Jinting Han people

In October of the first year of the reign of Emperor Qiming of Han, the ascension of the new king and the bestowal of titles upon meritorious officials brought a festive atmosphere to Chengdu. Although the New Year had not yet arrived, many residents had just moved back to Chengdu, and the reconstruction work in the city was not yet complete, this did not diminish everyone's joy.

In every prefecture within the city, lanterns were lit, talismans were pasted up, incense was burned, and Taoist offerings were made. Originally a one-day festival, it was extended for seven days due to the new dynasty's special permission and the fact that autumn was a time of peace. Even late into the night, the city remained brightly lit. Many residents, widowed due to years of war, took advantage of this festive occasion to meet and exchange gifts, creating a lively and bustling scene. Since the Zhao Xin Rebellion, such a sight had never been seen in Sichuan.

After the lanterns were lit, Chengdu gradually returned to its usual tranquility. Liu Xian, the King of Hanzhong, had decreed that, following the example of Emperor Xuan of Han, the court would hold a small assembly every five days, where officials would discuss the merits and demerits of domestic administration. However, in reality, Liu Xian visited the inner court daily to inspect affairs and offer opinions on matters large and small, effectively handling state affairs every day.

Although Liu Xian had done a lot of preparation work over the past few months, there was always something to do at the beginning of the founding of the nation.

Take, for example, the flood problem mentioned by Yang Bao. In June, there was a heavy rain in Sichuan. The Dujiangyan Irrigation System had been in disrepair for many years, and the Feisha Weir was blocked, causing the water level to rise sharply. The Jiangyuan region was hit by floods, which inundated thousands of acres of farmland and drowned more than a hundred people. After the founding of the country, Liu Xian had to pay attention to this issue and planned to repair the Dujiangyan Irrigation System during the off-season for farming.

Take, for example, the recent issue of soldiers' marriages. Previously, in Chengdu, most of the men seeking marriage partners were soldiers. Having fought for years, they had finally settled down and were eager to settle down and start families. However, matters of the heart are prone to problems. Mutual affection is fine, but things don't always go smoothly. Some soldiers use their connections in the military to forcibly marry widows who didn't want to marry. Recently, one soldier, unable to marry a woman he couldn't force, committed murder in anger, resulting in a death.

When this matter was reported to the imperial court, it was a very unpleasant affair. Liu Xian ordered severe punishment for those involved and informed the army that if such a thing happened again, regardless of merit, all involved would be beheaded as a warning. At the same time, to appease the soldiers and regulate such matters, he ordered Li Sheng to draft an edict requiring local county governments to organize marriages and solicit women who wished to remarry. Soldiers were not allowed to bypass the county government and arrange marriages with widows on their own, unless they were formally seeking marriage from a legitimate family.

For example, the implementation of the new law was not anticipated before it was formulated, and it was only after it was formulated that many difficulties were discovered.

Formulating laws is easy, but promoting them is difficult, especially a new law of over 30,000 words. The problem here is not only that local laws have been lax for a long time and local officials are unwilling to cooperate, but more importantly, it is already a struggle for counties to gather enough literate officials, let alone people who are knowledgeable about the law.

This situation greatly troubled Liu Xian. After discussing it with Fu Chang and others, he ordered all counties in the country to send a prefectural official to Chengdu. The sole purpose was to study the new laws. Once they had thoroughly mastered them and passed the examinations, they could return to their respective government offices to serve as clerks and further promote the new laws. However, the effectiveness of this measure remained to be seen.

However, these are mostly domestic issues. Looking around the world, people are suffering everywhere. It is already commendable that the country can consider these issues in this chaotic world.

The real major issue worth considering is the diplomatic situation in the surrounding region.

The concept of alliances and counter-alliances is crucial for a regime's long-term survival; domestic affairs are one aspect, and diplomacy is another. Throughout history's great eras of contention, those who emerged victorious invariably skillfully employed diplomacy, combining forces to achieve their goals. When Emperor Gaozu was defeated by Xiang Yu, he persuaded Ying Bu and Peng Yue to surrender, leaving Western Chu weakened and beset by internal and external troubles. Even Emperor Guangwu, with a million-strong army, managed to win over Dou Rong and Zhu Wei, seizing Luoyang and Hexi without bloodshed. And even Emperor Liu Bei's three restorations of the Han dynasty relied on his alliance with Sun Quan in the east and his appeasement of various Rong tribes in the west.

