I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 62 Zhongshan, do you want a wife? (Bonus chapter for May Day)

Honest and kind?

Forgive Zhou Yu for never associating those two words with Liu Miao.

But since Yuan Shu says so, then so be it!

Yuan Shu was known for his chivalry in his youth. Although he became more restrained after he rose to a high position, he was now holding the imperial seal in one hand and pulling Zhou Yu along with the other, treating Zhou Yu with the courtesy due to a distinguished guest.

Reluctantly placing the imperial seal on the low wooden table in front of him, where he could see it at any time, Yuan Shu then asked Zhou Yu, "What is Zhongshan doing in the south now?"

"Reporting to General, Prefect Liu is currently trapped in Lujiang and unable to go to Jiujiang because Zhou Ang, under the orders of General of Chariots and Cavalry, has usurped the position. Therefore, he has nothing to do."

"Even so, when Lord Liu heard that the bandits in Chaohu Lake were causing trouble, he still risked his life to go there."

Yuan Shu asked curiously, "I've also heard of the bandits of Chaohu Lake. They are quite troublesome. Zhongshan has no elite soldiers under his command. How can he possibly suppress them?"

Zhou Yu suddenly stood up and bowed to Yuan Shu, which puzzled Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu stepped forward to help Zhou Yu up, saying, "Zhou Lang, why do you do this? I asked you about the bandit suppression, why are you bowing to me?"

Zhou Yu recounted the events of that day—

"With the troops under Liu's command, it is naturally insufficient to defeat and wipe out the bandits."

"But when Magistrate Liu mentioned the name of the Rear General and introduced himself as a disciple of the Yuan family, those bandits of Chaohu Lake respected the reputation of the Yuan family of Runan and feared the prestige of the Rear General, so they rushed to join Magistrate Liu!"

"If it weren't for the name of the General of the Rear, I'm afraid that Lord Liu would have met a terrible end that day!"

Yuan Shu then realized that Zhou Yu was praising him indirectly, and immediately burst into laughter: "There's such a thing? Brilliant! Brilliant!"

Yuan Shu then asked, "If that's the case, then Zhongshan must be doing quite well now, right?"

Zhou Yu shook his head.

"Although most of the people in Huainan admire your reputation, General Hou, and are willing to submit to you, there are still treacherous and wicked people who are still opposing you?"

Yuan Shu glared angrily: "Who is it?"

"The General is still on the north bank and unable to cross the river. Whose fault is this?"

Yuan Shu suddenly realized.

It's still Yuan Shao!

Whether it was Yuan Yi, who was reappointed as the governor of Yangzhou, or Zhou Ang, the prefect of Jiujiang, or Zhou Xin, the prefect of Danyang, they were all Yuan Shao's men!

These people were attached to Yuan Shao, so naturally they were not afraid of Yuan Shu.

"The plague-stricken maid's child!!!"

Yuan Shu roared angrily, completely losing his previous composure.

"That damned servant boy! If he hadn't colluded with outsiders and sowed discord within the Yuan family, we would have been..."

Yuan Shu stopped midway through his speech when he realized Zhou Yu was right beside him.

Zhou Yu seemed not to hear him, continuing to talk about Liu Miao's recent situation—

"In order to prevent Zhou Xin, the governor of Danyang, from leading his troops north to support Yuan Yi, Zhou Ang and others, Governor Liu built a fortified village at Ruxukou to block the ships from Jiangdong from going north."

"Lord Liu believes that as long as Zhou Xin is prevented from going to provide support, the general's military force will be able to take control of Huainan sooner or later."

Yuan Shu was both angry and amused upon hearing this.

He was still angry at Yuan Shao.

What's funny is that Liu Miao seems to be underestimating him.

Even if Zhou Xin, the governor of Danyang, leads his army north, what can he do? Can those soldiers who have been living in peace in Jiangdong for a long time really withstand the fierce and powerful army under his command?
However, Yuan Shu was still moved: "Zhongshan and I have never met before, yet he is willing to go through fire and water for me. This is the demeanor of an ancient gentleman!"

