Jinting Han people

Chapter 191: The Intention of Selecting Talents (4k)

Zhang Gui actually asked him to comfort the refugees in Hedong. This news was really unimaginable to Liu Xian.

He couldn't help but confirm again: "Is Zhang Junsi serious?"

This made Liu Xian cautious. When Shu Han was destroyed, Sima Zhao ordered the forced relocation of 30,000 households of Shu Han survivors to Hedong. This was a well-known fact.

Furthermore, these 30,000 households weren't just ordinary Shu Han survivors; they were essentially descendants of key officials upon whom Shu Han relied. Famous officials like Zhuge Liang, Jiang Wan, Ma Liang, Huang Zhong, Chen Zhi, and Pang Tong all lived here. It could be said that after the fall of Shu Han, Pingyang, now Hedong, became the stronghold of the diehard Jingzhou faction that had vigorously supported Liu Bei's restoration of his kingdom.

Liu Xian had long wanted to engage with them, even if he didn't rebel, at least to restore contact. However, political concerns kept him from taking action. Even now, he only dared to distribute disaster relief grain within Xiayang, not to Hedong, fearing he would be accused of trying to buy people's support.

But now Zhang Gui had actually told me to comfort the refugees in Hedong. What did he mean by that? Did he not have these concerns? Or was he setting a trap for me?

Zhang Gui knew what Liu Xian was worried about. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, I don't have any other intentions."

"In Hedong right now, if we want to appease the refugees and prevent any unrest, there's no one more suitable than you. You're capable and responsible, and more importantly, the people trust you. The most valuable thing about doing something like this is the people's trust; otherwise, it's impossible to move forward."

"It's good for the court that these people don't cause trouble. I don't care who they appoint. As the saying goes, one should not avoid relatives when recommending people from within, and one should not avoid enemies when recommending people from outside. It's a good thing that this matter can be resolved."

"And I believe Huai Chong is also a smart man. Some fools say that people will rebel just because their fathers have old friends. But I have always believed in one thing: there are many fools in the world, but there are no fools who don't feel pain and are willing to touch a steel knife with their neck."

"Huai Chong, if you can accomplish this, I promise you that you can leave Xiayang and join the Zhengxi Army Headquarters as a soldier. What do you think?"

After hearing this, Liu Xian finally felt the pressure from the bottom of his heart. Compared to the difficulties and threats from Jia Mi and Sun Xiu, Zhang Gui's arrangement was the true kingly way.

He was able to use his influence as the prince of Anle to stabilize the local situation, and at the same time use promotion to reduce his own influence in the local area and keep it under observation.

Liu Xian couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "What a trick!" It seemed that General Zhang had kept him in the military meeting just for this matter! Although he couldn't refuse the same order, compared to Sun Xiu's traps in the conditions, Zhang Gui's orders were all for the country and the people, impeccable, and he had to agree.

Will he join the Zhengxi Army in the future? Well, at least it's another step forward. Although I'm a little reluctant to leave Xia Yang, I shouldn't think of leaving as a loss. In every new place, there are new opportunities.

At least with Zhang Gui's order, he can now legitimately meet those people who are inconvenient to meet.

Therefore, Liu Xian readily agreed to Zhang Gui's request, and then Zhang Gui gave him a token as proof, and arranged for Zhang Guang to work with him to handle the matter. Of course, in fact, he was the military supervisor.

After leaving Zhang Gui's camp, Liu Xian returned to his army. He did not hesitate too much. Since he had made the decision, he would do it according to the decision.

During the meal that day, he went to meet Zhang Guang. Zhang Guang was obviously caught off guard by this appointment. This man from Jingzhou only knew military affairs and actually knew nothing about civil affairs. He also said to Liu Xian very frankly:

"County Lord Liu, please take care of it. Just let me know if anything happens and I'll just listen in. If you have any requests, I can also talk to General Zhang."

It seems that at least he won't be hindered.

Liu Xian then took the first step to appease the refugees according to his own ideas, which was to sort out the connections among the refugees.

Organizing nearly 200,000 refugees was simply not feasible with just the 1,000 light cavalry. At best, they could only maintain order. To keep so many people obedient, they had to find a way to find people the refugees knew and recognized, using local connections as a foundation to form a network from top to bottom, encompassing everyone.

However, if this method is used, the leader must have great prestige among these refugees and be recognized by the outstanding leaders among them. Zhang Gui was right. In the current Zhengxi Army, the only person most suitable for this task is Liu Xian.

