Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 187 The Bandit Leader Will Not Be Pardoned
The banquet in Zhuoxian was actually very simple.

There are only fifteen tables in total.

This isn't a wedding or funeral where eight people sit at a table; these days, the banquet is one person per table.

Liu Bei sat at the main table, along with thirteen bandit groups from Taihang Mountain, making a total of fourteen tables.

The seat to Liu Bei's left, the seat for the main guest, was empty; there was no one there, only a silk scroll.

There was no one else in the banquet hall except for the maids warming the wine, the various bandits from Taihang Mountain, and Liu Bei's family members who were acting as musicians.

Zuo Yuan was beating a drum, Bian Bing was playing the xun (a type of ancient Chinese wind instrument), and Bian Ji was playing the zither. The three of them sang together.

"He went out the east gate, not caring about returning."

"Upon entering the gate, I felt a deep sadness and sorrow."

"There is no rice stored in the jar, and no clothes hanging on the shelf."

"I drew my sword and went to the east gate, but my mother and children at home clung to my clothes, weeping..."

"His family only desires wealth and status, while I share meager meals with you. We rely on the mighty Heaven above, and this young child below. But that's not how it is!"

This is the famous Yuefu song "Leaving the East Gate". This song belongs to the Xianghe song, which is an accompanied song with drums and string instruments in harmony. It is a popular song of this era.

Bian Ji sang the female part of the song, depicting a scene that...

The world was hard, and survival was impossible. The husband was about to draw his sword and go into the mountains to become a bandit. His wife at home grabbed his clothes and said, "Others hope for wealth and status, but I'd rather eat chaff and drink porridge with you. Heaven (the imperial court) is watching over us, and we have young children to raise. It's wrong for you to risk your life and face punishment like this..."

"Hmph! Fine! I'm leaving now! It's hard to stay here for long with white hair!"

This line was sung by Bian Bing.

This is what the husband says to his wife in the song: "Don't worry about it! I have to go! I've realized it too late! We both have gray hair and are falling out. How many more days can we endure this?"

This song is a true reflection of the bandits in Taihang.

Who is born wanting to be a thief...?

Which bandit hasn't encountered similar words before leaving home?
Bian Ji and Bian Bing were both top singers of their time. The siblings sang casually and in low voices, but their lyrics were powerful and their rhythm was captivating, leaving a lasting impression.

The song deeply moved all thirteen of the leaders present, and even after the song ended, a sense of melancholy lingered in the hall.

"Have you ever caused your parents, wives, and children any worry during your years in the mountains?"

At this moment, Liu Bei stood up and said, "If you have such worries, then drink a full cup to thank your family for their troubles."

After saying this, he picked up the wine cup and drank it himself, then turned back and bowed to Zuo Yuan Bian Ji.

All the bandits of Taihang stood up and drank heartily.

“You are all good men by nature, but you have committed evil deeds because of the cruelty of Heaven and Earth, all for the sake of survival… I was once a thief myself, and I am no different from you.”

Liu Bei cupped his hands in greeting to the bandits of Taihang: "But I know very well that bandits have never met a good end! Everyone must die. What will happen to our wives and children when we die bearing the name of bandits?"

The room was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop.

"Emperors can be succeeded by their sons after their fathers die, and generals and ministers can protect their descendants, but... how can the son of a thief inherit wealth and power?!"

Liu Bei continued, "I have found a direct path to heaven for you all. You may be appointed by imperial decree to become generals in the emperor's personal guard, and from then on, you may become officials of the Han Dynasty, and even protect your descendants to become marquises... Are you all willing to follow this path?"

"It is my wish, but I dare not ask... However... Commander Liu, the Emperor's edict was surely not obtained for nothing. I wonder what the Commander needs us to do?"

Finally, someone answered; it was Wang Zheng who spoke.

"Just join me in defeating the Xianbei and driving out the barbarian invaders... Those who have rendered meritorious service to the people will be generals! Is this fair?"

Liu Bei smiled and looked around at the bandit leaders: "If any of you dare not kill the barbarians and only want to plunder the Han people's wealth, you may leave now..."

Of course, no one left their seats. Even if someone didn't want to kill Hu, they wouldn't act like a fool in this situation.

