Jinting Han people

Chapter 483 Farewell
On the day of Xinwei in the first month of the third year of the Tai'an era, Liu Xian, in his capacity as Grand Commandant of the Jin Dynasty, completed peace talks with the General of the Western Expeditionary Army.

The negotiations didn't cover much. Liu Xian's main request was simple: for Zhang Fang to open the road so that the imperial court and the destitute refugees of Luoyang could leave and then travel to Xuchang with the reinforcements from the east.

Therefore, Liu Xian could leave Luoyang to Zhang Fang.

Liu Xian did not want to lose Luoyang, but the battles around the capital had left it almost in ruins. All the grain and fodder the court controlled had been used up, and many refugees were struggling to survive. They lacked not only seeds for spring planting and shelter from the rain, but even the food to eat today. If they remained there, it was foreseeable that Luoyang would not only suffer a great famine, but also a major plague.

Furthermore, it must be considered that this will not be the last major battle to take place in Luoyang. In times of peace, Luoyang is the natural choice as the capital of the world, but this also means that once chaos ensues, Luoyang will become a battleground on all sides. Luoyang is destined to become a battlefield where various factions vie for power in the chaotic world. Rather than holding onto it as a hot potato, it would be better to relocate all the people and leave Zhang Fang with a clear land.

Of course, Zhang Fang was not satisfied with this condition, and he quickly made other demands of Liu Xian:

First, the Western Army's provisions are almost exhausted, and the court needs to supply 500,000 bushels of grain and 50,000 bolts of silk.
Second, Zhang Fang was appointed as the Commandant of the Capital Region, and Sima Yong was appointed as the Governor of Yongzhou, and both were granted the Nine Bestowments.
Third, the governors of Liangzhou, Zhang Gui, and Qinzhou, Huangfu Chong, were placed under the jurisdiction of the Western Expeditionary Army.

Fourth, Empress Yang Xianrong was deposed, and General Huangfu Shang was executed.

Zhang Fang's thoughts were very clear: he had made up his mind to establish himself as independent, but at least nominally, he also needed to give an explanation to Sima Yong. Therefore, he had to achieve a political victory, to make the court recognize the Western Army as the winner of this battle, and to be granted a territory as a base for his rule.

Compared to the conditions he had agreed to during his previous negotiations with Sima Yue, Zhang Fang's terms were now much more lenient, but Liu Xian was still not satisfied and tried his best to negotiate. After an hour of debate, the two sides finally agreed on the final terms:
First, the imperial court supplied the Western Expeditionary Army with 150,000 hu of grain and 20,000 bolts of silk, to be delivered in three batches within one month.
Second, Zhang Fang was appointed as the Governor of Henan, with imperial authority, and was given the title of Military Governor of Sizhou and enfeoffed as the Duke of Hongnong.

Third, Sima Teng, the governor of Bingzhou, and Zhang Yin, the governor of Liangzhou, were merged into the Western Expeditionary Army Command.
Fourth, Liu Xian was relieved of his post as Grand Commandant and Sima Yong, the Prince of Hejian, was reappointed as Grand Commandant and granted the Nine Bestowments.

Fifth, within twenty days of the peace talks, the imperial court must hand over Luoyang City, and on the same day, Zhang Fang must release all the officials and princes previously captured.

In the final peace treaty, Liu Xian did his best to lighten the burden on the court and his friends, salvaging some dignity for them. At the same time, he tried to divert the trouble eastward, hoping to shift the focus of the Western Expeditionary Army to Bingzhou, or to incite infighting between Zhang Fang and Sima Yong. This would give Zu Ti and his group some breathing room.

Zhang Fang was quite satisfied with this. Although he didn't get the Sili Xiaowei position he most desired, he was directly promoted to Duke, a meteoric rise in rank that gave him the power to rival Sima Yong. While he didn't get the Sili Xiaowei position, the position of Henan Yin was still quite good. This gave him a legitimate reason to station troops in Guandong, free from the control of the Prince of Hejian. Moreover, he had secured some benefits for the Zhengxi Army Commandery, which also satisfied the Prince of Hejian.

Most importantly, Liu Xian was willing to resign after this battle. In Zhang Fang's view, this was undoubtedly a declaration to the world that Liu Xian had admitted defeat. From this point on, the title of the greatest general in the land would likely change hands.

Liu Xian didn't care about these empty titles. The moment he reached an agreement with Zhang Fang, he felt a sense of genuine relief throughout his body.

