Jinting Han people

After returning from Xingxian, Liu Xian saw Meng Ping's name and was extremely surprised: Why did Meng Guan send his son to him? What was going on?

He immediately sent people to look for the young man, and while he asked Lu Zhu to prepare food, he pondered Meng Guan's intentions in his heart. But no matter how much he thought about it, he could not find any reason.

Because it was a time of war, Guanzhong was in turmoil. Although order had been restored in the north under Liu Xian's rule, reports of robberies still surfaced from time to time. Not to mention the other counties, where bandits were rampant, with officers and soldiers often ambushed and killed, not to mention the possibility of war breaking out at any moment. Whatever Meng Guan's concerns were, there was no need to send his eldest son. Could he not have other trusted aides?
Therefore, many prominent families and high-ranking officials in Guanzhong, if they could afford it, either moved their descendants to Hanzhong or sent them to Guandong. After all, protecting one's bloodline is human nature, and even a virtuous official like Fu Zhi was no exception. Liu Xian had originally planned to promote Fu Chang to his own prefecture, making him a post like the Inspector. However, Fu Zhi disagreed and, before the Battle of Fufeng began, he moved several of his young children to Luoyang.

In contrast, Meng Guan's motive for sending Meng Ping to Guanzhong, whatever it was, was puzzling to Liu Xian. He still remembered Meng Guan's words: the reason he had previously fought in the officialdom was simply for the sake of his descendants. His deep love for his son had left a deep impression on Liu Xian, and he still couldn't forget it.

Since he couldn't figure it out, Liu Xian didn't think about it any more. No matter what, Meng Ping was indeed an old friend, so he had to treat him well.

About a quarter of an hour later, Meng Ping arrived at the county government office.

This was Liu Xian's first encounter with Meng Ping. He was dressed in a light yellow, narrow-sleeved military uniform, his hair wrapped in a white turban, and deerskin boots. He was neatly dressed. But the gold studs at his waist and the jade ornaments on the backs of his boots suggested his attire was of considerable value. It also suggested Meng Guan's deep affection for his eldest son.

But what impressed Liu Xian even more was Meng Ping's face. It was truly youthful. He was beardless, his expression clean, and he had a curious look when he entered, revealing a youthful spirit within. This was why, despite being eight feet tall, like his father, he didn't give off an air of authority. Instead, he gave off the friendly air of a boy next door.

When they met, he immediately treated Liu Xian with the courtesy of a junior, saying respectfully, "Junior Meng Ping, greetings to Lord Liu."

In fact, Meng Ping was only two years younger than Liu Xian. Liu Xian was a little uncomfortable. He quickly helped Meng Ping up and said with a smile:
"Ziheng, there's no need to be so polite. Just treat this place like your own home."

Then he pointed to the food on the table and said apologetically:
"Guanzhong is still suffering from famine, so we don't have any good food to serve you. Please make do with what you have."

Liu Xian had always been frugal, even when entertaining Yuwenxun Niyan, and naturally he was no exception. He treated Meng Ping to some wild vegetable dumplings, a bowl of tofu, and some mushroom soup cooked with eggs. Liu Xian hadn't thought anything unusual at first, but after personally entertaining Meng Ping, he suddenly felt annoyed and awkward. He thought, since the younger generation had come from afar, he should have treated them well. Otherwise, how could he live up to this innocent smile?

Meng Ping wasn't surprised. He smiled and said, "Before I came here, the Lord warned me that the Lord is a simple man and doesn't like fancy things. This is a good opportunity to temper my temper."

"Oh? Is Brother Shushi doing well now? I haven't seen him for seven years. How is his health?"

"Thank you, Lord Liu, for your concern. He is in good health. Although he has been idle in recent years, he still practices archery at home every day. He eats two kilograms of meat every day and has gained some weight!"

"Haha, that's great!" Liu Xian laughed twice, then sighed, "I've been so busy in Guanxi these years, I've been dizzy and exhausted. I don't know when I can live a stable life!"

The two of them then chatted about recent changes in Luoyang's officialdom. Although he had exchanged many letters with his wife, letters were ultimately not as good as casual conversation. Only after Meng Ping told him in person could Liu Xian learn some specific details about his old acquaintance:
For example, Zu Ti had already joined Sima Jiong, the Prince of Qi, and became his attendant. Liu Kun followed the path of Sima Tai, the Prince of Gaomi, and became a secretary. Zhou Xi also became a secretary of the Ministry of Shangshu. Liu Qiao climbed even higher, being promoted to the Ministry of Shangshu Youcheng. His teacher Liu Song was transferred to become the Minister of Personnel. Le Guanggong is currently the governor of Henan, and Man Fen is the commander of the Sili Army...

