Chapter 53, Part 1: Facing National Crisis Together

The fourth year of Jianxing.

The Prefectural Governor's Office of Liangzhou.

Even with the torrential rain and constant thunder, the heart-wrenching cries could not drown out the sobs, and many people were already sobbing along with the others.

Liu Jun's face was ashen as he watched as his family member, Liu Dan, who was about to faint from crying, was helped away.

He pulled his cloak tighter around himself, took a copper spoon, scooped up a spoonful of wine, tilted his head back, and drank it down, only then feeling a slight warmth.

I don't know what bad luck I've had these past two years. First, Cui died last year, and this year Zhuge Quan passed away. Then, Liu Cong's army attacked Pingyang, and Liu Qiao, the governor of Yuzhou, was killed in battle.

Having lost two respected elders in succession, Liu Jun wept bitterly twice and lost his appetite for several days. Not to mention Liu Dan, who was grieving the loss of his grandfather.

"My lord, what should we do?"

"I am a former subordinate of Yuzhou, and I vow to avenge my lord!"

"My lord, please accept my condolences!"

"They've already reached Pingyang, so Chang'an is in grave danger."

Looking at the cold face reflected in the wine in the spoon, Liu Jun felt it was extremely unfamiliar.

"The news about General Yin has arrived." Lu Jing strode in and presented the intelligence report with both hands.

Liu Jun opened it and sighed, "The momentum is overwhelming."

He casually handed the intelligence report to Liu Yi, who then showed it to the other generals.

In the dead silence, Liu Jun slowly spoke, "I am determined to go north to serve the emperor and protect Chang'an."

"My lord, please reconsider!" Liu Chou hurriedly said, "Now that Hanzhong has just been pacified, we should recuperate and strengthen ourselves. If we rashly send troops now, the outcome is uncertain. If Li Xiong is waiting in the wings, I'm afraid we won't even be able to hold onto Hanzhong."

He was right, so many of his advisors chimed in, "Please, my lord, reconsider!"

Liu Jun looked at his cousins ​​beside him and asked, "What are your thoughts, brothers?"

Liu Yi was indecisive to begin with, and simply said, "I will obey my lord's orders without question."

Liu Yin was brave and skilled in battle, but not adept at strategy. "I am willing to follow my lord on the expedition!"

Liu Qi was the most like Liu Yu among his brothers, and it seemed that he already had a plan in mind: "If we do not want the Prince of Langya to ascend the throne, we must save His Majesty. It is imperative to serve the emperor."

"Your Majesty is the adopted son of Emperor Huai, and has been fighting against the barbarians in Guanzhong for many years, earning the respect of the entire nation. Even if the Prince of Langya dominates Jiangdong, his position is ultimately illegitimate and he has fallen into a lower position," Liu Jun said calmly. "Publicly, as a subject, I must be loyal; privately, Your Majesty and I have a childhood friendship, how can I stand idly by? Ziyi, do you have a plan to deal with what Wang Qiao was concerned about?"

"I believe that if our lord is determined to personally lead the expedition, he should select a reliable and senior minister to guard Hanzhong..."

“Indeed, this coincides with what Jun has in mind. Do any of you gentlemen have someone in mind?” Liu Jun asked with a smile.

He governed his subordinates with a balance of leniency and strictness, and he preferred to gather opinions from all sides during discussions. As a result, everyone in the shogunate started to nominate candidates, hoping to please the young lord and gain his favor.

After everyone had finished speaking, Liu Jun slowly said, "I also have someone in mind."

"Zu Ti, General of Valiant Might and Governor of Yuzhou".

He was considered a renowned scholar of his time, and the anecdote of him and Liu Kun practicing martial arts at the crowing of the rooster was widely known. In the first year of Jianxing, he proposed a northern expedition, but Sima Rui, the Prince of Langya, remained noncommittal. He gave him an official position but did not provide him with a single soldier, only some silver and cloth, and asked him to recruit soldiers and manufacture weapons himself.

