I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 368 Is Liu Miao afraid of me?
Drinking poison to quench thirst is enough to survive!
If this poison were cut off, Yuan Tan might die instantly!
Guo Tu gritted his teeth.

But in the end, he dejectedly released his jaw.

Because he knew that what Yuan Tan said was true.

Smuggling with the South has implicated too many people, leading too many to join Liu Miao's treacherous schemes.

If we stop now, not only will Yuan Tan suffer, but the entire north will be implicated and a large number of people will die!
Faced with Liu Miao's increasingly powerful army, what else could it be but a self-inflicted death by doing something like cutting off both of his own arms?
Guo Tu sighed, "Your Highness, this is a fight to the death!"

"There's nothing I can do. I don't want to be bossed around by my younger brother like a dog in the future. I have no other choice."

Yuan Tan drank the tea in his cup in one gulp.

"But I hope that you can help me."

"Your Highness has done such a thing, do you still need my help?"

Guo Tu's intimacy with Yuan Shao ultimately surpassed his intimacy with Yuan Tan.

If Guo Tu had to choose between Yuan Shao and Yuan Tan, he would definitely choose Yuan Shao, not Yuan Tan.

Yuan Tan's eyes remained calm, clearly having anticipated Guo Tu's reply.

"Please come with me, my lord."

"Does Your Highness intend to kill me?"

Guo Tu would absolutely not allow Yuan Tan and those behind him to exist as a malignant tumor within the Yuan-Zhao regime!

The two sides cannot coexist!
Once Guo Tu returns to Ye City, he will surely tell Yuan Shao everything he saw and heard in Guanzhong!

Yuan Tan knew this, and so did Guo Tu.

Therefore, Guo Tu thought that Yuan Tan would probably have no choice but to kill him to shut him up!
"..."

Yuan Tan stepped forward and took Guo Tu's arm.

"Gongze and I are both teacher and friend. If I were to ascend to the throne in the future, I would certainly appoint Gongze as my prime minister! Even if I were the most foolish person, I would never do such a thing."

Guo Tu's heart skipped a beat!
But he still believed that Yuan Tan's words were nothing more than empty talk to him!
Yuan Tan didn't explain, but simply led Guo Tu to the drill ground in the military camp.

"This is……"

When Guo Tu finally saw the scene in the training ground, his pupils suddenly contracted!
On the drill ground, which was about a thousand feet wide, several neatly arranged rows of soldiers stood densely packed together!
These soldiers were all dressed in heavy armor, their legs firmly embedded in the ground. From a distance, they looked like rows of solid rocks standing in the center, serving as the foundation for the army!

"Gongze, has the central government discussed the Battle of Kunyang?"

"Of course."

Although the Yuan-Zhao regime portrayed the Battle of Kunyang as a victorious and successful campaign...

But this is just the official explanation.

All the high-ranking officials knew that the Battle of Kunyang was a complete and utter defeat for Yuan's army!
If Emperor Liu Xie of the Han Dynasty had not surrendered voluntarily, opening the gates of the Han capital to Yuan Shao's army, then after the Battle of Kunyang, Liu Miao could have pursued Yuan Shao relentlessly, driving him out of the Central Plains and leaving him with nothing!

Therefore, the high command also conducted a post-battle review of the Battle of Kunyang.

The final conclusion is—

Liu Miao was far too cunning!

In terms of raw power, Yuan Jun was no weaker than Liu Miao, and was even far stronger than Liu Miao!
If the two sides had been able to have a direct confrontation in the Battle of Kunyang, Liu Miao would definitely have lost in the end!

At that time, Liu Miao did not have the strength to directly confront Yuan's army, which was equipped with a large number of cavalry.

Therefore, the top brass of Yuan's army unanimously believed that this battle was nothing more than an accident.

As long as the battlefield is set in the Central Plains, a battlefield where the terrain can be completely controlled, Yuan's army can still achieve a great victory over Liu Miao by virtue of its cavalry advantage!
"Ha, so this is the final conclusion?"

