Liu Biao was imprisoned, and the news of the civil strife in Jingzhou soon reached the ears of Zhao Feng, who was in Lujiang, and Liu Bei, who was in Shouchun. Of course, this news ostensibly only said that Liu Biao suddenly became seriously ill and could not be a director, so he asked Kuai Yue to take care of all Jingzhou affairs. However, Liu Bei and Zhao Feng are not idle, and the smell of this is not quite right. When I thought about other situations, I suddenly understood what was going on.

"Princes, at the moment, Jingxiang is afraid of civil strife, Liu Pantun troops are in the Ganjiang River, and there is always the intention of going east, what can I do?" Liu Bei also asked a little eagerly. Now that everything is really coming, Yuzhou has lost five counties, Jingzhou is a little restless, and Liu Bei rarely encounters such an embarrassing time.

"Lord, I'm afraid someone is making trouble about Jingzhou!" Pang Tong's face was unusually solemn, and then he explained in further detail: "The matter in Yuzhou has stopped, and Jingzhou has been in chaos. Just with Cai Mao and Kuai Yue, although they have huge power in Jingxiang, if they want to kill Liu Biao directly, they must have the courage of foreign aid to dare to do this. ”

"Makes sense!" Liu Bei also felt that the smell of conspiracy was relatively heavy, and then wondered: "Since this is the case, what should our army do?" ”

"Pay attention to Liu Pan's movements first, if Liu Pan dares to enter the army, General Zhao can go straight down Jiangxia from the Lujiang River. Jing Xiangshui Shi Jiangxia, as long as he controls Jiangxia, he can support Li Zhengfang in Nanyang through Xiangshui. Pang Tong thought for a moment before saying. Everyone was silent when they heard this, and now the situation is not completely clear, so let's send more people to inquire about the news.

"Liu Gongzi!" In Jiangxia City, a young Confucian scholar about 20 years old saluted Liu Qi. "Why should you be polite, sir? Hurry up, please take a seat! Liu Qi hurriedly said. Although this Zhuge Liang looked relatively young, Liu Qi did not dare to snub him. Ma Liangke said just now that this Zhuge Liang is ten times more talented than him. I have had a lot of contact with Ma Liang, so I naturally know the details of Ma Liang. Now that this Zhuge Liang is on the stand, how dare Liu Qi slack off.

"Sir, I'm afraid that Ji Chang has already told you about the current situation. Just now, my father's old general, General Wang Wei, came, and according to him, Kuai Yue was a big rebel and had already detained my father in the state governor's mansion. Now he is still pretending to pass on his father's will, asking me and General Liu Pan to start a war with the Jiangdong Army, what can I do? Liu Qi said a little eagerly, Liu Pan also arrived in a hurry when the two were talking, plus Wang Wei, these three people are one of the few descendants of Liu Biao, and they are all at a loss at the moment.

Zhuge Liang nodded when he heard this, and the feather fan shook lightly twice and turned his head to Wang Wei and asked, "Old General Wang, Jingsheng Gong was detained by them in the mansion, and I don't know how the guards are?" ”

"Very tight!" Wang Wei sighed, and then further explained the situation: "At present, they don't dare to bully the state pastor too much, but they don't allow him to go out, he is not allowed to manage the government, and he is still not restricted in the state pastor's mansion." However, there were 500 sergeants patrolling around the governor's mansion at night, and Cai Mao sent his brother Cai He to guard it. If you want to save the lord, it is not easy! ”

"That's it!" Zhuge Liang seemed to have made up his mind, turned his head to Liu Pan and said: "General Liu has lived in Jingnan for a long time, and there are still tens of thousands of elite soldiers under him. ”

"Sir, if you start a war with Cai Mao, won't it ruin your uncle's life?" Liu Pan was shocked when he heard this. When Zhuge Liang heard this, he just smiled and said: "I don't want the general to crusade against Cai Mao, I just want the general to be prepared and wait for Jingsheng Gong to come to Jingnan to preside over the overall situation!" ”

