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

Chapter 124: Order troops and generals
Mi Wei had just listened to a round of questions and had actually been thinking about this issue.

Then, the process of elimination was followed using the three individuals: Liu Ba, Zhao Yun, and Huang Quan.

That leaves only close attendant generals like him, the so-called Three Commandants, various officials under the Guanglu Xun, local generals representing their respective regions, including several attendants recently recruited by Crown Prince Liu Shan... who are considered qualified.

He then took a closer look at these people's resumes.

He discovered that he was not the most experienced in war among them.

But it should be passable for dealing with a small-scale security operation involving fewer than 10,000 people.

Not to mention that he and his wife, Guan Linghui, have recently been deeply in love.

He had no interest in getting into any nonsense with the Qiang woman.

Therefore, there is no possibility of accidental leakage.

As for the reason for leaving... as the emperor's close attendant, isn't it only natural to do some errands for the emperor?

Old Liu just asked him to go to the stables to fetch the horse!
The Qiang people didn't seem to find anything wrong with it.

More importantly, Zhang Yi was a talent that Liu Bei personally recommended.

From the perspective of a responsible advocate, shouldn't I do my best to help Zhang Yi and prevent him from suffering an injustice?
Moreover, Lao Liu has indeed treated his father and son very well; one should always repay kindness!
As he pondered, he met Zhuge Liang's gaze and said:

"This humble official is unworthy, but I am willing to go south to quell the bandits and bring peace to the Shu region for the imperial court!"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang clapped his hands and laughed:
"Master's words coincide with my own!"

"It seems His Majesty sent you here for questioning because he already had the intention of selecting a general... Then it's settled!"

Hey... so that's what Old Liu meant when he tapped my palm?
Also, does the Prime Minister mean that he had his eye on me all along?

Who is this person who's bragging to Zhuge Liang again?
After much thought, Zhuge Qiao is the most suspicious!
But there's no time to argue with the younger generation right now.

Leading an army into battle alone is no joke.

He then stated bluntly:

"After entering the court, I only had a few personal followers and troops, and no commander. This time, to quell the rebellion, we will need to mobilize troops again."

"Please advise on which troops and officers are available!"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang looked at Zhao Yun.

The latter was the general in charge of coordinating the guards for the Wudanshan Grand Ceremony.

Then Zhao Yun pointed to his lieutenant general Chen Dao beside him and said:

"Uncle Zhi has a group of White Feather Soldiers under his command. They are Qingyi Qiang soldiers recruited in his early years. They are not only loyal and reliable, but also familiar with the geography of Hanjia."

"This piece of music is currently being kept in the capital and has not yet left the city. It can be used as a personal guard unit for Shi Shan to keep the troops in the rear."

"Yes," Zhuge Liang replied succinctly.

Zhao Yun then said:

"Besides the central army, there are also some usable troops among the retainers of officials from various prefectures who come to court and the county officials who offer tribute of auspicious omens."

"Most of these people were on guard around the perimeter and did not approach the vehicle. They could be conscripted at any time to go south."

After saying this, Zhao Yun ordered his assistant to bring the corresponding military registers so that Mi Wei could choose the soldiers himself.

Mi Wei solemnly accepted it, momentarily dazzled by its appearance.

However, the military situation was urgent, and he couldn't afford to take his time choosing.

A quarter of an hour later, he had made his decision and said to Zhuge Liang:
"The lower official shall make the following levies."

"Wang Ping, courtesy name Zijun, was a Yamen General under Wei Zhengbei in Hanzhong, and the elite troops of the two Hanzhong regions under his command."

"Ma Zhong, courtesy name Dexin, was the magistrate of Hanchang County in Brazil, and his two elite soldiers from Brazil."

"The Imperial Son-in-Law, Commandant Guan Xing, and his personal guards."

"Cavalry Commandant Ma Dai, and his personal guards."

"Two more soldiers from Zitong will be transferred, as well as... Huo Yi, courtesy name Shaoxian, a retainer of the Crown Prince!"

Mi Wei finished speaking in one breath and noticed that everyone had different expressions.

The last item, in particular, made many people frown.

However, Miwei is confident in his choice.

This was the best solution he could think of in a short time.

However, it is not merely a hastily assembled "good game" based on the advantage of foresight.

First of all, although Wei Yan could not personally attend the ceremony this time.

However, representatives of the descendants from Sichuan were allowed to participate.

They also specially dispatched elite troops from Hanzhong to display their military prowess.

This was to demonstrate the results of his governance of Hanzhong over the past year.

Wang Ping was the team leader.

In other words, Wang Ping and his men were not local county soldiers, but regular soldiers stationed in Hanzhong.

According to the military system of the Wei and Jin dynasties, it belongs to the "outer army".

Like the "Central Army" led by Liu Bei, they were all regular national troops.

Brazilian Ma Zhong is a different case.

