Autumn Wind

"The Liu Clan of Pengcheng and the Bohai Gao Clan both have deep roots and flourishing branches. May I ask how your family is related to Garrison Commander Gao, who is now in Jiangcheng?" A man in a tall hat and a crimson robe edged in yellow turned sideways in his seat of honor to ask. He was not Master Du Ming, of course, but an ordained celestial official presiding over the feast.

He had, however, been ordained by Master Du Ming himself, making him a legitimate disciple. He also claimed to belong to the Xu Clan of Donghai, so he presumably came from a proper aristocratic family-ample qualification to preside over a place like this.

"Our families were old friends. Later, when Garrison Commander Gao moved his entire household south, they stayed with us between Pengcheng and Pei Commandery." Liu Huzi, who sat stiffly before an empty table, was himself a proper aristocrat from Northern Chu. How could he not know how to answer such basic questions? Besides, he was telling the truth.

"I see! Then your family's decision to settle in the valley to the north was actually Garrison Commander Gao's suggestion, so that you could look after one another?" Master Xu continued probing.

Now Liu Huzi felt a little uneasy. It was not that he could not answer, but that he did not know how. When these people had refused to sell them good equipment earlier, he had already formed two suspicions: first, they were newcomers and neither side trusted the other; second, their new settlement lay too close to the other party's fortified manor, making their presence somewhat sensitive.

In his hesitation, he almost instinctively looked toward Liu Cheng, whose words had brought them here.

Liu Cheng was a little speechless. What was the problem? They had already settled there. So long as they showed no timidity, they could say whatever they liked. He immediately spoke out of turn. "Our families were already old friends, and now we have shared matters of life and death. Looking after one another is only natural."

Master Xu nodded, then studied Liu Cheng with interest... There was no helping it: the three men were dressed far too differently, especially this last one, whose short, coarse-cloth clothes stood in even sharper contrast to the other two. "Did you say just now that you, too, came from the Liu Clan of Pengcheng?"

"Yes." Liu Acheng had learned his lesson this time. "But our branch moved to Qiao Commandery three generations ago. My grandfather and father later ended up stranded in Hebei amid the turmoil. Fortunately, on this journey I met these clansmen..."

At that, Master Xu almost immediately broke into a chuckle, then turned toward his original guests. "Brother Gu, Song, these sons of the Liu Clan of Pengcheng have found themselves in exactly the same circumstances as you!"

The somewhat older guest opposite him gave a wry smile on the spot. "Indeed they have. Song and this young man are especially alike."

The last young man, who looked about twenty, simply rose and saluted with clasped hands. "I am Lu Song of Fanyang. My branch also lived in another commandery for three generations, before my father and grandfather were caught up in events in Hebei. Now that Later Zhao has collapsed, I have fled south in a sorry state. Fortunately, I met my clansman Brother Gu and my uncle, and traveled here with them."

Only then did Liu Cheng understand. "So we truly are fellow sufferers. But is the north really in such chaos now that even the Lu Clan of Fanyang cannot find a foothold?"

"What difference does being from the Lu Clan of Fanyang make?" It was the older Lu Gu who answered Liu Cheng, bitterness in his voice. "You came from Hebei yourself. Surely you know how cruel the Jie people are? To tell you the truth, my grandfather's name was renowned throughout the realm, yet they still seized him as a hostage. Even now, we do not know whether he is alive or dead... As his descendants, we are truly ashamed."

Liu Cheng did his best to respond. "Your grandfather's name is renowned throughout the realm, Brother Gu. In time, there will surely be some word of him. My father and grandfather were rather less well known. I fear that whatever happens, there will never even be news of them."

Having said that, he could only lower his head.

Unexpectedly, Lu Gu took this as his cue to burst into tears, prompting the other young men of the Lu Clan to weep as well.

For a time, clouds of sorrow filled the room, and the sobbing would not stop.

