Chapter 87 Why are all Liu Bei's men monsters? What is the key to conquering Xiangyang? The wedding banquet turns into a funeral banquet!
"It's the Big Ear Thief's troops. They chased us this far and still keep chasing us?"

Cai Mao was both shocked and angry, and his previous rage disappeared in an instant.

He struggled to sit up, climbed onto his horse, and tried to escape.

"Uncle Degui, wait a minute!"

Kuai Qi stopped him and pointed to the north with a calm expression:
"I think the pursuers are only a few hundred men and horses. They are probably not the main force of the enemy. They must be some scattered soldiers who are eager to win merit."

"The flag has the word 'Xu' written on it. Liu Bei's army has never heard of such a general. He must be just a small figure."

"We have two thousand soldiers here, why don't we set up a battle array right here and destroy this small group of enemy troops, which will be a way to vent our anger a little."

After his reminder, Cai Mao calmed down and looked north again.

As Kuai Qi said, there were indeed only two or three hundred soldiers from Liu's army who came, and Liu Bei's subordinates had never heard of such a person with the surname Xu, so he must be an unknown person.

The two thousand soldiers under his command, even if they were defeated, were still ten times more than the enemy.

If I can't defeat Liu Bei, can't I deal with this bunch of minions?
Cai Mao weighed the pros and cons in a flash, and murderous intent suddenly rose in his eyes.

"My dear nephew, you are indeed a descendant of the Kuai family. You are indeed as smart and wise as your uncle Yidu."

After praising him highly, Cai Mao drew his sword and shouted:
"Pass the order down, follow my nephew's plan, and the whole army will immediately form a battle array to meet the enemy."

"I will use the blood of these hundreds of minions to pay tribute to the spirit of my second brother in heaven!"

When the order was given, more than 2,000 panic-stricken defeated soldiers of Jingzhou, under the shouting of Cai Mao, barely formed a battle formation and lay across the road.

Seeing that there were only a few hundred enemies, the Jingzhou soldiers immediately gained confidence. They all gripped their swords and guns tightly, eager to fight.

Cai Mao stood on his horse with his spear in hand, looking coldly at Liu Jun approaching from the front with contempt.

A hundred steps away.

Xu Chu was running wildly with his two hundred Xu family tiger warriors.

In the battle of Xinye, although Xiao Fang gave him the opportunity to fight, he was killed with great pleasure.

It's a pity that he was unlucky and didn't encounter any important prey, so he didn't gain much credit.

Xu Chu was unwilling to give up, so he led his troops away from Xinye City and chased south for more than ten miles with the idea of ​​trying his luck.

Just as they saw the defeated enemy troops had fled and were about to return empty-handed, thousands of defeated soldiers from Jingzhou appeared in front of them.

What made Xu Chu even more excited was that the defeated Jingzhou army, instead of dispersing, gathered together and formed a battle array, as if they were ready to fight head-on.

"Not only did the enemy not flee, but they also dared to form a battle array to fight back?"

"Okay, okay, very good, it's better if no one escapes!"

Xu Chu's eyes instantly became bloodshot, he roared like a tiger, spurred his horse, raised his sword, and rushed forward like a black gale.

Behind him, there were about 300 tiger warriors, all of them were excited and rushed forward with roars.

The archers of the Jingzhou army launched their attack, and more than a hundred sharp arrows whizzed over.

Xu Chu swung his sword like an iron curtain, easily deflecting all the incoming arrows.

They were unstoppable all the way and crashed into the enemy camp in the blink of an eye.

The long sword in his hand was like the blade of death, slashing out with the force of thunder.

There were bursts of sounds of weapons and armor breaking, accompanied by howling.

Seven or eight soldiers from Jingzhou were chopped into pieces like paper by Xu Chu with one sword.

He rode his horse without stopping, slashing left and right with the long sword in his hand, harvesting the heads of the Jingzhou soldiers who blocked his way like cutting vegetables and melons.

Xu's tiger soldiers then rushed in, like a tiger into a flock of sheep, and cut down the Jingzhou soldiers in large numbers.

More than three hundred people, each fighting ten at a time, defeated the two thousand Jingzhou troops in the blink of an eye.

