Chapter 15: Urgently Summon Xiao Bowen to Cross the River and Strategize the Grand Plan to Resist Cao!

Liu Cong was stunned.

Wasn’t it Kuai Yue who told me not to worry unnecessarily, to eat well and wait for General Cao’s army to arrive and take over Xiangyang, and to wait for Liu Bei to run off to Jiangling?

But in the blink of an eye, it turned into me having to grab my bucket and flee to Jiangling.

The script you gave me didn’t say this at all.

“Kuai Yi, you all swore to me solemnly that everything was under your control, that I only needed to wait for Lord Cao’s arrival to reward me,” Liu Cong said, bewildered. “How did things turn out like this? You owe me an explanation!”

This puppet Liu Cong had a temper too, and after enduring so much, he finally lost his temper.

Kuai Yue, however, was furious and his face darkened. “My lord wishes for an explanation? Once we retreat to Jiangling and save our lives, I will give you one. For now, the urgent matter is to use the chaos within the city to withdraw south immediately before Liu Bei’s main forces enter.”

“If we delay any longer, and the enemy reaches the provincial capital, we will all fall into Liu Bei’s hands, doomed without a grave!”

Liu Cong trembled, and his brief anger instantly withered away.

“Do as you say. Quickly secure my retreat south, withdraw to Jiangling—”

Kuai Yue breathed a sigh of relief and immediately ordered Wang Wei to lead the personal guard to protect Liu Cong and the families of the Kuai and Cai clans as they fled.

At the same time, he sent a rider to the north gate, ordering Cai Mao to lead the core Cai family troops to retreat south immediately.

At Xiangyang’s north gate.

Cai Mao stood proudly, sword in hand, arrogantly surveying Liu’s forces outside the city, still waiting to let Liu Bei taste the bitterness of striking a rock.

Outside, over ten thousand Liu troops formed ranks but delayed their assault.

“What are you waiting for, Liu Bei?”

Cai Mao’s brows furrowed, suspicion creeping in.

Suddenly,

From the east gate came the sound of battle cries, faint at first but growing louder.

Then, shouts of killing erupted inside Xiangyang, as if the whole city had revolted in an instant.

“What’s going on? Has someone taken advantage of the chaos to rebel and aid the ‘big-eared bandit’?”

Cai Mao became alert, his focus shifting from outside to inside the city.

A rider came galloping, stumbling up the battlements, then fell to his knees before Cai Mao.

“Report to General De Gui: Wei Yan, the military officer at the east gate, has rebelled, killed General De Ping, and opened the gates for Liu Bei’s army to enter.”

“Our troops have lost morale, many surrendering or scattering. Numerous rebels have risen to support Liu Bei.”

“Kuai, the deputy commander, has already escorted the lord in retreat south. General Cai, please lead your troops out of the city and withdraw to Jiangling!”

Cai Mao’s mind went blank; he staggered backward three steps.

The east gate was lost, Wei Yan had rebelled, Xiangyang was lost, and Liu Cong was retreating south…

This series of sudden upheavals left him utterly dumbfounded.

“My third brother, my third brother—”

Only when Cai Zhong’s anguished cries sounded beside him did Cai Mao snap out of his daze.

“That traitor Wei Yan, how dare he collude with Liu Bei and harm my third brother!”

“If I don’t tear you to pieces, I, Cai Mao, will never be a man—”

Regaining his senses, Cai Mao drew his sword and fiercely struck at the battlements.

The soldiers of Jingzhou on both sides were shattered by this shocking turn of events and their morale collapsed instantly.

Along the city walls, a wave of panic and murmurs spread, and the army’s morale plummeted in an instant.

“Generals Cai, please restrain your grief; now is not the time for sorrow!”

“We have fallen for Liu Bei’s diversion and pincer attack. Liu Bei’s forces have entered the city, and those unwilling to surrender to Cao have all revolted. Xiangyang cannot be held.”

“Since the lord and Deputy Commander Kuai have already retreated south, we must withdraw quickly or we will be trapped.”

Nearby, the administrator Deng Yi wore a grim face as he counseled.

The two Cai brothers straightened up, their grief turning to fear.

“Liu Bei’s cunning is finally exposed. After Lord Jingsheng’s departure, he grew impatient to seize Xiangyang and resorted to this treacherous stratagem. Truly despicable!”

