I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 468 Yuanlong's Last Plan (Part 2)

Hearing that it was a final burst of energy before death, Yuan Tan's eyes unconsciously dimmed.

"I know."

Having temporarily shelved his plan to attack Liu Miao, Yuan Tan went straight to Chen Deng's tent.

Lifting the thick curtain of the tent, it was surprisingly cold inside and out.

Chen Deng, dressed in an extremely thin blue and white gauze robe, sat on a bamboo mat in the center of the tent, looking like an immortal, completely unrecognizable from his previous appearance of vomiting insects.

"Yuanlong, are you alright?"

Upon hearing Yuan Tan utter words that even he himself might not believe, Chen Deng couldn't help but shake his head.

“I met the legendary physician Hua Tuo three years ago. He treated my illness then and said that if there were no highly skilled doctors three years later, my life would be in danger.”

"At the time, I thought Hua Tuo was intimidating me... Now that I think about it, I was really shallow and unaware of my own shortcomings."

Yuan Tan sat down opposite Chen Deng, cross-legged, looking somewhat wistful.

"It's a pity I don't know where Hua Tuo is. Otherwise, even if it meant facing a thousand difficulties and dangers, I would definitely invite him to Yuanlong's place."

Chen Deng coughed a few times, his blood surging, which made his face turn somewhat red.

"I heard Hua Tuo say that he was tired of traveling around practicing medicine and wanted to return to officialdom. But since we haven't heard anything about him since, he must be dead, right?"

Yuan Tan raised an eyebrow, seemingly quite surprised by the news.

"After all, doctors are practitioners of medical skills and do not have a high social status. It is normal for him to have such thoughts."

Chen Deng said half-jokingly, "If he hadn't died, he might have been hidden away by someone, and Your Highness probably wouldn't have been able to find him."

Yuan Tan chuckled helplessly twice.

"A physician like Hua Tuo traveled far and wide, helping the people and accumulating countless merits. If we were to hide him away for our own use, we would be worse than animals."

Chen Deng chuckled a few times, but there was no trace of joy in his voice.

"My body is like an oil lamp that is about to burn out, burning in the wind and rain. Even if we can find a doctor to add oil to prolong its life, how can we completely cure it?"

Chen Deng did not take life and death very seriously.

That's because some things are far more important than life and death.

"I have heard that Liu Miao has returned Your Highness's wife?"

Yuan Tan's smile froze on his face, and he added a word rather seriously—

"Formerly, she is the former wife."

"that's not important."

Chen Deng suddenly sat up straight: "Your Highness, do you now wish to engage in a decisive battle with Liu Miao?"

"Since he dares to come, why can't I fight him?"

"We cannot fight."

Yuan Tan frowned: "Why?"

"Doesn't Your Highness realize that Liu Miao's journey from Langya all the way to Jiaodong is clearly an attempt to provoke Your Highness into attacking him?"

"Liu Miao did this to relieve Lü Bu's siege!"

"Does Your Highness truly believe that Liu Miao is the kind of person who would disregard his own life and death for the sake of others?"

"..."

Yuan Tan remained silent.

From his perspective, he would naturally apply every adjective in the world to Liu Miao, describing him as the most vicious and wicked person imaginable.

As for selflessness?

Is this spirit related to Liu Miao's half-coin?

Yuan Tan pondered for a moment: "I suppose Liu Miao couldn't hold out on the Central Plains battlefield, so he came here to seek an opportunity to fight?"

"If that's the case, Your Highness, don't you think Liu Miao would immediately retreat to Shouchun and rely on the natural barrier of the Huai River to confront Your Majesty?"

Chen Deng shook his head again.

"Liu Miao is an extremely frivolous and cunning man. He will do whatever it takes to achieve what he wants, and he will try his best to avoid doing what he doesn't want to do... Just like a dragon, he can be big or small, he can rise or hide; when he is big, he can stir up clouds and mist, and when he is small, he can hide his form."

"When dealing with such a person, Your Highness must carefully consider his motives no matter what he does in order to respond accordingly."

Chen Deng said this with some regret.

“Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you be victorious in every battle.”

"Back in Asan, I thought I understood Lü Bu and Chen Gong, so I didn't pay any attention to Zhuge Liang. Now that I think about it, Zhuge Kongming was able to make fun of me like a baby because he didn't underestimate me, but I underestimated him."

"Your Highness has clashed with Liu Miao more than once... Does Your Highness still believe that Liu Miao is nothing more than a rogue and a shameless scoundrel?"

"..."

Yuan Tan, of course, did not think so.

That's how the common people might see it.

The soldiers can think that way.

Even generals and officials might think this way.

However, as the future leader of the country and the eldest son of the Yuan family who had been defeated by Liu Miao several times, Yuan Tan knew all too well what kind of person Liu Miao was.

terrible.

Even invincible!
However, Yuan Tan never thought in that direction.

Because Yuan Tan was afraid.

