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

Chapter 101 Bamboo slips are easy to discard, but spiritual nourishment is hard to eradicate.

Not to mention that Guan Yu was unable to have a drink with this old friend from the same county, which he regretted.

Xu Huangzhen traveled north for most of the day, and the vanguard finally arrived at the territory of Deng County.

When passing through that city that I had passed through countless times over the past twelve years.

Look up.

A strange banner bearing the character "麋" (Mi) was fluttering atop the city wall.

Xu Huang reined in his horse and said to his men:
"I've heard that this Commandant Mi is Guan Yu's new son-in-law?"

Immediately, someone on either side responded:

"He was the eldest son of Mi Zizhong from Xuzhou."

"I have heard that he has repeatedly offered advice in Jiangling, helping Guan Yu to suppress Lü Meng in the south, repel Sun Quan in the east, and also to seize territory in Jiangxia."

Xu Huang suddenly realized and said:

"Was he also the enemy general who stole Xiangyang City earlier?"

Before anyone could respond, he smiled confidently and said:
"He's a habitual thief."

Those around him sneered and laughed.

Xu Huang summoned a scout and gave him instructions:
"Ask Mi Wei for me if the previous agreement on the Han River pontoon bridge still stands. If it does, why not meet him today to settle things once and for all!"

The scouts obeyed and rode away.

Shortly after, the scout returned with a report:
"The thief said that when the two armies were fighting, all's fair in war. Now that the fighting has ended, we will not delay your journey back north."

Upon hearing this, Xu Huang chuckled and said to those around him:

"As expected, he had a guilty conscience!"

He then tossed the riding whip in his hand to the scout and said:

“Go on another trip and tell him that I am on friendly terms with his maternal uncle, so I am also considered his elder.”

"It is imperative to present a gift when a junior is getting married."

"I've heard that the people of the south are short of horses. If he comes north with this whip, I will give him a hundred fine horses!"

The scouts once again obeyed and left.

This time it was delayed for a little while.

When he returned, the horsewhip in his hand had been replaced by a bamboo slip.

The bamboo was a vibrant green, clearly freshly carved without any heat treatment to remove its moisture.

It's in a completely different league from Xu Huang's old but absolutely excellent horsewhip.

However, when Xu Huang caught a glimpse of the words "Yuzhou Grain," he was momentarily stunned.

The scout relayed the story truthfully:
"...I dare not refuse the gift from my elders, so I return it with this grain document. When the general returns to the fold one day, he will be granted a thousand acres of fertile land and his wife and children will be granted titles and honors!"

Upon hearing this, the officers and clerks on both sides began to angrily curse.

He also said that the so-called grain documents were crudely made and difficult to distinguish between genuine and fake, just like their master and his ministers, who were all hypocritical and useless.

However, Xu Huang said with a gloomy face:

Does it matter whether it's true or not?

"It means someone forged it privately and then went to Nantou."

"Do you think Liu Bei and Guan Yu would refuse to let people in?"

Upon hearing Xu Huang's words, everyone fell silent for a moment.

But just a few breaths later, several quick-witted clerks showed expressions of unease and anxiety.

important.

It was never a grain ration.

It is not a way to distinguish between genuine and fake.

What matters is people.

even more……

"The will of the people!" Xu Huang succinctly revealed the truth.

"This thief and his master stole not only three cities, but also the hearts of the people of Jingzhou!"

"This is a heart thief!"

After saying this, Xu Huang threw the bamboo slip to the ground and spurred his horse to chase after the others.

The generals hurriedly followed, but subconsciously reined in their horses to avoid the green bamboo on the ground.

It was as if it were an ominous object.

However, it seemed that fate was against this group.

Heavy rain continued for the next two days.

The roads were muddy and the army's progress was slow.

What's even more annoying is...

When passing a large lake called "Yuzhang Dapi", the road was flooded due to the rising water level.

Xu Huang had no choice but to order a detour to Chaoyang County, which was nearby, to take shelter there.

However, after a day of rest, the weather finally cleared up a bit, and we prepared to continue our journey to Xinye.

Suddenly, the military commander reported that some soldiers had deserted to the south the previous night, and that half of them had even defected.

