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

Chapter 161 Let Lu wander around a little longer
You Chu's expression stiffened again.

He realized that Miwei was testing him.

His mind raced, and he said:
"Xiliu is located in Jingzhao. How would I, a former governor of Hanxing, know about it?"

"If I had known earlier, I would have exposed Xiahou Zilin's evil deeds to the court, even if it was taboo!"

Mi Wei then chuckled lightly:
"Do not worry, once I have robbed the ill-gotten gains, the truth will naturally come to light."

"At that time, we enriched ourselves, and Your Highness also saw through the treacherous officials in the court. It can be said that everyone got what they wanted... Wasn't that wonderful?"

What a load of rubbish!

You Chu was so angry that his face turned red.

But in the end, he dared not lash out. He took a few deep breaths, cupped his hands, and said:
"I humbly advise you, sir, not to covet this worldly wealth and cut off your own path back south!"

Miwei raised an eyebrow:

"Oh, but I don't know which way to go?"

Traveling to Chu:

"You have been gazing south from the mountains for over a month, and you should know that neither Sanguan Pass nor Xiegu Pass is the way back."

However, there are more than two roads connecting Guanzhong to Shu.

"As far as I know, there are two narrow passes south of Chang'an, which are not suitable for large armies to pass through, but are perfect for your small force to flee south."

"But if you collude with the bandits to rob Xiliu, then government troops will surely gather in the outskirts of Chang'an."

"If you still want to take those two narrow paths then, it will be difficult."

Upon hearing this, the names Tangluodao and Ziwudao immediately came to mind.

The latter, in particular, was seen peering out from the other exit during his journey to Sichuan last year.

It was indeed a treacherous and difficult road.

sidewalk:

"Even if we take those two routes, wouldn't we still need your help, as a person of two thousand shi (a unit of grain measurement), to cover our tracks?"

You Chu proudly said:
"This also belongs to my 'pheasant'."

Miwei touched his chin, which had just grown a bit of a beard.

They seem to be seriously considering this proposal.

After a moment, he shook his head and said:

"However, I have already promised Zheng Gan, and I cannot break my promise."

You Chu is in a hurry:
"A bunch of fickle and despicable people, why should you repay them with kindness?"

Miwei:

"Precisely because he is a petty person, he is disrespectful when I get close to him, and resentful when I keep my distance. I fear that he will become angry and do something to harm me!"

You Chu was unable to answer for a moment.

Suddenly, Miwei slapped his saddle in front of him and said with bright eyes:
"Have it!"

"I have Yang Fu's seal; perhaps I can use it to trick the gates of Xiaohuaili into opening!"

"Why not just suggest that Zheng Gan plunder Xiaohuaili, draw the Wei army from Chang'an westward, and then calmly return south through the narrow passage!"

He repeatedly thanked You Chu, saying that it was thanks to the other party's reminder that he would not have thought of such a brilliant idea.

You Chu turned pale upon hearing Yang Fu's seal.

Hearing the last part, his face completely broke down, and he said in a panic:

"Xiaohuaili is in Fufeng, and it is separated from Fengyi by Chang'an. Those Zheng Gan bandits are nothing but bandits, why would they risk coming from so far away?"

Miwei waved his hand and said:
"It's alright, I'll tell him that I've already received two thousand elite troops from Wei Zhenbei, which should be enough to embolden Zheng Gan!"

You Chu stomped his feet:

"But you have not been able to contact Wei Yan!"

Miwei:

"That's even less of a problem, since Zheng Gan doesn't know these details anyway!"

"He could only see that Zhang He was still stationed at Mei, with his vanguard extending south to Wuzhangyuan."

"Logically speaking, Wei Zhenbei's army must still be in a stalemate with them. Wouldn't it be reasonable to send two thousand soldiers north to cooperate with us in harassing the enemy's rear?"

"Moreover, if we can plunder Xiaohuaili and draw out Zhang He's garrison, it might even create an opportunity for Wei Zhenbei to launch a surprise attack on Mei City!"

“That’s absolutely impossible!” You Chu said firmly.

"Zhang Fei and Wei Yan had already broken camp and retreated south at the beginning of the month!"

The words fell.

From Mi Wei down, all the generals turned their heads, revealing expressions that were neither smiling nor frowning.

You Chu realized he had spoken out of turn, but it was too late to take it back.

He could only hang his head and sigh in silence.

However, Miwei did not continue to dwell on this topic.

The tone shifted abruptly, and a question was suddenly asked:

"If you were to replace me in the position of Hulu, what would you do?"

You Chu, in a fit of despair, said:

"Zheng Gan was able to find out such secrets, so he must have spies in Chang'an."

