I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 428 There Can Only Be Two Suns in the Sky
Upon hearing Yuan Shao's question, Lu Su immediately took out the letter that Liu Miao had given him.

"By order of the Emperor of the Great Han Dynasty, I am here to deliver a letter to the Yuan family!"

In any case, Lu Su refused to acknowledge Yuan Shao's status as emperor or the legitimacy of the Northern Zhao dynasty!
Since Lu Su disliked Yuan Shao so much, Yuan Shao naturally disliked Lu Su in return and refused to send a servant to take the letter from Lu Su's hand.

but it does not matter!
Lu Su opened the letter himself and read it aloud to himself—

"The Liu and Yuan families are related by marriage. The Han and Zhao states have always been friendly nations. I believe that ending war and allowing the people to rest is a great virtue of emperors; and that maintaining good faith and harmony is a great benefit throughout history. Therefore, I have made the decision to pursue peace... Hmm?"

Lu Su suspected that he had misread it.

But no matter how many times I looked at it, those were indeed the words on the letter.

Lu Su's forehead was covered in cold sweat, but he continued reading.

"In the past, the northern army invaded the capital, and the Nine Temples were covered in dust. Although we repaired our armor and sharpened our weapons, we could not stop the invasion. Now, we see that the map is torn, which is due to the lack of virtuous influence. Seeing the people in distress, we know that the imperial power is not reliable. In the past, Pingyuan ceded land to relieve the Zhao's troubles, and Goujian lived in the mountains to preserve the Yue's sacrifices. We should learn from the past and adapt to change, and learn from the example of moving firewood instead of bending the chimney."

"This land, encompassing the Central Plains, extends north to the Yellow River, west to the Xiaohan Pass, and east to the sea and mountains, and is entirely ceded to neighboring states, thus ending all warfare forever. May the armies of the Three Rivers region cease, may grain be plentiful in every household, and may even the elderly, with their white hair, never know the horrors of war..."

"..."

Lu Su pondered the matter repeatedly, suspecting that Liu Miao was using diplomacy before resorting to force.

But no matter how many times they flipped through it, they couldn't find a second piece of paper.

What if I picked up the wrong one?

They must have taken the wrong one!
Lu Su was aware of Liu Miao's cultural literacy.

What does "曩者北兵犯阙" mean? Did Liu Miao know how to pronounce "曩"?
However, a closer look at the handwriting reveals that it is indeed Liu Miao's. Even if the content wasn't written by Liu Miao himself, at least he copied the letter!
Not only was Lu Su dumbfounded, but even the officials of Northern Zhao who had just been suppressed by Lu Su were stunned.

But after a moment of stunned silence, they burst into laughter!
"Liu Miao actually came to sue for peace?"

"Hahaha! Liu Miao looks so tough, but he turns out to be so groveling?"

"Lu Su! Go back and ask Liu Miao why he surrendered! Huh?!"

"..."

At this moment, Yuan Shao, who was sitting at the head of the table, also laughed.

"Liu Miao, do you really want to cede territory and sue for peace?"

Lu Su suddenly realized Liu Miao's true intention in sending him to Yuan's camp.

Immediately, Lu Su composed himself: "Yes!"

This resolute answer once again caused the officials of Northern Zhao to burst into laughter.

But there are also a few people.

Guo Tu, Pang Ji, Ju Shou, Tian Feng, and others stared intently at Lu Su, but no one knew what they were thinking.

Although Lu Su spoke of seeking peace, his eyes remained fixed on Yuan Shao: "If the Han army were to withdraw from the Central Plains, would the Yuan family agree?"

Now, Lu Su's demeanor seems more like demanding that the other side cede territory and sue for peace!

"Ha! You mean it?"

"Only a fool would agree!"

"I'm afraid you're up to some kind of trick!"

There was noise all around, and Lu Su looked directly at the person who was speaking.

