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

Chapter 15: Planning
"what's up?"

Guan Xing immediately perked up.

"First, go find that doctor surnamed Zhang and ask Pan Zhizhong exactly when he started having 'heart disease'."

"If you really can't remember the date, then at least ask whether the illness occurred before or after General Guan went on his campaign."

Miwei paused for a moment, then continued:
"Secondly, investigate the backgrounds and origins of the local officials and clerks, the more detailed the better!"

"it is good!"

Although Guan Xing didn't understand the significance of these actions, he readily agreed.

"How can I inform you after I've found out the truth?"

Mi Wei initially wanted to say that he would come to the Guan residence in person to inquire, but after thinking about it, he changed his mind and said:
"Go find the gatekeeper of the prefectural government."

"understand!"

After bidding farewell to Guan Xing, Mi Wei returned directly to the prefectural government.

Upon arriving at the gate, he said to Zhan Sifu, who was on duty there:
"Mr. Zhan, do you know the background and origins of the assistant clerks under the prefectural government?"

"You flatter me, sir. As the gatekeeper, I am responsible for welcoming and seeing off guests, so of course I have already found out."

Mi Wei nodded and said:
"Do you have time to tell me now?"

Zhan Sifu was stunned upon hearing this.

"It's alright. If you're busy, I'll ask Uncle Zhong myself."

After saying that, he stepped through the door and entered.

But before they had gone far, Zhan Sifu had already caught up with them.

“My lord has been traveling all day and must be tired and hungry. I will go find the kitchen to prepare a hot meal.”

"Okay, thank you for your trouble, Mr. Zhan."

Miwei nodded in agreement and calmly continued on his way.

It seemed like it was just a casual remark.

Silent all night.

The next day, Miwei, still half asleep, got out of his warm bed, quickly washed up, and hurriedly went out.

Before long, they arrived at the Guan residence.

Guan Xing was already waiting at the door.

"Lord Deer, have you gained anything?"

"Yes, let's go inside and discuss it in detail."

Guan Xing was overjoyed.

The two arrived at a quiet room, and Mi Wei spoke first:

"Does Lord Guan still remember how Jiao Zhong evaluated the local gentry of Jingzhou?"

"Of course I remember!" Guan Xing said.

"Most people only seek to survive and protect their clan. A few outsiders, such as Prefect Mi, are slightly different, but under my master's suppression, they are basically at peace."

Mi Wei nodded:

"exactly."

“Since the world fell into chaos, Jingzhou has become no different from other prefectures. Due to the influx of a large number of foreign gentry and vagrants, conflicts between the locals and the immigrants are inevitable.”

"But because most people only seek to 'preserve,' once a military strongman comes along, whether it's Liu Biao, Cao Cao, Zhou Yu, or even Your Majesty and General Guan, they can all behave themselves."

"This is the power to overcome all techniques."

"That being said, there are still differences among these powerful figures."

“People like Liu Biao, Cao Cao, and the king, or the royal family general, or the prime minister, or those who were good at winning the hearts of the people, had other means to appease the local area besides military force.”

"General Guan has nothing else besides his own bravery and elite troops, so he naturally relies more on force than others."

"Therefore, people at the time said that General Guan was arrogant towards his superiors and disdainful of his inferiors. Although this was partly due to his personal temperament, it was also based on practical considerations."

Upon hearing this, Guan Xing felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

They gained a more comprehensive understanding of their family's true situation in Jingzhou.

But the question remained: "What does this have to do with someone surnamed Pan?"

Miwei did not answer directly, but instead asked a question:

"Let me confirm with you again, Pan Zhizhong's heart disease only started after General Guan went on the expedition, right?"

Guan Xing nodded emphatically.

"Then it all matches up!"

Mi Wei patted his leg lightly and continued to explain to Guan Xing: "Pan Zhizhong hinted yesterday that his heartache stemmed from General Guan's suppression."

"Logically speaking, after General Guan went on his campaign, his worries should have subsided. Why did he become even more troubled, to the point of suffering from unbearable abdominal pain?"

