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Although there had been some minor friction between them before, through the marriage alliances of the Cai and Huang families, Fei Qian and Liu Biao had inadvertently formed a connection. While this connection was not particularly solid, in most circumstances it still inspired more trust than what one could expect from ordinary acquaintances.
This situation was much like the small family-run businesses of later generations, where a minor financial officer might actually be the chairman's sister-in-law, or perhaps a mistress or some other figure with a certain relationship to the family. In any case, with those kinds of connections in place, even if the parties involved did not trust each other one hundred percent, there were still certain matters that could be entrusted with peace of mind.
The attitude displayed by the Kuai family left Liu Biao feeling somewhat displeased.
What appeared to be a prudent suggestion was in reality only beneficial to the Kuai family, and it was not a good thing for either Liu Biao or the Cai clan.
This was because, for the Kuai clan alone, it did not really matter who took control of Xiangyang, so long as the Kuai family's properties and interests in Nan Commandery were preserved. The surname of the lord of Jingxiang was ultimately not important to them.
But if Xiangyang were lost, for Liu Biao it would mean losing his position as the Inspector of Jing Province, and that was absolutely unacceptable under any circumstances.
The same held true for the Cai clan. They had already grown so close to Liu Biao that if another person were to take over, would that new lord possibly allow the Cai family to continue entrenched in Xiangyang?
Liu Biao was currently campaigning in southern Jing Province. Most of the commanders under his command had been dispatched to the various commanderies in the southern part of Jing Province to suppress opposition and carry out military operations. If he were to withdraw and recall those troops now, it would not only mean throwing away all previous efforts, but it would also represent a devastating blow to Liu Biao's reputation and prestige.
At the same time, if he could not settle the matter in one decisive stroke, even if there were opportunities in the future to attack southern Jing Province again, it would be far more difficult than it was now. Therefore, in his desperation, the only option—and the best option—was to seek out Fei Qian.
After all, the eight hundred cavalrymen under Fei Qian's command were all veterans, and Fei Qian himself was a man with genuine experience in leading troops. This point was of critical importance.
The city of Xiangyang was not actually lacking in soldiers. The problem was that there was no suitable commander to lead them.
If Cai Feng had been a dozen or so years younger, going into battle would not have been a problem, but his age was what it was, and even mounting a galloping horse had become somewhat difficult for him.
As for Liu Biao, he could compose poetry, write rhapsodies, conduct himself with grace and diplomacy, and manage political affairs with balance and skill without any issue. But truly asking him to command troops on the battlefield was rather forcing him to do something beyond his abilities.
Commanding troops is absolutely not like clicking a mouse on a screen in later generations, where units automatically move and attack on their own. It involves too many aspects—mountains, flatlands, forests, watersides, when to attack, what routes to take, which positions to strike, and how to respond when the enemy dispatches certain types of forces.
A so-called famous general is simply someone who, when given the same troops and the same disposition, somehow always manages not to lose no matter what.
Fei Qian was not a famous general, and he knew that he might not necessarily become one, but during his time in Bing Province he had at least learned something about military formations and troop maneuvering. At the very least, he would not panic the moment he took the field, nor would he issue mistaken commands.
Moreover, on this occasion, Fei Qian had no intention of directly confronting Sun Jian head-on. The Fierce Tiger of Jiangdong was not someone to be trifled with. Although Fei Qian possessed eight hundred Bing Province cavalry, which was a considerable fighting force for Jingxiang, a region lacking in cavalry, Fei Qian did not intend to expend these eight hundred cavalrymen in a frontal attrition battle.
Setting an ambush would always be the best way to resolve the problem of an enemy's military momentum.
But the key question was where to set the ambush and how to arrange it.
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Sun Jian sat inside the main camp, feeling rather vexed. Although he had defeated Huang Zu, the victory had not truly secured the overall situation, and Deng County could not be taken in a short period of time.
Actually, it was not entirely impossible to take the county. It was simply that if he lost too many troops in attacking Deng County, it would effectively mean losing the opportunity to assault Xiangyang.
