Riding and cutting the imperial pirates of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 637 Backlash
After all, Mrs. Cai still could not be saved.

When Liu Biao arrived after hearing the news, she just took her last breath.

Taking Mrs. Cai from Cai Mao's arms, he felt that the body in his arms was no longer as warm as before, and the blood oozing from the skirt was even more solidified and turned black. Liu Biao felt his whole body was cold and could not accept the fact in front of him at all.

His heart is bleeding!

Seeing him like this, the people around also closed their breaths and concentrated, not daring to vent their breath, and the audience fell into a silence that could be heard falling needles.

I don't know how long it took before Liu Biao let out a long sigh, ordered some brocade clothes to be brought first, covered Mrs. Cai up, and handed it over to the second son Liu Cong who came with him, and immediately looked around the audience, and finally turned his attention to Cai Mao , staring at Cai Mao for a long time, then said lightly: "De Gui, what happened?"

The voice was surprisingly calm, but also indescribably indifferent, like ice and snow. Cai Mao felt a chill in his heart when he heard it, but he didn't show it on his face. He just lowered his head and said: "There is an assassin, my wife and minister have just left the Taoist temple. Met an assassin?"

"assassin?"

Liu Biao nodded, and asked again, "Who are they after?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone present was startled at the same time. Isn't the most important thing to ask at this time is who is the assassin and who instructed these questions?But the next moment, most of the people came to their senses, and countless gazes turned to Cai Mao who was kneeling on the ground.

"minister"

Cai Mao understood that Liu Biao had turned his anger on him. He felt guilty and sad. He was speechless for a while, and then reluctantly raised his head for a long time. He was about to explain, but found that Liu Biao looked at him in a very strange way, and even more so. He was taken aback immediately by his murderous intent, and said in horror, "My lord."

"Ah Yun is a woman, who would think of murdering her?"

Liu Biao was usually amiable and friendly, but now his expression was extremely ferocious. He said every word, "The assassin is here to assassinate you, and she was troubled by you!"

"Why are you going to the Taoist temple to find her today? Ah? Why are you going!"

Cai Hao became more and more frightened, and didn't know how to explain it for a while, so he knelt down on the ground again, hurriedly pleading guilty: "It was the minister who harmed my sister, the minister is guilty, and the minister deserves to die."

"Hey, you really deserve to die!"

Liu Biao yelled angrily, and immediately stretched out his hand to yank, then drew out the long knife of the guard beside him, and chopped it straight at Cai Mao's head!
My lord really wants to kill me?
Although Cai Hao lowered his head, he could hear the sharp blade unsheathed from the voice, and he could feel a chill coming from the top of his head. Naturally, he knew what happened, but what's the use of knowing?

After all, Liu Biao is his lord, and the ruler wants his ministers to die, and the ministers have no choice but to act like that. Could it be that he still resists in full view?The consequences are likely to be even more serious!

Just
Thinking of this, Cai Mao sighed secretly, closed his eyes, and prepared to be slaughtered.

Seeing that the blade had already touched Cai Mao's hair, Liu Biao was about to push harder when he suddenly felt his hand tighten, but Kuai Liang who was at the side suddenly stretched out his hand and grabbed the back of the blade.

Although Kuai Liang is a scholar, so is Liu Biao, and after all, he is in the prime of his life. Liu Biao was stunned, but he snatched the knife, and he couldn't help being furious: "Zi Rou, you!"

"My lord, please forgive me."

At this time, Kuai Liang knelt down on the ground, raised his knife with both hands and said: "Then I didn't mean to offend, it was really forced by the situation."

"Madam, General Cai may feel a little guilty, but he is not the culprit. He has served the Lord for many years and has made great contributions. How can he be killed rashly? Besides, Jingzhou is currently surrounded by wolves. Troubled, Cai The general commanded the army well, and has always been the jade of Jingzhou for me, let alone do things that hurt the loved ones and make the enemies quick."

Hearing this, Liu Biao's expression changed instantly.

He is an outstanding person in the world, how smart he is, he just lost his mind in a moment of rage, now he calmed down a little, and immediately heard the implication of Kuai Liang's words.

He has served for many years, and he is talking about Cai Mao, but not only Cai Mao, but also the Cai family behind him; he has made great contributions, and he is also in a high position, not only Cai Mao himself, but many of his cronies are also important positions in the army.

Even though the king wants his ministers to die and his ministers have to die, they can't be punished without teaching, let alone such a special "subject"?
Of course, the most important thing is actually the third item pointed out in Kuai Liang's words: the jade of Jingzhou.

How can Cai Mao be regarded as the jade of Jingzhou?
In Jingzhou, there is only one person who can deserve this grand praise, and that is Jiangxia prefect Huang Zu who guards the eastern gate of Jingzhou!
To some extent, Huang Zu's status is even higher than that of Cai Mao, because he is a general under Liu Biao's command who has truly formed an independent military and political system regardless of his name!

