Jinting Han people

That afternoon, after half a week of scorching sun, another downpour finally arrived.

The rain was so heavy, it was as if the sky were collapsing and the earth were splitting, as if the end of the world had arrived. The raindrops fell in torrents, pattering against the treetops. Even the roof tiles, brick walls, and sealed windowpanes trembled. The light was dim; looking outside, one could see that the water flowing from the eaves had become a waterfall. On the ground, perhaps the drainage pipes were blocked, for the water was already quite deep, even submerging the alfalfa on both sides of the corridor, dripping incessantly like a raging torrent, as if the heavens and the netherworld were about to be submerged by this torrential rain.

Liu Xian was in his study reading through the archives of Sili Province over the years, confirming the specific tax revenue of each prefecture in Sili. After all, the autumn harvest was just two months away, and Liu Xian needed to estimate how much this year's tax revenue would help stabilize grain prices. But as the rain intensified, Liu Xian put down the bamboo slips in his hands, stood in front of the door, observed the rain, and remained silent for a long time.

His wife, A'luo, came in with a candle and saw that Liu Xian seemed to be in a daze. She stretched out her slender index finger and tapped her husband's forehead, and said with a smile, "What are you thinking about? You haven't said a word."

She then placed the candle on the table, tidied up the bamboo slips on it, and said, "I thought you were reading and was worried you would hurt your eyes!"

Liu Xian then came back and, together with A Luo, tidied up, saying, "I was wondering how long this rain would last."

A'Luo asked, "Do you have something to do and need to go out?"

Liu Xian shook his head and said, "No, I was thinking that if this rain lasts too long, it might affect the farmers' drying of wheat. If the wheat seeds get moldy and sprout ears, that wouldn't be a good thing. I was also thinking about the current water level of the Yellow River. If the tide rises too high, we might have to strengthen the dikes."

Upon hearing this, A Luo covered her mouth and teased, "Pi Ji, it's just a rain, why are you thinking so much about it?"

Liu Xian smiled, took the bamboo slips from A Luo, and sorted the bamboo slips and scrolls in his hand. He sighed, "Now I am the Commandant of Sili. The food and clothing of the people in the ten counties of Sili depend on me. I can't help but think about it!"

Knowing that he had been quite busy lately, A Luo wanted to ease her husband's burdens, so she changed the subject, saying, "It's a pity that with such heavy rain today, Yue Shi probably won't be in the mood to play the flute."

Liu Kun was a free-spirited man. When Liu Xian told him to treat the Sili Prefecture as his own home, he truly did. Whenever he had free time, he would play the zither and flute in his room. His musical talent was no less than Liu Xian's; he often played "The Forest is Like a Painting," its melodious tune evoking countless memories. Everyone in the Sili Prefecture loved listening to him.

Speaking of this, Liu Xian felt somewhat ashamed of himself, saying, "Yue Shi's talent in music is actually greater than mine. If he were to become a disciple of Master Ruan, there would probably be another master of music in this world!"

"Perhaps so," Aro said, tilting her head. "But in my opinion, he's inferior to you in every way!"

Liu Xian laughed heartily, then heard his wife say, "Speaking of which, a few years ago, I always thought that among all the friends you hung out with every day, the only one willing to help you would be that person..."

At this point, A'Luo noticed her husband tremble and his smile vanish. Realizing she had touched on a painful memory, she quickly stopped talking and steered the conversation back on track: "Biji, what are you planning to eat tonight..."

Liu Xian didn't want to dwell on it, so he forced a smile and said, "I want to eat the chicken and pancake soup that my second aunt makes. Do you know how to make it?"

"Alright, I've already learned it! Just you wait!"

After his wife left, Liu Xian sat at his desk, lost in thought for a while. To be honest, it wasn't just A'Luo who thought this way; Liu Xian himself had thought the same thing over the years. Of all his friends, if faced with a crucial decision, the one willing to stand by him would definitely be that person. But unexpectedly, that person betrayed him.

In Liu Xian's nearly thirty years of life, he had encountered countless setbacks, but this incident, apart from his mother's death, was the one he could never forget. Even just thinking about it for a moment gave him a sense of incomprehensible absurdity. He could not understand the other person's choice, much less forgive them.

Liu Xian wasn't the type to wallow in useless sadness. It was quite rare for him to be lost in thought for a while. So he took out a scroll of archives from Hanoi County and started reading it by candlelight.

