Wang Zheng explained: "Actually, whether he is really showing weakness or trying to lure me deeper, since he has made such a statement, Yuzhang will probably just sit back and watch. This is the most troublesome thing.
"
"What my lord said is true."
Guo Jia pondered for a moment and said: "I promised to provide food before, and now I show my good intentions again. If Liu Biao did not send troops and horses to Yuzhang to rescue Hua Xin, he would not be considered as provoking a border provocation. However, my lord really has no choice but to raise troops and go south."
The reason is that since ancient times, those who follow virtue will prosper, and those who go against virtue will perish. If the teacher is unknown, then things will not be accomplished."
Wang Zheng nodded slightly, he naturally understood this truth, while Wu Sheng on the side said in shock: "Sir, what do you mean by this? Does it mean that if Liu Biao is a coward and does not march into Yuzhang, we can't attack him in Jingzhou?"
"Of course not."
Guo Jia shook his head and said: "Jingzhou is the heart of the world, and it occupies the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. As far as Yangzhou is concerned, and as far as the lord is concerned, this must-take land must not fall into the hands of others. However, it will not fall into the hands of others until it is absolutely necessary."
Don't raise troops without reason. According to my opinion, there is still a chance of improvement."
Liu Biao has given up. Is there any chance of improvement?
Wang Zheng raised his eyebrows and asked in surprise: "How do you say this?"
"My lord, please don't forget that although Liu Biao is the shepherd of Jingzhou, not everything in Jingzhou can be decided with a single word." Guo Jia smiled slightly and reminded: "He is unwilling to fight with your lord, and his subordinates may not be the same.
Heart."
"There are many heroes in the land of Jingchu. Come to think of it, not all of them are old, fatuous and courageless people."
Wang Zheng's eyes lit up and he immediately reacted. After thinking for a moment, he clapped his hands and said with a smile, "It's wonderful. The words of "filial piety" can wake up the dreamer."
"I heard Zijing say last time that when he and Gong Jin set out to Jingzhou, many civil servants in Liu Biao's camp obstructed him. Cai Mao, in particular, showed not only hostility but also disdain in his expression and words."
"In this case, Cai Mao will definitely not agree with Liu Biao's move." Guo Jia said with a smile: "This man comes from a wealthy family in Jingzhou, and he is also a general with military power. At this time, wouldn't he be playing into his heart?"
"Not bad."
Wang Zheng clapped his hands and laughed: "It's good to be hostile, but it's better to be disdainful. If we want to be famous, it seems that this guy should be the one."
Hearing this, Wu Sheng and Mi Fang also reacted, especially Mi Fang. When Wang Zheng mentioned Lu Su, his heart couldn't help but thought of an old incident reported by his subordinates before. He immediately bowed out of the queue and patted his chest: "Mr.
, My lord is making decisions. Although I am not talented, even if I take charge of the task, I will do my best to do my best. I will try to motivate this person to send troops to invade our territory, and I will give my lord the authority!"
...
Time flies, and unknowingly it has arrived in April of the second year of Jian'an.
Jingzhou, Xiangyang, Caifu.
Zhang Yun had just arrived outside the study when he heard an angry shout, accompanied by the crisp sound of broken bowls. He couldn't help but be slightly startled. He looked at the maid who was guarding the door and asked in a low voice: "Why is the third uncle making such a sound?"
Big temper?"
He is Liu Biao's nephew, and he is related by marriage to Cai Mao. In addition, the two of them support Liu Biao's second son Liu Cong, and their relationship has always been cordial, so they often call each other uncle and nephew in private.
"I don't know why, little man..." the maidservant said, "The steward just sent me a letter, and after reading it, I got very angry."
"Letter?" Zhang Yun thought for a moment and then asked tentatively: "But it was sent back from Yuzhang?"
Seeing the maidservant nodding, Zhang Yun roughly understood, sighed secretly in his heart, and then walked in.
Seeing Zhang Yun's arrival, Cai Mao didn't get up to greet him, nor did he call for tea. He just sat on the eucalyptus with an unkind expression and said nothing.