Xu Huang was known for his strict and cautious military discipline. He swiftly executed a group of deserters and ordered his general to send their heads to their respective commanders.

The entire army was momentarily stunned and solemn.

Knowing they had committed a crime, the generals didn't even bother with breakfast; they all stripped to the county temple, carrying thorns on their backs, to beg for forgiveness from Xu Huang.

The general who had the most deserters immediately kowtowed and cried out, "This humble general failed to manage his subordinates properly and deserves to die!"

"But most of my subordinates are from Hannan, and it is true that most of them are unwilling to go to Wancheng!"

Xu Huang stared intently at the man.

There was neither rebuke nor comfort.

After a short while, the weight finally became too much for him. He bowed deeply to Xu Huang and then crashed headfirst into a large pillar beside him.

He slammed the object three times before finally dying.

The remaining generals grew increasingly terrified, burying their heads on the ground and uttering not a single word.

The county hall finally fell completely silent.

Only then did Xu Huang slowly shake his head, as if answering the question from the person who had just asked:
"I'm afraid it's not just that."

As he spoke, he forcefully pushed a heavy cloth bag off the table and onto the ground.

Amidst a clattering sound.

The contents of the bag spilled out.

Everyone was stunned.

It turned out to be a bag of bamboo strips and wooden tablets.

These slips of paper vary in width and are painted in alternating shades of blue and yellow.

It looks like it was haphazardly disassembled from bamboo slips of different origins.

But without exception.

They were all engraved with the three characters "Yuzhou Grain".

The generals suddenly realized what was happening, and then angrily cursed the traitorous general for his despicable act of having spies spread this substance among the troops, thus undermining morale.

They each volunteered to return and conduct a thorough investigation, determined to find and remove this ominous object completely.

However, Xu Huang remained unmoved.

Instead, he casually grabbed a grain ration, held it up to his eyes, and breathed on it, saying:

"It's too late."

"It's easy to get rid of the 'Yuzhou grain' in your hands, but hard to get rid of the 'Yuzhou grain' in your heart!"

The generals recalled Xu Huang's outburst outside Dengcheng that day and were immediately filled with awe.

Snapped.

Xu Huang dropped the grain rations and paced towards the door.

"One step too slow."

"Step by step, slowly."

"I'm afraid I'll never catch up in this lifetime."

Some generals are dissatisfied:
"General, I have several thousand elite cavalry, capable of galloping in all directions, how could we not catch up!"

Xu Huang suddenly turned around:

"Liu Bei has been gone for twelve years. How can we catch up?"

They will be completely bewildered.

But Xu Huang ignored him.

He walked with his hands behind his back to the threshold, then looked up at the sky.

A mass of ink was slowly spreading across the horizon, a vast, dark expanse.

In a daze, I seemed to see Cao Cao's 100,000 troops who drove south on light cavalry in the past.

However, the people on earth can still be pursued.

How could the multitude in heaven compare?
Feeling suddenly dejected, he turned around and said:

"Heavy rain is coming. Break camp immediately and be sure to reach Xinye before nightfall!"

The generals readily accepted the order and departed.

Before long, the army set off again.

But after walking for just over half an hour, lightning and thunder began to flash in the sky.

In an instant, thunder roared through the heavens and earth, drowning out the sound of marching drums.

The soldiers, unable to hear the drumbeats clearly, gradually became scattered.

Then it rained heavily, and the roads became slippery.

The various sections quickly became disjointed, making it difficult to maintain neat rows.

Seeing this, Xu Huang knew he could not withstand the might of Heaven. He sighed and led his elite cavalry northward at breakneck speed to avoid the rain.

And with his departure...

The already loose military formations lost their last bit of restraint.

The soldiers scrambled to find shelter from the rain, and there was no longer any semblance of formation.

Thus began a withdrawal under the constraints of cold military discipline.

It only lasted for three or four days to maintain a semblance of decorum.

Finally, the inevitable rout became apparent.

It can only be said that Xu Huang truly deserves to be called a good general promoted by Cao Cao.

When you say it's going to rain, it's going to rain.

(End of this chapter)