I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 155 Returning to Jiangdong
The complexity of Qianshan's terrain undoubtedly exceeded everyone's expectations.

Liu Miao realized something was wrong after only two days in the mountains.

"Zijing, I have a question for you."

"Do you think... it's possible that the sun rises from the north?"

"Absolutely impossible!"

"Yeah, I think so too."

Liu Miao then sat on a rock and began to write and draw on the rock beside him: “If the sun doesn’t rise from the north, then we are most likely lost.”

Right now, there is only a rough mountain path in front of everyone. In the other directions, the thick branches and leaves of paper mulberry and Chinese tallow tree fall layer upon layer, completely covering the soil and leaving no trace. There is only a lush green expanse.

"get lost?"

Lu Su looked at Liu Miao in surprise: "Didn't our lord keep looking at the map of Qianshan?"

"Nonsense! That map looks like scribbles; I'm lucky if I can even make out the general idea!"

Lu Su was initially taken aback, then slumped down beside Liu Miao: "In that case, I'm afraid we can't go any further into the mountains!"

"Why not set up a large camp here and use the terrain to resist Yuan Shu? Maybe we can hold out until reinforcements arrive from Jiangdong."

"what."

"What are you laughing at, my lord?"

Liu Miao took off his boots and poured out the pebbles that had somehow gotten inside. He then held them to his nose and smelled them, which immediately refreshed him!

"Zijing, if Yuan Shu really manages to trap us in these mountains, then we're truly doomed!"

"What can we do?"

Lu Su absolutely refused to continue into the mountains!

"Without direction, going into the mountains is just suicide!"

"Besides, with food supplies running low, how long can these three thousand people stay in the mountains?"

Liu Miao's smile gradually faded.

Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and others finally realized something was wrong and came to advise Liu Miao: "My lord, let's go back!"

"If we go any further into the mountains, it will be difficult to get out!"

The generals were still unaware of why Liu Miao was leading them into Qianshan instead of retreating to Jiangdong, so they were all somewhat resistant to Liu Miao's decision.

Especially since Liu Miao was not known for his military strategy, such a risky move truly shocked and frightened everyone!
Liu Miao sat on the rock for a long time before putting his boots back on.

"Has the lord come to his senses?"

"What are you thinking about?"

Liu Miao looked at Lu Su with a puzzled expression: "I'm waiting for my feet to dry, what are you waiting for?"

Before Lu Su could react, Liu Miao pulled a piece of dried meat from his pocket and stuffed it into Lu Su's mouth: "I may not know the way, but someone else does. What's the panic!"

"who knows?"

"Yuan Shu".

Liu Miao remained unperturbed and continued to send his soldiers out to investigate.

"Yuan Shu must already know that I have entered the mountains, and he will surely send soldiers out to intercept me."

"It's definitely not Hu's faction that they sent people to arrest us in a remote place. Let's just wait and see where they go, and then we'll go in the same direction."

Lu Su was at a loss for words.

"Does our lord want the enemy to show us the way?"

"Can't you?"

Liu Miao then took out another piece of dried meat and chewed it. The meat, which had no seasoning, was both unpalatable and difficult to chew. Fortunately, he could clearly feel that he had regained his strength after eating it.

"Rest where you are and wait for Yuan's army!"

Although the generals were puzzled, they dared not question Liu Miao, so they could only start a fire on the spot to cook and quickly replenish their strength.

That afternoon, scouts discovered traces of Yuan's army.

Liu Miao sat up excitedly: "Look! This road is definitely the right one! The whole army, let's set off and continue on our way!"

When Ji Ling arrived at the camp, all she could see were the charcoal stoves that had long since cooled down.

"Chase!"

However, Ji Ling also instructed: "Liu Miao's sudden entry into the mountains must have his own agenda! Don't bother searching along the secluded paths; just search along the main roads!"

Ji did not believe that Liu Miao would wander aimlessly in the mountains.

There must be a deeper meaning behind Liu Miao's actions!
So...

Ji Ling thought Liu Miao had run away, so he chased after him.

In reality, he led the way, and Liu Miao followed.

If Ji Ling was not seen for more than half a day, Liu Miao would order his soldiers to turn back and look for Ji Ling again. This is why Liu Miao once actually cut directly behind Ji Ling, which greatly alarmed Ji Ling, who took the initiative to retreat a distance, fearing that he would be ambushed by Liu Miao.

The two sides wandered around Qianshan for more than ten days. Just when they were about to run out of ammunition and food, they finally found the main peak, Tianzhu Mountain, and Chen Lan and Lei Bo's camp!

"Liu Miao, what are you doing here?"

As Liu Miao's army suddenly appeared from an unexpected direction, Chen Lan and Lei Bo were instantly panicked!
Liu Miao didn't waste any words. As soon as he heard the alarm sounding in the enemy camp, he immediately began to attack and capture the camp.

Chen Lan and Lei Bo occupied Tianzhu Mountain because of its towering peaks and treacherous roads.

