I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 57 No martial ethics
Yuan Shu's arrival in Huainan was bound to bring about tremendous changes.

This was something that people like Liu Miao and Zhou Yu had known for a long time, so why be so surprised?
"Ugh?"

Zhou Yu tilted his head.

"Ugh?"

Lu Kang also tilted his head.

"Ugh?"

Liu Miao stared at them, wondering what they were so surprised about!

Zhou Yu stammered, "But...but we really didn't expect Yuan Shu to do such a thing!"

Simple and brutal, just assassinate!

If it weren't for the fact that Yuan Yi was his kinsman and Zhou Ang happened to be leading troops in the field, Zhou Yu would have suspected that Yuan Shu would have killed all those who opposed him!
Such a simple and crude approach left those accustomed to imagining sophisticated confrontations still reeling...

Only Liu Miao shook his head.

A few years later, Yuan Shu became so rampant that he even dared to assassinate Liu Chong, the Prince of Chen, let alone a mere Chen Wen.

At the same time, Liu Miao also felt some envy towards Yuan Shu.

It's so great to be in a high position and have plenty of resources!
No wonder Yuan Shu seems to act without much thought. But if he were an ordinary person and a direct descendant of the Yuan clan of Runan, he could simply kill anyone he didn't like. Why would he need to think?

Liu Miao waved his hand: "Close the door! Get back to work!"

For some reason, seeing Liu Miao like this, Zhou Yu and Lu Jun calmed down and were no longer as panicked as they had been when they first heard of Chen Wen's death.

As Liu Miao said, Yuan Shu's arrival will inevitably lead to turmoil in Huainan!

Moreover, even if Chen Wen hadn't died, could his few mediocre men really have withstood Yuan Shu's tens of thousands of elite troops?

Instead of worrying, you should eat and sleep as usual and take care of your own things first!

Lu Kang swung his arms a couple of times, moving his body which was a little sore and numb from the bumpy ride. He stopped caring about what was happening in the north and instead asked Liu Miao, "Why isn't Zhongshan going back to Shuxian? What is he doing staying in this desolate wilderness?"

"Can't you see?"

"I can tell! I'm asking you why you did this?"

When Lu Kang arrived, he saw hundreds of farmers chanting ramming chants as they moved logs, and women making sticky glutinous rice mortar by the river. A boy pushed a cart to Ruxukou and handed it to the stonemasons to glue the jagged stones together.

"If you have nothing better to do, why are you having so many people build this fortified village?"

Liu Miao rolled his eyes, showing absolutely no respect for his benefactor.

Zhou Yu then explained from the side, "Didn't Lu Zhongyi see that this place is extraordinary?"

“Of course you can see that! When I was in charge of various regions, I wasn’t completely ignorant of military affairs.”

Lu Kang looked out and saw the peak of Qibao Mountain faintly visible in the distance.

"This place is the waterway between Ruxu Mountain and Qibao Mountain. If two passes are built between the two mountains along the river, forming two passes on the east and west sides, the two mountains will stand opposite each other, forming a strategic stronghold, guarding the outlet of Chaohu Lake, and cutting off the possibility of northern warships entering the Yangtze River."

It is flanked by mountains on both sides, with the Ruxu River flowing between them, and the Yangtze River providing support from behind...

This pass is so strategically important that it is easy to defend and difficult to attack!

Lu Kang was puzzled, however—

Why build a pass here?

Zhou Yu sighed deeply at this moment.

"Can't Lu Zhongyi see it?"

"Yuan Shu's army is powerful, and his takeover of Huainan is an irreversible trend!"

"If we continue to stay in Huainan, it will be conquered by Yuan Shu sooner or later, and we will be captured by him!"

Zhou Yu, with his heroic bearing, pointed one arm towards the south: "If we want to resist Yuan Shu, we must go to Jiangdong and take advantage of the natural barrier of the Yangtze River!"

"In the future, as long as we have Jiangdong as our backing and Ruxukou as our gateway to the north, what is there to fear even if thousands of troops come?"

Zhou Yu completely misunderstood Lu Kang's meaning and actually began to explain the function of Ruxukou in a serious manner.

Lu Kang, however, immediately seized the key point, bypassing Zhou Yu and grabbing Liu Miao, his hands gripping Liu Miao tightly like eagle claws: "Zhongshan, are you going to escape to Jiangdong?"

Liu Miao shook his finger and pressed it to Lu Kang's lips: "Lu Zhongyi, don't use such harsh words. What I'm doing is clearly a strategic shift!"

