Jinting Han people

"I heard that the Left Wise King has also come? Is that true?"

Upon hearing the news that Sima Ying was going to appoint Liu Yuan, Shi Le immediately went to Liu Xian to confirm the truth of the matter.

"Where did you hear that?"

Liu Xian rarely saw such an anxious expression on Shi Le's face, and couldn't help but chuckle, saying, "The King of Chengdu only issued the order yesterday, and it's already spreading like wildfire today?"

Shi Le patted his chest and boasted, "Of course! Who do you think I am? If I didn't even have the ability to gather information, how would I get by?"

He then laughed and said, "I've made good friends with the grooms in the Southern Camp. During the meal, I heard them say that the Prince of Chengdu specially sent a fast horse today and will be inviting someone over tonight!"

Liu Xian picked up the military report on the table, and said as he read, "Since you already know, why did you come to me?"

Shi Le said, "Of course I'm asking for your help to see if I can get a chance to meet him!"

"Meet him?"

"Of course!" Shi Le said matter-of-factly, "Who north of the Yellow River doesn't know Liu Yuanhai? We finally have the opportunity to work with him, how can we not see him?"

"Besides, he's been very kind to me before!"

Hearing this, Liu Xian was also somewhat moved. He hadn't expected to have the opportunity to work with Liu Yuan.

As the leader of the Xiongnu, Liu Yuan was highly regarded by Emperor Wen of Jin, Sima Zhao, and Emperor Wu of Jin, Sima Yan. Even in Liu Xian's childhood, he was already renowned throughout the land, as mentioned earlier. In the fifth year of Xianning (279), he returned to Bingzhou and inherited the position of Left Commander, while Liu Cong was reassigned as a Xiongnu hostage.

From that year onward, he governed the left wing of the Xiongnu, enforcing strict laws, suppressing evil, being generous with his wealth, and treating everyone with sincerity. Within a few years, all the outstanding talents of the five tribes submitted to his command. Although nominally still the commander of the left wing, he was in reality the de facto spiritual leader of the five Xiongnu tribes. A few years later, the five tribes flourished, and renowned scholars from You and Ji provinces, as well as talented individuals from humble backgrounds, traveled great distances to visit him.

It is said that when Liu Yuan governed Lishi, the city where the Xiongnu were located, it was originally just a small border town with a population of only a little over a thousand. However, after more than ten years of diligent governance, Lishi had become a metropolis with a population of over 100,000, ranking alongside famous cities such as Jinyang and Pingyang.

Unfortunately, following the Hao San Rebellion, and on Liu Hong's advice, to prevent further rebellions by the Hu people, the court ordered the Hu leaders to leave the five Xiongnu tribes and be placed under the control of nearby military garrisons. Liu Yuan, as the most prestigious among the Hu, was naturally chosen as a model and was immediately ordered to leave Lishi and remotely oversee the affairs of the five tribes in Yecheng. All major Xiongnu affairs had to be reported to the Northern Expeditionary Army Command before implementation.

Therefore, Liu Yuan lived in Ye City for the past six years. He was also very pragmatic, keeping a low profile and rarely venturing out. Apart from receiving close friends and handling necessary affairs, he was practically a recluse. Liu Xian had actually considered meeting Liu Yuan before, but his request was politely declined as soon as he submitted his credentials.

Unexpectedly, by sheer coincidence, Liu Yuan has now been given an important position. If I could take this opportunity to witness the charisma of this man of such high standing, the trip would not have been in vain.

Taking all this into consideration, Liu Xian agreed to Shi Le's request and planned to visit Liu Yuan on his way to the Southern Camp for the next military meeting.

Time passed quickly, and five days later, news came from Lu Zhi in the south that the military report from the southern rebel army had arrived, and he was to attend a military council. Liu Xian then took Shi Le with him as well.

The meeting covered a lot of topics, but in essence, it all boiled down to one thing—there was no progress on King Qi's side.

Although Qi King Sima Jiong commanded an army of 300,000, like the Northern Expeditionary Army, his forces were a mixed bag, lacking any discernible strategy and resulting in repeated setbacks. Unable to breach the three passes to the north or capture Mengguan to the south, he was instead caught off guard by a surprise attack, suffering considerable losses. Military reports estimated his losses at around 10,000 men, a blow not as severe as the Northern Expeditionary Army's losses, but still enough to demoralize his troops.

Upon hearing this news, the attendees breathed a sigh of relief. After all, the worst thing is to look back; if everyone succumbs together, then failure becomes acceptable.

But Lu Zhi clearly didn't think that way. At first, he advocated that the army should be cautious in its response to the enemy, but now that both the north and south were suffering defeats, he became more radical and daring: "You have been resting for almost half a month. After such a great defeat, our army has been slow to move, and the enemy must be underestimating us. We should take them by surprise, divide our forces into multiple routes, and launch a surprise attack on the enemy camp. Victory is highly likely!"

He had previously persuaded Sima Ying and consulted Sima Yi. Therefore, without waiting for the other generals to express their opinions, he directly issued the following order:

"No need for further discussion. In ten days, we will once again launch a campaign against the traitor Zhao!"

