Jinting Han people

In the third month of the third year of the Tai'an era, Sima Yong, the Prince of Hejian, was still staying in Shanxian County, Hongnong.

Six months earlier, after Li Han's assassination, he believed he was facing the most important moment of his life: the Western Army and the court had completely broken ties; he would either be killed by Sima Yi, the Prince of Changsha, or he would kill Sima Yi and become the new ruler of the entire country. Sima Yong was not one to sit idly by and wait for his death, so he left Chang'an and led his troops to Shanxian to demonstrate his determination to take this desperate gamble.

In October, the weather was cold, and heavy snow fell for days. Sima Yong caught a cold. Many of his advisors advised him to return to Chang'an to recuperate, but Sima Yong insisted on staying. Instead, he swore to his advisors that if Luoyang could not be captured in a day, he would not return to Chang'an! Anyone who deserted their post would be severely punished! It was precisely this resolute attitude that helped Zhang Fang to strengthen the army, stabilize morale, and ultimately achieve victory in the Battle of Luoyang.

According to the original plan, Sima Yong intended to return to Chang'an after achieving victory, but the development of the situation in the entire Tai'an Three Years completely exceeded his expectations, forcing him to repeatedly postpone his plan to return to Chang'an.

The biggest reason for this was undoubtedly Zhang Fang's defection. Although Zhang Fang nominally remained loyal to Sima Yong, in reality, after negotiating peace with Liu Xian, he, as the Governor of Henan, took full control of all the passes in Henan Commandery. Sima Yu sensed something was wrong and wanted Zhang Fang to lead his troops back, but Zhang Fang engaged in a war of words, claiming it was his duty and he could not leave Luoyang without permission. For a whole month, the two sides exchanged envoys and engaged in verbal battles more than ten times, all to no avail.

This happened in January, and in February, with Zhang Fu reporting that Liu Xian had entered Hedong, Sima Yong felt the situation was becoming increasingly dire and dared not leave Shanxian County without authorization.

In his view, Liu Xian's entry into Hedong, while unexpected, was less threatening than the threat posed by Zhang Fang's independence. After all, Hedong was separated from Guanzhong by mountains and rivers, and Liu Xian's jurisdiction was only one commandery, unlikely to cause any significant disturbance in the short term. Furthermore, if the Prince of Hejian were to lead his army back to Chang'an prematurely, it would undoubtedly condone Zhang Fang's independence, weakening Sima Yong's authority and encouraging many generals to follow suit.

Therefore, upon learning of the failed attack on Hedong, even though Sima Yong was frustrated, he still had no intention of returning. He simply asked Yan Ding, "According to your advice, I should conquer Hedong to establish my authority, but now Liu Xian has suddenly invaded, and it will not be easy to conquer. What should I do?"

Yan Ding had not expected Liu Xian to enter Hedong so unexpectedly. After a moment's thought, he analyzed to Sima Yong: "Liu Xian is a famous general, unlike Li Ju. Although he only occupies a small prefecture, he has the advantage of terrain, so it will be difficult to destroy him quickly. Our army has been fighting for half a year and has lost its momentum. It would be better to rest for a few months and recuperate. Then, in July of this year, when the autumn horses are fat and the archers are strong and the soldiers are sharp, we can strike hard and destroy him in one battle. This is the best strategy."

This was not the answer Sima Yong wanted to hear. Hedong was the northern gateway to Guanzhong, practically his bedside, and he would not tolerate anyone else sleeping peacefully there. He wished he could eliminate Liu Xian immediately. However, he was not one of those incompetent kings who spoke recklessly, knowingly doing the impossible. After some vexation, he finally agreed with Yan Ding's opinion and inquired in detail: "Minister Yan, how do you plan to recuperate? You know, most of our troops are currently in that vicious dog's hands. Besides him, who else can I use to eliminate Liu Xian?"

