I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 119 Come here!

Upon arriving at the ferry, Liu Miao even sent someone to invite Liu Yao: "Would you like to set up camp together?"

Liu Miao had spread his chest out as wide as possible, just waiting for the other party to stab him hard so that he could complete his grand scheme of extortion!

However, Liu Yao's side was clearly very vigilant, thinking that Liu Miao wanted to take the opportunity to wipe them out in one fell swoop, and completely rejected Liu Miao's good intentions, instead taking a detour to set up camp in the east.

"Honestly, you guys are useless when given the chance!"

Liu Miao was somewhat disappointed to see that the other side did not dare to attack.

"Let's set up camp first and then talk about it."

He sent his soldiers to a distant, lush area to cut strips of paper and erect a thick log in each of the four directions. Using thin branches as a fence, he created a very simple but unusable camp. Liu Miao then ordered his soldiers to immediately start a fire and cook.

"Zhongshan, isn't this camp... a bit too simple?"

Even Chen Yu, who was not knowledgeable in military affairs, could see the vulnerability of this camp.

Those thin branches, let alone protecting against arrows, could easily be torn open by a strong man charging into them. Not to mention, there was no trace of any arrow towers, high towers, deep trenches, or fortifications in the camp. It was as ridiculous as children playing house, completely lacking any semblance of a strong army.

Liu Miao looked eastward: "Gongwei, do you know what's most important in this battle?"

"Defense?"

"It's about running for your lives!"

Liu Miao was extremely clear about his operational objectives and the strategies he needed to achieve.

"Gongwei, what do you think is the most important thing when you're escaping?"

Chen Yu hesitated and asked, "Run fast?"

"Yes!"

Zhou Tai had already placed a bowl of cooked rice in front of Liu Miao, with only a few pickled vegetables and a piece of extremely salty smoked meat on it.

"Conserving our energy and traveling light is the right way! If we exhaust our soldiers to death, what will we do if Liu Yao really attacks tonight?"

Chen Yu was still shifting uncomfortably, unaccustomed to the weight of the armor, but upon hearing Liu Miao's words, he immediately sat up straight: "Zhongshan means they're going to attack the camp tonight?"

"nonsense."

This time, he didn't even bring chopsticks. Liu Miao only had two very thin wooden sticks in his hands as utensils. He wolfed down the rice in the earthenware bowl and quickly finished it.

"Burp, it has absolutely no flavor, just a salty taste! No wonder Yuan Shu always clamors for honey water, I wish I could have a bowl of honey water right in front of me and drink it down!"

At this moment, Liu Miao suddenly realized that people in later generations often say that the original taste of food is the best taste...

Damn it, if they really lost all the spices and seasonings and just ate this bland food, Liu Miao didn't believe they could stand it!

Why did Zhongshan suddenly lose his temper?

Chen Yu also started eating, but compared to Liu Miao, his eating manners were undoubtedly much more refined, and he even had the time to chew slowly and carefully.

"Does Zhongshan know that I've eaten even worse things?"

Chen Yu was clearly thinking of the pickled fish he ate on the boat when he left Huainan to join Yuan Shu.

"I wonder how the boatman who carried me that day is doing? Is he still making a living by ferrying people on the Huai River? Is his wife alright? Has he finished all the pickled fish in his cabin?"

Chen Yu looked at the setting sun on the horizon: "Zhongshan fought against Yuan Shu and risked his life by Liu Yao's side. Wasn't it all so that the people would no longer suffer from poverty and hunger?"

"Just thinking about these things should bring Zhongshan peace of mind, right?"

"Oh."

Liu Miao responded weakly, then looked at the piece of smoked meat in Chen Yu's bowl: "Where did all this high-sounding reasoning come from? Are you scholars so fond of whining without cause? All I want right now is a bowl of honey water, why are you bringing this up? Are you going to eat this meat or not? If not, I'll eat it."

Before Chen Yu could speak, Liu Miao used the two wooden sticks like fingers to reach into his bowl, easily picked up the piece of smoked meat, quickly put it in his mouth, chewed it a few times, and then swallowed it with a choke!
"Zhongshan, you..."

"sleep!!!"

Liu Miao ran swiftly, relaying the general's order—

"Tonight, the entire army will only have two hours of rest! No one may remove their armor! We must remain vigilant and ready to meet the enemy at dawn!"

"Here!"

------

east.

After arriving at this place, Liu Yao and his men did not set up camp, but waited where they were.

It wasn't until the sun set that everyone noticed the ground trembling, and they all got up and looked into the distance.

At the already dim and indistinct horizon to the east, a black mist suddenly rose, chasing the direction in which the sun was disappearing, and with each step forward, the darkness of the world grew thicker.

"The army is here!"

Xu Gong said smugly, "All the elite troops of Wu Commandery are here! Liu Miao will surely not be able to escape!"

Liu Yao and the generals behind him also looked into the distance, sizing up the soldiers.

