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

Chapter 423 Immortal guides the way
a few days later.

A 'celestial being' appeared in the Tianshui area, claiming to be a descendant of Qin Chancellor Li Si.

It is said that this person was extremely knowledgeable, knowing the past five hundred years and the future five hundred years, and could even use King Wen's divination to interpret fate, and it was extremely accurate.

But when asked his name, he said he had forgotten it—that he was too old and had spent hundreds of years in the mountains, and could no longer remember his former name.

This man had white hair and beard, and his behavior and knowledge were those of an old man, yet he had the face of a young man and an air of otherworldly grace.

Many people call him a celestial being, saying that he can defy fate and predict a person's destiny with a single word, without ever being wrong.

Moreover, this immortal did not take a single penny or accept any tribute, and no one had ever even seen him eat or drink.

However, this person's whereabouts are a mystery, and only those with a special destiny can obtain his divination.

It only requires fate, regardless of status or position.

Within a few days of arriving in Chencang, scholars, soldiers, merchants, musicians, prisoners, and all sorts of people had received his divinations and interpretations of their fates, all of which were incredibly accurate.

Some Qiang and Di people sought his help to resolve their fates, but in the eyes of this immortal, most Qiang and Di people were "slaves without fate," meaning that if one's destiny is controlled by others, then one is "without fate."

One cannot be called a human being without destiny, and therefore there is no need to calculate one's destiny, let alone interpret it.

This is not an intentional attempt to belittle the Qiang and Di peoples...

The Qiang and Di people are both general terms. The Qiang are mostly nomadic, while the Di are mostly agricultural. Currently, most of them have been Sinicized, and their tribal structure is very similar to that of the Han Chinese clan system.

However, whether it was the Qiang or the Di, most tribes still practiced slavery. Most Qiang and Di people were indeed slaves and were not counted in the population but were counted as property.

For example, the Xianling Qiang, a relatively powerful tribe in the Longxi Qiang-Di alliance, only has more than 2,000 households in the total population count, but in reality, there are still more than 100,000 Xianling Qiang people. At least 90,000 of these people are slaves, counted as livestock.

This does not mean that there were more than 2,000 households who sought refuge with the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty records that there were more than 20,000 households of the Xianling Qiang.

The "two thousand households" refers to the population count taken by Dianling, the King of Xianling, when he established the Xianling Dynasty eighty years ago, following the Han Dynasty's method. At that time, the Xianling Qiang people numbered at least two hundred thousand.

The Han Dynasty officially prohibited the keeping of slaves. Domestic slaves were 'servants', not 'slaves'. Although they were slaves in practice, at least they were people in name, not property.

However, for the Qiang and Di tribes, everything except their chieftain was considered property.

Tribal chiefs and village leaders inherit their fathers' and brothers' wives and concubines as property. Women captured are also considered property. Marriage among the lower-class Qiang people is a mating arrangement designated by the headman, and the overall system resembles that of livestock breeding.

While the language, script, and lifestyle have been Sinicized, these slave-like habits and social structures have remained.

On the contrary, those Qiang and Di people who accepted employment from the Han people, although they were servants under the Han generals, were able to live like human beings.

Both Dong Zhuo and Niu Fu had many Qiang people under their command, as did Li Jue. They served as servants to Han Chinese generals or escaped their tribes to become bandits. This was essentially how the Qiang people changed their fate.

The "Pinghan King's Pagoda Kingdom" in Longxi was even more formidable; on Song Jian's side, there wasn't a single "person" among them...

After all, officials are all monks, and monks have renounced worldly life and are no longer considered human.

Song Jian claimed to be the reincarnation of Buddha, and his army was called "Guardian Arhats," so he certainly couldn't be considered a human being.

In the entire Kingdom of Floating Buddha, apart from the monks and Dharma protectors, only slaves remained.

It was precisely because the methods of the Futu Kingdom were more in line with the slave system of the Qiang and Di people that they were able to operate so aggressively in the Longxi and Hehuang areas.