Zhang Yun was not angry, and smiled. After Shi Shiran sat down, he asked: "Is the third uncle looking like this because of another letter from Mr. Hua, or is it a reward from the sentry at the front?"
"Why does Hua Xin write again?" Cai Mao snorted coldly, "He asked for help several times before, but the Lord ignored him. Why is it unclear what the situation is?"
"That's the reward for the Sentinel Cavalry." Zhang Yun nodded and asked, "Which city did the Xuzhou Army capture again?"
"Ai County."
"Ai County? The last time the army reported, the Xuzhou army had just captured Haihun County. This time it has already reached Ai County, which is adjacent to our Changsha County?"
Even though he had been mentally prepared, Zhang Yun couldn't help but look shocked when he heard this, "Doesn't this mean that in less than a month, more than ten counties and cities in the north of Yuzhang have fallen?"
"snort!"
Cai Mao's face became more and more gloomy, and he said angrily: "The bandits are so rampant, I'm afraid they will be able to occupy the entire territory of Yuzhang in another month. Once we have established a foothold, it will be easier to march into our seven counties in Jingxiang." !”
Zhang Yun looked deeply convinced, "It's easy to advance, but the disaster will be deeper!"
"Yes." Cai Mao shook his head sadly and said: "It's just that the Lord has strictly ordered us not to go into the army and said that we should not interfere in the affairs of other states. In the past few days, not only you and I, but also the Dukes of Kuai and Pang have also made suggestions several times. It’s useless, what can I do?”
"Actually, my nephew came to see me today for this very reason."
Facing Cai Mao's surprised gaze, Zhang Yun said in a low voice: "We can't persuade the master, but that doesn't mean that my aunt can't persuade her either. Why doesn't the third uncle go talk to her?"
"If I can see you, why do you need to tell me?"
Hearing that Zhang Yun originally had this idea, Cai Maodeng shook his head with disappointment, "There are some things you don't know. I was reckless and mishandled things before, which made the lord very displeased. Therefore, it is strictly prohibited during this period." I entered the house privately."
"It's difficult to enter the house, let alone enter the house to see my sister?" He sighed repeatedly: "How can we make her understand the pros and cons and help us?"
Unexpectedly, Zhang Yun was not surprised when he heard this. Instead, he smiled slightly and said, "Uncle Third, I already knew about this."
"Did you know earlier?" Cai Mao was startled when he heard this: "How did you know about it?"
"Third uncle, don't worry about how I learned about it." Zhang Yun said seriously: "My lord only said that you are not allowed to enter the house privately, but he did not say that you are not allowed to see the madam. My nephew heard that the lady is leaving the house today. Going to the Taoist temple in the south of the city to pray for blessings, isn’t this..."
"Oh, why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Before he finished speaking, he was cut off by Cai Mao's words. Immediately, he stood up and ran towards the outside of the hall. As he ran, he shouted: "Come here, prepare a horse for me quickly!"
...
Cai Mao's residence was in the east of the city, quite a distance away from the south of the city. Because he was worried about not being able to catch up, Cai Mao didn't even have time to change his clothes, let alone summon a guard. He just rode lightly and galloped away.
When he arrived at the Taoist temple, he happened to see a group of women walking out of the Taoist temple, and he hurried up.
"Where is Madam?" As soon as he got the horse, he grabbed the nearest maid and shouted: "Go quickly and tell Cai Mao to see you."
As soon as he finished speaking, a faint voice was heard: "Degui, you are nearly forty years old, why are you still so impetuous?"
Cai Mao was startled. He turned around and saw a woman standing not far behind him, wearing rich clothes and makeup, with tall temples. It was his sister, Mrs. Cai.
"Second sister..."
Cai Mao felt happy and was about to speak when Mrs. Cai glanced at him and said calmly: "If you have anything to say, let's talk about it in the car."
