Jinting Han people

The situation in Northeast China is turbulent and won't affect Sichuan and Chongqing for the time being.

Even when news arrived that Liu Yuan had declared himself King of Han and Liu Baigen Duke of Meng, Liu Xian felt no anxiety. After reading each intelligence report from Li Sheng, he would casually place it on his desk and devote more time to self-cultivation. Whether it was taking walks and playing the flute, reading poetry and writing essays, or playing chess, he tried his best to maintain a good mood, since, as the physician had said, a cheerful mood could also promote physical health.

Indeed, after a period of recuperation, Liu Xian's complexion improved, and his appetite also increased significantly. He now had such a good appetite that he could eat three chickens a day, and he truly ate three chickens every single day. He also ate bear paws, pork shreds, beef hearts, and lamb gizzards without hesitation.

This was probably the most extravagant period of Liu Xian's life in terms of food and drink.

Although he was idle in his youth, often strolling through the markets of Luoyang with Zhang Gu and Xi An, he knew every street and alley of the city well, knowing exactly where the taverns had the freshest ingredients and which restaurants had the most unique cooking styles. However, after the Xia Yang period, due to the harsh environment, Liu Xian had to set an example and adopt a frugal lifestyle, which meant he could only eat simple meals like bean soup and broad bean sprouts every day.

As Liu Xian's official rank rose, he became increasingly cautious about extravagance. To maintain the integrity of the government, he practiced frugality as much as possible. Aside from the occasional banquet where he might try to take advantage of Zu Ti and others, he ate only simple dishes like soup noodles and tofu. Therefore, this period of recuperation was a long-awaited break from his restrictions. After more than a month, Liu Xian recovered quickly, and his weight almost returned to what it was before his illness.

However, restoring full flexibility to his right shoulder is likely impossible. Liu Xian now experiences a subtle imbalance when standing, with his right side feeling lighter than his left. Even so, he continues his daily rehabilitation training, hoping to regain as much of his pre-illness feeling as possible. While he can no longer charge into battle like he did at twenty, as a commander-in-chief, and even as a monarch, he cannot abandon his self-discipline and training.

One day in November, at midday, after practicing his archery skills dozens of times, Liu Xian returned to his bed to read. As he was reading, someone suddenly knocked on the door and said to him, "Your Highness, it's time to change your dressing."

Liu Xian looked up and put down the book in his hand, then said with a smile, "Oh, it's Miss Li. Please come in, I'm all ready."

After Li Xiu successfully cured Liu Xian's injuries, her superb medical skills pulled the Duke of Anle back from the brink of death, immediately earning her the respect of everyone in the household. Liu Xian, having recovered somewhat, also expressed his sincere gratitude to Li Xiu. Knowing the time was right, Li Xiu no longer concealed her identity, publicly revealing herself as the daughter of the Prefect of Ningzhou. Then, with tears welling in her eyes, she said, "Your Highness, I have only two wishes: first, that Your Highness recover soon; and second, that my father may enjoy his later years in peace."

At this point, she laid bare the predicament of the rebellion of the Yi people throughout Ningzhou to Liu Xian, and then said sadly, "Luo Shang is immoral, has betrayed his friends and abandoned his promises. The nine tribes of the South are all impoverished and destitute, and the common people are all desperately hoping for the heavenly army to restore Changning. Now Your Highness has raised a righteous army and wants to revive the Han Dynasty. I wonder if the Han Dynasty is so great that Ningzhou can be saved?"

Upon hearing the reason for her northward journey, everyone was both astonished and pitied. They were astonished that she, as the daughter of a governor, dared to lead an army north, seeking aid from all sides; they pitied the chaotic and isolated state of the south. Liu Xian couldn't help but greatly admire Li Xiu, saying, "Shuniang is truly a remarkable woman of our time! Please rest assured, young lady, since I have raised an army, I will conquer the entire land. Moreover, the south is the bulwark of Bashu, the old territory of our homeland."

He then solemnly promised, "After I take Chengdu and rest for a while, I will send troops to pacify the south within a year, to emulate the sage and repay the lady's life-saving grace."

After this incident, Liu Xian specially set up a small courtyard for Li Xiu within the fortress, treating him with the respect due to a distinguished guest, and released all the Ningzhou army prisoners of war. In return, Li Xiu took the initiative to provide all of Liu Xian's medical treatment, becoming Liu Xian's personal physician.

It was time to change the dressing again, so Li Xiu came in carrying a clay pot containing ointment and removed the gauze from Liu Xian's back. After cleaning off yesterday's ointment, she could clearly see that the wound had almost healed. Although there was a noticeable indentation in the skin beneath the cross-shaped scar, this undoubtedly indicated that the recovery was nearing its end. She couldn't help but marvel, saying, "Your Highness is recovering very quickly. I estimate that you won't need any more medication in less than ten days. However, to prevent the sores from recurring, it's best if you don't wear nail polish for a year."

She went on to explain the reasons: both leather and iron armor were stuffy and difficult to clean. This was especially true in the hot and humid environment of southern Sichuan and Chongqing, where it easily led to illness. This is why armor such as rattan armor developed in Sichuan and Chongqing, and the fact that naval forces in the south didn't need to wear armor was also a significant factor in their preference for such gear.

