Jinting Han people

Ironically, just as Li Chen was embarking on his grand undertaking to restore the Han dynasty in Jingzhou, Liu Xian, who was in Luoyang, was implicated for no reason.

There was nothing that could be done. If a fake descendant of the Han dynasty could cause such a commotion, what would happen to the real heir of the Duke of Anle? Regardless of Liu Xian's political reputation, this was a question that officials in Luoyang had to consider.

Therefore, when the first report about Li Chen was delivered to Luoyang, Liu Xian's situation became awkward.

It was a sunny afternoon with a gentle breeze and mild weather. At that time, He Pan had been appointed General of the Central Army and was leading the Imperial Guards in a formation drill, while Liu Xian was inspecting the drill from the side. Before the drill could be completed, Sima Yi sent word that Liu Xian was to come to the Ministry of Personnel for a meeting, which was said to be about the war in Jingzhou.

But as soon as Liu Xian entered the palace, he immediately sensed that something was wrong.

First, the guards and soldiers in front of the palace gates all showed strange expressions when they saw Liu Xian; then there were his colleagues he encountered on the palace road, such as Pei Song, Shi Xi, and Liu Zong. Liu Xian greeted them casually, but they didn't say a word, only bowed, and hurriedly disappeared.

Because he was the furthest away, by the time he entered the Ministry of Personnel, the heads of all the departments had already arrived. But as soon as he entered, Liu Xian found that Sima Yi, Sima Yue, Liu Tun, Liu Hong, Shangguan Si, Ji Shao, Liu Qiao, Zu Ti and more than a dozen others were sitting at the table, all staring at him intently, as if they were seeing Liu Xian for the first time.

All these strange occurrences made Liu Xian feel extremely uncomfortable, and he almost thought he had worn the wrong clothes today. He wondered to himself: Could it be that my secret plot has been exposed? But Liu Xian believed that he had not done anything wrong, so he calmly took his seat and asked, "What has happened in Jingzhou?"

Sima Yi and Liu Tun exchanged a glance, then picked up the memorial on the table and ordered a guard to hand it to Liu Xian.

Only then did Liu Xian learn about Jiangxia's restoration of the Han dynasty.

When Sima Xin submitted his first military report, the Restoration Army had just captured Anlu, and the situation was not yet out of control. Even so, the matter still greatly shocked the court.

After all, the prophecy "The one who will replace the Han Dynasty will be Tu Gao" had been circulating for three hundred years since the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. Everyone had discussed who would replace the Han Empire. By the late Han Dynasty, the famous scholar Du Qiong had interpreted it as: "Wei means gate, and the gate should be high and covered with mud, therefore the one who will replace the Han Dynasty is Wei." In other words, the "Tu Gao" that was prophesied to replace the Han Dynasty was Cao Wei.

Later, Emperor Wen of Jin, Sima Zhao, was enfeoffed as Duke of Jin, which also implied the meaning of "higher elevation." "Jin means 'brightness rising from the earth,' which is the sun." Nothing in the world can surpass the sun, and sunlight can illuminate all things. Therefore, the one who replaces the Han dynasty can also be Jin.

But regardless of who this "Tu Gao" really was, the prophecy ultimately came true. Therefore, in most people's minds, the Han Dynasty's fate was sealed, and it was Heaven's will that it perished. No matter how glorious its past history was, it was now over.

But who would have thought that forty years after the fall of Shu Han, someone would still raise the banner of the Han dynasty, and not in Bashu, but in the Jianghan region? It should be noted that Jingzhou had been outside Shu Han's rule for eighty years since the Battle of Xiangfan.

Anyone who hears this news will feel both disbelief and fear. They will suddenly realize that although they are in the midst of a great undertaking called the Jin Dynasty, the traces of the Han Dynasty are everywhere. Everything they have become accustomed to—the written characters, the rituals they practice, the measures they take, the classics they recite, the history they are familiar with, and even the palace they are in now—all bear the deep imprint of the Han Dynasty.

In this situation, people were forced to reconsider a question: what kind of terrifying appeal did Liu Xian, a legitimate descendant of the Han dynasty, possess? Naturally, it became impossible to maintain the original friendly attitude in front of Liu Xian himself.

Since the Restoration Army was not yet large, Sima Xin's forces seemed capable of handling it. The group didn't discuss the matter in detail, merely relaying some information before quickly shifting the topic to Liu Xian's troop training. However, it was clear that several times during the meeting, Liu Tun and others had something to say, but after glancing at Liu Xian and Sima Yi, they casually changed the subject.

