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

Chapter 23 Lü Meng Arrives
Guan Xing's words were immediately met with unanimous agreement from everyone present.

A barrage of praise followed.

This made Miwei feel quite embarrassed.

Guan Xing, it's one thing for you to brag about being the modern-day Zhang Liang in private, but how can you boast in front of your elders?
If this gets back to Guan Yu, wouldn't I be doomed?
He quickly explained to Liao Hua that he was just a talker and that the actual work was done by Guan Xing and others.

Upon hearing this, Liao Hua's gaze, which had been fixed on Mi Wei, brightened considerably, and he said with a smile:

“Mi Jun, there’s no need for you to be modest. Fei Gongju has already told you about your matter, and he speaks highly of you, saying that there was Gan Luo before you and Mi Wei after you.”

"And the Lord has also spoken: if Jiangling can be saved this time, you will be credited with the greatest merit and will be rewarded in the future!"

What?
Has this boast already reached Guan Yu's ears?

Fei Shi, you with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, how come you can brag even more than Guan Xing!

And what's with all this talk about Gan Luo in front and Mi Wei behind...

Gan Luo made great contributions when he was only twelve years old, and when he returned, Ying Zheng appointed him as a high-ranking official.
When I was twelve, I couldn't even tell whether Qin Shi Huang's surname was Ying or Ying!

It's over! It's over!

Liao Hua, unaware of Mi Wei's thoughts, stepped forward and whispered:
"With your words, my lord, your family will have no worries."

Mi Wei was slightly taken aback.

This means that, considering my meritorious service, the traitor Mi Fang can be spared severe punishment.

Uh...actually, I really wouldn't mind punishing Mi Fang severely...

Fine, as long as I can latch onto Guan Yu's coattails, that's all that matters!
No longer concerned with these details, they joined Guan Xing in escorting Liao Hua to rest.

The latter will also be going out of the city tomorrow to meet Guan Ping's eight hundred cavalry.

……

Outside Gong'an City, before the morning mist had dissipated, hundreds of boats of all sizes appeared on the river.

The boats were piled high with items, all covered with dry grass and shrouded in mist, making it difficult to see what they were.

It is certain that everyone on the ship was dressed in plain civilian clothes.

At first glance, he appears to be an ordinary merchant.

but.

How could an ordinary merchant possibly produce hundreds of boats and gather them on a single river surface?

Not to mention, although the ships appeared to be in a loose formation, their movements were actually governed by rules.

It was clearly a large, well-trained fleet.

Upon seeing this, the fishermen who had gone out to fish in the river early in the morning quickly moved away.

Only a few scattered soldiers on the riverbank, unable to figure out where the fleet had come from, remained hesitant and observing.

But soon, as a large banner bearing the character "吕" (Lü) was erected on the mudflats on the west bank of the river, the soldiers no longer doubted the identity of the newcomer.

It was none other than Lü Meng, also known as Lü Ziming, the Left Protector General, Tiger Might General, and Prefect of Hanchang under Sun Quan!

It is worth mentioning that the previous governor of Hanchang was Lu Su.

After Lu Su's death, all of his troops came under the command of Lü Meng.

Therefore, this "Lu Huwei" has become Sun Quan's number one general after Zhou Yu and Lu Su.

This is why he was known in later generations as one of the "Four Great Commanders of Eastern Wu".

Although there was no country called "Eastern Wu" or an official position called "Grand Commander" until Lü Meng died of illness.

In any case, such a general and such a large army suddenly crossing the border and landing must not be here for sightseeing.

But the fishermen watching from afar were astonished to find that the soldiers stationed on the riverbank neither stopped the attack on the spot nor immediately lit beacon fires to warn of the danger.

Instead, after confirming the identities of the newcomers, they took the initiative to disarm and surrender, allowing Lü Meng's soldiers to seize the stronghold that belonged to them.

The situation in Nanjun is about to change!

Something big is about to happen in Jingzhou!

At that moment, everyone present subconsciously had this thought.

Lu Meng paid no attention to the fishermen watching, and did not even personally receive the surrendered soldiers.

After setting up a temporary position on the riverbank, he immediately sent people to count the number of troops landing at each unit.

Inventory of soldiers, armor, provisions, horses, and other supplies.

Soon after, a middle-aged Confucian scholar wearing a double-beamed scholar's hat came forward to report:
"The headcount of each unit has been completed. Apart from a few who fell into the river, no boats were lost, and no enemy spies infiltrated."

"The supplies have been slightly reduced, but it doesn't affect the overall situation, and we are still capable of fighting."

"The vanguard of three thousand men has assembled. Please give the order, General!"

After hearing this, Lü Meng clasped his hands and bowed to the middle-aged scholar:
"Mr. Yu's help in coordinating this troop movement was invaluable. Thank you for your hard work!"

