Jinting Han people

Chapter 336 Politely Rejecting the Ingenious Strategy
Only then did a hint of joy and self-satisfaction finally appear on Zhang Bin's calm and composed face.

He sat on the couch, returned Liu Xian's bow, and said, "You are too kind, Lord. I have long admired you. Over the years, I have often heard of your outstanding achievements in suppressing bandits and pacifying rebels in Guanzhong, killing Hao San, rescuing Zhou Chu, pacifying Qi Wannian, and pacifying the five counties of Qinzhou. Your fame has spread far and wide. Some time ago, I saw with my own eyes the army that you trained, Lord, and I was truly amazed."

Liu Xian smiled and said, "They are just new recruits. Compared with the veterans of the Western Expeditionary Army, they are not of great use."

Zhang Bin said solemnly, "Why should you belittle yourself, Lord Prefect? ​​You have been training troops for less than a year, yet you have managed to raise 40,000 troops from Changshan. Moreover, your troops are disciplined and well-organized. I have seen these generals in Ye City, and apart from the Youzhou cavalry brought by the Duke of Xuancheng, none of them can compare to you. Looking across Hebei, there are very few who can match you, Lord Prefect."

He added, “Although I am from Zhongqiu, I once served in the army in Taiyuan and was a commander under his command for a period of time. The Bingzhou soldiers there are experienced in battle, but unfortunately, they do not have any truly good generals. During that time, I also contracted a carbuncle and withdrew from the army to return to my hometown to recuperate. I only recovered last year.”

"Then why didn't you join the Northern Expeditionary Army before?"

Zhang Bin sighed, “I dare not lie to you, my lord. First, I come from a humble background, and if I were to follow the normal path of officialdom, I would inevitably face many obstacles and find it difficult to achieve my ambitions. Second, the Prince of Chengdu is unruly and lacks courage; he is certainly not a wise ruler.”

"I pride myself on having the talent and strategy of Zhang Liang, but I also know that to achieve extraordinary things, one must have extraordinary people. If one cannot find such a ruler, what use is it to gain temporary wealth and status if one cannot make the best use of one's talents?"

"But if you come with me, you'll probably suffer a lot!"

"Please rest assured, Your Excellency, Zhang Bin has never cared for wealth or status; he only desires one thing."

"What's the matter?"

"Life is short. If one cannot leave a lasting name and stand shoulder to shoulder with the sages of the past, wouldn't one have lived in vain? That is why I have not yet started a family. I am willing to give up everything so that I can find a wise leader at any time and accomplish great things."

Hearing this, Liu Xian felt both admiration and apprehension towards Zhang Bin, thinking to himself:
"This man possesses great perseverance and wisdom. Just considering his piercing eyes and ability to see through the big picture, I doubt anyone I know can surpass him. However, he is somewhat extreme, seemingly seeking nothing beyond his own ideals. Even he would care about his family and friends, yet he seems completely indifferent. Can I handle such a person?"

But he genuinely admired Zhang Bin, and couldn't help but take his hand to look at the current map of Sili, which was filled with black and white chess pieces to symbolize the situation between the King of Zhao and the rebel army. Pointing to the map, he asked:

"In your opinion, sir, given the current situation regarding the campaign against Zhao, a major battle is imminent in Ji County. What do you think the outcome will be?"

Zhang Bin glanced at it twice and quickly concluded: "In my opinion, the righteous army is destined for a crushing defeat. If not handled properly, they may have to retreat back to Ye City."

"Oh?" Liu Xian was somewhat surprised by his resolute tone. In his opinion, due to the hasty deployment, the Hebei rebels would likely struggle to achieve any results. However, considering the opposing commander, Sun Hui, who had never led troops before, Liu Xian couldn't help but underestimate him. With neither army possessing much experience, a disastrous battle was highly probable. He hadn't expected Zhang Bin to be so certain of a major defeat for the rebels.

Liu Xian confided his doubts to Zhang Bin, who replied, “What you say makes sense, but we should look at things more deeply. While Sun Hui may lack experience in leading troops, his two deputy commanders are from military backgrounds and have combat experience. Given the disparity in troop strength today, even if Sun Hui doesn’t understand military affairs, he wouldn’t dare to act arbitrarily. Instead, he would entrust important matters to someone knowledgeable in military matters.”

