Jinting Han people

Chapter 726 The Return of the Cypress Boat to Han

On this day, Meng He accompanied Liu Tun to visit Ji Shao, and his surprise upon encountering Liu Wei at Xianmei Residence can be imagined. He probably never dreamed that this simple trip to Qi and Han would lead to an encounter with a Han prince.

This makes absolutely no sense. Back in Luoyang, he spent every day with the emperor, even facing life-or-death situations together, and he never saw the emperor have any romantic relationships with anyone. But looking at Liu Wei's appearance and personality, Meng He knew perfectly well that he must be the emperor's son; there was no other possibility. So why hasn't any news of this reached him?

The reason for this was that Ji Shao's cover-up was very successful.

For the past two years, the reason he requested to live in seclusion by the Sun and Moon Lake was because he knew that Liu Xian had an old friend in Daxing City, and Liu Wei looked too much like Liu Xian. Once recognized, it would be difficult to handle the situation. However, living in seclusion would not cause such trouble. Given Ji Shao's sensitive status, the old men from the former Jin dynasty who knew him would generally not come to visit him to avoid suspicion. This allowed Ji Shao to casually declare that Liu Wei was the son of his adopted friend. And since there are countless people in the world with the surname Liu, this was perfectly normal. Ji Shao acted so naturally that no one would imagine anything else.

In fact, Ji Shao's prediction was quite accurate. Not only Meng He, but Liu Tun, who was also visiting Ji Shao for the first time in two years, recognized Liu Wei's identity. Upon seeing this, Liu Tun very subtly said to Ji Shao, "Yan Zu's seclusion here is not out of loyalty!" However, considering his past friendship with Liu Xian in Luoyang, and knowing that his humble entry into Liu Baigen's service was not of his own volition, he chose to keep the secret.

However, after learning the truth, how to get Liu Wei out of the Qi-Han Kingdom became a new problem.

Because sending the ransomed hostages back to Huainan requires verifying their identities in Daxing City. After all, it was already agreed that each hostage was worth five thousand bushels of grain, and there couldn't be any mistake. If Liu Wei entered Daxing City, there was a chance he would be recognized by others, which would make things very difficult to handle. Having such a readily available hostage would greatly increase Qi Han's political leverage, making him less likely to hand him over easily.

However, if Liu Wei were to be brought directly from Daxing to Huainan, the capital of both Qi and Han, nearly 700 li into the country, where the Han army would have little influence, it would likely be very difficult. If discovered, he would undoubtedly be treated as a spy, and his fate would probably be grim.

As for these problems, Liu Tun was naturally powerless to help. He was merely a civil official in name only and could not possibly risk his life to help Meng He.

In response, Ji Shao and Meng He secretly discussed the matter and proposed a solution: "Going through normal channels is definitely not an option; we can only get things done by relying on other people's connections."

Meng He, unaware of the situation in the Central Plains, asked in confusion, "What about other people's connections?"

Ji Shao smiled and explained, "Now the Central Plains are full of fortified villages, and the Qi people's power is not actually stable. If we send people directly from Huainan to pick them up, it will definitely attract attention and be under surveillance. But if we find a fortified village chief from within the Qi people and do some smuggling business with them, we can deceive everyone."

Meng He suddenly realized, but then he said with difficulty, "Lord Ji, I know nothing about this. Where can I find a suitable candidate?"

"That's easy. I've been in Daxing for two years, so I'm quite familiar with these personnel matters."

Ji Shao pondered for a moment, then said, "Go find Fan Ya from Qiao County; he's a suitable candidate."

Fan Ya was the largest fortified village lord in Qiao County, and also the largest smuggler. Unable to be controlled by the Daxing court, he engaged in all sorts of business: grain, smuggled salt, ironware, and even human trafficking. Qiao County was only about ninety li from Daxing, and after last year's locust plague, it was now short of food. If some grain were sold to him under the pretext of human trafficking, there would be no problem transporting people out.

Meng He nodded repeatedly and said, "Is Master Ji referring to Fan Ya, who was once known as the Heavenly Wolf and defeated Wang Zan? If it is, I heard Master He mention him; he does indeed have business dealings in Huainan."

“Since you’ve heard of him, that makes things easier,” Ji Shao said. “I think this matter shouldn’t be delayed too long. You’d better act quickly. Don’t pick me from the first batch of hostages. Just take Princess Yingchuan and the others with you. On the way back, contact Fan Ya on the way. After you’ve made contact and confirmed the time, send someone here to pick them up. They must come here quietly and light three smoke trails on the other side of the lake. Once I see them, I’ll have Bai Zhou leave with you.”

