Jinting Han people

The end of the year is just around the corner. In other places, all activities inside and outside the city have probably ended. Apart from the brightly lit houses, the streets are dark and empty, which is a symbol of reunion.

But this is Luoyang, the ancient capital of China with a history of thousands of years, the residence of emperors, the heart of the nation, and naturally it must be different from other places. Even at this time, the streets are still bustling with traffic and pedestrians, seemingly unaffected by the holiday.

Although this city is home to all sorts of strange and wonderful people—farmers, merchants, swordsmen, scholars, bandits, yamen runners, beggars, high-ranking officials, and even emperors and slaves—there is no doubt that they all belong to this city. No matter the time, if any part is missing, Luoyang would no longer be Luoyang.

Therefore, the people of Luoyang are proud to be part of Luoyang, as if all of Luoyang's glorious history since ancient times is embodied in them. Now, a year is about to pass, which is just an insignificant moment in Luoyang's thousands of years of history.

Even during festivals, they carry a sense of pride amidst their joy, as if laughing more would reveal their lack of depth. Their celebrations aren't for themselves, but for the city, a celebration of unity and composure to adorn this ancient capital and honor their place as residents of Luoyang.

Most people have forgotten that the original Luoyang city was destroyed in the chaos of Dong Zhuo's rebellion, and this is a Luoyang city rebuilt under the supervision of Cao Wei. Most of the original Luoyang people have also died out, and those who can walk here and be proud are mostly newcomers who moved here during the reign of Cao Pi, and their experience here is at most five generations.

Liu Xian walked among the crowd, sensing their joy and sense of superiority. Frankly, as a native of Luoyang, he didn't like this kind of attitude among the people of Luoyang. Because superiority is arrogance, and arrogance is an unnecessary illusion that often misleads the person involved, causing them to make wrong choices.

This is roughly how Jia Mi and Empress Shi Chong created tragedy.

But happiness is happiness, and joy is largely contagious. When surrounded by smiling faces, it's hard not to smile back. As Liu Xian walked and smiled through the crowd, a touch of pity also welled up within him for the passersby.

Perhaps this year-end will be the last New Year that most people in Luoyang will be able to spend peacefully.

Thinking this, he paused briefly as he passed a jewelry shop. After examining it for a moment, he bought a tortoiseshell bracelet, intending to give it to A'Luo as a New Year's gift. After all, who knew when he would have another chance?

As Liu Xian prepared to enter the city through Dongyang Gate, he unexpectedly encountered Ji Shao, the former Chancellor of the Imperial Academy and now the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

Ji Shaogang came out of the palace, greeted Liu Xian, and then asked him, "Huai Chong, it's so late, why are you still going into the city?"

Liu Xian entered officialdom under Ji Shao, and in a sense, Ji Shao was Liu Xian's teacher. Therefore, Liu Xian first bowed to Ji Shao, and then replied calmly, "I'm going to the gold market to buy some things, and I'll be back shortly."

He then asked Ji Shao, "Did you just finish your official duties, Lord Ji?"

"Sigh, official duties are never-ending." Ji Shao rubbed his lower back and said, "The New Year's Day court assembly is just around the corner. Actually, there's not much else to do. The palace is busy setting up the gates, the East Pavilion, and the Taiji Hall. We old folks also have to clean up the three departments to get rid of the old and welcome the new!"

Ji Shao countered by asking Liu Xian, "How's the Crown Prince doing lately? Any news?"

Liu Xian mumbled, "Thank you for your concern, His Highness the Crown Prince is doing well."

"Is everything alright?" Ji Shao looked at Liu Xian with interest and said to him, "Extreme rigidity is easily broken, and extreme prosperity is easily declined. How can everything truly be alright? One should adhere to the doctrine of the mean and leave some room for oneself and others."

Liu Xian never expected that Ji Shao would lecture him during a chance encounter. He had no intention of saying much, so he could only cup his hands and say, "What you say is true, but things have come to this point, and we have no choice but to speak out."

Ji Shao waved his hand and said, "I'm not talking about the Crown Prince, I'm talking about you. Leave yourself an escape route."

"A way out, you mean..."

“I think the sage was right, that great wisdom appears as foolishness.” Ji Shao stroked his beard and smiled at Liu Xian, “That’s why I like people who are old and not very smart. Such people are more likely to succeed than purely intelligent people.”

After leaving behind this ambiguous statement, Ji Shao waved goodbye to Liu Xian.