"If it is to kill the Hu, then it is our duty, but... I wonder how the Commander-in-Chief intends to deal with the Left Alliance Leader?"

The Taihang bandits asked about Zuo Zi.

"Left mustache? Haha...that depends on how you treat him."

Liu Bei laughed loudly and said bluntly, "If you were officials, you would decide what to do with Zuo Zi! If you are thieves, then why should Zuo Zi decide what to do with you... Don't you know why Zuo Zi wants to kill me?"

Why kill Liu Bei?

It was because Zuo Zi didn't want to be restrained by Liu Bei, didn't want to be controlled by Liu Bei, and didn't want Liu Bei to decide his future... In fact, all the Taihang bandits had this mentality.

"The Left Alliance Leader and I are like brothers..."

The bandit from Taihang Mountain remained silent for a moment before speaking hesitantly.

"You may not know this, but Zhang Yan of Heishan is currently leading his army towards Xihe..."

“Bei Ke did not ask you to submit to me. You only need to unite with the Black Mountain army. The late leader Zhang Niujiao was the elder of Taihang. Zhang Yan followed in his father’s footsteps. He is your brother. Is there any injustice in this?”

Liu Bei sat down and beckoned: "This is Zhang Yan's petition to the court requesting to fight the Xianbei. If you are willing to serve as officials, you can attach your names and fingerprints; if you are not willing, you can leave this place, and I will not harm you."

Bian Bing stood up, picked up the silk scroll from the guest of honor's seat, unfolded it, and walked into the hall.

This letter of request to join the fight was indeed written by Zhang Yan; in fact, it was also a pledge of allegiance.

When Liu Bei attended Zhang Niujiao's funeral, he elevated Zhang Yan to a higher generation and also made Zhang Niujiao the elder of all the Taihang and Heishan bandits—Zhang Yan was the common leader of the Taihang Mountains in the north and south. Abandoning Zuo Zi to join Liu Bei might be considered unjust, but joining Zhang Yan was the right thing to do.

Everyone knows Zhang Yan's trip to Xihe wasn't for tourism...

If they didn't sign the pledge of allegiance, Liu Bei certainly wouldn't harm them, but it's hard to say what Zhang Yan would do.

"If it's to be done with Black Mountain, then there's nothing wrong with it. However, Commander Liu, there's something I don't understand..."

Wang Zheng rose again and asked, "If we unite with Black Mountain and receive the imperial edict, it would indeed be like a new life for us. But this would not benefit Commander Liu; it would place him under Zhang Yan's command... and might even put him under our command..."

"That's true... but when did I ever say I wanted to be above you?"

Liu Bei laughed sarcastically: "When have I ever restrained you? When have I ever forced you? When have I ever sent you to your deaths?"

"I settled your families and provided you with food, all I wanted was for you to have a safe place to live a good life. I didn't even restrain your families, and when did I ever say I wanted to be above you?"

"If I wanted to be a high-ranking official, I would have sold you all out long ago! Would I have waited until today?"

"Who wants to remain above you forever? Haven't you seen it yet?"

Liu Bei burst into laughter again as he spoke: "After I left Xihe, who held your families hostage there? Ha... Brotherhood? Hahaha..."

"The Governor is benevolent and kind. I, Wang, am willing to follow in the footsteps of Governor Liu and look to his lead!"

Wang Zheng drew his sword half an inch, cut his thumb open with the blade, and used the blood to imprint his fingerprint on the silk scroll. He then knelt down and asked, "Would the Commander-in-Chief forgive my crime?"

“From now on you will be a general of Black Mountain, a subordinate of General Flying Swallow, and you will soon have merit to serve the people. What crime have you committed? Even if you have committed a crime, I cannot make things difficult for you.”

Liu Bei nodded and smiled at Wang Zheng, then turned to the others: "Gentlemen, it's time for you to make the decision."

……

Meanwhile, in the West River.

Zhang Yan had led two thousand cavalrymen to the Xihe Bridge at lightning speed.

This was just the vanguard; the main force was still in the Zhongshan area.

But in fact, a vanguard force would be enough... Zuo Zi had attended Zhang Niujiao's funeral and was well aware of the strength of the Black Mountain forces; he was unwilling to fight Zhang Yan.

