Jinting Han people

After the alliance and the date for the uprising were set, many things that had been planned had to be rushed forward.

Sima Yi and Liu Xian originally planned to train their troops for a year and then launch their rebellion in June of the second year of Yongkang. At that time, they would march south together with the Bingzhou troops, join forces with the Zhengbei Army Command in Ye City, and then march south to Henan to fight a decisive battle with the Luoyang Imperial Guards.

But now the time has been moved forward to the leap month, a full three months earlier. If the troops are trained according to the original plan, they will not be able to meet the deadline for the expedition. Liu Xian had no choice but to change the plan, bringing the recruited soldiers who had been training for half a year out of the mountains ahead of schedule, and ordering the militia from various counties in the prefecture to assemble in Zhengding, so that the two armies would be mixed together. In the next three months, he would use the method of old soldiers training new soldiers and strong soldiers supplementing weak soldiers to conduct the final large-scale training.

As a result, the 40,000 troops from Changshan gathered in Zhengding, and the news of their military training could hardly be concealed; it was practically an open secret.

Fortunately, the situation against Zhao was becoming clearer. It wasn't just Changshan; all the prefectures in Hebei and Henan were preparing for an uprising. Changshan was simply moving faster. Sun Xiu was currently busy with the final procedures to help the King of Zhao usurp the throne and didn't want to cause too much trouble. He merely sent an envoy to issue some minor rebukes and couldn't do much to stop them.

Before we knew it, the winter of the first year of Yongkang had passed.

On this day, before spring had fully awakened and the earth had thawed, a large troop of people slowly approached from the north. They were not only numerous, but also well-equipped with carriages and horses, and carried a large quantity of weaponry. Five or six thousand men, clad in tall armor, wielding long, dark blue spears, and riding various colored horses, marched along the country lanes. Under the greyish-white sky, the column stretched as far as the eye could see, resembling a giant python capable of swallowing mountains.

Such a scene was rarely seen in Changshan. Although the people of Zhending had been forced to participate in some mandatory military service, they had never actually fought a war. Upon seeing this group of people, they couldn't help but curiously gather around to watch, and based on their experiences in military service, they offered some unfounded comments:
"So many people, and each person has two horses, that's incredibly extravagant!"

"Their winter clothes are made of dog skin, aren't they? They must be from Youzhou."

"Is there any need to think about it? Just look at the Black Tortoise Flag they're flying!"

"Hey, there seem to be some Hu people inside! Judging from their braided hairstyles, could they be Xianbei?"

"Probably. Who is the general leading them? Why are they heading south at this time? Are they also here to attack the King of Zhao?"

The answer is actually written on the flags. Alongside the Xuanwu Banner, there are dozens of red flags and dozens of white flags. The red flags all have the character "Liu" written on them, while the white flags have the characters "Xuancheng" written on them.

Looking at the cavalry again, in the very center was a two-horse carriage. The wheels were painted red, the side rails were decorated with deer, the front saddle was decorated with a crouching bear, the canopy was black, and a black banner with eight tassels stood on the right horse.

This is the standard Duke's car.

Looking across Youzhou, there was only one person who could travel in such a way: Liu Hong, the former General of Ning Shuo, acting commander-in-chief, governor of Youzhou, and Duke of Xuancheng.

Liu Hong sat up straight in the carriage. Hearing the commotion outside the window, he reached out and pulled back the curtain to look out. Seeing the people pointing and gesturing at his men without any fear, he couldn't help but sigh, "We've truly enjoyed a long period of peace! The people of Ji Province are not even afraid of military might."

As a promising general valued by Yang Hu since the founding of the dynasty, Liu Hong is now 65 years old, but he is still in good health. Although his hair is gray, it does not hide his strong arms and legs. His face is covered with wrinkles, but what is more striking is his calm and steady eyes.

The journey was bumpy, and Liu Fan, the eldest son who was traveling with him, was in his prime at forty. However, he was feeling dizzy and nauseous. In contrast, the elderly Liu Hong remained seated as still as a mountain, showing no signs of fatigue whatsoever.

Liu Fan couldn't help but complain, "My lord, a great battle is imminent, and we don't know who will win between the King of Zhao and the other kings. Why are we in such a hurry to set off instead of waiting in Youzhou for a while and observing how the situation changes?"

It turned out that Liu Hong was no longer the General of Ning Shuo at this time. In order to strengthen his control over the whole country, Sun Xiu was carrying out a large-scale replacement of military commanders in areas beyond the reach of the princes, in order to deal with possible military attacks from the princes. In Youzhou, he appointed Wang Jun as the new General of Ning Shuo, in charge of all military affairs in Youzhou. Liu Hong was reassigned as Right General and moved back to Luoyang.

