My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 475 Cai Mao's Thoughts

In the turbulent and unpredictable situation in Xiangyang, it is no exaggeration to say that Cai Mao has become the city's anchor. His stance is like a crucial weight on a scale; whoever gains his support will gain the upper hand and control the direction of the situation in this complex and unpredictable environment.

However, even with such significant power, Cai Mao remained respectful and humble in front of Liu Biao, showing no trace of arrogance or pride in his every move.

After receiving Liu Biao's signal, Cai Mao thanked him solemnly and then carefully took his seat. He straightened his back, put on a focused and attentive expression, and quietly waited for Liu Biao to speak first.

Liu Biao's gaze slowly moved over Cai Mao, circling him again and again. His eyes seemed to possess the power to see into people's hearts, trying to capture even the slightest change in emotion on Cai Mao's face and explore the true thoughts deep in his heart.

After a long silence, seeing that Cai Mao showed no intention of speaking, Liu Biao sighed inwardly. Left with no other choice, he finally broke the silence, saying, "Prefect Han Song and the others have come to my residence again today, still trying to persuade me to surrender to Cao Cao. De Gui, you are my most trusted and trusted general, and your sister is my wife. We have gone through many hardships and trials together. This foundation in Jingzhou was built step by step with our joint efforts. Such a matter of life and death naturally requires my opinion."

After speaking, Liu Biao's gaze was fixed on Cai Mao, his eyes filled with expectation, as if waiting for Cai Mao to give a satisfactory answer. At the same time, there was also a hint of anxiety, after all, this choice concerned his fate of whether he could continue to rule Jingzhou.

After hearing Liu Biao's question, Cai Mao fell into a long silence. Time passed quietly in the silence, and the hope that had been in Liu Biao's eyes gradually dimmed as the silence continued.

Just when Liu Biao was about to give up all hope, Cai Mao suddenly spoke up: "Now Han Degao and others are clearly inclined to surrender to General Cao Cao. Xi Lu's visit is merely to pave the way for the General. According to my calculations, the imperial edict will arrive in Xiangyang within half a month at most. Given the current situation, what can we do?"

Upon hearing Cai Mao's words, Liu Biao's previously dim eyes instantly brightened. Although Cai Mao's words seemed to be an excuse, expressing helplessness in the face of the situation, Liu Biao keenly sensed the hidden resentment and dissatisfaction. Regardless of the reason, it was clear that Cai Mao was extremely dissatisfied with Han Song and others' advocacy of surrender, a fact that secretly pleased Liu Biao.

Liu Biao suddenly reached out and grabbed Cai Mao's wrist tightly. It was unclear where he got the strength from, but the grip caused Cai Mao's wrist to ache slightly.

“Brother-in-law, this Jingzhou belongs to both of us. Right now, the city has ample military supplies, weapons and armor are neatly arranged, grain and fodder are piled up in the warehouses, and wealth and baggage are countless. Even if there is a slight shortage of soldiers at the moment, there are still 20,000 usable soldiers.”

Liu Biao looked at Cai Mao with unwavering eyes: "De Gui, are you really willing to just hand over all of this to someone else?"

Cai Mao frowned and said with a troubled expression, "My lord, if the general does not send troops to aid us, I'm afraid Xiangyang City will be no match for the Yangzhou army."

“Hey, De Gui, at this moment, we are one. You are my brother-in-law, and I am your brother-in-law.” Liu Biao was overjoyed to see that Cai Mao’s attitude had softened and quickly advised, “Brother-in-law, what you said makes some sense, but you have misunderstood a key point.”

A look of surprise flashed across Cai Mao's face, then he quickly cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Please enlighten me, my lord... brother-in-law."

Cai Mao originally wanted to address Liu Biao as "Lord," but Liu Biao gave him a feigned glare, so he had to change his address at the last minute.

"Xiangyang City is the key to the entire situation!"

Liu Biao said solemnly, "Han Song and the others are determined to surrender, so let them be the first to surrender in their name, thereby attracting Cao Cao's army to help. As long as we firmly control Xiangyang, there is still room to salvage the situation."

Cai Mao seemed intrigued and immediately pressed on, "So how exactly can we turn this situation around?"

