Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 40 Huan Family
"A man of honor cannot leave a lasting legacy of good, but he should at least leave a lasting infamy! The Sima family has treated me this way, so don't blame me for being merciless!"

In the elegant pavilion in the backyard of the general's mansion, an exquisite glass cup fell to the ground with a "bang", and the ground was covered with crystal green.

Huan Xuan's fat face was distorted with anger.

"Why is Lingbao so angry?" Huan Hong quickly put away the other glass cup on the table.

This thing is not cheap, it is more valuable than gold and extremely rare. Huan Hong spent a lot of time and effort to get this pair of glass cups from Liangzhou.

"I worked so hard to become Wang Gong's disciple, but the court only gave me the position of a prince's groom!"

Xima, Xianma, as the name suggests, was an official of the crown prince. In the Jin Dynasty, it was changed to be in charge of maps and books. There were eight people appointed, with a rank equivalent to six hundred stones and the fifth grade. Their duties were like those of a messenger or a secretary. They had an idle but not important job.

For a small family, it is a noble position that is out of reach. If you endure for a few years and build a good relationship with the crown prince Sima Dezong, you may be able to rise to the top.

But to Huan Xuan, it was a huge mockery.

His father, Huan Wen, was a high-ranking official. He was appointed Grand Marshal, Commander-in-Chief of the Military Forces at Home and Abroad, Recorder of the Secretariat, Holder of the Imperial Yellow Axe, Grand Master of the Three Departments, and was granted the title of Duke of Nanjun. He could even depose and enthronize the emperor at will, and was only one step away from being granted the Nine Gifts.

Huan Xuan was twenty-one years old this year and had already undergone the ceremony of coming of age. He was proud of his unparalleled strategy and literary talent, but he was only given a small fifth-rank official position as the prince's horse-leader.

It is simply an insult to the entire Longkang Huan family.

It's unbearable!
The Jin Dynasty had a tradition of allowing people to enter officialdom through family connections.

According to tradition, Huan Xuan should have started at least at the third rank.

Huan Hong inherited the favor of his father Huan Chong and took over the posts of Governor of Qingzhou and General of Conquering the Enemy Army...

The court's intention to deal with the Huan family was too obvious.

"It seems that Wang Gong and Yin Zhongkan are also unreliable." Huan Hong kept staring at Huan Xuan's hands, fearing that he would smash things again.

This elegant room is filled with valuable items of great value.

"Don't forget, Wang Gong and Yin Zhongkan are also dogs of the Sima family!" Huan Xuan became increasingly angry as he spoke. "Even so, half of the Jin Dynasty's territory originally belonged to my Huan family."

Huan Hong trembled all over, "Lingbao, don't talk nonsense."

"Don't you see? The Sima family is trying to kill us. Wang Chen is pressing us every step of the way. Soon we will die like Xie An and Xie Xuan, without a clear explanation."

After the Battle of Feishui, Xie An was suspected by the emperor because of his great achievements. He voluntarily handed over power and fled to Guangling to avoid disaster. He died of illness in the tenth year of Taiyuan (385).

Xie Xuan also surrendered his military power and stopped the Northern Expedition. He submitted more than ten petitions requesting to retire and recuperate, but Sima Daozi turned a deaf ear to them.

The Sima family did not give up until Xie Xuan died of an inexplicable illness.

When a rabbit dies, the fox mourns. Under the leadership of Huan Chong, the Western Palace Army also made great contributions to resisting the Di Qin and recovering the old capital of Luoyang.

However, Huan Chong died of illness in the second year of the Battle of Feishui due to taking too much Wu Shi San, and the court was eager to deal with the Huan family.

Huan Xuan also wanted to compromise and preserve the Huan family, so he went to Jiankang and sought favors everywhere. Sima Daozi and Wang Guobao turned a deaf ear to him, and Wang Gong and Yin Zhongkan were also lukewarm. Only Wang Xun and Wang Mi of the Langya Wang family treated him well.

"Even Taifu Xie and General Chariot and Cavalry were not spared, let alone my family." A fierce look flashed across Huan Hong's eyes.

Even a rabbit will bite when it is cornered, let alone the Huan family who made their fortune through martial arts.

"He Sima Daozi can make Xie Xuan die unclearly, and I can also make Wang Chen die unclearly!" Huan Xuan's eyes became gloomy.

The governor of Jingzhou originally belonged to the Huan family, but Sima Daozi and Wang Guobao insisted on inserting Wang Chen. It would have been fine if they had just inserted him, as the aristocratic families had a tacit understanding of mutual compromise.

