Chapter 118 The beautiful dream is shattered! The last fight with your life and reputation at stake! I have been waiting for you for a long time!
Jiangling City, inside the military headquarters.

Liu Biao was looking through the list presented by Liu Pan.

All those on the list were Huang Zhong's subordinates, the people he intended to win over and divide.

"Liu Bei's army has just arrived at the city. It will take some time to build a siege camp. I don't think they will launch an attack on Jiangling City in the short term."

"My lord, you still have enough time to win over these Changsha army officers. It is enough to control Huang Zhong's 4,000 Changsha soldiers before Liu Bei attacks the city."

"Even if Huang Zhong is not available, as long as we have the Changsha Army, we still have hope of defending Jiangling."

On the side, Kuai Yue optimistically outlined a blueprint for Liu Biao.

Liu Bian showed satisfaction and handed the list to Kuai Yue:

"Let's leave this matter to you, Yidu. Right now, you are the only person I can trust. I have confidence in you to handle the matter."

Kuai Yue immediately took the order and put away the list.

"As the saying goes, true character is revealed in times of adversity. It is only today that I finally understand that you, Kuai Yidu, are my most loyal subject."

Liu Biao personally poured a bowl of tea for Kuai Yue and said with a smile:

"I heard that you have a widowed sister in another world, who is very virtuous."

"This is what I think. After going through this hardship, we, the king and his subjects, should take our relationship to the next level. If we can become relatives by marriage, that would be the best."

Kuai Yue's eyes lit up and he immediately understood the implication of Liu Biao's words.

He wanted to marry his widowed sister and form an all-powerful alliance with his Kuai family!

The Cai family had already been destroyed, and all the top families in Jingxiang, including the Pang and Huang families, turned to Liu Bei.

His Kuai family was one of the few large families among the Jingzhou gentry that still supported him.

At this precarious time, Liu Biao naturally regarded the Kuai family as a lifeline and wanted to tie them together tightly through marriage.

Kuai Yue could naturally see what Liu Biao was thinking.

But if Liu Biao has the opportunity to turn the tables in the future, regain lost territory and retake Xiangyang, then his Kuai family, as an external relative, will replace the Cai family's position.

Moreover, he will overwhelm all the noble families in Jingzhou and truly become a person who can cover the sky with one hand.

This huge pie in the sky really made Kuai Yue excited.

Moreover, in the current situation, does the Kuai family have any other choice except to follow Liu Biao to the end?
Kuai Yue's thoughts raced as he quickly weighed the pros and cons.

So he pretended to be flattered and said with a look of surprise:

"My lord is a hero of the time. If my sister can serve him, it will be a great blessing for her and a glory for our Kuai family!"

This is equivalent to agreeing to the marriage.

Liu Biao laughed and raised his glass, saying:

"It is my honor to be able to become a relative with you from another dimension, from a master to a servant."

"After we have secured Jiangling and survived this disaster, I will hold this wedding with great fanfare and let everyone in the world know that I, Liu Biao, have become the son-in-law of your Kuai family."

Kuai Yue was also so happy that he couldn't stop smiling, and the master and his minister raised their cups and drank them all.

The wine just went down my throat.

The sound of hurried footsteps was heard, and Liu Pan rushed in with a serious expression.

"Uncle, something big has happened."

"Last night, Huang Zhong, that old bastard, took advantage of the change of guard and led his own 4,000 Changsha soldiers out of the city through the southern water gate, crossed the river and fled to Youjiang City!"

"Huang Zhong has defected!"

Liu Pan half-knelt on the ground and shouted in a hoarse voice.

Liu Biao and Kuai Yue froze in place, their hands holding the wine glasses lingered at their mouths, their faces frozen in astonishment.

Bang! Bang!
As the two wine glasses fell to the ground, they both woke up at the same time.

"What did you say?"

"Pan'er, say it again!"

Liu Biao jumped up, his eyes bulging, and yelled at Liu Pan.

