Jinting Han people

Chapter 271: Small Twists and Turns

After successively pacifying three counties, Liu Xian did not expect that there would be some twists and turns in the last step.

Logically speaking, at this point, Yang Maosou had no room for bargaining. Liu Xian came over to go through the procedures, and Yang Maosou wrote a letter of surrender and handed over the hostages as usual, and the appeasement was over.

However, Yang Maosou not only rejected these proposals, but also told Liu Xian bluntly that if the court wanted to recruit him, it had to appoint him as the prefect of Yinping.

It turned out that the person who had received the envoy before was his son Yang Nandi. After seeing the strength of the Jin army, he strongly advocated surrender, but Yang Maosou disagreed. He had great dissatisfaction with the Luoyang court.

He first told Liu Xian about the historical origins: "This is my family's ancestral land, which has been cultivated for a hundred years. Since our great-grandfather moved here, we have thrived for five generations. If we hadn't followed the wrong people back then, how could we have suffered such a disaster and been forcibly relocated to Lueyang?"

Then he discussed with Liu Xian the regrets his father, Yang Feilong, felt when they moved: "Back in Lueyang, my father deeply regretted it. He told me many times that with the formidable mountains, as long as our family worked together, we could defend the city even with an army of thousands. It's a shame, then, that he gave in to fear of death and left his hometown for over thirty years."

Then he explained his determination not to move: "This time I support Qi Wannian, because I have made up my mind to return to our ancestral land with my entire family. Even if we have to die, our whole family will die here and will not leave again."

Finally, he explained his conditions: "The court wants to pacify us, and I have only one condition: grant me the fiefdoms of Yinping and Qiuchi. I will pay every cent of the annual taxes due. If this fails, then we will meet in battle and see what you are capable of!"

Yang Maosou was fifty-two years old, short, and with a crude appearance. He looked like a stubborn stone. His words were indeed as firm as stone. He seemed unaware of the situation, disregarding both his own weakness and the dignity of the court, as if he was afraid that the Jin army would not attack.

But it was difficult for Liu Xian to be angry with this strange old man.

On the one hand, Yang Nandi and Yang Jiantou brothers repeatedly smoothed things over for Yang Maosou. On the one hand, Yang Nandi said to Yang Maosou:
"Sir, don't talk nonsense. What did the uncles and aunts in the clan say? Can another person die? Let's talk it over!"

On the other hand, he said to Liu Xian:
"Don't mind, my lord. My grandfather and my father were originally uncle and nephew. It was only thirty years ago that my grandfather lost his son and my father lost his father, so..."

The implication was that the Baima Di were internally agreeing to surrender, but Yang Maosou was furious because of a blood feud with the imperial court. Furthermore, based on Yang Nandi's hints, this could also be a blood feud stemming from Sima Zhao's conquest of Shu.

Hearing this, how could Liu Xian possibly get angry with this old man? Logically speaking, Liu Xian still owed a debt of gratitude to his ancestors, so he should have agreed with him. However, given his status, as the commander-in-chief of the Jin army, there was absolutely no room for compromise.

This situation made him feel very embarrassed, so he could only smile at Yang Nandi, and then said slowly to Yang Maosou:

"Mr. Yang, if there are disagreements within your department, you can discuss it first, and then we can have a long talk later."

Yang Maosou was about to get angry again when he heard this, but Yang Jian saw that the situation was not right and quickly persuaded him to leave. Yang Nandi also hurriedly led Liu Xian and others out and arranged accommodation for them.

He walked away while apologizing:

"Alas, my lord, please do not blame me. My master is old and somewhat confused and stubborn. We have no intention of becoming enemies of the imperial court. This is absolutely true."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian nodded, then waved his hand and said with a smile:
"I just want you to know that the imperial court's desire for peace in the Western Frontier is absolutely true."

"That's fine, that's fine."

Yang Nandi was a generous man. Seeing Liu Xian's tolerance, he felt relieved and said with a smile:

"Then please invite your entourage to stay in the mountains for a few days. Although this place is not as good as Chang'an and there are no beauties or music, I will still be able to provide you with good wine and delicious food!"

He added, "Although the mountains and wilderness here are desolate, there are many beautiful sights all around. If you are bored, I can send someone to guide you."

"Oh? What beautiful scenery?"

"That's too many! We have many strange caves and cliffs in Qiuchi, such as Zhuya Cave Spring and Dingshi Colorful Fish. They will definitely open your eyes!"

Yang Nandi launched into a flurry of descriptions of the beautiful sights of his hometown. On the clifftop of Qiuchi Mountain, a natural feldspar cascades through which spring water flows, forming a small waterfall. When sunlight shines on it, it looks as if a golden dragon is swimming within. Another example: within Qiuchi Mountain lies a strange cave with a spring that appears and disappears amidst the rock formations. Most remarkable of all, a skylight at the deepest point of the cave allows sunlight to reach a rock pool, where small fish gather, creating a dazzling display of color in the sunlight.

