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

Chapter 274 The talents of the two ministers are ten times that of Cao Pi.
Did Zheng Gan go to Weibei to find Zhao Yun?
Xiahou Mao was stunned.

I didn't react in time.

Wang Zhao couldn't help but feel contempt for this Anxi general when he recalled his poor reputation in military affairs.

He patiently explained on the surface:

"Zhao Yun drove out the Xianbei people north of the Wei River for Liu Bei, and now is the perfect opportunity for him to make a name for himself."

Wang Zhao's words were actually somewhat ambiguous.

But Xiahou Mao wasn't truly ignorant.

The other person made a comment, and he immediately understood.

Earlier, because Cao Zhen's army was nearby, Zhao Yun only drove the Xianbei people to the north bank of the Jing River and did not pursue them further.

At that time, Zhao Yun was responsible for protecting the area north of Chang'an for Liu Bei, preventing other Wei troops from joining the Xianbei people in moving south and causing trouble.

But now...

Cao Zhen is dead, and Guo Huai's fate is unknown.

The vast city of Chang'an had no reliable generals to command it.

Zhao Yun no longer needed to hold his ground and could launch attacks freely.

Once the Xianbei people were driven out, they would establish a foothold in the Weibei region.

The idea that the Han armies on both sides of the river could join forces to block the Wei River waterway and completely isolate Chang'an would no longer be a fantasy.

Upon realizing this, Xiahou Mao was startled, but he subconsciously tried to remain calm, or rather, reassured himself:
"The Xianbei are skilled in guerrilla warfare, and I doubt that Zhao Yun's troops will be able to accomplish anything in a short time."

"Send a message to Weibei immediately; Zhang Junyi and Sima Zhongda should be able to arrive in time to provide assistance!"

"Although we lost a general and some cavalry in today's battle, the infantry was not lost, and Chang'an can still be..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Zhao interrupted him:
"Earlier spies discovered that Zhao Yun had suddenly headed north to Qi County."

"Cao Zhenxi sent this intelligence to both Governor Guo and Chang'an City at the same time."

"Did the general not receive it, or did he forget?"

“This…” Xiahou Mao was stunned again.

But they finally realized something was wrong.

Qi County is located on the upper reaches of the Jing River.

It was the seat of Xinping County.

Further upstream, north of Xinping County, lies Anding County.

There lived a group of Lushui Hu tribes who used the name of the prefecture as their name.

Qi County is situated at the crucial point on the southward route of the Lushui Hu people from Anding.

If that place is lost, the Hu cavalry can travel south along the Jing River valley to Guanzhong.

……

On the way to the Emperor's tent.

Mi Wei followed closely beside Zhuge Liang.

The Grand Chancellor of the Han Dynasty is dressed solemnly today, wearing a tall hat and wide belt.

There was also a faint fragrance of orchids and incense on her body.

"Before entering the pass, Zilong made an agreement with the leaders of the Lushui Hu tribes in Anding."

"All the spoils of war obtained from the campaign against the Xianbei people during this campaign belong to the Lushui Hu tribes."

"This is a strategy of using the barbarians to control the barbarians that the government has decided on long ago."

"But after this battle, the balance of power between Han and Wei will inevitably be reversed. I think we should add another clause: all spoils of the campaign against Wei shall belong to the royal army."

What does Master Shan think?

Upon hearing Zhuge Liang's question, Mi Wei dared not be negligent. After careful consideration, he replied:
"I think the Prime Minister added this clause because he was concerned that once the Hu cavalry had the experience of defeating the Central Plains troops, they would inevitably develop wolfish ambitions and cause trouble later."

"Moreover, the Wei army mostly defends its territory. If the Hu cavalry were to attack, it would inevitably disturb the local people and would be detrimental to the court's subsequent relief efforts in Guanzhong."

"With this provision in place, the Hu cavalry, seeing no benefit from attacking the Wei army, were naturally unwilling to expend their energy and manpower on it. Compared to directly prohibiting the Hu people from plundering the local areas, this policy was more easily accepted by the various Hu tribes."

Seeing Zhuge Liang nod slightly, Mi Wei continued:
"However, the Hu people have always coveted the products and customs of the Central Plains. The sheep and horses of the Xianbei people alone are probably not enough to make them serve wholeheartedly."

"Perhaps we can promise to open a trade market near the Jing and Wei rivers in the future, so that the Hu people can exchange livestock such as horses, cattle and sheep for products from the Central Plains, and exchange goods for each other."

