Wuxia: The Super Slave Master

Page 358

Chapter Ninety-One: Beneath Jiangxia City

Gan Ning shot and killed Huang Zu, taking his head. His scout ship immediately reported that Liu Bei's large fleet had arrived upstream. Gan Ning deduced that this was Liu Bei's main force from Jingzhou, and that he had heard Liu Bei had several formidable generals under his command. He hurriedly sailed to report to Sun Quan.

"Organize the troops to enter the city and meet the enemy in battle," Sun Quan ordered.

"Wait... my lord." Gan Ning was about to go out to deliver the order when Zhou Yu quickly stopped him. "Our army has been attacking for several days and is already exhausted. Moreover, Jiangxia is an isolated city, far from our Jiangdong garrison. If the Jingzhou troops cut off our supplies, our army will inevitably suffer significant losses."

"So what do you mean?" Sun Quan turned around and looked at Zhou Yu.

"Let's evacuate for now," Zhou Yu said decisively.

“We have fought for so many years, and this time we have finally taken Jiangxia completely. How can we give it up?” Sun Quan was clearly puzzled.

"Our attack on Jiangxia was to eliminate the threat in the northeast of Jiangxia. Now, the Jiangxia army has been almost completely wiped out, and Jingzhou dares not face our Eastern Wu directly. We have achieved our goal. Moreover, the possibility of Eastern Wu expanding northward in the future is quite small. Once Cao Cao in the north sets off southward, it will be almost impossible for Eastern Wu to expand northward. We can only defend ourselves," Zhou Yu said.

Sun Quan pondered for a moment, then waved his hand and said to Gan Ning, "Alright, do as Commander Zhou says."

A large number of Wu warships began to turn around. Retreat flags were waved on the river, and dozens of messengers ran ashore, issuing evacuation orders throughout Jiangxia City. Although surprised, the soldiers obeyed, abandoning the city and boarding their ships. Lü Meng, Gan Ning, and others led fast boats to cover the rear.

"Liu Bei's fleet is charging!" someone shouted. Just as they were preparing to engage, Liu Bei's warships didn't approach, but instead rained down arrows, as if trying to deplete their own arrow reserves. The Wu army suffered heavy losses, but Gan Ning and his men couldn't retreat easily, because the Eastern Wu soldiers hadn't finished withdrawing. Liu Bei personally went to the front of his warships and saw the Wu army's fast ships tenaciously defending the river, advancing wave after wave, braving the arrows to counterattack. He couldn't help but admire the Wu army's strict discipline.

Seeing Liu Bei standing on the deck, Gan Ning secretly drew his bow. But Liu Bei had no great generals by his side. Zhao Yun, seeing this, swiftly drew his bow and released an arrow. Gan Ning, seeing the arrow coming, hurriedly ducked, and the arrow struck the red tassel on his hat. Gan Ning was greatly alarmed; Liu Bei's generals truly lived up to their reputation.

Gan Ning was never afraid of arrows. Last time, when Huang Zu fired arrows, Gan Ning personally braved the arrows, wielding a short sword and risking his life to cut the ropes of Huang Zu's warship. The warship lost control and lay across the river, throwing Huang Zu's army into disarray. The Wu army seized the opportunity to advance, resulting in a crushing defeat for Huang Zu's army, who were forced to retreat to Jiangxia City. This time, Gan Ning summoned his short sword and was about to advance when Zhang Fei, unable to contain himself any longer, leaped onto a small boat with his spear and charged forward first. Gan Ning was agile with his short sword, while Zhang Fei's spear was long, and he missed, instantly enraging Zhang Fei. He simply abandoned his spear and charged at Gan Ning with his bare hands. Gan Ning was terrified and hurriedly stabbed wildly with his short sword, but Zhang Fei kicked him squarely in the abdomen. Gan Ning was immediately knocked over onto the small boat. Just as Zhang Fei was about to advance, Gan Ning, seeing that he was no match for him and fearing capture by this barbarian Zhang Fei, endured the pain and jumped into the water. Gan Ning was a good swimmer; after a few strokes, he sank into the water. Zhang Fei couldn't find him and had no choice but to return, cursing under his breath.