Lu Kang glared at Liu Miao: "Zhongshan! I told you this before!"

"What is a prefect? ​​A prefect is one who defends the country's territory!"

"Now that you see Yuan Shu's army is so powerful, are you really going to abandon your land and flee? If you flee, what will happen to Huainan? What will happen to the people of Huainan?" Zhou Yu was about to explain when Liu Miao stopped him.

Liu Miao, who never confronted Lu Kang directly, straightened his back at this moment, clearly intending to have a serious talk with Lu Kang.

"Lu Zhongyi, please tell me, what should I, Liu Miao, do now?"

“If we’re going to fight head-on, Chen Wen is the example! He might not even get to see Yuan Shu before being killed by his retainers. Is that what you want to see?”

Lu Kang said angrily, "The more rampant the traitors of Han are, the more loyal ministers must fight back!"

"This isn't fighting back! It's courting death!"

Liu Miao glared back!

"Many people from the north have already fled to Huainan to make a living. Hasn't Lu Zhongyi heard from them how Yuan Shu treats the people?"

"Lu Zhongyi may have spoken of righteousness and courage in dying for his country, but did he ever think about what would happen to the people of Huainan after his death?"

"Lu Zhongyi keeps saying that I don't care about the lives of the people of Huainan, but does Lu Zhongyi really care about how these people will live in the years or decades to come?"

"Speak! Speak up!"

Enraged and unable to argue with Liu Miao, Lu Kang punched Liu Miao!
Liu Miao also failed to uphold the traditional virtues of respecting the elderly and caring for the young, and instead punched Lu Kang in the eye socket!
The two exchanged punches and kicks, cursing under their breath, which quickly attracted the attention of others.

Jiang Qin and Zhou Tai ran over and saw Liu Miao fighting with someone. They were about to step forward with their swords in hand, but Zhou Yu, who was watching with great interest, stopped them: "It's nothing, they're just playing around."

"???"

Although Lu Kang was only about forty years older than Liu Miao, he was skilled in archery and horsemanship in his youth and had plenty of stamina. For a time, he managed to fight Liu Miao to a standstill!
Fifteen minutes later, the two lay on the ground, each with panda eyes and panting, finally ending their fight.

"Hoo~ho~ho~"

Liu Miao, panting heavily, muttered and cursed, "I'm not like you! I don't want to die myself! Nor do I want the people to die! That's why I had people build fortified villages here and manufacture boats that can cross the river to take them across!"

"Now, I need time to transport as many people as possible from Huainan to Jiangdong! Do you understand?"

Lu Kang, also panting heavily, asked, "Then why didn't you do this sooner?"

"Nonsense! The people of Huainan are all living quite well! Especially under your rule, Lu Zhongyi, they've barely reached the standard of a moderately prosperous life. Do you think they'd follow me across the river just because I, Liu Miao, say a few words? Do you think I'm Liu Bei?!"

Who is Liu Bei?

"It does not matter!"

Lu Kang rolled over, his breathing even: "Then why the hell didn't you say so earlier?"

Is it too late to say this now?

Liu Miao also sat up and beckoned to Lu Kang: "Lu Zhongyi, come here!"

"what's up?"

Although Lu Kang was puzzled, he still moved closer to Liu Miao.

But just then, Liu Miao suddenly launched a sneak attack! He swept Lu Kang to the ground with a leg sweep!
"Remember this! I won this fight! From now on, you'll all listen to me!"

Lu Kang collapsed to the ground, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He never expected Liu Miao to be so unethical, actually launching a sneak attack on a 69-year-old man like himself...

However, perhaps because his body was covered in bruises, his mind was surprisingly clear.

Lu Kang pondered Liu Miao's words carefully and increasingly felt that there was some truth to them...

The land is dead, but people are alive.

As long as the people of the Han Dynasty exist, the Han Dynasty will continue to exist.

If you save people but lose land, you can save both people and land; if you save land but lose people, you can lose both people and land...

Lu Kang recalled Liu Miao's words once again.

At first, he scoffed at it, but now he realizes that it actually makes some sense.

Lu Kang fell to the ground and simply refused to get up.

Forget it, let's go home, let's go back to Wu County...

As Liu Miao said, from now on, whatever happens, just listen to him.

After all, Liu Miao is no longer the magistrate who is staying in his own home, but is about to become the ruler of all the people of Huainan!

(End of this chapter)