The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 266 Liu Bei's Political Tactics: To Whom Should Jingzhou Be Given?
Meanwhile, Liu Biao's carbuncle flared up, and his condition worsened.

The Cai family controlled the government and kept everyone in the dark.

The entire state of Chu was shaken and its people were uneasy.

The eldest son, Liu Qi, feared that he would be harmed by his stepmother, Lady Cai.

He then used the excuse of defending the Sun family to take the opportunity to escape to Jiangxia.

At that time, the area south of Jiangxia and Xiakou had already fallen and was occupied by the Sun family.

Liu Qi then went to Xiling in Jiangxia and, taking advantage of Huang Zu's death, assumed the position of Governor of Jiangxia.

He also adopted the advice of Pang Degong, a hermit from Mount Xian, and sought help from Liu Bei in Xuzhou, hoping that he could lend him a hand.

Liu Qi picked up his brush, sealed it with wax, and handed it to his trusted confidant.

He was ordered to disguise himself as a merchant and travel day and night to deliver the goods to Xuzhou.

Before leaving, he repeatedly reminded me:
"This letter concerns life and death; please present it to the King of Qi."

"Otherwise, neither of us will escape this calamity!"

The messenger received the letter and immediately left Jiangxia, traveling day and night in secret.

They were afraid of being caught by Cai Mao's troops during patrols.

When they reached Runan and were about to cross the Huai River, they suddenly heard the sound of bells and encountered a troop of soldiers.

Upon seeing him, the leader of the troops shouted:
"Leave the ship here so I can conduct an inspection!"

The envoy had no choice but to steer his boat ashore and said with a forced smile:
"...General, we are just passing merchants, merely passing through."

"Please be accommodating."

After saying this, he took out a gold ingot and handed it to the leading general.

The general laughed heartily:
"The states of Qi and Wei are currently at war. Where do you come from, merchant, and dare to pass through here?"

"If you don't tell the truth, I'll drown you in the Huai River."

The envoy, forcing a smile, replied, "I dare not deceive you; they are indeed merchants."

The general was furious upon hearing this and immediately ordered the messenger's head to be pressed into the river.

Two warriors immediately stepped forward, lifted him up, and submerged him in the water, repeating this three times.

The messenger resolutely refused to speak.

Upon seeing this, the general did not get angry but laughed instead:
"...He's a tough nut to crack."

"Let's search him."

The group searched the envoy and found a handwritten letter from Liu Qi.

Upon seeing that Qifeng was from Jingzhou, the general immediately began to curse:
"Now that Qi and Wei are at war, and Chu is Wei's henchman, do you still have the audacity to come to Qi territory?"

"Guards, drown him in the water."

As he spoke, he opened the letter again to read it.

Upon reading the letter, the general was immediately alarmed.

"Wait! Bring him back!"

The messenger was brought to the riverbank, but then pulled back.

The general approached him and showed him the letter:

Is what you said in your letter true?

The messenger knew the matter had been leaked and, having no intention of concealing it, had no choice but to admit it.

The general then said:
"...Hey, why didn't you say so earlier?"

“I am a general of Qi. Inform me as soon as possible, and I will find a way to take you to see the King of Qi.”

The messenger sighed and said:
"As the general said, the two countries are currently at war, and the relationship between Qi and Chu is strained."

"I am a nobody, alone and outnumbered, how dare I easily reveal my true identity?"

"Moreover, this matter is of great importance, and if it were handled by an ignorant person, it might not end well."

"If you block my way to see the King of Qi, I will have failed the young master's trust."

Upon hearing this, the general couldn't help but sigh:

"You are truly a righteous man!"

So he brought him into his tent.

They had a stove brought out and some warm wine served to warm him up.

The envoy thanked the general and learned more during his conversation with him.

It turned out that the general who had captured him was none other than Gan Ning, Gan Xingba, a renowned lieutenant general in the Huainan army.

"...So the general is Gan Xingba, the one who raided the Wei camp with a hundred cavalrymen! My apologies for not recognizing you!"

Upon hearing the name Gan Ning, the envoy immediately bowed and paid his respects.