A mission was thus accomplished, and the last heavy weight on my heart instantly melted into a pool of spring water, flowing away from my lungs and spleen. My body seemed to transform into the wind, rising continuously from the earth, rising higher and higher, as if floating to the highest heavens, and then gently descending from the embrace of the clouds, turning into a light drizzle.

Leaving Zhang Fang's command tent, Liu Xian and his group headed towards Jinyong City. Only then did they realize that it had indeed rained. The raindrops pattered on Liu Xian's face, the dampness seeping from his neck into his body, tickling him and making him feel incredibly refreshed. So they spurred their horses and galloped away, as if this would allow them to catch up with those peaceful, carefree days of the past.

Back at Jinyong City, the gates were already open, and the people inside, hearing the drums signaling the retreat of the troops, knew that the peace talks had been successful. So they gathered together, and in the misty, rainy morning, holding torches high, they watched Liu Xian's heroic figure galloping on horseback, all of them stunned in a daze.

Is the disaster over? They cheered all night, and now, wanting to continue cheering, they are exhausted, and more people are beginning to weep.

Living under constant threat of death, many had forgotten how to live. They were merely existing numbly, clinging to life by instinct, hoping to survive one more day at a time. But now, with hope realized, the disaster over, and consciousness returning to their bodies, they suddenly remembered that they had lost their homes, their loved ones, and their past.

How will they start a new life when they have nothing left? This left many people in Luoyang feeling sad and lost, and they began to cry.

The city of Jinyong thus appeared somewhat melancholic and gloomy, but in any case, the weeping was a sign of life. Compared to the silence, the weeping was proof that the city was still alive.

After daybreak, around noon that day, the reinforcements from the east of the city finally arrived, led by Meng Tao. The soldiers still wore expressions of surprise and bewilderment; they were unaware of how terrifying the previous night had been, only feeling a sense of relief at having escaped the chaos of war, and looking at the vast capital city with a mixture of pity and pride.

Meanwhile, as the Western Expeditionary Army lifted the blockade, more and more refugees poured into the area around Jinyong City, and chaos and vitality began to reappear. For the next few days, there was commotion and quarrels everywhere. The soldiers in the city struggled to maintain order during the disaster relief efforts, the officials kept reiterating the regulations and rules for relocation, and the refugees eagerly rushed to register as foreigners and demand the meager relief supplies.

However, this was mostly irrelevant to Liu Xian. After the peace talks, he rested for two days.

The days of war had already stretched his mind to its limit. After relaxing, weariness instantly enveloped his mind, making Liu Xian want to fall asleep as soon as possible. So he decisively handed over all the affairs at hand to the court, and then went to the Hundred-Foot Tower at the corner of Jinyong City to fall asleep to the sound of the pattering rain.

When he woke up again, it was already dawn the next day. The drizzle had stopped, and the sun was rising from the eastern mountains, casting a golden glow over the Hundred-Foot Tower. Liu Xian came downstairs and found Zhuge Yan, Li Sheng, Meng Tao, Gongsun Gong, and others gathered downstairs. They were all looking at him with expressions of disbelief, as if they had just returned from another world.

Of course, there were others as well. Liu Kun, Meng He, Fu Chang, Xi Jian, Mao Bao, Guo Mo, and others were all there, standing guard like imperial guards in front of the Hundred-Foot Tower. Only the old man He Pan sat before the others, sipping a bowl of hot tea.

When He Pan saw that he had woken up, he put down the tea and smiled at him, "Has my lord rested well?"

Liu Xian smiled back and said, "Very good. I have never slept so soundly since I can remember."

"That's wonderful, my lord. What should we do next?"

Liu Xian breathed a sigh of relief and slowly said, "Farewell, of course it's farewell."

Since one is leaving one's hometown, it is impossible for anyone with feelings not to say goodbye to relatives and friends.

In fact, it wasn't just Liu Xian who needed to say goodbye; everyone in Luoyang was about to leave this once-prosperous capital, and they all needed to bid farewell to the city.

The first grand farewell ceremony was the funeral of Sima Yi, the Prince of Changsha.

The funeral was held on the fourth day after the peace talks ended, presided over by Sima Chi, the Prince of Yuzhang. All the officials and generals of the court attended in mourning attire. Consort Wu, the Princess of Changsha, who had been kidnapped by Sima Yue, and her two remaining sons, Sima Shuo and Sima Xian, finally appeared before everyone. They wailed loudly in the mourning hall, and all who heard them were moved to tears.

