Looking at Liu Jing's cool, calm and eloquent appearance, he simply regarded Liu Biao, the shepherd of Jingzhou, and tens of thousands of Jingzhou troops as if they were nothing. How extremely arrogant and arrogant Liu Jingzhi was. Lai Gong had fully understood today.
If Liu Jing thought that relying on Lingxian and his more than 10,000 water infantry troops, he could resist the footsteps of the Jingzhou army, he would be totally wrong.
One of the very important reasons why Liu Biao recruited him was that he wanted to pacify Jingnan as soon as possible so that he could transfer his troops back to the north and intervene in the dispute between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. Once the recruitment failed, Liu Biao would definitely not tolerate it anymore given the current situation.
If Zhang Xian is besieged for many years, he will definitely strive to destroy him in the shortest possible time, no matter the cost.
The smile on Liu Jing's face remained unchanged, and he said to Lai Gong: "Of course, like General Liu, I don't want to start a war lightly and destroy Jingnan counties and make the people homeless. Therefore, please Lai Jun truthfully report to General Liu after you return.
He can put the overall situation first and the people first... I will serve as the prefect of Lingling. When the time comes, I will replace General Sui Jingheng, comfort the people, and restore peace to Jiangxiang."
Lai Gong smiled bitterly and said: "Zhongda, you should know very well that the general will never agree to your request."
Liu Jing said slowly: "Lai Jun is not General Liu himself, so how do you know that General Liu will not agree?"
Lai Gong replied without hesitation: "Even if the general agrees to your request out of kindness, my subordinates will do our best to stop it."
Liu Jing raised his eyebrows and said, "In that case, there is nothing more to say. Please go back and tell General Liu and Chang Shi Kuai that the troops from the three counties will be waiting for the Northern Army in Ling County."
Lai Gong frowned and asked, "Does Zhongda really want to have his own way?"
"Does this mean that I am going my own way?" Liu Jing said: "Zhang Ling is far to the north of Hanmiang. I obeyed General Liu's order and went north alone. When the time comes, I will be a swordsman, and I will be a fish." Life and death will be controlled by others.
"
Lai Gong said quickly: "Zhongda is too worried. The general is a kind and kind elder, how could he do such a thing?"
Liu Jingdao: "In the past, General Liu entered Jingzhou alone and lured powerful people in the name of the governor of Jingzhou. The powerful people did not doubt that he was there and came to a banquet. However, General Liu ordered people to kill more than fifty people while sitting on the table, causing blood in the banquet.
It flowed into a river, and then annexed other tribes. In doing so, General Liu did not show any kindness to the elders."
Lai Gong was stunned when he heard this. He didn't expect that Liu Jing would make a fuss about this matter. He then defended Liu Biao and said: "They are all local clan thieves. They rob counties and counties at the top and harm the common people at the bottom. They are really a big trouble to the local area."
Also, General Liu captured and beheaded him, which really eliminated harm for the people and greatly pleased people's hearts. And Zhongda was the crown prince of Jingzhou, famous in Chu State. General Liu also loved Zhongda's talent and would only entrust him with important tasks.
Harm it?"
"The general may not have this intention, but Cai Mao must have this intention." Liu Jing sneered, "Cai Mao is proud and self-satisfied and narrow-minded. I heard that Cai Mao defeated himself at my hands and repeatedly threatened to kill me to avenge his shame. Cai Mao's sister
, is General Liu’s successor, with Cai Mao on the outside and Cai on the inside, slandering me day and night, how can I survive?”
Lai Gong said reluctantly: "The general is definitely not someone who listens to slander."
Lai Gong's words didn't even make him feel confident, because he knew very well Cai Mao's resentment towards Liu Jing, and he also knew that Cai Mao would never let it go.
Needless to say, Cai Mao and his sister Cai Shi's influence on Liu Biao. They spoke ill of Liu Biao all day long. It is conceivable that Liu Jing's ending will definitely not be good.
Losing his life is not a big deal, but in order to appease Cai Mao and the Cai family, Liu Biao will definitely not reuse Liu Jing. The so-called Zhangling prefect, Liu Biao can remove him with just one word. Liu Jing may only stay in Liu Biao's shogunate in the future, such as Wang
Be charming and be a "royal scholar".
Lai Gong felt that Liu Jing had made it clear that the two of them had a close relationship after all. He could not persuade him to "throw himself into the trap", so he could only sigh secretly and said: "I have done all Zhongda's worries."
You know, I will try my best to explain it to you when I get back. However, the hope of success in this matter is probably very slim."
"Then we have Mr. Laolai." Liu Jing said with a calm smile: "It's good if it works out, but it doesn't matter if it doesn't work out. I'll wait for a reply."
Lai Gong couldn't help but smile bitterly and shook his head. Liu Jing's attitude was so tough and there was no room for maneuver. It won't be long before the war in Jingnan will resume.
"Now that the official business is over, and Lai Jun reunited with his sister-in-law after a long absence, we might as well stay in Lingxian County for a few more days." Liu Jing said calmly. It seemed as if what he talked about before were all trivial matters that were not worth remembering, and did not involve the millions of people in Jingzhou.