What's giving Sima Yong a headache now isn't just Zhang Fang's tendency to declare independence, but also his 60,000-strong army. It should be noted that the Guanzhong Plain currently has a total of 180,000 combat troops. Excluding Zhang Fang's 60,000, their distribution is as follows:
Chang'an had 20,000 troops, garrisoned by Liang Zong, the Prefect of Jingzhao, who was also responsible for supplying logistics.

The Tongguan troops numbered 30,000, led by Zhang Fu, the Prefect of Fengyi, and were tasked with guarding against Hedong.
The 20,000 troops of Beidi Commandery, led by Liu Shen, the governor of Yongzhou, resisted the Xianbei.

Thirty thousand troops from Tianshui Commandery, led by Han Zhi, the Prefect of Longxi, besieged Shanggui.

The 20,000-strong army of Shanxian County was personally led by Sima Yong, the Prince of Hejian, as Zhang Fang's successor.

At first glance, even without Zhang Fang, Sima Yong still commanded an army of 120,000, a formidable force. However, Sima Yong was very clear-headed. Leaving aside the unstable element of Liu Shen among his men, even if his own troops were entirely trustworthy, they were not comparable to Zhang Fang's forces. After all, Zhang Fang's 60,000 troops were the elite of the elite, far superior to any other army.

This gave Sima Yong two concerns: firstly, although he had a large army, he did not have many strong troops that he could be sure of winning, and he was afraid that it would be difficult to eliminate Liu Xian; secondly, Zhang Fang's strength was too great, and he could not feel at ease if he could not find a way to weaken him.

Yan Ding understood Sima Yong's concerns. After pondering for a while, he slowly said, "Your Highness, please do not be angry. I have two strategies to strengthen the army, which can produce immediate results."

Which two strategies?

"The first strategy is to seize troops. Since Zhang Fang is unwilling to return, you can send an envoy to Luoyang, bypass Zhang Fang, and directly deliver an imperial edict to the generals in the army, ordering them to recall some of their troops."

"Huh? Aren't you afraid Zhang Fang will stop you?"

“This might indeed provoke Zhang Fang’s opposition, so I suggest that Your Highness should use both kindness and severity, taking away his troops while also rewarding him. This is similar to how Han Xin pretended to be the King of Qi back then. Since he is unwilling to obey you, you might as well do him a favor and appoint him as the Commandant of the Capital Region, allowing him to act as he sees fit in Sili Province, thus blocking his excuse.”

"Good, good." Sima Yong considered it for a moment and felt that it was indeed a good idea, one that wouldn't disrupt the current balance while still allowing him to regain power as much as possible. He then asked curiously, "What about the second plan?"

He then asked Sima Yong, "Your Highness should remember that I once said, 'Does governing a country depend on employing the right people?'"

"of course I remember."

"Since we cannot quickly acquire Hedong, Your Highness might as well recruit some talented individuals from Guanzhong to demonstrate your respect for talent."

Upon hearing this, Sima Yong immediately understood: "Is the Censor going to recommend talented individuals to me?"

"Yes." Yan Ding said solemnly, "As the saying goes, it is easy to find a thousand soldiers but hard to find a good general. Conversely, if a general is incompetent, he will cause the death of his entire army. This means that if you want to have a strong army, you must first choose a good general. There are no better generals in the world than those from Guanzhong. As long as you are willing to treat people with respect and make good use of the talents I have mentioned, building a strong army will not be a difficult task."

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Sima Yong couldn't help but become curious and said repeatedly, "Who do you recommend? Tell me quickly!"

As Yan Ding named several names, Sima Yong did not hesitate and immediately selected messengers from his residence to invite them. The carriages used for the invitations were specially made, with the wheels wrapped in cattails according to the traditional Zhou rites, and silk and jade ornaments tied to the carriages to show his sincerity in accepting talented people.

The first person to arrive was Chen An, a native of Chengji, Tianshui.

