Jinting Han people

If the period from the first year of Tai'an to the second year of Qiming was a phase in which Liu Xian gradually emerged from his cage like a tiger and rose from the abyss like a dragon, then for Shi Le in Hebei, these seven years were somewhat complicated.

After participating in the campaign against Zhao, Shi Le officially joined the Northern Expeditionary Army and was fortunate enough to become the Commandant of Zhao, but he suffered discrimination because of his background. Furthermore, because of his past relationship with Liu Xian, he was consistently sidelined and not employed by Sima Ying.

But Shi Le was carefree by nature and enjoyed his freedom. He lived a peaceful and prosperous life in the State of Zhao, married and had children. The scholars looked down on him, so he used his official position to recruit bandits and heroes from the lower classes. As a result, in the following years, his career flourished, and he made a name for himself in Ji Province. The local people, because of his approachable nature and willingness to stand up for the weak, affectionately called him Commandant Hu.

This was a relatively pleasant period in Shi Le's life. He was not given important positions and thus missed the various struggles within the Northern Expeditionary Army, as well as the various defeats suffered by Lu Ji's army when it marched south. When Lu Zhi was defeated in Zhangnan and Zhang Fang's army marched north, the rest of the Northern Expeditionary Army scattered, while Shi Le and Ji Sang still had a considerable force under their command.

Thus, in this new era of great chaos in Ji Province, Shi Le was able to shine brightly.

The two sworn brothers agreed on a division of labor: Shi Le would lead his troops to harass Zhang Fang's flanks and supply lines, while Ji Sang would lead his troops to protect the Prince of Chengdu. Shi Le's achievements were beyond everyone's expectations. He used his connections to amass a force of tens of thousands in Hebei, even capturing the important city of Handan and threatening Ye City. As a result, Zhang Fang had to temporarily abandon his pursuit of Sima Ying and instead attack Shi Le first.

Although the battle ended in a crushing defeat, there is no doubt that Shi Le bought valuable time for the formation of the Hebei coalition. After his army besieged Ye City, Shi Le regrouped and cut off Zhang Fang's supply lines again, ultimately leading to Zhang Fang's defeat. As a result, Shi Le's prestige rose to a new level. Not only in Ji Province, but also in Bing Province, You Province, Yan Province, Qing Province, and even the Murong tribe in Ping Province, people heard that the Northern Expeditionary Army had produced a fearless Hu Commandant.

After this incident, Shi Le was appointed Prefect of Wei Commandery and General of Valiant Might, ranking only after Ji Sang, Sima Teng, and Wang Jun. Those noble families who had previously looked down on him were now inferior to him, and Shi Le was extremely pleased with himself. He had originally planned to undertake a great undertaking with Ji Sang, but he never dreamed that this would be the most glorious moment of his life.

As the saying goes, a tall tree catches the wind, and high power attracts jealousy. Ji Sang, a former bandit, suddenly rose to a high position; how could he not be resented? But Ji Sang didn't understand this principle and underestimated Sima Teng and others' determination to occupy Ye City, ultimately leading to his mysterious assassination. As his deputy, Shi Le also suffered a decline in power.

With Ji Sang's death, the troops the two had painstakingly assembled fell into the hands of others. Although some tried to recruit Shi Le, it was clear they looked down on his non-Han origins and had no intention of giving him important positions. Similarly, Shi Le disdained their self-righteousness and, in anger, left to join Liu Yuan.

At the outset of his departure, Shi Le was determined, both to avenge his sworn brother and to achieve great things. His years of experience in officialdom had already fueled his ambition; though he lacked a strong lust for power, his combative nature made him unwilling to be subservient to others. This time, he was determined to carve out his own path.

But fortunes were against him, and things didn't go as planned. In these past few years, Shi Le had indeed made some noise and won some battles. Coupled with his good reputation in Hebei, Liu Yuan valued him highly, even bestowing upon him the title of Prince of Pingjin. But Shi Le was not satisfied. While the title of Prince of Pingjin sounded prestigious, it didn't grant him any land; it was ultimately just an empty title. What Shi Le truly desired was undoubtedly a foothold in the world.

But there's the problem: Shi Le fought his way through Hebei for two or three years, and still, he didn't have a stable foothold.

It should be noted that Shi Le had everything he needed in Hebei: prestige, connections, army, and strategists, yet he was never able to establish a foothold there.

The reason is quite simple. Hebei was currently under the control of Wang Jun, and to gain a stable foothold there, Shi Le had to defeat Wang Jun's Xianbei cavalry. However, after several major battles, Shi Le simply couldn't do it.