Liu Biao wore a confident smile and slowly said, "Xiangyang City is the foundation we have painstakingly built over the years. The city walls are high and thick, the moat is deep and wide, and the grain and military supplies stored in the city are enough to last for several years. Moreover, once the garrison from Nanyang returns, the city will immediately have 20,000 to 30,000 usable soldiers. At that time, we can conscript the able-bodied men in the city to join the army, which will be enough to have 50,000 garrison troops as a reliable force. Although the morale of the people in the city is somewhat shaken now, it is only because I have been recuperating and have not come out during this period. As long as I step forward to take charge of the overall situation, I will definitely be able to stabilize the morale immediately."

Upon hearing this, Cai Mao's expression shifted slightly, but he hesitated before asking, "What about the General...?"

"Brother-in-law, the key lies in Xiangyang City."

Liu Biao held Cai Mao's hand tightly and said earnestly, "As long as we can firmly control Xiangyang, Cao Cao will find it difficult to gain a foothold in Nanyang. Once we force Liu Feng to retreat, I will have a way to make Cao Cao obediently retreat back to Guanzhong."

Cai Mao pondered to himself, feeling that Liu Biao's words were half true and half false.

It's true that if Liu Biao can firmly control Xiangyang, Cao Cao might not be able to maintain his foothold in Nanyang for long. Even if he captures Wan County, it won't be of much significance, since the core of Nanyang has already shifted to Xiangyang. Unlike Jiangxia and Nan Commandery, Xiangyang is Liu Biao's earliest territory, with many loyal subordinates and die-hard followers. Unless Cao Cao can dispatch a large force to suppress the various factions in Xiangyang, and it has to be elite troops, he might not be able to control them.

However, Cai Mao did not believe that Liu Biao was truly certain of victory. If Liu Biao were so confident, why would he be so polite to him, addressing him so intimately as "brother-in-law"? Ultimately, it was all to win him over and gain his support.

“Back then, I entered Jingzhou alone, and together with you and Yidu, we pacified Yicheng in a single day and captured Xiangyang in just one month. In less than half a year, all six counties of Jingzhou submitted to our command.”

Liu Biao gently patted Cai Mao's hand, his expression earnest and his tone pleading: "De Gui, I hope you can continue to lend me a hand and help me protect this foundation of Jingzhou!"

Cai Mao seemed deeply moved by Liu Biao's words, tears streaming down his face. He immediately knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your Excellency's kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain. I am willing to serve you to the death, even at the cost of my life!"

"Okay! Okay!"

Liu Biao repeatedly said "good," his face full of satisfaction. Then, despite his exhaustion, he helped Cai Mao up.

Immediately afterwards, Liu Biao revealed part of his detailed plan to Cai Mao and repeatedly instructed Cai Mao to hold onto his military power tightly and not to allow Han Song and other members of the Nanyang faction to seize control of the troops in Xiangyang.

Cai Mao readily agreed, as this was exactly what he cared about most. Liu Biao's arrangement was exactly what he wanted.

The two then discussed numerous details in depth for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Seeing that Liu Biao's spirits were increasingly low and his expression exhausted, Cai Mao immediately took his leave. By this time, Liu Biao was already quite exhausted and drowsy, and simply did not have the energy to continue conspiring with Cai Mao. Therefore, the two agreed to meet again in secret a few days later to discuss the follow-up matters.

Afterwards, Cai Mao turned around and slowly left Liu Biao's bedroom.

As soon as Cai Mao stepped out of his bedroom, he saw a maid waiting at the courtyard gate. The maid was slender and respectful. When she saw Cai Mao appear, she quickly bowed and lowered her eyes.

Cai Mao walked steadily over, and the maid leaned forward slightly and said in a low voice, "Madam is waiting for you up ahead."

The voice was soft, yet clearly audible in the quiet of the night.

Cai Mao nodded slowly, his movements unhurried and measured, displaying the composure of someone long accustomed to a high position. Seeing this, the maid turned and led the way, her steps light and graceful. Cai Mao followed behind, passing through winding corridors until they reached the adjacent courtyard.

The courtyard was lush with flowers and plants, and several early-blooming wintersweet trees emitted a faint fragrance in the cold wind, creating a unique charm under the moonlight, but Cai Mao had no heart to appreciate it.

Before long, they arrived at a house.

The maid turned around again, bowed respectfully, and then stepped aside to let the main entrance pass.

Cai Mao didn't even lift his eyelids, and walked straight in, as if nothing around him was worth his attention.

