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

Chapter 123 A single move affects the whole body
"Now that Shi Shan has arrived, His Majesty must have already guessed something."

Zhuge Liang nodded to Mi Wei, then looked to his left and right.

"This matter should be addressed as soon as possible. We must ascertain the military situation quickly and submit it to His Majesty for a wise decision!"

Mi Wei was completely confused and turned to ask Huang Quan for clarification.

Huang Quan explained quickly in a low voice:
"Li Zhengfang sent a military report earlier, saying that he had devised a plan to lure Gao Ding of Yuexi north to Yandao in Hanjia County. He then personally led the county's troops from Wuyang down the river to Nan'an, turned west to the Mo River to Maoniu, and then joined forces with Huang Yuan, the prefect of Hanjia, to launch a pincer attack on Gao Ding's forces from the south and north, annihilating them!"

Miwei briefly recalled the geography.

Roughly speaking, Li Yan traveled south along the Min River from the vicinity of Pengshan District in Meishan City in later years, arriving near Leshan, which at that time did not yet have the Leshan Giant Buddha.

Then it turns west along the Dadu River to the area around Hanyuan County.

Together with Huang Yuan, one in the south and one in the north, they blocked Gao Ding's forces in the mountain valleys of western Sichuan.

Finally, they were destroyed.

Judging from the military report's description alone, it was a textbook example of luring the enemy deep into their territory and then trapping them.

So he asked, even more puzzled, "Where is the problem?"

Huang Quan: "The problem arose from the two military reports that followed."

"One is a military report supplemented by Li Yan, which says that the mountain roads are winding and complicated, making it difficult to pursue the defeated enemy. Moreover, Zhang Yi, an official of Han Jia, deliberately condoned the bandits, causing some to escape and flee to Shu County."

"But he believes that the defeated and brutal bandits are not a threat, so Your Majesty need not worry."

Mi Wei felt something was off when he heard Li Yan criticize Zhang Yi like that.

"And what about the second one?"

"The second one was sent by Zhang Yi," Huang Quan said, frowning.

"He said that Prefect Huang Yuan of Han Jia did not dare to go out of the city to meet the enemy. Gao Ding's three thousand bandits bypassed the city and entered the southern part of Shu Commandery unscathed... They may already be plundering Linqiong County at this time!"

Miwei was stunned.

There really is a big problem!
This is divided into two levels.

First, if Zhang Yi's report is true.

Three thousand bandits have now entered the heart of Shu County, and are only two days' journey from Chengdu.

This is equivalent to luring the enemy into your own living room.

Furthermore, considering that Emperor Liu Bei was not within the protection of the capital's thick city walls, but in the wilderness on the outskirts of the city, and was accompanied by prominent figures of the Qiang tribe... the more you look into this problem, the more serious it becomes!
It could potentially ruin the nation's future for several years!

On the other hand, the two people reported completely opposite things.

So regardless of the truth of the matter.

One side must have given false information and shirked responsibility.

In today's context, this would be a heinous crime of deceiving the emperor.

If this is to be taken seriously, their entire family could be exterminated in no time!
At this moment, Zhuge Liang's generals were arguing heatedly.

Some believe that Li Yan was knowledgeable in military affairs and had always been loyal and dedicated to serving the king, so he would not have deceived his superiors.

Some argue that although Li Yan was knowledgeable in military affairs, he couldn't overcome Huang Yuan's incompetence, and the so-called pincer attack from the north and south failed to materialize.

In the end, no one mentioned anything about Zhang Yi himself.

Only Mi Wei knew that this future guardian of the South was definitely not a petty person who would shirk responsibility or deceive his superiors.

Therefore, they became increasingly skeptical of the veracity of Li Yan's report.

This is not because he has any preconceived prejudice against Li Yan.

Rather, it means that if Li Yan's report is true, then three conditions must be met simultaneously:

Li Yan doesn't lie.

Huang Yuan is not mediocre.

Zhang Yi disregarded the overall situation.

He would be willing to believe if any one of these three conditions were met.

After all, historical records always have their biases, and there's even the saying "the Spring and Autumn Annals style of writing."

There are two, but considering that Li Yan is not the Li Yan we know today, Zhang Yi is not the Zhang Yi we know today, and Huang Yuan... let's just leave that out.

In short, everyone goes through a process of growth and change, and it's not unbelievable that someone can be so ruthless.

But if three low-probability events happen at the same time... Miwei felt he might as well believe that Gao Ding had died suddenly, leading to the dispersal of his subordinates.

After all, the south was not fully developed at that time, and it was a land of miasma and pestilence.