The Eastern Wu army resisted fiercely for a long time. Once their warships were deployed, Lü Meng led the remaining Wu troops onto the large ships. Gan Ning, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, also boarded one. The Wu army, now in orderly formation, began firing arrows. Seeing that the Eastern Wu's ranks were complete and that further fighting would be futile, Liu Bei ordered a halt to the advance. His land forces entered the city and took control of Jiangxia. The navy withdrew, disengaging from the battlefield. Immediately after the battle, Liu Bei sent a report to Jingzhou, stating that Huang Zu was dead and that his brother's failure to provide adequate relief was his fault, requesting punishment. He also reported that Jiangxia had been recaptured and that the Jingzhou troops were now firmly stationed there, advising his son to defend Jiangxia.

When the battle report arrived, although Huang Zu was dead, the danger of Jiangxia had been eliminated. Cai Mao considered quickly recalling Liu Bei to prevent him from lingering in Jiangxia. He advised, "It is enough for you to stay in Jiangxia, my lord. I have heard that Cao Cao has entered Hebei with unstoppable momentum and has basically occupied the entire Hebei region. We must quickly recall you to Xinye to prevent Cao Cao from invading Jingzhou from the north." Zhang Yun, Qian Yue, and others echoed his sentiments. Liu Biao nodded in agreement and issued an order for Liu Bei to return to Xinye immediately.

Na Yiji said, "Although Cao Cao in the north is dangerous, we must also be wary of Jiangdong in the south. I'm afraid it would be difficult for you to stand alone, sir. If Sun Quan marches north again, then you will be in danger. Have you not seen Huang Zu killed by our lord?"

Na Yiji said, "Although Cao Cao in the north is dangerous, we must also be wary of Jiangdong in the south. I'm afraid it would be difficult for you to stand alone, sir. If Sun Quan marches north again, then you will be in danger. Have you not seen Huang Zu killed by our lord?"

"What do you mean? Are you cursing the young master to be shot to death like Huang Zu?" Cai Mao roared in anger.

"Then what brilliant idea do you have?" Liu Biao asked.

"While it is certainly advisable for Lord Liu to return to Xinye, he has three generals under his command, each with unparalleled bravery. It would be better for the Lord to leave one of these generals in Jiangxia to assist the young master in defending the city."

"Nonsense!" Cai Mao roared. "My lord, Liu Bei is an outsider after all. Jiangxia is a strategically important place; how can we entrust its defense to an outsider? Could this Yi Ji be Liu Bei's spy? Desperately trying to keep Liu Bei's forces in Jiangxia..."

Before Cai Mao could speak, Yi Ji shouted, "Then who will protect the young master's safety? You, Cai Mao?!"

Just as the two were about to argue, Liu Biao said, "Alright, alright... I'm old and can't stand people shouting at me. It makes my head buzz." The two quickly fell silent.

“Mr. Yi Ji’s analysis is also correct. Then let’s have Liu Bei leave a great general in Jiangxia to assist you in defending the city. Liu Bei is my cousin, and I trust him quite a bit, so you don’t need to worry.”

Cai Mao was about to persuade him further when Liu Biao waved his hand, saying, "I've been feeling quite groggy and tired lately. You all should go back and rest. I need to rest for a while." So the group had no choice but to leave.

Lady Cai, having overheard the argument, secretly listened from a side door and overheard the whole thing, becoming quite worried. That very day, she summoned Cai Mao. Cai Mao said, "Liu Bei's power is growing stronger and stronger. Not only does he have several capable generals by his side, but he is also highly trusted by Prince Liu Qi and Liu Qi's faction of ministers. Now, his influence has already penetrated into Jiangxia, and Jiangxia is very likely to become their base in the future."