"This is a fact!"

Guo Tu stared at Yuan Tan's nose and facial features, which bore a six or seven-point resemblance to Yuan Shao's.

"But now, no more!"

Based on the current trade volume, Guo Tu guessed that at least tens of thousands of warhorses had flowed into the south!

Liu Miao also had the ability to assemble heavy cavalry.

While it's not accurate to say that Liu Miao was able to assemble a heavy cavalry force of 10,000 men, he at least had the ability to confront Yuan Shao's cavalry on the main battlefield!

That's why Guo Tu was so angry!

Yuan Tan, and those behind him, are committing crimes!
They forcefully erased the biggest gap between the Han Dynasty and the Zhao Dynasty!

Who will bridge this gap?

Are they the meat-eaters who hide behind the scenes counting their money?

Do not!
In the end, aren't the ordinary soldiers and ordinary people the ones who bear all the consequences?

With more warhorses and cavalry, Liu Miao's advantage in war would increase! And once Liu Miao's advantage in war increases, Yuan Shao's side will suffer even more casualties!
Does Yuan Tan not understand this principle?

"I am actually reviewing the battle that day."

Yuan Tan held onto a wooden stake next to the drill ground.

"But my conclusion is completely opposite to yours."

"Liu Miao was not just cunning or simply lucky."

"During the Battle of Hedong, he personally led his soldiers to cross the Xiaoshan Mountains as the lord."

"When he heard the news of the fall of Guandu, he did not hesitate at all and immediately abandoned the Hedong and Guanzhong areas to go to the rescue of Nanyang."

"The so-called cunning of the enemy is actually just that they are superior to us, making it impossible for us to figure out their patterns..."

As someone who had twice lost to Liu Miao due to "accidents," Yuan Tan was able to frankly admit that Liu Miao was indeed stronger than him.

Not only Yuan Tan admitted it.

Yuan Tan even speculated that his own father, Yuan Shao, shared the same idea.

But Yuan Shao is now the emperor, so he cannot say such things himself; therefore, only his son can say them.

"There's no point in trying to defeat Liu Miao by taking shortcuts."

"Since we can't take shortcuts, we have to defeat him head-on!"

No sooner had Yuan Tan finished speaking than a battle cry suddenly erupted from the training ground!
The next moment, Guo Tu felt as if a sun had lit up in front of him!
But soon, Guo Tu realized it wasn't the sun. It was the vast expanse of gleaming swords in the center of the training ground!
Guo Tu squinted, and was instantly startled when he recognized the object!
"This, this is not..."

The weapons held by those heavily armored infantrymen were double-edged long-handled swords, each about ten feet long!

"Isn't this the Mo Dao (陌刀) that was used in Liu Miao's army?"

Guo Tu looked at Yuan Tan in astonishment: "How did this item come to be known?"

"Liu Miao received warhorses from me, so naturally I should also receive something from Liu Miao."

A smug smile crept onto Yuan Tan's lips.

"When I was studying the Battle of Kunyang, I discovered that Cao Cao had defeated heavily armored cavalry with heavily armored infantry."

"Liu Miao had previously defeated Yuan Shu's cavalry with a long-handled sword."

Yuan Tan's confidence at this moment surpassed anything he had ever shown before!
"Liu Miao's large-scale purchase of cavalry was for the purpose of forming a heavy cavalry force!"

"In that case, I will personally shatter his dreams with these heavy infantrymen wielding the Mo Dao! I will crush him on the front lines!"

Yuan Tan was finally able to face Guo Tu.

"Do you understand the principles of general principles?"

"I owe neither Your Majesty nor the people!"

"At that time, I will personally lead the troops to defeat Liu Miao! To atone for my sins!"

"As long as we can win, everything can start over!"

By the end, Yuan Tan had become hysterical!

