Chapter 21, Section 5: Honest Advice

Just as Liu Jun had predicted, the people of Hanoi handed over Pei Zheng. At the same time, they sent someone to contact Pei Xian of the Pei clan in Hedong, who recommended another member of the Pei clan to serve as the governor of Hanoi. Sima Ye, the Prince of Qin, appointed Guo Mo as the governor of Yongzhou. Guo Mo suppressed Wang Ru, Yan Yi, and others who were preparing to lead refugees to surrender to the Han, and gathered 40,000 to 50,000 refugees. He then sent more than 10,000 of them to Bingzhou and sent his younger brother Guo Zhi to Hanoi as a hostage.

The biggest gain, apart from the more than 10,000 people, was that Bingzhou now had a barrier against the Xiongnu to the north, and Pei Xian, who was being highly valued by Wang Jun, also received a favor from the people of Bingzhou.

Despite the smooth progress, Liu Jun felt no joy, but rather deep worry.

"Your Highness, the military officer has arrived."

Liu Jun stood up to greet him, "Brother."

Despite the war, Liu Zun still got married two years ago, and now his wife, Wang, is pregnant, which has the whole family looking forward to.

Liu Zun, however, was not as cheerful as usual. His face was gloomy, and he was holding a jar of wine in his hand. "Come on, have a few drinks with your brother."

Liu Junping didn't like drinking, but seeing his depressed expression, he readily poured wine for the two of them, asking, "Is there anyone, brother, who can share your worries?"

Liu Zun sighed, "A few days ago, Father personally led troops to attack Liu Hu and asked the Xianbei Tuoba Yilu to send troops. Do you still remember this, Mao Tou?"

Liu Jun frowned at the mention of the matter. His original intention was to capture the prisoners, whether to replenish his troops or to use them as tenants, he had his own plans. But unexpectedly, the Xianbei soldiers carried out a massacre in the camp, leaving very few survivors. He was extremely displeased and even had a dispute with Liu Kun about it.

"Now Father wants to become sworn brothers with Tuoba Yilu and submit a memorial to the throne requesting him to be made Great Chanyu and to be granted the title of Duke of Dai!"

"Outrageous!" Liu Jun exclaimed angrily. "The Xianbei cavalry are indeed brave, but they are still barbarians. After several years of military farming, the people have returned, and the granaries are full. Now, my Bingzhou has more than 70,000 to 80,000 men and 500,000 bushels of grain. Why should we continue to be subservient to them?"

He took a deep breath. "Moreover, Dai County belongs to Youzhou. Wang Pengzu is narrow-minded and probably won't agree."

Wang Jun was the son of Wang Shen. What good things could a man who betrayed his master for personal gain produce?

Liu Zun said with a bitter face, "My father ordered me to go to the Xianbei as a hostage."

Seeing Liu Jun's expression change in alarm, he immediately said, "We're setting off tomorrow. There's no turning back now. Maotou, there's no need to offend Father any further."

Liu Jun remained silent, his lips pursed. The situation in Bingzhou was improving rapidly, but Liu Kun's youthful vices—a fondness for extravagance and arrogance—were resurfacing. Lately, he had become increasingly negligent in state affairs, indulging in drinking and merrymaking with his pleasure-loving retainer, Xu Run, which had already provoked discontent among some. If this continued, he would surely lose the hearts of the people.

"The most urgent task is to stop Father. We must not use Dai County to win the favor of the Xianbei and offend our powerful allies." Liu Jun finished his wine and took out the map to examine it carefully.

His long, slender fingers traced the mountains and cities on the map, his sharp, hawk-like eyes finally settling on Xingbei. He slowly said, "Dai County is quite far from the Tuoba Xianbei tribe. Even if it were given to Tuoba Yilu, he wouldn't be able to govern it. I think Father is like Liu Gong dancing with his sword, his real intention is Zhongshan."

Liu Zun immediately realized what he meant. "You mean, Father wants to jointly govern Zhongshan with Tuoba Yilu?"

To some extent, Liu Kun's idea was not bad. After all, the Liu family was a powerful clan in Zhongshan, and they could command a large following. If they could obtain Zhongshan, they would not have to worry about military supplies.

If Wang Jun were weak and incompetent, this method would be feasible. But Wang Jun commands the elite cavalry of Youzhou and is known for his capricious nature; how could he possibly tolerate this?