When Liu Xian heard this, he was also very interested, so he made an appointment with Yang Nandi to go to Qiuchi Mountain tomorrow to walk around and enjoy the scenery.

Yang Nandi arranged them in a courtyard in the middle of the plateau and said, "When you have nothing to do, you can walk around. But you have to be careful. There is one place you'd better not go."

"Oh? Could it be some forbidden area?"

"That's not the case." Yang Nandi showed a troubled expression and smiled bitterly. "The two courtyards to the north are where my female relatives live. Besides your aunts, my younger sister is also here. She loves to stir up trouble and often gets into trouble. I hope that Your Excellency will avoid suspicion."

Liu Xian suddenly understood and nodded repeatedly, saying, "This is as it should be. I will definitely be more careful."

It seemed that Liu Xian and Yang Nandi got along well with each other, but privately the people who accompanied them had many criticisms.

Zhang Guang, in particular, though on good terms with Liu Xian, remained loyal to the imperial court. He was therefore deeply dissatisfied with Yang Maosou's actions, saying, "The rebel leader is so stubborn and unyielding, what's the point of negotiating peace? We've practiced benevolent governance throughout our journey, and it's time to establish our authority!"

Meng Ping also hesitated and said, "Sir, aren't you being too arrogant? If he doesn't want to surrender, what are we still doing here? If the Di bandits have evil intentions, we'll be in trouble!"

Liu Xian understood their intentions, but he still preferred to pacify the enemy. This wasn't simply because of the old friendship between Yang and his family, but also because Qiuchi Mountain was too treacherous and it was a cold winter. If he abandoned the pacification offer and launched a brute force attack, it would inevitably incur a huge price, and there was no guarantee of success. If he hadn't had to, he really didn't want to give up the hope of pacification.

Therefore, Liu Xian suppressed the objection.

But how could he ensure their pacification? Liu Xian felt a headache when he thought of Yang Maosou's stubborn face. This Yang Gong didn't look like someone who could be persuaded, but he couldn't give in unconditionally. Not relocating the Baima Di was one thing, but he wanted the position of Yinping prefect and refused to hand over hostages to the court. That was a bit too much, and the court would definitely not agree.

"Brother Yang Nandi seems to want to pacify us. Can we bypass Yang Maosou?"

Liu Xian was racking his brains in his room, losing track of time. Even as Yang Nandi arranged the banquet, he lost his appetite. When the feast was over, he lay on the couch to sleep, still pondering these things, but no clear ideas were emerging.

Feeling frustrated, he thought of his father Liu Xun again. He felt that Yang Maosou's stubbornness and lack of tact were just as unreasonable as his father's. If one did not have wisdom in life and only focused on hatred, how could one achieve success?

Thinking of this, he remembered the appearance of his mother lying in front of the sickbed, and for a moment he couldn't sleep.

As was his custom, Liu Xian simply threw on some clothes and walked out of the guest room, intending to relax and unwind on the plateau. On this deep winter night, the weather was still chilly, but the bright moon shone brightly, casting a silvery shimmer on the snow on the ground like lake water, providing a clear view. Most of the others had already gone to bed, with only the faint glow of fires at the mountain passes to the east and west, likely indicating someone was guarding them. On the southern side of the plateau, a group was also offering sacrifices to an altar, supposedly to the White Horse God they worshipped.

Liu Xian wasn't in the mood to join in the fun, so he headed northward toward the shadows of the dense forest. The trees here seemed to be orange trees transplanted from Bashu. Their leaves hadn't yet fallen, perhaps because they'd been soaked in ice and snow, giving off a richer fragrance. Beyond this orange grove was a cliff. Looking down from above, the valley floor was almost invisible.

Liu Xian found a clean stone on the edge of the cliff and sat on it, facing the bright moon above and the abyss below. Faced with this scene, his mood gradually calmed down.

Unexpectedly, when he was relaxing, a clear voice broke the silence and rang out from behind him: "Hey, who are you? I don't think I've seen you before."

Without turning around, Liu Xian knew that there was a young girl behind him, about twelve or thirteen years old. Judging from her voice, she should be a beautiful but also very unruly girl.

Liu Xian looked at the rocks beneath his feet and didn't answer her. Instead, he smiled and asked, "Then who are you? I don't think I've seen you before."

The girl got no answer and was very unhappy. She shouted, "I am the mountain ghost of Qiuchi Mountain. I was entrusted by the White Horse God to absorb the spirits of this mountain. If you have any evil intentions, I will eat you in one bite! Hey, are you afraid?"

"Scared! Scared! Scared!" Liu Xian found the girl's childish joke amusing, so he followed her lead and deliberately begged for mercy, "I am a swordsman from Luoyang. I bear the hatred of my country and my family, but I am powerless to seek revenge. I have come here to ask Lord Mountain Ghost to help me get revenge!"

