Chapter 30, Chapter Fourteen: Farewell to the Sun and Moon

Although it was a small banquet, Liu Jun was not one of those scholars who disregarded the national crisis and indulged in extravagance. He only ordered some coarse rice, tea, and fruit to be prepared, and invited only a few people, including Liu Qiao and his grandson, Wen Qiao, and a handful of others.

Once everyone was present, Liu Jun dismissed his attendants and personally served wine and tea.

Wen Qiao, Liu Qiao, Liu You, Liu Dan and others greeted him, and then he smiled and said, "What I thought was an ordinary thing is now so rare."

“Brother-in-law is absolutely right. I have been away from Bingzhou for a long time, living a life of hardship and deprivation. Where would I have such fine things on me? These were recently presented to Your Highness by local gentry, and I shamelessly begged to borrow them to offer to Your Highness.”

Liu Jun was naturally taller than his peers, and he usually wore armor, his face hidden under the helmet, often making people forget that he was only of marriageable age. Today, however, he was wearing a white gauze robe, which drew attention to his handsome appearance.

Liu You couldn't help but glance at him several more times, secretly resenting that although they were both members of the Han imperial family, they were not allowed to marry within the same clan. Otherwise, if he had betrothed his daughter to him, it would surely have been a good match.

Liu Qiao glared at his son and said seriously, "In this chaotic situation, Your Highness's hosting of this banquet must have a deeper meaning. Please explain."

Neither of them were dull-witted, and Liu Jun disliked beating around the bush, so he got straight to the point: "Recently, I have been sending people to inquire about the military situation in the Central Plains. Now that Luoyang has fallen, the Hedong region to the north has been occupied by the Xiongnu; to the south, the Jie Hu Shi Le has occupied Nanyang, Xiangyang, and Xuchang; looking to the east, the prefectures of Yan and Qing are in the hands of Wang Mi; and the roads to Chang'an and Guanzhong to the west are also frequently harassed by Xiongnu cavalry."

Everyone listened intently in silence. The naive Liu Dan exclaimed in surprise, "Encountering enemies everywhere, isn't that like being besieged on all sides?"

"In my opinion, it is impossible to eliminate the four barbarians in a short period of time," Liu Jun said in a deep voice. "The only thing we can do is to stabilize the territory of a few states and then slowly devour the world by means of gradual encroachment."

"How many years will this take?" Liu Dan was quite discouraged.

Liu Jun said calmly, "From the Yellow Turban Rebellion to the unification of the three kingdoms, how many years have passed?"

“But the barbarians are powerful. What if we don’t gradually devour them, but instead get swallowed up by them?” Wen Qiao said worriedly. He had been in Luoyang for a while, so he knew how the court had gone from despising them to ignoring them, then to being wary of them, and finally to being terrified of them.

"Times change with circumstances. The reason why the Hu people are so brave is because they have been nomadic on horseback for many years. Once they dismount, they are not much better than the Jin people. In addition, from the time of Cao Wei to the early years of the Jin Dynasty, they had almost no defeats against the Hu people. Why are they suffering such a crushing defeat now?"

No one said much, but everyone had their own answer.

"Isn't it because the princes are fighting for power and profit, and wars are breaking out everywhere, that so many fine young men have been wasted?" Liu Jun had no respect for the Sima family's relatives, and even his face was full of undisguised sarcasm. "When Liu Yuan was young in Luoyang, he was quite well-behaved and lovable. How come he has become a man-eating tiger in just twenty or thirty years?"

Liu Qiao sighed, "Yes, the only ones who can hold off the Hu barbarians right now, Governor Wang and Governor Liu, are using Xianbei cavalry."

"In addition, Jun is also thinking about another matter," Liu Jun said, organizing his thoughts. "In recent years, every winter has been colder than in previous years, while the Central Plains have suffered severe droughts, with not a blade of grass growing. This means that the pastures in the north are not enough to support the cattle and sheep of the Hu people, so they have to move south. Meanwhile, the Central Plains suffer from severe droughts, resulting in insufficient food and a decrease in the population. This ebb and flow has led to the current situation."