At this formal funeral, Liu Xian was the first among the foreign guests to pay his respects. Holding a cup of wine, he bowed to the coffin and said, "Although I had disagreements with General Huo Qubing, we were still sworn brothers, ready to risk our lives for each other, and worked together in perfect harmony. You knew my heart, and I knew your ambition. How many true friends have I had in my life! The bond of brotherhood will always remain in my heart, and I will repay your kindness in the next life!"

Having said this, recalling the events of the past few years, Liu Xian couldn't help but burst into tears, then poured wine on the ground and bowed repeatedly. The generals around him also wept with grief. Although Sima Yi was often stubborn and inflexible throughout his life, he was sincere, courageous, and frugal, and approachable. Everyone said he had the air of Emperor Wu. But who could have imagined that after only one year in power, the Prince of Changsha would die tragically in an unprecedentedly fierce internal power struggle?

Even now, his wife and children doubt their own safety. Because of this, Princess Wu, wiping away tears, specifically thanked Liu Xian and quietly asked him if the previous engagement between Sima Xian and his daughter Lingyou still stood.

Liu Xian reassured Princess Wu, promising her that as long as the two children could successfully come of age, he would fulfill the marriage agreement no matter what unexpected events occurred.

After the ceremony, the crowd carried the coffin out of the city to see him off, until they reached a river bend in the northeast corner of Junyang Mausoleum. The place was quiet and secluded, with new green buds sprouting from the peach grove. Soon, a small mound appeared there, and from then on, Sima Yi could rest in peace.

After this incident, Liu Xian went to the palace to pay his respects to Zu Ti. Zu Ti had already assumed the position of Minister of Works and, due to the need to rebuild the court order, he occupied the semi-defunct Ministry of Personnel, temporarily handling government affairs there. Because he was extremely busy, Liu Xian had come to visit him in the morning, but within an hour, Zu Ti had met with about ten different groups of people in the room, each group being unique. He barely had time to drink water, let alone meet with Liu Xian. It wasn't until lunchtime that the two finally had time for a detailed discussion.

However, Zu Ti didn't feel tired; in fact, he seemed energized by the busyness. This wasn't hard to understand; after all these years of struggling in Luoyang, wasn't this all for this day?
He saw through Liu Xian's intentions at a glance and asked, clutching his throat, "Huai Chong, have you come to say goodbye?"

Liu Xian nodded and said to him, "Yes, I'll be leaving in a few days. I don't know when we'll see each other again."

Zu Ti smiled and said, "Who knows? I do hope that I never see you again."

It was a joke, and Liu Xian understood what he meant. The next time the two met, they would probably no longer be friends, but rivals vying for supremacy in the Central Plains. Therefore, Zu Ti's statement that he would rather not see him again was actually the highest praise he could give himself.

This was originally a very heavy topic, but Zu Ti's open-minded attitude also influenced Liu Xian, who responded, "That won't do. If you die at the hands of some nobody, wouldn't that mean I have no ability to judge people?"

"Oh? Do you have a good eye for people?" At this, the two of them laughed again.

However, considering Zu Ti's situation, Liu Xian still kindly reminded him, "Shizhi, assisting in governance is not an easy task. Even though the Prince of Donghai is dead, it doesn't mean things will be smooth sailing from now on, without any more setbacks. You must be very careful..."

But this was clearly not what Zu Ti wanted to hear. Before Liu Xian could finish speaking, Zu Ti interrupted him: "Life and death are predestined, wealth and honor are determined by fate. Since I have decided to do this, I have already made preparations. Huai Chong, you must believe me. No matter what the final result is, I can face it calmly."

At this point, Zu Ti suddenly changed the subject, revealing a strange smile: "On the contrary, you should be more careful!"

"What should I be careful about?" Liu Xian asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know." Zu Ti suddenly became mysterious: "There is someone who has been waiting for you and wants you to meet him."

After saying that, he quickly walked to a side room at the back of the house, opened the door, and said to the person inside, "He's finally here. Go and lead the way for him."

As a somewhat familiar maid came out and bowed to him, Liu Xian suddenly realized: Wasn't this the maid who had informed him of the coup? What was she doing here with Zu Ti?
He suddenly realized: Oh, right, the Empress wanted to see him and had specially sent her to wait here. That makes sense. After all, Yang Xianrong was his political ally and had helped him a lot. Since he was saying goodbye, he should at least see her and thank her in person.

