Jinting Han people

Three days later, just as Liu Xian was preparing to convene a military council, news came from Puban County: Li Ju, the governor of Hedong, had successfully led his army across the river and would soon arrive in Anyi.

This was naturally a joyous occasion, and Liu Xian was overjoyed upon hearing the news. He immediately postponed the military meeting by half a day and led his men outside the city to await their arrival. Many of his followers had never seen Li Ju before, nor had they ever heard of him, and thus did not understand the importance Liu Xian placed on him. Liu Xian then solemnly admonished them, saying, "Li Shihui is not only my friend, but also my brother. His heart is my heart, and my will is his will."

This statement greatly surprised everyone. After all, among Liu Xian's advisors and followers, such as Meng Tao, Meng He, Fu Chang, Ruan Fang, and Cao Miao, they were either Liu Xian's sworn brothers, his brother-in-law, or his brother-in-law. They could all address Liu Xian as "elder brother" or "sir" in public, but Liu Xian had never expressed such trust in them before.

This was undoubtedly a public declaration, officially announcing Li Ju's position as his deputy. In the event of an unexpected situation where Liu Xian was absent, Li Ju would have the authority to make decisions on the spot and act expediently, without any questioning from others.

However, doubts would not disappear so easily, especially considering that the appointment of a deputy was also related to the fate and future of the entire group. Therefore, the scholars from Luoyang couldn't help but widen their eyes, wanting to see who this unknown Li Ju really was.

When Li Ju appeared before everyone, looking travel-worn, many people were speechless.

Li Ju arrived with only a dozen or so staff members, traveling light and with minimal entourage. Though people couldn't see his face as he rode along the road, they could see him riding a tall, sturdy, magenta horse, carrying a black-lacquered longbow on his back, a ring-pommel sword at his waist, and his agile physique and composed demeanor exuding a powerful and heroic aura. The people along the way recognized Li Ju, and upon seeing him pass by, they would drop what they were doing and shout his name, their voices rising and falling like Liu Xian in Luoyang, adding to his imposing presence.

Such martial artists usually have an arrogant streak, but Li Ju was completely unaffected. After he reined in his horse and calmly dismounted, Li Ju saw Liu Xian there and naturally knelt down to offer his congratulations. He then adopted a very humble attitude and apologized to everyone, saying, "Li Ju is late and has caused you all trouble."

That year, Li Ju was only twenty-nine years old. Despite his young age, he was dashing and composed, and his manner of greeting was more than that of a typical gentleman—he was impeccable. Even without close acquaintance, an ordinary person could tell at first glance that he was a first-rate figure in Guanzhong.

"Shi Hui, you haven't changed at all."

Liu Xian patted Li Ju on the shoulder. After two years apart, Li Ju had become more composed. It seemed that after doing more, he no longer had the pessimism and disappointment of his youth, but his former purity could still be seen.

Li Ju replied with a smile, "Unlike my elder brother, you are already renowned throughout the world!"

Liu Xian laughed heartily and immediately pulled Li Ju back, asking as they walked, "Did nothing unexpected happen to you on your return this time?"

"Thanks to my elder brother's reputation, everything went smoothly."

Faced with the overwhelming offensive of the Western Army, Li Ju's actions were undeniably bold. He left the majority of his forces to hold the city, while he himself risked leading several thousand troops across the river, attempting to penetrate deep into enemy territory and draw Zhang Fu's army back to reinforce. Although this failed, his prior preparations for the defense of Hedong successfully thwarted Zhang Fu's plans, and Li Ju himself captured Linjin, the capital of Fengyi. In their confrontation, Li Ju ultimately gained the upper hand.

Upon learning of Liu Xian's arrival in Hedong, Zhang Fu swiftly led his troops back to Fengyi, simultaneously establishing defenses along the riverbank and launching an attack on Linjin. Seeing that the majority of the enemy forces had returned, Li Ju had no intention of lingering there. He distributed the city's provisions to the surrounding populace early on, taking only the armor and weapons he could carry. He then personally led the rearguard in a breakout attempt, and it was during this breakout that he learned of Liu Xian's arrival.

"I have withdrawn all my troops back to Fenyin, and we are now under the protection of Lord Xi of Xiayang. We will be able to know immediately if there is any disturbance in Hexi."

"Great." Liu Xian was generally satisfied with Li Ju's arrangement. He said, "I was just about to discuss the important matters to come. Your return is just in time! With you here, I feel more at ease."

Li Ju has served as the Prefect of Hedong for two years, and he single-handedly built the personnel framework of the prefecture. No matter how high Liu Xian's prestige is, he is still a newcomer and cannot compare with him. Therefore, Li Ju is still the core of Hedong at present. Only he understands the specific situation in Guanzhong and can fully utilize the potential of Hedong. If it weren't for the urgency, Liu Xian would not have planned to convene a military council first. Now that Li Ju has returned in time, everything is complete.