Such special "officials" as Huang Zu were actually not uncommon in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, such as Zang Ba of Qingzhou in the middle period of the Cao Cao Group, Zhou Yu, the governor of the early Sun Quan Group, and Guan Yu, a former general in the middle and late Liu Bei Group.

But if you want to make an all-round comparison, if you look at the overall status and performance, the relationship between Liu Biao and Huang Zhong is still the most similar to Liu Bei and Guan Yu.

Jingzhou, like Xuzhou, is actually not very suitable to be used as a base for competing in the world, because geographically they are prone to enemies from all sides, which leads to the princes who separate these two territories, always have to allocate a certain amount of troops to use for defense.

Of course, because Jiaozhou is less threatening, Liu Biao pays more attention to the east and north in terms of strategic layout than Wang Zheng. In Nanyang, he used Zhangxiu and Liu Biao to resist Cao Cao and guard the bridgehead in the east. , is Jiangxia guarded by Huang Zu.

Huang Zu is also really capable, and he can even be said to be the nemesis of the Eastern Wu. Not only did he shoot and kill Sun Jian, the fierce tiger in Jiangdong, but the two generations of Soochow monarchs and brothers also suffered from him again and again.

Because there is no separate biography, future generations cannot know the specific examples of the battle between Huang Zu and the Soochow Group, but from just a few words, it can be seen that he suffered a lot.

For example, it is recorded in "Book of Wu" that Xu Kun, the Pinglu general who won Lujiang County for Sun Ce, and Ling Cao, the father of the famous general Ling Tong, died at the hands of Huang Zu in the original history.

Until the 13th year of Jian'an, Sun Quan's seat was neither Wujun (Sun Quan's hometown), nor Kuaiji (Sun Quan was the prefect of Kuaiji), nor Danyang (where Jianye was), but Chaisang (Chai Sang) in Yuzhang County. It is the gateway to the northwest of Yuzhang, and it is less than a hundred miles away from Xiazhi County in Jiangxia), which shows how deeply he feared Huang Zu.

But even though Huang Zu played an important role similar to Guan Yu in Liu Biao's group, his relationship with Liu Biao was at best similar to Liu Guan, even superficially!
Why?

Historically, Liu Bei never needed to worry about Guan Yu's loyalty, so naturally he didn't need to consider the consequences of his betrayal, how to deal with it, etc.
But Liu Biao needs to consider this issue!

Because he knew that Huang Zu's resistance to Soochow was more because he was from Jingzhou himself, and he was born in Anlu Huang, a wealthy family in Jingzhou. Huang Zu supported him because the wealthy families in Jingzhou supported him.

The most important thing is that Huang Zu, and even the entire Anlu Huang family, have a very close relationship with Cai Mao, the former Jiangxia prefect!

If Cai Mao is killed, how will Cai's reaction be?
How will the wealthy clan of Jingzhou react?
How would Huang Zu react?

One after another question marks emerged in Liu Biao's mind, allowing Liu Biao to return to his usual calmness. Just at this time, other officials also reacted and came forward to intercede. The second son Liu Cong shouted anxiously: "Father, Mother has always loved uncle, and she doesn't want to see you take your anger out on him."

Hearing this, Liu Biao glanced at Liu Cong, remained silent for a while, then suddenly kicked Cai Mao away, and shouted, "Get lost, if you can't catch the assassin, come and see me!"

Cai Mao was kicked by him so that he turned his head and fell into disgrace, but he was ecstatic in his heart, and hurriedly said: "Thank you for your generosity, my lord, thank you for your generosity!"

"I will catch the real culprit with my hands, and go to my sister's grave to sacrifice!"

While talking, he climbed up in embarrassment, first kowtowed to Mrs. Cai's body, then raised his head to peek at Liu Biao, but saw that his face was full of disgust. Pull up your feet and run away.

Staring at the background of the other party going away, Liu Biao's eyes were extremely cold. He had long been dissatisfied with Cai Mao, and Mrs. Cai's death directly became the last straw that broke the camel's back. Although Fan let it go temporarily because of the overall situation, he already had other plans in his mind.

Even if you don't kill him for the time being, you can't let this guy dominate the military anymore.

At the same moment, Cai Mao's thoughts also turned sharply. Although he escaped from death this time, what should he do next?

He has been with Liu Biao for many years, and he knows that this person is tolerant and taboo, and his heart is cold. Although it is impulsive to draw a sword, it also shows a point.

That is, in Liu Biao's eyes, Cai Mao is the culprit for Mrs. Cai's death!
That is to say, even if you capture the assassin yourself, or even capture the instigator behind the scenes, I am afraid it will be difficult to gain the trust of the other party.
So what will happen to your family in the future?
After thinking about it, Cai Hao's expression gradually became ferocious, and there was even more murderous intent in his eyes, which disappeared in a flash!
Unknowingly, the time came to mid-April.

Entering the early summer season, the wilderness outside the city of Xudu is full of vitality.