Lady Cai said, "Although Liu Bei is powerful, he still maintains a remote position. The political situation in Jingzhou must be firmly controlled by the Cai family. If you are worried..." Lady Cai stopped speaking and did not continue.

"I'm worried, what should we do?" Cai Mao quickly leaned closer, urging his sister to tell him.

Lady Cai dismissed her attendants and whispered in Cai Mao's ear, "When Liu Bei returns to Xinye, you can assassinate him on the way. This will surely cause the Liu family's power to collapse."

Cai Mao was taken aback for a moment, realizing the plan was indeed ruthless. Then he was overjoyed and said, "Understood! This plan is indeed a permanent solution."

Chapter Ninety-Two Liu Lin

Liu Lin, the Prefect of Jingling, was a notorious troublemaker, constantly frustrated and unfulfilled, despite his close cousin relationship with Liu Biao. However, things went awry because Liu Biao had neglected state affairs for years, allowing the Cai clan to seize power. Officials throughout Jingzhou, from the highest to the lowest, including prefects and governors of various counties, desperately sought to curry favor with the Cai group. Liu Lin, ambitious and eager to secure a concurrent high-ranking position in the central government while serving as Prefect of Jingling, was unwilling to fall behind. Leveraging Jingling's wealth, he repeatedly bribed and curried favor with the Cai clan. When Cai Mao traveled on Liu Biao's behalf, only Jingling hosted a lavish welcome, with a grand banquet unmatched by any other prefecture. Unfortunately, Liu Lin's familial relationship with Liu Biao was too close, and the Cai clan didn't fully trust him. Liu Lin was constantly being snubbed, finding himself in a very awkward position.

After a while, Liu Lin became quite disheartened and stopped trying to curry favor with anyone, simply remaining a local tyrant in Jingling. Liu Biao's arrangement for Liu Bei to go to Jingzhou greatly encouraged the Liu clan and the faction supporting the eldest son, and their power gradually increased. The recent victory of the eldest son, Liu Qi, with Liu Bei assisting, and the recapture of Jiangxia with an army of 100,000, was a significant sign of the growing strength of the Liu clan and their supporters. However, Liu Lin had no interest in this. Everyone knew of his previous close ties with the Cai clan, which was widely despised. Now that the Liu clan had grown stronger again, although Liu Lin was closely related to the Liu clan by blood, the eldest son's faction probably looked down on him as well. Therefore, Liu Lin remained inactive and did not participate in the power struggle between the two factions.

Time flies, and Liu Lin grew old. He adopted an air of otherworldly wisdom and detachment, spending his days practicing calligraphy at home. Unfortunately, the literati of Jingzhou thought his calligraphy was barely better than that of a dead man, but Liu Lin remained undeterred.

"Report! Prefect, there is an urgent order from Jingzhou." A soldier walked in from outside the door.

"Didn't I tell you not to bother me when I'm writing calligraphy?" Liu Lin seemed interrupted and quite displeased.

"This order is extremely urgent..." the sergeant said, looking somewhat flustered, "so I took the liberty of delivering it here."

"What is it?" Liu Lin said impatiently. "Speak quickly."

"The Governor of Jingzhou, Liu Biao, urgently ordered: Liu Qi and Liu Bei's army has passed through Jingling. Due to the large consumption of grain and fodder, my county is ordered to replenish the army with 300,000 dan of grain and fodder."

"Liu Bei... provided so much grain..." Liu Lin repeated with a sneer, "That's utter nonsense! Liu Bei's army passed through my county, why should I give him grain? What do these guys take me for? A granary? They usually forget I exist, but when they need me, they put on airs and send out these so-called urgent orders..." Liu Lin became more and more furious as he spoke, initially sneering with disdain, but gradually bursting into curses, making no attempt to hide his anger, "What kind of bastard order is this!"

