"Report." As soon as Pang Jigang ran out of the Cai Mansion's meeting hall, he saw a horse coming to report, so he stopped.
Cai Mao was about to put on armor and lead 5,000 soldiers and horses to surround Liu Qi's house. He ordered Liu Biao to kill him first and then report him. The detective horse came to report in a hurry. Something must have happened. He asked, "Why are you so alarmed?"
"The eldest son, Liu Qi, took two hundred armored soldiers and escorted ten carriages with the corpses of soldiers rushing towards the Governor's Mansion."
"Explore again."
"Yes." Tan Ma retreated, and Cai Hao quickly shouted to Pang Ji: "Pang Gong, stay here."
Pang Ji returned to the meeting hall and saw that Cai Mao looked wrong and asked, "What are your orders, general?"
Cai Mao said angrily: "I just came to report that Liu Qi took Liu Biao's two hundred armored soldiers and took Zhang Hu into custody. Chen Sheng's body was sent to the governor's office. Let me ask you, when did Liu Biao's soldiers put on armored soldiers?
Why did Liu Qi transport the body to the governor's office?"
Pang Ji listened to Cai Mao's question, thought for a moment, his face changed drastically, and he said in surprise: "General, I'm afraid something bad is going to happen?"
Cai Mao said something and looked at Pang Ji blankly. He didn't know why Pang Ji changed his face when he heard this.
Pang Ji took a few steps forward and said: "My lord's personal soldiers have never been heard to be equipped with iron armor. At this time, the eldest son's two hundred personal soldiers are wearing iron armor. It must be that the eldest son has prepared for a rainy day and has already prepared an army. At this time, ten carriages were escorted
The corpse must be to express to the lord the merits of suppressing the bandits. Zhang Hu and Chen Sheng were born as bandits, and they are also the general's assistant generals. In this case, I am afraid that the general will not be able to escape the suspicion of collaborating with the bandits."
"Crooked, damn, Liu Qi is a rat, a common man..." After hearing Pang Ji's analysis, Cai Hao felt that the matter was very difficult, and he was so anxious that he cursed. Unexpectedly, Liu Qi, who was usually sick, turned out to be a man who kept a low profile and bided his time.
Yep, I'll be more ruthless than anyone else.
"How about sending troops to kill Liu Qi before he reaches the governor's office?" Cai Hao was not sure whether this idea was feasible and asked Pang Jidao.
Pang Ji shook his head: "General, not allowed."
"Why?"
"Since Liu Qi has shipped the corpses in such a big way, he will definitely create public opinion and suppress the bandits in the city. If the general raises troops to suppress it, it will prove that the general is connected with the bandits. I am afraid that he will not only worry about his reputation, but also break the trust of the people."
"Hey, Liu Qi is so young. He's really annoying. He can't be killed and can't be killed, and he can't be released. What can he do?" Cai Hao was so angry that his lungs were about to explode. He took out his sword and thrust it at the desk, gritting his teeth.
Said: "I will avenge the killing of the general, and I will avenge it to the death."
Seeing Cai Mao's anger, Pang Ji advised him: "Liu Qi is powerful and has raised troops in the name of suppressing bandits, which is highly appreciated by his lord. The general must not confront the enemy head-on at this time, otherwise both sides will suffer losses and will be accused of collaborating with bandits. It is really not worth the loss."
As for Liu Qi, we should pay close attention to his movements, take a long-term approach, and seize the opportunity before taking action harshly."
"That's all." After getting angry, Cai Hao slowly calmed down and considered the next step.
Pang Ji added: "General, you can hurry up and report to your lord the rebellion of Zhang Hu and Chen Sheng before Liu Qi, sever ties with Zhang and Chen, and praise Liu Qi for his contribution in suppressing the bandits. This should be used more seriously, my lord."
There must be no doubt. However, the general can secretly mobilize his troops and horses, and use silence to stop Liu Qi. When Liu Qi changes, he can attack Liu Qi with all his strength, and he will be defeated."
When Cai Mao heard this, he frowned and waved his hands repeatedly: "That's not right, that's not right, Zhang Hu. Chen Sheng died unjustly because of me, how can I bite back? I can't do this kind of thing where relatives will hate each other and enemies will be happy.
