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

Chapter 115 A Long-Term Plan and a Short-Term Plan
“Hanjia County,” Zhang Yi said.

"Han Jia was originally a subordinate state of Shu Commandery. There was an old road leading to Yuexi, which was flat and straight."

“If you travel south along this road to Yuexi, you can turn west to reach the various tribes of Faqiang, and if you continue south, you can reach countries such as Sindhu beyond the borders.”

"Whether it's acquiring cattle and horses or rare treasures from beyond the borders, it will be of great benefit!"

Zhang Yi said excitedly.

"It's a pity that the old road was blocked by the Maoniu Yi people in southern Hanjia and has been cut off for over a hundred years."

"Nowadays, to travel from Sichuan to Yuexi, one must detour via the Bo Road and the Lu River. This new route is not only long but also treacherous, making it unsuitable for merchants and travelers... It's truly a pity!"

Miwei nodded upon hearing this and said:

"It seems that Boqi intends to start with the Maoniu Yi in order to reopen the old road?"

“Exactly!” Zhang Yi said in a resounding voice.

"In reality, although this route is difficult for the court to use, Gao Ding has colluded with the Maoniu Yi, so he can use it to go north."

“Two or three years ago, Gao Ding used the Maoniu River as a route to plunder Yandao County in the north.”

"At that time, the local garrison was unable to resist, and it was only thanks to the Xingye General Li Zhengfang (Li Yan) leading the Jianwei County troops to come to the rescue that the predicament was resolved."

Upon hearing this, Mi Wei suddenly understood and said:

"So, whether he takes office in Yuexi or Hanjia, the essence is to solve the problem of high-end products."

"The difference is that one is to attack its roots directly, while the other is to prune its branches and leaves."

"Master's insight is excellent!" Zhang Yi exclaimed, yet also felt somewhat uneasy.

"But this is ultimately just my opinion."

"Moreover, I've heard that Prefect Huang of Hanjia is known for his tyranny and ruthlessness; I'm afraid he might not be willing to cooperate with my plan..."

"I've heard that you possess the abilities of a 'Marquis of Liu' (Liu Hou), I wonder if you could enlighten me on a few points?"

You probably heard this from some idiot named Guan Xing bragging.

Mi Wei secretly cursed his brother-in-law in his heart, then laughed and said:

“I think Boqi has already made up his mind. It’s just that he is hesitant because it’s his first time. So he needs someone to encourage him. There’s no need for an outsider like me to comment.”

Zhang Yi smiled sheepishly upon hearing this.

Mi Wei said solemnly:
"Although I am not good at dealing with the barbarians in the south, I am quite confident in my ability to judge people."

"When I first met Boqi at the Luocheng post station that day, I was certain that you would become a great general in the future, and your name would resound throughout the prefectures and counties."

"If Boqi lacks confidence, why not trust my judgment as the 'Marquis of Liu'?"

Zhang Yi was slightly taken aback, then chuckled again:

"With such wise words from my teacher, I feel much more at ease!"

He added, "Tonight is an auspicious night, Master, you should not keep your bride waiting too long!"

"I'll take my leave now!"

Mi Wei urged, "It's still chilly in spring, why don't you go to the warm room and have a few more drinks?"

Zhang Yi shook his head and said, "I've heard that the mountains in the south are damp and cold, so I need to get used to it as soon as possible."

"If Master Shan considers me a friend, how about I offer him another cup of wine to commemorate our parting?"

Mi Wei readily agreed and instructed his servants to hurry up and warm the wine.

At the same time, he desperately tried to recall the farewell poems from his previous life, hoping to copy one down on the spot.

Before the poem was finished, the wine had already been warmed.

Zhang Yi downed the drink in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and said:

"Tonight, I'll borrow a cup of wine from you to bolster my courage."

"The mountains and rivers of the South are high and the rivers are long. We may meet again someday. If I am not victorious, I ask my friend Shi Shan to write an inscription for my tombstone!"

"The inscription should simply read: Zhang Yi, an official of the Han Dynasty, died serving the king!"

After speaking, he rose, bowed deeply to the ground, and then turned away gracefully.

Miwei gazed at the figure of the other walking alone in the cold night.

And then he could hear the clamor of the assembled officials not far away.

For a moment, it was impossible to say which side was the true hero or the true hero.

But this finally dispelled her idea of ​​imitating Dong Shi.

At this moment, I feel that the absence of poetry is more poetic than the presence of poetry itself.

……

As night deepened, Mi Wei returned to the new house and found Guan Linghui drowsy, holding a dried gourd.

Hearing footsteps startled him awake. He separated the gourd into two ladles, poured wine, and performed the nuptial ceremony.

But after drinking all night, Miwei's tongue was already numb, and he couldn't taste the saltiness anymore.

Instead, he stared blankly at the flickering candlelight inside the room.

Guan Linghui: "Does my husband have something on his mind?"

Mi Wei nodded, making no secret from his future bedmate:
"Since the Battle of Jiangling, everyone has praised me for my youthful talent and for being a hero of my time."

