Jinting Han people

On the day of Bingzi in May, 200,000 Hebei rebels officially marched into Hanoi County.

Considering the tens of thousands of elite imperial guards still within Luoyang and the strategic importance of the Mangshan Mountains, conquering it would be no easy feat. Therefore, the allied forces did not rashly advance across the river, but instead first reorganized their forces, establishing their main camp in Yewang County, the capital of Hanoi Commandery. Having learned from their initial mistake at the Battle of Huangqiao, the Northern Expeditionary Army would at least avoid blindly crossing the river again before ascertaining the enemy's situation.

Similarly, considering the different roles played by the various rebel units in the Second Battle of Ji County, the deployment for this battle also changed. At Sima Yi's request, the Changshan Army readily took on the vanguard position. The Zhengbei Army Command, originally intended to be the vanguard, was relegated to the rearguard. This essentially gave the opportunity to the Changshan Army to gain merit, but it was also a recognition of the Changshan Army's military capabilities.

After receiving his appointment, Liu Xian naturally led his army into Wen County. He planned to use this as a starting point to begin his campaign against Luoyang.

This move immediately caused a huge uproar in the capital region.

Geographically, Wen County is less than 30 li from the Yellow River, less than 50 li from the river bridge, and less than 100 li from Luoyang. At this distance, an army could cross the river in less than half a day, and without fighting, it could set out in the morning and arrive in Luoyang by evening. The last time Luoyang faced such military pressure was probably during the Battle of Guandu.

From a political perspective, Wen County is the ancestral home of the Sima clan. Since their ancestor Sima Ang was enfeoffed as the King of Yin during the Chu-Han Contention, the Sima clan has settled here for over five hundred years, flourishing and prospering until they became the imperial family. Therefore, Wen County can be considered the birthplace of the Sima clan. Every year, many princes come to Wen County to pay homage to their ancestral tombs, regarding it as the place of their destiny.

Now that the rebel army has occupied Wen County, Sima Yi, the Prince of Changshan, openly held a ceremony to worship his ancestors in Wen County. The political implications behind this are self-evident: Sima Lun has lost the protection of his ancestors, and the righteous cause has completely sided with the rebel army.

In a short time, gentry from all over Hanoi flocked to pledge their allegiance to the rebel army. As one of the three regions surrounding the capital (Hanoi, Hanoi, and Hadong), Hanoi was home to many prominent figures, including San Jian (son of San Tao) and Xiang Ying (son of Xiang Xiong). They brought their servants and followers, with carts and oxen pulling carts; the scene was one of overwhelming enthusiasm.
Unfortunately, Sun Xiu seemed to have imposed martial law in Luoyang, cutting off all communication between the outside world and Luoyang early on, so that such a major event did not reach the city of Luoyang.

During this period, some minor incidents occurred. Not long after Liu Xian led his army into Wen County, a family surnamed Hu, having heard that Li Sheng, the son of the former Wen County Magistrate Li Mi, was in the army, came to their door to request an audience.

They claimed to be an ordinary farming family with little money. However, years ago, when Li Mi served as the magistrate of Wen County, their child contracted chickenpox, his body covered in blisters, but they had no money for treatment. Li Mi learned of this during his inspection tour of the villages and personally paid for medical care, curing the child's illness. Now that their child has grown up healthy, they felt they had no way to repay him, so they brought a basket of eggs to express their gratitude.

Later, more people arrived, none of them wealthy. But they had one thing in common: they all claimed to have received kindness from the old magistrate. Although their reasons varied—some had overturned wrongful convictions, some had lent them grain for free, and some had repaid loans for others—these long-ago events were etched in their memories, prompting them to do their utmost to give back to the benefactor's children gifts they had painstakingly collected.

These items weren't worth much money, but Li Sheng didn't dare to take them lightly. He solemnly accepted them and thanked the other party.

This small incident reminded Liu Xian of his teacher Li Mi's teachings, who instructed him to learn to wait and be patient until the day when the flowers bloom and the moon shines bright. Now, it seems that although that day is not yet within reach, it is already within sight.

Of course, Sun Xiu did not simply sit idly by and wait for his doom, except for cutting off all communication. On the third day after the Changshan army entered Wen County, he actually sent a lavish delegation across the river to negotiate peace. The delegation consisted of Sima Yao, the Prince of Dong'an; Ji Shao, the Attendant-in-Ordinary; Le Guang, the Governor of Henan; and Liu Song, the Minister of Personnel—each a highly respected and virtuous scholar.

When the delegation arrived in Wen County, Sima Yi dared not refuse them, given their formidable political influence. He also hesitated to engage with them rashly, lest it damage the unity of the rebel army. With this in mind, he temporarily avoided meeting them, instructing Shangguan Si and others to receive them. At the same time, he hurriedly went to Yewang to inform Sima Ying that negotiations with the King of Zhao would only begin after they had also sent their own envoys.

