I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 33 Sold as Sun and Moonlight
"Lu Zhongyi, there's still no news from Zhou Yu's side?"

"No."

If there were any news, Lu Kang would have informed Liu Miao long ago, so why would Liu Miao need to urge him?

"However, news came from Shouchun that the money and grain being transported would soon arrive in Shuxian!"

Money and provisions?

What money and food?
Liu Miao was initially puzzled, wondering where this batch of money and grain had come from.

It was only after Lu Kang reminded him that Liu Miao remembered the matter he had discussed with Chen Xiu earlier.

"No, they really gave it to us? And so quickly?"

"Yes, we sent someone to inform them beforehand, and it should arrive at Shuxian Wharf today."

Finally, I heard some good news!
Just as Liu Miao was considering whether to make two preparations or recruit some local soldiers to form a well-organized army, a servant from the mansion came to inform the two of their arrival.

"My lord, Lord Liu, some things have just been delivered from the dock, but we don't know what to do with them."

What else should be done?

Lu Kang glanced at the waiter and thought to himself, "This man is usually quite clever, so why did he make such a foolish mistake today?"

The waiter glanced at Liu Miao timidly before stammering, "The main problem is that there are gifts for Lord Liu inside, and we really don't know what to do with them."

Liu Miao knew, of course, that the money and grain were a gift for him, but judging from the servant's expression, he knew that things were not so simple.

"Fine, this is my own business, I'll handle it myself!"

"Lu Zhongyi, please wait at home. If you receive any news from Zhou Yu or Sun Ce, please send someone to find me immediately!"

"Zhongshan, please rest assured!"

After Liu Miao had gone some distance, Lu Kang asked the servant curiously, "What exactly was that difficult thing you mentioned earlier? Why do you want Zhongshan to go there personally?"

Seeing that Liu Miao was not there, the waiter relaxed and immediately replied, "It's a boatload of singing girls sent from Shouchun, about forty or fifty of them!"

"It is widely known both inside and outside the prefecture that Magistrate Liu 'has a fondness for beautiful women,' so we really dare not take matters into our own hands and can only trouble Magistrate Liu to go there in person!"

Lu Kang was stunned for a moment, but then suddenly burst into laughter.

"Zhongshan, Zhongshan, sometimes I really don't know if he's doing it intentionally or unintentionally... Oh well! Let him be!"

……

Liu Miao rode in a four-spoked red-wheeled carriage with a red yoke. The gilded bronze axle hanging below constantly struck the bluestone road, reminding passersby to give way.

Since it was a rare occasion for Liu Miao to go out, he deliberately lifted the curtain and looked around.

Two thousand years ago, the sky was very blue and bright, without the somber, earthy yellow that one might expect it to have.

Farmers, their heads wrapped in blue turbans and red cloths, carried baskets of newly harvested millet, their straw sandals glistening with dew, forming long queues at the tax collectors' station at the city gate. From beneath their bamboo hats, the sounds of bargaining could be heard in their local accents. Along the street, shops had carved Han dynasty bricks inlaid on their lintels, and potters were stacking newly fired gray pottery jars in front of their shops, the glaze revealing faint fish-patterned reliefs.

Before the cloth market, where city flags fluttered, weavers held up plain silk woven overnight, meticulously counting the warp and weft to see if it met the official standard of "two feet and two inches wide." Suddenly, the sound of copper bells rang out, and the oxcarts of a salt merchant caravan rolled over the stone-paved road. The lacquered wooden plaques hanging on the cart shafts were still stained with the red soil of the Shu Road... However, upon seeing Liu Miao's cart, they wisely stepped aside and bowed towards Liu Miao's location.

The aroma of steamed buns wafted from roadside eateries. Coarse dough mixed with millet and wild leeks steamed in earthenware steamers, and several laborers dressed in short tunics were exchanging food with bamboo tokens. As they ate their buns, they would glance curiously at Liu Miao, but as soon as they realized their eyes met his, they quickly looked away, focusing their gaze on the passing young women and men.

