Chapter 34, Chapter 1: Sharing Family Bliss
Having been away from Bingzhou for more than half a year, Liu Jun felt somewhat dazed upon returning to Jinyang.
After the fall of the capital, apart from those who fled south, Bingzhou received the most scholars and refugees. At first glance, the streets were lined with people, resembling a long-lost scene of prosperity.
"I have seen the memorial Liu Gong sent when he first arrived in Jinyang. At that time, he faced great hardships and difficulties, surrounded by powerful enemies, and fought several battles in a month. Yet he was able to govern Bingzhou so well. He is truly a man of great talent in the world," Liu Chou praised.
Liu Jun echoed twice, but his bright eyes kept scanning the city. When they were almost at the headquarters, he said to Yin Xiaocheng beside him, "After I return home and pay my respects to my parents, I will send out invitations to a few officials. Please deliver them to them on my behalf and invite them to come to my residence for a chat."
Before even reaching the mansion, Yin Xiaocheng, whom he had previously sent back to Jinyang, came to greet him and whispered something to him. Liu Chou carefully observed Liu Jun's expression and saw that he remained calm and simply nodded. Liu Chou couldn't help but think more highly of this young general.
Liu Jun cupped his hands to Liu Chou and said, "My father admires your high reputation and is waiting for you at the camp."
Liu Chou was somewhat flattered and left with a smile.
Liu Kun was indeed eager to find talented people, but more importantly, Lady Guo and Lady Cui were worried about Liu Jun and were anxious to summon him back to the mansion. So they had to find an excuse to send Liu Chou away and let the servants rest. They themselves didn't care about the dust from their journey and hurriedly walked into the mansion.
Sure enough, as soon as he entered, a servant girl hurriedly came to greet him and led him into the back room.
"My son!"
"Fashionable hairstyle!"
Before Liu Jun could even stand up straight, Cui hugged him tightly and burst into tears.
It had been five years since Liu Jun had gone to Bingzhou with his father, and the mother and son had not seen each other. Liu Jun couldn't help but feel a little sad. "Mother!"
Madam Cui looked him up and down carefully, and said with tears in her eyes, "From the front to my waist, now I have to look up at you."
Liu Jun patted her reassuringly, then turned to look at Liu Fan and Madam Guo, who were sitting upright in the hall. He straightened his clothes and knelt down, saying, "I am incompetent. I failed to escort you all the way. Your grandfather and grandmother have been frightened!"
When Liu Fan and his men fled to Bingzhou, they heard that Liu Jun had risked his life to go to Luoyang to rescue them. They had mixed feelings. On the one hand, they blamed him for being arrogant and daring to charge into the chaotic army with only a few family retainers. On the other hand, they were moved by his filial piety and good deeds. On the other hand, they were secretly proud. After all, a fifteen-year-old boy had managed to travel back and forth across the turbulent Central Plains several times, saving many important officials and famous scholars along the way, and even saving the Prince of Qin in the end.
Liu Fan already favored him because of the incident involving the prison cart, and now, seeing this grandson, he loved him even more.
The couple spent a long time fussing over Liu Jun's well-being. Liu Fan, looking at the grandchildren surrounding them, finally remembered the important matter. "Speaking of which, these are all your cousins. Haven't seen them in a long time, have you?"
Shortly after Liu Yu's death, Luoyang fell, and his family had nowhere to go but to seek refuge with Liu Kun. His concubines had either been scattered or remarried, and now only his first wife, Lady Hua, remained with him, along with their sons Liu Yan, Liu Yin, Liu Yi, Liu Qi, and Liu Shu. Except for Liu Qi and Liu Shu, who were slightly younger, the rest were all elder brothers.
Having suffered greatly from the incompetence of his clan in his previous life, Liu Jun was overjoyed to suddenly have so many strong and capable cousins.
In the evening, Liu Kun returned from the military headquarters and held a family banquet in the main hall, where the entire family sat down.