Gan Ning helped him up and said to him:
"...To be honest, I also once served in Jingzhou."

Knowing that Liu Biao and Huang Zu were not capable of achieving anything, he came to Xuzhou and joined the ranks of the King of Qi.

“Since your lord has come to submit with sincere intentions, I will certainly find a way to enable you to meet the King of Qi.”

The envoy was overjoyed upon hearing this and repeatedly bowed in gratitude.

He thought to himself that he had long heard of Gan Ning's cruel and bloodthirsty nature, and thought he was just a brave but reckless fool.

He was surprised that Gan Ning was so understanding.

In fact, Gan Ning is an extremely meticulous person.

Or rather, a cunning person.

Having obtained the letter, Gan Ning immediately went to visit General Chen Deng, who was in charge of the Southern Expedition, late at night.

He handed Liu Qi's letter to Chen Deng.

After Chen Deng finished reading it, his writings briefly stated:
"—Your Majesty the King of Qi."

"Liu Qi, eldest son of the Governor of Jingzhou, respectfully writes this to the King of Qi."

"Qi is mediocre, but he holds the position of chief because of his father's influence. He is not talented and lacks virtue, so he is not capable of taking on important responsibilities."

“The undercurrents in Jingzhou are turbulent. Cai Mao, Zhang Yun and their ilk outwardly claim to be regents, but inwardly harbor rebellious intentions.”

"My father was bedridden, and treacherous people isolated him from the outside world. They even wanted to harm Yu Qi in order to install his younger brother Liu Cong in the throne."

"Qi had no choice but to temporarily flee to Jiangxia, but the isolated city was difficult to defend and was in grave danger."

"Your Majesty is a member of the Han imperial family, and your benevolence and righteousness are known throughout the world."

"In the past, Cao Cao ravaged Xuzhou, but the Emperor bravely resisted the powerful Liang."

"Despite the minor setback in Tan County, his ambition remains undiminished, which I greatly admire."

"Qi once harbored lofty ambitions, hoping to establish a kingdom that would last a thousand years."

"However, I am aware that my talent and virtue are insufficient, and my strength is inadequate."

"Now that I am in dire straits, I humbly request Your Majesty to extend a helping hand in consideration of our shared kinship."

"If Your Highness were to lead troops to assist us in conquering Jingzhou, I would be willing to entrust you with my heart and never betray your trust!"

"Jingzhou has 100,000 armored soldiers, fertile land for thousands of miles, and can resist Cao Cao in the north and ally with Wu in the east."

"If Your Majesty does not abandon me, I am willing to take Jiangxia as my base and work together to achieve great things."

"Although I am not talented, I know the principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold'."

“Jingzhou is now beset by powerful enemies outside and internal troubles within; sooner or later, it will be taken advantage of by others.”

"Qi firmly believes that His Majesty would not bear to see his own clan of the Han dynasty fall into the hands of treacherous people."

"If you would be so kind as to spare no effort, I would be willing to serve you like a dog or a horse."

"Words cannot express my feelings; I only hope for your reply."

"Liu Qi of Jingzhou bows and pays his respects."

"In the autumn of the eleventh year of Jian'an."

Liu Qi's letter was truly heartfelt and sincere, with every word spoken truthfully.

Sincerity is the only surefire way to win in interpersonal relationships.

It seems that the Liu family all understands this principle.

Liu Qi was no exception; he even made no secret of his desire to achieve royal success like Liu Bei.

This not only demonstrated his sincerity but also indirectly flattered Liu Bei, implying that Liu Bei was his idol.

Then, he succinctly explained the current situation in Jingzhou.

And why I'm asking you for help, and why I keep talking about our shared ancestry.

He repeatedly emphasized that it was "I" who begged you to come.

this point is very important.

Everything should have a justifiable reason.

Although the states of Qi and Chu had some grievances, they did not have many legitimate reasons to attack each other.

In particular, Liu Bei and Liu Biao were cousins.

Now that Liu Biao is seriously ill, if you, Liu Bei, dare to attack Jingzhou...

