Jinting Han people

After Suo Jing died, Liu Xian buried him on the hill behind Jingu Garden.

He personally dug the pit, covered it with soil, dipped it in the enemy's blood, and hastily erected a wooden tombstone for him.

As they descended the mountain, the knights sent out to make contact returned intermittently. There was good news and bad news; Guo Mo and Mao Bao brought back a considerable number of defeated soldiers, but most returned empty-handed, and a few even had their horses stolen by the fleeing soldiers and had to walk back. Overall, however, the gains outweighed the losses, and Liu Xian had gathered over two thousand more men.

Although many of his former subordinates had disappeared, and his troops were a mixed bag, disorganized, and even included some civilians posing as soldiers, he now had nearly ten thousand men after some reorganization.

It was now the afternoon of the second day after the Battle of Xilei. Liu Xian was forced to confront a question, one that Suo Jing had also asked him before his death: Should they head north or south?

Heading north meant crossing the great river, carrying the imperial edict in their bosom, and going directly to Hedong to start an uprising. Heading south meant returning to Luoyang and trying to turn the nearly chaotic situation back on track.

However, these two options cannot actually be considered as two separate choices. One carries an extremely high risk, while the other carries virtually no risk.

Upon arriving at Jingu Garden, Li Sheng quietly said to Liu Xian, "My lord, the situation has deteriorated so much, what's the point of staying in Luoyang? We already have the Emperor's decree, let's go to Hedong first, then Qin and Liang! With our own base established, what can't we accomplish?"

When Liu Xian met Zhuge Yan again, Zhuge Yan reported to Liu Xian: "Your Highness, I have been to Mengjin and the ice on the river there is now solid enough to cross on horseback!"

He even overheard the soldiers' discussions, and they all said in fear, "Zhang Fang is so cruel, how can we fight against him? We'd better leave as soon as possible!"

Most importantly, after the Battle of Xilei, although Sima Yi's current fate is unknown, the court's authority has been completely lost. It should be said that Liu Xian is now free from anyone's control; he is free!
Without Sima Yue's surveillance, Sima Yi's vigilance and accusations, and the pointing fingers of officials, Liu Xian was free from the scrutiny of others. Moreover, Zhang Fang bore the greatest infamy in the land, and the world's attention would inevitably be focused on this tyrant. Liu Xian could then truly accumulate strength and bide his time. Wasn't this exactly what Liu Xian had dreamed of?

The only real concern is how to get the family out of Dongwu, which is indeed a difficult problem. There are about a hundred people in the family, young and old, and it will be a long and slow process to move them. If Zhang Fang finds out and sends troops to catch up, things will get complicated.

But no matter what, it's still more practical than heading south to relieve the siege of Luoyang. To achieve great things, one shouldn't be bothered with trifles; at worst, one can grit one's teeth and directly emulate Emperor Gaozu. In chaotic times, where are there so many choices? Even if one abandons family, as long as one ultimately achieves imperial power, that's enough to have done right by oneself and one's ancestors and the nation.

The political struggles and wars of the past few years had left Liu Xian utterly exhausted. Every choice he made, every event he encountered, required careful examination and reflection. Almost every time dawn broke, Liu Xian opened his eyes, feeling grateful that he had lived another day. Moreover, he had done many shameful things, and he had long since lost count of how many innocent people had been implicated in them.

Now that I've gained my freedom and no longer need to get involved in these things, what's the point of staying in Luoyang?

Therefore, from the moment he arrived at Jingu Garden, Liu Xian had been constantly questioning himself. He vaguely sensed something was amiss, but hadn't quite grasped it. After hearing Suo Jing's dying question, Liu Xian finally understood, and knew what he wanted to do.

While the routed soldiers were hurriedly eating, Liu Xian summoned his confidants and asked them, "What do you think people all over the world are thinking after this battle?"

This question left everyone looking at each other in bewilderment. Shouldn't they be considering their own future first?

Li Sheng asked, "Does this concern our lord?"

"Of course it's relevant!"

Liu Xian straightened up, leaning on his sword, and said as if talking to himself:

“I once swore an oath to some spirits, saying that I would create a final resting place for all people in the world, and I have never forgotten this oath for a moment…”

Liu Xian closed his eyes slightly, seemingly recalling his vow, and his voice lowered, but he still said:
"But for more than ten years after that, I did not do it because I was still in prison and I was not free."

“During this time without freedom, I have been fighting just to survive. But now, I am free. I am no longer a caged bird or a fish in a net, so it's time to change my goal. I will begin to fight for a home that belongs to all people…”

At this point, he asked the crowd, "So I want to know, at this very moment, what would the world want me to do?"

The question was asked so suddenly that no one knew how to answer it. But soon, Zhuge Yan understood Liu Xian's thoughts, and he said, "Since there is such a demon wreaking havoc on the world, someone must step forward!"

