I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 222 Did the elites migrate south?
Guo Jia met Liu Miao as promised and presented him with two wild geese.

The Book of Rites, "The Marriage Ceremony of a Scholar": "In the marriage ceremony, the betrothal is presented. A goose is used."

Zheng Xuan commented: "The reason for using geese as gifts is to take advantage of their natural tendency to travel in accordance with the principles of Yin and Yang."

Even Ban Gu in the "Baihu Tongyi" sided with geese, saying that geese always come in pairs and should be used in the ceremony of offering geese as a sacrifice.

Guo Jia personally handed the two geese to Liu Miao, half-jokingly and half-complainingly saying, "Can't I even attend Zhongshan's wedding?"

"Where are you talking?"

Liu Miao took the goose from Guo Jia and lifted it up. He could clearly feel the weight on his wrist; they were obviously two plump geese!

"We have just pacified Jingzhou. If I hold a grand celebration, what will others think? And if someone uses this as an excuse to offer me a lavish gift, should I accept it or not?"

"Is Zhongshan talking about me?"

"Fengxiao's gift is small in scale but carries great sentiment; it's different from others!"

Liu Miao looked at the two geese with drooling anticipation.

"Let's go! Fengxiao, let's go roast a goose!"

Guo Jia thought Liu Miao was just joking, but to his surprise, Liu Miao actually led him to the kitchen to boil water, pluck feathers, and marinate the goose. Then, he set up a grill in the courtyard and leisurely roasted the goose over the fire.

"How has Fengxiao been feeling lately?"

"Still quite healthy."

While chatting with Guo Jia, Liu Miao turned over the roasted goose in his hand.

The succulent goose meat was quickly roasted until golden brown, and the fat fell into the fire below, instantly filling the entire courtyard with its aroma.

Liu Miao stepped forward to tear off a leg, but he clearly underestimated the temperature of the goose meat. He was burned and quickly withdrew his hand. He then blew on the goose leg for a long time before finally tearing it off and handing it to Guo Jia.

"Come on, Fengxiao, have a taste!"

Guo Jia took a bite.

Liu Miao asked hopefully, "How is it?"

"Not cooked..."

"Oh……"

He took the goose leg back from Guo Jia and stuck it on a stick to roast it. Guo Jia found Liu Miao's flustered appearance amusing: "Zhongshan doesn't cook often, does he?"

"Occasionally, I would grill some meat with the soldiers while I was in the army."

Liu Miao sighed, "It's a pity there's not enough oil. Otherwise, it would be great if we could eat something like fried chicken in the army. That stuff tastes much better than roast meat."

When Guo Jia saw that Liu Miao actually wanted to eat fried chicken in the army, he exclaimed, "Zhongshan is so extravagant!"

"Tch! I don't even know what kind of luxuries I really want to do! Eating fried chicken is no luxury at all!"

After roasting it over the fire for a while longer, Liu Miao handed Guo Jia the goose leg that Guo Jia had already taken a bite of: "How about you try it this time?"

Guo Jia was already somewhat wary of the food Liu Miao offered, but out of respect for Liu Miao's warm invitation, he still took a small bite...

"Overcooked."

"It's okay, it'll be fine once it's cooked through!"

Liu Miao then gave two more legs to Zhou Tai and Chen Wu, while he himself held the last goose leg and devoured it with gusto: "Who said this goose leg is old? This goose leg is fantastic!"

Seeing that Liu Miao had eaten, Guo Jia stopped criticizing Liu Miao's roasted goose and started chewing it himself.

"Did Fengxiao come here just to deliver geese to me?"

Guo Jia swallowed the goose meat in his mouth with difficulty: "I mainly came to let Zhongshan know that some friends are safe."

"Liu Bei and the others have been properly settled, Zhongshan, there is no need to worry."

Liu Miao also felt great regret for Liu Bei.

"Xuande is just too honest."

"Yuan Shao wants him to attack me, Xuande, just agree! Then, like Lü Bu, ask Yuan Shao for money and grain, wouldn't that be better?"

