Jinting Han people

After speaking with Liu Xian, Wang Cui decided to join the service of the Prince of Changsha. However, he did not want to ask for an official position for nothing, as this would make him look bad. Therefore, he decided to first make contributions before going to see Sima Yi.

After Liu Xian discussed the lack of officers in the Imperial Guards with him, Wang Cui immediately thought of a suitable candidate. Without delay, after the conversation, he hurriedly contacted his grandfather's former subordinates.

However, just as he had told Liu Xian, things did not go smoothly.

In Luoyang at that time, as long as no one deliberately concealed anything, Liu Xian would receive news as soon as there was a whisper. Two days later, Liu Xian returned to the Sili Prefecture to check on the general affairs, and Liu Kun told him mysteriously, "Hey, Huai Chong, I heard that Wang Hongyuan is using the banner of the Marquis of Xiangyang to search for former subordinates of Western Shu everywhere!"

Liu Xian was startled and immediately recalled the scene when he was fourteen years old, when his teacher Chen Shou took him to Wang Jun's residence for his funeral. At that time, many people from Shu came to mourn Wang Jun, and one person specifically advised Chen Shou to take up the post of Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince and curry favor with Empress Jia, who was then the Crown Princess, in order to ensure the continuation of the Shu people's power.

However, Chen Shou did not agree, believing it to be a meaningless and futile effort. He argued that the decline of the Shu people was something no one could change, and indeed, subsequent developments proved this to be true.

Since Wang Jun's death, the influence of the Shu people in Luoyang had gradually declined. By the time Liu Xian entered officialdom, there were few Shu people of note in the court. However, there were still officials like Du Zhen, a court official; Shou Liang, a secretary; Wang Changwen, an official under the Prince of Liang; and He Pan, the Minister of Justice. Now, more than a decade later, the influence of the Shu people in the court has further weakened. For example, within the three inner court departments, many Wu people have settled, but there is no trace of Shu people. When people in Luoyang talk about Ba and Shu, they are mostly discussing the chaotic wars within Shu.

However, this does not mean that there were no Shu people in Luoyang. They were just forgotten in a corner of Luoyang, not that they disappeared.

Liu Xian was fully aware of this. For over a decade, to avoid suspicion, the two had rarely even met, let alone had any real relationship. This situation even involved his teacher, Chen Shou. After attending Wang Jun's funeral, everyone knew that Chen Shou had become Liu Xian's teacher, and many people never visited him again.

The resolute attitude of the Shu people of Luoyang had led Liu Xian to forget about them. Unexpectedly, Wang Cui now sought to recruit them. This was quite reasonable; many of these Shu people had been promoted by Wang Jun, and Wang Cui was Wang Jun's grandson, giving him reason to unite them. Many of these men had participated in the conquest of Wu and were indeed suitable to join the Imperial Guard.

Unexpectedly, a few days later, when Liu Xian asked Liu Kun for news again, he learned that things were not going well with Wang Cui.

Liu Kun explained, "It seems that there is a dispute among the Shu people. Some of them plan to go north to join the King of Chengdu, while others are preparing to live in seclusion and observe from the sidelines."

Sima Ying, as the Prince of Chengdu, held a fiefdom of 100,000 households in Yizhou and had the authority to directly recruit people from Yizhou. Although he had never been to Bashu (Sichuan) and had never given any important positions to the people of Shu, he was naturally close to them. It was precisely for this reason that Wang Cui planned to accompany him north. Now, it seems he has failed to persuade these people to abandon their plans to go north.

Liu Xian asked, "Where did this information come from? Is it reliable?"

Liu Kun said, "My elder brother is a libationer in the Donghai Prince's palace. The Donghai Prince likes to discuss literature and often holds literary gatherings with scholars in Luoyang, so he has a wide range of information. My elder brother heard the news there. I can't say it's absolutely reliable, but it's probably pretty close to the truth."

