I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 395 Han, Zhao, and the Northern and Southern Dynasties

Yecheng, Hebei.

"what!"

While still enjoying the warmth of his bed, Shen Pei, the Minister of the Northern Zhao, upon hearing the news, forgot to even eat his breakfast. He immediately put on his official robes, his legs moving like the wind, and traversed the palace grounds. His steps were like the rapid, dense beat of a drum, and he arrived at the palace gate of Yuan Shao, the Emperor of Northern Zhao.

"Your Majesty! Liu Miao has conquered Shu!"
Inside the palace, silence fell.

After a long while, sounds gradually came, and the palace gates were opened, allowing Shen Pei to enter.

Yuan Shao, dressed in a bright yellow silk robe, sat on a folding chair, his hair loose and draped over his shoulders. His eyes were as deep as the heavens, even somewhat empty and ruthless…

"Is the news true?"

"It's true! Liu Miao has already captured Chengdu! And he has executed Liu Zhang and his son Liu Xun as a warning to others!"

"..."

Yuan Shao remained silent for a long time once again.

Although his expression remained unchanged, for some reason, he seemed more dejected, and the entire palace appeared somewhat dilapidated.

"South, how long has it been since Liu Miao launched his campaign against Shu?"

"No more, no less, exactly March."

"The Shu kingdom was pacified in March."

Yuan Shao unconsciously dragged out his final words.

In three months, the Shu region was pacified.

Is this something that can actually be done by human beings?

How could Liu Miao's infantry be so elite?
The maids behind Yuan Shao gradually gathered his hair and put a crown on his head, giving him a long time to digest and ponder the affairs of Shu.

“Liu Miao…”

Yuan Shao spoke again, but it was still a murmur of Liu Miao's name.

"Three months."

After the initial shock came astonishment.

"How on earth did he do it?"

After the initial amazement, doubts remained.

Shen Pei cautiously replied, "It's an internal upheaval in Shu."

"Zhang Song, the Prefectural Administrator, and Fa Zheng, the Military Advisor, colluded with each other from within and without, enabling Liu Miao to easily capture Baidi City. At the same time, they obtained intelligence from Shu and advanced with unstoppable momentum."

This response inevitably lightened the atmosphere considerably.

"So, there's a traitor within Shu, which is why Liu Miao made such rapid progress?"

"Of course!"

For some reason, Yuan Shao suddenly felt at ease.

"My Great Zhao has no traitors, has it?"

"Absolutely not."

Yuan Shao smiled confidently and said, "I think so too!"

Seemingly comforted, Yuan Shao's mood improved considerably. He even had Shen Pei dine with him in the palace before summoning the civil and military officials of Northern Zhao to discuss matters together.

The artist's speed is extremely fast.

Before the court session, a brand-new map was presented to the emperor.

The Northern Zhao, which encompassed most of the north, and the Yan Han, which controlled the south, became the mainstream on the map.

In the outskirts, there were also Liu Bei and Gongsun Du of Liaodong, as well as Ma Teng, Han Sui, and Shi Xie of Jiaozhou in Xiliang.

Between Zhao and Han, there were also Zhang Lu of Hanzhong and Lü Bu of Qingxu.

But without a doubt, these colors can never take away the original yellow and red hues of the North and South.

After more than a decade of chaos at the end of the Later Han Dynasty, the entire world eventually evolved into a situation of confrontation between the North and the South!
But clearly, no one is willing to accept the division of the North and South!
There can be no two suns in the sky, nor two rulers in a country!
Yuan Shao stared at the two-colored map: "What time is it now?"

"There are two more days until Xiaoman (Grain Buds)."

"So, in three months, it will be harvest time?"

"Of course."

The officials of Northern Zhao all understood what Yuan Shao meant by asking about this particular date, and they all fell silent.

"Three months from now, I will personally lead the army on a southern expedition!"

Yuan Shao spoke calmly, but everyone felt a chill run down their spines!
Clearly, after Liu Miao pacified Shu, Yuan Shao completely abandoned the idea of ​​overdrawing the country's strength at this time and taking military action against the Central Plains.

Yuan Shao relegated all the victories and defeats to the all-out war that would begin in March!
Yuan Shao, the entire Northern Zhao, and the entire aristocratic politics and powerful clans that had persisted for four hundred years in the Han Dynasty were all about to make a decisive move against Liu Miao!
To conquer the south from the north!

Use righteousness to punish the rebellious!
The Mandate of Heaven rests with Yuan!

To pacify the world!

...Compared to the rather serious mobilization in the Northern Zhao court at this time, everyone else clearly had their own thoughts.

Liaodong, near Chongqing.

