Four days later, they successfully arrived in Dangyang County. The gate of the county seat was wide open, and after Liu Qi took out the token, the soldiers welcomed him into the city with trepidation. The crowd kept running to the county office. The county commander Liu Xian is the son of Liu Du, the Taishou of Nanjun, and he immediately came out to greet Liu Qi after he arrived. Liu Qi whimpered and cried about his brother's cannibalism. Liu Xian, who had a sad face, held his hand and said: "As soon as Liu Zhoumu goes, this Jingzhou will be so chaotic, and it will be seen as a joke by the surrounding heroes." ”

Pang Tong, who seemed unwilling to listen to their old words, said directly: "How many soldiers and horses are there in the city of Liu County? ”

Liu Xian, who was suddenly brought to another question, was stunned for a moment before replying: "There are 2,000 infantry and 500 cavalry." ”

Pang Tong shook his head coldly and said, "A force of this size can't resist Cai Mao. Lord Jin once said that the Cai clan's henchmen controlled more than 300,000 soldiers and horses, and Weixing County, Nanyang County, and Yingchuan County in the north were all under their control, and they were quite powerful. His eyes sharpened. I don't know what Lord Lingzun Liu Du is heading towards? ”

At first glance, Liu Xian, who didn't show his feelings, hurriedly said: "My old father is a close confidant of Lord Liu Biao, and at this time of difficulty, I must protect the eldest son." No one will agree with her Cai's evil deeds of abolishing the elder and standing young. This is a brute behavior under the trend of their selfish interests, and even the common people of Jingzhou will not agree with it. ”

Pang Tong, who was nodding, asked again: "Yidu County in the west is under the jurisdiction of Huang Zhong, and Wuling County in the southwest is the territory of Lord Jin Xuan, so don't worry. Changsha County in the south is in the hands of Wen Ping, and Jiangxia County in the northeast is Huang Zu. Huo Jun of Lingling County and Zhao Fan of Guiyang County, further south of Changsha County, are far away and have little influence on the recent situation. Now it depends on which side the general Huang Zhong and Jiangxia's Huang Zu help each other. ”

Liu Xian, who frowned, helped Liu Qi, who looked nervous, to the upper seat and sat down, and after thinking about it, he turned to Pang Tong and said, "Zhao Fan should be on our side, he has always been close to the eldest prince, this is known to everyone in the Cai family." Huo Jun is Huang Zhong's old subordinate, and it depends on General Huang's movements. General Huang has been on expeditions abroad, indifferent to the disputes within the Liu family, and has no position to speak of. If you want to take a real position, it is to identify with the custom of separating the elder and the younger. But I don't know which side he's on. ”

"If that's the kind of person, it's more troublesome." After Pang Tong sat down, he looked at Liu Xian, who was pacing over, and said: "This kind of person will give up the weakest party in order to protect the interests of the whole state, so that Jingzhou can stabilize as soon as possible." Otherwise, Liu Bei in the west, Pang Tong in the north, Cao Cao and Sun Quan in the east are all tigers and wolves, and it is possible to steal the right time and share Jingzhou. ”

Liu Qi, who was seated, trembled when he heard this, and his face was buried in the shadows. Pang Tong, who saw his cowardly expression, was not unhappy, but thought: "Such a person just helps him, and it will also help my plan." ”

Liu Xian, who nodded, fixed his eyes and said, "Your Excellency is very reasonable. This requires going and talking directly to Lord Huang. However, Huang Zu in the northeast has always been good friends with Cai Mao, so I don't think I'm optimistic. The clerk in the south is also a person who does not pay attention to the situation. ”

"In that case, the situation is very unfavorable for us." Pang Tong made a judgment. "The strong support of Lord Liu Du of Nanjun is only a drop in the bucket. As long as Huang Zhong, Wen Ping, and Huang Zu are on the Cai side, our side is in danger, and it is completely within the trap. ”

Liu Xian, who didn't have much common sense of war, couldn't make any judgment on this, just nodded blindly.

Pang Tong, who made up his mind, said: "Trouble Prince Liu Xian to escort the eldest prince to Wuling." I'm going to Yidu County to convince General Huang in person. If he can be moved, the situation will surely turn around. ”

Liu Qi, who had already developed a dependence on Pang Tong, groaned: "Brother Pang, don't leave me." ”

Pang Tong, who had a serious face, arched his hand and said: "If you can't win General Huang, everything will be in danger." I also asked the eldest prince to ask Wuling to live in peace. But I want your token to use. He said to Liu Xian again: "Please give me a thousand cavalry." ”

On the second day, Pang Tong set off to the west, and he had to pass through Xiling and Xinling counties to reach Baidi County. Huang Zhongzheng led 100,000 troops to garrison the White Emperor City in case Yizhou came to prevent troops.

