Chapter 52, Chapter 19: Father and Son Have Affection

Although he appeared confident in front of his generals, Liu Jun was actually not sure what to do.

The capture of Hanzhong and the combined attack on Pingyang were both quite lucky in retrospect, while the battle to reinforce Hanzhong was a Pyrrhic victory that felt like a defeat, a memory that remains vivid.

Since that battle, less than a year after that war, they were about to face a formidable opponent like Shi Hu. Not to mention the young Liu Jun, even seasoned veterans like Ji Dan were bound to feel apprehensive.

Fortunately, Shi Hu was also young and impetuous and lacked experience; otherwise, in a few years, given his demonstrated talent in warfare, the weak Jin forces would likely have found it difficult to resist him.

Just as Liu Jun was feeling anxious and panicked, Yin Xiaocheng brought news from the north: "Xiangguo, the capital of Shi Le, is suffering from a severe famine. Two liters of grain cost one pound of silver, and one pound of meat costs one tael of silver."

Liu Jun instantly understood why Shi Hu insisted on going out of the city for a decisive battle. He felt a little more at ease and a plan came to mind.

Liu Jun sat upright on his horse, with the banner of "General Liu of Jin Zhenwei" fluttering in the wind behind him. The other generals also had their own banners. Although the banners were billowing, the army was well-organized. The more than 10,000 men stood in solemn formation and made very little noise.

Before him stood the elite and menacing Shi Hu army—the gleaming armor of the soldiers, the strong and powerful horses, and the ferocious cavalry, all demonstrating the terrifying nature of the enemy before him.

Liu Jun had excellent eyesight. He squinted and spotted Shi Hu's flag across the way, which was waving arrogantly in the very center of the army formation.

He repeatedly told himself not to worry or be afraid, gripped the reins tightly, then turned around and fixed his gaze on the five or six hundred elite soldiers he had carefully selected.

"If we manage to avoid defeat in this battle, I'll give them a prestigious name like the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry," Liu Jun thought to himself, making eye contact with each of them as much as possible.

The war drums sounded.

In the second year of Jianxing, Liu Jun led an army of 10,000 to besiege Ye City. He dug deep tunnels and secretly sent assassins to infiltrate the city.

During the fierce battle between the two armies, flames suddenly filled the sky, and someone shouted that the supply lines had been cut off. Shi Hu's army was thrown into chaos. Liu Jun took the opportunity to pursue, and an inside agent opened the city gate and rushed into the city.

Despite the danger, Shi Hu remained calm and commanded his troops to launch a fierce counterattack. Liu Jun also refused to back down, personally leading five hundred elite infantrymen in hand-to-hand combat. Ye City changed hands several times, and in the end, Shi Hu led his remaining troops in defeat.

In this battle, Liu Jun defeated 30,000 with 10,000 men, greatly enhancing his reputation.

Shi Le was originally in Pingyang. Upon hearing this news, he took the opportunity to withdraw his troops to reinforce the city. As soon as the two sides clashed, Liu Jun realized that he was no match for him and plundered 30,000 households in Ye City.

Liu Kun's cousin, Liu Xi, rallied the people in Zhongshan and led the people of Dai, Shanggu, and Guangning to join him.

In this battle, the five hundred elite troops were quite brave, and Liu Jun was very satisfied. He named them the Lynx Camp and appointed Liu Dan as the commander-in-chief.

"Tigers, leopards, jackals, and wolves are all more imposing than the lynx, so why is it called this one?" Although Liu Qi listened to the advice, he was still completely baffled by the name.

The group hurried back to Hanzhong. Liu Jun was having a headache about how to accommodate the extra people, and absentmindedly said, "The lynx is an auspicious beast. Although it is very small, it is fast, agile, fierce and good at fighting. The lynx can even fight wolves and kill all the wolf cubs."

“The Hu bandits are as cunning and treacherous as wolves…” Liu Dan suddenly realized.

Liu Jun smiled. He hadn't thought that much about it. What he was thinking about was that Sima Yi had the appearance of a wolf. From Sima Shi and Sima Zhao down, the Sima family had all inherited his wolfish ambition and heartless nature. They needed a wolf-slaying expert like the lynx.

Although Ye City was not completely recaptured, it tied down Shi Le's forces, captured tens of thousands of people, and lifted the siege of Pingyang, achieving multiple objectives with one move.

Another unexpected bonus was gaining the approval of the younger generation of the Liu clan. Not only Liu Yin, Liu Qi, and Liu Yi, who were already on good terms with him, but Liu Yan, who had initially been dismissive, became completely convinced. He stayed in Yanzhou to continue fighting, but entrusted his younger brother Liu Shu to Liu Yan's upbringing.

