Wang Rui used to be the Provincial Governor of Jingzhou. He obtained the position before Liu Biao. When Liu Biao was appointed as the Lord of Jingzhou, he didn't have the slightest influence around him. He entered Jingzhou alone and did business without any capital.
The three clans that contributed the most were Jing Province's three great clans: the Huang clan, the Cai clan, and the Feng clan. The Huang clan was in charge of the military, and Huang Zu was in charge of the frontlines.
The Cai Clan was in charge of logistics. As long as Cai Mao was there, Liu Biao's troops wouldn't starve. The Cai Clan's ability to coordinate logistics wasn't inferior to Xun Yu's.
The Kuai Clan was the brains. Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue were first-rate strategists. With such a combination, it would be difficult for Liu Biao to not win. In the end, Liu Biao occupied the nest. Wang Rui died and Liu Biao became the Lord of Jingzhou. This was how the Jingzhou Overseer came to be.
It was precisely because of this that Liu Bei thought about why the Cai Clan and the Kuai Clan invited him.
Would it be the same as Jingzhou in the past? Although he did not have the Huang Clan, Liu Bei was much stronger than Liu Biao when he entered Jingzhou. Liu Biao came as a bachelor. He wanted to eat his fill and not have to worry about his family. If he could succeed, then he would. If he could not succeed, then he would leave alone. After all, he did not lack anything.
Liu Bei came with his family's assets. He originally had more than 10,000 elite troops. Although he didn't expand his army out of fear of Huang She, as long as Liu Bei announced an expansion, 50,000 troops wouldn't be a problem in a short time. In addition, the 30,000 elite troops of the Cai Clan and the support of the Kuai Clan.
Liu Bei didn't dare to imagine. He couldn't help but smile.
"Men, go and prepare. Treat the messenger well. Tell him that I will be invited to the banquet in three days!" Liu Bei said to his subordinates.
"My Lord, what can the Cai Clan and the Kuai Clan gain? Why are they doing this? " Liao Hua still didn't understand. Back then, the Cai Clan and the Kuai Clan helped Liu Biao seize Jingzhou because they wanted to use Liu Biao's reputation. After all, Liu Biao had the reputation of the Eight Generals. In addition, Emperor Han's decree allowed the Cai Clan and the Kuai Clan to to stabilize their positions as aristocratic clans..
Right now, the Cai Family and the Feng Family were already aristocratic families. Although Huang She was wary of the Cai Family and the Feng Family, he didn't want to lose face with them. He didn't have any reason to help Liu Bei.
"No, as long as Huang She wants to stabilize his position as the Lord of Jingzhou, he can't be on the same side as the Cai Clan and the Kuai Clan!" Yi Ji said. In Jingzhou, the Huang Clan, the Cai Clan, and the Kuai Clan might have been on the same side in the past because they were in the same boat.
If Wang Rui recovered his strength, he would definitely not let them off.
Therefore, they wholeheartedly helped Liu Biao conquer the world. The three clans were very close. However, it was different now because the roles of the three parties had changed. After Liu Biao took Jingzhou, the Cai Clan and the Kuai Clan stood on the same side because they didn't have military power. They only had logistics and planning. At that time, the Huang Clan was the most powerful.
The Cai Clan and the Kuai Clan formed an alliance to fight against the Huang Clan. The Huang Clan had no choice but to leave Xiangyang and go to Jiangxia.
After that, the Huang Clan once again became the most powerful clan. Liu Zong was in Huang She's hands. In name, Huang She was the Military Advisor of Jingzhou, but in reality, he was the master of Jingzhou.
"So the Cai Clan and the Kuai Clan want to rely on the Lord and help him?" Although Liao Hua understood a little, he was still a little confused.
"No!" Yi Ji shook his head. "To be precise, they are not helping the Lord, but themselves!" The reason why Huang She could control Jingzhou was not only because of the Huang Clan's prestige in the army, but also because of Liu Zong. If it was just the army, Cai Mao and Kuai Yue would have ignored Huang She long ago.
The Cai Clan and the Kuai Clan were not stupid. After forcing the Huang Clan out of Xiangyang, they would definitely not use the original Huang Clan's generals in their own troops.
Therefore, the 30,000 elite troops of the Cai Clan were definitely in the hands of the Cai Clan's own people. With these 30,000 troops, they would be able to contend with Huang She.