Right now, what Sun Jian relied upon were the soldiers he had brought out from his home region—men who had fought against Dong Zhuo's forces head-on and had seen blood on the battlefield. These veteran troops were the core of his strength. If he suffered too many casualties among them, it would be equivalent to cutting off his own arms, and his fighting power and lethality would drop dramatically.
Therefore, grinding away at Huang Zu and throwing men into Deng County as cannon fodder was the worst possible strategy. Only by seizing the chance to strike directly at Xiangyang and eliminating Liu Biao could the outcome be decided in one decisive move.
And the opportunity existed only at this moment. Liu Biao's forces were numerous, but far too dispersed. That was the opening he could exploit. If he waited until Liu Biao had gathered his troops together, any hope of attacking Xiangyang would become exceedingly slim.
But now he was stuck here. If he abandoned Deng County and charged toward Xiangyang, he would have to worry about his rear being cut off. If he remained here, he would effectively be giving Liu Biao more time to prepare and assemble his forces.
Just as Sun Jian was caught in this dilemma and fretting over what to do, a scout suddenly came galloping at full speed from outside the camp. There was a long arrow embedded in his body, and he appeared to have several other wounds as well, blood streaming down in a gruesome display.
By the time he reached the camp, the scout could no longer hold on, and with a thud he tumbled from his horse.
The soldiers at the gate of Sun Jian's main camp were thrown into a brief state of alarm. A duty officer immediately ordered the gate opened and had the scout helped inside.
By this point, the scout's face had already turned deathly pale from excessive blood loss, but he was still forcing himself to hold on to his last breath.
The duty officer did not dare delay. Seeing that the situation was critical, he did not even attempt to treat the wounds first, but directly carried the scout into Sun Jian's command tent.
The scout managed to give a brief report before he could no longer hold on. His head tilted to the side, and he died.
Sun Jian sighed and ordered the scout's body to be taken away.
With his hands clasped behind his back, Sun Jian paced two circles inside the command tent, his expression grim as still water.
Scouts, by tradition, were always light cavalrymen who were agile, bold yet careful, and experienced in their craft. Normally, scouts operated in units of five. Once a situation was discovered, two would detach and ride off directly, while three would remain behind to cover the retreat.
But now, only one had made it back to Sun Jian, and he was on the verge of death.
One thousand infantry, roughly one hundred cavalry, and the commander bore the surname Huang.
The enemy force approaching was not large in number, but it was clearly not easy to deal with.
Who could this be?
Regardless of who it was, this force of that size was obviously not the main army. It seemed more like reinforcements being sent to support Huang Zu at Deng County.
At that thought, Sun Jian's eyes darted left and right. He raised his voice and commanded, "Beat the drums! Summon the officers!"
Before long, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Han Dang entered the command tent.
Sun Jian said in a deep voice, "Liu Biao of Xiangyang has dispatched one thousand troops to reinforce Huang Zu. They are now fifteen li away!"
All three were startled for a moment, then immediately rose to their feet and in unison requested permission to engage the enemy.
Sun Jian waved his hand and said, "I will personally lead the troops in this battle. Do not be hasty—wait until I have finished speaking. I will go with Yigong to defeat them, while Demou and Gongfu will remain here to guard against Huang Zu in the city. After I have killed this relief force, I will take their banners and flags and disguise my men as Liu Biao's troops to launch a surprise attack on the enemy camp. Demou, Gongfu, you two should know what to do then, yes?"
Cheng Pu and Huang Gai exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter. They said in unison, "At that time, we will certainly appear utterly defeated and in disarray, and once we lure Huang Zu in the city into opening the gates—hehehe..."
Sun Jian also smiled. He abruptly rose to his feet and said in a low, forceful voice, "Then Demou and Gongfu will proceed according to plan. Yigong, follow me to muster the troops and move out!"
Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Han Dang also stood, cupped their fists, and shouted, "We obey the military order!"
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On the walls of Deng County, Huang Zu watched as Sun Jian's camp outside the city erupted into a flurry of activity. It seemed that the banner with the character "Sun" was leading a body of troops southward. He could not help but mutter to himself—could it be that reinforcements had come from Xiangyang?
Should he also make some preparations?
But he had no idea who was leading the troops, nor whether they could defeat that bastard Sun Jian.