Whether in their tribe or in the Kingdom of Futu, the Qiang people are slaves to others, their fates not in their own hands. It is only right that the immortals do not wish to 'waste their magical power' on these slaves.

This miraculous 'immortal' was none other than Li Ru.

The reason it was so effective was because there were many spies. Both he and Jia Xu had a lot of secret agents at their disposal. Jia Xu had already sent people to infiltrate and spy on the situation in Longxi under Song Jian.

Li Ru was actually very skilled in this field, and it was precisely because of this ability that he became a Doctor and served as Liu Bian's Physician, since He Jin had initially been a devout believer in alchemists.

Of course, Li Ru had no connection with Li Si. He claimed to be a descendant of Li Si because this place was part of the former Qin territory, which easily evoked associations with the great achievements of the First Emperor.

Moreover, Li Ru was indeed learned and had sufficient insight.

A few days later, a group of Di people found this "immortal" and wanted to ask him to help Han.

That Di person was called Agui, the leader of the Di tribe in Xingguo, Tianshui, whose tribe numbered over ten thousand.

Upon meeting A-Gui, Li Ru said, "Your Excellency possesses the air of a king, yet your destiny is cut short by half. You cannot change your fate..."

Ah Gui panicked immediately: "What does it mean to have half your lifespan cut short?"

“If one is employed by another, one’s life is in their hands. If one’s lord’s destiny is incomplete or if he usurps the mandate of heaven, the life of the employed person will naturally be shortened… It is your lord’s actions that violate the mandate of heaven…”

Li Ru pointed his cane to the sky: "I have lived for hundreds of years and wish to live a few more days. I dare not disobey the will of Heaven. Farewell!"

Ah Gui was skeptical: "I wonder what the destiny the immortal spoke of truly means..."

"The will of Heaven is beyond words; mortals should not inquire about it."

Li Ru shook his head and was about to leave.

"Does the immortal know who my master is?"

A-Gui stopped Li Ru.

"It's nothing more than a minor Buddhist practice... The King of Pinghan lacks the Mandate of Heaven and has no imperial bloodline, yet he presumptuously claims the title of king, hoping to use Buddhism to cover up the wrath of Heaven..."

Li Ru shook his head and tapped the ground with his cane: "But this place is where the First Emperor prospered, and it has the fortune of the nine provinces. If you want to become king here, how can a mere pagoda conceal it? If the King of Pinghan cannot improve his destiny, he will bring disaster to noble people in a few days... I can't help you."

Ah Gui was shocked: "How can I, my lord, complete my destiny?"

Li Ru shook his head and remained silent.

A-Gui drew his sword and continued to press Li Ru, who then sighed, "Only those who possess the blood of the emperor can obtain the emperor's fortune. Isn't your lord searching for the reincarnation of the Buddha? But in this world, besides the blood of the emperor, who can bear the power of reincarnation? Haven't you heard about the recent chaos in Chang'an?"

"Your Excellency is truly wise. I wonder if Your Excellency would be willing to meet His Majesty? I'm sure His Majesty would not hesitate to grant you the position of Imperial Preceptor!"

Ah Gui suddenly realized what was going on and invited Li Ru to visit Bao Han.

"I have revealed the secrets of heaven, and I must not enter the mortal world again... You all should take care of yourselves."

Li Ru slammed his cane down hard, and then there was a 'thud'.

A plume of smoke suddenly rose up, instantly enveloping Li Ru.

When A-Gui looked again, the 'immortal' had disappeared.

That's truly a living god...

Ah Gui and his hundreds of men knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly until their heads bled, but they dared not get up.

In fact, for Li Ru, this was just a small trick that was difficult to deceive intellectuals.

