Jinting Han people

After wasting ten days in Ye City, by the time Liu Xian set off again from Ye City to head to Hedong, it was already the winter month.

A light sleet fell on the road, then stopped in the blink of an eye. The red sun emerged from the clouds, casting its rays upon the thin layer of snow, making everything in the world seem covered in a dazzling layer of frost. Pedestrians felt as if they had entered a pristine and unblemished world, and even the pent-up emotions in their hearts were instantly cleared away.

Previously, Liu Xian always traveled through the main route of Hongnong and Tongguan when entering and leaving Guanzhong. However, now that the Prince of Hejian was showing hostility towards him, Tongguan was no longer an option. So he changed his route to Zhiguan. This was an important route taken by Deng Yu during the reign of Emperor Guangwu when he led his people from Hebei into Hedong and managed Guanzhong. Because of its narrow mountain path and treacherous sections that could only accommodate a single cart, it was named Zhiguan.

Zhiguan Pass is located at the westernmost end of Hanoi Commandery. Liu Xian could arrive there in about two or three days if he set off from Ye City at a fast pace. However, to show that his visit to the counties was not just a formality, Liu Xian stopped to inspect each village and county he encountered along the way and inquire about the people's conditions. This took him about twenty more days to travel through Ji Commandery and Hanoi Commandery, and he also dismissed and imprisoned some officials who had a lot of public resentment.

When he passed through Wen County, he stayed for two days and had Cao Miao and Ruan Fang escort these officials to Luoyang to report to Sima Jiong for processing. At the same time, he met an old acquaintance.

When Sun Xi rode his horse to report to Liu Xian, he said, half complaining and half joking, "Since I arrived in the prosperous Guandong, I thought that the county magistrate would not need my half-old leg anymore."

Since the Hao San Rebellion, when Sun Xi was struck in the knee by an arrow, he had become a cripple, and his physical strength and martial arts skills had greatly diminished. He had helped Liu Xian stabilize the situation in Xia Yang, for which Liu Xian was very grateful, but since returning to Luoyang, he had never been given any important responsibilities. Even during the escape from Jingu Garden and the battle to defend the emperor, Sun Xi was not taken along, which caused him considerable resentment.

But Liu Xian, who was about to head to Hedong, immediately thought of him. Hearing Sun Xi's complaint, Liu Xian sighed, then smiled and apologized: "Brother Sun is my benefactor, how could I forget that? It's just that my family was in danger before and needed someone trustworthy to take care of them. Besides Brother Sun, who else could I trust?"

He then added, "I will have a use for Brother Sun when I go to Hedong."

Thus, the group finally embarked on their journey westward.

After entering Zhiguan, the Wangwu Mountains rise and fall, and the mountain road twists and turns. Every time you cross a mountain peak, you can look into the distance and see one mountain peak after another, slightly higher than the one at your feet, standing under the azure sky, seemingly endless.

The 300-mile-long mountain road, with its undulating terrain, was mostly dense forests overgrown with thorns, except for a dozen or so villages. Although Liu Xian had already led his army through the treacherous and winding Qishan Road, the Zhiguan Pass before them was not comparable. However, after several days of marching, they still found it difficult and arduous, leaving them exhausted.

After traveling for five days and crossing countless mountain peaks, the terrain finally leveled out, merging with the winding dry stream to form a relatively flat valley. This place was a rare habitable spot in the Wangwu Mountains, so the imperial court established Dongyuan County as a transit route between Hedong Commandery and Henei Commandery.

The sight of a city was a rare treat, and everyone was overjoyed. However, the most difficult part of the Zhiguan Pass was yet to come. The weather suddenly changed, and a fierce blizzard swept in. A violent storm raged through the valley overnight, and when the wind died down at dawn, the gloomy sky seemed to have been covered by an iron curtain. The snow fell relentlessly for days, not only blocking the mountain paths and streams, but also freezing the great river dozens of miles to the south, making it impossible to distinguish between mountains, river, and banks.

Heavy snow blocked the mountain pass, so Liu Xian and his group stayed in Dongyuan County for a few days instead of advancing.

Because Dongyuan County is located in a remote area, the last time a high-ranking official like Liu Xian came to inspect the county was thirty years ago. This immediately caused a sensation in the local area. Officials and people in the county looked at Liu Xian as if he were a rare sight and asked him when the court planned to appoint the next county magistrate.

It turns out that Dongyuan County, located deep in the mountains, suffered from poor transportation, barren land, and a sparse population, making its environment even harsher than that of Xiayang when Liu Xian took office. During Sima Yan's reign, the court appointed several county magistrates, but they all resigned without a word, leaving him helpless. When the Later Party came to power, they simply stopped interfering, allowing the local government to elect its own county magistrate and military commander. To this day, Dongyuan County pays its taxes on time every year, and the local prefecture is content to maintain the status quo.