"The Hebei rebels, on the other hand, are overconfident in their numbers and have become reckless and arrogant. They lack coordination between their units and rely solely on their momentum. Can they win a battle? If Sun Hui defeats any one of them, the rest will be terrified and retreat. If Sun Hui has a capable commander, it would not be difficult to press the attack and achieve another great victory at Kunyang."

After listening to Zhang Bin's words, Liu Xian pondered for a moment and then nodded in agreement, saying, "That makes sense."

He then asked, "In your opinion, what should I do?"

He originally thought that after the rebel army suffered setbacks, Sima Ying would learn from his mistakes and naturally be more receptive to his side's advice, allowing him to launch a normal military campaign. However, if they suffered a crushing defeat, the situation would be entirely different.

In fact, Zhang Bin had already prepared his speech before coming, and at this moment he immediately said:

"My lord, isn't this development a perfect opportunity?"

"Hmm?" Liu Xian was a little confused, not understanding the meaning of "opportunity" in Zhang Bin's words.

Zhang Bin slightly raised his hand and said unhurriedly, "You can send a team of men to pretend to meet the King of Chengdu, and then take the opportunity to intercept and kill him!"

"what?"

"After that, you will publicly declare that this is an assassin sent by Sun Xiu. You are known for your integrity and have high moral standing, while Sun Xiu often uses underhanded methods, so people will surely believe you. Even if they don't believe you, at that time, besides letting the Prince of Changshan take over the Northern Expeditionary Army, who else can you choose?"

At this point, Zhang Bin became somewhat smug, and his speech quickened:

"At that time, the King of Changshan will appoint you as the commander of this army. With your abilities, leading an army of 200,000 to defeat Sun Hui will be a piece of cake, won't it? After defeating Sun Hui, you can enter Luoyang from the Heqiao Bridge and personally capture and kill Sun Xiu. Under heaven, who can compete with you for merit? You will be the number one hero in the campaign against Zhao!"

"With such a great reputation, if you decline the generous reward, you will surely gain even more popularity, and then you can implement the cross strategy I mentioned."

"I guarantee that within three years, you will be appointed to a post in a remote area. Once you arrive, you can raise an order and the whole country will flock to you, and your great cause will be within your grasp!"

Under Zhang Bin's eloquent and incessant advice, Liu Xian felt momentarily suffocated. Zhang Bin had painted an unprecedentedly clear and perfect blueprint for Liu Xian: seizing power, cultivating prestige, establishing an imperial dynasty—everything seemed perfectly logical. The only means required was to assassinate Sima Ying unexpectedly at this crucial moment, thus completing a small-scale coup.

Even with Liu Xian's strong willpower, he couldn't help but waver slightly at this moment. After all, the sweet fruit was right in front of him; who could resist the urge to touch it?

But then Sun Xiu's face flashed before Liu Xian's eyes, instantly bringing him to his senses. He quickly realized: Sun Xiu probably advised the King of Zhao in the same way, right? Zhang Hua probably advised Empress Jia in the same way, right? Qi Sheng probably advised Sima Wei in the same way, right?

The way to acquire power is so simple, but doesn't it come at a price?

Can Sima Ying really be eliminated without anyone noticing? Even if they succeed, can such a major event really be concealed? How will the world view them then? Will they truly earn the admiration of countless people? If not, how will their subordinates view them? How will history record their story? Won't their example set a bad example for others?
After countless thoughts intertwined in his mind, at this moment, Liu Xian truly felt it, felt the shadows of Cao Cao and Sima Yi above his head, and could even see the mocking upturned corners of their mouths.

But after that instant, they vanished, as if they had never been there at all.

Liu Xian looked around and sized up Zhang Bin inside the tent. He was clearly pleased with his plan. Meanwhile, Zhuge Yan and Li Sheng were staring at him intently, their breathing heavy. They had obviously realized the enormous benefits this plan could bring.

The atmosphere inside the tent became quiet for a moment, so quiet that Liu Xian could hear everyone's breathing and heartbeats. He got up again, lifted the tent flap to let in the sunlight, which revealed countless dust particles floating in the air, and a fresh breeze followed. Liu Xian's gaze fell on the apricot trees still in bloom outside the camp, and the turmoil in his heart gradually subsided.

