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

Chapter 224 I have a plan

Mi Wei pondered for a moment and said:
"As Yang Wei just said, this matter is essentially a question of how to divide the profits."

"Laws and military discipline were established to solve this problem."

"Therefore, we cannot only discuss how to abide by the law while ignoring the underlying distribution issues."

This is putting the cart before the horse.

Such a convoluted passage would give anyone a headache.

But Deng Ai, having lived at the bottom of society for so long, understood it immediately.

Take a deep breath and say slowly:

“The benefit of the people in the settlements lies in farming and weaving.”

Mi Wei, understanding the music, nodded and said:

"really."

“The villagers only focused on farming, and all they sought in their lives was food and cloth. Ultimately, it all came down to the produce of the land.”

"No matter how you divide it, you can only add or subtract from this."

"Too much is too much, too little is too little."

He paused slightly, then continued:
“Besides having land to eat and wear, the scholar-officials also had the need to enter officialdom and pursue fame and achievements, which is what is meant by ‘cultivating oneself, regulating one’s family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world.’”

"If we want to share the profits, we can only do so by favoring certain officials in the selection of scholars and appointment of officials."

"These are already established by the imperial court; I, Xiao Gui Cao, will follow them as I see fit."

"As for promoting paper books, establishing state and county schools, and broadening people's knowledge, these things will not be effective in a year or two, so there is no need to discuss them for now."

"But right now, with a major battle imminent, we cannot have long-term plans without short-term solutions."

At this point, Mi Wei looked at Deng Ai and Zhuge Qiao, who was accompanying him, and said with piercing eyes:
"I have a plan that may alleviate the current problem of losing the support of the people."

"But we need to do more research and plan carefully about this matter..."

Miwei then explained the plan in detail and asked everyone to help him understand it.

……

Just as Mi Wei was worrying about how to govern Jingzhou.

Shi Tao and Shi Guangyuan, far away in Luoyang, were also worried about their future and their hair turned white.

As a scholar from a prominent family in Yingchuan, he could be considered a distinguished figure in Xiangyang at the time.

But in Luoyang, a city teeming with talent, one would simply blend into the crowd.

A product designated as "local specialty" won't qualify for top-tier status.

Even if one were to become an official, one could only be a tedious and corrupt bureaucrat.

I came to Beijing this time hoping to find a way to get a better job.

Who knew I'd searched for him a thousand times over?

Looking back, the best way out turned out to be his good friend Xu Shu.

In particular, Xu Shu recently gained fame for impeaching Cao Hong and was implicated by Grand Commandant Zhong Yao.

He instantly became a highly sought-after figure in Luoyang.

He spent his days either loitering at Zhong Yao's residence or receiving guests at home.

Shi Tao had to send a servant to deliver a letter and arrange a time in advance if he wanted to see him.

After a while, the selection of officials was arranged, and he was still a tedious official burdened with heavy administrative duties.

However, just when Shi Tao was feeling disheartened, Xu Shu suddenly found himself with free time and even invited him to his home for a get-together.

Shi Tao was overjoyed.

Upon entering, he first congratulated his friend on his newfound power.

Seeing that Xu Shu's complexion was indeed much rosier than before, he was in high spirits, but couldn't help feeling a little envious:

"Why didn't Yuanzhi go to the Grand Commandant's mansion to curry favor with him today? Could it be that you offended someone too badly last time and are now feeling intimidated?"

Xu Shu countered:

"If writing a few memorials can help one curry favor with the emperor, should Guangyuan do so or not?"

Shi Tao snorted:
"If someone is like Master Zhong, what's wrong with him writing a few memorials or even spending his whole life studying classics?"

Xu Shu laughed heartily and invited the other party to sit down and talk.

"I heard yesterday at the Grand Commandant's residence that Guangyuan has been transferred to the position of 2,000 shi (a high-ranking official). Congratulations!"

Shi Tao's face instantly fell:

"He's just a fifth-rank official, the Yingchuan Agricultural Commissioner, how could he be considered a proper two-thousand-stone official!"

"By the way, Yuanzhi, you're not going to the Grand Commandant's residence today. Are you perhaps planning to back down? I'm counting on you to mentor me in the future!"

Xu Shu shook his head and said:
"I am now a vanguard soldier on the battlefield. When the drums sound and weapons clash, if I do not bravely charge forward, I will be trampled to death by those behind me. How can I retreat?" "I am taking a break today only because Lord Zhong is going to visit a wise man!"

"Visiting a wise man..." Shi Tao couldn't help but ponder upon hearing this.

Given Zhong Yao's current standing in the literati community, which other prominent figure in the public eye would warrant his personal visit?
The names flashed through my mind quickly.

Shi Tao suddenly said, "Could it be Yang Wenxian, the Duke of Yang?"

Xu Shu laughed and said, "Who else could it be but this 'former Grand Commandant of the Han Dynasty'?"

Yang Biao, courtesy name Wenxian.