It would also not be Huang She's turn to be the Military Advisor of Jingzhou. However, Cai Mao did not make a move because Liu Zong was still in Huang She's hands. Whether or not Huang She killed Liu Biao and usurped the position of Jingzhou's Magistrate, one thing was for sure. After Liu Biao died, other than the Eldest Son, Liu Biao, there was only Liu Zong. The Eldest Son, Liu Qi, was an official under the King of Han, Liu Mang, and lost the right to inherit. Only the Youngest Son was left (Liu Pan also died in Huang She's hands).
The Cai Clan and the Kuai Clan wanted to be on good terms with Liu Bei because of Liu Zong. In the past, the Huang Clan, the Cai Clan, and the Kuai Clan were evenly matched. The Cai Clan and the Kuai Clan were even stronger than the Huang Clan. If it wasn't for the fact that Huang She had Liu Zong as a bargaining chip, the Cai Clan and the Kuai Clan would have been prepared to devour Huang She. However, both sides were considered balanced because everyone knew that a war between the two clans would not benefit either side. Both clans were clear about each other's strength. Once a war broke out, both sides would suffer.
However, it was different now. Liu Bei had joined the fray. Although Liu Bei was the weakest among the three clans with only 10,000 troops under his command, it was the last straw.
However, this was the last straw behind the camel's back. Whoever Liu Bei favors, that person would have an absolute advantage. Huang She also had the same idea. That was why he led Liu Bei into the house. Huang She wanted to use Liu Bei to deal with the Cai Clan and the Kuai Clan. At the same time, the Cai Clan and the Kuai Clan also wanted to use Liu Bei to deal with Huang She.
"Hmph! Snakes and rats in the same nest. What kind of bad intentions do you all have?! " Liao Hua was furious. Whether it was the Huang Clan or the Kuai Clan, they were playing with them like monkeys. "My Lord, let's get rid of this envoy sent by the Cai Clan. Beat him out of here. He wants to use my Lord? No way!"
Unlike Liao Hua's righteous indignation, Liu Bei's lips curled into a smile. The Cai Family and the Lao Family were using him. Liu Bei was also using them.
The position of Jingzhou's Lord was too tempting. The Cai Clan and the Kuai Clan wanted to use Liu Zong to control Jingzhou. On the other hand, Liu Bei wanted to use the Cai Clan and the Kuai Clan to deal with the Huang Clan. In the end, Liu Bei could cast Liu Zong aside and become the Lord of Jingzhou himself.
"Go, why wouldn't I go? Pass down my orders. Second General will stay behind to guard Jiangling. The rest will go with me! " Liu Bei did not bother to explain. He smiled and went to prepare.
This time, the Cai Clan and the Kuai Clan invited Liu Bei using the excuse of the Kuai Clan's Second Master, Kuai Liang, to celebrate his 50th birthday.
For the ancient people, a person who was 30 years old would be considered old. In this era, a person who was 50 years old would be considered an old man. Therefore, the Kuai Clan organized a big event this time. They invited all the famous people in Jingzhou, including Liu Bei.
Liu Bei went to prepare a gift for Kuai Liang. Liu Bei was also a person who loved talents. He also knew that the Kuai Clan's brothers were great talents. Even if he didn't know, he should have heard of them. If he didn't use the Kuai Clan, then he wouldn't use Liu Biao's Jingzhou. Liu Bei purposely went to search for treasures. It was not easy for him to find a good wooden slip.
A few days passed quickly. Liu Bei rushed all the way from Jiangling to Nanyang Prefecture. It was a long journey. Even though they traveled by water, Liu Bei and the others still walked for two days. They only arrived on the third day.
Red lanterns had already been hung up outside the city walls. The entire city was filled with a joyous atmosphere.
At the entrance of the Kuai Clan's residence, there was an endless stream of people coming and going.
"The Kuai Clan is really big. It's only a few hours and the line of people is already here!" Liao Hua couldn't help but sigh. The Kuai Clan's popularity was really good. They traveled for two days and arrived without stopping. It wasn't noon or evening but early in the morning. Liu Bei and the others weren't used to staying in the cabin. They got off the ship early and prepared to go to the Kuai Clan first.
They didn't expect that in just one morning, the Kuai Clan's residence was already crowded with people.
