I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 117 Biting the Hook
If there's no excuse, then create one!

Who taught Liu Miao that attack trick against Yan Baihu?
The most frustrating thing is that this is actually feasible?
No matter what you say, Yan Baihu is still a bandit.

Bandits must be eradicated at all times! They cannot be ignored!
The government's suppression of bandits, like "restoring the Han dynasty and driving out traitors," has an inherent legal basis!
Once Liu Yao and Xu Gong could no longer restrain themselves, it would not be "Yao attacking Yao without cause," but rather "Yao attacking Baihu, Yao attacking Miao, therefore Miao attacking Yao!"
The same thing can become completely different just by changing the order!
Besides launching a campaign against Yan Baihu, we also need to make some other preparations to put more pressure on Liu Yao.

"Gongjin, I remember that bandits often roam around Jurong, is that right?"

"Have it?"

However, Zhou Yu immediately understood: "Yes! Does my lord wish to send troops to attack?"

"Of course!"

Jurong is located on the northern border between Danyang and Wujun. Once Zhou Yu sends his army there, even if he does nothing, it will be enough to make Liu Yao, Xu Gong and others nervous!
Now, the only problem is who should be sent to "punish" Yan Baihu to ensure that Liu Yao and Xu Gong will choose to attack, thus giving themselves an excuse!

"I go."

The ministers looked around, wondering whose general was so brave.

Going to "conquer" Yan Baihu is really just throwing a piece of meat in front of a hungry wolf and betting on whether the wolf will be tempted.

This journey is not just a matter of nine deaths and one life; it's a one-way trip.

Not everyone has the guts to take on such a task!
However, when everyone looked around, they couldn't find which of their colleagues was speaking.

After a while, everyone came to their senses and looked up in bewilderment.

"My lord?"

"Nonsense! I definitely have to go! Otherwise, who among you can guarantee that Liu Yao and Xu Gong will attack you!"

The so-called "open strategy" is to lay all the cards out in front of you, so that even if the enemy knows it's a trap, they still have no choice but to jump in!
Did Liu Yao and Xu Gong not know that if they attacked Liu Miao's army, they would be criticized?
They are not stupid; they must know.

Therefore, Liu Miao wanted to offer them a condition they couldn't refuse—

"They will only take action if I go there in person."

"After all, killing me is the only way to solve the problem once and for all."

"besides……"

"My lord! No!"

"Zhongshan, think twice before you act!"

"My lord! You must not go, no one else can!"

Before Liu Miao could finish speaking, the people around him started arguing amongst themselves.

Among them, Zhang Zhao and Cheng Pu seemed determined to knock Liu Miao unconscious and keep him here!
A ruler should be in charge of the central government; there is no reason for him to risk his life!

The sounds were so loud and chaotic that Liu Miao wondered if he had done something heinous.

"stop!"

They're still arguing.

"Shut up!"

Liu Miao stood up, drew his sword from his waist, and with one stroke cleaved the corner of the table in two!

Seeing Liu Miao draw his sword, everyone realized that Liu Miao was truly angry, and their voices gradually quieted down.

Only Zhang Zhao stubbornly advised Liu Miao: "On the battlefield, swords have no eyes. If something were to happen to our lord, what should we do?"

Liu Miao scoffed: "If I don't go to the battlefield because it's dangerous, then I might as well resign and go home to compose poems and write couplets. Wouldn't that be more leisurely?"

"Furthermore, Emperor Gaozu once said: 'I took the world as a commoner with a three-foot sword. Is this not the will of Heaven? Fate is in the hands of Heaven. What use is Bian Que?'"

"If we really die in such a place, it only means that I, Liu Miao, am unlucky. We should all go and seek refuge with a wise ruler as soon as possible!"

You may not have the talent to command thousands of troops, but you must have the courage to face thousands of troops!

If you are afraid of even such risks, what difference is there between you and a salted fish if you are afraid of 800 enemy cavalrymen even when you are surrounded by 100,000 men on the battlefield?
Liu Miao looked up and glanced to his left and right.

"Youping, Zilie! Are you two also afraid to go south?"

Zhou Tai immediately jumped up and down: "What are you saying, my lord? I wasn't afraid of Zu Lang when he brought tens of thousands of troops that day, so why should I be afraid of Liu Yao and Xu Gong now?"

Chen Wu remained mild-mannered and uttered a polite remark, but his breath was as powerful as an old ox's, clearly indicating his dissatisfaction with the words.

"Isn't this right!"

Liu Miao made a decision—

"Tomorrow I will head to Yixing and then take a boat to Wucheng!"

"Gongyi".

"Here!"

Jiang Qin immediately stepped forward.

"You lead the navy to wait on Taihu Lake, ensuring that we can retreat at any time."

"Here!"

Jiang Qin assured Liu Yao, "Your subject swears to protect your lord's escape route with his life!"

