I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 478 A Cup of Wine to Reduce the Power of the Feudal Lords
The cold wind howled, but it could no longer dampen the heat of the Han army camp in Jimo.

"Make way, everyone! The chicken soup is coming!"

The soldiers in charge of the kitchen lit the stoves and threw together the last bit of meat, pickles, salt, vinegar cloth, and grain in the camp, stewing them into several large pots of stew to distribute to their comrades who had just returned from the battlefield.

"Damn it! Where are the chickens in here?"

"Look at those white silks!"

"This counts as something else?"

"How can it not count! That chicken died for you, you have to eat it!"

"..."

The Han soldiers laughed and cursed, but they didn't care that the victory banquet was too meager. They sat in twos and threes in the tent, and at the same time, they set out the chessboard and chess pieces, clearly intending to fight to the death!
Although there was no meat or wine at the moment, the Han soldiers all knew one thing—

We've won the war, so why should we be afraid of not having enough to eat?
Putting everything else aside, how many warhorses died on the battlefield today? Once the officers have taken stock, shouldn't we have a good meal tomorrow morning?

Moreover, the victory celebration banquet was personally ordered by His Majesty! Why not have some fun?
The emperor's tent was just as lively.

Compared to the other soldiers, the food here is somewhat better.

The tough horse meat was stewed into large chunks of shredded meat and mixed with pickles to mask its slightly sour taste.

The remaining fish and tofu were simmered into a hot soup, which was then placed on a ceramic pot with a burning flame underneath and kept bubbling, making the room even warmer. Even after removing their armor and wearing only their dark robes, they did not feel cold.

What pleased Lü Bu's army soldiers most after traveling a long way was—

"They even have alcohol!"

Lu Bu had already removed his armor and was holding a clear porcelain cup in his hand. He held it to his nose and took a deep sniff!
"Good wine!"

"But little did I know how long it had been since I had smelled this aroma of wine!"

Seated at the head of the table, Liu Miao, who had also removed his armor, laughed loudly: "In two days, after we have completely driven Yuan Tan out of Qingzhou, however much you drink, I will drink with you! We will drink until we are completely drunk!"

"Hahahaha! Thank you, Your Majesty! And all of you! Aren't you going to express your gratitude?"

Having suddenly escaped the perilous and impoverished land of Yexian, Lü Bu's generals were starving. Even when Liu Miao spoke to Lü Bu, they completely ignored him, focusing intently on their food, eating bowl after bowl until beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads.

Upon hearing Lü Bu's order, the generals belatedly realized what was happening, and they exchanged sheepish smiles before rising to bow to Liu Miao.

"Today is a celebration of our victory and a welcome back party for everyone, so there's no need for such formalities!"

Liu Miao stopped the generals.

With the emperor's words, everyone completely relaxed and lowered their heads to continue their frantic eating.

"Humph! You are useless!"

Lu Bu glanced at his general with some disdain, but at the same time began to complain to Liu Miao.

"That Jiaodong region is truly no place for humans to live!"

"It's cold enough, but it's also incredibly damp! Even wearing winter clothes doesn't keep it warm. What an unlucky thing!"

As Lü Bu recalled the days that had passed, he couldn't help but frown.

"Fortunately, Kongming didn't let us abandon ship and found a ferry crossing to the east, which was just the right place to go out to sea to fish. Otherwise, who could have survived these days?"

Listening to Lü Bu's endless complaints, Liu Miao patiently echoed his sentiments at every turn.

However, as he spoke, Lü Bu's own mood began to sink.

"I thought that something like the Wuhuan invasion could only happen in Bingzhou or Youzhou, but I never expected it could happen in Qingzhou as well."

"That son of a bitch Yuan Tan... No way! I'm getting angrier and angrier just talking about him! I'm going to find him right now! This time, we absolutely can't let him go back alive!"

Perhaps because he hadn't drunk alcohol in a long time, Lü Bu started to get drunk as he talked, and shouted that he would take down Yuan Tan single-handedly.

Upon seeing this, the soldiers on either side hurriedly grabbed Lü Bu, only to be horrified to find that Lü Bu was like a wild bull, completely unyielding to their attempts to stop him!

It was only after Zhao Yun left his seat and forcefully grabbed Lü Bu's arm that Lü Bu finally calmed down.

Looking at Lü Bu, Liu Miao clapped his hands and laughed again: "Fengxian is truly a hero!"

"Fengxian, rest assured, I have already dispatched Zang Ba with troops to the northwest to block Yuan Tan's route across the Jiao River! Unless he can grow wings, he has absolutely no chance of escaping!"

After much persuasion, both physical and verbal, Lü Bu was finally brought back to his seat and sat down again.

At this moment, Liu Miao raised his wine cup and said, "Fengxian, there's no need to take it to heart! This matter has nothing to do with you, so why are you so angry?"

"..."

A blush suddenly appeared on Lü Bu's square face.

This matter is indeed related to him!
If he hadn't rashly left Qingzhou to rescue Liu Bei, even if Chen Deng had colluded with Yuan Tan, Qingzhou wouldn't have collapsed so quickly with him in charge, allowing the Wuhuan to advance unimpeded and forcing the people of Qingzhou to flee their homes in panic.

Just now.

Zhuge Liang suddenly spoke up—

"If the General had stayed in Qingzhou, Yuan Tan would never have been so rampant."

