Chương 404: The People of Zhuo County Arrive in Luoyang

In the first year of Chuping in 190 AD, in mid-September.

Outside Luoyang city, the autumn sky was clear and cloudless.

The ginkgo trees lining both sides of the official road were golden, and when the wind blew, the fallen leaves covered the ground, creating a golden carpet.

Liu Ce led his men out of the city early in the morning and waited at the city gate.

He was dressed in casual clothes, without armor, and was accompanied by a few guards, gazing into the distance.

Today, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Xun Yu, and their families are moving from Zhuo County in Youzhou to Luoyang.

This is a big deal.

After waiting for about half an hour, figures began to appear on the distant horizon.

First, several cavalrymen galloped over; they were scouts exploring the way.

They dismounted and bowed to Liu Ce, saying, "My lord! The main force has arrived! Ten more miles!"

Liu Ce's eyes lit up, and he mounted his horse and rode forward to meet them.

Before long, a long line came into view.

One carriage after another stretched for miles, escorted by cavalry, a magnificent procession kicking up clouds of dust.

In the middle were the families of civil and military officials, behind them were hundreds of carts full of luggage and documents, and further behind was the escort team transporting supplies.

At the very front of the procession, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Xun Yu, and Xun You rode their horses, looking quite spirited.

Upon seeing Liu Ce, they quickly dismounted and hurried to greet him.

Fang Xuanling was the first to cup his hands in greeting and said with a smile, "My lord, we were ordered to move from Zhuo County to Luoyang. The journey was smooth, and we have come to report back!"

Du Ruhui also cupped his hands and said, "The affairs of Youzhou have been handed over. Ju Shou and Shen Pei will remain to guard the city, while Yue Fei and Qi Jiguang will lead troops to garrison it. The governance plans for each prefecture and county have also been drafted, awaiting your decision, my lord."

Xun Yu stroked his beard and smiled, "More than a hundred graduates from Youzhou Academy have come to Luoyang this time, which can fill official positions in various counties and prefectures of Sili."

Looking at these old ministers who had fought alongside him to conquer the world, Liu Ce felt a warmth in his heart.

He stepped forward, grasped Fang Xuanling's hand, and said with a smile, "You've all had a long and tiring journey!"

Fang Xuanling smiled and said, "It's not tiring at all. It's a good thing that we've come to Luoyang; everyone is happy!"

Liu Ce then exchanged pleasantries with Du Ruhui, Xun Yu, Xun You, and others, inquiring about the journey, the situation in Youzhou, and the academy.

These were all his old subordinates who had followed him all the way from Youzhou. Each of them was a capable and competent official who could stand alone. Now that they had all gathered in Luoyang, Liu Ce felt extremely at ease.

The group chatted animatedly, creating a lively atmosphere.

Just then, another group of carriages stopped behind them.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Liu Ce's wives got out one after another.

Cai Yan, Zhang Ning, Ren Hongchang, Du Xiuniang, Zou Yu, Zhen Jiang, Zhen Tuo, Zhen Dao, Zhen Rong, Zhen Mi, He Lian, Mi Zhen, Gan Mei, and his large group of children were getting off the carriage.

Cai Yan, Zhang Ning, Ren Hongchang, Du Xiuniang, Zou Yu, Zhen Jiang, Zhen Tuo, Zhen Dao, Zhen Rong, Zhen Mi, Mi Zhen, and Gan Mei—twelve wives in total, not one was missing.

There were also eleven children: Liu Chen, Liu Ying, Liu Heng, Liu Yao, Liu Sui, Liu Yi, Liu Mei, Liu Yong, Liu Ran, Liu Nong, and Liu Yan.

He Lian followed behind, dressed in an elegant dress, exuding composure.

There was also Princess Liu Yue, who was wearing a light blue dress and stood gracefully. When she saw Liu Ce, she smiled and waved.

As soon as they saw Liu Ce, the children broke free from their mother's hands and ran over.

Liu Chen ran ahead, grabbed Liu Ce's leg, and cried out, looking up, "Father! Father!"

