In September of the 11th year of Jian'an, after nearly a year of confrontation, Cai Mao finally launched an attack.
At present, Liu Biao's military strength is very strong. In addition to about 50,000 troops deployed in Nanyang to defend Chen Bing, Yingchuan, and Cao Cao in Runan, there are still more than 100,000 troops fighting outside.
Around Xiangyang, there are also his nephew Zhang Yun who has 30,000 elite troops, and then there is the Jiangxia Navy Huang Zu. After the last defeat, he lost more than 20,000 troops, and added 10,000 troops. Now there are about 50,000 troops. Chen troops are in Yu
Along the Changjiang River, Zhang launched an attack on Jiangdong.
Liu Pan in the south still had 20,000 troops, and finally Cai Mao had 40,000 troops. However, Zhang Lu had 10,000 more troops than Cai Mao, so from last year to now, Cai Mao has only controlled the southern part of Ba County and has not moved northward.
attack.
Until the end of this year, Liu Biao added another 20,000 troops to Cai Mao, bringing his total strength to 60,000. Taking into account the county soldiers from all over Jingzhou, Liu Biao's total strength was about 220,000.
Although Cao Cao was weaker than Cao Cao who had captured the entire north before the Battle of Chibi, he was almost the same as Yuan Shao before the Battle of Guandu. After Yuan Shao's defeat at Guandu and Cangting, his strength dropped sharply, and his army of more than 200,000 was only
There were more than 100,000 left, so at this time Liu Biao became the first among the princes in the world.
However, Liu Biao also had serious problems. First, he was too old and had no successors. Second, he had too many enemies, including Liu Zhang and Zhang Lu in the west, Sun Quan in the east, and Cao Cao in the north. Except for Lai, the governor of Jiaozhou who was sent by him to the south,
Gong, except for Wu Ju, the prefect of Cangwu, who has occupied it, the enemy is on three sides.
Therefore, not many people from the major aristocratic families in Jingzhou are optimistic about him. Except for the Cai and Kuai families who wholeheartedly support Liu Biao, the other major aristocratic families have other plans. However, Liu Biao is currently very powerful and no one dares to oppose him.
If you don't obey, no one will dare to rebel.
Liu Biao has been recruiting troops for these years. With a population of tens of millions under his rule, it is more than enough to recruit an army of 200,000. However, the recruitment still requires training, so even after the war begins, it is necessary to seize the time to train the newly recruited soldiers in the rear.
Now Liu Biao recruited another 20,000 soldiers, and after a year of training, he sent more troops to Cai Hao. Cai Hao's total force finally overwhelmed Zhang Lu, and he finally had the courage to fight Zhang Lu to the death.
In fact, Jingzhou does not lack soldiers or food, it only lacks time.
Soldiers need training, and food and grass need to be transported, but Liu Biao cannot afford to wait. Starting from this year, Liu Biao has been feeling very unwell. Although he has consulted famous doctors many times, he is still at this age. His physical strength is weak and his resistance is low. It is difficult to
recover.
Therefore, Liu Biao repeatedly urged Huang Zu and Cai Mao on the front line to achieve victory as soon as possible. Not only to destroy Jiangdong and Yizhou, but also to at least defeat Sun Quan and Zhang Lu to complete the strategic suppression of Yizhou and Jiangdong.
However, Sun Quan occupied a natural barrier and could not conquer it in a short time. Only Zhang Lu went south from Hanzhong and occupied Hanchang and Xuanhan. Hanchang had a superior geographical location and was easy to defend but difficult to attack. However, Xuanhan was also the city of Dazhou in later generations.
The danger can be defended, so the two sides fought here.
However, Cai Mao was outnumbered and was defeated by Zhang Lu. He also lost Qu County, which forced him to retreat to Dianjiang, which later became Guang'an City and Hechuan City in Sichuan Province to continue to confront Zhang Lu.
Now that his troops had greatly increased, Cai Hao decided to launch an all-out attack.
So the troops were divided into three groups, one led by Han Xi, who crossed Huaying Mountain and arrived at Linshui County, later Sichuan, and went north by land to attack Danqu County and Xuanhan County.
