Chapter 80, Chapter 11: Forming Alliances and Strategies

In October of the seventh year of Jianxing, Liu Jun hosted a banquet for Yao Yizhong, the leader of the Qiang people, in Qinzhou, which caused a stir in Guanzhong and Longyou.

"Please." After personally welcoming him, Liu Jun treated him as an honored guest and seated him at the head of the table.

Yao Yizhong had naturally heard of Liu Jun's great name and knew that he was young, but when he actually met him, he was still taken aback by his youthful appearance.

"Everyone says he's a killing god, but why doesn't anyone say he's so handsome?" Perhaps due to excessive nervousness and carelessness, Yao Yizhong unconsciously blurted out his thoughts.

Wei Xiong and Liu Shu, standing to the side, didn't know whether to be alarmed by the term "god of slaughter" or to laugh at the word "handsome." Liu Jun, on the other hand, remained calm and even asked in return, "Has no one ever called me a handsome god of slaughter?"

Yao Yizhong said awkwardly, "I'm afraid I didn't speak well. I said God of War, not God of Slaughter. Your Excellency misunderstood."

Liu Jun was too lazy to argue with him. Seeing that the maid behind him had already poured wine and tea for him, he raised his cup and said, "Being in the midst of war, it is inevitable that my hospitality has been somewhat inadequate. Please forgive me, Chief."

He did not address him by any of his self-proclaimed names, which made Yao Yizhong, who was standing to the side, look rather uneasy. Then Liu Jun continued, "The chieftain has his own army and is self-reliant, but he has no imperial edict. It is inevitable that he is talking to himself. Whether he is a colonel, a governor, or even a duke or marquis, I am afraid that he will not be able to convince the world."

Yao Yizhong was intrigued and asked, "What does Your Excellency mean by this? Does the court also appreciate the Qiang people's law-abiding behavior and recognize my merit in protecting the land and its people, and intend to give me an explanation?"

"Explain?" This Qiang chieftain is either illiterate or extremely arrogant. Liu Jun smiled slightly, "That's right, but that's probably not enough. The chieftain should make contributions to our Great Jin."

Upon hearing this, Yao Yizhong was immediately displeased. Just as he had thought, this young man wanted to use him as a tool to deal with Pu Hong. Although he had always been at odds with the Di people, he was unwilling to let his men lose their lives for the meager honors given to him by the precarious Jin court.

Liu Jun did not give him a chance to refuse. He took out a piece of yellow silk from his sleeve. Yao Yizhong was overjoyed when he saw it and reached out to take it.

Unexpectedly, Liu Jun raised his hand behind him. He was already very tall, and Yao Yizhong could not reach him. He almost stumbled.

With a slight smile, Liu Jun unfolded the imperial edict, and sure enough, it clearly stated that Yao Yizhong was appointed Protector of the Western Qiang and Duke of Fufeng.

"Why is the governor of Yongzhou gone, and why has he been demoted from a duke to a county duke?" Yao Yizhong said with dissatisfaction.

Liu Jun's smile remained unchanged. "May I ask, Chief, how do your merits for the Great Jin compare to those of my father?"

At this time, Liu Kun had been fighting the enemy in Bingzhou for more than ten years. He was both the Grand Commandant and the Minister of Works, and his prestige in the dynasty had reached its peak. Even if Yao Yizhong was arrogant, he could not say that he was better than Liu Kun, so he could only shake his head.

"My father's title was only Marquis of Guangwu," Liu Jun said calmly. "May I ask how many troops the chieftain commands, and how many battles he has won?"

Yao Yizhong said confidently, "Our army of 100,000 has never suffered a defeat."

Liu Jun couldn't help but laugh, "My troops are similar to yours, but I have only fought thirty battles so far, and I have suffered two major defeats, one pyrrhic victory, and three losses. I am unworthy of the title of Governor of Yongzhou."

Just looking at his battle record is already quite impressive, and considering his age, it's truly astonishing. Yao Yizhong wanted to struggle and bargain a bit more, but then he heard Liu Jun say quietly, "The chieftain's 100,000 men probably include the old, weak, women and children. The actual number of soldiers capable of fighting is only about 40,000 to 50,000, right?"

Startled by his words, Yao Yizhong couldn't help but show a hint of surprise on his face. Liu Jun noticed this and waved the yellow silk, saying, "If you agree, I can have His Majesty use the seal at any time. This will be the imperial edict. But if you fail to satisfy me, this yellow silk is nothing but a piece of waste paper. It all depends on your choice."

"I cannot make a decision on this matter immediately; I need to return to the tribe and discuss it with everyone," Yao Yizhong said slowly.

"Three days is the limit." Liu Jun solemnly placed the yellow silk in a wooden box and handed it to Lu Jing behind him. "It won't be available after that time."

As he was leaving, Yao Yizhong noticed with his sharp eyes that there was another piece of silk under the yellow silk, which seemed to have the character "蒲" on it.

“If he is truly arrogant and agrees to this, does the court really intend to bestow an official title upon him?” Liu Shu frowned.

Liu Jun scoffed, "Could it be that His Majesty appointed a leader of displaced people?"

Because of their isolated and weak position, the Jin court's bestowal of titles and rewards became so rampant that almost any fortress lord could become a general. This situation only changed after Liu Jun entered the court.

Yin Xiaocheng entered and whispered to Liu Jun, who nodded: "Okay, let's wait and see."

The wind howled fiercely, and although it was not yet the dead of winter, water was already freezing instantly.

A handsome and robust man, dressed in a round-necked, narrow-sleeved blue robe, with a leather belt around his waist, long boots on his feet, and a heavy leather hat on his head, was listening intently to his subordinate's report. He slowly said, "You mean that Liu Jun not only returned, but also hosted a banquet for Yao Yizhong, and even wants to bestow a title upon him?"

"That's right. Our spies planted among the Qiang people heard it clearly. We heard that Yao Yizhong is very pleased with himself and is already preparing troops to serve as the vanguard of the Jin people!"

Pu Hong took a deep breath, paced back and forth, and after a long while said, "This is that kid's plan, but we just can't do anything about it."

“Why don’t we wait a little longer? If Zhao defeats Jin, we can take advantage of the situation and take control of Guanzhong. Isn’t that what was promised to us before?” suggested Pu’an, the younger brother who was attending to him.

Pu Hong shook his head. “This matter is quite troublesome because I know Yao Yizhong. As long as we really fight with the Jin people, he will take action if he sees something profitable, and he will not care about the Xiongnu or the Jiehu. In this way, not only will the Jin court be wary of us, but we will also have to be wary of the Qiang people. This is to fight fire with fire.”

Pu An murmured, "Isn't this a dilemma?"

“The Jin people call this an open conspiracy,” Pu Hong sighed. “I just hope he doesn’t know we are currently lacking food and clothing, otherwise, if he takes advantage of our misfortune, many of our clansmen will not be able to survive this winter. Now, the road to the Central Plains has been completely cut off by Liu Jun. When we are forced to do something, we may have no choice but to kill our oxen.”

However, what he expected was that someone from the Jin camp had actually delivered grain that day, and even prepared seeds for next year's planting.

"What do you think he means by this? Is he trying to recruit us?"

"If you ask me, what's the difference between the Jin people and the Xiongnu? We've had enough of this life of submission and tribute. Otherwise, Your Majesty, please ascend the throne, and we won't serve anyone anymore."

The generals chatted amongst themselves, but Pu Hong remained silent throughout.

Finally, he interrupted everyone, "I am determined to have a contest with him. If he loses, he must then bestow titles upon me. We Di men are men of the highest honor. If he wins, I will naturally submit to him."