Jinting Han people

In the fourth month of the fifth year of the Tai'an era, on the day of Xin Si, Liu Xian finally set foot on the land of Chengdu, the place that would determine the fate of the first half of his life.

On this day, the war in the Sichuan Basin was not yet completely over. Although the Chengdu army had surrendered entirely and most of the Jiangzhou army had been captured, a portion of the Jiangzhou army, numbering approximately three to four thousand, managed to escape. It is said that Qiao Deng fought his way out, recaptured the ships in Wuyang, and escaped on dozens of warships.

Furthermore, according to previous intelligence, Prefect He Pan of Bazhou had already led his army south and sent envoys to pacify Dianjiang and Jiangzhou, but these counties were still putting up a stubborn resistance. The Celestial Masters sect of Qingcheng Mountain had also not received any news and remained nominally independent. Moreover, a considerable number of Yi people and remnants of the Chengdu army were still active in Wenshan and Hanjia counties, and throughout the entire Bashu region, including Hanzhong County itself, there were still many bandits and brigands that needed to be dealt with.

Overall, although Liu Xian no longer has any rivals, there is still a considerable distance to go before he can completely take over Bashu and restore peace to Liang and Yi provinces. However, it's like climbing a mountain; the most difficult part of the ascent is over, and after this turning point, the descent will only become smoother. Compared to the problems encountered before, these are minor issues. The reconstruction of Shu Han is an inevitable trend, unstoppable by anyone.

"Huai Chong, why can't we be more forceful?" Yang Nandi complained to Liu Xian as they entered the city. Yang Nandi was somewhat dissatisfied with Liu Xian's agreement to accept the surrender of the Chengdu army, given the heavy losses suffered in such a fierce battle.

According to preliminary statistics, the Hanzhong army suffered over 11,000 casualties in yesterday's battle. This is a truly shocking number, the highest casualty count since Liu Xian entered Shu. It could even be said that the total casualties in the three or four months of repeated battles against the Western Army in front of Chang'an could not compare to this battle.

Although the enemy also suffered heavy casualties—according to statistics, the Jiangzhou army suffered over 12,000 dead and wounded, while the Chengdu army suffered nearly 9,000 dead and wounded—most of the remaining Jiangzhou troops were captured, and the Chengdu army surrendered entirely. However, for the victors, calculating battle losses was not of great significance. They were more concerned with how much they had lost, how to vent their dissatisfaction, and how to make up for those losses.

Therefore, when Li Ban sent the banners, Yang Nandi advocated not accepting the surrender, and instead defeated the Chengdu army in front of the city in one fell swoop. All the captured prisoners were punished and made into slaves, and the Li family of Lueyang were exterminated, which also saved the trouble of settling the surrendered soldiers.

But Liu Xian's opinion was firm. He looked up and around at the devastated city, from one end of Shaocheng to the other, and said to Yang Nandi, "Nandi, we have already won this battle decisively. There is no need to be even more forceful. Too much is as bad as too little. After the great battle, every survivor is a precious source of vitality."

Yang Nandi couldn't refute this, so he snorted coldly, glanced at Li Yue and the others behind him, and asked, "Then what do you plan to do with these people? I'm afraid that if we're not careful, we might end up raising a tiger that will cause trouble later!"

Although Li Xiong is dead, the Li clan of Lueyang still has many members. In the events surrounding yesterday's battle, thirteen high-ranking officials of the Chengdu Kingdom, including Li Huang, Li Yun, Li Guo, and Li Ban, perished – a considerable number. However, a closer look reveals that several dozen members of the Lueyang Li clan remain, including Chengdu Kingdom's Grand Tutor Li Xiang and Grand Commandant Li Li, who are still alive. Li Xiong also has several sons. Among the refugees in the north and former officials of the Chengdu Kingdom, this clan still wields considerable influence. If not handled properly, it could potentially trigger internal strife.

Liu Xian was also pondering this matter. Historically, trying to assimilate a power and completely subdue it with a benevolent heart was undoubtedly wishful thinking. However, going to extremes and attempting to physically eliminate the opponent was also not a good idea. Firstly, it was difficult to do, and an incomplete approach could trigger unnecessary internal strife. Secondly, it could easily provoke resentment from the general populace, making future attempts to win them over much more difficult.

The best solution would be to find a place far from the heart of the regime, keep the elderly idle and under supervision, and then recruit a number of young people with low status and little influence. After a few years, once the new regime is on track, the young people will replace the old and integrate into the new framework, and everything will be on the right track.

