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Longzhong Pier is just a small pier, and can only park more than a dozen ferries at a time, but the business is very good. Most scholars from Longzhong Town go to Fancheng to shop and entertain, especially on weekends, the pier is crowded and very lively.

But since Cai Jin burned Yu Fancheng's ferry with a fire, Longzhong Wharf has become very cold and silent, and there is basically no one to see. The river water next to the pier is still floating with the wreckage of the burned ships.

But before dawn, the old man guarding the pier was almost fainted by the scene in front of him. He saw that in the fog, the river outside the pier was densely filled with warships, covering the sky and the sun, and the grand occasion was unprecedented. This was a scene that had never been seen before in Longzhong pier.

The old man quickly rode on the donkey and rushed to the military camp several miles away. General Cai told him that if there was any strange phenomenon, he would report it immediately.

Soon, Cai Jin and several followers rushed over and got off the horse. He turned over and dismounted, waved his hand and shouted to the nearest ship: "I am the general Cai Jin, Liu Shou's old friend, may I ask Liu Shouke to be there."

After a moment, a small boat was put down, and a soldier came over, bowed and smiled, "General Cai, my guardian has a welcome invitation."

Cai Jin got on the boat, and soon Cai Jin was taken on a large ship, which was the main ship of the Jiangxia Navy. Cai Jin was taken to the door of the cabin. The soldiers reported: "You report to the guard, General Cai is here."

"Please come in"

Cai Jin walked into the cabin and saw a table in the ship warehouse with a model of the camp. Next to the table, Liu Jing was discussing the details of the camp with several generals.

When Liu Jing saw Cai Jin walk in, he smiled at Gan Ning and said, "Just follow this plan and pay special attention to the defense of the sentry towers. It is better to be more complicated than to be careless."

"Abide by the order"

Gan Ning was transferred from Chaisang by Liu Jing because Li Jun's injury had not healed and served as the deputy general of the Cao army in this Western Expedition. He bowed and hurried away.

Liu Jingcai smiled at Cai Jin and said, "We haven't seen each other for two years."

"It was more than two years and a month. Last time I came to Jiangxia to work."

Liu Jing nodded, waved his hand and smiled, "Please sit down."

The two sat down by the window, and Liu Jing looked at him again. Cai Jin had a shocking blood mark on his face and there was also a neck. It could be seen that it was a whip. The whip mark was very new, and it should be something that happened recently.

"What's wrong with the wound on your face?"

"Oh, my head of the family got angry."

Cai Jin told me about the burning of the boat, but did not say the reason. Finally, he said sadly: "The head of the family was furious and beat me more than a dozen whips."

Liu Jing glanced at the wreckage of the ferry outside the window. In fact, this was also the first thing he cared about. He really couldn't understand why Cai Jin wanted to burn the boat.

"Can you tell me why the ship was burned? Is it the general's order?"

Cai Jin felt bitter in his heart and sighed, "I should have been killed. The ship was a Jingzhou official tool, but I burned it down because of the interests of the family. I was really ashamed. When the coach came back, I would apologize to him."

"Burning a boat is what your family means," Liu Jing asked in confusion, why did the Cai family burn the boat?

Cai Jin nodded, "It was my grandfather's intention. He was worried that the head of the family could not withstand the pressure of Cao's army and surrendered to Cao's army, so he ordered me to burn the ferry in a fire, which would eliminate the head of the family's thoughts. Unfortunately, there were still more than two ships left in the end that they had not been burned."

This reason surprised Liu Jing. He also knew that the Cai family, like the Tao family, was nominally Cai Mao as the head of the family, but in fact, the power within the family was in the hands of the former head of the family. Liu Jing also knew that Cai Xun was a smart elder of the Cai family.

He thought to himself that this person is quite knowledgeable and wants to visit him if he has time.

Thinking of this, Liu Jing asked with a smile: "Are you going to see your grandfather recently?"

"I'll go in a few days."

"When you go, you might as well call me, I want to visit Lingzu."

"I will tell you if I wish you to go."

The two chatted casually for a few words, and the topic turned to Pin. Cai Jin was more concerned about his master's situation. He asked carefully: "I don't know how my master is doing recently, he should have arrived in Jiangxia."

"The general has arrived in Jiangxia. He set out almost at the same time as me, but he wants to bypass Zhang Yun. He will probably arrive in Xiangyang two days late, and he should arrive in Xiangyang tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."

"Then I'll be relieved"

Liu Jing pondered for a moment, and asked with a joking tone: "If one day, Cao Cao personally led a large army to the south, and under pressure, your head of the family surrendered to Cao Cao, I wonder if Brother Cai would follow Yuzhi's words, please don't blame Brother Cai."