As a result, while life in the county was still manageable, it was almost completely isolated from the outside world, with little trade and extremely limited supplies. The people were very dissatisfied with this and hoped that the imperial court could at least open up trade routes and restore the county's cultural and administrative order.

Liu Xian was both surprised and delighted to learn that this place was unclaimed.

After all, he had been considering how to secure a reliable route into the pass. Tongguan was currently in the hands of the Western Expeditionary Army, which was also wary of him, just as Liu Bang had done when he conquered Qin through Wuguan. And now, the only supply city in the Zhiguan Pass didn't even have a county magistrate—it was truly a stroke of luck. If he could install a county magistrate there, things would probably be very different.

He immediately promised the local people that he would make a priority in handling this matter after returning to Beijing.

This is the first piece of good news he has received since he visited the county two months ago.

A few days later, the snow finally stopped, and sunlight once again shone through the gaps in the clouds. The ground was bathed in golden, joyful light, illuminating the outline of Wangwu Mountain like paradise. The black paths winding through the mountains reflected the colorful ribbons of ice on the river, and the rising smoke from the houses nestled in the valleys and below the city walls created a sense of tranquil peace, untouched by the world.

The thought of soon returning to Hedong and seeing his familiar faces again filled Liu Xian with a deep sense of homecoming. He longed to soar like a wild goose across Wangwu Mountain, to reach the Longmen Ferry early and admire the breathtaking scenery on both banks of the great river. For thousands of years, the industrious Han people, like ants, originated from this place, cultivating the land among the Rong and Qiang tribes, enduring hardship, displacement, natural disasters, and man-made calamities, yet ultimately, without complaint or regret, they took root and thrived, creating an unprecedentedly great civilization.

Liu Xian was moved by the scene and thought to himself that he should be like that. So he wrote a poem about the pine tree: "The cold penetrates its bones, yet it grows stronger; it stands firm in danger, yet its leaves remain evergreen. Heavy snow makes it difficult to bend, but the wind makes its will clearer."

The following afternoon, they finally set foot on the land east of the Yellow River. An hour's journey west brought them to Wenxi County. To avoid attracting Sima Yong's attention, he did not make a big fuss as he had in Xin'an. After resting for only one night, he immediately spurred his horse and headed straight for Fenying.

When the group arrived at Fenying, Liu Xian saw an oxcart slowly approaching. Behind the cart sat an elderly man in Confucian robes with a long beard. He was tall and imposing, and even while seated, he exuded an air of authority. Wasn't that Xue Xing's father, Xue Yi?
Liu Xian immediately ordered the reins to be pulled back, dismounted, and stood by the roadside, bowing respectfully to the oxcart. Xue Yi told the driver to stop, carefully examining the man bowing by the roadside, and finally recognized him. He was both pleased and wary, and pulled Liu Xian close, lowering his voice to say:
"Young master! Is that you? What are you doing here?! Did you escape?"

Xue Yi, lacking information in Hedong, only knew that Liu Xian had likely won a battle in Guandong during the campaign to defend the emperor, but he didn't know what position Liu Xian had received afterward. Seeing Liu Xian here, dressed simply, his horse's saddlecloth splattered with black snow mud, he assumed Liu Xian was dissatisfied with the court and had deserted his post, intending to rebel. Therefore, his voice was extremely tense. Liu Xian knew what he was worried about and smiled reassuringly at the old man, "Uncle Xue, it's me! I didn't run away, you don't need to worry about me!"

"Hey! You didn't escape, what are you doing here?"

"I am now the Commandant of the Capital Region, and I am currently traveling through the counties within the prefecture. I just stopped by to visit everyone!" After saying this, Liu Xian took out the purple ribbon and gold seal from his waist and handed them to Xue Yi to look at.

After taking the hand, Xue Yi immediately squinted, raised it above his head, and examined it repeatedly against the sunlight. After a short while, he finally smiled with relief, as if he himself had been given an important position, and exclaimed with great joy, "Oh! Good, good hello!"

After saying that, he paused, then took Liu Xian's hand again and asked earnestly, "Young master, have you eaten along the way? If you have nowhere to stay, why not come to my house first!"

The old man's affection was palpable, which suited Liu Xian perfectly. Hadn't he come to Hedong precisely to see everyone?
Afterwards, Xue Yi led Liu Xian to the Xue family manor and arranged a meal for them. Of course, he treated Liu Xian with special favor. The old man had his daughter-in-law, Mingji, slaughter the best lamb from the Hetao region and prepare a honey-glazed roasted lamb dish. After the dishes were served, the rest of the group dined in the main hall, while the two of them ate alone in Xue Yi's study.

