Jinting Han people

After capturing Ji County, the Hebei rebels did not immediately march towards Luoyang, but instead rested and reorganized in Ji County for a period of time.

After all, in theory, a battle of this scale, regardless of the outcome, would be a huge burden and test on the physical and mental strength of the soldiers and generals.

Even the mere pursuit of routed soldiers after a battle is enough to leave one physically and mentally exhausted. This is why, after the Battle of Huangqiao, even though the rebel army mutinied the following day, the Zhao King's army remained inactive. One can restrain one's love and desires, but compared to the difficulty of controlling fatigue, it is insignificant.

However, for the rebel army, the purpose of staying in Ji County was not just to rest and recuperate.

The day after the great battle, Sima Ying led the remaining rebel troops to the scene. Under Lu Zhi's command, they cleaned up the battlefield and collected the remains of the fallen soldiers. This included not only the rebel soldiers who died in this battle, but also those who died in the previous battle, as well as the soldiers of the Zhao King's army who died in battle.

Lu Zhi said to the generals of the Northern Expeditionary Army: "We are all subjects of the Jin Dynasty. The reason we are fighting each other on the battlefield is because of the usurpation of the Zhao King. We are in Hebei and have no relatives to worry about, so we can uphold justice and kill the traitor. But their families are under the care of the traitor Zhao. What else can they do but serve him?"

"You all risked your lives to save the nation, and are undoubtedly the finest men in the world. But those who were killed by these fine men were nothing more than pitiful people coerced by the traitor Zhao, good men with families in their hearts."

“Since we are a righteous army loyal to the king, and we are here to bring benefits to the people, then naturally this includes those who have been persecuted by the traitor Zhao. No matter where they come from or what their names are, they should all be given eternal rest at this moment.”

With Sima Ying's support, the soldiers spent ten full days on this task. They did not use the extremely hasty method of the past, digging a large pit and throwing hundreds of corpses in. Instead, they dug a pit for each corpse, erected a wooden tombstone for those whose names and hometowns were known, and planted willow branches and poplar branches for those whose names and hometowns were unknown.

Nearly 40,000 tombstones and burial mounds stand densely on both sides of Huangqiao Bridge, stretching for miles as far as the eye can see, a truly magnificent sight. Afterwards, Lu Zhi set up an altar in front of everyone, inviting Sima Ying to lead his generals to Huangqiao Bridge to offer sacrifices to the spirits of the fallen heroes by the clear water.

Sima Ying, dressed in mourning white robes, held a eulogy written by Lu Zhi himself. After reciting it once in front of everyone, he burned it to ashes and scattered the ashes into the river. The local people were truly awestruck by this scene. Furthermore, because Lu Zhi, in order to establish Sima Ying's authority, did not publicize his own actions, everyone assumed it was Sima Ying's decision and began to discuss among themselves, saying, "The Prince of Changshan is brave, but ultimately he cannot compare to the Prince of Chengdu in benevolence!"

However, this incident also caused a stir, namely the dissatisfaction of the generals of the Changshan Prince's Mansion.

After all, while nominally both kings led their troops in this battle, it was clear to everyone that the Changshan army was the main force, with Changshan Prefect Liu Xian as the actual commander-in-chief. Furthermore, Changshan King Sima Yi personally charged into battle, killing over ten enemies. In contrast, Sima Ying had previously abandoned his army and fled, and in this battle, he remained deep in the rear. The difference was immense; how could it be that after a few days of rest, Sima Ying seemed to have achieved the greatest merit?

As a result, many of Sima Yi's generals were indignant. Shangguan Si, Liu You, and others openly complained, "We fought all the tough and difficult battles, but they're putting on airs."

Liu Xian sensed something was wrong and quickly gathered everyone together, comforting them, "When I was fighting in Guanzhong, I experienced about twenty battles, big and small. I did think about collecting the bones of the enemy soldiers. But considering the critical situation at the time, and that it might damage the morale of the army, I hesitated and never managed to do it."

"Even with the abilities of Zhou Chugong and Zhang Guigong, they never implemented this idea, which shows how difficult it is. But Chief Clerk Lu not only thought of it, but also did it. What does it matter if he wins the hearts of the people?"

"And what's true is true, and what's false is false. Since we have rendered meritorious service, no one can erase that achievement. But if His Highness the Prince of Chengdu cannot uphold this benevolence, then the people's hearts will naturally turn away. Please don't take it to heart!"

He said this only to barely suppress the anger of the Changshan Prince's Mansion. Upon hearing this, Lu Zhi hurriedly came to the Changshan Prince's Mansion and made a promise:
"Your Highness, Prince Changshan, and all of you, please rest assured that I will not conceal any of your contributions in this mission to defend the capital. After the mission is accomplished, apart from the normal rewards for the military officers and generals, I have no other requests but to retreat to Ye City and safeguard the peace of this region."

