Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 110
Jingzhou, Xiangyang.

Liu Biao summoned Liu Bei to Xiangyang in the name of military inquiries, hoping to leave Liu Qi alone in Yuzhang.However, after Liu Bei and Liu Qi negotiated and determined the distribution of their interests, Liu Qi followed Liu Bei to Xiangyang on the grounds that Liu Biao was ill.

More than a hundred people took a large boat and traveled day and night along the Yangtze River, crossed Xiakou, entered the Han River, and arrived at Xiangyang.Although it was hard to go upstream, fortunately the northwest wind gradually subsided, so the sailing was not too slow.

About ten days later, Liu Bei and Liu Qi arrived at the north gate of Xiangyang, and Liu Biao personally led the civil and military forces of Jingzhou and went out to greet them.

Seeing the two of them, Liu Biao walked forward with a smile, cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Xuande!"

"Since going down to Jiangdong, I have been restless day and night, fearing that Bo Wei will be incompetent and hinder military affairs. Unexpectedly, Xuande has repeatedly accomplished extraordinary feats, defeated Taishi Ci, defeated Sun Bi and Sun Fu, and helped us in Jingzhou to pacify Yuzhang and Luling. Second County, Brother Yu is very grateful."

Liu Biao, an old fox, seemed to be thanking Liu Bei for his contribution, but in fact he was saying that Liu Bei had won Yuzhang and Luling counties for him and claimed ownership of the two counties.

Liu Bei took a step back, let Liu Qi reveal his figure for everyone to see, and said: "Bei surrendered to his brother, so he should repay the kindness of knowing and meeting him. I am deeply honored to serve for my brother when I go out to conquer Jiangdong. I will also recover the two counties. The merits are not unique to Bei. The eldest son is benevolent and righteous, the military commander is disciplined, and the subordinates are well-mannered. It is indeed a great achievement. I hope my brother will know it."

After Liu Bei finished speaking, Liu Qi stepped forward to help Liu Biao and said with a smile: "Father, Qi heard that my father was not feeling well, so he came back with his uncle to visit his father."

Liu Biao looked at Liu Qi who did not stay in Yuzhang and took the opportunity to take power. Although he was dissatisfied, he was relieved to see that Liu Qi was thinking about his old father and that his efforts were not in vain.

"How could Brother Yu not know Bo Wei's abilities? It's all thanks to Xuande's help." Liu Biao said with a smile.

With that said, Liu Biao took Liu Bei by the arm and got into the car and said: "Xuande, follow my brother into the city in the car."

"Don't dare!"

"nothing!"

After some pulling, Liu Bei and Liu Biao boarded the same car.

Liu Biao put his hands on the carriage rails and said: "Since Xuande went out to fight, I have been watching the battle reports every day, and I am very relieved. I have always heard that the three generals Yunchang, Yide and Zilong are brave and have made many military exploits under Xuande's tent. I don't know what they can do." Are you lucky enough to see him?"

Liu Bei pointed at Zhao Yun, who was riding behind him, and said with a smile: "Yun Chang and Yide are marching south to Luling, hoping to destroy the Sun brothers, but they are not with them. Now Wei Zilong is with me to protect them."

Liu Biao stroked his beard, turned to look at Zhao Yun, and commented: "Extraordinary in appearance and burly in physique, he is actually Peng Ze's Tiger General. He charges into battle and has the courage that no man can match!"

Then, Liu Biao sighed and said: "Although the war in Yuzhang has calmed down at first, the surrounding areas of Jingzhou are uneasy and it is not a peaceful place. Jiaozhou is constantly attacked and harassed, which is often a disaster; Liu Zhang and Zhang Lu hold heavy troops, and it is difficult for the western frontier to be safe. Unfortunately. There are few capable people and generals available for my brother, so I am very worried about him!"

Liu Bei seemed to be aware of Liu Biao's probing intention and said: "Bei has been favored by his brother for a long time. If he does not give up, all three generals under Bei's account can be appointed. Yun Chang can station troops in Nanyang to consolidate the northern border of Jingzhou; Zi Long leads the troops to patrol Lingling and can retreat the troops of Jiaozhou; Yide garrisoned Zigui and can defend Yizhou's enemies."

Liu Biao glanced at Liu Bei secretly and said with a smile: "Three generals under Xuande's account have been sent out. How can we seize the troops in Jiangdong? It's just a temporary sigh for my brother. At this moment, the war in Jiangdong must still be prioritized. And the foreign enemy is really If you are uneasy, Guo'an, Zhongmiao and Zhongye can all use it, how can you win Xuande's beloved general."

Just kidding, if Liu Bei really arranged things like this, Liu Biao would probably not dare to sleep in Xiangyang.

His words were just to test Liu Bei's thoughts, not really intentional.If Liu Bei shows a refusal, it will increase Liu Biao's suspicion.Obviously Liu Bei was aware of the purpose behind Liu Biao's words, so he followed the trend and came up with a plan that Liu Biao did not dare to adopt.

……

After entering the city, Liu Biao hosted a banquet in honor of the victorious Liu Qi and Liu Bei. After all the guests had left, Liu Qi was left alone.

Liu Biao sat on the couch, drunk, and asked: "You led the troops to conquer Yuzhang and opened up hundreds of miles of land for our Jingzhou. You have made great contributions. I haven't seen you for more than half a year, and you have lost your lustful look. He is much more stable, which is quite gratifying to be a father.”