After saying this, he directly appointed his generals, dividing the entire army into two routes. The right route was composed of the Changshan King's righteous army, with Liu Xian as the commander-in-chief and selected generals by himself, totaling 40,000 troops. The left route was composed of the Northern Expeditionary Army, with Lu Zhi as the supervisor, Liu Yuan as the protector, and Zhao Xiang, Shi Chao, and others as the vanguard, also consisting of 40,000 troops.

This arrangement was acceptable to most people. Since most of the generals in the Northern Expeditionary Army were afraid to fight, Lu Zhi ordered them to hold the rear, sending only the Changshan militia and those who had managed to defend themselves during the mutiny into battle. The number of Changshan militia sent was roughly equal to that of the Northern Expeditionary Army, preventing a reversal of priorities. After the victory, Sima Ying, as the leader of the Northern Route Alliance, would still claim the greatest credit.

When Liu Xian arrived, Lu Zhi had already given him a heads-up, so Liu Xian remained calm during the meeting. He took the opportunity to secretly observe his surroundings and, sure enough, saw a strange man in black armor whom he had never seen before next to Lu Zhi.

This man was around fifty years old, standing eight feet four inches tall, three inches taller than Liu Xian. Among the crowd, he was only slightly shorter than Liu Hong. His appearance was also quite distinctive; he had a high, prominent forehead, deep and intelligent eyes, and his brow bone, nose bone, and jawbone were all straight and square. The wrinkles on his face prevented him from displaying the sharp edges of youth, instead revealing his upright and unyielding character. His three-foot-long beard gave him an air of refined elegance.

All these elements combined together evoke the image of a majestic mountain, inspiring awe and reverence.

Sure enough, when Lu Zhi was calling out the generals, Liu Xian heard the name "Liu Yuan".

He couldn't help but think to himself: His reputation is well-deserved. Just by looking at his appearance, this Left Wise King can be called a great man!

What's even more peculiar is that Liu Xian sensed none of the anxiety and alienation typically associated with non-Han people in him. It was as if he weren't in a foreign land, but rather a learned Han scholar with a benevolent heart.

At the meeting, Liu Yuan spoke very little, but remained completely at ease. He noticed Liu Xian's gaze, but merely responded with a faint smile. It seemed as if Liu Xian was just a junior he had met by chance, and not someone he needed to take seriously.

This fueled Liu Xian's growing desire to learn more about this Xiongnu Left Wise King.

After the military council concluded, Liu Xian sent his personal guard to deliver a formal request to Liu Yuan, seeking an audience. After lunch, the guard returned to report that Liu Yuan was currently training troops at the drill ground and unable to leave, but if Liu Xian insisted on seeing him, he could come directly. Liu Xian, of course, wouldn't refuse; in fact, he thought it was even better, and immediately headed to the drill ground with Shi Le.

The training ground at the Southern Camp was much larger than the one Liu Xian had built in the Taihang Mountains, capable of accommodating nearly 100,000 people for military drills and formations. When Liu Xian arrived, there were approximately 10,000 people training in the training ground; these were all soldiers newly led by Liu Yuan.

Although he had expected it, Liu Xian was still quite surprised to see the soldiers' spirits when he entered the training ground.

Half a month ago, when Liu Xian first entered the Chaoge camp, he was deeply impressed by the disorganized and demoralized state of the rebel army. But now, they seemed to have undergone a complete transformation. Although they learned that they would be transferred to the battlefield to fight the enemy again, they did not show any signs of dejection. On the contrary, they showed high spirits and eagerness, as if they had completely forgotten the unpleasant past.

Liu Xian himself knew that the general was the courage of the three armies, and such an immediate effect could only be due to the influence of Liu Yuan.

Guided by the soldiers, Liu Xian arrived at the shooting range in the corner of the training ground. There, he saw Liu Yuan in full armor, with several tall guards standing beside him, instructing his soldiers on archery.

One soldier missed the target, so he shared his experience, saying, "Archery is not just about bending the bow and nocking the arrow. In fact, to shoot accurately, your whole body, from bottom to top, must be stable, especially your stance. Power comes from your feet. If you are not stable when shooting, your hand will shake, and the arrow will go astray."

He was instructing an ordinary soldier. To help the soldier better understand his intentions, Liu Yuan ordered him to stand still and then personally adjusted his posture, showing no airs of a general. Clearly, the surrounding soldiers all expressed admiration and were captivated by Liu Yuan's amiable and approachable manner.

When the soldier fired another arrow, it hit the bullseye, and the surrounding soldiers clapped and cheered. Liu Yuan also smiled with satisfaction. He patted the new recruit on the shoulder and prepared to inspect the rest of the area, not noticing Liu Xian and Shi Le.

But a tall, Hu (non-Han Chinese) guard beside him noticed. He turned around and asked Shi Le directly, "Where did this little Hu come from? How dare you trespass on the training ground?"