Under the shade of the locust tree, a village headman in a deep robe patrolled the market with two watchmen, the copper seal hanging from his leather belt swaying slightly with each step. Suddenly, a child carrying a wooden dove cart darted out from the dye shop, nearly knocking over the lacquered ear cups on the peddler's shoulder pole, causing the young scholar who was selecting a jade pendant to frown and dust off the hem of his straight robe.

From the foot of the city wall in the distance came the sound of laborers repairing the wall. "In this quiet place, there is no war; the spirit of battle has vanished into the light of the sun and moon."

Unfortunately, with Yuan Shu's arrival in Huainan, all this glory will now vanish.

Liu Miao now only hopes that Yuan Shu can give him a little more time so that he can accomplish everything he wants to do!

Outside of Shuxian County, the bluestone official road turned into a rammed earth road.

As the view gradually opened up, the road was filled with tattooed officials and convicts escorting goods, as well as pedestrians and merchants hurrying to and fro between the two places.

Shuxian County is crisscrossed by rivers and has a network of waterways, but the most bustling one is the Longshu River, which originates in the southwestern mountains and flows all the way to Chaohu Lake.

Because it connects to Chaohu Lake and links with the Huai River and the Yangtze River, the main wharves and ferry crossings in Shuxian County are all located on this river.

At this moment, the long cargo boat was unloading lacquerware from Jiangdong. The boatmen, dressed in coarse linen and short clothes, piled up wooden boxes next to the earthen steps, and beads of sweat rolled down their dark backs into the river.

Suddenly, the sound of coins clinking could be heard. It turned out that a fishmonger carrying a shoulder pole squeezed into the crowd through the wet moss. Several live silver carp in his bamboo basket splashed water everywhere, attracting the attention of the cook wearing a blue apron who chased after him to haggle over the price.

It was already noon. The riverside tavern had set up a reed mat awning, and freshly roasted pork shoulder was laid out on the table, the fat seeping into the crispy wheat cakes. Several merchants dressed in linen clothes were sipping sweet wine from earthenware bowls.

"Have you all heard? There's chaos again in the north! It seems Yuan Shu is about to come to Huainan!"

"Really? Oh dear! Does that mean we can't do business in Huainan anymore?"

"Oh dear! Oh dear! It seems that the only option now is to flee to Jiangdong to escape this disaster!"

"..."

The news that Yuan Shu was about to arrive in Huainan was no longer a secret after so many days.

The news had already spread among the most well-informed merchants, but they quickly shut their mouths after someone discovered Liu Miao's red-wheeled chariot.

Nowadays, the Han Dynasty's officialdom is full of Yuan's protégés, so no one dares to speak ill of Yuan!
Liu Miao originally wanted to join in a chat, but seeing the evasive look in the merchants' eyes, he gave up the idea and headed straight for the boatman.

The boat wasn't big, so Liu Miao was curious about what it was that even the servants of the prefect's office didn't know how to handle!

Moreover, when Liu Miao arrived at the boatman's side, he discovered that a number of young and strong men had already gathered around the boat, blowing horns and occasionally letting out lewd laughter...

"Lord Liu, come and take a look!"

When the boatman saw Liu Miao, it was as if he had seen a savior. He quickly brought Liu Miao to his side, clearly wanting to get rid of the burden to Liu Miao as soon as possible.

Liu Miao looked closely, and his eye twitched as well. He then pointed to the cabin—

"Is this what you call 'thing'?"

"Yes!"

The boatman was distressed.

"Lord Liu, what do you think should be done?"

Looking at the group of young girls crammed together in the cabin, all of them young and frail, with unspeakable bewilderment and fear in their eyes, Liu Miao felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

"Damn it! Can't those scions of wealthy families do anything right?"

(End of this chapter)