After the Battle of Bowangpo, the relationship between Liu Bei and Liu Biao became cold, and Xiangyang never provided any support for grain and grass. Fortunately, Lantian had hoarded a lot of farmland in Dengjiazhuang.
After years of war in the north, a large number of refugees went south. When they passed through Nanyang County, many of them were taken in by Lantian.
After the population increased, Lantian built two new villages next to Dengjiazhuang to resettle the refugees, and then reclaimed the land using the old-to-new method.
Being able to have enough to eat in this era is a great blessing for the refugees. They are more diligent than the original tenant farmers in Dengjiazhuang and are more cooperative with Gao Shun's training.
Gao Shun once thought that the field army he had trained might be able to fight on the battlefield.
Liu Biao was deeply saddened to hear that Yuan Shao died in anger. For a while, he even thanked guests behind closed doors.
After Cao Cao gained the upper hand on the battlefield in Hebei, the voices of pro-Cao Cao among the Jingzhou officials grew stronger.
After Han Song, a lieutenant in the army, returned from Xudu, he talked about Cao Cao's might and virtue and suggested that Liu Biao send his son to Xudu to be a hostage, so as to ensure peace in Jingzhou.
Liu Biao had three sons, the eldest son Liu Qi, the second son Liu Cong, and the third son Liu Xiu.
Liu Cong and Liu Xiu were young. If they wanted to send their sons as hostages, they could only send Liu Qi. How could Liu Biao be willing to do it after hearing this? He suspected that Han Song had secretly taken refuge with Cao Cao, and wanted to kill him, but his wife Cai dissuaded him.
When Cai married Liu Biao, Liu Qi was already an adult and married. He was afraid that he would not be truly filial to her stepmother, so he paid more attention to his second son Liu Cong.
Later, when Liu Biao was happy, Cai proposed that her niece, who was about the same age, marry Liu Cong as his wife when she came of age. Liu Biao readily agreed and settled on the marriage.
After Liu Cong got engaged, Cai and Cai Mao became closer to Liu Cong, and were seriously hurt and excluded from their eldest son Liu Qi.
While Liu Biao was staying at home, Cai Mao came to discuss with Kuai Yue: "Prime Minister Cao is like a god with his troops, and he will surely unify the world sooner or later. Now my lord is hesitant and almost killed Han Degao. What should I do?"
Kuai Yue smiled and said, "I heard that Degui often goes fishing in Tanxi River. If there is a heavy rain and the water rises, will you still go?"
"Of course I won't go, but what does this have to do with my brother-in-law?" Cai Mao asked confused.
"Having never seen Prime Minister Cao's military prowess, how could my lord give up on Jingxiang? If you were the shepherd of Jingzhou, would you do it?" asked Kuai Yue.
Cai Hao said with a smile: "Maybe..."
"So my lord is not hesitating at all, but he did not encounter heavy rain and rising water." Kuai Yue said.
"But when will this heavy rain come?" Cai Hao asked again.
Kuai Yue shook his head and said, "It's unknown."
"Liu Bei has taken in many refugees in Xinye in the past six months. His tiger is getting bigger and bigger. Yidu should use his tactics to get rid of him." Cai Mao added.
"You can't rush this matter. I'm waiting for an opportunity." Kuai Yue said coldly.
"What time?"
"The time to bring the tiger away from the mountain."
Cai Mao was confused, but his intelligence could not understand Kuai Yue's thoughts, so he could only wait for his so-called opportunity.
In the eighth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao captured Liyang, and Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang were defeated and fled Yecheng.
Cao Cao led his army to pursue outside Ye City and harvested the wheat in the surrounding area for his own use. The generals all suggested taking advantage of the victory to pursue him, but Guo Jia, the only one who offered wine, suggested: "Yuan Shao abolished the elders and established the younger ones. Yuan Tan was not convinced. The party members have been fighting for a long time, so we might as well go south to Jingzhou to wait for the situation to change. Once the two attack each other, the lord can reap the benefits and make a decision in one fell swoop."
Cao Cao said it was good and returned Xudu.
In autumn, Cao Cao raised his troops and went south to attack Jingzhou.
Liu Biao was shocked when he heard this, and wanted to mobilize his trusted general Huang Zu to go north. However, reports of battles also came from Jiangxia, and Sun Quan from Jiangdong was heading up the river.