Upon hearing this, Meng Tao was almost stunned. He suppressed the urge to jump up and asked, "Zhang Fang is so tyrannical, and my troops are currently suffering a defeat. How can we possibly win?"

"Even if we can't win, we have to try!" Liu Xian shrugged proudly, drew his sword, looked at his own reflection in the blade, and slowly said:

“My great-grandfather was from Zhuoxian, my grandfather was from Xinye, and my father was from Chengdu. But for me, I am a Luoyang native. I grew up here, and Luoyang is my hometown. For more than 30 years, I know every inch of this land and every story here. I remember them all.”

Liu Xian once loathed this land, for its people were extravagant, hypocritical, snobbish, and malicious, causing him unbearable suffering. But as the great fire raged in Luoyang, he recalled many beautiful things: the starry sky over Mangshan Mountain, the bells of Baima Temple, the classrooms of the Imperial Academy, the oranges at Xiyang Pavilion, the bustling Tongtuo Street, and the long howl of Xiao Ruan Gong…

He still cherishes this land, just as a fishing boat cherishes its harbor, and a wanderer cherishes his mother.

"But Zhang Fang set Luoyang ablaze." Liu Xian's voice trembled slightly as he said this, clearly recalling the raging inferno of the previous night.

“If I were to leave in such a disgraceful manner, I would be nothing more than a stray dog. How can someone who is unwilling to protect his own home protect others? How can he build a nation? A person who aspires to unify the world would never do such a thing.”

At this point, Liu Xian seemed to have forgotten the presence of everyone in front of him and fell into deep thought.

"it is good!"

Guo Song suddenly shouted, startling everyone around. He not only jolted Liu Xian out of his reverie but also caused the surrounding horses to neigh. This young man, who had once boosted morale at Python Pass and was highly regarded by Liu Xian, said:
"Grand Commandant, you speak well! I have long heard of Cao Cao's conquest of Jingzhou and Liu Bei's journey with the refugees. How similar it is to the situation today!"

"When Cao Cao's army pressed in, the generals of Jingzhou surrendered one after another, but Liu Bei refused to surrender. He protected the people and fled south, continuing to fight against Cao Cao. So what if he was defeated? The whole world regarded him as the banner of rebellion against Cao Cao and restoration of Han! Sun Quan, Liu Zhang, Ma Chao and other warlords all joined forces with him! This led to the great achievement of restoring Han in Xichuan."

"Grand Commandant, if you wish to speak up for the people today, I am willing to accompany you to the end!"

After he finished speaking, the others were also convinced.

Li Sheng, who had originally advocated going to Hedong immediately, suddenly drew his sword, rested it against Liu Xian's blade, and said, "My life has long belonged to my lord. No matter if it's a dragon's den or a tiger's lair, or a mountain of knives or a sea of ​​fire ahead, I will follow you to the end!"

With his example, everyone drew their swords and weapons, gathered them together in a circle, looked at each other, and shouted in unison, "We will live and die together! We will share weal and woe!" After saying this, everyone made up their minds. The confusion and unease that had been in their hearts before completely disappeared, replaced by a heartfelt sense of relief.

Just then, refugees brought over three basins of hot soup. In the steaming heat, everyone took wet towels to wipe their faces. Having toiled for a day and a night, their bodies were covered in blood and grime, making them look like beggars. After washing themselves, the hot water quickly turned murky, like muddy water.

The soup was served by several young children. Seeing that Liu Xian and the others seemed to be discussing something, one of them cautiously asked, "Is the Lord leaving?"

Liu Xian glanced at him, ruffled his hair, and laughed, "You still can't walk? We're going to fight our way back to Luoyang."

Upon hearing this, the children immediately cheered and whispered among themselves, "I knew the Lord wouldn't abandon us!"

After they left with the hot soup, Liu Xian looked at his dozen or so subordinates again and said, "The water may be muddy, but our hearts are clear. Now, we need to think about what to do next."

"Yes."

"Bring that Ma Tai over here." Now that the choice has been made, the next step is to find out the enemy's strengths and weaknesses, and there just happens to be someone like that in the picture.

Ever since Ma Tai learned that he had fallen into Liu Xian's hands, every day felt like an eternity.

Although he feared Liu Xian's reputation, he was even more afraid of Zhang Fang's methods. After all, Liu Xian only had so many men; how could he possibly defeat Zhang Fang? Therefore, he wanted to escape. But Ma Tai immediately realized that this was not a good idea. Even if he could escape, losing two thousand cavalrymen and falling into Zhang Fang's hands would be disastrous. Zhang Fang was extremely strict in disciplining his troops and would show no mercy. Being beheaded would be a good outcome for him.

Therefore, Ma Tai was bewildered and did not know what to do.

But when Liu Xian pulled him over, Ma Tai still put on the air of a righteous man, straightening his back and turning his head away, as if he had no intention of saying anything. But Liu Xian only glanced at him and knew he was just putting on an act. You see, a true righteous man doesn't care too much about what others think, but this man was glancing at him from time to time, which meant he still harbored a glimmer of hope and was waiting for his judgment.

