Side Story 1: Eastern Tour: A Wise Man Emerges from the East
Regardless of how Liu Jun and Sima Ye exchanged flirtatious glances, many of the scholars present were clearly restless and wanted to discuss things with Liu Jun.
Liu Jun sneered, "Discussions are fine, such as debating the Confucian classics, but I'm afraid I won't engage in those esoteric and mysterious discussions."
"Perhaps they've lost their nerve?" Sun Chuo's supporter, who had previously stirred up trouble, said sarcastically.
"Not so," Liu Jun laughed. "A man should strive to achieve great things. To waste one's precious youth on such useless empty talk is to squander one's years and live a wasted life."
Among the famous scholars of the time, the most admired were those who were unconventional and detached from worldly affairs, and those who constantly talked about fame and fortune were the most despicable. Therefore, when Liu Jun finished speaking, there was a long round of mocking laughter.
"Although he can compose a few metaphysical poems, he is still ultimately a petty and calculating person!"
"He is far inferior to Xie Dongshan. Although he possesses the talent of a prime minister, he is unrestrained by nature and has the demeanor of a noble scholar!"
...
As the host, Wang Xizhi couldn't bear to watch any longer and quickly offered some words of advice. But then he heard the scholar in front say leisurely, "Although everyone has their own ambitions, seeing that you are already quite old, I wonder what achievements you have made or what accomplishments you have made?"
Liu Jun had lived to a ripe old age. Some people called him a traitor, others called him mean and ungrateful, but no one really said he had accomplished nothing. Considering that people didn't know his background, he wasn't angry at all. He only humbly said, "Since I was young, I followed the Minister of Works of the Great Jin and the Duke of Zhongmin into the army. I did make some contributions in saving the emperor and destroying the country, and I also had some achievements in granting titles and privileges to my wife and children. But they are not worth mentioning."
It turned out he was a meritorious official, and considering that he had followed Liu Kun, many people's attitudes had subtly changed. However, since they probably felt that he was just a soldier, they did not go up to befriend him.
Liu Jun looked around but did not see any talented people he admired, so he felt bored. Seeing that Sima Ye looked tired, he nodded slightly to Wang Xizhi. The group then walked leisurely through the winding stream and swaying bamboo forest.
As Liu Jun approached the foot of the mountain, he saw a man bowing respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Surprised, Liu Jun glanced at the man's appearance and turned to Sima Ye with a smile, saying, "He has a refined and elegant demeanor, and his spirit is captivating. No wonder Yuanzi (Huan Wen) can't forget him."
Sima Ye laughed along, "I saw him sitting behind everyone else, not saying a word, and then he quietly left his seat. I didn't expect he was just waiting for a rabbit to run into the tree stump."
Xie An kept his eyes straight ahead and said, "I dare not, but I am merely following the example of Mao Sui and wish to serve the sage ruler."
"Oh? No longer living a secluded life in Dongshan?" Liu Jun chuckled. "Just now, you scholars were ashamed to serve the court. Aren't you worried that after you take office, you will be despised by the scholars of Jiangdong?"
“If no one from our clan enters officialdom, I fear that we will live to see our wealth dwindle and our great empire crumble.”
He didn't use the phrase "sitting idle and eating away one's fortune" or "the great building is about to collapse," which is quite intriguing. Perhaps he himself knew that the Southern gentry held a large amount of land that they had previously seized and annexed, but they maintained the demeanor of famous scholars and were unwilling to leave their posts and enter officialdom. They were guilty of possessing a treasure, and one day they would end up being divided up.
Liu Jun chuckled, "How do you know that I wouldn't be happy to see this happen?"
“If Your Majesty truly intended this, you would have done so during the southern expedition back then,” Xie An said respectfully. “I dare to guess that, firstly, Your Majesty is a hero of your generation and would disdain such a thing, and secondly, Your Majesty believed that there were capable people among the officials who would be useful if we crossed the river to the south.”
Liu Jun remained noncommittal, turning to look first at Sima Ye, who was plucking a peach blossom. Then he looked at Liu Jia, whose small eyes were fixed intently on Xie An, full of inquiry.