The following day, Sima Ying indeed dispatched his two chief clerks, Lu Zhi and Zheng Yan, to Wen County. Before the negotiations began, they had a brief consultation with Sima Yi and Liu Xian to establish the bottom line and principles for the negotiations before officially commencing them.

The negotiations took place in a small pavilion in the courtyard of the Wen County government office. The four members of the delegation sat on the west side, while the four members of the righteous army sat on the east side.

Liu Xian sat on the far right of the rebel army's seat. After taking his seat, he first sized up the envoys. To be honest, Liu Xian had met all four of these old men before, and Ji Shao, Yue Guang, and Liu Song were even acquaintances of his. Ji Shao and Yue Guang had recommended him for official positions, and Liu Song was Sima Wei's tutor; they were all, in a sense, his teachers. He just never expected that they would actually serve as envoys for the King of Zhao.

In fact, Sima Yi used this as a pretext at the very beginning of the negotiations, rebuking, "Gentlemen, since you receive the Jin's salary, you should uphold loyalty and integrity. Why do you speak out for these usurpers? Do you intend to ruin my family's fortune?"

But the others were all elders who had seen many storms. People like Yue Guang and Liu Song had experienced the Gaopingling Incident and witnessed the Wei-Jin transition. They would not be intimidated by such words.

Le Guang glanced at Sima Yi and slowly said, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, this is a family matter of the imperial family. As subjects, we are afraid it is not appropriate for us to comment."

These words immediately silenced Sima Yi. Indeed, no matter how powerful Sun Xiu was in the capital, the one sitting on the throne was, after all, Prince Zhao, Sima Lun. It was only natural that a subject should not comment on the affairs of the imperial family.

Moreover, when the power struggle among the Qi Prince's faction reached its climax, Sima Yan suppressed the Qi Prince's faction, forcibly exiled the Qi Prince to his fiefdom, and refused to change the crown prince. This was precisely what he said, which is known to all.

Sima Yi was an impatient man, but also a filial son. He wanted to argue, but didn't know how to save face for his father, and for a moment his face turned red with anger.

Lu Zhi coughed lightly and took over the conversation, saying, "Since Lord Yanfu says so, what else is there to discuss? Our Hebei Righteous Army has 200,000 men here. Killing the enemy is as easy as lighting a fire or turning them to ashes with a flick of the finger. Apart from the former Zhao Prince's faction, we will not pursue anyone else. Why do you need to get involved in this mess?"

This touched upon a painful memory for Yue Guang, who then lowered his head and remained silent. His second daughter was Sima Ying's wife, now the Princess of Chengdu. Logically, he shouldn't have been involved. However, his five sons were all in Luoyang, their lives in the hands of others, so he dared not disobey Sun Xiu's orders.

Liu Song, however, struggled to sit up and replied to Lu Zhi, "Young man, don't be so impetuous. We've come here to negotiate, of course, for our own reasons. Listen to what we experienced people have to say; you won't suffer any losses that way. Cough cough cough..."

Liu Song was clearly seriously ill. After speaking for only a short while, he couldn't help but cough repeatedly, rubbing his chest with one hand. When he coughed so hard, his body swayed precariously. Seeing this, Liu Xian was quite worried and quickly went over to support Liu Song, and then called for someone to bring him a small table to lean on.

After Liu Song recovered, he saw Liu Xian beside him and showed a hint of relief. He said to him in a low voice, "I am old, this little ailment is nothing to worry about. You can sit back down now."

After Liu Xian returned, he said to Lu Zhi and the others, "The ascension of the King of Zhao is indeed illogical and morally reprehensible. However, the actions of his followers are still confined to Luoyang and do not harm the overall situation in the region."

"And now, the King of Chengdu, the King of Qi, and you, the King of Changshan, claim to be leading a loyalist army, but in reality, they have directly raised troops from their regional garrisons to invade the capital without any imperial edict. While this may bring temporary gains, the consequences will be endless!" "If this precedent is set, which regional garrison will not have ambitions in the future? Given the opportunity, who will not rise up in rebellion? I, Liu Songben, don't have many days left to live. Whether the Great Jin Dynasty falls or not, what does it matter to me? But to speak the truth, I am a subject who witnessed the founding of the Great Jin Dynasty. I have finally enjoyed so many peaceful days, and I... cough cough cough... I really don't want my decades of hard work to go up in flames. For the long-term stability of the Great Jin Dynasty, Your Highness! Ceasing hostilities is the best choice!"

Liu Song was already seventy years old. In front of Liu Xian and other vigorous young people, he was like a candle in the wind. But the more he was like this, the more moving his words became.

But Lu Zhi's will was so firm, how could he be swayed so easily? He said, "What Minister Liu said makes sense, but is the fault of this matter really with the righteous army? Zhao the traitor stole the country first. If he is not punished, how can the country enjoy long-term peace and stability? That is just wishful thinking."