Since the uprising began, Lu Zhi had always been modest in his pursuit of merit and fame, and strict in enforcing discipline and the law, all of which had been evident to everyone. Therefore, the generals of Changshan trusted his promises. Since Lu Zhi had said so, they put aside their past grievances and reconciled with the Northern Expeditionary Army Command.

Of course, Lu Zhi was also very grateful for Liu Xian's help. Despite his busy schedule, he took the time to invite Liu Xian to dine with him in his tent as a way of thanking him for the favor.

This was, in fact, the first time Liu Xian had received a private invitation from Lu Zhi.

Because Sima Ying had delegated power, Lu Zhi was the de facto head of the Northern Expeditionary Army, handling all matters large and small. Therefore, he was constantly busy and almost never held private banquets. Furthermore, after the incident at the Bronze Sparrow Terrace, Lu Zhi outwardly showed even greater respect for Liu Xian, but secretly distanced himself, almost refusing to be alone with him. Liu Xian understood the reason—Lu Zhi was showing him that he still valued his relationship with Sima Ying more.

Every wise person has their own principles and pride, and Liu Xian understood Lu Zhi's choice. But Liu Xian also thought that although Sima Ying was willing to delegate power, he was ultimately poor at judging people and was lazy in nature, not a true wise king. How long could he listen to Lu Zhi? In the long run, the two were not a suitable ruler and minister, and they would part ways sooner or later.

Too much of a good thing can be bad, so Liu Xian temporarily put aside his plan to directly recruit Lu Zhi. Gaining his friendship at this banquet would be more than enough to make him happy.

Lu Zhi was not a extravagant person. When Liu Xian arrived at his tent, he saw that his desk was piled high with official documents, and there were two bowls of tea for sustenance beside it. Apart from that, the tent was very simply furnished. On the four sides of the tent hung six maps of Sili, Ji, Bing, Yan, Yu and Yong provinces. There were also five scrolls on the bed, which, judging from the titles, seemed to be the "Songs of Chu".

Lu Zhi was tidying up official documents at the moment. He smiled apologetically at Liu Xian and said, "I've been so busy lately that I've been a bit careless. I hope Huai Chong will forgive me."

Liu Xian cupped his hands and smiled, "Zidao is joking. You are a busy man who manages the three armies. I admire you more than anything!"

After the two sat down, Lu Zhi had the food brought out. Upon opening the package, they found that two carp had been prepared. One was stewed with cabbage and radish, while the other was sliced ​​into sashimi, first cooked in hot oil, and then seasoned with dogwood, mustard, and minced garlic.

After serving the millet porridge, Lu Zhi asked Liu Xian, "I didn't know what Huai Chong liked, so I put myself in his shoes and prepared two fish. Is that alright?"

Liu Xian naturally said, "It's alright." He looked around and then sincerely exclaimed, "Zidao has been working tirelessly for the military commander these past few days. He is truly a virtuous man."

Lu Zhi sighed and said, "Huai Chong really underestimates me. How could I, in my conduct and character, be concerned only with a mere position in the Northern Expeditionary Army? All I want is to restore order to the world." Seeing this as a rare opportunity to understand him further, Liu Xian couldn't help but ask, "Oh? What is your view on the current state of the world, Zidao?"

Lu Zhi glanced at Liu Xian, pondered for a moment, and thought that it was just a discussion about the state of the world, not a sensitive topic, so he replied: "The reason why there are so many usurpers and calamities in the world now is mainly because the moral order has been lost."

"On the one hand, scholars pride themselves on being from noble families and of high moral character, occupying official positions without doing practical work; on the other hand, they are too deeply influenced by modern times, claiming to be virtuous and superior to others, but in reality they do not abide by Confucian teachings, do not manage their families and the country, are eager for quick success and instant benefits, and are ambitious but unrealistic."

"This has led to a proliferation of figures like Sun Xiu, who only think about seizing power through extreme means, but never consider that what brings a ruler to power will also bring him to ruin. If they can treat others this way, others can treat them the same way. If this continues, everyone will follow suit, and the chaos will only intensify, with no peace for hundreds of years."

This echoed the words of his teacher, Chen Shou, and Liu Xian inwardly praised him, saying, "Zidao speaks well! I think so too. But Sima Qian once said something quite apt: 'The world is bustling, all for profit; the world is bustling, all for gain.' Greed for fame, fortune, and power is human nature since ancient times, and it's probably hard to change, isn't it? So why were there peaceful times before, but not now?"

Lu Zhi had been pondering this for a long time, but unfortunately he had never had the opportunity to discuss it with others. Now that someone was willing to talk to him, he naturally shared his opinions without reservation, saying, "That's indeed the case. Since ancient times, everyone has had a desire for profit. Yet sometimes there is great order and sometimes great chaos, which shows that there is a solution to this."

"In terms of hegemony, the problem lies in the flawed national system. Since Emperor Wu, there has been endless debate over the recommendation and selection system, as well as the feudal and county systems. Other systems, such as criminal justice and performance evaluation, are subject to much debate and conflicting opinions."

