Jinting Han people

Sima Yi's treatment of Liu Xian far exceeded Liu Xian's expectations. He not only treated Liu Xian with the highest courtesy, but more importantly, his meticulous care was truly commendable. True hospitality doesn't concern itself with the cost. Only someone like Sima Yi, willing to treat others with genuine respect and consideration, can truly be described as making guests feel at home.

This gave Liu Xian a very good impression, and he thought to himself: He is, after all, Sima Wei's brother, and is different from the other members of the Sima clan.

In fact, Sima Yi suited Liu Xian's tastes in every way.

Although Changshan was located in Ji Province, it was a rare mountainous region in Hebei. Only the area around Zhen Ding was truly fertile plains, and the Hutuo River was the only large river in Hebei that caused flooding. Therefore, Changshan was one of the poorest states in Ji Province, often plagued by bandits. At the end of the Han Dynasty, Zhang Yan, a bandit leader from the Black Mountain region, ruled as king of the mountains there, and even after Yuan Shao spent ten years suppressing bandits, he was unable to completely eradicate him.

However, after Liu Xian left Bingzhou and entered Jingxing, he found that not only were there no bandits along the way, but the official road was also meticulously maintained. The road surface was compacted with gravel and fine sand, and a layer of white lime was sprinkled on it to repel grass seeds. Surprisingly, there were no checkpoints. The Hutuo River also had well-developed water conservancy facilities such as river embankments, canals, and watermills. Upon arriving at the village, he found the people living in peace and contentment. Everywhere were lush wheat fields, and he frequently saw children gathering to study at the village school. Passing through the mountains, he could also see hunters galloping and shooting in the forests. All this joyful laughter and peaceful scenery was the most magnificent sight Liu Xian had ever seen in any prefecture or kingdom.

The peace and tranquility of Changshan Kingdom was clearly due in no small part to the efforts of King Sima Yi of Changshan.

Looking at Sima Yi himself, he was twenty-five years old, slightly shorter than Liu Xian, about seven feet five inches (1.8 meters). He was lean and wiry, and stood as straight as a pagoda, clearly a decisive and methodical person. Looking at his calloused hands, his slightly tanned skin, and the long, steady breaths he took, it was easy to tell that he was also a skilled martial artist, at least no less than Sima Yun, the Prince of Huainan.

A man skilled in both literature and martial arts is already quite rare among members of the imperial family. What's even more remarkable is that Sima Yi is frugal and gets along well with his subordinates, unlike the cutthroat competition in Luoyang. This kind of atmosphere cannot be faked. After the banquet, he led Liu Xian to the Changshan Prince's residence in a carriage. Without him even having to greet them, the people of Zhen Ding City came forward to offer their greetings, which serves as further evidence of this.

In the car, he asked Liu Xian, "I heard that your wife is not feeling well?"

Liu Xian said, "It's probably just a change in environment, but it's not a serious illness."

Sima Yi shook his head and said, "Ah, many serious illnesses start from minor ones, so it's best to be careful. I have already arranged for a physician to stay with the Princess. We will discuss important matters in the hall later, and the physician will treat your wife in the backyard. I have been away from Luoyang for many years, and there are many things I would like to ask you for advice on."

This was the formal test. Liu Xian thought to himself: "You give me a papaya, I return you a precious jade." Since the other party had shown such sincerity, if he could not reciprocate with corresponding value, wouldn't he be laughed at for having only an empty reputation? He immediately straightened up and solemnly said, "Your Highness, please ask without hesitation. I will certainly answer to the best of my knowledge."

Upon arriving at the Prince's residence, the two men sat facing each other in the main hall, each accompanied by their own attendants. Li Sheng and Zhuge Yan naturally stood to Liu Xian's left and right, while four people stood beside Sima Yi: two scholars on the left and two military men on the right. According to Sima Yi, these were all his household servants: Liu You, a literary scholar; Wang Ju, a retainer; Song Hong, a chief clerk; and Guan Si, a chief clerk.

At first glance, the scholars didn't seem like scholars at all, displaying a rather robust and vigorous demeanor, and the warriors didn't seem like warriors either, adhering strictly to etiquette in their speech and behavior. It's easy to see that this was undoubtedly influenced by Sima Yi.

After the introductions, the group exchanged greetings, and Sima Yi continued, "I have already reported Brother Liu's appointment to the court, but the court has not yet replied. However, I suppose there is no reason to stop it. From today onwards, you will be the Inner Governor of Changshan State. There's no need to be so polite."

"Thank you, Your Highness. But what about the original Imperial Secretary?"

“Former Imperial Secretary Cheng Hui was an informant sent by the Empress. I’ve always been at odds with him. A few days ago, something happened in Luoyang, and I threatened him, so he resigned.”

Sima Yi spoke casually, as if he had merely brushed away some dust, but Liu Xian understood the meaning behind it: he was telling him that if it weren't for the court's influence, he would be absolutely the one to make decisions in Changshan Kingdom, not the kind of mediocre monarch who would entrust everything to his advisors.

