Jinting Han people

Chapter 158: Response and Preparation (4k)

Xin Ran and his group left in such a hurry that they didn't even take the household registration records they were originally planning to collect. This made the county officials of Xiayang County a little puzzled and they couldn't figure out the reason.

After all, this incident came without warning, and ended without warning either. So a bunch of people discussed it privately, speculating on the cause and effect based on what had happened. Finally, they said that the county lord had probably offended the King of Zhao in Luoyang, which was why he was demoted to our Xiayang.

This conclusion was only partially correct. After all, no one could have imagined that Liu Xian actually offended the regent queen and the powerful Duke of Lu.

As for Liu Xian, his composure was far from what he appeared. Jia Mi's schemes were like arrows following him, keeping him on guard. So, in the months since the Prince of Zhao took charge of the Western Expedition, he had been waiting for any probing moves, so he could plan his next move.

Now that the test had finally come, and he had dealt with it almost perfectly, he didn't feel much joy in his heart.

Because he found that the person sent by Jia Mi this time was someone who dared to touch the weights and measures. Although this meant that he was uneducated, it also meant that this person was daring, shameless, and had no bottom line, and even enjoyed humiliating and torturing others.

When Liu Xian thought about dealing with such a person in the coming years, he felt a headache and couldn't help but complain in his heart: Even if birds of a feather flock together, there are already too many people like Jia Mi in the world, so why do they keep appearing?

But no matter what the parties involved think, the fact is that as a small county magistrate, Liu Xian cannot interfere with the personnel arrangements in Guanzhong. What he should do now is to continue to prepare for the future based on this test.

Therefore, he took Xi An, Li Sheng and Zhang Gu, his three confidants, to the study for a small meeting to discuss the measures that the other party might take next.

"Sun Xiu, Sun Xiu..." Liu Xian began muttering the name as he sat down. He concluded, "Based on what Xin Ran said, it seems this Zhao Wang's Chief Clerk, Sun Xiu, is the one Jia Mi sent to torment me."

"Tell me, now that this attempt has failed, will Sun Xiu let it go?"

"Absolutely not!" During this dispute over the tax, Xi An had been subjected to a stern face from Xin Ran. The process was so embarrassing that even Xi An, a generally acknowledged good man, was now filled with disgust towards Sun Xiu. He angrily said, "Anyone who dares to act so boldly and directly use taxes and the ruler to make a fuss is a villain! How could a villain not harbor a grudge and wait for an opportunity for revenge?"

Although Xi An was angry, the truth in his words was unshakable. Ordinary people would never forget what they had suffered, but a villain who failed to do evil would naturally hold a grudge and wait for an opportunity to retaliate.

Zhang Gu, standing by, objected. He said, "But this time, Bi Ji has the evidence against them, right? All the county officials are witnesses. We have not only physical evidence, but also their signatures and fingerprints. What can they do?"

Xi An sarcastically said, "This is just evidence of the guilt of that Ji Cao official. If we file a lawsuit, Sun Xiu will definitely deny it and put the blame on Xin Ran. In the end, everything will be fine."

This is indeed a problem. It was for this reason that Liu Xian did not choose to send the evidence directly to the Eastern Palace and make a big deal out of it. Instead, he chose to pass a message to Sun Xiu, asking him to restrain himself a little.

He turned to Li Sheng and asked, "Binshuo, what do you think? How do you think we should get along with this Sun Xiu?"

Liu Xian already had a rough idea in mind. But he had called this meeting to, firstly, check for gaps and see if there were any areas he hadn't thought of, and secondly, to train a few people.

Xi'an and Zhang Gu were actually just average people, but many things do not require genius to do, they only require training, experience, and a certain degree of prudence.

As for Li Sheng, the son of his teacher, he was very optimistic because he had been able to complete all the tasks Liu Xian had given him over the past six months without any mistakes. Therefore, Liu Xian appointed him as the Gongcao of the county, making him the fourth most important person in Xiayang.

Li Sheng had been silent just now, as if deep in thought. After hearing Liu Xian's question, he raised his head and said slowly, "My lord, I was just thinking that it's not impossible to use Sun Xiu."

"Oh? What do you say?"

"Xie County Magistrate just said it well. Sun Xiu is a villain and should not be trusted. But villains always seek profit and avoid harm. Although they obey their superiors, it is only because they admire power and do not truly adhere to the principles of loyalty and filial piety."

"It would be fine if the demands of both parties were consistent, but if the demands from above harmed the interests of the villains, they would inevitably turn around and pretend to obey."

"So I think that my lord can find an opportunity to sow discord between Sun Xiu and Jia Mi, letting them start a chaos among themselves. Then, neither Sun Xiu nor Jia Mi will have time to care about my lord anymore."

"However, I don't know many people, and my understanding of the political situation is not clear, so I haven't come up with a specific solution yet."

