Jinting Han people

Meanwhile, in Chang'an, Sima Yong was also hosting a banquet for Yan Zuan, the governor of Hanzhong, Zhang Yin, the governor of Liangzhou, and others.

To demonstrate his authority, he held a rare banquet in the magnificent Weiyang Palace. The palace was brightly lit, and all the staff of the Western Expeditionary Army were present. Dozens of palace maids served him, and armored soldiers guarded him on both sides. The palace was extremely imposing.

Sima Yong, sitting on the main table, inquired about the well-being of Yan Zuan and the others. He first had the palace maids offer them wine, and then said with a smile, "Gentlemen, you have come all the way from Hanzhong. It must have been a long journey for you. Here, this is fine wine from the Western Regions. Drinking it from these chilled glass cups will give it a unique flavor."

After speaking, the palace maids took out several crystal-clear, frosted cylindrical glasses from the ice chest. Their color was a bluish-green. When they poured in deep red wine, it immediately turned a deep purple, and a layer of condensation formed on the outside of the glasses, creating a rather dazzling sight. The guests present drank it and found it refreshing and delightful.

After taking a sip, the Prince of Hejian raised the glass cup and said to the crowd with emotion, "This set of cups was bestowed upon me by Emperor Wu when he was alive. He said that these glass cups were transported from the Great Qin Kingdom, hundreds of thousands of miles away, and are extremely precious. Emperor Wu saw that I was quite talented among the younger generation, so he bestowed these cups upon me, hoping that I could strive to serve the country. I never expected that after more than ten years, the royal family would fight amongst themselves, the country would be in dire straits, and it would come to this state today."

He seemed completely unaware of his role in all of this, instead displaying a pained expression as he said, "The reason is nothing more than the existence of treacherous villains like Liu Xian who bring disaster to the country and its people! He spouts righteousness and morality, but in reality, he has served two masters and harbors evil intentions. Now he is spreading heresies and misleading so many people to try to restore the country. Once he gains power, what will become of us? The world will surely descend into chaos!"

"This battle is for the survival of the nation and for the common people. We must annihilate the traitor Liu here. Lord Zhang, Lord Yan, what do you say?"

The King of Hejian's words were righteous and awe-inspiring, but they sounded somewhat hollow to the two seasoned officials.

Zhang Yin, the governor of Liangzhou, and Yan Zuan, the prefect of Hanzhong, were nominally under the command of the Western Expeditionary Army, but like Liu Shen, they were also official officials appointed by the imperial court. Therefore, they could not be considered subjects of the Prince of Hejian and possessed considerable independence within the Western Expeditionary Army. This time, they were ordered by Sima Yong to lead reinforcements to provide support, but Sima Yong was unsure of their capabilities and thus sought to use this opportunity to cultivate a closer relationship with the two men.

Zhang Yin was a calm and collected man. After listening to the King of Hejian finish speaking, he didn't say a word but instead drank alone, which made Sima Yong very uncomfortable. Yan Zuan stroked his white beard and said, "Your Highness, we have been ordered to come here, and we will naturally serve you. However, we also hope that Your Highness can understand our difficulties."

"Difficulties?" Upon hearing this, Sima Yong immediately realized that this was an opportunity to negotiate terms. He was not angry but rather pleased, since having conditions meant there was room for negotiation, which was better than having nothing to say. He immediately asked, "What difficulties does Lord Yan face?"

Yan Zuan cupped his hands in greeting and slowly said, "As the sage said, governing a large country should be like cooking a small fish, which means handling heavy tasks with ease. The Zuo Zhuan also says, 'If the skin is gone, where will the hair attach?' These all mean that governing a country requires caution, and strengthening the foundation requires nurturing the source. But now Your Highness has been waging war year after year, mobilizing troops every year, which has damaged the people's strength. The people of Hanzhong have suffered for a long time."

"What Lord Yan means is..."

"The rebels in the world can never be completely eradicated. Originally, Li Xiong was invading from the south, and now Liu Xian has arrived. Regardless of whether this battle succeeds or fails, chaos in Shu is inevitable. I hope that after this battle, Your Highness will consider the people of Bashu and send troops to eliminate the bandits in Bashu."

Upon hearing this, everyone present was taken aback. Judging from the well-dressed troop led by Yan Zuan, people naturally assumed that the harvest in Hanzhong was also good. However, Yan Zuan's words made it seem as if the environment in Sichuan and Chongqing had deteriorated to an extreme degree.

Yan Zuan didn't hide anything from them. He said, "Your Highness, before we came, we received news that after Li Xiong succeeded Li Liu, he not only seized the two cities of Chengdu, but also gained the support of Fan Changsheng of Qingcheng Mountain. Now he is already planning to establish a country."

Li Xiong plans to establish a country? Upon hearing this, everyone was in an uproar; this was truly unprecedented bad news.

It should be noted that after Li Te's death in battle, his younger brother Li Liu succeeded him as the leader of the refugees and repelled Luo Shang's counterattack. However, the refugees in Qin Prefecture had a new leader, and their power should have been at a low point. Unexpectedly, Li Te's son, Li Xiong, was quite capable. Last September, during the Battle of Mangshan, Li Liu passed away, and Li Xiong took over as the refugee leader, launching a massive counterattack.