Therefore, after picking up Li Ju, the group immediately gathered at the prefectural government office. Liu Xian didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point:
"I have summoned you all here today for no other reason than that. I believe you all understand that although our army has now settled in Hedong and can rest for the time being, the King of Hejian is very close to our army, and we are surrounded by enemies. Although we are currently in a state of temporary peace, it is not a long-term solution. We must find a way out."

Then he unfolded the map in his hand and said to Li Ju, who was watching from the side, "Shi Hui, why don't you tell everyone about the current situation?"

Seeing everyone's attention focused on him, Li Ju remained calm and, after organizing his thoughts, slowly said to everyone: "Gentlemen, in the Guanzhong Plain today, the King of Hejian is the only one who is powerful. The various lords and heroes are like a pile of loose sand, and none of them are able to resist him."

He approached the map, first pointing beyond it, then tapping the table twice, saying, "Zhang Gui, the governor of Liangzhou, is currently facing internal strife and has no time to attend to other provinces; Huangfu Zhong, the governor of Qinzhou, is guarding the isolated city of Shanggui, which is being besieged and attacked by the generals of Longxi under the orders of the King of Hejian. If we do not come to his aid, he will perish sooner or later."

This was news that Liu Xian already knew, but upon hearing it now, he still felt solemn, while the others, upon learning it, mostly showed panic.

Then Li Ju pointed to the north of the map and said, "I originally planned to form an alliance with the Tuoba tribe. They are located in Shuofang, unify the southern desert, and have a million people and more than 300,000 knights. If we could get their help, we could also contend with the King of Hejian. However, in recent years, the Great Chanyu Tuoba Luguan has been seriously ill and has no intention of expanding the territory. All the tribes under his command are waiting for the next leader to take over. Without great benefits, it will be difficult to persuade them to support us."

At this point, Liu Kun couldn't help but ask, "Who will be the next Great Chanyu? Has the Tuoba tribe made a decision?"

“There is no conclusion.” Li Ju shook his head and said, “Tuoba Luguan’s sons are all too young. In principle, they are not qualified to be the leader. So we can only choose from his two nephews, namely Tuoba Yiyi, the chief of the Central Region, and Tuoba Yilu, the chief of the Western Region. But now the two supporters are evenly matched, and it is difficult to determine the winner.”

The implication was that if they wanted to forge a good relationship with the Tuoba tribe, they only had one chance; if they bet wrong, the relationship might be irreparable. Liu Kun wanted to ask more questions, but Liu Xian waved him off and said to Li Ju, "You can continue."

Li Ju nodded, ceasing his discussion of the Tuoba tribe, and instead pointed to the southwest corner of the map, saying, "Yang Maosou of Qiuchi has been doing quite well lately. In the past five years, he has occupied the two prefectures of Wudu and Yinping, and has been recruiting refugees from Sichuan and Longyou. It is said that he has cultivated a lot of fertile land in the mountains and has accumulated considerable wealth. However..."

"The mountains are high and the roads are long, beyond our capabilities." Even without him saying it, these eight words naturally came to everyone's mind.

Then there's Bingzhou. Li Ju explained, "Bingzhou is home to five Xiongnu tribes, as everyone knows. Now, Sima Teng, the governor of Bingzhou, occupies this land and wants to make peace with the five Xiongnu tribes through marriage, but as far as I know, it has had little effect. The Prince of Chengdu wants to use Liu Yuan as a hostage to control the five Xiongnu tribes from afar. The Prince of Hejian has also recruited Liu Yuan's son, Liu Cong, also hoping to control the five Xiongnu tribes from afar. But at present, the Xiongnu are still wavering."

Finally, Li Ju pointed out the routes to the three prefectures of Beidi, Anding, and Xinping:

"Liu Shen, the governor of Yongzhou, was originally a subordinate of the King of Qi. He was ordered to pacify Shu, but he was kidnapped by the King of Hejian on the way and had to defend the northern border for him. Now he has allied with Wei Bo, the governor of Anding, Zhang Guang, the governor of Xinping, and Su Qi, the governor of Beidi, all of whom are dissatisfied with the King of Hejian. Brother, they have about 20,000 troops. They are probably our only allies that we can turn to for help."

Upon hearing this, everyone present gasped. Although they had known the situation was dire, the extent of the crisis far exceeded their expectations. The four provinces of Yong, Qin, Liang, and Bing, with millions of people and tens of thousands of acres of land, plus various powerful local tribes—their forces numbered in the hundreds—were now either embroiled in internal strife, prioritizing self-preservation, or reliant on the Western Army. The only possible allies were Liu Shen's forces; this was far too desperate.

Among these people, three looked particularly grim. Two of them were Xi Jian and Fu Chang, who had previously offered their advice. They had both realized that their previous suggestions were outdated and unlikely to succeed. The other was Zhang Shi, who had been cut off from Liangzhou for many days and was only now learning for the first time that Liangzhou, where his father was, was engulfed in war. He was immediately filled with unease.

Liu Xian observed all of this, but remained unmoved. He continued, "Shi Hui, now that you understand the situation, you must have pondered it for a long time. In your opinion, how should we deal with the Western Army?"

Li Ju nodded and replied fluently, "Brother, I do have some humble opinions."