Liu Xian didn't think much of it, assuming that Ji Shao, as an old man on the fringes of politics, was just having a sudden inspiration and was giving him a lecture.

It was getting late, and he had to keep his appointment as soon as possible.

Upon entering the city, Luoyang became noticeably quieter. Many lanterns hung along the streets, and some children were setting off firecrackers in front of their doors, but pedestrians were few and far between, and apart from a few patrolling guards, there were hardly any carriages or horses. Only then could Liu Xian truly grasp the tension of the political situation. The quiet in the city reminded him of the factional strife within the Qi Kingdom during his childhood.

He walked west across two intersections, then south, where the number of pedestrians dwindled, and the trees lining the roadside were bare of leaves, making the street seem even more desolate. It wasn't until he reached the agreed-upon tavern that the street became slightly more lively.

Several fine horses were parked in front of the door. Peeking through the curtain, a wave of heat hit me. I could see four middle-aged men with swords around a brazier, drinking together. They were probably idle wandering knights from Luoyang. A fifteen-year-old servant was warming wine at the counter. Perhaps because he had been warming himself by the fire for too long, his young face showed signs of drowsiness, and his head would lift up and then lower down again.

Liu Xian woke up the servant and learned that Sun Xiu hadn't arrived yet, which was still a quarter of an hour before the appointed time. So he paid for a private room on the second floor and sat inside to wait for him.

The servant then brought up a brazier for Liu Xian, poured in some charcoal, set up a stand, placed a dark earthenware pot on it, and started boiling tea. After the tea boiled, he bowed and took his leave, then went downstairs.

Liu Xian picked up the fire tongs and stirred the embers in the brazier. Sparks danced like butterflies in the flames. Then he ladled out a bowl of tea, which was slightly too hot, and put the lacquered bowl down. He opened the window to look down. The sky was growing increasingly dark, a deep amber blue, and the lanterns on the ground shone with a jewel-like clarity. The streets were mostly deserted; were it not for the whistling of the cold wind through the treetops, everything seemed frozen in time.

Liu Xian waited for a while, and when he picked up the tea, he suddenly realized that something was wrong: only a quarter of an hour had passed, so why had the laughter and chatter of the wandering knights downstairs also disappeared?
In an instant, he leaned his head against the windowsill and quietly peered downstairs. He saw all four carriages that had brought him there, which gave him a bad feeling. Recalling the figures of the wandering swordsmen he had encountered on the way upstairs, he was undoubtedly a rare and skilled swordsman. Why were they here?
Liu Xian then examined the tea soup beside him. He picked up the bowl and took a couple of sniffs, noticing an unusual odor not found in ordinary tea soup.

Even the most oblivious person would realize something was wrong at this point. Liu Xian leaned his head against the windowsill again, discreetly glancing left and right at the street. Sure enough, although the street appeared deserted, there were actually two people on each side of the street, observing the tavern, hidden in the shadows. Because of the cold weather, the people keeping watch were shivering, and Liu Xian could see their hats shaking.

The answer is obvious: Sun Xiu did not come. Liu Xian planned to assassinate Sun Xiu here, but Sun Xiu noticed first and then turned the tables, setting up an ambush right there.

He was too clever for his own good! Liu Xian only thought about secretly meeting with Sun Xiu so that he could get rid of him without anyone knowing. But he didn't expect that if he were targeted by Sun Xiu, he would suffer the same fate.

But how could he guess my intentions? It doesn't make sense. Even if Sun Xiu guessed my intentions, why would he use such a drastic method? Isn't he afraid of arousing the suspicion of the Empress and the Crown Prince?

But Liu Xian had no time to think about these things. At this moment, his mind raced, desperately trying to come up with a way to escape.

Time was of the essence, but he had a flash of inspiration. He took a sip of tea, quietly spat it into his sleeve, and then called over the servant, feigning anger, saying, "I've taken two sips of this tea, but the taste is off!"

The servant apologized repeatedly, saying, "Please don't be offended, sir. Perhaps the tea leaves weren't fresh. I'll get you a fresh pot right away."

Although the servant tried to hide his emotions, Liu Xian could still clearly see a hint of smugness in him. Liu Xian thought that he was right; the tea must have been poisoned.

As the servant took the clay pot and was about to go downstairs, turning his back to Liu Xian, Liu Xian suddenly kicked him in the back. With a thud, the servant tumbled down the roof. He was dazed and confused, and the scalding tea and the clay pot spilled onto his body, instantly burning his hands white, causing him to howl hysterically.