Because the county he served in was named "Hanchang," which has an auspicious meaning, it naturally attracted attention.

This time, it was sent to Korea as an "auspicious omen".

To protect this "auspicious omen," Zhang Fei specially selected two elite troops, who also belonged to the "foreign army."

As for Guan Xing and Ma Dai, although their troops were elite, they were only a small number of personal guards.

Mi Wei and his companion mainly relied on the prestige of their fathers to suppress the various soldiers they had temporarily allied with.

They were essentially paired as left and right protectors.

The truly intriguing part is the last item, which is the one that makes one frown.

The soldiers of Zitong were truly old and weak county soldiers.

This trip was less about going to the capital and more about Prefect Zhang Yi taking the opportunity to weed out a group of old and weak people, which was convenient for both public and private purposes.

As for Huo Yi, the Crown Prince's attendant.

Although Miwei was well aware of this future achievement.

However, the opponent is currently just a young man from a privileged background who has no military experience.

Therefore, it is inevitable that people will have doubts.

Then Zhao Yun said:
"Although the soldiers of Zitong were trained by Huo Zhongmiao, they are all old and weak and are not capable of great use."

Mi Weidao:
"It's alright, they are all veterans, so they are familiar with military formations and military law."

"As long as orders are obeyed and prohibitions are enforced, that's sufficient."

"As for Huo Sheren, he was only there to use his father Huo Zhongmiao's prestige to keep the Zitong soldiers in check for me, not to have him fight on the front lines for me."

Huo Yi's father was Huo Jun, who had served as the Prefect of Zitong and was a fierce general under Liu Bei.

He once defended a city with a few hundred men for a year, and finally turned the tables and defeated Liu Zhang's 10,000-strong besieging force.

Huo Yi entered officialdom through the privilege of his father's merits, becoming a retainer of the Crown Prince.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun suddenly understood.

However, he did not reveal the truth, but simply turned around and nodded to Zhuge Liang to show his approval.

Zhuge Liang then said:
"Since everyone agrees to appoint Mi Shishan as general, let us go and request His Majesty's approval."

……

Two hours later, Mi Wei arrived at a military camp with the imperial edict and tiger tally in hand, and gathered his generals and troops.

Guan Xing, Ma Dai, Wang Ping, Ma Zhong, Huo Yi and others were all present.

Such a gathering of wise men.

Normally, Miwei would definitely get to know each of his future girlfriends well, making sure he gets to know them thoroughly.

But there was no time for that now. After briefly reading the decree, he said:

"The military situation is dire, so there's no need for pleasantries."

"If you have any doubts about this battle, you may raise them now. Once the troops are dispatched, you must obey orders; those who disobey will be executed!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Ping stepped forward and said:
"May I ask, Commandant, how many bandits are there?"

Mi Wei: "The enemy numbers range from several hundred to three thousand. We need to conduct reconnaissance once we reach the front lines. For now, we should be cautious in our assessment of the enemy... Any further questions?"

Wang Ping: "How does the Commandant plan to advance and quell the rebellion?"

Mi Wei: "First, cross the Shou River to the south and station ourselves at Jiangyuan. Then, assess the situation of the enemy army and make a decision based on the circumstances."

Wang Ping thought about it and decided that it was indeed a safe solution, so he bowed and withdrew.

Miwei then looked at the others.

When his gaze fell on Ma Zhong, the man hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and saying:
"I have heard that this battle was started by Li Fuhan (General Li Yanxin's title) devising a plan to lure the enemy. If there is any conflict of authority between the two sides afterward, how should it be handled?"

Mi Wei: "Military matters should be the priority!"

"If a conflict arises, you two or three men are free to follow my orders. I will bear all the blame!"

Ma Zhong also bowed and withdrew.

Upon hearing this, the others had no more questions.

Through these few simple questions and answers, Mi Wei gained a general understanding of the personalities of each general.

Wang Ping is a straightforward person; he speaks his mind.

Ma Zhong is more shrewd, so he has a stronger sense of the big picture.

Others, such as Huo Yi and Ma Dai, were still young at this time, and even if they had some shortcomings, there was still time to work on them.

In general.

I should be able to handle this well-balanced team.

The appointment was made immediately.

Guan Xing was appointed as the military judge, in charge of military law.

He used Ma Dai's troops and a group of soldiers drawn from the Yiqu Baibi tribe as his personal guards.

A group of skilled horsemen and archers from the Qiang tribe were selected to join Zhan Sifu's cavalry as the vanguard.

Wang Ping and Ma Zhong each led their respective troops.

He also appointed Huo Yi to lead the veteran soldiers of Zitong and supervise the transport of supplies.

Mi Wei: "The vanguard will advance first, the central army will follow, and Huo Shao will cover the rear. We will send troops immediately!"

The generals readily accepted the order.

(End of this chapter)