Jinting Han people

Liu Xian's recruitment of Lu Yun into the Sili Prefecture aroused some controversy among his advisors. After all, Liu Xian had acted coldly and unapproachable before, but his attitude completely reversed the next day, which was really hard to understand.

Knowing the details, Li Sheng became suspicious and advised Liu Xian, "My lord, since you have parted ways with Lu Ji, why recruit his brother? If you save Lu Ji, and Lu Ji opposes you again, what will become of Lu Shilong? I am deeply worried about you."

As the person involved, Liu Xian had also considered this question. He replied, "Binshuo, such talent is rare. Lu Shilong is extremely filial and willing to sacrifice his life to save his brother, which we have witnessed with our own eyes. Such a person would not be fickle. At the same time, he is indeed a man of extraordinary talent and resourcefulness, and is known as the 'Young Phoenix' by the people of Jiangnan. Now is the time when we need talented people. If I cannot even trust such a person, where can I recruit talent from?"

Finally, he bluntly stated: "If you employ someone, trust them; if you don't trust someone, don't employ them. Back then, the brothers of Prime Minister Zhuge Liang were divided into two families, weren't they? Binshuo, my mind is made up, so please don't try to persuade me anymore."

Having said all that, Li Sheng naturally couldn't persuade him any further, and he could only go along with Liu Xian's opinion.

Lu Yun's plan for Liu Xian was indeed just right.

Following Lu Yun's plan, Liu Xian borrowed 50,000 bushels of millet and 200 boats from Lu Zhi, and also collected tens of thousands of sacks from Henan. After filling them with mud and sand, Liu Xian ordered the fleet to enter the valley from the main river and sail in a grand procession to the southwest corner of Luoyang.

This place, apart from Aocang, is the largest port in Luoyang. The vast majority of goods transported by the Grand Canal are unloaded here. And so much grain and fodder was unloaded here that the news spread throughout Luoyang in less than half a day.

Liu Xian spread the word that the grain was from Hebei and would be sold in the city at a low price. At the same time, he also summoned the Shengnu Battalion and deployed them around the Gushui Port, ostensibly to guard against bandits, preventing ordinary people from approaching. When the curfew began, he transported the borrowed grain back to the ship, and the next morning, he openly transported it to the port.

Over the next few days, the people of Luoyang saw the grain piled higher and higher at the port, completely unaware that it was actually covered by sand. The grain merchants, upon hearing the news, were all greatly alarmed; they couldn't understand how Liu Xian had managed to procure the grain. Hesitantly, some small merchants couldn't hold out any longer and were the first to lower their prices. Seeing this, the other grain merchants also hesitated to hoard any more, as the later they sold, the greater their losses. After consulting with their masters, they opened their granaries and sold their grain. In just five days, the price of grain was driven down to the level before the rebel army entered the capital.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Liu Xian mobilized all the money and silk from the Sizhou treasury, almost emptying the market of grain and fodder. In just two days, he purchased 200,000 hu of millet, 100,000 hu of wheat flour, and 200,000 hu of soybeans, replenishing the imperial granary with them.

Only then did the grain merchants in Luoyang's markets belatedly realize they had fallen into Liu Xian's trap. But the Sili Prefecture had already paid the money and silk; could they possibly go back on their word and refuse to deliver? That was impossible. The Sili Prefecture had already given them ample face and was entirely in the right. If they tried to cause trouble again, they would face violence. The only outcome was to obediently accept their fate.

Thus, Liu Xian resolved the imminent food shortage in Luoyang without resorting to any violence, drawing attention from all levels of the city. Officials privately remarked, "We all thought that Lord Songzi, a renowned general, was skilled in ruthless methods, but we never expected him to handle civil affairs so skillfully and elegantly, like a gentle spring rain, nourishing everything silently!"

Liu Xian was quite pleased with himself. In his early years, he handled civil affairs in Xiayang and Beidi. Although he had achieved some success, he had also made some embarrassing mistakes. This was the first time he had handled things so neatly and efficiently.

Lu Yun then offered Liu Xian a suggestion, saying that the Jiangnan region, including the Wu region, is a renowned granary. The rice yield in Yangzhou is not only enough to feed the local people, but there is even so much rice stored in the state and county granaries that it is about to rot, which is a real waste.

Therefore, in the long run, after the autumn harvest, the Sili Prefecture could use the off-season to hire people with rice to widen the Bian River in Xingyang County, dredging waterways to connect the Bian and Ying Rivers, thus strengthening the grain transport between the counties of Henan. Then, selling Yangzhou rice to Luoyang would benefit the people of the capital region, and Yangzhou merchants would make money—why not?