People will not only say that you seized the inheritance of your clan, but also that you took advantage of their misfortune.

This behavior is despicable, and Liu Bei would not do such a thing.

However, Liu Qi, with great emotional intelligence, said that it was he, the son of the governor of Jingzhou, who had come to ask his cousin, his uncle, to come and help.

First, they try to get close to us and claim we're related, then they say it's our own family matter.

Even if you, Imperial Uncle, come, no one can say anything.

It can be said that Liu Qi's letter is of extremely high quality.

They had almost anticipated all the difficulties that might cause Liu Bei to hesitate.

The road has been paved for you, Uncle Royal!
After reading the book, Chen Deng slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed in admiration:

"...Good, good, very good!"

"Xingba, you have truly made a great contribution!"

Chen Deng happily gripped the letter and paced back and forth.

"This is truly a godsend opportunity that can help our Great Qi conquer the lands south of the Yangtze River!"

Historically, Chen Deng only controlled Guangling, yet he dreamed of annexing the entire Jiangnan region.

Now, Chen Deng controls the entire Huainan region, and he has petitioned Liu Bei more than once.

They requested his permission to send troops to attack Jingzhou.

But Liu Bei always made excuses to refuse.

Hey, look, we're currently trying to subdue the two Yuan brothers, and we're counting on Huainan to send troops and supplies.

Hey, look, Lord Tan is campaigning in Liaodong. Let's put this matter on hold for now.

Hey, look, our country is focusing on developing Youyan and establishing a special economic zone.

Huainan should use some money to replenish the finances of Youyan, and we can discuss the conquest of Jingzhou later...

In short, among the various forces.

Only Li Yi was authorized to launch foreign wars independently without consulting Liu Bei.

Because Li Yi was granted the authority to lead troops on behalf of the king.

Guan Yu's authority was merely nominal; his power was far less than that of Li Yi's nominal authority.

The officer in charge of military affairs had the authority to execute military officers who violated orders.

The "Acting General with the Right to Invoke" (假节钺) could even kill generals who held the title of "Acting General with the Right to Invoke."

In other words, if Guan Yu were working with Li Yi at this moment...

Li Yi had the authority to kill Guan Yu.

However, it is almost impossible to see two people with the same title, namely, "假节" (Jia Jie) and "假节钺" (Jia Jie Yue), appearing in the same war zone at the same time.

Furthermore, Guan Yu was granted the title of "Imperial Guard" simply because Liu Bei wanted him to oversee military affairs in Huainan.

Once the war in the south ends, the right to act as a general will be revoked.

The character “假” itself means to borrow.

In effect, Liu Bei, the King of Qi, temporarily lent power to Guan Yu.

Chen Deng possessed the most powerful navy in Qi, as well as a group of skilled naval warriors—the generals of Huainan.

Liu Bei rejected Chen Deng's request to conquer Jingzhou, both out of strategic considerations and out of concern that Huainan was becoming too powerful.

They dared not allow the great achievement of conquering Jingzhou to fall into the hands of a small corner of Huainan.

Xu Si commented on Chen Deng, saying, "He is a man of great talent and ambition, and his spirit remains undiminished."

How did people of his time evaluate Chen Deng?

—"He won the hearts of people in the Jianghuai region and had the ambition to conquer the Jiangnan region."

It can be said that conquering Jiangnan was Chen Deng's lifelong ambition.

He was by no means content to be confined to Huainan alone.

Now, Liu Qi presenting this letter is undoubtedly a godsend.

Although Chen Deng was overjoyed inside, he remained outwardly calm.

He sealed the letter with wax, composed himself, and asked:

"Guan Yu is currently serving as the acting military governor of Huainan."

"Why not inform him of such a confidential matter first?"

Gan Ning clasped his hands in a fist and replied:

"Although General Guan was granted the authority to command the army, he was ultimately a guest general."

"General, you are the ruler of Huainan. We all rely on your guidance and support."

"Such important military and national affairs should be reported to the commander-in-chief first, so that a plan can be made before taking action."

Upon hearing this, Chen Deng lightly tapped the table with his fingers, a half-smile playing on his lips:

"...Xingba is mistaken."