In November of the previous year, he first used a ruse, sending his henchman Park Tae to deceive Luo Shang, the governor of Yizhou, into launching an attack on Picheng. However, Park Tae ambushed Luo Shang en route, inflicting a crushing defeat. Then, he sent his fifth uncle, Li Xiang, to attack Jianwei County, completely besieging Chengdu. Luo Shang, isolated and without support in Chengdu's Taicheng, dared not hold the city any longer and finally abandoned it in December. His remaining commander, Zhang Luo, surrendered to Li Xiong. From then on, Li Xiong had completely seized the most fertile plains of Sichuan.

After years of warfare, the Bashu region was quite exhausted, and it was said that a famine had broken out this year. Li Xiong had no choice but to slow down his expansion and begin to govern and recuperate his regime. The Prince of Hejian had already discussed this, believing that Li Xiong would not make any major moves for the next two or three years, and that it was even possible that he would lead his troops back to Yizhou once Luo Shang had regrouped in Badong and other places.

Unexpectedly, Yan Zuan brought new news: Li Xiong had actually gained the support of Qingcheng Mountain, and Fan Changsheng, the Grand Master of the Celestial Masters Sect, had chosen to supply Li Xiong with grain. As a result, Li Xiong not only successfully weathered this famine crisis, but was even about to formally establish a state and assume his own rule.

This is an extremely dangerous signal. Countless people rise in rebellion these days, but the vast majority pose no threat to the state. Take Yang Maosou of Qiuchi, for example. He privately proclaimed himself Great Chanyu, but he merely confined himself to the small prefectures of Wudu and Yinping, unable to exert any real political influence or attract genuine scholars to his cause; he was hardly a threat. However, once he establishes a state and declares himself emperor, the situation changes drastically, indicating that he aspires to rule the entire country.

Therefore, upon hearing this, Sima Yong was greatly troubled. He repeatedly asked, "Does Li Xiong really intend to establish a state? Can't we try to persuade him to surrender?"

Yan Zuan earnestly said, "Your Highness, the matter is settled. Auspicious omens have been reported from various parts of Shu. In about two months, Li Xiong should declare himself king. If he does, he will surely attack Hanzhong within two years. I urge you to lead your troops south to relieve the people's worries!" At this point, even Zhang Yin, who had been silent for a long time, stopped watching and said, "Your Highness, Liangzhou is indeed nearing its end and cannot hold on any longer."

Sima Yong's original intention was to win over the Liangzhou army, hoping they would fight for him in the upcoming battle. Unexpectedly, the situation has reversed, and he's now the one seeking reinforcements for the enemy. This infuriates him. The Prince of Hejian has learned from Pei Feng that Liu Xian's actions were instigated by the Northern Expeditionary Army, indicating that this is the most crucial moment in their power struggle. Even if he defeats Liu Xian or forces him to leave, his struggle with the Prince of Chengdu will not cease; where will he find the resources to attend to Bashu?
With this in mind, Sima Yong did not immediately agree. Instead, he closed his eyes and pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Gentlemen, this is a matter of national importance and cannot be decided lightly. Please allow me to consider it."

Sima Yong could have made a feigned promise and then acted as if nothing had happened, but he didn't. After all, he bore the reputation of a wise king and was not unaware of the bigger picture. Li Xiong's declaration of himself as king was a matter of great importance, already affecting the very foundation of the Jin dynasty. The infighting among the Jin princes, no matter how fierce, was all ultimately about using the emperor to command the other lords, and it would eventually fall into the hands of the Sima family. However, ignoring Li Xiong and allowing him to conquer territories would have been unacceptable.

Therefore, Sima Yong still intended to discuss the matter thoroughly. Yan Zuan and Zhang Yin were greatly pleased to see his cautious attitude. Even though they did not receive an immediate promise, they did not dwell on it and immediately took their leave.

After the two left, the King of Hejian ordered the palace maids and guards to leave, leaving only Sima Yong and his advisors Yan Ding, Jia Pi, and Peng Sui in the hall. He opened a map and pointed towards Bashu, asking, "What are your thoughts on Li Xiong's establishment of a kingdom?"

The first to respond was naturally the strategist Yan Ding, who said, "This matter is of utmost importance, but Your Highness, given the current strength of the Kansai region, it is probably beyond our reach to stop it."

Yan Ding bluntly pointed out the crux of the matter: "The biggest problem right now is still the Northern Expeditionary Army. Their support for Liu Xian and their audacious actions are clearly aimed at weakening His Highness's prestige and restoring Ye City's authority. This is indeed a brilliant move; they reap the benefits without firing a single shot, and they certainly won't let it go easily. We and the King of Chengdu are bound to have a battle!"

