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

Chapter 82 We must have a good reunion.
First, we can rule out the possibility that Guan Yu truly repented.

The thought naturally popped into Mi Wei's mind.

It's not that he doesn't believe in Guan Yu's courage.

If it had been thirty or forty years earlier, he might have truly learned from his mistakes and corrected his arrogance.

But isn't Second Master already half-white-haired?

Isn't this the peak of his prestige?

Personality, temperament, social relationships, values, and so on have all become completely solidified and fixed.

The landscape is not easily changed, and human nature is even harder to alter.

So whether it's staying indoors for three days or having such an arrow, it doesn't matter.

Essentially, they are all a form of political statement.

Moreover, it is very likely that Liu Bei, in his capacity as the lord, demanded that Guan Yu carry out this order.

Let's consider this from the perspective of a power-based being.

After nearly losing Jingzhou last year.

Liu Bei had begun to have some doubts about whether Guan Yu could hold Jingzhou securely for him.

It would be against human nature not to have doubts.

Of course, it's just a little doubt.

This would not lead to the replacement of Guan Yu, which would cause enormous and incalculable turmoil to the entire Liu Bei group.

Because everyone knows it.

Currently, under Liu Bei, no one is more suitable than Guan Yu to serve as the pillar general "overseeing Jingzhou".

This is an inevitable choice after considering factors such as comprehensive military capabilities, personal reputation, and seniority.

Who else could it be?

Zhang Fei, the Acting Right General?
Although Zhang Fei was also recognized as a warrior capable of defeating ten thousand men, he was also generally considered to be second only to Guan Yu in rank and status.

If you elevate Zhang Fei to this position, what about Guan Yu?

And did Zhang Fei have no bad habits?

Ma Chao, the Acting General of the Left?
Not to mention that Ma Chao's prestige was mainly in Yongliang, Hu and Qiang areas, and he couldn't cross the Yangtze and Han rivers.

If he, as a newcomer, were to come and oversee Jingzhou, would Guan Yu and Zhang Fei be convinced?
Let alone Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, other senior generals, including Mi Wei's adoptive father, General Mi Zhu of Anhan, probably wouldn't be convinced.

Needless to say, Wei Yan, the General Who Guards Hanzhong and Pacifies Distant Lands, was also involved.

He was stationed in Hanzhong, the northern gateway to Yizhou, a crucial position where any movement could cause major problems.

In fact, when Liu Bei promoted Wei Yan to guard Hanzhong instead of Zhang Fei, it already shocked the entire army.

If Wei Yan were promoted to Guan Yu's position, the whole country would be shocked.

General Zhao Yun would be a good candidate.

But as I said before, he lacks the seniority and status to command respect.

The strategist and general Zhuge Liang was indeed able to win people's hearts.

Moreover, he is likely the only suitable candidate, besides Guan Yu, to oversee Jingzhou.

Before Liu Bei entered Shu, he entrusted Jingzhou to both Zhuge Liang and Guan Yu.

The problem is, Liu Bei needs Zhuge Liang to stay in Yizhou even more!

As for Fazheng and Huang Zhong, who are nearing the end of their lives, there's no need to even mention them.

Then.

Since they couldn't touch Guan Yu, and they couldn't fundamentally solve Guan Yu's character problem.

What else could Liu Bei do?

They could only use Guan Yu as a front to make a statement or promise to the scholars of Jingzhou.

On the surface, it was Guan Yu's promise to no longer belittle arrogant scholars.

In reality, it was Liu Bei who promised to mediate between Guan Yu and the scholars of Jingzhou in the future.

He will not side with Guan Yu.

Maintain a neutral stance.

Whether intentional or unintentional, such a promise would inevitably weaken Guan Yu's absolute authority in Jingzhou.

This is the fundamental reason why "the entire audience was astonished at that time".

After careful consideration, Mi Wei said to Zhang Yi:
"I understand what Master Zhang means."

"If we cannot produce solid evidence and allow you to forcibly defy public opinion and launch a northern expedition, and if there are any subsequent setbacks, I fear it will put you in a position of disloyalty and injustice, and consequently ruin the overall situation in Jingzhou!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yi smiled and nodded in approval.

Miwei was already mentally prepared for this, so he stopped worrying about it.

He then said, "To be honest, besides Xiangfan, I also have some ideas about Yongliang..."

He then planned to inform Zhang Yi of the strategic opportunities in the Yizhou direction.