The first group, led by general Liu Hu, went directly north from Dianjiang and attacked by land from the southwest of Danqu County.
The last group was personally led by Cai Mao, who took the waterway up the river, along the Diving River, which was later known as the Bashui River and Qujiang River, entered the Diving River from Dianjiang River, and headed towards Danqu County.
The situation on both sides was very similar to the later Battle of Wakou Pass where Zhang Fei and Zhang He fought.
However, Zhang Lu did not organize a manpower defense at Wakou in the south of Danqu County. Instead, he chose to shrink in an all-round way and retreated all the troops in Danqu County to Pingxiang, which was later established as Pingzhou County in the Western Jin Dynasty.
Chang County.
At that time, this place was an important pass on the Micang Road. It was easy to defend but difficult to attack. Cai Mao could not defeat it. He had no choice but to attack Xuanhan in the east. But Xuanhan was also a pass at that time and an important pass on the Bashu Road. It was located to the east of Fenghuang Mountain in the north of Dazhou City in later generations.
, guarding Bucao River and Tieshan, which later became Dazhouzhou River and Fenghuang Mountain.
The Bashu Road was later known as the Lychee Road. It was excavated in the Han Dynasty and was the most difficult to walk among the three roads from Hanzhong to Bashu. Liu Zhang was guarding Baishui Pass and Jiameng Pass at this time, occupying the Jinniu Road, which was the best, and Zhang Lu captured Ba Shu.
County, they went south from Micang Road and Bashu Road to fight Cai Mao.
Now that Zhang Lu's troops have been completely reduced to Pingxiang and Xuanhan, it is equivalent to controlling the troops at the intersection of Daba Mountain and Bajun. It is somewhat similar to Zhuge Liang's departure from Qishan and if he defeated Hao Zhao and occupied Chencang County, he has a lot of power.
great strategic initiative.
Once Cai Mao retreats to attack Liu Zhang, Zhang Lu can send troops to join the attack at any time.
Therefore, if you want to get Yizhou, you must fight Zhang Lu back to Hanzhong. At least Liu Biao's army must control Hanchang County and Xuanhan County, that is, Bazhong City and Dazhou City, so as to prevent Zhang Lu from going south again.
attempt.
In this case, Cai Mao had no other choice but to attack by force. His idea was to start with the easy ones and then the more difficult ones, and concentrate on defeating Xuanhan first.
There were not many defenders in the Xuanhan Dynasty. After being besieged for nearly a hundred days, the defenders really couldn't resist and fled north into Badong Pass. Badong Pass was also a pass. In the Jin Dynasty, it was established as Dongguan County. In later generations, it was Sichuan Wanwan County.
Source City.
By the beginning of the twelfth year of Jian'an, Cai Mao had captured Xuanhan and directed his troops towards Hanchang.
And at the same time.
Huang Zu also went south to Jiangdong again and launched an attack on Jiangdong in August of the second half of the 11th year of Jian'an. The two sides fought in Wankou for more than 60 days. In the end, Jiangdong was defeated and retreated to Songyang Hulin.
In October, Huang Zu took advantage of the victory to pursue him, and the two sides fought again in Hulin. At the beginning of the twelfth year of Jian'an, Jiangdong was defeated again and retreated to Nanling. At the same time, Sun Quan followed Zhou Yu's suggestion and established an alliance between Ruxushui and the Yangtze River, a tributary of the Yangtze River in the rear.
A city was built at the intersection, named Ruxukou.
By the beginning of the twelfth year of Jian'an, Cai Mao and Huang Zu's attacks had already gained considerable advantages.
Even Huang Zu had sent people to attack Lujiang and drive away Liu Fu, the governor of Yangzhou appointed by the imperial court. At that time, Lujiang was still occupied by powerful local forces such as Mei Gan, Lei Xu, and Chen Lan. As soon as Huang Zu's army arrived, these people came to join him one after another.
.