As mentioned earlier, a few months ago, Shi Le suffered a crushing defeat at Feilong Mountain against the Tuoba Xianbei. Despite meticulous planning and prior ambush, Shi Le still suffered a major defeat. Moreover, he not only lost tens of thousands of soldiers, but also his two beloved generals, Kong Tun and Shi Yun, which was truly unacceptable to him.

It should be noted that Kong Tun was one of the "Eighteen Riders" who followed Shi Le as bandits in his early years. The two had gone through thick and thin together and had a very close friendship. Shi Yun, on the other hand, was an adopted son of Shi Le in the State of Zhao. He was only fifteen years old this year, handsome and kind-hearted, and Shi Le liked him very much. Unexpectedly, he was defeated and killed in a battle, and did not even have the opportunity to erect a monument for him. This made Shi Le very sad. Afterwards, he could only commemorate him with a cenotaph.

But that wasn't all. Afterwards, Shi Le deliberately avoided the sharp edge of the Kaiba Xianbei, shifting his campaign from Changshan to Hejian to test the waters. However, Wang Jun sent the Duan Xianbei, who fought another battle against Shi Le at Lecheng, resulting in yet another major defeat.

The Duan cavalry was as elite as the Tuoba Xianbei, and they also had many fierce generals under their command. In particular, Duan Mobo and Duan Wenyang appeared, clad in iron armor, like nine-foot-tall pagodas, impervious to swords and spears, and possessing immense strength. Dozens of Shi Le's generals went forward to block them, but more than half of them were killed. Then, the iron-clad cavalry of the Duan Xianbei charged again and again, and Shi Le had no choice but to flee. In this battle, Shi Le lost thousands of soldiers, as well as his fierce general Li Feng, and countless others who fled. He even lost most of his supplies and provisions.

After such a fierce battle, Shi Le was left with only a few thousand cavalrymen and had no choice but to flee back to his former stronghold, the State of Zhao. This region was nominally under the control of Wang Jun, who had stationed troops in various cities. However, Shi Le had considerable connections in the area and didn't need to enter any city; he could simply find a fortified village to stay in. Furthermore, local merchants who favored him provided him with supplies, thus alleviating his immediate food shortage and allowing him to survive the winter.

During his rest and recuperation, Shi Le couldn't help but sigh deeply. Although he was temporarily residing in the State of Zhao, he dared not stay long. After all, if he lingered too long, it might attract Wang Jun's attention, and if that led to another attack by the Tuoba Xianbei, how would he deal with it?

Shi Le felt trapped in a vicious cycle: first, he was defeated by the Xianbei; then he rallied, befriended heroes, and recruited refugees; next, he conquered cities and territories, defeating local garrisons—everything seemed promising. This attracted the attention of Wang Jun, only to be defeated again by the Xianbei reinforcements. Although Shi Le's performance improved with each defeat, when would this cycle ever end?

Especially when Shi Le heard that Liu Xian had already rebuilt Shu Han in the south, he became even more self-pitying.

One day, with nothing else to do, he led his men hunting in the fields. They happened upon a fawn, which he caught with a single arrow. Just as he was about to examine it, a large brown eagle suddenly swooped down, snatched the fawn in its talons, and soared into the sky. The rest of his followers, seeing this, prepared to shoot, but Shi Le waved them off. Watching the eagle's departing figure, he slowly said, "The eagle soars freely in the sky, yet suffers greatly from arrows. It is truly remarkable that it has grown to this size. Let it go!"

This incident deeply moved Shi Le, who recalled his experiences during this period: having fought countless battles and been covered in wounds, he had always been dependent on others. When would he be able to soar and spread his wings?
Thinking of this, as he continued his hunt, he couldn't help but complain to Diao Ying, "Chief Secretary, I have been rebelling against Jin for more than two years and fighting for almost ten years, yet I have not gained an inch of territory. Is there something I have done wrong? Is there anything I need to correct? Why have I suffered repeated defeats and ended up in this situation?"

Diao Ying was from Handan, of humble origin and short stature. His appearance—high cheekbones, broad face, dressed in military uniform, and carrying a feather fan—was somewhat incongruous. However, he was no ordinary poor scholar; he was bold and magnanimous, fond of swordsmanship and horsemanship, and skilled in befriending chivalrous warriors. Therefore, he possessed excellent martial arts skills, which suited Shi Le's temperament perfectly. The two met while fighting against Zhang Fang and immediately became close friends. From then on, Shi Le appointed him as the Right Chief Secretary of his staff, frequently consulting him on military strategy and major policies.

