I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 111: Get to Long and Watch Shu
Liu Miao watched Yan Xiang and Liu Xun leave with reluctance.

They're all such good people! I wonder when I'll see them again!
"Alright, let's go back and play!"

Liu Miao also learned of the great changes in the Central Plains, that Zhang Miao and Chen Gong had betrayed Cao Cao and welcomed Lü Bu into Yanzhou, and that Tao Qian had ultimately ceded Xuzhou to Liu Bei.

This was undoubtedly a good thing for Liu Miao. After all, Yuan Shu would never be able to focus his attention on the barren Jiangdong region. He would definitely have to work hard towards the Central Plains. Otherwise, he would not have just taken Liu Xun away without sending anyone else to serve as the governor of Danyang.

However, Lu Su, who was both the chief clerk and the chief strategist, was somewhat worried after hearing the news from the north.

"Isn't my lord afraid that Lü Bu and Liu Bei will both defect to Yuan Shu, making Yuan Shu even more powerful?"

"what?"

Liu Miao seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world, and he couldn't stop smiling.

"Liu Xuande, a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan and a son of the great Confucian scholar Lu Zhi, how could he possibly submit to Yuan Shu?"

"As for Lü Bu... Zijing, you are underestimating Cao Mengde. Do you really think Lü Bu can defeat Cao Cao?"

Liu Miao's judgment was undoubtedly somewhat baffling to Lu Su.

Tao Qian, Gongsun Zan, and Yuan Shu were staunch allies who used this alliance against the Cao Cao-Yuan Shao alliance.

Even if Tao Qian is dead, given the relationship between Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan, plus Cao Cao's covetousness of Xuzhou, could Liu Bei really switch sides?
Secondly, it is said that Lü Bu has the support of the scholars of Yanzhou this time. Cao Cao only has three counties left in his hands: Juancheng, Fanxian, and Dong'e. With such a gap, is there any possibility for Cao Cao to turn the tide?

Liu Miao noticed Lu Su's doubt and smiled, "Zijing, this is a time of great contention. Who knows if today's unknown person will not become a famous figure in the future?"

"Although only a few years have passed, the world is no longer the same as it was a few years ago when the brothers Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao were fighting for power!"

"With so many heroes rising up, even Zijing (Zhang Zijing) knows that Cao Cao and Yuan Shao are bound to fight, let alone the others?"

The world situation over the past few years has indeed been one where strategy is paramount.

However, the current situation reveals that Yuan Shu was relentlessly defeated and driven to Huainan by Cao Cao, and Yuan Shao was unable to completely subdue Gongsun Zan and unify Hebei for several years. These events suggest that the two Yuans were not as invincible as imagined, and could not easily sweep away rivals like Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang or Emperor Shizu Liu Xiu, thus inspiring no resistance.

In that case, it would be somewhat outdated to keep thinking about the period when Yuan Shao and Yuan Shikai dominated the country!
"Right now, the real battle for supremacy is about to begin!"

Liu Miao put his arm around Lu Su's shoulder and stood on the dock, letting him look north.

The Yangtze River was still wide, but it could not block their view.

What they could see was no longer just the Yangtze River in front of them, but further away, more and more tragic wars raging, and stronger and more cruel heroes emerging from the ashes!

"Does Zijing believe that we can take over Wu County before any major events occur in the north this year?"

With the rise of figures like Lü Bu and Liu Bei, who now control a province, I can no longer remain confined to Danyang.

"Is our lord coveting Shu after gaining Long?"

Liu Miao certainly admitted it!

"Now that we have pacified Long, how can we not covet Shu? If we do not yearn to pacify Shu after obtaining Long, how could Emperor Shizu have pacified the entire country? Similarly, now that I, Liu Miao, have obtained Danyang, how can I not covet the neighboring Wu Commandery?"

Lu Su's reply to Liu Miao was both unexpected and reasonable: "I thought my lord would be modest."

"Having gained Long, one desires Shu" is not a pleasant phrase!
Liu Miao, however, didn't care at all.

