Jinting Han people

As time has passed, the layout of Dongwu is now very different from Liu Xian's childhood memories.

In its early days, Dongwu was merely a small, neighboring settlement with about a hundred people. Zhang Ximiao built a two-story pavilion and a small horse stable within it, which served as a separate residence for the Anle Duke's mansion. Now, Dongwu's land area has doubled, and its population has increased to over four hundred, making it much more lively than before. With the increased population, the original settlement became crowded, and thus, Dongwu underwent two major renovations between the Yongkang and Yongning periods.

The first renovation was very simple, overseen by Cao Shangrou. She expanded the pavilion by two buildings and renovated the landscape gardens, adding elegance and nobility to the villa. The second renovation, however, was much more extensive, almost a complete rebuild.

It turned out that, seeing the increasingly chaotic political situation in the court and fearing that war would bring disaster upon himself, Duke Anle, after Sima Lun usurped the throne, strongly advocated building Dongwu into a fortress. Not only could his daughter-in-law Cao Shangrou not dissuade him, but even his widowed sister-in-law Fei Xiu could not persuade him, and in the end, he had no choice but to agree.

So Anle Gong used the existing pavilion as the center and built two high walls, one inner and one outer, each with a brick and stone foundation, reaching a height of two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters). He then extensively reinforced the pavilion, increasing its height to four stories, and dug cellars and wells in the valley, even providing facilities such as cattle pens, pigsties, and chicken coops. The remaining area was divided into more than thirty small courtyards.

With such an expansion, Dongwu is no longer what it used to be, and can now accommodate over a thousand people. However, it has cost a great deal, almost depleting the savings of the Anle Duke's Mansion over the years, which has caused quite a bit of resentment among the family members.

However, the ensuing war proved Anle Gong's foresight. Just as Zhang Fang entered Luoyang, Liu Xun, sensing the dire situation, immediately led his entire family into a fortified village. After closing the gates, he remained steadfastly within, unmoved by the winds and rains outside. Two months later, Luoyang, once a capital city, was reduced to ruins, littered with corpses and teeming with bandits. Countless people were displaced, homeless, and starving to death. Yet, Dongwu remained unaffected, its people continuing to eat as usual.

This allowed the Duke of Anle to regain his pride and significantly increase his status at home. After all, since Liu Xian entered officialdom, Liu Xun, despite being the Duke of Anle, had only held the title in name only, and no one cared about his thoughts. Now, facing such a predicament, Liu Xun not only refrained from causing further trouble but also saved his entire family's lives, inevitably earning him new respect. Consequently, during this period, everyone in the Duke's household treated him with much greater deference and frequently sought his advice.

In the first few days, Liu Xun was naturally full of pride, and even boasted to his granddaughter Lingyou: "When I was six years old, I read the Six Secret Teachings with my elder brother. Among my brothers in the same clan, apart from my fifth brother (Liu Chen, the Prince of Beidi), no one can compare to me!"

But as the war escalated, worry quickly replaced pride. After all, no matter how well-built the fortified villages were, they could only hold about a thousand people and store up enough food for two years. People couldn't stay in the fortified villages forever, and the stored food would eventually run out. What if that day came and the chaos hadn't ended? No matter how much Liu Xun hated the court or how maliciously he cursed the Jin dynasty, the fact remained: without a stable court to bring order, all life was like a rootless duckweed.

Furthermore, Liu Xian still held a high position in the Imperial Guard, which inevitably caused Anle Gong anxiety, so he frequently sent people out to inquire about the battle situation. As a result, what he received was not news of victory, but the great fire in Luoyang.

Dongwu was more than twenty li away from Luoyang, so in theory, Liu Xun should not have been able to see the battle situation at that time. However, the wailing of hundreds of thousands of people was so grand that even the Duke of Anle could vaguely hear it in his sleep. When he woke up and looked westward, he saw a white light piercing the night sky for a long time, as clear as a pearl in the mud. He immediately realized what had happened and then fell into a long period of grief.

This scene was all too familiar. Gazing at the raging fire in the darkness, Duke Anle seemed to have traveled through countless years, returning to Chengdu many years ago. The firelight that night seemed just as dazzling and breathtaking. Only, back then, he wasn't a bystander, but a participant.

How many years ago was this? Duke Anle counted in his mind: the first year of Xianxi, the tenth year of Taishi, the fifth year of Xianning, the tenth year of Taikang, the first year of Taixi, the ninth year of Yuankang, the first year of Yongkang, the first year of Yongning, the second year of Tai'an. Calculated this way, it has been exactly forty years since that great fire in Chengdu.

Forty years of vicissitudes can separate two generations. Spring comes and autumn goes, sun rises and moon sets, and before he knew it, Liu Xun had spent far more time in Luoyang than in Chengdu. But when Liu Xun saw the firelight over Luoyang, he suddenly recalled that night, as if it had all happened yesterday.