Liu Xian knew what they wanted to say. Sima Yi had summoned Liu Xian this time to discuss one thing: how to deal with himself.

Although Liu Xian's current reputation prevents anyone from accusing him of harboring rebellious intentions, the fact that someone has openly raised the banner of restoring the Han dynasty renders Liu Xian's loyalty irrelevant. If the Han restoration army encounters Liu Xian and pledges allegiance to him, who will bear the consequences? As the saying goes, a wise man avoids dangerous situations; a sensible person would decide at this point to strip Liu Xian of his military power as soon as possible.

However, Sima Yi and Liu Xian had already worked together for three years, during which everything went smoothly without any conflicts. Therefore, after careful consideration, Sima Yi did not make this decision immediately.

After the meeting, Liu Xian returned home and sat alone by the lamp for a long time. When A Luo learned what had happened and saw his troubled expression, she comforted her husband:
"His Highness the Prince of Changsha is a good man, and he is also related to us by marriage. He wouldn't do anything to make things difficult for you."

After hearing what she said, Liu Xian just sighed and said softly, "In political matters, it's best not to take too many chances."

He went to his inner room and took out a copy of the *Tao Te Ching*. Under the dim light, he read it several times and finally made up his mind. Early the next morning, he submitted a memorial to the court, stating that he was ill and unable to handle government affairs, and earnestly requested to resign from all his official positions to recuperate at home. At the same time, he recommended Liu Kun to succeed him as Commandant of the Capital Region and Ji Shaolai to succeed him as General of the Guards.

When the memorial reached the General of the Cavalry's residence, Sima Yi breathed a sigh of relief. Holding the memorial, he said to Shangguan Si and the others, "Lord Liu is indeed a loyal minister who knows how to avoid suspicion. You should not mention those words again."

It turned out that after that meeting, the Changsha King's staff had another private discussion about how to deal with Liu Xian.

Shangguan Si, being impatient, directly advised Sima Yi, saying, "Liu Sili remained silent and avoided eye contact during the meeting, which clearly indicates that he has harbored disloyal intentions. Your Highness, you should act decisively and eliminate this scourge immediately! Although you may incur some infamy, for the sake of the country and its people, the benefits outweigh the harms."

Upon hearing this, most of the others remained silent, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. However, their underlying message was that they also supported removing Liu Xian. Only Zu Ti spoke out against it, saying, "If the country is in chaos and a good general is killed, what will the people think of the court? If the people are disaffected, how can we say that the benefits outweigh the harms?"

Sima Yi didn't want to punish Liu Xian, but as the regent, he knew the cruelty of politics; once a mistake was made, there was no room for repentance. Therefore, he weighed the pros and cons, trying to find the optimal solution. Receiving Liu Xian's resignation at this time resolved his concerns, and he immediately agreed, giving Liu Xian a sinecure and appointing him as a Gentleman Attendant, intending to reinstate him after the turmoil in Jingzhou subsided.

But as mentioned earlier, Li Chen supported Liu Ni, and his power became unstoppable, threatening to sweep across Jiangnan and conquer Mianyang and Hanzhong.

Thus began the darkest period of Liu Xian's life since Sun Xiu's death.

Before this incident, he was already the most powerful non-royal person in the current court. Countless people came to pay their respects and curry favor with him. However, within just two or three days, he became virtually untouchable in Luoyang. Not only did no scholars come to visit him anymore, but he also had to be extremely cautious when he went out. If he stayed outside for even a little while, he would often see strange people following him on the streets.

Liu Xian understood that this was probably a spy sent by Sima Yi to monitor his movements.

Therefore, he simply stopped going out and returned to the Duke of Anle's mansion, spending his days reading and practicing swordsmanship at home, as if he had returned to the life before he entered officialdom. It must be said that this feeling of being neglected was not pleasant. Especially since not long ago, Liu Xian was riding high, thinking he had a bright future ahead of him. But in the blink of an eye, he was forced into seclusion for such an inexplicable reason, which inevitably made Liu Xian lament the cruel twist of fate.

Fortunately, over the years, it has been proven that the friends Liu Xian made were reliable.

Although Liu Xian's identity was sensitive, a group of friends and relatives, including Zu Ti, Liu Kun, Wang Cui, and Fu Chang, would still visit him from time to time to cheer him up and inform him of the latest developments in the political situation.

Just after Sima Xin, the Prince of Xinye, suffered another major defeat and wrote to the court seeking help from Sima Yi, Sima Yi made a decisive move and immediately made targeted arrangements to deal with the Li Chen Rebellion.