However, the court only gave Huan Xuan the position of Prince's Groom, which broke the rules among the aristocratic families.

This also shows that in the eyes of the imperial court, the Huan family was an outlier and could not be considered a prominent family.

During the two or three months Huan Xuan served as the Prince's Groom in Jiankang, he encountered all kinds of cold stares and difficulties... Huan Hong said, "My Huan family has been operating in Jingzhou and Jiangzhou for decades, and our students and former officials are spread all over both sides of the Yangtze River. Wang Chen, the Governor of Jingzhou, is not someone he can match!"

With his cousin's support, Huan Xuan felt much better and his tone became gentler. "How is the matter I asked you to do?"

Huan Hong placed the glass cup back on the table. "The Tianshi Dao has already promised to raise an army in Kuaiji within five years!"

Kuaiji is the stronghold of the Sima family and a number of noble families. If unrest breaks out, their strength will be greatly weakened, and then the Huan family in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River will have an opportunity.

If the imperial court wants to suppress the rebellion, it must rely on the power of the Northern and Western Armies.

Even if the Tianshi Dao fails, as long as there is unrest, the court will have no time to take care of Jingzhou.

The three thousand shi of grain and grass were given by the Huan family to the Tianshi Dao to boost their power.

"Dashan, there's one more thing you must remember. The only force in Jiangzuo that can rival our Huan family is the Northern Army. Jingkou is located at the throat of the Three Wus. The key to our family's success lies in the Northern Army. Jingkou is full of heroes, especially those with the surnames Liu, Tan, and Gao. Win them over, as well as that Liu Yu I mentioned to you."

Huan Xuan still misses Liu Yu to this day.

"Just a poor family..." Huan Hong disagreed.

"What do you know? I saw this guy lose everything on the Chupu scale and he remained calm. He's a real hero!"

When Huan Wen led only 10,000 troops to the west to attack Cheng Han, everyone in the court and the country thought it was impossible. Only Liu Xuan believed that Huan Wen was good at Chupu, and since he dared to attack Shu, he must be sure of victory. Later, he succeeded.

Huan Xuan was also proficient in the art of Chupu, and he was impressed by Liu Yu's courage and determination to gamble and fight.

Liu Daogui's inexplicable promotion to the rank of military officer in the expeditionary force was actually secretly planned by Huan Xuan.

By winning over Liu Daogui, Liu Yu was also won over.

If we continue to show them kindness, and in time, there is no doubt that these two brothers will be used by the Huan family.

"I wanted to win over Liu Daogui last night, but he was so ungrateful that the Liu family of Pei County got there first. He's been chasing those 3,000 dan of grain these past few days. In my opinion, it's better to..."

"He is a troublesome person." Huan Xuan frowned, and a murderous look immediately appeared on his fat face.

Although he valued talent, Huan Xuan would be in big trouble if Liu Daogui spread the news of the Huan family's collusion with the Tianshi Dao.

The key point is that the brothers Liu Yu and Liu Daogui had a private relationship with Wang Mi, so Huan Xuan had to be on guard against them.

Ever since the Lu Song Rebellion, the imperial court has been secretly on guard against the Tianshi Dao.

Sima Daozi even recruited Sun Tai, the Taoist master of the Heavenly Master Sect, into the Langya Palace and kept him under his watch.

Huan Hong said slowly, "But this man is quite smart. He knows when to stop and doesn't hold on any longer."

"Don't be so hesitant next time, just say it all at once." Huan Xuan couldn't contain the anger on his face. He raised his hand to smash something, but found that the glass cup was held in Huan Hong's arms again.

"If he doesn't get involved, it's okay to keep him alive."

"We need to win over the Liu family of Pengcheng, and the Liu family of Peixian can also be used. As long as they are big families in Jingkou, they can be used." Huan Xuan was fat and could not stand sitting for a long time, so he stood up and stretched his body.

Huan Hong took out a dark red pill from his arms and said, "This is the top-grade Five Stone Powder presented by the Tianshi Dao. It can hold seven women in one night without getting tired. Lingbao might as well give it a try."

"A real man should put important things first. How can he indulge in women and elixirs? Look at your current appearance. Your forehead is dark and your steps are unsteady. You should be restrained." Huan Xuan said with a serious expression.

"My family has a magic treasure, so why should I worry about it?" Huan Hong stuffed the pill back into his arms with a face full of shame.

Unexpectedly, Huan Xuan licked his lips and took his hand, "Wait a minute, it's okay to try it once in a while."

(End of this chapter)