By utilizing his appeal as the Prince of Anle and directly mobilizing the remnants of Shu Han in Hedong, he should be able to pacify these refugees.

But could they really be mobilized? Liu Xian had no idea.

Thirty years is both long and short. If you say it's long, many of the people involved are still alive and remember what happened. They came from different backgrounds, and like their teacher Chen Shou, even their accents haven't changed. But if you say it's short, it's at least longer than Liu Xian's entire life. He doesn't even know what his grandfather, Liu Chan, looked like, let alone have any common topics with these old people.

But Liu Xian had no choice but to do this. He felt that he had a responsibility towards these people. Not many people could protect themselves in this disaster. When they were in trouble both internally and externally, he had an obligation to help them.

Moreover, this is something he will have to face sooner or later. When he cannot avoid facing the judgment of fate, Liu Xian will not be willing to stay there for too long.

So that night, Liu Xian called Xue Xing in, poured him a glass of water, and then said to him straight to the point:

"Jida, do you know who I am?"

It was late at night, and outside the military tent, there was still the sound of rain. The wind blew through the curtains, causing the candlelight to flicker and illuminating Liu Xian's resolute face. Xue Xing was distracted for no apparent reason, and at the same time, he saw the fire in Liu Xian's eyes.

He held up the water cup to calm his mind, and while trying to guess Liu Xian's intentions, he said, "A county lord is a county lord! Why are you asking this question?"

Liu Xian clapped his hands and laughed, then said seriously, "Because I want to meet your master, in the name of the Prince of Anle, and reminisce with him about the past."

Xue Xing's face suddenly paled, his hand trembling, and he nearly spilled the water in the cup. Realizing his loss of composure, he could no longer conceal it. He could only look at Liu Xian awkwardly, lamenting inwardly, "Can't I avoid this day? Is the county lord planning a rebellion at this moment?"

Looking at Xue Xing's expression, Liu Xian knew that he was misinformed, so he took out the token given by Zhang Gui from his pocket and continued to say to Xue Xing: "Jida, this is not for any other reason, but for all of us."

"Everyone?" Xue Xing asked doubtfully.

"Yes, nothing in this world happens in isolation without affecting others. Right now, many people in Hedong are suffering. One person's suffering can affect an entire family, let alone so many people. If it's not handled properly, it will affect even more people. There are people you know, people you don't know, and in the end, there will be you and me."

"General Zhang has given me orders to appease the refugees. I have no choice but to do it, but this is not something I can do alone. I need your help."

Xue Xing fell silent for a moment. He probably understood what Liu Xian meant, but he was still a little hesitant, because some things, once started, the development is beyond one's control.

Liu Xian stared at him and continued:
"So, I'd like to meet your master. Of course, it's not just your master. It would be best if you could introduce me to anyone you know, anyone you know, and anyone you think can stand on their own." "I believe that no matter what one's background is or what suspicions one has, wanting to do something practical for the people and bring a little peace to the world is a glorious thing, isn't it?"

Xue Xing couldn't refute this statement. He raised his head and looked back at Liu Xian, trying to detect any hesitation or falsehood in him under the firelight. But he failed in the end.

After failing, he had no choice but to agree and promised that he would come back with a group of people within five days.

Xue Xing then left the military tent. His mind was in a trance, as if he was still confused and had not yet woken up. So he stood in front of the camp gate for a long time. When a gust of wind blew and the raindrops hit Xue Xing's face, he realized that he had not put on his hat.

Xue Xing quickly put on his straw hat and raincoat. After thinking about it, he realized that he had no other choice but to pass the problem to his father, who was the person involved.

The next morning, he left the camp alone, passing the bustling Longmen Ferry and returning to Xiayang by boat. Before leaving Xiayang with the army, Xue Xing had already made an agreement with his second brother Xue Diao: he had bought a courtyard south of Xiayang City, and if any unrest occurred in Hedong, they would temporarily live there.

The courtyard was not small, with eight side rooms, more than enough for Xue Xing's daily life. However, the Hedong Xue family had many members. Besides the brothers Xue Diao and Xue Yun, there were a dozen clansmen and a dozen servants, totaling nearly forty people, large and small. With all of them in the courtyard, it looked very crowded.

But crowding also has its advantages: it's lively and bustling. When Xue Xing returned, several of his nephews were playing on bamboo horses in the courtyard, the women were cooking in the fire room, and his second brother, Xue Diao, bare-chested, led a few servants in the backyard, grinding beans with a millstone. The rest of the clan braved the rain, building a fence around the courtyard to prevent passing refugees from rushing in and stealing the family's meager belongings.

