Jingzhou, Changsha Commandery.
The Yellow Turban Army has already captured five counties in Jingzhou, and Liu Biao is now trembling with fear!
If his trap had succeeded, he could have wiped out the Yellow Turban Army in one fell swoop.
However, they were now surrounded by the Yellow Turban Army. Not only did they fail, but they also lost five counties. At this moment, more than half of Jingzhou had become the territory of the Yellow Turban Army.
"What should we do? The Yellow Turban Army has launched a full-scale invasion! You all need to come up with a solution!" Liu Biao roared anxiously.
The city of Jingzhou is now in chaos, and the Yellow Turban Army is advancing with unstoppable momentum, soon to capture the entire city.
This scene terrified Liu Biao!
Although he was the governor of Jingzhou, he was now completely unable to stop the Yellow Turban army's attack.
"My lord, we should report to the court immediately. If we delay any longer, we're really doomed!" Cai Mao said.
"Report to the court? The court is now controlled by Dong Zhuo, how can it care about us?" Liu Biao said angrily.
“But now we have no other way to go!” Cai Mao sighed.
Their only way out now is to request the imperial court's help; otherwise, they will only watch as the Yellow Turban rebels take over Jingzhou.
"I'm not reconciled! I'm not reconciled!" Liu Biao gritted his teeth, glaring hatefully at Cai Mao and the others, and cursed, "If you weren't so incompetent, how could my Jingzhou have come to this?"
In recent years, Jingzhou had been complacent and lazy, and was no match for the Yellow Turban Army, which led to the fall of Jingzhou.
In recent years, Cai Mao and his associates have been indulging in pleasure and have never bothered to defend their territory.
Now that the Yellow Turban Army has reached their doorstep, they are naturally in a state of panic.
"You bunch of useless trash! Useless trash!" Liu Biao pointed at them and cursed.
"My lord, preserving your life is the most important thing right now!" Cai Mao pleaded with a mournful face.
Liu Biao had no other choice but to ask the imperial court for help!
When Dong Zhuo learned of this news, he was overjoyed.
These governors now command their own armies and outwardly obey the imperial court, but when it comes to dealing with the Yellow Turban Rebellion, they all remain unmoved.
Now they've turned to the imperial court for help!
"Damn it, Liu Biao has finally learned to be afraid!" Dong Zhuo laughed loudly.
Li Ru smiled, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "My lord, Jingzhou must still be saved!"
"Now that Zhang Jiao has occupied Yizhou, if they also occupy Jingzhou, they can either advance north to attack the Central Plains or retreat to defend Yizhou, which is quite disadvantageous to us."
Li Ru's analysis is indeed reasonable.
"My lord, why not send an envoy to Jingzhou to tell Liu Biao to relinquish his military power and submit to the court?" Li Ru continued to suggest.
"Hmm! You're right. I'll leave this to you to handle, but..."
Dong Zhuo narrowed his eyes and sneered, "We can't let that old bastard Liu Biao get away with this. Let him send his son to Luoyang!"
Since they have submitted to the court, they need to see Liu Biao's sincerity. Sending his son to Luoyang would provide a hostage, making it easier to control Liu Biao in the future.
"Your lord is wise!" Li Ru immediately said respectfully.
...
Jiangxia County.
"Report! General, news has arrived from Xiangyang that the Yellow Turban army has captured five counties in Jingzhou and is marching towards Jiangxia!"
The scout knelt on the ground in great fear and reported the news in a trembling voice.
Huo Jun's expression was extremely solemn. He was the general stationed in Jiangxia, and this matter was of great importance, allowing no room for error!
He was one of the most skilled defensive generals during the Three Kingdoms period.
Huo Jun came from a prominent family in Jingzhou. In his early years, he and his elder brother Huo Du gathered hundreds of local militia to join Liu Biao.
After Huo Du's death, Huo Jun led the remaining troops of his elder brother. After Liu Biao's death, Huo Jun followed Liu Qi and joined Liu Bei.