"Father (uncle) (lord) is coming to Jingnan?" Liu Qi and the other three were surprised when they heard this. Zhuge Liang didn't sell Guan Zi either, and said directly: "A few years ago, Liang had the honor to visit the state pastor with his uncle, and he knew a little about the state pastor and its surroundings. We only need to rent one of them, secretly dig a tunnel from it to the state pastor's house, take advantage of the night to rescue Jingshenggong, and then go out of Xiangyang City to Jiangxia through Xiangshui. Cai and this person I have heard of, and they are unscrupulous, so it must be difficult to guard against. Once Jingsheng Gong is rescued, we will wait for Jiangxia and Jingnan to take charge of the four counties, and then ask the state pastor to sit in the crusade against the rebels, why worry about the big things? ”

"Is that okay?" Liu Pan and the other three all felt that this was too simple. After a little hesitation, Liu Pan still spoke: "Sir, although Liu Pan has some soldiers and horses in Jingnan, it is only fifty or sixty thousand. The previous expedition to Jiangdong has lost some more, and there is not much left. Although there were 20,000 sailors under the command of the eldest prince of Jiangxia, there were only 10,000 infantry troops. Cai Mao and Kuai Yue were entrenched in Xiangyang and other places, and after the Jiangdong War, they recruited new soldiers, and currently have no less than 100,000 soldiers and horses. Even if it is an uncle, once the war starts, I am afraid that it will be difficult to match! ”

"General Liu doesn't need to worry too much, there is a way to get more help, and the unrighteous to help less. Kuai Yue and Cai Mao's rebellion is naturally unjust, how can the two thieves succeed? Besides, Jingsheng Gong still has a big arm on his side, so please help him at that time, why worry about Cai Mao not breaking? Zhuge Liang still had that confident smile on his face, shaking his feather fan and saying slowly.

"Arm help?" Liu Pan and Liu Qi were both unclear and hurriedly asked again. "It was Uncle Liu Huang, the imperial lieutenant of the dynasty, that Uncle Liu Huang first dominated the two prefectures of Xu and Henan, and even won the five counties of Jiangdong. Now that Jiangxia is connected to Lujiang and Anyang, at that time, you only need to inform Uncle Liu Huang and ask him to send troops to plan Cai Mao, why not break it? Zhuge Liang explained carefully.

"Having said that, will Uncle Liu Huang send troops to help?" Liu Pan groaned. There is another meaning in his words that he didn't say, that is, even if Liu Bei sent troops to help, would he take advantage of the fire to rob?

"Uncle Liu Huang is benevolent and righteous, and Jingsheng Gong is also a gentleman in the world, and the two are both relatives of the Han family, so they are really like biological brothers. If Jingsheng Gong is in trouble, how can Uncle Liu Huang sit idly by? The previous discussion in Jiangdong, although Uncle Liu Huang paid Luling County as agreed, Jingsheng Gong also delivered to Nanyang County as promised, and this sincere gentleman's friendship is also! At present, the reason why Uncle Liu Huang is not moving is that it is not good to manage people's affairs rashly, and secondly, the situation is unclear, for fear of harming Jingsheng's surname. At present, Li Zhengfang is stationed in Nanyang, and General Zhao Botao is in Lujiang. Zhuge Liang's words were conclusive, and Liu Pan's doubts disappeared when he heard it.

Liu Qi, who has always been a little submissive, cheered up after hearing these words, and said to Liu Pan at the moment: "Brother, the only people who can be relied on at the moment are the forty or fifty thousand soldiers under your command and me, and please come to Jingnan as soon as possible to preside over the overall situation!" ”

"I understand!" Liu Pan hugged his fists, and then hurried to Jingnan to preside over military affairs. Liu Qi turned his head and said to Wang Wei again: "Old General Wang, it all depends on the old general to rescue my father!" ”

"Don't worry, eldest prince!" Wang Wei hugged his fists, and then whispered to Liu Qi: "Across the street north of the State Pastoral Mansion is Mr. Yi's house, and Mr. Yi also hates the two thieves for a long time. When I join forces with him to rescue the lord, it will be successful in less than three days. ”

"That's great!" Liu Qi was also relieved when he heard this, and at this time, another messenger came to Jingzhou, urging Liu Qi to enter Jiangdong as soon as possible. Liu Qi was furious when he heard this, and was about to kill the messenger, but was stopped by Zhuge Liang, and only temporarily sent the messenger away on the grounds that "it was snowing heavily and the road was difficult to travel", and then Wang Wei hurried back to Xiangyang.

