Chapter 99: What a shame! Don't panic, Liu Bei has ships but no generals! Please, father, kill my wife and give me justice!

Liu Qi was really angry.

The rage of renunciation!
It would have been bad enough if he had been bullied by this stepmother all these years and had said bad things about Liu Biao in his sleep.

Now, this vicious woman actually bribed her own confidants and used such despicable and vicious means as poisoning to put her to death!
In terms of status, I should at least respectfully call her mother.

How could she be so cruel?

At this time, Liu Qi was deeply enraged, and he wished he could rush back to Xiangyang immediately and kill the vicious woman Cai with one sword.

"I never thought that Madam Cai, who comes from a prominent family, would resort to such despicable and vicious means to help her nephew's husband ascend to power!"

"He really brought disgrace upon the Cai family and failed to live up to the love the master had for her."

Wang Wei, who was standing by, also shook his head and sighed, expressing deep disdain for what Cai had done.

Liu Qi pointed his sword at Xiangyang and shouted:

"Drive faster. I want to expose this vicious woman's evil deeds in front of my father."

"I want to kill this vicious woman with my own hands~~"

Wang Wei looked worried and whispered:
"Master, please calm down. I think we should take a long-term view on this matter."

"Even if this servant testifies, Madam Cai will definitely not admit it. Instead, she will say that the eldest master deliberately framed her. If the master does not believe it, what should we do?"

Liu Qi was so angry that he turned around and glared at Wang Wei, saying sternly:

"I am my father's son, I am his own flesh and blood!"

"Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. I just don't believe that my father still refuses to believe me and wants to protect that vicious woman even though I've been harmed to this state by that vicious woman."

Wang Wei was speechless and didn't know how to persuade him.

Liu Qi, however, ignored all concerns and just urged the warship to speed up, wishing he could fly back to the south bank immediately.

...

Xiangyang City, the provincial capital.

Liu Biao was pacing with his hands behind his back, anxiety clearly written on his face.

"Where is the Jiangling navy now?"

Liu Biao suddenly stopped, turned around and asked Kuai Yue.

Kuai Yue hurriedly took out a report and looked through it, then bowed and said:
"My lord, this is the military report sent back by Degui at a speed of 800 miles. The navy has now entered Xiashui."

Liu Biao ran back to the desk, stared at the map quickly, and punched the map with his fist.

The navy had just entered Xiakou, having traveled less than half the distance.

According to calculations, Fancheng's food and grass had been exhausted for more than three days.

"Too slow, too slow!"

"If Degui keeps dragging his feet, Qi'er won't be able to hold on, and Fancheng will be lost!"

Liu Biao slapped the map hard and complained.

Mrs. Cai, who was standing by, saw this and hurriedly came forward with some tea and said with a smile, "I'm so sorry.
"Husband, please have a cup of tea to calm down. Degui will surely come back in time."

Liu Biao waved his hand, pushed Madam Cai's tea away, and said unhappily:
"It's urgent, why are you still drinking soup or tea?"

"If your brother cannot bring the Jiangling navy back to me in time, Qi'er's life will be in danger and Fancheng will be in danger of being lost."

"If Fancheng is lost, Xiangyang will not be saved, and I and your Cai family will all die under the blade of that big-eared thief!"

Liu Biao's sudden rage frightened Mrs. Cai so much that she froze in place, holding the tea bowl in her hand, at a loss as to what to do.

The atmosphere was awkward for a while.

"Cough cough~~"

Kuai Yue coughed a few times to ease the atmosphere, then said comfortingly:
"My lord has said before that there are still thousands of civilians in Fancheng. If you can collect their stored food, it will be enough for 10,000 soldiers to survive for another ten days."

"The Jiangling navy should have arrived by then."

"I think my lord should not worry too much. Time should still be on our side."

This comfort finally relaxed Liu Biao's tense nerves a little.

"What the alien world reminded me of was that I almost forgot about it."

"Qi'er should be able to hold out for another ten days if the people of Fancheng suffer."

