I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 149 Entering the Mountains!

Yuan Shu immediately ordered his entire army to attack, but the hasty attack was easily thwarted by Liu Miao's early establishment of a large camp, which forced Yuan Shu to retreat to Wan County.

However, the atmosphere in Liu Miao's camp at this time did not have the joy that should have been present after a victory.

Wu Jing, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and other generals surrounded Liu Miao, waiting for him to give them an answer.

"My lord! Have Sun Ben and Sun Fu really rebelled?"

"Bullshit! Get lost! Go find somewhere cool to stay! You're not tired after the war, but I am!"

After saying that, Liu Miao actually took off his armor, wore only cloth clothes, and immediately fell asleep, soon snoring!
Seeing this, the generals were relieved and dispersed.

"Oh!"

After everyone left, Liu Miao, who had been fast asleep, immediately sat up and called Chen Wu over—

"Zilie! Quickly send scouts to Jiangdong to gather information! Have them go under cover of night! Don't let them be discovered!"

Chen Wu knew the urgency of the matter, so he quickly agreed and headed out of the camp.

Zhou Tai's eyes widened: "My lord, didn't you say Yuan Shu was talking nonsense?"

"Alright! Although Yuan Shu can be unscrupulous at times, I've never heard him use such a lie to deceive people!"

Liu Miao narrowed his eyes slightly: "Sun Ben and Sun Fu, perhaps they really have betrayed us!"

"what?"

"Keep your voice down!"

Liu Miao kicked Zhou Tai in annoyance: "What are you yelling about? Do you want everyone to know that their families are in the hands of the rebels?"

Zhou Tai asked in a panic, "My lord, shall we now march back to Jiangdong?"

Liu Miao didn't speak, but simply lay back down on the couch and pretended to sleep.

"My lord! Speak to me!"

"Ah? My lord!"

Zhou Tai called out several times, but found that Liu Miao ignored him, so he could only stomp his feet and continue to guard around Liu Miao's tent.

The next day, Yuan Shu led his troops to attack again, and once more shouted at the camp gate: "Now that our retreat has been cut off! What are you still resisting for?"

Liu Miao remained standing atop the gate, his expression unchanged, and chuckled as he retorted, "General! After committing such an atrocity, do you think the Yuan family of Runan will erase you from their genealogy? Now that my wife has a child, do you think it's possible that he is the true heir of the Yuan family, while you are just a wandering ghost, worse than a child born of a concubine?"

Yuan Shu, who was very particular about the hierarchy between嫡子 (legitimate sons and illegitimate sons), was indeed enraged upon hearing this, forgetting to continue provoking Liu Miao on this matter.
"Liu Miao! If you fall into my hands, I will skin you alive! I will make you regret ever being born!"

"Grandpa is waiting for you!"

Liu Miao's impassioned denunciation of Yuan Shu at the gate greatly boosted the morale of the soldiers! Once again, the entire army fought with all their might and repelled Yuan Shu's attack!

Back in his tent, Liu Miao went to sleep without his armor, until Chen Wu woke him in the middle of the night and told him the intelligence Liu Miao had gathered—

"My lord! No boats have been coming or going at Jinling Ferry! When my scouts approached Stone City, they saw that the Han Dynasty flags had been destroyed and replaced by the Zhong family flags!"

"..."

Upon hearing this news, Zhou Tai trembled, and Liu Miao rubbed his face with his hands.

"Lord!"

Zhou Tai gritted his teeth: "Please recall Gongjin immediately... No! Let Gongjin kill Sun Ce immediately! No! That's not right either! Or let this humble general catch up with them and bring the army back!"

Zhou Tai gradually became incoherent...

Snapped!
At the crucial moment, a large hand patted Zhou Tai on the shoulder.

Turning around, I saw Liu Miao's face, which always gave me peace of mind.

"Youping, you may step back now. I have someone else to advise you on this matter."

Liu Miao instructed the two men: "Do not publicize this matter to anyone. Also, do not let the scout stay in the army for the time being. Let him disguise himself as a civilian and wait elsewhere for a while."

"Find Zijing again... no, don't look for him in the middle of the night, wait until dawn to go find him."

Summoning a trusted advisor like Lu Su to his tent in the middle of the night seemed suspiciously like something had happened, so Liu Miao decided to wait a while longer.

Chen Wu was ordered to deal with the scouts, but Zhou Tai remained worried about the safety of Jiangdong: "My lord, what should we do now?"

"It's the middle of the night, of course I should be sleeping!"

Liu Miao tossed a pillow to Zhou Tai: "Sleep! If you can't sleep, I'll beat you up!"

Zhou Tai's large body was wrapped around a small pillow; he looked weak, pitiful, and helpless.

……

Despite Liu Miao's pressure, Zhou Tai didn't sleep all night and rushed to wake Lu Su as soon as it was light.

On the way, they encountered Huang Gai, who noticed the dark circles under Zhou Tai's eyes and exclaimed in surprise, "Didn't Youping sleep all night?"