"But tonight I have witnessed a true hero, and I feel that I am merely a name without substance."

He then briefly recounted his recent experience with Zhang Yi.

Guan Linghui chuckled upon hearing this. Mi Wei asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Guan Linghui: "Everyone says that my husband is humble and virtuous, with the demeanor of an ancient gentleman, and I used to think so too."

"Only tonight did I realize that it wasn't true after all."

"Oh, what's that?" Miwei became interested.

Guan Linghui: "My husband is not feigning humility, but rather he is extremely strict with himself, focusing only on his own shortcomings. He is also very lenient with others, always seeing their strengths."

"Therefore, judging others by one's own shortcomings, one always feels inferior and always yields to them."

“Is that so…” Miwei took off his crown and scratched his head.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of the bride's long, graceful curves beneath her dress.

A thought flashed through my mind: "You just said I'm short?"

“…Huh?” Guan Linghui didn’t understand.

But the next moment, Miwei had already grabbed her hand and asked:

"Does the young lady study?"

Guan Linghui stiffened and stammered in response:

“Elder brother, you have said that a good man is capable of becoming a high-ranking official. I cannot do without him. I am illiterate, so I have recently been reading the Erya and Cangjie.”

Miwei pressed further, "Is there anything else?"

“Zhong, my brother Zhong said that my husband is the Marquis of Liu in this era. I must understand military strategy, so I asked someone to copy the Six Secret Teachings, but I have not yet had a chance to read it.”

Miwei asked again, "Is there anything else?"

"besides……"

Guan Linghui finally noticed the man's ill-intentioned gaze and raised an eyebrow, saying, "My lord, would you like to recommend a book?"

Miwei pulled his bride into his arms and teased:
"But I wonder if Lady Xi has ever read a strange article called 'The Story of Lady Ji Striking the Chicken'?"

……

Phoenix, oh phoenix, come and roost with me, let us be my offspring and I be your consort forever.

With hearts in harmony and mutual understanding, who knows the secret of our late-night rendezvous?

The joy here is not something that can be explained to outsiders.

In short, a few days later, Mi Wei held his first New Year's Day court assembly after taking office.

Shuo refers to the first day of each month.

According to Han dynasty regulations, officials were required to meet the emperor on this day to either hold sacrificial ceremonies or listen to government decrees.

Before dawn that day, Mi Wei, with the help of his wife, dressed himself in his clothes and official robes.

He also specially wore a black military cap and adorned himself with ornaments such as a sword, a jade tablet, a jade pendant, and a jade ornament.

Then he went to the palace with his father and uncle.

Before the night watchman's drum had finished its seven-quarters mark and the east was not yet dawn, the bell had already rung.

Officials and ministers flocked to the court.

Among them, mid- to high-ranking officials like Mi Zhu and Mi Wei, who were qualified to enter the palace, removed their shoes and swords before stepping into the palace to pay their respects to Liu Bei.

Mi Fang, a low-ranking official, could only wait outside the palace.

If you look into it more closely, there are actually complicated procedures such as offering sacrifices to ancestors and distributing food and drink.

However, since it wasn't the grand New Year's Day assembly, and there was only a makeshift team, there was no need to be too strict.

Therefore, the purely ritualistic part quickly came to an end.

Now, let's get to the main topic.

Of course, this main topic doesn't mean that hundreds of people will be debating some important military or national affairs, with all sorts of petty squabbles and backstabbing happening in between.

In fact, this applies to both the grand court assembly at the beginning of the year and the court assembly on the first day of each month.

It was never used for discussing political affairs.

Instead, they announced the results of the discussion.

Making political decisions and handling general affairs were the responsibility of the "inner court" within the palace.

This includes the Ministry of Personnel, which was separated from the Inner Court.

If high-ranking officials from outside the court wanted to get involved, they would need to add the title of "Recorder (or Leader) of the Secretariat" to their list of duties.

If one wanted to discuss issues with the emperor, one could only submit a written memorial and have a one-on-one conversation.

Alternatively, the emperor could issue the memorial to the imperial court for public discussion, and the imperial court would then return the opinions to the emperor for final decision.

On Liu Bei's side, the person in charge of this intermediate link was...

Of course, it was the strategist and general Zhuge Liang, and the Secretariat represented by Liu Ba.

However, Mi Wei soon discovered that not only was Zhuge Liang absent today, but even Ma Chao was not there.

Perhaps there's something else important going on?

Before he could think further, Grand Tutor Xu Jing had already stepped forward to present his report.

"Your humble servants, Grand Tutor Xu Jing, General of Anhan Mi Zhu, Military Advisor General Zhuge Liang, Grand Master of Ceremonies Lai Gong, Grand Master of the Palace Huang Zhu, Junior Steward Wang Mou, and Commandant of the Imperial Carriage Mi Wei, kowtow and submit this report!"

Upon hearing his name, Mi Wei's spirits lifted.

We must publicly urge him to join!
(End of this chapter)