Chapter 473 I, the Jingxiang nobility, cannot be violated!
How could Kuai Yue not know that once Sun Jian's troops were allowed to enter Xiangyang, they would inevitably face a bloodbath. At least the personnel here in Cai Mao would have to disarm and be under Sun Jian's control.
As for them, they need to implement the content in the production responsibility letter, otherwise they will face the outcome of being dismissed. In the final analysis, they will still face a major reshuffle.
war?
Or drop?
This was a question that even Quin Yue himself did not dare to decide.
However, he himself knew very well that once they decided to rebel, they would have no way out.
If Xiangyang City cannot withstand it, then their power in the Jianghan Plain will be greatly weakened, and they may even have to retreat to the south of the Yangtze River to protect themselves, as Cai Mao said.
If they don't rebel, they will just be fish and meat on the chopping board, and they will be slaughtered by others. Their farmland may become the farmland of the court, which is what their ancestors have accumulated for generations.
But if they are determined to rebel, their probability of victory is also very small. Even if the people south of the Yangtze River can protect themselves, they still cannot defend their ancestral heritage.
If you want the best of both worlds, the key lies in Xiangyang!
Only by firmly controlling Xiangyang, the northern gate of Jingxiang, in your own hands, can you truly become the master and compete with the Nanyang court.
But......
Can they hold on?
Kuai Yue took a deep breath, glanced at Cai Mao, and seeing his expectant and determined eyes, he finally walked up to the top, waved to the Jingzhou officials in the hall and shouted:
"Everyone, please be quiet."
With a shout, the civil and military officials in the palace gradually became quiet.
Their eyes invariably focused on Kuai Yue, expecting the other party's order: "We are all officials from Jingzhou, but we are grasshoppers on the same rope."
"Now, Nanyang Hanting is forcing us to make compromises in the form of a letter of responsibility, and has even made some difficult-to-fulfill demands. It is clear that it is forcing us to resign."
"That being the case..."
Kuai Yue didn't bother to talk nonsense at all and said softly: "The road before us is very clear. There are only two. The first is to submit to Nanyang Hanting and work hard to be an official. If it doesn't work, then resign and return home.
, abdicate and make way for worthy people.”
As soon as the words came out, the civil servants and generals below immediately became angry, and they all talked and complained:
"Damn it! Why should we resign and return home, abdicate and give way to others? Jingzhou is our Jingzhou!"
"Yes, our ancestors have lived here for generations, and we are the masters here."
"I've never felt this cowardly in my life!"
"His Majesty the Nanyang Emperor is so shameless."
"He is unkind and I am unjust!"
"..."
Listening to the noise of the crowd, Cai let out a long sigh. He always felt that he could summon the strength of Jingzhou to fight against the Han Dynasty in Nanyang. Only by picking up weapons can he truly protect his own rights and interests.
"That's right."
Then, Cai Mao also echoed: "We are the masters of Jingxiang. How can we allow others to run wild on this land and try to take away our ancestral property? It depends on whether Nanyang has a good mouth!"
"What De Gui said makes sense. We Jingxiang scholars are not so easy to bully."
"Since His Majesty the Nanyang Emperor thinks we are easy to bully, let's unite and make him look good."
"I really don't believe it anymore. Is he as powerful as the legend says?"
"..."
The sound of anger is overwhelming.
Kuai Yue waved his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and continued: "Then the second way is to concentrate our strength and fight against Nanyang. But now, I have to tell you that Sun Jian has led the army south."
"Obviously!"
Speaking of this, Kuai Yue's voice was loud and clear, with a hint of coldness: "The other party's purpose is to settle in Jingxiang and control our Jingxiang according to the initial requirements."
"If you have thought about it, if you want to confront the Nanyang court, maybe there will be a decisive battle in less than two days. If we can defend Xiangyang, it will be great."
"But if you can't hold on..."