Liu Hongsong lowered the carriage curtain, glanced at his eldest son for a moment, and slowly replied, "The Duke of Boling who replaced me is not a benevolent person. On the contrary, he is extremely ambitious. If we stay too long, he will suspect that we have the intention to seize power and then kill us."

"How could this be?" Liu Fan was surprised at first, then said indignantly, "So what? You have served as General Ning Shuo for more than ten years. Although his family is a founding duke, what is there to fear? If they dare to act like this, you can simply capture and kill them. What can the court do then?"

"Powerlessness is a blessing." Liu Hong closed his eyes slightly and said to his eldest son, "The country is in such a state that it is like a pot of boiling meat soup. The fire underneath is burning brightly. You can smell the aroma, but when you drink it, it is scalding hot. Therefore, we must heed the teachings of the sages: a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall."

"Hot?" Hearing his father's analogy, Liu Fan's mood calmed down a bit, but he immediately had a question and asked, "Then when will this soup stop being hot?"

"The soup won't get cold until the firewood's ambition has burned out."

Liu Fan seemed to understand this only vaguely, but Liu Hong knew the cruelty of this statement: Humans are inherently foolish; before experiencing pain firsthand, no amount of advice will instill fear, leading them to do things they will later regret. The lucky ones will live with their scars for the rest of their lives, while the unlucky ones will be consumed by the pain.

He couldn't help but pull back the carriage curtain and scrutinize the people of Jizhou standing by the official road, thinking: How will these people, who know nothing of the horrors of the battlefield, view the army ten years from now?

After the carriages and horses had traveled for a while, and the city of Zhen Ding could be seen in the distance, a knight rode back from the front and reported: "My lord, His Highness the King of Changshan has come to greet you. Would you like to see him?"

"To see him, of course I must see him." Liu Hong seemed to have anticipated this, or rather, this was precisely why he came.

He slowly rose from the carriage, gripping his sword, and stepped down. The onlookers were stunned into silence; they now realized that this old man was actually nine feet tall! Standing among the crowd, he was more than just a crane among chickens; he was truly a unique and outstanding figure!

When Sima Yi met Liu Hong, he looked up at the man's stature as if a Mount Sumeru was pressing down on him, making it hard for him to breathe. It took him a long time to say, "I am Sima Yi, paying my respects to the Duke of Xuancheng."

Liu Hong smiled and said, "I have long admired Your Highness Changshan's virtuous reputation. Meeting you today is truly a worthwhile trip." Sima Yi replied, "Not at all. I have heard of the Duke of Xuancheng's illustrious name since I was a child. It is thanks to a pillar like you that the country is fortunate to have peace on the borders!"

After exchanging a few pleasantries, he immediately asked, "Is the Duke of Xuancheng heading back to Luoyang?"

Liu Hong nodded slightly and said, "The Duke of Boling has already taken office as the Governor of Youzhou. If I don't return to Luoyang, where else can I go?"

"You probably won't be able to return to Luoyang!" Sima Yi's face darkened, and he immediately bowed to Liu Hongchang, saying, "I just received news that on the first day of the first month of this year, the traitorous Prince Zhao has already defiled the imperial artifact and usurped the throne!"

"Oh!" Liu Hong had expected this, but he feigned surprise and asked, "Is that so?"

Sima Yi then knelt on one knee, bowed, and said, "Emperor Wu's family business is in imminent danger. I beg the Duke of Xuancheng to promise to save us!"

Liu Hong was shocked and reached out to help him up, saying as he did so, "I have known Emperor Wu since childhood, and we were classmates and study together. How could I allow others to spy on me!"

He forcefully pulled Sima Yi up, and then heard Sima Yi say, "Now the King of Zhao has usurped the throne, falsely claiming to have received a divine edict from the Emperor Xuan, and has already sent the Emperor to Jinyong City. He has also killed my ninth brother (the King of Huainan), and my thirteenth brother (the King of Qinghe, Sima Xia) died of illness. He is also forcing my twenty-third brother (the King of Wu, Sima Yan) to commit suicide. My brothers and I really don't know how we can survive! Now we are forced to take this opportunity to raise an army to protect ourselves."

"The Duke of Xuancheng is a pillar of the state and a renowned general of the northern frontier. He surely would not want the nation to be destroyed by the King of Zhao! Please promise me that you will not go to Luoyang, but join my army to defend the king and do your part to save the nation!"

In fact, Liu Hong had already made up his mind. At this moment, he said solemnly, "The late emperor's founding of the dynasty was arduous. I have long been known by the late emperor and have been deeply grateful to him. I would never watch the late emperor's legacy be left without a successor. I have five thousand Youzhou cavalry here. I heard that Your Highness has the ambition to serve the emperor and is training troops extensively in Changshan, so I came to lend you a helping hand."

Seeing Sima Yi leaning forward to listen, he added, "But nothing is ever smooth sailing. I'm getting old and can't charge into battle like I used to. I can only offer advice when planning. I hope Your Highness won't find this old man too noisy and will listen to my advice occasionally."

