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

Chapter 251 Rumors are nothing to fear, but favors are not to be sought.

Xu Miao's attitude of refusing to be recruited was very firm.

Miwei wasn't particularly disappointed.

The main purpose of our meeting today is to meet Xu Miao in person.

The fact that the other party was willing to come in person to discuss this matter already demonstrates the effectiveness of Miwei's recent military and external propaganda efforts.

Otherwise, given Xu Miao's early entry into Cao Cao's prime minister's office, he shouldn't have even been allowed to meet him unless his resolve wavered.

It's a bit of a pity about Wang Jun.

Mi Wei originally hoped to lure out this future fierce general through Xu Miao and his daughter.

Now that Xu Miao has decided to retire from public life, his social standing is no longer comparable to that of Wang Jun's family, so this marriage should no longer exist.

I could act as a matchmaker for the Xu family and arrange a marriage to secure a future for them.

For example, Xu Miao's sons are now all commoners.

He also did not form any master-servant relationship with Cao Cao.

It is possible that it will be opened up in the future.

This was precisely the reason he brought his wife here today.

This was also the reason why Xu Miao brought his daughter along.

Those who go can not be remonstrated, and those who come can still be chased.

Both sides understood each other without saying a word.

Afterwards, they chatted for a while about the story of another "Ye Jun," and the topic inevitably turned back to the current situation.

There was no other way; both sides were high-ranking officials with salaries of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain measurement), but Mi Wei held a more powerful position in Shu Han, while Xu Miao had a longer career in Cao Wei.

Both men possessed considerable knowledge and vision, and their conversations would inevitably veer towards the grand themes of the rise and fall of dynasties.

It's impossible to have completely idle talk about romance.

Xu Miao, perhaps moved by Mi Wei's sincerity, changed the subject and said:
"How many years has Shi Shan been of age since he came of age?"

Mi Wei: "In the spring of the first year of Zhangwu, I was just over twenty years old, and now I have experienced four winters and summers."

Zhangwu Year 1...

Xu Miao silently recited the unfamiliar reign title, and sighed slightly:

"At the age of twenty-four or twenty-five, he became a powerful governor of a region, wielding immense influence. What a formidable young man! What a formidable young man!"

Mi Wei had heard the same words countless times, and he had also used them to express his humility countless times.

But when Xu Miao said it at this moment, it carried a different meaning.

In particular, the other party said "fearsome" twice.

Who would be afraid?

This is clearly not Xu Miao, who has already retired to the mountains.

With a sudden change of heart, Miwei burst into laughter:
"To be honest, Master Xu, Mi Wei is a lazy and indolent person."

"If you can sit, never stand up straight; if you can lie down, never sit upright."

"It was just that I happened to be in danger in Jiangling back then, and I had to fight to save myself, which is why I have gradually reached this position today."

"His Majesty has the best judgment of people in the world. He has long seen through my lazy nature. When I was in Shu, he often gave me advice and urged me to be more diligent in my work. Now that I am serving in a foreign land, I have to concentrate on my work because my maternal uncle is watching me. I don't even dare to think about taking a concubine."

"I ask you, what is there to fear in someone as lazy and cautious as myself?"

"If someone were to use this to frame me and sow discord between superiors and subordinates, I fear that once such slander reaches Sichuan, it would become a laughing stock."

Xu Miao clearly hadn't expected Mi Wei to react this way.

For a moment, it was hard to tell whether the other person was genuinely mocking themselves or just being deliberately mysterious.

But his intention was merely to offer a reminder, so he stated it directly:
"If the Han emperor truly regarded Shi Shan as a nephew or niece and had the affection to personally instruct him, then there is naturally no need to care about such trivial rumors."

"But what about the Empress Dowager Han?"

"As far as I know, the Han emperor is over sixty years old, old and sick."

"Even General Guan Yu, Shi Shan's maternal uncle, has rarely gone on campaigns this year, hasn't he?"

“When a new emperor ascends the throne and personnel are changed, will someone as young and powerful as Shi Shan still be able to ‘be a minister without concealing anything from the emperor, and be trusted by the emperor’s heart’ as before?”

Mi Wei's expression changed.
Xu Miao's words could be seen as a reminder, or as a provocation. But regardless of the purpose, this concern was not unfounded.