Meng He nodded repeatedly as he listened, but after a while, he sensed something was amiss. After thinking for a moment, he was suddenly startled and belatedly realized, "Lord Ji, aren't you coming with us?"

"Of course I'm not leaving," Ji Shao said calmly. "I'm already tired of decades of ups and downs in officialdom. I only took on the task of raising Bai Zhou for a while because of Her Majesty the Empress and my friendship with Huai Chong. What could I do if I went to Yi'an with you? A useless man who is almost sixty years old can grow beans on Shouyang Mountain and fish by the lake. I have no other desires."

“But…” Meng He emphasized, “You are, after all, His Majesty’s teacher, and His Majesty has specifically requested that you be redeemed.”

“You still don’t understand.” Ji Shao shook his head and explained painstakingly, “Only if I am here can Bai Zhou leave safely without arousing the suspicion of the Qi people. If I leave, it will definitely attract the attention of the Qi people, and it will be difficult to pass through safely on the road.”

"Moreover, Liu Gen and Wang Mi have treated me well. I previously refused to serve under the pretext of living in seclusion, but now I am going south with you, which would damage my reputation. This is good enough. No matter how the war goes, at least I will have a quiet desk."

Upon hearing this, Meng He had nothing to say. He bowed to Ji Shao, and that was considered the matter settled.

Three days later, Meng He, along with Sima Xiuhua's family and several members of the Taishan Yang clan, embarked on their journey back to Huainan. As Ji Shao had predicted, the group underwent extremely rigorous checks before being allowed to pass, and were monitored by special envoys along the way. However, upon arriving in Qiao County, Meng He met with Fan Ya under the pretext of establishing trade relations.

Meng He claimed he would secretly purchase a group of slaves in his personal capacity, which did not arouse the suspicion of the Qi envoy. Since Liu Xian's ascension to the throne, the Yi'an court had explicitly prohibited formal human markets. While this could not completely eliminate private human transactions, it certainly caused considerable trouble for the scholars. The Qi people had also heard of this, and private buying and selling had never been prohibited.

"Lord Meng, please rest assured, how many people do you need? Just give me the number, and I will send them to Huainan for you."

Fan Ya was naturally happy to earn this extra money. He had a prominent jaw, narrow, slightly upturned eyes, and a broad forehead, making him look like a very shrewd man. With eyes that were meticulous and calculating, Meng He felt a sense of impending doom whenever he looked at him.

"I need two hundred people, preferably young boys and girls." Two hundred people is a considerable number, and Fan Ya will definitely need to spend a lot of time collecting them, which gives Meng He time to make arrangements.

"Two hundred people, Magistrate Meng has quite the appetite! So the Southerners also have a taste for this." Upon hearing this number, Fan Ya smiled with satisfaction, then held up her finger and said, "Thirty bolts of silk per person, how about that?"

Meng He feigned a troubled expression, then gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, but after you've collected them all, I need to send someone to inspect the goods. If you try to fool me, the price won't be the same." "Great! Give me twenty days. After twenty days, Magistrate Meng can come and check again, how about that?" Fan Ya did some calculations and nodded in agreement.

Twenty days was enough time for Menghe to travel back and forth, so he immediately agreed, and the agreement was reached.

Half a month later, in the middle of the night, Ji Shao was awakened by the cawing of crows, but then the surroundings returned to their previous calm. Looking out from the courtyard, Ji Shao saw three faint lights rising on the opposite side of Sun and Moon Lake, appearing and disappearing in the darkness. He then woke Liu Wei and said, "Bai Zhou, it's time for you to leave."

To maintain secrecy, Ji Shao hadn't told Liu Wei about the plan beforehand, lest he inadvertently reveal it. Liu Wei, however, seemed utterly bewildered. Rubbing his eyes, he asked his teacher, "Teacher, where are we going?"

Ji Shao smiled kindly and said, "Your father has sent someone to fetch you. Don't you always complain that I don't let you climb over the wall? Now climb over the wall and go to the other side of the lake. Your father's messenger is over there. Follow him and you will see your father."

Liu Wei's eyes widened suddenly, filled with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. His usual silent demeanor shattered instantly, as if he were suddenly bursting with energy, enough to make him fly. But he quickly recovered and asked Ji Shao, "And what about you, teacher?"

Ji Shao reached out and stroked Liu Wei's head, saying frankly, "I won't be going with you. Don't you always complain that I'm too strict with you? I won't be able to control you anymore. Remember what I said, take care of yourself."