"General Guan is the king's sworn brother; how can we distinguish between host and guest?"

Gan Ning said solemnly:

"Precisely because of the special relationship between General Guan and the King, it would be presumptuous to offer advice without permission."

"General, your insightful and far-sighted plans should be reported to the King by you, so that the unity of the soldiers of Huainan can be demonstrated."

Chen Deng stroked his beard and laughed heartily:

"Well done, Gan Xingba!"

"Not only are they skilled on the water, but this kind of knowledge is also invaluable."

This is the workplace, this is the relationship between people.

Previously, Chen Deng punished Gan Ning for abusing prisoners by deducting a year's salary and flogging him thirty times on the back.

This ticket is a way of giving an explanation to the higher-ups.

It is acceptable to those below as well.

After all, in this era of war and chaos, which official would expect to get rich from their salary?
Let alone a year's salary, even a three-year salary.

It may not even equal the amount of gray income that local officials receive in a month.

Not to mention that Gan Ning was almost a brigade commander-level officer.

As for those thirty floral backs...

This truly falls into the category of whether to punish severely or lightly, depending entirely on how you manipulate things behind the scenes.

Chen Deng was protective of his own and showed favor to his subordinates.

His subordinates will naturally be grateful for his kindness, and will report to him immediately if they encounter such a situation.

Chen Deng asked the question just now because he wanted to test his subordinates.

See if they support me.

After all, attacking Jingzhou is a major event, and it's useless to just celebrate on your own.

He still needs the support of his men.

"...Excellent, Xingba handled this matter very well!"

Chen Deng praised Gan Ning again.

He personally wrote the letter and sealed it in a secret box.

He dispatched a fast horse to deliver it directly to Xuzhou.

……

Now, having quelled the rebellion in Hebei, Liu Bei had returned to his residence in Xuzhou. Just as he was discussing matters with his ministers, Chen Deng suddenly sent a messenger with a secret letter from Liu Qi.

After reading it, Liu Bei sighed and said:
"...Alas, Brother Jingsheng was a hero for life, but unexpectedly this tragedy has befallen his family."

"What a misfortune for our family! What a misfortune for our family!"

"It's heartbreaking to see brothers fighting amongst themselves!"

Liu Bei was truly heartbroken at this moment.

Because he values ​​brotherhood very much.

Every time I see such a large family fortune squandered because of the brothers fighting each other, I realize that the family fortune has been ruined.

He sighed with regret.

This was true for the brothers Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, and also for Yuan Shao's descendants.

Meanwhile, Liu Bei's wife, Lady Gan, was already pregnant.

Liu Bei was somewhat worried about whether his two sons, who were only two years younger than Liu Shan, would be able to get along peacefully in the future.

But now is not the time to worry about this.

Zhuge Liang, standing by his side, gently waved his feather fan and offered his advice:
"...Your Majesty, this is a golden opportunity."

“Jingzhou is strategically located north of the Han and Mian rivers, enjoys the benefits of the South China Sea, connects to Wu and Kuai in the east, and links to Ba and Shu in the west. It is truly a country for military purposes.”

"Now that Liu Qi has come to join us, we can legitimately intervene in the affairs of Jingzhou."

Lu Su also chimed in from the side:
"What Mr. Kongming said is absolutely right."

“If God doesn’t take it, you will suffer the consequences.”

"Jingzhou is a major province in the world. If we do not seize it now, we will not succeed."

"If Cao Cao or Sun Wu and their ilk had taken advantage of this first, it would have been too late for regrets."

Aside from the ministers who led troops in the field, the most influential figures in their discourse were Zhuge Liang and Lu Su.

The other ministers, almost none of them voiced their opposition.

After all, this was indeed a great opportunity to seize Jingzhou.

But Liu Bei looked troubled at this very opportunity:

Although the war between Qi and Wei is nearing its end, a peace agreement has not yet been reached.

"It would be unwise to divide our forces and march south at this time."

Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned.

Everyone looked at each other, puzzled.