"Prefect... this was personally ordered by Liu Jingzhou..." the soldier reminded him.

"Nonsense! Even the Emperor's order is useless! Get out of here, keep everything as usual, and ignore him! If the higher-ups ask, just say that Jingling is being relocated and tell him to wait."

"Yes, sir." Seeing that Liu Lin was angry, the soldier wisely slipped out.

He returned shortly afterward. "...Um, Prefect, I have something important to report..." the soldier stammered.

"Why the hell do you have so many problems! You've interrupted me twice today!" Liu Lin was furious when he saw him coming again.

"The matter is far too important, I have no choice but to report..." the soldier said hurriedly, then, without waiting for Liu Lin's reply, he reported in rapid succession: "Liu Bei sent a letter, and also, the Prefect's office has caught a spy..."

"What? A spy? Liu Bei sent a letter?" Liu Lin was clearly also captivated, forgetting his anger towards the soldiers. "Where's the letter? Give it to me. Bring that spy up here. Did you search him?"

"Well, he was carrying a box with him, which we couldn't open, and we didn't dare to forcibly break it. He said it was a gift for the governor." The soldier said as he presented Liu Bei's letter, then ordered the soldiers outside, "Bring the spy up!"

Liu Lin opened the letter and exclaimed, "Ha! This Liu Bei is quite sensible." The letter read roughly as follows: "To my elder brother Liu Lin, Prefect of Jingling: Previously, Governor Liu of Jingzhou feared that my troops would lack provisions, so he ordered you and Jingling to allocate grain. I dared not touch the grain from Jingling, but I could not dissuade Governor Liu. If I have offended you, please forgive me. Now I have received Governor Liu's order and have sent the navy and most of the land forces back to their original bases. You need not worry about the provisions."

Just then, the spy entered Liu Lin's study. Liu Lin turned around and saw that the man was wearing a square scarf, looking like a scholar-official. However, he was stout, with a thin face, a sharp beard, and a cunning look; he indeed looked like a spy.

Liu Lin was about to ask, "You spy, how dare you trespass into my prefect's residence..." when the man sneered. Without waiting for his question, and without answering, he bent down, fiddled with a box beside him, and then abruptly opened it. The soldiers nearby were startled, unsure if he would pull out a dagger to assassinate them. They instinctively drew their swords and stood in front of Liu Lin. Unexpectedly, the spy opened the box but made no move. Everyone stared, stunned. Inside were gleaming gold nuggets and exquisite jewels.

"You...who are you?" Liu Lin was stunned for a while before he remembered to ask him. The spy still didn't answer, but just sneered at the soldiers and a few others beside him. When had they ever seen so many priceless treasures? They all stood there dumbfounded. "You lot, get out!" Liu Lin shouted. Only then did the group seem to snap out of their daze and reluctantly leave.

"Now you can speak," Liu Lin said, staring into the man's eyes.

"Prefect Liu Lin, I am not a spy..." The man still had a cold laugh in his voice, "I am Zhang Wen, a staff member under Sun Quan of Jiangdong."

“Sun Quan? Sun Quan sent you? What for?” Liu Lin immediately became alert. Jiangdong and Jingzhou were currently at war. What did this person want with a large box of treasure?

“Jingling is a little north of Jiangxia, right?” Zhang Wen asked.

“Of course… Jiangxia is the gateway to Jingling. Jingling has a superior geographical location, connecting all the places, and it is free from the calamities of war,” Liu Lin said with no small amount of pride.

“General Sun Zhongmou wants you to lead the troops from Jingling to join Jiangdong,” Zhang Wen said bluntly.

"Calling me?...To surrender to Jiangdong?" Liu Lin's jaw dropped in astonishment, then he burst into laughter. "Your lord, Sun Quan, has quite the imagination. Has he gone mad?"

Zhang Wen sneered: "I will convince you."

