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

Chapter 288 Yecheng
Leaving aside how Xu Shu secretly plotted to pass on intelligence.

After Sima Yi crossed the river.

He took the opportunity to visit his hometown, Wen County, Hanoi District, where he met with local officials and elders and reiterated his ambition to defend the country's borders.

Then they traveled north without stopping, and seven or eight days later, they arrived at Ye City in Wei Commandery.

During this period, Ye City was undoubtedly one of the most magnificent cities in the world.

the reason is simple.

This was the capital of the Wei Kingdom when Cao Cao was still the King of Wei.

After Cao Cao occupied Hebei, he used this area as the political and military center of the Cao regime for a long period of time.

Naturally, a great deal of construction was carried out here.

The famous Bronze Sparrow Terrace was built here.

The infamous Wei Feng Rebellion, which shocked the world, also broke out here.

Times have changed.

The political center of Cao Wei had long since moved back to Luoyang in Henan.

However, Ye City, as one of the five capitals of the Great Wei, remains an important military and political center that cannot be ignored.

It was an important bridgehead for the imperial court in Luoyang to remotely control Hebei.

Therefore, after Cao Pi ascended the throne, he appointed one of his trusted confidants, Wu Zhi (also known as Wu Jizhong), to guard this place and to oversee the military affairs of You and Bing provinces.

Sima Yi made a special trip to Ye City to see Wu Zhi.

"You bastard Sima Zhongda!"

"The Emperor entrusted you with state affairs, yet you've come to hide here. Could it be that your betrayal of Zhuge Liang has been exposed?"

Seeing his friend's teasing expression, Sima Yi pretended to be serious and said:

"Don't try to play the victim! I'm here to investigate whether you accepted bribes from Gongsun Gonghou!"

For a moment, Wu Zhi's smile froze.

Although he quickly covered it up, Sima Yi still noticed.

The latter's face immediately turned awkward.

Wu Zhi was thus put in an awkward position.

However, neither of them were morally upright, so they remained silent for a few moments before quickly moving on to the topic.

Wu Zhi: "Liaodong is extremely cold. Even in spring and autumn, one must wear thick clothes, let alone in the dead of winter."

"Just tell me straight, how long do you plan to stay here?"

Sima Yi: "How long I stay depends on when the Emperor of Luoyang summons me."

Wu Zhi raised an eyebrow: "Which emperor?"

Sima Yi bowed, facing south, and declared, "I am the Emperor of Great Wei!"

Wu Zhi scoffed and said with a "heh":

“Cao Zilian is brave and fierce, Jia Liangdao is intelligent and resourceful, and Zhang Junyi is both intelligent and brave… The court has never lacked great generals, so why must you be summoned back to Luoyang?”

"Aren't you afraid of getting yourself into trouble by looking down on all the heroes of the world like this?"

Having said all that, Sima Yi had nothing to hide and calmly began to recount the events:
"Cao Hong was disliked by the emperor, and despite his courage and strategy, he was unlikely to be given a great position."

"Jia Kui is indeed very useful."

"But he was originally a pawn used by the court to contain Cao Hong, and now he is also tasked with confronting Guan Yu. Since he has already been used in the south, he cannot be used in the north as well."

“Zhang He…” Sima Yi paused slightly, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.

"He is the best choice to guard Tongguan. As long as he leaves Luoyang, he will be fine for me."

"As for Zhu Ling, Zang Ba, Wang Ling and others, their posts are in Huainan and Jiangdong, which are thousands of miles apart, so they can't hinder me."

"The rest of the generals, such as Cao Tai and Xiahou Mao, are nothing but pigs and dogs. If it weren't for the emperor's favor, they wouldn't be worth mentioning."

At this point, Sima Yi said to Wu Zhi:

“Ji Zhong, I have come to seek refuge not only for my own sake, but also with the intention of standing together with you through thick and thin.”

“You have never paid attention to cultivating your reputation. If Hebei is peaceful and prosperous, you will only have the duty of guarding the border and will find it difficult to return to the central government.”

"But fate has changed. As long as we work together with one heart, we may very well achieve great things in the future!"

Since welcoming Sima Yi into the city, Wu Zhi has shown no seriousness whatsoever.

Only then did he show seriousness, and after a moment's thought, he said:

"Could it be that Zhongda believes the Shu bandits will raid Hedong?"

"Zhuge Liang is no ordinary talent; he must first conquer Hedong!" Sima Yi declared resolutely.

“If he comes from Hedong, then you, the general who holds the imperial staff and oversees the military affairs of You and Bing provinces, will be the first to bear the brunt!” “And me!” Sima Yi pointed to himself.