A matter of life and death for thousands of people.
Lai Gong immediately shook his head and refused: "Both the general and Kuai Changshi are looking forward to news from me. They have such important responsibilities, so how dare they care about their personal affairs. I am going to return to Linxiang tomorrow."
Liu Jing had deliberately delayed it for five days before, so he happily let him go this time and said: "Since Lai Jun has made up his mind, I will not do much to persuade him to stay. I will hold a banquet in the afternoon to honor Lai Jun."
Lai Gong nodded without refusing.
Liu Jing then left home and went to the county temple. Lai Ci saw his brother sitting alone in the back hall with a serious look on his face. He walked in and asked, "Is everything not going well?"
During the five days that Liu Jing left, Lai Gong had already told Lai Ci the purpose of his trip. Liu Jing had always respected Lai Ci. Lai Gong's original intention was to let his sister persuade Liu Jing from the side, but he never thought about Liu Jing's intentions.
So determined.
"Zhongda rejected the general's solicitation." Lai Gong said with an extremely solemn face: "Li Ji, Lingxian County will become a battlefield between the two armies soon. You can no longer stay in Lingxian County, but you can take Hutou back to Lingling.
I’m taking refuge in my hometown temporarily.”
Lai Ci said without thinking: "I need to discuss this matter with Zhongda. Zhongda loves Hutou more than I do. He will never let Hutou be put in danger."
Lai Gong hesitated for a moment, and finally couldn't help but ask: "Li Ji, it has been five years since Bo Ming passed away, and Hu Tou Ye has grown up, do you have any intention of remarrying?"
Lai Ci shook his head slowly but firmly and said: "Although Bo Ming has passed away for a long time, I still care about him in my heart and have never forgotten him for a moment." On summer days and winter nights, after a hundred years, I returned to his residence.
On winter nights and summer days, after a hundred years of age, I return to my home. The words of "Gesheng" are my thoughts."
When Lai Gong saw that his sister was so infatuated and unrepentant, he sighed deeply in his heart and said no more.
Liu Jing came back from outside in the afternoon, held a big banquet at home, and invited dozens of officials from Ling County to practice for Lai Gong.
During the dinner, Liu Jing held a wine glass and said to Lai Gong: "Lai Jun, I hope that the day when you and I see each other again will not be the time when we meet in battle."
Lai Gong shook his head and said: "The unsatisfactory things in the world will always be seven or eight out of ten. What can I do?"
The next day, Lai Gong took a boat back north.
Lai Gong went south this time and achieved almost nothing. Liu Jing asked for the post of Lingling prefect. Not to mention Cai Mao, who had always hated him, even Kuai Yue shook his head after hearing this.
Cai Mao said with a sarcastic face: "I have said it before, Liu Jing's son relies on his talents and ambitions, and it is absolutely difficult to obey him. But you don't take my words seriously and insist on doing this futile thing."
Kuai Yue glanced at Cai Mao and said, "The general still needs to make a final decision on this matter."
Cai Maojian said: "I tell the general, it will take at least ten or eight days to come back and forth. In my opinion, it is better to immediately gather tens of thousands of water cavalry and march south. Liu Jing's son thought that we were waiting for the general's order."
, must be unprepared, we should be able to attack Lingxian County in one battle."
Liu Pan thought Cai Mao's suggestion was good, and immediately said: "I will lead the cavalry as the vanguard. Liu Jingjun has very few horses, and the infantry are just lambs waiting to be slaughtered. If I attack them with cavalry, if I win, I will sweep them away. If I don't win, I can retreat calmly."
"
"Inappropriate." Kuai Yue directly rejected Cai Mao's opinion. What Liu Jing said to Lai Gong was not nonsense, but hit the point.
The soldiers in Jingzhou have been away from home for a long time, and they have been fighting for many years. They are not accustomed to the soil and water of the south. Diseases are rampant in the army, and they have already reached the end of the war.
After the capture of Linxiang, the anger that the soldiers had been holding in their hearts was released. Forcibly driving them south to fight was tantamount to using tired and weak soldiers to attack those who were waiting for work. If one of them is not good, they may even be defeated in one battle.
collapse.
According to Kuai Yue's estimation, it would be better for the Jingzhou Army to rest until August or September, after the autumn harvest, before sending out troops again.
Firstly, it allows the soldiers to have half a year to recuperate and regain their strength. Secondly, during the autumn harvest, they can harvest rice from the counties south of Changsha and use the enemy's funds to support our own soldiers and horses.
However, the problem is that although Kuai Yue is the commander-in-chief of the Jingzhou Army, he has no decision-making power. Liu Biao may not have the patience to wait for that long. The addition of Cai Mao, Liu Pan and other "main war factions" will inevitably speed up Liu Biao's decision to send troops.
The more you hope this time is as late as possible, the better.
Cai Mao looked at Kuai Yue with furrowed brows and said dissatisfied: "Why not?"
Kuai Yue said: "All the waters south of Linxiang are occupied by Liu Zhongda's navy. I'm afraid that every move we make is under their surveillance. I'm afraid that we have already been discovered by the other side as soon as we leave the military camp."