But now Liu Miao has pounced right in front of them, completely catching them off guard. What can they possibly rely on now?
Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and other generals had already been sharpening their swords.

Chen Lan and Lei Bo were old acquaintances from their time serving under Yuan Shu, and they knew each other's strengths and weaknesses very well. With just a brief encounter, they managed to overpower the unsuspecting Chen Lan and Lei Bo.

Han Dang possessed extraordinary strength, though not as great as Taishi Ci or Huang Zhong, his archery skills were still superb!

Upon recognizing Chen Lan and Lei Bo, Han Dang immediately drew his bow and shot an arrow, piercing Lei Bo's throat.

Seeing Lei Bo dead, Chen Lan, consumed by malice, decided to fight the generals. Huang Gai strode forward, shield in one hand and a ring-pommel sword in the other, and in just a few rounds, he cut him down!

Upon seeing the deaths of Chen Lan and Lei Bo, the other bandits dared not resist and surrendered to Liu Miao.

Liu Miao quickly took over the mountain stronghold and immediately headed to the treasury.

Sure enough, among the looted money and grain were those seized by Chen Lan and Lei Bo. Meanwhile, with the help of the main camp, Liu Miao's army finally had a chance to catch their breath.

"There is a mountain road on the south side of Tianzhu Mountain that leads directly to Wankou!"

Once you reach Tianzhu Mountain, your location will be clear, and you will be able to contact the outside world.

Thinking back on the thrill of playing hide-and-seek with Ji Ling in the mountains these past few days, and the hunger and hardship of the last few days, all the generals felt deeply that it had not been easy.

Meanwhile, the doubts in the hearts of the generals grew even stronger: "Why doesn't our lord just go back to Jiangdong?"

"All this hard work, just to wipe out Chen Lan and Lei Bo's gang of bandits?"

Seeing that everyone was pressing him for answers, Liu Miao knew it was almost time to confess.

“Sun Ben and Sun Fu previously rebelled in Jiangdong.”

"At that time, our retreat route had been cut off, so we could not go to Jiangdong."

Shocking!

Wu Jing, Cheng Pu, and other former subordinates of Sun Jian could not believe it: "How could Boyang do such a thing?"

“I ordered Zi Lie to send scouts to Jiangdong to investigate. It is true that Jinling has been sealed off by the two men and Yuan Shu’s flag has been planted there.”

The news was so sudden that it plunged these generals, who had barely escaped death, into an icy abyss once again!
Even the usually bold and generous Huang Gai stammered, "Then, my lord, how is Jiangdong now?"

"It must have been quelled by now."

Liu Miao did not hesitate for the slightest. This was not confidence in himself, but trust in Lu Kang, Chen Yu, Zhang Zhao, Gu Yong, Huang Zhong, Xu Huang, Zhu Huan, and others! It was also trust in the Three Chiefs System and the Equal-Field System!

Having already established a foothold in Jiangdong, Liu Miao did not believe he would be defeated by Sun Ben and Sun Fu.

But the matter at hand does not lie with the two Suns, but with the generals before us—

"I didn't tell you at the time to prevent the morale of the troops from wavering."

"Now that we have captured Chen Lan and Lei Bo's camps and have a way to return to Jiangdong at any time, there is nothing to worry about."

After Liu Miao finished speaking, he directly asked the generals, "You are all former generals under Sun Jian. Do you think I should kill Sun Ben and Sun Fu?"

The group exchanged glances.

At this moment, everyone was at a loss, exchanging glances, and finally their eyes fell on Cheng Pu, who was an elder in the army.

Cheng Pu was no longer as casual as he had been with Liu Miao before, and instead asked Liu Miao in a low voice, "My lord, could it be... could it be..."

After sharing joys and sorrows in the mountains, there were some things Cheng Pu simply couldn't say.

The key is……

If it weren't for Liu Miao, the generals might have already been captured by him and become Yuan Shu's prisoners.

Now, to ask Liu Miao such an awkward question would be extremely difficult even for Cheng Pu to utter.

"What? Does Master Cheng want to ask me if I will hold a grudge against you because of Sun Ben's matter?"

Unlike Cheng Pu's evasiveness, Liu Miao spoke frankly and directly.

The generals did not respond, but their simultaneous bowing of their heads clearly revealed their thoughts.

"Then I must first ask Lord Cheng and everyone else, if I were to truly hold a grudge against you because of the matter concerning Sun Ben and Sun Fu, would you be convinced?"

Clothes?
How can I accept this?
These past few days, everyone has been by Liu Miao's side, fighting wits and courage against Yuan Shu in the mountains. Why should we get involved because of Sun Ben and Sun Fu's affairs?

Liu Miao observed the expressions on everyone's faces, then decisively clapped his hands. The crisp sound immediately startled everyone, who turned to look at Liu Miao.

"Isn't this right?"

"What do the actions of the brothers Sun Ben and Sun Fu have to do with you all? And why should I blame you for such a thing?"