After Liu Bei sought refuge with Gongsun Du, Gongsun Du settled Liu Bei in this strategic location between the west and Hebei, in order to guard against Yuan Shao.

Although Linyu was not rich in resources, after Zhuge Liang came to Liaodong, he actively built wharves and mobilized the people to reclaim wasteland and mines. This made Linyu, a barren place, a prosperous place in Liaodong, attracting a large number of people from Youzhou and even Liaodong to come and join him. It was thriving!

Upon hearing that the Han Dynasty had recovered Shu, Liu Bei immediately went to find Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang was in the fields organizing the people to repair water conservancy projects when he heard the news. Although he was not shocked, he was still relieved and said, "With the Shu region pacified, Your Majesty no longer needs to worry about the flank defenses and can focus on dealing with Yuan Shao in the north. This is truly a good thing!"

Liu Bei was naturally in high spirits: "It seems that the pacification of the world is just around the corner!"

"When Your Majesty is fighting Yuan Shao in the Central Plains, I will be able to lead my troops to strike Youzhou directly, making Yuan Shao besieged on both sides! Hahahaha!"

Liu Bei's laughter was so infectious that even Zhuge Liang couldn't help but smile.

With a slight smile playing on his lips, Zhuge Liang's gaze unconsciously drifted eastward.

Liaodong, Gongsun Du...

Now, more and more rumors are circulating in Liaodong, and the restless Wuhuan and Goguryeo forces give Zhuge Liang a bad feeling.

At this moment, the only thing Zhuge Liang can do is to make Liu Bei as strong as possible, so that he can stand firm as a rock in the storms to come!
…………

Qingzhou, Linzi.

This former capital of the State of Qi has regained some of its former glory thanks to the booming development of trade in the Bohai Sea and the steady recovery of agriculture in Qingzhou.

Everything began to flourish.

After more than a decade of desolation, the Great Han Dynasty seemed to have truly hit rock bottom and begun to rebound, gradually developing in a positive direction.

"Hmm~"

After finishing a cup of milk tea mixed with honey syrup, Lü Bu stretched comfortably.

"Your Majesty pacified Shu in three months; the Han Dynasty truly still has the Mandate of Heaven!"

Lü Bu said with great interest, "It seems that the Northern Expedition is just around the corner!"

For someone like Lü Bu, the Northern Expedition also meant something else—

Finally, after a lifetime of wandering, I can return to the homeland that I almost thought I would never be able to go back to!
"Nine Plains!"

Lu Bu stood up and stretched his arms, but soon realized the awkward spot.

"My arm muscles have become so loose?"

Lu Bu looked down at the milk tea he had sipped empty and clearly realized where the problem lay.

"How could I have been injured to such an extent by this thing? From this day forward, I will abstain from it!"

"Otherwise, if we go back to our hometown, wouldn't people laugh at us?"

…………

The pacification of Shu had the least impact on Shi Xie of Jiaozhi.

Sending a gift to Jiankang is considered a gesture of goodwill, and then you can continue to be a good little hand warmer for your father.

But for Zhang Lu of Hanzhong, this matter seemed a bit too big!

When Liu Miao's envoy invited Zhang Lu to attack Shu, Zhang Lu didn't really care.

"The Shu region is well-defended; even Liu Miao could not conquer it in a short time."

It wasn't until Liu Miao suddenly captured Baidi City and Jiangzhou that Zhang Lu realized that Shu might truly be in danger of changing hands!

Therefore, Zhang Lu hurriedly dispatched his younger brother Zhang Wei to attack Shu.

Whether or not we help Liu Miao is irrelevant.

Zhang Lu mainly wanted to get a share of the profits!

The Shu region is so vast; if Liu Miao eats meat, surely they should leave him some soup?

If he had captured Chengdu before Liu Miao, wouldn't that have been...?

Unfortunately, before this dream could be fully realized, news spread that the Han army had captured Chengdu...

"I knew Liu Zhang was a good-for-nothing, but I never imagined he would be this bad!"

Zhang Lu's mother had a youthful appearance, which was passed down to Zhang Lu. Even though Zhang Lu is now quite old, his skin is still delicate, making him look like an immortal with a youthful face and white hair, unforgettable.

Zhang Lu wore a white turban and a crane-feather cloak, which symbolized ascension to immortality.

Thus, Zhang Lu sat upright in the hall, truly resembling a revered teacher rather than a warlord who held sway over Hanzhong in a chaotic era.

"The Han army has captured Shu. How should we conduct ourselves?"

Zhang Lu asked his clerk Yan Pu, but Yan Pu knew that Zhang Lu already had the answer in his heart.

The reason I asked was simply because I was worried.

"That depends on how the Emperor of Han views the Five Pecks of Rice sect..."

(End of this chapter)