He turned to Zhang Bin and said, "Thank you for your strategy, Mr. Zhang, but I'm afraid I cannot adopt it." This reply left Zhang Bin speechless, completely unexpected. In his view, his conversation with Liu Xian just now had been a harmonious exchange between ruler and subject, and the strategy he had offered was arguably his masterpiece. What went wrong that made the other party unwilling to adopt it?
Liu Xian said, "Mr. Zhang said before that the Jin dynasty has been destroyed and no one is willing to restore it because it has lost the trust of the world. If I were to plot to assassinate Sima Ying and seize power, I would probably also lose the trust of the world. At that time, even if I were to establish an empire by chance, could the dynasty last long?"

Zhang Bin quickly said, "My lord, as long as the plan is well-designed, no one will know..."

Liu Xian waved his hand to interrupt, saying, "Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know. How can you say no one knows?"

Zhang Bin continued, “Why must you be so pedantic, Lord? Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles. When Emperor Gaozu of Han gained the empire, didn’t he break the Treaty of Honggou before he could annihilate Xiang Yu? And when the First Emperor restored the state in Xichuan, didn’t he also break an alliance to achieve this?”

"In this world, benevolence and righteousness are certainly useful, but one must never let them hold one back. During the late Han Dynasty, no one could match Liu Yu in terms of virtue, prestige, and concern for the people, yet he was unjustly killed by Gongsun Zan. Everything in the world, too much of anything is as bad as too little, and extremes lead to their opposites. As the saying goes, merits and demerits cancel each other out. As long as merits outweigh demerits, there is no major problem, and there is no need to be so concerned about minor matters."

Liu Xian laughed and said, "Mr. Zhang is indeed a great talent, and he is well-versed in the Doctrine of the Mean. But some things cannot be calculated like that. When Emperor Gaozu gained the world, all his actions were for a reason. The only thing he broke his oath was probably the Treaty of Honggou, but that can also be said to be a matter of deception in war. When did Emperor Gaozu ever launch such a sneak attack on his ally?"

“My great-grandfather, Emperor Zhaolie, did indeed betray Liu Zhang in order to gain a foothold in Bashu. But how could he not regret it? This matter wasted three years of his life, squandering the most precious time he had during his rebellion against Cao Cao, and ultimately confined him to a corner of Xichuan, from which he lived a life of regret.”

"Today, you taught me two strategies. I greatly admire the first one, but I cannot agree with the second. The world is now filled with greed and desire. If we want to rebuild trust and righteousness, can we still use the standards of decades ago? I'm afraid not."

"It's not that I don't use intrigue and trickery; I'm an expert in assassination and fraud. But these methods can only be used against political enemies. If I were to use them on allies, the price would be too high. It's not scary to be ruthless when dealing with enemies, but to do the same to open allies is to cut myself off from the world. People's hearts have been on a downward spiral for too long. If we want to get back to the top, the uphill road will be longer and more difficult. If we go down this path, I don't think I can ever reach that place that everyone hopes for."

"If you do not agree with my views, then it can only be said that you and I are not on the same page."

Zhang Bin stared at Liu Xian in silence for a moment, then sighed, "It seems that's indeed the case. I was just happy for nothing. I'll have to find another job."

Having discussed this matter, both men understood that it would be difficult for them to become a suitable ruler and subject.

To be honest, Zhang Bin had never met anyone like Liu Xian. Despite his humble origins, Liu Xian considered himself the purest sage in the world. His daily struggles revolved around making others understand the brilliance of his schemes. After all, there were too many fools in the world who always considered the best strategy as the best, and the worst strategy as the best.

Therefore, Zhang Bin's requirement for his lord was simple: he didn't have to understand his strategies for the time being. But after Zhang Bin's guidance, he hoped that the lord would be able to discover the brilliance of his strategies and apply them without hesitation.

Before he arrived, he believed that Liu Xian was a smart man. If he was smart, he should have been completely convinced of his plan and adopted it unconditionally.

To his surprise, Liu Xian was indeed a clever man, and in the face of the first strategy, he truly admired his wisdom. However, when faced with the second, more practical plan, he hesitated.

