Chapter 96: Weapon Master? If Lord Xuande gets this person, he will have a bright future! There is only one way left!
Let Huang Zu be a coward!

Old Liu perked up and looked at Xiao Fang.

Huang Yueying's bright eyes flickered as she looked at the handsome young scholar in front of her.

Being able to sit at the first seat on Liu Bei's left, his status in the camp was naturally second only to Liu Bei.

Huang Yueying had vaguely guessed the other party's identity, but did not ask without permission. She was also full of curiosity and wanted to hear what methods this legendary man had to prevent her uncle Huang Zu from interfering in the Battle of Fancheng.

"My lord, have you forgotten that Zhongkang also had an unexpected gain on this trip? He captured Huang She."

Xiao Fang took a sip of tea and said with a meaningful look in his eyes.

"Huang She, my cousin?"

Huang Yueying was shocked and was the first to guess Xiao Fang's intention.

"I understand!"

Zhang Fei, who had been silent all this time, slammed the table and said excitedly:
"That Huang She kid is the son of Huang Zu."

"Let's tell Huang Zu that if he dares to lead the Jiangxia navy to cause trouble for us, we will chop his precious son into pieces and throw him into the Han River to feed the turtles!"

Even Zhang Fei understood it, and naturally everyone present understood it.

Old Liu frowned slightly and shook his head:
"Although Huang She was rude to Mr. Huang, he is still Mr. Huang's nephew after all."

"Moreover, using the enemy's wife and children as hostages to force the enemy to surrender is not the right way to be a human being."

"Military Advisor's plan is probably..."

Liu Bei looked at Xiao Fang, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

If I adopt this plan, it will go against my own principles. If I don't adopt it, it will be difficult to deny Xiao Fang's suggestion.

"My lord, you know what a man he is. How could you let me threaten Huang Zu with Huang She's life?"

Xiao Fang smiled faintly.

Liu Bei was stunned and his eyes became dazed.

Huang Yueying also frowned slightly, with a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"Military Advisor, you have confused me again."

"Since we are not using Huang She to threaten Huang Zu, then what is the use of Huang She? Keeping him will only cost us food."

Zhang Fei continued to speak his mind and expressed his doubts on behalf of everyone.

"My lord, you don't want to threaten Huang Zu with Huang She's life, but you can use Huang She's fate to negotiate with Huang Zu."

"I think the lord could write a letter to Huang Zu, clearly stating that this war is only to attack Liu Biao, not against him."

"My lord, you can give Huang Zu two months. If Huang Zu can remain neutral and keep his troops in place, then my lord can send Huang She to Xiakou and reunite him with his son."

"Two months is enough time for our army to capture Fancheng. Even if Huang Zu leads his troops northwards, Fancheng will already be ours. What is there to fear?"

Xiao Fang calmly pointed out the real intention.

Liu Bei suddenly understood, his brows relaxed, and he finally understood Xiao Fang's profound meaning.

This is just like when Cai Zhong was used as a bargaining chip to get back Wen Pin's wife and children.

Now he was just using Huang She to get Huang Zu to keep his troops in place.

"In fact, Huang She is just a trigger."

"Huang Zu nominally served Liu Biao as his master, but in reality he had troops in Jiangxia and had considerable autonomy, which was equivalent to a semi-independent state."

"He had previously sent his son to lead the army to the north to aid Fancheng, simply because he wanted to take advantage of the marriage with Liu Qi to suppress the Kuai and Cai families and replace Cai Mao's position under Liu Biao."

"Now that Mr. Huang has surrendered to the lord, Huang Zu's plot has failed. Without the temptation of sufficient benefits, he may not be willing to mobilize all the troops in Jiangxia and come north to fight to the death for Liu Biao!"

Xiao Fang exposed all of Huang Zu's plans.

Then he asked Xu Chu to bring the map and spread it in front of Liu Bei.

"In addition, according to reports from spies, Sun Ce's vanguard has entered Yuzhang and is approaching the border of Chaisang. This move is clearly an attempt to take advantage of the situation and get involved in Jingzhou."

"My lord, you can send spies to Jiangxia to spread the rumor that Sun Ce will capture Jiangxia and kill Huang Zu to avenge his father."

"Huang Zu was afraid that Sun Ce would raid his base, so he naturally did not dare to easily dispatch troops to aid Fancheng. He would definitely leave his main force in Xiakou to guard against Sun Ce."

"With all these things and the exchange conditions offered by the Lord, what reason does Huang Zu have to come to Fancheng to wade into this muddy water?"

Xiao Fang pointed at the map and analyzed the pros and cons again.

Liu Bei's gaze wandered between Xiakou and Chaisang. As he thought about what Xiao Fang said, his eyes suddenly became clear.

"It turns out that Jinglue not only has a thorough understanding of Huang Zu, but his vision is no longer limited to Jingzhou, but extends to Chaisang, and also takes the little tyrant into consideration."

"This kind of vision is beyond reach..."

After Liu Bei sighed, he slapped the table and said happily:
"Okay, let's follow the military advisor's advice. Prepare a letter right now and ask Deng Bo Miao to go as an envoy to Xiakou!"