Hearing this, Liu Xian nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile, "It's great that you've thought of this. This won't happen overnight, and there's no need to rush. What we need to think about first is to find out the other party's details."

Liu Xian had been inactive because he couldn't figure out who Jia Mi was trying to win over. Sima Lun, the Prince of Zhao, was close to Empress Jia, but judging by his reputation over the years, he wasn't a man of his own ideas. The decision-makers must have been someone else.

Now that Sun Xiu has surfaced, he is no longer in the dark and can make some targeted arrangements.

After everyone dispersed, Liu Xian returned to his own courtyard. Lu Zhu was hanging out clothes to dry in the yard. Because the temperature was getting colder, she took out all of Liu Xian's winter clothes and washed them first, so that they would be ready for next month.

When Liu Xian came in, Luzhu wiped her wet palms and naturally took the cloak and coat from Liu Xian's hands, as if the turmoil in the mansion had never disturbed her.

"Sir, do you have any social engagements tonight?" Luzhu asked softly.

"No, it's just the two of us dining tonight. You just need to cook two dishes later."

After Liu Xian finished speaking, he went straight to the bedroom as usual.

More than half a year has passed, and Liu Xian's bedroom has changed a lot.

In the previous courtyard, since Liu Xian was the only one living there, he only made up the bed and worked in the study of the county government office on weekdays. Even if the screens, cups, tables, and wardrobes in the courtyard were covered with dust, he turned a blind eye to them.

This made Liu Xian feel like he was living in a cave, with a smell of dust every day.

After Luzhu arrived, she took good care of the courtyard.

Not only did she clean all the houses, she also added a lot of furniture such as bronze mirrors, Hu beds, and bookshelves. Then, like an ordinary peasant girl, she raised silkworms in the yard and planted chives and green onions in front of the yard. This made the yard quite lively and had a sense of home.

Liu Xian sat down at the desk and began to write. He had already decided to write three letters to Luoyang.

The first letter was to Zu Ti, in which Liu Xian kept his thoughts brief.

I just want him to help find out who this Sun Xiu is, what family he comes from, what official positions he has held, what he has done, what his hobbies are, what his shortcomings are, whether he has a wife and children, and what kind of people they are.

Simply put, he wanted to know everything he could about Sun Xiu, no matter how big or small. He also wanted to know about the situation of Sima Lun, the Prince of Zhao. Although it seemed that Sima Lun and Sun Xiu were very close, almost to the point of being obedient to Sun Xiu's every word, Sima Lun was also very close to Sun Xiu.

But no matter what, Sima Lun is also Sima Yi's son, he is not a fool without his own opinion. Can I start from this aspect and make myself recover?

After all, the court was under the control of the Jia family. If he continued to do things step by step like this, even if he got excellent performance every year, he would probably not get any promotion, just like his teacher Li Mi.

But he couldn't just sit there and wait for death. No matter what, he had to find a way to return to the court and Luoyang. After all, his family and friends were there.

The second letter was to Jiang Tong, asking him to pass it on to Crown Prince Sima Yi. Liu Xian had responded to Sun Xiu's provocation by using Sima Yi's influence, so he should have informed him.

At the same time, Liu Xian also wrote in detail in the letter about his experiences in Guanzhong.

He believed that the current situation in Guanzhong was not optimistic. The people were already extremely poor, the state's taxes were heavy, and the Hu people in Guanzhong were so numerous. If King Sima Lun of Zhao did not show sympathy for the people and increased taxes, he was afraid that it would lead to chaos.

Therefore, Liu Xian hoped that Sima Yi could secretly communicate with Sima Lun to give him a reminder.

After all, he was the crown prince. Although he currently held no real power, his influence within the imperial clan was substantial. If this were truly successful, the crown prince would expand his influence, and Liu Xian would have another avenue for communication with the King of Zhao.

The third letter is a letter from home.

Since arriving in Xiayang, Liu Xian has written a letter to A'Luo every month. Firstly, to let his family know he's safe and sound, so they don't worry, and secondly, to respond to their letters based on the situation at home.

For example, in A Luo's letter last month, her cousin Liu Daorong and Ruan Fang had already completed Naji.

Despite Liu Xian's demotion, the Ruan family still favored the marriage and did not cancel the contract, setting the wedding date for October of this year. Liu Xian was delighted by this and, after careful consideration, presented the couple with a pair of yin-yang jade pendants he had seized during the suppression of Hu Yanchang as a gift, wishing them a long and happy marriage.

But these were all minor matters. Liu Xian wrote most about his experiences in Xiayang these past few days, describing them to A'Luo in detail, even including his encounter with Xin Ran today.

After all, due to his influence, his wife had been forced to become a hostage in Luoyang, confined to the small world of this small piece of land. Liu Xian hoped that through these things, he could let Luo feel his joys and sorrows, and even though they were thousands of miles apart, they could still see each other's true feelings.

