Jinting Han people

On the Gengwu day of the first month of the fourth year of Tai'an (305 AD), Liu Xian and his party set off from Dingjun Mountain and officially embarked on the Micang Road.

Liu Xian's entourage was small this time, consisting of only about a hundred riders, but most of them were his trusted followers. Besides Li Sheng and Zhuge Yan, who had always been by his side, there were his childhood friends Xi An and Zhang Gu, his cousins ​​Liu Xuan and Liu He, his eldest son Liu Lang, and some newly recruited scholars from Hanzhong, such as Yan Ji, Su Ben, and Zhang Yan.

Among them, the most special were the elderly Geng Hui and his group. Compared to the remnants of the Hedong people, they were truly native Shu people, and they were also the ones who followed Wang Fu in Yizhou in an attempt to restore the kingdom.

For decades, they wandered aimlessly, living a nomadic life, begging for food in the mountains and forests, and personally traversing the Sichuan and Shaanxi regions, essentially spending their lives chasing a mirage. During those long years, they once thought they would be driven to despair and disappear into history, but unexpectedly, their wish would come true. Therefore, even though they were nearly seventy years old and frail, Geng Hui and the others insisted on accompanying Liu Xian on his journey to witness it all firsthand.

Before leaving, Liu Xian entrusted the administration of Hanzhong to Li Ju. With the New Year approaching, he instructed Fu Chang, Lu Yun, and others to diligently carry out this year's spring planting. As the saying goes, "A year's plan starts in spring," and this was his first spring in Hanzhong; Liu Xian hoped everything would proceed smoothly this year.

It must be said that spring arrives earlier in Sichuan and Chongqing than in Guanzhong. In Hanzhong, the Han River is not frozen in winter, and the snow cover is much thinner than in Guanzhong and Longxi. When Liu Xian set off, the snow on both banks had already begun to melt, and the soil was moistened by the melted snow, from which tender green shoots sprouted. The bark of the once barren and cracked branches of the trees was now sprouting flower buds, which was a delightful sight.

They first traveled by boat to Nanzheng, and then from Nanzheng arrived at the south bank of the Han River. After finding several local hunters to act as guides, the group began to travel south along the river. After traveling south for more than thirty li, the mountains on both sides gradually narrowed, and the distant Micang Mountain and Bashan Mountain gradually approached, appearing more majestic and magnificent. Their peaks seemed to pierce the clouds, and a vast sea of ​​clouds gathered above, completely obscuring the view from the summit. From below, it was impossible to distinguish between the clouds and the snow.

The guides initially thought Liu Xian and his group were going hunting in the mountains, since most of the animals there were just awakening and tigers, leopards, and bears were at their weakest and hungriest, a time when many scholars enjoyed going into the mountains for spring hunts. But when they heard that Liu Xian intended to venture deep into the Micang Mountains, they looked hesitant.

The lead guide said, "Sir, from childhood to adulthood, the most we've ever reached is Lonely Cloud Ridge. Beyond that, the mountains and forests are obscured, the sea of ​​clouds is churning, and it's not easy to even discern directions. It'll be easy to go in, but difficult to come out."

Liu Xian laughed dismissively, "That's an exaggeration. A hundred years ago, wasn't this still the Rice Granary Road? How could we not get out?"

The guide said aggrievedly, "You know it was a hundred years ago. If no one has walked this path for a hundred years, can it still be called a path?"

Liu Xian patted the guide on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Does the world have a natural road to rice? Thousands of years ago, our ancestors didn't even have an old road. They explored it step by step on their own. Why can't we do the same? Besides, we have a map in our hands."

Liu Xian took out his map and showed it to the guides. The map he held wasn't the original Li Mi had left him, but a copy he had made himself, the handwriting still quite fresh. Most of the guides were illiterate, relying on experience to climb mountains, and they were rather skeptical. But Liu Xian's confidence impressed them, and they eventually agreed to continue leading the way.

However, Liu Xian would soon experience the difficulties the guides had described. They continued south, passing the foot of Hanshan Mountain, and then winding their way along a narrowing mountain path. As the surrounding mountains rose higher and higher, their view was completely obscured; the Micang Mountain that had been in front of them disappeared, replaced by a desolate forest. Fortunately, Liu Xian had a map and could use landmarks to orient himself. Most people, unless they waited for bright sunshine and clear weather, would probably lose their sense of direction and time.