"If you don't believe me, our army can first hand over Xingyang, Chenliu, Xuchang, and other places, and the Yuan family only needs to lead their troops back to Yecheng! What do you say?"

That would be perfect!
To take over half of the Central Plains without losing a single soldier is an incredibly worthwhile deal no matter how you look at it!
At worst, we can agree to their demands, return to Ye City, and then continue the attack next year!

Today we cede five cities to the Han Dynasty, tomorrow we cede ten more. Sooner or later we will be able to completely destroy the Han Dynasty!

But at this moment, Ju Shou's gaze was sharp as a knife: "Is Liu Miao's move perhaps not a delaying tactic?"

"Your Majesty, can't you be kind-hearted and unable to bear the suffering of the people?"

Lu Su's gaze never left Yuan Shao from beginning to end!
At this moment, he also understood the purpose of Liu Miao's letter.

Liu Miao's letter was more like bringing a beauty like Xi Shi over, stripping her naked, and stuffing her into Yuan Shao's arms.

Regardless of whether Yuan Shao was a man of integrity like Liu Xiahui who could remain unmoved even with a woman in his lap.

Whether Yuan Shao acts in chaos or not has absolutely nothing to do with Liu Miao!

But if Yuan Shao were a normal person, he would have blushed and reacted if he were touched like this.

Even if they didn't celebrate with the same fervor as the officials of Northern Zhao, they should at least, like Ju Shou, ponder what sinister intentions lay hidden behind this delicate, fair-skinned beauty.

But Yuan Shao remained completely silent...

This is extremely unusual for someone like Yuan Shao!

Upon seeing Yuan Shao's reaction, Lu Su suddenly began to have doubts as well.

Yuan Shao now seemed to have no strength left.

Though the physical form remains, the spirit has already faded like a candle in the wind, a lamp in the rain…

Lu Su was greatly alarmed and quickly lowered his head, afraid that others would notice something amiss.

"There cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two rulers in a country."

Yuan Shao spoke slowly again, which surprised the officials of Northern Zhao. Judging from his tone… Yuan Shao didn't agree?

Why not agree?
Even if it really was some kind of conspiracy by Liu Miao, the fact that he could take over half of the Central Plains so effortlessly is unbelievable!

Moreover, from both a military and political perspective, Yuan Shao should agree!
Militarily, a strong attack on Xingyang and other places would inevitably cause Yuan's army to suffer heavy losses. If losses were incurred on a certain battlefield on the western front, the soldiers there would inevitably complain.

Politically, Liu Miao is now refusing land offered for free. What will the people of the Central Plains think? Will they think that Yuan Shao doesn't treat them as his subjects at all, thus causing resentment among the people of the Central Plains and making them help the Han army fight against Yuan's army?
From any perspective, should Yuan Shao have agreed to Liu Miao's request and made peace with him at this time?
As for why Liu Miao agreed to make peace?
In the eyes of the officials of Northern Zhao, wasn't it normal for Liu Miao to make peace?

History has proven time and again that when the north conquers the south, the south is always destined to lose.

Even after reviewing the previous Battle of Kunyang, the Northern Zhao believed that the defeat was merely an accident.

With the capture of Xuchang and the acquisition of Liu Xie, Yuan Shao had won another victory! He thwarted Liu Miao's strategy of bringing the imperial court to Jiangdong!
The Southern Han regime was already weak! Now that the royal army has come, isn't it perfectly normal for them to cede territory and sue for peace?

But why didn't Yuan Shao agree?
"Lu Zijing, tell Liu Miao. Things have come to this point, there's no need to think of any more tricks to delay the war."

Yuan Shao spoke in a calm tone, clearly agreeing with Ju Shou's view that Liu Miao's so-called cession of territory to seek peace was nothing more than a piece of candied fruit hiding deadly poison.

"I originally intended to kill you today."

Clearly, Yuan Shao took Lu Su's provocative words to heart.

