Jinting Han people

Chapter 17 New Neighbors at Anle Mansion
After the victorious return of the army from the war against Wu, Luoyang returned to its usual peaceful days. While the grand triumph of that year was rare in decades, the long, stable life enjoyed by the people of the capital was irreplaceable. Farmers worked from sunrise to sunset, reproducing and passing on their heritage through the long cycle of day and night; it had become instinct. In their limited memories, war seemed distant. No one could recall the last major battle in Luoyang; after all, it had been nearly ninety years.

But for the Anle Mansion, the impact of destroying Wu was real.

The reason the court was willing to provide high salaries to support Anle Gong was, firstly, to appease the remaining people of Shu Han, and secondly, to show its magnanimity and weaken the will of the Wu people to resist. Now that the court has ruled Liang Yi for eighteen years and Sun Wu has been destroyed, it is no longer appropriate to follow the old standards.

Therefore, a few days after the triumphal return, Minister of Finance Zhang Hua submitted a memorial to the Emperor, arguing that now that the empire was pacified, the strategy for governing the country should shift from external to internal, just as Emperor Wu of Han expanded the country and Emperor Zhaoxuan nurtured the people. The primary issue in governing a country lies in finance, and the essence of finance is to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, with reducing expenditure being particularly important at the moment. The first point in Zhang Hua's memorial was to reduce the treatment of the surrendered Wu generals and the Duke of Anle.

In this proposal, Zhang Hua suggested demoting General Sun Kai of Chariots and Cavalry to General Du Liao, and General Sun Xiu of Cavalry to General Fu Bo, with their salaries halved, retaining only the power of Grand Master of the Imperial Court and the Three Departments. As for Duke Anle Liu Xun, he suggested reducing his fiefdom from 10,000 households in Anle County, Yuyang Commandery, to 1,800 households, the equivalent of an ordinary county duke, on the grounds that Liu Xun was licentious and cruel, and had bad conduct.

After the proposal was approved, the income of the Anle Duke's mansion suddenly dropped to one-tenth of its original size. Under the current system, although the dukedom enjoyed fiefdoms, only one-third of the revenue could be deposited into the treasury, with the remaining two-thirds still having to be turned over to the imperial court. Of the taxes that went into the treasury, a portion was also set aside to cover the salaries of officials in the fiefdom. The remainder was then transported from Yuyang to Luoyang, and after deducting losses, only then could the Anle Duke's mansion use the remaining portion.

This reduction in fiefdom had a huge impact on the life of Anle Gongfu. Although Anle Gong had not yet been fully accepted by the gentry in the capital, the necessary welcoming and sending off was still indispensable. In previous years, the salary was sufficient, and after managing the relationship, there was always a lot left. If there had not been a famine, the brothers Liu Xun and Liu Zan would have squandered it on delicacies and fine wines, dog fights and bull races, and prostitutes and revelry, which was probably enough. But now it was undoubtedly a foolish dream. Liu Xian came back from Chen Shou several times and heard his mother Zhang Ximiao fiddling with beads in the study. When she spoke to Liu Xian, there was a hint of sadness in the corners of her gentle eyes.

In the following days, some arguments broke out in the mansion. After all, talking about money is the most hurtful thing, even between brothers.

The relatives who used to live in the mansion, Liu Xian's three uncles, six cousins, and some relatives who relied on the mansion for support, all came to the mansion and crowded together, saying that they would not give up until the accounts were settled, and each of them had their own reasons.

The elders felt they should reduce their allowances, while the younger ones didn't want to suffer any loss. Sometimes uncles and aunts agreed, but aunts and uncles wouldn't. After much persuasion, someone agreed in the morning, only to change their mind in the afternoon. Anle Duke Liu Xun, not tired of this hassle, simply withdrew from the public in the backyard, leaving all these matters to Zhang Ximiao.

How could Xi Miao appease them? She talked for ten days, but to no avail. Finally, it was Madam Fei Xiu who came to calm the situation. Xi Miao also set an example by reducing her own expenses, which finally silenced the relatives. And the mansion's former extravagant ways were naturally gone forever.

During this time, Liu Xian couldn't stand staying home. He couldn't get a word in when his mother and relatives settled accounts, and when he went back to his room to read, no matter how tightly he closed the door, the voices of his uncles, aunts, and relatives kept coming in, like a swarm of wasps. Liu Xian had no choice but to take his book and read in front of the mansion. Even the sound of the street vendors shouting was more pleasant than the quarrels at home, and his heart calmed down.

One day, he was reading Dongguan Hanji in front of his door when he heard the rumbling of wheels. The wheels stopped in front of the main gate of the mansion. Liu Xian thought someone was visiting, but when he looked up, he was surprised: there were so many people coming!
Six carriages were lined up in front of the mansion, each with a dozen or so people beside them, including several fully armed guards. The clash of armor and weapons was incessant, like the ringing of silver bells. Dozens of people, young and old, men and women, soon disembarked from the carriages. Liu Xian didn't recognize them, but when he saw the two leading the group, he was startled: Why were they here?

The two people were Zhang Hua, the Minister of Revenue, and Sun Hao, the Marquis of Guiming.

The Zhang Mansion was right next door to the Anle Mansion, so the two families often met each other. Liu Xian was naturally very familiar with Zhang Hua. He was still dressed in his familiar attire, a loose-fitting robe with a wide belt, long sleeves fluttering in the wind. He fanned himself with one hand and twirled his beard with the other, appearing very elegant. The faint scent of incense on his body couldn't mask his radiant aura, and he was immediately known to be a prominent figure in the court.