Liu Lin continued to laugh heartily: "Do you know who I am? I'm the Prefect of Jingling in Jingzhou, Liu Biao's cousin. You want me to defect to Eastern Wu? Let's see how you convince me with this box of money. To be honest, Jingling is never short of money."

Chapter Ninety-Three Zhang Wen

Liu Lin then questioned Zhang Wen about how he could persuade him, since his Jingling was a famously wealthy place and he certainly didn't lack money.

Zhang Wen laughed heartily, "I told you I could persuade you." Without waiting for Liu Lin to invite him to sit down, he sat directly next to Liu Lin. "Your Jingling? Prefect Liu Lin, do you really consider Jingling your own property? If the Liu or Cai families wanted to take Jingling back from you, it would be a piece of cake. How long do you think Jingling can stay in your hands?" Zhang Wen said coldly.

"I am Liu Biao's cousin, and I have served as the governor of Jingling for more than ten years. I have worked hard to manage the area, and every official, soldier, and civilian here follows my lead," Liu Lin argued, his face flushed.

“Liu Bei’s main force of about 10,000 men is stationed in Mianyang. Do you believe that if he marches north, he can easily take over Jingling? Liu Biao only needs to find an excuse and issue an order, and Liu Bei can do as he's told,” Zhang Wen said. “Then you won’t even know how you died.”

"Liu Bei is indeed formidable, I don't deny that, after all, even your Eastern Wu's hundreds of thousands of troops fled in panic," Liu Lin mocked. "But Liu Bei just sent a letter, expressing his complete unwillingness to let Jingling worry about his 257 troops." As he spoke, he waved the letter in his hand.

Zhang Wen's face flushed slightly; their hasty retreat from Eastern Wu was indeed somewhat unsightly. But he quickly regained his composure, reverting to his usual cold and collected tone: "Have you heard? Cao Cao wanted to attack Hebei, yet just a moment ago he was desperately saying he wanted to join forces with Luo Chen to fight the Xiongnu, showing no intention of attacking Hebei. Luo Chen wanted to attack the Xiongnu, yet a few days ago he sent an important strategist to the Xiongnu court for negotiations. Liu Bei wanted to attack you, Liu Lin, yet just a moment ago he wrote a letter to appease you. Your crime of refusing to obey the orders of Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou, is no small matter!"

"Besides, Prefect Liu Lin, Liu Biao won't live much longer. If you don't take sides, the Cai family won't trust you, and Liu Qi's forces will look down on you. When Liu Biao dies, the two sides will fight for territory and control. How long can you, the Prefect of Jingling, survive in the cracks?" Seeing that he probably couldn't persuade him with this, Zhang Wen shifted the focus to future considerations.

"Hahaha," Liu Lin laughed heartily, "With Liu Biao dead, Jingzhou is no longer just about Liu Qi and the Cai family's power! Don't forget Cao Cao and Luo Chen! There are plenty of powerful figures out there. Even if I, Liu Lin, am at my worst, I won't be killed by the Cai family or the Liu family. I can just join forces with any powerful figure from outside the region!"

"Liu Lin, you're about to die and you still have illusions... If you don't listen to advice today, I'm afraid your head will be hanging on the city wall within a year." Zhang Wen was annoyed by his shamelessness and the logic of a rogue.

Liu Lin's expression changed upon hearing such harsh words. Instead of erupting into a rage and hurling insults, he coldly said, "Mr. Zhang Wen, go back and tell your master that I am ashamed to accept his gift. Jiangdong is a small place; don't worry about my future in Jingling. Instead, think about how many days you'll survive when Cao Cao marches south!" He then raised his voice slightly and coldly ordered, "Come on, show the guest out!"