This news greatly disappointed Liu Xian, as he still harbored some reservations about these Shu people. Regardless of how much they were looked down upon, the fact that this group had entered Luoyang meant they were among the most outstanding talents in Shu, and they would undoubtedly be able to influence the hearts and minds of the people in the region. Allowing them to simply head north to Ye City would certainly affect his strategy for entering Shu.

Should Liu Xian personally go and invite these people? He hesitated again: compared to the elders in Hedong, these people were much more resolute, seemingly wanting no connection with him whatsoever. If he went, would he incur their resentment?

Just as Liu Xian was pondering this matter, Xue Xing happened to arrive in Luoyang to transport salt and took the opportunity to report to Liu Xian on the recent situation in Hedong.

Over the past year, Li Ju's administration in Hedong has generally been stable and improving. He has encouraged agriculture and sericulture, conscripted people to train soldiers, recruited talent, and opened up trade routes, building an army of over 20,000 men. This year, he no longer intends to expand the army further, but instead focuses his energy on stockpiling supplies and training elite troops.

Although the Prince of Hejian was very wary of Li Ju, he had not yet taken any drastic measures against him because he needed to digest the 50,000 Qi troops he had annexed and guard against Huangfu Zhong's offensive. He only ordered Li Ju to go to Chang'an to report on his duties, but Li Ju refused to go due to illness. Sima Yong only made a few threats and did not take any more radical actions.

Finally, Xue Xing took out a letter from his sleeve and said to Liu Xian, "This was written by the Lord. After learning that His Highness had established his own residence, he asked me to be sure to deliver it to His Highness."

Liu Xian unfolded the letter and read it. It turned out that Xue Yi was overjoyed to learn of Liu Xian's promotion to General of the Guards and had suggested that since Liu Xian had reached such a position, he must find a way to recruit the Shu people residing in Luoyang. He and Liu Xian shared similar thoughts, believing that half of Shu's best talents were in Shu, and half in Luoyang. Since Liu Xian aimed to restore the Han dynasty, and his foundation remained in Shu, he would inevitably need the support of these people. Therefore, Liu Xian must contact them and gain their approval.

However, although there are few Shu people in Luoyang, there is no need to visit them all. Xue Yi said in his letter that there is a man in Luoyang who has been famous for a long time, whose talent is comparable to Cen Peng and whose virtue is comparable to Feng Yi. As long as Liu Xian can persuade him, the rest of the Shu people will naturally submit to him.

This person was He Pan, the former Commandant of the Imperial Guard, Governor of Yangzhou, Grand Minister of Agriculture, and Marquis of Xicheng.

He Pan, courtesy name Huixing, was a native of Pixian County, Shu Commandery. He gained fame in Shu from a young age. Five years after the fall of the Shu Han state, at the tender age of eighteen, he was highly praised by Huangfu Yan, the then governor of Yizhou, who hailed him as having "the talent of a king's advisor." Later, when Zhang Hong rebelled and killed Huangfu Yan, it was He Pan who assisted Wang Jun in quelling the rebellion. From then on, he became Wang Jun's deputy, and was largely responsible for planning the conquest of Wu and building the navy. Later, when he presented his strategy for conquering Wu in Luoyang, he won the admiration of Pei Xiu, the Duke of Julu, who then took him as his son-in-law.

From then on, He Pan became the leader of the Shu people in Luoyang and the most trusted person among them. After participating in the campaign to quell the Wu rebellion, he successively served as the Minister of Justice, Commandant of the Imperial Guard, Prefect of Xuancheng, Commandant of the Eastern Qiang, Governor of Yangzhou, and Minister of Agriculture, eventually rising to the rank of one of the Nine Ministers. He also protected the emperor during the Rebellion of the Three Yangs and was granted the title of Marquis of Xicheng, which was quite illustrious.