Kuai Yue's voice was drawn out and he breathed out a thick breath: "We will most likely need to retreat to Nanjun, or even to the south of the Yangtze River to confront the Nanyang imperial court across the river."
You must know that a large part of the property of the Jingxiang gentry is located in the areas north and south of the Yangtze River. The mountains are high and the forests are dense. They are relatively backward and do not have much industry at all.
If they are really forced to the south of the Yangtze River, in other words, all their assets should be reduced to ashes and become the public property of the Nanyang court. Can you afford such consequences?
In an instant, all the civil servants and generals in the palace became silent. The fundamental purpose of their resistance was to preserve their own foundation. If they couldn't preserve it, then why resist? They might even have to lose their lives.
Just as everyone fell silent, Cai Mao took another step forward and said loudly: "How can we just give away the inheritance left to us by our ancestors in vain?"
"In the future, a hundred years from now, will you have the honor to meet your ancestors? I don't even dare to fight, and I am humiliated in vain. Is this the spirit of a Jingxiang scholar like me?"
"Isn't my Cai family's property in Jingxiang not as large as Bill's?"
As we all know, the Cai family is the largest noble family in Jingxiang. Especially after his own sister became Liu Biao's concubine, the power of the Cai family has been further developed.
Even Cai Mao can take the risk of destroying the entire family property, not to mention these people who don't have much foundation in the first place. They should be more active than themselves.
really!
These words immediately made the Jingxiang noble clan excited:
"Yes, we should unite and fight Nanyang Hanting to the end."
"We have made concessions many times, but what we got back is still insults. This time we must resist."
"The city of Xiangyang has been fortified. I believe Nanyang will not be taken down that easily."
"Yes, Xiangyang City is extremely impregnable and cannot be destroyed so easily."
"What a bullshit Fuhuo Lei Lei, I really want to taste his power."
"Fight him to the end."
"That's right, do it to the end!"
"..."
Seeing that everyone was filled with indignation, Kuai Yue felt completely at ease.
At that moment, he glanced at everyone firmly, nodded his head, and said loudly: "Very good, now that everyone has decided, let's discuss how we should act."
Cai Mao waved his hand and said loudly: "Xidu, the current situation does not allow for discussion. You can give the order directly. We will all obey your order."
Everyone agreed:
"Yes, we listen to you."
"Yes, we listen to you and give the order."
"Xeno is very resourceful, we listen to you."
"Give the order."
"..."
Kuai Yue took a deep breath, and immediately stopped trying to evade, and ordered loudly: "Where is Cai Mao?"
Cai Mao took a step forward, bowed and raised his hands: "Here."
"I think Liu Biao hasn't gone far yet. You should immediately send out cavalry to intercept Liu Biao. In any case, Liu Biao is a clan member of the Han Dynasty, so his appeal will naturally be stronger."
"rest assured."
Cai Mao patted his chest and promised: "I will let Zihe lead the elite troops to pursue him. Even if we chase him to Wancheng, we must capture Liu Biao."
"kindness."
Kuai Yue nodded and then said: "Capturing Liu Biao is one thing. At the same time, we need to send people to capture Mao Jie and use him as a threat to gain a certain amount of time for us to mobilize our troops and generals."
"Where is Huang Zu?"
"exist."
"Hurry back to Jiangxia, mobilize all the troops and horses, and prepare to attack from the Suizao Corridor, then go around and attack Sun Jian's troops and horses, so as to form an angle with Xiangyang and relieve the pressure on our army."
"Here."
"..."
*****
Governor's Mansion.
Mao Jie organized the responsibility letters and prepared to file them.
Suddenly, a quick voice sounded outside the hall:
"Mao Shijun!"
"Mao Shijun!"
"..."
Mao Jie raised his eyes and looked up.
But see...
Han Song, who was engaged in the work, rushed over in a hurry and didn't even bother to salute, so he hurriedly said: "Come with me quickly, otherwise it will be too late."
