The Duke of Shu Han began guarding Jingzhou in place of Guan Yu.

Chapter 135 Northward Alliance
The imperial carriage only escorted Mi Wei to the palace gate.

Mi Wei's position as Attendant-in-Ordinary granted him the authority to enter and leave the Forbidden City.

However, he did not go to see Liu Bei immediately.

Instead, following the procedure for entering the court without a valid imperial seal, he first went to the Imperial Seal Platform to hand over the imperial seal he had previously borrowed, and only then went to pay homage to Liu Bei.

"Your rigid and meticulous nature is quite similar to Zilong's."

Liu Bei, of course, knew where Mi Wei was, and shook his head and chuckled as soon as he saw him.

Mi Wei immediately replied, "Zhao Yijun is a model of military generalship, how could I dare to..."

Before he could finish speaking, Liu Bei raised his hand to interrupt his spellcasting, saying:

"Pan Chengming's second son once served as your secretary?"

coming!

Mi Wei immediately said solemnly:
"In order to appease Pan Shi, I recruited his son."

"Later it was discovered that Pan Mi was indeed a capable official, so he was recommended to the court."

"This is out of public interest, with absolutely no selfish motives!"

Liu Bei nodded secretly as he listened to the first part, but raised an eyebrow when he heard the last sentence:

"Then, if I were to appoint Zhuge Liang's son as my scribe and tutor, would that be considered a private scheme?"

The Prime Minister wants Zhuge Qiao to be my scribe.

Miwei didn't react for a moment.

Subconsciously:

"The Prime Minister is working tirelessly for the king's affairs. I am not capable, but if I can share the Prime Minister's burdens, it would be my small contribution to the king's affairs. Of course, this is not for my own selfish reasons!"

"That's well said." Liu Bei nodded in satisfaction.

Then he said:
"Thanks to your planning, the South will be free from major troubles for the next ten years. We should then join forces to move north."

"I have decided to personally travel north to form an alliance with the Qiang and Di chieftains to show my sincerity."

"As a strategist before the Emperor, you should accompany him and continue to serve as his military supervisor."

Mi Wei quickly agreed.

Liu Bei then said:

"The affairs of the state are numerous, and you are capable. You should take the Prime Minister as your role model, share the burden of the country, and not be concerned about honor or disgrace."

"But I am not an unreasonable ruler. Since there is still some time before heading north, I will go home to spend more time with my parents and wife, and I will no longer need to come to the palace to serve you every day."

Mi Wei once again acknowledged the honor, and then took his leave.

But he only realized it when he walked out of the palace gate.

Is Old Liu telling me to learn from the Prime Minister?
Should we learn from the Prime Minister?

I?
……

"Why not?"

Mi Zhu shook his head slightly when he saw the doubt on his son's face.

"In the past, Emperor Xiaowen asked Zhou Bo, the Right Chancellor, how many cases were adjudicated in the country in a year, and how much money and grain were generated in and out of the country."

Zhou Bo could not answer, so he asked the Left Chancellor Chen Ping.

Chen Ping said that matters concerning the adjudication of cases should be consulted with the Court of Justice, and matters concerning finances and grain should be consulted with the Minister of Agriculture.

Emperor Xiaowen said, "Since everything has a person in charge, what is your responsibility as the prime minister?"

Chen Ping replied, "My lord and my subject."

At this point, Mi Zhu patted his son's hand and said:
“The people you recommended to the court are all talented and capable of fulfilling their duties.”

“There are also those who have neglected their duties, or who have lost their positions because of you, such as Huang Yuan and Li Yan.”

"Or because of you, one can play to one's strengths and avoid one's weaknesses, and be suited to one's duties, like Ma Youchang."

"Aren't all these things exactly the characteristics of a 'master and subject' relationship?"

Miwei was deeply shocked.

So, there are side effects to sucking up to powerful people everywhere?

Okay, as long as it's not just Lao Liu's suspicion.

Next, the father and son talked about their upcoming trip north to form an alliance.

It turns out that a lot happened in the north during the time Miwei was heading south.

The first one was the Qiang people who had previously formed an alliance by going south.

Upon returning, he indeed boasted extensively about the courteous treatment he had received in Sichuan.

It also emphasizes the wealth of Shu Commandery and the powerful military capabilities of Shu Han.

After several months of fermentation, several more Qiang and Di tribes finally agreed to go south and form an alliance.

Liu Bei intended to entrust the alliance with the Qiang people to Ma Chao and Wu Yi.

Liu Bei personally led his army north to Xiabian, the seat of Wudu Commandery, and formed an alliance with the Di chieftains who had moved south.

There are two reasons for choosing this place.

Firstly, Wudu Commandery itself was a place where Qiang, Di, and Han people lived together. Moving south to this area, one felt safe on both sides.

Secondly, there is a cliff carving in the valley outside Xiabian, dating back to the fourth year of Jianning (171 AD).

The full title is "Ode to Li Xi, Prefect of Hanyang, Ayang, and Xixia, the Governor of Hanwudu".