The first to arrive were the cavalry, numbering about five hundred.

These cavalrymen wore black iron helmets made of a row of long armor plates, decorated with crimson feathers, and were covered in iron armor with a trousers around their waists. They were dressed in the standard attire of the Han army's iron cavalry! Except for the fact that their warhorses were obviously smaller, they were no different from the elite border cavalry!
Xu Gong had clearly spared no expense to assemble such a cavalry force in a Jiangnan region like Wu Commandery, no wonder he was so proud of himself!
Next came a force of no more than a hundred infantrymen.

These infantrymen were different from regular soldiers; not only were they unarmored, but each of them also pulled a small cart, making them look like laborers transporting provisions.

However, everyone knew that these people were not laborers without any fighting ability.

Quite the opposite.

These soldiers were burly and strong, clearly elite troops handpicked. And what they carried on their wagons weren't provisions or supplies, but valuable heavy armor!
Hundreds of elite cavalry, a hundred elite heavy infantry, and several thousand lightly armed soldiers—such a force would be a formidable fighting power even if placed in the Central Plains!

With such a force attacking Liu Miao, no one believed that Liu Miao would have any chance of escaping!
"The entire army shall rest in place! We will proceed to Liu Miao's camp at dawn!"

Before the battle, Zhang Yun specifically came to Liu Yao and instructed him: "You must kill Liu Miao! Otherwise, the consequences will be dire!"

"It would be best to kill all his soldiers as well! Try not to let them survive! That way, when Liu Miao dies, we can say that Yan Baihu killed him, and we won't be blamed."

Zhang Yun clearly believed that Liu Miao was doomed this time, so he had already begun to consider the arrangements for what would happen next.

"Since Liu Miao came here under the pretext of besieging Yan Baihu, let him die at Yan Baihu's hands. This will also enhance Liu Miao's reputation as a loyal minister! And incidentally, it will also create favorable conditions for our campaign against Yan Baihu."

Kill Liu Miao.

Yan Baihu was framed.

This not only ensures that the policy ends with the death of the person, but also avoids giving others cause for criticism.

After that, once the campaign against Yan Baihu is launched, there will be no more records of "Yao killing Miao". Instead, there will only be the sentence "Miao was killed by Baihu during his campaign against Baihu. Yao, the governor of Yangzhou, gave Miao a grand funeral to avenge him".

If we're going to win, we must win justly! We must win completely!

Liu Yao was somewhat displeased upon hearing this: "Can someone like Liu Miao really die in battle and be considered a loyal subject?"

"If the governor wants to bear the infamy of 'killing his own clansmen,' then so be it."

Zhang Yun handled such matters with ease, and with just one sentence, Liu Yao dared not argue further. After Xu Gong's troops had rested for a night, the dim sunlight from the east was stingy, only letting in a little bit.

Thick clouds slowly rolled in from the east, and combined with the heavy armor they wore and the humid weather in Jiangdong, everyone's backs were already soaked with sweat, and they were a little more anxious.

"Marching out! This battle will surely be a resounding victory!"

Liu Yao and Xu Gong stood in the central army, approaching Liu Miao's camp to the west.

Zhang Ying, Taishi Ci, and other generals each led their soldiers, forming a long, winding line, majestic and imposing!

Such a military formation was instantly spotted by Liu Miao's scouts, who immediately reported it to Liu Miao.

Liu Miao slept quite soundly last night, so he is full of energy!
Upon hearing the scout's report, he immediately stretched his limbs excitedly: "They really did arrive early!"

Chen Yu, however, had dark circles under his eyes and looked unsteady on his feet.

Not everyone can sleep soundly after hearing that there will be war tomorrow.

Or rather, the kind of worry that Chen Yu experiences is the mindset of most normal people.

So when he heard that the scouts had found traces of the enemy, Chen Yu immediately asked, "Zhongshan? Can we retreat now?"

"Why retreat? If we retreat now, wouldn't we have come all this way for nothing?"

Fishermen, how could they shout and yell as soon as they see a fish, thinking they've caught one, and then rush home in a panic?
At the very least, we should go up and peel off a couple of fish scales before we can announce it to the world, right?
Liu Miao rode the "Fast Ferry" that Yuan Shu had given him and arrived at the camp gate to wait.

Perhaps it was because Liu Miao was usually too lazy to care for "Kuaihang," but the horse wasn't very friendly to him. After finally managing to mount it, Liu Miao swayed left and right, finding it quite unstable.

Just as Liu Miao had predicted.

After the enemy army arrived at the camp gate, they did not rush to attack, but instead set up their own battle formation.

Nearly ten thousand soldiers were thus scattered across the vast plain, silently surrounding Liu Miao's camp, like ten thousand ferocious beasts lurking around, ready to tear Liu Miao's flesh and blood at any moment.

Liu Miao stood calmly at the camp gate. Upon seeing Liu Yao's banner, he immediately shouted, "Zhengli is indeed discerning! With your troops, what are these mere bandits worth mentioning?"