Now that Liu Xian has established his kingdom, the surrounding forces are naturally reacting in various ways.

Firstly, regarding Jingzhou, Liu Xian's formal establishment of his state undoubtedly signifies a formal break with the Xuchang court. However, this is not a major issue, since even if Liu Xian remained within the Jin system, he would still be at odds with Wang Yan. After all, Sima Yue died at Liu Xian's hands, and his remaining followers would naturally be irreconcilable enemies with him.

As expected, when news of Liu Xian's declaration of himself as king reached Xuchang, Wang Yan immediately issued a proclamation to the entire realm. He denounced Liu Xian, saying that Liu Xian, having received favors from two dynasties, not only showed no gratitude but also harbored treacherous intentions and plotted rebellion, which was utterly shameless! The decline of the Han dynasty over the years could be considered the will of Heaven, and Liu Xian's actions were a perverse and perverse act! Even without him sending troops, the Han dynasty would suffer calamity and naturally collapse.

The implication is that Wang Yan is currently being tormented by Wang Mi, and Wang Dun and others are busy dealing with Zhang Fang in Jingzhou, leaving them no time to attend to Liu Xian. Aside from making vows and oaths, they have no means to target Liu Xian, let alone launch a proper offensive.

The Guanzhong forces to the north maintained a very ambiguous attitude. After Yan Ding reached an agreement with Zu Ti, Zu Ti planned to send Liu Xun, Fei Xiu, and others back to Shu so that Liu Xian's family could reunite. However, unexpectedly, Liu Xun and his party were detained by Yan Ding when they passed through Chang'an!

Then Yan Ding selected an old servant from the Anle Duke's mansion, the lame Lai Fu, and sent him south to Hanzhong to deliver a message to Liu Xian. Lai Fu was nearly seventy years old at this time, old and thin, and physically weak. He rode a mule and groped his way along the Baoxie Road for nearly a month before finally reaching Mianyang. Wei Jun hurriedly took him to Chengdu. When Liu Xian met Lai Fu, the old man was weathered and worn, short and thin, his body half-curled up, almost unrecognizable.

Originally, although the Western Expeditionary Army had nominally submitted to Wang Yan, it actually intended to remain self-sufficient. Faced with Liu Xian's establishment of a kingdom in the south, Yan Ding and his associates felt both troubled and fearful. Just then, they encountered Liu Xun and his group passing by, and were overjoyed. They immediately detained them as hostages, hoping that Liu Xian would hesitate to act rashly and maintain peace with Guanzhong.

Lai Fu said that the old Duke Anle was doing well in Chang'an, with no worries about food or clothing. However, his entire household was under house arrest within the city and was not allowed to leave, including the servants. The old Duke Anle also asked Lai Fu to convey a message that since Liu Xian had already established his own state, he should not worry about others but seize the opportunity to achieve great things. In this way, even if he died, he would be content.

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian first arranged a room for Lai Fu in the palace so he could rest properly. Then he wrote a reply to Liu Xun, instructing his father, uncle, and aunt to stay in Chang'an for the time being, as Shu had just emerged from a major war and the various prefectures were devastated; he wanted to recuperate properly. He indicated that once Chengdu was repaired, Liu Xian would use his own resources to bring his family back.

The letter was nominally addressed to Liu Xun, but Liu Xian knew that Yan Ding and others would definitely read it. Therefore, it was essentially a statement to the scholars of Guanzhong; given the current situation, attacking Guanzhong was not the most pressing issue, hence Liu Xian's willingness to convey a peaceful stance.

So Liu Xian wrote another letter to Yan Ding. In the letter, Liu Xian first thanked Yan Ding for his care, then recalled his past in the General Who Conquers the West Army, and highly praised Yan Ding and others for driving away Zhang Fang, calling it a merit comparable to that of Duke Shao. For this, he also selected a thousand bolts of newly produced Shu brocade as a reward for taking care of the elders, which was both a gesture of goodwill towards the scholars of Guanzhong and a way of boasting about his strength.

