"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The Yi Province Army at the rear took the initiative to attack. Pang Shiyuan's army seemed to have a tacit understanding with the Yi Province Army as they started to attack as well.
Cai Mao and Kuai Yue's army of 50,000 suffered greatly under the attack from both inside and outside. Fortunately, most of these soldiers were elite soldiers and veterans of the Cai Family, so they would not suffer any casualties.
"Hold on, hold on!" The Cai Family's army was being attacked from both sides. If it had not been for the camp they had set up, they would have been annihilated.
"General, if this goes on, Cai Mao and Kuai Yue will definitely die!" The commander of the Yi Province Army was looking at the soldiers who were constantly attacking the enemy's camp. Beside him, a deputy general said proudly.
"Hm?" The Yi Province Army's commander did not say anything. Instead, he frowned as he looked at the soldiers on both sides of the battlefield who were fighting bravely.
"Zhang Bieshi is indeed a famous person. He knew that the Jingzhou Army was not on good terms with each other. He sent his troops to destroy Cai Mao and Kuai Yue before destroying Pang Shiyuan's army. Then, Yi Province will have nothing to worry about!" Someone said. He had used the discord in the Jingzhou Army to attack from both inside and outside. No one would have been able to withstand this attack. This was called driving the wolf to devour the tiger.
The person who had come up with this plan was Zhang Song, the Yi Province Army's commander.
"If our general had not killed Huang She, the Jingzhou Army's commander, at the Luo Feng Slope, how would he have been able to incite internal strife in the Jingzhou Army? Zhang Bieshi was just taking advantage of the situation! "someone on the other side said unhappily.
"Yes, yes, yes. General Zhang Ren also contributed greatly!"
That's right, the commander of the 30,000 troops was none other than Zhang Ren, the one who shot Huang She to death on the Luo Feng Slope. After killing Huang She, his merits and demerits had been offset. He had even taken a step forward and become the commander of the army.
However, Zhang Ren didn't have the mentality of a brothel like these deputy generals and captains.
The more he looked at Cai Mao and Kuai Yue's camp, the more gloomy he felt.
He was able to shoot Huang She to death because of a person in the Yizhou Army. Or rather, if that person had not betrayed Huang She, he would not have been able to ambush Huang She so easily.
After killing Huang She, Zhang Song advised Liu Zhang to send out troops. He said that the Jingzhou Army was not in harmony with each other and had no leader. Only then could they attack.
It was a good idea, but it was too much of a coincidence.
Zhang Ren's frown deepened as he watched the waves of Cai Mao and Kuai Yue's troops retreat.
Hopefully, he was just overthinking things.
"Pass down the order, continue to attack!" Zhang Ren shook his head. It was better to start the fight first. Whether it was Cai Mao, Kuai Yue, or Pang Shiyuan's troops, they were all disasters to Yi Province. It was better to get rid of them as soon as possible.
"Yes!"
As the encirclement continued, Cai Mao and Kuai Yue's troops could only retreat and shrink their defensive line.
"Jingzhou will return to Yangzhou?" Cai Mao's eyes widened as he looked at Kuai Yue. He could not believe that this person in front of him was an old friend that he had known for decades.
"That's right!" Kuai Yue nodded. "Brother Desi, Jingzhou has the Yangtze River as a natural barrier. Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the Central Plains has been in chaos. The nobles have all avoided Jingzhou. It's only been a few decades, but today's Jing Province is several times larger than the Jing Province of our past. There are also millions of citizens, and rations and money are everywhere! It would not be an exaggeration to say that Jingzhou is the richest province in the world! "Kuai Yue said to Cai Mao.
"If Jingzhou falls into the hands of a wise ruler, they will be able to do whatever they want. If it falls into the hands of a mediocre person, they will be able to sit back and enjoy the fruits of others' labor. However, it is inevitable that people will covet it!" Kuai Yue analyzed.
"Jiangdong's Sun Ce wants it, Huang She wants it, Cao Cao wants it, and even Liu Bei wants it. It is a place that all military strategists will fight for!"
In the past, Sun Ce wholeheartedly wanted to attack Jingzhou and gave up on the Central Plains. It was not because he was blinded by hatred. It was because only by conquering Jingzhou, Sun Ce would have a lot of wealth and a lot of money to support Sun Ce to continue his great undertaking.
Taking down Jingzhou could be said to be a huge profit with little capital, so why not? Millions of people, countless granaries, and the savings of the nobles. This was the foundation of Jingzhou!