"This is unreasonable."

"The only explanation is that his worries were not about General Guan himself, but about the changes that occurred after General Guan left."

"What variables?" Guan Xing couldn't help but ask.

"Sun Quan!"

The elk's might cut through the railway.

"As I said before, when Jingzhou was suppressed by General Guan, all families and clans would be humble and live peacefully... or rather, they were pursuing this kind of peace."

"But what happens once General Guan leaves?"

"Without the strongman's deterrent power above, the underlying contradictions will naturally resurface."

"This is probably why my uncle found a barbarian with no ties to be the gatekeeper."

"Of course, even so, it may not necessarily cause chaos. After all, General Guan is only going on an expedition, not leaving completely... not to mention that he has just won a great victory that has attracted worldwide attention, and is at the height of his power."

"But the problem is that Sun Quan is suddenly coming."

"I don't need to elaborate on the strength of the Sun family of Jiangdong."

"In short, if Sun Quan were to come, he could very well replace General Guan and become the new strongman of this place."

"At this point, the local gentry had to face a difficult choice: defend Jingzhou for General Guan, or submit to Sun Quan?"

"No matter what choice you make, if you choose the wrong one, you will inevitably be purged by the victors afterward, and your life and your clan will be wiped out."

"Or even if you win the gamble, you may suffer great damage due to the brutality of the war."

“This is precisely where Pan Zhizhong’s real ‘heart disease’ lies.”

"That's also why others are outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant towards you, Lord Guan."

"They all believe they can't afford to lose, so they choose to wait and see!"

At this point, Mi Wei paused slightly, and seeing that Guan Xing's eyes were bright and he had followed his train of thought, he continued:
"If there's anything that sets Pan Zhizhong apart from the others..."

"That is because he considers himself a renowned scholar from Jingzhou and cannot openly betray his master."

"Otherwise, if he loses his reputation, not only will his own future be ruined, but the family that rose to prominence because of him will also decline."

On the other hand, Mi Fang doesn't have this problem and can slide on her knees at lightning speed.

Mi Wei added a thought to himself.

"So that's why he pretended to be sick, half-truthfully?" Guan Xing asked, understanding the implication.

Miwei nodded:
"In fact, Pan Zhizhong's situation is much more dangerous than ours."

"I dare not gamble with my clan, nor do I want to damage my reputation in the slightest, yet I am powerless to resist and can only take it one step at a time... How can I not fall ill in such a situation?"

Therefore.

Miwei concluded.

"No matter how we threaten or bribe him, or even openly snatch him from his home, it's all useless."

"Because it doesn't involve his vital points at all."

Upon hearing this, Guan Xing raised his hand and lightly patted the wooden table in front of him, appearing quite excited.

It's like a struggling student finally solving a math Olympiad problem they've been pondering for days after listening to a top student's explanation.

"By the way, why did you ask me to inquire about the background of the provincial officials yesterday?"

Mi Wei: "Because of my analysis just now, there is still one point of doubt that cannot be explained."

How exactly did Pan Zhizhong know that Sun Quan was coming?

"You should know that he had already claimed to be ill before you and I visited him the day before yesterday, and neither of us mentioned Sun Quan to him at that time."

"Yes...yes, why?" Guan Xing's hand froze in mid-air.

It's like having solved an advanced math problem, only to find upon reviewing it that a crucial proof step was missing.

Unfortunately, I hadn't realized before that there was such a step required.

“Last night I carefully compared the lists of assistant officials on both the state and county sides.”

Miwei rubbed his sore eyes.

"The former 'Southern Commandery Attendant' of the prefecture had a younger cousin who worked as a clerk in the prefecture government."

“The county official had a cousin who served as the ‘encouragement of learning’ when Liu Biao was the governor of Jingzhou.”

"What's most astonishing is that both the county clerk and the prefectural clerk had briefly studied under Song Zhongzi, making them fellow students of Pan Zhizhong!"

(End of this chapter)