It's definitely not suitable for long-term living.

So after thinking it over, he felt more and more that what Zhang Yi reported was closer to the truth.

At that moment, his gaze fell upon Zhuge Liang.

Unexpectedly, the latter's gaze also turned towards them at the same time.

Their eyes met, and Zhuge Liang suddenly spoke: "Shi Shan once recommended Zhang Boqi to His Majesty. What do you think of this man?"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Mi Wei.

The main point is that everything that can be discussed has already been discussed, so it's a good time to hear the opinions of the newcomers.

Mi Wei instinctively wanted to support Zhang Yi.

However, upon further reflection...

The reasons I had in my heart were simply not something I could share with outsiders.

Without any evidence, simply offering support as Zhang Yi's advocate might backfire.

After a moment's thought, he said:

"I think we should be lenient in this matter. Regardless of whether it is true or false, we should send a team south to find out the enemy's situation."

"If Gao Ding's army had not entered Sichuan, it would have been a good opportunity to wipe out the remaining bandits."

"If the bandits are indeed rampant, then we should send troops to attack them as soon as possible!"

"As for who is right and who is wrong between Li and Zhang, that is secondary at this time. We can ask Your Majesty to make a decision after the enemy situation is clear!"

"Master, these are wise words!" Prefect Yang Hong of Shu Commandery praised on the spot.

The other civil officials also nodded in agreement.

"If troops are dispatched, who will be the general, and how many soldiers will he lead?"

The one asking the question was General Zhao Yun.

This veteran from Changshan Zhen Ding is not only physically strong, but also possesses the chivalrous spirit of the Yan and Zhao regions.

Even in his old age, he still exuded an aura of unparalleled power among a group of military generals.

As soon as he asked this question, all the generals around him straightened their backs and raised their heads.

They all clearly wanted to make a name for themselves, yet none dared to surpass Zhao Yun and compete for the lead.

"Zichu, what do you think?"

Zhuge Liang, however, first looked at Liu Ba, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

Liu Badao:
"The emperor has just ascended the throne, and all the people are watching closely. With the Qiang envoy by his side, it can be said that a single move can affect the whole situation."

"At this critical juncture, if we waver because the bandits are approaching the capital, we will not only be looked down upon by the Qiang people, but also undermine the prestige of Your Majesty and the court."

Liu Ba paused slightly, then continued:
"Therefore, when it is necessary to send troops, it is not advisable to launch a large-scale campaign; when it is necessary to send generals, it is not advisable to send high-ranking generals!"

Upon hearing this, many generals glared at him angrily.

However, Liu Ba remained indifferent and didn't care at all.

"I agree with this view!"

Huang Quan, who was both a general and a strategist, immediately voiced his support for Liu Ba.

"If we send a large army south now, even a blind man could guess that disaster will follow. Then His Majesty and the Prime Minister's words in the banquet hall will be nothing but empty boasts. It will be difficult to gain the trust of the Qiang people in the future!"

"Similarly, it is not advisable for renowned generals to go south."

The one who spoke was Zhao Yun, the foremost of the military generals present.

"These past few days you must have had quite a bit of contact with that Qiang chieftain, so I suppose someone has already secretly taken a Qiang woman as a concubine?"

"Otherwise, why would he utter such despicable words as giving away a girl like buying a horse in front of everyone?"

"If you leave the carriage without reason at this time, how can the person not become suspicious?"

The generals who were mentioned immediately looked at each other, each blushing with embarrassment.

Zhuge Liang made the decision:

"Generals with a salary of over two thousand shi (a unit of grain) will not be appointed."

Liu Ba then reminded him:

"Several deputy generals of the central army who are responsible for protecting the army cannot be sent, because the Qiang people have already become familiar with the generals of the central army who have accompanied the imperial carriage in the past few days."

Upon hearing this, Huang Quan, who had initially had some reservations, was immediately disheartened, but had no choice but to nod in agreement.

After all, he was a renowned scholar from Yizhou, a figure who was known both inside and outside the public eye.

So I'll add this as a convenient addition:
"In that case, I'm afraid we can't send out too many regular soldiers from the central army. After all, they've been accompanying the emperor these past few days, and who knows which one has already become familiar with the Qiang people in private."

With these three villains in charge, the military generals had no choice but to back down.

Then he stared intently at Zhuge Liang, curious about who would ultimately be chosen as general.

At this moment, Zhuge Liang looked around the entire area, and his gaze finally landed on Mi Wei at the back.

"Shi Shan, in your opinion, among those below the rank of two thousand shi (a unit of grain measure), besides the central army, who is qualified to be a general?"

(End of this chapter)