Jinting Han people

Just as Liu Xian was retreating westward, Liu Kun and his men finally arrived at Chencang City.

He held the reins in his hand, gazing at the vast mountains of Weinan stretching endlessly across the sky, reaching straight up to the clouds, and couldn't help but feel a surge of poetic inspiration. Then, he drew his sword across his horse, strummed it, and sang: "Spring begins at Guangmo Gate, autumn ends at Dasan Pass. Left hand bends the Fanruo sword, right hand wields the Longyuan sword. I look up at the palaces, I look down at the imperial carriages."

Liu Kun was handsome and dashing, and his singing voice was also melodious and rhythmic. After he sang a song, the people accompanying him joined in the singing. After the song ended, Liu Kun flirted with a young Hu girl who was watching the fun by the roadside. The people around him immediately cheered and said with smiles, "Lord Liu is being infatuated again."

Liu Kun seemed not to hear him. He sheathed his sword and said to those around him with great conviction, "A beautiful woman is the object of a gentleman's affections. To be indifferent to the beauty before one's eyes is true disrespect."

This immediately drew another round of boos, but this did not mean that people did not respect Liu Kun; it was simply because they were close to him.

In fact, during this period, Liu Kun was in charge of all matters related to the relocation of the people and was very popular. A major undertaking involving over 200,000 people, traveling thousands of miles, was difficult to manage in every aspect, and unpleasantness inevitably arose during the journey. Disputes frequently broke out between different groups over food, medicine, or packhorses, but Liu Kun was adept at handling these situations. Whenever he intervened, he could always address the issues meticulously, ease tensions, resolve conflicts, and distribute resources fairly. Therefore, some people respectfully called Liu Kun "the Star of Virtue."

However, Liu Kun himself was not as relaxed as he appeared on the surface. Relocating over 200,000 people at once was a massive undertaking for him, and while he wasn't exactly overwhelmed, he was certainly struggling to keep up. Fortunately, he enjoyed this role of relieving the people's burdens and found joy even in hardship; nearly three months passed by in the blink of an eye.

He asked Fu Chang, who was traveling with him, "In this world, how many of us are still in Yong County?"

Fu Chang had just taken stock yesterday and replied, "Chief Secretary, so far, 170,000 people have arrived in Chencang. Adding the batch that arrived today, there are over 24,000 people, making it nearly 200,000. There are still two units in Yong County, totaling 13,000 people, under Lu Shilong's command. I estimate it will take another three days for them all to arrive."

"Okay, I understand." Liu Kun nodded, did some mental calculations, and solemnly concluded, "So, in these three months, nearly 20,000 people have perished along the way."

When the migration started from Hedong, the total number of migrants was estimated at 230,000. However, some along the way inevitably regretted their decision and fled, and others suffered from illness and difficulty traveling due to the change in environment, resulting in some losses. While it's easy to find reasons, the sheer number of 20,000 is still alarming.

Fu Chang comforted them, saying, "In any case, the most difficult part of the journey has been overcome. Thanks to the Marshal's thorough planning, more than 200,000 people traveled 2,000 miles without encountering any war or disaster. It is truly a fortunate thing."

At the start of the journey, not only were the common people anxious, but even the officials in charge of the relocation were somewhat uneasy. Although they didn't have to fight on the front lines, precisely because of this, they didn't know the specifics of the battle and could only continue their journey in a state of uncertainty. For them, it was like crossing a river in a cracked boat; no one knew if the crack would leak, and this unknown fear was the most tormenting. In fact, the peak number of refugees occurred in the first month.

But now, as the days of separation grow longer and the road ahead stretches ever more, people become increasingly weary, yet their confidence grows ever stronger. There is neither enemy raiding nor harassment, nor the risk of running out of food. So, no matter how long the road, it is merely a stretch of road beneath their feet.

Liu Kun immediately nodded in agreement, saying, "The Marshal did indeed fight brilliantly in Chang'an. I heard that the Western Army was full of heroes, but in the end, they all surrendered. It's a pity that he couldn't be there in person."

"General Li fought well too." Xiahou Cheng exclaimed sincerely, "In the battle of Chencang, he won a decisive victory with fewer troops and captured many prisoners. Although he is young, he has the demeanor of a great general!"

Of the scholars who followed Liu Xian into Guanzhong, most were from aristocratic families. Even those who weren't from prominent families had all seen the world in Luoyang. They naturally looked down on Li Ju, a nobody from a humble background, and couldn't accept his position as Liu Xian's deputy. But these were chaotic times, and a reputation earned through battle was the only true reputation. Since Li Ju had won a battle and killed Zhang Yin, the governor of Liangzhou, people's opinion of him rose accordingly, and some even genuinely admired him.

However, Xiahou Cheng hadn't anticipated that his casual remark would displease Liu Kun. Liu Kun glared at Xiahou Cheng, his face turning extremely ugly. Gripping his sword hilt, he muttered to himself, "Alas, if I were in Chencang, I would have captured not only Zhang Yin, but even Yan Zuan!"