Liu Xian greatly appreciated this idea, and so for the next period of time, he studied and prepared for the excavation of waterways.

Of course, as promised to Lu Yun beforehand, he also submitted a memorial to Sima Jiong requesting his permission. The memorial stated that the Lu family was a renowned clan with a history of over a hundred years, and Lu Ji was the leader of the literati in Jiangzuo. If he were to be executed in secret, it would likely damage the morale of the Jiangzuo literati. For the sake of stability in Jiangzuo, it would be best to consider the matter carefully and handle it appropriately.

After submitting the memorial, Liu Xian was prepared to have a long discussion with Sima Jiong in his residence, as this was no small matter. Unexpectedly, Sima Jiong replied the next day, agreeing with his view and ordering him to release Lu Ji.

This wasn't something Liu Xian could accomplish by submitting a memorial alone. It seemed someone else had offered the same opinion, unintentionally providing assistance. Who could it be? Liu Xian thought about it for a moment, then, too lazy to care, quickly putting the matter out of his mind.

It was early July, and the rebel army had been in Beijing for over a month; autumn was just around the corner.

On this day, Lu Zhi, the Left Chief Secretary of the King of Chengdu, came to visit Liu Xian.

According to official practice, when colleagues visit each other, they should make an appointment in advance and obtain the host's permission before formally arriving. This shows respect for the host and avoids leaving empty-handed.

Lu Zhi came without prior arrangement. In the evening, he was riding in an oxcart and casually passed by the Sili Prefecture when he suddenly stopped. He then revealed his identity and asked the gatekeeper, "Is Lord Liu in the prefecture? I would like to see him."

Upon receiving the news, Meng Tao dared not delay. He knew Lu Zhi's status in the Chengdu Prince's Mansion was almost second only to Sima Ying, so he immediately welcomed him into the mansion and went to inform Liu Xian.

At this moment, Liu Xian was still studying the precedent of Du Yu's excavation of Xiakou in Jingzhou. Upon hearing that Lu Zhi had come to visit, he was quite pleased. He quickly put down what he was doing and went to the front yard to greet Lu Zhi, saying with a smile, "It is truly an honor for my humble abode that Marquis Wuqiang would take the initiative to visit me!"

After the awards ceremony, Lu Zhi, He Yan, Dong Hong, and Zhao Xiang were granted the titles of duke or marquis in the Chengdu Prince's Palace. Lu Zhi was naturally the most prominent among them. Sima Ying originally intended to select a large county and recommend him as its duke, but Lu Zhi repeatedly declined. Respecting his wishes, Sima Ying instead granted him the title of Marquis of Wuqiang County, placing him last among the four. Because of this, everyone praised Lu Zhi's noble character and integrity, comparing him to Lu Zhonglian.

Lu Zhi maintained this humble attitude and said to Liu Xian with a smile, "Not at all, not at all. Sili Prefecture is the Dragon Gate. I have come here presumptuously. To be received by the Duke of Songzi is truly a leap over the Dragon Gate!"

After exchanging a few pleasantries and taking their seats, Liu Xian first thanked Lu Zhidao, saying, "You lent me 50,000 bushels of millet and boats before, which was a great help. On behalf of the people of the capital, I thank you in advance."

Lu Zhi shook his head and said gently, "What you have done, Lord Prefect, is beneficial to the country and the people. It's just a little bit of grain and fodder, nothing to brag about. Besides, this is not my achievement, but my king's decision."

This matter was of course unrelated to the King of Chengdu, but since Lu Zhi said so, Liu Xian couldn't deny it. He changed the subject and said, "I originally planned to visit your residence in two days to express my gratitude. Zidao, is there something urgent that you are visiting today?"

Lu Zhi did not answer immediately. Instead, he first picked up his cup and drank a cup of water, then straightened his clothes and sat up straight, saying, "Indeed, there is an urgent matter. Tomorrow, my king and I will leave Luoyang and lead our people back to Yecheng."

Upon first hearing this, Liu Xian could hardly believe it, but looking up at Lu Zhi and seeing his calm and resolute expression, he realized he wasn't joking. Liu Xian couldn't help but be incredulous: "The rebel army has only been in the capital for a month, and I've seen the three princes get along quite well. Why the sudden departure? Could it be that His Highness the Prince of Chengdu no longer desires the power of regent?"

Lu Zhi nodded and said, "That's right. I have persuaded Your Highness to give up the power of assisting the government. He is prepared to give up all the titles of Grand General and Commander-in-Chief of the military, both inside and outside the capital."