“Therefore, it is not feasible at present. In order to avoid angering Wang Pengzu, it would be better to promise the land north of Xing first.” Liu Jun thought about it and felt more and more uneasy. “The matter of Dai County is not in line with my father’s temperament. Who is the clever person who came up with this plan for him? This person is either extremely stupid or has a heart that is despicable!”

Liu Zun took a swig of wine. “Brother is far away in the northern desert and can no longer serve Father for the time being. Now his generals and advisors are a mixed bag, and the world is in such turmoil. Maotou, you must be careful and not let Father’s life’s achievements be ruined in an instant.”

Liu Jun nodded, "I've got it. Brother, please take good care of yourself on your journey. Your sister-in-law and nephew are still waiting for you."

The next day, after seeing Liu Zun off, Liu Jun did not return to the army, but followed Liu Kun back to the headquarters, patiently accompanying him to discuss matters and have banquets, and then returned to his study.

Liu Kun found it strange and laughed, "You never used to come when I invited you, why are you being so obedient today?"

Liu Jun didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "Father, are you about to ask Grand Tutor (Sima Yue) to join forces with the Xiongnu Chanyu to send troops?"

He was exceptionally astute in political affairs, and Liu Kun was already used to it, so he nodded with a sense of pride, "Indeed, the barbarians are coming with great force. This time, we have borrowed the mighty Xianbei army. As long as the Grand Tutor and I attack from both sides, we may not be able to quell Liu Cong and Shi Le, but at least we can stop their advance."

Liu Jun shook his head and took out several letters that Wen Qiao had sent back earlier. "My brother-in-law said earlier that His Majesty's relationship with the Grand Tutor is becoming increasingly tense, which is why the Grand Tutor requested to be sent to his fief. However, the people he left behind, such as He Lun, are acting recklessly and lawlessly, to the point of 'plundering the nobles and humiliating the princess.' At this critical juncture, he will not rashly send troops."

Liu Kun persisted, saying, "Opportunity knocks but once. The Grand Tutor is also a man of military knowledge. He must know that if we do not send troops now, the barbarians will likely march on the capital!"

"Father, do you know that the Grand Tutor is now at odds with Gou Xi and Feng Song? With these two holding him back, why would he send troops?" Liu Jun said anxiously. "Alright, let's not discuss whether the Grand Tutor will send troops or not, but Dai Commandery must never be granted to Tuoba Yilu!"

Liu Kun remained silent. Liu Jun could tell that he was already hesitant and had probably made up his mind after listening to someone's advice, so he said, "The Tuoba Xianbei tribe is quite far from Dai County. Even if we grant it to him, it will be difficult for him to take care of it. In my humble opinion, it would be better to grant Xingbei to Tuoba Yilu. In this way, we will not have to conflict with Wang Jun."

"Wang Pengzu shouldn't..." Liu Kun thought about how strong and well-equipped his troops were now, and he felt more confident. "Even if he's dissatisfied, my sworn brother's troops are brave and won't gain any advantage..."

Liu Jun's face turned cold as he suppressed his anger and said, "Back then, Wang Jun lent my father eight hundred Youzhou cavalry, which enabled him to defeat Liu Qiao. His Youzhou cavalry were all Xianbei people, so how could they necessarily be weaker than the Tuoba tribe? Moreover, my father borrowed troops from him back then, which is why he was able to protect the emperor and was granted the honor of being ennobled. In terms of sentiment, he was kind to my father back then. If Tuoba Yilu were to forcibly occupy Dai County, the public would say that my father was ungrateful. In terms of principle, my father is the governor of Bingzhou, and Dai County is in Youzhou. I am also afraid that someone will impeach my father for overstepping his bounds."

“But I have already promised my sworn brother, and your brother has already gone north as a hostage…” Liu Kun frowned.

Liu Jun said in a low voice, "Why not let him choose? He can only choose between Dai County and Xingbei. There are also Duan Xianbei people in Dai County, so he won't provoke them easily."

Although somewhat unwilling to accept the loss of Dai Commandery, Liu Kun, after weighing the options, followed Liu Jun's advice and gave the five counties of Loufan, Mayi, Yinguan, Fan, and Guo to Tuoba Yilu, while recalling Liu Xi, a member of his clan who had originally intended to seize land and people from Dai Commandery.

Only after Sima Yue explicitly refused to send troops did Liu Kun finally feel relieved and behave himself for a while.

Back then, the imperial court appointed Liu Kun as General Who Pacifies the North and Wang Jun as Minister of Works.