Boarding a boat, disembarking, waiting, boarding a boat again, and returning home.

That's it.

However, Zhang Zhao and others continued to attack Liu Miao, demanding that he abandon such actions. After pushing Liu Miao to the brink, he simply covered his ears, refusing to listen, saying, "This is nonsense!"

Seeing Liu Miao's shameless behavior, Zhang Zhao once again puffed out his beard and glared at him: "Didn't our lord say before that he would use me as a mirror?"

"I never expected your mirror to be so talkative!"

Although Liu Miao didn't have the ability to swallow insults, he did have the ability to endure until Zhang Zhao was too weak to speak!
Seeing that Zhang Zhao's speaking speed gradually slowed down, Liu Miao approached with a grin: "I know that you are worried about my safety, but I am not going to follow in the footsteps of Xiang Yu and charge into battle. I am just going to see the scenery of Jiangdong and come back. Why are you so angry? Is that it?"

Enjoying the scenery?
Zhang Zhao was so angry at Liu Miao's words that he laughed.

"Is the lord trying to fool a three-year-old?"

"Besides me, who else would treat you like a child, Lord Zhang?"

"..."

Zhang Zhao suddenly became listless, and his once resolute eyes revealed a dead fish-like gleam, showing a tendency to develop into Gu Yong's style!

"Master Zhang, the situation is indeed urgent this time, and I have no choice but to do this! I can't possibly waste several years in Jiangdong like this, can I?"

Liu Miao squatted down next to Zhang Zhao and held up three fingers—

"I promise you! Just this once!"

A glimmer of light rekindled in Zhang Zhao's eyes: "Really just this once?"

"Just this once! The Liu family is the most trustworthy! Even if you don't believe me, you should believe Emperor Guangwu, who swore an oath by pointing to the Luo River, right?"

Zhang Zhao looked at him with suspicion: "Emperor Guangwu was indeed known throughout the world for his integrity."

Liu Miao immediately smiled: "Don't you think so?"

"But Emperor Gaozu was not that kind of person!"

"..." Liu Miao cursed Liu Bang in his heart, feeling that Liu Bang had ruined his reputation!

To reassure Zhang Zhao, Liu Miao tossed his sword over, saying, "Don't worry, Lord Zhang! Even if you don't trust me, you should trust your soldiers and the spears in their hands!"

Zhang Zhao didn't understand why Liu Miao had given him a sword at first, but when he wielded the sword, he realized the difference.

"Isn't this... the Ironclad Divine Weapon that our lord presented to Yuan Shu?"

No wonder he was able to chop off the corner of the table in one go; Zhang Zhao had thought that Liu Miao's strength had increased these days.

Liu Miao smiled upon hearing this.

"What kind of celestial iron? That's enough to fool Yuan Shu. Do you really believe it, Lord Zhang?"

After taking Zhang Zhao for a stroll around Yecheng, Zhang Zhao, though still unwilling, finally stopped arguing with Liu Miao and decided to let Liu Miao go this time.

Liu Miao was initially very happy to get rid of Zhang Zhao.

However, after boarding the warship, Liu Miao realized that something that shouldn't have been there seemed to have appeared beside him—

"What are you doing here?"

Chen Yu gripped the ship's railing tightly, his face pale: "I said I would record your words and actions, Zhongshan. How can I not stay by your side at all times?"

Liu Miao deliberately tried to scare Chen Yu: "If I go to my death, will you come with me?"

The thought of being about to penetrate deep behind enemy lines and be surrounded by the enemy army made Chen Yu's stomach clench, and he felt like he was about to vomit up everything he had eaten that morning.

But before the food was vomited up, the belief in one's heart was vomited up first—

"go with!"

"Pshaw! Who would believe that!"

Liu Miao instructed Zhou Tai: "Youping! Go and get him a suit of armor!"

"You're clearly going to the battlefield, yet you're wearing a ceremonial robe and a scholar's cap. Are you really afraid the enemy won't see you?"

Zhou Tai quickly carried a suit of armor from the cabin and threw it in front of Chen Yu.

The heavy armor made the ship shake a few times, and Chen Yu immediately recognized its extraordinary nature!

The armor's surface was densely covered with fine fish-scale armor, resembling cold stars adorning the night sky from afar. A rhinoceros-hide belt was fastened across the waist, its buckle cast in the shape of a lion-headed beast, with two iron plates hanging below, resembling coiled dragons. The interior was lined with tanned cowhide, and the overlapping armor plates were all bound with double-stranded copper wire. Even if an arrowhead pierced the armor, it would be locked by the copper wire, making it difficult to penetrate even with cracks—clearly a fine suit of armor!
"This... Zhongshan, this is too precious, how can I accept it?"

Chen Yu said it was valuable, but his hands were already restlessly touching the armor.