“At this time, apart from Liu Yuan who clearly intends to contend for the world, most of the Hu people are still observing. If we can temporarily appease them with money and wealth, and then deal with them one by one when the country is strong, that would be the safest approach,” Liu Jun pondered. “However, the north is currently weak while the south is prosperous. If we can manage the situation well, with the south as a granary and the north as a shield, and use the strength of the whole country to resist the Rong and Di tribes, then we can succeed.”

Those present all had relatives who had moved south, and upon hearing this, they all smiled bitterly. They were unfamiliar with the place and people, and they had to leave their homes and families to go south. They didn't even know if they could gain a foothold. And to ask them to contribute money and effort was just wishful thinking.

Liu Jun knew that the gentry had their own thoughts, and Sima Rui of Jianye wished that all the Sima families in the north would die so that he could inherit the throne. He also sighed, "These are all just thoughts. Perhaps if the alliance leader recommended by the gentlemen, the Prince of Langya, could just restrain his temper and hold back for a while, he would soon be able to ascend the throne and rule across the river?"

Everyone present had already pledged their loyalty to Sima Ye, so his words were a scathing critique. Surprisingly, no one in the room offered any defense, and they remained awkwardly silent.

Liu Jun shook his head, thinking to himself, "The ancients said that in the imperial court, rotten wood serves as officials, and in the palace, beasts feast on the salary. This is truly not an exaggeration. It's just a pity that Sima Ye, that fool, still harbored illusions, always thinking that there were still some people in the world who were truly loyal to the Sima family, but he forgot that once upon a time, the same surname was also used to be used to serve loyal ministers of the Great Wei."

Even if the Great Jin Dynasty falls and is replaced by the Great Chu or the Great Qi Dynasty, no matter what names or surnames are on the nine-tiered jade steps, those standing in the hall will still be famous ministers and dignitaries such as the Xun family of Yingchuan, the Yang family of Hongnong, and the Wang family of Taiyuan.

"My Liu family of Zhongshan has been northerners for generations. No matter how beautiful the scenery is in the south, it is not our hometown, so we will not go and join in the fun." Liu Jun leaned back on the armchair and smiled broadly. "Besides, if we all abandon our land and flee, who will care about the lives of our fellow villagers? Do we want all the Chinese people to become slaves of the barbarians?"

Liu Qiao sighed and said, "Your Highness, please do not provoke us further. I escaped death in Ningping City. I consider my life a fluke. To be honest, all the young sons in my clan have already crossed the Yangtze River to the south. We have no more worries about the future. From now on, whether it is fighting against bandits or escorting the Prince of Qin, we will obey any orders."

Liu Jun felt somewhat relieved, rose and bowed, "Your Excellency's righteousness is truly admirable!"

Wen Qiao was satisfied with Liu Qiao's promise. "Recently, quite a few people have come to join us, such as General Yan Ding, Chief Clerk Wang Pi, and Chief Clerk Liu Chou. It seems that we will soon be able to gather enough men to escort Your Highness back to Chang'an."

It seems that Yan Ding ultimately failed to seize the position of Governor of Yuzhou from Liu Qiao, only receiving the honorary title of Assistant General. Liu Jun, anticipating that he couldn't cause any real trouble, said solemnly, "The Central Plains are in turmoil. I've heard that thousands go to Bingzhou every day to submit to the government. The headquarters is in a state of chaos and short-handedness. Now that Governor Liu is escorting His Highness, my presence here is superfluous. Besides, my father and grandfather are all relatives who have gone to Bingzhou; the clan must be in a state of turmoil..."

It was already rare for him to stay away for several months, and everyone understood this. Liu Qiao nodded and said, "Before coming here, I heard that Lord Yue Shi lamented all day long, 'Without my hair, it's like losing an arm.' The young master should go back and share his father's worries. I'm here, so the young master need not worry."

Liu Jun rose, raised his cup, and said, "The journey has been arduous. Without your care and support, I would have long since become a withered corpse by the roadside. I offer this tea in lieu of wine to express my gratitude! Although we may be separated by thousands of miles in the future, our shared ambition to serve the nation will remain. I am departing now; may you all take care!"

Everyone was filled with heroic spirit, and they all stood up and drank the tea in their cups, saying, "Take care!"