Ghosts in Yinping: The Han Dynasty's Mandate Is Not Yet Extinguished

There are no ghosts in Yinping.

But along the three-hundred-li Yinping Road, a Wei general sent three groups of men to store grain in a cave.

Jiang Wei knows this because he came from another time. He remembers that, in history, Wei troops emerged from that very cave. Then Chengdu opened its gates, and Shu Han fell.

Liao Hua asks him what he is trying to do. He slams a ledger onto the table. "I don't want to make nine expeditions into the Central Plains. I want Shu Han to survive. With ledgers, supply routes, and a band of scouts from humble families."

So he defies the imperial decree. Instead of going to Tazhong, he turns back to defend Yinping. He defends Yinping to buy Shu Han time. He uses that time to audit the accounts, clear the fields, and train soldiers from humble families.

The supervising censor asks what grounds he has. He replies, "If I find proof, I'll go with you to Tazhong. If I don't, you'll stay here and defend Yinping with me."

Three months later, the heads of Wei scouts are laid out on the table. He looks at the censor. "Will you defend it or not?"

Yinping holds. But in the court at Chengdu, Liu Shan looks at him differently.