He was one of the Three Dukes during the reign of Emperor Liu Xie.

By his generation, the Hongnong Yang family had already produced four generations of three dukes.

Shi Tao's expression immediately became quite interesting when he thought of that person's experience and reputation:
“Three years ago, when His Majesty was still the King of Wei, he intended to appoint Yang Gong as the Grand Commandant of the King of Wei. At that time, Yang Gong considered himself a Han official and firmly declined the position.”

"It wasn't until two years ago, when he saw that the Han dynasty was nearing its end, that he accepted His Majesty's summons and appointment, but he only received the honorary title of Grand Master of Ceremonies."

"This shows that Yang Gong still cared about the Han Dynasty and was ashamed to be a subject of Wei."

"Now that Lord Zhong has personally gone to visit worthy men, could it be that he has been instructed by His Majesty to forcibly recruit them?"

Xu Shu shook his head slightly: "Yes and no."

Shi Tao asked, puzzled, "What do you mean by 'yes' and 'no'?"

Xu Shu, however, calmly had a servant bring him some hot soup to moisten his throat before saying:

“Master Yang is old. If we use force, and someone dies, it will ruin Master Zhong’s reputation. Would he be willing to take that risk?”

"This time, we need to borrow the name of another local worthy to invite Master Yang to come out of seclusion!"

Shi Tao: "The other one?"

Xu Shu: "Have you ever heard of Hu Zhao or Hu Kongming?"

Upon hearing the name "Kongming," Shi Tao's gaze visibly sharpened, but he quickly regained his composure and recalled:

"All I know is that this Hu Kongming was also from Yingchuan. He went to Jizhou to avoid the chaos in his early years, and later went into seclusion in the Luhun Mountains, refusing to serve in office. He was known as Hu Jushi."

"It is said that this layman Hu is skilled in calligraphy, and his writing is comparable to that of Grand Commandant Zhong... Other than that, I don't know much about him."

Xu Shu nodded and replied:
"It is indeed this lay Buddhist Hu."

Earlier this year, Sun Lang, the bandit leader of Luhun, wanted to follow Guan Yu down the mountain. Hu Jushi was worried that his clansmen would be captured by Guan Yu's troops, so he secretly contacted the government to capture the bandits. Afterwards, he went down the mountain and took refuge in Yiyang, Hongnong.

"Unexpectedly, Sun Lang was extremely cunning. Not only did he escape the pursuit of the government troops several times, but he also cooperated with Mi Wei to block the Fangcheng Pass, allowing Guan Yu to achieve complete victory in Nanyang."

"I heard that Sun Lang has been sent into the mountains by Mi Wei to recruit soldiers again. Fearing retaliation, Hu Jushi has recently been in frequent contact with old friends in Luoyang."

"When Zhong Gong heard of this, he decided to use it to his advantage. He invited Yang Gong to serve as an envoy of the imperial court and return to his hometown to recruit scholars, under the pretext of preserving local worthies."

“The Yang family is a prominent clan in Hongnong, with four generations producing three dukes. Hu Kongming is currently under the protection of Hongnong and is also afraid of Sun Lang. How dare he refuse?”

"If Hu Kongming agrees to this, wouldn't Yang Gong become a true minister of Wei?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Tao suddenly understood:

"So it was a ruse to use a pretext to attack Guo!"

"It seems that Master Yang's reputation is in jeopardy in his later years!"

Xu Shu: "Who says otherwise!"

After the two men joked and laughed with the important figure, Shi Tao, thinking of Guan Yu and Mi Wei eyeing Fangcheng with predatory intent, couldn't help but feel worried.
"Everyone says that a major battle is about to break out in Yingchuan. If I go there, I'm afraid I'll have to defend the city... If anything happens to me, I'll be dead!"

"To be honest, I came to see Yuanzhi today not only to curry favor with you, but also to entrust my wife and children to you, so that my lineage will not end!"

Seeing the worry on his face, Xu Shu comforted him:

"We have wasted many years in the Central Plains. If it weren't for the fierce and stubborn nature of the rebels and the court's eagerness to employ people, would we have had the opportunity to rise to a substantive position of the fifth rank or above?"

"Although Yingchuan is in danger, there is opportunity hidden within the danger."

"If Guangyuan doesn't want to waste the rest of his life, he should work even harder."

"Moreover, Yingchuan is my hometown, so returning to my hometown to take up an official post would make it easier to gain the support of the local people."

"If we can find the right people, things will surely be accomplished."

"Normally, you would have to avoid your hometown; there's no such good job available!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Tao nodded secretly, but his worries remained.

So much so that they didn't notice Xu Shu's casual remark about "getting the right people to accomplish things."

Instead, they sincerely asked for advice:
"If things truly come to a critical moment, how can I save myself?"

"I do have a plan."

As Xu Shu spoke, he pointed to Shi Tao, then to himself, and finally to the west.

Laugh without saying a word.

(End of this chapter)