Chapter 49, Chapter Sixteen: The Person is Dead, But the Things Remain
Upon returning to Jinyang and seeing Liu Kun, Liu Jun's previous resentment and inner turmoil vanished.
Liu Kun had aged considerably, with streaks of white hair at his temples and a haggard appearance. Clearly, the deaths of Liu Fan and Guo Shi had deeply affected him.
"Your unfilial son pays his respects to his father." Liu Jun dismounted and stepped forward to kneel down.
Liu Kun helped him up, choking back tears, "You're finally back... You're now the governor of a prefecture and a father, but it's a pity you didn't get to see your grandparents!"
He then looked him up and down, and seeing that he was healthy, he sighed, "Go and see your mother. She worries about you all day long and hardly gets a good night's sleep. Since last year, she has been bedridden for long periods. When you have time, go and show your filial piety for a few days."
If it weren't for an extremely urgent matter, Liu Jun would never have abandoned the newly stabilized Liangzhou and secretly rushed to Bingzhou. In fact, both of them knew this perfectly well, but they just said some soft, everyday things to add a touch of warmth to their father-son relationship.
Liu Jun nodded, "I will go and serve my mother tonight."
He looked around at Liu Kun and realized with a sense of sorrow that many of the retainers who had followed them in managing Bingzhou were no longer alive.
“Father,” Liu Jun took a deep breath and said slowly, “I believe Shi Le is untrustworthy and will soon attack Bingzhou. Please be on guard.”
Liu Kun's face instantly became somewhat unnatural. Five or six years ago, he and Liu Jun had a dispute over Wang Jun's matter, and now it seemed that Liu Jun's opinion had not changed.
"If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold," Liu Jun said as expected. "However, Wang Jun is already dead, so there is no point in saying more. To be honest, before I came here, I went to Chang'an to meet the Emperor and also paid my respects to my cousin (Wen Qiao), Anzhong Nan (Liu Qiao), and the Duke of Jiuquan (Jia Pi)."
"Do you all believe that Shi Le will attack Bingzhou?" Liu Kun frowned.
Liu Jun nodded, "Not only that, the day he attacked Bingzhou was the day Liu Cong attacked and returned to Pingyang."
"I have also sensed this, which is why I have been busy setting up camps, repairing city walls, and training troops every day," Liu Kun said with concern. "However, Bingzhou just suffered a great calamity and was severely weakened. Shi Le's army is strong and has just captured Wang Jun. How can we possibly resist?"
Liu Jun said solemnly, “It depends on human effort. As the saying goes, a desperate army will surely win. Bingzhou is exhausted, but the soldiers are filled with grief and indignation and all want to avenge their previous humiliation. As long as we plan carefully, it is not a pipe dream to defeat the strong with the weak and the many with the few.
Seeing his son's resolute face, Liu Kun felt at ease, as if he had returned to the time several years ago when father and son were of one mind and had no grudges.
"Where is my cousin Liu Yan now?" Liu Jun's calm and restrained demeanor pulled Liu Kun back to the chaotic reality of war.
"Since losing Ye City, we have recruited refugees in Linqiu and are still struggling to survive."
“Back then, my brother occupied the three peaks of Tongque, Jinhu, and Bingjing and held them firmly, forcing Shi Le to abandon Ye City and move on to Xiangguo. It was no easy feat.” Liu Jun played with the Flying Scenery Sword at his waist and pondered, “It’s just a pity that after Jinyang fell, Shi Hu took the opportunity to capture Ye City, which allowed Shi Le to establish a foothold in Jizhou.”
Liu Kun listened intently to the map, while Liu Jun continued to deduce in his mind, speaking very slowly, "Wang Jun was defeated and killed, and Shi Le is now fighting with the Xianbei for Youzhou. But at this time, Pingyang has been restored to the Jin Dynasty, and the Han emperor Liu Cong has fled. Shi Le has no choice but to make a move and may send troops to Pingyang... Although the strategy of 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao' is old, it seems to be a viable way out at present."
"So you mean Liu Cong and Shi Le will attack Pingyang and Bingzhou, and we will have to send troops to Yecheng?" Liu Kun was clearly hesitant.