Cao Bao couldn't help but offer his advice:
"...Your Majesty, the Prime Minister is already negotiating with Cao Cao in Yedu."

"Although the two countries have their differences, the outcome of the war has already been decided at this point."

"In my view, peace talks are just around the corner, so why should Your Majesty hesitate?"

In response, Liu Bei simply waved his hand and said to the crowd:

"I am aware of the opinions of my ministers."

"However, this matter is of great importance, so we will discuss it later."

After saying this, Liu Bei turned and left.

Only Cao Bao and the others were left standing there, bewildered.

Afterwards, Cao Bao found Chen Ying and asked him:
"...My dear son-in-law, do you know what the King of Qi meant today?"

"Now that Jingzhou is in turmoil and our Qi state is thriving, why not take this opportunity to seize it?"

Chen Ying was the son of Chen Gui, the chancellor of Pei, and the younger brother of Chen Deng, the general who conquered the south.

Historically, Cao Bao's daughter married Lü Bu.

However, in this dimension, she married Chen Ying.

It is quite normal for prominent families to intermarry.

Cao Bao felt inadequate and had only one daughter.

Therefore, after considering all the people in the court, Cao Bao decisively chose the powerful Chen family of Qi.

Chen Gui and his son Chen Deng were typical supporters of Xuzhou.

However, as Liu Bei's power expanded, Chen Gui was sent to Pei State, and Chen Deng went to Huainan.

The Chen family's influence in Xuzhou gradually faded.

Therefore, when Cao Bao, who controlled the Danyang troops and was located in Xuzhou, took the initiative to extend an olive branch.

The Chen and Cao families hit it off immediately and agreed to the marriage.

When Liu Bei first entered Xuzhou, the Danyang faction was a powerful force in the court.

However, with the expansion of Liu Bei's power and the rise of figures such as Li Yi, Xun You, and Huang Zhong, the situation changed.

Cao Bao's Danyang School gradually declined into a second- or third-rate force.

There's nothing I can do; my abilities are limited.

Suppressed by a group of powerful figures, Cao Bao couldn't think of a way to get ahead.

Since you can't beat them, then join them!
Through the marriage alliance with the Chen family, Cao Bao was finally able to catch his breath.

He barely managed to regain his former prestige and status, and his words carried much more weight in the court.

The reason why Cao Bao was so enthusiastic during the previous court assembly was because...

It was because he knew that Chen Deng wanted to dominate the war in Jingzhou.

When Liu Bei attacked Runan, he sent Guan Yu and Zhao Yun to share power.

Although Chen Deng was dissatisfied, he did not show it.

Because he had a longer-term vision, targeting the entire Jiangnan region.

If Chen Deng could take Jingzhou, it would be a great thing for Cao Bao, his in-law.

Therefore, Cao Bao will definitely vote for Chen Deng when selecting generals to conquer Jingzhou.

In fact, there were very few participants to begin with.

Liu Bei had a considerable number of talented people under his command.

But the question is, if you were to pacify Jingzhou, would you only send one person?
Like Liu Biao, who rode alone into Jingzhou and was eventually driven insane by the four powerful families?
The powerful and influential families of Jingzhou were even more prestigious.

The person sent must not only be highly capable, but also have a group of people to assist him.

The latter is the key point, since you need someone to assist you.

The person you send must be a very influential figure in the State of Qi.

Otherwise, how can you keep your subordinates in check, and why would they work for you?

So after eliminating them, there weren't many people left.

According to Cao Bao's conjecture, the most likely candidate is:
The four main generals were Li Yi, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Chen Deng.

Those who are slightly less skilled might choose Zhao Yun, Tian Yu, or Qian Zhao.

The remaining people are either incompetent, lack experience, or are not in a position of authority.

All three are indispensable.

All things considered, Cao Bao believes Chen Deng still has a good chance.

After all, Runan has already been captured, and the Huainan navy only needs to cross the Huai River to go directly into Jiangxia and then into Jingzhou.

Liu Bei couldn't have been unaware that Jingzhou was the heart and soul of the generals in Huainan, and that they had longed to conquer Jingzhou for a long time.