He Pan's rise to prominence had nothing to do with other people from Shu, but was solely due to his being the son-in-law of the Duke of Julu. Afterwards, He Pan repeatedly recommended his fellow townsmen to the court, but the court mostly refused. Furthermore, after the downfall of the Empress Dowager's faction, he was also implicated. Disheartened, he simply resigned from his official post under the pretext of recuperating from illness, ceasing all contact with anyone and instead spending his time in Luoyang recuperating.

In his letter, Xue Yi specifically mentioned that He Pan was different from them, the former officials of Shu Han. Back when Shu Han was still in existence, the He family had already begun to waver, believing that the fate of the Han dynasty was coming to an end. Therefore, they went into seclusion at home early on and did not serve in the government. They had no relationship with Liu Xian as ruler and subject.

That's precisely why Liu Xian was so determined to persuade him. Only when someone like him, who had no connection with the Han dynasty, agreed to revive it would the other Shu people have no doubts.

After reading Xue Yi's letter, Liu Xian said to Xue Xing, "Please go back and tell Lord Xue that I will definitely make this happen."

That afternoon, he sent a visiting card to the Marquis of Xicheng's residence, hoping to request an audience with He Pan. As expected, He Pan refused this unexpected invitation, citing illness as the reason for his refusal. The next morning, Liu Xian wrote another visiting card, explaining his reason for visiting in an extremely humble tone. He stated that the country was currently facing many difficulties, the state was in peril, and the regional princes were each ruling their own territories, creating a chaotic situation comparable to King Ping of Zhou's relocation of the capital eastward. In this time of crisis, although the Prince of Changsha possessed unwavering loyalty, he was ultimately a young man lacking experience, and thus needed an experienced elder like He Pan to step forward and guide him.

This time, He Pan still refused, but his tone was much gentler. In his reply, he wrote that he was not sincerely refusing, but rather that he was indeed old and frail, unwell, and unfit to serve as an official. Faced with the current state of the country, he felt his wisdom was limited, he saw no way out, and had no solution; therefore, he asked Songzi Gong not to waste his efforts. Furthermore, their relationship was rather awkward, and to avoid suspicion, it would be best to refrain from further contact.

Upon reading the reply, Liu Xian could sense He Pan's weariness of officialdom and couldn't help but remark to Li Sheng, "It seems that our leader of Shu is determined never to serve as an official again."

Li Sheng said, "My lord, should we give up? Or should we directly request an imperial edict to force him to launch the campaign?"

Liu Xian laughed and said, "He has only refused twice. What is there to give up on? My great-grandfather invited Prime Minister Zhuge Liang to come out of seclusion, and he went three times. Forcing him is not good either. It will only cause more trouble. Why bother? This third time, I will go and talk to him in person."

Having said that, he put down all his affairs and handed them over to his advisors. After discussing with A'Luo, he personally went to the West Market to buy some medicinal herbs for health and wellness, as well as some seasonal fruits. After buying them, he didn't take a carriage; instead, he hung the herbs and fruits on his saddle and rode his horse, Fan Yu, leisurely heading to the Marquis of Xicheng's residence. Only Li Sheng and Zhuge Yan accompanied him.

The Marquis of Xicheng's mansion is located in the southern suburbs of Luoyang. Heading south along Tongtuo Street, exiting Xuanyang Gate, passing the Imperial Academy, crossing the pontoon bridge to the Luo River, and walking about three hundred steps, then turning two corners, you will finally see this unique mansion.

Reaching this point, one is almost far removed from the bustling city of Luoyang. Willows line the banks of the Luo River, their green canopies in April creating a breathtaking spectacle. Around the Marquis of Xicheng's residence, verdant bamboo grows abundantly; when a gentle breeze blows, the bamboo leaves rustle, seemingly whispering a thousand words, echoed by orioles and kingfishers. Hearing this sound, it seems as if all the troubles and conflicts of the world have vanished with the wind.

