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

Chapter 167 Dream Man

Upon hearing Ma Liang's name, Liu Bei immediately showed a thoughtful expression.

After a moment, he nodded and said:
"Ji Chang has been stationed in Wuling for more than two years, and it is indeed time for him to return to the central government."

"Alright, let him take over from Zichu."

Then, pointing to Mi Wei, who was secretly relieved, he said:

"Don't even think about trying to be clever. It's not like I haven't had children before. Does that mean I'm hindering my important work? I'll have other tasks for you to do later!"

Miwei quickly responded.

The imperial carriage then continued into Sichuan, continuing to inspect the administration and granaries of the counties and prefectures along the way.

After pacifying Yizhou in the nineteenth year of Jian'an, Liu Bei would personally travel to the prefectures unless he was away on campaign or seriously ill and unable to travel.

Sometimes, surprise inspections are even conducted.

When Jiang Wan served as the magistrate of Guangdu County, he often drank and neglected his duties. As a result, Liu Bei caught him red-handed and he lost his position.

He was able to be reinstated and enter the Ministry of Personnel only thanks to Zhuge Liang's strong support.

From this perspective, Liu Bei's concurrent appointment as "Governor of Yizhou" was indeed well-deserved.

Fortunately, the closer one gets to Sichuan, the fewer problems there are in various aspects.

It is evident that during Liu Bei's campaign, Zhuge Liang and other key officials who remained behind managed Yizhou quite well.

The bumper harvest in Shu County this autumn is clear proof of this.

Upon arriving at Luocheng, Liu Bei finally disbanded the troops that had returned from the southern campaign.

He plans to return to the capital tomorrow to hold a grand banquet for his officials to celebrate the victory of this northern expedition.

And provide necessary rewards and compensation.

However, just as Liu Bei had rested for one night and was preparing to enter the capital the next day...

Zhuge Liang suddenly came out of Chengdu to greet them, bringing news from Cao Wei's envoy.

Liu Bei initially refused to pay any attention to him.

Until Zhuge Liang revealed his identity as an envoy:

Right General of the Central Army in Cao Wei.

Xu Shu, also known as Xu Yuanzhi.

……

What kind of person was Xu Shu?

For a long time, Mi Wei only had a vague concept in his mind.

In the fictional story, Xu Shu joined Cao Cao's camp to fulfill his filial duty, and never offered a single plan for Cao Cao and his sons throughout his life.

He can be considered to have fulfilled both loyalty and filial piety.

However, in official history, the process of entering Cao Cao's camp was largely the same.

He rose to the position of Vice Censor-in-Chief, becoming the head of the Censorate and wielding the power to supervise all officials.

While he was not as powerful as Zhuge Liang as prime minister, his official rank was certainly not low.

Moreover, the censor is a typical official who speaks out.

How could we not devise a plan or utter a word?
However, after Liu Bei heard Xu Shu's name, he was stunned and remained silent for a long time.

It can at least be confirmed that Miwei.

this person.

In Liu Bei's heart.

It's quite heavy.

It was already the afternoon of the third day when I met Xu Shu.

That's why it took a day.

This was because Liu Bei specifically set aside a day for bathing and incense burning to show his seriousness.

"Yuanzhi, do you still recognize my face?"

Liu Bei did not make any special effort to get close to Liu Bei at the beginning.

Instead, he pointed to his aging face, like a playful old man with a childlike heart.

Xu Shu was actually seven years younger than Liu Bei, and at this time he was already an "old man" in his fifties.

Hearing this, he was taken aback at first, then cupped his hands and said:
"I have often dreamt of my lord's heroic figure training troops in Xinye, and I will never forget it!"

Xu Shu indeed did not address His Majesty as a respectful title.

He indeed regarded himself as an outsider.

Yet, amidst this estrangement, the author employs the intriguing term "lord."

Liu Bei, however, seemed oblivious and laughed:

"Does Yuanzhi really dream of me?"

Xu Shu said:
"The extraordinary treatment a foreign subject receives from his lord is rare throughout history; how could one not dream of it?"

Liu Bei nodded with a smile, then suddenly sighed:
Fortunately, Yuanzhi only remembered the heroic figure of Xinye and forgot the devastation of Dangyang.

"Otherwise, I would have no face to see my old friends today."

at last.

The topic has now reached its most sensitive part.

The entire room fell silent for a moment.

Zhuge Liang glanced at Liu Bei, whose smile remained unchanged.

I glanced again at my tall, standing friend. I instinctively wanted to say something.

But Xu Shu spoke first:
"In the past, Cao Cao was first defeated by Lü Bu, and then he destroyed Lü Bu. He was first defeated at Tong Pass, and then he was able to enter Guanzhong."

"It is evident that in warfare, victory and defeat are unpredictable. Knowing shame can inspire courage, and one may indeed become a champion."

