Volume 1 Chapter 25: Ji Shou Wen Pian

  "... Wen Ping was defeated in battle, unable to resist Yan Liang, resulting in Xin Ye falling..."

  This is Kuai Yue's explanation for the loss of Xin Ye in a letter to Liu Biao, it is clear that he shifted all the responsibility for the failure onto Wen Ping.

  When Yan Liang saw these few words, he was certain that Wen Ping would be enraged after reading them. The fact in front of him proved that his guess was not wrong.

  Wen Ping was really angry.

  The day before yesterday, if Guo Jia had followed his own advice and led an army of 100,000 to attack the main camp of the Hebei army, Yan Liang would have been defeated long ago. How could he be so arrogant today?

  You refused to listen to my advice, resulting in the loss of troops and land, but what's even more outrageous is that you shamelessly shift the blame onto me, how dare you, how dare you!

  Wen Ping's anger grew as he thought about it more, his teeth almost biting into pieces.

  "Kuai Yue is a member of the powerful Xiang clan and also one of Liu Jing's most trusted advisors. I think Liu Jing will likely believe him, not you, Zhong Ye. If you still insist on sacrificing yourself for Liu Jing, your future days may be very difficult."

  Yan Liang calmly and slowly fanned the flames and added fuel to the fire.

  Originally furious, Wen Ping's emotions soon turned gloomy.

  Yan Liang took the opportunity to say: "Liu Jing Sheng is a person who loves fame and fortune, he only uses people from big families and famous scholars. You, Zhong Ye, have outstanding talent and superior martial arts skills, but you can only be a low-ranking military officer at others' beck and call. Those like Cai Mao and Kuai Yue are not knowledgeable about military affairs, but because they come from big families, Liu Jing Sheng has given them the power to govern the army. You also have a sense of honor, can you really bear to always be under those mediocre people, holding your breath and swallowing your voice?"

  Wen Pin's face was twitching with rage, his eyes flashing with indignation.

  Yan Liang could see that his words had struck a deep chord in Wen Pin's heart.

  Anyone with talent must have a bit of arrogance, looking down on the mediocre who stand above themselves and defecate and urinate, even if they tolerate it for a while, but the resentment that is suppressed in their heart will eventually erupt.

  Yan Liang's words were like explosives, blasting open Wen Ping's mental dam and causing his resentment to burst forth like a flood.

  Suddenly, Wen Pin stood up, his face flushed with anger and determination, and he said indignantly: "How can Wen Mou endure such humiliation? General Yan, I am willing to surrender to you and serve as your humble servant!"

  Yan Liang's mouth curled up with a hint of a smile, and his heart was filled with joy.

  "Being able to get Zhongying as a good general is indeed like adding wings to a tiger. Come, let's drink this cup to the full." Yan Liang was excited all over his face.

  Wen Ping hesitated no more, raised his cup and drank with Yan Liang until they finished.

  Having won over Wen Ping, Yan Liang felt extremely pleased and relieved. He knew that Wen Ping was a man of loyalty and righteousness, and once he had chosen to surrender to him, he would certainly be faithful and not betray him.

  Yan Liang then entrusted Wen Ping with military authority, ordering him to gather the scattered troops.

  Wen Ping had been stationed in the north of Jing for a long time and had some reputation in the area around Xinye. When he stood up to call on them, those scattered and fleeing soldiers quickly gathered and came to join him.

  In a short time, Wen Pin gathered more than 4,000 troops from Jingzhou for Yan Liang, bringing the total number of soldiers under Yan Liang's command to over 10,000.

  Yan Liang then ordered Wen Ping and Liu Bi to lead the majority of their troops to attack Xiangyang, north of XinYe, in order to defend the northern part of XinYe and prevent Cao's army from entering Jingzhou through Wan city.

  Yan Liang left Xu Shu and Zhou Cang to lead 3,000 soldiers to guard Xin Ye, while he himself led 4,000 infantry and cavalry to capture Zhaoyang, fifty miles south of the capital. He guarded the south of Xin Ye on one side and formed an advancing posture towards Xiangyang on the other, in coordination with Wu Zuo.

  Xiangyang City

  The news of Xin Ye's fall cast a thick war shadow over this capital of Jingzhou.

  The people of Xiangyang, who had enjoyed peace for too long, seemed to have forgotten the cruelty of war. Now, hearing that the fierce Hebei army had suddenly arrived at their doorstep, the entire city's soldiers and civilians were instantly plunged into a state of panic.

  The military and civilians who fled from XinYe to XiangYang were describing the enemy's terror with a shocked heart, and all kinds of rumors were flying around in the streets.

  Some people say that Yan Liang of Hebei Army was even more cruel and ferocious than Lü Bu in his heyday.

  Some people say that the cavalry of Hebei is faster than the wind and their knives are sharper than the teeth of tigers and wolves, they kill anyone they see, just like devils.