The latter accepted it calmly and without any modesty. Such an attitude was not surprising to Lü Meng, nor even to the surrounding soldiers.

This is because this "Mr. Yu" is not an ordinary military officer.

This man, whose surname was Yu, given name Fan, courtesy name Zhongxiang, was a renowned scholar from Yuyao, Kuaiji. He once served as a county official under another renowned scholar, Wang Lang.

Later, he eventually joined the Sun family and served the brothers Sun Ce and Sun Quan, earning them great respect.

Unfortunately, this man had a flaw: he always liked to speak frankly and directly to the emperor. Over time, this displeased Sun Quan, and he was demoted.

He only had the opportunity to join the army recently when Lü Meng led troops to Jingzhou.

Whether he can be reinstated in the future depends on whether he can achieve merit in this battle.

At this moment, Yu Fan noticed that Lü Meng had not given any further instructions, but was only silently gazing at the river, and he became increasingly anxious:
"Is the general waiting for the Right Commander?"

Lü Meng nodded slightly.

"It was Lu Boyan who first proposed the attack on Nan Commandery. Later, Lu Boyan also personally carried out the act of making Guan Yu arrogant and careless."

"We should wait for him."

Upon hearing this, Yu Fan couldn't help but inwardly scoff:

Yes, Lu Xun did indeed contribute to all of this.

But Lu Xun is only a lieutenant general, whose rank is below yours, Lü Huwei.

Not to mention that you recommended him to Sun Charioteer, which gives you an additional layer of authority as the recommender.

Even if you take all the credit for this achievement, who can criticize you?
However, regardless of the circumstances, Lü Meng is now considered Yu Fan's patron, so it's not appropriate to criticize him directly; one can only be more tactful.
"I want to inform the general that the Right Commander previously went to intercept Guan Yu's grain ships coming out of the Xiang River and found that some had escaped. He then urged his subordinate Li Yi to search for the enemy ships while leading the remaining troops to raid the residence south of Gong'an City."

"He's still busy checking the captured grain and supplies!"

Lu Meng remained silent for a moment, then nodded and said calmly:

"Because of the enemy's grain, the army's food supply is sufficient."

“Lu Boyan is knowledgeable about military affairs.”

Nonsense, how could Sun Quan appoint Lu Xun as the Right Commander, leading his most elite personal troops, if he didn't know anything about military affairs?
How could you, Lü Huwei, recommend him to succeed you in commanding military affairs in Jingzhou?

Yu Fan finally couldn't hold back any longer and pointed to the city walls that were clearly visible behind him:
"With the army assembled and the enemy city within reach, why hesitate, General, to send troops?"

Seeing Yu Fan's face flushed red from shouting, Lü Meng sighed softly:

"I am seriously ill and fear I will not live much longer."

"If we cannot achieve complete victory in this battle, there will be no chance to make up for our mistakes in the future, and we will have failed our wise ruler."

Yu Fan was moved upon hearing this.

The tone then softened:
"If that's the case, General, you should act even faster!"

"In this battle, General, you will use cunning tactics to seize Nanjun, aiming for a swift and decisive victory. Hesitation could lead to unforeseen circumstances!"

Lu Meng finally turned around:

"What you say is very true, sir. I lost my composure! Let's send the troops now!"

Moments later, the vanguard of three thousand men suddenly unfolded on the riverbank, which stretched for three or four miles.

Banners fluttered in the morning light, their colors echoing the following fleet on the river, creating a breathtaking spectacle.

As the army marched forward, the drums gradually thundered, echoing across the west bank of the Yangtze River, scaring away the fish and frightening away the fishermen.

The city that was directly in the brunt of the attack, however, remained unusually calm.

It wasn't until the army was within two arrow-lengths of the city gate that they finally reacted.

The city gates are wide open.

Afterwards, a group of well-dressed scholars filed out from behind the door, some leading oxen, others offering wine.

The phrase "offering cattle and wine in surrender" is an extreme display of flattery.

This bizarre scene not only startled the soldiers at the front lines, but even Lu Meng, who was commanding the central army, found it difficult to remain calm.

The siege hasn't even started yet, so why are they already welcoming the king's army with food and drink?

Could it be that Fu Shiren has finally come to his senses and stopped being so reserved?
Lu Meng originally planned to launch a strong attack to coordinate with his inside agents in the city and force the enemy general to make a decision.

"Mr. Yu, do you think there might be a trap involved?"

Because things were going too smoothly, Lü Meng became somewhat uneasy.

Yu Fan looked at the obsequious figures in the distance, his face also showing doubt.

After pondering for a few moments, he stepped forward and said:
"Something must have happened in the city. Please wait a moment, General, so that I may enter the city to investigate!"

"Thank you for your trouble, sir!"

(End of this chapter)