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

Chapter 267 Fate has its own destiny

Zhuge Liang's questioning directly pointed to the fundamental flaw in Mi Wei's "deception".

But Mi Wei had already informed the two elders.

He naturally knew that Zhuge Liang was not trying to make things difficult for him.

Instead, it was through this questioning that Mi Wei was completely bound to this "auspicious omen".

In this way, Mi Wei would have an extra layer of protection.

They would not suffer political and ethical criticism because of Liu Bei's sudden death.

He glanced at the other person gratefully, and returned the look with equal solemnity:

"So that the Prime Minister and all the gentlemen may know."

"This jade coffin did not just appear this year, but was already born in the seventh year of Jian'an, when His Majesty marched north from Xinye to Ye County."

"It's just that the time isn't right yet, so the divine object has hidden itself!"

Upon hearing this, the older officials present immediately realized what was going on.

Liu Bei was lost in reminiscing about his glorious past.

In the seventh year of Jian'an, Liu Bei, under the orders of Liu Biao, took advantage of Cao Cao's northward attack on Yuan Shang to launch a northern expedition against Xuchang.

After advancing all the way to Ye County, Cao Cao finally realized the seriousness of the problem and urgently dispatched generals such as Xiahou Dun, Yu Jin, and Li Dian to counterattack Liu Bei.

What followed was the well-known Battle of Bowangpo.

Liu Bei feigned retreat and laid an ambush, inflicting a great defeat on Xiahou Dun and Yu Jin, thus establishing his power and prestige in the Central Plains.

Although it would take another seven years for Liu Bei to truly establish his own power base.

But it was during this battle in his early years that people truly realized Liu Bei was a hero capable of standing up to Cao Cao.

At this moment, Mi Wei paused slightly, and seeing that everyone had digested this passage, he continued:
"Now that His Majesty has entered the pass, Chang'an is just around the corner, and his return is imminent."

“Mi Wei happened to be serving as the magistrate of Ye County, and thus received a dream from an immortal.”

"To have received this divine favor is all thanks to His Majesty's great blessings!"

Hearing this, Liu Bei finally snapped out of his reverie and burst into laughter:
"So it turns out there's a destiny at play!"

"If that's the case, why should I hesitate to sacrifice myself?"

"Why should generals and officials be so preoccupied with one thing and neglect the other?"

"You should stand with me, ready to die for your cause!"

"Your Majesty is wise! We are willing to follow the Emperor to his death!" Zhuge Liang and Mi Wei responded promptly.

With the two of them taking the lead, the ministers all shouted "We are willing to return together" and bowed to the ground in submission.

Or a surprise.

Or perhaps she choked up.

But finally, under the warm sunshine of early spring, the gloom that had suppressed us all winter dissipated.

……

Although Mi Wei found a near-perfect slogan, or rather, excuse, for Liu Bei's personal expedition to Chang'an.

But all of this is based on military achievements.

Despite all his efforts, Liu Bei still couldn't enter Chang'an, or he might even die on the way.

Miwei's stunt will only make him a laughing stock.

Incidentally, it also tarnished Zhuge Liang's reputation.

In contrast, Cao Wei.

If we can outlive Liu Bei outside Chang'an, then we can confidently say that the talents of Guanzhong and Luoyang are numerous and capable, and their return to power is not impossible.

This does not mean that protecting Chang'an is entirely equivalent to protecting Guanzhong.

From a military defense perspective, the main force of the Han army is currently concentrated in Weinan, while the main force of the Wei army is in Weibei.

From the perspective of the Wei army, the Han-Wei Chang'an city, roughly located on the south bank of the Wei River, was undoubtedly the most important defensive salient, with the Wei River as the military dividing line.

It served as a bridgehead to prevent the Han army from crossing the Yellow River and advancing north to conquer Fengyi, Beidi, and other counties.

Based on this, Chang'an City was very well-fortified.

It was also one of the five capitals of Wei, second only to Luoyang.

Of course, we should try our best to preserve them.

Now let's get back to the present.

After completing the necessary public opinion preparation and psychological build-up, the Han army, from Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang down, changed its sluggish attitude.

The soldiers of each unit were as if they had been injected with chicken blood, and launched a full-scale attack. First, Zhao Yun's troops caught up with the cavalry of the Suli tribe in the Changpingguan area north of Chang'an, and then defeated them in one battle before Kebineng could come to their aid, temporarily driving the Xianbei people to Chiyang on the other side of the Jing River.