Liu Jing's problem is a bit rude in some way, and it is a bit disguised insulting the head of the Cai family, but Cai Jin was not angry. Liu Jing's words touched his heart. He knew that the head of the family would surrender to Cao Cao sooner or later in order to protect the interests of the family, so where should Cai Jin go?

After a long silence, Cai Jin sighed and said, "I will go wherever my master goes."

Cai Jin's answer was expected by Liu Jing. He was actually not for Cai Jin, but for hiring. The person he really wanted was to hire.

But Liu Jing also knew that Ren Jian was loyal to Liu Biao. As long as Liu Biao was only one day, Ren Jian would not consider any place to go.

But Liu Biao has not had much time, and the time for the decision to leave is getting closer. However, Zhi is a loyal and upright person. Will he continue to be loyal to Liu Cong or turn to Liu Qi?

This made Liu Jing very worried. Cai Jin was sitting in front of him now. Can you know a little about hiring from Cai Jin?

Or, using Cai Jin as a breakthrough point, he finally recruited him through Cai Jin's recruitment. To put it bluntly, Liu Biao's death was the beginning of the big family in Jingzhou.

Liu Jing sat upright and looked at Cai Jin slowly said, "Brother Cai has considered coming to Jiangxia and fighting Cao together with me?"

Cai Jin was silent. In fact, he wanted to defect to Liu Jing before the New Year. It was just because of his master that he did not choose to go to Jiangxia, but stayed with his master.

Now that Liu Jing has officially raised this hope to him, Cai Jin was filled with emotion and didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Finally he sighed, "Please let me think about it for a while. Once I decide, I will follow you loyally."

Liu Jing nodded, "I'll wait for the good news."

Just as Liu Jing and Cai Jin were having a detailed conversation, Xu Shu also appeared in Zhuge Liang's mansion. Since Xu Shu went to Jiangxia County five years ago, he had never seen Zhuge Liang again. Although he had returned to Longzhong before the New Year, Zhuge Liang happened to go to Shuzhong at that time, and the two missed it.

After not seeing each other for five years, they had a sense of vicissitudes in their hearts. Many things have happened in the past five years, making it hard to describe them.

In the study, Zhuge Liang and Xu Shu sat opposite each other, and Huang Yueying sat next to her. She was also Xu Shu's old friend. She hadn't seen each other for several years, and everyone had the joy of seeing her old friend again.

Zhuge Liang's baby daughter Zhuge Guo is only four years old. She also sits next to her father seriously, but she is practicing calligraphy. Her delicate little hands are holding a small pen, imitating her mother's words stroke by stroke.

After writing for a while, she quietly drew a kitten and secretly looked at Xu Shu. Seeing that Xu Shu had short beards, she also drew a cluster of short beards under the kitten's jaw, and the kitten's eyes were also painted somewhat similar to Xu Shu.

But the adults did not notice the child's naughtyness. Zhuge Liang asked with a smile: "When will Jiangxia attack Fancheng?"

Xu Shu took a sip of tea and smiled and said, "It has not been decided yet. With the Jiangxia army alone, it is difficult to defeat Cao's army. The Xu family works together to move forward. We are also waiting for the army of Nanjun to head north. It should be in these few days."

"In fact, the Jiangxia army is not weak either. With elite cavalry and heavy armored infantry, it may not necessarily be unable to defeat Cao's army. The key is to properly mobilize troops, such as using cavalry to attack Nanyang, or cut off Cao's food route. In this case, Cao's army will inevitably retreat northward.

At that time, the Jiangxia army occupied Fancheng, which was the first victory in Jingzhou. It would have a huge impact on both encouraging the morale of the army and on your prestige in Jingzhou. Why didn't Yuan Zhi suggest to Liu Shou?"

Xu Shu nodded, "My brother's plan is good, but it's a pity that the cavalry has been used elsewhere."

Zhuge Liang also laughed, "If I was not wrong, I should have gone to Runan or Yingchuan, but this move was not very good, maybe it was exactly what Cao Cao wanted."

"How do you say this?"

Zhuge Liang smiled faintly, "At this time, Cao Cao led a large army to expedition to Wuhuan. The Central Plains were empty and the Jingzhou cavalry went north. Although it would not capture Xuchang, it would inevitably cause a shock in the Central Plains.

Some people who were dissatisfied with Cao Cao would take the opportunity to contact each other, especially many anti-Cao ministers in the court. If they had any abnormal movements, they would definitely be noticed by the secret agents deployed by Cao Cao.

When Cao Cao led his army back, he was eliminated one by one to clear his worries for him to go south to Jingzhou. Do you think Cao Cao would thank your cavalry for going north?