Zhou Tai instinctively wanted to complain, but then he remembered the things Liu Miao had arranged for him, and immediately came up with a quick idea: "It's because my lord snores when he sleeps that I can't fall asleep!"

"Ha! Poor Youping!"

Huang Gai didn't think too much about it; he just felt sorry for Zhou Tai's plight.

"Back when I was a guard for the Marquis of Wucheng, his snoring was deafening! I know! I know! Hehe!"

Zhou Tai suddenly hesitated for a moment, and then, as if possessed, struck up a conversation with Huang Gai.

"Gongfu, I have a question for you, and you must tell me the truth."

"Feel free to ask!"

"If Sun Jian were to be resurrected now, would you be willing to follow Sun Jian, or continue to serve your lord?"

The question came out of nowhere, making Huang Gai a little uncomfortable: "Why did Youping suddenly ask about this?"

"It's okay, just ask!"

Zhou Tai patted his stomach: "I was just saying it casually, don't worry about it!"

Fearing that Huang Gai might notice something amiss, Zhou Tai turned to leave, but Huang Gai called out to him, "Youping!"

"Whether it is our lord or the Marquis of Wucheng, they both take it upon themselves to restore the Han Dynasty and save the people! Isn't that so?"

"Even if the Marquis of Wucheng were to be resurrected, he would probably choose to quell the chaos alongside our lord! At that point, what distinction would there be between us?"

Zhou Tai's ears tilted back slightly, and his steps gradually became steady from flustered: "Gongfu is right! That's exactly the point!"

He walked steadily into Lu Su's tent, which made Lu Su, who had just regained consciousness, ask curiously, "Youping seems no different from usual today. Could it be that something good has happened to you?"

"Zijing will know once he goes to the lord!"

On the way, Zhou Tai and Lu Su chatted and laughed, showing no sign of anxiety whatsoever. This further convinced the soldiers that Yuan Shu's earlier words at the camp gate were nonsense, and that Jiangdong had not encountered any danger. Therefore, everything was as usual.

Lu Su entered Liu Miao's tent and saw that Liu Miao was already dressed in armor. He couldn't help but ask, "Yuan Shu hasn't attacked the camp yet, and you're already making preparations, sir? Are you planning to return to Jiangdong?"

"I'm afraid we can't go back to Jiangdong for the time being."

Lu Su froze on the spot, then broke out in a cold sweat, as if he had realized something.

"My lord, is what Yuan Shu said true?"

"I had Chen Wu send scouts to Jiangdong to check, and Yuan Shu's banner has indeed been raised on Stone City." Lu Su's hands and feet were ice-cold, and he had to bite his tongue to calm himself down.

Liu Miao, on the other hand, turned his back to Lu Su and examined the map before him.

Lu Su strode to Liu Miao's side: "My lord, how many people know about this?"

“I, you, Youping, Zilie.”

"No one else?"

"There is no one left."

Both Zhou Tai and Chen Wu were people Liu Miao trusted, and they would never leak the information.

Upon hearing that there were only four people, Lu Su's expression softened somewhat.

However, this was only a small part, because Lu Su had clearly realized the danger Liu Miao was in!

"If the soldiers find out that their families are now in the hands of the rebels, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

"When Gongjin left, he left behind only enough military rations for ten days! Once the ten days are up, the soldiers will surely notice."

Lu Su forced himself to calm down.

"And Yuan Shu too!"

"Since Yuan Shu knows that our lord's escape route has been cut off, he will definitely attack the camp at all costs!"

Lu Su initially intended to suggest that Liu Miao retreat, but he immediately rejected the suggestion.

"No one knows the current situation in Jiangdong! Moreover, Yuan Shu will definitely keep a close eye on our lord and not allow him to easily retreat to Jiangdong..."

Lu Su eventually set his sights on the large army that Zhou Yu had taken away and Taishi Ci in the west!
"I urge my lord to immediately order Gongjin to return and provide support! Also, order Taishi Ci to lead troops back to Jiangdong to defeat the rebels! And..."

"Shh~"

Liu Miao gestured for Lu Su to be quiet and not disturb him, keeping his attention focused on the map in front of him.

Lu Su looked up and realized that the map was neither a map of Huainan nor a map of Jiangdong, but merely a map of Qianshan, northwest of Wan County.

"Zijing, look at this Qianshan Mountain, it is truly magnificent."

Liu Miao pointed to the map in front of him.

The map shows a landscape of intersecting mountains and broken roads. Even with this map, one can only get a general idea and cannot make out the intricate network of roads.

"Zijing, do you know the origin of the name 'Qianshan'?"

Lu Su, however, ignored Liu Miao's words: "My lord! What time is it? How can you still be thinking about going to see Qianshan?"

Lu Su was extremely anxious at this moment!
"Every day we stay here increases the danger! How can our lord remain indifferent?"

The soldiers could learn at any moment that their retreat was cut off!

Yuan Shu could also launch a desperate attack on the camp at any time!

At this point, who has the leisure or inclination to consider anything other than survival?