Chen An was not a warrior in the traditional sense. He was short, barely seven feet tall, yet his limbs were unusually strong. Coupled with his broad belly, dark skin, and dense, coarse hair covering his arms and thighs, he didn't resemble a human; rather, he looked like an upright wild boar—short and rugged. Sima Yong was quite startled when he first saw him. Not only was the man barbaric in appearance, but his behavior was also vulgar. He lacked manners and, even when invited to a meal, showed no respect. When a freshly roasted lamb leg was served, he didn't care that it was hot and began to devour it. His unseemly eating habits reminded Sima Yong of savage, blood-drinking, raw-eating barbarians.

Most importantly, Chen An possessed a fearless and daring demeanor. Even in front of the renowned Prince of Hejian, he acted as if he were in his own humble abode, showing no respect or restraint towards Sima Yong.

The King of Hejian was naturally very dissatisfied and wanted to lash out several times, but Yan Ding persuaded him to stop. Yan Ding whispered to Sima Yong, "Chen An is an orphan, without father or mother, and was raised by the Qiang people. He is ignorant of etiquette, so I hope Your Highness will be tolerant." Only then did the King of Hejian manage to swallow his anger.

However, Chen An was indeed a capable man. Although he was not tall, he possessed immense strength. When Sima Yong expressed his desire to witness Chen An's martial prowess, Chen An did not refuse. He looked around the mansion and spotted a stone millstone piled in the corner, so he immediately went over to it. This was a stone millstone weighing a full six hundred jin (approximately 300 kg), but after catching his breath a few times, Chen An effortlessly lifted it above his head, then with a loud shout, casually threw it to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, leaving onlookers speechless.

Chen An wasn't just strong; his greatest skill was mounted combat. He owned a magnificent blue-maned warhorse named Cong. Riding Cong, he wielded a seven-foot broadsword in one hand and an eighteen-foot spear in the other, galloping across the arena with lightning speed—his sword whirling like a river, his spear flashing like light. When he challenged the Western Army, the King of Hejian sent his strongest warriors to meet him, but none were a match for him. In their encounters, they were often defeated in a single blow—truly unbelievable.

This was the first time Sima Yong had heard of such a brave warrior in Longxi, almost comparable to Zhang Fang. He was overjoyed and immediately asked Chen An, "What does the brave warrior desire?"

Chen An readily agreed, "I am willing to kill all the brave warriors in the world and spread my supreme fame."

Sima Yong immediately agreed, saying, "Good! If Chen Jun defeats Liu Xian, why worry about not having a name in the Nine Provinces!" He then appointed Chen An as a Yamen General, ordering him to command his two thousand cavalry.

The second person to arrive in Shanxian was Zhao Ran, a native of Shiping Wugong.

Zhao Ran's attire was ordinary; he looked like a fairly average martial artist, neither as short and stocky as Chen An, nor as rude. Standing at seven feet six inches tall, his demeanor was neither humble nor arrogant, and his speech was neither particularly mediocre nor outstanding.

Sima Yong was somewhat puzzled and privately asked Yan Ding why he wanted to recruit such a person. Yan Ding explained, "Your Highness, Zhao Ran is indeed not good with words, but he has excellent eyesight. He can see every detail within a hundred paces. Coupled with his superb archery skills, he can hit any target with a single shot. He is the best archer in Wugong County."

After saying that, he immediately urged Zhao Ran to show off her skills.

It was late spring, and the willows in the backyard swayed in the breeze, their green branches like rain. From a hundred paces away, everything seemed shrouded in a misty veil. Zhao Ran entered the backyard, glanced around casually, then pointed to a branch of the fourth willow tree from the left and said, "I want to shoot down the eighth leaf from the right." With that, he picked up the King of Hejian's longbow, tested its feel, and before anyone could prepare, Zhao Ran took a feathered hunting arrow, drew the bow, and released it.

The arrow shot out in a flash. When everyone reacted and gathered around to examine it closely, they discovered that the arrow had hit the willow tree squarely. Looking at the branch that Zhao Ran had pointed out earlier, counting from the bottom up, when they reached the eighth branch, a long leaf was missing from the right side.

Such eyesight? Such archery skills? After witnessing this, everyone was utterly awed, and several martial artists even bowed to Zhao Ran, exclaiming, "Yang Youji reborn! Lü Bu reborn!"

