Rebirth of the Three Kingdoms: Da Qiao doesn't want to be a widow anymore

Chapter 346 The Dilemma of Xinye
Liu Bei gazed in the direction of the training ground and sighed.

Xu Shu approached Liu Bei and said, “My lord’s predicament does not lie with Lady Qiao, but with Liu Jingzhou. As long as you serve Jingzhou as a subject, you will be controlled by Jingzhou. Today’s predicament is only the beginning.”

Liu Biao used Liu Bei's control of Xinye to resist Cao Cao, and Liu Bei also used Liu Biao to try to gain a foothold in Jingzhou.

However, if Liu Bei wanted to expand his power and territory, he could not avoid turning against Liu Biao.

However, Liu Bei and Liu Biao were both members of the Han imperial family. If Liu Bei were to turn against Liu Biao, he would give others grounds for criticism. Moreover, if Liu Biao had not taken him in, Liu Bei would not have had a place to stay.

"The strategist is absolutely right, but at this moment, we have no way to break this deadlock."

"There are two paths before us. One is to treat Madam Qiao with courtesy and surrender to Jiangdong."

"Impossible." As a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, even with the decline of the Han Dynasty, he could not bear to bow down to a mere nobody.

Xu Shu proposed a second option: "Leave Madam Qiao in Xinye to continue to control Jiangdong, take the eldest son back to Xiangyang, and while Cai Mao is out defending Changsha, kill Madam Cai and the second son to help the eldest son seize the position of Governor of Jingzhou."

"When the time is right in a few years, please have the eldest son cede Jingzhou to our lord. Does our lord still remember Tao Qian, the governor of Xuzhou?"

The sound of drums reverberated across the drill ground.

A chill instantly crept up my spine and into my heart, as if my blood had frozen into a bone-chilling cold.

Liu Bei suddenly turned his head and stared intently at Xu Shu. How did he know the truth about Tao Qian giving up Xuzhou?

In the fourth year of the Chuping era, Tao Qian submitted a memorial requesting that Liu Bei be appointed as the governor of Yuzhou, and also gave Liu Bei four thousand soldiers from Danyang to garrison Xiaopei.

Tao Qian's plan was very clever. He won over Liu Bei to defend against Cao Cao and Yuan Shu, and internally managed the unruly powerful clans in Xuzhou.

But Liu Bei wanted more than that. So, with the help of Mi Zhu and Kong Rong, they took advantage of Tao Qian's minor illness and, together with the physician in his household, placed Tao Qian under house arrest. They then forced him to write a memorial ceding Xuzhou to Liu Bei.

After submitting the memorial, Tao Qian soon fell seriously ill and died.

Thus, Liu Bei temporarily established Xuzhou as his base.

This move to seize Xuzhou earned Liu Bei a reputation for benevolence and righteousness among the warlords.

Xu Shu continued, “My lord can raise the banner of ‘Han and traitors cannot coexist, and the royal cause cannot be confined to one side’. Many famous scholars in Jingzhou also say that they admire the governance of Jingzhou. In essence, it is still to uphold the name of the Han dynasty’s orthodoxy.”

With this designation, whether the ruler of Jingzhou was Liu Jingsheng, the current Liu Jingzhou, or the new Liu Jingzhou, the current lord, made little difference to the aristocratic families.

The drumbeats around him grew more rapid, making his fingertips tremble and his temples throb.

His throat bobbed, his fists clenched, and his blood seemed to surge. His chest heaved, as if suppressing his inner excitement, yet he couldn't hide his thrill.

Compared to Xuzhou, Jingzhou is like fresh, bloody meat placed before a wolf; even the slightest whiff of blood is enough to make the wolf rush forward without hesitation.

"Among all the soldiers, only the military advisor is truly wise and capable."

The two looked at each other and smiled.
-
Liu Bei secretly led Liu Qi back to Xiangyang, and also brought Zhuge Liang with him on this trip.

