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

Chapter 91 Invasion Like Fire, Countering Each Move

But the three elders of the village didn't even look at the actor; they just laughed at him on the spot.
"Why would you lie to me!"

"General Guan lived here with Liu Yuzhou in his early years, and I have long remembered his appearance!"

Upon hearing this, Mi Wei caught a glimpse of Yang Yi standing behind the old man and secretly made a throat-slitting gesture.

Mi Wei's expression remained unchanged.

He merely observed the old man's white hair, old clothes, and tattered shoes.

Then I thought of the elderly and weak I encountered along the way, who were barely clothed, disheveled, and barefoot.

A sudden thought struck me.

He said, "General Guan has indeed not arrived in the city."

“But my father-in-law is General Anhan, whose personal name is Mi Zhu and courtesy name is Zizhong. He is also engaged to General Guan. General Guan will certainly not stand by and watch us die.”

The three elders of the village brightened up upon hearing this:

"So you are General Mi's son! My apologies for not recognizing you!"

He sighed again:

"Years ago, my family followed Liu Bei to Jiangling in the south, but alas, we were overtaken by Cao Cao's army at Dangyang and forced to return..."

It's unbelievable that they're "old acquaintances" of this caliber!
Not to mention Mi Wei was instantly filled with respect.

Even Yang Yi, who had just been radiating murderous intent, had softened his expression.

Mi Wei took a slight breath and said:

“Since we are old friends from the past, I will not hide it from you, sir.”

"I cannot guarantee whether this city can be held."

"If the city falls in the end, sir, you can take my official seal to claim credit; that should be enough to save your life."

Mi Wei patted the sash that he had specially pinned to his waist before meeting them.

"But please, old man, remember the kindness I showed you when you followed the King of Hanzhong, and leave me a whole body so that my elders won't suffer."

Upon hearing this, the three elders of the village opened their mouths but remained silent for a moment.

In the end, however, he shook his head repeatedly and said:

"When that time comes, whether or not one has an official seal, death is inevitable."

"Two years ago, Wancheng could not bear the excessive conscription by Cao Cao's army and followed the defending general in rebelling against Wei. Do you not know what their ultimate fate was?"

Hou Yin's rebellion led to Cao Ren's massacre of Wan.

Even if Mi Wei didn't know about her in her previous life, she had already heard of her in this life.

He immediately bowed and clasped his hands in greeting, saying:
"Words of forgiveness are ultimately hypocritical; all I can do is try my best to defend the city!"

The three elders in the village shook their heads again upon hearing this:
"After all, it was my own choice to stay."

"Since you are so frank, I will not hide anything from you either."

“I have two sons. My eldest son has already taken his family and fled to hide in the mountains on the north bank.”

"Only my old wife and second son are left in the city. Even if all three of them die, the family line will not be cut off."

Mi Wei was speechless for a moment.

Seeing this, the three elders of the village smiled again:

"I have come here today without permission, simply to see an old friend before I die of old age."

Since I can't see him, I won't bother him.

"Please rest assured, I will inform the villagers that General Guan is defending the city from the city wall. He will not hinder your important business!"

He then took his leave.

Mi Wei personally escorted the other party downstairs.

Upon reaching the foot of the wall, they indeed saw an old woman, supported by her son, step forward to greet them.

They also gave Miwei a bamboo basket covered with a cloth, which looked full.

When he turned back, he saw Yang Yi say in a muffled voice:

Is it worth it to entrust your life to someone else? Or not?

Mi Wei looked up at the sky for a moment and said:

"Have you not heard the saying, 'Only by opposing Cao Cao can things be accomplished'?"

After saying this, he stuffed the bamboo basket into Yang Yi's hands and then turned back to the city tower.

Yang Yi was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously lifted the cover.

It turned out to be a basket of eggs lined with hay.

There were very few eggs, but far more hay than eggs, which is why it looked so full.

I couldn't laugh or cry for a moment.

……

Xu Huang reacted very quickly.

As soon as evening fell, he immediately dispatched troops out of the city to clear out the displaced people.

Anyone who refuses to comply will be shot on the spot.

In an instant, the riverbanks were littered with those who had died from arrow wounds and drownings, a truly shocking sight.

But the effect was immediate.

Two hours later.

On both banks of the Han River, along with the several pontoon bridges connecting the two cities, there was not a single living person left.

Just like a field scorched by a great fire, not a blade of grass grows.

Thus, travel between the two cities became unimpeded.

this means.

The enemy forces at Fancheng could cross the river at any time. Fortunately, it was already dark, and Xu Huang probably hadn't yet ascertained the true situation in Xiangyang, so there was no large-scale troop movement.

