Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Ever since Yuan Shu had fought the enemy outside Yuzhang County, losing many soldiers and generals, he had been guarding Yuzhang City and staying inside. Now, he was besieged in Yuzhang City by Sun Ce, in the same situation as when he had besieged Liu Yao before.

However, the army's urgent food shortage weighed like a heavy mountain, weighing heavily on Yuan Shu's heart. To address the immediate problem, he targeted the wealthy and powerful families in Yuzhang City. He used harsh tactics to coerce these families, forcibly confiscating large amounts of food and supplies. For a time, the people of Yuzhang City were in a state of panic, and the wealthy and powerful families complained bitterly, but fearing Yuan Shu's power, they dared not speak out. Although his tactics caused much dissatisfaction, Yuan Shu's high-pressure measures finally alleviated the army's food shortages to a certain extent.

Meanwhile, Yuzhang County adopted a strategy of defense only. Yuan Shu ordered the city's defenses to be reinforced day and night. The city walls were repaired and strengthened, fortifications were added, and the moat was widened and deepened. Under such a tight defense, Sun Ce's army was unable to find a loophole. With no other options, they could only fret outside the city, and the battle reached a stalemate.

As the Lunar New Year approached, Jingzhou suddenly became bustling with activity. The previously tranquil situation was shattered by a series of events, the first of which was Liu Yao's loss of Yuzhang City. After the loss of the city, Liu Yao was left in dire straits, and with no other choice but to lead the remnants of his army to Jingzhou to seek refuge.

Upon hearing this, Liu Biao, the ruler of Jingzhou, became deeply concerned. He knew Liu Yao's arrival would likely cause unnecessary trouble, and feared Yuan Shu and other factions would use Liu Yao to bring disaster to Jingzhou. Therefore, he initially refused to accept Liu Yao. However, Liu Biao's close advisors, the brothers Kuai Yue and Kuai Liang, provided him with a detailed analysis of the pros and cons.

The Kuai brothers advised Liu Biao that they and Liu Yao were both relatives of the Han Dynasty. If Liu Yao, impoverished and seeking refuge, were rejected, he would lose the dignity and image of a Han relative in the eyes of the world. Moreover, although the Han Dynasty was now in decline, if the situation improved and the emperor re-established power, Liu Biao would regret not taking action during the campaign against Dong Zhuo. If he rejected Liu Yao again, he would find it difficult to justify himself before the emperor and might even be punished.

After listening to this, Liu Biao pondered it carefully and felt that what the Kuai brothers said was indeed reasonable. In addition, he knew that Jingzhou had been developed over the years and had a strong army and strong horses. Its strength should not be underestimated. It was not to the point of panic or fear of Yuan Shu and other forces.

After careful consideration and consulting his advisors, Liu Biao ultimately decided to accept Liu Yao. When Liu Yao arrived in Jingzhou, exhausted and frightened, with his remaining troops and defeated generals, Liu Biao personally came out of the city to greet him. With a kind smile, he stepped forward, shook Liu Yao's hand, his eyes filled with concern.

Liu Biao comforted him gently, "Although you have experienced many hardships this time and lost Yuzhang City, you don't have to worry too much. Jingzhou is your home. We are both relatives of the Han Dynasty, and we should support each other and overcome difficulties together." After that, he ordered his men to arrange comfortable accommodation for Liu Yao and others, and to properly accommodate their accompanying soldiers and horses.

In their subsequent interactions, Liu Biao treated Liu Yao with the courtesy of a brother, meticulously considering every aspect. From food and clothing to daily entertainment, everything was meticulously arranged. When Liu Yao first arrived, he was filled with worry and uneasiness, fearing Liu Biao was merely being polite and harboring ulterior motives. However, with Liu Biao's attentive care and sincere treatment, his anxiety gradually eased, and he no longer felt the same nervousness and anxiety he had felt upon arriving in Jingzhou. He instead felt a surge of gratitude towards Liu Biao.

Although Liu Biao treated Liu Yao with courtesy and cordiality, as if he truly considered him a close brother, his actual arrangements were quite intriguing. Liu Biao did not specifically arrange for Liu Yao to station his remaining troops in a county town, but simply provided him with a luxurious residence in Xiangyang City for a while to recuperate.

When Liu Yao first arrived in Xiangyang, he saw Liu Biao's enthusiasm and was able to find a moment of peace here. He was secretly complacent, thinking that he had found a reliable refuge. He even fantasized that one day he would be able to use Liu Biao's power to regroup and retake the lost Yuzhang City.

However, his advisor Xu Shao was quick to sense the situation and was filled with worry and distress all day long. One day, Xu Shao found a quiet moment and spoke to Liu Yao, his expression serious, saying, "My lord, although we are temporarily residing in Xiangyang, Liu Biao seems to be very polite to us, but in fact he does not really accept us. You see, he hasn't even arranged a decent place for you to stay. He is just putting on some superficial efforts. In my opinion, if we want to borrow troops from Liu Biao again and fight our way back to Yuzhang City, our hope is slim. Although Liu Biao, Liu Jingsheng, is a relative of the Han Dynasty, he is suspicious and timid by nature. He does not want to fall out with Yuan Shu because of us. After all, Yuan Shu is so powerful that he is afraid of him. My lord, we need to make plans early and not put all our hopes on Liu Biao."

After hearing Xu Shao's words, Liu Yao's smile froze instantly, and his heart tightened. His original fantasy was instantly shattered, and an inexplicable anxiety and uneasiness surged in his heart...