Therefore, Liu Xian thought that he could use the pretext of keeping vigil for Li Xiong to send Li Xiang and his group to Dangqu County to retire, which would be perfectly legitimate. In Bashu, Bazhou County was a relatively remote place, and Dangqu was even more remote within Bazhou, having been under the control of Chengdu for only a short time. In contrast, his own foundation in Bazhou County was much deeper, making it easier to control and supervise. This would also replenish the population of Bazhou and reopen the Micang Road, achieving multiple benefits at once.

However, since he was in public at this time, any words he uttered would cause gossip, so Liu Xian did not reveal his plans. Instead, he smiled at Yang Nandi and said, "Let's think about something good first!"

"Good thing? What good thing?"

Liu Xian pointed around and asked, "Don't you see a beautiful view?"

Yang Nandi followed Liu Xian's finger and looked, but there was no beautiful scenery to be seen. Chengdu was filled with dug trenches, demolished houses, and scars from fire and swords, along with white banners and mourning clothes for Li Xiong. This was probably the most dilapidated Chengdu had been in over a hundred years since Liu Yan established the capital there! It only evoked feelings of desolation and sorrow. Therefore, Yang Nandi was utterly bewildered by Liu Xian's words, his mouth agape, completely at a loss for words.

Seeing him standing there dumbfounded, Liu Xian couldn't help but laugh. He said, "I can already see the beautiful scene of Chengdu being rebuilt and its people living in peace and prosperity. Although Chengdu is in ruins right now, doesn't that just show that there is much to be done?"

"In the days to come, we will fill in the ditches, rebuild the city walls, construct houses, and pave roads... After a while, people will decorate this place with lanterns and colorful decorations, get married and have children, the market will be prosperous, and the houses will be shady... I can already see that day."

It turned out that Liu Xian had witnessed the beautiful scene of hope turning into reality. Listening to Liu Xian's description, not only Yang Nandi, but also Meng He, Zhuge Yan, Li Sheng, and the others beside him felt a surge of energy, as if a new Chengdu had already appeared before their eyes. All the past conflicts and pain were gone; what was there left to dwell on?

Lai Zhong stopped, overjoyed. He looked around the city, seemingly recalling countless past events, and said repeatedly, "Yes, as long as you live long enough, all sorts of good things will happen."

Liu Xian glanced back at the anxious prisoners and surrendered soldiers behind him, then looked at his comrades beside him, and said with a smile, "To rebuild Chengdu, to rebuild Bashu, we cannot rely on our own strength alone. Let's start anew."

As they spoke, the group crossed the street and entered Wudan Palace in the north of Chengdu. The palace was a beautiful place. They rode their horses along a winding cobblestone path, passing through lush bamboo groves, and came to a large lake called Tianjing Pond. The banks were planted with many orange, loquat, and lychee trees. Not far away was an artificial hill with a pavilion beside it. Liu Xian and his group then enjoyed the surrounding scenery from the pavilion.

Beyond the grove of trees to the north lies Wudan Mountain, where the palaces still stand, with their many halls and pavilions.

Soldiers wielding swords and spears could be seen occasionally moving among the palace walls and trees, tallying the spoils of the battle and carrying the captured treasures to the palace for Liu Xian to inventory. Li Xiong, as the ruler of a state, possessed relatively few treasures in his private treasury: mainly seven sets of specially made armor, a dozen or so swords, and a few carved bows; aside from that, there was virtually no gold or silver, making his treasury quite modest. However, the spoils from the Jiangzhou army were quite impressive. Guo Mo's troops, in their attack on Luo Shang's main camp, not only captured a large amount of Luo Shang's treasure, but also observed that his cavalrymen were all dressed in fine silk and brocade, and the silk and satin on the cargo ships alone, intended for rewards, amounted to over 30,000 bolts.

Liu Xian looked at the list for a while, then said to Lü Quyang beside him, "You pick out the valuables from these items, and choose the good ones. I will use them as rewards later. For the rest, find some merchants and try to sell half of them to get some useful grain and supplies. As for the rest, distribute them to the soldiers who have made meritorious contributions."

In this chaotic world, wealth doesn't really matter; people are what truly matter. Luo Shang, with his vast fortune, was arguably the richest man in Sichuan, yet he still couldn't compare to Shi Chong of yesteryear, and their fates were the same. This shows that with people, you have everything. Liu Xian, on the other hand, had absolutely no interest in wealth.

However, his lack of interest doesn't mean others aren't. It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. Most people are ordinary, needing money for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation; they like gold and silver, and there's nothing wrong with that. As a ruler, Liu Xian's important task is to be fair and to eliminate extravagance within the army, lest it corrupt future military discipline.

