Jinting Han people

The Wannian Rebellion of Qi has been going on for more than two years. Millions of civilians in Guanlong have been displaced, and tens of thousands of people have died from famine.

But defeating Qi Wannian did not mean the end of the war. Wars were not started by one or two people, but by many people who were dissatisfied with their current situation and their lives. Their emotions were ignited by a small number of people, and that is how wars unfolded.

Therefore, when war is to be quelled, it must be done with the majority in mind. The most powerful force is not necessarily the winner. Only when those caught in the conflict can live and work in peace and contentment can the war be completely quelled. Otherwise, the so-called peace is but a pipe dream.

Therefore, when Li Xiang proposed to lead the refugees from Wudu south to Bashu, most of the Jin army generals agreed.

Although Wudu covers a large area, almost as large as five Beidi counties, most of it is mountainous and hilly land that cannot be cultivated. The only fertile land that can be used to grow wheat and millet is probably not as good as Beidi County.

In such a place, unless one could dream back to the heyday of the Western Han Dynasty, with not only a warm climate but also complete water conservancy facilities to enable large-scale rice cultivation in Wudu County, it would be impossible to feed nearly 200,000 refugees.

So many people gathered in one county, with no food to eat and people dying every day. If the court does not solve the problem, they will probably rebel sooner or later.

Bashu is renowned for its abundance. Before the Three Kingdoms period, Yizhou boasted a registered population of seven million. Even after years of conflict, Liang and Yizhou still boast registered populations exceeding 1.5 million. While significant numbers of people in southern central China remain uncounted, and many local residents remain unaccounted for, this demonstrates Bashu's vast territory and sparse population.

After this analysis, letting these refugees move south to Bashu, or even to Hanzhong to farm and find food, becomes a very constructive suggestion.

First of all, Bashu is not short of food. In recent years, it is one of the few areas that has not suffered from disasters, and there is still a lot of food reserves in the prefectures and counties.

Secondly, moving these refugees to Bashu not only reduced the burden on the imperial court, but also helped develop the economy of Bashu and restore it to its heyday at the end of the Han Dynasty.

Thirdly, the departure of the Longyou clans such as Li Xiang from Qinzhou would also help the country regain control over Guanlong.

From this perspective, the policy of relocating refugees to Sichuan can be said to be a beneficial and harmless policy. The only issue worth considering is the loyalty of the Li family.

As Li Xiang had said, during the two years or so since Qi Wannian's rebellion, although he nominally submitted to Qi Wannian, considering the successive battles, the Li family was rarely seen, and they simply sent some food and supplies to Qi Wannian. While this is certainly false, in reality, many prominent families in Qin and Yong provinces who were unable to flee in time did the same. When Liu Xian assumed the Beidi Commandery two years ago, didn't the Beidi Fu family also intend to buy peace by spending grain?
Considering the good history of cooperation between the Li family and the Jin Dynasty for decades, it is actually possible to turn a blind eye.

Li Xiang had been in the officialdom of the Jin Dynasty for decades, so how could he not know what to do?
In the past two years, as an important force under Qi Wannian, he had plundered a large amount of wealth from the aristocratic families in Qin and Long. To show his sincerity, he immediately sent several boxes of gifts, and every official above the rank of county governor present received one.

Since Suo Jing was old and high-ranking, they gave him a jade jar with mythical beast patterns; Li Han prided himself on being elegant, so they obtained an authentic copy of Zhong Yao's "Mutian Bingshe Tie"; and upon hearing that Huangfu Shang lacked armor, they sent him a set of exquisitely crafted bright yellow armor with mountain patterns and hanging bells.

Liu Xian was no exception. Perhaps because Li Xiong had mentioned that Liu Xian was skilled in swordsmanship, Li Xiang somehow managed to obtain an ancient sword, claiming it had been wielded by Ban Yong, the Western Regions Governor during the Later Han Dynasty. Whether this was true or not is unknown, but it was undoubtedly a sword capable of severing hair with a single blow. It was said to have been forged in the snow-capped mountains of the Pamir Mountains beyond the Great Wall, hence the name Congxue Sword.

Liu Xian found it difficult to refuse such a blatant bribe. Although there were no explicit regulations, soldiers risked their lives on the battlefield and their contributions to the country far exceeded those of ordinary people, so they received some benefits that were not publicly available. For example, after winning a battle, they captured prisoners, secretly stored spoils, robbed the people's property, and demanded bribes from the defeated. These were all commonplace. As long as they did not cause any trouble, the court would tacitly allow them to do so.

Li Xiang offered the bribe, but the decorations were beautiful and valuable, but after all, they were just one or two artifacts, and the court couldn't make a big deal about it. Therefore, the accompanying generals accepted it with a clear conscience.