Fourth brother Xue Yun was very happy to see Xue Xing return. He came forward to greet him and said, "Third brother, didn't they say there's still a war going on in the east? Why are you back?"

Xue Xing looked at his brother's smile and responded with one, but it subconsciously turned into a wry smile. He said, "It's a long story. Is the master here?"

"Yes, he just woke up and is drinking tea and reading!"

Xue Xing immediately went to the mansion. Since Xue Xing was not at home, his father Xue Yi was living in his bedroom. Xue Xing walked to the door and was about to knock on it, but his father spoke first:
"Sanlang, you are already a soldier, so don't bother with those empty formalities. If you have anything to say, just come in and tell me."

Even so, Xue Xing still strode slowly into the room, walked to the bedside, kowtowed three times to his father in a serious manner, and then stood up and said, "Sir, I'm back."

He raised his head and was surprised to find that his concubine Mingji was also kneeling in front of the couch, making tea for her father with white hair and beard.

Xue Yi noticed his discomfort and knew that his son had something important to say, so he said to Ming Ji, "You go out first."

After she left, the old man smiled at Xue Xing and said, "Sanlang, from childhood to adulthood, I never had high expectations of you. Now it seems that I was wrong."

Nothing could be more inspiring than a father's praise. The anxiety he had felt before returning home instantly calmed down. Xue Xing replied, "It's all thanks to your guidance, sir, and the appreciation of our county lord."

"County Lady..." Xue Xing had originally intended to lay the groundwork for a while before expanding on this topic, but Xue Yi only pondered for a moment. The experience gained over the years allowed him to quickly come up with an answer. He asked, "Did you come back this time at the request of the County Lady?"

Seeing the look on his son's face, Xue Yi knew he had guessed correctly. He waved his hand, asked his son to stand up, and said with a smile, "Don't be so surprised. I've lived for so many years, so I still have some good eyesight."

He continued to ask, "What's the matter? You don't want me to go see him, do you?"

Xue Xing was now completely convinced of his father. He had originally thought that he had made some progress over the years, but now it seemed that he was still far from his father's level. He answered honestly:
"Yes, sir, the county lady wants to see you."

"For what purpose?"

"He said that in order to appease the refugees, he wanted to rely on you, the adults, and the help of many relatives and friends in Hedong."

"Oh!" Xue Yi frowned a little, knocking on the table and saying, "This is no small matter. It may affect the future of many people!"

This statement echoed Xue Xing's concerns. There were over a hundred thousand Shu Han survivors in Hedong. What if they were falsely accused or reported? It seemed his father was leaning towards rejection.

But Xue Yi did not express his attitude clearly. Instead, he questioned his son, "Did he say anything to relieve people's concerns?"

Xue Xing thought for a moment and replied, "The county lord said that doing something practical for the people is always glorious."

"Any more?"

"Also...when one person suffers, it affects a large number of people..."

When saying these words, Xue Xing himself felt a little ashamed. It was hard to imagine that a person who had been in the political arena for so long would say such childish and naive words. It was simply unreasonable. But such a person was actually a recognized genius. It was really a strange thing!

Xue Yi was also amused by these two sentences. His brows relaxed, and he put down the scroll in his hands, clapping his knees and laughing heartily, as if he had encountered a good joke. But soon, Xue Xing also heard a hint of sadness and loneliness in them. When he looked up at his father, he found that he had been staring at the sky outside the window for some time, his eyes blankly.

After a long while, Xue Yi turned around and sighed to his son, "Ha, I haven't heard such words in many years."

"How exactly did Chen Shou teach me? When he came out of seclusion, he vowed to me that he would be the most selfish person in his life. If he had sons, he would teach them to do bad things all the time. How come, after twenty years, after teaching a disciple, his words have become like waste paper?"

"I really don't like these two sentences!" Xue Yi's summary was a little insincere, because the corners of his eyes were slightly moist.

Xue Xing was puzzled. He didn't know which two sentences his father was referring to. Were they Liu Xian's, or the one about Chen Shou, whom he had never met?

But he immediately heard his father's reply. Xue Yi said, "Then let's meet. The relationship between the emperor and his subjects spans three generations. If I say no, I'll always be criticized by the world."

"What about the rest of us?"

"The same goes for the rest of the people," Xue Yi replied naturally. "I'm an old man, so I understand these old people too well. The elderly have no future, so they can only look back. If they can look back, how could anyone not want to see them?"

"Besides, it's just a brief meeting. We'll decide what to do after we meet this young lord."

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(End of this chapter)