Tiger Owl

Chapter 125 Secret Visit to Cai Mao
The Battle of Dongting Lake finally came to an end. Of the enemy's 1,200 warships, more than 500 were destroyed. Of the remaining warships, only more than 30 escaped. All the remaining warships that were not destroyed were captured. Hundreds of thousands of shi of grain, more than 200,000 guan of money, and countless other supplies were seized. Tens of thousands of kerosene bottles alone were captured.

The Yuzhang army killed more than 7,000 enemy soldiers and captured more than 22,000, including the commander-in-chief Liu Cong and the deputy general Cai Yan.

Gan Ning immediately ordered 100,000 strings of cash to be distributed as a reward to the soldiers of the three armies, and at the same time, he provided generous compensation to the more than 2,000 soldiers who died in battle.

Meritorious generals naturally received generous rewards. Wei Yan made great contributions and was officially promoted to captain, receiving a reward of three thousand strings of cash. Wei Yan was extremely excited, as he had finally become a captain himself.

Wei Yan then distributed all three thousand strings of cash to his four hundred subordinates.

The victory in the Battle of Dongting Lake greatly encouraged the Yuzhang Army, which then marched south and occupied Yiyang County and Luo County. At the same time, Xiajun County was also occupied by the Yuzhang Army.

At this point, all counties in northern Changsha Commandery except Linxiang County were occupied by the Yuzhang Army.

Gan Ning knew, of course, that it would be difficult for him to capture Linxiang County, but what did it matter? With Liu Cong and Cai Yan under his command, was he afraid that Liu Biao would not submit?
Gan Ning then dispatched Cui Jun, the military advisor, and Yang Miao, an official, to Xiangyang.

...........
News of the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Dongting Lake also reached Xiangyang, causing an uproar throughout the city. Tens of thousands of families of naval soldiers gathered at the Zhennan General's Mansion, demanding an explanation from Governor Liu Biao.

Liu Xian, the adjutant, shouted at the top of his lungs, "Please do not believe the rumors outside. It is only that the five thousand naval troops stationed in Dongting Lake were outnumbered and defeated. Our naval troops in Jiangling have not yet set off, and all the naval soldiers are safe and sound!"

Despite Liu Xian's desperate attempts to explain that the navy had not failed, his explanations were too weak. Tens of thousands of soldiers' families simply did not believe him, and none of them were willing to leave. They all demanded that General Zhennan come out and explain in person.

"We demand that the General of Zhennan come out! We demand that the General of Zhennan come out and make a statement!"

Tens of thousands of people simply staged a sit-in protest. Liu Xian shouted himself hoarse, but it was no use. Helpless, he had no choice but to go back and report.

Inside the general's mansion, Liu Biao was urgently discussing countermeasures with several high-ranking officials, including Cai Mao, Kuai Yue, Kuai Liang, and Han Song.

Kuai Yue saw Liu Biao's anxiety and advised him, "My lord, there is no need to worry. Liu Hu was captured and then brought back, and Huang Zu's family was also released after negotiations. The same applies to the Second Prince and General Cai. There is no problem with their release. This is Gan Ning's consistent practice. This man is not only good at war, but also good at politics. That is what makes him so terrifying."

Liu Biao nodded and said, "I just don't know how high a price he'll ask for; I'm afraid it will be too much for me to bear!"

"This will require negotiation. We'll haggle over the original price. If I'm not mistaken, his men will arrive soon."

Han Song sighed and said, "What the other party wants is Changsha Prefecture, just like when he negotiated with Huang Zu and asked Huang Zu to give up Wuchang Prefecture."

Liu Biao remained silent. He had guessed the other party's intentions, but he could not bring himself to publicly declare that he would give up Changsha Commandery.

Just then, Liu Xian walked in, bowed, and said in a hoarse voice, "Reporting to my lord, I have tried to persuade the soldiers' families to leave, but they are too agitated. I am ashamed that I was unable to convince them to go."

"What exactly do they want?" Liu Biao asked, somewhat dissatisfied.

"They want a statement from our lord!" Liu Xian said helplessly.

Liu Biao remained silent for a moment, then slowly stood up. "Please have Yidu handle the negotiations. There's no need to rush. Let's go and appease the people first!"

As the crowd walked out of the gate, someone among the people who were sitting in silence shouted, "The General of Zhennan has come out!"

The people stood up one after another, their emotions running high. Thousands of soldiers desperately tried to stop them from rushing forward. A woman shouted, "General, please save our children!"

Liu Biao waved his hand, "Everyone, please be quiet! Listen to me."