He is not a traitor!
This is just one of his tactics!
Even if Liu Miao bought a lot more warhorses from the north, what difference would it make?

Anyway, he'll crush Liu Miao's cavalry on the battlefield! Then he'll capture Liu Miao himself! He'll pacify the south and unify the world!
Can such a person be called a traitor? Can he be called a rebel?
"Gongze, I need your help!"

"I know that Your Majesty will go to war with Liu Miao after the autumn harvest next year!"

"Help me keep this a secret until next year! When I personally defeat Liu Miao and achieve unparalleled military merit, I will then go to apologize to His Majesty!"

"..."

Although Yuan Tan appeared righteous and awe-inspiring, Guo Tu still discerned what Yuan Tan truly wanted.

"By then, given Your Highness's achievement in defeating Liu Miao, even if His Majesty were unwilling to appoint Your Highness as Crown Prince, it would probably be impossible, wouldn't it?"

"The position of Crown Prince was originally mine!"

Yuan Tan's thoughts were exposed, and he immediately became furious!

"Moreover, this is exactly what Gongze said to me before the Battle of Hedong! Have you forgotten?"

Guo Tu said in a deep voice, "That is indeed the case, but I never taught Your Highness to outwardly comply with His Majesty's wishes while inwardly disobeying him!"

"I have no choice!"

As if something had been punctured, Yuan Tan, in a fit of rage, slammed his fist heavily onto the wooden stake, causing it to shatter. Several splinters flew up and pierced Yuan Tan's flesh, drawing out bright red blood.

Guo Tu remained silent again.

It wasn't until the setting sun was almost below the mountains, until all the soldiers who had been training had been dismissed, and until the wind carried a faint smell of blood, that Guo Tu finally let out a heavy sigh.

"Your Highness, what do you require of me?"

Yuan Tan's eyes finally brightened.

"The public need not do anything."

"Just continue to pretend you don't know... If all else fails, you can expose the matter of Youzhou."

Youzhou?

Guo Tu was completely baffled!

What does this have to do with Youzhou?

"Does Gongze really think that the officials of Youzhou were completely unaware of the trade that took place in Liaodong?"

The current governor of Youzhou is Yuan Xi, the second son of Yuan Shao.

Guo Tu felt as if a mouthful of blood was stuck in his chest.

"Your Highness means... the Second Young Master also did it?"

"Xianyi isn't that bold, and he has a grudge against Liu Miao for stealing his wife, so it's unlikely he would openly help Liu Miao."

"But the officials under his command are another matter. Most of the officials in Youzhou are former subordinates of Gongsun Zan. They are only concerned with enriching themselves and have no time to think about national interests."

Guo Tu was completely numb at this point.

Are these aristocratic families really so lawless?
For a fleeting moment, Guo Tu even thought that Liu Miao's massacre of aristocratic families in the south was the right thing to do...

When it comes to profit, these bastards will sell anything!
After pondering for a moment, Guo Tu finally agreed to Yuan Tan's request.

However, Guo Tu had a condition: Yuan Tan had to reveal the names of the forces behind him.

Yuan Tan hesitated for a moment, but still told Guo Tu the truth.

From the highest officials of the imperial court to the regional governors, many names that Guo Tu had never even considered appeared on this list.

Most importantly, even Gao Gan, the governor of Bingzhou and Yuan Shao's nephew, was implicated!
"Shocking!"

When Guo Tu saw this list, his heart was already half dead.

Even for the sake of the stability of the Yuan-Zhao regime, this matter must be kept firmly under wraps!

corresponding.

Only if Yuan Tan takes that position in the future will the Yuan-Zhao regime not split or even collapse!

"I hope everything will proceed as Your Highness envisions."

Thinking of Yuan Tan's soldiers' heavy armor and long-handled swords, Guo Tu could only force himself to remain calm.

"Everything will be alright once we defeat Liu Miao!"

(End of this chapter)