Chapter 94, Chapter 5: Passing by but Not Entering
The news of Wen Qiao and Sima Ye's long discussion eventually reached Liu Jun. Yin Xiaocheng looked at Liu Jun cautiously, afraid of seeing even the slightest displeasure.
Liu Jun nodded. "Since Taizhen is unwilling to tell me, I will pretend I don't know."
Then he suddenly smiled and said, "But it's easy to guess that one of them is just suspicion and the other is trying to excuse themselves. Nothing surprising."
Yin Xiaocheng was shocked. "Does my lord mean that His Majesty..."
"If he has been emperor for so long and does nothing but be kind, then he is not Emperor Huai (Sima Chi), but the heir of Emperor Hui (Sima Zhong)." Liu Jun disagreed, "Investigate further and report back."
He looked at Lu Jing, "Has the eldest young master already set off from Liangzhou?"
"Indeed, it will probably arrive in the next few days."
Liu Jun sighed, "Leaving him in Liangzhou was a last resort, and I don't know if he resents me as his father. Madam Zhang manages the household quite well, so I'm sure she won't mistreat him. When they turn ten, I'll take them under my wing and raise them. By the way, have you taken care of the other brothers' orphans as well?"
Seeing Lu Jing nod, Liu Jun seemed to be thinking, "Instead of just inviting great Confucian scholars to teach, it would be better to invite more learned people, including military strategists, legalists, and even miscellaneous scholars. If they only know how to talk nonsense, they probably won't survive long in this world. Unfortunately, I am about to go to war, so I can only ask Tai Zhen to take care of this for me."
Lu Jingmin asked, "When does our lord plan to set off?"
"At the latest by August, at the earliest by the end of June," Liu Jun said in a deep voice. "We absolutely cannot let it drag on until the beginning of autumn. In autumn, the pastures are lush, and cattle and sheep roam freely, which will be more advantageous for the Hu people. In addition, I have received news that Liu Yao's troops have already clashed with Shi Le. Within two months, both armies will surely be exhausted, and I will take advantage of their weakness to launch an attack."
Lu Jing hesitated, and Liu Jun glanced at him. "Are you worried that if I destroy the Xiongnu, the war will drag on or I will be severely weakened, and then Shi Le will take advantage of the situation? Ha, you're overthinking it. I have my own ways to keep him from looking west."
In May of the ninth year of Jianxing (221 AD), Liu Yao and Shi Le fought a decisive battle at Puban. The battle raged for several days without a clear victor. During this time, Liu Jun dispatched Di and Qiang tribesmen to harass Qin Prefecture. Liu Yao, in a desperate move, decisively defeated Shi Zhan at Gaohou. Shi Le fled to Chenggao, and seeing that Liu Yao was unprepared, led his army to the Luo River. Liu Yao deployed 100,000 troops west of Luo, and the two armies remained locked in a stalemate.
The Jin court, Xuan Shi Hall of Weiyang Palace.
"Your Majesty, today is the day to avenge our humiliation! I beg Your Majesty to grant me the Tiger Tally and lead the troops into battle!"
Sima Ye looked down at him and nodded slightly. The eunuch then presented the tiger tally.
Liu Jun accepted the gift with gratitude and was about to get up when he saw Sima Ye stand up and face south on the steps, nodding and smiling at him.
Could it be...?
In his previous life, Liu Jun was forced to give this item to others; he never imagined that he would have to receive it himself now.
As expected, music and ceremony began, and Sima Ye took the imperial ceremonial axe and presented it with both hands.
Liu Jun suppressed his excitement and accepted the gift with great care. Seeing Sima Ye bowing to the east and west, he hurriedly knelt and bowed several times.
The court was completely silent. All the officials watched silently, even the political enemies who had attacked them with the most vicious words. At this moment, their faces were full of solemnity and expectation.
The court was weak and could not be compared with the Han and Wei dynasties. Its ritual system was crude and inadequate, and even its music and ceremonies were somewhat out of tune. However, no one found it ridiculous or laughable. Everyone secretly believed that the young man holding the imperial axe could defeat the fierce tribe and return victorious.
