Jinting Han people

The period of rest passed quickly, and the migration began once again.

Although they had already traveled two thousand miles, that was on the vast plains of Guanzhong. The war was indeed far behind them, but the road ahead was truly arduous and difficult. Because from the moment they entered the Chencang Road, they would finally begin to cross the Qinling Mountains.

After passing Dasanguan Pass and entering Chencang Road, the mountains on both sides abruptly closed in like a screen, leaving only a narrow path wide enough for three carriages to travel side by side. People crowded in, finding their view narrowed as a result. Looking ahead, the road resembled a long, winding serpent, quickly disappearing into the gap between the mountains, with no end in sight. The wind overhead grew mournful in the forest, perhaps because it was mixed with the cries of monkeys and birds, sounding like the groans of ghosts.

Especially on the second day after entering the mountains, the immigrants encountered another autumn rain. The road was bitterly cold, and the plank road under their feet creaked and groaned, as if it might collapse at any moment, which made the immigrants tremble with fear. At night, everyone rested by a fire in the mountains. Seeing the dark shadows swaying in the mountains and listening to the raindrops hitting the leaves, which sounded like something was sobbing, they found it even more difficult to fall asleep.

However, this doesn't include Liu Xian, who wasn't entering Chencang Road for the first time. The last time he came to Chencang Road was six years ago, when he was also amazed by its treacherous terrain. But in those six years, he had experienced round after round of tragic political upheavals and deaths, all of which made him realize more deeply that even the most treacherous terrain can be conquered, but the turmoil in people's hearts never ceases.

Although I have left Luoyang, I will still have to struggle with people's hearts for a long time.

The human heart is a very broad concept, but the more outstanding a leader is, the more they need to understand that the human heart is concrete. Everyone has their own thoughts, ideas, and desires, which cannot be eradicated.

Therefore, a good ruler must learn to listen, to listen to the voices of every person. Then, he must eliminate voices of hatred, soothe restless hearts, encourage negative voices, and alleviate pent-up emotions. Moreover, the human heart is fickle; a person's thoughts one moment may be completely opposite to their next. Therefore, a ruler must also remain ever vigilant, persistent, and never complacent.

Upon learning the specific conditions set by the Yang family of Qiuchi, Liu Xian was acutely aware that this was a matter of utmost importance that required vigilance. This was no simple political marriage; it would not only disrupt his marital relationship but also affect the current political balance among the various factions in Guanzhong, and even the development of his side for the next few decades. How should he respond?
The common political tactic is to delay, to postpone the action until a better solution is found. However, such delay requires absolute authority. Right now, Liu Xian is most reliant on the Yang family, and since he depends on them, he lacks sufficient leverage and cannot afford to delay any longer.

That leaves negotiation as the only option, to reach a mutually acceptable outcome. But what kind of outcome would be acceptable to the Qiuchi people? What are their bottom lines? And whose interests would we have to sacrifice in this process?

With this in mind, Liu Xian went directly to the camp of Green Pearl and her son on this rainy night.

When Liu Xian lifted the tent flap, Lü Zhu was packing her belongings by the campfire. The two looked at each other; Lü Zhu paused for a moment, then smiled knowingly.

Nineteen years later, Green Pearl's temperament had undergone a dramatic change. Back in the Golden Valley Garden, she was breathtakingly beautiful, yet possessed a cold, unapproachable aura, like the snow on plum blossoms in early spring. Now, however, her beauty remained, but it was no longer ostentatious. Instead, it carried the sweet aftertaste of warm yellow wine. At first glance, she might not seem stunning, but upon closer inspection, one would discover that every glance, every smile, every sorrow, every joy was so captivating and enchanting.

Liu Xian knew the reason, because she had been a mother for ten years.

"Is Fengyao asleep?" Liu Xian looked behind Lü Zhu and saw Liu Lang lying on the bed with his head covered by a cold quilt. He couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

“He’s been asleep for a quarter of an hour or two.” Green Pearl lowered her voice, her smile revealing a genuine pride in her child, and said to her husband, “He rode a horse all day today and is already very skilled at it.”

"Really?" Liu Xian glanced at Liu Lang again, looking at the child's still-developing body in the cold quilt, imagining him riding a horse, and laughed: "That's really amazing. When I was his age, I was just starting to learn to ride a horse. I was really trembling with fear back then."

