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

Chapter 55 He remained as humble and virtuous as ever.

Please note that this is not Jiangling, nor is it Gong'an.

They also avoided any warehouses or fortresses where supplies and weapons were stored beforehand.

There is a grain city called Digeliang at the foot of Baqiu Mountain on the opposite bank of Dongting Lake.

But that belongs to Sun Quan's family.

Liao Hua has now marched nearly two hundred li south.

We've already covered almost half the distance of our initial northward campaign to Xiangyang and Fancheng.

Although Xiangfan is far away, they were able to advance along the Han River during the flood season.

It's currently the dry season, and there isn't a single river that flows directly from Huarong to Linyuan.

The journey also involves traversing sparsely populated areas.

The so-called "deep into barren lands".

Liao Hua had anticipated all these disadvantages and the resulting logistical difficulties.

That's why they went to seize Zuotang earlier, to secure a safe foothold for their own army.

But now.

How could that kid Miwei manage to hold out for ten days?
How could there not be a moment's delay in military operations?

"To be honest, Chief Clerk Liao, Commander Mi originally thought the grain supply route was going to be cut off."

"Because the entire river was controlled by enemy ships, our army could only rely on a few miles of sandbar to hold the position."

"On the most critical day, enemy ships attacked from two directions simultaneously. It was truly... what's that saying again? We were stretched thin!"

Liao Hua looked at Zhan Sifu, whose face was already familiar to him, and felt a little complicated.

Firstly, the barbarian cavalry were not as good as the regular Han army's elite cavalry.

However, this barren land has the advantage of being familiar with the terrain.

On the contrary, they are more suitable to serve as "leaders".

And that's exactly what Miwei did.

This can be considered a basic understanding of military strategy.

How long has he studied military strategy with Pan Jun?
Secondly, Liao Hua, as a Han scholar-official, actually managed to become acquainted with a southern barbarian.

The apparent reason is that the other party comes almost every other day, making it hard not to recognize their face.

But upon closer examination, isn't it precisely because the road behind them was unobstructed that the other party was able to travel back and forth continuously?

This, in turn, proves that the grain supply route was indeed maintained for ten days.

It wasn't his imagination.

Thinking of this, Liao Hua couldn't help but wonder:

"How did you deal with the Jiangdong navy's attack from both sides?"

Zhan Sifu: "They built numerous fortifications at both ends of the sandbar, then divided their troops to defend it, creating layers of resistance."

Liao Hua thought this was a conventional and reasonable approach.

The question is:
"Are there enough soldiers? He only has five regular soldiers; the rest are auxiliary soldiers and laborers."

Zhan Sifu:

"It's definitely not enough. My husband Sima is so worried about it that he's started talking nonsense, saying things like, 'When will the 100,000 college students and 1 million Shaquille O'Neal from Zhihu users arrive...'"

At this point, Zhan Sifu looked completely bewildered.

Clearly, he didn't understand some of the words he used.

Liao Hua also couldn't understand it.

However, he remembered that there were Wenshan Qiang in the north of Shu County and Qingyi Qiang in the south, and both of them had long been under royal rule.

Perhaps Mi Wei learned his "nonsense" from Sichuan?

I just took it as nonsense.

He pressed further, asking, "How was it resolved later?"

Zhan Sifu:

"Let the auxiliary pawns enter the base to assist the regular pawns in defense."

"Skilled archers use foot bows."

"Those with great strength use powerful crossbows."

"Those with less strength should use a weak crossbow."

"Since we can't use bows and crossbows, we can help carry shields or transport arrows and other consumables."

Zhan Sifu took a breath and became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke:

"In short, regardless of whether they are regular soldiers or auxiliary troops, young and old, everyone participates in the defensive battle."

“All those who kill the enemy, regardless of whether they are officials or assistants, will be rewarded.”

“Anyone who is negligent, from the commander down to the foot soldier, shall be subject to military law.”

"Sima also asked Pan Shuzuo to record his daily activities and, at dusk, read them aloud along with the list of merits and demerits recorded by the military officers, so that the entire army could supervise him and show that he meant what he said and had no exceptions..."

Zhan Sifu spoke in great detail.

But Liao Hua already knew what was going on halfway through the conversation.

It's nothing more than making the best use of people's talents and resources, along with clear rewards and punishments, and setting a good example... these are all old-fashioned principles.

But then again.

How many people can truly carry out these "nothing-is-no-things" to the end?
If someone has even one or two of these qualities, they could be considered a general, right?

I couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:
"When you appointed Mi Sima to protect me after my death, it was because there were no other generals available at the time."

"But now it seems to have turned out to be a brilliant move!" "Regardless of the outcome of this battle, Mi Wei will undoubtedly deserve credit for his role as the governor!"

After sighing, he noticed that Zhan Sifu looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated.

He couldn't help but ask in surprise, "What else do you want to say?"