In desperation, Liu Biao could only let his nephew Zhang Yun lead troops north to resist Cao's army together with general Wenpin. Cai Mao, who was a surrender faction, was left in Xiangyang.
Cai Mao was not angry, and even advised Liu Biao: "Brother-in-law, General Zhang has no experience in resisting Cao's army. Why not ask Xinye Liu Bei to send troops to assist him?"
"How to supplement it?" Liu Biao asked rhetorically.
When Cai Mao hesitated and didn't know how to respond, Kuai Yue went out and said: "Liu Xuande defeated Xiahou Dun at Bowangpo. It is said that military counselor Xu Yuanzhi planned it for him. In addition, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun are all brave men, so they will definitely be able to block Cao Cao's attack. attack."
"That's what I mean." Cai Mao added.
Liu Biao looked at the two of them suspiciously and thought to himself, "You guys are fooling me by singing together, are you stupid?" He clearly wanted to use Cao Cao's help to kill Liu Bei.
Seeing Liu Biao's hesitation, Kuai Yue continued to persuade: "Liu Xuande is growing in popularity in Xinye. If we don't take the opportunity to pluck his feathers, he may cause trouble to Jingzhou in the future..."
Liu Biao weighed the pros and cons and finally agreed. Zhang Yun went north and stopped in Xinye, while Liu Bei and Xu Shu went out to labor in person.
After the two exchanged pleasantries, Zhang Yun handed over Liu Biao's autographed letter.
Liu Biao used his illness as an excuse to explain his indifference in the past year, and asked Liu Bei to lead the troops of the new field north to fight against Cao Cao. He repeatedly said that they shared the same hatred with the enemy and were as cold as lips.
Liu Bei was very hesitant after reading the letter. The news that Cao Cao was going south was true, and he had been actively preparing for war. Even the troops stationed in Lantian were issued weapons.
When Xu Shu saw this, he said, "Why don't you, my lord, stay in Xinye and I take a troop of troops to help General Zhang?"
"What Yuan Zhi said is true." Liu Bei nodded.
Zhang Yun added: "I heard that Guan Yunchang, Zhang Yide, and Zhao Zilong are all brave generals. Please send them to the army together."
"Generals Guan and Zhang can go together. General Zilong and my lord should stay in the county seat." Xu Shu nodded.
Zhang Yun didn't give much advice. After he was stationed in Xinye for half a day, he joined forces with Xinye's troops and headed north, and finally confronted Cao Cao in Xiping.
A few days after Xu Shu and others left, Yi Ji suddenly came to Xinye to ask for a meeting.
"Why is Uncle Ji here?" Liu Bei asked puzzledly.
"My lord, please send me to Xiangyang as soon as possible." Yi Ji gasped and said.
"But what's the emergency? Could it be that something happened in the north?" Liu Bei's heart tightened when he heard this, because the news he received was that Xiping was still in a state of confrontation, and the Jingzhou soldiers and Cao Cao only fought a few tentative battles.
Yi Ji shook his head and said: "Sun Quan is in a hurry to attack Jiangxia. My lord may want to ask the envoy to rescue the siege."
"But I have no troops left in Xinye..." Liu Bei said helplessly.
Yiji comforted him and said, "Don't worry, sir. There are still soldiers and horses in Jingzhou, but Degui and Huang Taishou have never been on good terms..."
Liu Bei finally understood. Liu Biao did not trust Cai Mao, so he asked me to lead troops to rescue Huang Zu.
Liu Bei immediately agreed. The five thousand soldiers he borrowed from Wenpin were not returned due to reasons such as being killed in battle or fleeing. Now that Liu Biao came to 'send troops' again, he had no reason to not want it.
"Your Majesty, please go quickly. My lord is waiting anxiously," Yi Ji urged.
Liu Bei then led a hundred light cavalry with Zhao Yun and Jian Yong to Xiangyang, and ordered Liu Feng, his adopted son who had been adopted during Jiangxia's rebellion, to guard the new field.
After riding fast to Xiangyang City, Liu Bei did not see Liu Biao. Instead, he was greeted by a strange military commander with a curly beard.
"Uncle Ji, who is this..." Liu Bei asked.
"This is General Zhang, who is guarding the army, and is in charge of the forbidden troops in Xiangyang City." Yi Ji introduced.
When Liu Bei heard the word forbidden soldiers, he looked at this guy again and thought that this was Liu Biao's confidant.
