Jinting Han people

Lu Zhichu had just arrived, and Liu Xian had not even met him yet, but Liu Xian had already shown him such great courtesy, which undoubtedly displeased the Chengdu court.

After all, Liu Xian's subordinates were mostly from humble backgrounds and military families, and had fought alongside Liu Xian for many years. They valued courage and bravery most of all, and despised those from prestigious families. Lu Zhi, as the foremost scholar in Hebei, had suffered a crushing defeat and was now all alone. He could barely stand on equal footing with the others, so why should he be considered superior? Even though he was once renowned throughout the land and known as the crown jewel of the North, he was not immune to criticism.

On their way north to greet him, Guo Mo, Liu Yi, Yan Yi, Wei Bo, and others were indignant and privately discussed, "We risked our lives, braving arrows and blades, to earn a little merit. Are we really inferior to a mere scholar who dabbles in literature?"

Even more unusually, Zhang Gu also spoke out against it, saying, "Your Highness, I think Lu Zhi is overrated. What kind of power did the Prince of Chengdu have before? He dominated Hebei, with a million soldiers and armor, and no one in the world could compare to him. Yet he ended up like this. As the chief strategist, can Lu Zhi say that he is without fault? Your high regard for him is probably not convincing."

Zhang Gu's words were not without merit, but that was precisely why Liu Xian held Lu Zhi in such high regard.

The formidable prestige of the Northern Expeditionary Army in previous years was ultimately built by Lu Zhi himself.

Liu Xian witnessed firsthand how disorganized the Northern Expeditionary Army was and how weak its generals were during the campaign against Zhao. He had a deep understanding of this firsthand. People like Qian Xiu and Zhao Xiang, mostly from prestigious families, harbored their own ambitions and were only interested in gaining fame and fortune. It was already remarkable that Lu Zhi, without Sima Ying's unwavering support, could maintain his resolve and gather this group together, let alone win any battles.

After the campaign against Zhao, although it was a joint effort by the three kings against the Zhao army, Lu Zhi's suggestion to first resign and withdraw the troops was a stroke of genius. Although Qi King Sima Jiong was a founding hero of the uprising, it was Chengdu King Sima Ying who ultimately gained prestige. Whoever was in Luoyang had to acknowledge Sima Ying as a wise king and consult him on major policies. If Sima Ying had truly been a wise king, he would have retreated to Ye City at that time, reorganized his army, and spent several years in military preparedness; the empire would likely have been pacified by then. The reason he fell to this state was simply because he was utterly incapable of achieving anything significant.

Now that Lu Zhi has entered Sichuan, the criticisms leveled against him within the country are of two kinds: one is that he comes from a high-ranking family and is ridiculed for not knowing the hardships of ordinary people; the other is that he lacks the ability to lead troops and cannot lead them to victory.

Liu Xian knew the former was nonsense; the Lu family of Fanyang valued practical matters over abstract theories, and Lu Zhi hadn't risen to his high position through flattery. As for the latter, there might be some truth to it; after all, while Lu Zhi had won some battles, he had also suffered heavy losses in recent years. There might be various reasons, but defeat is defeat, and others wouldn't care too much.

Does Liu Xian really need someone to teach him how to fight?
He already has a considerable number of generals under his command, and many strategists and advisors around him who can offer advice and strategies. With them, victory is within his grasp. If he encounters a truly formidable enemy, Liu Xian can personally lead the charge; even if he doesn't win, he won't suffer a crushing defeat. However, securing his rule over the realm isn't something that can be achieved simply by being willing to fight to the death. Especially after establishing a country, Liu Xian has gained a profound understanding of the complexities of governance.

The talents he urgently needs now are mainly of two types. The first is talents who can help him manage the political affairs in the rear. As it stands, the current bureaucrats can indeed maintain the normal operation of the court, but they are clearly stretched thin. The second is talents who can help him plan and implement strategies. Li Feng is half of one. He has insight and can formulate strategies, but implementing strategies is a long-term matter. Li Feng is too self-centered and cannot help him implement them.

And these are precisely the things that Lu Zhi excels at.