Most people lived relatively comfortably, but one thing worried Liu Xian: his teacher, Chen Shou, was in dire condition. Meng Ping had told him he'd developed a respiratory illness this year, wheezing constantly at home. The doctors said he was struggling, and he'd probably die in the next year or two. Liu Xian was deeply concerned. After all, his teacher had no sons and only a few servants. He might die anytime soon. Wouldn't he be able to see his teacher for the last time?

Meng Ping took a small package from his luggage and handed it to Liu Xian, saying, "Before I left, I went to Anle Gong's mansion. Madam has already taken Chengzuo Gong home and is personally serving him every day. Don't worry. This is the summer clothes Madam made for you at home. She also asked me to bring them here."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian unwrapped the package. Inside was indeed a silk summer dress, incredibly smooth to the touch, just like Ah Luo's skin. Liu Xian felt a mixture of emotions, unsure of what to say. He missed Luoyang more and more, and he didn't know when he could return.

But he quickly calmed down, thanked Meng Ping, and then brought the conversation back to the point. Liu Xian said, "Ziheng didn't come to Niyang to pass on a message for me, did he? If Brother Shushi has any instructions, you can tell me directly. There's no need to hesitate."

Hearing this, Meng Ping couldn't help but reveal an uneasy expression. He stood up straight, sat upright, and after thinking for a while, he slowly said, "I came here in the hope that Lord Liu would accept me for my master's sake and let me serve under you!"

Liu Xian almost thought he had misheard. He couldn't help but stare at Meng Ping for a long time with wide eyes, and said suspiciously: "Ziheng, you are not kidding me!"

It's no wonder Liu Xian reacted this way, because it was truly absurd. Regardless of how poor Meng Guan's background had been before, he was now the Duke of Shanggu County, and his family background was even higher than that of the Duke of Anle County.

You know, up to now, apart from the Sima family, there are very few county dukes.

There were only eight of them. They were Jia Mi, Duke of Lu, Zhang Hua, Duke of Zhuangwu, Shi Tong, Duke of Leling, Chen Zhi, Duke of Gaoping, Pei Wei, Duke of Julu, Wei Xu, Duke of Lanling, Wang Jun, Duke of Boling, and Meng Guan, Duke of Shanggu.

Except for Zhang Hua and Meng Guan, the other six people all inherited the title, so people basically only looked up to Zhang Hua and Meng Guan. There is a folk song that says: "Wen is Maoxian, Wu is Shushi", which means this.

Under such circumstances, although Meng Guan was not valued by the court, he still had some of the power he should have.

For example, the current Shanggu County is his fiefdom. He can establish a government office, appoint personnel, collect taxes, and has the power to train an army of 1,500 people, etc.

Similarly, as a county duke, Meng Guan could allow his descendants to enter the officialdom directly through the Imperial College without taking the imperial examination. Furthermore, his county duke background meant that Meng Ping's position as a township governor would be of the second rank. As long as he could maintain his qualifications and stay in Luoyang for a few decades, he might not necessarily become an Eight Duke by the time he was old, but he would still be more than qualified to become a Nine Ministers.

Liu Xian was currently only the governor of a small county, and the only officials he could appoint were minor officials like the Inspector General. Considering Meng Ping's age, he should have already passed the Imperial College and spent five years in officialdom, and by now he was at least a sixth-rank Palace Attendant. For him to be an official under him, wasn't that a decidedly low position?
Hearing Liu Xian's question, Meng Ping's face flushed slightly, but he immediately straightened his expression and said seriously, "Lord Liu, I'm not joking. I really do want to work under you." Seeing his serious attitude, Liu Xian asked, "Why?"

Meng Ping replied with great conviction: "To serve the country!"

He then explained the reason why he came to surrender.

Just as Liu Xian had expected, after Meng Guan was granted the title of Duke of Shanggu, Meng Ping transferred from the Imperial College to the Imperial Academy, and then obtained a second-rank official certificate to enter the officialdom. His career had been smooth sailing. By last year, he was serving as a sixth-rank Huangmen Shilang in Luoyang.

However, Meng Ping was not very satisfied with his career.

