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

Chapter 371 My Thigh Was Actually Myself

Although limited by the level of productivity at the time, most of those present were unable to meet Cao Rui in person.

This included Emperor Liu Shan of the Han Dynasty himself.

But Zhang Fei didn't just capture Xiahou Mao; there were other surrendered soldiers who could testify to that.

Not to mention the Shu Han side, which had Xiahou Ba and Xiahou Shang, generals of the Cao Wei royal family who had been captured even earlier.

This also includes Xiahou Mao's two younger brothers, Xiahou Zizang and Xiahou Zijiang.

If you put all these "Xiahou"s together at one table, surely you can't mistake one person for another, right?
However, Mi Wei insisted with certainty that this person was Cao Rui.

The reason they don't look alike is simply because they've been disguised.

In addition, the harsh conditions of six months in the military caused him to become thin.

After he said that, the intelligent people present all realized what he meant.

They might simply echo the sentiment, or directly congratulate Liu Shan.

Aside from Liu Shan still being somewhat confused, even Xiahou Mao himself, who was at the forefront of the situation, had come to his senses.

His face immediately turned dark, and he tried to speak up several times to defend himself.

But prisoners of war have no say.

He was immediately tied up and put under strict guard.

Mi Wei then advised Liu Shan:
"Your Majesty, I have devised a plan to quickly capture Ye City. However, to accomplish this, I need to borrow something from Your Majesty!"

Liu Shan raised an eyebrow:
"What?"

Mi Wei: "Your Majesty's dragon banner."

Liu Shan laughed heartily:

"If Cao Rui could borrow the banner from a general, why can't I? If you need it, just borrow it!"

"I just wonder how you plan to conquer Ye City?"

Mi Wei: "Your Majesty, I will carry Your Majesty's great banner, cross the river, head north, and march straight to Ye City, then conquer it!"

Liu Shan's smile froze.

I almost thought Miwei was just giving him the runaround.

Fortunately, Miwei quickly reminded him:
"To conquer cities is inferior; to conquer hearts and minds is superior!"

“Cao Rui is now using cunning tricks. Although he has caught me off guard, I cannot trust those around me, and he has even deceived his own family members.”

"At this juncture, how many people in Ye City know Cao Rui's true whereabouts?"

"They only know that Cao Rui crossed the river to besiege Baima, but retreated after suffering a setback."

"As for Cao Rui himself, whether he met with misfortune is still unknown."

"And that is the key to victory in this battle!"

……

Liu Shan ultimately didn't quite understand Mi Wei's plan.

But this did not prevent him from immediately issuing an edict granting Mi Wei the corresponding military command authority.

In an instant, tens of thousands of Han troops gathered in Dongjun set off, rushing to the ferry crossings along the river where pontoon bridges had already been built.

Among them, Wang Ping and Ju Fu each led a unit to serve as the vanguard of the army, taking the lead in crossing the Yellow River northward.

The two generals crossed the river directly at Jinkou, north of Puyang, and then marched straight towards Dunqiu City along the old canal of the Yellow River, which was where Cao Rui's carriage had been earlier.

Meanwhile, in the direction of Baimajin, Zhang Fei joined forces with Shang Huoyi and Guan Xing, and together they had about 30,000 troops crossing the river to the north.

Then, following the Baigou River in Hebei, they marched north alongside Wang and Ju to conquer the region.

Mi Wei, carrying Liu Shan's imperial banner, led the remaining troops and followed Wang Ping across the river to the north.

Guan Ping remained in Yanzhou to guard against Sima Yi on the eastern flank and to protect Liu Shan, who was located in Puyang City.

Sixty to seventy thousand troops marched together, creating a formidable force.

Because the water is shallow in winter, the clouds gathered on the north bank of the river within half a day.

The Wei troops along the route were alarmed.

They might send troops to block them, or they might retreat and defend the city.

In both advancing and retreating, they did not lose their composure.

"Cao Rui was indeed hiding in a riverside city in the southern part of Wei Commandery; otherwise, the generals of the Wei army could not have dealt with the situation so calmly."

In front of the pontoon bridge, Zhuge Qiao held a military report in his hands and spoke to Mi Wei.

"General, your 'luring the snake out of its hole' tactic has shown initial success. Should we immediately issue a proclamation to all the prefectures in Hebei, announcing that General Zhang has already captured Cao Rui at Baima?"

"No rush." ​​Mi Wei stepped onto the pontoon bridge and glanced back at the enormous dragon banner behind him.

"It's not too late to make a fuss after the two vanguards have completely surrounded the cities of Liyang and Dunqiu."

Zhuge Qiao thought about the plan that Mi Wei had prepared and said:
"That would indeed be better."

