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

Chapter 236 Accidents one after another
Mi Wei rode his horse to Ye County overnight, a journey that took a full day and night.

Even so, despite his drowsiness, he went straight to the county temple after entering the city.

Deng Ai and others came out to greet them upon hearing the news.

Mi Wei skipped all the formalities and went straight to the point:

"Is the intelligence accurate? Are you sure it's that Master Yang from Luoyang?"

Deng Ai responded and then looked at Li Hong beside him.

The latter understood and stepped forward to explain:
"Intelligence from different sources has been cross-verified."

"Firstly, it was the information gathered by Sun Lang's spies in Hongnong that confirmed that Master Yang did indeed go into the mountains with that layman Hu."

"Secondly, earlier, the 'Gong' in Luoyang sent a message that Zhong Yao invited Yang Gong to return to his hometown to recruit scholars, and that was none other than the layman Hu."

Upon hearing this, Mi Wei was instantly wide awake and couldn't help but rub his hands together.

This is because the "Lord Yang" everyone is talking about is none other than Yang Biao, Yang Wenxian, the Grand Commandant of the late Later Han Dynasty.

He is the contemporary leader of the Hongnong Yang clan, which is said to have produced three dukes across four generations.

Although Yang Biao is not as well-known as his son Yang Xiu among later Three Kingdoms enthusiasts.

But at least in this era, Yang Biao is the top figure admired by scholars across the country.

Yang Xiu's popularity was nowhere near that of his father.

For Miwei, however, this matter contained a huge opportunity.

An opportunity to take the "major rehabilitation" plan to a new level!
Don't be fooled by his previous boasts to Yang Jun about "a bright and clear world".

Ultimately, this was just a matter of self-amusement within the Shu Han state.

It was more about expressing an attitude and stance to scholars across the world.

However, the real killer move is the re-ranking of the Zhongzheng officials that Yang Jun mentioned the other day.

But ultimately, it tends to have an indirect effect.

However, if we were to add a leading contemporary scholar to this, the impact, or rather the destructive power, of this event would be immeasurable.

Of course, it's too early to talk about this now.

The most basic thing is that the person hasn't been caught yet.

Even if they catch him, whether Yang Biao is willing to cooperate, and how to get him to cooperate, is another problem.

So after rubbing his hands together a few times, Mi Wei regained his composure and turned around to ask:
"The spy said that Hu Zhao invited Lord Yang to go to the mountains to enjoy the spring scenery?"

"Yes!" Li Hong immediately replied.

"Although Master Yang came to avoid scholars, he must have been thinking of temporarily leaving Luoyang to escape the troubles of worldly affairs. It just so happened that the Hermit Hu was a wonderful person who was leisurely in the mountains. The two old men shared the same interests and invited each other to go into the mountains for a visit."

"It is said that the direct grandson of Yang Gong was also among the companions."

Miwei nodded.

Like Xu Jing, Yang Biao was a living fossil who lived through the entire reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling of the late Han Dynasty.

My life has been full of ups and downs; perhaps in my old age I'll find common ground with a recluse like Hu Zhao.

Mi Wei: "Which mountain did we enter exactly? It couldn't have been Funiu Mountain, could it?"

Li Hong: "It is indeed not Funiu Mountain, but Xiong'er Mountain, which is separated by a river."

“Hu Zhao moved to Yiyang in Hongnong, which is located in the northeast of Xiong'er Mountain.”

Mi Wei thought to himself, "That makes much more sense."

With Guan Yu's army achieving a complete victory in Nanyang, the momentum of Sun Lang and other rebel forces has spread throughout the Funiu Mountains.

Yang Biao and Hu Zhaoruo were still foolishly walking into the mountains, completely walking into a trap.

Although Xiong'er Mountain is right next to Funiu Mountain, it is separated by the Yi River and is not far from the cities along the Luo River.

They feel safer, both geographically and psychologically.

Since the intelligence is accurate and the potential benefits are enormous, there's no reason not to give it a try.

He then said to Zhuge Qiao, the chief clerk who had accompanied him:
"Keep an eye on this for me. I only have two requests."

"First, unless you are absolutely certain, you must not rashly offend Lord Yang, lest you make a mistake and damage His Majesty's reputation for benevolence."

"Secondly, whoever captures Yang Gong alive, I will guarantee him the title of Marquis within the Pass!"

Upon hearing the word "noble title," Li Hong's eyes gleamed.

As Zhuge Liang's adopted son, Zhuge Qiao would naturally not be moved by a mere Marquis of Guannei.

After responding, he suddenly suggested:

"My lord, should we also vindicate Yang Gong's deceased eldest son?"

"Yang Xiu, Yang Dezu..."

Miwei narrowed his eyes.

He originally did not intend to include Yang Xiu on the list of those exonerated.