It was still because of his family background. Previously, when Meng Ping was at the Imperial College, he had failed the Imperial College Archery Test twice. Although he had risen to prominence due to his father's influence, he was still looked down upon by the descendants of nobles at the Imperial College, regarded as a nouveau riche with no background.

In Meng Pingyuan's Imperial College circles, former friends, though outwardly more enthusiastic, could hardly conceal their jealousy and hatred, whispering, "Meng Ziheng is a worthless man, unable to pass the imperial examinations himself and relying solely on the help of the adults at home." These relationships might have held up at first, but over time, problems emerged and the friendships dispersed.

The situation remained the same even after he entered the officialdom. Meng Guan arranged for Meng Ping to gain experience steadily, but Meng Ping felt very uncomfortable.

Human beings need meaning to exist. He didn't have many friends in official circles, nor did he have any important career. He also had to endure the cold eyes and ridicule of others. In the end, he couldn't stand it anymore and decided to find a new way out to prove himself, even if it meant abandoning his father's hard arrangements.

"Lord Liu, I believe nothing is more meaningful than suppressing a rebellion for our country. You are an old friend of mine, and you have made great contributions in suppressing the rebellion. I truly admire you. I hope you will accept me as your wife for my sake!"

After hearing the whole story, Liu Xian was really at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

What a naive young man! He discards the life others crave. He feels his talent is unappreciated, and in order to achieve something that adds no value to his life, he forces himself to endure hardships, some of which are completely unnecessary.

Almost every teenager will go through this stage, and Liu Xian has also experienced it.

However, his experience was unique. His childhood ended at the age of five, with the flash of a knife and his father's brutality. Liu Xian had to endure some hardships, which made him accustomed to them. On the one hand, this instilled in Liu Xian the obsession and dream of overthrowing the world. On the other hand, it also made him realize early on the importance of power and status. Without worldly success, people will not be able to move forward.

Now, facing Meng Ping's request, Liu Xian's first reaction was: Meng Guan really protected his family very well, so Meng Ping could still have such thoughts at this age.

What followed was doubt: Can this young man in front of me really endure hardship?

It's undeniable that some people are able to persevere through adversity, forging a heart of gold and ultimately achieving great things, but they are ultimately a minority. Other young people, after encountering one or two setbacks, begin to complain and then abandon their ideals, becoming completely sly snakes. To alleviate their disillusionment, they take pleasure in mocking the naivety of others.

Meng Guan cherishes his eldest son's life so much, and Liu Xian doesn't want to lead him astray.

But after much reflection, Liu Xian looked at the clear eyes of the young man before him and decided that there was no need to dwell on it. Liu Xian had long known that pure courage could overcome many difficulties, because most difficulties were self-inflicted. Courage alone was enough to surpass vulgar imagination.

Liu Xian said, "If you stay with me and fight a war in the future, you will be on the front line. Death will be commonplace. Aren't you afraid?"

Meng Ping stiffened his neck and replied, "Lord Liu and I are only of the same age. Lord Liu isn't afraid of death, so why should I be? It's precisely because I'm not afraid of death that I wanted to come to you. Otherwise, if I followed my master to Guanzhong and did nothing but gather military achievements, what would I have to boast about in the future?"

Liu Xian laughed when he heard this. He patted his knee and said, "Okay then. I'll find you a job."

He ordered the county official to call Sun Xi over. When Sun Xi arrived, Liu Xian pointed at Meng Ping and said, "This is Meng Ping, the eldest son of the Duke of Shanggu. Brother Sun, give him two hundred men and make him the leader of a troupe. Then train him in the usual way: march forty miles in armor every day and practice shooting two hundred arrows."

After that, Liu Xian said to Meng Ping, "Ziheng, if you can hold on, I'll let you take this song and become my trusted confidant. How do you think?"

Meng Ping was very excited. He knew that this was both a test and a recognition of him. He quickly clasped his fists and said in return, "I will definitely live up to your expectations."

After saying that, the young man took Sun Xi's hand and left excitedly.

Liu Xian was also very happy watching his back. In the evening at the mansion, he was teasing the four-year-old Liu Lang to play with the windmill and could not help but sigh to Lu Zhu:

"I'm only 25, but when I see Ziheng, I feel like I'm already very old. Is this just my illusion?"

Lu Zhu was combing Liu Xian's hair at this time. After years of hard work, there were already some white hairs in Liu Xian's hair. Lu Zhu saw it and felt very distressed, but she did not say it out loud. Instead, she smiled and sighed: "You, you are just too mature. There are too many things in your mind." (End of this chapter)