"Uncle, Huang Zhong took 4,000 Changsha soldiers and fled to Youjiang City on the south bank!"

Liu Pan gritted his teeth and repeated the bad news with great grief and indignation.

Liu Biao's body swayed, and he fell to the ground as if he was exhausted, and he was in a state of despair.

The thing I was most worried about happened.

This old scoundrel Huang Zhong actually escaped first.

Not only did he escape, but he also took away his precious 4,000 Changsha soldiers!

Those were his 4,000 most elite soldiers and horses, the backbone force for defending Jiangling!
Without these four thousand soldiers, there are only seven or eight thousand motley crowds left. How can they resist Liu Bei's 40,000 troops?

"Huang Zhong, you are a disloyal and treacherous thief!"

"I knew it before, the Huang family is full of villains, none of them can be trusted!"

Liu Biao woke up from his shock and fell into endless rage in an instant.

Liu Pan glared at Kuai Yue and complained:

"Kuai Yidu, if you hadn't been so smart and persuaded my uncle back then, my uncle would have captured Huang Zhong long ago. How could we have ended up in this situation now?"

"Are you worthy of being called the number one counselor in Jingzhou?"

"If my uncle had not listened to you, how could he have been repeatedly schemed by Xiao Fang and been defeated by Liu Bei to such an extent!"

Liu Pan had long been dissatisfied with the Cai family's monopoly of power, and now he was taking advantage of the situation to vent all the dissatisfaction that had accumulated in his heart.

Kuai Yue was filled with shame, with sweat on his forehead, and mumbled:

"Who would have thought that Huang Zhong, this old thief, would escape so decisively?"

"The lord had just questioned him during the day, and that night he led his army to escape from Jiangling!"

"This, this, this..."

Kuai Yue didn't know what to say next, and was so ashamed that he didn't dare to look Liu Biao in the eye.

Liu Pan's accusations and sarcasm finally ignited Liu Biao's long-suppressed dissatisfaction.

"Yidu, Yidu, you are known as the best counselor in Jingzhou. I will obey your every word!"

"But what did you do?"

"Since Liu Bei entered Nanyang, you have miscalculated time and time again, and have been played around by that country bumpkin Xiao Fang time and time again, causing me to suffer defeat after defeat, and lose troops and territory, leading to this predicament today!"

"You disappoint me so much, so very disappointed—"

Liu Biao glared at Kuai Yue with resentment on his face and expressed his dissatisfaction to Kuai Yue for the first time in his life.

That look was one of extreme disappointment and regret.

Kuai Yue froze in place, his face filled with shame, feeling too embarrassed to face himself.

At this time.

Xing Daorong, Bao Long and other generals all rushed over upon hearing the news.

Upon learning that Huang Zhong had defected and taken away the most elite Changsha army, all the generals in the hall were shocked.

"Now that things have come to this, what other plans do you have? Tell us quickly!"

After venting his anger, Liu Biao finally calmed down and had to face reality.

The hall immediately fell silent. All the generals lowered their heads and no one said a word.

Even Liu Pan, who was furious just now, has lost his temper now.

Liu Biao looked around and saw that no one said anything. His face was full of disappointment, and his gaze finally fell on Kuai Yue.

"Yi Du, I will trust you once more. Do you have any good ideas to turn the situation around?"

Liu Biao had no choice but to suppress his complaints and hold his nose as he asked Kuai Yue for advice again.

There was no way. No matter how much he complained, who else could give him advice except Kuai Yue?

The shame on Kuai Yue's face faded slightly, beads of sweat dripped down his forehead, and he was thinking hard about how to break the impasse.

After a long while, he took a deep breath, bowed and said:

"My lord, you only have three options now."

"The best strategy is to abandon Jiangling and immediately retreat eastward to Xiakou to join Huang Zu."

"Huang Zu still has 30,000 elite soldiers and the strongest navy in Jingzhou. This is our only hope to turn the tide."

When Liu Biao heard this, his face darkened immediately:
"Huang Zu disobeyed orders and took advantage of his own strength. He has already committed treason."