Tens of thousands of people gradually quieted down and gave orders. Only then did Liu Biao say loudly, "A war has indeed broken out in Dongting Lake. We were unable to win, and many soldiers were captured by the enemy. However, the exact number is still unknown. We are negotiating with the other side. I assure you that I will do everything I can to bring your families back. Please go back and wait patiently. In any case, I will give everyone an explanation."

Liu Biao carried far more weight than Liu Xian. Since the governor had already made his stance clear, there was no point in continuing the gathering, and the people began to disperse. At that moment, Liu Biao suddenly felt immense pressure: what if he couldn't ransom the captured soldiers?
...........
Cai Mao was also under a lot of pressure. He was unusually low-key today, a stark contrast to his usual liveliness. He remained mostly silent today.

Liu Cong was captured, and he bears undeniable responsibility. It was he who repeatedly persuaded Liu Biao to send Liu Cong to Jiangling to take charge, and it was he who arbitrarily appointed Liu Cong as the commander of the reinforcements and led the army into battle, which ultimately led to the capture of Liu Cong and his brother Cai Yan.

Cai Mao's remorse was less about being ashamed and more about being afraid. What if Liu Cong didn't return? How could he explain it to Liu Biao? And what if his own brother died? How could he explain it to his family?
Back at the Cai residence, the steward stepped forward and whispered, "A messenger from Changsha County said he has a letter from Gan Ning to give to you, sir. He insists on delivering the letter to you personally!"

Cai Mao was taken aback and quickly asked, "Where is the messenger?"

"Wait in the outer hall!"

Cai Mao nodded. "Tell him I'll be right there."

Cai Mao went to change his clothes and sort out his thoughts. Why did Gan Ning write a letter to him? Why didn't he write it directly to the governor?
There's only one possibility: this isn't a formal negotiation, but rather an attempt to make a secret deal with me.

Having figured this out, Cai Mao strode to the outer guest hall, where a man of about thirty years old was sitting. When he saw Cai Mao enter, he stood up and bowed, saying, "I am Yang Miao, an official under the Marquis of Wuchang, and I have been ordered to deliver a letter to Military Advisor Cai."

After he finished speaking, he presented a letter. Cai Mao took the letter, sat down, and asked, "How is my brother?"

"Your younger brother was hit by an arrow, but it was only a superficial wound and he is not seriously injured."

"Where is the second young master?" Cai Mao asked again.

"Liu Cong is safe and sound. He and your younger brother are being held in solitary confinement and are being treated very well."

Cai Mao then opened Gan Ning's letter and read it carefully. Sure enough, it was about making a deal with him. In the letter, Gan Ning asked him to facilitate a deal between the two families. If the negotiations between the two parties could be completed smoothly, Liu Cong would be returned smoothly.

Gan Ning's offer consisted of three conditions: first, he would exchange Liu Cong for Linxiang County, demanding that the garrison of Linxiang County leave immediately, and the Yuzhang Army would escort them back to Nanjun; second, Liu Biao would acknowledge that Changsha Commandery belonged to the Yuzhang Army, and in return, the Yuzhang Army would release 10,000 prisoners of war; third, Liu Biao must allow the families of the surrendered prisoners of war to come to Changsha Commandery.

The first and third conditions of the other party are not a big problem, and Liu Biao should be able to accept them. The key is the second condition: exchanging 10,000 prisoners of war for recognition of Changsha Commandery. This may be a bit troublesome. Liu Biao is a man who cares a lot about his reputation. He may not agree to publicly acknowledge that Changsha Commandery belongs to Gan Ning.

However, the above were the conditions for formal negotiations; there was also a private deal with Cai Mao.

They demanded that Cai Mao place Huang Zhong's family under house arrest and prevent Huang Zhong from returning to Nan Commandery. In return, they promised to send Cai Yan back with Liu Cong and ensure that the Cai family's interests in Changsha Commandery would not be harmed.

The Cai family had significant interests in Changsha County, and Cai Mao agreed to the deal without hesitation.

Cai Mao already hated Huang Zhong, so dealing with Huang Zhong was a piece of cake for him.

Cai Mao nodded and asked, "When will your special envoy for negotiations arrive?"

"We will arrive in Xiangyang around the day after tomorrow."

Cai Mao pondered for a moment and said, "In a few days, I will hand over Huang Zhong's family to you and ensure your safe return to Xiakou."

“Military Advisor Cai, we must also ensure that Huang Zhong cannot return to Nanjun.”

"Don't worry, I know what to do!"

(End of this chapter)