The soldier, hearing the call, brought his men up. Seeing Liu Lin and Zhang Wen both looking angry, it seemed their conversation hadn't gone well. Liu Lin didn't reply, but turned and picked up a brush, saying, "Put the money in the prefect's treasury." He then began writing again. The soldier immediately understood—he was clearly telling them to take the money and get out! Without a word, the soldier pushed Zhang Wen aside, coldly saying, "Please, sir..." Seeing that Liu Lin was ignoring him and had lost a box of treasure for nothing, Zhang Wen was furious, but with the soldier pushing him, there was no hope of turning the tables. He then flung his sleeve and said, "Prefect Liu Lin is so ungrateful, hmph..." With that, he strode out.

Liu Lin looked disdainful and indifferent, but his hand holding the brush couldn't write a single word. He began to worry about how long he could remain as the prefect. As the power struggles among various factions became clearer, he, a mere prefect of Jingling, was someone no one could afford to offend...

Meanwhile, Liu Bei recaptured Jiangxia, leaving Liu Qi to garrison it and Guan Yu to assist him. In reality, the Liu family's power in Jiangxia was essentially under their control. Although he had just entered Jiangxia, Liu Bei, following Liu Biao's orders, led his other generals and main force back to Xinye to garrison it. When the army reached Mianyang, Liu Bei ordered his navy to break away from his command and head north along the Yangtze River back to their naval base on Dongting Lake. The other land forces also returned to their respective posts. Liu Bei's army remained there for three days before gradually dispersing, leaving only his main force of over ten thousand men.

The Prefect of Mianyang was a member of the Cai clan and naturally obeyed Cai Mao's orders. However, Liu Bei now held a prominent position, being a favorite of Liu Biao and the uncle of Liu Qi. He was considered a key figure in the faction supporting Liu Qi, and his status was far higher than the Prefect's. The Prefect of Mianyang dared not neglect him. A distinguished guesthouse was arranged in the city for Liu Bei and his officers. Unable to refuse, Liu Bei only brought Zhao Yun, Sun Qian, and a few others into the city; the rest of his troops remained stationed outside.

It was the transition from summer to autumn, and the nights were occasionally drizzling with autumn rain, making the air quite chilly. Liu Bei wrapped himself in a blanket, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Liu Biao had ordered him to request grain from the governor of Jingling, but he didn't know if it was Liu Biao's or Cai Shi's doing. Liu Bei suspected it was mostly Cai Shi's doing, as Liu Biao generally no longer concerned himself with such trivial matters as those concerning prefectures and counties. If it was Cai Shi, Liu Bei suspected she was deliberately using him to weaken Jingling's power and to incite conflict between Liu Lin and the Liu family faction. Having navigated political struggles for many years, Liu Bei could see this clearly. With the army arriving, Liu Bei simply disbanded them, thus relieving himself of the burden of supplies. He also wrote a letter stating that he had no intention of requesting grain. Liu Bei had only been in Jingzhou for less than a year, and the situation there was far more complex than he had anticipated. Thinking about this, Liu Bei finally drifted off to sleep.

Next to Liu Bei's bedroom was Zhao Yun's room, built by Zhao Yun for Liu Bei's convenience. Zhao Yun was already asleep, but a light sleep, as if constantly on alert. Suddenly, Zhao Yun seemed to hear a rustling sound in his dream. He immediately woke up, gently turned over, and his other hand was already gripping the sword at the head of the bed.

Chapter Ninety-Four: The Assassin

Sure enough, the sound wasn't outside the window, but on the roof. It was moving very lightly, just a rustling sound, easily masked by the wind and the pattering autumn rain if you didn't listen carefully.

Zhao Yun knew perfectly well that the first priority in this situation was protecting Liu Bei's safety. He had no time to think; instead, he pushed open the door and rushed towards Liu Bei's bedroom next door. Knowing the sound of him opening the door would alert the assassins, Zhao Yun didn't bother to conceal it and shouted, "Assassin!"