Cai Mao understood that Yangzhou's Liu Mang also took a fancy to Jingzhou.
However, Cai Mao was no less wary of Liu Mang than he was of Liu Bei.
He was furious that Liu Bei had killed Liu Zong, but Liu Mang had killed so many nobles. Furthermore, all the land that Yangzhou's army had taken over belonged to the government.
Cai Mao was the biggest landlord in Jingzhou. His wealth would be reduced by half in an instant.
"Why can't we rely on Cao Cao?" "Cai Mao was still unwilling. How could he be willing to lose half of his family's business just like that?
"Brother Desi, you are muddleheaded!" Kuai Yue smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"Brother Desi, how much is your land worth?" Kuai Yue knew that Cai Mao was worried about the Cai Family's status and land.
"At least ten thousand gold!" Cai Mao said to Kuai Yue.
Ten thousand gold was a cheap price. If they really wanted to haggle, it would be at least thirty to fifty thousand gold.
From this, one could see how rich the Cai Family was. Fifty thousand gold was an astronomical figure for an ordinary noble. However, to the Cai Family, this was only the value of the land deed.
"Ten thousand gold? Hehe, Brother Desi, if you really feel pity for those fields, then you should submit to His Highness! "Kuai Yue chuckled as he spoke to Cai Mao.
"What do you mean?" Cai Mao asked with a frown.
"Brother Desi, do you still remember the relationship between our families before Liu Biao came to Jingzhou?" Kuai Yue asked Cai Mao.
Cai Mao nodded. Of course he remembered. Before Liu Biao came to Jingzhou, Cai Mao and Kuai Yueliangjia were nobles but they were only small nobles.
They were still famous in the counties, but not in the entire Jing Province.
Later on, Cai Mao's Cai Family, Kuai Yue's Kuai Family, and Huang Zu's Huang Family could become the three biggest aristocratic families in Jingzhou.
It was because they had made the right investment and helped Liu Biao take over Jingzhou. In the end, they were rewarded according to their contributions.
"Haha, Cai Desi. Did you choose the right person to be the military advisor?" Kuai Yue continued to ask with a smile.
Cai Mao didn't say anything. Originally, the Cai Family, Kuai Family, and Huang Family couldn't tell who was the bigger one.
However, there was a difference. It wasn't that Cai Mao was capable. In terms of literature, Cai Mao wasn't as good at strategizing as Kuai Yue. In terms of military warfare, Cai Mao only knew how to fight on the water. He wasn't as brave as Huang Zu.
However, Cai Mao's Cai Family eventually became the biggest aristocratic family in Jingzhou. He was given the most lucrative position as the military advisor.
This was also the reason why Cai Mao was able to mobilize thirty thousand elite Jingzhou Navy soldiers.
The reason for all this was because Cai Mao and Liu Biao were related by marriage. Relying on this link, he was able to get Liu Biao to give him authority.
"Her! She can't see the light of day! " Cai Mao said. Cai Mao was referring to his sister, Lady Cai. She wasn't Liu Biao's wife anymore. She was Liu Mang's wife now.
However, Liu Mang couldn't let people talk about it. Hence, Lady Cai's identity was never exposed.
Cai Mao was worried that Liu Mang might be lusting after Lady Cai's body now, but what would happen in eight to ten years? Lady Cai was almost thirty years old and was a middle-aged woman.
Would the King of Han still like Lady Cai when he grew old and feeble? How could the Cai Family rely on Lady Cai to rise up?
"Haha, Madam might be old and frail, but Brother Desi, have you forgotten that Boren has already grown up?" Kuai Yue said to Cai Mao.
"Boren?" Cai Mao was stunned. He didn't understand.
Kuai Yue suddenly remembered that Cai Mao might not know about this.
"Lady Cai gave birth to a son. He is a little prince and his name is Boren!" Kuai Yue said to Cai Mao.
"Brother Desi, although His Highness is young and promising, he only has one son. If His Highness succeeds in the future, the little prince might become the Crown Prince! You will be the Imperial Uncle of the Great Han Dynasty! "Kuai Yue's words moved Cai Mao's heart.
Lady Cai might not be old, but she had given birth to Liu Mang's only son.
Right now the mother and son's status may be very awkward but if Cai Mao joins the Yangzhou Army, regardless of whether it is for Jingzhou or to appease the nobles in Jingzhou, Liu Mang must give him this title.
Lady Cai would then become one of Liu Mang's concubines.
The little prince would then be the eldest son. With Cai Mao's help, he might be able to obtain the right of inheritance.