Faced with Li Chen's powerful four-pronged offensive, Sima Yi countered with four reinforcements:

He appointed Liu Hong, the Duke of Xuancheng, as the Governor of Jingzhou and the Commandant of the Southern Barbarians, and Yang Yin, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Guard, as the General Who Pacifies the South, leading an army of 20,000 to march south and garrison Wancheng, intending to block Li Chen from continuing his northward advance.

He also appointed Liu Qiao, the Colonel of the Cavalry, as the Governor of Yuzhou and General of Weiyuan, and ordered him to mobilize 10,000 troops from the Eastern Expeditionary Army to garrison Runan and block Huang Lin's advance into Yuzhou.
The emperor then issued another edict to Liu Shen, the governor of Yongzhou, ordering him to lead 15,000 troops who had previously pacified Shu to march south to Wuguan and join forces with Liu Hong to attack Li Chen.
At the same time, we request the Northern Expeditionary Army Command to send General Zhao Xiang with 10,000 troops as Liu Hong's backup.
Finally, he ordered Sima Xin, the Prince of Xinye, to hold Xiangfan and not to go out of the city to fight.

Because the situation was extremely critical, in order to quell the rebellion, Sima Yi not only mobilized the troops in Luoyang, but also used the court's remaining prestige to call on the other princes to set aside their differences and mobilize troops to stop the Jiangying Army in order to defend the Sima family's state.

(Zhang Chang's Rebellion in the Second Year of Tai'an)
When Wang Cui and Liu Xian discussed this matter, Liu Xian asked, "Your Highness's plan is quite good, but I wonder if he has consulted the Prince of Chengdu?"

Wang Cui had by this time joined Sima Yi's side and was appointed General of the Rear by Sima Yi, participating in important court affairs. He replied, "Military intelligence is of paramount importance; every day of delay allows the enemy army to grow stronger. How can I possibly consult on every matter?"

"Your Highness has done a perfect job with this plan, ensuring that all the princes benefit from it. Is there anyone who can criticize it?"

Liu Xian thought to himself: That makes sense, but Sima Ying doesn't seem like someone who can reason. He had already shown his covetousness for Jingzhou before, and even before he made a move, he had already clashed with Sima Yi. Now that Jingzhou is in turmoil, and Sima Yi has sent Liu Hong south without consulting him, it's bound to be seen as a provocation.

Regardless, Sima Yi was indeed working tirelessly to quell the rebellion. The forces in Luoyang were already stretched thin, and he had to spare 20,000 to rescue Sima Xin; he couldn't ask for more. But whether the other princes cared about Sima Xin's life or death was another matter entirely.

As time passed, by mid-June, the statements from all parties were becoming clearer:
Huang Lin had already led the Restoration Army into Yuzhou, making it impossible for the Eastern Expeditionary Army to remain uninvolved. Sima Xiao, the Prince of Fanyang, was self-aware and knew that he was not good at military affairs, so he agreed to Sima Yi's request and handed over the front-line military affairs to Liu Qiao.
Sima Ying, the Prince of Chengdu, had long coveted Jingzhou. Upon receiving the news, he immediately dispatched Zhao Xiang with 30,000 troops to march south first, transforming him from a rear guard to the vanguard. He claimed that he would mobilize the entire Hebei army and march south after the New Year.

As for the Western Expeditionary Army, Sima Yong, the Prince of Hejian, had no intention of making peace with Sima Yi. Liu Shen, the Governor of Yongzhou, was a former subordinate of Sima Jiong and had never submitted to Sima Yong. Sima Yi's summons of him was intended to give Sima Yong a way out and avoid damaging the strength of the Western Expeditionary Army. However, Sima Yong was unwilling to let even this small force go. After receiving the imperial edict, Liu Shen had only advanced to Lantian when he was intercepted by Zhang Fang's army.

However, Sima Yong also stated that before the chaos erupted, he would obey the imperial edict and would not clash with Huangfu Chong again for the time being.

Overall, two of the three kings cooperated with the court, and the King of Hejian did not take advantage of the situation, so the situation was not beyond redemption. However, as July arrived, the subsequent developments took an unexpected turn.

Firstly, in Yuzhou, the battle situation was less than satisfactory, but the rebel offensive was initially contained.

