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

Chapter 262 Preemptive Strike
Zhang He did not expect Sima Yi to react this way.

But he was originally a strategist who was good at adapting to changing circumstances.

After a moment of surprise, he squinted and said:

"What does Zhongda want to know?"

Sima Yi had nothing to hide from Zhang He:
"I already knew before I entered the pass that Liu Bei was seriously ill and might not survive the winter."

"If he recuperates in Sichuan, I cannot say for sure how much longer he can live."

"But he came in the dead of winter, exhausted from his military service, so he probably doesn't have many days left to live."

"If he really dies suddenly, the morale of the Shu bandits will surely be dampened."

“Arrogant and fierce generals like Zhang, Wei, and Zhao will be difficult to control for a time, and may even be able to sow discord among them.”

"If that day ever comes, then the crisis in Guanzhong will hopefully be resolved!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang He was instantly moved.

After recalling for a moment, he breathed slightly and said:

"Although I did not inquire directly about Liu Bei's condition."

"But the messenger said that the person accompanying the emperor was none other than Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei."

"Moreover, Zhang Fei has been constantly waging war ever since he heard that Liu Bei was heading north, which shows that he is eager to win... I originally thought he was just eager to make a name for himself."

"Now that I think about it carefully, perhaps the concern is that Liu Bei might not be able to enter Chang'an alive, and that he might have some regrets?"

Snapped!
Sima Yi suddenly clapped his hands, even more excited than Zhang He:
"That must be it!"

"Zhuge Kongming was originally a figure like Xiao He under Liu Bei. How could he easily leave the capital when his lord was on a campaign?"

"There's only one possibility."

"That means Liu Bei's days are numbered, and he has no choice but to come in person to accompany him in case of any unforeseen circumstances. Having a trusted minister by Liu Bei's side would make it easier to entrust his affairs after his death and ensure a smooth transition!"

"As for Zhang Fei... he followed Liu Bei alongside Guan Yu in his early years, spending his days together, and their bond was like that of brothers."

"If you say that he was eager to make merit and disregarded Liu Bei's military orders, I would only be skeptical."

"But I have no doubt that he did this to fulfill his benefactor's wish."

He looked up at the sky and sighed:

"The bond between Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei is rare in the world and cannot be measured by common sense."

"But if it's unreasonable yet logical, then it becomes believable!"

"Liu Bei is indeed nearing his end... It is truly a blessing from Heaven for our Great Wei!"

Zhang He realized what was happening and his furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

After thinking for a moment, he suddenly said:

"The emperor stopped his journey at Hongnong and did not immediately enter the pass. Perhaps he was waiting for the moment when Liu Bei would die?"

Sima Yi laughed heartily upon hearing this, and said:

"With the old thief dead, the Shu bandits' army is filled with fear and despair."

"At that time, the emperor entered the pass with great momentum to supervise the army, eliminate the treacherous villains, and not only could the Shu bandits be defeated, but even the hidden dangers of the Xianbei people could be swept away!"

"This is a strategy of striking after the enemy has made their move!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang He finally broke into a wide smile and burst into laughter.

……

Chang'an has become an isolated city.

As the Governor-General of Guanzhong, he was theoretically the second most important figure in Guanzhong.

No one knew this better than Xiahou Mao.

Even though Cao Zhen repeatedly emphasized to him that the court would not abandon Chang'an.

That still couldn't change his opinion.

When did Cao Zidan lose his trust?

Xiahou Mao has recently been standing on the highest tower in the city, gazing at the sky in deep thought.

It was probably during the spring and summer of the second year of Huangchu, when the other side used him and the city of Chang'an beneath his feet as bait.

At that time, Cao Zidan's expression showed a confident assurance that he would definitely return to provide assistance in a timely manner.

The same as when I left the city yesterday.

The same.

Didn't he consider that he himself is capable of learning from his mistakes?
Perhaps not.

Maybe there is.

But they didn't even bother to look at it.

Why is it that he was born with the surname Xiahou, deeply trusted by the emperor, yet had no real talent?
Do you think they would dare to rebel?

In terms of military affairs, can't we only rely on Cao Zhen, the top general in Guanzhong?
All I can say is that Cao Zidan has a really good eye for people.