“It’s all thanks to Shi Hui’s excellent teaching; the child is also very diligent.” Green Pearl then said to him, “A few days ago, when Shi Hui wasn’t busy, he would practice swordsmanship and archery with Shi Hui every day. These past few days, both Shi Hui and you have been busy, so Feng Yao has been reading while riding a horse. Look, these are all Feng Yao’s own annotations!”

It turned out that Lü Zhu was organizing books for Liu Lang. Liu Xian took a scroll from the pile, opened it, and examined it closely. It turned out to be "The Hereditary House of Liu Hou" from the Records of the Grand Historian. Just as Lü Zhu had said, his son's annotations could be seen on it. Because he was still young and did not know calligraphy, his handwriting was somewhat crooked.

Upon closer inspection, Liu Xian found the situation somewhat absurd.

Liu Lang was still a child after all. What he wrote in the historical records was not a reflection on his reading of history, but a childlike playful praise and criticism.

At the site where Zhang Liang's assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang at Bolangsha failed, upon seeing Sima Qian's account of Zhang Liang's escape and change of name, he wrote, "What name did he change to?"; reading about Zhang Liang finding the old man's shoe on the bridge, and seeing that Zhang Liang "wanted to beat him, but because of his old age, he restrained himself," he wrote, "If he couldn't beat him, why didn't he scold him?"; most strangely, at the end, when Sima Qian wrote that Zhang Liang was as beautiful as a woman, this child actually wrote, "How does he compare to my mother?"

Putting down the scrolls Liu Lang had read, Liu Xian looked at the rest and found countless similar childish annotations. He shook his head and chuckled at Green Pearl, "This child, how can he not cherish paper? Tell him that if he's going to write something like this, he should copy it himself first. Otherwise, how will others read it?"

“What does it matter? I can just copy the book for him.” Seeing that her husband didn’t praise their son, Green Pearl seemed a little angry. She emphasized, “He is very diligent in serving medicine.”

"Yes, yes, I meant that Fengyao is still young, there's no need to rush," Liu Xian quickly replied.
“I didn’t want to be in a hurry either, it’s Fengyao who’s in a hurry.”

Green Pearl put down the book in her hand, turned and stared at Liu Xian for a moment, and slowly said, "Biji, ever since you came back, he has been very anxious. He often asks me if he has been behaving well lately and whether he is worthy to be your son."

"Um……"

“He often asked me, ‘Why don’t you come and visit him more often? Is it because he doesn’t work hard enough?’”

"Yeah, I'm just too busy..."

“I told Fengyao that he’s too young. Once he’s older and able to fight on the battlefield, he can see you day and night.” Hearing this, Liu Xian didn’t answer. The thought of the upcoming conversation filled him with a heavy guilt, weighing on his chest. He feared that if he uttered a sound, tears would stream down his face. But he couldn’t cry, so he remained silent, deliberately turning his head to the side, looking at the corner illuminated by the firelight, as he listened to Green Pearl say:
“Biji, you’ve spent too little time with him serving medicine these past few years. You need to take better care of him.”

Liu Xian still couldn't answer, but he knew that this was something he couldn't avoid, and he had to bring it up directly so that Green Pearl and her son could be prepared.

After a long silence, Liu Xian finally composed himself and slowly said to Lü Zhu, "Zhao Rong, Feng Yao is my son. There's no need to ask whether he's a good match or not. No matter what, he is my son, and I value him."

“But precisely because he is my son,” Liu Xian said, his voice gradually lowering, “he cannot live a normal life like ordinary children. Sometimes, he even has to sacrifice for me.”

"Because we live in a chaotic world full of sorrow, but we must overcome this sorrow."

Green Pearl remained silent. From the moment Liu Xian entered the tent, she knew he hadn't come without reason. For him to set aside his chores on his journey meant he had something important to say, something concerning her and her son. She simply didn't know what it was. Green Pearl waited quietly for the answer.

Liu Xian said, "Zhao Rong, you know that I have no other sons besides Feng Yao. If nothing unexpected happens, I plan to have him inherit my martial arts and literary skills."

Green Pearl was not pleased by this, because she knew there would be a "but" coming up.

Sure enough, Liu Xian said, "But it's not possible now, not because I don't value the medicine, but because the times don't allow it. Tomorrow, in order to truly establish myself in Guanzhong, I will go to Qiuchi with Yang Nandi, and then marry a girl. I will probably have a child with her, and if it's a boy, then he will be my legitimate son."