Central Army Department.

Cai Mao and Kuai Qi's faces changed in shock.

With two thousand men and horses, even if their morale is unstable, they won't be overwhelmed by three hundred people in one encounter, right?
That general, like a killing god, killed his way through their army formation with his own strength!
What kind of monsters are under Liu Bei’s command?

How could a random small character be so brave as to be matched with ten thousand men?
"Retreat, retreat to Fancheng~~"

Cai Mao's mentality collapsed again, and before the order to retreat was given, he turned around and fled.

Wang Wei followed closely behind, and the troops of Jingzhou on both sides scattered in panic like frightened birds.

However, Kuai Qi lacked experience in battle and was a little slow in reacting.

By the time he came to his senses and wanted to turn his horse and escape, Xu Chu was already approaching, walking on a bloody trail, roaring.

"Where to go!"

A long knife, covered with blood and dust, swept across.

There is no way to avoid it.

Kuai Qi had no time to react and could only rely on instinct to swing his sword to block.

There was a loud bang and a scream.

Kuai Qi was blown away with his sword like a piece of paper and fell heavily to the ground.

The soldiers of Jingzhou who had no time to escape were all frightened by Xu Chu's might and fell to the ground to surrender.

Xu Chu rode his horse forward, raised the bloody knife in his hand, and was about to chop off Kuai Qi's head.

Kuai Qi ignored the severe pain and vomited blood while shouting:

"I am a descendant of the Kuai family. Kuai Yidu is my uncle. How dare I—"

Before he could finish his words, Xu Chu swung his sword down without hesitation.

Kuai Qi's head fell to the ground.

Xu Chu picked up Kuai Qi's head and tied it to his horse's back.

When he looked up again, the majority of the Jingzhou army had fled far away, leaving only a dozen frightened men kneeling on the ground and trembling.

Xu Chu pointed his bloody knife to the south and said proudly:
"My name is Xu Chu, and I am the commander of the personal guards of my Advisor Xiao!"

"Go back and tell Liu Biao that if he knows what's best for him, he should cross the river and surrender to our lord immediately!"

"Otherwise, I will rush into Xiangyang sooner or later and take his head!"

The soldiers from Jingzhou responded repeatedly, kowtowed several times, and then fled in panic.

Xu Chu glanced at the head, a satisfied expression appeared on his face, and he murmured:
"The Kuai family's son should be a great figure, and his contribution is considered great."

"I've finally had a good time killing people today. Let's go back to the military advisor and ask for credit from the lord..."

Three hundred tiger warriors of the Xu clan marched away towards Xinye.

...

The sky brightened and the morning glow rose in the east.

Liu Bei and Xiao Fang stood side by side, overlooking this important town in northern Jing.

"We have already conquered Xinye, and Xiangyang is just around the corner."

"Military Advisor, I want to seize the opportunity of victory and pursue the enemy southwards to capture Fancheng in one fell swoop and drink from the Han River. What do you think?"

Liu Bei pointed his whip to the south with a look of great ambition on his face.

Xiao Fang looked south, but his eyes were deep.

Fancheng and Xiangyang are across the Han River from each other. If you want to take Xiangyang, you naturally have to take Fancheng first.

Historically, Guan Yu led a northern expedition to the Central Plains. Although he flooded seven armies and shocked all of China, he was always stuck in Fancheng and could not go north. Eventually, he was stabbed in the back by Sun Quan, Jiangling was lost, and the good situation was gone.

Fancheng can be called a fortified city.

However, in Xiao Fang's opinion, it depends on who holds the city.

In the hands of Cao Ren, the most famous general of the Cao family, Fancheng is naturally indestructible.

Looking at Liu Biao's subordinates, who has the talent to match Cao Ren, and who has the determination to defend Fancheng to the death for Liu Biao?

Without it, Fancheng would be vulnerable.

"Fancheng is isolated on the north bank of the Han River. As long as you cut off its retreat, it will not be difficult to capture Fancheng."

"But my lord, have you ever thought that after taking Fancheng, our next step is to capture Xiangyang."

"Then what is the key to conquering Xiangyang?"

