Liu Biao sent Liu Bei away and returned to the palace, and found that the ministers were whispering, so he asked curiously: "What are the princes discussing?" ”

"We are all curious about Liu Bei's letter"

Seeing that Cai Mao and Kuai Yue were looking at him, don't drive Han Song and immediately asked.

Liu Biao took the song in his hand, motioned for Han Song to come close to get it, and said with a smile: "Degao will see for yourself, when you prepare Guan Yu's recommendation, I will send it to Xu Du with someone." ”

"Yes."

Han Song immediately approached and took it with both hands, and couldn't help but be surprised when he unfolded it, he finally understood that Liu Biao would treat Liu Bei well, and it turned out that the other party's gift was heavier.

"Degao?"

Everyone in the hall wanted to know, and Cai Mao couldn't help but whisper a reminder.

Han Song swallowed his saliva, turned to Liu Biao to ask for instructions, Liu Biao smiled and said: "It's not something unsightly, Degao might as well boldly show it to everyone." ”

"Oh"

Han Song was busy circulating the song to others, so Liu Bei's recommendation of Liu Qi Maocai surfaced, and everyone in the palace congratulated Liu Biao.

Cai Mao and Kuai Yue glanced at each other, as if to say that you guessed accurately, my brother-in-law really accepted Liu Bei's benefits, but few people in the world can take this kind of benefit.

After the dispersal of duty, many officials in the palace coaxed to go to Liu Qi's mansion to congratulate, and Liu Biao was surrounded by peers because he was in a good mood.

Cai Mao didn't like to join Liu Qi's fun, so she went to see her sister Cai, who was Liu Biao's stepwife.

Liu Biao's original partner, Chen, died in childbirth five years ago when he gave birth to his third son, Liu Xiu, and he immediately married Cai Mao's sister to consolidate his rule in Jingzhou.

With the family behind him and the pillow wind blowing on Liu Biao at night, Cai Mao's power in Jingzhou is only inferior to that of the state pastor, and there are often contacts between the two sisters and brothers.

Cai Mao came to the back house of the State Pastoral Mansion, and Cai saw that only Cai Mao was missing Liu Biao, so he asked, "Why are you alone today?" Why didn't your brother-in-law go back with him? Someone tripped him? ”

"Hmph, I stumbled, my brother-in-law was surrounded by the ministers and went to the eldest prince's mansion" Cai Mao shook her head bitterly, and asked the maid to take wine to quench her thirst.

Cai was stunned: "Huh? What do you mean? ”

"What do you mean?" Cai Mao spread her hands and added, "Say hello to the eldest prince." ”

The more Cai listened, the more strange he became: "What is Bo Wei (Liu Qi)'s joy?" ”

"Your son has been promoted as a talent, and his future is limitless."

When Cai heard Cai Mao's teasing, he couldn't help frowning: "With Bowei's talent, how can he be promoted?" Is Dejun joking with her sister, or is it really something? ”

Cai Mao replied with a blank eye: "Naturally, it's true, just now in the main hall, the ministers all watched Liu Bei's recital." ”

"Liu Bei?" Cai muttered to himself: "I forgot that he was Yuzhou Mu."

Cai Mao poured herself a glass of wine, and after drinking it all, she reminded Cai: "Xiangyang knows that the eldest prince is mediocre, Liu Bei's move must harbor evil intentions, and my brother-in-law is close to this person because of it, which is not good for my Cai family, my sister should make plans early."

"What does Dejun want to say?"

Cai Mao didn't answer directly, but asked Cai's rhetorically: "My sister and brother-in-law have been married for five years, and they don't plan to have another son except for adding a niece to me?" ”

"Huh?"

