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

Chapter 263 Figure it out
"Good question!"

Xiahou Mao suddenly raised his voice.

This startled Wang Zhao and Zheng Gan so much that they trembled.

"Disturbing the carriage and aiding the thieves in their evil deeds is a crime punishable by the extermination of three generations of their family."

"Anything else you want to ask?"

After speaking, Xiahou Mao put his hands behind his back and looked at Zheng Gan.

Zheng Gan waited for a moment, but when he saw that the other party had nothing more to say, he was finally stunned and paled.

This leaves absolutely no room for compromise!
Wang Zhao subconsciously distanced himself from Zheng Gan, but still tried to make amends for him:

"Back then, there was a famine in Guanzhong, and Brother Zheng's troops had nothing to eat. Going to Hedong was a last resort... Couldn't the general think of a way that would satisfy both sides?"

Xiahou Mao pointed at Zheng Gan and said:

"This rebellious person can only be forgiven by the Emperor. What else can I think?"

"Why don't you persuade him to personally go out of the pass to the emperor's carriage and beg for forgiveness?"

Wang Zhao's face immediately turned embarrassed.

However, just when Zheng Gan was about to despair.

Xiahou Mao's tone suddenly changed:
“Zheng Jun dares not face the emperor, yet is unwilling to confess his guilt; so there is only one last way out.”

Seeing the hopeful looks on their faces again.

Xiahou Mao pointed north:
"Let's go to Bingzhou."

"Once you reach Yanmen Pass, once you reach the border region, even if you have committed a heinous crime, as long as you don't commit any more crimes, no one will care about you."

Yanmen...

As a native of Fengyi in Hexi, which is adjacent to Hedong Commandery, Zheng Gan was no stranger to Bingzhou, which is further north.

Not to mention that recently, a large number of Xianbei people have been moving south in this direction, causing quite a stir.

A thought stirred within him, and he suddenly said:
"I've heard that the imperial court plans to reward the soldiers who have distinguished themselves in suppressing the bandits with the fertile lands of Guanzhong, and even the Xianbei people?"

Xiahou Mao: "That's a saying."

Zheng Gan was immediately moved.

But in the blink of an eye, seeing Xiahou Mao's ambiguous smile, he suddenly felt a chill.

He hesitated and said:
"Won't the court discard us after we've accomplished our mission?"

Clang!
Xiahou Mao suddenly drew his sword and pointed it at Zheng Gan.

“You audacious traitor, I’m only giving you a way out because I’m grateful for your bravery and the fact that you can still be used by the court.”

"You actually picked one for me?"

"You really think I wouldn't dare kill you?"

Zheng Gan's face turned deathly pale.

A chilling, menacing light.

It almost reached my throat.

It stung his eyes.

"General, please calm down! General, please calm down!"

Wang Zhao was also terrified by the sudden turn of events. He rushed forward in a panic, but dared not actually stop the sharp sword.

He could only stand aside and bow repeatedly, his voice trembling:

"Brother Zheng was in awe of the Emperor's might and momentarily lost his words; he had absolutely no intention of disobeying!"

He then turned back to Zheng Gan and urged him:

"Kneel down and admit your mistake immediately!"

Xiahou Mao's gaze was fixed on Zheng Gan like that of a hawk, his sword remaining completely still.

The voice was as cold as the north wind from beyond the Great Wall:

"He better have misspoke!"

"If he still harbors such treacherous intentions, then I will execute him today to uphold the law of the land! Let's see who dares to disregard the laws of the court in the future!"

"I wouldn't dare! I would never dare!" Before Zheng Gan could admit his mistake, Wang Zhao kowtowed first.

Upon seeing this, Zheng Gan felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and his legs went weak, almost causing him to kneel down.

Only then did he fully understand.

Before me stands a young general from the Cao Wei imperial family.

He might be a useless soldier.

His greedy nature destined him to have no moral character whatsoever.

But he's definitely not a complete idiot.

Otherwise, how could he have remained in the position of Governor-General of Guanzhong for so long without anyone being able to challenge him?
If I were to try to outsmart or manipulate such a ruthless character...

They're likely to die without a proper burial.

As for the so-called way out mentioned by the other party, it is nothing more than a sharp blade wrapped in sugar.

There was absolutely no room for him to bargain.

question?

That would be giving others a handle to use against you, and courting your own demise!

pat.

Zheng Gan finally knelt down.