This person wasn't incomprehensible, nor did he need any guidance. He could even articulate a theory that directly contradicted Zhang Bin's own, which was something Zhang Bin absolutely couldn't accept. He was too confident and would never believe that he could make a mistake.

Therefore, even if he could stay in Liu Xian's camp and occasionally offer a good strategy to earn a decent reputation, the thought of Liu Xian using a nonsensical logic to shackle his wisdom made Zhang Bin feel extremely uneasy.

It seems he chose the wrong lord. He needs to find a lord who can fully utilize his wisdom. Even if that lord is less capable, it wouldn't be a problem. His life's goal is nothing more than finding such a person to test his wisdom.

Liu Xian could also sense the pure willpower in Zhang Bin, and he understood why: the more destitute a person is, the more they believe they own the whole world.

Zhang Bin is now all alone, and who knows how much he has given up. He will never compromise in front of me.

Thinking of this, Liu Xian called out, "Someone! Escort Mr. Zhang out of the camp!"

When Zhang Bin retraced his steps, his mood had completely changed. When he came, he was confident in his invincible wisdom and believed he could persuade Liu Xian. But now, he suddenly felt a sense of desolation and fear.

When he refused earlier, he was still immersed in the disappointment of having chosen the wrong person, and his words were somewhat hasty. Now, he felt a chill run down his spine, thinking: since Liu Xian didn't want him, what if he simply killed him to eliminate any future trouble? This was quite possible. He couldn't possibly be unaware of the immense trouble that Cao Cao had caused him by letting Liu Bei go, and Xiang Yu by letting Liu Bang go…

Thinking this, Zhang Bin walked onto the main road of the military camp. Although he was alone, he was trembling with fear and drenched in sweat. He was terrified that someone would grab him, pin him to the ground, and behead him.

How will he realize his grand ambition?

As he approached the camp gate, sure enough, a soldier came up behind him and called out, "Sir, please stop!"

"They've come after all!" Zhang Bin thought to himself. He breathed a sigh of relief and regained his composure, asking, "Where did they pick for me?"

He no longer had time to lament his unsuccessful attempt; he only wanted to see the feng shui of the place where he would be buried.

The soldier seemed confused and said, "What place? I don't quite understand."

He held up a square lacquer box, about a foot in size, and shoved it directly into Zhang Bin's arms, causing him to stumble and nearly fall to the ground. Zhang Bin opened the lacquer box and saw that it was filled with glittering gold ingots.

Under his incredulous gaze, the soldier said, "This is a reward from the marshal, given for your helpful advice earlier. He also told you to hide it well, as it's a huge sum of five hundred gold coins, and not to let anyone steal it."

At that very moment, inside the main tent, Li Sheng questioned Liu Xian, "My lord, a genius like Zhang Bin, if he cannot be used, should be killed. How could you... just let him go like this?"

Liu Xian lowered his head and continued studying the map, replying, "Let him go. If the Sima clan kills anyone who is talented, I would have died in Luoyang long ago. Am I not even as good as the Sima clan? If this gets out, who will be willing to submit to me in the future? If you want peace in the world, you should have this much magnanimity."

"Besides, it's very difficult for someone from his background to make a name for himself these days."

That's what he said, but Liu Xian was actually extremely conflicted. He clearly understood that a prodigy like Zhang Bin was better off not standing out, but once he did, he would likely become uncontrollable. Was letting him leave alive the right choice?
Liu Xian still needed to uphold his principles. He remembered the lesson his teacher had taught him: those who act righteously do not seek reward; only in this way can the trust of the world be restored. Besides, he wasn't acting righteously, but merely refusing to do evil; there was nothing to be conflicted about.

Thinking this through, Liu Xian finally convinced himself. He then turned to another question: since he had rejected Zhang Bin, what kind of person could possibly manage him?

At this moment, a dashing young man from the Central Plains walked towards the military camp, just passing by the preoccupied Zhang Bin. He led a magnificent, black horse, its powerful steed attracting attention as it stood before the camp gate. Seeing the messenger approaching, he blinked his bright, clear eyes and said with a smile:
"Hey, could you please let me know? I'm an old friend of your marshal's. I used to sell him horses. I have some business to attend to today and have come to catch up with him."

(End of this chapter)