"If I go to Xiakou, I'm afraid my life will be in danger. Your plan is definitely not feasible."

Liu Biao had suffered too much from the Huang family, so he naturally learned his lesson and rejected Kuai Yue's so-called best strategy. Kuai Yue swallowed his saliva and said:

"The middle strategy is to abandon Jiangling and retreat to Jingnan as the traitor Huang Zhong said, using the natural barrier of the Yangtze River as a barrier to confront Liu Bei across the river."

Liu Biao did not reject it immediately, but thought about it for a while.

Then he waved his hand and said in a deep voice:

"The four counties in southern Jing are places to avoid. If I retreat to southern Jing, it will be equivalent to losing the southern counties, and losing the southern counties is equivalent to losing Jingzhou."

"What's more, the traitor Huang Zhong is now gathering his troops at the mouth of Youjiang River. What if I lead my troops across the river and intercept him halfway across the river?"

"Your middle plan is not feasible."

Both plans were rejected, leaving only one worst plan. Liu Biao's eyes were full of disappointment, as if he had no hope for this worst plan.

Kuai Yue took another deep breath and said slowly:

"I have been observing the layout of the enemy camp recently and have seen that Liu Bei's food and fodder has been transported from the north and is being stored in the western encirclement camp."

"If you are determined to fight to the death, you can gamble all the troops in the city and divide them into two groups to attack the enemy's western camp at night."

"Go out through the west gate and attack the enemy camp head-on."

"We will enter the river through the water gate, take a boat around the enemy camp upstream to land, and launch a surprise attack on the enemy camp from behind."

"The two armies will raise fire as a signal and attack at the same time at night. If successful, they can burn Liu Bei's food and grass in one fell swoop."

"Once the food and grass are lost, Liu Bei will retreat without a fight. My lord will have a precious chance to catch his breath, so that he can recruit soldiers and horses, recover his strength, and wait for the next battle with Liu Bei!"

After hearing this bad plan, Liu Biao, who had originally lost hope, suddenly became energetic and sat up straight.

"Uncle, this desperate strategy is the strategy that can turn the tide!"

"My nephew is willing to lead his army to raid the enemy camp and burn the food supplies of the big-eared thieves!"

Liu Pan forgot his sarcasm towards Kuai Yue and jumped up to ask for a fight.

Xing Daorong also jumped up and said excitedly:

"My lord, I am willing to lead my army to raid the enemy camp and kill all the big-eared thieves!"

Liu Biao stood up slowly, clenched his fists, and a ray of hope gradually appeared in his desperate eyes.

After hesitating for a long time, his face became as determined as iron.

"Yi Du, your best strategy is actually a bad strategy. This bad strategy is the best strategy!"

"Nanjun is the foundation of Jingzhou, and Jiangling is the foundation of Nanjun. I will never give up!"

"I will follow your advice and take a gamble!"

Liu Biao waved his hand and said sternly:

"Liu Pan, Xing Daorong, listen to my orders. I order you to each lead 4,000 soldiers and horses, split into two groups, and attack the enemy's western camp at night!"

"I want you to burn down the Big Ear Bandits' food camp in one fell swoop and achieve your goal in one fell swoop!"

Liu Pan and Xing Daorong were eager to fight and immediately accepted the order.

Kuai Yue secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

...

At nightfall, at the west gate of Jiangling.

On the city wall, Liu Biao stood with his sword in his hand, a hint of expectation flashing across his solemn face.

"My lord, the beacon fire has been lit in the west. It is Xing Daorong who has arrived."

Kuai Yue pointed to the end of the night and said.

Liu Biao looked up and saw a beacon fire rising behind Liu's west camp.

That was the signal that Xing Daorong had led 4,000 elite soldiers, sneaked upstream by water, and landed behind the enemy camp.

Liu Biao turned around, patted Liu Pan on the shoulder, and said solemnly:

"Pan'er, can we defend Jingzhou? The lives of you, my uncle and nephew depend on this battle."

