For Jian Yong, the strongest impression Chang'an left on him now was a single word: chaos.
Yet this chaos was not the disorder of a fallen age. It was a different kind of tumult, born from the people's anticipation for the life ahead of them, a strange vitality bursting forth all at once.
Once the heart of the Three Auxiliaries, the capital of the Former Han, where laughter meant princes and ministers, where high halls were filled with nobles and grandees.
Now the Three Qin had been restored. The abandoned capital stirred back to life. The Heavenly Street was crowded with common folk, and the mansions of ministers from the Zhongping era were nowhere to be seen.
Luoyang's former splendor had gone up in flames. The coalition against Dong Zhuo had left nothing but scorched ruins. In today's Chang'an, it was truly difficult to find any great noble families at all.
The crowds gathered around the Imperial Academy shouted and argued loudly. Strangely enough, Jian Yong did not find this noisy disorder irritating. On the contrary, he enjoyed it.
"Xianhe?"
The voice calling his name was far too familiar. Jian Yong did not even need to turn his head before bursting into laughter.
"I have yet to congratulate Kongming on his achievements in this campaign."
Zhuge Liang wore a faint smile. Without another word, he grabbed Jian Yong and pushed toward the gate. With the help of the guards, the two entered the Imperial Academy without too much trouble.
Once inside, Jian Yong realized that it was even busier within. People moved back and forth repairing walls, rebuilding structures, carrying baskets of food. Everything was in a flurry of activity.
Zhuge Liang led Jian Yong smoothly through the chaos. Along the way, Jian Yong casually raised a matter he had been thinking about.
"How goes the spring plowing?"
Zhuge Liang nodded slightly.
"When I left Chengdu with my lord, I had already mobilized agricultural officials into Hanzhong. After Chang'an was recovered, orders were sent immediately for officials from Chengdu and Hanzhong to enter Guanzhong."
"By the end of April, we should barely manage not to miss the spring planting."
Jian Yong laughed heartily, impressed by Zhuge Liang's confidence. Plans had been laid even before leaving Shu. That alone showed how determined he had been about Guanzhong.
"Then what about the scene outside the Imperial Academy?"
"A craftsman who wishes to do good work must first sharpen his tools."
As he spoke, Zhuge Liang shook his head lightly.
"Chang'an is unlike Jiangling, Chengdu, or Hanzhong. It is nearly an empty city. If we wish to revive Chang'an, the people must not only farm fertile land but also possess skills that enrich their lives."
On this point, Jian Yong agreed. Gong'an and Jiangling sat along the Yangtze, controlling the vital trade routes between Yi Province and Jiangdong. Chengdu had the accumulated treasuries of Liu Yan and his sons. Hanzhong had been taken swiftly, and Zhang Lu had fled in haste, unable to bring much wealth with him.
Chang'an was different. This place had been almost an empty city for several years already.
Yet from another angle, once Chang'an revived, with the fertile Guanzhong plains beneath it, control of Hexi to the west and access to the Central Plains to the east, the potential was immense.
There was no need to say more. Zhuge Liang surely understood this better than he did, and perhaps already had long term plans in mind.
So Jian Yong changed the subject.
"Kongming has also summoned students from Yi Province?"
The pair of youths he had bumped into at the city gate were strangers to him. Yet after traveling north and south for years, Jian Yong could tell from the boy's accent that he was from Yi Province. The girl's speech blended northern and southern tones, with no trace of Guanzhong at all.
Zhuge Liang's pace did not slow, but a hint of a smile appeared on his face.
"The small Imperial Academy in Chengdu has received no small amount of effort."
The meaning beneath those words was clear to Jian Yong. Since the time of Emperor Guangwu, the Han had valued learning, producing countless masters of classical studies.
Everyone understood by now that good teachers were hard to find, and good students even harder.