After all, his death was largely related to the struggle for succession between Cao Pi and Cao Zhi.

No matter how you look at it, it has nothing to do with loyal officials of the Han Dynasty.

This is completely different from the stance expressed by his father, Yang Biao.

But now...

It is possible to forcefully attribute his death to Yang Biao, thereby pushing the latter to break with Cao Wei.

Anyway, the dead can't defend themselves. He then said:

"You should discuss this matter with Chief Minister Yang. Remember, be careful not to offend Chief Minister Yang!"

Zhuge Qiao agreed.

Afterwards, Mi Wei discussed with everyone for a while the movements of the Wei army in Xuchang and Yingyang, as well as the allocation of garrison supplies in various cities.

Finally, unable to stay awake any longer, I went to catch up on sleep.

I slept until late the next day before getting up.

I was just about to have a proper breakfast.

Just as he swallowed a mouthful of rice, Deng Ai rushed in to report, his expression excited:
"My lord, there is news of military activity in Yingyang!"

Miwei slammed down his chopsticks and bowl.

For Deng Ai to speak clearly, it must be very important military intelligence:

"how?"

Deng Ai:

"Wei Yingchuan, the Agricultural Commander, has come to surrender from Yingyang to save his life after violating military discipline!"

Mi Wei's expression shifted slightly:

“I remember Xu Miao and Xu Jingshan previously held this position… Is this person here to replace Xu Jingshan?”

Deng Ai nodded heavily.

Miwei was delighted:
"Could you please tell me their name and background?"

Deng Ai:

"A man from Yingchuan, surnamed Shi, given name Tao, courtesy name Guangyuan!"

Miwei was taken aback:
"Tell me again, what's his name?"

……

After confirming that the Shi Tao Deng Ai mentioned was the same Shi Tao he knew, Mi Wei went straight to the front hall without saying a word.

When they met Shi Tao, the latter looked disheveled and dejected.

They must have suffered a lot on the way.

Mi Wei bowed deeply, personally helped the other person to sit down, and served hot soup, as if serving a teacher or elder.

Shi Tao knew the importance of this "Deer Envoy" when he arrived.

Seeing that the other person looked like they had just woken up, I was already quite touched.

Seeing that the other party treated him with respect and courtesy, he felt much more at ease.

Mi Wei briefly inquired about the reason for the other party's departure and then routinely reprimanded Cao Wei for its lack of virtue.

Instead of inquiring about the military situation in Yingyang, he told stories of Zhuge Liang in Shu to build rapport.

Shi Tao naturally sensed his intentions, and after chatting for a while, he said quite decisively:

"To be honest, my lord, although I have suffered an undeserved misfortune before coming to serve, I know that I will never be of use in Wei, so I have come to try my luck!"

Mi Wei clapped his hands and said:
"The court is in dire need of talented people. How can we not give a chance to a virtuous man like Shi Gong who has come to serve us?"

"I just deliberately imitated the Duke of Zhou's act of spitting out his food to welcome guests. Although it was somewhat of an ugly imitation, I wanted to tell Lord Shi that now that you have come to surrender, brave warrior, you can rest assured and fight with confidence, and have no more doubts!"

Shi Tao was overjoyed.

At the same time, he secretly admired the elegant demeanor of this Deer Lord in his dealings with people.

No wonder he became a high-ranking shepherd at such a young age.

Who says there are no talented people in Sichuan?
sidewalk:

"I dare not accept the praise of being a talented person."

"I just heard Deng Shizai say that the general intends to launch a surprise attack on the grain depot in Yingyang?"

Miwei nodded and asked:
"What does Master Shi think of this plan?"

Shi Tao did not answer immediately, but pondered for a moment before saying:
"I don't know why Your Excellency has set your sights on Yingyang."

"But as far as I know, the Wei army's food supplies were actually stored in three locations: Xuchang, Yingyin, and Yingyang."

"Xuchang was the rear garrison of the main army, which goes without saying."

"About 70% of the military's expenses at the front were in Yingyin, and 30% were in Yingyang."

"Even if we succeed in attacking Yingyang, it may not be enough to shake the Wei army!"

Mi Wei's expression turned slightly solemn.

This differs from the previous account given by the captured Chang Diao.

Mi Wei glanced at Deng Ai, who instantly understood, bowed, and hurriedly left.

About two quarters of an hour later, Deng Ai hurriedly returned, his sleeves still stained with blood.

Miwei doesn't care about details, he only cares about results.

Deng Ai said:
"Chang Diao remained steadfast in his original statement. However, some of the other surrendered soldiers confessed that the military rations were indeed mostly stored in Yingyin, not Yingyang."

"This matter is suspicious; there might be a trap!"

Mi Wei's expression became completely solemn.

(End of this chapter)