The cane is double-layered and hollow. It can be used normally under normal conditions, but if the cane is struck hard, the end will break. The white phosphorus inside will ignite due to the violent friction, and the mixture of camphor, saltpeter, sulfur, rosin, rice husk powder, etc. at the end of the cane will immediately explode. It will produce a large amount of intense white smoke from the ground, completely enveloping the person.

This is the result of alchemists' work throughout history; it's a traditional sleight of hand technique that existed as early as the Qin Dynasty.

However, back then, saltpeter, sulfur, cinnabar, arsenic, and realgar were used. After continuous improvement by alchemists in the Han Dynasty, a formula very close to that of a smoke bomb was obtained, which was more effective and left less traces of burning, just like the traces of a firecracker.

Human vision is limited; if you don't focus your attention on the thick smoke, it's actually quite easy to see Li Ru quickly changing clothes and slipping away...

Li Ru's mission was actually complete.

Agui, Qianwan, and other leaders of the Di people of Tianshui were all Song Jian's men.

Soon after, Song Jian dispatched a large army to advance eastward.

The leaders are A-Gui and Qianwan.

……

When Li Ru was living like a deity in the Chencang area, rumors also spread throughout the Three Auxiliary Regions.

Especially in the area from Chang'an to Huaili, it is said that Song Jian of Longxi knew that his destiny was not good enough to be a king, and he planned to make up for it with the blood of a real emperor.

They even said the way to make up for it is to eat it... after all, you are what you eat.

At the same time, many demonic cult methods also spread.

This is actually the Buddhist scripture written by Zhi Qian and others at Liu Bei's behest. Some parts are fictional, and some are real. What Jia Xu said is all true. The products that the Buddhist sect produced in the Hehuang area are just that perverse.

The Han people have high standards for deities, so it's harder to fool the Buddhist sect, which has to present itself as compassionate.

But in the Hehuang and Western Regions, the viciousness was something the Han people could never have imagined.

Rumors were already circulating in Chang'an that Song Jian had encountered a demon in his dream, who instructed him to use the blood and bones of a reincarnated spirit child to improve his destiny, and that only the blood and bones of the emperor could bear the reincarnation of a spirit child.

It is said that because Li Jue had been attacking Longyou, Song Jian deeply hated Li Jue, so he used Li Jue's name to kidnap Tang Ji and her son, hoping to pin the blame on Li Jue.

Li Ru's spies were quite capable; the information they gathered was generally accurate.

Yuan Shao was not in Chang'an, but Yuan Tan was indeed in Feng Xun's army.

When Tang Ji was abducted by Feng Xun to Bohai in Ji Province, the treacherous minister Chuan Zheng spread the word throughout the land, causing Yuan Shao to lose his composure. Tang Ji also refused to marry Yuan Tan, so Yuan Shao, in a fit of rage, resorted to force.

However, Yuan Shao later calmed down and regretted his actions. He then threatened Tang Ji's parents and family, which prevented Tang Ji from committing suicide.

Soon after, Tang Ji became pregnant, and Yuan Shao conceived the idea of ​​having Liu Bian's posthumous child.

But before they could establish the child as the young emperor, the child was stolen!

For others, as long as it represents their own interests, it's acceptable to find another child to be made emperor, since two-year-old children are easy to find anyway.

But this wouldn't work for Yuan Shao and Yuan Tan.

That's a child of the Yuan family... It's the path the Yuan family took to replace Liu. Even if there was no such thing as establishing a new emperor, just because he was Yuan Shao's youngest son, we still have to find him!

According to previous reports, Tang Ji appeared to have been taken away by Li Jue's men.

However, according to recent rumors, Tang Ji was more likely taken away by Song Jian in Li Jue's name.

For Yuan Tan, the latter seems more likely, since Li Jue was requesting reinforcements from Chang'an.

If Li Jue had kidnapped Tang Ji, how could he have dared to ask Chang'an for help?
Moreover, it is indeed true that Song Jian's army has left the Longshan Mountains and is advancing eastward.

Then we have to fight, we have to fight Song Jian together with Li Jue...

