I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 140 The Liu Family's Protective Role
The moment Liu Miao saw Lu Su, he noticed that Lu Su had lost a lot of weight.

"Zijing travels to various feudal lords, he probably doesn't even have half a day to rest, does he?"

Lu Su neither agreed nor disagreed, but he couldn't say that he was particularly tired.

"My lord, this trip... has been very fruitful!"

Having established connections with Liu Bei, Lü Bu, Cao Cao, and Liu Biao, and even presented gold to the emperor, Liu Miao's reputation was no longer confined to one region.

Liu Miao may not care about his personal reputation, but he cannot allow the name of his power to remain unknown.

In the past, among scholars, there were no more than two Yuan brothers.

Nowadays, scholars are successively submitting to Cao Cao and Liu Biao.

In the future, most scholars will come to Jiangdong to seek refuge with Liu Miao.

Not to mention the official seal and ribbon of the Governor of Yangzhou issued by the imperial court, which fully confirmed Liu Miao's rule over Jiangdong and even Huainan. Such gains were extremely beneficial to Liu Miao!
Liu Miao was indeed very excited!
"Zijing said he had a very fruitful harvest?"

"Yes!"

"But did you see Lady Gan, Diao Chan, Zhen Mi, Lady Bian, Lady Zou, and Lady Cai?"

"what?"

Seeing Lu Su standing there dumbfounded, Liu Miao burst into laughter and stepped forward to hug Lu Su, saying, "Since you haven't even seen it, how can you talk about having gained anything?"

Liu Miao barely managed to release Lu Su after suffocating him.

Liu Miao then looked at Xu Huang: "This general looks unfamiliar, may I ask who he is?"

"Your humble servants Xu Huang and Xu Gongming have come by order of the Emperor to escort Registrar Lu back to Jiangdong."

Xu Huang?

Liu Miao looked the other person up and down in surprise.

Liu Miao already knew that Lu Su's trip to the Central Plains had brought him many gains, but he never expected such an unexpected surprise!

"So it was Gongming!"

Liu Miao, quite familiar with Lu Su and Xu Huang, invited them to ride with him in a carriage to Jinling.

"I have long heard that Hedong is full of brave warriors, and I have often heard that Guan Yu, the Hedong general under Liu Bei, is known as 'the enemy of ten thousand men.' Today, having met you, Gongming, I realize that Hedong is indeed full of outstanding talents!"

Xu Huang humbly declined, saying, "I cannot compare to Guan Yu."

"Why not? Is Gongming afraid that he cannot lead the troops to victory?"

Liu Miao patted Xu Huang's thigh: "What a brave warrior! You should take up your three-foot sword and achieve unparalleled feats!"

“Since Gongming comes from Hedong, he must have seen the chaos in the world today! A true man should live to eat from five tripods, and die to be cooked in five tripods! Now that Gongming has broken free from people like Yang Feng, he should cut off his shackles and soar to the sky. How can he hesitate like this?”

Xu Huang hadn't expected Liu Miao to value him so much, and he felt a pang of shame: "But before..."

"Forget the past! For me, Liu Miao, there is only the future!"

Liu Miao interrupted Xu Huang.

He didn't care about Xu Huang's past or his thoughts.

"If you have no soldiers, I will assign them to your troops! If you have no home, I will give you a house! If you have no wife, I will find you a good woman to marry!"

"Gongming, what I'm asking you now is whether you are willing to join me in restoring the Han Dynasty from this moment on?"

……

Xu Huang was originally a county official, and later joined Yang Feng's forces. He had seen too many people's little-known true colors.

Whether it's arrogance, inferiority complex, extravagance, or stinginess.

But none of them were like Liu Miao, who immediately provided housing and women, and even offered to let him lead his troops...

Xu Huang looked at Liu Miao with a puzzled expression.

Lu Su, standing behind Liu Miao, kept nodding to Xu Huang, signaling his agreement.
Xu Huang felt a mix of emotions, but among them, the sweetness was the strongest.