Huang Chengyan and his daughter Huang Yueying looked at each other, and praise appeared in their eyes at the same time.

Liu Bei's words "military advisor" also confirmed Huang Yueying's previous guess.

The handsome and elegant young scholar before him with extraordinary bearing was the legendary military advisor of Liu Bei.

Xiao Fang, the extraordinary man from Yiyang who caused Kuai Yi, the best strategist in Jingzhou, to miscalculate repeatedly.

"I have long heard that Military Advisor Xiao is a master of strategy, like Zhang Liang reincarnated. Today I see that his reputation is well-deserved."

"Yueying is quite interested in the art of military strategy. If there is a chance, I would like to ask Military Advisor Xiao to give me more advice."

Huang Yueying stood up and bowed towards Xiao Fangying.

Everyone had a surprised look on their faces, thinking that this daughter of the Huang family was really different. She was a girl, but she didn't embroider but read the Art of War?

"Yueying, Military Advisor Xiao is busy with military affairs, how can you disturb him?"

Huang Chengyan looked a little embarrassed and smiled helplessly:

"My daughter has been fond of reading military books since she was young, and has a basic understanding of military tactics. I am sorry to make you laugh, Military Advisor Xiao."

Xiao Fang disagreed and said with a smile:

"I don't deserve your advice. If Miss Huang is interested, it would be fine if we consult each other in our spare time."

When Huang Yueying saw Xiao Fang agreed, she was secretly delighted and hurriedly bowed to thank him.

A banquet continues.

During the banquet, Liu Bei did not beat around the bush and frankly proposed that he wanted to ask Huang Chengyan to come forward and use his influence to recruit heroes from Jingzhou to join him.

Since Huang Chengyan was determined to lead the Huang family to side with Liu Bei, he naturally felt obliged to do so and agreed immediately.

The banquet ended in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

After the banquet, Huang Yueying helped Huang Chengyan back to the tent to rest.

As soon as the front foot entered the account, Xiao Fang arrived.

"I wonder if Military Advisor Xiao has any other advice for me?"

Huang Chengyan hurriedly stood up and greeted him with a smile, and asked his daughter to prepare some sobering tea.

Xiao Fang bowed slightly and said with a smile:
"Mr. Huang, you are too kind. I came here to ask for something from you, my dear."

Huang Chengyan was startled and looked at his daughter with suspicion, then thought, "Military Advisor Xiao, you are very powerful, what else can you ask of my daughter?"
"I don't know what Military Advisor Xiao wants me to do, but as long as I can do it, I will do it without hesitation."

Huang Yueying's bright eyes sparkled with curiosity as she placed the tea in Xiao Fang's hands.

Xiao Fang took the tea and sat down, then asked:

"It's not a big deal, but I just heard that Miss Huang is quite accomplished in mechanical devices and weapons. Is this true?"

Huang Yueying was slightly shocked when she heard this.

Huang Chengyan's hand trembled slightly, and the tea in the bowl splashed out. He looked at Xiao Fang in surprise. His daughter had unique hobbies. In addition to reading military books, she also liked to study and tinker with mechanical weapons.

However, these things are what weapon craftsmen should do. If a girl indulges in them, she will be slandered if the news gets out, so he never publicizes it.

Not many people in the family know about such a secret matter. How did Military Advisor Xiao know about it?

The father and daughter were both filled with surprise.

Huang Yueying hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said:

"That is indeed true. Yueying only has a superficial understanding of mechanical weapons and can't be said to have any accomplishments."

Xiao Fang breathed a sigh of relief.

According to unofficial history, Huang Yueying was extremely intelligent. In addition to her wisdom, she was also a master of weapons.

It is said that many of Shu Han's sophisticated weapons were developed by Huang Yueying.

However, unofficial history is unofficial history after all and cannot be fully trusted. Xiao Fang came to ask just to give it a try.

Unexpectedly, he got it right.

Xiao Fang gave Xu Chu a wink, and Xu Chu took out the scroll he had prepared in advance and spread it on the table.

"Fang happens to be somewhat interested in the art of mechanical weapons, but his attainments are far inferior to those of Miss Huang."

"I got some inspiration for these weapons. I only drew some sketches, but I can't figure out the specific details."

"Miss Huang is proficient in this. I wonder if you can help improve it. If it can be successfully built in the future, it will also be icing on the cake for our army and increase its combat effectiveness."

Xiao Fang pointed at the scroll and finally explained his purpose.

Huang Yueying immediately became very interested and bent over the desk to examine it carefully, with amazement gradually welling up in her bright eyes.

"The weapons that Military Advisor Xiao came up with are truly ingenious. If they can really be made, they will surely be powerful weapons to defeat the enemy."

Huang Yueying looked up at Xiao Fang, exclaiming in admiration.

The fact that she could see the pros and cons of this was enough to prove Huang Yueying's profound attainments in weapons and equipment.

His talent is probably comparable to that of the historical mechanical expert Ma Jun, or even better than Ma Jun.

This most talented woman in Jingzhou is really a treasure girl...