A gentleman? Zhou Yu glanced up at Yuan Shu, then immediately looked away, trying hard to control the twitching corner of his mouth.

At this moment, a number of beautiful maids came forward and brought over bronze dragon-shaped lamps, pearl and mica screens, gold-inlaid Shu lacquer tripods, and other items, making the already magnificent tents even more resplendent!

Yuan Shu unconsciously placed his palm on the imperial seal again, pointing to the wine vessel that had been moved to Zhou Yu's table: "Zhou Lang has rendered meritorious service by presenting the seal; we shall drink three large cups of wine!"

Before the words were finished, twelve dancers in crimson gauze entered in single file, their bells on their arms striking the jade cong beneath their feet, their triple-layered cloud-patterned brocade skirts swirling to the strains of the elegant music of "Jingxing". The lead dancer's slender waist was bound in white, and the floral ornament on her forehead reflected the candlelight, perfectly capturing the decadent and extravagant lifestyle of Luoyang in its heyday.

Zhou Yu could not refuse and drank three cups in succession.

"Good! Excellent! Seeing Zhou Lang's heroic figure, one can now understand Zhong Shan's appearance!"

Yuan Shu is now certain that Liu Miao, who has repeatedly helped him in the south, is also a distinguished scholar with a refined character and extraordinary demeanor, just like Zhou Yu!

Zhou Yu chuckled twice and then turned his attention back to the song and dance performance in front of him.

Today is a great banquet and the joy is beyond words.

The zither resonates with vibrant energy, its new melody captivating the senses.

These dancers and musicians seemed not to be performing in a military camp, but rather dancing gracefully in the grand palaces and pavilions of Chang Le Wei Yang.

Even with Zhou Yu's mastery of music, he couldn't detect a single mistake made by any of the dozens of musicians below.

The dancers' waists were as slender as crescent moons, and their flowing ribbons swayed like the wind. Even those who didn't understand dance would be amazed by their exquisite skills.

But the more this happened, the more disappointed Zhou Yu became with Yuan Shu.

Instead of training soldiers into a disciplined and disciplined army, the dancers are made to be so uniform.

Instead of treating the common people as precious, leaving them to wander and lose their homes, he kept musicians in his camp to play and sing for him alone.

How can such a person, such a lord, accomplish great things?
Considering that Liu Miao had previously given all those female entertainers to military officers, Zhou Yu became even more disappointed in Yuan Shu, believing that it was not entirely without reason that he had fallen from such a wealthy background to this state.

Yuan Shu was completely oblivious to Zhou Yu's disdain and disappointment. Instead, he pointed at the dancers and boasted to Zhou Yu, "Even Zhongshan probably hasn't seen such beautiful singing and dancing, has he?"

After saying that, Yuan Shu slapped his forehead first: "I forgot! Zhongshan likes beautiful women, these young girls probably don't meet his standards."

Yuan Shu also asked Zhou Yu to confirm whether this was indeed the case.

Zhou Yu couldn't make a judgment, but he truthfully told Yuan Shu that Liu Miao had already colluded with the Lu, Wu, and Lü families a few days after arriving in Huainan.

"Hahahaha! Zhongshan is indeed a womanizer!"

Yuan Shu was certain that Liu Miao had no ulterior motives; he was simply lustful!

It's good to be lustful!

If a person is truly without desires or wants, then Yuan Shu would really be afraid!
Since he's lustful, it's actually a good thing!

Yuan Shu suddenly asked, "Does Zhongshan not yet have a legal wife?"

"Both Lu and Lü families only took concubines and had no status as legal wives."

How can a real man be without a wife?

Yuan Shu slapped his thigh: "Of course! I also know that Zhongshan is, after all, a member of the Han imperial family and a descendant of the Prince of Langya. Ordinary women are naturally not good enough for him!"

Zhou Yu suddenly had a bad feeling...

really!

Yuan Shu asked, "But I wonder, are the women of my Yuan family worthy of Zhongshan and able to become his principal wife?"

　Happy Labor Day everyone! The holiday is great, but don't overindulge; take care of your health!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)