I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 22 What does the world have to do with me?
Zhou Yu took a deep breath and then exhaled.

After several repetitions, my turbulent emotions finally calmed down.

Zhou Yu looked at Liu Miao with confusion, but seeing that Liu Miao remained unmoved, he understood that in the end, Liu Miao had become the winner!

"Lord Liu first befriended the Lu family and gained the support of Lu Kang and the scholars of Jiangdong. Now he has come here again, wanting to take over the former troops of Marquis of Wucheng."

"Such a scheme must be aimed at something far beyond what is desired!"

"But I wonder what Liu Shijun's ambitions are? Does he really want to emulate Emperor Guangwu, rise up in a chaotic world, and pacify the land?"

Liu Miao did not give a direct answer.

"Does Gongjin think that Emperor Guangwu rebuilt the Han Dynasty simply because he wanted to pacify the world?"

Zhou Yu frowned: "What does Lord Liu mean?"

"When Emperor Guangwu raised his army, the world was already in chaos."

"If one only seeks fame and fortune, then his elder brother, King Wu of Qi Yan, raised an army before Emperor Guangwu, and people at the time regarded Yan as the leader, rather than respecting Emperor Guangwu."

"If Emperor Guangwu truly acted solely out of personal desire, then Qi Wu and Guangwu were no different from the Yuan brothers today! Gongjin, don't you think so?"

Zhou Yu dared not be as bold as Liu Miao in analyzing the motives of Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu, and could only ask again: "What exactly is Lord Liu's intention?"

Liu Miao pointed out the window—

"Now that the feudal lords are fighting each other and the people are displaced, Gongjin asks me why I want to plot something big?"

"At Lu Zhongyi's banquet that day, I said, 'When one is in a high position at court, one should worry about the people; when one is far from the court, one should worry about the ruler.' Little did I know there was a next line!"

Liu Miao was unusually serious.

"Whether we advance or retreat, we will be troubled. So when will we find joy? Surely we should be the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures!"

"Now the barbarians on all sides are restless, and the lords of the Central Plains are fighting each other. Often, there is no sound of roosters crowing for thousands of miles, and white bones are exposed in the fields! Even the illiterate will feel saddened when they see this devastation! Today, Gongjin asks me why I am plotting this?"

When Liu Miao said this, he was clearly really angry!
He never expected Zhou Yu to ask him such a question! Asking him why he planned these things?
If Yuan Shu were truly a powerful ruler, why would Liu Miao have needed to walk on the edge of a knife while secretly plotting his grand scheme?

Did Liu Miao not know that he could find a secluded paradise, then use his status as a member of the Liu clan to deceive the daughters of several wealthy families into marrying him and his grandson, and live a carefree life?

Let alone Yuan Shu.

If any one of Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Liu Biao, Liu Bei, Sun Ce, or Sun Quan were to achieve great things and end the chaos of the world, Liu Miao would dedicate himself to them and earn fame both before and after his death!

Yuan Shao was outwardly lenient but inwardly suspicious.

Cao Cao was too suspicious.

Liu Biao lacked ambition.

Liu Bei acted impulsively.

Sun Ce was arrogant and underestimated his enemy.

Let's not even mention Sun Quan!

Otherwise, what good would the world do for me, Liu Zhongshan?
Zhou Yu was startled by Liu Miao's sudden anger, but also deeply moved by Liu Miao's words, "Be the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures!"
Suddenly, a feeling of guilt welled up inside me!

Yes!

The world is in chaos, and the people are suffering terribly!
If one has the ability to quell the chaos, one should not hesitate to sacrifice oneself; why should one think of such a thing?
At the same time, Zhou Yu felt both guilty and somewhat pleased.

From the moment Liu Miao stepped through this door today, he has never been able to see Liu Miao clearly.

Liu Miao's impassioned words, though they made him feel ashamed, also made Zhou Yu realize that Liu Miao was no ordinary man!
Moreover, now that the matter has been discussed openly, Zhou Yu has no more reservations.

