I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 2: I want Lu Xun! Not his mother! (New book, please add to your favorites)
Following Yuan Shu is definitely not a good idea.

But confronting Yuan Shu is no easy task!
Four generations of high-ranking officials—in storybooks and historical records, these are just four insignificant words, but in today's world, they represent a heavy mountain!
The fact that Yuan Shikai's disciples and former officials were all over the country was no joke.

If Yuan Shu really came to Huainan, even if Liu Miao was unwilling to surrender, he would probably be betrayed by other officials in the bureaucracy who were loyal to Yuan Shu!

Besides, she wasn't a succubus like Liu Bei who would fall head over heels for someone at first sight, so her tragic end seemed to be just around the corner...

Liu Miao's sorrowful expression, witnessed by Lu Kang and the others, only intensified their longing.

"The Lord Liu before us is truly a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty who cares deeply for his country and its people!"

Lu Kang stepped forward to support Liu Miao, speechless with emotion.

Seeing this, the scholars on either side quickly offered words of comfort—

"The emperor is still alive today. Although there is chaos, the dynasty will surely be brought to peace."

"Exactly! Exactly!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Miao forced a smile.

"I am suddenly feeling down and have spoiled everyone's mood. I am truly sorry. I am willing to punish myself with three cups of wine."

"It's alright, it's alright..."

It was no big deal, but Liu Miao's interruption meant the banquet could no longer return to its previous cheerful atmosphere.

Fortunately, seeing the atmosphere was somber, Lu Kangzijun took the initiative to warm things up: "We can play the game of pitch-pot for entertainment!"

"Very good! Very good!"

The guests readily agreed, and the musicians and dancers, who were already somewhat embarrassed, were removed to make room for everyone to play the game of pitch-pot.

Pitch-pot is not a game, but a ritual of archery!
The host, Lu Kang, respectfully held the arrows, while the archer held the "zhong" (a vessel for holding counting chips), and approached Liu Miao and the guests, requesting that they perform the pitch-pot ritual.

Lu Kang bowed to Liu Miao and the other guests, and said politely, "I have a bow arrow and a whistle pot. Please enjoy yourselves."

After he finished speaking, the guests bowed in return, politely declining the offer.

Lu Kang invited them again, but the guests declined again.

Lu Kang invited them again, but the guests declined again.

Only after three invitations and three refusals are the "pitch-pot ceremony" completed, and the formal pitch-pot ceremony can begin.

As the guest of honor, Liu Miao was naturally the first to be invited.

Liu Miao knew that if he refused Lu Kang's awkward dance first, and then refused the pitch-pot gift as well, he would really be humiliating Lu Kang.

Therefore, Liu Miao no longer declined and accepted the seat without hesitation.

However, before starting, Liu Miao gave a heads-up—

"I am not good at pitch-pot, please don't laugh at me."

The crowd laughed amicably again, clearly thinking Liu Miao was just being modest...

As the guest of honor, Liu Miao also had the right to choose his opponent.

Liu Miao glanced at them and saw that each of these scholars was confident and skilled, so he naturally did not want to choose them.

It wasn't until Liu Miao saw the several handsome young men behind Lu Kang that his eyes lit up!
These young men, who were qualified to be seated and were standing behind Lu Kang, were clearly Lu Kang's family members.

My pitching skills are absolutely terrible! If I were to play with those famous scholars, I would probably get completely thrashed... In that case, I might as well call on a young boy to pitch with me; maybe then I'd have a chance to win?

Liu Miao's gaze swept across the crowd, noticing a boy of about ten years old whose eyes seemed to dart away, appearing frail. He pointed this boy out and gave him a slight bow.

"The Lu family has many outstanding individuals, and they are also the hosts of this place. In that case, how about you come and keep them company?"

The guests laughed good-naturedly when they saw that Liu Miao had chosen a young man as his opponent.

The game of pitch-pot, where younger generations are invited to come up, is a way to give them a chance to shine, and is often a gesture of care from familiar elders.