"Quickly join forces with me! As long as we brothers are of one mind and fight together, wouldn't we be invincible?"

Liu Miao's shout was so loud, sincere, and annoying!
Upon hearing this, Liu Yao spurred his horse forward, his demeanor completely different from yesterday's warm greeting: "Liu Zhongshan! You have committed numerous evils! Today I will punish you!"

"If you still care about kinship, then surrender immediately and do not harm the innocent soldiers under your command!"

Liu Miao shouted, "What crime have I committed?"

"You disrespect the three elders, seize land, and levy exorbitant taxes; you are disloyal and unfilial! Do you think you are without fault?"

Disrespectful to the three elders?
If he were merely an ordinary, upright elder, Liu Miao would have been eager to support him in order to appease the people.

But what's the point of respecting those old geezers who come from wealthy families, do nothing all day, and only think about shoving government money into their own pockets?
As for encroaching on land and imposing exorbitant taxes...

Liu Yao was certain that he wasn't cursing the person behind him.
However, Liu Miao was too lazy to argue with Liu Yao about these things, but was quite interested in what Liu Yao said at the end—

"Zhengli just said that if I am willing to surrender, he will spare my life?"

"Very well! I am now willing to surrender! I wonder if Zhengli is willing to let me leave?"

"..."

The dignified governor of Yangzhou.

As the commander-in-chief of an army.

He actually dared to openly declare his willingness to surrender right in front of both armies!
If Liu Yao and his men were to encounter such an enemy under normal circumstances, they would probably be laughing in their dreams.

But at this moment, Xu Gong and the others were gritting their teeth!
"That Liu Miao... is truly shameless!"

How could you lower your price?
If you surrender, how can we kill you?

As the governor of Yangzhou and a descendant of the Prince of Langya, how dare you casually utter words of surrender? Where is your dignity? Where is your face?

Liu Yao was also caught off guard by Liu Miao's unconventional actions, leaving him completely blank and unsure of what to say or do. This caused the soldiers around him to start whispering among themselves.

The soldiers were already somewhat apprehensive about the sudden, insubordinate attack on Liu Miao, the governor of Yangzhou. Now that Liu Miao had uttered such words, even those soldiers who still considered themselves soldiers of the Han Dynasty were confused, wondering what the purpose of this battle was.

The once disciplined army began to stir, and morale visibly plummeted in the sweltering heat.

The concept of "righteousness" had already unconsciously shifted towards Liu Miao.

"Why waste your breath on him!"

Xu Gong rode up to Liu Yao and said, "Governor! Don't listen to Liu Miao's wicked words that are misleading the public!"

Liu Yao hesitated at this moment: "But... he said he was willing to surrender."

Willing to surrender?

Those who are willing to surrender deserve to be killed even more!

Only family members know their own affairs!

Xu Gong knew that he wasn't truly doing this to rid the people of evil or to act on behalf of Heaven!

All he wanted to do was protect himself!

What Zhang Yun, Xu Zhao, and other gentry from Wu Commandery wanted to do was simply to preserve their land and their property!

Whether Liu Miao surrenders or not is completely unimportant to them! What matters now is that Liu Miao must die!
Xu Gong tugged at Liu Yao's sleeve: "Does the governor not want to seek justice for the people of Jiangdong who died tragically?"

Liu Yao was still hesitating.

Xu Gong said anxiously, "Governor, you're confused! Liu Miao's words of surrender are just a temporary excuse! Do you really think he would surrender without a fight? If you don't believe me, let him move forward a hundred paces to the front of the army, and see if he dares to do it."

Liu Yao took a deep breath.

"Liu Miao may have really committed many evils, but now that he is willing to surrender and there is no need to fight, isn't this a good thing for the soldiers?"

Then, Liu Yao actually shouted in Liu Miao's direction—

"Zhongshan, if you are truly willing to surrender, why not take a hundred steps forward to prove your sincerity!"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers on both sides were even more terrified!

Is this a war or just playing house?

Xu Gong and Zhang Yun were also anxious, fearing they would miss this opportunity to kill Liu Miao!
The two could only console themselves in their hearts—

"Liu Miao isn't that stupid; how could he possibly take another hundred steps forward?"

If he went another hundred paces, Liu Miao would be within the range of the archers. How could he dare to gamble with his own life?

But then, a soldier suddenly cried out in alarm!
Because Liu Miao actually moved after hearing Liu Yao's shout!

The fast horse, dressed in a bright green coat, was driven by Liu Miao and carried him slowly forward!

Though he traveled alone, it was as if he had a thousand troops at his disposal!
Liu Miao actually followed Liu Yao's advice and walked a hundred steps forward, reaching the enemy's front line!

Liu Miao looked up at Liu Yao's banner and, once again taking the initiative, laughed loudly, "I've arrived! Isn't Zheng Li going to come and greet me?"

(End of this chapter)