Liu Biao relaxed a little, took the teacup from Mrs. Cai again, and forced an apologetic smile on his face.

Just when he was about to say a few words to coax Mrs. Cai.

The guards rushed in, knelt on the ground, and shouted:

"My lord, the water camp on the south bank has reported that the eldest son has returned from the north bank with 3,000 soldiers and has now entered Xiangyang!"

The smile on Liu Biao's face suddenly disappeared and turned into astonishment in an instant.

Kuai Yue was also surprised. The master and his minister looked at each other anxiously, with the same surprise and confusion in their eyes.

Shouldn't Liu Qi be trapped in Fancheng at this time?
How did he appear on the south bank and return to Xiangyang?

"Could it be that Fancheng has already been lost, and Qi'er has led his troops to break out?"

Liu Biao blurted out.

This was the only reasonable explanation he could think of.

"Absolutely impossible!"

Kuai Yue shook his head suddenly and said in a deep voice:

"Even if the eldest son leads his army to break through, the water camps on the north bank are all controlled by Liu Bei and heavily guarded. How can the eldest son break through the camps and seize the boats?"

"Without a boat, how can the eldest master cross back to the south bank?"

Liu Biao's guess was overturned, and his face became more surprised and confused.

There was no time to speculate, he immediately left the house and rode straight to the north gate of Xiangyang.

Climb up the city gate and look north.

As expected, several thousand soldiers came from the direction of the water camp on the south bank and entered Xiangyang City dejectedly.

These more than 3,000 soldiers had neither flags nor armor or weapons, as if they had been disarmed.

An ominous premonition arose in Liu Biao's heart.

A moment.

With the help of Wang Wei, Liu Qi climbed up the city wall with difficulty.

"Qi...Qi'er?"

When Liu Biao saw Liu Qi's weak and withered appearance, he almost didn't recognize him at first.

"Father, I'm back!"

Liu Qi knelt down, choking with sobs when he said "father". Liu Biao then confirmed that the "sickly boy" in front of him was his eldest son Liu Qi.

"Qi'er, how did you cross the river?"

"That big-eared thief clearly besieged Fancheng and cut off the waterway. How could you, how could you..."

Liu Biao was surprised and happy, and didn't know how to ask for a moment.

Liu Qi sighed softly, not daring to hide anything, and silently told the story of how he surrendered the city in exchange for Liu Bei allowing him to return to Xiangyang with 3,000 soldiers.

Liu Biao froze, mouth wide open, looking at his son in disbelief.

Fancheng was actually lost!
The way he fell was completely beyond his expectations.

It was not that Liu Bei attacked with all his might, but that Liu Qi and his 10,000 soldiers were defeated after a desperate battle.

Instead, it was Liu Qi, his eldest son, who surrendered humiliatingly to Liu Bei in order to save his life!
"you you you--"

"Why don't you forcibly collect food and fodder from the people in the city? Why don't you hold out for a few more days?"

"You are my son, Liu Biao. How can you surrender to that weaver of mats and shoe sellers?"

"Where is my dignity?"

"You are going to make me a laughing stock for the whole world~~"

After Liu Biao lost consciousness, he suddenly exploded. His old face was twisted with extreme disappointment and anger. He pointed at Liu Qi and started to scold him.

Liu Qi looked aggrieved and said sadly:
"Father, if Cai Xun had not been incompetent and lost the water camp, allowing Liu Bei to cut off my retreat, how could Fancheng be isolated in the north of the Yangtze River?"

"I am trapped in an isolated city with no food or supplies and no reinforcements. How can I defend the city?"

"As for forcibly collecting food and fodder from the people, if I do so, won't the people in the city starve to death?"

"How could I possibly do something that would damage my father's reputation for benevolence and righteousness!"

"I endured humiliation and hardship only to preserve my usefulness and to save the lives of my father's three thousand soldiers."

"Does father really want to see Fancheng unable to be defended, and me and all the soldiers in the city die without a burial place?"

At this point, Liu Qi's face was already in tears, and he bowed his forehead deeply to the ground.

Liu Biao was speechless.

