If Jiang Siming imprisoned him, wouldn't Yanzhou and Qingzhou, which he had fought so hard to conquer, end up becoming a gift for Jiang Siming?
"Brother, I, Cao Cao, won't be returning to Chang'an with you. There are still plenty of bandits running rampant in Qingzhou, and I urgently need to go back and take charge. As for the rewards and such, I'll send someone to collect them later. See you."
That was more or less the meaning of the letter Cao Cao left for Jiang Siming. After leaving the letter, he took his troops and fled.
Liu Bei, however, was troubled. For the time being, he couldn't find a reason to leave Jiang Siming. Besides, he genuinely needed the rewards to strengthen himself.
Without rewards, even if he ran away, he would still be a penniless pauper.
He wasn't like Boss Cao, with his vast wealth and power.
After thinking for a long while, Liu Bei decided to follow Jiang Siming to Chang'an.
Before returning to Chang'an, Jiang Siming made a trip to Lujiang and brought Da Xiao Qiao, Xiao Qiao, and the entire Qiao family along.
When the victorious army returned to Chang'an, the people of Chang'an spontaneously poured out to welcome them, standing along both sides of the road.
As Jiang Siming's Prime Minister's carriage entered Chang'an, the citizens erupted in joy. They were even happier than they were during the New Year.
They knew that the Prime Minister had won a great victory. Chang'an remained as solid as a fortress, so they had no need to worry that their Good Days would never return.
The Liu, Guan, and Zhang brothers were also visiting Chang'an for the first time. They saw an incomparably prosperous city and the happy, peaceful faces of its people.
The three brothers were