  Some even said that the Hebei army that invaded Jingzhou had more than a million people, all of whom were cavalrymen in uniform, and would soon cross the Han River to kill their way into Xiangyang.

  All sorts of rumors added fuel to the fire, causing the people of Xiangyang to feel a deep sense of fear towards an enemy they had never seen before.

  In their eyes, Yan Liang became Yama in hell, bringing countless evil spirits to Jingzhou to devour humans.

  The once bustling streets fell into desolation due to panic, shops closed one after another, the streets were empty and deserted, many families packed their bags and fled with their elderly and children to the south gate, planning to take refuge in Jiangling and escape the impending war.

  In the provincial governor's office, there was also a scene of confusion.

  Wen Ping was captured, Xin Ye fell, Kuai Yue disappeared, and all kinds of bad news came flying in like snowflakes. The civil and military officials of Jingzhou were hastily coming and going inside and outside the provincial government.

  In the great hall, the old Liu Biao sat there stupidly, his eyes revealing a bewildered expression.

  In the hall below, Cai Mao, Pang Ji and Han Song, among other high-ranking officials, were engaged in heated discussions. On each of their faces was written four words - "utterly astonished beyond reason".

  The shocking thing is that the 10,000-strong army of Kuai Yue and Wen Ping was defeated in one day, and Xinye, a key city, fell instantly, and Xiangyang City faced the blade of the Hebei army.

  What's inexplicable is that everyone including Liu Biao can't understand why Yan Liang did this.

  A lone army has traversed Cao's territory, coming from a thousand miles away; could it be that they have come to annex Jingzhou?

  "I had long heard that Yan Liang was brave and chivalrous, but I didn't expect him to be so cunning and full of schemes. Even Lü Bu is no match for him... The camp of General Yuan indeed has an abundance of talents..."

  Liu Biao sighed with emotion.

  Cai Mao, who was below him, cupped his hands and said: "My lord, what ability does Yan Liang have? How can we tolerate him invading our territory? Please give the order, and I will immediately lead a large army to conquer this bandit."

  The Cai family was a prominent clan in Jingzhou, with many estates and properties. Xinye was a rich and prosperous place, and the Cai family also had quite a few fields and houses there.

  Xinye is now occupied by Yan Liang, and the Cai family's property is under threat. Cai Mao personally and publicly cannot wait to retake Xinye.

  "If the lord were to raise a large army to attack Ye, he would certainly be able to defeat Yan Liang, but this would mean that the lord would become enemies with Yuan Benchu. Now, the outcome of the Battle of Guandu is still undecided, and at such a time, neither Cao Mengde nor Yuan Benchu can afford to make unnecessary enemies."

  Zhong Lang Han Song expressed opposition.

  Han Song was a famous scholar, but he didn't come from a big clan. In XinYe, he didn't have as many properties as the Cai family, so he wasn't in a hurry to take back XinYe.

  Cai Mao suddenly became anxious and loudly said: "Xinye is the gateway to Xiangyang, now that Xinye has been lost, if Yan Liang sends troops southward and crosses the river to attack Xiangyang, what should we do?"

  "Yan Liang's army is less than 10,000 and has no navy, how dare he attack Xiangyang? Moreover, Xiangyang has 30,000 soldiers and 1,000 warships, it can be said that it is as solid as gold and jade. Even if Yan Liang comes to attack, what's there to fear?" Han Song immediately retorted.

  Cai Mao was speechless for a moment and glared at Han Song with anger in his eyes.

  At this time, Pang Tong, who had been silent all along, spoke up: "The new wild heavy town cannot be lost, and Han's concerns are not unreasonable. In my opinion, the most important thing now is to figure out Yan Liang's true intentions, and then discuss the matter of using troops."

  Pang Ji and Qi rose from the muddy water, neither helping the other.

  The rest of the people, some agreed to send troops immediately, while others advocated waiting and saying more, each with their own words, arguing in a loud noise.

  Liu Biao sat upright, his brow furrowing more and more as he listened, but could only shake his head in dismay, unable to make up his own mind.

  Just then, an attendant rushed in and said that another general, Kuai Yue from Xin Ye, had sent a messenger with a letter.

  "Yi Du is still alive!" Liu Bei was overjoyed and immediately stood up. "Quick, bring the letter here."

  The news of Kua Yue's survival shocked everyone present, with some rejoicing and others feeling disappointed.

  Liu Biao took over the letter, opened it and read it carefully. At first, he had a surprised and delighted expression, but gradually his face turned pale with fear.

  Everyone on both sides saw Liu Biao's fearful and uneasy appearance, and suddenly they all quieted down, guessing what Kuai Yue had written in the letter that would make Liu Biao, who was always self-proclaimed calm, show such a terrified look.

  "This Yanzi Yi is just a martial artist, I didn't expect him to be so bold and unscrupulous, his methods are actually this ruthless, how can this be possible..."

  Liu Bei muttered to himself, his brow furrowed with wrinkles, and a layer of cold sweat quietly seeped out.