As for Sun Hao, he'd naturally met him at the triumphal ceremony a few days before. Liu Xian still remembered that he seemed to lock eyes with Sun Hao for a moment. Now, looking closer, Sun Hao was wearing a long, narrow-sleeved, black gown that accentuated his pale skin, devoid of any blood color, a sign of excessive indulgence. But this didn't in the least detract from his dagger-like gaze. Whoever he glanced at, it gave them the oppressive feeling of being skinned alive.

But Zhang Hua, who was standing nearby, looked calm. He walked a few steps forward with Zhang Hua, pointed at the mansion across the street, and said with a smile, "My Lord, this is your new house. From today on, we are neighbors."

Sun Hao said expressionlessly, "Being neighbors with such a talented assistant to Your Majesty is a blessing earned through countless generations. But unfortunately, I've been incredibly unlucky. Having been the ruler of the pseudo-dynasty for several years, few good things have happened around me. Few of my friends and family have met a happy end."

Having hit a snag neither too hard nor too soft, Zhang Hua actually burst into laughter. He waved his feather fan and said, "My Lord, you must be joking. Didn't you encounter a good thing this year?"

"What good thing?"

"When a wise leader meets you, peace will come to the world."

This undisguised irony infuriated Sun Hao, causing his pale face to flush immediately, but he couldn't react, so he could only let his anger simmer inside. Zhang Hua didn't give him this opportunity. He exchanged a few simple pleasantries before bidding farewell to Sun Hao. Turning around, he saw Liu Xian standing in front of the Anle Mansion, smiled, and walked away.

Sun Hao's followers began to carry furniture and luggage into the mansion, while Sun Hao stood there in a daze.

What was he thinking? Amidst the crowd, Liu Xian couldn't help but stare at Sun Hao. Sun Hao's aura was so unique. He was clearly standing on the same street as him, yet his soul seemed to be elsewhere. The people around him were so close to him, but his cold gaze was like an invisible barrier. This inexplicably reminded Liu Xian of his father, Liu Xun. It seemed as if his father's absurd behavior shared some similarities with him.

At this time, a young man was moving a box and accidentally touched Sun Hao. Sun Hao was furious and kicked the young man on the leg, cursing:

"Why, you want to humiliate me too?"

The young man immediately kowtowed and begged for mercy, "My Lord, My Lord, I am blind. It was definitely not intentional!" Hearing the word "My Lord," Sun Hao became even more furious. He drew his sword from his waist and transformed the resentment in his heart into a cruel sneer: "Well, if you are really blind, this matter will be over!"

The young man was even more terrified, crying and kowtowed until blood came out of his head. The people around him were even more terrified. Only Teng Fanglan, the wife of the Marquis of Guiming, tugged at Sun Hao's sleeve, but Sun Hao remained unmoved.

At this time, Liu Xian stood up and walked straight forward. He asked Sun Hao, "Why are you harming people?"

Sun Hao looked up at him, was stunned at first, as if he didn't recognize Liu Xian, and then his face flushed again, obviously taking these words as an humiliation.

He didn't have time to think about it and threatened directly: "Whose child are you? How dare you meddle in my business?"

Liu Xian saluted him respectfully and introduced his family name: "My father's surname is Liu Xun, and his given name is the Duke of Anle today. He lives across the street from your mansion."

When Sun Hao heard that it was a member of the royal family of Shu Han, he was surprised at first, then he smiled mockingly and said:

"Then do you know who I am?"

"I know. You are Sun Hao, Marquis of Guiming, the former ruler of Jiangdong."

"Since you know, why do you care? Do I need your approval to train my own servants?" Sun Hao's eyes were like will-o'-the-wisp, his shoulders were high like the wings of a vulture, and his whole body was filled with an unsettling aura.

He continued with a sneer, "Haven't you heard that when I was the emperor of Jianye, my favorite thing to do was to peel off the skin of living people!"

Liu Xian nodded and said, "I heard about it in Luoyang, but I thought it was just a rumor."

This sentence stunned Sun Hao. His body relaxed and he was a little at a loss for a moment.

Liu Xian continued, "My teacher told me that people always like to see winners as kings and losers as bandits, believing that winners are all-powerful and omnipotent, while losers are all-evil and useless. But in reality, this is not the case."

"For several years, Sun Hao was able to defeat the strong with his weakness, winning twice in Jiaozhou and Xiling, proving he wasn't incompetent. His ultimate defeat was simply the result of the prevailing trend, being outnumbered, and simply being beyond human control. So, teacher, how could such a person enjoy ripping people off? The criticisms I've heard in the past are likely exaggerated."

Hearing this, Sun Hao's anger and murderous intent mostly dissipated. He waved his hand, signaling the servant beside him to stand up. The expression on his face gradually became numb, and finally turned into an indescribable loneliness. He sighed and said:

"These are not rumors. I have indeed peeled the skin of many people."

"Why do this?"

"You don't understand, because I was the emperor at that time. It was perfectly normal for an emperor to kill people to establish his authority."

Sun Hao had lost interest in continuing the conversation. Talking to a child about this made him feel foolish. Finally, he murmured wearily to himself, "Zhang Hua is right. These days are over."

He stopped looking at Liu Xian and turned to walk into his own house. His wife, Teng Fanglan, took some candied fruit from her gift bag and gave it to Liu Xian as a gift before following him in. The other servants quickly resumed their normal work. The young man Liu Xian had saved stepped forward, thanked him, and hurriedly joined the team.

Liu Xian stood there, still a little dazed. After the brief conversation just now, he suddenly felt that this neighbor was very much like his father.

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(End of this chapter)