"Eh?" Liao Hua discovered a few things. Among the people who came to celebrate the birthday, there were not only nobles dressed in silk and satin, but also ordinary people dressed in sackcloth.
This made Liao Hua wonder. One must know that since ancient times, the common people and the nobles had always been at odds with each other. The accumulation of the nobles' property was all from exploiting the common people.
This made the relationship between the ordinary people and the nobles even worse. They couldn't wait for you to die. Why would they celebrate your birthday?
"General Liao Hua, you don't know about this!" Yi Ji stood to the side and looked at the people coming and going as he spoke to Liao Hua. As he spoke, there was a look of yearning and admiration on his face. This was Kuai Liang's birthday. If it was Kuai Yue's birthday, there wouldn't be so many people.
As mentioned before, Kuai Liang was nicknamed 'Kuai Merciless' and 'Kuai Cold-Blooded'. This was because when Kuai Liang was appointed to manage all the cases in Xiangyang, he never bent the law for personal gain. He also never cared about the friendship of the landowning households. Even if the Kuai Clan's branch family members committed crimes, he would punish them accordingly. A large number of landowning households in Xiangyang had suffered under Kuai Liang before. This was why Kuai Liang was cold-blooded and heartless. However, this cold-bloodedness in the eyes of the nobles was warmth in the eyes of the ordinary people.
This was because the common people had always been poor. Why would they take the initiative to stir up trouble? They were busy with their own fields and livelihood. The only ones who could stir up trouble were the nobles. They had nothing better to do and were bored. They would flirt with girls here and there, bully honest people there, and eat a little while they were at it.
Kuai Liang managed the nobles, which was equivalent to helping the ordinary people. It could be said that under Kuai Liang's management, the ordinary people were really happy.
Unfortunately, Liu Biao couldn't handle the complaints from the nobles and had to remove Kuai Liang in the end.
Even so, the ordinary people of Jingzhou still remembered that it was a sunny day. These ordinary people came all the way from Xiangyang just to celebrate Kuai Liang's birthday.
"Just for the birthday celebration?" Liao Hua was stunned. "But are there no distinctions between the ordinary people and the nobles?" Liao Hua looked over. The nobles were in front while the ordinary people were in the back. Normally, birthday banquets were organized according to one's status. If one's family was powerful and had a high status, then they would stand in front and enter the mansion earlier. If one's status was weak, then they would be in the back.
These commoners could be said to be the lowest and most basic members of society. They were much worse than those old officials and nobles.
However, Liao Hua saw that many nobles were behind the ordinary people.
"In Kuai Qingtian's eyes, there is no distinction between high and low. There is only the difference between breaking the law and not breaking the law!" Yi Ji sighed.
This Kuai Liang was a representative of Legalism. Everything was done according to the rules.
If the emperor broke the law, he would be punished the same as the ordinary people. If the ordinary people broke the law, there would be no sympathy. This party was also a type of rule. It wasn't based on status, it was based on order.
"Hmph! They are just putting on an act. What is the difference between those nobles and ordinary people? Our Lord is an honored guest of the Kuai Family. It is fine if they don't come out to welcome us, but they want us to line up? Isn't this a joke? My Lord, please wait a moment. I will have the Kuai Family come out to welcome My Lord! " Liao Hua used to be a poor person. He joined the Yellow Turban Bandits because he couldn't survive.
Later, he followed Zhang Jiao and Zhu Feiyan. However, Zhu Feiyan went to Hebei while Liao Hua stayed in Yuzhou with Liu Pi. Later, Liu Bei took a fancy to him and he became the leader of Liu Bei's personal guards, replacing Chen Dao's position.
Logically speaking, since Liao Hua was born poor, he should be more lenient towards the commoners. After all, he was trying to help others. I was also like this before. I know your pain and I sympathize with you.
However, Liao Hua was different. He was disgusted by his past experiences and casually expressed his disdain for the common people.
This time, Yi Ji didn't say anything. Indeed, Liu Bei's things were different from those ordinary people. Those ordinary people came on their own initiative to celebrate the birthday. However, Liu Bei came because he received an invitation. Those nobles who received an invitation only had ordinary things. However, Liu Bei's was gilded.
Naturally, they could go together.
"Wait!" Liu Bei suddenly spoke. "It is better for us to wait!"
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