If it was simply to talk to Huang Zhong about things, he and Xueyue would ride faster and safer. However, Pang Tong's gathering was to confuse the enemy soldiers. Let Cai Mao think that Huang Zhong has loosened his position, otherwise Liu Qi would not have fled over there and gave up Wuling. Pang Tong also asked Liu Xian to put Liu Qi in an ordinary caravan, disguise himself as an ordinary person, and arrive at Wuling, which was safer and could better ensure that Pang Tong's overall plan could be implemented.

Pang Tong's decision attracted Cai Maofang's attention. Cai Mao's henchmen believed that Liu Qi was fleeing in the direction of Huang Zhong, and began to worry about what the battle between the two sides would be like after Huang Zhong raised his army. If Cai Mao holds heavy troops, but Huang Zhong is a famous veteran, and no one in Jingzhou can compare with him in the matter of killing.

But some things are unpredictable. Wang Wei, the county commander of Xiling County in Nanjun, actually sent 2,000 troops to pursue Pang Tong. This surprised Pang Tong, and Xue Yue asked, "Why are those people in Xiling chasing us?" ”

Pang Tong, who had already seen through the situation, said coldly: "Right now, Liu Qi is in a weak position, and it is normal for a county order to defect to the Cai family. If Liu Qi can be attacked and killed, this is a great achievement, and there must be no problem in getting a position such as a county guard. ”

"What a good opportunity to turn around." Xue Yue said: "I really don't understand what you're thinking, is it good for you to help this doomed son?" ”

Pang Tong smiled but did not speak.

Xue Yue, who was a little angry, snorted coldly: "Always don't tell the truth, it's so insidious!" ”

Pang Tong, who listened to her angry words, turned his head to look at the dust raised by the pursuers two miles away, and he thought to himself: "You must escape from their pursuit, otherwise you will not be able to move an inch." ”

At night, the sky was full of thunder and torrential rain. Under the rain curtain, Pang Tong, who looked at the mountains in the distance, had a plan. He led his men up the mountain road to a high place, and ordered his soldiers to cut down some large trees. The faint smell of rain swept across his mouth, and everywhere on his face was rain climbing, his hair was soaked, his leather armor was heavy brownish yellow in the light of lightning, and the two ordinary weapons in his hands looked at the mountain road below, and the war horse was tied to the woodland in the distance. Two hundred soldiers pushed the stump to the edge of the cliff. Eight hundred people waited quietly at the corner of the mountain road below.

The sound of horses' hooves splashed muddy water and came towards here. Behind the pursuers who penetrated the rain curtain, the stumps kept smashing down, and some smashed directly into their formation. Someone was stoned to death, someone's horse screamed and fell off the cliff, and the situation was chaotic. And at the corner of the mountain road, a group of black-pressed raiders rushed out.

And on the mountain road above, Pang Tong, who had been waiting for a long time, shouted: "Descend early!" ”

The horsemen fell to the ground as their horses' hooves slid on the ground, or crashed into their own men. Under the rain curtain, the infantry showed an excellent combat advantage on this mountain road. The pursuers were defeated, and the leading cavalry captain was hacked to death with a knife. Xue Yue said loudly to Pang Tong through the rain curtain: "Why did you choose the mountain road, why do you know that he will definitely take the mountain road?" ”

This time, Pang Tong replied to her seriously: "On a rainy day, the low-lying areas here have been flooded and are impassable at all. They will definitely take the mountain road, and the enemy soldiers only know that we are running away, and they do not know that we will stop them here. It's just a small trick. ”

After the war, more than 400 people were taken prisoner. The rain gradually became lighter, and on the hillside, Pang Tong looked at these frightened captives, and said with a serious face: "You are Wang Wei's subordinates, and you are also working for Jingzhou." Now we are waiting for Lord Liu Qi to take Jingzhou. If you want to leave, I can let it go now. ”

Under his coercion and temptation, the crowd pleaded for containment. Pang Tong reorganized them. Fourteen hundred horsemen marched west in the morning and reached the territory of Xinling County the next day. Everything was safe here, there was no resistance to anything, and the weather gradually cleared.