Sima Yong was also delighted and asked Yan Ding, "Such a talent is indeed rare! Minister, you said he has a good reputation, but I have never heard of him before?"

Yan Ding said in a low voice, "Your Highness, although Zhao Ran is talented, he is narrow-minded and extremely vengeful. Once someone becomes his enemy, he will seek revenge relentlessly until death. Therefore, he is not well-liked among scholars. If you want to employ him, remember to be lenient with him."

The King of Hejian readily agreed, saying with a smile, "I will keep your words in mind." He then appointed Zhao Ran as Cavalry Commandant, in charge of more than 8,000 men.

The third person to arrive in Shanxian was a young man.

This young man was probably not yet twenty, but he was handsome and distinguished, with the typical bearing of a scholar-official. Yet, his demeanor differed from that of other scholars; he lacked the immaturity and frivolity of youth, instead displaying remarkable composure and an air of dignified integrity. If it weren't for the passion in his speech and his youthful appearance, it would be easy to misjudge his age.

This time, Yan Ding didn't need to help with the introduction. The young man solemnly bowed to the Prince of Hejian and then introduced himself: "I am Jia Pi, Jia Yandu. My family is from Guzang in Wuwei. I am a descendant of the Marquis of Shouxiang of Cao Wei. I greet Your Highness here."

The Marquis of Shouxiang of Cao Wei was none other than Jia Xu, the infamous strategist of the Three Kingdoms period. And this young man named Jia Pi was Jia Xu's great-grandson.

Sima Yong felt immense pressure. While Jia Xu's reputation certainly played a part, the young man's demeanor was even more significant. In this era of neglected ritual and music, people favored philosophical discussions and rarely adhered to traditional etiquette; merely maintaining a semblance of it was considered good enough. Yet this great-grandson of Jia Xu was exceptionally different. Every word and action perfectly conformed to Han Dynasty etiquette. Coupled with his serene demeanor and refined bearing, the Prince of Hejian was utterly uneasy, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet.

The Prince of Hejian had long heard of Jia Pi's name. In recent years, a saying had circulated among the scholars of Guanzhong: "The waters of Longtou flow with ever-rising waves; the two Zhangs are no match for one Jia." The two Zhangs referred to Zhang Guang and Zhang Fu, and the one Jia referred to Jia Pi. However, because he was too young, and Sima Yong considered scholars prone to exaggeration, he didn't quite believe it. Now, with his sudden appointment, he knew the saying was true.

Sima Yong asked Jia Pi how to begin in pacifying Liu Xian. Jia Pi pondered briefly before replying, “Your Highness, Liu Xian is a hero of our time, renowned throughout the land. Rather than killing him, it is better to employ him. Why not persuade him to surrender, offering him Bingzhou? He will surely gladly march north to defend the borders. In this way, Your Highness will have no worries about the north, can pacify Bashu in the south, subdue the Rong and Yi tribes in the west, and control the passes to look towards Shandong. Once Shandong is in chaos, select a top general to lead the army from the Central Plains, first pacifying Hebei, then securing Jiangdong. What need is there to worry about failing in this great undertaking?”

Although Sima Yong was not satisfied with Jia Pi's initial suggestion to persuade Liu Xian to surrender, his later suggestions regarding Shandong coincided with Li Han's. Sima Yong couldn't help but feel admiration. However, seeing how young Jia Pi was, he felt a pang of jealousy, which then fueled a murderous intent within him: What would such a talented and well-connected young man be like when he grew up?!

But the Prince of Hejian held back. He knew that to completely consolidate his rule over Guanzhong, he needed the support of the Jia clan of Wuwei. So he smiled with satisfaction, turned around smoothly, and praised Yan Ding beside him: "Well done, Minister! I only realized today that Guanzhong is full of talented people! With talents like you assisting us, how can we worry about the Jin dynasty not prospering or our great cause not being accomplished?"

Having said that, he appointed Jia Pi to the position of Commander of the Western Expeditionary Army, entrusting him with various affairs within the army. (End of Chapter)