"What a wonderful saying, 'Knowing shame leads to courage'!" Liu Bei laughed, clutching his waist.

"Yuanzhi, do you know what I dreamt about you?"

Xu Shu said he did not know.

Liu Bei pointed to Zhuge Liang beside him and said:
“I often dream of the three of us talking late into the night by candlelight in a thatched hut in Xinye, from dusk till dawn, so happy that we forget to sleep.”

"Looking back now, although life was difficult back then, I had close friends and confidants to share our life's aspirations with. How wonderful that was!"

"I still remember when Yun Chang and Yi De complained that my relationship with Kongming was getting closer and closer. I said that having Kongming is like a fish having water."

"In truth, isn't the relationship between me and Yuanzhi perfectly harmonious, like fish and water?"

Zhuge Liang finally spoke:

“Yuanzhi followed Your Majesty earlier than I did. If it weren’t for Yuanzhi’s recommendation, would I have received such a special treatment from Your Majesty?”

"Therefore, Yuanzhi is Your Majesty's original source of inspiration, while I am but a piece of duckweed that came with the current."

Upon hearing this, Xu Shu remained silent for a long time.

He exhaled:
"This is also one of the greatest joys of my life."

Liu Bei finally nodded in satisfaction.

He stepped forward, grasped Xu Shu's hand tightly, and pleaded:

"If I were to say that I never resented your departure, I would be being hypocritical."

"But this grievance is one part yours, two parts the enemy's, and the remaining seven parts all belong to me."

"If I hadn't been so foolish and weak at that time, how could my late mother have fallen into the hands of the thieves?"

"How could we allow our 100,000 loyal followers to become prey to thieves?"

Then, suddenly pointing to the other side, he said:
"The other day I was discussing with this kid who would be suitable to be the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat after Liu Zichu retires."

"If Yuanzhi had not left, why would I need to ask so many questions?"

"It has to be you!"

pat.

Xu Shu, finally unable to bear the weight, repeatedly bowed his head and said:

"My lord, speak no more! My lord, speak no more!"

"I insist on saying it!" Liu Bei gripped Xu Shu's hand tightly.

From Mi Wei's perspective, it was clear that the veins on both of their hands were bulging from clenching their fists.

“The traitor Cao has bullied the emperor, seized the imperial regalia, taken my throne, and abducted my wife and children. For the sake of the greater good, I can tolerate it all.”

"The one thing I absolutely cannot tolerate is him taking my trusted confidant!"

“That day, witnessing you depart amidst the chaos of war, my heart was torn apart, and I secretly swore an oath.”

"I will definitely devour the flesh and blood of the Cao family in this lifetime!"

Xu Shu was speechless for a moment, then burst into tears.

Even Zhuge Liang, who was standing next to him, forgot to continue assisting, and his eyes were slightly red.

As for Miwei, who just watched the whole thing from the sidelines.

At this moment, besides sighing inwardly at how terrifying the succubus of the Han Dynasty was, there was nothing else to say.

……

With the atmosphere set like this, it was naturally impossible to have a serious discussion about any serious topics between the two countries.

Fortunately, Cao Pi's sudden dispatch of an envoy was a positive development.

In fact, both sides knew the truth.

The point is not what message the messenger comes to deliver.

The key lies in the act of sending an envoy.

More importantly, it was Liu Bei's act of receiving the envoy.

Since Xu Shu was indeed received publicly, the specific details of the discussion became irrelevant.

Zhuge Liang then inquired about his old friend's experiences in the north.

Upon learning that Xu Shu and another friend, Shi Tao, had been hovering below the rank of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain measure), they discovered that Xu Shu and Shi Tao had been consistently ranked below 2,000 shi.

I can't help but sigh:

"How many talented people did Cao Wei have! With the abilities of Yuanzhi and Guangyuan, why couldn't they be given important positions?"

Xu Shu said self-deprecatingly:
"The territory of Wei is vast, and the Central Plains are full of talented people. We two are just average-looking people, how can we be of great use?"

Liu Bei chuckled:
"Is Yuanzhi here to advise me to see the bigger picture and not to compete with the powerful rulers of the Central Plains for supremacy?"

Although it was a joke, it was still a rather serious topic.

Xu Shu composed himself slightly and replied:
"If I were to go to Jiangdong to see Sun Quan, I would surely have this opinion."

"But my lord is a man of great talent and ambition. Although I have been in the Central Plains for many years, I have heard of him. To say such things would only bring shame upon myself."

Zhuge Liang understood Xu Shu's implied praise or criticism.

He glanced at Liu Bei secretly and said to Xu Shu:

"In the past, I studied with Yuanzhi and received much guidance from him. Do you have any advice to offer today?"

(I thought about this chapter title for a long time, but I still feel that these three words are the most suitable.)
(End of this chapter)