Xiahou Mao snorted coldly, and with a slight flick of his wrist, the gleaming blade of his sword lightly slashed across Zheng Gan's neck.

It did not actually touch the skin or flesh.

But it left behind a slightly cold, painful sensation.

This made Zheng Gan's hair stand on end.

Even his breathing stopped for a few breaths.

“Remember your words today.” “This sword of mine already recognizes the head on your neck.”

Xiahou Mao sheathed his sword, put his hands behind his back, and turned to leave.

Wang Zhao glanced at Zheng Gan, who was kneeling dejectedly, and then at Xiahou Mao, whose demeanor was becoming increasingly imposing.

With a stomp of his foot, he chased after the latter.

Zheng Gan stood there in a daze for a long time, feeling both ashamed and angry, as well as fearful, when he recalled his blunder.

He finally left the place, his face flushed.

Regardless of how Zheng Gan went back to reflect on his actions and make other plans.

Wang Zhao caught up with Xiahou Mao in a few steps and saw that the latter had once again regained his "amiable and pleasant demeanor".

Instead of feeling relaxed, I felt a chill in my heart.

Unable to resist, he knelt down again and said:
"I dare not deceive the general; I have also secretly corresponded with Liu Bei and Zhang Fei!"

"But I only sought to survive and never intended to rebel against the court!"

"I hope the general will understand!"

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Mao's smile deepened, and he asked kindly:

"Is Wang Jun sure Liu Bei will see this letter?"

Wang Zhao dared not respond directly, and could only keep kowtowing.

"Then they must have seen it."

Xiahou Mao had the answer in an instant.

"In that case, I will not pursue your crime of treason."

"Huh?" Wang Zhao looked up in surprise.

I didn't quite understand for a moment.

Then Xiahou Mao said in a low voice:

"If you don't believe me, how will Liu Bei have the courage to come?"

"If Liu Bei doesn't come, how can I extinguish his last glimmer of hope beneath this fortified city?"

"If he doesn't come to wear me down, how will the Emperor know that I have been working diligently to secure Chang'an all these years?"

"Then I've wasted my time, haven't I?"

"I can't always be the one suffering, while Cao Zidan gets all the credit, can I?"

After saying this, he looked up at the sky, laughed loudly, and left.

This was completely different from the way he had manipulated Zheng Gan earlier.

But upon closer inspection, they are actually exactly the same.

……

At the end of February, the north wind along the Xiegu Road was like a knife, biting and piercing the face.

Zhuge Liang accompanied the swaying carriage, his gaze never leaving the interior.

Liu Bei leaned against the thick brocade quilt, his face sallow and his cheeks sunken.

Only a pair of eyes occasionally opened in the dim light, revealing a trace of undiminished obsession.

"Your Majesty! We will be able to leave the valley in half a day."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's lips moved slightly, his voice barely audible.

But Zhuge Liang heard it clearly.

Turn around and tell the charioteer to spur the horse on.

After traveling at a rapid pace for half a day, the group finally emerged from Xiegukou and reached Wuzhangyuan.

Zhuge Liang immediately ordered the establishment of a camp.

They carefully placed Liu Bei in a warm tent that was sheltered from the wind and faced the sun.

thereafter.

Supervise the construction of military fortifications.

Check the troop registers, provisions, and supplies.

They dispatched envoys to contact the generals of various departments to clarify the military situation.

Zhuge Liang handled various tedious yet indispensable matters with extremely high efficiency.

Since he rarely had a break, he personally went to the warm tent to serve her medicine.

"Your Majesty, this place is Wuzhangyuan."

Zhuge Liang's voice was deep and clear, with a hint of tension that was barely perceptible.

Liu Bei's eyelids twitched, and he slowly opened them.

His murky gaze swept across the top of the tent and finally landed on Zhuge Liang's face.

"Kongming..."

"The minister is here."

Zhuge Liang responded.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured and recuperate. Chang'an is within reach."

After saying that, he even took the initiative to show the victory report from Huaili written by Zhang Fei.

It is said that Fufeng has been captured, and Jingzhao is in sight.

It seemed that in a few more days, we would be able to enter Chang'an smoothly.

But who exactly was Liu Bei?
Although this was my first time entering the pass, I already knew the geography and customs of this place.

He gently grasped Zhuge Liang's tense hand and said:
"You are a pillar of the court, so do not overwork yourself."

"I have taken the medicine and am feeling much better."

"Go and rest for a while."

(End of this chapter)