Jinting Han people

This was Liu Xian's first time in Jingzhou. When he arrived in Bowang, it had just rained, and the damp air was refreshing. Looking around, he could see that the surrounding lakes and hills were covered with bamboo forests. A cool breeze blew, the bamboo swayed back and forth, and birds flew freely through the air, creating a beautiful scene.

But Liu Xian had no interest in appreciating any of this. Upon arriving in Bowang, the current magistrate of Bowang specially prepared a banquet to entertain Liu Xian and his party, but Liu Xian declined, citing the fatigue from riding horses and feeling unwell. He hadn't thought much of it when he accepted the mission, but now, as they drew closer to Wancheng, he began to feel increasingly agitated.

That night, Liu Xian had a dream about Meng Ping.

In that place where rapeseed flowers bloomed on both banks of the river, under the moon, everything was golden and radiant except for the deep night sky. He still smiled so cleanly and purely, asking himself when he would take him to fight the Xiongnu and the Xianbei. Liu Xian agreed, saying that he would not only take him to fight the Xiongnu and the Xianbei, but also take him with him to achieve great things when he wanted to restore his country.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the dream abruptly shifted, transporting him to the ablaze city of Luoyang. There, Meng Ping leaned against a locust tree, riddled with dozens of arrows, his body bristling like a hedgehog, on the verge of death. He pleaded desperately with Liu Xian, begging him to help care for his father. Liu Xian, unsure how to respond, watched as Meng Ping breathed his last, and then awoke with a start.

It was still dark, the moonlight still shone in the night sky, and the wind howled around them. Liu Xian stood up and listened, his mind replaying his ups and downs in his official career over the past ten years. His heart was filled with endless sighs. Even though he had tried his best to bring hope to those around him, there were still things he couldn't do.

But what's so strange about that? Throughout the world, the most brutal infighting has ever occurred among the Sima family, a noble imperial clan. He'd already done his best to get to where he was now, but the thought of so many regrets in his life still saddened Liu Xian: perhaps one must experience loss to truly appreciate the value of what one once possessed!

After daybreak, Sima Yue, the Prince of Donghai, also led his troops to Bowang. He brought more than 300 cavalrymen and set off an hour later than Liu Xian. However, due to his lack of military experience, he was nearly 100 li behind Liu Xian halfway and had to catch up at night.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, upon arriving, Sima Yue immediately said he was exhausted and needed to rest in Bowang for a day. He added that if there was anything to attend to, he could take care of it himself. The implication was that Liu Xian should speak with Meng Guan first and inform him of the outcome. Knowing he was somewhat timid, Liu Xian didn't press the issue, letting Sima Yue rest well in Bowang. After having breakfast, Liu Xian led his men towards Wancheng.

Bowang is only about 20 li away from Wancheng, and it would take about 45 minutes to get there on horseback. But since they were almost there, Liu Xian was not in a hurry, and instead slowed down to take in the scenery along the way.

The road between Bowang and Wancheng was a scene of utter devastation. Everywhere bore the marks of the great battles of the past six months. The surrounding people had likely fled; weeds grew rampant in the fields, and the houses appeared dilapidated and crumbling. There was hardly any sign of human habitation. Only a few elderly people, unable to leave their homes, were still laboring listlessly in the fields, which only added to the eerie atmosphere of the road. Occasionally, uncollected bones, already beginning to rot, could be seen among the weeds.

As you walk further ahead, the scenery changes again when Wancheng comes into view.

A city, scarred and devastated, suddenly rose from the ground, surrounded by an astonishingly vast wilderness—all the surrounding trees had been cut down, and the houses had been demolished down to their foundations. Apart from the lush weeds and the occasional skeletons, everything was empty.

In stark contrast to the desolate landscape were the terrifyingly sophisticated defenses of Wancheng. Around the city walls, one could see the sheep and horse ramparts, earthen ramparts, and deer antlers constructed by the defenders, arranged in a staggered pattern to form an outer defensive system. Between these and the city walls lay a moat nearly ten zhang wide, followed by a five-zhang high city wall, and two-zhang high wooden sheds hastily erected by the defenders—virtually insurmountable. Several watchtowers stood atop the city gates, offering a commanding view of the surrounding area. All these structures bore the marks of arrow wounds, sword cuts, and fire damage.

Liu Xian and his party had barely appeared five li outside the city when they were spotted by the garrison. Therefore, troops were already waiting at the sheep and horse wall outside the city. As soon as Liu Xian and his party entered arrow range, the enemy fired arrows into the air, threatening, "Who are you? Why have you come here?"

Liu Xian replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "You must be Marshal Meng's subordinates. I am Liu Xian, also an old subordinate of Marshal Meng. I have something I wish to discuss with him, and I would appreciate it if you could inform him."