Liu Fan stroked his beard and sighed, “The world is in such chaos, yet our whole family can still enjoy each other’s company and reminisce about our separation. It must be a blessing from heaven. It’s just a pity about your brother. If he were still alive, he would have accomplished a great deal, whether he was assisting the imperial family or helping you manage Bingzhou.”
“My brother’s talent surpasses mine many times over. It’s just a pity that he didn’t live long,” Liu Kun sighed.
With delicacies laid out on the table and silks and satins adorning their bodies, Liu Jun frowned as he looked at the smug Liu Kun and then at the well-equipped musicians below.
Those around him thought he was grieving for Liu Yu, but they didn't know that at that moment he was thinking about the affairs of the world, his heart burning with anxiety. He wished he could advise Liu Kun on the spot, but firstly, he didn't want to ruin the family happiness of the day, and secondly, he didn't want to act rashly without understanding the whole situation, so he could only silently endure it.
"Maotou, how's your zither practice going?" Liu Kun suddenly asked. "Your uncle loved Ji Kang's Four Pieces the most..."
Liu Jun smiled wistfully and gestured for Lu Jing to bring his zither. "Today is a joyous occasion, a time for family reunion. I am not talented, but I would like to play a piece on the zither to comfort your spirit in heaven."
After saying this, he washed his hands, burned incense, straightened his clothes, and sat down in the hall. He briefly tested the sound of the zither and then began to play without any hesitation.
To be fair, compared to his calligraphy and painting, Liu Jun's qin (a seven-stringed zither) skills were merely average, and far from comparable to Liu Kun, whose single tune on the hujia (a type of reed pipe instrument) could repel tens of thousands of soldiers. However, his melodies were stirring and generous, vigorous and unadorned, and the meaning within them was quite different from the broad-minded and profound sentiments admired by contemporary scholars.
The crowd stopped drinking and listened intently. Some heard the deepening twilight, some heard the withering wild grass, some heard the heart-wrenching farewells, and some heard the piles of white bones...
There are also those who are good at music, like Liu Kun, who not only hear sorrow in this piece of music, but also countless indignations and grief, playing it as if reading a poem of grief and indignation.
"I wonder what he has been through along the way. His willpower is extraordinary," Liu Kun thought to himself. "He has finally led troops and seen blood on his own. My son has truly grown up."
Ignoring what others thought, Liu Jun slowly loosened his fingers, gently exhaled a breath of turbid air, and after the song ended, most of the panic in his heart disappeared—even if all the cities under his control were lost and all his soldiers were routed, the worst that could happen was that he would die again, so what was there to fear?
Now, looking ahead and behind, as if walking on thin ice, all I want is to protect my relatives and friends, to prevent loyal ministers from suffering injustice like Wang Jing, to prevent good generals from harboring resentment like Wuqiu Jian, and to prevent them from growing old without achieving anything and being separated from their relatives and friends.
Even if it's difficult, we must fight for it.
With that thought in mind, Liu Jun mustered his spirits, stood up, and toasted everyone in turn. When he reached Liu Kun, he whispered, "I wonder when Father will have some free time these days? I have something important to discuss with you."
Liu Kun smiled and said, "I'm going to train the troops tomorrow, so how about the day after tomorrow? You'll be back at the manor then, so you should rest well and spend more time with your mother."
Liu Jun was more than happy to agree and smiled as he accepted.
After the family banquet ended, still feeling the effects of the alcohol, he went back to his study and drafted several name cards, which he then ordered to be delivered overnight.
To everyone's surprise, the Crown Prince had only been home for a day when he hastily summoned people for a meeting. Perhaps to avoid suspicion, he prepared a small banquet on the outskirts of the city. The dishes were simple but delicious. There were not many guests: Liu Dan, a member of the Liu Qiao clan who remained in Bingzhou; Zhuge Quan, whom he had rescued in Ningping City; his cousin Lu Chen, who had fled to Luoyang with his entire clan after the city fell; and Liu Chou, whom he had brought with him this time.
Bingzhou was weak; if the country hadn't fallen, where would these talented people be in Jinyang?
Once you've recruited them, you'll need to appease them properly.
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