But psychological tactics will certainly be employed.

Soon enemy cavalry crossed the river and fired a signal into the city.

The letter essentially stated that Xu Huang and Guan Yu were old friends, addressed each other as brothers in private, and were quite familiar with each other.

If Guan Yu came to Xiangyang, he would not have remained holed up in the city.

Mi Wei was not fooled by him, and had someone imitate Guan Yu's handwriting and tone to reply with a letter.

It is said that precisely because they are brothers, they should first be courteous and then resort to force.

If Xu Huang still cherishes our past friendship, please come into the city alone tonight for a private meeting.

Xu Huang quickly replied, saying that it suited his wishes perfectly, but asked his virtuous brother to come out alone to greet him, as a sign of his sincerity.

Mi Wei immediately replied with a perfunctory response.

Finally, the two sides agreed to meet at midnight on a pontoon bridge over the Han River.

Then, when the moon was high in the sky that night...

Mi Wei, of course, did not go out of the city alone.

Xu Huang did not come alone to meet him.

Only the pontoon bridge, abandoned by both sides, silently protested from time to time under the continuous impact of the water flow.

……

"The enemy general is cautious; I'm afraid we'll have to expend more effort this time."

In the military tent of Fancheng, Xu Huang held a letter from an old friend with questionable handwriting and sighed with emotion.

Upon hearing this, a subordinate general beside him hurriedly said:
"According to Cao Chariot and Cavalry's orders, my unit is only responsible for burning down this city of Fan."

"Xiangyang is Lü Chang's responsibility. However, he has acted recklessly this time, so why should the general take responsibility for him?"

boom!
Xu Huang suddenly stood up and kicked his subordinate general to the ground.

He said sharply:
"Xiangfan is one city. We have come here for the king's affairs. Why should we distinguish between this city and that city?"

"Go down and receive your punishment."

"Any further attempts to evade responsibility will result in certain execution!"

The subordinate general retreated in a panic.

But no sooner had he left than a scout entered the tent to deliver a military report.

The seal of General Cao Ren can be faintly seen.

Xu Huang dared not be careless and immediately opened the letter to read it.

He burst into laughter at just one glance.

He said to his men, "Has General Cao learned of the bandit attack on the city, he has halted his troops to regroup and will soon return to Fancheng!"

However, some people on either side worried:

“The previous hasty retreat to the north caused widespread discontent among the people and officials, which slowed down the army’s movements.”

"I heard that there were people fleeing from time to time on the road, and it was only by the soldiers drawing their bows and swords that they were able to keep things in order."

"Won't this sudden retreat lead to the army's collapse?"

Xu Huang declared confidently, "There is absolutely no such worry!"

“You may not know this, but General Cao has already ordered Man Boning (Man Chong) to return from Xinye and take over the task of rallying the troops.”

"Once Man Boning arrives, Cao Chariot and Cavalry will lead his elite infantry and cavalry south to Fancheng."

"Once the two armies join forces, there will be five thousand cavalry and twenty thousand infantry."

"With such military strength, where south of Xiangfan can't they rampage freely?"

"Are you all less courageous than when you followed King Wu south to Jingzhou?"

Upon hearing the posthumous title of the late King of Wei, the generals under his command recalled their glorious past and felt a sense of relief.

Upon seeing this, Xu Huang loosened his grip on the military report slightly.

He then addressed the crowd:
"I believe we cannot simply wait here for reinforcements to march south."

"It should be known that Guan Yu must also be rushing to Xiangyang at this moment."

"If that's the case, why not take advantage of the fact that the bandits in Xiangyang haven't established a firm foothold, and infiltrate their rear to prevent the rear army from joining up with the city?"

Upon hearing this, the generals, seeing that Xu Huang was confident of victory, no longer had any doubts and volunteered to fight.

……

Guan Yu's flag flew over the walls of Xiangyang for a whole night.

By dawn, the chaos in Xiangyang had largely subsided.

But Miwei knew very well.

This probably has little to do with the flag or the actors he carefully selected.

It comes down to it.

Everyone knows that Cao Ren is really leaving this time.

After all, such a large-scale conscription was not a drill.

Tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of troops are already halfway there.

It's not something you can just turn around on a whim.

The only thing they were watching was whether their homes in the city would be burned down.

As for the rural folks who took advantage of the chaos to sneak into the city and seize power, they were even less likely to cause trouble.

In any case, Miwei was finally able to bring most of his troops back to the city walls.

After a night of taking stock, the remaining situation in Xiangyang has become basically clear.

(End of this chapter)