The second reason

"Turn off the phone?!" Li Miao was momentarily stunned. He wasn't surprised by the electronic voice; after all, if transmigration existed, what was so strange about this abrupt electronic sound? What caught his attention were the words "phone."

"Do you confirm to turn off the phone? 1 to confirm, 2 to cancel," the electronic voice repeated, ignoring Li Miao.

"What happens if I turn it off? What if I cancel?" he asked.

This time, the electronic voice finally responded, "If you turn off the phone, the owner dies!"

"Pfft!" Li Miao almost spat blood. Turn off the phone, and the owner dies? There was no doubt who the owner was—himself. Why should he die just for shutting off a lousy phone? Which phone manufacturer designed this nonsense?

Li Miao finally understood what the Imperial Jade Seal was. His lips twitched. The legendary Heshibi was nothing more than a broken Nokia phone.

Which deity sent him hundreds of years into the past, and now the voice speaking to him was the smart voice assistant of this pathetic Nokia?

To abandon the Heshibi was to give up the phone, which meant shutting it down, and that spelled his doom. But to keep this Imperial Jade Seal meant he could go nowhere in this vast world. His identity as the eldest son of the Li family was practically worthless—if he wanted to seek refuge, he'd need something valuable to offer, and the Imperial Jade Seal was just that, worth more than his title. With it, Sun Ce might take an interest in him—no, in the Imperial Jade Seal—and spare his life.

Without the Imperial Jade Seal, if he went to Sun Ce, he might be deemed a traitor and executed if Sun Ce was in a bad mood. But if he didn't hand over the Jade Seal and stayed to inherit the so-called Zhong Kingdom, he might as well be killed outright for a quicker end.

He had fewer than three hundred soldiers, and enemies were everywhere. Traitors deserved death from all sides.

Even Dong Zhuo, after seizing the Han harem, never dared proclaim himself emperor directly. His father was happy enough to play emperor of Zhong Kingdom, but if Li Miao handed over the Jade Seal, at least he'd be seen as returning to the right path, repenting, even sacrificing family for justice. But keeping it meant he was plotting rebellion, harboring treacherous ambitions, intent on restoring the kingdom.

Are you kidding me? Surrendering the Imperial Jade Seal is death; keeping it, still death. Is he really supposed to stay in Jiangting as emperor of Zhong Kingdom? Zhong Kingdom was just his father's pipe dream, relying on the old, weak, sick, and disabled. This wasn't the path to restoration but a road to ruin.

The electronic voice ignored Li Miao's complaints. "Do you confirm to turn off the phone? 1 to confirm, 2 to cancel! Countdown: ten, nine, eight..."

"Cancel! Cancel! Damn it!" Li Miao cursed. To give up meant death; to keep it, still death. Better to live than die—one more day alive was a victory. He was the leader of over a thousand people, even if it was a pocket kingdom.

"The owner has chosen not to turn off the phone. Welcome to Nokia 250."

You're the 250! Your whole family is 250! Li Miao shouted in anger.

"Phone activated. Logging in owner: Li Miao, male, age 22, ethnicity: Han, constitution weak, martial skills weak."

"Since this is your first use of Nokia 250, you may choose an introduction to help you better understand Nokia 250!" A large panel appeared before Li Miao, offering options to confirm or cancel.

"Go ahead, introduce it," Li Miao said weakly, resigned to his fate. This blasted Nokia was going to kill him—he might as well die knowing why.

"Nokia 250, developed by Henan Nokia Company!"

Henan? Li Miao's lips twitched again. Not only was this phone broken, it was a knockoff made by his own father's company.

A barrage of pointless information nearly lulled Li Miao to sleep.

"Get to the point! The point!"

---

"This device has Taobao installed. Taobao: get what you need, there's nothing we can't sell, only what you can't afford."

Li Miao laughed bitterly. Even if you buy something, how would it be delivered? Taobao was Ma's creation, and Li Miao admitted Ma was impressive, but could he really deliver a package eighteen hundred years into the past?

Utter nonsense!

"It can!" The electronic voice responded calmly, but Li Miao's heart was suddenly stirred.

"This device has Meitu XiuXiu installed. Perfect and flawless, it can restore your Pan An looks, whether you have a crooked nose, small eyes, or missing limbs."

"This device has weather forecast software..." Li Miao barely heard the rest.

He just wanted this Henan Nokia 250 to explain Taobao further.

"Low battery! Low battery!" With a swoosh, it vanished before Li Miao, merging into his body. Li Miao's eyes widened in confusion.

As he was dazed, a group entered the room.

"Miao'er—no, Your Majesty, are you ready?" A middle-aged man, bearing some resemblance to Li Miao, reminded him. This was Li Miao's only remaining elder, his uncle Li Yin.

"Ready for what?" Li Miao asked instinctively.

"To escort the old lord's coffin to General Liu Xun," Yang Hong explained.

"Seeking refuge with Liu Xun?" Li Miao blurted out. No, absolutely not! He didn't want to go to Liu Xun—this guy was weak and foolish, insisting on independence only to meet his downfall. Besides, any refuge would require surrendering the Imperial Jade Seal as a tribute, and without it, he'd be in mortal danger.

"Then, Your Majesty, what do you propose?" Li Yin was taken aback.

"We go nowhere!" Li Miao declared to his civil and military officers. Better to live miserably than hand over his life to others.

"We stay in Huainan, in this county town!" Li Miao insisted.

"What!" All his officers stared at him in disbelief. Stay in Jiangting? Stay in Huainan?

