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

Chapter 116 Pacifying the Western Rong and Southern Yi and Yue

Biao Wenwei had already read it.

The gist of it is to condemn Cao Pi for usurping the throne, seizing the imperial power, and committing various inhumane acts.

Then, a list of auspicious omens recently reported from various places was compiled.

This includes the jade seal that Mi Wei brought, which is said to be able to light up automatically.

Then, a rare copy of the Hetu and Luoshu was unearthed from some obscure corner, and it just so happens that there are prophecies left by ancient sages to prove it.

In short, from the heavens to the dust, everyone believes that Your Majesty should inherit the throne, assume the title of Emperor, and lead everyone to progress... Your Majesty, what do you say, are you going to do it or not!

Liu Bei naturally agreed to do it; otherwise, why would he have summoned his ministers?
So he immediately appointed Grand Master of Ceremonies Lai Gong and several Doctors and Chancellors to choose an auspicious day for a grand and spectacular celebration.

It's basically just announcing something that's already been decided in advance to the public.

This was all expected, and it passed without any major incident.

But what followed was a bit surprising.

It was just a surprise.

It turns out that a group of Qiang people in Yinping County, fearing Su Ze, the newly appointed Protector of the Qiang by Cao Pi, had the idea of ​​forming an alliance to resist Cao.

Then, persuaded by Zhuge Liang and others, their leader decided to personally attend Liu Bei's coronation ceremony and receive the rewards.

The arrival of foreign envoys to pay tribute has always been the treatment reserved for the emperor of the Central Plains.

This undoubtedly has the benefit of strengthening Liu Bei's "legitimacy".

Therefore, Liu Bei appointed General Ma Chao, who was granted the authority to act on behalf of the emperor, as an envoy to go north and welcome the Qiang leader, as a sign of great respect.

At the same time, it was also to leverage Ma Chao's prestige in Yongliang to attract the attention of more Qiang and Di tribes, who would then follow suit.

This is undoubtedly a phased achievement of the recent year's efforts to manage Yongliang.

Taking the opportunity, Liu Bei announced that the earliest intelligence about the chaos in Liang last year came from Mi Zhu and Zhang Yi, who had now gone to Jingzhou to serve as Guan Yu's chief secretary.

The latter, in particular, also conveyed his analysis of intelligence to Zhuge Liang through Yang Hong, demonstrating complete selflessness.

As a result, Mi Zhu was very pleased with himself.

Zhang Yi has finally cleared his name of prioritizing personal interests over public duty.

As for Mi Wei, he had already told his father not to let it slip, so that he could do Zhang Yi a favor.

Anyway, he doesn't need this credit; as long as his dad gets a share of the profits, that's fine.

Next, Liu Bei used this topic to announce some plans for Yongliang in the coming year.

The general idea is to use the manpower and strength of the Qiang and Di tribes to launch a pincer attack on Cao Wei, taking Longyou in the north and advancing into Guanzhong in the east.

In summary, it can be summed up in four words: peace with the various Rong tribes in the west.

It was precisely the strategy outlined in the "Longzhong Plan" that led to this decision.

If successful, together with Wei Yan in Hanzhong and Guan Yu in Jingzhou, this coordinated attack would create a three-pronged attack on Guanzhong, making great things possible.

However, none of these are goals that can be achieved in the short term.

Firstly, Hanzhong is vulnerable and needs time to recover.

Secondly, most of the various tribes are currently in a wait-and-see state, and whether they can form an alliance remains to be seen.

Thirdly, Guan Yu also needed to recuperate in Xiangfan, and he also had to guard against Cao Wei's southward advance this autumn.

Anyway, the future is bright, but the road is tortuous, and you all still need to work hard.

That concludes the agenda for the morning assembly.

However, it was at this moment that...

Liao Li, a court official who was originally a member of the inner court, suddenly stepped forward and said:

"Your Majesty, the previous discussions about the strategy for dealing with the southern regions have been quite heated, both inside and outside the palace. I wonder if Your Majesty has made a wise decision?"

Upon hearing this, all eyes in the hall turned to Mi Zhu, while a few looked at Wu Yi.

Unfortunately, the parties involved were all busy: Zhuge Liang and Ma Chao were in Brazil, Zhang Fei was in Jianwei, and Li Yan was in Jianwei.

Those who chimed in were either not of high enough rank to be allowed to enter the palace.

Or it could be someone like Ma Su, a commoner.

They didn't even qualify to enter North Korea.

Between Mi Zhu and Wu Yi, Mi Zhu held a higher position.

Naturally, they will have to bear more attention and pressure.