Cai Mao was furious with Liu Bei, not only because he had killed Liu Bei, but also because Liu Bei had destroyed Cai Mao's hopes.
If it wasn't for the recent events, Liu Zong would be the one sitting on the throne of Jingzhou. Cai Mao would be the one to replace Liu Zong in governing Jingzhou.
If he joined Yangzhou, with Yangzhou's current strength, Xuzhou, Yuzhou, Yangzhou, Jiangdong, and Jingzhou would be five states. He would be able to rule over them.
The Cai Family had the little prince, so they wouldn't be afraid of riches!
Cai Mao's eyes became brighter and brighter, like a hungry wolf.
Kuai Yue smiled. He knew that Cai Mao was about to take the bait.
"Brother Yidu, you tell me what to do!" Cai Mao said to Kuai Yue. He was even prepared to take out the Tiger Tally. Liu Bei and Pang Shiyuan had been coveting it for a long time.
"Brother Desi, there's no need for the Tiger Tally. I believe that King of Han's men are already on the move. We just need to wait quietly. When the time comes, I hope that Brother Desi will listen to my orders! Kuai Yue had already sent out the letter. That was why he wanted Cai Mao to defend passively.
"Brother Yidu, so it was you?" Cai Mao would be a fool if he still didn't understand.
Kuai Yue and Kuai Yidu were probably Liu Mang's men.
"Brother Yidu, our families agreed to advance and retreat together. What is the meaning of this?" Cai Mao was a little angry. He had been kept in the dark by Kuai Yue all this time.
Back then, the two families had formed an alliance to push out the Huang Family. However, Kuai Yue had lied to him.
"Brother Desi, you misunderstood! If I really lied to you, why would I come to Yizhou with you? "Kuai Yue explained. Cai Mao was the only one needed to send out the troops.
"I didn't tell you that day because I was afraid that you would blame the King of Han!" Kuai Yue continued to explain. At that time, Cai Mao couldn't wait to kill Liu Mang.
It was Liu Mang who harmed his sister and harmed the Cai family.
How could Cai Mao not be angry? In the end, Cai Mao was forced to close his door to his guests and was placed under house arrest. He was even almost killed by Liu Biao.
In the end, he had left Xiangyang through a secret passage.
"It's not too late to tell you now!" Kuai Yue explained to Cai Mao. "I still have to curry favor with you. You are the future Imperial Uncle. You have to support our Kuai Family!"
"Hmph!" Cai Mao snorted. "Isn't your Kuai Ran the sworn brother of the King of Han?" Cai Mao snorted. Although he was unhappy, he was still very proud.
Who asked you to not have a sister?
"Sigh!" Kuai Yue smiled and shook his head when he saw Cai Mao's proud expression. As long as Cai Mao agreed, it would be good. Kuai Yue had risked his life to come here.
Cai Mao and Kuai Yue's troops further shrank their defensive line. Although Pang Shiyuan and Yizhou's troops were twice as many as Cai Mao's and Kuai Yue's troops, they were still attacking from the front and back.
However, the Shu Route was not a plain and all the troops could not be used. Furthermore, Cai Mao and Kuai Yue shrank their defensive line and managed to hold on despite heavy casualties.
In Yi Province, Chengdu Mansion was also in a state of turmoil.
Fa Zheng looked at the letter in his hand and read ten lines at a time. The more he read, the more his eyes narrowed.
"What kind of person is the messenger?" Fa Zheng asked the gatekeeper who received the letter.
"It's a man in ragged clothes with many wounds on his body. He seems to have just returned from the Shu Route!" The gatekeeper said.
"Shu Route?" Fa Zheng thought for a while and asked, "Did you hear his accent?"
"No!" The gatekeeper shook his head. "I grew up in Chengdu Prefecture and could not tell where his accent came from!" “
These gatekeepers were all ordinary people. In order to make a living, the most important thing for ordinary people was to eat. They rarely traveled outside like scholars. Generally, they would stay in one place for a lifetime. At most, they would visit relatives in two neighboring counties. How could they distinguish the accent of the gatekeepers from where they came from?
"However, it's not Chengdu's accent!"
"Hurry up and bring me to him!" Hearing this, Fa Zheng was a little impatient and said to the gatekeeper.
"Yes!" Soon, the gatekeeper brought Fa Zheng to find the person who delivered the letter.
"Lord Fa Zheng, you are Lord Fa Zheng? Quick, quickly save our general and the others! "The messenger seemed to have not recovered from his shock and shouted anxiously the moment he saw Fa Zheng.
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