Regarding Guo Mo's troops abandoning Luo Shang during the battle in order to seize loot, Zhuge Yan's troops had already reported this to Liu Xian based on the prisoners' accounts. Liu Xian's attitude was very severe. After investigation, he dismissed the knights who violated military discipline and demoted them to commoners. Guo Mo's merit was thus diminished. Ostensibly, Liu Xian did not punish Guo Mo, tacitly acquiescing to his embezzlement of some of the captured loot. However, the price was that Guo Mo would not receive any subsequent rewards.

After pausing briefly among the pavilions, the group officially entered Wudan Palace.

Wudan Palace is located on Wudan Mountain, which was not originally a mountain. It is said that the ancient Shu king ordered the strong man Wudu to carry soil in baskets to build an artificial mountain and platform to commemorate his queen, hence the name Wudan Mountain.

Mount Wudan is seven zhang high, sixteen zhang wide, and over forty zhang long, shaped like a horseshoe with a higher elevation in the west and a lower elevation in the east. Because it offers a panoramic view of Chengdu, Liu Bei first ascended the throne here and later built the Shu Han imperial palace. Although the Shu Han dynasty was destroyed, this palace was preserved. After Li Xiong conquered Chengdu, he had no intention of building a new palace and simply used this place as his royal palace.

Since the palace had not been affected by war, it was kept very clean. Liu Xian led everyone on a tour and they were all very satisfied. Although it was far less magnificent than the palaces of Ye and Luoyang, and its area was only about three times the size of the Duke of Anle's mansion, Liu Xian felt that it was enough. He wanted to settle down here and live in peace, which was more important than anything else.

However, Liu Xian did not intend to move in immediately. Firstly, he had just held a funeral for Li Xiong, and moving in right away would be considered unlucky. Secondly, he wanted to be more solemn and wait until he had brought his family over and had basically taken control of Bashu before offering sacrifices to his ancestors and the state, and then officially moving in, in order to demonstrate his determination to restore the Han Dynasty. Therefore, until then, Liu Xian would stay temporarily in the prefectural government office.

That night, Liu Xian summoned all his close advisors and staff who had accompanied him on the campaign for a small victory celebration. After all, they had won a major victory, and while respecting Li Xiong was due, celebration was still necessary—it was the privilege of the victor.

Liu Xian raised his wine cup, glancing around at the crowd, a sense of déjà vu washing over him. More than two years had passed since he left Luoyang, yet it felt like a very short time. This wasn't the first time Liu Xian had felt this way, but this time, the changes were exceptionally significant. Not only was he no longer controlled by others, having moved from one hometown to another, but he had also reclaimed most of his ancestors' legacy and escaped death from illness. This gave Liu Xian a feeling of being reborn.

But Liu Xian knew that this was just the end of one phase, and a brand new beginning was about to begin, so he couldn't let his guard down for even a day.

Therefore, he said to everyone, "I thank you all for standing shoulder to shoulder with me here. Liu Xian's success today is inseparable from the blessings of our ancestors and the gods, as well as everyone's dedicated support. However, the world is not yet at peace, and we must continue to work hard. But tonight, let's drink until we drop!"

Upon hearing this, everyone cheered and took turns stepping forward to offer their congratulations and toasts.

Yang Nandi spoke first: "Today we toast in Chengdu, next year we toast in Chang'an, the year after that we toast in Luoyang, and the year after that we go to Yecheng! Only when we reach that point can we truly be free!"

Liu Shen solemnly replied, "Yes, the world is in chaos, and the people are suffering. The world needs a wise and capable ruler like Your Highness to quell the chaos."

Huangfu Chong replied, "I am willing to ask Your Highness for permission to go north to Guanzhong and Longxi. I am willing to be the vanguard and capture Zhang Fang for Your Highness!"

Li Ju then said, "May everyone's wishes come true, and may my elder brother make further progress."

As they exchanged auspicious greetings and drank merrily, the atmosphere was lively and festive. Even the eldest son, Liu Lang, stepped forward to toast Liu Xian, saying, "My lord, next year I am willing to mount my horse and go into battle, personally fighting for you!"

Liu Xian was in high spirits and naturally accepted everyone's invitations, drinking nearly dozens of cups with them until he was quite tipsy. Li Xiu tried to persuade him to stop, but to no avail. In the end, everyone was dazed and unsteady on their feet. In their hazy state, they were all so drunk that they didn't know what they were saying or who they were talking to. Suddenly, someone shouted, "..."

May the world be at peace! May the Han Dynasty live on forever!

Upon hearing this, everyone seemed to understand each other perfectly, and simultaneously raised their glasses again, saying, "May the world be at peace! May the Han Dynasty live forever!" (End of Chapter)