Cai was surprised at first, but seeing Cai Mao's serious expression, she thought about it carefully, and finally said: "Your brother-in-law already has three sons, and he will reach the age of knowing the destiny of heaven next year, and his body is already incapacitated. ”

Cai Mao nodded affirmatively: "That's right, my brother-in-law can sit firmly in Jingzhou, and my Cai family will contribute the most, but according to the current situation, no matter whether my sister can give birth or not, the heir of the Liu family is not from the Cai family, if my sister will be a hundred years after her husband, the eldest son Liu Qi will inherit Jingzhou, how will the Cai family maintain its power at that time?" ”

Cai shook his head lightly: "Although I am not Liu Qi's biological mother, I am his de jure mother-in-law, and this son is honest and filial, so he should not be treated badly."

"My good sister, Liu Qi is twenty-seven years old, he is not a few years younger than you, but you expect him to be filial to his relatives, and then treat our Cai family well? Don't forget that his wife's surname is not Cai." Cai Mao looked distressed.

"What exactly is Dejun trying to say?"

"Liu Bei came to Jingzhou, like a lost dog, and his brother-in-law was also jealous of him before, but he used the word Maocai to easily make his brother-in-law's opinion of him change greatly, and handed over the eight counties of Nanyang to him for governance, plus this person is Liu Qi's great benefactor, and he must not make waves in Jingzhou in the future?"

Cai Shi was taken aback when he heard this, and asked with a gesture: "Eight counties?" ”

"Well," Cai Mao nodded and added: "At present, there are six counties in Cao Cao's hands, but these are not the point, the point is that Liu Bei is the emperor's uncle, and this move is to make good friends with his brother-in-law and Liu Qi at the same time, and the right to speak in Jingzhou in the future will not be small, and it will definitely affect the interests of the Cai family, so we have to take precautions."

Cai was not interested in Liu Bei, but he was very concerned about Cai's interests, so he hurriedly asked: "De Jue came to me today, should have thought of a countermeasure?" ”

Cai Mao replied: "Liu Qi is old and can't control it, but Liu Cong and Liu Xiu are still young, I don't know who my sister prefers?" In the future, he can be treated as close as his biological mother, and when he becomes an adult, he chooses a woman from our clan to marry him, and Jingzhou can still maintain its current situation. ”

"I prefer Cong'er." Cai muttered to himself: "This child listens to his sister very much, and Xiu'er is relatively quiet."

Cai Mao bowed his head: "Liu Xiuke's mother died, I don't recommend getting close to him, my sister will praise and belittle Qi in the future, and over time my brother-in-law will inevitably resent, I will also calculate Liu Bei later, so that Liu Qi has no foreign aid." ”

Cai's kindly reminded: "I often hear my brother-in-law praise Liu Bei as a hero, Deju, you should be careful when calculating this person." ”

"Sister, don't worry." Cai Mao clenched his palms upwards into a fist, and said confidently: "This person thinks he has made a plan, but he doesn't know that he has fallen into me and Kuaiyidu."

When the Cai family sisters and brothers conspired, Liu Bei and Liu Ye also set off to return to Huyang.

It would take time for Wen Ping to transfer ships, so Liu Bei planned to hurry back and meet at the Huyang station.

For Liu Biao's arrangement, thinking of Cai Mao and Kuai Yue's smiles, Liu Bei was uneasy on the way, and finally when he was resting, he found Liu Ye for comfort.

"Ziyang, Liu Jingsheng allowed me Wancheng and Xi'e to be fine, why do you want to add the other six counties? When he sends it to Xudu, doesn't it show that I intend to take it? What's the difference between that and Runan? ”

Liu Ye replied: "The difference is still quite big, Nanyang belongs to the boundary of Jingzhou, so that Jun can ask Liu Jingsheng for help at any time here, and it is not okay to stay in Runan, this should be the strategy of Cai and Kuai, but it is useless."

Liu Bei frowned, and added: "But I heard that Zhang Xiu surrendered at that time and took away a large number of people in the north of Nanyang, and now there is a military threat from Cao Cao, and he has to deal with the situation of the sparse people in Wancheng and Western Hubei, and it seems that he can't act according to the law of Mr. Runan."

Liu Ye smiled leisurely: "It's okay, I have a plan to deal with it." ”

(End of chapter)