"He will be your Sun Bin!"

……

Liu Shan is having a major headache again.

According to the Prime Minister's plan.

Shu Han closed its borders and allowed the people to rest for two or three years. After the army was well-trained and the food was plentiful, it would then safely march out of Hedong, take Bingzhou, and pacify the various Hu tribes.

Then, by maintaining the momentum, either marching south to Luoyang or launching a surprise attack on Hebei, great things can be expected.

And I can take advantage of these two or three years to cultivate my prestige, broaden my horizons, and win over people from all sides.

Once the great cause is accomplished, I can become a peaceful emperor who reigns without lifting a finger and enjoy three or four decades of tranquility... Wouldn't that be wonderful?
He might even be given a posthumous title with the character "Wen" in it!

But no matter how much they planned, they didn't expect Cao Pi's health to suddenly collapse.

Cao Pi will only be forty years old next spring, much younger than the Prime Minister.

Why did it suddenly stop working?
Could it be that he suffered some kind of hidden illness while following Cao Cao in his early campaigns?
That's all.

The key issue is that with Cao Pi's death, the military accounts that the various generals had barely reached a consensus on out of respect for the prime minister were ruined.

It will definitely need to be recalculated.

He was, after all, the ruler of Cao Wei!
When a monarch dies and a new monarch ascends the throne, the government will inevitably be shaken, and the coordination of various parties will be affected.

Shouldn't we take advantage of this opportunity?

Earlier, the Wei army in Guanzhong bet on the death of the late emperor. Although they suffered a great loss because they underestimated the prime minister's prestige and methods, the principle is indeed correct.

Otherwise, do you really think the Wei dynasty had no capable people?
More importantly, it was because of this sudden strategic opportunity.

The Prime Minister's original delaying tactic no longer makes sense.

A life-or-death opportunity waits for no one!

In fact, just three days after the news of Cao Pi's critical illness reached Chang'an, the generals, led by Zhang Fei, once again submitted a petition requesting permission to fight.

Then, unsurprisingly, the debate between the Hedong faction and the Henan faction over their respective policies erupted once again in Chang'an.

This time, even General Guan Yu broke his silence and followed his son in submitting a letter expressing his willingness to cooperate with the allied forces in Guanzhong to attack and plunder Luoyang.

This undoubtedly means directly siding with the Henan faction.

Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun challenged Guan Yu and Wei Yan.

What an incredible battle of wits!
It is said that Liu Shan, born from his mother's dream of swallowing the Big Dipper, had no choice but to go and save the prime minister who was like an immortal once again.

Moreover, he insisted on personally visiting the Prime Minister's residence this time, ignoring all attempts by Dong Yun to dissuade him.

However, when the group arrived at the gate of the Prime Minister's residence,
But just then they saw General Wei Miwei and the Prime Minister walking out together.

The two chatted and laughed all the way, showing no signs of tension due to the court turmoil.

Liu Shan felt much more at ease.

He hurriedly stepped forward to receive the two men's greetings, and then said impatiently:

"Prime Minister! General Wei! Are you two discussing the matter of sending troops?"

Mi Wei glanced at Zhuge Liang and replied:

"We are currently discussing the matter of sending envoys to Eastern Wu!"

Was he sent as an envoy to Eastern Wu?

Liu Shan was stunned, not understanding.

Miwei patiently explained:

"I dare not conceal this from Your Majesty. Before I entered the pass last year, I had a discussion with the General-in-Chief. We believed that the fate of the world had changed and that Cao Pi's life would not last long. Therefore, I earnestly request the General-in-Chief not to rush into military action and to wait for the right opportunity."

"Therefore, the Grand General did not participate in the debates among the generals until today."

Liu Shan recalled that when Mi Wei had analyzed the overall situation with him earlier, he had indeed mentioned that "unless the fate of heaven changes, it is advisable to close the borders and pacify the people."

But things have clearly "changed" now.

So, was General Wei simply being prepared for the worst, or did he possess the divine ability to foresee destiny?
He couldn't help but admire him even more.

I also came to understand the meaning of the mission to Eastern Wu.

If Guan Yu were to make a full-scale northward march to attack Luoyang, the Wei army in Xuchang would be a major obstacle.

If Eastern Wu could simultaneously cross the Yangtze River and launch a northern expedition, it could, in turn, hinder Cao Hong and Jia Kui's forces, relieving Guan Yu's pressure on his northern expedition.

Liu Shan: "So, you two are planning to change course and send troops to Henan first? Very well, I will change the decree immediately!"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang couldn't help but cough lightly.

(End of this chapter)