After the Battle of Bowangpo, the relationship between Liu Bei and Liu Biao became cold, and Xiangyang never supported food and grass again. Fortunately, Lantian had accumulated a lot of farmland in Dengjiazhuang.

After years of war in the north, a large number of refugees headed south. When they passed by Nanyang County, many people were taken over by Lantian.

After the population increased, Lantian built two new villages next to Dengjiazhuang to resettle refugees, and then reclaimed land in the form of old and new.

It is a great favor for refugees to be able to have enough food in this era. They are more diligent than the original tenant farmers in Dengjiazhuang and are more cooperative in Gao Shun's training.

Gao Shun once felt that he might have the fighting power to train this military farm.

Liu Biao heard that Yuan Shao was so worried that he was very sad. He even closed his door to thank the guests for a while.

After Cao Cao gained an advantage in the Hebei battlefield, the voice of Cao, a relative of Jingzhou, was rising.

After Han Song, the chief secretary, returned from Xudu, he talked about Cao Cao's power and suggested that Liu Biao send his son to Xudu as a hostage, so that peace can be maintained in Jingzhou.

Liu Biao had three sons, the eldest son Liu Qi, the second son Liu Cong, and the third son Liu Xiu.

Liu Cong and Liu Xiu were young and had to send their sons to the court. Liu Qi was the one who could not do it after hearing this. He suspected that Han Song had secretly defected to Cao Cao and wanted to kill him, but he was persuaded by his wife Cai.

When Cai married Liu Biao, Liu Qi had already married a wife as an adult, for fear that she would not be truly filial to her stepmother, so she paid more attention to her second son Liu Cong.

Later, when Liu Biao was happy, Cai proposed to marry Liu Cong as his wife when he became an adult. Liu Biao agreed happily and decided to make the marriage.

After Liu Cong got engaged, Cai and Cai Mao became closer to Liu Cong and were seriously injured and excluded their eldest son Liu Qi.

While Liu Biao was staying away, Cai Mao consulted Kuai Yue and said, "Prime Minister Cao used his troops like a god. Sooner or later, he would definitely unify the world. Now the lord is hesitant and almost killed Han Degao. What if he does?"

Kuai Yue smiled and said, "I heard that Degui often goes to Tanxi to fish. If there is heavy rain and water, will you still go?"

"Of course I won't go, but what does this have to do with my brother-in-law?" Cai Mao said in confusion.

"If you haven't seen Prime Minister Cao's military power, how could your lord give up Jingxiang? If you were the governor of Jingzhou, would you?" Kuai Yue asked.

Cai Mao smiled and said, "Maybe..."

"So the lord was not hesitating at all, but he did not encounter heavy rain and water surges." Kuai Yue said.

"But when will this heavy rain come?" Cai Mao asked again.

Kuai Yue shook his head and said, "It's unknown."

"In the past six months, Liu Bei has received many refugees in Xinye. His tiger is getting bigger and bigger. Different ways should be eliminated by using a plan." Cai Mao said again.

"You can't be in a hurry for this matter. I'm waiting for an opportunity." Kuai Yue said coldly.

“When is the time?”

"The time to lure the tiger out of the mountain."

Cai Mao was confused when he heard this, but his intelligence could not understand Kuai Yue's thoughts, so he had to wait for what he called the opportunity.

In the eighth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao conquered Liyang, Yuan Tan, and Yuan Shang was defeated and left Yecheng.

Cao Cao led his army to chase outside Yecheng and harvested wheat from the surrounding area for his own use. The generals suggested taking advantage of the victory to pursue it. Only the priest Guo Jia suggested: "Yuan Shao abolished the eldest son and established the young man. Yuan Tan was not convinced, and his followers had already fought. We might as well go south to Jingzhou to wait for changes. Once the two attacked each other, the lord could reap profits and make a decision in one fell swoop."

Cao Cao said Shan, so he returned to Xudu.

In autumn, Cao Cao raised his troops south to attack Jingzhou.

Liu Biao was shocked when he heard this and wanted to call his confidant general Huang Zu to go north, but there was also a report of war in Jiangxia, and Sun Quan from Jiangdong was walking up the river.