The mutton from the Hetao region is truly exceptional. The lamb has no gamey smell, and the meat is tender and bouncy. Sprinkled with pepper and dogwood sauce, the aroma alone is enough to make one's mouth water. Liu Xian hadn't eaten much good food on the journey, and faced with the old man's kind smile, he felt he could indulge himself. So, disregarding appearances, he began to eat heartily. As he ate, he chatted with Xue Yi:
"Uncle Xue, how are you feeling?"

“For someone nearing the end of their life, there’s no such thing as good or bad.” Xue Yi said with some sadness when the topic came up: “Last winter, Fan Jian finally couldn’t hold on any longer. With his passing, there are even fewer of us old folks left. In about four or five years, all of us old guys should be dead.”

"How could that be?" Liu Xian comforted the old man, saying, "Good people are always blessed by heaven. Even if you live to be a hundred years old, it wouldn't be strange."

Xue Yi was not the kind of person who clung to life or death. Upon hearing this, he laughed it off, dismissing it as mere passing breeze. He was more concerned with the current state of the court and instead asked:
"Speaking of which, my lord, what is the state of the court now that the King of Zhao has been defeated?"

“Our King of Hejian was initially appointed by the deposed empress, who was said to have rendered meritorious service to the Jin dynasty. Later, when the empress's faction fell, he said that the King of Zhao was the popular choice. A few months later, when the King of Zhao fell, he said that the King of Qi had rendered meritorious service to three generations.”

"They keep changing their story, and we mountain folk can't get any updates. Sometimes we even start to wonder if this King of Hejian is just playing a trick on us?"

Liu Xian did not hold back and detailed the current situation of Sima Jiong's rule, and then commented: "The King of Qi is a man of integrity, but he lacks decisiveness and skill, and he dares not appoint people, so he cannot win the hearts of the people. The King of Hejian is greedy for the power of regency and has already shown signs of breaking with the King of Qi."

"Besides wanting to see everyone, I came to Hedong County this time to inquire about the King of Hejian's preparations, whether he will go to war with the King of Qi, and if so, when?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Yi leaned on his cane, looked at the ground, and remained silent for a long time before sighing, "A few days ago, I heard rumors that the Western Expeditionary Army was conducting household checks in various counties. I was wondering what the reason was. It turns out that there is still war going to be fought. It seems that once this war starts, it will not stop."

It's no wonder he sighed. Guanzhong was never as wealthy as Guandong, and since the Hao San Rebellion and the Qi Wannian Rebellion, it had suffered a series of natural and man-made disasters, losing hundreds of thousands of people, which severely damaged its vitality. Originally, the Western Expeditionary Army could muster more than 100,000 troops, but now, Sima Yong could barely manage to mobilize even 100,000.

In this situation, if the Prince of Hejian were to contend with the forces of Guandong, it would inevitably result in heavy casualties. Even if he won, what would be the point? Sima Yong might advance further in the court, but the fallen soldiers of Guanzhong would never return, and Guanzhong would become even more impoverished and desolate. No wonder Xue Yi sighed over this.

But after sighing, Xue Yi turned his gaze to Liu Xian and asked, "Young Master, with a great battle imminent, what are your plans?"

Liu Xian certainly had his own plans, but he did not intend to disturb the old man. Instead, he planned to contact his former subordinates, such as Li Ju, Xue Xing, Xi An, and Zhang Gu, and then discuss the matter in detail.

So, while eating with his head down, he mumbled, "Uncle Xue, I haven't thought it through yet. Let's take it one step at a time!"

But this couldn't fool Xue Yi. He was almost seventy years old, how could he not see through Liu Xian's perfunctory attitude? He hesitated for a moment, but finally said, "Young master, you can't hide it from me. You came to Hedong to prepare for the restoration of your kingdom, right?"

His tone was calm, but the content was earth-shattering, and Liu Xian immediately stopped eating. He looked up at Xue Yi and saw the old man staring at him with a kind smile on his face, as if he were savoring a sweet candied fruit.

He always gave Liu Xian this smile, but it was a rare sight for the clansmen and servants of Xuezhuang. In their minds, the old patriarch was always stern and unsmiling.

Xue Yi looked at Liu Xian as if his dream had come true, his words almost floating on air. It took all his strength to pull him back to reality, and he slowly said, "My prince, if you are truly prepared to undertake this great undertaking, then you absolutely cannot do without us old ministers..."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but reach out and pull Liu Xian's arm. The winter day was cold, but his hand remained warm and damp with sweat… (End of Chapter)