I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 37 Not Asking About the World
Liu Miao glanced at it only once before looking away.

Although there was still a screen between them, all three of them knew without a doubt that they were now completely open with each other!

There were no formalities, no rice wine, and not even a mat to sit on!

Zhou Yu sat opposite Liu Miao and gave a slight bow.

"A lot has happened these past few days. I wonder if Your Excellency could answer my questions?"

"Please ask me whatever you wish, Gongjin. I will answer all your questions to the best of my knowledge!"

Zhou Yu turned his head to the side, his handsome profile leaning towards the screen, then turned back to look at Liu Miao again.

"Today, Your Excellency will not only have to speak frankly, but I'm afraid you'll also have to offer your whole heart and soul!"

"That's natural!"

Zhou Yu took a deep breath and began his questioning—

"Has Lord Liu sided with Yuan Shao?"

"no!"

Why did Shouchun send money and grain?

"This was to appease Lu Zhongyi and me, to tell us not to cause trouble in Lujiang and delay their resistance against Yuan Shu."

"So Lord Liu accepted it?"

Liu Miao couldn't help but chuckle: "Why wouldn't you take advantage of a delicious meal that's offered to you? If a man were to ignore a woman like Xi Gui or Zhuang Jiang who lay naked in bed with him, could he even be considered a man?"

Zhou Yu was clearly surprised by Liu Miao's vulgar reply, but seeing no movement behind the screen, he continued to inquire.

"In that case, is Lord Liu preparing to welcome General Hou into Huainan?"

Liu Miao shook his head, then frowned and nodded, his previous cheerful demeanor gone.

"The affairs of the world are such that those who follow them prosper, and those who oppose them perish."

“I told Gongjin before that Yuan Shu would be defeated sooner or later. This is an inevitable trend that cannot be changed by human effort.”

"Similarly, Yuan Shu's entry into Huainan is the current trend, and it cannot be reversed! If we rashly try to stop him, it will be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, and we will end up being crushed to pieces!"

Zhou Yu nodded, clearly agreeing with Liu Miao's words.

"Then why did Governor Liu still let Chen Yu leave? Isn't Governor Liu afraid that Chen Yu will slander you in front of the General of the Rear?"

Liu Miao raised an eyebrow: "I thought Gongjin was going to ask me how I planned to hold my pieces in this hopeless situation in Huainan. Why is he asking Chen Yu instead?"

Zhou Yu took a deep breath and glanced at the screen again.

"If I were to fight alongside you amidst the flames of war today, or traverse the rivers and lakes, I would indeed be quite interested in how you would turn this seemingly hopeless situation around."

"But now, we don't concern ourselves with the world, we only concern ourselves with the lord!"

Ignoring the world...

Liu Miao also looked at the screen and felt more and more that the Wu family sitting behind it was no ordinary person. No wonder they were able to raise such great rulers as Sun Ce and Sun Quan.

Now that he knew the exam syllabus, Liu Miao became more relaxed and signaled to continue.

“Chen Yu is a gentleman. He said before he left that he would not speak ill of me in front of Yuan Shu, so I naturally believe him.”

Unexpectedly, Zhou Yu frowned upon hearing this, seemingly dissatisfied with the answer.

"Does Lord Liu truly think that his own safety is tied to the virtue of others?"

Liu Miao nodded frankly.

"Those who believe will not doubt, and those who doubt will not believe."

"Otherwise, would Gongjin have wanted me to kill or imprison Chen Yu immediately after I said, 'I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me'?"

"As I just said, Yuan Shu's entry into Huainan is an inevitable trend that cannot be reversed."

"Even if I kill Chen Yu, won't Yuan Shu still enter Huainan? Won't he attack me? If that's the case, why bother trying to restrain others instead of focusing on my own affairs?"

Zhou Yu's expression softened somewhat.

Thankfully, Liu Miao wasn't the kind of fool to risk his life, otherwise Zhou Yu would have lost faith in his own judgment!
Zhou Yu then asked, "A few days ago, you hosted a banquet for travelers at the ferry crossing outside the city and also brought dozens of female entertainers into your home. May I ask why?"

Why?

Liu Miao responded to the question with a somewhat dismissive smile.

"Why? Do you think I, Liu Miao, always have ulterior motives or desires in everything I do?"

"As I said when I was idly fishing, I, Liu Miao, usually do not engage in farming and am supported by the people. What harm is there in taking out some money to treat the people to a meal?"

"If there really is a reason, then Gongjin will just assume that I, Liu Miao, was simply in a good mood and looking for fun!"

"As for those courtesans... I will surely have many wives and concubines to marry in the future. Wouldn't it be better to keep some at home to take care of them? Or is Gongjin also envious and wants some?"

Zhou Yu coughed twice in a panic, then looked at the screen next to him.

Fortunately, the screen remained intact, and the person behind it remained unmoved, showing no anger at Liu Miao's words.

Zhou Yu breathed a sigh of relief, gave Liu Miao a small, slightly fearful look, and then calmed himself down.

"One last thing."

Zhou Yu also looked at Liu Miao with curiosity, clearly wanting to get to the bottom of things.

"How exactly did Lord Liu know that the item was in Bo Fu's possession?"

"Forehead……"

Liu Miao, who had been calm and composed since entering the room, finally couldn't utter a reply to Zhou Yu.

He had intended to make up some excuse to fool Zhou Yu, but when he remembered that he had just made the promise to "donate his liver and gallbladder," he immediately put the idea out of his mind.

After a long while, Liu Miao finally answered Zhou Yu with an answer that wasn't really an answer—

Would you believe me if I said I was born with this knowledge?

He thought Zhou Yu would scoff at this answer, but to his surprise, Zhou Yu nodded repeatedly: "Since Lord Liu says so today, then Gongjin naturally believes it!"

Just as Zhou Yu was about to say something, the screen, which had been silent until now, suddenly flickered twice!

Zhou Yu quickly got up and went to the back room. Then there was a rustling sound, obviously someone was whispering something.

When Zhou Yu returned, his face already showed a hint of apology.

"There is one more question for Magistrate Liu to answer. I wonder if Magistrate Liu would be willing?"

I already said that this was the last question, but now you're suddenly adding another one, which is really impolite.

However, Liu Miao didn't care at all: "Since I said I would speak my mind, there's nothing to hide or avoid!"

"Don't even mention one question, even if you had ten thousand questions, I would answer them all for you today!"

The last "you" clearly does not refer to Zhou Yu; in the context, it sounds more like a love confession.

Zhou Yu was also incredibly impressed by Liu Miao, who was able to provoke the person behind the screen at this moment; he was truly no ordinary person!

"This last question is for Prefect Liu..."

"If one day, Governor Liu's great ambitions fail and he is driven to a dead end, what should Governor Liu do?"

What the hell is this problem?

Liu Miao hesitated for a moment: "A dead end?"

"A dead end!"

"Is it even more ruthless than when Emperor Gaozu kicked his own children away?"

"Even more amazing than that!"

Zhou Yu's dark blue hair ornament, with its hanging silk ribbons brushing against his sharply defined jawline, stared intently into Liu Miao's eyes beneath his high, prominent brow bone.

"If that's the case, what will Your Excellency do?"

(End of this chapter)