I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 159 Lu Bu: I am invincible
"Is Liu Yangzhou really going to send troops to help?"

Jian Yong and Mi Fang couldn't believe it, so they asked again.

"It is not about sending troops."

Liu Miao bluntly stated, "Now Yuan Shu is eyeing Huainan covetously. If I really send a large army to Xuzhou, what do you think I should do when Yuan Shu sends troops to attack Jiangdong?"

Even Jian Yong couldn't say something as outrageous as "I don't care about Jiangdong" at this time, otherwise Liu Miao would throw him out without hesitation.

The two men were somewhat confused: "How can Liu Yangzhou help our lord?"

"Make peace with Lü Bu, asking him to return Xuande and the families of his subordinates and officials, and to hand over Pei to Xuande so that Xuande would have a place to stay."

Upon hearing this, both of their expressions changed drastically.

For Liu Bei's group, the best situation at present is to follow Cao Cao's example, drive out Lü Bu, and regain control of Xu Province.

However, given the current situation...

Apart from Liu Miao, there were no other warlords around to assist Liu Bei. Even Liu Miao could not possibly disregard Yuan Shu's threat and send his troops thousands of miles away to compete with Lü Bu for Xu Province.

For Liu Bei's forces, there was no longer any other option.

Mi Fang was indignant: "If it weren't for our lord taking in Lü Bu, he would be nothing but a stray dog! Now we have to turn around and beg him..."

Liu Miao listened to Mi Fang's complaints with boredom.

Whose fault is that?

Even Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu dared not accept Lü Bu, yet you, Liu Bei, dared to accept him. Won't you be betrayed by him sooner or later?

After Mi Fang had finished venting his frustrations, Liu Miao asked, "Is this feasible?"

Jian Yong and Mi Fang were also helpless.

Although Liu Miao's strategy did not lead to Liu Bei's best outcome, it is currently the best possible treatment for Liu Bei.

The two men were worried: "Can Liu Yangzhou persuade Lü Bu?"

"Don't worry. Both Lü Bu and Xuande regard Cao Cao as a great enemy. Now that Xuande is stationed in Xiaopei to serve as a bulwark in the west, Lü Bu is overjoyed and would never refuse."

"Moreover, I've heard that Lü Bu is fond of wealth. In that case, I'm willing to use a large sum of money to redeem Xuande's family... I'm sure Lü Bu won't have any objections."

When Jian Yong and Mi Fang heard that Liu Miao had even given money to Liu Bei to redeem his family, they were deeply moved and exclaimed, "Liu Miao of Yangzhou is so righteous!"

"We are all relatives of the Han imperial family and share the ambition to restore the Han dynasty. We are kindred spirits, so why should we speak with the words of two different families?"

Liu Miao helping others is also helping himself.

Regardless of where Liu Bei was, one thing was certain: Liu Bei vowed to be irreconcilable with the traitors of the Han Dynasty.

By staying in Xiaopei, Liu Bei was able to sever the connection between Yuan Shu and Lü Bu, making it difficult for Yuan Shu to truly unite with Lü Bu.

This is also a major advantage for Liu Miao. At least he won't see Yuan Shu and Lü Bu completely form an iron curtain north of the Yangtze River, blocking his path to the north.

"In that case, there's no time to lose!"

------

Lu Su carried gifts and traveled north to Xiapi.

When Lü Bu heard that it was Lu Su, an old acquaintance, he remembered that Lu Su had given him a lot of gold and silver for no reason during his last mission. He was quite enthusiastic towards Lu Su and asked him as soon as they met, "Did Liu Miao send you to congratulate me?"

Lu Su, of course, knew of Lü Bu's eccentricities, so he went along with what Lü Bu was saying—

"Our lord often says: Marquis Wen, you are a meritorious official who killed Dong Zhuo and a loyal minister who assists the emperor. The people of the world should admire you. Isn't it only right that they send you some gifts?"

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu's two strong eyebrows instantly parted, becoming completely smooth.

"Good! In the end, there are still reasonable people in this world!"

Lu Bu, a man of imposing stature, often disregarded formalities. Now, hearing Lu Su's words so agreeable, he immediately pulled Lu Su to the couch, took off his shoes, sat cross-legged, and invited Lu Su to sit beside him.

"Zhongshan understands me!"

Even when sitting cross-legged, Lü Bu's figure still resembled a small mountain, and his movements were unrestrained. Lu Su, standing beside him, could often feel the force of Lü Bu's every move, and his respect for Lü Bu's martial prowess grew even stronger.

Lu Bu tore off a large, succulent leg of lamb and placed it on Lu Su's plate, then asked Lu Su, "What kind of person is your lord, Liu Miao? I heard that he pacified Jiangdong in less than a year; he must be a brave and skilled warrior, right?"

Lu Su replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "In terms of bravery and skill in battle, my lord is probably no match for the general. However, in terms of loyalty to the emperor and the Han dynasty, my lord is in no way inferior to the general."

Lü Bu was quite pleased with what he heard: "So that's how it is!"

Lu Su picked up the lamb leg, took a bite, and then put it down, a sad expression on his face.

"Even so, my lord and general cannot restore the Han dynasty and save the emperor and his ministers from their dire straits."

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu snorted coldly: "I've heard that the Emperor has been kidnapped by Cao Cao and taken to Xuchang! I know Cao Cao! He's treacherous and cunning! He's definitely not a good minister! After I've rested and prepared, I'll immediately lead my troops to attack Cao Cao!"

Lu Su, however, asked, "General, are you capable of defeating Cao Cao?"

"joke!"

Lu Bu was furious, but he seemed all bark and no bite.