Zhang Yan's current strength is actually greater than when Zhang Niujiao was alive.

Liu Bei instructed Zhang Yan to cultivate a diverse workforce in Heishan, including scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. He also worked with Zhang Yan to collect protection fees, leading to a rapid expansion of Heishan's power.

Most of the bandits from Hebei also fled to Heishan, which now has a population of 500,000—the neighboring state of Bingzhou had only that many people at the time.

"Has Fei Yan led his army here to annex my Northern Taihang Mountains?"

Although Zuo Zi was unwilling to fight, he was not cowardly. He even rode across the bridge alone to ask Zhang Yan a question face to face.

"Northern Taihang? Isn't Xihe Brother's territory?"

Zhang Yan also rode forward alone, a mocking look on his face: "Now that the Xianbei have invaded, I have come to take the grain from Xihe to drive out the Xianbei... Brother Zuo Zi, have you also come for this reason?"

Left Beard was speechless, unsure how to answer.

Zhang Yan asked again, "Why don't you speak? Zuo Zi, I want to lead the heroes of Taihang to the northern frontier to kill the barbarians and make meritorious contributions. Would you like to go with me?"

"To gain merit by killing barbarians? Hmph... When did Chu Feiyan become a lackey of the imperial court?"

Zuo Zi, of course, did not believe that Zhang Yan was truly motivated by a desire to kill the Hu people...

But Zhang Yan was truly determined to kill the Hu. Seeing Zuo Zi's disdain and his claim that he was Chu Feiyan, Zhang Yan's eyes flashed with cold light. He pointed his spear at Liu Bei's manor: "So your righteousness in the Northern Taihang Mountains is nothing more than seizing friends' houses and robbing them of their wealth... Zuo Zi, I'll ask you one more time, are you willing to obey my orders and go north to drive out the Hu?!"

Left Beard's face turned ashen: "You brat... why should I obey your orders? Have you defected to the imperial court?"

Zhang Yan sneered: "Since you disobey orders and forcibly occupy your friend's house, showing disloyalty and injustice, then don't blame me for cleaning up the house!"

Having said that, he drew his spear and thrust.

Zuo Zi raised his sword to block the shot, but with just one strike, Zuo Zi's sword flew into the river.

Clearly, Zhang Yan's martial arts skills were far superior to Zuo Zi's, and Zuo Zi dared not fight any longer, so he turned and ran.

Zhang Yan led his troops across the bridge and relentlessly pursued Zuo Zi.

Actually, it was very reckless to lead cavalry into Xihe. Zhang Chun's cavalry was surrounded and killed in Xihe because of their overzealous advance.

However, this time and that time.

When Zhang Chun arrived, the Taihang bandits from top to bottom all knew that he was there to kill and plunder. The people of Xihe were their relatives, and the grain from Xihe was their sustenance. Dealing with Zhang Chun was a life-or-death war.

But now, in the eyes of ordinary Taihang bandits, this is not a war at all, but a power struggle between two leaders...

The leader started a fight over a disagreement, and then his underlings joined in to beat up the group.

Zuo Zi dismounted and fled into the manor, and Zhang Yan also dismounted and chased after him into the manor. The men on both sides then began to fight each other in the manor area.

Yes, it looks like a joke, just a group fight, and most of the Taihang bandits didn't kill anyone.

But this is precisely the way thieves understand and accept it.

Only Zhang Yan could achieve this effect in Xihe; it wouldn't work with anyone else.

After all, most of the Taihang bandits knew that Zhang Yan of Black Mountain was Zhang Niujiao's successor and regarded Zhang Yan as one of their own—the flags and symbols of Taihang Mountain are still the ox-horn hats designed by Zhang Niujiao.

Now that Zhang Yan has come to Xihe, he has clashed with Zuo Zi, but Zuo Zi's men do not consider this a serious situation.

Zhang Yan is indeed the leader of the Northern and Southern Taihang Alliance, while Zuo Zi is senior and powerful. It is normal for the two leaders to quarrel.

In this situation, apart from the most trusted confidants, most of the underlings will only help with the fighting and won't actually kill the target.