"Those who make great contributions in this battle will receive more benefits in the future, such as higher trade quotas, more favorable buying and selling prices, and permission for their sons to enter the palace as officials... and so on."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang couldn't help but clap his hands in praise:
"Good!"

"Since I accompanied the emperor out of Sichuan, I have often worried that I do not have wise men like Ma Jichang (Ma Liang), Yang Jixiu (Yang Hong), Hu Weidu (Hu Ji), Yang Zizhao (Yang Yong), and She Wenxiong (She Yuan) by my side to discuss gains and losses and to fill in the gaps."

"Having received your wise words today, Master, I have no reason to worry!"

Mi Weilian dared not.

He secretly regretted not bringing Yang Xi from the chief secretary's office with him this time.

Mi Wei turned a blind eye to the fact that he was secretly compiling history. If Yang Xi had remembered what Zhuge Liang had just said...

In the future, I will be able to make a big appearance in the biography of Zhuge Liang!

This is a huge loss!
A little bit of random thoughts.

The two finally arrived in front of Liu Bei's tent.

Zhuge Liang paused and straightened his clothes slightly.

Only Miwei could hear the voice, and he said:
"The servant said that His Majesty's appetite has decreased significantly recently."

"He only drinks a little less than half a cup of water each day."

Mi Wei's expression turned solemn.

Without saying a word, he immediately tidied his appearance.

Only then did he follow Zhuge Liang into the ceremonies.

Liu Bei leaned weakly against the soft mattress.

Surprisingly, he was in pretty good spirits.

Upon seeing the two, he couldn't wait to ask about the previous battle.

Miwei answered truthfully.

When Liu Bei heard that Cao Zhen had committed suicide on the battlefield, he couldn't help but sigh:
"In the past, Cao Cao had many fierce generals with the surnames Cao and Xiahou under his command."

"Although there were excellent generals from outside the imperial family such as Yu Jin, Zhang Liao, and Xu Huang, they still could not overshadow the brilliance of the imperial family."

"I never imagined that the imperial family would already be declining in the second generation."

"It is evident that the influence of a virtuous person is difficult to extend to future generations."

At this point, Liu Bei suddenly stretched out his hands.

They captured Zhuge Liang.

While grabbing the elk.

"Kongming, your teacher is virtuous."

"The talents of these two ministers are ten times that of Cao Pi; they will surely be able to secure the country and ultimately accomplish great things."

"I have always known that my heir is incompetent, capable of maintaining the status quo but lacking in heroic spirit."

"However, I have wandered for half my life, and many of my wives and children have left me. Only this son has been raised to adulthood."

"To avoid social unrest, the only option is to entrust the throne to the Crown Prince, Chen."

"I only hope that you two will remember our shared fate as sovereign and subject, serve the Crown Prince as you would serve me, and work together to restore the Han dynasty and the world."

"I am unworthy, and can only lead you all to the walls of Chang'an."

"The task ahead is arduous and the road is long; we must rely on the wisdom and strategies of you two."

"If I could unify China, establish a stable regime across the land, and restore peace to the world, then I could face my ancestors with a clear conscience even in the afterlife."

"We... would gladly die for this!"

Zhuge Liang and Mi Wei bowed deeply in sorrow.

Their hats and belts swayed.

A mournful wind swept through the tent.

After a while, it was Liu Bei who first smiled and said:
"When I was young, I was unruly and did not enjoy reading much. I only liked dogs, horses, music, and beautiful clothes."

"When one becomes a ruler, one fears that one's actions will be imitated by those below, so one must restrain oneself and return to propriety."

"Now that people are about to die... oh, to use Shi Shan's words, it's time for them to ascend to heaven... but I wonder if they'll have the chance to roam freely around this old capital?"

Upon hearing this, people on either side looked at each other in bewilderment.

Zhuge Liang hesitated, as if he wanted to speak.

Although the morale of the Wei army in Chang'an had plummeted after the battle with Cao Zhen.

However, Xiahou Mao, the governor of Guanzhong who was defending the city, ultimately did not surrender.

Whether it's a proper siege or sending people to persuade them to surrender, it will take some time.

Given Liu Bei's condition, it was already a stroke of luck that he managed to enter Chang'an alive.

Who would dare to go through all this trouble with him?
"Your Majesty, I believe this is inappropriate!"

Miwei was the first to voice his opposition.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, while Liu Bei simply smiled and shook his head.

But the next moment, Mi Wei's tone suddenly changed:
Have you not heard that it is better to share happiness than to enjoy it alone?

"Your Majesty, as the Son of Heaven, should share joy with all the people!"

(End of this chapter)