In particular, Huainan had played a supporting role in several important battles in the past.

In the past, when we attacked the north, Huainan was too far away to reach us. We can now switch to supplying money and grain as a supporting force.

Now it's finally time to attack Jiangnan.

Ten years have passed, it's time for us Huainan people to take our turn!

"...Alas, the heart of a ruler is unfathomable."

Chen Ying's attitude, however, seemed somewhat pessimistic, as if he did not believe that the Chen family had a chance to dominate the Jingzhou war.

Cao Bao didn't like hearing those words.

He immediately retorted:

“...I don’t like hearing what you’re saying, son-in-law.”

"Tell me, if our in-laws aren't in charge of military affairs in Jingzhou, who else can?"

You mean Prime Minister Li—

Cao Bao was the first to suggest Li Yi, the most powerful and trusted man in Qi.

"Li Xiang already controlled Ji Province and also oversaw the protection of You Province and Liaodong."

"Now that we have defeated the State of Wei, we have gained control of all of Hebei."

"Even if Your Majesty is not afraid of being overshadowed by merit, would someone as shrewd as Prime Minister Li dare to take on the heavy responsibility of Jingzhou?"

"Even if we go, what will happen to Hebei?"

"We can't expect Li Tong to be in charge of both Hebei and Jiangnan at the same time, can we?"

Cao Bao analyzed the situation for Chen Ying methodically.

"As for Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, although these two are brothers of the King of Qi..."

"But now that we've just pacified Runan, we can't very well go and seize Jingzhou from the generals of Huainan, can we?"

"Not to mention that Guan Yu already owns Qingzhou."

"As for Zhang Yide..."

Cao Bao looked disdainful when Zhang Fei was mentioned.

The two had always had a bad relationship, but when Li Yi was in Xuzhou, he mediated between them.

The conflict between the two was not escalated.

After Li Yi left, Zhang Fei's status far surpassed Cao Bao's.

Even though Cao Bao was dissatisfied, he could only tolerate it.

"Zhang Fei was a general as fierce as a bear and tiger, and an enemy of ten thousand men."

"But is he truly capable of summoning tigers, or of bringing order to chaos?"

Having worked with Zhang Fei for many years, Cao Bao was able to see Zhang Fei's strengths and weaknesses.

Zhang Fei was indeed a fierce warrior, and he was also adept at using stratagems on the battlefield.

But he is naive and looks down on petty people.

He is definitely not a great talent capable of governing a region.

Liu Bei could actually see this as well.

Historically, after Liu Bei entered Sichuan and conquered Hanzhong...

At the time, everyone thought Liu Bei was going to give Hanzhong to Zhang Fei, and even Zhang Fei himself thought Hanzhong was his.

As a result, Liu Bei turned around and gave Hanzhong to Wei Yan.

This move shocked everyone.

Of course, some might say that Zhang Fei had a history of losing Xuzhou, so Liu Bei dared not give the extremely important Hanzhong to Zhang Fei.

There must be a reason for that.

However, given Liu Bei's keen eye for talent, if Zhang Fei had already developed into a capable leader and possessed the ability to defend Hanzhong, he would have been a better judge of character.

How could Liu Bei not give Hanzhong to him?
However, Liu Bei knew that Zhang Fei at that time still did not have the ability to command a region.

Even the reason Liu Bei initially appointed Zhang Fei to guard Xuzhou was simply because he had too few talented people around him.

There was no other way but to leave Xuzhou to Zhang Fei to defend.

Some might ask, why not give it to Guan Yu?

The problem is that Guan Yu was even more arrogant.

Zhang Fei at least respected scholars.

How could Guan Yu possibly give a second glance to those scholars and powerful figures in Xuzhou?

When Guan Yu was stationed in Jingzhou, Liu Bei assigned him Ma Liang and Zhuge Liang to assist him.

However, due to Pang Tong's death in battle, Zhuge Liang had to leave Jingzhou and was forced to go to Shu to assist Liu Bei.

Otherwise, with Zhuge Liang around, how could Guan Yu have lost Jingzhou?

After all, Zhuge Liang was also very good at mediating relationships between superiors and subordinates.