Master Xu, Liu Jili, and Lu Song seemed able to endure this scene, but Liu Huzi, seated below them, was already visibly restless... For one thing, he was anxious to buy equipment. For another, he was young, after all. How could he stand all this weeping and wailing?

Fortunately, Liu Cheng was impatient too. After a few sighs, he suddenly rose and walked empty-handed to Master Xu's seat at the head of the room. He helped himself to the wine and a cup, poured a drink, and then, under the master's mildly astonished gaze, raised his cup to comfort the others. "Gentlemen, even if we cry from morning to night and from night to morning, can we cry the Jie people to death? Our elders willingly sacrificed themselves precisely so that we might restore our families' honor... Brother Lu, let me borrow Master Xu's wine to wish your grandfather long life."

Lu Gu's expression remained miserable, but when someone had come to offer blessings for his elder, what else could he do? He could only rise and lift his cup in response. The other young men of the Lu Clan, including Lu Song, likewise had to stand and raise their cups.

Seeing this, Master Xu, seated above them, exchanged a meaningful glance with the man of the faith at the door. The latter immediately passed down instructions. By the time they finished drinking, the three Lius' formerly empty tables had suddenly been furnished with food and wine much like everyone else's.

There was meat and wine, vegetables and soup.

The fare was far better than anything at Gao Jian's place.

But conversely, it also made the earlier slight perfectly obvious.

After all the wandering and hardship the three Lius had endured, one would have expected them to lose all restraint and gorge themselves. Yet, unexpectedly, once the wine and meat actually arrived, all three kept themselves in hand, without any particularly unseemly behavior. After watching them for a while, Master Xu gradually straightened in his seat, and the guests from the Lu Clan of Fanyang began taking the initiative to converse with them.

The reason was simple: if men in their present condition could still maintain such restraint, they must have enjoyed fine food and comforts before. They must truly have come from aristocratic families.

And if that was so, while there were differences in wealth between them, their standing and status were much the same. They even shared something of the bond between fellow sufferers. Gradually, the conversation turned to the situation in the north.

Once that subject came up, even Liu Huzi's attention was drawn in.

At first, the discussion was merely general, but later an argument developed. The men of the Lu Clan of Fanyang came from You Province, and their clan had followed the Duan Xianbei in great numbers in earlier years, so they had witnessed virtually the entire rise of the Murong Xianbei. The two Lus therefore had some understanding of the Murong Xianbei's strength, and both believed that the Murong would inevitably defeat Later Zhao and take Hebei. Liu Jili, on the other hand, still could not let go of his hopes for the Han people of Hebei. He believed that if the Di people and Qiang people left Hebei, the Han would surely rise, and Shi Min and Li Nong might accomplish something... Liu Huzi naturally looked down on the non-Han peoples too, and chimed in.

After a few exchanges, neither side could convince the other, since both were discussing the situation from afar. Besides, they still had actual business to attend to. Liu Jili therefore voluntarily fell silent, but then looked toward Liu Cheng. "Perhaps I have been too sure of myself. This clansman of mine, Acheng, came from Hebei just as you did, and he also believes that the Murong Xianbei will gain the upper hand, while Shi Min and Li Nong cannot be relied upon..."

"Of course." Lu Song nodded in satisfaction, then looked toward Liu Cheng, who had barely spoken since the argument began. "Brother Acheng, do you also know how powerful the Murong Xianbei are?"

"I have certainly heard of the Murong Xianbei's strength, and I know that Murong Ke and Murong Chui are renowned generals." Liu Cheng recalled the popular arguments he had read before transmigrating and answered earnestly. "But to me, it is still as indistinct as looking at flowers through the mist... I merely have a clearer understanding of why Ran Min and Li Nong cannot be relied upon."

"Flowers through the mist-well put." Lu Gu smiled too. "But the fact that you even know Ran Min's surname is Ran shows that you truly understand the situation in Hebei... We would like to hear the details."

