Zhang Fei went on and on praising Xiao He to the skies, then waved his hand.
“Forget it, I can’t finish telling it all right now.
In any case, that Xiao He will cross the river to Xiangyang tomorrow, and you’ll understand the moment you see him.” “For now, let’s take Xiangyang first and win this battle!” Zhang Fei had no time to explain more.
He spurred his horse forward with spear in hand and led his men deeper into Xiangyang.
Wei Yan stood there murmuring Xiao He’s name, awe slowly rising in his eyes.
“So there really is such an extraordinary man hidden among us in Jing Province…” Only when Liu Bei’s troops surged past him like a tide did he come back to himself.
His killing intent returned at once, and he mounted up with blade dragging in hand, leading his own men behind Zhang Fei into the city.
In the Governor of Jing Province’s residence, Liu Cong sat down and stood up again and again, pacing back and forth through the hall.
From time to time he looked toward the doorway, his face tight with fear, as if he expected Liu Bei to burst in at any moment with sword in hand and demand an answer.
“Xiangyang’s walls are high and thick, our troops outnumber Liu Bei several times over, and Cai Mao is personally at the wall directing the defense.
There is no way Liu Bei can break into the city.” “Please calm yourself, my lord.
Sit down and drink tea with me in peace.” Kuai Yue rose and walked over, handing Liu Cong a bowl of hot tea.
Liu Cong froze for a moment, then turned and saw Kuai Yue’s calm smile, and the tension in his heart eased a little.
“Kuai Yue is right.
No matter how skilled Liu Bei is in war, he is still not Cao Cao.
With fewer than ten thousand men, how could he possibly break through Xiangyang?” “I was overthinking it.
Yes, I was overthinking it.” Liu Cong laughed at himself and sat back down with the tea in hand.
He slowly raised the bowl and was just about to bring it to his mouth when hurried footsteps sounded outside.
A subordinate officer, Wang Wei, rushed in in a panic.
His face had already gone pale, and his breathing was ragged.
“My lord, Adviser Kuai, this is bad!” “One of our own, a military marquis named Wei Yan, has rebelled.
He killed General Cai He, opened the gate, and let Liu Bei’s main force in through East Gate of Xiangyang!” Clang!
Liu Cong’s face changed in shock, and the bowl slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor.
Even Kuai Yue, who had been calm and composed just moments ago, went pale and jumped to his feet.
“What did you say?
Say that again!” Kuai Yue strode forward and demanded an answer from Wang Wei in a harsh voice.
Wang Wei was trembling now, but he forced the words out.
“There was a rebellion at East Gate of Xiangyang.
Cai He has already been killed, and Liu Bei’s main army has been let into the city!” “Most of our defenders have already surrendered to Liu Bei.
The enemy has pushed into the city, and our troops along the way are either surrendering or collapsing at the first touch!” “They’re about to reach the provincial government!” Kuai Yue stared blankly, his whole body frozen in place.
Liu Cong was so frightened that his face turned white, and he stumbled to his feet.
“Adviser Kuai, what is going on?
Didn’t you say Xiangyang was as secure as iron?” “Then how did Liu Bei suddenly get into the city?” “How did someone suddenly rebel and even kill Cai He?” “What, what, what exactly is going on?” Liu Cong grabbed Kuai Yue tightly and fired question after question at him.
Kuai Yue’s breathing grew heavier as his thoughts raced.
Then, all at once, he sucked in a cold breath and suddenly understood.
The pieces finally came together in his head.
“Liu Bei must have secretly bought over that Wei Yan.
He pretended to use his main force to attack Xiangyang, but hid a surprise force at East Gate of Xiangyang, then had Wei Yan suddenly strike, kill Cai He, seize the gate, and let that force into the city!” “This is Liu Bei’s Feign East, Strike West.
He planned this trick from the very start!” “How strange.
Liu Bei prides himself on benevolence.
By all ordinary reasoning, he should not have come to seize Xiangyang.
So who was it that persuaded him?” “And who offered him this plan to strike and take Xiangyang?
Could it have been Zhuge Liang, the disciple of Shuijing?” “But that traitor Wei Yan was only a nobody.
How did Zhuge Liang choose a man like him to serve as the inside agent for Liu Bei?” “Could it be that under Liu Bei, there is another hidden master?” Kuai Yue muttered to himself, trying to make sense of every doubtful point.
Outside the provincial government, however, shouts were already rising from all directions.
“We will never surrender to Cao Cao Army!” “The Jing Province Army is willing to submit to Liu Bei!” “Big reward for capturing the two traitors Cai Mao and Kuai Yue alive!” “Liu Cong is not worthy to be our Governor of Jing Province!” The voices thundered from every side, as if the entire city had turned against them in a single night.
Liu Cong’s fear surged again, and he clutched Kuai Yue almost like a drowning man.
“Kuai Yue, they’ve rebelled.
They’ve all rebelled!” “What do we do now?
You have to come up with something!” Kuai Yue looked toward the doorway, stayed silent for a moment, and then let out a helpless sigh.
His shoulders seemed to sag with it.
“The city was already full of fear, and many were unhappy that my lord wanted to surrender to Cao Cao Army.
Now that Liu Bei has broken into the city, all these petty people have naturally jumped out at once.” “The general situation is lost.
Xiangyang cannot be held any longer.
Abandon the city and head south.
We retreat to Jiangling.” Liu Cong was stunned.
Had Kuai Yue not just told him to stop worrying, eat and drink in peace, wait for Cao Cao’s army to come and take over Xiangyang, and watch Liu Bei flee to Jiangling?
Yet in the blink of an eye, he had become the one who needed to run to Jiangling.
“You were the ones who swore to me that everything was under your control, and that I only needed to sit and wait for Cao Cao to arrive and reward me,” Liu Cong said.
“How did things end up like this?
You owe me an explanation!” Even a puppet had a temper, and after suppressing it for so long, he finally exploded.
Kuai Yue grew angry from shame, and his face darkened.
“If my lord wants an explanation, then once we retreat to Jiangling and save our lives, I will give my lord one.” “Right now, the urgent matter is to use the chaos in the city, before Liu Bei’s main force enters, and abandon the city at once for a retreat to the south.” “If we delay even a little longer and the enemy reaches the provincial government, we will all fall into Liu Bei’s hands and die without a burial place,” he said.
Liu Cong shivered, and the temper he had just shown vanished at once.
“I will do as you say.
Hurry and get me out of the city and south to Jiangling.”