On the battlefield of Yanzhou, Cao Cao turned the tide against Lü Bu despite being at a significant disadvantage. It would be impossible for Lü Bu to say that he had no fear of Cao Cao at all.

When Lu Su saw that Lü Bu was angry, he quickly apologized to Lü Bu.

“General, with just a little rest, you will surely be able to defeat Cao Cao. But what if Cao Cao doesn’t give you that opportunity?” Lü Bu’s brows furrowed again: “What do you mean?”

"Now that Cao Cao has welcomed back the Emperor, he has no enemies to the north, south, or west. Moreover, Cao Cao has long coveted Xuzhou. If Cao Cao were to attack you at this time, what would you do?"

Lu Bu's brows furrowed even deeper: "So what if they come? I can easily defeat them!"

Lu Su: "..."

Faced with Lü Bu's boastful words, Lu Su had no choice but to add, "What if Yuan Shu and Cao Cao attack Xuzhou together?"

"It can be broken just as easily!"

Lu Su: "..."

The talks are falling apart!

We really can't continue this discussion!

Anyone who comes can be easily defeated! Lu Su really wanted to ask Lü Bu, "If you are really so powerful, how come you have ended up in Xuzhou?"

Fortunately, Lü Bu finally discovered the blind spot—

Why would Yuan Shu join forces with Cao Cao to attack me?

Yuan Shu and Cao Cao were notoriously irreconcilable enemies.

If these two can cooperate, then there's probably nothing impossible in the world!
Lu Su said slowly, "If you, General, were only in Xiaopei, they would naturally not come to attack."

"But now that the general has occupied Xuzhou, the situation is quite different."

"Although Cao Cao and Yuan Shu are at odds, they both covet Xuzhou. If Cao Cao attacks from Xiaopei and Yuan Shu attacks from Guangling, what will you do, General?"

"This……"

Lu Bu finally dared not boast that he could "easily defeat them".

Cao Cao and Yuan Shu attacked from two directions. Not to mention Lü Bu, even Yuan Shao would have to think twice before coming!
If the two of them were to attack Xuzhou at the same time, even if Lü Bu had three heads and six arms, he would not be able to withstand it!
Lu Su continued to persuade him, saying, "If you want to avoid being attacked from both sides, General, you probably have no choice but to seek refuge with one side."

"Does the general intend to take orders from Cao Cao?"

"Hmph! The son of a eunuch! Who would obey him!"

Lu Su then asked, "Does the general intend to obey Yuan Shu and become a traitor to the Han?"

Lu Bu had been considering allying with Yuan Shu, but Lu Su's words, "traitor to Han," made him hesitate to speak.

Being enemies with Liu Bei and Cao Cao are all internal matters of our Han Dynasty!

But Yuan Shu was a blatant traitor to the Han dynasty, who was openly declared emperor and was condemned by the imperial court!

Lü Bu has always prided himself on being a loyal subject of the Han Dynasty. He would strike down anyone who was detrimental to the emperor. How could he possibly collude with Yuan Shu at a time like this?

"I am the Marquis of Wen, General Who Pacifies the East, of the Great Han! How could I possibly serve a traitor to the Han!"

Lu Su used persuasive tactics to block out Lü Bu's two paths before returning to the previous question: "If Cao Cao and Yuan Shu were to attack, what would you do, General?"

Lü Bu finally fell silent.

Lu Su then began to offer guidance to Lü Bu.

"Xuzhou has a flat terrain, but it is not without its defenses. Why don't you select a good general to garrison Xiaopei and use him to resist Cao Cao and Yuan Shu?"

Who can be a good general?

"Liu Bei is a suitable candidate."

At first, Lü Bu thought he had misheard.

Only after confirming that Lu Su was indeed referring to Liu Bei did Lü Bu laugh and say, "How could Liu Bei go to Xiaopei? Zijing, don't try to fool me!"

Lu Su then said seriously, "Liu Bei was entrusted by Tao Qian to take over as governor of Xu Province. Even though you have now obtained Xu Province, there are still many scholars in Xu Province who are loyal to Liu Bei. If you kill Liu Bei now, wouldn't that cause the scholars of Xu Province to become disloyal to you?"

"Moreover, although Liu Bei's bravery is not as great as yours, General, his subordinates Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are both men capable of defeating ten thousand men! With them stationed in Xiaopei, are you still afraid that you cannot defend against the enemy from the west?"

“Killing Liu Bei will make the scholars of Xuzhou resent you; but accepting Liu Bei, returning his family, and letting him garrison Xuzhou will build a city wall for you in the west!”

"Which one is better or worse, I believe the general will make his own judgment!"

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu's initial mockery vanished.

After he seized Xuzhou, it was clear that scholars like Chen Gui and Chen Deng still held Liu Bei in high esteem.

Having learned from the mistakes of Xun Yu and Cheng Yu under Cao Cao, Lü Bu dared not underestimate these people who had deep roots in the local area.

As Lu Su said, if Liu Bei were killed directly, how could Lü Bu not incur their hatred?

Instead of doing that, why not try to reconcile with Liu Bei and send him to Xiaopei to act as a gateway?
Lu Bu was undecided for a moment, so he had no choice but to ask Lu Su to stay and entertain him first.

Lu Su was not in a hurry, and while he was having a banquet with Lü Bu, he was also observing the generals under Lü Bu's command.

Seeing that one of the generals was dignified, spoke little, and did not drink, he pointed at the man with some curiosity and asked, "May I ask, General, who is this person?"

Lu Bu glanced at the general, but his eyes showed no enthusiasm; he merely casually revealed his identity.

"My lieutenant general is Gao Shun!"

(End of this chapter)