The two got into the car one after another, and when Cai Mao closed the car door, Mrs. Cai rang the bell first. The coachman heard the bell and immediately drove the car forward. Only then did she turn to Cai Mao and asked warmly: "What's the matter?"
Are you so anxious to see me?",
When no outsiders were present, Mrs. Cai's expression immediately softened a lot. However, she regarded Cai Mao as a relative. As soon as Cai Mao opened her mouth, she used lobbyist tactics, first frightened and then comforted: "Second sister, something bad is coming!"
What followed was a long and eloquent speech. Mrs. Cai just listened quietly and did not interrupt. She only waited for Cai Maojiang Yuzhang's current war situation, the importance of this place to Jingzhou, and even Wang Zheng's wolf ambitions, etc.
After everything was explained clearly, he said calmly: "So you came here today because you want me to persuade your husband to become an enemy of Wang Zheng?"
"Sister, how can you persuade your brother-in-law to become an enemy of Wang Zheng?"
Cai Mao raised his head and said dissatisfiedly: "This guy wanted to offend me first, Jing Xiang. Are we going to turn against each other? We can't catch him without even fighting?"
"If the enemy comes, my husband will meet him." Mrs. Cai took a long breath and said with a smile, "But what does Yuzhang have to do with me, Jingxiang?"
"Second sister, you don't know something..."
Cai Maoji's cheeks and forehead were stained with sweat, "Although Yangzhou and Jingzhou are bordered by several places, most of them are separated by mountains and rivers. If you want to consider many factors such as gathering troops, food and grass logistics, etc., the only place that is really suitable for launching an offensive is actually the Lujiang River.
Xunyang, Anfeng, and several places such as Aixian and Yichun in Yuzhang."
"Among them, Xunyang and Anfeng both need to wade across the river. The Yangzhou navy has always been defeated by our Jingzhou army. Wang Zheng is also stronger in land warfare than water warfare. So based on this calculation, Yuzhang is the most suitable!"
"If he doesn't have Yuzhang, if he wants to attack Jingzhou, he will either have to go by water, or he will have to find a way to capture Runan of Yuzhou first. Even if he does this, the distance will be several times longer, and it will be even more difficult to form a quick and direct attack on Xiangyang.
Threat!"
"It's useless for you to tell me, a woman like me."
Mrs. Cai laughed, "I just want to ask you, is Yuzhang a county in Yangzhou or a county in Jingzhou?"
"this..."
Cai Mao said nonchalantly, "Yuzhang naturally belongs to Yangzhou, but Hua Ziyu, the governor of Yuzhang, has already regarded his brother-in-law as his lord."
"The governor can be changed at any time, but the land cannot be moved."
Mrs. Cai shook her head and said: "After all, Yuzhang still belongs to Yangzhou. You have been talking for a long time about what Wang Zheng did after he got Yuzhang, but you forgot one thing."
"What's the matter?" Cai Mao was startled.
"That means Wang Zheng went to attack Yuzhang because his troops were famous. We sent troops to help, but there was no reason to respect others."
Mrs. Cai said: "You said that Wang Zheng has designs on me in Jingzhou. If we really go to help Hua Xin, wouldn't we be playing into this man's ambitions? Have you ever thought about this?"
Seeing that Cai Mao was speechless for a moment, Mrs. Cai said softly: "Degui, when Yuan Shu was the shepherd of Yangzhou, you made several suggestions and suggested that your husband should raise troops to march westward. If a man has the ambition to make contributions, this is what he should do, but if
Without any certainty of victory, initiating war without any assurance will be harmful rather than beneficial."
"How come you are not sure of victory?"
Cai Mao was a little dissatisfied. He raised his head and was about to speak when he suddenly heard a thin scream, and his expression changed immediately.
He has been in the military for a long time, and he heard it almost immediately. It was the sound of arrows!
How could arrow whistles suddenly appear in Xiangyang City?
As soon as Cai Mao had doubts in his mind, he heard a horse neighing suddenly outside the door, and the carriage suddenly shook. He immediately realized that the arrow was aimed at the horse, and it had obviously hit the target.