This reminded Liu Xian of his journey along the Weinan Road to Longyou six years ago. The scene was similar then, though the location was different, it still evoked memories of those bygone years. Climbing over the Longyou mountains with the Wei River, he saw the rolling sea of ​​clouds. Many of his comrades who had fought alongside him back then, such as Suo Jing, Li Han, and Meng Ping, had already passed away. But their voices and smiles remained vivid in his mind.

How naive I was back then! Though I faced life and death on the battlefield, I felt no fear. I was confident I would have endless opportunities to fight, and that I could cut down anyone who appeared before me. But now, every time it rains, the wound on my right arm throbs with pain as if pricked by needles.

It was at times like these that Liu Xian truly understood how precious it was to stay true to oneself in this unpredictable world.

On the mountain path, Liu Xian shared his insights with Liu Lang. Liu Lang didn't quite understand; he seemed to grasp it but nodded repeatedly. Youth is carefree, just as Liu Xian had been in his youth, and so was Liu Lang now.

After traveling for three days, the group traversed nearly two hundred li and finally arrived at Guyun Ridge. This was the farthest point the hunters from Hanzhong had ventured deep into the mountains. At the foot of Guyun Ridge, there was a collapsed stone tablet, covered with fallen leaves. After sweeping it away, the three large characters "Micang Road" were revealed beneath, covered in moss. This served as the final proof that someone had once been here.

The mountain path beyond that point was essentially devoid of a path. This was the end of the pond; without the river valley to guide them, overgrown shrubs and wild grasses completely obscured everything, making it impossible to discern where a mountain path lay. It was hard to imagine that this had once been an important passage into Sichuan. But Liu Xian and his party had to forge a path through it to continue forward.

So the group took their machetes and, referring to the map, began to move forward, chopping down the surrounding trees and making careful marks to avoid getting lost. As a result, their speed slowed down several times over; what used to be an eighty-mile journey a day now became a struggle to cover even thirty miles.

They first climbed to the mountainside of Guyun Ridge, where they found a clear stream and followed it westward along the ridge for sixty li. The occasional appearance of ancient stone bricks indicated they were on the right path. The path rose higher and higher, gradually approaching a sea of ​​clouds. They climbed against the waves of clouds, directly over the foothills of a mountain called Banbianyan, covered in beech trees. The jagged waves of leaves and clouds seemed to divide the mountain into three worlds.

This was arguably the most difficult part of the journey. Upon reaching the summit, they could see the forests gradually turning green, with a rainbow overhead and the sound of countless waves crashing below. Amidst this breathtaking scenery, they arrived at another valley and continued westward. There, they came across a river called Xianghaochuan. Following the river, they turned back eastward, making a total of thirteen bends. Several tributaries converged and cascaded down, forming a waterfall.

Looking out from the cliffside overlooking the waterfall, one sees the mountains forming a series of waterfalls like steps, creating a series of shimmering, azure lakes, as clear as jewels. According to the map, this is the famous Moon Lake of the later generations.

At this point, almost half a month had passed since Liu Xian set off.

The road was more treacherous than he had imagined. Liu Xian had carried enough rations to last a month, but while climbing the mountain, he found that his horses couldn't carry the load, and he had no choice but to abandon some of them halfway. Fortunately, because no one had been in the area for so long, the animals in the mountains were no longer afraid of people. Not to mention bears and tigers, even deer would stand still a dozen steps away when they saw them, staring at them curiously. This allowed Liu Xian to hunt and replenish his food supplies with ease.

According to the map, Liu Xian and his party were nearing their destination. Reaching the Eighteenth Moon Pool, they were less than sixty li from the red circle on the map. Next, they only needed to head southeast along the Moon Pool, passing through the Dangqu River valley, to reach the red circle. At this time, the signs of spring's warming were becoming increasingly apparent. The snow on the mountains had mostly disappeared, and green shoots and tender grasses were everywhere on the slopes and in the valleys. The reeds along the riverbank stretched out in patches, and the scattered ripples on the water shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight—a truly beautiful scene of gentle breezes, bright sunshine, and clear, refreshing water. With their destination drawing near and the weather clear and pleasant, the people's previously weary spirits immediately relaxed.

Initially, everyone was worried that the map was fake or contained errors, but now it seems that it is drawn very accurately, without any omissions or mistakes. Therefore, the legendary surviving Han army must be located here.

Liu Xian also maintained this optimistic attitude. That night, he rested by Moon Lake, first taking a bath in the lake, then changing into a clean and tidy robe, trying to appear as presentable as possible. In the evening, everyone gathered in several circles, roasting the hunted venison over a campfire, and discussing how these people had managed to hide and persevere in such a place for so many years.