This was entirely in line with Sima Yong's earlier thoughts. With Liu Xian withdrawing from Hedong and Sima Ying taking over, immense pressure had already been placed on Guanzhong. If Hedong wasn't reclaimed before intervening in Bashu, wouldn't that expose a weakness? But once war broke out with the Northern Expeditionary Army, the conflict would inevitably drag on, and it couldn't possibly end over the mere gain or loss of Hedong. It would have to continue until a victor emerged, which meant that before eliminating the Northern Expeditionary Army, he probably wouldn't be able to focus on anything else.

Moreover, the Western Expeditionary Army has intervened in the Sichuan-Chongqing war more than once. Without exception, Li Te, leading a group of refugees, has utterly defeated Ya Bo and his men. While factors such as unfamiliarity with the terrain played a role, defeat is defeat, and the facts cannot be denied.

Everyone thought Li Te was already a renowned general, but after his death, Li Xiong has shown even greater potential to surpass him. Luo Shang has suffered such a crushing defeat! Who can guarantee that sending troops will necessarily lead to victory?
Therefore, Peng Sui immediately clapped his hands and said decisively, "Since that's the case, why not just abandon Bashu? What are we hesitating for? A viper stings the hand, and a brave man cuts off his wrist. Since we are going to fight Liu Xian and the Northern Expeditionary Army right now, why waste our forces in the south? Why not just move the soldiers and civilians of Hanzhong back to Guanzhong, and after eliminating the enemy, we can make further plans."

This was immediately met with opposition from most people. Jia Pi then spoke up, saying, "The rise and fall of the nation depends on Your Highness. The events in Bashu are happening right before Your Highness's eyes. Such a treasonous matter, if even Your Highness is unwilling to deal with it, how will the people of the world view Your Highness? They will probably say that Your Highness only cares about petty gains and not about righteousness. If you completely lose the hearts of the people, how can you then save the nation?"

Amidst a chorus of agreement, Peng Sui looked rather embarrassed. Still unconvinced, he asked, "Then, according to your opinion, what should be done?"

Jia Pi ignored him and turned to Sima Yong, advising him, "Your Highness, in my opinion, you should immediately submit a memorial to the court to negotiate peace with the Prince of Chengdu."

"Make peace?"

"Of all things under heaven, the fate of the nation is paramount. If this matter is made public, you will be on the side of righteousness. If the Prince of Chengdu were to forcibly defy righteousness and wage war against you, he would be without a legitimate cause. Furthermore, you hold the advantage of terrain. What can the Prince of Chengdu use to fight against you?"

Jia Pi added, “Moreover, you could take this opportunity to submit a memorial requesting to lead the campaign against Shu, and use this opportunity to command Liu Hong and Luo Shang, bringing them under your command to jointly attack Li Xiong. With the court's authority and your status as Grand Commandant, they would be unable to object and would have no choice but to obey you from then on.”

Sima Yong dismissed Jia Pi's first part of his advice. After all, how many loyal ministers remained in the world today? Would the course of war truly be determined by mere righteousness? If so, Zhang Fang would never have been able to win in Luoyang. However, Sima Yong was absolutely thrilled with the latter part of Jia Pi's idea.

Without firing a single shot, simply by using the pretext of conquering Shu, one could achieve both fame and fortune, legitimately expanding one's influence in the Jianghan and Bashu regions. Could there be a better idea? The crucial point is that Liu Hong's sensitive position makes him unfit to govern a region alone. According to court custom, governors of different surnames must be accompanied by a regional prince as their governor. Sima Yong can seize this opportunity to make a big fuss about this.

If successful, Sima Yong would gain the power to govern Jingzhou, which would allow him to order Liu Hong to support Luo Shang. Luo Shang would then be able to establish a foothold in Liangzhou and continue his confrontation with Li Xiong. Sima Yong, having gained the power of governorship for free and significantly increased his strength, would have no reason to worry about the Northern Expeditionary Army.
Sima Yong immediately ordered Jia Pi to draft a document, and everyone discussed the wording to see how to inform the Xuchang court of this matter. During the discussion, someone brought up the impact of this matter on Liu Xian, suggesting that since Liu Xian wanted to enter Shu, why not let him go and let him fight Li Xiong? We could, like the King of Chengdu, sit back and watch the tigers fight, enjoying ourselves leisurely. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
Sima Yong immediately rejected this idea. After all, Liu Xian's ostentatious march from Hedong to the gates of Chang'an, and his open worship at Maoling, was undoubtedly a great humiliation to the General Who Conquers the West. If he succeeded, what would become of Sima Yong's authority? Those in power cannot tolerate humiliation; this is an ironclad rule.

Moreover, Sima Yong had publicly sworn an oath to capture and kill Liu Xian. While he wasn't as inclined to uphold integrity as Liu Xian, he understood a principle: if those in power don't value their promises, no one will believe them even if they try to deceive. Just as the feudal lords lost their reverence for the Zhou emperor after the beacon fire incident, ultimately leading to their downfall, this is a lesson that cannot be ignored.

Therefore, from any perspective, the King of Hejian must achieve victory over Liu Xian, and nothing can stop this, no matter what happens.

Therefore, when Yan Ding asked whether they should postpone the battle the following day because of this matter, Sima Yong immediately refused, saying decisively, "Proceed according to plan, everything as usual!" (End of this chapter)