Chapter 142

Therefore, absorbing some scholars brought him tremendous benefits. In case he could forge a marital alliance with a powerful feudal lord or a prestigious family, it would be……

"Sister, do you think General Li will come today?" Da Qiao found Li Miao's intentions somewhat difficult to fathom. Ever since their last parting, Da Qiao would constantly ask Xiao Qiao about Li Miao.

This had driven Xiao Qiao somewhat crazy by now.

"I suppose General Li must have already arrived," Xiao Qiao said vaguely, finding it quite bothersome.

"Sister, you're hopeless," Da Qiao said petulantly, easily reading Xiao Qiao's perfunctory attitude.

While the two sisters were impeccably well-behaved and refined in public, in each other's eyes, they were still just children prone to childish tempers.

"Sister, my dear sister, you've asked me dozens of times today already," Xiao Qiao protested, feeling deeply wronged. "If you really want to see him, why don't you just go outside and check for yourself?"

"Go outside?" Da Qiao's eyes lit up, but then she lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzzing, and whispered slowly, "But Father gave word today. He said there are too many people at the literary gathering and strictly forbade us from going out."

"Can't we just hide in the back and watch? It's not pitch dark outside anyway; so many lanterns have been lit. Surely you'd still recognize General Li?" Xiao Qiao suggested. Compared to her elder sister, the lively and clever Xiao Qiao was much sharper.

She was purely a mischievous and dark-bellied little loli.

"Then come with me," Da Qiao's eyes lit up once more.

"I'm tired, Sister. You're going to see your destined husband-to-be, why should I tag along?" Xiao Qiao teased with a smirk. "Aren't you afraid I might snatch your General Li away from you?"

"When did I ever say that?" Upon hearing the phrase "destined husband-to-be," Da Qiao's heart instantly fluttered wildly. Had her current state of mind already accepted Li Miao as her destined husband?

Yet, when he had embraced her back then, Da Qiao had truly felt a sense of profound peace—a feeling she had never experienced before.

"Nyah nyah nyah!" Xiao Qiao stuck out her tongue and made a playful face at Da Qiao.

"Are you going or not?" Da Qiao suddenly placed her hands on her slender waist, her demeanor changing drastically from her usual self, as if she would start pinching people the moment Xiao Qiao uttered another refusal.

Sure enough, seeing her gentle and slightly shy elder sister display such anger, Xiao Qiao was startled and hurriedly stepped back a few paces.

"Fine, I'll go."

"Where should we go?"

"Let's go to the small pavilion by the back garden. We'll have a much clearer view looking down from there," Xiao Qiao declared decisively.

Thus, the two lolis tiptoed out of the room, made their way up to the small pavilion, poked out two little heads to survey the crowd below, and listened as people recited incomprehensible poems while others had their rhapsodies abruptly cut short mid-sentence.

The two lolis laughed until they were bent double.

Li Miao, standing nearby, was also amused, yet he searched around in vain for a glimpse of the Qiao sisters and was just about to leave.

A small pebble happened to land right at his feet at that exact moment. Li Miao looked up and locked eyes directly with the two Qiaos.

Garbed in robes purer than snow, fluttering in white. In an instant, the beauties of the inner palace paled into utter insignificance, Li Miao thought to himself.

Yet, a split second later, Li Miao snapped back to reality. Inner palace? Even though he was the great Emperor陛下 of the Zhong Dynasty, he was, in truth, still a virgin.

Li Miao was daydreaming infatuatedly again... sigh.

…………

"Brother Li, why don't you compose a piece as well?" Zhang Sanniandao, who had been exchanging pleasantries with friends all around, happened to notice Li Miao standing nearby looking somewhat dazed, and walked over to suggest.

"Huh?" Li Miao snapped out of his reverie and declined, "Brother Zhang, why don't you compose one? If you manage to win the favor of Master Qiao, who knows, you might even become his son-in-law!"

"Haha, Master Qiao's daughters are truly peerless beauties. When I caught a glimpse of them from afar last time, I was utterly mesmerized; they are simply heavenly maidens descended to earth," Liu Neng chimed in, stepping closer as well. "Brother Li, you ought to give it a try. If you manage to catch a glimpse of the two Qiaos, you could die without regrets... truly without regrets."

