I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 216 Don't Cry

Chapter 216 Don't Cry
The shouts of battle grew closer.

"Zirou! Why waste words with him? He's clearly trying to stall for time so Liu Miao can capture us!"

Kuai Yue rushed to Kuai Liang and pulled out the half-sword that was pulled out of his hand.

"Liu Biao! Prepare to die!"

Kuai Yue plunged his sword into Liu Biao's abdomen, then turned and grabbed Kuai Liang, quickly running away.

"Don't listen to his alarmist talk! The most important thing is to escape!"

"That's just nice talk! But even if Liu Miao takes Jingzhou, what then? Can he defeat Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, or any of the powerful clans in the land?"

"Let's go! We'll first head from Nanyang to Xuchang, and then we'll find a way to go to Hebei to seek refuge with Lord Yuan. We'll be able to get back Jingzhou sooner or later!"

Kuai Liang ultimately couldn't bear it.

But when he turned around, he found that although Liu Biao had been stabbed in the abdomen, he was still standing in the same spot and refused to fall down.

"Liu Jingzhou, why be so stubborn!"

After taking one last look at Liu Biao, Kuai Liang followed Kuai Yue outside.

Cai Mao had already prepared the carriages and horses, waiting for the brothers Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue to arrive before heading to Fancheng on the other side.

Kuai Liang approached the carriage and horses, glanced around, and noticed something was amiss: "Why are there only these people?"

"Aren't these people enough?"

Cai Mao urged hastily, "It's nothing more than our families, my sister, and Liu Cong! We don't have time to worry about anyone else right now! Get in the car! Get in the car!"

Kuai Liang grabbed Cai Mao: "No! We're still missing one person!"

"Who?"

"Zhang Ji's wife, Zhang Xiu's aunt and uncle, née Zou!"

Kuai Liang shouted, "We are heading north, and we will inevitably pass through Nanyang! Zhang Xiu sent his uncle and aunt to Xiangyang before, but now we are fleeing and have abandoned them here. Zhang Xiu will surely be ashamed and angry when he hears this! At that time, you and I are afraid we will not be able to get out of Nanyang!"

Cai Mao was also anxious: "It's pitch black, where are we supposed to find that Zou Shi?!"

It was already late at night.

The sounds of pursuers could be heard faintly, and they might encounter Liu Miao's soldiers just around the corner. At this time, who would dare to look for a woman?
"Ugh."

A cold sigh, yet it could melt the bones of anyone who heard it.

The curtain above Madam Cai's carriage was slowly opened, revealing her alluring and charming face.

However, at this moment, his face was filled with sorrow, making him even more pitiful to behold.

“I know where the Zou family is. Just follow me.”

Madam Cai's foxy eyes darted towards Cai Mao, making him feel uneasy.

Kuai Liang disregarded the complexities between the siblings and quickly bowed to Madam Cai, saying, "Please lead the way, Madam!"

Guided by Madam Cai, the group indeed found Zou Shi in a courtyard.

Zou was also awakened early by the shouts of battle in the city. Just as she was at a loss, she saw Madam Cai coming to pick her up and immediately burst into tears and hugged Madam Cai.

Madam Cai also had tears in her eyes: "All we women hope for is to find a husband who can protect us for life. Unfortunately, neither you nor I are lucky enough to meet such a person."

Lady Cai was a stunningly beautiful woman with captivating charm. Every move she made exuded allure, making many soldiers willing to forgo their lives just to catch a glimpse of her figure and appearance, as if that would make their journey worthwhile.

Although Lady Zou was not as alluring as Lady Cai, she possessed a beauty that was like a celestial being fallen to earth, inviolable and untouchable.

In addition, both of them had slender waists and curvaceous figures, and when they embraced, their fullness in their waists and hips was even more astonishing. Everyone around them was stunned and did not know that women in the human world could grow up to be like this!
Fortunately, Kuai Liang and Cai Mao still had their senses and quickly scolded everyone: "What time is it? Why aren't you driving away!"

Madam Cai and Madam Zou knew this was not the time to be sad, so they got into the carriage and hurried out of the city.

------

Liu Miao's army stormed into Xiangyang.

Those charging at the forefront were not Sun Ce, Taishi Ci, or Huang Zhong—these were all fierce generals.

On the contrary, Liu Qi, a seemingly frail young master, didn't even wear armor and rushed to the front, leaving everyone else to eat dust in the back.

Having been familiar with the city's layout and with a clear objective from the start, Liu Qi quickly rushed into the prefect's mansion and went to the main hall.

"Father!"

As soon as Liu Qi entered, he saw Liu Biao lying on the ground, a sword stuck in his abdomen, barely alive.

"Father!"

Liu Biao didn't even have the strength to open his eyes at this point, but when he heard Liu Qi's voice, he still squeezed Liu Qi's hand slightly.

"Father?"

Overjoyed, Liu Qi quickly shouted to his personal guards, "A doctor! Go find a doctor!"

The guards were familiar with the people in the mansion and quickly found a physician to treat Liu Biao. However, after taking his pulse, the physician kept shaking his head: "His pulse is weak, his blood and energy are almost depleted. Liu Biao is at his last gasp..."

"You quack!"

Liu Qi wanted to curse again, but then he noticed Liu Biao pinch him again. He could only sit there dumbfounded, holding Liu Biao, at a loss for what to do.