Unable to move freely or kneel on the carriage, Xu Huang could only clasp his hands in a fist and say, "I am willing to follow my lord to restore the Han Dynasty and save the people from suffering!"

"it is good!"

Before Liu Miao could speak, Zhou Tai, who was driving the carriage ahead, suddenly shouted.

As Zhou Tai drove the carriage, he turned back and chuckled, "You look strong! Your skills must be quite good! We can have a contest sometime."

Snapped!
Liu Miao kicked Zhou Tai directly: "Watch where you're going! If you drive the car into the ditch again, I won't let you off the hook!"

Zhou Tai turned away with a mournful expression and went to drive the carriage, while Lu Su found the familiar scene amusing.

"Finally back."

Lu Su looked out of the carriage.

The population of Jinling City seemed to have increased significantly, as did the number of oxen. The faces of passersby were no longer as haggard as when they first arrived in Jiangdong; instead, they had rosy complexions. When interacting with others, they no longer used vulgar language but instead greeted each other with courtesy, displaying the demeanor of gentlemen from ancient Lu and Wei.

Lu Su couldn't help but sigh, "Jiangdong seems to have undergone a complete transformation. This must all be due to our lord's painstaking efforts, right?"

"Huh? Me? I poured my heart and soul into it?"

Liu Miao had three big question marks.

Since completely confiscating the fortified villages and estates of Wu Commandery, Liu Miao had not made any major moves. At most, he had Zhou Yu continue to recruit soldiers and expand the army, and incidentally, he would make minor adjustments to the Three Chiefs System and the Equal Field System if Zhang Zhao, Gu Yong, Yuan Huan and others discovered any problems. For example, he would summon the Three Chiefs every five days and teach them farming methods.

As for Liu Miao himself...

Liu Miao said with undisguised pride, "Wu is pregnant too! Zijing! Do you think I have any hope of surpassing Prince Jing of Zhongshan?"

Lu Su glanced at Liu Miao with admiration.

Great!

Being able to give birth, that's truly impressive!
My lord, what a beautiful woman!
Liu Miao had his left arm around Lu Su and his right arm around Xu Huang, pressing his thighs onto one of their legs, treating them as if they were family.

"Besides, now that the framework is in place, why bother doing anything else?"

"Sometimes not making trouble is a million times better than making trouble blindly! Look at the people of Jiangdong now, aren't they doing very well?"

Liu Miao knew that the reason why the people were willing to rely on him was because he could provide food and stability in the chaotic world.

If Liu Miao were to cause trouble for the people, then the people would surely cause trouble for him in return.

So even though Liu Miao did nothing during the time Lu Su was away, Jiangdong was still thriving!
Jiangdong's military strength has now reached 50,000. Although the number of cavalry is still small, such a force is not afraid of anyone in the Central Plains, except for the top Yuan Shao, Cao Cao and Liu Biao!

With Lu Su now delivering the imperial edict, Liu Miao has completely eliminated his last weakness!

"Come on! Zijing! Gongming! Today we'll welcome you back with a warm welcome!"

Liu Miao had prepared a banquet in advance, with plenty of wine, melons and other refreshments, to reward the two men.

At the banquet, Lu Su told everyone what he had seen and heard, and everyone was surprised when they heard that Lu Su had gone to Ye City but had not seen Yuan Shao.

"Is Yuan Shao really that kind of person?"

"Not necessarily, it's all because Xu You was greedy for money."

"Isn't it Yuan Shao's fault to give such a person a heavy responsibility?"

"..."

Liu Miao also chuckled.

He never expected that Xu You would betray Yuan Shao so early on.

Now, because of his act of presenting gifts to the emperor, his reputation should have spread throughout the Central Plains. The fact that Lu Su was extorted for a bribe when he visited Yuan Shao in Ye City will soon be discovered and spread by the public, and Yuan Shao's reputation will likely be damaged as a result.

The thought that Lu Su had also brought him several hundred fine Xiliang warhorses made Liu Miao even happier.

During the banquet, Lu Su originally intended to return the remaining three thousand gold pieces to Liu Miao, but Liu Miao simply waved his hand and said, "It was agreed at the time! Twenty thousand gold pieces were given to Zijing, and as long as the matter was accomplished, the rest would be yours! How could I go back on my word?"