In addition, Liu Xi, a member of the clan, was quick-witted, loyal, and adept at adapting to circumstances. He was highly regarded by Liu Jun, so Liu Jun instructed him to find an opportunity to secretly investigate Nanpi in Bohai, as Sima Ye had previously entrusted to him.

Before the dust of war had even settled, Liu Jun was already busy settling the newly added population. In the process, in order to intimidate the local powerful clans, he took the opportunity of settling the refugees to order his soldiers to go to each household to check the household registration and register them, not even sparing the tenants of the gentry.

The gentry were full of complaints, but seeing that the blood on Liu Jun's sword was still wet, they dared not act rashly and could only grit their teeth and accept it.

The situation was very favorable, but Liu Jun dared not relax at all. He led his relatives and soldiers, keeping them busy all day long.

As the year drew to a close, while he was in the headquarters listening to the intelligence report that Emperor Liu Cong of Han had appointed Liu Can, the Prince of Jin, as the same Great Chanyu and Prime Minister, someone from the back courtyard suddenly came to report that the young master was slightly unwell and asked him to come and take a look.

Liu Jun had been busy with military affairs for many years, and later he was in mourning, so he never set foot in the backyard again. He had almost forgotten that he had a son. Upon hearing this, he just frowned and said, "Just ask the doctor to come over. Why are you looking for me?"

The servant who brought the news lowered his head even further. "The young master has not seen the young master for more than half a year. Now that the young master is about to turn one year old, Madam Dou would like to invite the young master to come and discuss this matter..."

Liu Jun remained calm and said indifferently, "Tell her that the country is on the verge of collapse, the nation is in ruins, and we are in mourning, so it is not appropriate to hold a grand celebration."

He lowered his head, looking at his worn-out sleeves. "However, Lady Dou has reminded me. From this day forward, all expenses in the manor will be halved. I myself, along with all the servants, will personally participate in land reclamation. My concubines and maids will be required to spin and weave. The women will be fed only vegetables and millet, and will not be allowed to eat fish or meat."

"Isn't this a bit too harsh?" Liu Yi couldn't help but ask.

Liu Jun's expression was solemn. "Extravagance is the greatest evil, while frugality is a common virtue. As the saying goes, success comes from diligence and frugality, while ruin comes from extravagance. Now that great things have not yet been accomplished, how can we have reached the point of indulging in pleasure?"

Seeing the troubled expressions on Liu Yi and Liu Shu's faces, and with many of the staff members whispering among themselves, Liu Jun smiled and said, "This rule only applies to my household. Your food, clothing, and daily necessities will remain the same as always, so there is no need to worry."

Everyone recalled that a few days ago, Liu Jun had used all the luxurious items he had acquired to reward the meritorious soldiers, so they thought that he would not mistreat his subordinates, and their hearts gradually calmed down.

“I should follow my elder brother’s example.” Liu Qi stood up. “From today onwards, my family will also reduce our expenses and personally supervise farming and sericulture.”

The others secretly resented it, but still had no choice but to stand up and express their opinion.

Liu Jun smiled and said, "I am not being pretentious, but simply want to save more money to support the soldiers. You don't need to suffer with me."

He then looked at the servant and said, “Whether master or servant, those over sixty or under fifteen can have slightly more allowances.”

After dismissing the servants, he straightened his clothes. "Liu Can is a man who favors sycophants and alienates virtuous men. He abuses his power and acts arbitrarily. If this man is allowed to govern the country, the Liu Han dynasty will not last long. Now the Liu Han dynasty has lost most of Guanzhong, and has not even been able to hold onto its old capital, Pingyang. It is already in decline. On the other hand, Shi Le has both the ambition and the spirit of a hero. He will definitely become a major threat in the future."

"Sow discord between these two?" Zhuge Quan asked. "I've heard that Yue Shi Gong once devised such a plan, but unfortunately it had little effect."

“No,” Liu Jun said with a smirk, “to sow discord between Shi Le and Shi Hu.”

Seeing everyone's astonishment, Liu Jun leaned against the armrest, playing with the sword hilt in his hand. "Even biological fathers and sons can be sown apart, let alone uncles and nephews. When establishing a new dynasty, people are in need of talent, so they will naturally be of one mind and one heart. But once they have secured their rule... Don't you see the story of the King of Qi in our dynasty?"

Because Sima You was adopted by Sima Shi, his lineage was constantly viewed with suspicion by Sima Yan, and none of them met a good end.

Everyone smiled knowingly, but Liu Jun recalled that when he was this age in his previous life, he was already a withered skeleton on Mangshan Mountain. His gaze fell wistfully on the orange tree in the courtyard. "There is plenty of time in the future, so I must plan slowly. Fortunately, I have plenty of time ahead now."

Volume Four: Ward Off Misfortune