"Oh? You're from Luoyang?" The girl was surprised and asked, "I heard that people from Luoyang have many magical powers. Is that true?"

"It's not fake. It's just that Daoist Lord Haotian is taking care of my opponent, but not me! I heard that there's a powerful person living in seclusion in this mountain, whose methods are even stronger than Daoist Lord's. I think it must be you! Please help me!"

"Huh?" The girl was a little bewildered for a moment. After coughing a few times in a mature manner, she said, "Then I want to see if you are lying."

"Mountain Ghost Girl, how can I prove it?"

"Show off some of your swordsmanship first to prove you're a Luoyang swordsman."

Liu Xian smiled upon hearing this. He drew the Zhaowu Sword from his waist, striking it with such speed that it was almost beyond imagination. A split second later, Liu Xian retracted the sword. Then, there was the sound of branches falling to the ground, a creaking sound. A branch of an orange tree, as thick as a bowl, was easily severed by Liu Xian.

Liu Xian turned around again and said to the girl with a smile, "My swordsmanship is a bit rudimentary, I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Miss Mountain Ghost."

Although it was night, the moonlight was bright enough for Liu Xian to clearly see the girl's face. As he had expected, she was a girl around twelve or thirteen, with almond-shaped cheeks and a delicate, elegant appearance. She wore a long, narrow-sleeved, waist-cinching dress made of light green Shu brocade. Around her neck hung a string of silver pearls, each the size of a little finger, emitting a faint halo of light.

The girl was stunned for a moment, then tilted her head to look at Liu Xian's face. Unexpectedly, she was stunned again, and then said: "You are not only good at swordsmanship, but also quite good-looking!"

To project authority during the negotiations, Liu Xian had, unusually, dressed like a nobleman from Luoyang. He wore a crimson brocade robe with cloud patterns, a tiger-patterned jade belt around his waist, and two exquisitely crafted swords. Perhaps due to inherited traits, even at twenty-six, Liu Xian couldn't grow a beard, so he shaved it completely to appear neat. Under the moonlight, he looked remarkably elegant and refined.

Hearing the girl's praise, he laughed a little and replied, "It's okay, I'm just a passerby, not half as good as you."

Then he asked, "Haven't you asked the mountain ghost girl's name yet?"

The girl pursed her lips, her face suddenly flushed, she pinched the hem of her skirt and lowered her head and said, "My name is Yang Huiai, you can just call me Adie."

"Oh, the girl is Yang Gong's daughter! She's so charming!" Liu Xian praised with a smile. He had already guessed it in his heart. He was bored just now, so he teased Yang Huiai for a while. However, thinking of Yang Nandi's advice, Liu Xian didn't plan to communicate with her too much and prepared to leave.

So he said, "It's getting late. I'll go back and rest first. Miss, you should also rest early."

After saying that, he walked straight south, ready to return to the guest room.

Unexpectedly, Yang Huiai suddenly caught up from behind, grabbed the corner of Liu Xian's clothes, and said stubbornly: "Don't leave! I told you not to leave!"

Liu Xian was really startled. He quickly stopped and asked, "Miss, what's the matter?"

"Call me Adie!"

"This……"

"Call me Adie!"

"Okay, okay, what's the matter, Miss Adie?"

Yang Huiai raised her head and said to Liu Xian with a blushing face, "Didn't you just make a wish to me? I want to help you fulfill it!"

"Girl, this was just a joke. I'm sorry if it offended you."

"It's not a joke!" Hearing the word "joke", Yang Huiai's cheeks turned from blushing to anger, and she said angrily: "Also, call me Adie!"

"Yes, yes, I was wrong. I shouldn't have joked with Miss Adie..."

Liu Xian was halfway through his words when he saw tears glistening in Hui Ai's eyes, and he quickly changed his words:

"I'm truly grateful to Ah Die for helping me fulfill my vow. But your brother, Nan Di, told me to avoid any suspicion with Ah Die."

"If you don't come with me, I'll cry and tell my brother and father that you bullied me!"

What the hell is going on here? Liu Xian was filled with regret. He was possessed by a demon. What kind of joke was he playing with a little girl? He should have listened to Yang Nandi from the beginning and just turned around and ran.

But now he had no other choice but to surrender and say:
"Then where are you planning to take me to fulfill my vow, Miss Mountain Ghost?"

Yang Huiai's anger suddenly turned to joy. She lifted her nose and hummed with satisfaction. Then she pulled him towards the cliff. She pointed to an area covered with dry grass and said to Liu Xian, "There is a small path here that leads down the mountain. Come with me."

Liu Xian had a bad feeling, but now that the situation had come to an end, there was no turning back. He could only consider himself unlucky and sighed, "As you command."

(End of this chapter)