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

Chapter 329 Mixed joys and sorrows
Zhang Xiu was clearly not used to dealing with this kind of situation.

Facing Zang Ba's murderous gaze.

The sound was stuck in his throat, and he just couldn't make it out.

Zhuge Ke calmly replied:
"That's a strange question, General."

"So what if the three of us are subjects of the King of Wu?"

“During his lifetime, Wang Gong was a renowned scholar admired throughout the land. King Wu cherished his talent and respected his virtue, so he sent us to Xiapi to offer condolences. Is there anything improper about this?”

He then turned to Wang Su, who was seated at the head of the table, and said:
"The host is here to thank the guests, but he did not explicitly say beforehand that he would not invite people from Wu. Could it be that he is going to change his mind now?"

Wang Su then responded:
"If you come only to pay homage to your ancestors, you are all honored guests, regardless of whether you are from the north or south."

Zhuge Ke turned around and looked at Zang Ba provocatively.

However, this seasoned general, who had fought countless battles, merely uttered a cold snort and then withdrew.

Zhang Xiu couldn't help but cast an admiring glance at Zhuge Ke.

However, the latter's expression was more worried than happy.

He had just realized that Zang Ba intended to separate Yu Fan's identity from that of the officials of Eastern Wu, which is why he deliberately provoked Zang Ba, emphasizing that the three of them came on behalf of the King of Wu, thus causing even greater chaos.

Who knew that Zang Ba could tolerate the provocation of such an unknown junior?

This person's cunning is truly unexpected.

Zhuge Ke was filled with mixed feelings of joy and sorrow.

The good news is that this person clearly intends to cooperate with Yu Fan.

Zhang Zhao and his group's plan might actually come to fruition.

But the worry is, can Zhang and Yu really control such scheming people?
This is just one Zang Ba.

The other generals must also be extraordinary.

But in any case, the master has spoken.

Even Cao Zhi, who was drunk and in a daze, was fine.

Regardless of the ulterior motives of the generals and ministers of Wei and Wu, it was not appropriate for them to continue their disrespectful behavior at the funeral.

The minor incident quickly passed.

Only Zhuge Ke, who took the initiative to enter the game, had even greater concerns than before.

However, they are hampered by a lack of intelligence, ability, and social status.

For a moment, I didn't know how to deal with it.

Fortunately, he could not wait for the god-like Huang Shigong.

But there is another uncle who is universally recognized as a wise man, Zhuge Kongming.

So I decided to write to him immediately after I got back to ask for his advice.

"By the way, the master said that my uncle recently went to Longyou, and it's inconvenient to write letters... Perhaps we could go and ask him?"

After thinking it over, Zhuge Ke decided to write to both sides to inquire.

It's about pooling our wisdom.

Of course, this second letter.

He would never write directly to the other party in his personal capacity.

Instead, he first went to inquire about his cousin, Zhuge Qiao, who had recently gone to the Ministry of Personnel in Chang'an.

He then asked the other person for advice through the latter's words.

……

In the fifth month of summer in the third year of Jianxing (228 AD).

Just as the mourning period for Miwei was about to end.

News of Zhao Yun's initial victories in Bingzhou also reached Hedong.

The result was somewhat unexpected.

Initially, Zhao Yun followed Mi Wei's advice and chose to head north from Jinyang City to conquer the counties in northern Bingzhou.

However, just as the army left the northern border of Taiyuan County, it unexpectedly encountered a Wei army marching south.

The two sides met unexpectedly and engaged in a hasty battle, catching each other somewhat off guard.

Zhao Yun worried that this group of troops was coordinating with the Jinyang garrison from the north and south, and that it was a premeditated ambush.

He then personally led a contingent of elite cavalry to break through the enemy lines, advancing as far as the enemy's central army.

This quickly caused chaos among the enemy's vanguard.

Generals Chen Dao, Feng Xi, and others seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, directly defeating the enemy's vanguard.

However, the enemy general was also a seasoned strategist. Seeing that the vanguard had been defeated, he decisively retreated to the nearby city of Jiuyuan and then defended the city.