"After Emperor Gaozu returned to the Three Qin regions and led his army on an eastern expedition, he did not return for five years. He fought both victories and defeats, which is how he finally quelled Xiang Yu and established the Han Dynasty."

"Emperor Shizu said he would be greedy for more after conquering Longxi, but after pacifying Kui Xiao, it took him another ten years to take over the Bashu region. This is all because Emperor Shizu's words and deeds were inconsistent!"

When Liu Miao started criticizing Liu Xiu, Lu Su wisely chose to pretend he hadn't heard, not giving Liu Miao a chance to continue his ancestral accusations and preventing others from finding fault with him...

"The treasury is not full at present, and Gongjin's new army is not yet fully trained, so I'm afraid we cannot launch a war."

"So this is using Zijing (Zijing)?"

Liu Miao's interest in Wu Commandery went beyond mere coveting.

Wu County has always been the heart of Jiangdong, otherwise the four great families of Gu, Lu, Zhu and Zhang wouldn't have all crowded into Wu County, and wouldn't they be afraid of being overcrowded?

It can be said that as long as Wu Commandery is captured, even if Yuzhang and Kuaiji Commanderies are not yet recovered, Liu Miao can call himself the Lord of Jiangdong!

"What kind of outrageous thing did Zijing say Xu Gong, the prefect of Wu Commandery, did?"

After some time, Liu Miao's memory became somewhat hazy, but fortunately Lu Su still remembered—

The prefect of Wu Commandery originally appointed by the imperial court was Sheng Xian, a famous scholar from Kuaiji. After he resigned due to illness, Xu Gongcai, who was then the commandant of Wu Commandery, took charge of Wu Commandery and persecuted Sheng Xian several times, trying to get rid of Sheng Xian, this major threat.

Lu Su's strategy at the time was to have Liu Miao attack Xu Gong in the name of Sheng Xian. Now it's time to start planning!
"I have inquired and found that Sheng Xian has been in a state of extreme fear since being persecuted by Xu Gong, and is currently hiding in the home of Xu Zhao from Yuhang."

"Xu Zhao?"

This is yet another person Liu Miao has never heard of.

"He also has the surname Xu? Is he related to Xu Gong, the governor of Wu Commandery?"

"It has nothing to do with him. However, this man is a famous scholar in Jiangdong. He has a deep friendship with Gu, Lu, Zhu, and Zhang, and even with the powerful general Yan Baihu. He is respected by the world. Therefore, even Xu Gong would not dare to go to Xu Zhao's place to harm Sheng Xian."

Liu Miao understood now.

So this Xu Zhao has connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds, and even a prefect like Xu Gong wouldn't dare to offend him?
"Jiangdong, wow!"

Liu Miao hadn't noticed anything when he was in Danyang County, but now that he'd come into contact with Wu County, the heart of Jiangdong, all sorts of strange and unpredictable things had come out, making the situation even more confusing!
“Interesting! In that case, I’ll trouble Zijing to make a trip to Yuhang to visit Shengxian and that Xu Zhao.”

Rather than calmly untangling this mess, Liu Miao undoubtedly preferred to cut the Gordian knot decisively and quickly!
Lu Su noticed Liu Miao's resolute attitude and immediately said, "In fact, matters between aristocratic families should always be based on strength. Rather than resorting to violence from the outset, it is better to use power to intimidate others."

"Our lord previously beheaded Zu Lang and drove away Zhou Xin, shaking the Jiangdong region with his might. How could he forget to employ a strategy of winning hearts and minds?"

What is the strategy of winning hearts and minds?

“Xu Gong is naturally not someone we can win over, but Yan Baihu is not necessarily someone we have to fight.”

Lu Su brought up the strategy he had previously discussed with Liu Miao, "Now that our lord has demonstrated the martial prowess to kill Zu Lang, why not continue to show mercy to the Shanyue in exchange for their submission?"