In their correspondence, both sides maintained a tacit understanding, never mentioning Liu Xian's claim to the throne.

In contrast, Zhang Gui of Liangzhou had a very clear stance. After Liu Xian sent Meng He to inform him of the matter, Zhang Gui summoned his staff and publicly criticized Liu Xian. He claimed that Liu Xian's actions were a deep betrayal of the emperor's favor, greatly disappointing him. Therefore, he demanded that Liu Xian immediately relinquish his title and return to serving the emperor, promising that he would remember their past relationship and plead for Liu Xian's life.

Although the criticism was blunt, Zhang Shi privately told Meng He that those words were only meant for outsiders. After all, Zhang Gui was the governor of Liangzhou appointed by the Jin court, and his control over the local area was still insufficient. It was impossible for him to directly recognize Liu Xian's Han China.

However, the two families remained allies, and Zhang Gui would provide all support beyond verbal promises. Therefore, Zhang Shi, under the guise of trade, secretly gifted Liu Xian a thousand horses as a congratulatory gift. Liu Xian, of course, understood and did not make demands, reciprocating with three thousand bolts of Shu brocade. Following this incident, both families sought to further their relationship. In early November, Zhang Gui's second son, Zhang Mao, visited Liu Xian. Upon learning that Liu Lang had turned twelve, he vaguely mentioned that he had a younger sister who was about to come of age but was not yet engaged. Liu Xian, understanding the implication, immediately stated that his eldest son also lacked a suitable match. The two families quickly reached an agreement and arranged the marriage on the spot.

Since entering Shu, Liu Xian's most troublesome military problem has been the supply of horses in Yizhou. Pack horses are relatively easy to find, but qualified warhorses are extremely scarce, and the casualty rate of warhorses is high. After the recapture of Chengdu, there are actually fewer than 6,000 warhorses in the country, and the cavalry has been reduced to about 3,000 men. Now, with Liangzhou as an external aid, at least for the time being, this problem is not a concern.

The attitudes of the three forces mentioned above were all within Liu Xian's expectations, but the statement of one force was something Liu Xian had not anticipated, and that was Liu Yuan of Bingzhou.

Even though the entire Guanzhong Plain was in between, Liu Yuan reacted immediately upon learning of Liu Xian's declaration of kingship. He had already moved the capital to Pingyang and specially invited Bu Xu, a renowned scholar from the Xiongnu in the rear, to come and offer his congratulations and propose an alliance.

Speaking of which, Bu Xu had a past with Liu Xian. Back when Liu Xian served as the magistrate of Xiayang, he invited many famous scholars from the surrounding area to a literary gathering, and Bu Xu was among those who attended. The two even had a detailed discussion about the gains and losses of studying history. In the blink of an eye, more than ten years have passed.

Many years have passed, and the situation in the world has changed dramatically, leaving both men deeply moved. After entering the Wudan Palace, Bu Xu first bowed deeply to Liu Xian, and then said, "Heaven has bestowed its mandate upon you, and our ancestors have protected you, which has led to this great upheaval in Your Highness and the restoration of the Han Dynasty. This is truly a blessing for all the people of the world!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian found it rather amusing. He asked, "When Master Bu speaks of this 'restoration,' am I the one who will lead this new era, or is it the Left Wise King?"

This is a very pointed question, since both families claim to be descendants of the Han dynasty, undoubtedly indicating a dispute over legitimacy. It is obvious that Liu Xian's claim to be a descendant of the Han dynasty is universally acknowledged and far more convincing than Liu Yuan's.

Bu Xu replied without changing his expression: "The Duke of Zhou and the Duke of Shao were both loyal to the Zhou dynasty, and Chengdu and Pingyang were naturally loyal to the Han dynasty. Therefore, our king also honors and remembers the former ruler and the latter ruler."

"Can the Xiongnu people also call themselves Han emperors?"

“Your Highness is mistaken!” Bu Xu sat up straight and raised his voice, “My Wang family has inherited the golden seal of the Prince of Dai conferred by Emperor Shizu. We are indeed Han Chinese. In terms of the closeness of our lineage, we are probably even closer to Your Highness.”