Speaking of the changes in Luoyang, Sima Yi continued, "Although you informed me in your previous correspondence that unrest was imminent in Luoyang, I was still skeptical. I never expected it to have actually developed to this point. But written words are ultimately limited. I hope you can tell me the details of some things first."

Liu Xian nodded and said, "That is only right."

He immediately explained the political changes from his own perspective, focusing on Sun Xiu's methods: how he used the greed of the princes to maneuver in Luoyang, then formed his own faction, wavering between the Empress Dowager's faction and the Crown Prince, ultimately causing both sides to suffer heavy losses, and he reaped the benefits.

The officials present were not from Luoyang, and the names they usually heard of were mostly pillars of the Empress Dowager's faction like Zhang Hua, Pei Wei, Jia Mo, and Shi Chong, or renowned scholars of pure conversation like Wang Yan and Yue Guang. Although they knew of Sun Xiu, they only considered him a lowly clown from a poor family who flattered the Empress. Now, hearing that Sun Xiu had taken control of the situation in Luoyang, they all felt a sense of absurdity, as if the world had turned upside down.

“Sun Xiu, Sun Xiu…” Sima Yi clasped his hands together, a strange look appearing on his young face. After a long while, he sighed, “I have been away from the capital for many years, and I did not know that such a person had emerged…”

He then asked, "In your opinion, after the King of Zhao purges the Empress Dowager's faction, what will happen in Luoyang?"

Liu Xian had already considered this matter, and at this moment he stated: "The saying goes, 'What a ruler rises by, he will also fall by.' Sun Xiu came from a poor family and was even a Taoist priest before meeting the King of Zhao. If he hadn't relied on flattery and sycophancy, he would never have reached where he is today. Therefore, no matter how powerful he is, in the eyes of the world, he will always be a treacherous and petty man."

"Such a person can certainly take advantage of the situation and temporarily unite the princes for common interests. But now that the Empress Dowager's faction has been destroyed, the alliance of the princes no longer exists. In my opinion, Luoyang will inevitably usher in another major political upheaval in the coming days."

Shangguan Yi, who was standing to the side, asked, "Does the Prefect mean that Sun Xiu will lose?"

"No, Sun Xiu will win!"

Liu Xian replied decisively, “Sun Xiu climbed his way up from the very bottom. What kind of people hasn’t he seen? What kind of methods hasn’t he used? Anyone else is too green to play politics with him in Luoyang. No one is better at crossing the line than him. Bribery, assassination, seduction, theft, familial ties… he uses whatever works. A man like that will never fail in a coup.”

"My biggest worry right now is His Highness the Prince of Huainan. Although he has a great reputation, he is impatient and doesn't know how to bide his time or guard against underhanded attacks. He will probably be the first to clash with Sun Xiu, and therefore, he will probably be the first to fail."

Such a decisive assessment left everyone present with mixed feelings of belief and doubt. Only Sima Yi sighed in agreement, saying, "Is Ninth Brother still the same? It seems I should write him a letter to remind him to be careful."

He then asked, "But according to what you said, Lord Prefect, isn't it true that no one can defeat Sun Xiu?"

Liu Xian laughed and said, "That's absolutely not the case."

Sima Yi asked curiously, "Oh? What is the reason for this?"

"Because Sun Xiu was too slick, only knowing how to manipulate people, but daring not to trust anyone." Liu Xian recalled his time working with Sun Xiu in Guanzhong, and said with a smile:
"In political struggles, this may be invincible, but it is not applicable to military affairs." "Sun Tzu said that a general must possess wisdom, integrity, benevolence, courage, and strictness. A general must be wise, but this is only one of the five virtues. To win every battle, the general must be of one mind and the army must be of one mind."

“But Sun Xiu did a terrible job in this regard.”

"First of all, he valued his life too much. If he could avoid going to the battlefield, he would never go. He would only hand over his army to others. By doing so, he lost the battle in terms of courage."

"Secondly, as I said before, he uses profit to control people, so he would never dare to truly trust them or entrust them with their lives. This leads him to frequently test and monitor people while employing them, causing confusion among the frontline generals and resulting in missed opportunities in battle."

"Furthermore, he is rich but heartless, fond of plundering the people's wealth, and can only use supernatural tricks to deceive the people, which has lost his sense of righteousness. If a real war breaks out, as long as he suffers a slight setback, not only will the people not trust him, but his soldiers will also not fight to the death."

"In the end, Sun Xiu really didn't know how to use troops. Back when Hao San rebelled, he took over for Zhang Gui, the military commander, saying he would lead the troops to suppress the rebels. But he couldn't give any orders at all. He just stared at us for a long time without saying a single useful word!"

At this point, everyone present burst into laughter. Although they were in Hebei, they had also followed the Hao San Rebellion, as it was the first major upheaval of the Yuan Kang era. This had resulted in Sun Xiu being extremely embarrassed and becoming a national laughingstock.

Sima Yi nodded and smiled, "I understand what you mean, Lord. If we fight Sun Xiu in Luoyang, no one can beat him. But if we leave Luoyang and decide the outcome with weapons, Sun Xiu will have no chance of winning. He will most likely suffer a terrible defeat."