However, Mi Zhu was an old hand at the game. Upon hearing this, he immediately stood up, bowed deeply to Liu Bei, and remained silent.

It means that it's entirely up to Liu Bei's wise decision.

Given Liu Bei's consistent favor towards Mi Zhu, he would surely minimize the seriousness of the matter and let it go.

Then, a formal imperial edict would be issued to establish the strategy for the south, and the matter would be considered closed.

however.

Liu Bei's gaze lingered briefly on Mi Zhu before quickly shifting to Mi Wei behind him: "Shi Shan, Li Zhengfang has denounced your father as an incompetent general. As his son, how will you respond?"

All eyes in the room turned to Mi Wei.

Miwei was suddenly jolted awake.

He wondered if Old Liu had been blinded by the series of good news.
Instead of trying to put out the fire, they're actively fanning the flames!

And then there's that Attendant-in-Ordinary, Liao Li.

My father and I had no grudges against him in the past, and we even toasted each other on our wedding day... Why is he making trouble for no reason today?
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, there was no time to think.

Miwei took a slight breath and began to play the verse in a deep voice:
"In my humble opinion, whether it is my father or the generals, they are all wholeheartedly devoted to the country and have no personal grudges. Therefore, there is no question of criticism, and I have no need to respond."

"As for the debate itself, it concerns national policy. According to precedent, it should be submitted to the cabinet for public discussion, and it is not something I, your subject, can comment on."

They won't respond, they won't make a statement, they'll just drag it out.

After saying this, he bowed slightly to Liu Ba, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, who was sitting alone above him.

It is worth mentioning that Liu Ba's position as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat only yielded a salary of one thousand shi (a unit of grain).

However, he was known as one of the "Three Solo Officials" along with the Commandant of the Capital Region and the Vice Censor-in-Chief.

To be able to enjoy a seat alone among all the nobles and officials in the palace is a sign of special favor.

At this moment, Liu Ba remained sitting alone, expressionless, despite Mi Wei's demeanor.

Mi Zhu, however, secretly cast an approving glance at his son.

“What you say makes sense… Zichu.” Liu Bei looked at Liu Ba.

"Does the Ministry of Personnel have any objections?"

Liu Ba then stood up and said slowly:

"Your Majesty, no decision has been made yet."

"However, the other day, when Minister Jiang Wan was sorting through old books, he unexpectedly discovered a copy of the 'Pingnan Strategy' left by the late Lord Fa Xiaozhi."

"Really?!" Liu Bei's face lit up with surprise.

"In the past, Xiaozhi offered strategies that focused mainly on matters in the north, but unexpectedly he also considered matters in the south... Where is the document containing these strategies?"

Liu Ba responded:

"To be honest, Your Majesty, the policy document was not completed before the Lord of Law passed away. Only the four words 'priorities and urgency' were left on the document!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei sighed repeatedly and said nothing more.

The courtiers in the hall immediately began to discuss the matter.

Even the low-ranking officials waiting outside the palace couldn't help but peek out.

The ceremony only ended when two "Imperial Censors" came to the palace to maintain order.

Liu Bei immediately announced the end of the court session and moved to the imperial palace, intending to make a decision on the southern regions within the day.

Mi Wei, Liao Li, Liu Ba, Li Hui, Wu Yi and others were called out one by one to accompany the driver.

They didn't make things difficult for Mi Zhu, and told him to go home and rest first.

Mi Wei then realized what was happening.

Old Liu had planned this all along!

However, Fa Zheng actually wrote "Ping Nan Ce" (Strategy for Pacifying the South)?
It's not mentioned in the historical records...

While pondering, the group went to the official residence where the Ministry of Personnel was located.

Besides the ministers and their assistants whom we already knew, there were actually two outsiders.

One of them was Ma Su, who was a commoner.

As for the other one, I learned upon inquiry that he was Song Yuan, the Prefect of Jianwei County.

He originally entered the court as a clerk in charge of accounting for Jianwei County.

Now he has become Li Yan's spokesperson.

Liu Bei first had a map of Nanzhong hung up, and then he sat down on a folding stool with an air of grandeur.

At this moment, he resembled an emperor on horseback more than a benevolent ruler.

Seeing this, everyone spontaneously lined up to the left and right according to their age.

Among them, Li Hui and Wu Yi, who advocated a "slow and steady" approach, were on one side.

Meanwhile, Ma Su and Song Yuan, who advocated for a "quick victory," were on the other side.

Miwei originally wanted to hide in a corner and slack off.

As a result, Liu Bei spotted it at a glance.

He beckoned directly to them.

(End of this chapter)