Mao Jie frowned, but remained unmoved: "De Gao, what do you mean? Why should I follow you?"
As a last resort, Han Song could only keep his story short and said hurriedly: "Kuai Yue and Cai Mao have gathered the Jingxiang gentry. I don't know what they are discussing. Based on my understanding of them, once they are ready to attack, they will definitely attack the envoy."
"oh?"
Mao Jie was surprised and couldn't help but be stunned: "How dare they be so presumptuous?"
Han Song knew the Jingxiang gentry very well: "Why don't you dare? You should come with me, otherwise when they come up with a countermeasure, they will definitely take the envoy hostage and threaten the court."
"I got the news below that the imperial court has sent Sun Jian to lead elite troops to advance by land and water to kill Xiangyang. This is certainly a threat to the Jingxiang gentry, but it also stimulates his rebellious psychology."
If he only wants Mao Jie's life, then Mao Jie will definitely not be afraid, but if he threatens the court with his own life, it will be equivalent to dragging down the court, which is definitely something Mao Jie does not want to see.
"But......"
Mao Jie also raised his own doubts: "Where can I hide in this huge Xiangyang City? I'm afraid it won't be long before Cai Mao finds me, right?"
"Follow me."
Han Song did not hesitate, rushed forward, grabbed Mao Jie, and walked out: "If they really want to take action, maybe not only you, but also all the officials who are not from Jingxiang like us will suffer."
Han Song was from Nanyang, but he had been an official in Jingzhou.
And he was also unswervingly supporting Liu Biao's submission to the Han court in Nanyang.
Now that Liu Biao has become a servant of the imperial court, he can also become an official of Nanyang Hanting as he wishes. However, unfortunately, the content of Mao Jie's letter of responsibility is too stringent and is very likely to force Jingxiang officials to rebel.
"Oh right."
After walking out of the governor's mansion, the two got on the carriage.
Han Song then remembered something and asked tentatively: "I wonder if Mao Shijun could tell me whether the content of this responsibility letter was compiled by you yourself or by His Majesty?"
Mao Jie frowned and did not answer the question directly: "De Gao, why do you ask this question?"
Han Song did not hesitate and said directly: "It's very simple. If you make it yourself and cause great changes in Jingxiang, I can only say that you are too reckless and eager to make achievements, which is extremely unwise."
"Then what if it was His Majesty's doing?"
"His Majesty?"
Han Song glanced at Mao Jie, raised the corners of his lips and said, "If it was your Majesty who did it, I believe there must be a deep meaning behind such an unconventional move, and I will feel much more at ease."
Well......
Mao Jie looked helpless.
It would be unwise to do it yourself.
What His Majesty the Emperor did must have deep meaning.
Han Song, is it too disrespectful for you to have such double standards in front of me?
Mao Jie's expression was slightly embarrassed, but he finally exhaled and said: "I have to admit that I personally cannot write such a letter of responsibility. Most of them are His Majesty's wishes."
call-
When Han Song heard this, he took a deep breath and felt completely relieved: "I'm relieved now."
Mao Jie then added: "However, the content of such a responsibility letter will not change even if our own officials are replaced, otherwise it will be true."
"ah?"
Han Song looked in disbelief and asked tentatively: "You mean, can Nanyang officials handle such a responsibility letter?"
Mao Jie said with absolute certainty: "Of course!"
"impossible!"
Han Song was extremely certain: "This is absolutely impossible."
Mao Jie sneered: "How is this impossible? Just because you can't do it yourself doesn't mean that others can't do it. Your Majesty once said, don't use your own standards to measure others."
Han Song frowned, his mind racing.
But......
No matter what he thought, he still couldn't think of any solution: "Jingnan has high mountains and dense forests, and the amount of arable land is limited. How can we create tens of thousands of acres of wasteland? This is impossible."
Mao Jie was confident: "We can do everything you can't do. This is the gap between the two sides. Your Majesty has said that the two states of Jingyang will be the granary of the imperial court and will support the development of the imperial court in the future."