Guo Jia was speechless.

If Liu Miao were in Liu Bei's position, Guo Jia had no doubt that Liu Miao would have been capable of doing such a thing.

But precisely because of this...

"If Liu Bei were the kind of person who was hypocritical and deceitful, then he wouldn't be Liu Bei."

"That's true!"

Liu Miao agreed.

“If Xuande did that, he would no longer be Xuande.”

Guo Jia nodded in agreement: "And Chen Yu also went to Xuchang before..."

"It's okay, he's not important, let's talk about others."

"Ok?"

Guo Jia looked at Liu Miao with a puzzled expression: "Chen Yu said that he and Zhongshan are close friends!"

"fake."

Liu Miao sucked on his fingers, as if he had no idea who this "Chen Yu" Guo Jia was talking about was.

Guo Jia's lips twitched, but he automatically ignored the person.

"His Majesty also often mentions Zhongshan. It would be wonderful if Zhongshan could go to Xuchang to pay homage to the Emperor."

"..."

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat awkward.

Zhou Tai and Chen Wu stopped eating meat and just stared at Guo Jia.

The other soldiers in the courtyard also stared intently at Guo Jia, their eyes filled with hostility.

To have an audience with the Emperor?

Perhaps he was lured to Xuchang by Cao Cao and then placed under house arrest?

Everyone was waiting for Liu Miao's order. As soon as Liu Miao showed the slightest sign of anger, they would step forward and chop Guo Jia into mincemeat!

Unexpectedly, Liu Miao was not angry at all. Instead, he went along with Guo Jia's words and said, "Yes! I have long heard Zijing say that the current emperor is wise and powerful. I wish I could meet him."

“However, Jingzhou has just been pacified, and there are still some matters to be dealt with in Shangyong, Jingnan, and Yuzhang. I’m afraid I can’t easily go to Xuchang… Oh, right!” Liu Miao suddenly thought of a brilliant idea!

"Fengxiao, how about this, let the emperor move the capital?"

"Cough cough cough cough!"

Guo Jia nearly choked to death on a piece of goose meat in his throat!
He stared wide-eyed at Liu Miao in disbelief: "Move the capital?"

"Yes! Move the capital!"

Liu Miao's argument was well-reasoned and supported by evidence.

"Look, the emperor is in Xuchang, a place of constant warfare. To the north is Yuan Shao, to the east is Lü Bu, to the south are the bandits of Runan, and to the west are the remnants of Xiliang."

"Why not move the capital to the south, such as Shouchun or Jinling? These places, at least, are free from war, allowing the emperor and his officials to enjoy peace! Moreover, I can be close to the emperor every day. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Guo Jia: “…”

Relocate the capital to the south?

You, Liu Miao, have become close to the emperor, but what about Cao Cao?
Guo Jia had no choice but to decline: "The capital is the foundation; how can it be moved lightly?"

Liu Miao asked curiously, "Didn't Mengde move the capital from Luoyang to Xuchang?"

"That's two different things!"

Guo Jia was initially somewhat apprehensive, thinking that Liu Miao truly intended for Cao Cao to exchange the emperor for Nanyang.

But when he saw the ambiguous smile on Liu Miao's lips, he felt utterly exhausted: "Why is Zhongshan toying with me?"

"I wasn't teasing you! Fine, don't give it to me then! You're so stingy!"

Liu Miao genuinely considered whether to abduct the emperor to Jiangdong and force the elite to migrate south ahead of schedule...

However, considering Cao Cao's stingy nature, Liu Miao felt that the chances of exchanging Nanyang for the emperor were slim.

Guo Jia nearly vomited blood.

What do you mean by "if you don't want to give it, then forget it"? What do you mean by "stingy"?

What is the emperor? What is the imperial court? How could Liu Miao treat this so lightly?
Guo Jia looked at Liu Miao with resentment, his pent-up anger remaining unexpressed.