In this situation, although Liu Xian was the commander-in-chief, he could not pretend to be noble and refuse to accept the offer.

But beneath his outward calm, Liu Xian's heart was shaken. The moment he heard Li Xiang's request, a voice in his heart shouted:

"This person is lying! He has ulterior motives. Stop him!"

Liu Xian didn't believe what Li Xiang said at all. Although it was just a brief meeting, Liu Xian had already smelled a familiar scent from the other party.

It was the scent of caution, the smell of someone who, driven by ambition, had to compromise and carefully plan every step. Others might not be able to smell it, but Liu Xian couldn't fail to discern it.

If you think about it more carefully, the migration of refugees to the south is certainly beneficial to the court, but what benefits does it bring to the Li family of Lueyang?
Return to their ancestral land? They had been away from Bashu for four generations, so how could they still have feelings for it? Furthermore, they had no connections, and they had to pay such a huge price to collect so much gold and silver. Would they ask for nothing in return? This was impossible.

Thinking about it this way, there is only one answer, that is, the other party has unspeakable ambitions and will do anything to achieve them.

It was not until this moment that Liu Xian was shocked to find for the first time that his enemies in his attempt to restore his country were not only the Luoyang court, but also the people in front of him!

But he couldn't get angry in public because he was the prince of Anle. If he rejected this matter in public, people would immediately suspect his ulterior motives.

Are we just going to sit back and watch these people enter Shu before us?
As Liu Xian smiled and raised his glass to drink, the veins on his left hand, hidden under the table, were clenched so tightly that they popped out.

He still tried to struggle, chuckling and saying, "This is a serious matter. I'm afraid it's not something we can decide."

Li Xiang had already made preparations. In front of everyone, he said to Liu Xian with deep trepidation, "I have also prepared three carts of gifts for the Duke of Shanggu. I hope that Envoy Liu can help bring them along when he makes his proposal."

This sentence was fatal, completely cutting off Liu Xian's chance to refuse.

Liu Xian knew Meng Guan well. As the Duke of Shanggu, Meng Guan cared only about three things: his family, his title, and his wealth. Simply put, he wasn't particularly concerned with integrity, and now that his reputation had been tarnished, he had no qualms about amassing wealth. Furthermore, now that he had entered the upper echelons of society, building connections and securing a future for his descendants would require substantial financial resources. Therefore, he was certain to accept Li Xiang's bribe.

The secret to a long-lasting friendship is to consider your friend's interests as much as your own, and to be mindful of their feelings. If Liu Xian were to block Meng Guan's financial path at this moment, their friendship would likely be over. Therefore, even though Liu Xian was almost gritting his teeth, he had no choice but to agree to Li Xiang's request. He personally wrote a petition to inform Meng Guan of the matter and also sent the 10,000 gold coins that Li Xiang had prepared.

Perhaps he had vaguely sensed Liu Xian's hostility. One night while waiting for Meng Guan's reply, Li Xiong secretly came to meet him again and said to Liu Xian:

"Your Excellency, this place is poor and remote, and I'm sure we haven't been able to provide adequate hospitality. Please don't mind."

After saying that, he clapped his hands, and unexpectedly a young woman walked out from behind him. Her face was delicate and beautiful like a night-blooming cereus, and her figure was slender and graceful like light snow. Even in winter clothes, she still exuded extraordinary charm.

According to Li Xiong, this was Yan, the beloved concubine of his father Li Te, who was the most favored by Li Te. She was specially given to Liu Xian at this time.

Li Xiong's behavior really made Liu Xian laugh. He quickly declined, saying half-heartedly, "That's not necessary. I just heard that you were going south to Bashu. Thinking about my parents' hometown, and how I've never been there, I felt a little uncomfortable. So I lost my composure at the banquet. I hope Zhongjun won't mind."

This reason convinced Li Xiong. He showed a sympathetic look and sighed to the moon:
"I understand, I understand. Your words, sir, make me feel sad too."

"Alas, if it weren't for the current chaotic situation and the fact that we can no longer stay in Longyou, who would be willing to travel thousands of miles away? Once we go to Bashu, life and death are uncertain, and we don't know how long we will live..."

Li Xiong immediately realized his slip of the tongue and glanced back at Liu Xian with a wary gaze, meeting his deep, piercing eyes. The two men stared at each other in the moonlight, their hands instinctively grasping the hilts of their swords.

But soon, both of them laughed, and Liu Xian asked, "I heard from Shi Hui that you are very good at swordsmanship. Are you interested in competing with me?"