When Xun You came to the watchtower, he saw his lord Cao Cao standing proudly in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, gazing at the distant field under the sunset at dusk, with a majestic demeanor of freedom.

The protagonist is becoming more and more like a hero.
Xun You sighed secretly, bowed his hands in salute, and said in a deep voice, "My lord, Xun You, pay my respects."

"Gongda is here." Cao Cao didn't turn his head, but said indifferently: "Come to talk to me."

"promise."

Xun You moved to Cao Cao's left and stood a little later, and then remained silent, as if this trip was to accompany Cao Cao to enjoy the scenery outside the garden.

After an unknown amount of time, Cao Cao suddenly pointed forward and asked, "Gongda, did you see that?"

Looking along Cao Cao's fingertips, Xun You nodded: "I saw it."

"What do you see?"

"I saw that the sky was as blue as **** green."

Xun You said with a smile: "I saw that the field is full of vitality everywhere, and I also saw that the wheat seedlings are growing gratifyingly. They have grown to reach the knees of people, and they will disappear into the wheat fields when people bend down. It is just like the ambition of the lord. Same!"

"Haha, the growth is gratifying, and the land here in Xudu is also good. If you take root in this land, you can thrive!"

Cao Cao laughed loudly, but after he finished laughing, he suddenly looked away from Xun You, then turned back and sighed softly.

Xun You said in surprise: "The strategy of stationing troops has already worked, and it can be used as a national policy. Why is the Lord not happy but worried about such a happy event?"

Cao Cao showed a bitter smile: "Although it is a national policy, it can only be promoted in Yingchuan County. Isn't it a pity?"

"It's a pity."

Xun You naturally understood the meaning of Cao Cao's words. Although Guannei, Yanzhou, and even some areas in Sili are nominally included in Cao Cao's sphere of influence, either the new attachment is not stable, or there are powerful enemies around, and it will change at any time. For the front line of the war, it is naturally impossible to go to farm. After a moment of silence, he said slowly: "But it is only for a while."

"If Zhongda made great achievements in one fell swoop and captured Nanyang, wouldn't this matter be easily resolved?"

Cao Cao nodded slightly and asked, "By the way, what's your business here today?"

"But I have something to report." Xun You hesitated for a moment, leaned closer and said in a low voice, "My lord, the spies from Yecheng reported that Xu You stretched out his hand again."

"Are you reaching out again?"

Cao Cao turned around quickly and looked at Xun You with burning eyes, "What's the matter, didn't you give him all the five hundred gold promised in advance?"

"Yes."

Xun You smiled wryly: "My lord, this person is really greedy, and as far as I know, the key to Yuan Shao's persuasion lies in Jushou, and others will have credit, but it's just a matter of size. What I mean is that if you don't give it, what can you do?" He, Xu Ziyuan, dares to do anything wrong, now that Yuan Shao is determined to use troops against Wang Zheng, it's still..."

Cao Cao cut off his words before he finished speaking, and now he has returned to his usual demeanor, but asked sideways, "There must be a reason for reaching out, right?"

".It is said that his son got married recently, and he wants to repair a mansion for his use."

"That's it,"

Cao Cao laughed dumbfounded, thought for a moment and said, "The houses are all old, so what's the point of repairing them?"

"Since the nephew is newly married, he will naturally live in a new house. In this way, you can ask Wen Juncao of Yecheng to choose a good house and give it to Xu You directly. Let's call it a congratulatory gift from the general."

"My lord," Xun You couldn't help reminding, "The good houses in the inner city of Ye County are not much cheaper than Xu Du, at least a hundred gold."

"If it's cheap, why would he open his mouth?" Cao Cao laughed, and waved his hands domineeringly: "I bought it!"

"In that case,"

Xun You said solemnly: "Then please write a note to me personally, otherwise Wen Ruo may not approve it."

"This"

Hearing this, Cao Cao's smile froze immediately. After a moment of silence, he smiled and said, "When you saw Wen Ruo, you said that the general agreed to it himself. What else do you need to do? You are his nephew. Son, is he still suspicious?"

Xun You still insisted: "My lord also knows that the army will be launched soon, and money and food are in short supply. A hundred gold is not a small amount, so it is better to write a report."

If I write a note, Xun Yu will probably bring it to me to complain, right?
Cao Cao looked puzzled, and when his eyes were rolling, suddenly a personal guard rushed in: "Speak to the general, there is an urgent report from Jingzhou!"

"Jingzhou?" Cao Cao's expression changed, and he immediately turned his head and asked, "Where did it come from, Xiangyang or Nanyang?"

"It's Xiangyang."

Cao Cao just breathed a sigh of relief, but the next sentence of the guard changed his face again. "It is heard that Liu Biao, the shepherd of Jingzhou, suddenly suffered from a serious illness, vomiting blood, and seems to be dying."

what?
Cao Cao and Xun You looked at each other, and at the same time saw each other's thoughts.

If Liu Biao died of illness at this time, wouldn't it be cheaper for that scorpion?
(End of this chapter)