There is no room for error.”
After Han Song heard this, he finally understood why the imperial court wanted to take action against the Jingxiang gentry. As the granary planned by the imperial court, how could the cultivated land be controlled by the Jingxiang gentry? This was equivalent to handing over life to the gentry, which would cause problems.
.
"If this is really the case..."
Han Song took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, nodded lightly and said: "Jing Yang does need a fight. This will be more thorough. Although it may be a little late, as long as he comes, it will not be too late."
After all, the current season is about to start spring. Once a war occurs, it will last for at least several months, and at most for a year and a half. Farming will definitely be delayed and another year will be wasted.
"rest assured."
Mao Jie was extremely certain: "It won't be delayed."
Han Song frowned and seemed to realize something: "Xiangyang has been reinforced. Could it be that your Majesty has a way to defeat the enemy?"
Mao Jie said softly: "You don't understand the power of the fire and thunder at all. Once the war starts, Xiangyang City will be defeated in an instant, so we don't have to leave the city. The most dangerous place is also the safest place."
Han Song understood what Mao Jie meant: "Since the commander said this, Song understands what should be done."
Mao Jie said graciously: "Let's wait and see."
Han Song nodded: "Of course."
"Oh right."
At this moment, Han Song suddenly remembered something: "Liu Shizhong's former confidant Wenpin is from Wancheng, Nanyang. I will find a way to contact him and be responsible for protecting your safety."
Mao Jiedan smiled: "Your hard work has made you more virtuous."
Han Song: "This is what we are doing."
*****
Outside Xiangyang City.
On the official road leading to Wancheng.
A small team is moving slowly.
On the carriage, Liu Biao held Liu Cong in his arms and said to Mrs. Cai with a smile: "This visit to Wancheng is not like in Xiangyang. You can do whatever you want. It is a deadly place and you are not allowed to do so. Do you understand?
"
Mrs. Cai looked away from the window and said softly: "Don't worry, I still understand this matter and will never cause trouble to my husband."
"kindness."
Liu Biao nodded with satisfaction: "Although I am just a servant, I am a clan member of the Han Dynasty after all. If I am useful in the future, I will definitely be able to be released. At least I should be a county guard."
Mrs. Cai smiled sweetly: "Husband, I don't mind that you are a young official. In fact, you are already qualified as a servant. It is actually quite good to live in a prosperous place like Wancheng."
Because Wancheng was the temporary imperial capital, it developed very rapidly, especially the business environment, which was very, very good and had far surpassed Luoyang City back then.
Although Mrs. Cai is a lady, she is still a member of the female class, and she lives in a corner. She has not seen much of the world. Being able to come to Wancheng is what she dreams of.
In the past, she had only heard about the prosperity of Wancheng, but this time, she finally had the opportunity to see the real Wancheng. How could she think about leaving and becoming a mountain king?
Liu Biao couldn't help but feel surprised when he saw his wife's reaction. It seemed that he was worried: "Cong'er, after we go to Wancheng, how about our whole family going to listen to the story of the Monkey King together?"
"Okay, okay."
Liu Cong couldn't hide the excitement on his face: "Cong'er likes the Monkey King the most. Father, Cong'er also wants to raise a golden monkey at home. Is that okay?"
"OK."
Liu Biao scratched the young son's little nose and said affectionately: "Let's buy a golden monkey and some little macaques and let them play with you, okay?"
Liu Cong was very excited: "Really?"
Liu Biao nodded: "Of course, when has father lied to you?"
Liu Cong raised his little hands: "Father is great."
Mrs. Cai's Emei frowned and said: "Husband, I heard that the gold-threaded monkey has now risen to sixteen or seven gold, and it is still hard to find a monkey. If you buy it on the black market, it may cost twenty gold or even more. Let's buy it on the black market."
Can you afford it?”
"Don't worry."
