Chapter 3: Golden Blade Liu

Xu Meng did not receive the answer he had hoped for. Instead, the words spoken by the young man before him felt like a basin of icy water poured over the fire in his heart. Though it was early summer, he felt as if he had stepped into the depths of winter, suffering the extremes of fire and ice.

"Of all the Lius in the world, only the Golden Blade Liu holds true."

Liu Zhang’s brief words extinguished the last glimmer of luck in Xu Meng’s heart. A native of Jingling in Jiangxia—the ancestral home matched. "Golden Blade Liu"—the surname matched. Liu Zhang, courtesy name Jiyu—the name and courtesy name matched.

Xu Meng’s face turned bitter. If only he hadn't left his house after hearing the raven’s cry this morning; it was such an ill omen to have crossed paths with his new superior, Liu Zhang. The current provincial governors were akin to the feudal lords of the Spring and Autumn period, wielding absolute power within their territories. To offend one was unthinkable.

Beside Liu Zhang, Gan Ning’s eyes widened in astonishment. He had never expected that the young man who shared his bold, heroic spirit was none other than Liu Jiyu, the Governor himself.

Suddenly, Gan Ning felt a chill. His expression grew strained. If Liu Zhang knew his family name, might he also know of his deeds in Ba Commandery?

In his youth, he had been a wandering knight, committing many reckless acts. It was only after his mother’s earnest counsel that he had begun to study, delving into the philosophies of the various schools of thought. Hoping to make something of himself, he had entered officialdom, starting as a clerk and gradually rising to become a commandery assistant in Shu.

Deeply uneasy, he prayed that the Governor did not know of his youth or the title he had borne back then: "The Brocade-Sail Bandit."

At that moment, a middle-aged man led a squad of soldiers, clad in armor and wielding halberds, pushing through the gathered crowd.

Liu Zhang recognized him. The man was Pang Jing, an administrator in the Governor’s office. He had a gaunt face, piercing eyes, and a short, neatly trimmed beard along his jawline.

Seeing that Liu Zhang was unharmed, Pang Jing breathed a sigh of relief. When Liu Zhang traveled in plain clothes, he was accompanied not only by four personal guards but also by several sharp-eyed men sent by Pang Jing to prevent any mishaps. A quarter of an hour earlier, upon hearing reports of the Eastern Province soldiers causing trouble, he had rushed over immediately.

After bowing to Liu Zhang, he turned to Xu Meng. As an administrator who had arrived in Yi Province in the fifth year of the Zhongping era, he naturally recognized him.

The middle-aged man spoke in a distinct, resonant voice, carrying a trace of intimidation: "Xu Ziyu, you have great audacity to dare harass the Governor."

Pang Jing’s appearance confirmed Liu Zhang’s identity beyond all doubt. Xu Meng was devastated. The Eastern Province migrants survived in Yi Province only because the Governor stood on their side and indulged them. Though the sky was full of clouds, for the Eastern Province people, there was only one cloud above their heads: the Governor, Liu Zhang.

As an Eastern Province man who had publicly offended his superior, his fate would likely be grim. He could only hope to protect his family.

Resigned to his fate, Xu Meng straightened his attire and knelt with his four subordinates to beg for mercy. "Commandant Xu Meng, courtesy name Ziyu, pays respects to the Governor. I did not realize I was offending the Governor today. My crime is worthy of death, truly worthy of death."

Liu Zhang was somewhat surprised. *Ziyu*—this burly, bearded man before him had taken such an elegant courtesy name.

As the old saying goes, a noble gentleman is as gentle and refined as jade; yet, this man’s temperament was anything but gentle.

After a moment of thought, Liu Zhang spoke: "When the founding Emperor Gaozu of our Han dynasty entered the Guanzhong region, he established a three-point law: he who kills shall die, and he who inflicts injury or steals shall be punished accordingly. Therefore, Commandant Xu, you are guilty, but your crime does not warrant death. Had you committed these atrocities while on a military campaign, I would have executed you according to military law. But in these peaceful times, I shall punish you instead."

Liu Zhang had no desire to kill indiscriminately; slaughter solved nothing, and Xu Meng’s offense did not merit execution. Moreover, Liu Zhang needed to rely on the Eastern Province migrants, but he would never be like Liu Yan, who had curried favor by indulging them to oppress the people of Shu. He intended to use a system of rewards and punishments to discipline them and win their true allegiance. To him, these Eastern Province people would be of great use in the future.