Recent setbacks had greatly discouraged Diao Ying. Just then, a wild dog ran past him, and he casually shot an arrow at it, but missed. However, Diao Ying was not impatient. He reined in his horse, slapped his thigh, and said, "General, I don't think you've made any major mistakes. Perhaps you've come to the wrong place or at the wrong time."

“Wrong location? What do you mean?” Shi Le also stopped, stroking the horse’s mane with one hand while searching for prey in all directions.

“General, we have an auspicious creature in the Central Plains called the Qilin.” Diao Ying knew that Shi Le was illiterate and unaware of its origins, so he explained in great detail: “This Qilin has a strange appearance, with the tail of an ox, the hooves of a horse, the body of a deer, and a fleshy horn on its head. It is said that the Qilin has a divine power, and when it appears, it can bring good weather and abundant harvests to the world.”

"Oh? There are such mythical beasts?" Shi Le laughed. "Has anyone in history ever captured one?"

"Of course we've caught them," Diao Ying sighed. "During the Spring and Autumn Period, the Shusun clan of the State of Lu captured a Qilin. Because they didn't recognize it as an auspicious creature, they accidentally injured the mythical beast. When Confucius arrived, the Qilin was already on its last legs, barely clinging to life." This turn of events greatly surprised Shi Le, who exclaimed in astonishment, "Mythical beasts can die?"

“General, nothing in this world is immortal.” Diao Ying continued, “The Master then lamented: ‘In the times of Tang and Yu, the unicorn and phoenix roamed freely; now is not their time, what do they seek? O unicorn! O unicorn! My heart is filled with sorrow.’”

"What Confucius meant was that the Qilin, as a divine beast, should have been active during the time of Yao and Shun. Why did it appear in a chaotic world at this time? The timing was wrong, the place was wrong, and as a result, this dignified divine beast was killed by treacherous officials. After lamenting this, Confucius stopped writing and teaching, and soon died in depression."

“General, even a mythical beast like the Qilin, if born at the wrong time, can be killed by hunters. Even a genius as extraordinary as Confucius was rejected by the king, let alone you, General. You have no need to blame yourself.”

Although Diao Ying's words were somewhat convoluted, Shi Le was incredibly intelligent and understood immediately. He put away his bow and arrows and smiled at Diao Ying, saying, "I understand your profound truth that times make heroes. Do you mean that the times here are not favorable for me, and that I should move to another place, wait for the right opportunity, start over, and then build my foundation again?"

Seeing that his lord understood immediately, Diao Ying nodded repeatedly, stroking his sparse beard, and said approvingly, "Indeed!"

He then elaborated on his point of view, saying, "General, the times create heroes, and heroes also create the times. If Emperor Gaozu of Han had stayed in Pei County, would he have been able to defeat Xiang Yu? If Emperor Guangwu had not fled Handan, would he have been able to defeat Wang Lang? Those who aspire to great things should know how to temporarily avoid the limelight."

"In my opinion, the six Xianbei tribes have been fighting each other for decades, which is why they have become such a powerful army. Even if Liu Xian were here, he might not be able to defeat them. So why should we stay in Hebei and waste our time fighting them? We should head south! Once we have grown stronger, we can fight back!"

"Going south?" Shi Le found this intriguing. He lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then turned to stare intently at Diao Ying and asked, "Where are you going south, by that?"

"General," Diao Ying said, "I believe that given the current situation, we should take Jiangdong!" He had been pondering this for a long time, but hadn't found a suitable opportunity to express his thoughts. Seeing Shi Le's interested expression, he quickly said:
"In the past, the world was divided into three: Cao Cao dominated Yanzhou, Liu Bei rose to power in Yizhou, and the Sun family prospered in Yangzhou. These were the foundations of kingship and hegemony! Now, Wang Yan occupies Yanzhou, Liu Xian occupies Yizhou, and only Yangzhou remains without a ruler. Although there were Liu Zhun, Shi Bing, and Chen Min before, they all rose and fell quickly, showing that the Jin dynasty was not popular. The heroes of Jiangzuo are eagerly awaiting a capable ruler. With your unparalleled martial prowess, General, sweeping across Huainan and subjugating the Three Wu regions, is this not an easy task?"

"Once you establish your career in Jiangdong, contend with Liu Xian for control of Mian and Han, and unify Jiangnan, then march north. By then, you will have a million soldiers under your command. No matter how capable the Xianbei are, they can only occupy a small corner of the land. How can they possibly resist you? General, time is of the essence. If you do not march south now and allow others to take Yangzhou, you will be at the mercy of others for the rest of your life, with no way to realize your ambitions!"

Diao Ying's impassioned analysis immediately stirred Shi Le's heroic spirit. "Yes! Why not go to Jiangdong?"