"In the end, although Ran Min and Li Nong appear to be part and parcel of Later Zhao, they are still Han, and those Jie Hu actually distrust them. Sooner or later, the two sides will fall apart..." Liu Cheng knew he could show no timidity now, and faced them with his head held high. "Thus, they must not only oppose the Murong, but first prevail within Later Zhao itself. In other words, they must first go through one bout of infighting, perhaps even several, slaughtering one another on a grand scale before they can face the Murong. Given the Murong's unity of purpose and grasp of the broader situation, they will surely have the patience to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight."

"Exactly."

"That is precisely it." Several of the Lus agreed.

"As for Ran and Li, if they must both prevail within Later Zhao and independently resist the Murong, the only thing left for them to rely on is the distinction between Han and non-Han. They must rouse the strength of the Han people, raise that dividing line, and fight with all their might to drive out the barbarians." Liu Cheng continued speaking with assurance. "But the trouble is that Shi Le was undeniably a hero. The Great Jin Court abandoned the Central Plains, and he swept through them. Northern Han champions, including Ran Min and Li Nong, could therefore only follow Later Zhao. Then came Shi Hu, who was cruel and inhumane to the utmost, and those Han men who formed part of Later Zhao, such as Ran Min and Li Nong, became his accomplices in turn..."

At this point, Liu Cheng simply shook his head with a bitter smile. The young men of the Lu Clan of Fanyang opposite him smiled bitterly as well, plainly reminded of certain things.

"That creates a problem." After smiling, Liu Cheng continued, "Even if they come to their senses and suddenly start shouting about expelling the barbarians and restoring the Han, which ordinary Han person would dare believe them? Even if one or two of their actions give the northern Han a chance to strike at the barbarians, those people will still turn around and cast them aside like something discarded. Without the Han people as a foundation supporting these Han champions who once served within Later Zhao, they are water without a source, trees without roots. Even if they are powerful for a time, they cannot secure their position. Once they suffer defeat, they will die and their clans will be exterminated... That is why I say Ran Min and Li Nong cannot be relied upon."

"It is not only the Han people of Hebei who will refuse to follow them. I fear the court will find it difficult to recognize them too... It might even recognize the Xianbei people instead." Liu Jili finally understood, his expression turning very ugly. "The court has always been rigid. Though Ran Min and Li Nong are Han, they belong to the ranks of Later Zhao. Though the Murong are Xianbei, they have always been respectful and obedient toward the court, calling themselves loyal subjects."

"Exactly." Lu Gu nodded in agreement. "The court will certainly recognize the Xianbei people. And there is something you do not know: although the Murong are Xianbei, their upper ranks have long since adopted Han ways. Many of the Murong study Confucian learning. Countless northern aristocratic families previously fled disaster to Liaodong, and all were treated with courtesy. Thus, even the Han people of Hebei will probably lean somewhat toward the Murong..."

"In that case, if the Murong grow powerful, having adopted Han ways and being loyal subjects as well, could they bring peace to the north?" Master Xu suddenly interjected from the head of the room.

The Lus exchanged glances, none quite knowing how to answer.

"No." Once again, it was Liu Acheng who blurted out a firm reply. "The Murong were weak before, and seemed to have adopted Han ways. But once they control Hebei, they will naturally develop ambitions and oppose Great Jin. Nor is that all. Since they must oppose Great Jin while maintaining their own power base in Hebei, they will unwittingly return to the Jie Hu's practice of using a small minority to rule a great majority... When that happens, I cannot say they will be more brutal than the Jie Hu, but at their core they will surely be similar... And that is precisely the root of the north's turmoil!"

"If you ask this youngster, to bring peace to the north, we must either wait as one non-Han power replaces another, just as the Murong replace the Shi, bringing chaos again and again until they realize for themselves that they must adopt Han ways, and finally one day stake their lives on becoming wholly Han; or there must be Han champions who uphold the greater cause from beginning to end, subdue the non-Han peoples with Han power, and rebuild the Han foundation... Otherwise, we can only wait for the Imperial Army to march north!"