When Liu Bei entered Shu, Huo Jun once used a few hundred men to withstand the fierce attack of tens of thousands of enemy troops, making great contributions to Liu Bei's successful conquest of Shu.
"What's the panic! With the Yangtze River as a natural barrier, they won't be able to cross it anytime soon!"
Most of the Yellow Turban rebels were landlubbers and unfamiliar with naval warfare, and the Yangtze River further complicated matters, making it even more difficult for them to break through.
"I deserve to die!" The scout cried out in fear and immediately kowtowed to confess his guilt.
"Alright, get up!" Huo Jun waved his hand and asked, "How's the situation on the lord's side?"
The scout hurriedly reported, "Reporting to the general, our lord has already requested aid from the imperial court!"
After saying that, Huo Jun walked up to Sha Tu, observed him for a long time, and finally fixed his eyes on two places.
Red Cliff and Xiakou!
If the Yellow Turban Army wants to enter Jiangxia County, it must pass through Xiakou. Now, it is necessary to transfer troops to Xiakou and then fight the Yellow Turban Army at Chibi in order to have a chance of survival!
"Send the order! Deploy 30,000 naval troops to Xiakou!"
"General, shouldn't we ask the lord for permission?" the adjutant beside him reminded him.
After all, he had mobilized troops without authorization, and if Liu Biao were to blame him, he would not be able to bear the consequences.
"Of course I know!"
Huo Jun frowned and said, "But Jingzhou is in danger now. When a general is in the field, he may not obey the emperor's orders!"
He took a deep breath and ordered, "Also, notify the soldiers in Xiakou and tell them to prepare!"
The lieutenant nodded and immediately left to relay the order to the garrison at Xiakou.
Changsha Prefecture.
"Commander, the ships are ready and we will be able to cross the Yangtze River soon!" the lieutenant said excitedly.
Xu Huang nodded, and was about to give the order when Fa Zheng stopped him.
"General, you mustn't!"
Xu Huang was taken aback, then frowned and asked, "Why is the strategist interfering?"
After saying this, Fa Zheng led Xu Huang and several other generals to Sha Tu.
“General, please look, if we want to attack Jiangxia, we must pass through Xiakou. If the Jiangxia garrison ambushes us in the Chibi area, our army, which is not familiar with water, will surely suffer heavy losses!” Fa Zheng said in a deep voice.
Xu Huang frowned even more deeply after hearing this. He had also considered this issue, but he felt that Fazheng was worrying unnecessarily.
“Since we entered Jingzhou, we have captured five counties in succession, and our military strength is at its peak. The Jingzhou army has probably already fled at the mere sight of us!” Lü Bu said.
"What brilliant ideas does the strategist have?" Xu Huang asked.
The others looked at Fazheng with the same puzzled expression.
Fa Zheng did not answer, but looked at Huang Zhong and asked, "General Huang, may I ask who the garrison commander of Jiangxia County is? What are his abilities?"
Huang Zhong thought for a moment and replied, "The governor of Jiangxia is named Huang Zu. He is ruthless and has a quick temper, so he is not a threat."
"The most important person is Huo Jun! He is good at defense, and his ability to command troops is no less than mine!"
"Although Huang Zu was ruthless, he treated his generals well, especially trusting Huo Jun!" Huang Zhong continued.
Upon hearing this, Fa Zheng nodded slightly and continued to inquire, "What is the current situation in Jiangxia? Are the grain supplies sufficient?"
"The grain supplies are plentiful. All the counties in Jiangxia Prefecture have grain reserves. Even in years of disaster, the grain reserves are enough to supply the entire army for at least three or four months."
Jiangxia County can be considered the richest county in the entire Jingzhou, with abundant grain and provisions.
"In that case, let's not rush to attack Jiangxia." Fa Zheng's lips curled into a cold smile.
His words immediately provoked dissatisfaction among the generals, especially Lü Bu and Dian Wei.
"Strategist, our morale is high right now. If we don't fight now, it will be too late once they realize what's happening!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