That's how it is in the underworld. Everyone makes a living in the mountains, and they see each other all the time.

There may be grudges between the bosses, but there are no grudges between the underlings.

The boss has his own ideas, and the underlings have their own lives. It's fine to fight for the boss, but it's unnecessary and pointless to go too far and make a mortal enemy of the other party.

If killing creates a feud, the two bosses might have to negotiate after they've finished fighting, and the underlings who committed the murders won't have a good ending...

It was an internal dispute, not a life-or-death crisis—Zhang Yan's sudden arrival came before Zuo Zi had a chance to inform his subordinates, and they didn't really consider it a matter of life and death.

However, Zhang Yan's Black Mountain Army did not have such underworld ideas; Zhang Yan had given them a heads-up before coming.

Zhang Yan came to Xihe purely to get rid of Zuo Zi.

Liu Bei ordered him to take all of Taihang Mountain and use the grain from Xihe River as military provisions, so of course he had to get rid of Zuo Zi first.

Zhang Yan's approach was very direct—just find any excuse to start a fight, as long as Zuo Zi is killed first.

Similarly, only Zhang Yan could openly and honestly eliminate Zuo Zi.

After all, Zhang Yan was indeed the leader of the Green Forest Alliance. If Zuo Zi disobeyed orders, Zhang Yan could take action directly. This had nothing to do with morality—and Zhang Yan even deliberately found a pretext for disloyalty and injustice.

The two sides had different mindsets, Zhang Yan's skills far surpassed Zuo Zi's, and Zhang Yan didn't need to worry about anything, which allowed Heishan to gain the upper hand with only two thousand men.

Left Beard was no match for Zhang Yan, and fought and retreated, gradually withdrawing from the center of Xihe and hiding in the area of ​​Lu Family Manor east of Xihe Pavilion, where he finally managed to stabilize his position.

Afterwards, Zuo Zi disciplined his subordinates, saying that this was a battle for survival, to protect their families and food supplies, and only then did his subordinates have the mindset for fighting.

However, when Zuo Zi attacked Xihe again the next day, Zhang Yan had already gathered the old, weak, women and children of Xihe overnight and was harvesting grain, while Zhang Yan's cavalry were supervising the work.

The families of the Taihang bandits have been taken into Zhang Yan's custody, making it impossible for them to fight against him again.

Meanwhile, Zuo Zi received news that the 50,000-strong army of Heishan had marched north, occupied Zuo Zi's Damao Mountain, and was heading towards Xihe.

Upon learning that his hometown had been occupied, Zuo Zi once again sought a private audience with Zhang Yan, expressing his willingness to accompany Zhang Yan north to kill the Hu.

Zhang Yan refused to accept this and instead ordered Zuo Zi to commit suicide in public to atone for his betrayal of the alliance.

Zuo Zi, of course, refused and led his trusted followers to fight their way back to Mount Da Mao.

But as soon as he left Xihe, Zuo Zi was brought before Zhang Yan by his 'confidants'.

No matter how trusted his followers were, they were unwilling to take a desperate path. It's true that bandits have their principles, but they are not truly loyal... Not killing Zuo Zi was already considered a sign of loyalty from these 'trusted followers'.

On the eighth day of the seventh lunar month, Liu Bei held another banquet.

It was the same tables and desks, and the same people were involved.

However, this time there was someone in the guest of honor seat. Zhang Yan was sitting here, and the petition had already been signed with the names and fingerprints of thirteen Taihang bandits.

This was indeed a victory celebration banquet.

It is Zhang Yan's achievement that we are celebrating.

This achievement was "suppressing the rebels in Taihang".

Zuo Zi was not taken to the banquet hall; he was escorted to Luoyang.

This was not Liu Bei and Zhang Yan's idea, but the idea of ​​the thirteen Taihang bandit groups... They are no longer Taihang bandits, but the Black Mountain Army.

Liu Bei did not give Zuo Zi another chance, and did not even meet with Zuo Zi again.

Now, all the people sitting in the banquet hall are reserve officials leading 'righteous armies' and preparing to be recruited by the government; only Zuo Zi is the leader of the Taihang bandits.

It is customary not to pardon the ringleader.

(End of this chapter)