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian laughed and said, "So, does that mean the people of Jiaozhou in the far south fight naked?"

"Yes, Your Highness is insightful. So, when Ma Fubo led his southern expedition, killing the enemy was as easy as turning his hand, yet he still suffered heavy losses in the end? What was truly unbearable was the heat of summer and autumn!"

During dressing changes, the two often engaged in casual conversations like this. Initially, Liu Xian mainly wanted to learn about the local customs and culture of the south, but he unexpectedly discovered that Li Xiu, though young, was not only highly skilled in medicine but also insightful about military and political affairs. Perhaps due to Li Yi's tutelage, many of her ideas were original, yet her conclusions often aligned with his own. Even when there were minor shortcomings, she would frequently admit her mistakes and make amends, proactively seeking Liu Xian's advice, which greatly impressed him. Thus, over this period of time, Liu Xian gradually became very close to her, and their relationship transcended the conventional roles of host and guest, ruler and subject.

Li Xiu, residing primarily in the south, was unaware of news from areas outside of Sichuan and Chongqing, making her extremely curious about world affairs. Recently, she had frequently inquired with Liu Xian about changes in the situation in Guandong, paying particular attention to the current battle in Ye City. After changing her dressing and administering acupuncture to Liu Xian, she took the opportunity to ask, "Your Highness, is there any new news from Ye City?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian pointed to the letters on the table, indicating that Li Xiu could read them himself.

This news, likely from mid-October, stated that after Liu Cong occupied Shangdang, Shi Le, who had previously been defeated, made a comeback. After his escape, Shi Le did not give up; instead, he tirelessly worked around, managing to persuade 30,000 refugees to surrender in Hanoi and rebuild an army. He then advanced eastward to Fangtou, once again cutting off Zhang Fang's grain transport route. This time, Zhang Fang was besieged on three sides and clearly lacked the resources to drive Shi Le away.

After Li Xiu finished reading, Liu Xian asked, "Miss Li, in your opinion, what should Zhang Fang do next?"

After a moment's thought, Li Xiu solemnly said, "In this desperate situation of being surrounded on all sides, if we flee, our morale will collapse and become uncontrollable. Only by burning our boats and risking our lives can we have a glimmer of hope. Zhang Fang is a famous general; shouldn't the next step be to fight a decisive battle?"

"Hahaha." Liu Xian couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing this. He said, "Miss Li hasn't really met Zhang Fang, so she doesn't know him well enough!"

What instructions does Your Highness have?

"Zhang Fang is indeed a famous general, but he values ​​himself above all else and is also an extremely shameless person. I have dealt with him too many times, and he doesn't care about the lives of his men."

Liu Xian stated his assessment: "He will definitely flee. He won't care how many of his men die; at most, he'll lose his Tiger Division. The rest of them dying won't make a difference." Faced with this conclusion, Li Xiu was somewhat incredulous. She frowned and said, "But even if Zhang Fang returns to Guanzhong, can he really hold it? That's unrealistic."

"If you can hold on, then hold on; if you can't, then leave." Liu Xian sighed. "That's the problem with Zhang Fang. He doesn't have any long-term plans. He just acts on a whim and waits for the right opportunity. That's why he's not fit to be a ruler. But he's too perceptive and can always find a way to win or survive. So defeating him isn't difficult; the real challenge is how to completely eliminate him."

"So, Zhang Fang is doomed to lose." Li Xiu was convinced. "Then, in Your Highness's opinion, where will he flee to?"

"I don't know either," Liu Xian readily admitted. "If I knew, I would have defeated this ferocious beast long ago. Why would I let it run rampant until today?"

Liu Xian then mocked, "But his good days are over. Even if Zhang Fang survives, his actions are outrageous and he has nowhere to hide. He will have to run around and have nowhere to hide. And the situation in Guandong will never be the same again."

With Zhang Fang's defeat, Sima Ying lost all authority and could no longer re-establish the Northern Expeditionary Army's rule in Hebei. Meanwhile, Wang Jun, Ji Sang, and Sima Teng, the three meritorious officials who had led the western campaigns, would inevitably seize the opportunity to redistribute their spheres of influence. Adding to this the Xiongnu-Han state established by Liu Yuan in southern Bingzhou, the power struggle among these four forces would determine the future course of Hebei for a considerable period.

When the topic of the situation in Guandong came up again, Li Xiu thought of another point. With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she removed the needle and asked with a smile, "Speaking of Liu Yuan, who declared himself king before Your Highness, I wonder what Your Highness thinks about that?"

"Truth and falsehood are in the hearts of men, why force it?" After Li Xiu finished removing the silver needles, Liu Xian sat up straight, put on his robe, and said, "This is also a good thing. The more people in the world claim to be Han, the more convinced the world will be, and in the end it will just be to build momentum for me. All I need to do is live up to the name of the Han Dynasty and be true to myself."