"Logically speaking, the system should be streamlined to restrain the four classes of people, so that they have limits to their actions and desires, and not be as contradictory as they are now. The problem is that Emperor Wu did not address this issue for decades, which led to the entrenched interests of all parties and the weakening of imperial power. Even if we wanted to streamline it now, we no longer have the conditions for reform."

Liu Xian nodded again upon hearing this, and said, "That's true. In Luoyang right now, there are people who oppose whatever you say and people who sabotage whatever you do. Perhaps doing nothing is the best thing. If we want to re-establish the system, we probably have to start from scratch at the local level and force the central government to reform."

This was exactly what Lu Zhi wanted to say but didn't. After Liu Xian pointed it out, he raised an eyebrow at Liu Xian and said:
"But in terms of the way of the king, the biggest problem is that the world has lacked a true sage king for too long. More than a hundred years have passed since the reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty. The world has produced many outstanding people, including famous generals, legalists, famous ministers, capable officials, warriors, knights-errant, and hermits, but there has not been a single true sage king."

"Holy King?"

“Yes, Holy King.” Lu Zhi paused, took a sip of tea, and then slowly said, “People always think that a Holy King should be a man of exceptional talent in both literature and martial arts, but in my opinion, that is not the case.”

"Then what should we value?"

"With a sincere heart, uphold the noble and righteous path, possess the courage to face ten thousand enemies, wield the sword of justice, spread virtue throughout the world, and illuminate hundreds of millions of people!"

When speaking of his political ideals, Lu Zhi's voice rose slightly, and he then addressed Liu Xian with intonation:

"The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name. The true Tao is not spoken of, but acted upon. In this world, people think that they can deceive the world with flowery words. But in reality, which sage king throughout history did not achieve his goals by personally doing things with his own hands? Emperor Yao protected his nine clans, Emperor Shun revitalized Leize, and Emperor Yu tamed the Yellow River. All of them first practiced what they preached in the world before they became kings."

"When Emperor Gaozu of Han started his rebellion by slaying a snake, he was not as good at fighting as Han Xin and Xiang Yu, nor as good at governing as Xiao He, nor as good at planning as Zhang Liang. Yet he was able to defeat all the warlords and unify the world. What was the key to his success? Emperor Gaozu said it was because he knew how to recognize and appoint capable people. But in reality, that was not the case."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian quickly asked, "Then what is the reason?"

Lu Zhi stroked his beard and laughed, "Because Emperor Gaozu of Han realized the true way of the sage king: it is not the most valiant and wise person who becomes the emperor, but the person who is recognized by the world who is the true emperor."

"The relationship between ruler and subject is not predetermined. The ruler chooses his subjects, and the subjects choose their ruler. Only when all the subjects of the world trust their ruler and are willing to be driven by him will the world usher in true stability and great order, and only then will the emperor truly be the emperor."

"Everyone knows that Emperor Gaozu of Han was good at using people, but did Han Xin, Xiao He, Zhang Liang and others not have their own selfish motives? Han Xin wanted to be made a king, Xiao He was unwilling to risk his life, and Zhang Liang was determined to restore the state of Han. These three people went against Emperor Gaozu's wishes many times at critical moments, but in the end, they also abandoned their selfish motives at the most critical moment and turned to support Emperor Gaozu."

"That's why I say that Emperor Gaozu's true skill was not in employing people, but in gaining them! A true sage king must be a model for the world and be the one everyone looks up to. Otherwise, if he only uses violence and intrigue, he will never win people's genuine trust, and the conflicts in the Nine Provinces will continue indefinitely. A true era of peace will never come."

Hearing this, Liu Xian was deeply moved and exclaimed from the bottom of his heart, "Well said, Zidao said it well!"

After hesitating for a moment, Liu Xian asked Lu Zhidao, "But this path is difficult, isn't it? A slight misstep could lead to all our previous efforts being wasted. How can we persevere?"

Lu Zhidao said, "It is precisely because it is difficult that we must do it; otherwise, what use is wisdom?"

"People only know that bad people are cunning, but they don't know that being a good person or a saint requires even more wisdom! Bad people are short-sighted and only fight for immediate gains. Saints not only uphold principles but also set an example for future generations. Aren't they a hundred times wiser than those who do evil?"

"And those mediocre people who talk the most have neither the courage to be bad people nor the wisdom and courage to be good people. So they live their lives in a daze, contradicting themselves. One moment they do good deeds, the next they do evil deeds. In the end they can't accomplish anything, but they think they are doing good deeds and that they have harmed themselves. How ridiculous is that?"

Liu Xian nodded repeatedly, and the two chatted about this topic for a long time. They had originally agreed to have a meal together, but time flew by as they talked, and it soon became evening. When an envoy came with official documents to have Lu Zhi stamp them, the two of them snapped out of their reverie and ended their rare chat.

Two days later, the rebel army marched towards Luoyang again. (End of Chapter)