Shi Le, after careful consideration, found Diao Ying's words increasingly reasonable, and a surge of heroic spirit welled up within him. If one path was blocked, there was no need to fight a losing battle; a detour could be taken. Since he couldn't defeat the Xianbei right now, there was no need to fight Wang Jun to the death. Besides, he was tired of Hebei and had long wanted to see other places. While in Luoyang, he had heard that Jiangdong was beautiful and prosperous; wouldn't it be wonderful to broaden his horizons by visiting Jiangnan?

With this in mind, Shi Le made up his mind and immediately rode back to the fortified village, intending to inform his staff and soldiers to pack their belongings and prepare to head south. However, Shi Le also considered that before this, he was still Liu Yuan's subject and could not leave without saying goodbye. He also had to maintain the relationship between the two sides, so he ordered the Junzi Camp to write a farewell letter to Liu Yuan.

The so-called "Gentlemen's Camp" was a staff of advisors assembled by Shi Le from scholars in Hebei, at the suggestion of Diao Ying. Although Shi Le was a monarch, he was illiterate, let alone able to write. Therefore, he greatly respected scholars with genuine talent and learning, and wherever he went, he would recruit local notables. After two years of development, the Gentlemen's Camp had grown to a hundred people, primarily responsible for two tasks: assisting Shi Le with paperwork and government affairs, and lecturing to him on history and literature.

Shi Le needed to write a letter to Liu Yuan, but he couldn't write it himself, so he commissioned someone from the Gentlemen's Camp to write it for him. Shi Le thought carefully about who in the Gentlemen's Camp had the best writing skills, and a slender figure came to mind. He then ordered, "Summon that newcomer, Zhang Mengsun."

Before long, a distinguished middle-aged scholar entered the house and bowed respectfully to Shi Le. This man was dressed in a light blue Confucian robe, with a long sword at his waist and a long crown on his head. He was elegant and refined, quite out of place compared to the unrestrained Shi Le who accompanied him.

This person was Zhang Bin from Zhongqiu.

Zhang Bin joined the Gentlemen's Camp only three months ago. Because of his outstanding appearance and excellent writing skills, he quickly attracted Shi Le's attention. However, after joining the Gentlemen's Camp, he rarely expressed his opinions, but did his work meticulously. He made no contributions and seemed to have no strategy. Shi Le did not want to give him an important position, so he had him write documents for him.

At this moment, only Shi Le and Zhang Bin were in the room. Unexpectedly, when Zhang Bin ground the ink and picked up the brush, and Shi Le dictated the contents of the letter, Zhang Bin listened for a moment, but instead of writing, he asked Shi Le with a serious expression, which was very unusual for him: "Who came up with such a bad idea as to send the general south? Isn't this a waste of time?"

Shi Le was taken aback. In his memory, Zhang Bin was always obedient, but now he was behaving completely out of character. This greatly piqued Shi Le's interest. He sat cross-legged and asked with a smile, "Oh? Does Lord Zhang also know strategy? I think this is a good idea! Tell me, how is this a bad strategy?"

Zhang Bin put down his pen and ink, sat up straight, and said, "I am not very talented, but may I ask the general if he is familiar with the geography of Jiangzuo?"

Shi Le scratched his head and honestly replied, "I don't know."

"Jiangnan is experiencing torrential rain and extreme heat. Can the general withstand the heat and the risk of disease?"

Although Shi Le was unfamiliar with the weather in Jiangnan, he had been to Luoyang and disliked its damp climate. From this, he deduced that Shi Le would also dislike Jiangnan. So he shook his head repeatedly and said, "I can't stand it."

"The south is covered by a network of waterways, and a naval force is needed for warfare. Is the general skilled in naval warfare?"

This made Shi Le even more embarrassed. The two looked at each other in the room, but still replied, "It doesn't work."

At this point in the question-and-answer session, although Zhang Bin still had many questions left to ask, Shi Le had already figured it out and there was no need to say more. The Hu man, realizing he had embarrassed himself in front of Zhang Bin, wasn't angry. After staring at Zhang Bin for a few moments, he suddenly burst into laughter, slamming his hand on the table and frankly admitting, "I was truly confused by the Xianbei people! Mr. Zhang is right! What was I doing running off to Jiangzuo when I knew no one?! Wasn't that just asking for trouble?"

After laughing, Shi Le immediately changed his expression, grabbed Zhang Bin's hand, knelt before him, and earnestly asked, "Sir, your few words have hit the nail on the head! You must be a man of great wisdom. I, a humble man, aspire to great things. I wonder if you could offer me guidance and show me a way out!" (End of Chapter)