Xiao Fang asked with a profound look in his eyes and a meaningful tone.

"The key to capturing Xiangyang?" Liu Bei's eyes became blank, and for a moment he was unable to hear the hidden meaning of Xiao Fang's words.

Zhuge Liang's eyes lit up and he blurted out:
"It's the ships! The key to capturing Xiangyang is the warships!"

Xiao Fang glanced at Zhuge Liang with approval.

Liu Bei's eyes gleamed, and he suddenly realized what was going on.

To the north of Xiangyang is the Han River.

If you want to capture Xiangyang, you must first cross the Han River. How can you cross the Han River without a boat?
The key is the boat.

"Jingzhou has three navies: Jiangxia Navy, Jiangling Navy, and Xiangfan Navy."

"Because Fancheng was built on the river, most of the warships of the Xiangfan navy were anchored in the water camp south of Fancheng."

"Now that Cai Mao has fled south, the enemy in Fancheng must have been prepared. If you chase them south now, it won't be difficult to capture Fancheng."

"I am afraid that Liu Biao will take the lead and withdraw all the warships in the Fancheng water camp to the south bank."

"If we can't get these warships, we have to build our own warships if we want to cross the Han River to the south. How long will it take?"

Xiao Fang didn't elaborate much and expressed his deep meaning to Lao Liu.

Liu Bei suddenly realized.

Xiao Fang's meaning was very clear. The target of the pursuit to the south was not Fancheng, but the warships of Fancheng Water Camp.

Only by seizing these warships would we have the capital to cross the Han River and besiege Xiangyang.

Otherwise, even if we could capture Fancheng in one fell swoop, we could only sigh at the sight of the river.

"Jinglue, you are really thoughtful. It turns out that you have already made plans to capture Xiangyang."

"As the saying goes, northerners ride horses, southerners sail boats. When it comes to the Yangtze and Han rivers, naval warships are indeed of vital importance."

Liu Bei seemed to understand something.

"Then according to your military advisor, how should we deploy our troops to capture the warships of the Xiangfan navy?"

After expressing his feelings, Liu Bei asked Xiao Fang again.

"The first thing we need to do is to temporarily hold off on advancing. We must not push Liu Biao too hard, causing him to panic and abandon Fancheng. At the same time, we must withdraw all of Fancheng's navy back to the south bank."

"First, spring is coming, and we need enough young and strong people to come for spring ploughing. Otherwise, if we miss the farming season and the harvest is poor this autumn, we will lose more than we gain."

"Secondly, the lord has just gained Xinye, and he needs to spend some time to appease the people. He should also comfort Deng Ji and other members of the Deng family who have made contributions."

"Third, Fang once said that after the lord took Xinye, Liu Biao's foundation would be shaken, and many of the heroes of Jingxiang who were waiting and watching would surely come and join us."

"My lord, you also need to free up your hands to place these heroes, recruit them according to their abilities, and enrich your shogunate and counties."

"As for seizing the Fancheng navy warships..."

Xiao Fang changed the subject, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised:

"Next month will be the day of the young master's full moon. I have a plan. I will take advantage of the opportunity of the young master's full moon to seize the Fancheng warship from my lord!"

Liu Bei nodded repeatedly, agreeing with all of Xiao Fang's arrangements, but a strange look appeared on his face when he heard the last part.

How is the seizure of the Fancheng naval warships related to his son's full moon?
Liu Bei then asked, "I wonder if the military advisor has any clever plan to capture the warships of the Fancheng water camp?"

Xiao Fang then lowered his voice and told the plan to him.

The suspicion in Liu Bei's eyes turned into joy, and he clapped his hands and praised with a smile:

"So that's what's going on. The military advisor's plan is really brilliant. Liu Jingsheng will never be able to guard against it!"

At this time.

Zhuge Liang turned his eyes slightly and reminded:
"Brother-in-law, this plan is indeed a brilliant one to seize the warship."

"But warships alone are not enough, we also need sailors."

"We need to recruit and train the marines locally, but the most important thing is to have a great marine commander. Xu Wenxiang alone may not be able to take on this important task!"