Xu Shu was speechless. He had to admit that Zhuge Liang's knowledge was higher, and he really didn't expect this.

At this time, Huang Yueying also sighed: "There have been great changes in recent years. Most of the old friends in the past go their separate ways. I often advise Kong Ming to come out to retire and benefit the people of the world, so as to realize his ambitions and not to live a life of the mountains and forests, but he just doesn't listen. Yuan Zhi, please advise him too."

"I'm here for this matter"

Xu Shu quickly took out a handwritten letter from Liu Jing, put it on the table, pushed it to Zhuge Liang, and said with a smile: "I don't know if Kong Ming is willing to become an official and serve as the military advisor of Jiangxia. Duke Jing has been accusing his good brother for a long time and is willing to use his good brother as his military advisor to jointly seek the great cause of supporting the Han Dynasty."

Zhuge Liang raised his head and smiled, "Yuan Zhi is ten times more talented than Kong Ming. Why didn't Jing Gong use Yuan Zhi as his military advisor? He had to worry about me, a mountain village man?"

"My brother made me blush. I have self-knowledge. My talent is far inferior to my brother. I often tell Mr. Jing that Kongming has the talent of conquering heaven and earth. If he meets a wise ruler, it is like Jiang Shang in the eighth year of Xingzhou and Zhang Fang in the fourth year of Xinghan. Duke Jing was also leisurely attracted to Kong Ming's brother. If he was not busy with military affairs today, he would definitely come to visit him in person."

Zhuge Liang shook his head and smiled, "Yuan Zhi looks up to me. I am lazy by nature and don't want to be busy with government affairs. I'm afraid I will disappoint Yuan Zhi."

Huang Yueying next to her felt a little disgusted when she saw her husband rejecting Xu Shu's kindness, and advised Zhuge Liang: "Mr. Jing should be very good, otherwise Yuanzhi and the mountain people would not be loyal to him. Looking at Jingzhou, Jiangxia is the only one who is prosperous. I also heard that the people of Jiangxia live and work in peace and contentment, do not pick up the remains, and do not close their doors at night. This is the sign of a wise ruler. My husband also praised Jiangxia for its good governance. Since Jinggong sincerely invited him, why don't you give it a try?"

Zhuge Liang smiled but said nothing. No matter how Xu Shu and his wife persuaded him, Zhuge Liang insisted on refusing to agree. Xu Shu had no choice but to say goodbye and leave.

Zhuge Liang sent the guest back to the study. Huang Yueying had already packed up the tea set and complained to her husband, "I really don't understand what you think. Didn't you say that as long as Gong Jing comes sincerely to invite you, you can consider going to Jiangxia? Now someone invites you to be a military advisor, and is above Yuanzhi, but you don't agree."

"Sincerity" Zhuge Liang sneered, "I can't see where he has sincerity."

"well"

Huang Yueying got to know her husband, and she was stubborn and proud. She sighed and said, "It's just that people refuse to come to the door in person. Didn't Yuan Zhi say that he is busy with military affairs, otherwise he will definitely come to visit him."

Zhuge Liang smiled without saying anything. He hugged his daughter and also drew a cat with his pen, but his face was a little long and his beard was added. Just like himself, Zhuge Guo giggled, grabbed the pen and wrote the word Zhuge Mao next to him.

Huang Yueying did not notice the little movements of the father and daughter. She was still thinking about what had happened just now. Although she defended Liu Jing, she was really a little strange in her heart. Liu Jing was obviously stationed in the army, so why didn’t he come to the door in person? You should know that this is not a minor official like a letter or a military advisor.

She asked in confusion: "My Duke Jing is in Longzhong, why didn't he come to visit his husband in person and to send mountain people first and Yuanzhi. Actually, I think since he is determined to use his husband and come here in person, wouldn't it seem more sincere?"

Zhuge Liang smiled, "This is the cleverness of Duke Jing. He has to consider Yuan Zhi's feelings. After all, Yuan Zhi has followed him for many years. It is logical that Yuan Zhi is the military advisor, but he came to invite me. If he showed enthusiasm, it would hurt Yuan Zhi's heart, so he asked Yuan Zhi to come. If Yuan Zhi was willing to accept it, he would naturally come in person in a few days."

Huang Yueying nodded silently. In fact, she thought Liu Jing was very good. She had come to ask her husband to become an official several times and had done her best. She also hoped that her husband could help Liu Jing. Moreover, she was Tao Zhan's husband, which was good for both public and private.

"If Mr. Jing came to invite his husband in person, would he agree?"

"To be honest, I don't know either."
Chapter completed!