But Zhao Yun instantly realized he had overlooked something. The assassin was on the roof; it would be much faster to get to the other room. What if this person was a desperate, suicidal man, utterly disregarding his own life and willing to fight to the death to assassinate Liu Bei? A wave of panic washed over Zhao Yun. He kicked open the door to Liu Bei's bedroom and immediately saw a dark figure leap down from the roof, heading straight for Liu Bei. "Damn it!" Zhao Yun cried out in terror, "Stop!" and rushed forward, drawing his sword without hesitation.

But it was too late. The assassin, wielding a short knife, didn't hesitate for a moment and thrust it directly at Liu Bei's sleeping quarters. Zhao Yun, unsure if Liu Bei was awake, could only shout, "My lord, be careful!" Seeing the assassin's fierce thrust, Zhao Yun thought, "This is bad." Suddenly, a brilliant red light illuminated the entire bedroom. By the light, Zhao Yun saw that Liu Bei was completely unaware, peacefully fast asleep.

Both Zhao Yun and the assassin were terrified. The assassin was completely stunned, hesitating for a moment; this was too bizarre. Zhao Yun, however, reacted first. He strode forward, his sword flashing, the blade aimed straight at the assassin's throat. The assassin screamed in panic, trying to dodge. But it was too late. Zhao Yun's blade sliced ​​through the assassin's throat, and the assassin fell heavily to the ground with a thud.

Zhao Yun turned to look at Liu Bei, who had already woken up and was jumping up in alarm, grabbing his sword. Seeing Zhao Yun standing beside him, Liu Bei visibly relaxed: "What happened? An assassin?"

The dozens of Liu Bei's guards and the Jingzhou soldiers at the post station had already woken up and rushed over with torches and swords, instantly illuminating Liu Bei's room as if it were daytime. Some soldiers even saw a bright red light appear in the room from afar, but when they arrived, they found there was no light at all, and everything was normal. The soldiers couldn't help but rub their eyes, thinking they had imagined it.

Zhao Yun was also puzzled, but Liu Bei seemed completely unaware of the situation, only showing slight surprise upon seeing the assassin. Seeing so many people present, Zhao Yun didn't feel comfortable asking and swallowed his words. Liu Bei quickly composed himself: "Zhao Yun, arrange this matter. Dispose of the body properly, and dismiss everyone except the guards." He then lit a lamp, silently sat down on the bed, and acted as if it were an ordinary matter requiring Zhao Yun's oversight.

Zhao Yun hurriedly replied, "Yes. This scene... should my lord protect it? I'll inform the Prefect of Mianyang to handle it... My lord, please rest in my room first."

Liu Bei smiled wryly: "Forget it, how can I rest tonight? It's pitch black outside with wind and rain, let's just sit here. There's no need to inform the governor of Mianyang, no need to protect the scene, just dispose of the body directly, they won't find anything out." Liu Bei chuckled bitterly twice as he spoke, "Besides, even without investigating, I roughly know what happened."

"Understood." Zhao Yun roughly understood what Liu Bei meant. He said, "Come on, dispose of the body immediately, and clean the room." He then ordered the guards to do so. He turned to the local Jingzhou soldiers who were hesitating to come forward and said, "You don't need to worry about it. Go back. You can report this to your superiors, but don't spread this around the streets!"

Upon hearing Zhao Yun's order, the soldiers sang "Yes, sir!" and left.

Seeing that no one else was around, Zhao Yun said, "My lord said he understands almost everything. What happened? Could it be..." Liu Bei nodded, "That's right. Liu Qi was also assassinated the other day." He pointed to the hole in the roof, "The method was the same. Who else could it be? I told Liu Qi not to spread it around, otherwise I would have to face an assassin soon. I didn't expect it to happen so quickly. You came back from the battle, and you were a little careless, leaving the camp, and he started..." Liu Bei sighed, then gave a helpless bitter smile, "If you go to Cai Mao's place to investigate, you might find a whole bunch of desperados practicing how to jump off rooftops and take lives."

· 0 flowers requested ···· ···

"My lord, there's something..." Zhao Yun couldn't help but ask, and since he had seen it, it seemed to be his duty to report it to Liu Bei.