Was Luoyang about to be destroyed? What had become of his son? Duke Anle should have been pondering these questions. But at this moment, what kept flooding his mind were completely unrelated memories. It was as if those who had long since died had suddenly come back to life through the flames before him. The various experiences of that night forty years ago, the fear and sorrow in his heart, all surged up at once, making Liu Xun restless and burning with anxiety.

At that time, the rest of the people in Dongwu also woke up. Seeing the firelight, they all showed fear and pointed at Luoyang, discussing amongst themselves. But they did not notice that Duke Anle quietly withdrew. He walked alone into the family ancestral hall, silently facing the memorial tablet, his expression sometimes angry, sometimes resentful, and sometimes dejected.

In the days that followed, Duke Anle began to have nightmares.

The nightmare was an endless black alley, with shadows stretching as far as the eye could see, and seemingly endless demons and pursuers behind him. Ghostly sighs echoed in his ears, sending chills down his spine. He felt as if he had returned to his childhood, running futilely forward, clearly sensing the shadow behind him getting closer and closer. His body seemed to disintegrate as he ran, and just as the shadow was about to catch him, everything turned into black dust.

From that moment on, Liu Xun seemed no longer to be himself, but rather to have become an emptiness, a void filled with nothing but the sound of weeping of unknown origin. Faint and indistinct, sometimes present, sometimes absent. Liu Xun tried to escape the eerie sound, but no matter where he fled, the sound would reappear like a leech. Finally, the Duke of Anle grew weary, letting the sound linger in his ears. Then, the dream ended.

In the days that followed, he was haunted by this nightmare every day, like an inescapable cycle. Each time it began with an escape and ended with an escape. So, while everyone in the Anle Duke's mansion was still praying for Liu Xian's life or death, one day they suddenly discovered that the Anle Duke himself had fallen ill. He didn't speak, didn't eat much, and just lay in bed all day, either in a daze or in a deep sleep.

This must be hysteria, but where can we find medical treatment at this time? Shang Rou could only arrange for some herbs to strengthen Liu Xun's constitution for the time being, but of course, it didn't help. By the twelfth month of the second year of Tai'an, which was only half a month, Duke Anle had lost about ten pounds, to the point that his eyes were sunken and his cheekbones were prominent. People in the village were saying that if this continued, Duke Anle would probably pass away in less than two months.

Finally, it was Madam Fei Xiu who stepped forward and said, "There's no need for treatment. This is a mental illness. He can only be saved when he comes to his senses. You can all leave now. Don't bother with the medicine. I'll take care of him."

Since Liu Yao's death, Fei Xiu had become the last pillar of stability among the elders in the household. Since she said so, the others, though skeptical, still did as she said. Thus, only Liu Xun and Fei Xiu remained in the room.

Fei Xiu sat by the bed, staring at the lifeless eyes of Duke Anle. After a long silence, he suddenly asked, "Sixth Brother, are you really going to see your elder brother like this?"

These words had an immediate effect. Upon hearing them, Liu Xun finally snapped out of his daze. After regaining his composure, he avoided Fei Xiu's gaze and whispered, "Sister-in-law, I'm sorry for you, and I'm sorry for my elder brother."

What a childish remark! Fei Xiu stared at his aged face, a wave of pity rising in her heart, and comforted him, "Liu Lang, you're not letting down your elder brother, you're letting yourself down."

"We should live life to the fullest. If your elder brother were still alive, how heartbroken he would be to see you wasting your time and torturing yourself like this!"

Every family has its own secret to longevity, and for the Han imperial family, their secret is actually quite simple: no matter what difficulties or life throws their way, they must live well, believe in hope and happiness, and cherish every moment. No matter how difficult the past was, they should treat it as if tomorrow will be better.

Liu Xun certainly knew this secret, but knowing it didn't mean he could put it into practice. His life had ended forty years ago. He had lived another forty years in a daze, from being universally praised in his youth, to being heavily criticized in middle age, and finally to being ignored in his old age. This had gone on for so long that he had truly forgotten why he was living. But the distant sight of the great fire in Luoyang suddenly jolted Liu Xun awake, rekindling long-buried memories.

Therefore, he laughed self-deprecatingly and said to Fei Xiu, "Sister-in-law, I shouldn't have been alive in the first place. I'm just a coward."

Fei Xiu comforted him again: "Liu Lang, no one is without fear."

Liu Xun shook his head. He was almost sixty, and on this day, forty years later, he finally made up his mind to tell his widowed sister-in-law the cause of his brother's death, rather than taking the secret to his grave.

“That day, I volunteered to go to Yongping Bridge with my elder brother, saying that we wanted to respond to the general. But on the way, we encountered many Wei soldiers who came out to kill and plunder. At that time, we knew that the general had probably failed.”