After he finished speaking, a young man's voice came from the other end of the line, asking hesitantly, "Are you Lord Liu?"

After receiving confirmation, a young man stepped out from behind the low wall and said, "I am Meng Tao!" Liu Xian immediately remembered that this was the name of Meng Guan's second son.

Meng Tao said, "Please wait here for a moment, I will go and inform them immediately."

Having said that, he didn't ask Liu Xian what he wanted to discuss, and excitedly left the earthen mound, heading towards Wancheng City. About three-quarters of an hour later, he rode back and said to Liu Xian, "The lord is on the city tower. If you have anything to say, come in with me."

The city gates were opened, and the group was able to enter Wancheng. Once inside, they could clearly feel the tight security along the way; there was a guard almost every five steps, and a sentry every ten, with all order under the control of the garrison. If Liu Xian and his party made any unusual move, they would be immediately apprehended.

Upon reaching the city tower, Meng Tao said to Liu Xian, "The lord is inside. Please, my lord, go in and speak with him alone!"

Liu Xian nodded slightly, then told Fu Chang and the others to wait outside before pushing the door open and entering. Inside the hall, he saw Meng Guan with his back to him, examining a map hanging on the wall. Hearing someone enter, Meng Guan turned around, and the two exchanged a glance. Meng Guan appeared slightly overweight, and his gaze wasn't as sharp as when they met last year. It seemed the downfall of the Prince of Zhao had dealt him a significant blow.

Upon seeing Liu Xian enter, Meng Guan first sat down at the head of the table, then beckoned him to sit beside him at a lower position, saying, "Huai Chong, how have you been?"

Liu Xian suddenly recalled the scene when they met again in Guanzhong, and he choked up a little. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Seeing that the Marshal is safe and sound, I am also safe and sound."

Meng Guan laughed and said, "Say such flattering things, it's really not like you."

But beneath his seemingly calm expression, his heart was churning with turmoil; he instinctively clenched his fists, only managing to suppress it. He asked with a nonchalant smile:

"You didn't come here to seek refuge with me, did you?"

Liu Xian thought to himself that he couldn't avoid this matter, so he said, "I came here on the orders of the court to deliver a message to the marshal."

"Oh." Meng Guan had expected this. He turned to look at the map behind him to conceal his expression and asked, "Is the court now ruled by that brat Prince Qi? What message does he have to convey?"

"The court does not want to wage war any more and hopes that the marshal can submit to the court so that the world can return to peace." "That's right." Meng Guan couldn't help but show a mocking smile. "Sima Jiong is ambitious but incompetent. If I don't surrender, it will take him a year or two and tens of thousands of lives to take this city. He has absolutely no chance of succeeding."

This was his confidence as the greatest general in the land. In the six months since the Henan rebels rose up, he first swiftly defeated Sima Xin, who had rebelled in Yiyang, driving him out of Jingzhou. Sima Xin then fled back to Sima Jiong, leading tens of thousands of troops back to Jingzhou, where Meng Guan defeated him several more times. All he relied on were 30,000 new recruits and 3,000 veterans. In the end, the Henan rebels didn't even dare look at Wancheng, directly leading their troops into Luoyang, demonstrating the immense power and intimidation Meng Guan wielded.

If what Meng Guan said is true, and Sima Jiong led his troops to besiege Wancheng, only to be unable to capture it for one or two years, he might lose all prestige and popular support.

But Liu Xian also knew that matters on the battlefield didn't necessarily need to be resolved on the battlefield. Now that the overall situation was settled, no matter how invincible Meng Guan was on the battlefield, he had no future. A war with no future might temporarily unite subordinates through personal charisma, but in the long run, it would inevitably disintegrate from within.

Therefore, he advised Meng Guan: "Marshal, good deeds benefit future generations, while evil deeds stop at oneself. You should think carefully about the future of your descendants."

This was a phrase often used during the Later Han Dynasty to persuade someone to confess their crimes. Upon hearing this, Meng Guan was instantly enraged. He said, "What evil have I committed? It's nothing more than a political infighting among a few members of the Sima family in Luoyang. They're killing each other; how can they harbor resentment towards others!"

He was clearly harboring resentment for a long time, and he brought up old grievances again, cursing: "If they really cared about good and evil, why didn't they speak up when His Highness the Prince of Chu overthrew the Demon Queen? Now that they're in power, they're pretending to be high-minded. Where were they all back then?"

It was clear that he harbored resentment over the death of the King of Chu years ago. At that time, he had just found a powerful patron and thought he would rise rapidly to prominence. However, due to the machinations of the Empress Dowager's faction, Meng Guan was forced to remain idle after taking just one crucial step, wasting his time and years.

Speaking of his descendants, Meng Guan was even more distressed. He slammed his fist on the table and angrily rebuked, "Everyone says that the Prince of Huainan is loyal, filial, and sincere, as if he were a perfect man. But didn't he also harm my eldest son? What kind of credibility do they have? Don't even think about me surrendering!"