Although the scholars of the Han Dynasty were already trending towards becoming "pedantic Confucianists," they still retained a chivalrous spirit!
Such a suit of armor placed before them was far more tempting than a naked woman in front of them!

"Just put it on!"

Chen Yu looked up and realized that Liu Miao was wearing armor that looked even more magnificent and sturdy than his own!
Its armor plates are layered like the reverse scales of a dragon, forming a seamless whole from its neck to its waist and abdomen. The chest and back are interlocked with tortoise-shell patterned iron plates, and the fine forging patterns flow with a dark shimmer like water under the sunlight, complementing the Taihu Lake perfectly.

The short sleeves were fitted with copper arm guards, shaped like two fierce tigers about to break free from their sides! The elbows were adorned with ringed arm guards, the interlocking iron rings resembling coiled snakes and dancing dragons, clanging loudly when moved. The collar stood high like an iron urn, and the neck armor plates were cut at sharp angles, extending all the way to the chin. Coupled with the conspicuous fiery red cloak hanging behind him, Chen Yu was completely mesmerized.

"Zhongshan."

"What's wrong now? Why are you making such a fuss?"

You look really good!

"Youping! Zilie! Throw this guy into the water! Now!"

……

Amid Liu Miao's grumbling, Chen Yu finally put on the armor.

It's just that Chen Yu is thin, and wearing this armor makes his head look small and his body look thick, making him look somewhat comical. It doesn't look as good on people with robust builds like Liu Miao and Zhou Tai.

At this moment, Chen Yu also noticed that although the armor worn by the dozens of soldiers on the warship was not as good as his own, it was still well-made and was clearly a rare heavy armor!
This time, Liu Miao and I led a total of five ships to the south, which translates to three hundred heavily armored soldiers!
Chen Yu suddenly realized why Zhang Zhao had agreed to let Liu Miao go south.

With these three hundred heavily armored soldiers, even if we can't break through Wu Commandery, at least protecting Liu Miao's retreat will not be a problem!
However, Chen Yu was also curious: "Zhongshan, where did you get so much armor from without making a sound? Did you ask Yuan Shu for it again?"

"Tsk! How come I sound like a beggar to you? What do you mean by 'beg'? Can't you speak properly?"

Liu Miao, clad in armor, gripped the railing and gazed at the beautiful scenery of Taihu Lake, feeling instantly refreshed: "Gongwei, what do you think I do when I frequently go to Yecheng? Hmm?"

Chen Yu asked doubtfully, "Isn't the plan to go to Yecheng under the guise of visiting a brothel to listen to music?"

"???"

Liu Miao stared at Chen Yu in alarm: "How did you know? Bah! I'm telling you, don't make baseless accusations!"

“I’m always following you when you go out, I can’t be wrong.”

Liu Miao felt a chill run down his spine. He looked around, clearly considering whether he should really throw Chen Yu into the water to feed the fish.

Chen Yu shook his armor, which immediately produced a crisp sound.

"So Zhongshan really was on important business in Yecheng, but why didn't he tell us?"

"I have so many things I want to do, do I have to tell you everything?"

Liu Miao pointed to the waters of Taihu Lake in front of him: "I want to reach for the moon in the heavens and catch turtles in the five lakes."

He then pointed to some fishermen in the distance and said, "I also want the people to be literate, so that they can understand the ways of the world and distinguish right from wrong!"

Then, pointing to the gray sun shrouded in a layer of mist, he said, "I want to change this sun and moon into a new sky, so that it will never be so gloomy again!"

"I have so many things I want to do! Do you expect me to tell you everything?"

"Then why isn't Zhongshan doing it now?"

"Nonsense! We have to feed people first before doing any of this!"

Liu Miao hummed a tune he had heard from the brothel: "So, although this time it's a bit risky, we can quickly attack Wu County and pacify the Three Wu regions!"

"If we really wait three to five years as Zhang Gong said, then many things really won't be able to be done!"

Chen Yu, who had somehow already taken out a pen, began writing and drawing on a bamboo slip once again.

"Zhongshan."

"what happened again?"

"After respecting oneself and loving others, I have finally come up with a third key idea."

"What a mess!"

Chen Yu remained silent, but facing the lake breeze, he wrote two more large characters in a prominent place on the bamboo slip—

Rebirth

Liu Miao peeked out, but before he could see clearly, he was interrupted by the sound of an arrow whistle.

"My lord! Ships have been spotted in the east!"

Liu Miao was greatly encouraged!
So fast?
I thought the other party would wait until I got ashore before making a move, but I didn't expect them to be so impatient.
The soldiers on the ship tensed up, but Liu Miao was happy instead.

Seeing how eager the other party was, Liu Miao was completely relieved.

Liu Miao didn't believe that the other party could resist the temptation and not bite the hook, even though he had prepared such good bait this time!

(End of this chapter)