Li Xiong said weakly, "Your Excellency, you are truly embarrassing me. Swordsmanship is but a minor skill, of little use. The true path lies in a career in government. It's a pity that I am but a humble barbarian. If one day I could be employed by the court and qualified to lead your horse, I would be completely satisfied."

Liu Xian patted his shoulder and said with a smile, "Zhongjun, you're too self-deprecating. My great-grandfather was also looked down upon because of his family background, but he eventually achieved great success. How can I know that you, a little Hu, won't become a great general in the future?"

"Hahaha, then I'll take your kind words."

The two of them laughed dryly a few times, then Li Xiong bowed and said goodbye, and hurried away with Yan.

The next morning, perhaps because he had something to hide, fearing that Liu Xian would secretly try to trip him up, Li Xiong sent another box of gold to Liu Xian, about five thousand gold. This time, Liu Xian accepted it, and he accepted it with a clear conscience.

Five days later, Meng Guan sent an envoy with a reply. As Liu Xian had expected, he agreed to let Li and the refugees go south.

Perhaps due to bribery, Meng Guan acted with remarkable efficiency. While sending a letter to Liu Xian, he also sent a message to Liangzhou Governor Luo Shang, requesting that the Yang'an Pass gate be opened to allow the refugees to pass. During this time, the Jin army would monitor the refugees and prevent any disturbances along the way.

This worry was clearly unnecessary. When Liu Xian and his companions set foot on the old Chencang Road, the refugees on the road were well-organized. Upon learning that the gate to the south was open, hope shone in their eyes. Even though they were starving, the hope of life lessened their fear of death. With only their last breath, they were willing to cross the entire Qinling Mountains.

The vast procession of refugees stretched for hundreds of miles, the mountain roads narrow, and the weather bitterly cold. But miraculously, there were no accidents along the way, and even the death toll was very low. Watching all this, Liu Xian couldn't help but think: Perhaps Laozi and Zhuangzi were right; even without an emperor or government, the people could still live well.

However, this thought only flashed through his mind. When he stopped in front of Yang'an Pass, his admiration for the mountains and rivers of Hanzhong immediately overwhelmed everything.

The long and narrow mountain road can only accommodate more than ten people walking side by side. Next to it is the surging Han River. Two towering mountains in the north and south face each other on both sides of the river. The gloomy sky and the withered and dry winter trees in the mountains give people an inexplicable sense of solemnity, as if there is a gate in the sky lying between the two mountains.

As the mountain gradually became flat, the real Tianmen appeared. A mountain pass was built against the mountain, blocking everyone from entering the mountains and rivers.

This is Yang'an Pass, the northern gate of Shu Han and the starting point of the Northern Expedition.

Liu Xian rode his horse quickly through the mountain path until he reached the gates of Yang'an Pass, where he could see the gates wide open. Guards were counting the refugees at the gate, handing out a document identifying each person.

Luo Shang, the governor of Liangzhou, was inspecting here. When he heard that Liu Xian, the commander of the Pingxi Army, had arrived, he came to meet Liu Xian out of friendship as a colleague.

Liu Xian had seen Luo Shang in his childhood at the triumphant return ceremony after the conquest of Wu, but time had changed; nearly twenty years had passed. The young man who had been so high-spirited during the conquest of Wu had now become a middle-aged man with a somewhat materialistic air.

Luo Shang exchanged a few simple pleasantries with Liu Xian. His words lacked sincerity, merely superficiality, unlike those of the older men from Hedong. Liu Xian could tell he was willing to speak to him because of his position as commander of the Pingxi Army, not as the heir apparent to the Anle Duke.

This was perfectly normal, however. The Luo family had long been highly valued during the Jin Dynasty, and their current status surpassed that of the Shu Han. It was only natural that they didn't cherish their past. Perhaps when he restored his kingdom, this person would be his rival.

When Luo Shang invited Liu Xian to sit inside Yang'an Pass, Liu Xian declined. He said, "I was only ordered to supervise the refugees here. What happens after Yang'an Pass will depend on Envoy Luo. I have important matters to attend to, so I won't stay long. Farewell!"

With one last glance at Yang'an Pass, Liu Xian turned his horse and galloped back toward the main force of the Jin army. Li Xiong and the others passed by him, the mighty Han River flowed past him, and the mountains and rivers of Bashu, which had been so close at hand, receded into the distance.

After rushing to the Baji Anle flag, the Jin army in the south turned eastward. They were about to enter the last stage of the pacification campaign - Yinping County.

Liu Xian said silently in his heart: Yang'anguan, it seems that our destiny has not yet arrived. This time, I witnessed your grace. Next time we meet, I will definitely make you fall in love with me. (End of this chapter)