Upon hearing this decision again, Liu Xian was still amazed and couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

Throughout history, the delegation of power has not been uncommon, but those who have truly reached the position of regent and are willing to relinquish it are few and far between. Over thousands of years, they have been nothing more than Yi Yin and the Duke of Zhou. This is because power is like a whirlpool. Those on the outside of the whirlpool can easily escape, but those in the center of the whirlpool need to expend far more effort and willpower to break free and retreat.

After the Qin and Han dynasties, when emperors controlled the entire country, it was practically impossible for any minister to voluntarily relinquish their position as regent. Even renowned regents like Huo Guang and Liang Shang held power until their deaths, promoting their own descendants. By the Wei and Jin dynasties, countless regents had engaged in infighting, resulting in the extermination of their entire families.

Now, Lu Zhi has actually persuaded Sima Ying to give up his position as regent, which is unprecedented in hundreds of years. Lu Zhi laughed and said, "Huai Chong is really forgetful. Didn't I say before we even went to the capital that my king would not stay in Luoyang to compete for merit? All he asks is to return to Ye City and safeguard the peace of Hebei?"

Liu Xian certainly remembered this incident. It was Lu Zhi's lavish burial of the soldiers from both armies after the Battle of Ji County that had angered the Changshan Prince's household. So, he made this statement to ease tensions between the two households. But who would take such words seriously? Everyone assumed Lu Zhi was just making a casual remark to appear humble. Unexpectedly, he actually intended to honor his promise.

Liu Xian looked Lu Zhi up and down, and first felt admiration: "Zidao is truly a man of his word!" Then he asked, "But that's probably not the only reason, is it?"

Lu Zhi nodded slightly, then emphasized his words and said slowly, "That's true. There are many reasons for leaving Ye City, but the most important reason is only one—to restore morale and order to the world. It's definitely impossible to do that while serving as regent in Luoyang."

"I believe that with Huai Chong's wisdom, it's not hard for him to see that the situation in Luoyang is currently very complex. On the surface, it's the three princes in charge, but in reality, there are people everywhere who are eager to cause trouble and seize power. Among them are members of the imperial family, noble families, and commoners; no one can trust each other. Our 600,000-strong army stationed in Luoyang almost ran out of supplies, and we even had to have Huai Chong devise a plan. Can this last?"

Without waiting for Liu Xian's reply, he asserted directly: "Since the late emperor's death, in just over ten years, Luoyang has already experienced four coups. The number and intensity of these coups far exceed those of the previous emperor. One instance could be considered a coincidence, but the fact that they have happened repeatedly shows that coups are inevitable."

"Luoyang is like a cauldron crammed full of firewood. Regulating Luoyang is like being in the cauldron, with the fire burning brightly below, while those on top can only add water. But this is not a long-term solution, because the water will eventually run out, while the flames below seem endless."

"If you really want to put out the fire, you have to leave the cauldron and wait for the firewood to burn out."

Liu Xian understood Lu Zhi's meaning: In Luoyang, whatever they wanted to do would inevitably disrupt the political balance, infringe upon the political interests of various factions, create numerous obstacles to the administration, and ultimately lead to a coup. But if they did nothing, the various factions at the grassroots level would fight amongst themselves, dragging the upper echelons into it.

Therefore, the wise approach is to stay away from Luoyang, steadily accumulate strength and prestige in the local area, and wait until all the ambitious figures in Luoyang have emerged before upholding righteousness and resolving the chaos in Luoyang in one fell swoop, thus achieving long-term stability.

In the long run, this is indeed the most correct strategy. However, the most correct strategy is often the most difficult strategy.

Because implementing this strategy takes years. Time wears down patience and impairs judgment. Those implementing it must suppress their desire for power and work diligently during the tedious wait. After all, compared to assisting in governance in Luoyang, this kind of self-imposed confinement is very slow, even tantamount to handing over some initiative to those in power in Luoyang.

The simplest logic is this: if Sima Jiong is determined to suppress the Northern Expeditionary Army, or even initiates a break and war against them, then who is more likely to win? Sima Jiong controls the manpower and resources of eight provinces: Yan, Yu, Jing, Yang, Qing, Xu, Jiang, and Guang, while Sima Ying, having lost his dominance in the court, only has Ji province.
Taking these factors into account, leaving Luoyang is not the best option; it might be more accurate to call it a huge gamble.

Therefore, Liu Xian sighed, "It seems that Zidao has made up his mind that he will either succeed or die trying."

"Yes." Lu Zhi was aware of the risks of this choice, but he was prepared to pay any price to achieve his ideals. His purpose in visiting Liu Xian was to persuade him to serve the King of Chengdu.