He was afraid that he would lose the courage to oppose Liu Miao.

He was not Yuan Shao, not Cao Cao, not one of those true heroes who fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Therefore, Yuan Tan could only belittle Liu Miao in order to make people forget that Liu Miao was now the Emperor of the Han Dynasty! He was the restorer of the Han Dynasty who revived it three times! He was a great ruler who pacified Jiangdong, attacked Huainan, destroyed Jingxiang, and pacified Yizhou, personally suppressing half of the world. He would surely be remembered in history!

However, Chen Deng now tells him—

No!

I can't keep deceiving myself like this.

Otherwise, Yuan Tan would undoubtedly lose this battle!

Yuan Tan gradually calmed down.

He began to carefully consider Liu Miao's sudden attack.

Without any warning, and even reportedly without having brought enough supplies, they marched from the Central Plains straight to Qingzhou at an extremely fast speed.

Such a rapid marching speed almost guaranteed that the Han soldiers were exhausted.

Even so, Liu Miao still brought Lady Wen with him.

Previously, Yuan Tan thought that Liu Miao brought Lady Wen along only to humiliate him.

Yuan Tan even imagined that in the future, on a battlefield where tens of thousands of soldiers were fighting, Liu Miao would brazenly humiliate his wife in front of tens of thousands of troops, so that he would lose face.

But it wasn't until Chen Deng reminded him that Yuan Tan suddenly realized—

"Liu Miao did it on purpose."

"He's deliberately provoking me! So that I'll lead my army into a decisive battle with him!"

Yuan Tan was also taken aback when he came to this conclusion.

"Liu Miao, how dare he?"

Was Liu Miao really that confident that he could definitely defeat him?
Yuan Tan cautiously inquired, "Is it possible that Liu Miao was completely unaware that our army had heavy cavalry and heavy infantry, and was careless due to momentary worry?"

"Does Your Highness think Liu Miao is a fool?"

A hint of helplessness flickered in Chen Deng's eyes.

"Your Highness may not know Liu Miao, but you should know His Majesty and Lord Cao."

"How could such powerful leaders, who have come from the battlefield, possibly make a mistake on such an important battle?"

"And even if Liu Miao didn't know about those, he should at least know about the thousands of Wuhuan cavalry under Tadun's command."

"Does Your Highness still believe that Liu Miao's actions were merely a momentary impulse?"

"..."

Yuan Tan's heart suddenly turned ice-cold.

He only realized it now.

All his actions seemed to have been part of the enemy's plan.

If Chen Deng hadn't reminded him, Yuan Tan would have led his army directly to attack. And that was exactly what Liu Miao wanted to see.

Yuan Tan's head felt like it was about to split open.

"Yuanlong, I don't understand."

"What exactly is Liu Miao hiding that makes him so fearless?"

Heavy cavalry?
Thunderbolt?
Sea ship?

……

Unfortunately, no matter how hard Yuan Tan thought about it, he couldn't come up with a solution.

Chen Deng was also unable to answer this question.

However, Chen Deng slowly said, "Those skilled in warfare in the past first made themselves invincible, and then waited for the enemy to become vulnerable. Invincibility lies in oneself, vulnerability lies in the enemy. Therefore, those skilled in warfare can make themselves invincible, but cannot make the enemy vulnerable. Hence it is said: Victory can be known, but cannot be forced."

Those skilled commanders in ancient times always first created conditions to place themselves in an invincible position, then waited for an opportunity to defeat the enemy. Achieving invincibility hinges on seizing the initiative; the enemy's defeat depends on whether they provide an opening. Therefore, a skilled commander can ensure they are not defeated by the enemy, but cannot guarantee the enemy's victory. Thus, victory can be foreseen, but cannot be forced.

"Neither Your Highness nor I know what Liu Miao is hiding now."

"However, military campaigns are never something that everyone can fully understand."

"Since we cannot defeat Liu Miao now, Your Highness should focus on your own tasks."

First, make yourself invincible.

Wait until the enemy is vulnerable!

Since we can't control Liu Miao, let's focus on doing our own thing first!

"Since Liu Miao wants to settle things quickly with Your Highness, Your Highness will adopt a defensive stance and not confront him directly."

Yuan Tan was about to get anxious, but Chen Deng gave him a look, signaling him not to rush.

"Your Highness's vision should not be limited to one place."

"The weather will soon reach its coldest point."

"As long as Your Highness can build a warm camp, provide firewood for warmth, and stockpile enough food, the morale of the soldiers will rise, and they will serve Your Highness."

"On the contrary, the Han army led by Liu Miao had no houses to keep warm, no firewood to keep them warm, and no food to feed them, so their morale naturally declined."

"In the end, war is fought by soldiers, not by Your Highness or Liu Miao."

"As long as we gradually undermine their fighting spirit and demoralize them, no matter what schemes Liu Miao may have, they will never succeed."