Upon entering the room, a warm feeling greeted me, and Madam Cai was sitting at the table waiting.

Upon seeing Cai Mao enter, her already tense expression instantly intensified, and her eyes filled with concern as she eagerly asked, "Is the matter settled? What was his purpose in contacting you?"

Cai Mao stepped forward and first bowed to his elder sister with a standard and tactful gesture. Then, as he slowly took his seat, he calmly replied, "What else could it be but that he is reluctant to give up the power in Jingzhou and wants to use me as his tool to control the situation in Xiangyang City."

Cai Erjie was a renowned beauty in Jingzhou, possessing a gentle and refined temperament, with eyes and brows radiating the delicate charm of a woman from Jiangnan. Her eldest sister married Huang Chengyan, who was also the mother-in-law of Zhuge Liang in the original timeline. After Liu Biao entered Jingzhou, he married Lady Cai as his second wife. The two were quite far apart in age, and this marriage was a political alliance, lacking any real emotional foundation.

To make matters worse, in the more than ten years of their marriage, Lady Cai had been unable to bear Liu Biao any children. Although Liu Biao treated her as always, Lady Cai always felt insecure. Helpless, Lady Cai could only turn her attention to Liu Biao's second son, Liu Cong, and arrange for him to marry her own niece, hoping to find someone to rely on.

Now, Liu Biao's health is deteriorating, and the situation in Jingzhou is chaotic and disorganized. Although Lady Cai is in Liu's residence, she feels isolated and helpless, and can only rely on her brothers. Normally, the siblings have a deep and close relationship, so it is not surprising that Lady Cai cares about Cai Mao in this situation.

"So what did you say to him?"

Madam Cai frowned, her eyes filled with worry. She clearly knew that this matter was extremely difficult, far from easy, and very dangerous, and might even endanger the entire Cai family.

Cai Mao, however, looked relaxed and replied casually, "I agreed to it."

The sound wasn't loud, but it was quite startling.

Madam Cai was immediately shocked, her eyes widening in disbelief. She instinctively stood up and hurriedly asked, "Are you crazy? How could you agree to this so easily? The old man can't even handle government affairs now, what chance does he have of turning things around? Besides, didn't you once form a close friendship with the General in Luozhong? Now that's where you come in handy. Do you really want to help the old man fight against the court? Against the General?"

Lady Cai was more inclined towards Cao Cao. The reason was simple: Yuan Shao was far to the north, too distant from Jingzhou to be relied upon. Cao Cao, as the Grand General who assisted in governing, represented the court, wielded immense power, and commanded great influence. Most importantly, Cao Cao and Cai Mao had a close personal relationship, which made Lady Cai believe that siding with Cao Cao would best protect the Cai family's interests.

Although Liu Feng wielded considerable power, he was harsh on powerful clans and gentry. The Cai family worried that if they surrendered to Liu Feng, their status and interests in Jingzhou would be severely affected.

Therefore, when Lady Cai heard that Cai Mao had actually agreed to Liu Biao's request, she was so shocked and uneasy, as if the sky was about to fall.

Cai Mao smiled calmly, a smile brimming with confidence and certainty, and reassured her, "Second Sister, there's no need to panic. As the saying goes, 'The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.' Why can't my Cai family be the oriole that unawares us?"

Madam Cai looked surprised, her eyes full of doubt, and asked, "De Gui, what do you mean by this?"

Leaning slightly forward, eager to know the answer.

Cai Mao straightened his expression and replied earnestly, "Currently, I am the only one in charge of the troops in Xiangyang City, so it is a matter of great importance. If Liu Jing Sheng has the ability to turn the tide, I will naturally be happy to lend him a hand. After all, if Jingzhou were to submit to the court, how could we have the power we have today?"

As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes slightly, a subtle shrewdness flashing in them.

Lady Cai remained silent. She knew in her heart that the Cai family now held a pivotal position in Jingzhou. Because of their marriage alliance with Liu Biao, they had even surpassed the Kuai family. Furthermore, due to their central position, they were above the Pang and Huang families, making them truly second only to the emperor in Jingzhou.

In Jingzhou, the Cai family's influence was like an impenetrable net, with their disciples and former officials spread everywhere, deeply entrenched and interconnected. These people, with the Cai family at their core, shared common interests and were difficult to shake.

(End of this chapter)