Thinking of this, Liu Xian surprised him by saying, "I can let you go, including your subordinates."

Ma Tai immediately straightened up, first looking at him with disbelief, then beaming and saying, "Grand Commandant, you've come to your senses?"

"You've got the wrong idea." Liu Xian drew his Zhangwu sword and lightly scratched Ma Tai's neck twice, making Ma Tai's hair stand on end. Then he sheathed the sword and laughed, "I just want to ask you some questions. If you answer well, I'll let you go after I'm done asking."

"News? What news?" Ma Tai asked nervously.

"What did you mean when you told me before that the fate of the King of Changsha was unknown?"

Ma Tai wanted to lie, but seeing Liu Xian's sharp eyes and recalling his past deeds, he immediately gave up the idea and quickly confessed: "At the decisive moment, although the King of Changsha's army was defeated like a landslide, it was too chaotic at the time, and we could not control the situation, which caused some people to rush back to Luoyang and lock down the Luoyang Palace."

"Is the King of Changsha inside too?"

"I don't know. Our army did not capture the King of Changsha, and the marshal is not in a hurry to enter the city. He said that we should rest and recuperate first, and then negotiate with the court."

"condition?"

"Our army has come to cleanse the emperor..." Ma Tai glanced at Liu Xian, swallowed the word "side," and quickly changed his words, "to defend the emperor. This is the strategy that Chief Secretary Li and our king devised. Chief Secretary Li said that after the victory, we should still maintain the dignity of the court, not enter Luoyang, but first secure the fiefdom in Guanzhong, and then recommend the King of Chengdu to maintain the alliance with Hebei."

"At that time, my king can annex Qin, Liang, Ba and Shu, completely establish the hegemony of Guanzhong, and then sit back and watch the court fight with Hebei. Whichever side is weaker, I will secretly support that side until they are exhausted from fighting, and then my king will make the final decision."

This is an imitation of the Qin state's strategy of forming alliances during the Warring States period! What a brilliant strategy! Liu Xian was secretly alarmed upon hearing this: It's fortunate I assassinated Li Han; otherwise, with Li Han and Zhang Fang combining their military and political skills, he truly wouldn't be a match for them. If Lu Zidao were here…

But he quickly dismissed the thought and turned to ask Ma Tai, "So, Zhang Fang hasn't entered the city yet?"

“Yes.” Ma Tai said in a low voice, “Our army has now sealed off all the city gates and has not entered the city, but has sent envoys to the palace to negotiate.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian was overjoyed: there were still remnants of the army in Luoyang Palace, and Zhang Fang had not led his troops into the city, so there was indeed still a chance!
Now, he only needs to verify two more conjectures before he can begin.

"Your cavalry that burned Luoyang came from Hulao Pass, didn't they?"

Ma Tai was taken aback, looked up at Liu Xian, and then lowered his head to admit, "That's how it is."

Just as I suspected! Liu Xian had been wondering where Zhang Fang's cavalry from the east had come from. But then he realized that Zhang Fang had once sent a cavalry force to capture Hulao Pass, so it could only be them.

It was precisely because this army had blockaded Hulao Pass that Sima Yi was forced to engage Zhang Fang in a decisive battle. Who would have thought that Zhang Fang would actually be willing to withdraw this cavalry force again? If someone discovered them halfway and recaptured Hulao Pass, wouldn't Zhang Fang's blockade collapse on its own? Zhang Fang is truly audacious! In terms of the unpredictability of his military tactics, even Liu Xian had to admit defeat.

Having figured out the origin of that cavalry force, Liu Xian confirmed one piece of information: Hulao Pass had become an empty city again, and the passage between Luoyang and Xingyang was now open again!
Next, the last question:

"Your army probably has less than 50,000 arrows left, right?"

During yesterday's fierce fighting on the city walls, the Western Army clearly ran out of arrows. Moreover, today Liu Xian captured Ma Tai and his men, and upon inspecting their quivers, found only about six thousand arrows. That's only three or four arrows per person—a truly unusual amount for the Westerners, whose livelihood depended on archery. Therefore, Liu Xian guessed that without new supplies, the Western Army's arrow reserves were nearing depletion.

Ma Tai stared at Liu Xian for a while with great surprise. He was surprised that Liu Xian seemed to know everything about his side, but he didn't understand why. In the end, he could only nod and say, "The Grand Commandant is right, that's how it is."

Liu Xian felt more confident. Although the chances of winning were slim, there was indeed still a chance to start over.

The next battle, regardless of the outcome, will be my last before leaving Luoyang.

Liu Xian couldn't help but recall the lonely mound on the hill behind Jingu Garden, and then he thought of his teacher and mother. He silently prayed in his heart: "If there truly are spirits, Mother, Teacher, Master Suo, if you are aware of this in the afterlife, please bear witness for me here." (End of Chapter)