"We can withdraw our troops, but only if the following three conditions are met."

"First, Zhao Ni abdicated, relinquished his royal title, and allowed the emperor to reclaim the throne."

"Second, kill the traitor Sun Xiu and exterminate his entire clan, otherwise how can we give an explanation to the world?"

"Third, immediately lift the lockdown on Luoyang and order the loyalist army to enter the capital to meet the emperor."

"If these three conditions are met, we can consider sparing King Zhao's life, allowing him to live as a commoner in Jinyong City for the rest of his life, and spare his family. But if you don't agree, don't blame us for not giving you a chance!"

"That's impossible." Before Liu Song could reply, Sima Yao, the Prince of Dong'an, shook his head and rejected the idea: "Boy, your conditions are too harsh. It's practically putting your life in your hands. Who would believe that?"

He tapped the table and said, "His Majesty's terms are already very generous. Would you like to hear them?"

Although it was said to be Sima Lun's condition, everyone knew it was definitely set by Sun Xiu. Zheng Yan said, "It wouldn't hurt to listen. Tell me what you think."

Sima Yao said, "His Majesty also has three conditions."

"First, the Prince of Chengdu is appointed as the General Who Conquers the North and the Governor of Ji Province. At the same time, the four counties of Wei, Guangping, Dunqiu, and Yangping are incorporated into Ji Province. From now on, His Highness the Prince of Chengdu may serve as an official in Ji Province, and the court will no longer interfere."

"Second, the Prince of Changshan is appointed as the General Who Pacifies the North and the Governor of Bingzhou. The two prefectures of Pingyang and Hedong are incorporated into Bingzhou, and his treatment is equal to that of His Highness the Prince of Chengdu."

"Third, the Prince of Qi is appointed as the General Who Conquers the East and the Governor of Yangzhou. Jiangzhou is abolished and merged into Yangzhou. His treatment is the same as that of His Highness the Prince of Chengdu."

"In this way, the three princes will be true vassal kings. As long as the war ends, everyone will be clearly separated and will not invade each other. Wouldn't that be a good thing for the country and the people?"

"What generous terms!" Liu Xian exclaimed in surprise. Sun Xiu's terms were undeniably generous, as appointing a governor was tantamount to establishing a truly independent kingdom within the imperial court, entirely different from the previous vassal states that were subject to the court's control, laws, and officials.

Liu Xian estimated that even if the rebel army succeeded in supporting the emperor, the other princes would not grant him such a reward, as it would, in a sense, demonstrate his ambition for separatism. Yet now, Sun Xiu had offered it so easily!
Zheng Yan was somewhat tempted by what he heard, but when he turned to look at Lu Zhi, he found that Lu Zhi was unmoved and instead showed a cold smile.

Lu Zhi scoffed, "Does Sun Xiuzhen think we're three-year-olds? He dares to bring up such conditions? Do you gentlemen really believe that our southward expedition is for our own selfish gain? I can tell you now, what we want is not a governorship! Nor is it wealth and status!"

"Then what exactly does Lord Lu seek?"

"Those who know me say I am worried; those who do not know me ask what I seek!" Lu Zhi slammed his hand on the table, then stood up straight, pointing one finger to the sky and the other to his heart, his eyes gleaming as he looked intently at Prince Sima Yao of Dong'an, and declared in a resounding voice:

"What we seek is a clear and bright sky! A clear conscience! To eradicate evil completely! And to restore peace and prosperity to the people! We ask for nothing more! We will not give up until we succeed!"

Such a passionate and inspiring answer stirred the blood of Liu Xian and Sima Yi, who both clapped their hands in praise and exclaimed, "Excellent! This is exactly what we've been looking for!"

Faced with Lu Zhi's words, the four men were all disheartened. They couldn't help but ask themselves, "Are we getting old? Why do these words sound so familiar?" They suddenly realized that when they were young, during the founding of the Western Jin Dynasty, they had thought the same thing. However, as time had passed, most of them no longer believed in such morality and ideals.

The brief peace talks ended there, without any results, but that doesn't mean they were meaningless. For Sun Xiu, it bought him three more days to prepare his defenses, but for the Hebei rebels, it confirmed their political advantage.

The day after the mission returned to Luoyang, Liu Xian led 20,000 vanguard troops into Mengjin.

At this very moment, on the north side of the river bridge, at Mengjin Ferry, a new, never-before-seen fortress has been erected. Banners flutter on the fortress, all bearing the four characters written in wild geese script: "Alone, I Defend Against Whales and Salamanders."

"What arrogant words!" Liu Xian thought to himself, admiring the scene. Just then, a group of people rushed up to the top of the city wall and asked the people below with a smile, "Is that Huai Chong coming?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian looked over and saw a handsome man with striking features, a commanding presence, and a flowing beard—it was none other than Liu Kun. (End of Chapter)