In desperation, Liu Biao had to ask his nephew Zhang Yun to lead his troops north and resist Cao's army with general Wen Pin. Cai Mao, who was surrendered, was left in Xiangyang.

Cai Mao was not angry, and also advised Liu Biao: "Brother-in-law, General Zhang has no experience in resisting Cao's army, so why should he order Xinye Liu Bei to send troops to assist him?"

"How to assist?" Liu Biao asked back.

When Cai Mao was hesitant and didn't know how to deal with it, Kuai Yue came out of the squad and said, "Liu Xuande was better than Xiahou Dun in Bowangpo. It is said that it was military advisor Xu Yuanzhi who planned it for him. In addition, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun were all brave and brave, so they could definitely block Cao Cao's attack."

"That's what I mean," Cai Mao added.

Liu Biao looked at the two of them with a suspicious look, thinking that you were not wise when you sang and bullied me? It was obvious that you wanted to kill Liu Bei with Cao Cao's hand.

Seeing that Liu Biao was hesitant, Kuai Yue continued to persuade: "Liu Xuande's momentum is getting stronger and stronger in Xinye. If he doesn't take the opportunity to pull out his feathers, he may be a problem for Jingzhou in the future..."

Liu Biao weighed the pros and cons and finally agreed. Zhang Yun went north to stay in Xinye, while Liu Bei and Xu Shu personally went out of the city to work.

After the two of them greeted each other, Zhang Yun handed over Liu Biao's handwritten letter.

Liu Biao explained his indifference over the past year on the grounds that he was sick, and asked Liu Bei to lead Xinye troops north to fight against Cao Cao. He repeatedly said that he shared the same hatred of the enemy, and his lips were lost and his teeth were cold.

After reading the letter, Liu Bei was very hesitant. The news of Cao Cao's going south was true. He had been actively preparing for the war, and even the military soldiers in Lantian were allocated weapons.

Seeing this, Xu Shu said, "Why not be the lord who stays in Xinye, I will bring a group of troops to help General Zhang?"

"What Yuan Zhi said is very much." Liu Bei nodded.

Zhang Yun said again: "I heard that Guan Yunchang, Zhang Yide and Zhao Zilong are all brave generals, so please send them to the army together."

"The two generals Guan and Zhang can go together, but General Zilong and his lord will stay in the county town." Xu Shu nodded and said.

Zhang Yun did not advise him much. After stationing in Xinye for half a day, he joined forces with Xinye's troops to head north, and finally confronted Cao Cao in Xiping.

A few days after Xu Shu and others left, Yi Ji suddenly came to Xinye to ask for a meeting.

"Why did Ji Bo come here?" Liu Bei asked in confusion.

"Master, please send me to Xiangyang to see you quickly." Yi Ji said gasping.

"But is there something urgent? Could it be that something was wrong in the north?" Liu Bei felt nervous when he heard this, because the news he received was that Xiping was still in a confrontation, and the Jingzhou soldiers and Cao Cao only fought tentatively several times.

Yiji shook his head and said, "Sun Quan attacked Jiangxia very urgently. The lord may want to ask the envoy to rescue him."

"But I, Xinye, have no soldiers to send..." Liu Bei said helplessly.

Yiji comforted: "Don't worry, I'm still in the Jingzhou, but Degui and Huang's prefect have always been incompatible..."

Liu Bei finally understood that Liu Biao did not trust Cai Mao, so he wanted me to lead troops to save Huang Zu.

Liu Bei immediately agreed. The five thousand soldiers borrowed from Wenpin did not return them through the reasons of death and escape. Now Liu Biao came to "send troops" again and he had no reason not to refuse.

"Your Majesty can go quickly, the lord will be anxious to wait." Yiji urged.

Liu Bei and Zhao Yun and Jian Yong led a hundred light cavalry to Xiangyang, and ordered their adopted son Liu Feng, who was adopted when Jiangxia suppressed the rebellion, to guard Xinye.

After the horse arrived at Xiangyang City, Liu Bei did not see Liu Biao. He was greeted by a strange general with a beard.

"My Bo, this person is..." Liu Bei asked.

"This is General Zhang, the guardian, who is in charge of the imperial troops in Xiangyang City." Yiji introduced.
Chapter completed!