Liu Biao pinched a wisp of beard under his chin: "Although my husband and I have not achieved much in Jingzhou these years, I have also saved a lot of money. When we enter Wancheng, we will buy a house first."
"ah?"
Mrs. Cai was astonished: "How come I don't know about these things?"
Liu Biao smiled faintly: "Of course you don't know. I bought all the land equity certificates with all the money. After I go to Wancheng and sell part of it, I can naturally exchange it for money. This will make it more secretive."
hiss-!
When Mrs. Cai heard this, she took a deep breath.
She really couldn't believe it.
Her husband actually had such a skill and did so many things behind her back.
It turned out that Liu Biao had been making two preparations, otherwise it would be impossible to allocate so many assets in Nanyang.
Now that Jingzhou has completely surrendered to Nanyang, such preparations can finally come in handy.
"Husband, you are really..."
When Mrs. Cai was about to say something.
Suddenly, a voice sounded outside the car:
"Liu Shizhong, there is a situation."
"kindness?"
"It seems that they are coming from Xiangyang, and they are bringing soldiers and horses! Brothers, be alert."
Liu Biao hurriedly handed the child to Mrs. Cai, turned around, and leaned sideways under the carriage. He stretched out his hand to lift the corner of the curtain and looked in the direction of Xiangyang.
really!
At the end of the field of vision, a torrent of smoke and dust rolled in. The rumble of horse hooves, from far to near, seemed to be exploding in the ears. In the turbulent smoke and dust, a signal flag with black characters on a yellow background faced the wind. Exhibition.
"not good."
Liu Biao suddenly realized something, frowned, and whispered: "Cai Mao may have rebelled."
Mrs. Cai was stunned: "Ah? Degui...how could he rebel?"
Liu Biao naturally knew what was going on: "These things are beyond your control, just stay well and protect Cong'er."
"Qi'er!"
Liu Biao hurriedly greeted: "Come in quickly."
Liu Qi then got in from outside the carriage and said in a panic: "Father, what on earth is going on?"
Liu Biao sighed and did not explain. He just pushed him back into the car, took out a sword from underneath, and with a cry, he drew the sword out of its sheath, always on guard and not daring to relax at all.
Rumble—!
The war horses galloped closer and closer.
A wave of arrows suddenly struck, covering the car like a blanket.
The accompanying guards immediately raised their double-arc shields to protect the carriage. They were all elite soldiers, and when this wave of arrows came, no one fell to the ground.
But alas...
They only have a small group of soldiers and horses, and including the team members, there are only fifty people.
Such a team, no matter how strong their combat effectiveness is, may not be a match for the Xiangyang cavalry in the wilderness, not to mention that the troops are led by Cai Mao's cronies.
"kill!"
A roar that shook the sky and the earth sounded.
Wuyangyang's cavalry rushed over without any fancy, like a torrent, directly drowning them.
"Fire and thunder bullets, prepare!"
"put!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A wave of short-handled sticks, carrying wisps of green smoke, was thrown directly at the surging cavalry. In the next moment, a series of explosions sounded, and then people turned on their backs, and ghosts cried and wolves howled.
"Is this the Fire and Thunder?"
"It's really great!"
Liu Biao was stunned and couldn't believe his eyes.
Just such a short stick can actually blow up a war horse, and even the flying rocks can hurt people. The lethality is really explosive. No wonder Nanyang Hanting can win repeated battles.
pity!
There were too many Xiangyang cavalry, and they were very fast. After forcing their way through these explosions, they reached the small team as quickly as possible.
The imperial guards immediately held their spears at an angle and pointed them outward. Under the command of the team leader, they stabbed back and forth rhythmically towards the Xiangyang cavalry.
Liu Biao had to admit that although the opponent was just a team leader, his ability to remain calm, command calmly, and take corrective precautions in the face of this situation had already proven his military qualities.
Just a team leader can have such ability. Nanyang Hanting's strategy of elite troops has indeed exerted a certain effect.