"Have him try to contact Xiahou Zilin, threatening to expose the secret of Xiliu Warehouse, and force him to give up some of his wealth and then stop while he's ahead."

"In that case, you have not broken your promise to Zheng Gan."

Miwei:

"After that, I will continue to hope that you will spare the lives of my hundred or so people?"

Traveling to Chu:

“I only have this one pheasant.”

Miwei stroked his chin again and said, "Alright."

You Chu was surprised: "Really?"

He really did give up completely just now.

Deer-like steeds whipping southward:

"Should I swear by the Wei River? Or the Qian River? The Du River? The Jing River? Or do you have a different preference?"

You Chu's lips twitched, and he decided to ignore the other person.

Mi Wei then turned to his soldiers and said:
"Since I took my leave of His Majesty and fought around Longshan, half a year has passed."

“Deer is not lacking in power, talent, or virtue. Only with two or three men risking their lives to follow him can we slay generals and seize flags.”

"The opportunity for my return to the south has become clear, and I have only one thing to say."

"I wish to return to the same place as you all!"

Upon hearing this, all the riders shook their armor and shouted "Let's go together!"

Their sheer force suggested they were more like fleeing remnants than actual soldiers.

Rather, they were the elite troops about to launch a decisive battle.

You Chu was completely bewildered and at a loss.

……

a few days later.

With the return of the last group of messengers who had contacted Zheng Gan.

Miwei finally officially ordered the return journey.

You Chu remained in a daze for several days, unable to find out anything.

He didn't even know if Mi Wei had actually followed his advice and had Zheng Gan threaten Xiahou Mao.

But at this moment, there was no time to worry about any of that.

A day later, the group descended the mountain and returned to the plains, reaching the territory of Mei County.

You Chu said to Mi Wei:

“Mei County is the fiefdom of Duke Mei (Cao Fan). His Majesty has decreed that the princes must not leave their fiefdoms without permission, nor are they allowed to participate in local military affairs.”

"Therefore, General Zhang He did not directly station his troops at Mei City, but instead went to Mei Village in the east."

Mi Wei: "Is it the Mei Fortress that Dong Zhuo built back then?"

You Chu: "Exactly! Although it is dilapidated, it is close to the Chengguo Canal. With a little repair, it can become an excellent barracks and granary."

"If you wish to cross the river, whether you go through Beiyuan or Meiwu, you will be detected by the soldiers."

"However, the city of Mei is avoided by the generals, and there are no regular soldiers' camps nearby, which makes it an opportunity to take advantage of the situation."

Having said that, You Chu impatiently took out a handwritten letter that he had written long ago and asked Mi Wei to disguise himself and enter the city immediately.

However, Mi Wei calmly replied:
"No rush, let's wait a little longer."

How could a journey to Chu not be urgent?
"I have been waiting for you for more than a month, and I suppose you have exhausted all the means at your disposal."

"Since we can't summon Lu, why not just admit defeat?"

Miwei:

How do you know I don't have Lu?

Traveling to Chu:

Where is Lu?

Miwei flicked his whip and turned around:
"Let Lu turn around for a while longer."

You Chu was a smart man after all, and he immediately became alert:
"Did Zheng Gan send an envoy to see Xiahou Zilin?"

Miwei nodded.

You Chu: "And then?"

Mi Wei: "The envoy did not return; he must have been killed by Xiahou Mao."

Upon hearing this, You Chu felt a slight disappointment.

But there was no time to think about it further:
"In that case, you should hurry south to avoid that scoundrel Zheng Gan holding a grudge against you and doing something detrimental!"

Upon hearing this, Miwei cracked his whip again and asked in return:

"Do you know what Zheng Gan and the others truly crave?"

You Chu: "What?"

Miwei: "Things to fill one's stomach."

“I contacted him several times.”

"Despite being a liar, he always mentioned the word 'grain' without exception."

"Do you know why?"

You Chu lowered his head and pursed his lips, remaining silent.

Miwei asked again:

"Then do you know why he rebelled last year?"

Why did you later surrender?

Why did they surrender and then rebel again this year?

"If you won't answer any of these questions, then why don't you tell me what exactly caused the Yellow Turban Rebellion in the past?"

Hearing Mi Wei's rapid-fire questions, You Chu's head drooped lower and lower.

But when he came to the words "Yellow Turbans," he finally couldn't hold back any longer:
"Our Emperor is a benevolent and wise ruler, and his court is full of virtuous and capable officials. How can he be compared to that muddle-headed Emperor Ling!"

Miwei grinned and said:
"That's certainly not the case. But why did Zheng Gan still betray your benevolent and sage ruler twice?"

(End of this chapter)