Liu Neng looked utterly self-satisfied, flaunting his perceived superiority in front of Li Miao as if to say he had already lived a regret-free life.

Li Miao glanced sideways at Liu Neng, utterly speechless at the fellow. Just looking at them once and his life was already without regrets? What was he supposed to say, considering he had practically fondled one of them all over?

Yet, upon second thought, both Qiao sisters were watching him right now. If he didn't put on a performance now, when would he?

"Brother Zhang, Brother Liu, what you say makes sense. How about the three of us take up this challenge?"

Liu Neng shook his head. "Brother Li, I really can't. Just getting through the front gate today was thanks to my Liu family's status. As for composing poems and rhapsodies, I'm terribly inadequate."

Zhang Sanniandao, however, readily agreed, and indeed, Zhang Sanniandao was a genuinely talented individual.

"By the way, where is young friend Lu?" Li Miao blurted out.

"Oh, it seemed he had a flash of inspiration earlier and hurriedly went back," Zhang Sanniandao replied.

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Li Miao thought he had a chance and felt a surge of genuine joy.

Within the span of those few remarks, Zhang Sanniandao had already deliberated a few lines, presented his verse, and instantly stunned the entire audience.

"Whose son is this?" Master Qiao was exceedingly pleased.

"Sir, this is the young master of the Zhang residence, and the designated successor to the head of the Zhang clan."

Master Qiao stroked his beard and nodded repeatedly in approval.

"Brother Li, it's your turn," Zhang Sanniandao looked toward Li Miao.

Li Miao cursed inwardly. Who was this guy anyway, and why did everyone praise his poem? Although Li Miao wasn't particularly fond of classical poetry, he understood one fundamental principle: what everyone says is good, must truly be good.

"But right now, I'm the only one whose work isn't good!" Li Miao was on the verge of tears. Was this fellow doing it on purpose? Was he going to lose face miserably in front of two beauties?

Yet, looking at Zhang Sanniandao's harmless smile, Li Miao sensed that the guy didn't actually harbor any malicious intent.

Even so, hadn't the bastard still ruined things for him?

Li Miao racked his brains, unable to squeeze out a single decent poem, until suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him and the words spilled straight from his mouth.

"Jade for bones and snow for skin, autumn water for grace and poetry for a heart."

"Oriole's song and swallow's chatter for countenance, birds for voice and the moon for a spirit."

Since winning through a conventional approach was impossible, making the two little lolis happy would at least make it worthwhile. Thus, Li Miao shamelessly "composed" this flattering verse, then flashed a victory sign and struck a pose directed straight toward the window of the elder and younger Qiao sisters.

"Autumn, flowers, the moon—they're all included."

"The theme is met, more or less."

Li Miao felt rather pleased with himself.

The crowd broke into an uproar. "Who on earth is he praising with that?"

Unlike the rest of the crowd, Master Qiao remained composed. Fairly speaking, the imagery painted by the poem was exceptionally fine, evoking the ethereal beauty of a heavenly maiden at first sight. Yet, the author had undoubtedly taken a shortcut just to churn out such verse.

"Who is that?" Master Qiao's mood remained quite favorable.

The steward stammered nervously, "Sir, that person is Li Miao."

Master Qiao's complexion instantly turned liver-colored, his expression shifting through a most colorful and erratic range of emotions.

Up in the small pavilion, the gazes of the elder and younger Qiao sisters met. A deeper blush spread across Da Qiao's face, resembling the vibrant glow of the evening sunset.

"Expressing himself like this, isn't it a bit too brazen?" Da Qiao felt a trace of annoyance, her small fingers continuously twisting the corner of her dress, yet she couldn't help feeling a sweet warmth inside. Naturally, she understood the hidden meaning within the poem.

Meanwhile, Xiao Qiao fell deep into thought. "What on earth did he mean by holding up two fingers?"

…………

Before Master Qiao could issue any verdict, Yang Hong brought word to Li Miao. It consisted of merely four words, yet Li Miao was forced to take his leave immediately. Those four words were:

"Liu Xun is mobilizing troops."

In Wu County, Sun Sun Ce was conducting his final mobilization with the soldiers stationed behind.