Just then, the maid said, "Grand Commandant, His Highness wishes to see you. Please come with me."

Liu Xian did not refuse. He bowed to Zu Ti and left with the maid. The two wandered around the palace for about half an hour before a familiar building appeared before them—Tingfeng Temple, the place where the Empress had first privately summoned Liu Xian.

After the ravages of war, Tingfeng Temple was in ruins. The surrounding walls were covered with traces of fire, and the temple's magnificent decorations had been almost entirely looted by the Westerners. Even the plum blossoms in front of the temple had withered. Liu Xian looked around and could hardly connect this place with his memories.

But upon stepping onto the stairs and seeing Yang Xianrong again, Liu Xian rediscovered a sense of familiarity. Today, she was still dressed as she had that night, in a beautiful crimson-purple embroidered double-layered skirt, making her appear light and graceful. The series of dramatic changes had not diminished her beauty; instead, they had given her a mature charm, making her even more composed and refined, possessing a dignified and unapproachable beauty.

As soon as Liu Xian went upstairs, Yang Xianrong stared at him blankly and asked bluntly, "Are you leaving soon?"

Liu Xian nodded and bowed, saying, "Yes, Your Highness, thank you for your care these past few days."

Yang Xianrong's expression tightened, she bit her lip, and asked softly, "When do you plan to come back?"

"I don't know," was the only answer Liu Xian could give.

Yang Xianrong then said, "You mean, it's possible that they'll never come back?"

"Yes." Liu Xian smiled and said, "If Your Highness has any other requests, you can tell me now, and I will do my best to help Your Highness before I leave."

His intention was to help the Empress resolve some political issues, but unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Yang Xianrong lowered her head and remained silent for a long time, her hands clasped together, her slender wrists sometimes clenching and sometimes loosening. Finally, she made up her mind and asked, "Really, anything is possible?"

"Of course! A gentleman never jokes!"

Before he could finish speaking, Yang Xianrong suddenly pounced on him and hugged Liu Xian tightly, saying, "Alright, I want you!"

Her body was burning hot, and Liu Xian's head buzzed. He was almost stunned, and it took him a long time to react before he advised, "Your Highness, be careful what you say! Have you forgotten what I said that day?"

Before he could finish speaking, he felt a few drops of scalding water fall on his chest, followed by Yang Xianrong's angry voice: "Do you think I'm joking? I've thought it all through! I want you!"

"I can't do any of what you've told me! I'm just a frail woman, someone who doesn't even have a future, and I just want to find someone I like. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"If I never got the person I loved, I would die in vain! Since you promised, you must keep your word."

As she spoke, tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes, and sobs escaped her lips. This was the first time Liu Xian had ever received such a direct confession, and the woman in his arms appeared so fragile and helpless. He suppressed his tenderness and physical desire, and said to Yang Xianrong, "Your Highness, this is impossible, because it will be fruitless..."

But Yang Xianrong suddenly raised her head and said resolutely like a warrior, "I don't want the result, I just want you as you are now!"

After saying that, she pressed herself against him forcefully and gave him a passionate kiss that made Liu Xian tremble all over.

For thirty years, Liu Xian had seen countless beauties and prided himself on never wavering for any woman other than his wife. Others often laughed at him for being utterly clueless and as rigid as a block of wood. But there are always exceptions. Perhaps the crisis had made Liu Xian too relaxed, creating a vulnerability; or perhaps he simply had no reason to contradict Yang Xianrong or help her find a happy future. In any case, he did waver. He felt a pure, burning emotion rushing towards him, unstoppable and uncontrollable, ultimately causing him to lose himself…

When Liu Xian regained consciousness, it was already evening, and the person he had been intimate with quietly left. He sat alone upstairs, feeling as if he had just experienced a fleeting, ephemeral dream.

She was gone, leaving him no chance to meet again. Upon reflection, he realized there was no possibility of them ever being together. Liu Xian sighed for a long time, then resolved to bury this unexpected farewell deep in his heart, or perhaps forget it entirely.

He was a man with a wife, and a man who wanted to restore his country. He could not have any other attachments, nor could he possibly have such attachments.

Back at Baichi Tower, Liu Xian spent a night composing himself and quickly put the matter behind him. After all, he had more important things to do, and now he was going home.

(End of this chapter)