"Sir, just in case, you still have to unite with Uncle Liu Huang first to make sure you go. Qi should have gone in person, but it was difficult to separate himself as Jiangxia's safety, and Mr. was very intelligent, and asked Mr. to work hard and go to Shouchun to connect Uncle Liu Huang. After the rebel thief is leveled, he will be rewarded! Liu Qi finally begged Zhuge Liang again. When the latter heard this, he hurriedly returned the salute: "The eldest prince is serious, Liang's uncle and nephew's family has been taken care of by Jingsheng Gong for a long time, and he should try his best to repay, and Liang will set off for Lujiang!" Ji Chang, Jiangxia, you have bothered so much here! ”

Not to mention that Zhuge Liang was properly deployed, several people went their own way in an orderly manner. At this time in Xuchang, Cao Ying, who had just returned, met Xu Huang in his prime minister's mansion with some hesitation.

"Gongming really has the talent of a general, and in just a few days, he broke through the five counties of Yuzhou in a row, and now Liu Bei has suffered heavy losses!" Cao Ying laughed and said, Xu Huang didn't dare to be. Cao Ying now naturally had reason to be happy, using attrition tactics to successfully solve the problem of too many prisoners, and then the garrison left behind in Xuchang suddenly attacked, and at once captured the two strategic points of Runan and Ruyin. Although Shanyang County was lost, Qi County was later recaptured by Zhang Fei, but this one was definitely earned.

"Wen Ruo, immediately move the people of Runan and Liang County into Yanzhou." Cao Ying suddenly said, he knew Liu Bei's surname very well. After this battle, the two sides said that there was no possibility of an alliance in the future. In case Liu Bei captures Runan and Liang County again, he will also leave him with empty Runan and Liang County.

"Yes!" Xun Yu said. At this time, Jia Xu played: "Prime Minister, Jingzhou has come to report that Kuai Yue and Cai Mao have controlled Liu Biao, and the two are transferring troops to attack Li Yan in Fancheng. ”

"Well, let them call." Cao Ying was also noncommittal when he heard this, and his son Cao Pi on the side was a little puzzled, and hurriedly asked: "Father, why don't we enter Jingxiang now?" Kuai Yue and Cai Mao have already taken refuge in your father. ”

"My son doesn't know that our army is bound to go to war with Yuan Shao again in the spring, and there are not too many troops to take care of Jingxiang." Cao Ying sighed. After a pause, Cao Ying said again: "Although Liu Biao is old, this person will never surrender to me, in order to prevent him from taking advantage of the chaos to attack Yongzhou, at the moment, I can only rely on Cai Mao and Kuai Yue, the two lackeys, to stabilize Jingxiang first." Even if it is not good, it is necessary to stabilize Jingbei. Although the two took refuge in themselves, Cao Ying never paid attention to these people who ate inside and outside, and actually called them lackeys in front of his son. Cao Pi nodded when he heard this, and didn't say anything at the moment. It can be said that Cao Ying's strategy is still relatively clever, but no matter how clever the strategy is, it depends on who executes it. Kuai Yue and Cai Mao can be regarded as more competent executors, so what is Cai Xun and Cai He?

At the same time, in Anhui City, the snow had just stopped, and the servants in Zhao Feng's mansion were busy clearing the snow. At this moment, the housekeeper came to report that a guest had visited.

"Who is so interested in such a heavy snowfall?" Zhao Feng wondered.

"People said that he was the general's old man, Nanyang Zhuge Liang." The butler replied honestly.

"What? Zhuge Liang? The book in Zhao Feng's hand fell with a "snap".

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