Abbreviated as "Xixia Song".

It praises the deeds of former Prefect Li Xi in opening up mountain roads in the area, benefiting the people.

Because the inscription features auspicious symbols such as a yellow dragon, a white deer, and auspicious grains, it is also commonly known as the "Yellow Dragon Stele".

The yellow dragon is the symbol of the emperor.

Choosing to form an alliance here carries a positive meaning from any perspective.

Mi Zhu: "However, what really prompted the imperial carriage to head north was the recent rebellion of the Lu Shui Hu in Yongliang."

Mi Wei recalled the strategic opportunities he had remembered in Jiangxia last year, and a thought struck him:
"Which side's Lu Shui Hu is it?"

Furthermore, the Lushui Hu were not a single, fixed ethnic group.

Instead, it was a complex nomadic tribe that widely absorbed various tribes in the northern frontier, including the Qiang, Di, Jie, and even the Xiongnu and Yuezhi.

Broadly speaking, they are divided into three major ethnic groups based on their geographical location.

They are:
Active in the Jingwei River basin, or more specifically, in the Anding Lushui Hu of northern Guanzhong.

The Liangzhou Lushui Hu were active in the Hexi Corridor.

The Huangzhong Lushui Hu, active in the Hehuang Valley,
Among them, the first two posed the greatest obstacle to Cao Wei's rule over Yong and Liang.

This is also a key focus that Miwei has always paid attention to.

Then Mi Zhu said with a gloating expression, "They have them in both Yong and Liang prefectures!"

"First, in Liangzhou, last year Qu Yan of Xiping, Huang Hua of Jiuquan, Zhang Jin of Zhangye and others drove the Qiang and Hu people to rebel. Although Cao Wei’s Protector of the Qiang, Su Ze, quickly quelled the rebellion, he only had time to use the power of war and not to show benevolence."

"Just as His Majesty ascended the throne, he generously won over those who were not loyal to the Cao family, and in doing so, he brought them under his wing."

"I have heard that the powerful and influential figures of the Lushui tribe in Liangzhou, such as Zhiyuan Duo and Yijian Jiqi, have already made a name for themselves in several counties of Wuwei and Lushui."

At this time, Su Ze was busy with the turmoil in Pingliang Prefecture and had no time to look eastward.

"In my opinion, the Qiang people who went south to form an alliance this time may have been instructed by the Qiang leader of Liangzhou."

After a slight pause, Mi Zhu continued:
"The situation in Guanzhong is similar. Last year, Feng Yihao's general Zheng Gan surrendered to the Hu people of Lushui in Anding, but this summer he has started another uprising. Cao Zhen, Zhang He, and other generals in Guanzhong are also busy suppressing the rebellion and have no time to go west to Longyou."

"In other words, with the imperial carriage heading north, the Cao Wei armies on both the east and west sides will not be able to arrive quickly, making it a perfect opportunity to intervene in Longyou!"

Mi Wei suddenly realized.

Essentially, this is the same strategy he used last year when he seized Xiangfan from Jingzhou.

Both sides seized upon a weakness in the opponent's strategic transition period.

However, Yizhou was further away from the core territory ruled by Cao Wei.

We have more resources available to mobilize.

Therefore, the potential profits are greater.

……

Time off always seems too short.

After a month of tender moments with his wife, Guan Linghui, it was already late autumn, when they were at their fattest.

This was the window of opportunity when nomadic tribes began their southward migration.

Mi Wei bid a reluctant farewell to his parents and relatives, and once again followed Liu Bei's carriage northward.

Because he needed to enter counties outside the country, and Liu Bei also intended to project his power to Yong and Liang.

Therefore, although this operation was called an alliance, it was no different from a military campaign.

The various units of the central army first assembled in Luocheng, the northeastern gateway to Chengdu, to stockpile supplies.

Within ten days, more than 40,000 troops were assembled, and the warehouses were filled with grain, fodder and weapons.

The temporary military camps connect the two banks of the Luo River, with banners standing like a forest.

Its appearance is breathtaking and arousing.

Generals and commanders of the central army, such as Ma Chao, Wu Yi, Zhao Yun, Chen Dao, Huang Quan, Feng Xi, Zhang Nan, Zhao Rong, and Fu Tong, gathered in one city, each with their own commander.

Other scholars in charge of etiquette, such as Grand Herald He Zong, Consultant Meng Guang, and Doctor Xu Ci, accompanied the group.

Even Miwei has some control this time.

Imperial Son-in-Law Guan Xing, Cavalry Commandant Ma Dai, and two Military Commanders Wang Ping and Ma Zhong all obeyed his orders.

It was the team that led Mi Wei south to quell the rebellion.

They are now all incorporated into Liu Bei's central army system.

Their primary responsibility was to protect the emperor's carriage.

However, just as they had finished gathering their troops and were about to head north, Mi Wei encountered someone unexpected.

Meng Da, a court official.

(End of this chapter)