These words stunned Liu Wei once again. Although he said he didn't like Ji Shao, he was still very dependent on him in his heart. After all, Ji Shao was the person who had been with him the longest besides his mother. Liu Wei couldn't imagine how he would live without Ji Shao.

Liu Wei was about to plead with him to stay, but Ji Shao interrupted him. He squatted down, looked into his disciple's eyes, and slowly said, "Bai Zhou, there's not much time left. I'm going to teach you one last lesson now."

"That is to learn to endure loneliness. Nothing in this world is permanent. Everyone will leave you, whether it is your parents, your teachers, your relatives and friends. They cannot accompany you forever. The only one who can always accompany you is yourself."

“If a person always relies on others, he will stumble and fall once his support is gone, and may even be shattered to pieces. Therefore, a person must learn to be independent and self-reliant. A man who refuses to fall into depravity is like a flame; he can ignite a fire and will naturally attract like-minded people.”

At this point, Ji Shao showed a gratified expression. He patted Liu Wei on the shoulder and encouraged him, saying, "For you, these words are actually unnecessary. I know you have always been a strong child who refuses to admit defeat to anyone. I have always believed in you, Bai Zhou. Who knows, one day my name will be remembered in history because of you."

Upon hearing this, Liu Wei shed tears again, but his youthful face was full of determination. He clenched his fist and promised Ji Shao, "Teacher, I will definitely make your name go down in history!"

“Alright, it’s settled then!” Ji Shao stood up and said, “After you go to see your father, remember to control your temper, complain less, study more, and don’t embarrass your mother. Perhaps in a few years, your father will lead his troops to recover the Central Plains, and we will see each other again.”

Liu Wei nodded, put on his straw sandals, took the luggage that Ji Shao had packed for him, gave Ji Shao a deep look, wiped away his tears, and walked to the corner of Xianmei House. Then, under Ji Shao's gaze, he quickly climbed a peach tree, jumped onto the eaves, glanced back at Ji Shao, and then jumped down without looking back, making a very soft sound.

After jumping over the wall, Liu Wei saw the firelight on the opposite bank. Afraid of attracting the attention of the guards, he quickly slung his luggage over his shoulder and disappeared into the reeds by the lake, then groped his way towards his destination. He was actually used to walking this path, but now it felt somewhat unfamiliar and long.

But he finally reached the end of the road. As he emerged from the reeds, he saw two strong men waiting by the firelight, swords at their waists and two horses with them. They were very alert and immediately noticed the movement in Liu Wei's direction. After recognizing the man as the target Meng He had instructed them to meet, they asked, "Are you Ji Gong's disciples?"

Liu Wei looked somewhat bewildered, but still nodded and said, "That's me."

The two men immediately bowed respectfully to Liu Wei and said, "Your humble servants greet Your Highness the Second Prince. We urge Your Highness to depart immediately."

Under the cover of night, one of them carried Liu Wei onto a horse, and the two horses galloped south without stopping. In just over three hours, before dawn, they arrived at the city of Qiao. They did not enter the city, but instead went to the east bank of the Wai River, where a large boat was moored. Upon seeing Liu Wei and his party, they lowered the sampan.

Meng He had been waiting here for a long time. Seeing that everything was going smoothly, he was overjoyed. He immediately arranged for Liu Wei to stay in his bedroom and apologized to Liu Wei, saying, "This place is very simple. Please bear with it, Your Highness."

He thought that the prince, who was not yet ten years old, would be very shocked and uneasy in the face of such a sudden change. Unexpectedly, the prince showed a calmness that was far beyond what was normal. He thanked Meng He in an immature tone and said, "Uncle, what are you saying? It is you who has gone to great lengths to rescue me and bring me home. It is you who has worked hard."

Having said that, he quickly fell into a deep sleep in the room, showing no signs of discomfort, which greatly surprised Meng He. He wondered to himself: Could it be that the emperor was like this in his childhood?

Regardless, his mission was accomplished, and everything went very smoothly. Under Fan Ya's arrangement, the ship sailed along the waterway from Qiao County all the way to Huainan, and as expected, no one blocked their way. They successfully arrived in Hefei.

After entering the city, Meng He finally breathed a sigh of relief. He felt that all the dangers had passed and he could rest here for a while before taking the Second Prince to meet the Emperor.

But what Meng He didn't expect was that the real danger of this trip was only just beginning.

It was now mid-July of the sixth year of the Qiming era (311 AD). After three months of strategic deception and war preparation, Qi and Han brazenly broke the peace treaty, dividing their forces into three routes to cross the Huai River and spearhead their attack into Southern Han territory. (End of Chapter)