When confronting Zhang Fang, all factions in Hebei supported Sima Ying in organizing the coalition, and afterwards dared not let him stay in Ye City. These decisions are enough to show that, in the eyes of others, the civil administration during Sima Ying's rule was extremely successful, and this was all thanks to Lu Zhi.

Lu Zhi's strategic acumen is beyond question. As mentioned earlier, Lu Zhi single-handedly created the strategic advantage of the Northern Expeditionary Army, and even with Sima Ying's repeated defiance, success was still possible, demonstrating his foresight. His subsequent support for Liu Xian's entry into Shu, hoping to use him to restrain the Western Expeditionary Army, was also a highly successful strategy.

What's even more remarkable is that Lu Zhi, coming from a prominent family in Hebei, has an extremely wide network of connections. He's adept at winning people over and manipulating public opinion, while also being highly principled and trustworthy. Among all the people Liu Xian has worked with, no one complements him better than Lu Zhi. This is probably what true harmony between fish and water looks like.

Therefore, Liu Xian attached great importance to Lu Zhi's arrival. He personally went dozens of miles outside the city to welcome Lu Zhi, hoping to make a good impression on him so that they could cooperate seamlessly in the future.

Similarly, Lu Zhi also brought Liu Xian a great gift. He brought Liu Xian's family, who were stranded in Guanzhong, to Bashu as well!
It turned out that Lu Zhi's year in Guanzhong had not been wasted. He knew the importance of Guanzhong in the chaotic times, and since the powerful clans of Guanzhong intended to remain neutral and defend themselves, he wanted to first secure a favorable diplomatic situation for Liu Xian.

During this period, he moved around Chang'an. He first used his status as a famous scholar from Hebei to hold a Confucian gathering in Chang'an, thereby making friends with scholars from Guanzhong and discussing Confucian classics with them.

At first, the scholars of Guanzhong didn't pay much attention, thinking that Lu Zhi was just passing the time in Chang'an. Unexpectedly, Lu Zhi won seven consecutive debates on the classics without a single defeat, achieving a resounding victory. This was quite a surprise. The scholars of Guanzhong always liked to compare themselves with those of Hebei, always striving to outdo each other. Now that Lu Zhi had gained such prominence, how could the other scholars tolerate it? Therefore, prominent figures from Guanzhong such as Liang Zong, Wang Pi, and Qu Yun all came to meet with Lu Zhi, determined to curb his arrogance.

Lu Zhi came from a family with a long tradition of scholarship and had become famous in Luoyang at a young age. He was not only skilled in metaphysical discussions but also knowledgeable in classics, history, literature, yin and yang, and geography. Especially after Lu Ji replaced Lu Zhi in Ye City, Lu Zhi honed his eloquence, drawing on a wide range of sources and discussing ancient and modern times. These valiant men from Guanzhong were not like Wang Yan, who spent his days engaging in philosophical discussions. How could they be a match for Lu Zhi? In the end, they were defeated one by one.

As a result, Lu Zhi's reputation soared in Chang'an, earning him the title of "the hidden gem of Beihai." Lu Zhi used this opportunity to infiltrate the Guanzhong literati and make many friends from the Guanzhong region. Later, he established connections with the Jia brothers and finally met Yan Ding. When he met Yan Ding, he no longer discussed metaphysics but instead focused on strategies for benevolent rule and hegemony, which suited Yan Ding perfectly. The two hit it off immediately and became close friends.

After Lu Zhi became acquainted with Yan Ding, he analyzed the current situation for Yan Ding, believing that although Guanzhong was a strategically important location, it was also surrounded by powerful enemies. To the north was Liu Yuan, to the west Zhang Gui, to the south Liu Xian, and to the east Wang Yan; thus, they were surrounded by enemies on all sides, making it virtually impossible to defend against them. He suggested that it would be better to choose a benevolent ruler to follow, thus avoiding widespread bloodshed.

At this moment, who else could Lu Zhi be referring to as the benevolent ruler? Yan Ding then realized that Lu Zhi was acting as an intermediary for Liu Xian! But he was not dissatisfied; instead, he frankly explained his views to Lu Zhi.

