I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 309 This kid is a good match!
Western Regions...

This place was too far away even for Ma Chao, who came from Xiliang.

But Ma Chao was all too familiar with the legends of the Western Regions.

Countless rare treasures and precious stones, including the Sui Dynasty pearl, are priceless and have no market value!

In fact, the roads between the Han Dynasty and the Western Regions were not always as blocked as they are today.

Since the reign of Emperor Ming, when Ban Chao established the Protectorate of the Western Regions, the Western Regions had been under the control of the Han Dynasty for more than 30 years.

Later, when Ban Chao grew old, he returned to Luoyang and appointed Shang Ji as Protector-General. However, his harsh and autocratic approach aroused dissatisfaction among the Western Regions states, ultimately leading to their rebellion.

The imperial court conscripted Qiang soldiers from Jincheng, Longxi, and other places to march into the Western Regions. The Qiang soldiers were unwilling to leave their homes and travel far, so "many rebelled," making the Qiang troubles in the northwest serious.

It wasn't until the reign of Emperor An that the court quelled the Qiang rebellion and re-entered the Western Regions. Ban Chao and Ban Yong, the eldest son of Lady Shule, were appointed as the Chief Administrator of the Western Regions, and the Western Regions were pacified again and incorporated into the territory of the Han Dynasty.

Until the last two or three decades, the Qiang incursions became increasingly rampant, and the imperial court was powerless to resolve the situation. During the reign of Emperor Ling, Minister Cui Lie had advised the court to abandon Liangzhou! With the court in such a state of decline, it was naturally unable to govern the Western Regions, and thus contact was gradually severed.

Therefore, when Ma Chao heard Liu Miao ask him to reopen the Western Regions, he was somewhat confused: "Me?"

"Of course it's you!"

Liu Miao encouraged, "The reason why the Han Dynasty cannot return to the Western Regions is not because the military strength of the Western Regions is so powerful, but because the Qiang people are blocking the way."

"But Mengqi's family was deeply trusted by the Qiang people, so this biggest problem did not actually exist for Mengqi."

"Once the roads are open, Xiliang, as the hub between the Central Plains and the Western Regions, will surely be bustling with merchants."

"At that time, Meng Qi can just lie at home and count his money, and Xiliang will surely become rich as a result!"

After thinking for a moment, Ma Chao also felt that what Liu Miao said was not without reason!

The Western Liang region was short of resources, and its only advantage was that it was located right between the Central Plains and the Western Regions!

If trade between the two places can be established, how could Xiliang not become wealthy?

"Thank you very much, General Liu, for your guidance!"

Liu Miao's words were like a revelation to Ma Chao!

Ma Chao exclaimed, "What Liu Biaoqi said was simple and easy to understand, and it was far more useful than the grand principles spoken by those great scholars and famous men!"

"It's a pity that General Liu was burdened by his reputation and could not be known by others, which is truly a shame."

Liu Miao frowned: "What reputation?"

"Naturally...it's because of his reputation for being fond of beautiful women."

"Ha! Superficial!"

Liu Miao launched into a tirade of curses.

"Could any man possibly say he doesn't appreciate beautiful women?"

"Mengqi, just think about that woman's slender waist and the dimples on her back. Don't you think it's beautiful?"

"And when you lift up your skirt, don't you think the line from your thigh to your butt looks good?"

"It's perfectly normal for a man to like a woman, so how can you call him lustful?"

"..."

Ma Chao silently thought to himself: But isn't this just lust?

However, Ma Chao was quickly persuaded by Liu Miao.

Because that tiny waist and that bottom are really beautiful! And he loves looking at them!

At the same time, Ma Chao thought of something and cupped his hands towards Liu Miao, saying, "I have seen several women from the Western Regions, and they are quite different from women from the Central Plains! If we can truly open up the Western Regions in the future, I will definitely send ten beauties from the Western Regions to General Liu Miao to thank him for enlightening me today!"

"Tsk!"

Liu Miao clicked his tongue. Although he thought Ma Chao was a bit slow, and there was a considerable gap between him and Lu Yi, Lü Meng, and even Sun Ce.