Li Miao explained his reasoning: better to be a rooster than a feather on a phoenix's tail. Moreover, Liu Xun had been his father's subordinate, so to go as the young master to his father's old subordinate seeking refuge was disgraceful. In truth, without the Imperial Jade Seal, he couldn't tell them it was inside him, and without a tribute, they'd ignore him—or worse, kill him and send his head as a gift to Xu Du.

"The old lord's spirit in heaven must be comforted! The young master has grown up, truly grown up!" Yang Hong was first to cry, knowing Yang Hong was a sycophant who often slandered Li Miao before his father.

He was Li Miao's father's chief attendant. As for ability, he was utterly useless, but he was fiercely loyal to the Li family—a diehard supporter.

That's exactly who Li Miao needed now. Ability was meaningless when resources were lacking; what he required was absolute loyalty. Dictatorship was not benevolent, but only such rule could prevent internal strife and wasted strength in times of hardship.

Yang Hong, the loyal Li family lapdog, dropped to his knees before Li Shu's coffin, wailing and beating his chest, perfectly embodying a treacherous minister's loyal devotion to his master.

It was almost moving enough to make listeners weep.

Li Miao felt embarrassed. If he had any other choice, he'd never stay in Jiangting—only a fool would.

"Your Majesty, we have less than a thousand troops, mostly old, weak, women, and children. Staying in Jiangting is a dead end!" Li Yin protested.

Li Miao looked at his uncle, knowing Li Yin wasn't loyal to his father. He had some talent, but his status was awkward: the younger brother of Li Shu, born to Li Shu's father and a maidservant. Though of noble descent, he couldn't stand on his own and had to choose between his elder brothers Li Shao and Li Shu. He chose Li Shu, the legitimate heir most likely to inherit the family headship.

---

But who could have predicted today's outcome?

Now, Li Yin was ready to jump ship. He didn't want to be tied to Li Shu's doomed faction.

It was Li Yin's idea to send Li Shu north to seek Li Shao, but unfortunately, they were blocked by Cao Cao and Liu Bei's armies.

Now, hearing that Li Miao intended to stand alone, Li Yin refused to stay in Jiangting and die with his nephew. That wasn't his style—he still had much life ahead.

"Your Majesty, we could continue north to seek your uncle, the great general Benchu!" Li Yin advised. Li Miao feared ridicule if he went to Liu Xun, but to his uncle, the great general, it was natural for a nephew to be cared for. No shame there.

"North?" Li Miao lamented. If he could go north, he wouldn't stay here. It was always better beneath a great tree.

But he refused for two reasons: first, Liu Bei and Cao Cao's armies still blocked the way. If he made a move, he'd be in serious trouble. Cao Cao would never allow the Imperial Jade Seal to fall into Li Shao's hands. Li Shao was already a great general, equal to Cao Cao in rank. With the Jade Seal, Li Shao could even find a Liu family member to install as emperor—then how could Cao Cao command the realm in the emperor's name?

Second, Li Miao knew his uncle Li Shao, Benchu, would die in two years, just like his own father. Afterwards, any further exile would be a joke. Li Shao's three sons all died young—Li Miao would fare no better. So he absolutely couldn't go.

Li Yin had his own agenda: while the main force couldn't go north, a hundred men could slip through. Cao Cao couldn't block every route. With a small group, Li Yin hoped Li Miao would abandon the main force and take only a few guards to Hebei.

"Li Yin, what are your intentions? The old lord died because of you, and now you want to harm the young lord!" Yang Hong rebuked him, for Li Shu had died en route north.

"Is there any other path besides north?" Li Yin retorted.

"Shall we continue north?" Li Miao's general Zhang Xun seemed swayed.

"We must not! Your Majesty, have you forgotten Li Shang?" Li Miao's brother-in-law intervened. When the Li family was in Luoyang, Li Miao and Li Shang were notorious ne'er-do-wells. Li Miao was Li Shu's only son, while Li Shang was Li Shao's cherished youngest, and the two sons never got along. Li Miao nearly castrated Li Shang.

If he went to Hebei, he'd surely be killed.

"Enough! Stop arguing!" Li Miao finally snapped. All that remained were these ragtag followers, and they weren't even collaborating—they were just quarreling.

With a sudden motion, Li Miao drew a guard's sword and struck the table, splitting it in two, wood chips flying, some cutting his face and drawing blood, staining his face red and terrifying everyone.

Li Miao snarled, "My decision is made. We stay in Jiangting. Any more dissent will meet the same fate as this table!"

His words silenced them all—even Huang Yi, who knew him well, felt some fear.

Li Miao saw his uncle Li Yin still wanted to speak. He turned and said coldly, "Uncle, if you want to go north to Benchu, I won't stop you. Go as you wish!"

"You—!" Li Yin was furious. If he could go alone, he wouldn't need Li Miao’s permission; he would have left already. The reason he couldn't was because he had no troops to protect him. In these chaotic times, a middle-aged scholar would only be robbed by bandits. He'd be lucky not to die on the road.

Li Yin suppressed his anger. "Fine, Your Majesty. Since you wish to stay, I have nothing more to say. But Your Majesty, the army’s provisions are less than a hundred shì. What do you propose?"

"A hundred shì?" Li Miao had no concept of shì. He’d never understood because he was a young master—his father provided everything, so he never needed to know. Now his father was gone, and he had to take care of food, oil, salt, and tea himself—he was the lord now.

"Your Majesty, we only have two days' worth of rations," Yang Hong whispered, sensing Li Miao’s embarrassment. One shì was about 120 jin, enough for fifty people for a day; one hundred shì could feed five thousand for a day.

Li Miao had over three thousand people, including the old, weak, women, children, and soldiers. In other words, only two days of food remained. After two days, everyone would go hungry.

"No provisions?" Li Miao frowned. People need food to survive; even in chaos, basic sustenance was necessary. "Are we out of money?"