For a time, Liu Biao's power expanded greatly. He captured Yuzhang and Lujiang in the east, and almost wiped out Jiangdong. He captured the entire Bajun in the west, and his troops even threatened Hanzhong. Almost the entire south seemed to be captured by him.
"Hahahahahaha."
In Xiangyang, Jingzhou, in the palace where Liu Biao was, in the hall, Liu Biao was very happy after receiving the battle report of Cai Mao and Huang Zu.
Accompanied by Jia Xu and Kuai Yue, he looked at the two and said with a smile: "Degui has captured Xuanhan and is now attacking Hanchang. Once Hanchang is captured by me, Zhang Lu will no longer have a way to go south.
, I can easily defeat Liu Zhang."
"Congratulations, Your Majesty."
Kuai Yue quickly said: "In less than a year, Yizhou will be yours."
"Cough cough cough."
Liu Biao coughed twice because of his excitement. The servant serving next to him quickly handed over water, took a sip to moisten his throat, and then said: "Not only, Yuanyang has newly conquered the Lujiang River, and tens of thousands of powerful people came to join the Lujiang River. His military strength
We have more than 100,000 troops and are about to conquer Jiangdong."
Jia Xu smiled and said: "Currently, Cao Cao is still at war with the two Yuans and has no time to go south. After your Majesty gets Yizhou and Yangzhou, he can send a general to go out of Wuguan and capture Guanzhong, and then attack Hanzhong from Yizhou and Guanzhong. This way
Two-thirds of the world has been obtained. At that time, the troops can be divided into three groups, one way out of Guanzhong, one way out of Nanyang, and finally all the way out of Jianghuai, to eliminate Cao Cao and Yuan Yuan, go north to Dingding Guandong, and revive the Yanhan ambition!"
"Hmm"
Liu Biao pondered: "Since Cao Cao is fighting with the two Yuan Dynasties, why don't I directly send troops to Nanyang to destroy Cao Cao first and then defeat the two Yuan Dynasties?"
Jia Xu shook his head: "Guanzhong and Hanzhong are easy to get, but Cao Cao and Yuan Yuan have many troops and cannot conquer them in a short time. It is most reliable to send troops in three directions. If Cao Yuan's coalition forces are in a hurry, it will probably take more time.
"
"I understand."
Liu Biao waved his hand noncommittally.
The three people discussed some other things. After the meeting ended, Liu Biao's eyes turned slightly coldly on Kuai Yue.
He has also thought a lot during this period of time. Although his eldest son Liu Qi is wise and powerful, having no heirs is a big problem after all.
Liu Cong only had one son, so it was obviously not possible to adopt Liu Cong's son to Liu Qi.
Therefore, Liu Biao finally planned to pass the throne to Liu Qi. After all, if Liu Qi really had no children in the future, he would eventually have to leave the position to Liu Cong's son.
But this Liu Cong's son was born to a daughter of the Cai family. Therefore, in order to avoid future troubles, Liu Biao planned to kill Cai Mao and Kuai Yue after acquiring the entire south to prevent Liu Cong from being controlled by Cai Kuai in the future and affecting his grandson.
.
The main reason why he did not kill Cai Mao and Kuai Yue and let Liu Cong succeed him was that Liu Cong was too cowardly and not as talented as Liu Qi. I was afraid that he would not be able to convince Jia Xu and Shen Chen.
Yes.
Jia Xu and Shen Chen are the two legacies Liu Biao intends to leave for Liu Qi.
Although Jia Xu has a high status now, he has no family and no foundation in Jingzhou. Even if he dies, he will not be able to control the government.
Shen Chen has a close relationship with Liu Qi and has extraordinary abilities. He is a talented person who helps the world.
In this way, the older generation will have Jia Xu to assist in government affairs, and the younger generation will have Shen Chen to handle military affairs, and Liu Qi will not be left behind.
Even if I die of illness in the future, the new Han Dynasty I created will continue.
What a pity.
If only I could live a few more years, even ten more years.
Liu Biao looked at Jia Xu and Kuai Yue's retreating figures. He finally couldn't bear the discomfort he had been holding back and coughed violently. His face was so pale that it seemed like there was no blood left.