With a soft sigh, Xiahou Mao lowered his gaze, first glancing at the ruins of the Han Dynasty's "Jianzhang Palace" in the east of the city.

Since the chaos that has gripped the world, many of the palaces in Chang'an have been damaged. And since I entered the pass, although there have been some repairs, they have mostly been fortifications.

If we say that Luoyang, being the seat of the emperor, at least had its palaces renovated.

Then Chang'an will have no choice but to give up and do nothing.

All those palaces and pavilions have turned to dust; now only a rammed earth foundation remains.

It was seized by Cao Zhen and used as a military camp outside the city.

This refers to a situation where they are positioned like opposing forces.

The thought of Cao Zhen's powerful physique and tiger-like agility made Xiahou Mao shudder.

He quickly looked away and turned to look behind him.

There, two middle-aged men dressed in bright clothes and colorful shoes, looking around nervously like street urchins.

They seemed to be wondering if there were axemen lying in ambush on both sides of the watchtower.

Xiahou Mao sneered inwardly, but on the surface he said with a pleasant expression:

“Lord Wang, and this one… Lord Zheng.”

"Now that you know the imperial decree and have a pretty good grasp of the city's defenses, shouldn't you have an explanation for what we discussed yesterday?"

The two men were none other than Wang Zhao and Zheng Gan, the bandits from Fengyi Mountain in their early years.

They have all been granted the title of marquis.

Of course, there are still some differences in the treatment between the two.

Since surrendering to Wei, Wang Zhao has lived a life of luxury and comfort. Now he is fat and round-bellied, and has long lost the ambition to rebel he once had.

Zheng Gan, on the other hand, surrendered three years ago but then rebelled again, and at one point even ventured out of Hedong.

But ultimately they were no match for the government troops and soon fell silent, returning to the mountains and forests.

It wasn't until recently, during the Han army's northern expedition, that they became active again, sending envoys into the city several times to contact Cao Zhen and Xiahou Mao in an attempt to negotiate suitable terms.

The two generals from the Wei royal family naturally chose to forgive him.

Not only was he reinstated to his original position, but there were even plans to incorporate his troops into Cao Zhen's command.

It's better than the other side completely defecting to the Shu bandits, isn't it?
But Zheng Gan clearly had his own agenda.

Because of the rebellion three years ago, he finally made contact with the Han army.

Although at that time he did not know what kind of person the young general named Mi Wei was, he only thought that the other party was Wei Yan's subordinate.

But years have passed, and no matter how isolated he was in the mountains, he has now come out of the mountains again.

I know everything I need to know.

Guan Yu's son-in-law.

Liu Bei's right-hand man.

A high-ranking official who governs one or even two prefectures.

Who in the world would not know such a person?

Therefore, Zheng Gan had a very clever plan.

That is to feign a return to Cao Wei;
Meanwhile, he secretly contacted Zhang Fei under the guise of being an old acquaintance of "Lord Mi".

And no matter which side wins in the end, he will always have a way out.

The prerequisite is that you are flexible enough.

Not to be tied to the tree by either side.

However, his thoughts might escape the notice of Wang Zhao, who was becoming increasingly confused with age.

However, this could not be hidden from Xiahou Mao, who was actually quite politically astute.

Therefore, after Cao Zhen entrusted Chang'an to him once again yesterday, he immediately summoned these two marquises who came from mountain bandit backgrounds.

They made their demands clear: either join the army to kill the bandits, or they would be charged with treason.

No more wavering or indecisiveness.

Wang Zhao was alright; since he submitted to the court in the first year of the Huangchu era, he had always been law-abiding and obedient.

At this point, they were merely being swept back to the battlefield by the prevailing trend.

But Zheng Gan has many more issues to consider.

But Xiahou Mao had already issued an ultimatum, so he had no choice but to make a statement.

He steeled his resolve and declared:

"It's not that I'm unwilling to fight for the court."

"Just because I once disturbed the imperial carriage in Hedong, even if I have been fortunate enough to perform meritorious service this time, can the court really forgive and forget about it?"

"Zheng Gan is a petty man. I wonder how magnanimous you are. I hope the general can give me a clear answer!"

"Otherwise, even if I agree to join the army, my men will not follow me!"

(End of this chapter)