Mr. Pang still has other ideas."
Seeing that Cai Mao rejected his suggestion, Pang Ji felt more in awe of Cai Mao. Cai Mao refused to take advantage of Zhang Hu. Chen Sheng's death was an act of demolishing a river and a bridge, which shows that Cai Mao still cares about the feelings of his subordinates and is not a treacherous person. Thinking of his situation, he actually
Feeling somewhat relieved, he thought for a moment and sighed slightly: "Well, since the general won't allow it, then we should retreat and settle for the next best thing."
Cai Mao said: "How can I ask for the second best? Mr. Pang, please tell me."
Pang Ji stroked his beard and bowed to Cai Mao: "Liu Qi and his 200 armored cavalry must be well prepared. The general can quickly go to the Governor's Mansion to report other military affairs to his lord. When Liu Qi arrives with the corpse, he should be regarded as
It’s okay if you don’t know, and you can let Empress Xu figure it out. After all, you can’t be accused of being a bandit, so Zhang and Chen will be able to understand the general’s difficulties.”
"Okay, just follow Pang Gong." Cai Mao looked at Pang Ji appreciatively, felt pity, and said: "Pang Gong is covered in blood, so he should change his clothes. You can leave now and come back in a few days."
The government will discuss this with me in the long run."
"Yes, thank you general for your consideration. Ji Dang was very generous and willing to work hard for the general." Pang Ji was moved to tears. Not only did Cai Mao not blame Pang Ji for the loss of troops in the siege of Liu Qi's mansion, but he also cared for Pang Ji. What the ancients valued was integrity and integrity.
Loyalty, how could Cai Mao not make Pang Ji loyal to him even if he behaved like this?
Pang Ji exited the Cai Mansion. Cai Mao said loudly, "Come, prepare your horses." As he said this, he walked towards the door of the mansion. The attendant brought a good horse. Cai Mao jumped up and galloped towards the Governor's Mansion.
Fortunately, he arrived in time. When Cai Hao arrived at Liu Biao's governor's house, he did not see Liu Qi's two hundred armored soldiers. Perhaps Liu Qi was not able to move quickly because he was escorting ten corpse carts, so he was still behind.
Cai Mao rushed straight into Liu Biao's governor's house. The guards in front of the house knew Cai Mao and did not dare to say anything. Besides, Cai Mao had always been like this and it was not a surprise.
When he came to the meeting hall where Liu Biao was doing his daily business, Cai Hao did not see Liu Biao. He asked the guards in the palace and told him that Liu Biao was not feeling well. He had not held meetings for many days and was resting in his bedroom.
"Oh, could it be that Liu Biao was absent because of his illness? He knew that Liu Qi had killed Zhang Hu and Chen Sheng, the second general, and suspected that I was a bandit?" Cai Hao suddenly felt nervous. Although he had firmly grasped the military power, Liu Biao was not an ordinary person. He
However, the imperial official was a member of the Han clan, and there were already a group of civil servants and generals loyal to him in the seven counties of Jingxiang and Xiang. If Liu Biao tried his best, Cai Mao might not be able to catch him.
The more Cai Mao thought about it, the more he felt that something was wrong. There were beads of sweat on his forehead. It was a serious crime. If the court found it, it would be the crime of killing the nine tribes. Although Zhang Hu and Chen Sheng abandoned the bandits and surrendered to Cai Mao's family that day, they passed by Liu Biao.
He silently agreed, but it was a silent promise after all, and it was empty talk. No wonder Liu Biao refused to stamp the Jingzhou governor's seal to clear up the identity of General Zhang and Chen. It seems that Liu Biao had thought of this move a long time ago, and he was really cunning.
Things are becoming more and more unfavorable, and it is becoming more and more difficult for Cai Mao to control. Cai Mao's current concern is not how to avenge Zhang Hu and Chen Sheng, let alone how to trample Liu Qi under his feet. What he is thinking about is
How to convince Liu Biao that he had nothing to do with the bandits? It seems that Pang Ji had the foresight to sell Zhang Hu and Chen Sheng as a last resort. Anyway, they were dead and there was no evidence of their death. Zhang and Chen also had no family members. Qingming
Just burn some more paper money for them during the winter solstice and pay homage to them.