Then, Zhang Fei's troops, right in front of Cao Zhen, brazenly crossed the southern suburbs of Chang'an and joined forces with Guan Ping.

The two generals then crossed the Ba River to the east, dividing and surrounding Cao Zhen's troops who had been deployed in the three counties of Baling, Yinban, and Xinfeng, preventing them from responding to Chang'an.

It is worth mentioning that at this time, Cao Wei had already renamed Baling as Bacheng.

But the Shu Han side, of course, did not acknowledge it.

Just as they do not acknowledge that Cao Wei renamed Duling County to Du County.
These two places are the mausoleums of Emperor Wen and Emperor Xuan of the Former Han Dynasty, respectively.

In conclusion, thanks to the outstanding performance of the generals, the Han army had largely completed the encirclement of Chang'an City in Weinan.

The reason for saying "roughly" is...

This was because there were many rivers, canals, and strongholds surrounding Chang'an.

Although the Wei army strategically retreated, it did not completely abandon key strongholds.

Along the Wei River, a military passage sufficient to reinforce Chang'an was still maintained.

In fact, on the second day after Zhang Fei besieged Baling, a force of men bearing the same "Zhang" banner appeared on the opposite bank of the Wei River in Gaolu, or rather, Gaoling County.

It was Zhang He who had come south to reinforce the troops.

This time, Zhang He took the initiative to show himself and invited Zhang Fei to cross the river and fight.

However, Zhang Fei only sent someone to deliver a set of women's clothes to the enemy, as a sarcastic remark on their earlier avoidance of battle.

Three days later, Guan Ping came from Xinfeng to report that Sima Yi's troops had arrived in Shanggui from Linjin and were also facing off against his troops across the Wei River.

The two sides clashed briefly, with each side winning and losing, but neither affected the overall situation.

From then on, along the more than 300-mile-long Wei River defense line from Tongguan to Chang'an, both the Han and Wei sides accumulated more than 100,000 troops.

The area around Chang'an City is particularly densely populated.

The military camps and water fortresses set up by both sides were scattered along the banks of the Wei River, creating a spectacular sight.

In late February, as spring waters began to rise, Liu Bei's carriage finally arrived at a Han army camp in the southern suburbs of Chang'an.

Among the important ministers who accompanied him were Chancellor Zhuge Liang, General Who Conquers the North and Prefect of Hanzhong Wei Yan, and General Who Illustriously Witnesses the Han and Governor of Yuzhou Mi Wei.

And the central army generals headed by Feng Xi.

After entering the camp, Liu Bei subconsciously glanced at the majestic city of Chang'an to the north and counted the number of city gates.

Then he looked down at the very flat ground beneath his feet.

This large camp is situated on a rammed earth platform.

It's clearly the ruins of some palace.

Liu Bei suddenly realized something and turned to ask Mi Wei:
Is this the Biyong?

Mi Wei: "These are the 'Three Yongs' established by Emperor Guangwu of the Shizu Dynasty."

"This is where the Imperial Academy was located in the past."

Mi Wei then pointed to two earthen mounds next to Liu Bei, which were now just pillars.

"That is the Mingtang, and that is the Lingtai."

Liu Bei squinted and observed carefully for a while, then turned around and said:

"The Biyong Hall is for spreading the Way, the Mingtang Hall is for proclaiming the teachings, and the Lingtai Hall is for sensing the heavens. These three are the proper duties of a ruler."

"In the future, you and Kongming must properly repair this place and not let it fall into disrepair."

Miwei nodded in agreement.

Liu Bei then turned his head and looked west again.

Next to the Three Yong, there is an even larger rammed earth platform.

Although it is already full of potholes, it is still relatively flat compared to other untouched land.

With a little renovation, it becomes an excellent campsite.

By this time, the "artillery battalion" led by Zhang Yi had already occupied the area.

A large number of craftsmen and laborers from Jingzhou are sawing wood, moving it, and hammering it.

Preparations are underway for the construction of the fortified artillery positions.

Liu Bei couldn't figure out the intricacies of the situation; he was only curious about the excessively large rammed earth platform.

Mi Wei explained, "This place was originally the site of the Nine Temples built by Wang Mang."

Liu Bei suddenly realized: "There's no need to repair this place."

(End of this chapter)