I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 323 Do Not Doubt

Kunyang.

It was named after the city that was built north of the Kun River.

Kunyang is located at the entrance to the Nanyang Basin, surrounded by numerous rivers.

In addition to the Kun River, there are two other rivers to the north: the Zhi River and the Ru River.

All three rivers flow from west to east. The Zhi River and the Ru River converge at Dingling, and then they converge with the Kun River at Yancheng, forming a long and narrow river valley.

Having served in the military for many years, Yuan Shao immediately set his sights on this land. So, once his army was stationed near Kunyang, he immediately ordered his soldiers to seize Dingling and Yancheng. He built camps there, creating a near-perfect defensive position along with the rivers.

Liu Miao followed closely behind.

Upon seeing Yuan Shao stationed in Kunyang, Liu Miao naturally headed south to Wuyang.

Wuyang got its name from its location north of the Wu River.

The Wu River is a tributary on the right bank of the Ru River, which in turn connects to the Huai River. Therefore, it is self-evident that Liu Miao chose to camp here.

An army that favors high ground and dislikes low ground, values ​​sunny spots and despises shady ones, and thrives in solid terrain will be free from illness and ensure victory. When constructing defenses on hills and dikes, one must occupy the sunny side and have one's back to the hillside. This is the advantage of the terrain for the army.

Generally, armies prefer dry, high ground and avoid damp, low-lying areas; they prioritize sunny locations and avoid shady ones; they camp near places with abundant water and grass and ample supplies. Encampments on high, flat terrain minimize illness among the soldiers, thus ensuring victory. When marching through hilly, embanked areas, it is essential to occupy the sunny side, and the main flanks should also be positioned with their backs to the sunny side. These measures are advantageous for military operations because they fully utilize the terrain's supportive role.

Neither Yuan Shao nor Liu Miao made any mistakes in choosing where to station their camps.

Even if it means sacrificing the advantage of distance, the location of the main camp must still adhere to these principles, and one cannot be greedy for quick success or act rashly.

Moreover, after Liu Miao led his army to Wuyang, Xiaopei's troops also crossed the Sui River to reach Shouchun, and then came by boat from the Huai River to join Liu Miao.

Upon seeing Liu Miao, Lu Kang immediately punched Liu Miao in the chest.

"I'm at home with my grandson and great-grandson! I'm enjoying family time, how could Zhongshan bear to call me out like this!"

Liu Miao looked Lu Kang up and down and saw that Lu Kang had a ruddy complexion and was full of energy. Even though he was wearing armor, he still walked with a powerful and imposing gait. Liu Miao laughed and punched Lu Kang back: "When Jiang Shang was Lu Zhongyi's age, he was planning the great plan to destroy the Shang Dynasty! How can Lu Zhongyi enjoy family life?"

"Hey! You little rascal, you just can't stand seeing other people having a good life, can you?"

Lu Kang punched Liu Miao again, holding his own without being at a disadvantage.

"I have brought you men, soldiers, and provisions."

Lu Kang waved his hand dismissively: "You'll have to figure out the rest yourself! I really don't have the energy to deal with this for you!"

"Ok?"

Liu Miao glared at Lu Kang: "Lu Zhongyi! Where is the Lu Zhongyi who used to be willing to sacrifice his life for the country? Now that the country is about to collapse, you just don't care about anything?"

"Stop with the nice talk, you're making me worry!"

Over the years, Lu Kang has thoroughly figured out Liu Miao!

"You're incredibly capable, kid. If even you can't do anything about it, what can this old man do?"

Lu Kang has completely given up and is now in a state of complete complacency.

"And I also know that you never fight a battle you're not sure you can win! From taking Jiangdong back then, to counterattacking Huainan, and then attacking Jingzhou, you always made thorough preparations before you fought."

Lu Kang took off his iron armor and flipped his silver-white hair with a flamboyant air: "Tell me, how do you plan to defeat Yuan Shao in this battle?"

Liu Miao was both amused and exasperated: "That's Yuan Shao!"

What happened to Yuan Shao?

It's unclear when it started, but Liu Miao's soldiers always had great confidence in him.

But Liu Miao still shook his head with a smile when he asked, "What happened to Yuan Shao?"

When Lu Kang saw the expression on Liu Miao's face, his heart sank: "What? Are you not confident in this battle?"

But seeing Lu Kang like this, Liu Miao immediately withdrew his previous bitterness and held up two fingers at Lu Kang.

"Is there only a 20% chance of winning this battle?"

"No, it's that we only have a 98% chance of winning this battle! There's still a 20% chance we're not sure about..."

"Screw you!"

After receiving a satisfactory answer from Liu Miao, Lu Kang left gracefully, feeling truly relieved.

The next person to see Liu Miao was Sima Yi.

Sima Yi presented the tally with both hands and returned it to Liu Miao.

"Here you go! There's nothing wrong with what Zhongda did this time."

Sima Yi, however, knelt down with a "plop".

"My lord is guilty!"

"What's the crime?"

"When I saw Yuan Shao's army heading towards Nanyang, I knew that my lord was in Nanyang, yet I did not come to his aid..."

When Sima Yi said this, a fine layer of sweat had already formed on the back of his neck.

Although Sima Yi firmly believed that his judgment at the time was correct.