Ever since Liu Yao heard Xu Shao's warning, he had been in a state of panic, his heart in turmoil, unsure of his fate. Just as he was fretting, Yuan Shu's envoy, Yan Xiang, quietly arrived outside Jingzhou.

Ever since Xu Shao's admonition to Liu Yao, he had been keeping a close eye on all developments related to Yuzhang, never slacking off. When he learned that Yuan Shu had sent envoy Yan Xiang to visit Liu Biao, alarm bells rang. He reasoned that Yan Xiang, a crucial envoy from Yuan Shu, would surely come for a reason, not simply a courtesy visit. So, as soon as Yan Xiang and his entourage arrived outside Xiangyang, Xu Shao obtained the news through his own informants.

Anxiety and panic instantly filled Xu Shao's heart like a tide. He didn't dare delay even a moment and hurried to Liu Yao's residence to discuss countermeasures with him. Liu Yao, brow furrowed, paced back and forth in his room, his heart filled with worry. Upon seeing Liu Yao, Xu Shao hurriedly said, "My lord, something terrible has happened! Yuan Shu's envoy, Yan Xiang, has arrived outside Xiangyang."

Liu Yao's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, but he remained composed and said, "Since Yuan Shu has sent an envoy, and we have already been accepted by Liu Biao, who is known for his generosity, I doubt he would disregard the public's pride and hand us over to Yuan Shu again."

Xu Shao frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said, "My lord, your words make sense. Liu Biao certainly wouldn't do something so humiliating. However, Yuan Shu's envoys must have ulterior motives in coming here. Whatever they demand, it's unlikely to be a good thing for us. In my opinion, my lord, you should pay more visits to Liu Biao and show yourself to the people of Jingzhou as often as possible. That way, even if Liu Biao truly has intentions against us, he won't be able to easily jeopardize his reputation as a Han royal relative and a loyal elder by attacking us due to public opinion."

After listening to Xu Shao's words, Liu Yao nodded slowly, with a hint of helplessness and worry in his eyes, and said, "This is the only way. I hope Liu Biao can take into consideration the fact that we are both relatives of the Han Dynasty and not do anything to disappoint me." After that, the two began to carefully discuss the next countermeasures, trying to find a glimmer of hope in this complicated situation.

That day, Liu Biao sat in the meeting room of the City Lord's Mansion, his expression solemn, as he discussed the next major plan for Jingzhou with Cai Mao, Kuai Yue, and Kuai Liang. The candlelight flickered in the room, its light and shadows shimmering on everyone's faces. The atmosphere was particularly solemn and filled with the atmosphere of intense planning.

Liu Biao frowned slightly and spoke slowly, "Now that I have a strong army and ample food in Jingzhou, it's a golden opportunity to expand my power. However, Wancheng has been occupied by that northwestern warlord Zhang Ji, which is like a thorn in my throat, making me unable to sleep or eat. Dong Zhuo was killed long ago, and most of the former Western Liang army has surrendered to Ma Chao. Yet, Zhang Ji has forcibly occupied Wancheng and is now guarding the northern gateway of Jingzhou. This is truly excessive!"

Kuai Yue nodded slightly, a thoughtful glint in his eyes as he said, "My Lord, you are absolutely right. Zhang Ji's entrenched presence in Wancheng is indeed a major hidden danger. Yangzhou is currently embroiled in constant war, with all factions locked in conflict, leaving them with no time to spare. If we can seize this opportunity and quietly dispatch our troops, perhaps we can capture Wancheng in one fell swoop and eliminate this major threat."

Kuai Liang also echoed, "Indeed, now is the right time and place to take action. However, Ma Chao's power should not be underestimated, so we must proceed with caution."

Liu Biao paused for a moment after hearing what the two had said, a hint of hesitation on his face. He spoke slowly, "Although I'm deeply dissatisfied with Zhang Ji's occupation of Wancheng, I'm wary of Ma Chao's valiant and powerful Western Liang troops, and I hesitate to act rashly. If I rashly send troops, I risk angering Ma Chao and leading him south. Jingzhou would be in danger."

Cai Mao disagreed. He took a step forward, his expression quite confident, and said loudly, "My lord, there is no need to worry! Ma Chao has always regarded himself as a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty, and he is now fighting fiercely with Yuan Shu's general Zhang Xun in Runan County. We are sending troops to Wancheng to serve the Han Dynasty and to suppress the Xiliang rebels. It is justified. Even if Ma Chao is dissatisfied, he can do nothing about it. Besides, our Jingzhou troops are no ordinary people. How can we be afraid of Ma Chao!"

Liu Biao was slightly startled by Cai Mao's words, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. He fell into a brief silence, weighing the pros and cons. After a moment, he slowly raised his head and said with a firm gaze, "While Cai Mao's words make sense, this matter is of great importance and requires further consideration. Let's observe the situation for a while and make a final decision." Everyone nodded in agreement and continued to discuss the relevant details.

As he was speaking, a breathless city gate guard hurried into the meeting room, knelt on one knee, and reported with a fist clasped, "Your Majesty, Yuan Shu's envoy Yan Xiang has arrived outside Xiangyang City and is now requesting an audience outside the city gate. He claims to have something important to discuss."

As soon as these words were spoken, the once lively discussion in the conference room fell silent. Liu Biao was slightly startled, his brows unconsciously twisted into a knot, and a hint of doubt and vigilance flashed in his eyes. Cai Mao, Kuai Yue, and Kuai Liang also glanced at each other, each with a different expression in their eyes.