Thinking of this, Cai Mao no longer dwelled on the matter of colluding with the bandits, nor did he rush into Liu Biao's bedroom. At this time, his words and deeds could no longer be as arrogant as before. Liu Qi could not die playing with women, tripping horses, and swallowing rat poison.
The poison won't kill him. It seems that Liu Qi's life should not be cut off. He should be more careful in the future. Let's deal with this matter now.
Cai Hao, sword in hand, hurriedly turned two corners and arrived at the courtyard of Mrs. Cai, Liu Biao's wife and sister. When the two maids guarding the gate saw that Cai Hao was coming, one of the more clever maids quickly ran inside.
Please ask Mrs. Cai for instructions.
Brother Zang Mao made a special trip to the mansion to visit him. It was not his stepson Liu Qi who asked for greetings, but Mrs. Cai did not dare to neglect him. Instead, she warmly welcomed Cai Mao into the hall and ordered the maid to make tea and sit down.
It is said that women are attentive, but Mrs. Cai did not notice the strange expression on her brother's face. Maybe it was Cai Mao who hid it well, but she saw Mrs. Cai smiling and saying: "My brother hasn't been here for many days, how can I have time to visit today?"
elder sister?"
"I was busy with military affairs a few days ago, so don't blame me if I didn't have time to say hello to my sister. I wonder how my nephew is doing?" Cai Hao knew that his sister, Mrs. Cai, liked her son Liu Cong the most, and Cai Hao also liked him, so he asked him intentionally.
When mentioning her son Liu Cong, Mrs. Cai's face was full of joy: "My little nephew, he is getting more and more naughty. In the morning, he climbed a tree to get bird eggs, threw them into a mud pit, made a big face and cried for a long time."
"Oh, you were naughty. Did the fall hurt? Where's my nephew? I'll go take a look." Cai Hao asked with concern, looked around, and stood up to visit Liu Cong.
"Haha, brother, don't worry. There are many maids and servants in the house accompanying you. How can you fall? It's just a stain on your clothes. I washed and slept, so it won't be a problem." Mrs. Cai said and laughed, but suddenly she seemed to think of something again,
He said: "A few days ago, the eldest son Liu Qi personally came to visit me to pay his respects."
"Oh - why did he suddenly think of saying hello to his sister? The weasel was not kind enough to say hello to the rooster." Cai Hao was startled and blurted out. Thinking of Liu Qi's greetings to Mrs. Cai, the sun was coming out from the west, and his first reaction was
Liu Qi was once again trying to trick his stepmother, his sister, and he felt anxious. He made a mistake as soon as he said the words, and Mrs. Cai's unhappy look immediately appeared.
"Sister is not a chicken, oh, no, no, no... I didn't mean it like that. How can I compare with a chicken? Sister is better than a phoenix." Cai Hao saw Mrs. Cai's long face, and for a moment he let the slip and became incoherent. Although he said
Cai Mao's metaphor is too apt, but after all, it would be inappropriate to apply it to her own sister. Of course Mrs. Cai, who has always been pampered and pampered, cannot stand Cai Mao's reckless words.
"Ahem, brother, what do you want to say when you come today?" Mrs. Cai coughed twice, skipped the unpleasant topic of chickens and wolves, and became calm again. Although Mrs. Cai was unhappy in her heart, she did not express it too much.
It was clear to his mind that in the future, if his precious son Liu Cong wanted to successfully run against Liu Qi, who had killed his own mother, he would have to rely on the help of his uncle, the lieutenant general.
"Exactly." Cai Mao saluted and stood up to answer. Seeing that Mrs. Cai was no longer angry, he relaxed a little. After all, siblings are connected by blood, and they would not hold grudges just because of one or two words of offense.
"I heard that my brother-in-law is not feeling well. Do you know what's wrong with him?" Cai Mao remembered that the governor's office wanted to see Liu Biao's rejection, so he directly asked his sister, Mrs. Cai, his concerns.