Jinting Han people

As the year draws ever closer, more and more people are unable to contain their curiosity, fear, and excitement about the coming year and are beginning to discuss its prospects.

The frequent outbreaks of war and the rampant natural disasters had already unveiled a terrifying curtain. Therefore, before Zhang Fang's arrival, in Luoyang, whether it was a cowherd in the fields, a street vendor, or a nobleman's servant, regardless of whether they knew each other or not, whether they were friends or enemies in the past, before the impending torrent of fate, everything about them seemed insignificant. They simply summarized the strange events that had occurred in recent years, using this to speculate about the future:

In the fifth year of the Taikang era, the Xuan Emperor Temple collapsed for no apparent reason; in the eighth year of the Taikang era, the Imperial Ancestral Temple collapsed for no apparent reason; in the fifth year of the Yuankang era, the inexplicable fire in the armory destroyed countless sacred objects; there was also the thunder that occurred without clouds, and the continuous rain and hail that lasted for months... Although some of these events happened twenty years ago, they were all extraordinary phenomena concerning heaven and earth, and almost every one of them remained fresh in their memories.

Were these events merely coincidences? The people of Luoyang didn't believe it, but proving a connection—that an unseen hand was manipulating everything—seemed difficult. So they began asking the merchants who had traveled from afar if similar strange occurrences were happening in other parts of China.
The answer is yes. Merchants, having traveled far and wide, had heard countless strange and wondrous tales. They didn't care whether they had seen them with their own eyes or not, and exaggeratedly recounted:

In June of the fifth year of the Taikang era, the ponds in Rencheng and Lu State turned into bloody water; in September of the third year of the Yuankang era, six counties including Daifang were plagued by insects that devoured all the trees in the area; in March of the fifth year of the Yuankang era, blood even flowed inexplicably in the suburbs of Lü County, spreading more than a hundred paces east and west; and in March of the first year of the Yongkang era, Weishi County experienced three whole days of bloody rain!
In addition, the merchants presented a series of eye-opening evidence: such as hens that could crow, roosters that could lay eggs, blood-stained stones that fell from the sky, and yellow dogs with three heads. Among the slaves they sold, there was even a strange person who was neither male nor female and whose name was unknown.

In short, merchants made a fortune from these rare goods, and the rumors of the Jiazi Calamity became increasingly believable. By the time Zhang Fang besieged Jinyong City, everyone was completely convinced.

People have begun to say that after the Year of Jiazi arrives, the sun in the sky will be extinguished, stars will fall, and thousands upon thousands of palm-sized locusts will fly across the Central Plains. Great rivers will flood, and fields will be unable to grow crops. The celestial beings will use this method to cleanse people of their sins. At that time, those with faith will become water fairies, entering the celestial hall from the water, while those without faith will become wandering ghosts, never to find peace.

The teachings of the Celestial Masters sect spread widely, and more and more people joined the sect. They chanted the "Xiang'er Zhu" and donated their remaining wealth to the priests, hoping to become immortals and receive the protection of immortals in this great calamity of the end times.

The topic of the True Lord of Peace (Taiping Zhenjun) naturally didn't cease. The impending demise of the Jin Dynasty was now a consensus, but who could save the world? There would certainly be a True Lord of Peace, but who exactly he would be remained a mystery. Sun Xiu's dying words to the "Heir Apparent of the Duke of Anle" were a relatively famous statement. However, other rumors also circulated: such as "The Five Barbarian Tribes disrupt the divine regalia, reform begins with Zhao Ji," "The True Lord of Peace is from Yang and Li, Laozi's purple aura holds the divine regalia," and the prophetic imagery of "the ox succeeding the horse" from the *Xuanshi Tu*, which also enjoyed considerable renown.

People had differing opinions on this, but the fear of the Jiazi year grew day by day. By the last month, the Jiazi year was almost a taboo subject, as if simply uttering these words would turn the world upside down.

But when the year of Jiazi truly arrived, nothing seemed different. Apart from the fact that everyone was still in the midst of war, everything seemed normal. It had snowed again a few days ago; the old snowflakes melted into water, then condensed into icicles, and new snowflakes accumulated, transforming the still mountains, trees, rivers, and other landscapes into a crystal-clear world of ice and snow, a vast expanse of icy white that was breathtaking.

In the morning, the snow had stopped, and the refugees were setting off firecrackers in Jimyong City. The crackling sound was like something was passing away, offering some comfort in this quiet season.

Liu Xian inspected the city walls and found that the soldiers on duty seemed somewhat distracted. This was understandable, given that it was the end of the year and the westerners on the opposite hill were also not in high spirits. Liu Xian dared not let his guard down, but considering the special circumstances, he shortened their shifts to allow everyone as much rest as possible.

Then he went into the city to pay his respects to the emperor and empress and held a brief court assembly.