Cai Mao immediately retorted: "Otherwise. From Linxiang to Lingxian, the Xiangshui waterway is winding and winding. There is a saying in the fishing song of Hengshan: 'The sail turns with the Hunan and looks at the nine sides of Heng'. I suffered the disadvantage of unknown geography in the first place, which led to this
We were defeated at the hands of Liu Jingxiao'er. We used infantry and cavalry as the main force and headed south. If the opponent took the water route, his speed would be far slower than ours. And if he took the land route instead, how could he escape Liu Zhonglang's cavalry pursuit?"
Liu Pan nodded and said: "Liu Jing's army probably doesn't have many horses, and most of them are Nanzhong ponies that are not good at galloping. They are not worth mentioning."
Cai Mao and Liu Pan sang in harmony, but Kuai Yue remained unmoved and said: "In short, I think now is by no means the best time to go south. Let's wait for the general to decide everything."
Cai Mao suddenly became anxious and said: ""Sun Tzu's Art of War" says: 'If the general is outside, the emperor's orders will not be accepted.' The meaning of the Spring and Autumn Annals: 'When the officials go out of the border, they can stabilize the country and save the people, and they can specialize in it.' The general granted it.
Brother Kuai, with the important responsibilities of the country and the power to specialize in special tasks, now has a good opportunity to defeat the enemy. At this time, can brother Kuai hesitate to make a decision?"
Kuai Yue was unmoved and said: "It is precisely because I have been entrusted by the general that I need to be cautious. As a general, you can not be decisive, but you have to be cautious. "Sun Tzu's Art of War" says: 'Use the right combination to win by surprise.
'. Our military strength is ten times that of the enemy. We use the strong to bully the weak. We should recharge our batteries, train our troops and horses, and defeat the enemy with the overwhelming power of Mount Tai. Why should we give up our advantages and easily take risks? Give the enemy an opportunity to take advantage of it.
machine?"
Cai Mao said angrily: "The reason why Linxiang has been in decline for many years is because Chang Shi was too cautious. Will it happen again now?"
Kuai Yue said angrily: "Could it be that Commander Cai has forgotten that he insisted on going south in the first place? I have repeatedly tried to persuade you, but you have never listened to a word of it? When you returned in defeat, did I ever ridicule you? Instead, I repeatedly begged the general to plead for you."
Cai Mao couldn't help but blush. He was really angry just now and spoke indiscriminately. He hurriedly apologized to Kuai Yue: "I was emotionally agitated and my words were wrong. Brother Kuai, please calm down."
"In short, everything is decided by the general." After saying that, Kuai Yue walked away.
Cai Mao looked livid and left angrily, leaving Liu Pan and Lai Gong speechless.
A few days later, Liu Jing's handwritten letter was placed in front of Liu Biao's desk.
Liu Biao read it in a hurry and almost had the urge to tear the letter into pieces. However, when he saw the regular script with dignified strokes, grandeur and grandeur like a palace, he finally resisted the urge in his heart and couldn't bear to destroy it.
He thought that he had done all he could to Liu Jing, but he had repeatedly ignored his wishes, and now he even revealed his intention to separate Jingnan, which really made Liu Biao hate him in his heart.
Liu Biao had absolutely no reason to agree to Liu Jing's request. Not to mention that his current situation was good. Except for Jingnan, the other three sides were temporarily free of worries. Even if there was external unrest, he would never tolerate a second Zhang in Jingnan.
envy.
In addition to Liu Jing's letters, Kuai Yue, Cai Mao, and Liu Pan all wrote to him. Kuai Yue's letter made Liu Biao frown. In the letter, Kuai Yue explained in detail the current difficulties of the Jingzhou Army.
He also emphasized that the entire army must rest for at least half a year before it can fight.
This is not the first time that Kuai Yue has said this. Since the attack on Klin, Kuai Yue has written to Liu Biao every once in a while, complaining about the difficulties in the army. Liu Biao believes that there must be difficulties in the army now, but it may not be what Kuai Yue said.
Like that.
If it weren't for his brother-in-law Cai Mao and nephew Liu Pan, Liu Biao would have thought that Kuai Yue had other thoughts.
Liu Biao then opened the letters from Cai Mao and Liu Pan. Their letters all mentioned, explicitly or implicitly, that Kuai Yue was too cautious in using troops.
Liu Biao immediately convened a meeting with the Zhennan General's Mansion and the civil and military officials of the Jingzhou Governor's Department to discuss when the Jingzhou army should move south.
At the meeting, the civil and military officials expressed their opinions, but the argument failed to come to a conclusion. Instead, the quarrel gave Liu Biao a splitting headache. Finally, he had to act arbitrarily and ordered Kuai Yue to give the entire army another month and must send troops in May.
When Kuai Yue received Liu Biao's letter, he couldn't help but smile bitterly. When the letter was delivered to him, it had already been less than a month. Counting from the capture of Linxiang, the soldiers only had three months of rest after they were fully deployed. It is conceivable that once he
Publicizing the news will inevitably arouse great dissatisfaction among the soldiers. Since Cai Mao is determined to go south, he should let him publish the news.