Cai Zhong ground his teeth, as if he had long seen through Liu Bei.

“That ‘big-eared bandit’ prides himself on righteousness and is very cautious; logically, he wouldn’t have attacked Xiangyang, right?”

“Who convinced that bandit to risk the infamy of usurping his nephew’s inheritance to launch this surprise attack on our city?”

“Wei Yan was but a minor officer. How did Liu Bei even notice him and successfully turn him?”

Cai Mao’s angry eyes showed deep confusion as he posed these soul-searching questions.

“Capture Cai Mao alive!”

“Capture Cai Zhong alive!”

“Kill all the traitors who surrendered to Cao!”

The thunderous shouts approached the north gate.

Cai Mao shivered, unable to think clearly, and shouted urgently:

“Retreat! All troops, obey orders! Follow me to abandon the city and withdraw south—”

Before he finished, Cai Mao vaulted onto his horse and fled down from the city.

Cai Zhong, Deng Yi, and other loyal aides quickly followed; the remaining officers and soldiers loyal to the Cai family fled in disarray.

Among the nearly ten thousand troops atop the city, not all were Cai clan retainers. Many refused to surrender to Cao.

About a thousand troops did not flee. After discussion among several officers, they decided to open the city gates and surrender to Liu Bei outside.

Outside the city,

The five thousand Liu soldiers lined up, exhilarated and eager to fight, hearing the killing cries from within the city.

A scout rode swiftly from the east gate.

“Report to my lord: Wei Yan, the military officer, has slain Cai He and taken the gate as promised. General Zhang has successfully entered Xiangyang.”

“The Jingzhou troops inside collapsed at the first contact, either surrendering or fleeing, with countless rising to support our lord.”

“General Zhang requests the lord to attack the north gate immediately!”

The good news arrived.

The generals and soldiers on both sides erupted in cheers, filled with excitement.

“Strategist!”

Liu Bei’s face brightened with joy as he looked anxiously at Zhuge Liang.

“This Xiao Bowen first proposed the brilliant plan for the surprise attack on Xiangyang and also recommended the worthy Wei Wenchang to you. He deserves great credit for this victory.”

“Later, at the provincial office, we shall hold a celebration banquet. You, Lord, and Liang must honor him with a few good drinks.”

Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan, smiling with satisfaction.

Just as he finished speaking,

The north gate of Xiangyang opened wide, a flag of surrender raised high.

Several riders galloped in and knelt before Liu Bei.

“Reporting to Liu Yuzhou: Liu Cong and Cai Mao have abandoned Xiangyang. We refuse to surrender to Cao and now offer the gates to Liu Yuzhou!”

“Please, Liu Yuzhou, take charge of Xiangyang and oversee matters!”

The north gate fell without a fight!

Another cause for celebration, the entire army uplifted.

“The strategist’s words are sound. At the banquet, we must truly honor Xiao Bowen with a few drinks!”

Liu Bei laughed broadly, flicked his horsewhip, and commanded:

“All troops, listen up, enter Xiangyang!”

Fifteen minutes later, under the rising morning sun, a banner symbolizing Liu Bei was hoisted atop the north gate of Xiangyang.

By dawn, the flags atop all four gates had been changed.

Xiangyang, the provincial capital of Jingzhou, was thus declared under new ownership.

Liu Bei stood on the north gate tower, overlooking the city that now belonged to him, deeply moved.

Just days ago, he was trapped in a crisis of internal and external threats, thinking he would be driven to flee again by Cao Cao, repeating the humiliations of years past.

In the blink of an eye, with Xiangyang in hand, the deadlock was broken.

The dark and bleak road ahead was suddenly illuminated by a ray of dawn.

For a moment, Liu Bei felt as if in a dream.

“Xiangyang stores tens of thousands of measures of grain. This battle alone has secured the surrender of over twenty thousand defenders. Our combined forces now number thirty thousand.”

“My lord, with these resources, we will have the confidence to face Cao the bandit in battle!”

Beside him, Zhuge Liang sketched out the plan with a confident smile.

Liu Bei returned to reality, his eyes blazing with renewed confidence.

“Send for Mr. Xiao Bowen at once to cross the river. We shall discuss grand strategies to resist Cao together!”