There is no room for Liu Biao to be unhappy. In the past, Liu Qi spent time in Xiangyang, drinking and drinking, and did not look like a qualified heir at all.Therefore, Liu Biao was worried that he would have no successor, so he delayed naming a successor.He also had a question mark in his mind as to whether Liu Qi was qualified to be the commander of the army and go to Jiangdong.

However, after more than half a year of training, Liu Qi appears to be much more energetic.At today's banquet, Liu Qi treated others politely and behaved appropriately.There have been a lot of changes compared to the beginning, which makes Liu Biao unhappy as a father!

Liu Qi poured a cup of tea for Liu Biao and said, "My father is not feeling well. He should drink less wine. He must take care of himself first."

Liu Biao held a cup of tea and asked, "Xuande is recruiting troops in Yuzhang. He has more than ten thousand troops under his command. I wonder if you knew about it?" "How could I not know?" Liu Qi replied.

"Then why didn't you stop it?" Liu Biao asked displeasedly.

Liu Qi explained: "Without the expansion of the army in the east of the Yangtze River, it is really difficult to defeat the army. The expansion of the army is not limited to my uncle's. Generals such as Zhongmiao and Guo'an have recruited troops to expand their military strength to fight against the enemy in the east of the Yangtze River. Moreover, my uncle has a rift in his heart. The troops are well-organized and dedicated to assisting me, why should I be suspicious?"

Liu Biao sneered and said sarcastically: "Liu Xuande has great ambitions, is quite powerful, and is unfathomable. Even Cao Cao can't surrender. What can you do to surrender Liu Xuande and let him help you with peace of mind."

Liu Qi was not embarrassed and replied calmly: "My uncle has no children. Even if he is independent, who can succeed him? Although Liu Feng's surname is Liu, his real surname is Kou."

Liu Biao took a deep look at Liu Qi, but he didn't expect that his son would see the crux of the problem after experiencing it.

The basis for Liu Biao's belief in Liu Bei was that Liu Bei was already in his forties and had no children due to the war.Under such conditions, it was difficult for Liu Bei to stand on his own feet, and he didn't know when he would die of illness.So what if Liu Bei accepted Kou Feng as his son? After Liu Bei's death, how many of his subordinates could submit to Kou Feng?

"How will Bo Wei treat Xuande in the future?" Liu Biao asked.

Liu Qi pondered for a while and then said: "How will Huang Zu treat him? After conquering Jiangdong, he was granted the land of a county and sent it to his father, allowing him to station troops on the Yangtze River to control Cao Cao's southward movement."

Liu Bei and Liu Qi chatted for a long time that day, discussing in detail the distribution of benefits and explaining what they wanted.Liu Qi's words are undoubtedly based on what Liu Bei said.

Liu Biao stroked his beard and said thoughtfully: "In the past, I used Huang Zu to station troops in Jiangxia to consolidate the eastern frontier and serve as a barrier for Jingzhou. Now that he has died in battle, Jingzhou has no generals who can conquer the east of the Yangtze River, allowing him to station troops on the Yangtze River to resist Cao Cao. It’s a feasible move.”

Liu Biao was also deeply aware of the weakness of Jingzhou's soldiers and horses. In the past, he used Zhang Xiu to garrison Nanyang and Huang Zu to garrison Jiangxia. They gave them considerable military and political rights in order to resist foreign enemies.

Now Zhang Xiu has taken refuge with Cao Cao, and Huang Zu died in battle.The only reliable general is Liu Bei. If he is not relied on, who will be able to lead the troops to resist when Cao Cao goes south.

After all, Liu Bei has a big feud with Cao Cao, so there is no need to worry about him surrendering to Cao Cao.Of course, the premise is that Liu Bei can be controlled well and he can't be allowed to become a guest.

After a pause, Liu Biao said: "Bo Wei has been running around for several days, which is quite hard. Now let's retire and rest."

"promise!"

After listening to the end of the conversation between the two, the maid of Queen Fou secretly reported the content to Mrs. Cai.

After Liu Qi left, Liu Biao also staggered back to the house and was supported by Mrs. Cai.Sniffing the fragrance coming from Cai's body, Liu Biao had a smile on his face.

Mrs. Cai, a mature woman, changed Liu Biao's clothes and said with a smile, "I am here to congratulate you husband!"

Liu Biao sat on the bed with a red face and asked, "Why did Madam suddenly congratulate Mr. and Mrs.?"

Mrs. Cai chuckled lightly and said, "Now that Bo Wei has returned, he is already acting like a husband. How can I not be happy if my husband has a successor?"

Liu Biao wiped his face with a towel and said: "Bo Wei has changed a lot and has become much more stable. If he inherits the great cause, he still needs experience."

"What about Zhong Huang (Liu Cong)?" Mrs. Cai asked.

Hearing this, Liu Biao stopped what he was doing and commented: "Zhong Huang is still young, he is quite benevolent and filial, he respects the virtuous and polite, and he will be outstanding in the future."

No matter how much Mrs. Cai blows the pillow wind, Liu Qi's achievements cannot be erased.Through the conversation with Liu Qi just now, Liu Biao already had some ideas in his mind, but they have not yet been confirmed.

After listening to Liu Biao's words, Mrs. Cai thought about what the maid secretly said, but she couldn't guess Liu Biao's true thoughts.

(End of this chapter)