So at the end of the letter, he wrote a little poem:
"The red leaves fall from the deserted fortress, and I miss my old homeland with a sense of melancholy. The autumn wind blows through Xiamen Ferry, and the sun sets on Shaoliang Mountain.

The river is covered with colorful clouds, and boats are coming and going. Tomorrow we will meet again, and I will lean on the railing to wipe away my tears.

This writing took him nearly an hour, and by the time he finished, it was already dark. Lu Zhu came in with dinner: a large pot of pickled vegetables and boiled tofu, and a bowl of steamed eggs.

He smiled and said, "You came at the right time. I'm a little hungry."

The two of them sat down to eat, and Liu Xian began to devour his food. Autumn was a busy season, and he had been traveling a lot these days, so he was so hungry that he had no manners to eat. As they ate, he told Lu Zhu about some of his recent troubles, and Lu Zhu listened with a smile.

Speaking of which, Liu Xian didn't have the habit of talking at the dinner table. The reason why he became like this was thanks to a conversation.

It was February, and Liu Xian was implementing the tax exemption in Longmenjin. He encountered a lot of troubles, and the myriad of issues made Liu Xian very upset. Among them, there was one issue that was particularly difficult to resolve, and he couldn't help but complain to Lu Zhu during dinner one day:
"Recently, at the market, people have been complaining to me, saying that the county soldiers I recruited, especially those who had been horse thieves, were rude and liked to bully and abuse the people."

"To be honest, I've put in a lot of effort and tried both soft and hard tactics, but each time it only treats the symptoms and not the root cause. These people only get better for a few days, at most half a month, before they revert to their old ways."

"Oh, sometimes I even wonder if people's personalities are inherently different. Otherwise, why can't they be changed..."

When Liu Xian talked about this incident, he actually just treated Lu Zhu as a pure listener, occasionally confiding her troubles to her, and there was no other meaning.

Unexpectedly, after listening to this, Luzhu tilted her head and pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "I think the problem is not that complicated."

"Oh? What do you think?" Liu Xian asked casually, a little absent-mindedly.

"I don't think these people have problems by nature. They just don't have any worries, so they're free and unrestrained. As county soldiers, they're high and mighty, so they don't have sympathy."

"Why don't you find a way to help these people find a partner, so that they can get married and start a family. With a wife and children, their temperaments will naturally become more restrained, and they will learn to tolerate their lovers."

This idea made Liu Xian's eyes light up. He had never thought about the problem from this perspective before.

So in the following time, he tried to arrange marriages for the county soldiers, and acted like a matchmaker everywhere. Within two months, the morale of the county soldiers really improved greatly. Not only did the number of people who came to complain almost disappear, but the county soldiers in the county became more grateful to him.

From then on, Liu Xian showed great respect for Lu Zhu, and would consult her for her opinion on matters he was unsure of. When the news spread to Xiayang, the people of Xiayang County, who benefited from it, although they all knew she was not Liu Xian's legal wife, affectionately addressed Lu Zhu as Madam Li.

Tonight's conversation was similar. Liu Xian recounted some of his troubles from the day: "This Xin Ran came at a really bad time. Hundreds of Qiang and Di tribes from the Lun Gong Pavilion were causing a bloody mess. I finally managed to calm them down, but before I could finish, he pulled me back. I have to make another trip tomorrow..."

Luzhu did not understand this topic, and she did not pretend to be eloquent when it came to topics she did not understand, but just listened quietly.

After Liu Xian finished speaking, she brought up some trivial matters in the mansion: "Sir, it seems that the father of Prison Master Xue Jun is about to celebrate his sixtieth birthday. I have prepared some tonics as a gift and placed them by the bed. Remember to pick them up from the Merit Review Pavilion tomorrow and give them to Xue Jun."

Liu Xian smiled and nodded, feeling even more emotional. This was another thing he wouldn't notice, but Lu Zhu always managed to quietly bring it up, using subtle methods to help her win people's hearts.

At this time, Lu Zhu specifically warned him, "You must take this to heart. I heard that the Fenyin Xue family, from which Lord Xue comes, actually migrated from Shu. Perhaps they are your subjects."

"I know." Liu Xian finished his last bite of food and said slowly, "His great-grandfather should be Xue Yong, the prefect of Shu County. After Bin Shuo came, he told me about the old friends in the world. He emphasized that the Xue family was a family with a tradition of martial arts, which was unique in Hedong."

This answer surprised Lu Zhu. She had thought Liu Xian didn't know about this because he usually treated Xue Xing normally. "Then why don't you recognize him?"

"It's not the right time yet. He doesn't dare to recognize me, and I don't dare to recognize him either. It would bring great risks. Prince Anle contacting the remaining ministers of Shu Han sounds like a matter of life and death."

After finishing the meal, Liu Xian began to sort out the letters on the table and said to Lu Zhu with a confident smile, "But don't be too impatient. There will always be a day when we will recognize each other."

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(End of this chapter)