Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The atmosphere in Liu Biao's imposing residence in Xiangyang was particularly solemn. Liu Biao sat upright in the main seat, brow furrowed, clutching a battle report from Liu Bei on the front lines. The handwriting on the report, shrouded in the smoke of battle, laid bare the current situation: the army had already conquered Yingchuan and was now locked in a standoff with Lü Bu in Xudu.

In his military report, Liu Bei expressed his earnest desire for Liu Biao to send more reinforcements, aiming to capture Xudu and thereby seize control of Emperor Liu Xie. Liu Bei had always believed that Liu Xie's throne was illegitimate, and deep down he longed to help Liu Bian's orphan ascend the throne, thus completing what he considered a legitimate cause.

Liu Biao raised his gaze from the battle report and slowly looked at Cai Mao and Kuai Yue. He pondered, "Look, Liu Bei is now blocked by Lu Bu in Xudu, but he is determined to fight Lu Bu to the death. But Runan County is currently undermanned. Why doesn't he move to Runan and seize the opportunity to capture Runan County?"

Cai Mao stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and then said, "My lord, in my opinion, Liu Bei is extremely ambitious. His so-called support for Liu Bian's orphan to succeed to the throne is just a cover to realize his ambitions. He is not truly loyal to my lord, but simply wants to use our power in Jingzhou to achieve his own goals."

Kuai Yue nodded slightly and added, "General Cai is absolutely right. Besides, it doesn't matter who is the emperor. What we in Jingzhou need to do now is to consolidate our own power. There is no need to waste our forces for Liu Bei's ambitions. If we send reinforcements to Liu Bei now, if he really takes Xudu and grows his power, I'm afraid it will pose a threat to us in Jingzhou."

Everyone gathered together and after another in-depth discussion, they finally reached a consensus: not to send reinforcements to Liu Bei. They knew that Liu Bei had ulterior motives and was not sincere in cooperating with Liu Biao. If they rashly helped him, they would only be raising a tiger to harm him.

Kuai Yue's eyes flickered, and after a moment's contemplation, he slowly said, "My lord, the situation is delicate now. Liu Bei is bent on supporting the late emperor's orphan to ascend to the throne. We might as well change our thinking. As long as we can ensure the absolute safety of the late emperor's orphan, Liu Bei will be cautious and will be driven by us. After all, this orphan is an extremely important bargaining chip in his heart. As long as this kid is in our hands, Liu Bei will be hesitant and will have to obey our arrangements."

Liu Biao nodded slightly, a confident smile on his face, and said, "I have already made arrangements for this matter. The late emperor's orphan has been raised by Liu Feng's wife. Xiangyang City is heavily guarded and fortified, making it difficult for ordinary people to approach. Moreover, Liu Bei has specially left behind the brave general Zhao Yun to protect him. With Zhao Yun here, this kid's safety is absolutely guaranteed."

Upon hearing this, Kuai Yue couldn't help but admire him, saying, "My lord, this is a very thoughtful plan. Zhao Yun is a formidable general of his time. With him around, it will be very difficult for anyone else to harm the late emperor's orphan. This way, we can not only control the key figure Liu Bei has been obsessed with, but also leverage Liu Bei's power to gain greater benefits for Jingzhou. It truly kills two birds with one stone."

Cai Mao nodded in agreement. "That's right. As long as the late emperor's orphan is in Xiangyang, Liu Bei won't dare to turn against us easily. We can also use this opportunity to gain a greater advantage in the game between various forces."

Liu Biao's eyes flashed with pride as he said, "That's right. However, we must proceed with caution in this matter. We must not let anyone else know that we are using the late emperor's orphan to make a fuss. We must also treat Zhao Yun and the others with courtesy and not neglect them."

Kuai Yue and Cai Mao responded in unison, "Don't worry, my lord. We understand."

Night had fallen in Xiangyang, the city lights twinkling. On this seemingly peaceful night, Liu Biao and his men were plotting a turbulent chess game for the future of Jingzhou. The orphan of the previous emperor, raised by Liu Feng's wife and protected by Zhao Yun, undoubtedly became the most crucial piece in this game, affecting the delicate balance of power between Liu Bei and Liu Biao.

However, Liu Biao and his men were ultimately careless. They fully believed that they had handled the placement of the late emperor's orphans with impeccable care, but they were completely unaware that Xu You, with his keen observation, had already noticed the existence of the late emperor's orphans during his diplomatic mission to Xiangyang.

Xu You was a shrewd man. During his stay in Xiangyang, he quietly observed the developments on all sides. He soon perceived the delicate balance between Liu Bei and Liu Biao. Although Liu Bei was temporarily residing in Jingzhou and seemingly cooperating with Liu Biao, they actually harbored separate agendas. The presence of the late emperor's orphan was undoubtedly a key factor in this.

Upon returning to Yecheng, Xu You went straight to Yuan Shao's camp and reported the crucial discovery in Xiangyang without reservation. Upon hearing this, a sinister glint flashed in Yuan Shao's eyes. Yuan Shao was now intent on conquering Cao Cao, and Xu You's news was like a sharp blade, giving him an opportunity to further disrupt the situation and expand his victory.