Having formed an alliance with Lujiang previously, Sun Ce had already secured the Imperial Seal, which was currently being kept in pristine condition by Li Miao.

"My lord, are we truly going to attack Huang Zu of Jiangxia?" Sun He, a cousin of Sun Ce, asked.

"In this campaign, Huang Zu shall be put to death!" Sun Ce's voice rang like a grand bell.

"Years ago, my father led our generals in a campaign against Jiangxia, only to be slain by the forces of Huang Zu. Today, I lead you all to regroup and retake Jiangxia, and I trust you will not disappoint me!" Dressed in white armor, Sun Ce held the glowing Zhenwu Taiji Spear in his hand.

An aura of vengeful fury radiated from his entire being.

"Understood! We shall exert our utmost strength to avenge the late lord!" The generals accepted the command with stirring resolve. The most stirred among them were the prominent generals of the Sun clan: Sun Jian's younger brother Sun Jing, Sun Ce's cousins Sun He and Sun Fu, as well as the veteran subordinates left behind by Sun Jian—Wu County Administrator Zhu Zhi, Wu County Commandant Cheng Pu, Separate Command Major Han Dang, and Separate Command Major Huang Gai.

They had once fought shoulder-to-shoulder with the late lord, but he had passed away prematurely. Now, their current lord was shining brilliantly; approaching twenty-five years of age, he had already conquered Jiangdong and become a major warlord. How could they not be stirred?

Sun Ce's gaze was like that of a wolf. Huang Zu had murdered his father—this was an irreconcilable blood feud! This campaign would end in triumphant return.

"My lord, we must depart," Zhou Yu said from the side. He exchanged a glance with Sun Ce, and both shared a knowing smile. If they failed to emerge victorious in this campaign, it would defy all reason.

Sun Ce led the forces of several commanderies and counties straight toward Jiangxia.

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A formidable host of over thirty thousand troops marched imposingly without any intent of concealing their movements. Sun Ce dispatched Zhou Tai and Jiangqian as the vanguard, leading five thousand fast-moving troops.

"Where are Zhou Tai and Jiang Qian?" Zhou Yu called out in a deep voice, beginning to execute the strategy he and Sun Ce had plotted together.

As for Zhou Tai, he had joined Sun Ce alongside fellow commandery townsman Jiang Qian when Sun Ce was pacifying Jiangdong. Following Sun Ce across the river to battle Liu Yao, they had triumphed everywhere and amassed numerous achievements. Later, during the attacks on Yan Baihu and Wang Lang, Zhou Tai was appointed as a Separate Command Major, granting him his own independent force.

Sun Quan admired Zhou Tai's character and had requested Sun Ce to assign Zhou Tai to his personal service. Two years ago, when Li Shu incited mountain bandits to cause chaos in Danyang and Xuancheng, Zhou Tai and Sun Quan stationed their forces in Xuancheng with fewer than a thousand men. The bandit leader Zu Lang commanded a massive force, leaving Sun Quan's men with zero confidence in fighting and lacking defensive fortifications.

It was much like the situation at Jiangting when they were surrounded by bandits earlier.

When Sun Quan was nearly cornered by the charging bandits, Zhou Tai sprang into battle, using his own body as the final shield to protect Sun Quan. Fighting with fierce intensity and supreme valor, he slew several enemies on the spot. Inspired by Zhou Tai's bravery, the rest of the men fought back fiercely against the bandits, ultimately securing Sun Quan's safety. Zhou Tai suffered twelve wounds across his body, every single one of them a scar.

For this upcoming campaign against Jiangxia, Sun Ce was mobilizing nearly his entire army. Major generals like Zhou Tai and Jiang Qian ought to be fighting valiantly on the battlefield! With the natural defense of the Great River protecting Jiangdong, there was no need to worry about internal security.

"General, we are here!" Zhou Tai and Jiang Qian stepped forward side by side, dropped to one knee, and saluted.

"You two shall serve as the vanguard, making all haste to Jiangxia against Huang Zu! Upon engaging him, your five thousand troops must on no account engage Huang Zu in direct combat. Do you understand?"