What Lu Su did for Liu Miao this time was worth more than 100,000 gold coins. Now that there are 3,000 left, it is naturally rightfully Lu Su's due!

Even so, everyone was still envious. After all, even if only three thousand gold pieces remained, it was still no small sum. Although everyone knew about Lu Su's achievements this time, they were still green with envy.

Zhou Tai, emboldened by alcohol, exclaimed, "Zijing can easily make a trip to the Central Plains and earn three thousand gold coins; it's truly enviable!"

However, these words displeased Xu Huang.

"Lieutenant Zhou, what are you saying?"

"How could you know that on the way from Jingzhou to Yangzhou, the registrar was driven away by bandits and almost couldn't return!"

Oops!

Lu Su tried to cover Xu Huang's mouth, but it was too late.

Sure enough, Liu Miao above immediately asked, "Thieves? Where did these thieves come from in Jingzhou?"

Then Liu Miao shifted his gaze to Lu Su, since Lu Su hadn't said anything like that earlier!
Lu Su said helplessly, "My lord, it's just a trivial matter."

"Being chased by thieves is a minor matter?"

Liu Miao glared at Lu Su: "Zijing, what exactly happened?"

Seeing that he could no longer hide the truth, Lu Su finally told Liu Miao what had happened.

"Liu Pan? Hmph!"

Although Lu Su kept downplaying the seriousness of the matter, Liu Miao still felt a lingering sense of unease.

In the dark, what if the other party made a mistake and really endangered Lu Su's life?
Not to mention that Xu Huang was also on the ship at the time! If anything had happened, it would have meant the loss of two great talents!
However, Liu Miao, who was initially angry, gradually calmed down when he saw Lu Su.

At this point, Liu Miao had already guessed why Lu Su had deliberately concealed this matter.

The real threat to Liu Miao now lies in Huainan, and that is Yuan Shu.

If a conflict were to arise with Liu Biao over this matter at this time, it would undoubtedly lead to a quagmire of fighting on two fronts.

The most sensible thing to do now is perhaps to swallow your anger and let the matter rest for the time being.

Liu Miao looked at Lu Su again and surprisingly saw a hint of pleading in the other man's eyes.

Clearly, Lu Su, for the sake of Liu Miao's greater good, preferred to exercise restraint in this matter rather than allow any unexpected events to occur to Liu Miao at this juncture.

Yuan Shu in Huainan is like a volcano that could explode at any moment. What Liu Miao and his men need to do now is to prepare for war with all their might, rather than create unnecessary trouble.

Liu Miao pondered for a while, but had his own ideas.

"Since Liu Pan has done such a thing, I can't pretend I don't know."

“Send a letter to Liu Biao! Also send a soldier from Changsha as evidence, demanding that he hand over Liu Pan.”

"Otherwise, I will lead my troops there myself!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Su felt a sudden darkness engulf his vision!
After the banquet ended, Lu Su rushed to Liu Miao's residence without even returning his clothes, wanting to offer further advice.

"My lord, you mustn't! Now is not the time to clash with Liu Biao!"

"I know."

Liu Miao's composure only made Lu Su more anxious: "Then why does our lord still threaten Liu Biao at this time?"

"Is that even a question? It's naturally for Zijing!"

Lu Su was at a loss for what to do, and could only say with tears in his eyes, "How could I, Zijing, have brought my lord to this state?"

Liu Miao knew that offending Liu Biao now was not a good thing.

However, for Lu Su's sake, he was still willing to threaten Liu Biao, demanding that Liu Biao hand over Liu Pan and settle the matter!

Just as Lu Su was about to burst into tears, Liu Miao suddenly laughed: "It's not entirely for Zijing's sake."

"In other words, if I really break ties with Liu Biao over this matter and end up fighting on two fronts, would Zijing be at ease?"

The tears that had already welled up in Lu Su's eyes stopped abruptly and were sucked back in.

"Does my lord have other plans?"