Every winter he felt bad and his health was deteriorating.
Although I don’t know how long I can live, my body knows that I am afraid that my destiny will not be long.
Liu Biao's face was filled with gloom.
"Master."
After Kuai Yue left the palace, he saw Jia Xu preparing to board the carriage and said with a smile: "The Grand Tutor goes to court every day and lives alone at home. He cannot refuse to come to gatherings with his colleagues. It is not good to be so lonely."
When Jia Xu heard this, he stopped pedaling, turned around and said with a smile: "I like to be quiet and don't like to be active, so I usually refuse some unimportant gatherings."
"If I invite Taifu to my home for a small gathering, is it an unimportant gathering?"
Quin Yue asked.
Jia Xu then smiled and said, "If Situ invites you, it's all right."
"please."
"please."
Kuai Yue got into the carriage.
The two people's carriages went one behind the other, heading towards Kuai Yue's Situ Mansion.
Jia Xu never made enemies in Jingzhou, but he rarely made friends.
Because he knows one thing.
That is, wherever there are people, there are rivers and lakes.
Especially in Jingzhou, a place with many aristocratic families and complicated relationships.
If you make friends with this person, his enemies will think that you are colluding with him, and you will make enemies for no reason.
So being alone seems to be helpless, but because of this, others will not take huge risks to provoke the most important person around Liu Biao.
Even Cai Mao and Kuai Yue were unwilling to offend Jia Xu.
Jia Xu has no family or foundation. Although he is valued by Liu Biao, he will not threaten their family interests. Therefore, the two sides maintain an amicable relationship.
But now.
Kuai Yue took the initiative to invite him, obviously with the intention of winning over him.
The carriage quickly arrived at Situ Mansion.
At the invitation of Kuai Yue, Jia Xu followed him to the back garden of Situ Mansion.
The two sat opposite each other in the back garden pavilion, and a servant served them brewed wine and tea, as well as some pastries and snacks.
When there was no one around, Kuai Yue raised his tea cup and said to Jia Xu: "I don't know if the master likes tea or alcohol. Tea drinking was also popular in Jingzhou in the past, but recently this kind of fried tea has become popular.
I don’t know if Taifu likes it or not."
Jia Xu also raised his tea cup and said with a smile: "This tea tastes bitter at first, but the aftertaste is sweet. I am also very happy."
"As long as you like it, Taifu, please."
Kuai Yue raised his tea cup as a gesture of invitation, then took a sip. After Jia Xu also took a sip and put down the cup, he said again: "Your Majesty is a little anxious now."
"I'm a little anxious."
Jia Xu nodded slightly and said: "In the past few days, I have repeatedly urged General Cai and General Huang to attack, and issued many orders. Although the two generals have achieved little success, I am afraid that with such urging, something went wrong in their haste."
Kuai Yue frowned and said: "Sir, taking the south and then Guanzhong and Hanzhong is the best strategy. We can first watch Cao Cao and the two Yuan fight, and then take the Guandong in three ways. But your Majesty's intention seems to be to immediately capture the entire south.
Sending troops north to attack the Central Plains will not force Cao Cao to join forces with the two Yuan Dynasties."
Jia Xu raised his head. In the first two months of the twelfth year of Jian'an, the sky was clear and the air was clear, but it was always a bit cold. He said softly: "Your Majesty is very old and the palace is cold. It is said that every winter you will suffer from minor illnesses."
It’s normal to feel a little anxious after a game.”
"I'm afraid that your majesty's haste will lead to bad things."
Kuai Yue smiled bitterly and said: "Now that there are many soldiers and horses in Jingzhou, the best strategy is to plan them slowly."
"But Your Majesty can't afford to wait."
Jia Xu sighed: "Destiny has a destiny, how can it be done by human power?"
Kuai Yue pondered for a long time and then suddenly said: "The Grand Master thinks that among your three princes, who can inherit the great responsibility?"
"Don't Situ think that the second prince can take over?"
Jia Xu's words were accurate. In fact, he had never suggested to Liu Biao who should be the prince. At first, he only suggested that Liu Biao ask Shen Chen what he wanted.