Chen Deng's final advice to Yuan Tan was to defend!

Now, the advantage is in my hands!
If Liu Miao could hold his ground without suffering heavy losses, he would naturally choose to retreat.

If Liu Miao chooses to retreat, it means that his strategy will be thwarted.

If a strategy is thwarted, how far is failure from being achieved?

Yuan Tan's expression was uncertain at this moment.

He had actually been persuaded by Chen Deng.

But when I think about how I went to great lengths to lure Liu Miao to Qingzhou, only to end up crawling away first, wouldn't that make me look like a cuckold?

Especially when he thought about how his wife was still with Liu Miao, Yuan Tan felt that he was not only a cuckold, but also a cuckold!
Emotion and reason clashed in Yuan Tan's mind, making it difficult for him to make a decision.

At this moment, Chen Deng, who was opposite him, suddenly turned pale.

Like a light going out.

Like oil running out.

Chen Deng's originally gaunt cheeks suddenly became full. Just as Yuan Tan was horrified, thinking that Chen Deng was about to vomit up worms again, a trace of blood slowly flowed from the corner of Chen Deng's mouth.

"Your Highness, I have no time."

Chen Deng's Adam's apple bobbed as he forced himself to swallow the last bit of filth.

"Has Your Highness ever told me why I chose to abandon darkness and embrace the light?"

Yuan Tan shook his head.

This was the only matter he did not ask Chen Deng about.

But not asking doesn't mean I'm not curious.

Although Chen Deng came from a prominent family, his successive service to Liu Bei and Lü Bu, which enabled him to establish a foothold in Xuzhou, meant that even Liu Miao would have people who could speak on his behalf.

Not to mention, Liu Miao's friend, Chen Yu, the Minister of Works of the Han Dynasty, and Chen Deng were also from the same clan. Even if there were to be a reckoning in the future, Chen Deng might not be able to keep his land, but he would probably be able to keep a lot of wealth.

Moreover, with these connections and Chen Deng's own talent, he might not be able to compete for the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat or the governor of three provinces, but becoming a regional governor would be an easy thing for him.

Why would someone with such favorable conditions choose to serve the Han Dynasty instead of joining the Northern Zhao? This is something that even Yuan Tan finds puzzling.

"There is no other reason."

"Liu Miao is neither like His Majesty nor like Cao Cao."

"These people are all heroes and outstanding individuals."

"But Liu Miao was a fraud."

Chen Deng's tone made no attempt to conceal his contempt for Liu Miao.

"He shouted about equal land distribution, but there were some things he must have known in his heart—"

"In this world, there will always be powerful clans and noble families."

"Even if he really plows the whole world and wipes out the four families of Wu Commandery, the Kuai and Cai families of Jingxiang, the future Han Dynasty will sooner or later have the Lu family of Wu Commandery, the Sun family of Fuchun, or the Zhou family of Lujiang."

"A person like him is simply burying his head in the sand."

Chen Deng was even somewhat angry with Liu Miao.

"The reason he went to such lengths to deceive people was simply to seize the throne for himself."

"What is serving the people? In this world, there is only controlling the people, weakening the people, impoverishing the people, exhausting the people, humiliating the people, and keeping the people ignorant."

"He can't do any of what he says he'll do, yet he expects others to go through fire and water for him... Such a person is truly despicable!"

Chen Deng never believed in Liu Miao's idea of ​​"the people receiving the benefits" from the beginning.

The emperor never loves his people.

Yuan Tan frowned slightly at this moment.

Although he also had many grievances against Liu Miao.

But at this moment, he felt that Chen Deng's words were still somewhat biased.

He wanted to tell Chen Deng—

He had been to Jiangdong and Nanjing.

In fact, Liu Miao did not weaken, impoverish, exhaust, humiliate, or fool the people there.

in contrast.

Trade makes people rich.

Prosperity brings comfort to the people.

Schools make people wise.

But Yuan Tan could not admit these things.

If we admit that Liu Miao was right, wouldn't that mean he's doing something wrong?
Yuan Tan did not want to escalate the matter between him and Liu Miao, or between the Han and Zhao states, to that extent.

Right or wrong, it doesn't really matter to him.

All he knew was that power was the only thing that mattered!
Therefore, in response to Chen Deng's words, Yuan Tan simply nodded slightly in agreement.

When Chen Deng saw that Yuan Tan agreed with him, he finally smiled again.

"In that case, I have said all I need to say, Your Highness. I will not see you off any further."

"As for how this battle should be fought, it ultimately depends on Your Highness..."

That night.

Yuan Tan was awakened from his sleep by his personal guards.

"Your Highness, Chen Yuanlong has passed away."

Although there was sadness in Yuan Tan's eyes, his expression remained calm.

"The whole army obeys the order!"

"Proceed to Pingdu immediately, hold Dazeshan, and do not have any conflict with Liu Miao!"

"Here!"

(End of this chapter)