Then Lu Su muttered to himself, "Our lord is indeed not that kind of person."

To put the country in danger for personal grudges—this is hardly the kind of thing that Lu Su believed a monarch should do.
Lu Su was indeed moved by the idea that "it was all for Zijing's sake," but he quickly realized the truth of the matter.

If Liu Miao were truly the kind of person who would prioritize personal feelings over the safety of the nation, Lu Su would absolutely not consider him a wise ruler!
So when Lu Su saw Liu Miao smile, he immediately realized what was going on.

"What important matter does our lord intend to undertake?"

Liu Miao led Lu Su to a map of Jiangdong.

"Danyang and Wu County are now entirely under my control."

“There are no more powerful enemies to the south. Wang Lang is a man of his word, and I now have an imperial edict with me. He will not betray me.”

"But Yuzhang County is bordered by the powerful Jingzhou to the west! Hua Xin has always had a reputation for integrity, but he lacks the ability to command troops. How can I feel at ease leaving such a person in this strategic location?"

“In the past, Jingzhou might not have dared to attack Hua Xin, but now that the court has appointed me as the General of the Vanguard and Governor of Yangzhou, the other side is very likely to use the pretext of attacking me to seize Yuzhang.”

"Zijing, the court's appointment and the emperor's trust mean that from now on we can only rely on ourselves."

“In the past, sending Hua Xin to receive Yuzhang was to protect the east and west of the Yangtze River. But if we hand Yuzhang over to Hua Xin now, it would be like opening the gates to the enemy.”

With the official issuance of the imperial edict, Yangzhou had become a unified whole.

Liu Miao is Yangzhou!
Yangzhou is Liu Miao!
If Jingzhou were to launch an attack on Yangzhou, would the enemy really bypass Yuzhang just because Hua Xin did not directly obey Liu Miao's orders?

Moreover, given Hua Xin's military capabilities... Liu Miao was genuinely uneasy about entrusting him with guarding the western gateway of Jiangxi.

"To repel external threats, we must first secure internal stability. Zijing also said that our primary enemy now is Yuan Shu of Huainan, so how can I be careless?"

"But if we ignore the west, what if Jingzhou sends troops? Wouldn't that leave our defenses wide open and allow us to lose our rear?"

This is not speculation, nor is it doubt.

Because Liu Biao actually did this when Yuan Shu attacked Cao Cao! In the Battle of Kuangting, it was precisely because Liu Biao completely blocked Yuan Shu's way back to Nanyang that Yuan Shu was forced to come to Huainan.

With the lessons of the past right before his eyes, how could Liu Miao not take precautions?

"I plan to personally lead the troops to Yuzhang, and then leave Ziyi in Chaisang to defend Jingzhou!"

Liu Miao wanted to use this opportunity to completely seize control of the military in Yuzhang! This was Liu Miao's true objective!
After understanding Liu Miao's intention, Lu Su suddenly realized what was going on.

Liu Miao then asked Lu Su with a smile, "How is it? Is Zijing disappointed?"

Lu Su shook his head: "If my lord were to put the entire Jiangdong region in danger because of my humiliation, I would be disappointed in him."

"I am truly relieved to see that my lord intends to take this opportunity to consolidate military power in Yuzhang."

Lu Su also had doubts: "But what if we really anger Liu Biao, causing Liu Biao to go to war with our lord?"

Liu Miao did not answer the question, but instead asked Lu Su, "Zijing, what kind of person do you think Liu Biao is when you go to Jingzhou?"

What kind of person?

This question was too broad, and Lu Su didn't know how to answer it for a moment.

So Liu Miao changed his question: "Does Zijing think Liu Biao is a kind-hearted person?"

"Yes!"

Lu Su's answer was quite decisive.

"That's right!"

Liu Miao clapped his hands loudly: "Just because he's such a nice guy, Liu Biao will never start a war because we're in the right this time."

"If you don't believe me, Zijing, just you wait and see!"

"Besides... I really can't stand Liu Pan daring to touch my people! If I don't make him bleed this time, I'll change my surname to his!"

(End of this chapter)