The hall fell silent. This time, the young men of the Lu Clan, who had previously agreed with everything, said nothing. Liu Jili and Liu Huzi merely stared at their young clansman, somewhat bewildered.

To put it plainly, although these people had seemed very receptive to Liu Acheng's theories earlier, there had actually been misunderstandings throughout. For instance, the northern Han people they had in mind were probably synonymous with northern Han aristocratic families, which was not what Liu Acheng meant by the northern Han people... By this point, they simply found him impressive without understanding why.

Even genuine aristocratic sons who had fled back from the north and witnessed the true course of the turmoil could not possibly think about its underlying causes. At most, they would consider that Later Zhao was finished and the Murong were about to rise. Why would they think about what came after the Murong?

"Although young Brother Acheng is still of tender years, his insight is extraordinary." After a long pause, Lu Gu forced himself to look solemn. In truth, he did not understand what the other man was saying, yet it sounded somewhat reasonable, leaving him unable to refute it. "That is indeed the situation in Hebei... Consider this: in the Grand Commander's present northern expedition, the advance force went to receive the Han civilians of Qing Province, only to be defeated by Li Nong... That happened because Li Nong had grown accustomed to serving as the tiger's ghostly accomplice and failed to perceive the change in the greater tide."

"Exactly. After just killing so many Han people who were preparing to flee south, which northern Han person would believe them if they started shouting about expelling the barbarians and restoring the Han?" Lu Song sneered as well, likewise avoiding the subject of what would happen after the Murong rose. "Forget the Xianbei people. They may not even be as good as the Di people and Qiang people."

"Not necessarily." Lu Gu waved a hand. "The Di people and Qiang people are also attacking Han people fleeing south... The reasoning is the same for all of them. They think that people fleeing south will deprive them of recruits and revenue. They simply want to swallow up the population to strengthen themselves. But the Di people and Qiang people are non-Han, after all. They will not need to raise a Han banner in the future, so what they do now is merely what they do. Besides, they plainly intend to return to Guanzhong. What about Li Nong, Ran Min, and the others? After doing this today, how can they raise a Han banner tomorrow? Even if they want to pledge themselves to the court, the court will not trust them. Yet, as young Brother Acheng said, if they neither join the court nor raise the distinction between Han and non-Han, what can they rely on to oppose the Jie people and then defeat the Xianbei people?"

"In short, these Ran Min and Li Nong fellows really are bound to lose..." Master Xu, seated above them, also seemed thoroughly engrossed.

"With their background, they never had a chance of winning." Lu Song grew still more bitter. "It is only a pity that the northern Han people will once again be dragged down by them, while they keep those people in their grip and refuse to let go!"

At those words, Lu Gu's expression stiffened, and he seemed about to cry again.

Seeing this, Master Xu hurriedly changed the subject. "I never expected young Brother Acheng to possess such insight at his age."

Was this the legendary moment when a discussion of the realm's affairs made renowned generals and scholars see you in a new light, then immediately bow in allegiance?

Liu Cheng was a little encouraged, but he did not dare believe that any renowned general would really come to join him. His real purpose in recalling these plausible-sounding arguments from forums in his previous life was merely to put on a convincing show, please his host, and persuade him to sell some restricted weapons-preferably at a discount.

Thus, with virtually no hesitation, he immediately clasped his hands from his seat. "It is all empty talk, not worth mentioning. Right now, we do not even know how we will get through the winter, which is why we are so anxious to hunt a tiger before the Double Ninth Festival... I heard that you have powerful bows and long spears here, Master Xu. Might you be able to lend us some assistance?"