Although Yan Ding is now the ruler of Guanzhong, he differs from other forces. He is neither a member of the Sima clan nor possesses sufficient military merit; he is, in reality, the leader of the powerful clans of Guanzhong. He cannot act unilaterally; decisions must be made through collective discussion. The result of this collective discussion is to maintain independence and remain self-reliant.

It should be understood that since the Cao Wei dynasty occupied Guanzhong, it had always been the front line of conflict between Cao Wei and Shu Han. Even after the Sima clan replaced Wei and destroyed Shu, the situation did not improve. There was the Tuoba Shujineng Rebellion before, and the Qi Wannian Rebellion after. After years of war, the scholars of Guanzhong suffered continuous losses but did not gain much practical benefit. Therefore, they supported Sima Yong's ambition to expand his influence in the court.

Sima Yong's eastward advance proved ineffective, so Yan Ding, in alliance with other aristocratic families, replaced him with Zhang Fang. However, Zhang Fang also suffered a crushing defeat. After these successive failures, the Guanzhong scholars completely lost faith in the struggle for supremacy, which is why they expelled Zhang Fang and simply wanted to live their own lives in seclusion.

Therefore, Yan Ding made it clear to Lu Zhi that Guanzhong and Longxi would not side with either side until the overall situation became clear. However, the situation was always changing rapidly. By July, Liu Xian in the south had pacified Nanzhong, and Liu Yuan in the north had subjugated Shuofang, which greatly worsened the situation in Guanzhong. At this time, Liu Yuan sent his close advisor Chen Yuanda to recruit Yan Ding, and Yan Ding's expression immediately changed. Caught between Liu Yuan and Liu Xian, he was truly in a dilemma. After weighing his options, he had Lu Zhi and Chen Yuanda debate, stating that he would ally with whoever could refute the other.

Needless to say, Chen Yuanda undoubtedly has the advantage over Chen Yuanda.

After all, Chen Yuanda had favorable terms. According to Liu Yuan's intentions, if Guanzhong surrendered, he could be granted official titles and promises on a large scale. People like Yan Ding were even promised the title of Prince of Bohai, no different from other members of the imperial clan. Lu Zhi, on the other hand, hadn't even met Liu Xian, let alone had the right to offer any terms. In a world of fleeting pleasures, profit is the driving force. Given this comparison, Lu Zhi's defeat was almost certain.

As a result, Lu Zhi only needed three questions to leave Chen Yuanda speechless.

He asked Yan Ding incisively, "Barbarians are most fickle; can their words be trusted? Moreover, Liu Yuan is old; can he last long? He has many sons; who can succeed him?"

These words were like the sun breaking through the clouds, revealing the truth, and made Yan Ding make up his mind. He rejected Liu Yuan's offer of recruitment and instead extended an olive branch to Liu Xian. On Lu Zhi's advice, he released all the relatives of the Duke of Anle's family except for Liu Xun, including Liu Xian's aunt Fei Xiu, aunt Wang Zhi, uncle Liu Zan, and uncle Liu Qian. He also stated that if Liu Xian agreed to the alliance, Guanzhong would offer 10,000 bolts of silk and 3,000 fine horses annually, in exchange for joint resistance against Liu Yuan.

This was undoubtedly a great gift. The alliance with Guanzhong went without saying, but the fact that the King of Han could now reunite with his family was truly remarkable. Previously, Liu Xian had led his relatives away from Luoyang with the resolve of never seeing them again, yet three years later, they were reunited. Upon seeing their loved ones, Liu Xuan and other relatives immediately embraced their parents' legs, weeping bitterly. Their emotions were so moving that even the guards and onlookers shed tears, and even Liu Xian himself was slightly overwhelmed with emotion.

Liu Xian held his aunt Fei Xiu's hand tightly in public, reluctant to let go. For Liu Xian, after his mother Zhang Ximiao's death, his aunt Fei Xiu was no different from his mother. Now over sixty years old, after several years apart and the constant travel, her face had aged considerably, and her already thin frame was now as slender as a willow. But her eyes remained as kind as ever, and upon seeing Liu Xian, she was so happy she couldn't speak for a long time.