"As long as my lord issues three decrees, I am confident that, if not Yan Baihu will submit, at least his mountain tribes will no longer be of one mind with him."

"Oh?"

Liu Miao was immediately curious, and at the same time waved his hand: "Let alone three, even three hundred decrees, as long as they can solve the major problem of Yan Baihu, it is not a problem!"

By observing Zu Lang and Zhou Xin within Danyang, one can understand that the power of the various prefectures in Jiangdong is quite different from that of the prefectures and counties in the Central Plains.

Hao Shuai, despite being a group of bandits, is able to live openly and honestly here.

Rather than two forces, it was more like a separation of military and political power within a single prefecture!

If we can separate Yan Baihu and Xu Gong, it will be like removing the quills from a hedgehog!

So, what use is a sharp thorn if you just swallow the piece of fat inside it?
Afterwards, Liu Miao readily accepted Lu Su's advice and immediately issued three decrees—

"Firstly, from this day forward, officials and common people shall no longer use the term 'Shanyue'!"

The ancestor of the Yue Kingdom was Wuyu, the illegitimate son of Shao Kang, the ruler of the Xia Dynasty. He was enfeoffed in Kuaiji and was a true descendant of the Han people. He could no longer be separated from the Han people by the name "Shanyue".

"Secondly, no matter where the Yue people are from, as long as they are willing to migrate from the mountains, the government will provide them with land equally, just like the Han people."

In fact, a large portion of the population in the Yue region were not truly savages from the mountains. On the contrary, most of them were originally native Han Chinese who fled into the mountains because of excessive land consolidation that left them with no place to stand.

This decree ensured the survival of the Han Chinese mountain tribes and created internal divisions within them.

"Third, if a leader such as a marshal, a great marshal, or a powerful marshal surrenders, he or she can be immediately granted the rank of colonel and become a member of the government army."

This last one is a plan specifically designed to win over the leaders of the Yue tribes.

Lu Su had been inquiring about the affairs of the Yue people in the mountains these past few days and knew that even some notorious bandits and leaders were often fearful, afraid that the government troops might suddenly launch a surprise attack!
Most people in this world are just ordinary people, and there aren't many mountain tribe leaders of the caliber of Zu Lang and Yan Baihu.

These people actually yearn for peace and stability, so Lu Su's last point was meant for them.

Legally eliminate the barriers between the Yue people and the Han people, divide the original Han population within the Yue ethnic group, and then entice their leaders in the middle to pacify and recruit them.

With such a three-pronged approach, even the Yue people in Wu Commandery and Kuaiji will likely soon begin to differentiate themselves.

In particular, after Lu Su was sent by Liu Miao to find Sheng Xian, he did not visit Xu Gong, the governor of Wu Commandery. Instead, he brought gifts and went to Yan Baihu with great fanfare, giving him a large amount of gold and silver. This made Liu Miao's reputation for "treating the Yue people well" spread throughout Jiangdong!
Xu Gong even sent a messenger to Yan Baihu, instructing the messenger to loudly ask Yan Baihu: "Has the chieftain forgotten our previous agreement to fight together against a common enemy?"

Yan Baihu felt ashamed after hearing this, so he asked his younger brother Yan Yu to transport the gifts to Jinling and return them to Liu Miao.

Upon hearing of Yan Yu's arrival, Liu Miao immediately ordered Zhou Yu to lead the previously organized Yue soldiers to the city gate.

These Yue soldiers were no longer as poor as Liu Xun's men before, who were so poor they couldn't even get enough to eat... On the contrary, as the construction of Jinling City gradually improved and the output of Yecheng gradually increased, these soldiers were now all wearing armor and carrying sharp blades!
Although it wasn't iron armor, but just leather armor, the armor coverage was clearly far greater than when Zulang led them and only a few dozen or a few hundred people had armor!

So much so that when Yan Yu saw these Yue soldiers, he exclaimed, "Liu Yangzhou equipped them with armor; isn't he afraid they'll rebel?"