As Zhou Yu's military order was delivered, Zhou Tai felt deeply displeased. Ever since returning from their last campaign several months had passed in Jiangdong, and now that they finally had a chance to fight, and he had finally been assigned as vanguard, yet he wasn't allowed to engage Huang Zu directly—what kind of reasoning was that?

If things were truly to be like this, Zhou Tai felt he might suffocate from frustration.

"Hmm?" Zhou Yu's eyes narrowed slightly, a flash of anger crossing them.

"Guards," Zhou Yu shouted sternly, "What is the penalty for defying military orders?"

The officer who stepped forward seemed unable to withstand Zhou Yu's imposing aura, yet pressed on through the pressure to declare, "Those who defy military orders shall be beheaded!"

Zhou Yu looked at Zhou Tai with piqued interest, his burning gaze seeming to provoke him.

"Well? Youping?"

Extremely disgruntled, Zhou Tai nodded stiffly. "This general obeys the order!"

Using Zhou Tai as an example to cow the others, Zhou Yu declared sternly, "Listen well, all generals. In this campaign, anyone who fails to follow military orders will be executed on the spot!"

"Understood!" Since even a major general like Zhou Tai dared not cross Zhou Yu, who among them possessed the audacity to try?

"Where is Huang Gai!"

"General, here!" Huang Gai stepped out in response. Huang Gai knew Zhou Yu's capabilities inside and out; Zhou Yu and the lord had been childhood friends, acquainted and understanding each other since 190. Following the borrowing of troops in Danyang in 179 [sic], nearly every subsequent campaign had seen Zhou Yu contributing major strategic efforts. If Zhou Yu were incompetent, given the lord's brilliance, he would never have appointed Zhou Yu as General of the Household Building Might.

Zhou Yu was known among the people of Wu County as "Lord Zhou," which alone demonstrated his influence, and influence was merely a side reflection of Zhou Yu's capabilities and achievements.

"You shall be responsible for transporting grain and supplies for the main army, and you must ensure there are no mishaps!" Zhou Yu said with narrowed eyes.

"This general obeys the order!" Huang Gai bowed his head in salute. The heavy burden of provisions was different from combat in the field—it was the utmost priority, for he was tasked with escorting not merely grain, but the lives of every single soldier.

Sun Ce watched Zhou Yu issue his commands without uttering a single word. Once Zhou Yu finished his arrangements, Sun Ce shuddered slightly and proclaimed in a ringing voice.

"Break Jiangxia! Avenge our blood feud!"

Every single soldier could see that what Sun Ce wore upon his body was no longer armor, but mourning white.

…………

Lujiang.

"Your Majesty, Sun Ce of Jiangdong has mobilized his forces. Dressed in mourning white, Sun Ce intends to fight a decisive battle to the death against Huang Zu of Jiangxia," Yang Hong reported, presenting the intelligence gathered by scouts to Li Miao.

"How has Jiangxia reacted?" Li Miao asked.

"Your Majesty, this... no reports have come in regarding that yet," Yang Hong stammered, bewildered. Why did Your Majesty always jump from one thought to another? Why was he suddenly concerned with Jiangxia?

"Hmph, playing a fine role indeed," Li Miao sneered dismissively.

"Your Majesty, what should we do?" Huang Yi asked indifferently from the side.

"Brother-in-law, we are going to march out alongside Liu Xun to attack Haihun and Shangliao. When the time comes, I have a vital mission to entrust to you," Li Miao said with a wink.

Upon hearing the words "vital mission," Huang Yi's eyes instantly lit up. Ever since arriving in Lujiang, there had been no need for combat. In terms of civil affairs, he, Huang Yi, was inferior to Yang Hong and Li Yin; in terms of martial prowess, he was inferior to Zhang Xun and Chen Dao, let alone the towering dark-skinned fellow Li Miao had just brought back. He had been reduced to an insignificant bystander—how could that possibly be satisfying?

"Your Majesty, what vital mission? I will certainly fulfill it!" Huang Yi wept tears of gratitude. This was truly his brother Miao! He knew his brother-in-law wouldn't forget him. Huang Yi felt deeply flattered and honored, having feared he had been cast into the cold palace ever since Li Miao extorted several thousand gold pieces from him last time.

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