Zhan Sifu:

"Sima had previously instructed that if the chief clerk were to assess the merits, he must explain that most of these measures were based on the suggestions of Zhang Junsi, and that he was merely following the plan and would never claim credit for himself!"

Upon hearing this, Liao Hua burst into laughter.

"Lord Deer remains as humble and virtuous as ever!"

"It's rare that he's still so young."

"Such a talented and virtuous young man, if I cannot do my best to recommend him to the Lord and the King, then it would be a dereliction of duty on my part as the chief clerk!"

In fact, as Guan Yu's chief clerk, Liao Hua was in charge of all state affairs. How could he not know that a famous scholar from Yizhou who had once served as a 2,000-stone official had come to Mi Wei's side?
Guan Yu may have looked down on famous scholars.

However, Liao Hua, as a renowned scholar from Jingzhou, would not overlook this.

In his understanding, Zhang Yi was indeed talented.

Miwei's actions were mostly based on his experience.

The key question is, why would Zhang Yi, a man of high rank with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain), willingly submit to Mi Wei?
To avenge the previous humiliation?
That might have been the case initially.

But hasn't ten days already passed?
Zhang Yi was not the kind of recluse who had never seen the world.

Having held a high position for many years, he naturally possesses a certain level of composure and magnanimity.

Anyone dissatisfied with Miwei would have already turned the tables and taken control.

How could he have been so devoted to assisting her until now, without uttering a single word of resentment, like a staff member?
This only proves that Mi Wei does have qualities that Zhang Yi admires.

Liao Hua had a variety of thoughts in his mind.

As a barbarian who had just been brought under imperial rule, Zhan Sifu naturally did not understand the subtle and indirect modesty and virtues of the scholar-officials.

He continued to follow Miwei's instructions, stating things as they came to him:

Sima also said that although he tried his best to maintain the rear, everything comes at a price.

“The construction of machinery, the large-scale conscription, and the generous rewards all require a huge amount of manpower and resources.”

"And most of these human and material resources came from the counties and prefectures in the rear."

"To gain local support, one must relinquish power to the powerful local families, which is short-sighted and will inevitably lead to future troubles."

Upon hearing this, Liao Hua's smile vanished.

But Zhan Sifu's subsequent retelling made him even more solemn:

"Therefore, if we fail in this battle, the local people will turn to Sun Quan in the blink of an eye."

"When it comes time to determine guilt after the war, please don't blame Zhang Gong. After all, Sima personally carried out the act, so he should bear at least half the responsibility."

Liao Hua pursed his lips.

Silent for a long time.

It's not just because Miwei is willing to share the responsibility.

There is definitely such a thing.

But in essence, it's the same as the previous example of humbly dedicating credit; it falls under the category of personal morality.

The key point is that the other party was able to clearly recognize the long-term drawbacks, yet still resolutely carried them out.

This is no longer just a matter of personal morality.

Rather, it's about vision and perspective.

He couldn't help but take another look at the barbarian cavalry formation before him, and said:
"I remember your family was originally a branch of the Wuxi barbarians from Wuling?"

Zhan Sifu nodded slightly, looking somewhat dejected.

Liao Hua: "What is your opinion on this matter?"

Having found Liao Hua quite agreeable on the way here, Zhan Sifu, now slightly emboldened, said:

"In fact, in times of chaos and strife, which ruler is not like this?"

"Didn't Your Majesty also forcibly recruit displaced people to cultivate land and train troops in Jingzhou in the past?"

"I heard that in Yizhou, money was distributed in the form of 'direct cash' to raise funds from the people, which caused considerable resentment among the populace."

"But at least the king knows to be considerate of the people's strength. Although he sometimes levies taxes, he always leaves them a way out and does not push them to their deaths."

"This is why, after my family was destroyed, I went north to Jiangling to seek refuge with Prefect Mi."

Liao Hua seemed to understand, and then gave a half-smile:
"Do you mean to imply that your 'lord' has the former glory of the King of Hanzhong?"

"That's not true! I was just feeling sentimental about my own fate and spoke recklessly!"

Zhan Sifu realized he had misspoke and quickly tried to make amends.

Liao Hua smiled and said:

"It's alright. His Majesty is benevolent and mighty, a great ruler of our time. It's only natural for a young man to admire and even emulate him!"

Zhan Sifu thought to himself that these learned men were indeed good at speaking.

He nodded repeatedly, but dared not say another word.

Liao Hua didn't make things difficult for him, and said with his hands behind his back:

"I have made up my mind. As long as I survive this battle, I will definitely write to the King and request that Lord Deer be reinstated!"

"Oh, by the way, you don't need to report such a small matter to him, so he won't have to send you to decline, wasting horse feed!"

Zhan Sifu was taken aback upon hearing this, then chuckled and agreed.

(End of this chapter)