However, leaving one's lord in danger without coming to his rescue is itself a grave taboo in the relationship between ruler and subject!
Sima Yi was also unaware of Liu Miao's current attitude towards him, which inevitably caused him anxiety and unease...

"That's it?"

Liu Miao's two flippant words caused Sima Yi to look at him in astonishment.

Liu Miao chuckled, "Zhongda, do you know why I didn't bestow the tally upon anyone else, but specifically upon you?" "In terms of closeness, Bofu is practically my son."

“In terms of status, Zijing has always been my chief clerk.”

"In terms of ability, Kongming is by no means inferior to you."

Sima Yi believed all three points Liu Miao made.

"The reason I gave you the token is because you are the kind of person who only cares about winning or losing, not about right or wrong."

"If it had been anyone else in Shangcai that day, even if it were Zhuge Liang, he would have definitely tried to go to Nanyang to rescue me because of the principles of loyalty between ruler and subject."

"In this way, the best outcome would be to return empty-handed and waste our strength for nothing."

"If the worst-case scenario is that we directly anger Yuan Shao, causing him to lead a large army south, occupy Shangcai, and cut off the passage of the upper reaches of the Huai River, then neither of us will be able to reach Wuyang today to confront Yuan Shao... So, what crime have you committed?"

Liu Miao instructed Sima Yi to put away the tally.

"I like Kongming, but I don't dislike people like Zhongda either."

"Make the best use of resources and ensure that everyone fulfills their responsibilities... Only in this way can we accomplish the great task of restoring the Han Dynasty!"

Sima Yi was deeply shaken when he heard Liu Miao's last words!

He glanced at Liu Miao furtively and saw that Liu Miao was still intently reading the military reports on the table. He immediately cupped his hands to Liu Miao, said no more about the tally, and bowed as he left Liu Miao's tent.

"Zhongda, how is it?"

Zhuge Liang had been waiting there for some time now.

Sima Yi naturally knew why he had come, so he simply showed him the tally: "My lord is not angry about that matter."

“That would be perfect. I told Zhongda long ago that our lord is not that kind of person.”

But Sima Yi kept thinking about the scene from earlier and the more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

"Zhongda, what's wrong?"

Sima Yi thought for a long time before finally saying uncertainly, "My lord... you're being too serious!"

"Ok?"

Zhuge Liang looked at Sima Yi with surprise. Wouldn't it be better if Liu Miao were more serious? Isn't this everyone's wish?

"My lord is nervous."

Sima Yi made his deduction with a solemn expression.

“Even the last time we were in Langya, I never saw my lord with such an expression. He is completely different from his usual self!”

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang frowned slightly and gently waved his feather fan.

"Are you saying that even our lord isn't entirely confident of victory?"

Sima Yi raised his hand, gesturing for Zhuge Liang to look behind him: "Kongming, why do you think that anyone would believe they are certain of victory in such a battle?"

Zhuge Liang looked up.

A long dragon starts in Wuyang and stretches into the distance, reaching the horizon.

The ships that came and went diligently stayed at the dock, unloading the grain, supplies, soldiers, and armor on board, and then sailed out of the dock again, squeezing across the not-so-wide waterway back downstream to transport the next batch of grain, supplies, soldiers, and armor that might be transported.

This is like a major artery that is constantly pumping blood, and at its end it nourishes the monster that is now stationed in Wuyang.

Some people are digging the ground with pickaxes to build a camp.

Someone was using axe to chop down trees and tighten the fence.

Others are piling up earth to build mountains and accumulating high platforms; others are diverting water into canals and repairing them.

There are far more than tens of thousands of people standing here.
Perhaps this land has never been so busy, so overburdened, that even the host's welcome is somewhat inadequate, revealing bare patches of land that seem to be awkwardly and shyly smiling at these Han soldiers.

"Kongming, tell me, who can guarantee victory in such a battle?"

Sima stood beside Zhuge Liang and said, "Zhang He and Gao Lan have probably already been recalled by Yuan Shao."

"Now that Xiahou Dun has secured the gateway to Guanzhong, Yuan Shao will not waste Chunyu Qiong's time in Luoyang."

"The scene at Yuan Shao's place is probably even more shocking than ours here!"

"We stand here now to decide what the lives of the people of the world will be like for the next few decades or even hundreds of years... Even our lord, I'm afraid, will feel lingering fear?"

Zhuge Liang saw countless soldiers bustling about, moving around on the ground like ants, and then suddenly looked up.

It is now evening, and the stars are beginning to appear faintly in the sky.

The Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Mansions slowly revolve around the 163 stars of the Ziwei constellation at the very center. It seems slow, but if you lose focus even slightly, you'll notice that some stars have already hurriedly moved elsewhere and escaped your sight.

Zhuge Liang stared at the faintly visible stars in the sky, then suddenly closed his eyes and silently recited the Book of Changes.

"Spring corresponds to Zhen, Zhen is thunder, and thunder is earthly harmony."

“You will gain much from this. Do not doubt, friends, let’s get together.”

"With thorough preparations made and everything in place, there will naturally be benefits; since all preparations have been completed, and the great power of the world has been gathered, our strength is already quite formidable, so there is nothing left to hesitate about."

A cool breeze swept by, lifting Zhuge Liang's robes.

"The lord's preparations for this battle began the moment he made the thunderous decision to 'make sure the tiller has his land'."

"This battle has garnered the faith and support of so many people, therefore... there is no doubt!"

(End of this chapter)