"Certainly, certainly." Master Xu shook his head with a smile. "Those men of exalted families discuss abstruse philosophy in Kuaiji, and if they speak brilliantly enough, someone gives them a high office. We are just a group of down-and-out men, so we can only discuss current affairs... Since you have spoken so brilliantly, young brother, with such mystery upon mystery, surely I can at least give you a few implements for hunting a tiger?"

As he spoke, he waved toward the doorway. "Bring whatever equipment we have and let them choose. There is no need to be so petty... The Celestial Master Teachings teach us, 'Those who uphold others go before; those who betray others fall behind.' If we help others today, we will surely be repaid in the future."

Someone outside answered, "Yes," and turned to leave.

Hearing those words, Liu Acheng could not help wondering whether this Daoist notion of karmic repayment had come from Buddhism, which had already begun flourishing on a large scale, or from the Han-era belief in the interaction between Heaven and humanity.

But he had no time to think further. Within moments, seven or eight burly men with Crimson Headscarves wrapped around their heads entered carrying equipment bundled in oilcloth. At Master Xu's direction, they spread it out on the floor, immediately drawing the attention of Liu Huzi and the others.

Liu Cheng was instantly astonished as well. Besides long spears and stiff bows, he actually saw four or five crossbows with his own eyes. Some had clearly had their stocks replaced; others still bore stains such as blood. When he went forward to inspect them himself, he found that their most essential parts, the crossbow mechanisms, were identical in both material and size, and all had filing marks along the sides of their sight posts. These had plainly been taken out of regular military service, then had the arsenal or official craftsman's inscriptions ground away.

Looking again, he indeed found uniformly made iron bolts, all coated with tung oil and packed in cowhide bags.

In all honesty, these crossbows were as good as gold and silver in Liu Cheng's eyes-better, even... As a transmigrator whose body had not yet fully grown, and who had also endured a flight into exile, how could he fail to understand the necessity of armed strength, even if he smiled cheerfully every day?

And how could he fail to understand that, lacking everything as he did, this was precisely the capability and safeguard he lacked most?

He had not yet learned archery. Riding behind Liu Huzi jolted him so much that his backside hurt. He could picture, even with his eyes shut, how impossible it would be for him to wield a long spear. What could be more heartening than one of these military crossbows?

In fact, it was not only Liu Cheng. Liu Huzi was stroking a stiff bow, while Liu Jili gripped a long spear, and neither could bear to put his weapon down.

After watching for a while from his seat of honor, Master Xu suddenly narrowed his eyes and asked, "You there... Brother Hu, can you draw that bow?"

Surprised by the question, Liu Huzi refused to show weakness. He stripped off his upper garments right there in the hall, exposing his reddened arms. Several burly men came forward to help string the bow. Then, beneath the assembled company's complicated gazes, Liu Huzi pulled with all his might and drew it into the shape of a full moon.

Liu Acheng was the first to applaud.

Master Xu also clapped and laughed. "What strength! Truly a bold and valiant man. All three gentlemen of the Liu Clan of Pengcheng are Elite Soldiers! Let us do this: I will give each of you the weapon you are holding. Do not buy the rest, either. We are all neighbors, and will need to look after one another in the days ahead. I will give you ten more long spears and ten more stiff bows, along with three more crossbows... That should be enough for hunting a tiger... Once you have finished with them, simply return whatever remains to me later."

Liu Huzi was overjoyed, and several of the young men of the Lu Clan laughed aloud as well.

Liu Jili instinctively looked toward Liu Cheng. Seeing that the latter's expression remained unchanged, he then accepted with solemn gravity.

---------A dividing line that made me laugh aloud---------

Emperor Taizu once said, "With Hu drawing his bow, Jili wielding his spear, and me directing them from the center, where under Heaven could we not go?"

-Old Book of Qi, Biographies, Volume Three

PS: My thanks to Lord Galloping Across the Heavenly Mountains for becoming a league leader, and to Lord Q What a Cool Autumn Q for becoming a league leader. I am endlessly grateful.