This was the solution Liu Xian had come up with. Asking him to depose Cao Shangrou and marry Yang Hui'ai as his principal wife was extremely difficult and would also violate his principles. However, if he could reach an agreement with the Yang family—father and son—to establish Yang Hui'ai's son as the legitimate heir, this problem would most likely be solved. After all, what they truly coveted was not the position of empress, but the future crown prince.

In this way, the problem was solved, and everyone was happy. However, the only ones who truly suffered were the powerless Green Pearl and her son. Liu Xian felt extremely guilty about this, but he also knew that this was the best solution at the moment.

Therefore, after Liu Xian finished speaking, he didn't even dare to look Lü Zhu in the eye. It was indeed a cruel decision. For over ten years, Lü Zhu had never argued with him about anything; whatever arrangements he made, she had always accepted them willingly and never objected. But Liu Xian knew that this decision had absolutely crossed Lü Zhu's bottom line. He was prepared to face his wife's rebuke.

But Green Pearl didn't scold her. She remained silent for a long time, her eyes reddening, and finally she whispered, "You're overthinking it. I've never had such a wishful thought..."

"Really didn't do it?" Liu Xian, of course, wouldn't press the matter. Listening to the raindrops outside the tent, he turned back and strolled over, quietly approaching the bed, lifting the quilt, and silently gazing at his son's sleeping face. He had so much to say, but didn't know how to express it.

The child is ten years old, but ultimately, he's still just a child. He hasn't grown taller yet, and his voice isn't strong. How does he see himself? With longing? With disgust? Or simply with complete unfamiliarity? But regardless of how the child sees him, there's no doubt that he's a terrible father.

After a moment of calm reflection, Liu Xian quickly made up his mind. He sat back down next to Lü Zhu and said to her, "Zhao Rong, just tell me what you need. As long as I can do it, I will try my best to make amends."

This was Liu Xian's final statement. Although it was impossible for Liu Lang to become his successor again, Liu Xian was willing to do everything in his power to achieve this. Even though he had always disliked the idle and dissolute lifestyle of spoiled young masters, he felt he could tolerate it as long as it didn't involve harming the innocent.

Unexpectedly, after wiping away her tears, Green Pearl replied, "I have no other request but one: I am willing to treat you with utmost care."

"what?"

"When you return from Qiuchi this time, have Fengyao stay with you at all times. Whether you are fighting or resting, you must always take him with you and fulfill your responsibilities as a father."

"..." Liu Xian fell silent again, not immediately agreeing. He realized that Green Pearl's request was extremely sensitive, and if handled carelessly, it could become a new political storm.

Green Pearl naturally knew what he was worried about, and immediately added, "I'm not saying you absolutely have to raise Fengyao. He's ten years old now, and he understands things, so he doesn't need you to take care of him too much. But you should at least spend more time with him. After all, since he was three or four years old and can remember things, you've spent less than a year with him. How can that be like father and son?!"

At this point, Green Pearl finally stopped hiding her tears, and two strings of crystal tears rolled down her cheeks, her shoulders shaking violently. Seeing this, Liu Xian quickly pulled her into his arms, and soon his chest was soaked with her tears.

Green Pearl sobbed softly, like a girl without support, half-curled up, and murmured to Liu Xian, "How could you disappoint me? I always thought that as long as I was with you, we could suffer together, but I would never shed tears again."

Tears are a woman's best weapon. At this moment, recalling all that had happened, Liu Xian's hardened heart melted. He could only pat his wife's back repeatedly, gently kiss Green Pearl's earlobe, and whisper, "Don't cry, don't cry... It's my fault. Zhao Rong, I promise you, when I come back this time, no matter what happens, I will definitely keep Feng Yao with me."

Perhaps there will always be tears mixed in with the rain, but just as the rain will eventually stop, the tears will eventually dry up. Since the decision has been made, all that remains is to move forward.

On the day of Renxu in the ninth month of the third year of the Tai'an era, the rain stopped and the weather improved slightly. Liu Xian temporarily handed over his affairs to Li Ju and Liu Kun, and with only a dozen or so personal guards, he and Yang Nandi broke away from the crowd, left Chencang Road, and sped towards Qiuchi Mountain. (End of this chapter)