Liu Xian understood the earlier points well, and he shared the same sentiment. However, he was puzzled by Meng Guan's statement. Meng Ping died fighting for the Prince of Huainan; how could he be related to any harm?
Seeing Liu Xian's puzzled expression, Meng Guan assumed he didn't know the details and pulled a yellow silk scroll from the table, handing it to Liu Xian. Liu Xian took it and examined it closely, only to find it was written by Sun Xiu. The letter claimed that Sima Yun hated Meng Guan for siding with the King of Zhao, and during the bloodshed in Luoyang, he used Meng Ping as an example, publicly beheading him as a sacrifice to the flag, leaving no trace of his body.

This was clearly a lie fabricated by Sun Xiu to deceive Meng Guan, and Meng Guan actually fell for it? Liu Xian was momentarily at a loss for words, both amused and exasperated. But when he put down the yellow silk in his hand and looked up to see Meng Guan's bloodshot eyes, he was immediately overcome with sorrow. After all, he was a good father. Liu Xian had been wondering why Meng Guan, who didn't have a deep relationship with Sun Xiu, would fight so desperately for him instead of betraying his promise like Li Han. Now, everything became clear.

Liu Xian said to Meng Guan, "Marshal, I also have something to tell you."

He originally wanted to tell Meng Guan the details himself, but when the words reached his lips, he felt it was too cruel. It was as if a bone was stuck in his throat, and he couldn't speak. So he said instead, "My brother-in-law is right outside the door. Let him speak."

After saying that, he waved for Fu Chang to come in, and then told Meng Guan the truth about Meng Ping's death.

Fu Chang was a witness to the fighting among the Kings of Huainan and the son of the famous minister Fu Zhi, so his words were quite credible. After he finished recounting the story of Meng Ping's rebellion and his valiant fight for the King of Huainan, it was clear to the naked eye that Meng Guan's spirit had collapsed.

He dared not look up at anyone, only staring down at his hands, his fingers sometimes loosening, sometimes clenching, as if trying to grasp something. But finally, he spread his fingers, slapped himself, and when he looked up again, Liu Xian found that this man, known for his iron will, was now choking up, his eyes brimming with tears, which dripped uncontrollably onto the table, leaving spots.

He suppressed a sob in his throat and waved his hand, saying, "Huai Chong, you all go out first. Let me have some peace and quiet."

Liu Xian felt sorry for him, and upon hearing this, he immediately took Fu Chang outside. When they came out, the sky was still gloomy, and the attendants he had brought and the soldiers in the city all turned their gazes to Liu Xian. Liu Xian said, "It's nothing, everyone wait a moment."

Two hours passed in this manner. Liu Xian paced back and forth outside the door, from morning until afternoon, feeling as if each day was an eternity. He even began to doubt whether Meng Guan, so heartbroken, would be willing to see anyone else.
But in the end, he heard Meng Guan's call from inside the house: "Huai Chong, come in."

The voice had become dull, slow, and weak. Liu Xian pushed open the door and went in, looking around. He found that Meng Guan was not sitting at the table, but curled up on the bed in the corner of the room, looking very cold, with his back to Liu Xian wrapped in a blanket.

Liu Xian said to him, "Marshal, I've arrived."

Meng Guan slowly turned his body to face Liu Xian. Liu Xian was astonished to find that Meng Guan's once jet-black hair and beard were now mostly white!

Ignoring Liu Xian's astonished expression, Meng Guan scrutinized him with a blank look and slowly asked, "What are the conditions the court has offered for my surrender?"

Liu Xian replied in a low voice, "If the marshal commits suicide, his entire family can be spared."

“I don’t trust the imperial court,” Meng Guan said. “Can you assure me that you will do your best to protect my family?”

Liu Xian knelt on one knee, pointing one finger to his heart and the other to the sky, and said, "Heaven and earth bear witness! I will treat the Marshal's family as I would my own clan! If I break my promise, may I be pierced by a thousand arrows!"

After Meng Guan watched him take the oath, he waited a long time before slowly saying, "According to the rules of the court, you shouldn't have come alone. Go and report back to the supervising envoy and tell him that I agree. However, I still have some things to tell my family, so come back tomorrow and bring the envoy with you."

After saying that, he closed his eyes, turned his body to the side, and ignored Liu Xian.

Liu Xian hurriedly stood up, cupped his hands in farewell, and took his leave. Although he had completed his mission, he felt incredibly embarrassed. As soon as he opened the door, he bumped into Meng Tao. It turned out Meng Tao had been eavesdropping outside. Upon seeing him, Liu Xian felt even more uneasy, and without a word, he rushed downstairs. (End of Chapter)