Although he had already written to Mi Zhu.

However, the journey was long, and no reply had yet been received. Mi Wei remembered that Zhang Yi and Zhuge Liang had a good personal relationship.

If this information could be delivered directly to Zhuge Liang through him, it would be even safer.

However, Mi Weigang mentioned Zhuge Liang briefly.

Zhang Yi's expression suddenly turned extremely unpleasant.

Mi Wei: "Lord Zhang, has something major happened in Shu?"

Zhang Yi shook his head: "It's just a private matter, let's not talk about it."

After saying this, he used the excuse of being tired from the journey to go and rest.

When Mi Wei saw his sudden change of expression, how could he not become suspicious?
But seeing that the other party was deliberately avoiding the topic, I could only leave it at that and inquire about it later.

……

"This crossbow carries ten arrows and can fire at a range of 120 to 150 paces. It can fire in rapid succession!"

"Although the three-stone strong bow in the army can only shoot 150 paces, it does not have this speed."

"However, although this crossbow can fire rapidly, it also requires a large supply of bolts to realize its advantages, otherwise it is no different from a foot bow."

"However, if crossbows are to be deployed in large numbers, they cannot be used in field battles; they can only be used on fortresses or ships..."

On the shooting range, Mi Wei was momentarily distracted as he listened to the young officer talking non-stop in front of him.

He didn't stop until the other person called him several times.

He then came to his senses and said:

"Your surname is Xiang, given name Chong, courtesy name Juwei. Are you the nephew of Xiang Juda, a renowned scholar from Yicheng, Xiangyang?"

The young general named Xiang Chong nodded.

However, they did not understand why the Captain of the Deer was behaving this way.

They seemed somewhat surprised, even... delighted?
What does he like?
A happy acquisition of a repeating crossbow?

Mi Wei: "Doesn't that mean you and Ma Jichang (White-browed Ma) are from the same hometown?"

Xiang Chong: "My elders did indeed have dealings with the Ma family's Wu Chang."

"That makes sense!"

Mi Wei clapped his hands, then tightly grasped Xiang Chong's hand and said:
"What a coincidence! I've long admired you from afar!"

"I thought that you were far away in Shu, while I was serving in Jiangxia, and we might never see each other again in this life."

"Unexpectedly, we meet again today in a foreign land thousands of miles away!"

"Could this be the destiny between us?"

Xiang Chong naturally couldn't understand what "fate" meant.

But Miwei's enthusiastic attitude made it clear at a glance.

He said somewhat embarrassedly:

"The story of Commandant Mi turning the tide in Jiangling has already spread throughout Shu."

"Compared to the Commandant, what is this fleeting fame worth!"

Mi Wei's heart skipped a beat.

Why does that sound so familiar?

It doesn't matter, I can recite "Memorial to the Throne on the Eve of the Northern Expedition"!
Liu Bei said you are "capable".

Zhuge Liang praised you for your "virtuous and balanced character and conduct".

You can't fool me!
His expression became even more enthusiastic:
"My achievements are all due to the praise of you gentlemen, and are not worth mentioning!"

"It's a rare occasion for us to meet again in a foreign land, so we must catch up properly!"

He then pulled the person to his main tent.

I wonder what "old stories" a man from Yicheng, Xiangyang, Jingzhou, and a man from Qu County, Donghai, Xuzhou, could possibly have to tell.

In short, after much rambling, Miwei still failed to realize his grand ambition of "sleeping side by side" with his thigh.

But at least we figured out how Xiang Chong got here.

It turns out that he, like Wu Ban and Chen Shi, had served in Liu Bei's central army.

This time, he followed Liu Bei eastward to support Jiangling. Because of his outstanding performance in disciplining his troops, he was appreciated by Liu Bei and was assigned to work for Ma Liang.

After confirming that his fellow villager and friend's nephew was indeed talented, Ma Liang...

Instead, he recommended Guan Yu, hoping for a better future.

So Xiang Chong followed Zhang Yi to Jingling.

After recounting this "life's intention," which was not actually true, the topic naturally shifted to Zhang Yi.

Mi Wei casually mentioned the friendship between Zhang Yi and Zhuge Liang, hoping to find clues about Zhang Yi's sudden loss of composure.

Unexpectedly, Xiang Chong's expression suddenly changed, and he hesitated to speak.

Miwei's eyes lit up immediately.

Xiang Chong knows the inside story!

(End of this chapter)