Liu Jun stood up, put his hands behind his back, and said, “In the past, my grandfather gave me advice, and every time I read it, I felt that every word was a gem, and every word was written in blood and tears. ‘The chaos in the Jin Dynasty was not due to the lack of morality of the emperor and the resentment and rebellion of the people. It was due to the vassal kings fighting for power and killing each other, which allowed the Rong and Di tribes to take advantage of the situation and spread their poison to the Central Plains. Now that the remaining people have been cruelly treated, they have the will to fight back.’ At present, he is leading the refugee leaders in the Yan and Yu areas and is struggling to hold on. He had previously tried to send troops to rescue the magistrate of Anzhong County (Liu Qiao).

"But why would he be willing to serve his lord?" Liu Qi asked, frowning.

Liu Jun turned slightly to the side, his fingertips tracing patterns in the rain. "He is not driven by me, but by His Majesty. He will not refuse to face the national crisis together."

Far away in Huaiyin, a carefree man in a wide-sleeved robe greeted the imperial edict with a bewildered expression.

He was summoned by Sima Rui, the Prince of Langya, to serve as the governor of Yuzhou. Unexpectedly, the court, which he thought was beyond his reach, also summoned him to serve as the governor of Liangzhou.

"The governor of Liangzhou now seems to be the heir of the Marquis of Guangwu, and Liangzhou was conquered by his army. If I rashly accept the order, wouldn't that be..."

“You need not worry,” said the angel, a rather amiable-looking eunuch. “His Majesty has his own plans. He has also appointed the Crown Prince as the governor of Yongzhou and Yuzhou, ordering him to protect the emperor.”

The Liu family, father and son, were stationed in Bingzhou and Liangzhou respectively, guarding Chang'an from the south and north. Their years of painstaking efforts were known to all.

How could Zu Ti possibly accept such a windfall? So he repeatedly declined.

The angel had already anticipated his refusal, and then took out a secret letter from his sleeve.

Zu Ti opened the letter and was astonished to find that it was actually written by Liu Jun. Just by looking at the characters, the cursive script had a certain "Jing jade shines brightly, and the jade is as dazzling as a gem". Reading the content, he was even more excited. Everyone said that his father was good at winning people's hearts, but Liu Kun was not shrewd enough and was as frivolous and arrogant as his writing. Therefore, even though they were very close friends in their youth, Zu Ti never thought of going to Bingzhou.

But now, observing his son's behavior, it is quite different. His personality is as fluent and powerful as his writing, and he also exudes a calm and reserved demeanor that is quite different from his age.

He looked at Huan Xuan, the military advisor who had come to visit him, and asked, "Guangda, would you be willing to go to Hanzhong with me?"

A kind and handsome young general stood solemnly to the side, and hesitated, saying, "But His Majesty has ordered us to subdue Zhang Ping and Fan Ya. If we change our route and go to Hanzhong instead, wouldn't that be disobeying orders?"

Zu Ti waved the imperial edict in his hand, "But if we don't go to Hanzhong, wouldn't that be disobeying the imperial decree?"

Huan Xuan came from the Huan clan of Qiao State, which had deep roots and great power in the area. For him, abandoning his family and home to go to the aid of the king or to recover lost territory was somewhat unrealistic. Therefore, he could only smile bitterly and say, "With my parents above me, I dare not travel far. However, I have several hundred troops under my command, as well as some silk and grain, which I wish to give to my ancestor as a token of my sincerity."

Zu Ti did not expect him to resolutely head north, so he bowed in thanks, and with more than a hundred families of his displaced followers, he packed his bags and continued north.

Seeing the tragic scene of people being displaced and wolves running rampant along the way, and recalling his ambition to conquer the Central Plains and achieve great deeds, he couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions and remained silent.

His son, Zu Huan, was also preoccupied with worries. Seeing his father's silence, he lowered his voice and explained his suspicions: "Both His Majesty and Liu Jun are just young men, barely twenty years old. How can they accomplish great things? Father, you just agreed to it like that?"

Zu Ti looked at him with disappointment and exasperation, "When we crossed the river, I struck the oar and swore an oath. Do you still remember what I said?"

Zu Huan was of mediocre talent; how could he remember? He also saw his father's cold expression, and he remained silent.

Looking at his apathetic son, Zu Ti felt deeply that his son was not like his father. He reined in his son and said softly, "If Zu Ti cannot pacify the Central Plains and save the river, may he be as great as the Yangtze River!"