Every year on the first day of the first lunar month, a grand court assembly was to be held, and Liu Xian had participated several times before. No one expected that one day it would be Liu Xian's turn to preside over it personally. Liu Xian originally intended to cancel the assembly, but Sikong Sima Yue argued that holding the assembly was not only a tradition but also an encouragement; after all, it was precisely during such difficult times that it was important to demonstrate that everything was as usual.

Liu Xian considered it and agreed, thus the court assembly took place. Though called a court assembly, it was actually quite shabby, as it was held outdoors. Most of the city's buildings had been demolished to be used for defense, and the remaining few dozen houses, intended for rest, could not accommodate hundreds of officials. Therefore, with soldiers and refugees watching, the emperor and empress had to sit on the ground, while the officials, each holding a cup of wine, toasted them one by one to wish them a happy new year.

To be honest, food was scarce in the city, and there was no wine either. The officials were at a loss as to what to offer for celebration. Then the Empress suddenly said, "Three years ago when I was in Jinyong City, I learned to brew a few jars of rice wine, which I buried three zhang away in the southeast corner of the city. I don't know if they'll still work, but let's dig them up and try." So Liu Xian sent people to search for them, and sure enough, they dug up five jars of wine. When they opened them, the wine was fragrant and sweet, and the officials were finally able to have wine to offer as a toast.

As one of the Three Dukes and Grand Commandant, Liu Xian was the first to toast the Emperor and Empress. After the New Year's greetings, the Emperor complained to Liu Xian, "Grand Commandant, the horse meat doesn't taste good. When will we have beef?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian felt immediately embarrassed. In recent days, to ensure the city could hold out for a long time and to minimize waste, he had strictly controlled the city's food supply. The soldiers basically ate porridge and wild vegetables every day, and the officials weren't much better off; they simply relied on the eggs laid by the city's few dozen hens and some meat from the horses that had died in battle. The soldiers naturally had nothing to say about this, but the officials, who had never experienced such a life, complained constantly and pressured Liu Xian. They never expected that even the emperor would complain at this time.

Fortunately, Yang Xianrong came to the rescue. She said to the emperor, "Your Majesty, Emperor Wu once said that as the emperor, one must set an example. The soldiers don't even have meat to eat, so how can we be picky?"

Although the emperor was dull-witted, he immediately became serious upon hearing his father, Emperor Wu's, name. With a stern face, he held up the wine and said to Liu Xian, "Grand Commandant, I misspoke just now. I will not disgrace my father."

Having gained the emperor's understanding, Liu Xian breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly bowed to Yang Xianrong and then withdrew.

Back at his seat, Liu Xian warmed himself by the brazier. After a while, Sima Yue also finished his New Year's greetings and came to Liu Xian's side, whispering, "Grand Commandant, have the reinforcements arrived yet?"

This is a question on everyone's mind. Liu Xian and his men have been holding out in Jinyong City for over a month. Logically, the reinforcements from Henan should have arrived more than ten days ago. But now it's already the year of Jiazi, and looking around from Jinyong City, all that can be seen are earthen hills, making it impossible to see the outside situation. The Western Army on the outskirts also seems to be making no move. Does this mean that the reinforcements haven't arrived yet?

Even though Liu Xian was so frugal with food, everyone knew that they could only last until the end of the month at most. After that, a choice had to be made: surrender or fight their way out? The court couldn't possibly follow Zang Hong's example in defending Dongwuyang and resort to cannibalism; the consequences would be far too dire.

However, Liu Xian remained quite confident in his judgment; he believed that reinforcements had arrived. It was just that, for various reasons, they had not yet made contact. Especially in the past few days, Liu Xian had been burning beacon fires inside the city in an attempt to contact Gongsun Gong's forces outside, but there had been no response. This most likely indicated that Zhang Fang had repelled Gongsun Gong's forces and subsequently imposed a strict blockade, cutting off his communication, rather than a situation where nothing had changed outside.

After all, he was facing off against Zhang Fang, so things couldn't possibly go so smoothly.

However, it wasn't appropriate to say this to Sima Yue and the others. Telling them would only cause unnecessary panic. Therefore, Liu Xian simply chuckled, feigning confidence, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Sikong, I have a plan. I'll give you all a surprise soon." In reality, Liu Xian was also thinking: he needed to send a messenger out to confirm the situation. Once he could find out the details outside and make contact with reinforcements, everything would be much easier.

That evening, he summoned several trusted confidants to his military tent, told them about the plan, and asked, "Do you have a suitable candidate? I need him to be able to successfully deliver the message."

This was an extremely difficult task. Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed slightly: Zhang Fang's encirclement was visibly tight. Although he had captured two earthen hills, Zhang Fang had then set up fences around them. Even if the army tried to break through, it would suffer heavy casualties. How much more so would a messenger sent out to deliver a message?