In the silent patter of rain, footsteps suddenly echoed from the corridor. Liu Xian looked up and saw Meng Tao. After assuming the post of Commandant of the Capital Region, Liu Xian had appointed him as a scribe, responsible for drafting documents and handling the reception and farewell of guests at the Capital Region office. Meng Tao said to Liu Xian, "Brother, someone outside the office wishes to see you!"

In such heavy rain, someone actually wants to see you? Liu Xian was somewhat incredulous. He asked, "Who is it? Coming at this hour? Did they bring a visiting card?"

“Yes.” Meng Tao took out a business card from his bosom and handed it to Liu Xian. Liu Xian held the card up to the lamplight and saw the words “Lu Yunshilong, Vice Minister of the Secretariat, Huating, Wu County” written on it. His face immediately changed as if it were burning hot. He returned the card to Meng Tao and said, “I won’t see him. Tell him to go back early.”

This surprised Meng Tao somewhat. To outsiders, Liu Xian and Lu Ji were inseparable, often appearing together in Luoyang, their conversations stretching for days on end. Therefore, their friendship was often compared to that of Bo Ya and Zi Qi, considered the epitome of true friendship, unmatched by anyone else in the world. Now, Lu Ji's younger brother, Lu Yun, came seeking an audience, but Liu Xian surprisingly refused him entry, a truly unexpected turn of events.

After Meng Tao left, Liu Xian let out a long sigh of relief, calmed his somewhat chaotic emotions, and continued flipping through the bamboo slips in his hands. The documents were still the same, but Liu Xian could feel that he was somewhat absent-minded, even a little irritable. The words passed by one after another, but few lines stayed in his mind.

Before they knew it, half an hour had passed, and footsteps sounded again from the corridor. It was Meng Tao again, who said somewhat awkwardly to Liu Xian:

"Brother, that Vice Minister Lu doesn't want to leave!"

Lu Yun is still here? Liu Xian was first taken aback, then his expression darkened. He unusually reprimanded Meng Tao, tapping his fingers on the table, and said, "He doesn't want to leave, can't you just kick him out?!" As he spoke, Liu Xian's eyebrows shot up, his eyes blazing. Though he made no exaggerated movements, the candlelight illuminated him, completely transforming his demeanor. He seemed like a sharp sword poised to strike, ready to kill at any moment.

Meng Tao, accustomed to Liu Xian's kind and gentle demeanor, had never seen him so angry before, and a thought flashed through his mind: "The lord has turned into a tiger." After realizing his mistake, he quickly explained:
“Brother, I did exactly what you asked! But this Vice Minister Lu just stood in front of the mansion, getting soaked in the rain for half an hour, without moving an inch, and refused to leave!”

Upon hearing that Lu Yun had been standing in the rain for half an hour, Liu Xian's heart sank, and his anger subsided considerably. He thought to himself: This is a feud between me and Lu Ji, what does it have to do with Lu Yun? There's no need to get angry at him.

Thinking this, his tone softened a bit, and he said to Meng Tao, "Go and tell this Minister Lu that I know why he came, but I'm sure he also knows the reason behind it. Everyone has their own destiny, even between fathers and sons, brothers. Since Lu Shiheng has made his decision, there's no turning back. This is none of his business. Let him go back and rest early, so he doesn't get sick from the rain."

Watching Meng Tao leave again, Liu Xian sighed. He pulled a piece of yellow silk from the official documents on his desk. This piece of yellow silk had been sent by the Prince of Qi's residence yesterday, and it contained a list of Zhao Wang's cronies who urgently needed to be dealt with. Most of the people on the list were people that the Prince of Qi had specifically ordered to be dealt with, so they were all imprisoned in the prison of the Governor of Henan, and would probably be executed in prison after the autumn harvest.

Needless to say, there was only one reason why Lu Yun would brave the rain to plead with him at this moment: the list contained the name of one person—Lu Ji.

Liu Xian glanced at the names on the list for a moment and easily found Lu Ji, who was in the sixth column. As the Commandant of the Capital Region, Liu Xian had the authority to transfer everyone on the list to another prison, to delay their cases, or even to directly reject the case to the Grand Marshal's office for further review. It was because of this power that many people wanted to curry favor with Liu Xian, but most dared not approach him. Unexpectedly, the first person to come to him to plead for mercy was Lu Yun.

Liu Xian didn't want to get involved. In his view, doing nothing was already a great act of restraint, and no one could criticize him. If Lu Yun thought he could still show him any leniency, then he was seriously underestimating himself.