Jian Yong vaguely remembered Zhang Fei mentioning in Yong and Liang that Shiyuan had gone there but left young Jiang Wei behind in Hanzhong, partly as a gesture of yielding to Zhuge Liang.
That explanation had been fiercely denied by Shiyuan, but thinking about it now, Zhuge Liang had disciples of his own. Teaching one was teaching, teaching many was the same. It was only natural.
"We have arrived."
Zhuge Liang's voice interrupted Jian Yong's thoughts.
Looking up from his perspective, the most striking sight was the bamboo slips and wooden tablets.
Having long served under Lord Xuande, Jian Yong was now accustomed to paper. Yet seeing the slips and tablets occupying nearly half the room's space, he was suddenly startled. His earlier life should have been filled with such objects.
Though the Imperial Academy as a whole was in disarray, this particular room had clearly been carefully arranged. At a glance, the slips even glimmered faintly with oil, proof that they had been deliberately maintained.
Well traveled as he was, Jian Yong quickly guessed the source.
"These are the collections of Inspector Zhong?"
Living long in Yong and Liang, Jian Yong had naturally heard of Zhong You's many eccentric rumors.
All of them pointed to his most famous obsession. A love for books bordering on obsession, and a madness for calligraphy.
In a Chang'an where everything awaited rebuilding, only Zhong You could produce so many well preserved texts.
The room full of slips and volumes greatly lifted Jian Yong's spirits. That good mood was quickly extinguished by Zhuge Liang.
"We happen to be short on hands here. Xianhe's calligraphy is as elegant as his character. Perfect for copying texts with me."
Jian Yong gave a bitter smile. Still, he would not refuse such work. Before picking up his brush, he could not help asking,
"Where is my lord?"
"My lord went to Chiyang today to organize manpower for spring plowing. He will return by dusk and will certainly host a banquet for Xianhe."
Zhuge Liang was already copying as he spoke, his brush flying like a dragon.
With that settled, Jian Yong found a table and sat down. He ground ink, dipped his brush, took up a bamboo slip, carefully identified the characters, and copied them onto prepared white paper.
As they worked, there was occasional idle conversation.
"How did Kongming persuade Inspector Zhong to allow copying these books?"
"It was simple. I promised him a hundred rolls of fine paper and wrote out scripts of later generation characters I saw in the light screen as a gift."
"Then would Inspector Zhong not become so absorbed in dissecting character structures that he forgets to eat?"
"I have not seen Inspector Zhong for ten days."
"Perhaps… we should send someone to check on him?"
When Jian Yong raised his head again, the dim yellow light of dusk had already fallen across the walls.
Pulling Zhuge Liang up despite his reluctance, Jian Yong was keenly anticipating the evening banquet after a long journey.
The Imperial Academy, bustling in the morning, had grown quiet. The crowds at the gate had dispersed, yet the streets remained busy.
There were peddlers hawking goods, but more common were soldiers patrolling with hands on their blades, and citizens using the last light of day to hurry repairs on their homes.
Following Zhuge Liang's directions, they eventually reached a general's residence and pushed the door open.
The estate was still dilapidated, but much improved after repairs. Sitting calmly in the courtyard was none other than Lord Xuande himself.
"Xianhe has arrived!"
Before Jian Yong could react, Liu Bei laughed and came forward. Then he looked puzzled.
"I only sent a messenger yesterday urging Xianhe to come to Chang'an. And yet you arrived today?"
Jian Yong laughed loudly and said it was because he missed his lord and came to see him.
This explanation drew hearty laughter from Liu Bei. Such words could be spoken without pretense only by Zhang Fei or Jian Yong.
After they were seated, Jian Yong briefly recounted what he had seen along the way.
Liu Bei listened with great interest. After all, defeating Xiahou Yuan on the battlefield was the easiest part of the grand plan to manage Guanzhong.
To make the people forget the pain of chaos, to fill the granaries, to ensure clothing and food, to give them land to live on, houses to shelter them from the cold, and skills to rely upon. These were Liu Bei's medium term goals.