Liu Qi had all his complaints stuck in his throat and had to force himself to hold them back.

What can you do? Are you going to just say that all the people in the city have starved to death and let all the people in the state know that you treat your own people as worthless?

Should I say in front of so many people that I would rather you die in battle in Fancheng than endure humiliation and bring shame to my reputation!
Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. How could a loving father say such cold-blooded and heartless words?

What's more, there are 3,000 soldiers under the city watching us. Should I say in front of them, "I don't care about your lives, I just want you all to die in battle in Fancheng"?

Liu Biao held his anger for a long time, then had to take a deep breath and force all his resentment back into his stomach.

"That's it, that's all."

"Fancheng has fallen, so let it be. As long as you can come back alive, as long as these soldiers can come back alive, I will be satisfied."

"Qier, get up."

Liu Biao had to say these words against his will and put on the appearance of a benevolent father and helped Liu Qi up.

Liu Qi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Liu Biao looked towards the Han River, but sighed helplessly:

"Fancheng has been lost, and everything north of the Han River belongs to Liu Bei. With the navy of Fancheng in his hands, wouldn't it be easy for him to cross the Han River?"

"How can I defend Xiangyang City?"

Liu Biao fell into sadness and despair.

The soldiers of Jingzhou on both sides fell into panic.

At this time.

Kuai Yue rolled his eyes a few times, but then he bowed:

"My Lord, don't lose heart. We are not at the end of our rope yet!"

"Although Liu Bei has warships, he has no good naval commanders, and he cannot train an elite navy in a short period of time."

"We have the Jiangling navy led by Degui, which is enough to seize the water rights of the Han River, so that Liu Bei will not dare to leave the shore even if he has a boat, let alone cross the Han River."

"We can buy enough time to mobilize troops from Jiangling and other counties in southern Jing to gather in Xiangyang and regroup."

"In this way, the natural barrier of the Han River can be protected, and Xiangyang can be protected!"

Kuai Yue regained the composure of the wisest man in Jingzhou, and in just a few words, he painted a big picture for Liu Biao.

Liu Biao felt like he had been given a shot of cardiac stimulant, and a glimmer of hope suddenly appeared in his dark and desperate eyes.

"What the alien said makes sense, it makes sense!"

"Liu Bei has ships but no generals. Even a skilled cook cannot cook without rice. What do I have to fear?"

"Degui's Jiangling navy is strong enough to sail across the Han River, and Liu Bei will not dare to enter the water!"

Liu Biao's confidence increased greatly, and he immediately ordered Cai Mao to rush to the Xiangfan waters as quickly as possible.

The collapsing building seemed to be barely propped up thanks to Kuai Yue's strategy.

Liu Qi clenched his fists, unable to suppress the anger in his heart, and shouted:
"Someone, come and drag that bastard up to me!"

This statement came out.

Wang Wei, who was standing beside him, was startled and shook his head quickly, trying to persuade Liu Qi not to be impulsive.

Liu Qi ignored it and gave the order again.

Liu Biao looked blankly at a wounded servant who was dragged onto the city wall and thrown in front of him.

"Qier, this is..."

"Father, this is the witness of Cai's murder of my son!"

Liu Qi stood up and pointed at the servant with an angry face.

Liu Biao was stunned at first, then his face changed immediately:

"Qi'er, what nonsense are you talking about? When did your mother murder you?"

Liu Qi took a deep breath, and then in an extremely indignant tone, told the whole truth about how Madam Cai had poisoned him.

Liu Biao was confused.

His face was distorted with deep horror, as if he had heard the most incredible thing in his life.

His second wife actually poisoned his own son?
Although Cai is somewhat domineering, she is a woman after all. Could she really do such a vicious and inhumane thing?
Liu Qi fell to his knees and bowed to Liu Biao in grief and anger:
"Father!"

"Cai is such a vicious woman, murdering her father's own son. This is truly inhumane and unforgivable!"

"I beg you, father, to order us to clean up the mess and execute this vicious woman, so that I can get justice!"

(End of this chapter)