Liu Miao reluctantly withdrew his gaze and asked Lu Su, "Now we recall Gongjin, and then what?"

"What do you mean, 'then'? Protecting our lord is the most important thing right now! Otherwise, what's the point of talking about 'then'?"

"what."

Liu Miao put his arm around Lu Su's shoulder: "What Zijing said, I've thought about it too... Not only have I thought about it, even Youping thought about it!"

Lu Su looked at Zhou Tai as if seeking confirmation, and Zhou Tai nodded decisively.

Now Lu Su also lowered his head, feeling somewhat insecure.

If even Zhou Tai could come up with a plan, what kind of good plan could it be?

"I've also thought about calling Gongjin back immediately."

"Leaving aside whether suddenly withdrawing Gongjin could preserve Xuzhou... just the fact that once Gongjin returns, all the generals and soldiers will surely know about Sun Ben and Sun Fu's rebellion."

Liu Miao pointed his finger at Lu Su's chest: "If you were one of those soldiers, Zijing, and learned that the Sun family was rebelling, and there happened to be Sun Jian's former subordinates and descendants in the ranks, what would you do?"

Lu Su didn't understand why Liu Miao would ask such a question at first, but after he figured it out, he immediately felt a chill down his spine!
"It seems Zijing has thought it through."

“Indeed, these soldiers will surely regard Sun Ce, Wu Jing, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai and others as accomplices of the Sun family... Even if they do not immediately rebel and beg me to kill them, they will no longer obey the orders of these generals, thus paralyzing the army.”

"And those generals will be afraid because I suddenly recalled Gongjin, thinking that I will take my anger out on them because of Sun Ben and Sun Fu. They might even surrender to Yuan Shu, and then all will be over."

Liu Miao, on the contrary, took the matter in stride.

"Therefore, if Gongjin were to return now, he would not only be a help, but would also be a hindrance!"

Lu Su then said, "Then let Ziyi come!"

"Ziyi has just arrived in Yuzhang and has not yet established a firm foothold. He not only has powerful enemies like those in Jingzhou, but the Shanyue people to the south of Yuzhang are also eyeing him covetously. If he were to leave suddenly at this time, it would only plunge Yuzhang into complete chaos, which would be a great loss."

"Lord!"

Lu Su roared, "Don't you care about your own life at all? At a time like this, how can you have time to worry about a place like Yuzhang!"

After rebuking Liu Miao, Lu Su burst into tears, saying, "I have visited all the feudal lords this time, and I see not a single hope in them that they can pacify the world and save the people from their suffering! Our faith and lives are all entrusted to our lord! How can our lord treat himself so lightly?"

Seeing that Lu Su was truly anxious, Liu Miao quickly coaxed him like a child, saying, "Zijing, don't be anxious, let me finish what I have to say!"

Liu Miao finally stopped keeping everyone in suspense, and at the same time, his face showed no concern for the current crisis.

"Zijing, the current crisis is nothing more than the misfortunes of Sun Ben and Sun Fu."

"Although the two brothers commanded a large army, they did not have a firm foothold in Jiangdong."

"Zijing, why don't you think about it yourself? How many people in Jiangdong today are still willing to follow them in rebellion? Hmm?"

At this moment, Zhou Tai suddenly interjected: "I just asked Gongfu whether he would choose to follow the lord or Sun Jian if Sun Jian were to be resurrected. Judging from his tone, he would most likely continue to follow the lord!"

Liu Miao pointed at Zhou Tai and nodded to Lu Su: "Isn't that right?"

"The establishment of the three chiefs and the equal distribution of land were not accomplished by the Sun family. If the two brothers thought that they could govern a region with just strong troops, they were really making a big mistake."

"Not to mention, there are people like Lu Zhongyi, Zhang Gong, and Yuan Tan guarding Jinling City. With these pillars remaining in Jiangdong, I have no need to worry about Jiangdong."

Liu Miao finally told Lu Su the conclusion he had reached after two days of contemplation.

"The matter in Jiangdong may seem urgent, but it's actually not that important. If we make a big fuss about it, we'll only throw ourselves into chaos and end up losing more than we gain."

Liu Miao pointed to his feet: "Jiangdong is not dangerous. The real danger is here!"

“Yuan Shu’s forces outnumber ours several times over. If we launch a full-scale attack, he could break through our camp in just a few days. What if we finally manage to pacify Jiangdong, only to have Yuan Shu break through our camp first?”

The predicament of Jiangdong will be resolved sooner or later!

The real crisis right now is Yuan Shu on the other side! It's Yuan's army, which outnumbers ours by several times!
There must be a way to ensure that Liu Miao can hold out until Jiangdong is stabilized, so that he can retreat back to Jiangdong smoothly and avoid being attacked from both sides by Yuan Shu and Sun Ben and Sun Fu!
Lu Su understood, and then looked up at the map in front of Liu Miao.

"My lord means..."

"Zijing, would you like to come up the mountain with me?"

　Thank you so much, King Yanbao, for the 5000 points! Thank you so much!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)