Liu Xian arrived at the gate of the mansion and gently knocked. Soon, a servant came to open the door. The servant sized up Liu Xian, noticing his unfamiliar face but simple blue scholar's robes, turban, and distinctive footwear—a typical scholar's attire. However, Liu Xian, a veteran of both officialdom and battlefield experience, possessed an air of nobility and a certain menacing aura that made the servant wary. He cautiously inquired, "May I ask who you are...?"

Zhuge Yan chimed in from the side, "My lord is General of the Guards, Grand Master of the Three Departments, Commander..."

Before he could finish announcing his name, Liu Xian turned to look at Zhuge Yan, waved his hand slightly to interrupt him, and then smiled at the servant, saying, "Please inform the Marquis of Xicheng that Liu Xian has come to visit."

The servant was terrified and quickly bowed to apologize before heading into the mansion.

Seeing this, Zhuge Yan whispered to Li Sheng beside him, "Judging from their expressions, I know that today's trip is still hopeless."

Li Sheng didn't respond, but Liu Xian laughed and scolded, "It's not like you were the one who got the cold shoulder, why are you complaining on my behalf? Just shut up."

However, Zhuge Yan was indeed right. A short while later, a young man came out of the mansion. He was pretty, almost like a woman, and looked about seven or eight years younger than Liu Xian. He was He Zhang, the son of He Pan. He bowed to Liu Xian and then said, "Lord Songzi, the reason why my father refused to take office has already been clearly stated in his reply. Why do you have to press me again?"

"Brother He, what are you saying?" Liu Xian returned the bow, stood up, and said gently, "Brother He and Lord He have both misunderstood. I did not mean to force Lord He to take office. It's just that Lord He is a pillar of the country. I heard that Lord He is not feeling well, so I came to bring some medicinal herbs and some freshly ripe peaches. I hope to pay my respects to Lord He and ask him some questions. That's all."

Having said that, he took all the gifts, large and small, off the saddle and handed them to He Zhang. He Zhang was quite taken aback, so he took the gifts back to his residence to ask again. After a while, he came out of the residence again and said to Liu Xian, "We appreciate the Lord Songzi's kindness, but my father is indeed unwell. His rheumatism flared up in his knee last night, and he tossed and turned for half the night, unable to sleep."

"Just now, my father's pain eased a bit, but he was feeling a little tired, so he went straight to sleep. I don't know when he will get up. Perhaps you could come to my humble abode another day."

He Zhang spoke politely, but his behavior was impolite. Without waiting for Liu Xian's reply, he directly closed the gate, leaving Liu Xian and the other two standing there, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Just as Zhuge Yan was about to complain, Liu Xian interrupted him, saying, "We're still at someone's doorstep, so don't say anything unpleasant."

He then said to Li Sheng, "Binshuo, why don't you and Nan Qiao go find an inn first?"

The implication was that he absolutely had to see He Pan, and he would not return to the city until he achieved his goal.

So Liu Xian waited in front of the Marquis of Xicheng's residence for an entire day. He arrived at dawn and waited from morning until noon, from noon until dusk, and from dusk until late at night. Liu Xian was getting drowsy, and the summer mosquitoes were biting him unbearably. Fortunately, it was located in the suburbs, and there weren't many people around, so even waiting alone wasn't too embarrassing.

Around 3:45 AM the next day, the sky turned slightly purple, and dawn was approaching. In the quiet night, a folk tune began to play, clearly hummed by an old man. At first, Liu Xian couldn't quite make it out, but gradually, he realized it was Zuo Si's "Historical Poem".

After a while, the singing grew closer, and an old man could be heard humming leisurely:

"The pine tree at the bottom of the ravine is lush and green, while the seedlings on the mountain are sparse and delicate. With its tiny stem, it provides shade for the hundred-foot-tall branches."

With a loud bang, an old man pushed open the gate and strode out. He was wearing a straw hat, carrying a fishing rod on his back, holding an empty fish basket in his left hand and a bowl of earthworms in his right, when he bumped right into Liu Xian standing in front of the gate.

The two were startled when they saw each other, and then they stared at each other, wide-eyed. (End of Chapter)