Any one of these was far more difficult than defeating Xiahou Yuan.
Otherwise, Cao Cao would not have ignored Guanzhong despite it being almost handed to him. The region was simply too ruined.
Hearing Jian Yong's reflections on the Jing'an Shrine at Linwei, Liu Bei made a promise.
"This year, Jing'an Shrines will also be built at Yangping Pass, Jiangzhou City, Jiangling City, and Fan City, to mourn the fallen sons of Han."
Jian Yong was slightly surprised.
"Is General Guan's might so overwhelming? Has Jing Province already been secured?"
At this, Liu Bei's face lit up. He pulled several letters from his robe and laughed loudly.
"Urgent reports from Yi Province. The southern regions are pacified. Wu Yi reports that he is cooperating with Sima Yi to lead troops into Yunnan. At the latest by May, Yunnan will be settled, and the southwestern corner of the Han will be without worry."
"And Wu Yi also writes that in Qin Zang County he encountered merchants from Shendu and obtained a sack of fine seeds. From their description, it may be cotton."
Zhuge Liang's brows lifted in delight. He nearly wished to fly over and see it at once.
Liu Bei continued calmly.
"Urgent report from Shangluo. Zilong defeated Zhang Liao at Changban Slope and rushed to reinforce Jiangling. Zhang Ni and Shamoke joined forces to slay Han Dang in battle and marched to support Jiangling. Lü Meng was beheaded by his own subordinate on the battlefield to seek surrender. Jiangling is secure. The enemy general's head has been sent to Wancheng. Northern Jing is at peace."
The uninterrupted stream of news carried an overwhelming amount of information. The joy in Liu Bei's eyes could no longer be contained.
Zhuge Liang immediately clasped his hands, took the sealed letters, and read them carefully, word by word. In the end, with equal parts praise and contemplation, he uttered a single word.
"Good."
At the end of the letter, he also saw a simple line.
Zhao Yun as commander. Zhang Ni and Shamoke willingly serve as deputy generals. The allied armies of Jiao, Yi, and Jing Provinces greatly defeated Jiangxia.
He took note of the name Gan Yi with interest. Seeing the mention of Jing Province's allied forces, Zhuge Liang had already guessed the general situation.
"Zhang Boqi was able to borrow passage through Jiao Province and ride a thousand li to reinforce Wuling. Truly a flying general."
Liu Bei nodded repeatedly, his face full of joy. He could see Zhang Ni's talent as a general clearly. That was why he felt regret over later records of Zhang Ni going to war while ill and dying in battle. Thankfully, this fierce general now had a brighter future.
As for the unremarkable line in the report stating that Zhang Ni and Ma Zhong together slew Pan Zhang, Liu Bei passed over it lightly, only sighing that Zhang Ni truly was a valiant general.
Holding the report, Zhuge Liang quickly sorted through the situation in his mind and arrived at a conclusion.
Envoys from Jiangdong seeking surrender and peace were likely already on the road.
How to deal with them would probably require discussion with Shiyuan.
Liu Bei had already set the matter aside and said to Jian Yong with a smile,
"With such victories, a banquet must be held. Xianhe should stay awhile. In a little over ten days, it will be time to open the light screen. We can watch it together."
Jian Yong gladly accepted, filled with anticipation.
Just as the residence was bustling with preparations for the banquet, a fast horse stopped outside. Soon, a trusted general came to report to Liu Bei.
"General Ma is currently outside the city and has sent word, wishing to boast of his achievements to my lord."
"Boast?"
Liu Bei froze for a moment. He had not expected Ma Mengqi, who had been unheard from for nearly a month, to suddenly appear now.
"Who has he captured?"
The guard bowed.
"Cao general Zhang He."
Jian Yong reacted first and clasped his hands.
"Congratulations, my lord. Guanzhong is now settled, with no hidden worries remaining."