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

Chapter 174 Zhuge Jin's Invitation

Early winter of the second year of Zhangwu.

As the year draws to a close, officials from various regions flock to the capital for accounting.

The Grand Commandant's residence, which should have been the busiest of the three dukes' mansions, was left vacant.

Situ Xujing, however, had long been too ill to get out of bed.

Even the daily hobbies of scholars were completely stopped.

Besides physicians, only servants delivering medicine entered the Situ residence each day.

Whether we can survive this winter depends on fate.

In comparison, the Sikong Mansion, which was not far away, was much more lively.

It was always bustling with visitors.

Every day, artisans from all over the country come to join the team.

Later, when there wasn't enough space, they simply set aside another vacant lot across the street to serve as a factory for developing new paper.

This is not a case of a father and son abusing their power to take advantage of the situation and develop Ji Han Real Estate.

According to the system of the Later Han Dynasty, the main authority of the Minister of Works was to "manage water and soil affairs".

In theory, all matters related to construction fall under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Works.

Of course, everyone knows that Mi Zhu's position as Minister of Works was merely nominal, a position he enjoyed without real power.

Anyway, it's not something to take too seriously.

On this day, another cartload of medicinal herbs arrived near the residence of the Three Dukes.

However, instead of entering the Situ Mansion, they went to the paper mill.

"Is this Phellodendron amurense?"

Mi Zhu looked at the cart full of tree bark and rubbed his nose.

The bark is all fresh; a single piece has a unique fragrance.

But when all the vehicles are piled together, the smell becomes quite pungent.

The elk also couldn't stand the smell of Phellodendron bark.

But in order to "lie flat" as soon as possible, we can only persevere at this time.

sidewalk:

"People in the mountains often use this to treat dysentery and mouth ulcers, and some also boil it into juice to expel parasites."

"My son thought, since phellodendron juice can repel insects, if it is used to soak hemp paper, it might also have the effect of preventing insects and making the paper more durable?"

Mi Zhu did not know that this was the correct answer to "hemp paper".

They had no idea what "cypress alkaloid" was or what its chemical properties were.

I felt that my son's explanation seemed to make sense, so I thought I might as well give it a try.

Experimenting with new technologies involves trying all the possibilities and then selecting the optimal solution.

Anyway, idle is idle.

So he turned around and ordered someone to move the cart of phellodendron bark inside to boil it into a juice.

Miwei did not follow them into the factory.

After leaving the house, he saw Zhuge Qiao, the "scribe" who had accompanied him, and said:

"Is this the only cartload of Phellodendron amurense that Yongchang County has sent as tribute this year?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Qiao instinctively straightened his back and respectfully replied:
"A letter from Lü Jiping, the clerk of Yongchang County, said that although Yong Kai and Meng Huo of Yizhou County dared not openly defy the imperial court, they still frequently crossed county borders to plunder."

"To prevent unforeseen circumstances, Yongchang County has no choice but to close its borders to protect its people, making it difficult to recruit a large number of people to collect Phellodendron bark. We ask the court for its understanding."

Upon hearing this, Mi Wei muttered, "Seven captures and seven releases."

He could certainly tell from Yongchang's ostensible explanation of the difficulty of mining.

In reality, they were requesting the imperial court to send troops south to suppress the rebels.

However, the strategy for the southern region has already been decided, and we cannot lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small gains.

sidewalk:

"You write back to Lu Gongcao for me, saying that the Left and Right Supervisors of Yijiang are all virtuous and capable men trusted by His Majesty, and Zhang Boqi is also a talented man."

"Within three years, the troubles of Yong Kai and Meng Huo will surely be properly resolved."

"If harvesting Phellodendron amurense is difficult, there is no need to force it; protecting the territory and ensuring the safety of the people should be our priority!"

Zhuge Qiao immediately took out his pen and scribbled down the notes.

Mi Wei couldn't help but think of his previous clerk, Pan Mi.

Pan has a good memory; he can often remember things just by speaking them aloud.

Zhuge Qiao clearly lacked this memory. However, this also made him exceptionally diligent and conscientious in his work.

While pondering, seeing that Zhuge Qiao looked hesitant after finishing writing, he said:
"What do you want to ask?"