Later, every time Liu Biao asked, he would refuse with excuses. Even when there was a court meeting, he would never express his opinion.
Therefore, no one in the Jingzhou court knew who Jia Xu supported.
Although Jia Xu is not regarded as an enemy by everyone because he has no foundation and is involved in Jingzhou's interest groups, his attitude will not be underestimated because of this.
After all, he may be the only person who can influence Liu Biao's decision.
Today, Kuai Yue invited him here. Actually, it was because Kuai Yue knew that Liu Biao's health was getting worse and worse, and he was likely to die within the next few years, so he wanted to win over Jia Xu and let him support Liu Cong.
But it's a pity that Jia Xu didn't want to get involved, so his words were ambiguous.
Kuai Yue frowned and said: "The eldest prince is in Xunyang. Recently, your majesty has awarded many rewards and seems to have the intention of making him king. What do you think of this matter?"
Jia Xu smiled and said: "The eldest prince defeated the Jiangdong Army in Yi County and rescued General Huang. It is such a great achievement that it is normal for him to be rewarded."
"Teacher should understand that the eldest prince has no heir."
Kuai Yue stared at him and said: "If His Majesty is ill, even if the eldest prince has the intention to take over the throne, he may not be the lord of the south in the future."
"Of course I know this."
Jia Xu raised his head and glanced at the sky, stood up and said, "It's just that this is His Majesty's family matter after all, and it's hard for us ministers to interfere. It's getting late, so what if we stop here today?"
Kuai Yue said hurriedly: "Master, don't you want to sit down anymore?"
"never mind."
Jia Xu smiled bitterly and said: "Situ should also know that by coming to the banquet today, I have already run the risk of being suspected by His Majesty. This is the greatest kindness I can give."
Kuai Yue naturally knew it, and after pondering for a moment, he said, "I'll see the master off."
With that said, the two of them went outside the pavilion.
The two of them just walked like this, chatting while walking.
After a while, they arrived at the foyer, and just as Jia Xu was about to leave Situ's mansion, Kuai Yue suddenly pulled him and said, "Master, I still have something unclear, and I would like to ask Master to help me clear up my confusion."
Jia Xu said: "Situ is also a wise man with knowledge in the world. I am just a foolish person from Xiliang. How can I help Situ solve his doubts?"
Kuai Yue said to Jia Xu with a very solemn expression: "I want to ask, does the second prince really have no chance of ascending the throne?"
"have."
Jia Xu looked around and saw that the guards around him were far away. He pondered for a long time and then whispered: "The second prince can only ascend the throne if the Duke and De Gui die."
Both Kuai Yue and Cai Mao were now granted the title of marquis by Liu Biao, so Jia Xu used the word "薨".
But it was the word "die" that made Kuai Yue's face darken.
He is a smart man, and he naturally knows what Liu Biao is worried about. It's just that he has been loyal to Liu Biao for many years, so Liu Biao would not be so heartless.
But now I think about it, how can an emperor have an affair with his mind?
I have a close relationship with Cai Mao and the second prince Liu Cong. Once Liu Cong ascends the throne, the substantial control of the entire south will be in the hands of Kuai Yue and Cai Mao.
No matter how stupid Liu Biao is, he still knows how to be on guard.
Therefore, once the entire south is obtained and the north is still in war, Liu Biao will be able to free up his hands to kill him and Cai Mao after Liu Biao's foundation is firmly established.
If you kill them before the south can get it, you will be destroying the city wall.
But after occupying the entire south, as long as they don't use troops against Cao Cao immediately, there will be no worries about foreign invasion. Killing him, Kuai Yue and Cai Mao, is a simple matter.
Then he will undoubtedly die by then.
For a while.
Kuai Yue's mood seemed to have sunk to the bottom of the sea, and the haze in his heart lingered.
"Situ, that's all I have to say."
Jia Xu put his hands in his sleeves, bowed his hands to Kuai Yue, smiled slightly and said, "Goodbye."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Kuai Yue, whose face was uncertain, was left in a daze.