There was another point that Liu Miao didn't explicitly state, but all the generals knew it perfectly well.

If Liu Miao really wanted to settle scores later, he could have waited until he returned to Jiangdong to discuss the matter. Why did he have to inform the generals when the situation was still unclear?
Once we get to Jiangdong, wouldn't it be much easier to just order the capture of all of Sun Jian's former subordinates? Why bother having a heart-to-heart talk with everyone here and revealing everything?

There is only one answer—

"My lord, have you truly never doubted or feared us in the slightest?"

All the generals had flushed faces.

As a general in charge of troops, and given the events involving Sun Ben and Sun Fu, Liu Miao was still able to treat them with normalcy. What magnanimity he showed!
If we have such a ruler but do not cherish him, why should we serve a wicked person like Yuan Shu?

Liu Miao felt relieved and relaxed after speaking his mind!

"In that case, gather the provisions and supplies and return to Jiangdong immediately!"

Ji Ling was chasing after them, and Liu Miao didn't want to be trapped in the camp by him!

The generals immediately led their respective troops to inventory the treasuries of Chen Lan and Lei Bo, but Zhou Tai surprisingly arrived before Liu Miao with a young girl—

"Lord..."

"Youping! You beast!"

Liu Miao never expected that Zhou Tai would still be thinking about such a thing at this point!
Am I, Liu Miao, that kind of person in your heart, Zhou Youping?
And don't you know I'm a beautiful woman? What's with this slender little girl in front of me?

Zhou Tai was scolded by Liu Miao for no reason, and his eyes became increasingly resentful: "In my lord's heart, am I that kind of person?"

"Otherwise what? What are you doing bringing such a girl here? You probably don't know the lesson of Dian Wei, do you?"

"Who is Dian Wei?"

"A pimp."

"and then?"

"he died!"

"..."

Concise and to the point!

Zhou Tai then used all the vocabulary he had learned in his life to try his best to organize his words and explain the cause and effect. Only then did Liu Miao realize that the girl in front of him was actually Xiahou Yuan's niece!

"and many more……"

Liu Miao told Xiahou Shi to remain silent, then pointed to her rather wise eyes—

"Let me guess, were you kidnapped by them while you were gathering firewood on the mountain?"

"how do you know!"

Liu Miao slapped his forehead.

Two peculiarities of the Xiahou clan.

As a noblewoman of the Xiahou clan, instead of resting at home, she insisted on going out to gather firewood, which resulted in her being kidnapped by Zhang Fei, thus establishing a kinship between Shu Han and Cao Wei.

A general guarding Hanzhong, instead of resting in his camp, insisted on personally repairing the deer antlers, only to be killed by Huang Zhong with a single blow, thus surrendering Hanzhong to the enemy...

"Does Xiahou Yuan's family have any family rules, such as you can't stay at home obediently?"

Xiahou shook her head in confusion: "No."

"Forget it, it's here now."

Liu Miao shook his head helplessly.

Bring it! What else can you do?

Besides, becoming related to Boss Cao through marriage isn't actually a bad thing...

"Wait a minute, isn't your home in Qiao County? How could you have been kidnapped and brought to Huainan?"

"I don't know."

Xiahou was like a little deer, seemingly clever and agile, but after talking to her, you would find that she was the type who appeared shrewd and calculating, but in reality, she was completely clueless...

"No wonder she was able to be taken as a wife by Zhang Fei, sigh."

Liu Miao could only ask the soldiers who were originally under Chen Lan and Lei Bo, and only then did he learn that Chen Lan and Lei Bo had actually considered defecting to Liu Bei because of Yuan Shu's large-scale search of the mountains.

At the same time, Liu Miao also learned of the momentous event that Zhang Fei had lost Xuzhou.

"A man like Cao Bao has deep roots in Xuzhou. Zhang Fei actually wants to kill him..."

Even Liu Miao couldn't quite understand Zhang Fei's thought process.

Moreover, it wouldn't matter if he were really killed. If Zhang Fei simply took his spear and stabbed a few holes in Cao Bao, it would deter a group of people and at least protect Xuzhou before Liu Bei returned to Xuzhou.

But now, instead of killing someone, he managed to get them to contact Lü Bu, resulting in the loss of the entire Xu Province...

"Zhang Yide, your brain really isn't working properly!"

Liu Miao knew that with this change in Xuzhou, the situation in the entire East would become completely different!
Lü Bu regained his footing.

Liu Bei, who became rich overnight, but also became a vagrant overnight.

Yuan Shu, who had never given up on winning over Lü Bu, was completely absorbed in his own world...

"This is terrible! Looks like I need to get back to Jiangdong immediately!"

After a short rest, Liu Miao immediately headed towards Wankou, and after a long and winding journey, he finally returned to Jiangdong right under Yuan Shu's nose.

　There's one more chapter, but it won't be until after midnight. Since I woke up, my thoughts have been fragmented, and my mind isn't working properly.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)