"Tonight, I'll leave my uncle to you!"

Liu Pan's blood was boiling, and he clasped his hands and said:

"Uncle, rest assured. In this battle, I will definitely burn the food supplies of the big-eared thief and send him back to Xiangyang!"

After saying that, Liu Pan turned around and went down the city.

The city gate was broken and the drawbridge was lowered.

Liu Pan rode his horse and held a spear in hand, leading the way, and the four thousand Jingnan soldiers behind him followed closely with trepidation.

In the blink of an eye, the group disappeared into the night.

Liu Biao stood with his sword in his hand, staring at the direction of Liu Jun's western camp, his face full of anticipation.

"Even if Zhang Liang were resurrected, he would never have expected that we would dare to take the initiative to attack after losing the Changsha army."

"Xiao Fang, I just don't believe that I, Kuai Yue, can't defeat you even once!"

"After tonight, I, Kuai Yue, will still be the number one strategist in Jingzhou!"

Kuai Yue clenched his fists, and a hint of pride appeared in his eyes again.

...

Outside the West Camp.

The cry of killing suddenly arose, and the sound of horns pierced the silence of the night.

Four thousand Jingzhou troops rushed towards the gate of Liu Jun’s camp like a tide.

The soldiers guarding the camp gate seemed to have never expected that the Jingzhou army would dare to attack at night, and they dispersed after a brief resistance.

The camp gate was broken open and the Jingzhou army rushed in.

"Liu Bei was totally unprepared!"

"Kuai Yue, I take back what I said before. Although you abuse your power, you are still my number one strategist in Jingzhou!"

Liu Pan laughed wildly, waved his gun and shouted:

"Follow me to charge into the heart of the enemy camp and burn all the food supplies of the big-eared thieves!"

The morale of the 4,000 Jingzhou troops was greatly boosted, and they followed Liu Pan all the way and rushed straight towards the granary.

at the same time.

From the west, flames shot up into the sky and cries of killing were heard.

In the firelight, a group of soldiers could be vaguely seen breaking into Liu's camp from behind.

A large "Xing Dao" flag was faintly visible in the firelight.

That was another surprise force led by Xing Daorong, who broke into Liu's camp from the west.

The two armies were invincible all the way and easily broke through Liu's camp, and finally successfully joined forces in front of the grain camp.

"General Zihou, Kuai Biejia's plan worked. The enemy was completely unprepared and vulnerable!"

Xing Daorong waved the axe in his hand and shouted excitedly.

Liu Pan was also extremely excited, and pointed his gun at the food camp ahead:
"What are you waiting for? Charge into the granary and burn all the food and grass of the big-eared thief. Make him go back quietly—"

A U-shaped exit.

The sound of war drums suddenly rang in my ears.

Countless soldiers suddenly appeared in the originally empty granary, forming a battle array to block the way ahead.

Soon after, countless torches were lit around the camp, and countless soldiers with battle flags, like soldiers of the underworld appearing in the darkness, rushed up from all directions in the blink of an eye.

Liu Pan and Xing Daorong's faces turned pale with horror. They looked around at the Liu army that suddenly surrounded them and became confused in an instant.

At this time, a passage appeared in Liu Jun's formation in front.

Accompanied by Zhang Fei, Liu Bei rode out slowly on horseback and walked to the front of the battle.

"He has nowhere else to go, so he is determined to attack our granary!"

"Liu Biao's every move is under the control of the military advisor..."

Looking at the terrified enemy troops in front of him, Liu Bei sighed with admiration.

His eyes were focused, cold as iron, and he pointed with the whip in his hand:
"Listen, General. My military advisor Xiao had expected that Liu Biao would make a desperate attempt to burn our food supplies."

"I have been waiting for you here for a long time. If you don't dismount and surrender, then when will you wait?"

The domineering shout echoed over the camp.

Xing Daorong and Liu Pan's faces changed drastically.

(End of this chapter)