"If that's the case, then no soldiers should be equipped with armor and weapons, right?"

In addition to bringing these Yue soldiers from the mountains, Liu Miao also came to the city to welcome Yan Yu.

Although it's said to be outside the city, it's actually quite a distance away, located on a large bridge over the Huai River called Zhuque.

The place is bustling with activity. With the dredging of the Huai River and the prosperity of the market, it is a place where carriages and horses are everywhere every day, and people are shoulder to shoulder. It is completely different from the quiet and peaceful place when it was called Moling.

The gentry wore armor, demonstrating their martial virtue.

The people live in peace and contentment, showcasing the nation's cultural achievements.

Especially when Liu Miao personally came to greet Yan Yu in his carriage, Zhou Tai and Chen Wu, two tough men who looked like ironclad fortresses, stood beside him. Their fish-scale armor gleamed with a deep, glossy black, clearly not ordinary. The soldiers around them were also all dressed in heavy armor, symbolizing their personal guards. When they marched in with a thunderous roar, Yan Yu felt the tension and pressure of meeting a king!

"I have met Liu Yangzhou."

Although Yan Yu was Yan Baihu's younger brother and was known for his strength, he was not actually very resolute. When he met Liu Miao, he even stammered.

Liu Miao didn't care at all. After arriving at Yan Yu's side, he got out of the carriage and walked to Yan Yu's side, took his hand and walked together onto the Zhuque Bridge, so that he could see the prosperity on both sides of the Huai River.

"What do you think of this place compared to Wu County?"

"Wu County is far inferior to Jinling!"

Yan Yu was not flattering Liu Miao against his conscience.

Although Wu County has a long history, many places are dilapidated and not as exquisite as the newly built buildings in Jinling. Moreover, if we only consider the population of Wu County, it is actually not as large as Jinling, which has been filled with a large number of refugees, so it is naturally inferior.

Liu Miao seemed quite satisfied with the answer. He then took Yan Yu for a stroll around the bustling market before driving to the main city.

Under Zhang Zhao's supervision, the main city was further improved, and the city walls were beginning to take shape.

The rammed earth piled up to be two and a half zhang high and half zhang wide. In the future, bricks and stones will be laid inside and outside this rammed earth wall, making it even more magnificent!
Inside the main city, there are exquisite and magnificent buildings. It is hard to imagine that such a city could appear in Jiangdong, a place that has always been considered a barren land by scholars from the Central Plains!
Yan Yu sighed, "I'm afraid only someone as wealthy as Liu Yangzhou could build such a city."

Liu Miao remained silent, but continued to flaunt his wealth.

The treasures that Yuan Shu usually sent, which Liu Miao had kept hidden in his treasury, were now on public display. Many of these treasures were things that ordinary people had never even heard of, let alone seen! From the mounds of Kunyao and the banks of Tongkai to the treasures of Huoqi, the rare gems of the frightening chicken, the bright red cinnabar and jade, the gold and silver, the purple shells and flowing yellow jade, the pale blue jade… Seeing these, one realized that the phrase "glittering with pearls and jewels" was not an exaggeration; one could truly see the brilliance emanating from these treasures!

Finally, Liu Miao said to Yan Yu, "The wealth I have here, if piled up, would be taller than Zhongshan Mountain, and if spread on the ground, would be more beautiful than the Huai River. Why does your brother return the gifts I sent? Is he looking down on me, Liu Miao?"

By this time, Yan Yu was already dazzled, his mind completely consumed by the wealth and luxury of Jinling. He stammered as he sat there, and surprisingly, he blurted out the truth—

"That's not the case. It's because Xu Gong, the Prefect of Wu Commandery, was dissatisfied with this matter, which is why I returned these treasures to Liu Yangzhou!"

oh~~~
Liu Miao immediately pressed his advantage, asking, "So, when your brother sent you to deliver these things, were you really willing to accept it?"

"Is it really the style of a hero to hand over these treasures just because of someone else's words?"

(End of this chapter)