Upon hearing this, Sima Yi was both delighted and alarmed. He was delighted that Liu Hong was willing to join the army to defend the emperor, but alarmed by Liu Hong's tone, which seemed to suggest that this campaign to defend the emperor might encounter some setbacks. With an army of 500,000 from the north and south besieging Luoyang, surely things wouldn't go smoothly?

He made a quick decision and said to Liu Hong, "Then please let the Duke of Xuancheng serve as the deputy commander of my army and give us more guidance!"

This suggestion surprised Liu Hong. He had assumed that, given his seniority, Sima Yi would appoint him as marshal, but instead, he was offered the position of deputy marshal. However, being as clever as he was, he quickly realized the reason and smiled, saying, "I have long heard that a rising star with all five virtues has emerged from the Western Expeditionary Army Command. Now that he has joined Your Highness's ranks, he must be the marshal appointed by Your Highness!"

"Yes!" Sima Yi was quite satisfied when Liu Xian was mentioned. He said, "There is less than half a month left before the uprising. He is currently mustering troops at the drill ground in the south of the city. Would you like to go and see him?"

"There's no time like the present. Since we're currently mustering troops, let's take a look at their military bearing."

After saying this, Liu Hong told his family to rest in the city first, while he himself took dozens of officers with him.

Upon reaching the south gate of Zhen Ding, one could see a dense mass of soldiers standing in the center of the drill ground. Beside them was a grove of trees, bare of leaves, their sparse branches offering little shade over the greyish-white sky.

It was already afternoon, and as the sun began to set, the biting north wind chilled the soldiers standing in formation. But without orders from their officers, they stood motionless in the cold wind.

However, when Liu Hong and Sima Yi entered the drill ground, they still attracted some attention. After all, Liu Hong was too conspicuous to go unnoticed. Liu Hong was already used to this. He first surveyed the drill ground with a cautious gaze, seeing tens of thousands of soldiers standing motionless in the cold wind under the fluttering military banners, armored and armed with bows and arrows, solemn and imposing like wild beasts waiting to pounce on their prey. He nodded with satisfaction and turned to Sima Yi, saying, "To be able to stand as still as a mountain, at least they're not a rabble."

Then they found a corner to stand in, where they could see more than ten officers standing on a high platform in front of the drill ground, calling out names and reading the register amidst the flags and drums. After each group finished calling out names, the military drums would sound, and the soldiers in that group would change positions according to the instructions of the drums and flags. As they moved, the square formation followed the beat of the drums. Although the speed was not fast, it was extremely regular and orderly, as if there were invisible threads controlling it from behind.

Liu Hong commented, "If someone can maintain such composure on the battlefield, they can be considered a skilled soldier."

Next, the troops to be inspected and called were Liu Xian's newly trained Yueqi and Shanche battalions. These troops were meticulously trained by Liu Xian and Sima Yi during this period, at the cost of a large amount of money. It could be said that Changshan Kingdom's savings of ten years were almost wiped out in a single day.

Standing below the platform, they raised their arms in unison and shouted: "Reclaim our land! Restore our peace! Kill the traitors! Kill the traitors!"

Sima Yi initially wanted to hear more of Liu Hong's comments, but after a while, Liu Hong fell into deep thought and remained silent for a long time. Only after Sima Yi repeatedly inquired did he finally speak:
"I was just thinking that when I was young, I trained troops for Yang Hu, who was then the General Who Conquers the South, and was appreciated by him. Back then, Yang Hu told me that I might be able to succeed him in the future, but I have not yet done so, and I have to regret it."

"Today, with the nation in peril, it is now the domain of you young people to draw your swords and ride across the land. Truly, the river flows on, producing countless talents; the younger generation is truly formidable!"

By the time the troop roll was completed that day, it was already late. After Liu Xian finished rolling the troops, he learned that Sima Yi was still at the drill ground, so he went directly to report to him, saying with a smile:
"Your Highness, the 40,000 troops I promised you before the New Year have been trained as agreed. However, the cavalry we agreed on last year still lacks enough horses..."

Sima Yi, however, was in no hurry to say these things. He introduced Liu Hong to Liu Xian, saying, "With this one person, we are more than a match for a thousand troops."

Upon learning that the visitor was Liu Hong, who had long been renowned throughout the north, Liu Xian was greatly surprised, but also excited. He repeatedly cupped his hands and said, "I have long heard of the Duke of Xuancheng's great name, but I never expected to meet him today."

Then, remembering that he had been observing his troop deployment, he couldn't help but ask, "Does the Duke of Xuancheng think that the biggest weakness of the Changshan troops is right now?"

Liu Hong chuckled, waved his hand, and then said meaningfully, "It's passable, just average. Its biggest flaw is probably that it's never been on a battlefield." (End of Chapter)