He then sighed, “I don’t know about power struggles, but that’s certainly true of warfare! No matter what your background is, once you’re on the battlefield, you’re all brothers who depend on each other for life and death. Your comrades’ lives are your lives, and your brothers’ hands and feet are your hands and feet. If you can’t even trust your brothers and hands and feet, how can you not be defeated?”

"This is like the struggle between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao. In the court, ten Cao Caos wouldn't be a match for Yuan Shao. But on the battlefield, Cao Cao could use the strategies of Xun Yu, Xu You, and Jia Xu, and he led from the front, daring to take risks, even venturing alone into Wuchao. Yuan Shao had Ju Shou and Tian Feng but couldn't use them, and he couldn't gain the trust of his subordinates. In the end, Zhang He defected on the battlefield, leading to a complete defeat and becoming a laughingstock for eternity. This is something that should give us pause for thought!"

"Your Excellency is truly a great talent of the state, able to explain the political situation in Luoyang and the merits and demerits of Sun Xiu so clearly. Even compared to Deng Yu, you are in no way inferior!"

At this point in the discussion, Sima Yi expressed deep admiration for Liu Xian's insight. If his previous praise had contained some flattery, this time it was genuine.

Liu Xian, however, felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this, thinking to himself: What does this prince mean by comparing himself to Deng Yu, the leader of the Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai? That's practically comparing himself to Emperor Guangwu, who sought to restore the imperial family. It seems his ambitions are extraordinary; he also wants to reclaim the land!

Thinking this, Liu Xian repeatedly declined, feigning ignorance and saying, "Your Highness flatters me. Sun Xiu and I are sworn enemies, with a blood feud. If I cannot get rid of him, I will never have peace! As long as Your Highness is willing to rid the country of this scourge, I will serve you faithfully and at your service!"

Seeing that Liu Xian did not immediately submit, Sima Yi was slightly disappointed, but he had a good attitude and felt that it was no big deal, so he waved it off. He then wanted to continue to discuss with Liu Xian in detail the possible future movements of the court and his own general strategy.

Liu Xian said, "I am new here and do not know much about the situation in Changshan. If I offer advice blindly, it may be beneath my abilities. Let me learn more about it before I speak to you."

"As for the court's movements, we might as well wait a little longer. I estimate that the first batch of edicts to deal with the Hou Party has already been issued and will arrive in Zhengding soon. As the saying goes, 'seeing the big picture from small details,' we can judge the movements in Luoyang based on this information so that we can speak with substance."

Sima Yi agreed, and summoned a servant, saying, "Isn't there another courtyard in the Prince's residence? Clean it up first and let Liu, the Imperial Secretary, stay there for now. Don't be careless!"

Then he said to Liu Xian, "Lord Liu, I heard you were coming. The Inner Governor's residence is under construction and will be completed in a few days. Before it is finished, please stay at my residence for a few nights. I also plan to ask Lord Liu for more advice during this time."

After another round of polite exchanges, the meeting, which was essentially a test, came to an end.

The courtyard arranged by Sima Yi was not large, nor was the decoration luxurious, but it was fully equipped with items such as incense burners, bronze censers, ice chests, and wine vessels, showing great care. After settling in, Liu Xian was quite moved and turned to Li Sheng to ask, "Binshuo, what do you think of this Prince Changshan?"

Li Sheng said, "He is full of vigor and ambition, broad-minded and open-minded, like Sun Ce, truly possessing the demeanor of a hero."

Where is Nan Rong?

Zhuge Yan smiled and said, "He seems to be a self-disciplined person, so he must have some skills."

Liu Xian nodded, but a hint of hesitation arose in his heart: Sima Yi's excellence seemed to have exceeded his expectations.

Meanwhile, Sima Yi did not immediately adjourn the meeting, but instead asked his advisors, "What do you think of Lord Liu?"

Liu You commented, "I had long heard that this heir of the Duke of Anle had the demeanor of the late emperor and was a man of both literary and military talent. Meeting him today, I can confirm that it is indeed true."

Wang Ju also praised, "He is indeed eloquent and witty. He is worthy of being called a talented man on par with Lu Ji. In Hebei, probably only Lu Zhicai can compare to him."

The registrar, Song Hongze, said, "I'm afraid he's too cunning and His Highness won't be able to control him."

The chief historian, Shangguan Si, shared the same thought, saying, "His face is as calm as a still lake, his temperament is profound, and he is full of strategic wisdom. He is no ordinary minister."

Upon hearing this, Sima Yi burst into laughter and clapped his hands, saying, "You're right. Liu Xian is indeed an extraordinary person, though not necessarily useful. But who can say that those who blindly obey orders aren't mediocre?"

"To achieve extraordinary things, one must employ extraordinary people. Since my ambition is to benefit all under heaven, how can I not give this person an important position?"

He concluded with a generous laugh, "Let's see when we reach Luoyang; I'll be there to turn the tide!" (End of Chapter)