The journey was arduous for everyone. Clearing a path meant risking missteps and attracting venomous snakes and insects. Several people were bitten by unknown insects, immediately developing large, red welts that lingered for days. Liu Xian himself was bitten; while descending the cliff, a bright red worm crawled across his right wrist, causing a layer of skin to peel off where it had touched. The hunters said it was a rove beetle; a mere crawl was harmless, but if you killed it and squeezed out its sap, it was extremely corrosive, potentially rotting half your hand.

Xi An said, "They must have found a suitable place to settle down and cultivate the land. But their conditions are so harsh, can they really make a living just by farming?"

Li Sheng said, “My master may have contacted someone and made arrangements to secretly send salt and medicine here, but I don’t know which uncle or elder it was?”

Zhuge Yanze said, "That doesn't make sense either. To be honest, we came over the Micang Mountains, which makes the route difficult. Going north along the Dangqu River to the south is less likely to get lost. If someone were to bring supplies north, how could they not be discovered?"

Everyone found it strange and couldn't figure out why. Liu Xian finally sighed, "No matter what, they persevered. Soon we'll be able to find out the details."

The next day at daybreak, everyone packed their bags and set off, quickly heading south along the valley. The mountain path was relatively flat here, and people were finally able to ride horses. In just two hours, around noon that day, they arrived at the location near the red circle on the map.

Looking around, this place is a typical river valley plain, where the undulations of the mountains ease slightly, forming a small basin. Although it is covered with dense forests, it is not difficult to see that if these trees were cut down and burned for cultivation, several acres of farmland could be created, making it a rather good place for settlement and city building.

Logically, this should be where the Han army was hiding. But Liu Xian and his group looked around and couldn't find a single human being. There were only wild rabbits, partridges, foxes, and monkeys, which scattered and fled at the sight of the people. There was no trace of human life in sight.

This puzzled the travelers greatly. They rode their horses for another ten miles or so along the river through the woods, until they had traversed the entire basin and deviated from the location marked by the red circle on the map. They found not a soul, not even a trace of anyone who had ever been there.

This shouldn't be the case, right? But the facts are right before our eyes, leading people to have a very bad suspicion: Li Mi made his promise twenty years ago, so could it be that all those who stayed behind have died or escaped? This is not impossible; how many twenty years does one have in a lifetime? Time will eventually erase all traces.

However, no one dared to voice this conjecture. They looked at Liu Xian, waiting for their lord to make the decision himself.

Liu Xian carefully examined the map, confirming that this location was indeed where it was marked on the map, without any error. However, the fact remained that he couldn't find any people or clues. What should he do?

Having come this far, there was no way he could leave empty-handed; he needed to at least find the person, alive or dead. Liu Xian thought to himself, "I've come from afar, I'm not a local. Perhaps I need to send them a signal to let them know I've arrived."

So Liu Xian led his men to a small hill, collected some dry firewood and local animal droppings, and lit them on the hill. Thick smoke immediately rose into the clear sky, gradually connecting with the horizon.

The group took turns lighting fireworks and searching, anxiously awaiting any reaction. Three more days passed, but the valley remained completely still, leaving everyone utterly disappointed. That night, their spirits finally gave out, and they all slept fully clothed by the campfire. Even Liu Xian was puzzled. If there was still no response, he couldn't continue wasting time there. He would have to conduct another search before returning to Hanzhong with regret.

But on that very morning, the sky was a clear purplish-blue, and dewdrops clung to the branches of flowers and grass, twinkling like countless stars or countless eyes. Liu Xian, a light sleeper, felt a slight tremor and awoke with a start. He rose from the still-warm fire, looked up, and saw a group of dark figures pause for a moment, then swarm around him. There were probably several hundred of them, wielding long swords and clad in rattan armor, completely surrounding the hill.

The others also woke up. They instinctively gripped their knives and stood up to defend themselves, but then realized something was wrong. They first glanced back at Liu Xian, and then looked at the figure below the hill.

A person stepped forward from the first station below and said something in a very strange tone. Most people were confused and couldn't understand what it meant at all.

However, Liu Xian and Li Sheng understood. It was the dialect of Sichuan and Chongqing, spoken quickly and in a high-pitched voice. The other party was saying, "Where do you come from? What do you want? If you have malicious intentions, you will die a horrible death!"

Li Sheng smiled and replied in his familiar accent, "I am Li Sheng, son of Li Mi. I have come on behalf of my lord to fulfill our agreement. I wonder where the Han army is?"

These words immediately stirred up a huge controversy. (End of Chapter)