Before they knew it, the sun had set. Liu Jun rose, took a candle, and walked to the map. “Now Anzhong is stationed in Pingyang. I also made a pact with Jiuquan County that he would fully cooperate whether the Hu barbarians invade or we reclaim lost territory. Moreover, he has many victories against the Han, so he will surely be able to hold Pingyang. As for Jinyang, its terrain is strategic, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and with my father in charge, he will surely make Shi Le return empty-handed.”
"You're not going to personally lead the army to attack Ye City, are you?" Liu Kun felt a mix of emotions.
Holding a candle in one hand, Liu Jun pointed at the map with the other, "Hmm. Didn't Father want to take Ji Province from Wang Jun before? Now that he's gone, we don't need to worry about it anymore."
Seeing that Liu Kun still had doubts, he patiently explained, "This plan is the best. If Shi Le fails to return to reinforce, we can capture Ye City without suffering too many casualties. Using Ye City as a base, we can slowly nibble away at Ji Province and You Province. Alternatively, even if we briefly capture Ye City but fail to hold it due to Shi Le's return, we can still capture as many people as possible, seize their granaries, and deter the Jie Hu. At worst, even if Shi Le does not return and fails to capture Ye City, we can still lift the siege of Linqiu, bring my brother back, and work together on our grand plan. No matter how you look at it, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages."
“But we don’t have many troops right now. If something happens to you…” Liu Kun was clearly tempted and slammed his hand on the table, saying, “Maotou, you guard Jinyang. Your father will lead the army himself!”
Liu Jun's eyebrows twitched violently. He immediately put down the candle, knelt on one knee, and said, "Father has spent half his life on the battlefield and is riddled with injuries and illnesses. He was also overwhelmed with grief a few days ago. I came here from Liangzhou specifically to share your burdens. Please grant me this filial piety!"
Previously, Liu Kun had indeed fallen seriously ill after the deaths of Liu Fan and Guo Shi. He had also fought several battles with Tuoba Yilu to reclaim Bingzhou, and had been somewhat exhausted. Upon hearing Liu Jun's words, he did not insist, but said with a sigh, "Father is getting old. Drawing the bow and drinking the feathers, capturing the enemy's flag, it all depends on you now."
Liu Jun said in a deep voice, "In terms of ruling from the center, stabilizing people's hearts, and commanding the world, who in the entire land can compare to Father?"
He looked up, his dark pupils reflecting the candlelight, filled with filial piety. "Father has painstakingly managed for ten years, making Bingzhou a shield between the Heavenly Court, the Dynasty, and the barbarians. Without Father, Chang'an would probably have fallen into enemy hands, and the Jin Dynasty would have been destroyed long ago. To be able to be Father's son, and to serve under Father's command, is a blessing beyond measure for me."
Liu Kun felt comforted and talked to him about military affairs for a long time before saying, "You must be tired from your journey. Go back to your residence and rest first. Tomorrow I will host a banquet, and you can also meet the two strategists that my elder brother (Tuoba Yilu) gave me earlier."
Liu Jun accepted the order and returned to his residence. As he stepped inside, he felt a pang of trepidation, as if returning home. In the end, he did not go to pay his respects to Madam Cui, but instead paused and went to his grandparents' courtyard.
Previously, due to the looting by the barbarians, Bingzhou had limited financial resources and could only repair one or two of Liu Kun's and Cui's courtyards, while the rest remained in a state of chaos.
Liu Kun should have already sorted through their belongings, but Liu Jun still carefully checked them again, and unsurprisingly found nothing.
He sat in the room for a long time, and suddenly found a tattered bamboo stick under a broken lacquered wooden table. Apart from being smooth, the bamboo stick was quite ordinary.
However, Liu Jun noticed the small characters engraved on it: "Life is but a sojourn, why worry so much?" It was the same characters he had carved when he was a child.
This bamboo horse was nothing more than a child's toy, but unexpectedly, the old man treasured it and kept it with them until the very end.
He covered his face and slowly slumped down.
So, I'm not even worthy of the title "filial piety." He thought.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com