Seeing Liu Xian so calm and composed, Li Xiu couldn't help but feel surprised. Although she was still young, because she was Li Yi's daughter, she had met many outstanding people from all over the country, many of whom were calm and composed. However, among them, Liu Xian was the only one who could reflect on himself at all times, regardless of how the external situation changed.

It's always difficult for people to reflect on themselves; sometimes admitting they're wrong is harder to bear than death. The more mature a person is, the more firmly they adhere to their own set of beliefs; otherwise, hesitation and indecisiveness would lead to wasted time. In such situations, self-reflection becomes even more difficult. Liu Xian's unique ability, however, lies in his excessive self-reflection, which has become almost an instinct, like breathing. Especially after his illness, his demeanor has become even more carefree.

This didn't seem like the demeanor of an emperor; rather, it seemed more like that of a seeker of the Tao. Li Xiu thought to himself, and before leaving, he couldn't help but glance at Liu Xian, who was still reading. Staring at the other's serene face, Li Xiu felt that this was quite nice: around this person, there seemed to be a flowing aura that could distance one from the world, cleanse the heart of impurities, and then lead one into a state of tranquility free from sorrow and joy.

Liu Xian, unaware of Li Xiu's thoughts, finished reading the Book of Songs and strolled through the bamboo grove. Unexpectedly, he received a letter from his wife in Hanzhong. Aside from the usual greetings, the letter mainly concerned A-Die, who had given birth last month to a healthy, full-weight boy. Following Liu Xian's previous plan, he named him Liu Cheng, with the nickname Dou Jiang.

A-Die was unaware of Liu Xian's illness. In her letter, she urged Liu Xian to return to Hanzhong to see his child, since the war was at a stalemate. Liu Cheng was already a month old, and she hoped that Liu Xian could at least make it to Liu Cheng's 100th day.

After reading the letter, Liu Xian was speechless. He immediately replied, saying that he probably wouldn't be able to return to Hanzhong within a hundred days. However, he would end the war as soon as possible, and if they felt lonely, he could send Meng Tao to bring their families to Fuxian shortly after the New Year.

However, after writing the letter, Liu Xian also felt that he had indeed been somewhat delayed. His offensive in Shu had stalled for about four months, and now that he was about to fully recover and had rested for so many days, it was perhaps time to start preparing for war again.

The next morning, Liu Xian summoned Li Sheng and ordered him to issue the following four commands:
First, he ordered the two troops of Huangfu Zhong and Yang Nandi in Qin Prefecture to be transferred south to Guanghan;

Second, he ordered Liu Kun, the governor of Liangzhou, to send 20,000 garrison troops south to take over the garrison affairs in Luo County.

Third, he ordered Gongsun Gong, Guo Mo, Mao Bao, Zhang Guang, Wei Jun, Yan Yi, and the various Yan commanders, totaling 30,000 men in seven divisions, to prepare for breaking camp.
Fourth, 150,000 bushels of grain, 2,000 packhorses, and 200,000 arrows were transferred from the existing military provisions and supplies to Guanghan County.

The intent behind these four military orders was extremely clear. Li Sheng immediately understood that Liu Xian intended to open up another battlefield, personally leading troops to first capture Jianwei from Guanghan, and then launch a general offensive against Chengdu. Moreover, this time, he was determined to win, and was willing to further divert manpower from Hanzhong and Wudu to achieve this.

Liu Xian understood the situation perfectly. He smiled at Li Sheng and said, "Now that Shi Yanping has quelled the chaos in Liangzhou and Zhang Fang is on the verge of defeat, what can Guanzhong do? If I don't mobilize troops now, wouldn't I be letting down the goodwill that Heaven has bestowed upon me?"

Li Sheng was confident in Liu Xian's military prowess, but he was deeply worried about the situation in Jianwei. He said, "My lord, the current issue is not anything else, but rather that there are many thugs from the Celestial Masters sect in Jianwei..."

Li Sheng couldn't help but feel worried: there were many Taoist temples in Jianwei County. Of the forty-four prefectures in Xichuan, eight, including Emei Prefecture, Chouchang Prefecture, Beiping Prefecture, and Zhubu Prefecture, were located in Jianwei. In addition, after the rebellion of the Celestial Masters, many of the Celestial Masters followers under Liu Xian's rule fled to Jianwei County. For a time, outside of Qingcheng Mountain, Jianwei County had become the second major base of the Celestial Masters.

If Liu Xian were to march north from here to attack Chengdu, under the instigation of the Celestial Masters sect, it would likely incite numerous conflicts and riots in Jianwei County. In that case, even if the Hanzhong army captured the city, they would be unable to govern it, let alone maintain normal logistics there.

Before Li Sheng could finish speaking, Liu Xian waved his hand to interrupt him. During this time, Liu Xian had already considered how to handle the matter. With a slightly intriguing smile, he said decisively, "Bin Shuo, you are overthinking it. No matter how vicious and ruthless these thugs are, they are still followers of the Celestial Masters Sect."

"And I am, after all, personally recognized by Sun Xiu, the Observer of the Eastern Sea Celestial Bureau, as the True Lord of Peace. What is there to worry about?" (End of this chapter)