Not long after putting down the list, Liu Xian lost all interest in doing anything. He took a bow from the wall and began to draw it into the void. After only two or three draws, Meng Tao returned.

Liu Xian asked, "He still won't leave?"

Meng Tao said, "Yes, he said he must see you, brother, no matter what."

Liu Xian let out a long sigh, hung the longbow back on the wall, took two leather umbrellas, and put on his wooden clogs. Without saying a word, he quickly walked through the corridor, passing three academies, and entered the main hall. Around another corner, he saw a figure in a blue robe kneeling alone before the gate of the Sili Prefecture in the pouring rain. The floodwaters on the street had already submerged his knees, and the man was soaked to the bone, his robes clinging to his body. He shivered in the dim light, looking like a fish that had been stranded on the shore and was about to suffocate.

Liu Xian, having known Lu Ji for so many years, naturally recognized Lu Yun. Lu Yun suffered from a condition called "laughing disorder," which caused him to laugh uncontrollably, often leading to mistakes. Therefore, he was usually quiet and reserved, unlike the outspoken Lu Ji. However, this allowed him to treat people with gentle kindness and subtle influence. When the Wu Kingdom still existed, he was known as the "Young Phoenix." Zhou Jun, the famous general who served as the governor of Yangzhou after the fall of Wu, called him "the present-day Yan Hui."

Over the years, when Liu Xian visited Lu Ji's residence to discuss politics, Lu Yun would often listen in. When Liu Xian and Lu Ji had disagreements and argued, Lu Yun would usually mediate, and Liu Xian generally held a good impression of him. But now, seeing Lu Yun's face, so similar to Lu Ji's, Liu Xian's anger flared again. He turned and retreated into the corridor, closing his eyes to recall the past.

After a long while, he regained his composure and continued to look out the door from the corner. Lu Yun was still kneeling in the same spot. He finally opened his umbrella, stood in the mud, took a few steps towards the gate, and stopped a dozen steps away from Lu Yun. He finally spoke: "Shilong, it's no use showing me this."

Upon hearing footsteps, Lu Yun immediately looked up. Seeing Liu Xian emerge, his face initially lit up with joy, but upon hearing Liu Xian's words, he couldn't hide his shame. He repeatedly kowtowed in the rain, his face splattered with mud, looking utterly disheveled. He spoke in as steady a voice as possible, "Your Majesty, please hear me out. I know my fourth brother has indeed failed you, but some things are not as Your Majesty imagines..."

Liu Xian interrupted him, saying, "Does it matter whether I think it's true or not?"

He pointed to his right shoulder and said, “That night, the arrow almost pierced my bone. It’s still aching in this rainy weather. No matter how much you tell me, can you make this arrow wound heal completely? My right hand was already badly injured, and after this incident, I can hardly use a sword like before.”

"A broken mirror cannot be mended, and spilled water cannot be gathered up again. What's done is done; do you expect me to pretend nothing happened? Is that even possible?"

"Shilong, go back! Be kind to yourself. This has nothing to do with you, and I will not forgive Lu Shiheng because of you. I will never change my mind!"

After saying that, Liu Xian threw the leather umbrella in his hand in front of Lu Yun. He stopped looking at Lu Yun, turned around and walked back. No matter how much Lu Yun pleaded behind him, he refused to turn back.

But then again, was Liu Xian truly as heartless as he claimed? Returning to his study, he looked at the rain outside, a jumble of thoughts swirling within him, leaving him in turmoil. Before he knew it, it was time for dinner. A'Luo had prepared the chicken and pancake soup he had specifically requested, but he found it utterly tasteless. After the meal, darkness fell completely. He played the flute for his own amusement, but made numerous mistakes, even playing completely out of tune.

The reason for this was that he also understood that Lu Yun was probably still kneeling in front of the Sili Mansion, begging Liu Xian to spare his life for his brother who was in prison and Liu Xian's former close friend.

When it was time to sleep, Liu Xian lay on the bed fully clothed, lost in thought. His wife knew he was in a bad mood, so she didn't say much, but simply lay quietly beside him, stroking his chest.

But in the dead of night, hurried footsteps sounded again outside the bedroom door. A figure stood in front of the door, knocked, and then Meng Tao's voice came:

"Brother, something terrible has happened! No matter what I said, I couldn't persuade Minister Lu to leave. He's been standing in the rain for four whole hours and now he's collapsed at the door!"

Liu Xian was startled upon hearing this and immediately sat up:
"What are you waiting for? Quickly carry him inside and get medical help!" (End of Chapter)