But I have to say, this kid is really good at getting along with people!
"Alright! Then I'll wait for Mengqi to return victorious!"

Although rumors will surely circulate in the future that Liu Miao forced Ma Chao to attack the Western Regions for the sake of beautiful women from the Western Regions... Liu Miao is simply oblivious to the many problems that arise!
As long as the Western Regions can be opened up, what does it matter if Liu Miao suffers some grievances?

"Let's go! Mengqi, let's have a proper celebration for you today, haha!"

------

Liu Miao quickly crossed the river, and news of his defeat of Yuan Tan spread once again.

Liu Miao's troops in Jingzhou and Jiangdong naturally breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they would have a relatively peaceful winter and spring.

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao, who was still painstakingly building his defenses at Guandu, couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.

However, this envy quickly turned into joy: "In that case, Yuan Shao probably won't have to divide his forces to guard Hedong! This is also a good thing for me!"

When Lü Bu learned of the news in Qingzhou, he laughed heartily: "With such a son-in-law, what do I have to worry about?"

Lu Bu waved his arms somewhat boredly: "I wonder when Yuan Shao will attack! I'm itching for a fight! I'm just waiting for him to come so I can avenge what happened back then!"

……

On the other hand, Yuan Shao's expression was not very good.

"It's Liu Miao again!"

Of course, some people were gloating, such as Yuan Tan's good younger brother, Yuan Shang.

"Faced with Liu Miao, he suffered repeated defeats and thwarted Father's grand plans. How could Father still dare to appoint him as the heir apparent?"

Yuan Shang visited Yuan Tan under the guise of a visit, but behind the scenes he had rumors spread that Yuan Tan was incompetent. These rumors circulated widely among the gentry and officials in Hebei, causing Yuan Tan's reputation to suffer a major blow, almost falling to the level of Yuan Xi, who lost his wife!
And then there are those who feel neither sadness nor joy.

For example, Liu Bei.

Upon hearing the news of Liu Miao, Liu Bei was both surprised and delighted, unsure of what to say.

"My lord, what kind of person is this General Liu?"

Beside Liu Bei was a refined young general with a Hebei accent, a handsome face, and an imposing presence.

Zhao Zilong of Changshan!
Zhao Yun was once a subordinate of Gongsun Zan and had known Liu Bei, who was then under Gongsun Zan's command, for a long time.

Later, when Gongsun Zan sent Liu Bei to resist Yuan Shao, he specifically assigned Zhao Yun to Liu Bei, so that Zhao Yun could command Liu Bei's cavalry.

However, after Zhao Yun's elder brother passed away, Zhao Yun had no choice but to leave Liu Bei. But when he left, he held Liu Bei's hand and said to him, "I will never betray my principles!"

The two thought they were destined to be apart, but unexpectedly, after Liu Bei went to join Yuan Shao, Zhao Yun also came to Ye City by chance, shared a bed with Liu Bei, and continued their previous relationship!

However, Zhao Yun ultimately missed Liu Bei's most turbulent period and, not knowing who Liu Miao was, asked Liu Bei for advice.

"Zhongshan is a free spirit with lofty ambitions. He is determined to restore the Han Dynasty and save the people of the world!"

This was the first time Zhao Yun had ever heard Liu Bei speak so highly of someone!
However, Zhao Yun quickly became puzzled: "If General Liu is truly as you say, then why is he now allied with Cao Cao, aiding and abetting evil?"

Liu Bei was speechless.

But Liu Bei has experienced a lot now, and he is no longer the black-and-white Liu Xuande he once was.

“Zhongshan has his reasons for doing this.”

"and……"

Liu Bei crossed his arms and suspiciously touched his smooth chin.

"I always felt that something was off about Yuan Shao!"

"Can we really rely on Yuan Shao to restore the Han Dynasty and return power to the emperor?"

　There was an earthquake here yesterday, and I didn't sleep a wink all night. I'm so sleepy right now, I need to catch up on some sleep. The afternoon chapter might be a little late, sorry.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)