They have no choice but to punish him; the claim of him being a reincarnated spirit child is quite plausible.

There are some information channels in Chang'an. Song Jian has been dealing with the Buddha Kingdom for so long, so Chang'an does know that the Buddha Kingdom is indeed kidnapping children, and it's not impossible that they eat them.

But in order to decide who should lead the troops, the officials in Chang'an once again split into two factions.

Cui Lie suggested that Huangfu Song lead the army to attack Song Jian.

But Yang Biao, the nominal highest-ranking official, refused—in fact, all the officials refused, as they all knew that Huangfu Song had fled to Luoyang and none of them trusted him.

Feng Xun was determined to send troops, or rather, Yuan Tan was determined to send troops... Feng Xun was indeed just Yuan Tan's puppet.

Compared to Feng Xun, Yang Biao certainly didn't care as much about the Yuan family's children...

Of course, Yang Biao didn't know whose child it was, but he was certain it wasn't Liu Bian's. For Yang Biao, it didn't matter whose child it was; if it was lost, he could just find another member of the imperial clan... So he was also the first person to return during the search.

Yang Biao planned to stay in Chang'an and first find another member of the imperial clan to establish a new emperor, while Li Jue and Song Jian fought each other to the death.

Yang Biao was, after all, the Minister of Works, and all the officials listened to him. Although Yang Biao did not have many troops under his command, he still had influence.

Everyone's thought was: there are plenty of members of the imperial clan, Liu Ai is also a member of the imperial clan, and there are many more members of the imperial clan in Hongnong. Let's establish a new emperor first...

Having the pretext of supporting a new emperor would make it easier to get Li Jue, Guo Si, and other remnants of Dong Zhuo to obey orders; otherwise, wouldn't the attempt to assassinate Dong Zhuo have been in vain?
However, for Feng Xun (Yuan Tan), Liu Ai, and others, only Liu Bian's posthumous son could unite You, Bing, Yong, and Liang provinces. Yuan Shao did not recognize other members of the imperial clan in Youzhou, as that was, after all, Yuan Shao's son...

The situation dragged on and on until Song Jian captured Chencang, but Chang'an still didn't take any action.

Li Jue, on the other hand, showed great courage and fought a tough battle against Song Jian in Chencang, killing two thousand Qiang and Di people.

After winning this battle, Li Jue sent more than a dozen letters to Chang'an requesting reinforcements.

However, Chang'an did not send reinforcements, and Li Jue withdrew from Chencang, indicating that he could not hold out any longer. Song Jian's forces were twice that of Li Jue, approaching 30,000 men.

Now Chang'an has no choice but to send troops.

If we don't send reinforcements to Li Jue soon, Li Jue might have to join forces with Song Jian to attack Chang'an...

Huangfu Song finally gained military power and, together with Feng Xun, led an army of 12,000 to the Qishan and Beiyuan (Yuan) area, separated from Li Jue's troops by the Wei River, to deal with Song Jian from the south and the north respectively.

In the Mei County area, there are two defense zones on both banks of the Wei River.

The defense zone on the north bank is Xiqi, which is the Beiyuan where Huangfu Song stationed his troops. Across the river is Wuzhangyuan (Yuan), and in the middle is the Wei River.

The south bank defense zone is Xiegu, which is the entrance to the Qinling Mountains. The Xieshui River flows through the canyon formed by the Qinling Mountains, which can defend against both the west and the south. To the west of Xiegu is Wuzhangyuan.

Song Jian's army was stationed in the Wuzhangyuan area.

Li Jue was originally guarding a strategic location at Xiegukou, and although Song Jian's troops were numerous, they could not make an inch of progress.

However, Jia Xu then instructed Li Jue to gradually withdraw from Xiegu and retreat into Mei County.

This was not intended to lure the enemy, but rather to force Huangfu Song and Feng Xun into a direct and deadly battle with Song Jian.

(End of this chapter)