Xiahou Cheng immediately realized he had misspoke and quickly pretended nothing was wrong to inspect the immigrants. The others in the entourage, knowing Liu Kun's intentions, remained silent.

After all, when Liu Xian was still serving as the Commandant of the Capital Region in Luoyang, he invited Liu Kun to his residence, intending for Liu Kun to be his deputy. Later, when Liu Xian was forced to resign, Liu Kun succeeded him as Commandant of the Capital Region. The two were also old acquaintances, and their friendship predated Liu Xian's relationship with Li Ju. Therefore, Liu Kun's special position within the Duke of Anle's residence could not be described as that of an ordinary subordinate official.

Now, after entering the pass, Liu Xian appointed Li Ju as his deputy in the Duke's office, allowing him to lead a separate army. This undoubtedly replaced Liu Kun's original position. Although on the surface, Li Ju and Liu Kun's status were almost equal, with Li Ju in charge of the army and Liu Kun in charge of civilian affairs, everyone knew which was more important. While Liu Kun was amiable, he was also extremely proud, so it was understandable that he harbored resentment.

Everyone thought that these were extraordinary times, and if Chief Clerk Liu and Prefect Li were at odds, it would be a bad thing; they should try to persuade them as soon as possible. However, such matters should not be discussed among close relatives, and Liu Kun's actions were beyond reproach, so everyone could only put the matter aside again and again.

But now, with Liu Xian, the lord, absent, and Liu Kun about to meet with Li Ju, what unexpected things might happen? Looking at Chencang City not far away, the crowd's initial joy was inevitably mixed with some worry.

As the group approached Chencang, Li Ju led his soldiers out of the city to meet them from three miles away. He was surrounded by soldiers who had distinguished themselves in previous battles. Although the group was small, consisting of only a hundred or so cavalrymen, they were very imposing and clearly skilled warriors.

Just as Fu Chang and the others had predicted, Liu Kun felt a surge of anger upon seeing Li Ju and couldn't help but sneer, "Brother Li, you have quite the air about you, almost surpassing the Marshal!"

Upon hearing this, Fu Chang and the others inwardly cursed their innocence, and the atmosphere became extremely tense. After all, for ordinary martial artists, risking their lives on the battlefield meant that the most important thing was to be fearless and daring. Such people were mostly straightforward and valued their reputation highly. Although Li Ju was usually humble, how could he tolerate such provocation? If they were to openly fall out, things would become very difficult.

As expected, upon seeing their commander-in-chief humiliated, Duan Xiu and the others around Li Ju were initially taken aback, then their expressions turned displeased. The saying goes, "A subject dies for his lord's honor," how could one be mocked after winning a battle?

Some people were about to explode on the spot. But Li Ju waved his hand and suppressed them all.

Li Ju first bowed and replied, "I was at a loss for words after hearing about Brother Yue Shi's reputation. I come from a humble background, and without some decorum, how could I dare to meet a renowned scholar like you?"

Having said that, he dismounted himself, took Liu Kun's reins, and smiled at the crowd, saying, "It is my honor to lead the horses for the two Yi brothers in Luoyang!"

Finally, turning to Liu Kun, he asked, "I have prepared a banquet in the city. I wonder if Brother Yue Shi would do me the honor of attending?" Faced with Liu Kun's provocation, Li Ju surprisingly adopted a defiant attitude, showing none of the arrogance expected of a military general. In particular, he even voluntarily lowered himself to lead Liu Kun's horse. The others were naturally impressed, and Liu Kun, unable to retaliate further, could only nod in agreement.

In terms of the dishes served, the banquet was not particularly lavish. However, the number of attendees was enormous. Apart from the officers and generals accompanying Liu Xian, almost 90% of the officials were present. In addition, some elderly members of the Shu Han remnants, such as Zhuge Jing and Xue Yi, were also present to show respect for the elderly and esteemed the virtuous.

Since the most dangerous phase was over, the atmosphere at the banquet was relatively relaxed. However, due to Liu Kun's previous provocation, the officials from Hedong Prefecture were very dissatisfied, and therefore naturally treated these officials from Sili Prefecture with some unfamiliarity and coldness.

Seeing this, Fu Chang took the initiative to chat with Li Ju about government affairs to ease the tension.

Fu Chang asked, "General, are you aware of the situation in Wudu? It's already late autumn, and if we delay any longer, it will snow. When the Marshal arrives, if we were to enter Shu, with more than 200,000 people, we would need a place to shelter from the wind and snow, or people would freeze to death."

Li Ju smiled and said, "You can rest assured about the state of the world. I have already sent an envoy to discuss this matter with Lord Yang of Qiuchi."

"What did Master Yang say?"

"Yang Gong said that he could build three cities for us in several river valleys in Wudu so that we could rest there temporarily."

“Building a city is no easy task, especially since Yang Gong’s men are mostly Qiang and Di tribes. Is there enough time?”