This shows that in order to effectively govern a region...

Being good at fighting is not enough.

They must also have high emotional intelligence, understand politics and the workplace, and know how to handle relationships with subordinates.

If you also know about agriculture and diplomacy, that would be even better; these are all pluses.

Therefore, it is obvious that

In the state of Qi, only Li Yi and Chen Deng met these criteria.

As analyzed earlier, it is unlikely that Li Yi will take over the affairs of Jingzhou.

Chen Deng, a well-rounded individual, is the best candidate.

Of course, if you insist on saying so.

Tian Yu and Qian Zhao are actually hexagonal warriors.

However, one of the two men was stationed in Youzhou in the north, monitoring the Wuhuan, Xianbei, and local powerful clans.

One of them was the Protector of Liaodong, who monitored Lü Bu and other military generals from Bingzhou, as well as the foreign tribes such as Goguryeo and Okju.

I couldn't find the time to come all the way to Jiangnan.

After Cao Bao's analysis, he came to only one conclusion:
—Jingzhou belongs to Chen Deng!

Over the next three days, Cao Bao, anxious and impatient, joined forces with ministers in the court who were on good terms with him and approached Liu Bei again.

Hopefully, he will respond to Prince Liu Qi's request and quickly send troops to Jiangxia.

If you arrive too late, Sun Wu and Cao Wei might get there first.

Furthermore, once Liu Biao dies and Liu Cong ascends to power, he will undoubtedly target Liu Qi directly.

Then we'll lose a strong claim!
Faced with everyone's earnest advice, Liu Bei only responded:

"This is a matter of great importance; we will discuss it later."

How can we discuss this further later?
This means that we should wait until the peace talks between Qi and Wei are over and Li Yi is free to discuss it further.

Liu Bei had his reasons for using Li Yi as a shield, since the strategic policies of the Qi state had always been determined by Prime Minister Li.

How could we not consult Prime Minister Li's advice on such a momentous undertaking as traveling south to the south?
But everyone understood that this was clearly just Liu Bei's excuse.

After all, if you really want to ask Li Yi's opinion, you can just send a letter to Hebei and ask him directly.

Even if Li Yi was busy negotiating with the State of Wei, surely he wouldn't be unable to find time to reply to a letter?
No one knew what Liu Bei was up to or why he insisted on waiting for Li Yi to finish his work.

But they also didn't believe that Liu Bei would hand over Jingzhou to Li Yi.

Even if Li Yi were incredibly powerful, it would be impossible for him to simultaneously oversee both Hebei and Jiangnan.

So everyone could only wait quietly for news.

As for Liu Bei, how could he not know that this was a rare opportunity?
In the following days, Liu Bei sent letters repeatedly, urging Li Yi to quickly reach a peace agreement with Cao Cao.

Qi can accept some losses and finish the peace talks first!
Faced with Liu Bei's repeated urging, Li Yi at the front line was also very puzzled.

Left with no other choice, they had to put pressure on Cao Cao on one hand, while gradually making concessions in secret on the other.

Cao Cao also noticed that Li Yi was not as assertive as before, so he asked his attendants for the reason.

Only then did I learn that something seemed to have happened in Jingzhou.

Liu Biao fell ill and could not get out of bed, so the Cai family took control of the government.

"...No wonder the envoys from Chu have rarely interacted with me recently."

Cao Cao suddenly realized that Qi was eager to negotiate peace because they wanted to extend their reach to Jingzhou.

Cheng Yu, Guo Jia, and others advised Cao Cao:
"Now that Qi has withdrawn, Duke Wei should also relinquish his hold and withdraw while he is ahead."

"Furthermore, if things really change in Jingzhou, how can our Great Wei sit idly by!"

Being able to take advantage of Li Yi is a rare thing in the world.

Continuing to drag things out on both sides is indeed pointless.

Qi could not directly convert Wei's territory into profit, and Wei could not abandon its 30,000 soldiers.

Therefore, Liu Biao's serious illness indirectly accelerated the peace talks between Qi and Wei.

……

(End of this chapter)