"But considering that Liu Miao has at least known when to back down this time, I will spare you for now."

When Yuan Shao said he was going to kill Lu Su, Lu Su did indeed feel a sudden chill on his neck.

However, after hearing what came next, Lu Su suddenly realized something.

If Liu Miao had actually written a letter to severely criticize Yuan Shao, then this Han envoy would likely never have been able to leave Yuan's camp.

"If Liu Miao truly wishes to make peace, then let him stand before me with his hands clasped behind his back. I will spare his life then... Everything else is off the table!"

By this time, Lu Su had already obtained the information he wanted, and naturally became much more restrained.

He strode out of the tent and out of Yuan's camp, completely unlike the composed manner he had when he arrived.

Once out of range of Yuan's archers, Lu Su started jogging, which caused Yuan's soldiers to burst into laughter!
Inside Yuan Shao's camp.

Guo Tu, Pang Ji, and the others were still wondering, "Has Liu Miao lost his mind? Why would he suddenly send such a thing?"

"If His Majesty really agrees, do you really think he will give it to him?"

Yuan Shao remained seated, putting extra effort into understanding Liu Miao's actions, but he couldn't figure out the reason no matter what he tried.

Ju Shou then said, "Warfare is based on deception. Liu Miao sent Lu Su here, probably to test something."

Test?

In that short time, what did Lu Su discover?
Yuan Ying's military formation?
Yuan Jun's battle plan?
Not a single one of these secrets has been revealed!

Even if the Han Dynasty had spies in Yuan's army, from the moment Lu Su entered until he left, thousands of people were watching him! Where was there any opportunity for him to obtain intelligence?

The others were quite surprised!

Ju Shou said: "Military strategy is based on five factors, compared with plans, and its essence is sought: first, the Way; second, Heaven; third, Earth; fourth, the General; and fifth, the Law."

"The Way is to make the people agree with their ruler, so that they will follow him to the death and to live, without fear of danger."

"Heaven is Yin and Yang, cold and heat, and the seasons."

“The land is defined by its distance, its terrain, its size, and its connection to life and death.”

"Lu Su's visit was clearly not to spy on these three things."

What remains are nothing more than generals and laws.

They are all old acquaintances.

As for the law, Lu Su had no chance to contact it.

Therefore, Liu Miao and Lu Su's actions were simply inexplicable!
At this moment, Yuan Shao, who had been silently listening to everyone's conversation, finally realized something!
He suddenly stood up! An unnatural blush flashed across his face! The scales on his body clanged and rattled like thunder!
"Go and bring Lu Su back immediately!"

"If we can't pursue them, we'll just shoot them dead!"

No one knew why Yuan Shao was suddenly so agitated, but they hurriedly went to chase after Lu Su.

But Lu Su, who had been running all the way, had already boarded a boat and returned to Dingtao on the other side of the river, so that Yuan's army could no longer find his trace!
Upon hearing this news, Yuan Shao's face turned ashen!
This was because he probably already knew how important the intelligence Lu Su had brought from him was!
This intelligence has now reached Liu Miao's ears.

After hearing Lu Su's report on what he had seen and heard in Yuan's camp, Liu Miao gasped in shock.

"I knew I was right, that old bastard Yuan Shao really doesn't have long to live!"

However, Liu Miao's brows showed no sign of joy at this moment.

"Damn it! Is this the Emperor, whose lifespan is nearing its end, suddenly emerging from the mountains with his imperial army?"

"What did your Majesty say?"

"nothing!"

Liu Miao praised Lu Su: "Good news! Yuan Shao is probably really dying soon! And Zijing's scolding in Yuan's camp was excellent! It's estimated that it will make that old bastard Yuan Shao lose his orders for another day or two!"

"Bad news! We all need to recalculate and assess Yuan's army's movements!"

"The tactics employed by Yuan Shao and those of a dying Yuan Shao are completely different things!"

(End of this chapter)