"Given the current situation, it's probably not a good idea to confront the King of Hejian head-on. Within Hedong County, we have the natural defenses of mountains and rivers. As long as we hold the mountain passes and the main river, we can defend ourselves. But if we cross the river to attack, in addition to Zhang Fang, the King of Hejian is expected to be able to mobilize another 100,000 troops. This is probably beyond our ability to handle."

“Brother, do you still remember Qi Wannian? Back then, he won several battles in a row, how glorious he was! But what use are all those victories if we can’t take Chang’an? If we lose just one battle, we will be utterly defeated and all our previous efforts will be in vain. Therefore, I do not recommend a head-on fight in Guanzhong.”

“I think it would be better to lead the army north and first conquer Bingzhou.” Li Ju paused, and after everyone had thought about it for a while, he continued, “As I just said, the Tuoba tribe in the northwest of Bingzhou is currently in a period of transition and has no interest in external affairs, which is the opportune time; Bingzhou is surrounded by mountains, isolating it from the east and west, and apart from Hedong and Daibei, other forces can hardly interfere, which is the advantage of the terrain; the five Xiongnu tribes within Bingzhou mostly identify themselves with the surname Liu and are close to you, which is the advantage of the people.”

"With the right timing, location, and popular support, plus your opponent, that Governor of Bing Province, Sima Teng, I think he's a complete bum who knows nothing about administration or military affairs. Isn't this Heaven's way of bestowing Bing Province upon my brother?"

"Once you, brother, occupy Bingzhou, you will have tens of thousands of fine horses and a million Hu and Han people. At that time, you can prepare your horses and strengthen your army, then head south to compete with the King of Hejian. By uniting with the feudal lords and heroes, taking Guanzhong will not be a difficult task."

Li Ju's analysis was comprehensive, grounded in precedent, human touch, and planning. Almost all the advisors nodded in agreement, completely impressed. Any lingering jealousy or resentment had vanished.

Liu Xian nodded, inwardly expressing his approval. It could be said that after receiving his appointment to a post outside the capital, Liu Xian had been contemplating future strategies. Among the many ideas that arose from this contemplation, he felt that heading north to Bingzhou was the best option, a sentiment echoed by Li Ju.

Although he was unaware of the changes within the Tuoba tribe, he had passed through Bingzhou during Liu Xian's escape from Luoyang and his journey to Changshan with A'Luo, leaving him with a profound impression of the strategic importance of Bingzhou and Jinyang. Furthermore, considering that Bingzhou was the ancient land of the Three Jin, which included Zhao, and given the recent frequent folk songs claiming that the land of Zhao possessed the aura of an emperor, Liu Xian had to give this matter serious consideration.

However, although Liu Xian showed an expression of appreciation, he did not openly express his approval.

This undoubtedly surprised everyone.

Because praise and affirmation are two completely different attitudes, praise alone indicates that Liu Xian may have other ideas and does not completely agree with this strategy.

In fact, Liu Xian wasn't entirely in agreement. Since learning of the chaos in Liangzhou, he had begun to consider the factor of the Xiongnu people. It was a fact that the Xiongnu royal family had changed their surname to Liu and were becoming closer to the Han dynasty. But Liu Xian also had to consider another fact: the Xiongnu were not Han people after all. Would they truly support him? Would outstanding figures like Liu Yuan and his son Liu Cong truly be willing to be driven by him?
When Liu Xian thought of Liu Cong's parting words to him, he began to waver. No, it should be said that he had an ironclad intuition: he thought it was absolutely impossible, especially when his power was still relatively weak. Subduing and assimilating hundreds of thousands or even millions of Xiongnu people was probably far beyond his capabilities.

Moreover, this strategy has a major flaw: although the various forces in Guanzhong are currently scattered, they are still dissatisfied with Sima Yong. If he does not unite them but abandons them and marches north to Bingzhou, will they be completely wiped out by Sima Yong? Wouldn't the rule of the Prince of Hejian be more stable then?
However, Liu Xian couldn't come up with a better strategy in the short term. After all, Liu Yuan and his son weren't in Bingzhou at the moment, so there was still room for maneuver in heading north to Bingzhou. Otherwise, he couldn't just abandon the people of Hedong and go straight to Shu, could he? Although Liu Xian had thought of that, it was ultimately unrealistic, so this was the best strategy.

Therefore, although Liu Xian did not directly agree, he still said in this direction, "Let's make some preparations first!"

Therefore, he immediately issued orders to all counties within Hedong Commandery, instructing them to expand and train their troops as quickly as possible. At the same time, he dispatched scouts to investigate the defenses of Pingyang Commandery. In any case, Liu Xian planned to first capture Pingyang Commandery this year. In this way, he could rely on the strategic advantages of the Lüliang and Wangwu Mountains to unite the two commanderies, thereby strengthening his own power—a move that was undoubtedly correct.

Just as he was making his preparations, no one expected that an envoy would quietly arrive from the east. This envoy's arrival would directly determine the course of events for the next few years. (End of Chapter)