Zhuge Qiao immediately said:

"The lord said that the general's 'long-term strategy' is related to the national interest, and we should try our best regardless of success or failure."

"If Yongchang County cannot consistently supply Phellodendron bark as tribute, where will we obtain it from in the future?"

Do you mean you believe that using Phellodendron bark will definitely be successful?

Miwei didn't know where the other party's confidence came from.

Even he himself, despite having "cheated," couldn't guarantee success.

He had already considered this question from the other party, and said:

"I need you to write me a second letter."

"Tell Zhang Boqi that Han Jia and Yue Xi are mountainous areas, making cultivation difficult, but they are suitable for planting Phellodendron amurense. Perhaps he can try transplanting it when he has time... It might provide a long-term livelihood for the mountain people in the two counties."

Zhuge Qiao picked up his pen again and quickly wrote it down.

He was already filled with admiration for Miwei's wisdom.

It feels like the other person is an inexhaustible treasure trove, with new surprises every day.

The last person to give him this feeling was his father (adoptive father), Zhuge Liang.

Of course, in his view, there are still differences between the two.

Although my father was full of wisdom, he liked to do everything himself, paying attention to every detail to ensure that nothing went wrong.

While Mi Zhaohan in front of us does things personally, he rarely inquires about the details.

After making a general plan, I will let someone I trust do it.

Upon closer examination, it seems that Mi Zhaohan trusted the person he chose more than his father.

Unfortunately, the people they choose every time have performed exceptionally well, without exception.
This must be what they call an innate ability to judge people, right?

Thinking about it this way, Mi Zhaohan actually possesses the advantages of both His Majesty and his father?

"Speaking of which, isn't Ma Jichang about to enter Sichuan?"

Just as Zhuge Qiao was lost in thought, Mi Wei suddenly asked a question.

Zhuge Qiao was startled and quickly said:
"The official will personally go to pick him up, and he should arrive around the middle of the month."

Upon hearing this, Mi Wei sighed inwardly:
Once Ma Liang returned to the central government, according to Lao Liu's plan, he would be the next person to be transferred to a post with a salary of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain).

Although he never overestimated himself.

But after spending a long time together, he realized that Lao Liu intended to groom him as Zhuge Liang's successor.

In order to facilitate future promotions, it is customary to transfer them for one or even two terms outside the region.

Just as Zhuge Liang once governed Jingnan for Liu Bei, and Ma Liang served as the governor of Wuling for almost three years.

Prime ministers must rise from the ranks of local officials, and valiant generals must emerge from the ranks of soldiers.

This statement has been a consensus throughout history.

I just don't know where I'm going.

Will he be a prefectural governor or a regional governor?
After a moment's thought, he said to Zhuge Qiao:
"Arrange a banquet for me. I want to personally welcome Ma Jichang to Sichuan."

……

In mid-November, northerly winds had already begun to blow in Xiangyang.

General Yang Yi, the chief secretary, hurriedly entered the general's mansion with a military report in his hand, his face red from the cold.

Upon entering the room, Guan Yu was reciting the Zuo Zhuan.

Yang Yi was already used to this, and without Guan Yu's instructions, he gave a brief explanation:
“Sun Zhongmou transferred Zhuge Ziyu to be the governor of Jiangxia and stationed troops in E County.”

"Zhuge Ziyu is sending a secret envoy with a message, saying that a major battle will take place in Yangzhou as early as the twelfth lunar month, and no later than the second lunar month of next year. He hopes that the general can abide by the agreement between the two sides and join forces to launch a northern expedition."

Upon hearing the words "Northern Expedition," Guan Yu finally put down his letter.

He stroked his graying beard and gazed intently, saying:

"After Your Majesty gained control of Guanzhong, I wrote to the Sun family to tell them that Guanzhong should be the priority in all matters from now on."

"Yizhou is not yet secure; how can I be in a hurry to launch a northern expedition!"

"Do you really think that Guan is so eager to make a contribution that he can't distinguish between what's important and what's not?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Yi put down the bamboo slip in his hand, took two steps forward, and whispered:
"Please forgive my bluntness."

"Although the imperial court prioritizes Guanzhong, General, you may still be able to make progress in Jingzhou!"

(End of this chapter)