They certainly couldn't have imagined that Liu Miao had only invited the younger generation to accompany him because he didn't want to lose too badly.

Lu Kang hadn't expected Liu Miao to make such a choice, but he still happily called the boy to his side and introduced him to Liu Miao—

"This is my elder brother, Lu Yusun Yi, courtesy name Boyan." Liu Miao smiled slightly upon hearing this. So it was Lu Yi, Lu Boyan!
……

wait?

Who did you say?

Lu Xun? Lu Boyan? The Lu Boyan who destroyed the Imperial Uncle's dream of restoring the dynasty with the great fire of Yiling?

Liu Miao's mouth was dry, and his eyes were gleaming with a greenish light!
I was just wondering where to find someone to help me defend against Yuan Shu, and then this pillow came to my sleepy head.

Although he is a bit young, who knows if he doesn't have extraordinary wisdom and can help me get through the difficulties?

"I have met Magistrate Liu."

Lu Yi, sitting opposite, felt a sense of fear upon seeing Liu Miao, who resembled a strange uncle.

However, Lu Yi was from a prominent family, so he still maintained basic etiquette and his behavior was still quite proper.

"Good boy!"

Upon hearing Liu Miao praise Lu Yi, Lu Kang, who was his great-grandfather, suddenly sighed.

"The child is a good child, but unfortunately, he has a hard life."

“Boyan’s father died early, leaving him with no one to rely on. Now he can only be raised by me.”

Lu Kang gently stroked Lu Yi's head with his large, kind hand, his eyes filled with affection.

"It's a pity that I'm now nearing my eighties and don't know when I'll pass away... The rest of my family members have elders to support them, but I don't know how Boyan should conduct himself in the future."

While the other members of the Lu clan were feeling sad, Liu Miao pointed confidently at Lu Yi and said, "This boy will naturally be extremely noble in the future! There is no need to worry about loyalty and righteousness!"

"If Lu Zhongyi trusts me, he can entrust Boyan to me. I will certainly treat him well in the future!"

Ugh?
All the guests looked surprised, while Lu Kang first had a strange expression, then hesitated and asked, "Is Your Excellency currently married?"

Liu Miao didn't understand why Lu Kang suddenly asked about his marital status, but he still replied with shame, "Never."

"Although I have come of age, my father has passed away, and the marriage has been postponed."

"After three years, the queen died, and I was placed in mourning."

"After the mourning period, my mother passed away, and three years later..."

These are all true experiences from Liu Miao's memory.

He was supposed to get married after reaching adulthood, but due to the death of his father, Liu Ju, the Prince of Langya, he had to observe a three-year mourning period.

Just three years had passed when Empress Dowager Langya, Liu Miao's nominal stepmother, passed away, forcing him to observe mourning once again.

After enduring another three years, Liu Miao's biological mother passed away... There's nothing more to say, just continue observing the mourning period!

So, despite Liu Miao's promotion to prefect with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain), he was still an old bachelor who had never married.

wrong!

Only after Liu Miao finished speaking did he realize Lu Kang's true intention in asking about his marital status!
No! Uncle Lu!

All I want is Lu Xun! Not his mother!

Unfortunately, it's already too late—

Lu Kang asked with delight, "If Your Excellency doesn't mind, why not take Boyan's mother as a concubine? Would that be a happy occasion for the Zhu and Chen families?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Note 1:

Pitch-pot is a game of etiquette where the host and guests feast and discuss their talents. —《礼记正义》卷五八《投壶》

Note 2:

Enraged, Shu dispatched his generals Sun Ce and Zheng Kang to besiege the city multiple times. Kang held firm, and those officers and soldiers who had received prior leave all fled and returned to the city, entering under cover of night. After two years of defense, the city fell. A month later, Kang fell ill and died at the age of seventy. His clan of over a hundred suffered famine and death, with nearly half perishing. —From *The Book of the Later Han Dynasty*, Biographies of Guo, Du, Kong, Zhang, Lian, Wang, Su, Yang, Jia, and Lu

　Dear readers, please be kind to this newbie and scroll down to read further. Thank you so much!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)