He immediately turned around and directed his soldiers to transport the dragon banner bestowed by Liu Shan to the other side of the river.

The moment the dragon banner moved, it immediately attracted the attention of the Han soldiers on both sides of the river, which then sparked a continuous cheer.

Apart from a few high-ranking generals and officials, most people were unaware that the figure beneath the dragon banner was not Emperor Liu Shan himself. Just as most of the people of Wei were unaware that their emperor had never crossed the river to besiege Baima.

"Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation and bow my head in supplication. I beg Your Majesty to cross the river immediately and join Generals Zhang and Mi on their northern expedition!"

"In that case, great things can be expected!"

Outside Puyang City, Liu Shan, who was watching the massive army cross the river to the north, heard a piercing sound.

Looking back, he was surprised to see Meng Guang, one of the imperial attendants and a cavalry captain.

Because of this man's earlier advice, Liu Shan had long regarded him as someone like Liao Li and Li Ping.

He immediately became impatient and planned to find an excuse to send him back to Luoyang.

However, when the gaze turned to Dong Yun beside him, the latter seemed hesitant to speak.

Unexpectedly:

"What, does Xiu Zhao also think that I should personally lead the expedition alongside the generals?"

Dong Yun nodded heavily.

Liu Shan was puzzled: "If that's the case, why don't you just confront me directly?"

Dong Yun hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped himself.

Liu Shan may not understand much else, but he does understand Dong Yun's temperament.

Then he chuckled and said:
"I understand."

"If I am afraid of war, yet you force me to follow Minister Mi on the northern expedition, it would be suspected that I have overstepped my duty as a subject."

Dong Yun then spoke:
“Throughout history, there have been those who are loyal and righteous, willing to die for the king, but who cannot force their sovereign to die.”

Liu Shan said, "If that's the case, then you can all rest assured."

"I'd like to say something that might be inappropriate."

"Compared to staying in Puyang to defend the city, I would actually prefer to follow Generals Zhang and Mi."

"In particular, the General of Chariots and Cavalry is always prudent in his administration and military affairs. The late emperor once believed that his civil administration would be comparable to that of the prime minister and his military prowess would be comparable to that of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. He is a great sage bestowed upon me by Heaven."

"Wouldn't it make me feel more at ease to have him by my side than to have this wall standing several feet above my feet?"

These words immediately caused an uproar among the court officials.

Some admired the relationship between Liu Shan and Mi Wei, while others envied Mi Wei for likely leaving a good reputation for posterity because of the emperor's statement today.

There were inevitably some sour complaints mixed in.

After all, judging from the emperor's words, the entire army and officials left behind, along with the four city walls, combined, were not as reassuring to the emperor as Mi Wei alone?

What a great favor this is!

Of course, looking at the tens of thousands of troops marching in from the north, the emperor's dragon banner on the other side already explained everything.

So-called jealous words can only ever serve as background to the harmonious relationship between ruler and subject.

Dong Yun, however, was not jealous; on the contrary, he was pleasantly surprised and said:

"If that is the case, then I implore Your Majesty to travel north immediately and cross the river with the generals."

Liu Shan, upon hearing this, had some doubts:
"That may be true, but I am not good at military campaigns and I am afraid that I will be a burden to the General of Chariots and Cavalry!"

……

"Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?!"

Beside the ancient canal of the Yellow River, Mi Wei was deeply moved to see Liu Shan personally driving his chariot to catch up with him.

Such a courteous and respectful attitude towards scholars... When did His Majesty finally see the light?

Could it be that the inherited succubus genes have finally awakened?
Mi Wei subconsciously looked at Dong Yun behind Liu Shan.

The latter, however, kept his eyes downcast and remained silent.

The next moment, Liu Shan stepped forward and firmly grasped Mi Wei's hand, saying sincerely:

“My dear Mi Qing, after much thought, I still feel more at ease by your side.”

"Since I'm already entrusting the imperial banner to you anyway, why not go all the way and entrust my entire being to you?"

"You don't need to persuade me any further!"

"I have made my decision. I will follow you on the northern expedition, but I will only follow and will never interfere with your command!"

"I heard that when Mi Qing served as the Commandant in Jiangxia, there was a famous story about him 'sleeping soundly with a pillow made by a virtuous man'."

"My thoughts at this moment are similar to those of Commandant Mi back then!"

Upon hearing this, Mi Wei's expression immediately became tense.

No.

His Majesty.

Xiao Liu.

I said that back then in order to curry favor with Deng Zhi and Yang Yi.

What do you mean by saying this to me now?
Could it be that they're trying to cling to me like a powerful figure?!
How did I, someone who has spent over a decade only seeking to curry favor with others, suddenly become the indispensable figure to the Emperor of Shu Han?!

(End of this chapter)