Upon receiving the news, Liu Miao quickly entered the area.

Seeing the doctor next to him, Liu Miao raised an eyebrow at him as if seeking confirmation, but the doctor shook his head helplessly.

"Youping, give this doctor some money and let him leave."

Upon receiving the money, the doctor immediately bowed deeply to Liu Miao with gratitude, then fled the scene as if escaping, fearing any potential medical disputes.

At this moment, Liu Miao knelt down in front of Liu Biao and sighed, "Old brother, why did you do this? At such an old age, why are you still trying to sacrifice yourself for righteousness?"

Upon hearing the voice, Liu Biao's complexion actually regained some color, and his droopy eyelids struggled to move to the sides, revealing his weathered eyes. "If I leave, Kuai Liang and Cai Mao will surely become suspicious, and Wen Ping's troops will inevitably be taken away by them. You won't be able to see me now."

Although he had never met Liu Miao, Liu Biao seemed certain that the person before him was Liu Miao.

"Also, what should I call you, elder brother? According to etiquette, you should call me 'uncle'."

Liu Miao was both amused and exasperated: "At a time like this, you're still telling me this?"

"Etiquette and law are the most important things."

Liu Biao made a purring sound from his throat, like a raccoon sleeping.

"Even your three chieftains and the guards still need etiquette and law as their support."

"Benevolence and morality are not only the bottom line for everyone, but can also restore order and create peace."

"I previously collaborated with some great Confucian scholars to compile a book called 'The Revised Edition of the Five Classics,' which removed all the superfluous and miscellaneous phrases from the early Han Dynasty, enabling scholars to quickly master it. You can use it in the future to establish schools, cultivate scholars, and break the monopoly on classical studies."

This time, Liu Miao did not interrupt Liu Biao and let him continue speaking.

But Liu Biao seemed to be in great pain at this moment, and even his lips were trembling slightly.

"You are better than everyone else, but it's still not enough."

"You need to let the people know what to do, and you also need to let them know why they should do it."

"If it's just about leading them to kill and plunder, then at best it's just another tyrannical Qin dynasty, and sooner or later it will only benefit others."

"Benevolence, righteousness, morality, law and litigation... The Han Dynasty was able to last for four hundred years not only because of its two hard fists, but also because of its two legs."

"Unfortunately, I don't have that talent, and I don't know how I can help you."

Liu Miao suddenly shook his head: "Uncle, actually I don't have that kind of talent either."

Seeing that Liu Biao was about to sit up in anger, Liu Miao laughed heartily: "But Emperor Gaozu, and other emperors of the Han Dynasty, did not have this talent, did they?"

"The benevolence and morality of the Han Dynasty were established by generations of great Confucian scholars such as Shusun Tong and Dong Zhongshu over a period of more than a hundred years."

"The legal system of the Han Dynasty was perfected by Xiao He and Zhang Tang based on the Qin law that had been passed down for hundreds of years."

"If I can't do these things, I can just let someone else do them, right?"

Liu Biao managed to squeeze out a hint of helplessness from his face, which was already devoid of any expression: "With your temper, you could probably revive a dead person."

"Then why don't you come back to life?"

Liu Biao remained silent and closed his eyes.

"Father?"

Just as Liu Qi was filled with fear, he suddenly felt Liu Biao holding his hand again.

Although Liu Biao had closed his eyes again, some sounds still escaped his throat: "Zhongshan, while you're still young, finish this matter as soon as possible."

"Don't be like me, afraid of everything when I get old: afraid of war, afraid of death, afraid of my wife, afraid of my son."

When he finished speaking, Liu Biao gave Liu Qi's hand a firm squeeze.

He wanted to say something more, but his voice was already broken and intermittent.

"Father?"

Liu Qi leaned close to Liu Biao's mouth, tears falling onto Liu Biao's face.

"Heh~ Uh~~~"

Seeing that Liu Biao was on his deathbed, Liu Miao spoke his last words to him.

"Uncle, go without worry. I will take care of your wife and children."

"Whether it's Liu Qi or Liu Cong, I will treat them like family... Don't thank me, consider it compensation for killing your nephew Liu Pan, you're welcome!"

Liu Biao's murmurs finally ceased, and after snoring for a long time, he finally uttered the last two words to Liu Qi—

"Don't cry."

Just as Liu Qi was at birth, and as he was in his youth, whenever he encountered any grievances, he would run to Liu Biao to whine and cry, and Liu Biao would always comfort him.

Don't cry.

As long as my father is still alive, there is no obstacle I cannot overcome.

Even though your father is gone, I hope you can move forward on your own, without looking back or crying.

"Father!"

Liu Biao, held in Liu Qi's hand, escaped from the world like a kite with a broken string; he could neither be caught nor kept.

Liu Qi knelt on the ground, embracing Liu Biao and weeping.

Although we are told not to cry, if I cry just this one last time, I suppose I won't be punished, right?

Liu Miao, meanwhile, looked at the sword lodged in Liu Biao's abdomen and took a deep breath.

"Youping! Zilie!"

"exist!"

"Let Sun Ce and Gan Ning lead troops to search!"

"Even if we have to turn Jingzhou upside down, we must find Kuai Liang, Kuai Yue, Cai Mao, and the others!"