"So, Governor Liu came for the troops?"

"Half and half, mainly because of you, Zhou Gongjin, and Bofu."

"If that's the case, does Your Excellency have no intention of marrying the lady?" Liu Miao remained silent...

Zhou Yu: ? ? ?
"Ah."

Liu Miao glanced at Zhou Yu sideways.

Let’s put one thing at a time!
Sun Ce and Zhou Yu are both formidable opponents!
Especially Sun Ce.

If I can't become Sun Ce's father, who knows if Sun Ce will start his own thing?

You see, while Yuan Shu was cruel to the common people, he was incredibly kind to Sun Ce, treating him like a son! And yet, Sun Ce still rebelled without hesitation…

So at this moment, Liu Miao reverted to his previous appearance—

"A beautiful and graceful lady is the object of a gentleman's affections!"

"Besides, this matter has already been discussed with General Hou. General Hou needs me and Lu Zhongyi to make some noise in Lujiang to help him take control of Huainan... Gongjin, you don't want to ruin General Hou's grand plan and cause him to misunderstand, do you?"

Shameless!
brazen!!!
Zhou Yu hadn't expected that even after he and Liu Miao had spoken to each other to this extent, Liu Miao would still insist on doing so!
"Lord Liu, you really are... sigh!"

Zhou Yu understood that Liu Miao was not the kind of person who could be trusted with a few honest words... Indeed, if Liu Miao were truly that naive, Zhou Yu would look down on him and believe that Liu Miao would be tricked to death sooner or later.

Therefore, Zhou Yu could only take a roundabout approach.

"Lord Liu also knows that the Han Dynasty governs the country with loyalty and filial piety."

"The Marquis of Wucheng has just passed away; how can he marry Prefect Liu at this time?"

"I wonder if Lord Liu could wait three years, until your wife and Bo Fu finish their mourning period for the Marquis of Wucheng, before we discuss this matter?"

To Zhou Yu's surprise, Liu Miao immediately nodded in agreement: "Of course!"

Liu Miao replied without hesitation: "I also do not want my wife and Bo Fu to bear the infamy of being disloyal and unfilial!"

"But today, we must set the wedding date and write it all down in black and white!"

Zhou Yu's lips twitched: "In that case, I'm afraid it will damage Lord Liu's reputation."

To come to someone's door and arrange a marriage right after their husband's death is truly outrageous!
However, as soon as Zhou Yu said this, he immediately smiled bitterly, answering the question for himself.

"If Lord Liu really cared about such empty fame, he probably wouldn't have come here today."

Zhou Yu looked troubled: "But how can I bring this up with Bo Fu?"

"As Your Excellency knows, Bo Fu is of a fiery temperament. If he finds out about this, he will probably think he has been humiliated and that it has ruined Your Excellency's grand plan!"

Liu Miao, however, didn't take it seriously and didn't make a big deal out of it; he even seemed a bit frivolous.

"In that case, we'll have to rely entirely on Gongjin!"

"After all, Gongjin is the future Grand Commander who will lead the troops under my command. How could it be my place to get involved in such a matter?"

If what Liu Miao said is true, even if Sun Jian's old troops are obtained in the future, the person who will lead them will be Zhou Yu.

In other words, the biggest beneficiary of this matter should be Zhou Yu, not Liu Miao.

In that case, shouldn't Zhou Yu be the one to deal with Sun Ce?

Zhou Yu's lips twitched again.

Prefect Liu... truly has the bearing of Emperor Gaozu!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Note 1:

He was diligent in farming, while his elder brother, Bosheng, was fond of chivalry and supporting scholars, often criticizing Emperor Guangwu's agricultural pursuits and comparing them to Emperor Gaozu's elder brother, Zhong. — *Book of the Later Han Dynasty, Annals of Emperor Guangwu*

(End of this chapter)