Therefore, he spoke frankly and sincerely:
"Huai Chong, this world has been corrupt for too long. If things continue like this, not only will the country cease to exist, but the world will also suffer terribly!"

"Not only for ourselves, but also for all people, for our children and grandchildren, and for the legacy of those who sacrificed their lives, we must rebuild people's hearts!"

"We must take great risks and make great sacrifices to create an unprecedented sage king, so that the people of the world can regain their faith in the righteous path and then create a truly peaceful world! Otherwise, what joy is there in living in hell? What sorrow is there in dying?!"

"But to achieve this, I am afraid I alone am not enough. I hope you can come and help me, to assist my king, and together we can achieve a peaceful and prosperous world. What do you say?"

To be honest, Lu Zhi's words were not very persuasive, but they deeply moved Liu Xian.

Because in this day and age, such idealistic and spirited words are extremely rare. Especially among officials of this age, idealistic and romantic pronouncements not only fail to gain respect but are often ridiculed. Therefore, idealists, while eloquent, are often lonely and silent. They can only bury their ideals deep in their hearts and work diligently and practically. Unless they encounter like-minded individuals, they will never bring their ideals out as a basis for debate.

Liu Xian thought to himself: It's a pity that Lu Zidao is indeed a rare and wise man, yet he chose to study under Sima Ying.

This prompted him to politely decline, saying, "Zidao, your ideals are admirable, but the Prince of Chengdu is ultimately not fit to be an emperor and is not worthy of being entrusted with this responsibility!"

These words left Lu Zhi speechless. After a moment, he tried to defend Sima Ying:

"In terms of both civil and military affairs, my king is indeed not a wise and capable man, but he has one quality that no one in the world can match. That is, he can trust others and dare to employ people, even those who are not related to him. As long as they are truly talented, they can be given important positions. In this respect, as long as you and I are by his side to assist him, with me in charge of civil affairs and the king in charge of military affairs, together we can recruit talented people from all over the world and achieve a great cause for the ages, which is definitely within our grasp!"

Liu Xian then asked, “Your Excellency possesses the talent of Guan Zhong, which I deeply admire. Yet even with Duke Huan of Qi’s close relationship with the virtuous, he could not heed Guan Zhong’s dying words and instead employed Shu Diao, leading to the disaster of the high walls. Now Shu Diao is right beside the King of Chengdu. Can Zidao truly remain unaffected by slander and continue to be employed? Thinking of this, I am deeply worried for Zidao.”

Shu Diao was a villain whom Duke Huan of Qi relied on in his later years. He caused chaos in Duke Huan's court, instigated internal strife among the princes of Qi, which led to the decline of Qi's hegemony and Duke Huan's death by starvation.

The "Shu Diao" that Liu Xian was referring to was Meng Jiu, the eunuch favored by Sima Ying. Judging from the outcome of the Battle of Huangqiao, his influence on Sima Ying was no less than that of Lu Zhi, and he was far closer to Sima Ying than Lu Zhi. Given Sima Ying's wisdom, could he restrain his desires and distance himself from Meng Jiu while favoring Lu Zhi?

At this point, Lu Zhi thought to himself that this might be the root of the problem. He said, "If I return to Ye City and immediately eliminate Meng Jiu, would Huai Chong be willing to travel with me?"

Liu Xian simply did not believe that Lu Zhi could do it. That day, when he led his army to meet the Prince of Chengdu on the way, he could tell from Sima Ying's eyes that the Prince of Chengdu was madly in love with his male favorite and would never let Lu Zhi succeed.

But he couldn't say it outright, so he could only joke, "Then I'll wait for Zidao's good news."

"Alright!" Lu Zhi understood the implication, but he was also a strong-willed and confident person. He didn't believe he would fail, so he smiled and said to Liu Xian, "Then it's settled. I'll reserve a place for you in Ye City."

He stood up, as if to leave, but when he reached the door, perhaps feeling that he had spoken too confidently, he turned back to Liu Xian and said, "Actually, it's good that you stay in Luoyang. My king and the King of Changsha are, after all, brothers. Although my king has given up his role as regent, as long as His Highness the King of Changsha is there to help him, one inside and one outside, even if the King of Qi has great power, he will still have to be afraid."

Liu Xian escorted Lu Zhi to the door, and the two waved goodbye to each other. After his oxcart disappeared again in front of the Sili Prefecture, Zhuge Yan, who had been keeping watch nearby, walked up to Liu Xian and asked curiously, "What exactly is this Chief Clerk Lu here for?"

"He's come to say goodbye." Liu Xian gazed at the crossroads where Lu Zhiyuan had gone and sighed, "With his departure, the political situation in Luoyang will change again." (End of Chapter)