If you shoot a man, shoot the horse first. The horse's arrow is obviously just the beginning!
Sure enough, there was another "bang", and a black arrow pierced the board and got stuck on it.
Mrs. Cai's car was quite big, but the car was just a car after all, so there was no room for maneuver. Cai Mao knew he couldn't stay in the car any longer, so he immediately pulled Mrs. Cai up, pulled out his sword, and then slammed
He kicked the car door open and shouted: "There is an assassin! Come quickly!"
】
Although the Taoist temple is located in the outer city and is somewhat remote, it still belongs to Xiangyang City after all. However, Cai Mao shouted so loudly, but there was only dead silence around him. The defenders who used to show off their power everywhere now no longer know where they are.
He just jumped out of the car and looked around, but he saw several bodies lying around him. Not only the slave guards, but also the driver driving the horse was full of arrows and fell to the ground.
It turns out that the first wave of attacks just now killed more than just horses.
Oh shit!
Cai was so frightened that he broke into a cold sweat. Fortunately, he was not completely panicked. He still remembered to hide Mrs. Cai behind his back and shouted: "Second sister, don't be afraid, my brother is here!"
Mrs. Cai's face has also turned pale. She is not timid, but she has always been pampered. This is probably the first time she has been assassinated by an assassin. Cai Mao just straightened up, and suddenly the hairs all over his body started to explode. Without thinking about it, he immediately
It's a turnaround.
The next moment, a ray of black light shot toward the place where he was standing. Before Cai Mao could react, he heard Mrs. Cai scream in pain, and then she sat down softly on the ground.
Watching the arrow pass through his body, Cai Mao's mind buzzed. Mrs. Cai had been hit by an arrow, so who would be next?
Hearing the sound of rapid footsteps coming from behind, Cai Mao knew in his heart that the assassin was approaching. The shadow of death shrouded his head. He no longer cared about Feng Yi's image. He looked at Mrs. Cai who was still twitching, obviously not dead yet.
But he hesitated for a moment, and suddenly a fierce look appeared on his face. He suddenly turned his head and left his sister behind to escape alone.
"Is there anyone alive?"
There was a scream from behind, and soon someone shouted: "It's Cai Mao! He's not dead! Shoot the arrow quickly!"
Amidst the swishing sound, another wave of arrows came at a rapid speed. Although none of them hit, Cai Mao was still frightened to death. He ran wildly and shouted: "There is an assassin! Come quickly!"
He didn't know how long he had been running, but there seemed to be footsteps behind him, getting closer and closer. Cai Mao didn't dare to stop, let alone look back. Just when he was about to be exhausted, there was another sound behind him.
Li shouted: "His fortune is good, let's go."
Cai Mao didn't know why the assassins left, but they seemed to retreat very quickly. In the blink of an eye, there was no sound behind them. As soon as the threat of death was lifted, he could no longer hold on, and sat down on the ground, just gulping.
Panting.
At this time, he suddenly heard another voice. Cai Mao felt cold, thinking that the assassin had gone and returned. Just when he was sighing secretly that my life was at stake, he saw a person in the distance shouting in shock: "It's General Cai."
?What’s wrong with you?"
Cai Mao heard the voice of Chen Ao, the commander of the Western Army in the inner city, and couldn't help being surprised and happy. He forced himself to support himself and shouted: "But Commander Chen?"
After a while, Chen Ao rushed to Cai Mao with a dozen soldiers. While personally helping him stand up, he asked with concern: "General, what happened?"
"What else can happen..." Cai Mao said with a wry smile: "Just now, in the southern suburbs of the outer city, I was assassinated."
"What?" Chen Ao was shocked: "Who is so bold? Is the general injured?"
"It can be considered that this general is very lucky, but there is no danger, no harm..."
Before he finished speaking, Cai Mao suddenly remembered, and his expression suddenly changed, "No, go and save my sister!"
"Sister? The general's sister is also accompanying you?"
Chen Ao didn't react at first, but he came to his senses the next moment and was completely panicked.