After arriving in Xuchang, Liu Qiao swiftly led 10,000 infantry and cavalry to garrison Runan, successfully blocking the Jiangying Army on the north bank of the Huai River. Huang Lin, lacking experience, attempted to cross the Huai River several times, but was repeatedly ambushed by Liu Qiao while crossing, resulting in heavy losses. Huang Lin was forced to abandon his plan to march north to Xuchang and instead turned east to attack Yiyang County. However, under the strong defense of Liang Huan, the governor of Yiyang, the Jiangying Army's progress was slow.

But the battle in Nanyang was very disappointing.

At first, everything was normal. Liu Hong, the governor of Jingzhou, took up residence in Wancheng before Li Chen and stationed troops there to hold the city while awaiting reinforcements. By the time Zhao Xiang arrived with his troops, the garrison in Wancheng had grown to 50,000 men, a force similar in size to Li Chen's. The Jin army held the advantage of terrain and was better equipped with armor and weapons. Theoretically, the Jin army had the greater advantage.

However, upon arrival, Zhao Xiang underestimated the Restoration Army, considering them nothing more than a rabble. He also received a secret order from the King of Chengdu to be the first to achieve merit in suppressing the rebellion. Therefore, without consulting Liu Hong, he secretly led his troops to fight the Restoration Army alone.

Seeing Zhao Xiang's arrogance and underestimation of his enemy, Li Chen feigned defeat and led his troops in a retreat, secretly setting up an ambush in a jujube grove along the way. Zhao Xiang fell for the trap, leading 5,000 light cavalry into the encirclement, with predictable results. The light cavalry was almost completely annihilated, and the infantry following behind, caught in the crossfire, also collapsed. Zhao Xiang himself was struck by seven arrows, severely wounded and unconscious, only escaping with his life thanks to the desperate rescue of his cavalry.

This, however, implicated Liu Hong, who was then tasked with leading 8,000 men as the vanguard to clear the route from Nanyang to Xiangyang and to try and contact Sima Xin, the Prince of Xinye. The garrison left to defend Wancheng numbered only 10,000 and was completely unaware of Zhao Xiang's defeat. As a result, Li Chen pressed his advantage, besieging Wancheng and catching Liu Hong completely off guard. Yang Yin, responsible for the outer defenses, was killed in action, and the remaining troops collapsed. Liu Hong was forced to abandon Wancheng and lead his remaining forces back to Liang County in Henan to reorganize his army.

The Restoration Army had now completely occupied Nanyang Commandery. After defeating Liu Hong, Li Chen rested briefly before marching south from Wancheng, officially advancing towards Xiangyang.

Meanwhile, inside Xiangyang, Sima Xin was unaware of Liu Hong and Zhao Xiang's defeat. In fact, he was still overjoyed by the arrival of Tao Kan's reinforcements. Upon learning that the Restoration Army had marched south, Sima Xin assumed that Li Chen had suffered a defeat in the north and was forced to retreat south. Having suffered repeated setbacks at Li Chen's hands, he longed to avenge himself. Thus, disregarding Tao Kan's advice and defying the court's order not to leave the city, he led 30,000 garrison troops north to meet them in battle.

However, this was not the case. The Restoration Army won one battle after another, and its strength grew stronger and stronger. By the time it encountered Sima Xin, it had expanded to more than 70,000 men. When the two armies met at Taochong, north of Fancheng, Sima Xin could only imagine his frustration and regret when he saw that the newcomers were not only not defeated, but also far superior in strength.

No matter how frustrated he was, the outcome was irreversible. Li Chen fought three battles in a month, once again inflicting a major defeat on the Southern Expeditionary Army. Amidst the Jin army's rout, Sima Xin, the Prince of Xinye, was captured alive by the Restoration Army, and Li Chen beheaded him and displayed his head north of the Yangtze River.

Meanwhile, the Southern Route Restoration Army successfully captured Wuchang, occupying this major city in Jiangnan and the former capital of Eastern Wu. Shi Bing gathered 500 ships there, and then led 20,000 naval troops down the river to the east, where he encountered Chen Hui, the governor of Yangzhou, who came to resist him at Xunyang.

Both sides led their naval forces and confronted each other in the middle of the river. Chen Hui intended to take advantage of the east wind to set fire to the ships, but before the fire ships could be launched, the east wind suddenly turned into a west wind. This reversal of wind direction caused Chen Hui to burn himself, and his 40,000-strong naval force collapsed in an instant. Shi Bing was able to sail downstream and occupy the entire city of Yangzhou in one fell swoop.

At this point, the vast area south of the Huai River and east of the Xiang River was almost entirely out of the control of the imperial court. The situation in the entire Jiangnan region was disintegrating at an alarming rate. (End of Chapter)