Furthermore, when he had previously stated that the people of Yi Province were the "parents" of the Eastern Province migrants, he had keenly noticed a look of shame on Xu Meng’s face, which suggested he was not beyond redemption.

Liu Zhang delivered his verdict to Xu Meng and his men: "Return to your camp and each receive thirty strokes of the military cane." He then warned, "Do not cause trouble again."

Relieved to have escaped such a calamity, Xu Meng was overjoyed. Thirty strokes were nothing to him. He immediately bowed in gratitude: "Xu Meng accepts the punishment and will never offend again."

Having struck the Eastern Province soldiers with a stick, Liu Zhang decided to offer a carrot. A combination of both was the most reliable method.

"A real man should serve his country, not bully the elderly, women, and children. Go back and train your martial skills diligently. Xu Ziyu, you don't intend to stay in Shu forever, do you?"

"If the situation changes, I will take you all back to Guanzhong."

Liu Zhang painted a grand picture—a promise to lead the Eastern Province migrants back home. No one could resist the lure of their homeland.

Hearing these words, Xu Meng was stunned, his eyes turning red. Shu had fine wines and stunning brocade, but in his heart, they could never compare to the home-brewed water-wine and coarse hempen robes of his native Guanzhong. A displaced person was like a stray dog, and nothing tasted quite right. Sometimes, when he looked at the moon in Shu, it never seemed as round as the one in Guanzhong.

With a choked voice, Xu Meng bowed in sincere gratitude, making the promise of a true man: "If that is so, Meng will henceforth follow only the Governor’s orders, with no two hearts, as heaven and earth bear witness."

Liu Zhang nodded and personally helped Xu Meng up, accepting his first oath of loyalty since arriving in this twilight of the Han dynasty.

To the side, Gan Ning listened to these words, his eyes half-closed in deep thought.

***

At this moment, the Magistrate of Chengdu, Tian Zheng, finally arrived. Even before he reached Liu Zhang, his voice rang out: "Is the Governor unharmed? Is he unharmed?"

Tian Zheng’s voice was laced with nervousness. As the Magistrate of Chengdu, he was in charge of the city markets, and any conflicts within them were his responsibility to manage. When he heard the Eastern Province soldiers were causing trouble, he hadn't rushed over, simply because a lowly magistrate like him couldn't control those "lords" from the Eastern Province. Relying on Liu Yan’s protection, they were indulgent and lawless; if he had charged in, he likely would have received a brutal beating.

Thus, Tian Zheng had remained in his office, happily sipping wine and avoiding the Eastern Province soldiers, letting the people of Yi Province suffer. But when he heard that the one in conflict with the soldiers was the new Governor, he immediately brought his men and ran. That was the Governor—in these chaotic times, the Governor was the uncrowned king of Yi Province, a man who could decide life and death with a single word.

Tian Zheng arrived before Liu Zhang, bowed, and stood to the side waiting for punishment. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead as he wiped his round, chubby face with a silk handkerchief.

Liu Zhang took in the sight of the magistrate, whose frame was as round as a basketball, and could smell the scent of wine on him even from a distance. Tian Zheng had clearly eaten himself into a sphere in this lucrative position.

Liu Zhang shook his head slightly. No one is perfect; a little corruption was one thing, but to neglect one’s duty and abandon one's responsibilities was another. However, he knew this was because his father, Liu Yan, had indulged the Eastern Province people, which was why Tian Zheng hadn't dared to intervene. But he could not say this; a son must hide his father’s faults, and a father his son’s. In this era, he could not broadcast his father’s failings.

He gave Tian Zheng his punishment: "As a magistrate, when there was trouble in the market, you were drinking and neglecting your duty. You are fined three months’ salary."

Tian Zheng accepted the punishment meekly; three months’ salary was a small price to pay.

With Xu Meng and his men sent away and Tian Zheng dealt with, the matter was resolved satisfactorily.

"Wise Governor!"

The happiest of all were the onlookers. The new Governor appeared to be a fair and just man who would not allow the Eastern Province migrants to bully them. With hearts full of gratitude, they cried out "Wise Governor"—adding the word "Wise" to express their respect—and fell to their knees in a sea of people.

Liu Zhang looked around at the gathering crowd and said loudly, "Please rise, elders."

The people stood as he spoke. Liu Zhang then promised the elders of Yi Province: "Though I am untalented, I have been appointed as the Governor of Yi Province. I shall handle affairs fairly and without bias. Please, rest assured."

"Wise Governor!"

The crowd cried out once more, bowing as far as the eye could see.