Among the officials of Shu Han, Mi Wei was neither the youngest nor the most powerful.

But when you combine his age and status, he is the most eye-catching and dazzling one.

If the succeeding emperor lacks Liu Bei's magnanimity and boldness, will there be a dramatic situation where the emperor's achievements overshadow his own?

Regardless of his life experience in this era or the knowledge gained over the millennia, Mi Wei knew that Xu Miao's concerns were reasonable.

This could even be Xu Miao's preliminary investigation for his family's future surrender to the Han dynasty.

Let's find out what kind of ecosystem and climate the Shu Han court was like.

Is it worth it for the young people of the Xu family to change their allegiance?

At this moment, the image of a certain chubby boy reappeared in Mi Wei's mind.

Was Liu Shan a capable and wise ruler?

At least compared to Lao Liu, he's a level below.

They can only maintain the status quo, not expand.

Was he a tyrannical ruler?
Not so much.

Historically, he served as governor of the country for at least forty years.

In his early years, he strictly followed Zhuge Liang's standards, achieving the goal of "being close to virtuous ministers and keeping away from petty people."

What kind of tyrannical ruler could go to such lengths?
In terms of ability, Liu Shan was only of average talent.

Except for a period of senility in his later years, he was a competent ruler who maintained the status quo for most of the time.

But regardless of whether he was a foolish or wise ruler, Liu Shan's leniency towards meritorious officials was no less than that of Liu Bei.

If we ask, among those who made great contributions to the Shu Han dynasty, who could compare to Zhuge Liang?

Did Zhuge Liang never suffer slander from either inside or outside the court throughout history?
Did Liu Shan ever harm Zhuge Liang in the slightest?
Not at all.

Even when Zhuge Liang finally achieved some success in his Northern Expeditions, they couldn't wait to push him back to the high position of Prime Minister.

Therefore, the second person to come to mind was naturally Zhuge Liang.

And there's even less reason to doubt the magnanimity of this one.

Li Yan in history must have done Zhuge Liang a disservice, right?
Afterwards, Zhuge Liang only stripped him of his official position, but did not take his life.
He even took his eldest son, Li Feng, under his wing and groomed him, eventually elevating him to the rank of two thousand shi (a unit of grain).

If that's the case, what is there to worry about?

It's better to worry about being disliked by Zhuge Liang for being too lazy and having your "Letter to My Son" changed into "Letter to My Teacher" than to worry about your future achievements overshadowing your master. That way, your reputation for laziness will be passed down to future generations!

Then he chuckled and said:

"To be honest, Lord Xu, although the Crown Prince is young, his tolerance is quite similar to His Majesty's. Moreover, he has the assistance of a great sage like Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, so there is absolutely no need to worry!"

"As for what will happen after the Crown Prince passes away... Heh, life is but a hundred years. To be able to meet a wise and virtuous ruler and prime minister in this world is enough. What more could one ask for!"

This time, Xu Miao carefully observed Mi Wei for a long time to confirm that he was not faking it before speaking again:
"Yes, it is indeed rare to be able to work with virtuous and capable people in one's life."

He then lowered his head and drank, saying nothing more.

Seeing this, Miwei said nothing more.

He has conveyed his meaning, and their feelings are clear to each other.

They ate and drank until dusk, when Xu Miao rose to take his leave, and Mi Wei personally saw him off.

As they walked to the riverbank, Xu Miao suddenly stopped, turned around, and said:

"If Master Shan wishes to appoint a respected elder from this prefecture as his assistant, why not send an envoy to Suiyang to inquire about the Lu Yu family?"

Mi Wei's eyes flashed, and he said:
"I heard that when Lord Lu served as the Prefect of Qiao Commandery, he offended Cao Pi and was demoted to the position of Agricultural Commandant of Suiyang?"

"Yes." Xu Miao did not hide anything.

"Emperor Wei originally intended to relocate people to populate the ancestral lands, but Lord Lu submitted a memorial requesting that the people of Qiao be relocated elsewhere because Qiao was barren and the people were impoverished. Therefore, the emperor did not agree."

"Lord Lu loved the people, and his father had a teacher-student relationship with the Han emperor, so they were old friends."

"If you have these two things, you should try to avoid them, and you may be able to succeed."

Mi Wei thought for a moment, then thanked the other party without saying anything more.

(End of this chapter)