Although Xu Shu did not explain the purpose of his trip, the astute Huang Yueying still sensed something unusual. Qiao Wei accompanied her as she took the medicine and tucked her in. "Master Zhuge is wise and insightful. Whatever the purpose of this trip, he will surely be able to protect himself. With Yuanzhi here, the two of them will look after each other, and nothing will happen."

Just two days ago, the army was still arguing fiercely about whether or not to send Qiao Wei away, which angered Zhang Fei so much that he grabbed his spear and charged straight to the armory, almost bringing the spear tip right in front of him.

Qiao Wei immediately fired his arrows, shooting two arrows at the door frame behind him. "If the general takes another step forward, these arrows will be aimed at the general's head. Since we're going to die anyway, if I can die with the general, it will be a worthwhile death."

At that moment, she truly believed she was going to die. Huang Zhong and Guan Yu rushed over and, one pushing and the other pulling, led her out.

After Zhang Fei caused that scene, he suddenly became quiet these past few days.

Qiao Wei also had his own speculations about Liu Bei's strange behavior this time.

If there is no solution to the current predicament, then taking a risky step westward to Xiangyang is a viable way to break the deadlock.

Zhuge Liang had close ties with the Cai family. If Liu Bei were to use Zhuge Liang's influence on the Cai family in Xiangyang, it would be an excellent way to win them over.

Therefore, Huang Yueying also had to stay in Xinye.

Before leaving, Xu Shu also agreed to Zhuge Liang's request to let Qiao Wei stay with Huang Yueying, so that they could look after each other.

Xu Shu naturally responded to Zhuge Liang's every request.

But tonight, just as Qiao Wei stepped out of Huang Yueying's house, a cold light flashed past. Qiao Wei was startled and instinctively dodged. The blade grazed past his ear, severing a lock of hair. Immediately afterward, a strong force came from his arm, directly restraining Qiao Wei's hand as he reached for the Zhennu sword at his waist.

"Please forgive me, Madam!"

By the time Qiao Wei could see who it was, her hands were already tied behind her back, and Zhen Nu had been taken away.

The commotion was quite loud, and Huang Yueying, who had just fallen asleep, was immediately awakened. She got out of bed and stumbled towards Qiao Wei, asking, "Madam? What are you doing?"

Guan Yu had someone stop Huang Yueying, saying, "Madam Huang, please rest well in your room. When Mr. Zhuge left, he specifically instructed us to take good care of Madam Huang."

"Everyone says General Guan is righteous and chivalrous, but I never expected him to lay a hand on a woman who can't even kill a chicken." Qiao Wei understood. Of the three people in the Xinye army who advocated sparing Qiao Wei's life, two had already left, leaving only Huang Zhong, who was unable to contend with Guan Yu.

Guan Yu replied expressionlessly, "Madam is not some weak and helpless woman."

Only by easily dodging his swordsmanship and being able to so quickly draw back the anger from his body to try and counterattack could one not have such a reaction without years of martial arts training.

"I did not want to lay a hand on Madam, but she would not cooperate obediently, so I had no choice but to resort to this tactic."

The soldier stuffed a wooden ball into Qiao Wei's mouth, took him out of the house, and put him directly into a carriage.

Upon receiving the news, Huang Zhong immediately came to stop him, saying, "General Guan, the armory still relies on the Qiao family to manufacture bows and crossbows. Before our lord departs..."

"General Huang, since you took charge of the armory, you have gathered so many famous craftsmen from Nanyang under your command, yet you still claim that the making of a bow and crossbow relies on the hands of a woman. Aren't you ashamed?" Guan Yu mounted his horse. "This is also the lord's will. General Cai's troops are already waiting in Xinye. Please do not disobey military orders, General Huang!"

Qiao Wei was horrified as she listened in the car, so Liu Bei still wanted to give herself to Cai Mao.

If Sun Quan refuses to withdraw his troops when they reach the front lines in Changsha, she will be sacrificed to the flag in Changsha to boost the morale of the Jingzhou army.