"Then why didn't you bring it out before?"

"It's nothing more than that, like Your Highness, we are in adversity and have no choice but to conceal our wings, humble ourselves and wait for the right time."

It must be said that Bu Xu's answer was neither humble nor arrogant, and quite perfect. He tried his best to portray Liu Yuan's magnanimity and also emphasized his shared Han imperial identity with Liu Xian, hoping to achieve an anti-Jin alliance and jointly restore the Han dynasty.

But Liu Xian persisted, continuing to press, "But no matter what, there can only be one King of Han in the world. How should I and Duke Yuanhai get along in the future?"

Bu Xu laughed and said, "What's so difficult about that? We are both Han Chinese, so why not address each other as brothers, and then follow the example of the Duke of Zhou and the Duke of Shao, dividing the land in Shaanxi and each ruling a region? Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Following Liu Yuan's pre-arranged plan, he quickly divided up their territories and slowly said:
"My king's intention is that after the rebellion against Jin, my king will occupy the nine provinces of Yong, Qin, Liang, Bing, Ji, Yan, You, Ping, and Qing, while Your Highness will occupy the nine provinces of Yi, Liang, Ning, Jing, Yang, Yu, Xu, Jiao, and Guang. Then, we will divide Sili Province equally, with Your Highness's capital in Luoyang and my king's capital in Chang'an. In this way, we can destroy Jin from both the north and south, jointly govern the world, and the rise of the Han dynasty will be just around the corner!"

At this point, Bu Xu raised his head, sizing up Liu Xian's expression. Seeing that the other party's face did not reveal his true intentions, he continued, "If Your Highness believes that there cannot be two suns in the sky or two kings on the land, and that after the destruction of Jin, we are all unaware of the Mandate of Heaven, then at worst, each ruler should cultivate his virtue and each minister should fulfill his loyalty. We can then raise the drums and start another war to determine the victor. But no matter what, the world still belongs to our Han Dynasty."

Bu Xu was extremely confident about this proposal. After all, the Jin dynasty still possessed considerable strength, and an alliance between the two families against Jin would be entirely beneficial. Just like the Sun and Liu families in the past, who had experienced countless conflicts but still maintained their alliance in the face of Cao Wei and the Sima clan.

Of course, most importantly, this process requires no sacrifice from Liu Xian. After the alliance is formed, the calls for the restoration of the Han dynasty will only grow louder, and Liu Xian will benefit from this.

Unexpectedly, Liu Xian burst into laughter upon hearing this. He ultimately refused, saying, "Lord Bu, I would have done the devastation of Jin without you having to tell me. But I have a flaw: I cannot deceive myself. A deer is a deer, and a horse is a horse. If we were to engage in such blatant misrepresentation, calling a deer a horse and claiming the Xiongnu as Han imperialists, wouldn't we be just like Zhao Gao? This is not a good thing, and I think it's unacceptable. I hope Lord Yuan Hai will also take this as a warning."

From a diplomatic standpoint, allying with Liu Yuan was certainly a good thing, in line with the principle of befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones. However, Liu Xian had to be aware that if he agreed to this, it would be tantamount to tacitly acknowledging Liu Yuan's claim to the Han dynasty, which was unacceptable.

Once this is understood, an alliance between the two sides becomes impossible.

What Liu Xian felt even more acutely was Liu Yuan's growing ambition in Guanzhong. Although the other side was currently conquering Hebei, its ultimate strategic goal was still Guanzhong. Perhaps the outbreak of conflict between the two sides was not as far off as Bu Xu imagined, nor did it have to wait until the division of the world into two. However, for now, whoever attacked Guanzhong first would, in effect, push the scholars of Guanzhong to the other side. From this perspective, the three parties would maintain this delicate peace for the time being.

Regardless, Liu Yuan's proactive diplomatic approach left a very deep impression on Liu Xian. He even tried to win over Liu Xian, not to mention the anti-Jin forces in Hebei. If he were to become the leader of the anti-Jin alliance, the collapse of the Jin dynasty would likely be faster than anticipated.

This gave Liu Xian a sense of urgency, and after seeing Bu Xu off, he focused his attention on preparations for the southern expedition to Ningzhou. (End of Chapter)