If Guo Jia were to chat with Liu Miao for a few more minutes, he would truly fear that his days were numbered!
Liu Miao patted Guo Jia on the back in a friendly manner: "Fengxiao, eat slowly! Don't choke! If you're still hungry, there are goose wings and goose tails, plenty to go!"

Guo Jia keenly noticed that after patting him, Liu Miao wiped his hands with his clothes, wanting to vent his anger but not daring to, so he could only continue to persuade Liu Miao like a submissive wife:
“Zhongshan, now that you have just pacified Jingzhou and taken control of the Yangtze River, you must have a lot to do.”

"Nanyang is not only in ruins, but several bandit groups are also hiding there, which will only waste your energy. Why not have Taishi Ci withdraw his troops and have Sikong station his troops here instead?"

In Guo Jia's words, Nanyang seemed to be worthless.

By ceding Nanyang to Cao Cao, it seems that Liu Miao actually got rid of a huge burden and gained a great advantage.

Liu Miao shook his head: "That won't do!"

"Why?!"

"Nanyang was the southern capital of the Han Dynasty! It was the place where Emperor Guangwu, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, rose to power!"

Liu Miao spoke with great conviction!

"As children and grandchildren, how can we not serve our elders when they are declining?"

"..."

Guo Jia knew Liu Miao was good at talking nonsense, but he didn't expect Liu Miao to be this good at it!
In order to gain more benefits from Cao Cao, they even brought up Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty!

This is nothing more than taking advantage of the fact that Cao Cao wasn't surnamed Liu.
Guo Jia, fearing that Liu Miao would bring up something else, changed the subject: "Zhongshan, you also know the current situation in the Central Plains."

"If Yuan Shao marches south from Hebei, as long as he occupies places like Suanzao and Mengjin, the roads between Guanzhong and the Central Plains will be completely cut off."

"Guanzhong had already suffered a severe drought for three years, and the people were living in misery! If the passage to the Central Plains is closed off again, chaos is inevitable!"

Guo Jia pleaded, "Please, Zhongshan, consider the suffering of the people of Guanzhong for so many years and allow Taishi Ci to withdraw his troops from Nanyang!"

Guo Jia actually used the common people to hold Liu Miao hostage?

Liu Miao shrugged and said, "I really can't do anything about this!"
“Since Fengxiao says so, then I…”

Guo Jia's eyes lit up: "Zhongshan agreed?"

"Then I still need to think about it some more."

Although Liu Miao couldn't bear to see the people suffer, he also couldn't stand being blamed for everything.

So, the fact that it's not raining in Guanzhong can all be blamed on me, Liu Miao?
And when did you, Cao Cao, become so compassionate? Have we forgotten what happened in Xuzhou?

Guo Jia was somewhat at a loss when he saw that Liu Miao was completely unyielding and had a stubborn, unyielding attitude.

"Zhongshan! Just state your request honestly: how can you get Taishi Ci to withdraw from Nanyang?"

Liu Miao asked, "Any request is acceptable?"

Guo Jia: "Anything is fine!"

Liu Miao: "How much more outrageous can it be?"

Guo Jia: "Anything is acceptable... except for the matter of the emperor moving the capital, which you mentioned. Everything else is negotiable!"

However, Guo Jia soon noticed that Liu Miao's gaze towards him had become strange.

Guo Jia fearfully wrapped his clothes tighter around himself, looking at Liu Miao in terror...

No! Could it be that he wants me?

Remembering how Liu Miao had inexplicably shown him such concern and care on the banks of the Huai River, Guo Jia panicked even more!
"In that case..."

Guo Jia's heart was in his throat.

"Actually..."

Guo Jia's heart pounded, and he began to grapple with the dilemma of what to do if Liu Miao made any unreasonable demands.

"or……"

"Zhongshan, wait a minute!"

Guo Jia loudly stopped Liu Miao, trying to calm himself down, before saying with a look of grim determination, "Alright, Zhongshan! Speak!"

"Whatever your request, I will grant it on behalf of Sikong!"

(End of this chapter)