The granting of the imperial insignia was already beyond Liu Jun's expectations, but to everyone's astonishment, Wen Qiao was also granted permission to accompany the army.
After the court session ended, Liu Jun deliberately slowed his pace and walked side by side with Wen Qiao.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Wen Qiao saw that he looked perfectly normal and couldn't help but laugh, "I can't match your composure. Such a big matter, and you didn't even ask about it."
"Trying to fathom the Emperor's intentions is a grave offense," Liu Jun smiled. "With my brother-in-law's help, it's like adding wings to a tiger. This is an unexpected blessing. Why bother with the so-called deeper meaning behind it? Perhaps it's just His Majesty's good intention. My only concern is whether Qu Yun can keep Chang'an in check, since my brother-in-law is accompanying me on this expedition."
Although Qu Yun was a skilled and loyal general, he had a fatal flaw: he was kind-hearted but lacked authority. In order to win people's hearts, he bestowed the title of general upon everyone from prefects to village chiefs. If it weren't for Liu Jun, Wen Qiao, Du Dan, and others restraining him over the years, even a cook could probably have become a court attendant or a high-ranking official.
"Du Dan and he have a close relationship, so he should be able to offer timely advice. In addition, I'm afraid even Mao Tou has to admit that although Du Dan is not good at military affairs, he is good at governing. Qu Yun has rarely been defeated in battles against the Xiongnu, so it is not difficult for Du Dan to stabilize the court."
Liu Jun felt somewhat relieved and slowly said, "I am also confident in dealing with the Di and Qiang people, so Chang'an should be safe. I will make further arrangements when I return to the headquarters. I still need to assign some reliable people to keep a close eye on things, otherwise I cannot rest easy."
Wen Qiao shook his head and sighed, "I always hear you mention Zhuge Liang. You've even picked up his meticulous way of handling things. Sometimes you should step back and not do things yourself, or you'll work yourself to death one day."
Liu Jun felt a warmth in his heart, but he didn't mince words, "Brother-in-law, don't worry. I will take good care of myself and live a long and healthy life. Otherwise, if you lose all your possessions in the future, who will redeem you?"
Wen Qiao laughed heartily, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, and the two parted ways without further ado.
Liu Jun did not return to the headquarters, but went back to his residence first. This house was originally bestowed by Sima Ye last year. It was said to have been the residence of Li Jue, a general under Dong Zhuo, and Jia Xu had also briefly stayed here. Zhang Shi complained at length about Li Jue's unfortunate end and the house's somewhat ominous atmosphere. Liu Jun himself did not care about feng shui, but people at the time respected his first wife. In addition, he felt guilty because Sima Ye had treated the inner quarters coldly in recent years. As long as it was not related to politics, he let Zhang Shi make all the decisions. So he let her find someone to perform a ritual for a while and ordered people to repair it well before he felt at ease moving in.
He was usually either at the shogunate or in the palace, so his rare return was quite a surprise. Before long, almost everyone in the household had arrived.
Looking at the silent masters and servants in the courtyard, Liu Jun felt somewhat uneasy. "I will be going to war soon, and my eldest son will be returning home. I'm afraid I won't be able to see him again. That child has been in Liangzhou for a long time, and I need to pay more attention to his food, clothing, daily necessities, and education."
"We understand," replied both the stepmother, Madam Zhang, and the birth mother, Madam Dou.
Liu Jun glanced at his two young sons and saw that they were still too small to even mount a horse. His desire to take them on the expedition faded instantly, and he gently instructed them, "Yuanji, Yuangui, don't neglect your studies. Once you have mastered riding and archery, your father will take you on the expedition."
"Yes." The second son answered dryly, and Liu Jun had nothing to say. None of his other wives and concubines tried to smooth things over. Just as they were awkwardly staring at each other, a palace attendant summoned Liu Jun to the palace.
As if granted a general amnesty, Liu Jun gave a few more words of advice before hastily entering the palace.
Before leaving the mansion, Liu Jun frowned and looked back, feeling uneasy. He whispered to Lu Jing to have people keep a close watch on the mansion before getting into his carriage and leaving.
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