The four swordsmen on the first floor had been watching the commotion upstairs. Suddenly, they saw the handyman tumble and roll down to the first floor. Realizing they had given themselves away, they instinctively tried to go upstairs and surround the second floor.

But before they could climb up, they suddenly heard a thud outside the window. They knew that Liu Xian had used a feint, and they knew something was wrong.

It turned out that Liu Xian had used the servant's fall from the stairwell to draw everyone's attention to the stairwell, while actually taking the opportunity to jump out of the window. Although the windowsill was about ten feet high, it was no different from flat ground for Liu Xian. He landed on the ground, rolled, and ran directly towards the horses in front of the shop, then used a somersault to jump onto a red horse.

With his sword drawn, Liu Xian first severed the saddle of his horse, then cut the reins of the other horses. This allowed Liu Xian to ride his horse, while the others were unable to pursue him on horseback.

Before the people inside could recover, Liu Xian pulled on the reins, and his horse reared up and neighed, then galloped out of the alley like thunder!

The biggest obstacle was the two guards on the street, but Liu Xian didn't even glance at them, speeding past them. But in that instant, a sharp whooshing sound rang in Liu Xian's ears. He cursed inwardly; he recognized the sound all too well—it was a crossbow!

Visibility was poor in the dim light, so he had no idea where the arrow had come from. Liu Xian could only rely on instinct, instinctively lowering his body to press himself against the broad back of the horse. A moment later, Liu Xian felt no pain, but before he could feel any joy, the red horse he was riding neighed again. He reached out and touched it, finding his hand covered in warm horse blood. It turned out that the arrow had hit the horse's belly.

The red horse, in pain, ran only a few more steps before collapsing as if it had fallen.

Liu Xian took a hard fall, but fortunately, he rolled to the ground before the red horse hit the ground, so he wasn't crushed by the horse. However, he was dizzy and disoriented.

Suddenly, another sharp whooshing sound pierced the air, heading straight for Liu Xian! Liu Xian didn't even get a clear look, and had no way to dodge!
With a clang, a piercing pain shot from his right shoulder throughout his body. Liu Xian knew he had been hit by an arrow. Before he could even feel relieved that it hadn't struck a vital spot, a familiar sound came from behind him—the sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath!
Liu Xian gripped the Everlasting Victory Sword with his left hand, squatted down, mustered his remaining strength, and suddenly burst out with his right foot, spinning around a half-circle at an incredible speed. The sword's edge drew a cold arc of light in mid-air, its speed completely catching the attacker off guard.

At the end of the arc of light, the attacker's neck was precisely struck. The sword tip sliced ​​through the throat as if it had encountered nothing, and blood gushed out, turning into specks in the air like a rain of blood.

Liu Xian was no longer able to fight the other person. He clutched his wound and tried to escape the scene as fast as he could, but the swordsmen behind him were in hot pursuit.

If I continue chasing like this, I will collapse from excessive bleeding. What should I do?
Liu Xian's first thought was to find the city guards patrolling the city, but after running a few steps onto the main road, he realized that the pursuers behind him were completely unconcerned, seemingly unconcerned about being discovered. He then thought: Could it be that Sun Xiu has also hidden people in the Imperial Guards, waiting for me to walk right into their trap?
This is not impossible.

Liu Xian made a quick decision not to take the risk, changing direction at the last minute. He switched from main roads to side streets, weaving and dodging through the alleys of Luoyang, trying to confuse his pursuers. He ran incredibly fast, and the alleys he chose were undeniably narrow, but unfortunately, he was injured. Blood dripped from his shoulder and fingers, becoming tiny red spots that served as excellent navigational markers. This meant Liu Xian was unable to shake off his pursuers.

The swordsmen chasing Liu Xian were furious, but also extremely excited. In their view, Liu Xian's strength was clearly waning, and he had almost nowhere to escape. Completing the mission was now a sure thing.

After a long chase, they turned a corner and were shocked to find that their target had vanished. Using their torches to trace the bloodstains, they easily found the end of the trail. But they dared not venture into that end. They looked at each other, hesitant, and after much deliberation, decided to leave a few men to keep watch while the rest went to find reinforcements.

The last place Liu Xian disappeared was a vermilion wall. A bloody handprint was imprinted on the top of the wall, and next to the top of the wall was a peach tree. It is not hard to imagine how Liu Xian managed to climb over it with difficulty. He must have been inside the mansion where this vermilion wall was located.

The pursuers knew who owned the mansion, for it was the residence of the Marquis of Xiangyang—the residence of the current imperial son-in-law. (End of Chapter)