"What is it?" Liu Bei asked.

Zhao Yun looked around at the busy guards.

"These are all trusted confidants, why are you unwilling to speak?" Liu Bei was quite puzzled. Although Zhao Yun was a meticulous person, he was honest and straightforward with Liu Bei, telling him everything he knew without reservation. There had never been a situation like this before where he was being secretive. "Zilong, there's no need to beat around the bush. Just say what you have to say. I can accept it."

... ... ...

Zhao Yun whispered in Liu Bei's ear, "While you were asleep, the assassin had already gotten to your side first, making quite a commotion, but you were sound asleep and didn't notice at all."

"Oh, I didn't notice anything?" Liu Bei's expression changed. "Then I should have been injured or assassinated, right? How come the assassin was killed by you?"

"This is what I wanted to report," Zhao Yun said, his voice barely audible. "Our lord was fast asleep when the assassin suddenly emitted a red light during his attack. The light was dazzling and illuminated the entire room. The assassin was terrified, which is why I seized the opportunity to kill him."

"Red light, red light..." Liu Bei was clearly quite shocked. He was completely unaware of this; when he woke up, he only noticed the commotion around him. He hurriedly got up, grabbed his sword, and saw Zhao Yun already beside him, while a black-clad assassin lay dead on the ground. His mind was preoccupied with Cai Shi's assassination attempt on him and Liu Qi, and he didn't notice anything else.

"I really don't know what happened... You're not seeing things, are you?" Liu Bei simply couldn't believe it.

“Impossible.” Zhao Yun said firmly, “The red light was extremely strong. I couldn’t have been seeing things. Besides, the assassin was also shocked, and I’m afraid many guards saw it as well.”

Liu Bei didn't continue speaking, but instead fell into deep thought.

Chapter Ninety-Five Warning

News of Liu Bei's assassination attempt quickly reached the governor of Mianyang. The governor rushed to visit him and demanded a thorough investigation, but Liu Bei dismissed the matter lightly.

"It's not that serious. He's just a petty thief, and it has nothing to do with your Mianyang region. You don't need to worry," Liu Bei said casually. "And don't worry about being punished. I will explain it to Liu Jingzhou."

"Thank you very much, Uncle Liu." The governor of Mianyang finally breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him repeatedly.

Liu Bei led his troops back to Xinye. A day later, Liu Biao learned of this.

"Has anything been happening lately?" Although Liu Biao didn't manage affairs much, he would summon his ministers to discuss and decide on important military and political matters. He also regularly dined or met with a few high-ranking officials. Therefore, although the Cai family held considerable power, the decision-making authority for major military and political matters remained with Liu Biao; the Cai family dared not act on their own. To outsiders, Liu Biao seemed to be completely obedient to Lady Cai, Cai Mao, Zhang Yun, and others, entrusting all matters, large and small, to this faction. However, when it came to major military and political matters, Liu Biao actually had his own opinions. For example, his decision to accept Liu Bei and demonstrate his trust in him, and his order for Liu Bei and Liu Qi to attack Jiangxia, were strongly opposed by the Cai family, but Liu Biao overruled their objections.

"Nothing much has happened recently, and everything has been arranged in Jiangxia," Cai Mao said.

"Nothing happened?" Liu Biao glanced at Cai Mao. "I heard that when Liu Bei stopped in Mianyang, there were assassins who tried to kill him."

“This…” Cai Mao was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Liu Biao to be so well-informed. Someone in Jingzhou must have secretly reported to Liu Biao. “My lord, I wanted to report it, but Lord Liu thought it was a trivial matter… so I didn’t bother you.”

"Hmph," Liu Biao sneered, clearly unconvinced. "Liu Shou was assassinated, almost losing my right-hand man. It's nothing."

“Yes…” Cai Mao said, “It was my oversight, I will be more careful in the future.”