Not to mention Zhang Fang's notorious cruelty, which is now well-known throughout the capital region. If they fail and fall into his hands, they might not even be given a proper burial. Moreover, whether there are reinforcements outside is also just Liu Xian's guess. Sending a messenger under such circumstances is far too risky. Therefore, this messenger must be both intelligent and brave, and absolutely loyal to Liu Xian. Where can such a person be found?

Liu Xian looked around at his subordinates, thinking that if Zhuge Yan were here, he would be the most suitable, but unfortunately he had already sent him to Hulao Pass. If Sun Xi, Zhang Gu, and Xue Xing were here, they would also be suitable, not to mention Li Ju. But right now, he was indeed short of people he dared to use.

After careful consideration, he decided to appoint Fu Chang, but someone next to him said, "Brother, let me go!"

"You're going?" Upon hearing this, Liu Xian turned his head and took a quick look. It turned out to be Meng He. He was Meng Guan's third son, and was only twenty-three years old. He was of average height, about six feet tall, but his back was very straight, and his eyes were clear and bright.

Before his death, Meng Guan entrusted his two sons, Meng Tao and Meng He, to Liu Xian. Over the years, Liu Xian had treated them as brothers, but he mainly focused on training Meng Tao, as he was older and more talented. As for Meng He, he usually kept him by his side as a personal guard. Unexpectedly, Meng He came out to volunteer for a position.

Liu Xian shook his head slightly and said, "You are still too young. You should gain more experience."

Unexpectedly, Meng He became anxious and said, "Brother, when you made great achievements in Guanzhong, weren't you about the same age as me? Please believe me, brother. I am a member of the Meng family. How can I be a failure? You have put me in charge of this matter. Even if my legs are broken, I will crawl to the reinforcements!"

After listening, Liu Xian stared at him, and Meng He returned the stare without fear. This made Liu Xian give in. He nodded and said, "Alright, do you still remember the way?"

"I lived in Luoyang for seventeen years, of course I remember!"

Liu Xian slowly said, "Then go and prepare! We're leaving tonight. No matter what happens, don't give up halfway. After you find reinforcements, don't rush back. Rest there first, and come back when you've recovered your strength. Don't worry about anything that might happen in between. Even if the sky falls, I can hold it up!"

"Yes!" Meng He replied resolutely.

Everyone agreed that after Meng He safely broke through the enemy's guard line, he must light fireworks on Mangshan Mountain to send a message, and then he left the camp.

On the night of the first day of the Lunar New Year, the bright moon hung high in the sky, making the shadows of people on the ground exceptionally clear.

"If only there were no moon," Meng He muttered to himself as he slid down the city wall in a bamboo basket. He disguised himself as a refugee, smearing himself with dust to make it look more like one. But if he could, he still didn't want to see any Westerners.

But this was impossible. After passing the two earthen mounds occupied by Liu Yi, one could see the outer fences of the Westerners, with bonfires piled up one after another along the fences, stretching as far as the eye could see. Meng He was only a few dozen paces away from the Westerners, and the flickering shadows of the soldiers between the bonfires were clearly visible. From here, one could also see many camps built by the Westerners, with banners standing tall, reflecting the silvery moonlight, a truly magnificent sight.

Meng He, draped in a white robe, lay beside a snowdrift, his color almost blending in, making him difficult to spot. But once he moved, trying to break free would be extremely difficult. Meng He couldn't help but think, "This is really tough. What should I do?"

He wasn't afraid of death, but in this situation, how could he possibly get through unnoticed? The moonlight was far too bright; if he actually went closer, he would inevitably be subjected to interrogation and exploitation by the Westerners, which was undoubtedly unwise. But he couldn't think of any better way, so he could only endure the cold and pray silently: "Father and brothers above, if your spirits are aware, please help my brother and me to make the moonlight a little weaker! After this is over, even if we are shattered to pieces, we will not hesitate."

Thinking this, Meng He sighed to himself again, and quietly wrote on the snow: "You should not have crossed the river, yet you crossed it! You died while crossing the river, what can be done about it!"

After finishing writing, he couldn't stand the cold any longer, so he found a corner of a ruined house and squatted down, waiting for the enemy to fall asleep or for the moonlight to dim. In short, going to charge now would be suicide.

Under the north wind, remaining motionless is very tiring, and Meng He was so cold that he was drowsy, or rather, he actually fell into a deep sleep at one point.

But in a daze, he opened his eyes again. By then, the campfire opposite him had gone out, and the moon had disappeared behind the clouds. Meng He quickly stood up, trembling, and moved his numb hands and feet. He then tidied up the long and short swords he carried, intending to continue. But then he thought again and threw the swords on the ground, taking only his clothes and daggers with him.

"Brother, I'll be right back." Meng He bowed in the direction of Jinyong City and disappeared into the night. (End of Chapter)