Seeing that the enemy's advance and retreat were measured and that Jiuyuan City, like Jinyang, had implemented a scorched-earth policy in advance, Zhao Yun became even more convinced that the enemy had planned this all along, and thus did not risk continuing his northward advance.

Instead of locking down the city, they sent scouts to gather intelligence on the enemy.

In the end, I found that I was half right.

The other party did indeed have premeditation.

But it doesn't mean letting ourselves head north to launch another ambush.

Instead, they planned to march south to attack their own troops in Taiyuan and relieve the siege of Jinyang.

This suddenly emerging Wei army was personally led by Qian Zhao, the governor of Yanmen under Cao Wei.

This is further compounded by Cao Rui's earlier strange act of suddenly appearing in Shexian County and carrying out a large-scale cleanup.

Thus, a complete tactical plan emerged.

The Cao Wei rulers and ministers planned to use a feint attack to lift the siege of Jinyang!

It must be said that Cao Rui's first appearance on the battlefield was quite insightful.

Recognizing the importance of Shangdang to both the Han and Wei dynasties, he took the initiative to march westward, attracting the attention of the Han army in Hedong.

At the same time, as the emperor of the Great Wei, he was enough to attract everyone's attention from any angle.

This is a double bait.

Furthermore, he threatened to summon Zhao Nan to Shexian to receive a reward, seemingly intending to replace Yang Dao as the governor of Shangdang.

This further caused the Han army to neglect the military situation in northern Bingzhou.

If Zhao Yun had indeed sent troops to Shangdang earlier, then Qian Zhao's surprise attack southward might have actually opened a breach in the siege of Jinyang.

"But the Cao Wei rulers and ministers, despite their meticulous planning, did not anticipate that I would also employ a feint and deception."

"As a result, both sides engaged in a feint and a real battle, and neither side gained an advantage in the close encounter."

Mi Wei sighed softly and put down the military report in his hand.

Qiao Zhou, puzzled, asked:

"Judging from Zhao Zhenbei's description, his troops have already besieged Jiuyuan City. Clearly, our army has the upper hand!"

Mi Wei shook his head slightly and explained:
"Military accounts aren't calculated that way."

"A temporary advantage means nothing; the key is whether the strategic objectives are achieved."

Hearing these unfamiliar words, Qiao Zhou, who had been with Miwei for nearly three years, suddenly realized something.

"The general means that Zhao Zhenbei's northward march is aimed at driving the Wei army out of northern Bingzhou, then locking down key passes, and then focusing on dealing with the fortified city of Jinyang."

"But since Qian Zhao has gone south to Jiuyuan City and has been unable to breach the city for the time being, the original goal could not be achieved, so it cannot be considered a success?"

Mi Wei nodded and then said:

"Of course, the Cao family and their ministers also failed."

"Although they secured the northern passage through Bingzhou, they also lost the opportunity to enter Taiyuan, and Jinyang remained besieged by our army."

"This time, it's a draw."

Qiao Zhou finally understood.

However, they did not understand the key to this battle.

Instead, he realized that this kind of war between wise men was indeed not suitable for him.

I'd better just be a good advisor and scribe, offering suggestions and writing articles.

After thinking for a moment, Mi Wei gave the order:
"The situation is clear now, so Deng Shizai and Yang Wenran no longer need to hide anything. They should knock on the gates when necessary and issue proclamations when necessary, otherwise they will appear hypocritical."

"But remember one thing: Huguan Pass can be breached, but Huxian County cannot be occupied."

"I must convince Cao Rui that my in-laws are capable enough to protect Shangdang."

"I also want my in-laws to be more sensible."

Qiao Zhou immediately opened his inkstone and wrote a letter.

But when I got to the part about Yang Dao, I couldn't help but look up and ask:

"What does the general want that Lord Yang to understand?"

Upon hearing this, Mi Wei smiled wryly and said:

"Let him understand that I have both the sincerity to befriend him and the power to turn my back on him."

Qiao Zhou paused slightly, reconsidered his wording, and then put pen to paper again.

At the same time, he secretly reflected on himself.

From now on, I just need to focus on writing articles honestly.

(End of this chapter)