Liu Ce picked him up in one swift motion: "Hey! My good son! Did you miss your father?"

"Yes!" Liu Chen shouted.

Liu Ying ran over and took his hand, asking, "Daddy, will we live here from now on?"

Liu Ce squatted down, picked them up in his arms, and laughed:

"Yes! We'll live here from now on! Luoyang is so much bigger than Zhuoxian, Daddy will show you around!"

The children cheered.

Liu Heng followed behind and also grabbed the other leg.

Liu Yao was even more aggressive, rushing over to hug him.

Other children gathered around, chattering and calling "Daddy," some hugging his legs, others tugging at his clothes, creating a chaotic scene.

Liu Ce was surrounded by children, one on each side, like a king of the kids.

"Do you miss your father?" Liu Ce asked with a smile.

"I've thought about it!" Liu Chen said loudly.

"I want to too!" Liu Heng shouted.

..................

Liu Ce patted each of them on the head, hugged and kissed them, busy and happy.

The surrounding people watched this scene and began to discuss it amongst themselves.

"This is His Highness the Prince of Yan? So many wives and children?"

"Indeed! His Highness Prince Yan is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and so prolific! He's truly remarkable!"

"Those eleven children, each one chubby and fair-skinned, were so adorable!"

Cai Yan walked over and couldn't help but laugh when she saw Liu Ce's flustered state.

When the children saw Cai Yan coming, they let go of Liu Ce and ran around, making a ruckus.

Cai Yan smiled gently and said, "Husband, we've arrived."

Liu Ce looked at Cai Yan and felt a warmth in his heart.

The woman who accompanied him from Zhuojun all the way to Luoyang was always so gentle and understanding.

Liu Ce quickly helped her up and said, "Yan'er, you've had a hard journey! Was it alright?"

"All is well, have a safe journey." Cai Yan nodded with a smile.

Zhang Ning leaned over and patted Liu Ce's shoulder casually, saying, "Husband, did you miss us?"

Liu Ce laughed and said, "I think about it every day!"

Ren Hongchang smiled and said, "My husband always knows how to say nice things."

Zhen Jiang pulled her four sisters close and said gently, "Husband, we miss you so much, especially Mi'er."

Zhen Mi blushed and whispered, "I... miss my husband."

He Lian stood to the side, looking at Liu Ce, her eyes slightly red, but she didn't say anything.

Liu Ce walked over, gently squeezed her hand, and whispered, "You've worked hard."

He Lian shook her head and smiled.

Mi Zhen and Gan Mei stood at the back, looking somewhat reserved.

Liu Ce walked over and said with a smile, "You've all had a long journey. Are you getting used to it?"

Mi Zhen nodded obediently and said, "Thank you for your concern, husband. Everything is fine."

Ganmei also said softly, "With my sisters taking care of me, I am doing very well."

Then... Zhang Ning laughed heartily, "Husband, you seem to be having a good time in Luoyang? I heard you've had two more little sisters?"

Liu Ce coughed twice and said, "I'll tell you later..."

Zhen Jiang smiled and said, "We've all heard about what happened to my husband in Luoyang. Sister Yin Ying and Sister Feng Yu are both wonderful girls."

Liu Ce was a little embarrassed and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Alright, alright, we'll talk about it later, we'll talk about it later. Let's get into the city first, let's get into the city first!"

The women all laughed upon hearing this, their laughter clear and melodious, like silver bells.

Liu Ce spoke a few more words with Princess Liu Yue, asking her how the journey was and whether she was getting used to living in Youzhou.

Liu Yue smiled and said everything was fine, and praised Liu Chen and the others for being very well-behaved.

After exchanging pleasantries, Liu Ce waved his hand and said, "Let's go! Enter the city!"

The procession marched into Luoyang in a grand procession.

...

(The area of Liu Ce's control after taking Jingzhou is shown in the figure:) (Which reign titles are good, or at least sound nice? Dear readers, could you please offer some suggestions?)