"It's not too late. They are all old city ruins from the Han Dynasty. He just made some minor modifications. One is Liangquan Garrison (now Feng County), another is Wuxing City (now Lueyang County) established by Prime Minister Zhuge, and the third is more famous, but it is a bit remote. It is Tazhong (now Zhouqu County) where Jiang Wei settled down to farm to avoid disaster."

Upon hearing this, Fu Chang pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "But isn't it a bit too much to ask for 70,000 or 80,000 people to stay in one city?"

"It's better than having nowhere to go." Li Ju also sighed and said, "In any case, we don't need to worry about food supplies for now. Let's get through this winter first, and then take Hanzhong when the opportunity arises."

Li Ju then remembered something and said to Fu Chang, "Speaking of which, there's another piece of news, neither good nor bad, but it's really giving me a headache."

"what news?"

"The Prefect of Qin Prefecture in Shanggui, Lord Huangfu, has been besieged for almost a year. You should know that, right?"

"Everyone knows that. What happened to him? Did he lose? Or did he win?"

“Neither.” Li Ju shook his head slightly, took out a letter from his pocket, handed it to Fu Chang, and explained, “When he heard that we had arrived, he sent an envoy to break through the siege. Then he went to Wudu and found Yang Gong. He came to us specifically to ask for help. He said that he was also a member of the Changsha King’s faction and hoped that you, brother, could help him out of the siege because we are all from the same faction.”

Upon reading the letter, Fu Chang immediately understood why Li Ju was troubled. Huangfu Zhong had described in detail the current situation in Shanggui: only eight thousand veteran soldiers remained in the city, surrounded by fifty thousand Qin troops. While food supplies were still plentiful, salt was almost exhausted, and the soldiers were surviving on boiled water with a few pieces of cured meat. If reinforcements weren't sent soon, the city was expected to fall within two months.

Eight thousand veteran soldiers, plus the seasoned general Huangfu Zhong. In this era, if they could be recruited and annexed, they would be a formidable asset to any power. However, to provoke fifty thousand troops and help relieve the siege within two months is a bit too much for Liu Xian's current army. If they were to force it, the losses would likely be too great, and the gains would not outweigh the losses. This makes them somewhat of a dilemma—unappealing to keep, yet too precious to discard.

Li Ju laughed and said, "Forget it, let your elder brother worry about these things. Public matters are public matters, and private matters are private matters. It's a rare banquet today, why are we only discussing official business?"

Fu Chang smiled as well. Faced with such a momentous event, Li Ju remained calm and composed. His admiration for Li Ju grew even stronger. Remembering his original intentions, he quickly pleaded on Liu Kun's behalf, saying, "Please don't hold a grudge regarding Liu Changshi's matter..."

Li Ju seemed to know what he was going to say, and waved his hand to interrupt, saying, "Why would I care? Chief Secretary Liu is a well-known scholar in Luoyang. I admire him sincerely, and this is not an empty statement."

After saying this, he bid farewell to Fu Chang, took out a bamboo flute, walked up to Liu Kun, and said, "I have long heard from the Marshal that Chief Secretary Liu is famous in Luoyang for his refined taste, especially for his flute playing. I admire him greatly. Unfortunately, I have been studying on my own for days without a famous teacher, and I have not been able to get the hang of it. I wonder if Chief Secretary Liu could give me some pointers?"

Li Ju immediately played a tune called "The Forest is Like a Painting" on his flute. As he had said, his musical skills were just so-so, and everyone who listened to it thought it was nothing special. Seeing this, Liu Kun took the bamboo flute with a smug look on his face and said with a smile, "Alright, then let the general hear the great principles of music."

So Liu Kun deliberately showed off his skills. He truly lived up to his reputation as a master of music, employing a variety of techniques that dazzled the audience: sometimes he would dart his fingers around, playing the sound of a gust of wind blowing through leaves; sometimes he would use colorful tongue movements to create the sound of a clear spring gurgling over rocks; the music was varied in pitch and rhythm, rising and falling with passion, truly like a mountain peak with flowing water, or a picturesque forest. When the piece ended, the entire audience fell silent, immersed in the lingering sound.

Li Ju immediately said to his subordinates who were listening in, "This song by the Chief Secretary is to celebrate your victory!"

The officials of Hedong, as if waking from a dream, applauded and toasted Liu Kun one by one. Liu Kun, however, realized that Li Ju was actually exposing his own shortcomings to create a way to ease tensions between the two sides. Such magnanimity was hard to imagine coming from a young man barely thirty years old; Liu Kun felt quite ashamed. He apologized repeatedly and toasted Li Ju, saying, "I have always prided myself on being close to the people, but today I know that in terms of benevolence, Lord Li is truly a celestial being!"

Li Ju remained modest, and the two then engaged in a lively discussion about the customs and people of Guanzhong and Hebei, as well as the state of the world, historical events of the Luoyang Dynasty, and far-reaching topics. Their subordinates listened attentively, occasionally interjecting. Before they knew it, time had passed, and both host and guest enjoyed themselves immensely. (End of Chapter)