Hearing Zhuge Liang's reminder, Liu Bei was shocked and the joy on his face disappeared.

Most of the generals under his command were northern landlubbers. Although Wei Yan and Wen Pin were generals from Jingzhou, they were not good at water battles.

Although Xu Sheng is good at naval warfare, he is not a top-notch naval general and may not be able to suppress Cai Mao and Huang Zu.

Liu Bei frowned and turned to Xiao Fang.

"Don't worry, my lord. I have already found a great naval warrior for you!"

"This man is the best at naval warfare in Jingzhou. His naval warfare skills are even better than Xu Wenxiang's. If he is used by the lord, it will be easy to cross the Han River..."

Xiao Fang smiled slightly, with a hint of mystery in his eyes.

...

Xiangyang, the provincial capital.

A birthday party is in progress.

Today is the birthday of Liu Biao's second son, Liu Cong, which is not a big deal.

However, Mrs. Cai insisted on arranging a banquet to celebrate, so Liu Biao had no choice but to comply and held a birthday banquet in the state capital.

Important officials such as Kuai Yue, as well as dignitaries and celebrities in Xiangyang, all came to the scene to congratulate Liu Cong on his birthday.

Everyone took turns toasting Liu Cong with all kinds of words of praise.

What the second son is extraordinary, intelligent, talented and virtuous...

"The Second Young Master really has the demeanor of our lord. It is a blessing for our lord and the people of Jingzhou that he has such a talented son."

Kuai Yue also took the opportunity of toasting Liu Biao to praise Liu Cong.

The implication of this, of course, was to suggest to Liu Biao that he should follow the "will of the people" and make Liu Cong the heir apparent.

"Cong'er is indeed somewhat like me, but for the people of Jingzhou, the greatest blessing is to resist the attack of Liu Bei, the vicious tiger."

Liu Biao tactfully expressed that he did not want to discuss the issue of succession at the moment.

This was not entirely to appease Kuai Yue. He really had Liu Bei's sword hanging over his head, and he was unable to sleep or eat well. He really had no intention of appointing a crown prince.

Kuai Yue smiled and said comfortingly:
"Don't worry, my lord. Liu Bei's arrogance has reached its end."

"With Degui guarding Xinye, Liu Bei can no longer threaten Xiangyang. I estimate that Cao Cao has probably sent his troops south to attack Nanyang."

"Cao Cao's talent and strength far surpass Liu Bei's. How can he be his opponent? It is only a matter of time before he is destroyed."

"Cao Cao is determined to conquer the Central Plains. After defeating Liu Bei, he will not continue to move south. Jingxiang will not be threatened for at least ten years."

"Now that the external enemies have been eliminated, my lord can naturally focus on maintaining domestic peace."

Liu Biao stroked his thin beard, chewed on Kuai Yue's analysis, and his expression gradually became relaxed.

After pondering for a while, Liu Biao nodded slightly and sneered:

"Yi Du's words make sense. Cao Cao is indeed as cunning as a god in using his troops. He has countless brave generals and counselors under his command. Even if Liu Bei has Xiao Fang's assistance, I don't think he is a match for Cao Cao..."

Liu Biao hadn't finished speaking.

Footsteps sounded in a hurry.

A general covered in blood stumbled into the banquet and fell in front of the steps.

There was an uproar in the hall, and the joyful atmosphere was instantly replaced by surprise.

"Degui?"

"Why did you come back suddenly if you weren't guarding Xinye?"

Liu Biao stood up suddenly and asked in surprise.

The person kneeling on the ground was Cai Mao.

As everyone watched, Cai Mao said with a look of grief and indignation:
"My lord, the big-eared thief suddenly sent troops to attack Xinye!"

"That bastard Deng Ji rebelled, seized the East Gate and let the big-eared thief into the city."

"Mao fought hard but was defeated and was forced to abandon the city and retreat. Xinye has been taken by the big-eared thief!"

"De Shi was killed by the traitor Wen Pin, and Kuai Ziyu was also killed by Xiao Fang's bodyguard Xu Chu!"

Liu Biao's body swayed, and he fell back into his seat.

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(End of this chapter)