Xiao Fang secretly sighed in his heart, and then smiled:
"Miss Huang, you are too kind. I just got the inspiration occasionally. As for whether I can make it and use it on the battlefield, I still have to trouble Miss Huang."

Huang Yueying leaned over the desk again, carefully thinking over and over again.

After a long while, her eyes were firm and confident, and she said:

"If Military Advisor Xiao trusts Yueying, then please give these scrolls to Yueying. With time, Yueying is confident that she can perfect them and hand them over to Lord Xuande for creation in the future."

Xiao Fang felt a huge stone fall to the ground, and he bowed and thanked:
"In that case, I'll have to trouble Miss Huang to take care of this matter."

After a few polite words, Xiao Fang said goodbye and left.

Huang's father and daughter hurriedly stood up to say goodbye.

"Yueying, what do you think of this boy?"

Huang Chengyan stroked his half-white beard and looked at Xiao Fang's back with admiration in his eyes.

Huang Yueying pondered for a moment and said softly:

"Before I met Xiao Jinglue, I thought he was a genius and a rare talent in the world."

"I have seen with my own eyes today that this person is truly unfathomable. He can no longer be described simply as a rare talent."

Huang Chengyan nodded slightly, agreeing with his daughter's evaluation, and then said with emotion:

"Mr. Xuande is kind, righteous and generous, and respectful to the wise and humble. His tolerance and broad-mindedness are indeed far superior to Liu Jingsheng."

"With such a wise leader and the assistance of a man of extraordinary strategy like Xiao Fang, I'm afraid their future achievements will not stop at capturing Jingzhou."

"As a father, I dare to assert that my choice was indeed not wrong."

The father and daughter discussed secretly and watched Xiao Fang's back disappear into the night.

...

Xiangyang, the provincial capital.

"Huang Zu, Huang Zu, what on earth are you thinking about?"

"I have repeatedly ordered you to send troops, but either your granary is on fire or you have caught a cold!"

"What on earth do you want to do?"

Inside the government hall, Liu Biao was furious, holding Huang Zu's letter in his hand.

In order to lift the siege of Fancheng and regain the water control of Han River, he issued three military orders within ten days, ordering Huang Zu to mobilize all the troops in Jiangxia and march north.

Unexpectedly, Huang Zu agreed straightforwardly, but made all kinds of excuses in private, saying that either the granary was burned down today, or he caught a cold and couldn't get out of bed tomorrow.

After ten full days, the 30,000 Jiangxia troops were assembled, but they were unable to sail.

"My lord, I heard that Huang She fell into Liu Bei's hands. Could it be that the big-eared thief used this to threaten Huang Zu so that he would not dare to send troops?"

Cai Mao rolled his eyes a few times and guessed so immediately.

Liu Biao was shocked, his anger gradually subsided, and he looked at Kuai Yue.

"It was also expected that Liu Bei would use Huang She as a hostage and use despicable means to threaten Huang Zu."

"However, there have been rumors in Jiangxia recently that Sun Ce has led the Jiangdong army to approach Chaisang and intends to invade Jiangxia."

"Huang Zu kept shirking his responsibilities, probably because he was afraid that Sun Ce would take advantage of his situation."

Kuai Yue's judgment was obviously more careful than Cai Mao's.

When Liu Biao heard the name Sun Ce, he couldn't help but shudder.

Sun Ce was a bloodthirsty man. He killed countless people while pacifying Jiangdong.

Any famous scholar or hero in Jiangdong who dared to show disrespect to Sun Ce would be killed immediately.

If Sun Ce were allowed to invade Jingzhou, there would be a river of blood in Jingzhou.

What's more, he and Sun Ce had a grudge against each other for killing their father. If he was defeated by Sun Ce, it would not be surprising if his entire family was exterminated.

"Sun Ce, this young boy, chose to march west at this time, how hateful~~~"

Liu Biao clenched his fists, a look of helplessness flashing across his brows.

Huang Zu refused to send troops to rescue, and Liu Pan and other reinforcements from southern Jing could not quench the thirst with distant water. There was little food and grass left in Fancheng. It was unknown how long Liu Qi could hold out.

If he didn't find a way to retake the water camp and open up the food route to Fancheng, his eldest son and 10,000 elite soldiers would probably have to die in Fancheng.

What’s more serious is that once Fancheng was lost, the last barrier on the north bank of the Han River was lost.

What else could he use to stop Liu Bei from crossing the Du River and approaching his Xiangyang?

"Yi Du, you are my Jingxiang's number one strategist. Now my Jingzhou is in a critical situation. You have to think of a way to turn the tide for me!"

Liu Biao raised his head and looked at Kuai Yue with an almost begging look.

Kuai Yue's forehead was covered with sweat, his thoughts were racing, and he was racking his brains to think of a way to break the impasse.

After thinking for a long time, Kuai Yue let out a helpless sigh.

"My lord, at this point, I'm afraid we only have one way to go."

Liu Biao thought that Kuai Yue had come up with some brilliant plan to turn defeat into victory, and his spirits immediately perked up. He hurriedly asked Kuai Yue what good plan he had.

Kuai Yue took a deep breath and uttered two words with difficulty from between his teeth.

(End of this chapter)