It wasn't until Liu Lang bowed to her that Fei Xiu came to her senses and looked at the young man in surprise. After all, this was the first time Fei Xiu had seen Liu Lang in all the years since he was born.

Afterwards, a group of people, escorted by horsemen and accompanied by musicians and drums, returned to Chengdu in a grand procession. They were then invited to the Wudan Palace for a large banquet that day. Fei Xiu and the others stayed in the palace, many overwhelmed with emotion, some weeping uncontrollably. After the meal, they all went to the Zhaolie Temple in the south of the city to pay respects to their ancestors. The banquet continued until the evening of the following day, when only a few people had left, finally giving Liu Xian time to be alone with Lu Zhi.

It was already quite quiet at night, and Lu Zhi wanted to rest first, but Liu Xian stopped him at the last minute, and then the two of them took a walk in the bamboo forest of the orange and pomelo orchard.

After two days of excitement, the bamboo forest became exceptionally quiet. Apart from the guards at the entrance, only the two of them were inside. A cold wind blew overhead, and the moonlight on the ground was like frost. The only other sounds were their footsteps.

Liu Xian smiled at Lu Zhi and said, "Zidao, it's like a dream. I've been waiting for you for over a year, and I thought you would never come back."

Lu Zhi felt somewhat ashamed. He looked down at the footprints on the ground and sighed, "The King of Han really thinks too highly of me. Lu Zhi is a man who deserves to die. If I hadn't still had a sliver of a desire to live, I wouldn't have come here. I only hope that the King of Han won't think that Lu Zhi is useless. That would be enough to comfort me."

As they talked, both of them recalled their first meeting in Ye City a few years ago. At that time, Lu Zhi was in charge of the Ye Palace, so full of vigor and ambition, while Liu Xian was forced out of Luoyang in a sorry state by Sun Xiu and was living under someone else's roof. Now the situation has been reversed, which truly shows how unpredictable life can be.

But Liu Xian wasn't about to let Lu Zhi come and say discouraging things. He immediately composed himself and solemnly said to Lu Zhi, "Why belittle yourself, Zidao? As the sage said, 'Heaven's movement is ever vigorous; so should a gentleman constantly strive for self-improvement!' Who in this world hasn't experienced setbacks and low points? As long as you keep your spirits up, Heaven will help those who help themselves! I've been waiting for you for a thousand days, entrusting you with the great affairs of the nation! Now that you've come, can you take on this responsibility?!"

His words were forceful and resounding. Lu Zhi looked up and met Liu Xian's piercing gaze, its brilliance undiminished even in the darkness. For a moment, Lu Zhi felt a sense of disorientation, as if transported back to their first encounter in Ye City six years ago. No one in this world is immortal, yet the King of Han's eyes remained as bright as ever. This made Lu Zhi transcend the years, recalling his own youthful exuberance.

Upon thinking of this, Lu Zhi's sorrow gradually subsided. After a long silence, Lu Zhi knelt on one knee, cupped his hands, and replied, "To fulfill the ambitions of the King of Han, how could Lu Zhi not devote himself wholeheartedly!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian was overjoyed. He quickly helped Lu Zhi up and said with a smile, "I know your ambition well, Zidao. I am willing to run alongside you in the Central Plains, wipe out the bandits, restore peace to the world, and let all people live and thrive."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two exchanged a smile, feeling a deep mutual appreciation. Without further ado, Liu Xian immediately began to tell Lu Zhi about his recent troubles. Hearing that Lu Zhi was coming, he decided to temporarily set aside his plan to declare himself emperor and discuss it with Lu Zhi before making a decision.

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhi quickly nodded and said, "Your Highness is right. Declaring yourself emperor at this time is definitely not the best course of action."

Liu Xian asked, "But what can be done about the will of the people?"

Lu Zhi immediately spoke eloquently: "Your Highness, the so-called popular will is not fixed. Truth and falsehood are mixed, sometimes changing in the morning and sometimes in the evening. As for the best and worst strategies, without even debating them, how can one talk about superiority or inferiority based solely on conjecture?"

"So, Zidao is willing to defend me?"

Lu Zhi smiled and replied, "I am willing to try it for Your Highness." (End of Chapter)