When Lü Bu heard that his little scheme had been exposed, he was not relieved at all. Instead, he felt even more embarrassed and even glared at Zhuge Liang.

Could it be that Zhuge Liang is now going to pursue the matter further?
But Zhuge Liang immediately said, "The reason why the General went to Liaodong to assist in the battle is because he heard that His Highness the Prince of Yan was deceived by Gongsun Du."

"When comrades are trapped in enemy territory, we will not hesitate to cross thousands of miles to send troops to their aid. Even the ancient alliance between Qin and Jin could not have been more righteous. Therefore, General's actions can be described as extremely righteous!"

Who?
Who are you calling a paragon of righteousness?

Even Lu Bu himself never imagined that he would have the chance to be associated with these four words in his lifetime!
But upon seeing Zhuge Liang, Lü Bu hesitated. Who was Zhuge Liang?

A universally acknowledged gentleman! An honest man!
If an honest person like that claims to be righteous and chivalrous, then he must be righteous and chivalrous!

Lü Bu then revealed his clean, even teeth: "Haha! Kongming is right! I also have some history with Liu Bei, how could I not go to save him back then?"

Upon hearing Lü Bu's words, Zhuge Liang changed the subject again—

"Even so, as a pillar of the nation, the General should not leave Qingzhou so easily!"

"The general is indeed righteous and chivalrous, but as a border general, what if the enemy uses this matter to keep him constantly on the move?"

As Lü Bu pondered, Liu Miao, sitting at the head of the table, also sighed—

"Tsk!"

"I know Fengxian well!"

"Honest and loyal! In ancient times, he would have been a great general like Hua Yuan or Zi Jing!"

"It's a pity that such a kind-hearted person is often taken advantage of by villains... Fengxian, in my opinion, why don't you pack up and come back to Jiangdong with me!"

Lu Bu was completely dizzy at this point.

Honest and simple? Loyal and righteous?
Is this really me?

But His Majesty said so, so it must be true!

And who are Hua Yuan and Zi Jing...?

Lu Bu was dizzy, but there were still people who were sober.

Chen Gong didn't notice at first, but after Liu Miao spoke, he immediately looked at the emperor in disbelief, and then turned to look at Zhuge Liang.

This is hardly Zhuge Liang pleading for Lü Bu.
This is clearly Zhuge Liang cooperating with Liu Miao!

There was something Chen Gong had already thought about on the way here.

That would determine the ownership of Qing and Xu provinces after this battle.

Although Lü Bu was nominally the Grand General of Han, it was clear to anyone with eyes that Lü Bu was actually an independent warlord, separate from the Han court and Liu Miao.

Although he always relied on trade between the Han Dynasty and Liaodong for economic purposes, Lü Bu actually still held military and political power in Qing and Xu provinces.

When Lü Bu appointed officials in Qing and Xu provinces, he never needed to consult the Han court; similarly, the Han court was never able to extend its reach into Lü Bu's territory.

Although Lü Bu and Liu Miao were so close they seemed to be inseparable, and Liu Miao even married Lü Bu's daughter, Chen Gong was always worried about Lü Bu's situation.

An independent Han general who controlled the two provinces of Qing and Xu!
The last person to do this was Han Xin, I think...

Moreover, Chen Gong also knew that what Liu Miao and the Han Dynasty ultimately sought was not the shattered land, but the reunification of the country.

If the two sides cannot resolve this matter, a fierce battle that breaks off relations is inevitable sooner or later!

Therefore, Chen Gong had some suspicions that Liu Miao would probably take action against Lü Bu.

But to my surprise, Liu Miao acted so quickly!
The moment they met Lü Bu, they struck right at his vital spot!
If Lü Bu had followed Liu Miao back to Pengcheng and Jiangdong at this time, even if Lü Bu was fierce, he would have been like a tiger with its claws and teeth pulled out, completely at Liu Miao's mercy.

Chen Gong was filled with mixed feelings at this moment.

On the one hand, he genuinely did not want to see Lü Bu and Liu Miao turn against each other in the future.

On the other hand, since they have appointed Lü Bu as their lord, they must always consider his needs.

Just like Kuai Che under Han Xin, he may not have wanted to betray the Han Dynasty, but in the end he still had to consider his lord's interests...

Chen Gong's heart was churning with emotions at this moment.

Meanwhile, Lü Bu's generals gradually understood what Liu Miao meant by "come back with me," and they stopped eating, staring intently at Lü Bu...

Only Lü Bu clearly hadn't thought of these things yet.

Upon hearing Liu Miao's invitation, Lü Bu's eyes truly showed a hint of longing.

"It has indeed been a long time since I've seen Qiling."

"Oh, and she also gave birth to a big, healthy boy!"

"When did this happen?"

"It was during the time when Fengxian went to Liaodong!"

"hiss……"

Lü Bu had no sons.

The thought that he now had a grandson filled Lü Bu with excitement!
"In that case, I should go back with His Majesty to take a look!"

Upon hearing Lü Bu's decisive reply, his generals visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

A few people were so loose that they let out two loud, foul-smelling farts, which made Lu Bu quickly cover his mouth and angrily scold, "Which bastard is it? Does he want to eat from the top and the bottom too?"

"hey-hey……"

Upon hearing Lü Bu's reply, Chen Gong sighed slightly.

"Everyone says that His Majesty has the style of Emperor Gaozu."

"I only hope that the General will not become a second Marquis of Huaiyin..."

(End of this chapter)