomorrow we'll go find Old Wang! We'll figure out a way to help Xue Ne crack walnuts." Liu Jianjun lay down on the hard couch with a sour expression, and then turned over as if he was uncomfortable.

"Zi'an, is he here too?"

Li Xian was somewhat surprised.

No wonder we hadn't heard from Wang Bo for so long in the two capitals; it turns out Liu Jianjun had left him here.

"Of course, we're all new to this place, so we need to find someone to familiarize us with the local environment before we can start our work. We can also check on how the cotton mill is doing. Anyway, your position is a sinecure, and Xue Ne doesn't need us, so isn't this a good opportunity to take a break?"

After saying that, Liu Jianjun curled up into the couch, seemingly intending to go to sleep.

Li Xian thought to himself that he was new here and there was really nothing he could do, so he took off his outer clothes and prepared to sleep in the same bed.

But then, Liu Jianjun suddenly turned around and looked at him with bright, round eyes.

Li Xian asked instinctively, "What's wrong?"

"No, I suddenly thought, if I put someone as talented as Lao Wang here, will he end up as a frontier poet?"

……

(End of this chapter)