This man had a booming voice and a body as strong as an iron tower. He was wearing a summer shirt, which revealed his two dark, powerful arms, making ordinary people feel intimidated. He was clearly an extremely rare strongman.

But Shi Le was not one to be intimidated. He swung the insignia at his waist and said with displeasure, "Hey, are you blind? I am the military commander officially appointed by the King of Chengdu!"

The strongman sneered, "What kind of lousy official is a Military Commander? I've seen at least a hundred, if not eighty, in Ye City. Does he really think he's something special?"

Before he could finish speaking, Liu Yuan rebuked him, "Pingxian, how dare you be so rude! This is an honored guest I have invited!"

When Liu Yuan was amiable, he was like a towering mountain; but when he showed the slightest anger, his brows furrowed like dark clouds gathering, within which thunder was accumulating. Ping Xian immediately retreated behind Liu Yuan and bowed to Shi Le in apology. Only then did Liu Yuan change his expression, smiling and bowing to the two of them, saying:

"My attendant is only interested in martial arts and is not good at interpersonal relationships. If he has offended you two, please don't take it to heart."

"How dare I, how dare I." Liu Xian looked at Ping Xian beside him and felt that the name was somewhat familiar. After a moment's thought, he suddenly remembered that this was the strongman of the Xiongnu that Qi Wannian had mentioned in Chang'an. He never expected to meet him today.

Shi Le returned the bow without any hesitation, saying, "Ha, it's perfectly normal for a warrior to be a little arrogant."

The two were about to introduce themselves when Liu Yuan waved his hand and laughed, "You two are friends with Xuanming and Yongming. As an elder, how could I not know?"

After saying that, he smiled and said, "This place isn't exactly a good place, but we're going to have a battle in a few days, and I've just taken command of this army. The lives of the soldiers are precious, and I'm busy teaching them some things. If you two are willing to come with me and help me fill in the gaps in my knowledge, I would be very happy to do so."

Liu Xian bowed and said, "I have long admired the reputation of Lord Yuanhai. Today, I would like to meet you and ask for your guidance."

"Haha, to be able to get the heir of the Duke of Anle to consult me, I can say that my life has not been in vain." Although he said this, Liu Yuan's smile was calm and serene. His years of experience had reached an immeasurable level, and no one could guess his emotions from his appearance.

Next, Liu Yuan indeed continued to patrol the training ground as if no one else was there, just as he had said. He would offer guidance to the soldiers practicing swordsmanship, spear fighting, crossbowmanship, horsemanship, and even battle formations. Each time he gave advice, it was insightful and clear that he had grasped the essentials. At first, Liu Xian didn't think much of it, but as he observed more, he was horrified to discover that this Liu Yuanhai seemed to be omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipotent.

Moreover, this Xiongnu Left Wise King possessed an exceptional memory. Having only been there a few days, he seemed to know his officers and soldiers intimately, able to name every single soldier he pointed to. Liu Xian, though confident he could do the same, had to admit defeat considering Liu Yuan's advanced age and the fact that most of his men were Han Chinese temporarily assigned by Lu Zhi.

After two hours of drills, the soldiers went to rest, while Liu Yuan kept the officers behind for a military lecture. Generally, such lectures imparted the various points to be aware of on the battlefield. But Liu Yuan was different; he actually lectured on classics and history on the training ground, emphasizing the importance of "martial virtue."

He first recounted the cases of the Rebellion of the Seven States and the Warlords' Campaign against Dong Zhuo, and then said:

"Since we have raised the banner of the Loyal Army to serve the King, the word 'righteousness' is not an honor, but a heavy responsibility. The so-called virtue is to first discipline oneself, and then discipline others. If one fails to do so, one will lose the support of the people, be scorned by the world, and become a petty person for nothing. I wish you all to be great men, to read more of the 'History of the Ming Dynasty' and the 'Han Dynasty,' to emulate the heroes of ancient times, to do what ordinary people cannot do, to be respected by others, and not to be petty people."

Afterwards, Liu Xian asked, "Lord Yuanhai, with a great battle imminent, why did you emphasize these things? Scriptures cannot kill the enemy."

Looking at his soldiers, Liu Yuan stroked his beard and smiled, "I've taught them battlefield skills on a regular basis. But what the army lacks most is not the spirit of killing, but the heart of upholding the principles. Officers lack honor and ambition, and once they encounter setbacks, they will naturally scatter like tumbleweeds. I'm starting with this to inspire their honor as soldiers!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian couldn't help but exclaim, "I have now truly witnessed what a kind and benevolent elder is!"

Liu Yuan smiled, then chatted casually with Liu Xian, saying, "What do you think our chances of winning this battle are?"

Liu Xian laughed and said, "I am absolutely certain of victory in this battle!"

"Oh?" Liu Yuan became interested and asked in return, "How did you figure that out?"

"These past few days, I've been surveying the terrain around Ji County. Sun Hui's side won a battle and is quite overconfident. There's practically no surveillance within the city. I plan to make my move here; I'm sure they'll cause trouble." (End of Chapter)