“At that time, my elder brother said that since the general had failed, he should go back to the palace to see the situation first, but I was very unwilling. I said to my elder brother that we had come this far and we had to be responsible for the soldiers. The city was in chaos. If we led our troops to launch a surprise attack, the outcome would be uncertain.”

"Then my elder brother agreed." Anle Gong was immersed in his past memories and said almost groaningly, "I went mad, but I caused my elder brother's death."

“Wei soldiers were everywhere. When we reached Yongping Bridge, hundreds of Wei soldiers blocked the road and set up roadblocks, making it impossible for us to cross the bridge. At that time, we had no choice but to swim to the other side of the river so that we could contact the soldiers of our various units. I don’t know if it was fate, but when we got to the river, we startled a flock of sandpipers! The sandpipers were making noise and flying around. The Wei soldiers immediately spotted us, surrounded us, and chased after us relentlessly.”

"We ran for our lives! We ran for miles. When we realized we couldn't run any further, Wang Qi's guards stayed behind to cover the rear, leaving only my elder brother and me to run into the city. We turned left and right in the alleys, almost escaping. But who could have imagined? When we turned a corner, we saw another group of Wei soldiers blocking our way. Although they hadn't spotted us, it wouldn't be long before the pursuers caught up with us."

At this point, Liu Xun raised his head, looked at Fei Xiu who had been silent for a long time, and asked, "Sister-in-law, what do you think I should do at this time?"

Fei Xiu shook her head and said, "I don't know."

“It’s a very simple choice. At this point, the only option is to trade one’s life for another.” Liu Xun sighed. “My elder brother is the crown prince, while I am nothing. Therefore, I should sacrifice myself to draw away the Wei people and open a way for my elder brother to survive. Yes, that’s it.”

At this point, Duke Anle chuckled softly, his laughter as shrill as a night owl's, while Fei Xiu remained silent.

"I thought of this idea right away, but sister-in-law, I didn't dare to do it."

“Sister-in-law, I was really scared back then! When my fifth brother committed suicide, I wanted to follow him and die with him, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I told myself that a person should die a worthy death, and that he should die on the battlefield. But when I actually got to the battlefield and faced death, I still didn’t dare to die. My heart kept changing, and I was even scared of myself. At that time, I really felt like a worthless coward.”

“But it’s someone like me…” Liu Xun choked up. He closed his wrinkled eyelids, forcing back the tears in his eyes, and murmured, “It’s someone like me who, while I was in a daze, my elder brother handed me the token, then hugged me and said, ‘Liu Lang, live well!’ Then, he rushed forward, announced his name, and led the way for me.”

"I just stood by and watched, doing nothing." He repeated these words twice in a low voice, scoffed, and then gritted his teeth, mocking himself, "I am a descendant of Zhaolie! How shameful!"

This is actually a very simple story: an elder brother sacrificed his life to protect his younger brother. With him died the last glimmer of hope for the nation. Liu Xun's life ended at that moment, and he has lived on instinct, somewhat haphazardly, until now.

After witnessing a similar scene again, he was reminded of the past and could not forgive himself, his heart filled with restlessness.

Fei Xiu certainly wouldn't blame him. Hearing these past events still hurt her, but she had moved on. Although the dead cannot be brought back to life, she still believed the future would always be better. Therefore, she was able to say calmly, "Liu Lang, don't think like that. You've already succeeded a lot, haven't you?"

“You already have a wonderful son, who has grown up and is doing great things. Perhaps he can achieve what you and Wenheng couldn’t. Whether it’s Wenheng, the Lord, Ximiao and Fifth Brother, or even the General, as long as they know from beyond the grave, they will surely be gratified by Huai Chong’s achievements, won’t they?”

"You must pull yourself together and be strong, live well until you see him succeed. That's the right way, isn't it?"

Is that so? When this topic came up, Anle Gong found it ironic. After all, if one were to ask what he had instilled most in his son's upbringing, it would probably be hatred. The father and son had reached a point where, while they couldn't be said to be complete strangers, they were merely going through the motions; where was the genuine father-son affection?
But then he remembered something else: more than four years ago, he had made a promise with his son. That day, Duke Anle said that if one day Liu Xian could convince him that he had the strength to restore the kingdom, then he would tell him the whole truth.

Duke Anle had told himself it was impossible a thousand times, and at one point truly believed it was impossible. But after witnessing so many battles firsthand, he couldn't help but wonder: Is this day coming soon? Can the ashes really be rekindled?

As a descendant of Zhaolie, facing a long-held obsession that has been passed down for a hundred years and thirty-six thousand days and nights, even if she ends up as lowly as dust, she still wants to see it come true.

This roused Anle Gongqiang to his spirits, and he waited in the dock. He silently told himself: This wasn't waiting; he was just getting old and wanted to see his son again, to see if this brat who always made him angry had truly grown up. If everything was alright, then he could comfort his wife's soul and let her rest in peace.

On the day of Wuyin in the first month of the third year of the Tai'an era, this day finally arrived. (End of this chapter)