After a quick discussion, Yuan Shao and Xu You decided to, while simultaneously attacking Cao Cao with all their might, secretly dispatch a large number of well-trained assassins and assassins to Xiangyang. These assassins and assassins, meticulously trained by Yuan Shao, were each skilled and ruthless, tasked with an extremely secret and dangerous mission: to deal with the orphan of the late emperor.

Yuan Shao knew that if anything happened to the late emperor's orphan, the fragile alliance between Liu Bei and Liu Biao would collapse instantly. Liu Bei would undoubtedly blame Liu Biao, who would then fall into panic and self-blame, leading to widespread chaos within Jingzhou. Yuan Shao could then exploit this chaos to further weaken the various factions and clear the way for his own ambitions of world domination.

During Liu Bei's absence, Xiangyang City appeared calm on the surface, but underlying tensions surged. Zhao Yun and Wang Yue, tasked with secretly protecting the late emperor's orphan, remained on high alert. They keenly sensed an unconventional force plotting against the orphan, and an invisible battle for their safety quietly unfolded.

A succession of mysterious assassins and assassins, like ghosts, infiltrated Xiangyang City, intent on the orphan of the late emperor. Zhao Yun and Wang Yue, with their exceptional martial arts and exceptional wit, repeatedly identified and repelled these assassins at the critical moment. Each encounter was a thrilling one, with countless assassins falling before their blades in a flash of swords.

However, Zhao Yun and Wang Yue were perplexed by their continued lack of knowledge of the assassins' origins. This inextricable evidence led them to point the finger of suspicion at Liu Biao. After all, the presence of the late emperor's orphan posed a potential threat to Liu Biao. They speculated that perhaps Liu Biao, deeply impatient with the orphan's existence and fearing it might become a source of uncertainty, had secretly sent his assassins.

Zhao Yun was terrified, but Liu Bei hadn't returned yet. He knew he couldn't act rashly. A hasty move would not only damage his delicate relationship with Liu Biao, but also put the late emperor's orphan in even greater danger. With no other choice, Zhao Yun chose to endure, continuing to closely guard the late emperor's orphan from the shadows while quietly monitoring the movements of all parties, trying to uncover the true culprit.

During this time, Zhao Yun appeared composed, yet his heart was filled with turmoil. He was constantly concerned for the safety of the late emperor's orphan and the unfolding situation. He was extremely cautious on every night patrol, never missing a single suspicious sign. Wang Yue was no different. The two of them worked in perfect harmony, like two invisible umbrellas, shielding the young orphan from the wind and rain, fending off wave after wave of crises from the shadows.

Xu You, secretly orchestrating all this, watched as assassination attempts failed one after another, feeling a surge of frustration. Undeterred, he instead relied on his exceptional wit and resourcefulness to find a new path. Knowing that a direct assassination attempt would be unlikely to succeed, he turned his attention to more secluded corners.

Xu You no longer focused on dispatching his skilled assassins and counselors, but instead turned his attention to Liu Feng's mansion. He meticulously planned to infiltrate the household's maids. These maids frequently entered and exited the mansion, overseeing its daily affairs. Bribing them would undoubtedly provide the perfect opportunity to assassinate the late emperor's orphan.

Xu You spared no expense, using various covert tactics to gradually undermine the maids' defenses. Lured by the promise of money, some of the more vulnerable maids were gradually bribed. Following Xu You's instructions, these maids began secretly slipping a specially formulated, slow-acting poison into the food of the late emperor's orphan.

This poison was extremely secretive. After taking it, the orphan of the late emperor simply became less energetic day by day, yet his appearance showed no obvious abnormality. Initially, Zhao Yun and Wang Yue failed to notice anything unusual, dismissing it as a mere symptom of the child's discomfort. However, as time passed, the orphan's spirits grew increasingly weak, and Zhao Yun and Wang Yue's suspicions deepened.

Zhao Yun's brow furrowed, his heart aching as he watched the late emperor's orphan's increasingly haggard appearance. He and Wang Yue secretly observed him, but could not find the cause. "How could this child be like this? He's always been extremely careful with his diet and daily life. There's no way he could have contracted any disease," Zhao Yun muttered to himself, a vague sense of foreboding.

Wang Yue also looked solemn and said, "There must be something fishy going on here. We must be extra careful and secretly investigate everyone in the mansion. We must not miss any clues."

Zhao Yun and Wang Yue, keeping a close eye on things, finally discovered something. One day, the maid who was responsible for taking care of the late emperor's orphans, after delivering a meal, looked flustered and hurried out of the palace. This unusual behavior immediately caught Zhao Yun's attention.

Zhao Yun followed secretly and saw the maid go to a secluded corner and meet a furtive man. The man stuffed a heavy package into her hand, whispered a few words and hurried away.

Zhao Yun hurried back and solemnly recounted his findings to Wang Yue. "Brother Wang, I just saw the maid who was responsible for taking care of the late emperor's orphans. She was behaving strangely. After delivering the food, she didn't stay in the mansion to work as usual, but instead walked out of the house in a panic. I followed her secretly and saw her meeting a furtive man in a secluded area. He gave her a package and whispered something to her."

Wang Yue's eyes sharpened upon hearing this. Drawing on his years of experience in the martial arts world, he immediately realized there was something fishy about this maid. "It seems there's something fishy going on here, and this maid might be the key to success. Let's go and question her."