"Do you still remember when I introduced Taizhen to the Prince's residence?" Liu Jun sighed. "More than forty years have passed..."
Sima Ye said self-deprecatingly, "Tai Zhen is a man of great talent, it's a pity he's my tutor."
He finished speaking calmly, but paid no attention to Liu Jun's expression, only observing Xie An's response.
Liu Jun thought the same way. Seeing that Xie An remained unmoved, he was quite satisfied. He personally took Liu Jia's hand and handed it to Xie An, saying, "The Crown Prince's teachers are indeed learned, but I always feel that they are somewhat mediocre. You should teach them well."
After expressing his gratitude, Liu Jia felt the slight sweat on his hands and exclaimed, "The scenery of Kuaiji is quite different from that of the capital. Please show me around, sir!"
Watching Xie An stumble as he was pulled away and slowly walk away, Sima Ye tossed the peach blossom into Liu Jun's arms, saying, "Jiangnan is beautiful, but don't forget your hometown."
Liu Jun caught the peach blossom, casually tucked it into his belt, and took a step forward to put his arm around him. "New clothes are worse than old ones, and old friends are worse than new ones. I also ask Your Majesty not to only see the smiles of the new ones and not the tears of the old ones."
When no one was around, the two occasionally addressed each other as "Your Majesty" and "General." It was one thing for close ministers and guards to address each other, but Xie An, who had not gone far and was hearing this for the first time, could not help but feel suspicious. He felt that the relationship between the emperor and his minister was really strange. Suddenly, he felt a small hand tugging at his sleeve. "Sometimes, it is best to lower your head and plug your ears to find peace."
Xie An smiled gently, picked him up, and walked quickly forward. "In Jiangnan, one can pick lotus flowers; how lush and green the lotus leaves are! Your Highness has not yet seen the lotus leaves of Jiangnan..."
During this eastern tour, besides gaining a virtuous talent like Xie An, Liu Jun received another unexpected bonus: Huan Wen, the Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant, discovered a man of great talent and specially gifted him a fine carriage and horses, also personally writing a letter of recommendation. Unexpectedly, this man, with an inflated sense of self-importance, did not take the letter of recommendation to the capital. Instead, he took up a position as a county magistrate. At that time, Qingzhou was suffering from a drought, and his outstanding abilities allowed him not only to settle the disaster victims in his own county but also to take in disaster victims from other counties. In the process, he also managed to escape unscathed from a struggle against several powerful and influential families in Qingzhou.
As a result, this person's name was passed up through the ranks. When he returned to the capital, Liu Jun specially summoned him. Observing his speech and behavior, he immediately decided to give him an important position and bring him back to Chang'an.
In the evening, when the princess brought Huan Wen to pay their respects, it was Sima Ye who mentioned this matter, saying that the man's name was Wang Meng, but he came from a humble background and had no connection with the Langya Wang clan or the Taiyuan Wang clan. Huan Wen was overjoyed.
As they drew closer to the capital, nearing the banks of the Luo River, Liu Jun grasped Sima Ye's hand and said slowly, "I must return to the palace to attend to state affairs; I fear we will not be able to meet for several days."
Sima Ye smiled and said, "I have been content with seeing you every day these past few days. However, now that you have witnessed the beauty of our land and the emergence of so many talented people, you should be at ease."
Liu Jun shook his head, "You know I'm a worrier and a busybody, and I'm afraid I won't be able to have complete peace of mind until the day I close my eyes."
"Although Your Majesty does not favor idle talk, as you grow older, reading more Laozi and Zhuangzi will be beneficial," Sima Ye advised.
Liu Jun scratched his palm. "Only you would dare to say such a thing. Well, the Dragon Boat Festival is in a few days. At that time, I would like to ask the layman to impart his knowledge and skills to remove the three poisons from my heart."
"If Your Majesty wishes to inquire, I will await you at the Golden Valley Garden," Sima Ye said gently. "You are getting on in years, so please take care of yourself."
"Um."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com