Chapter 33: Liu Biao of Jingzhou

Jingzhou, Xiangyang.

At this time, Liu Biao was already an old man. Furthermore, he had recently developed a severe abscess on his back, which made him suffer unbearably with every change in weather. Now, the authority over Jingzhou was almost entirely in the hands of the Cai family.

The head of the Cai family, Cai Mao, served as the Grand Commander of the Jingzhou navy and was also Liu Biao's brother-in-law. In recent days, Liu Biao's ailment had flared up again, leaving him incapable of attending to the affairs of Jingzhou. Thus, all matters, great and small, were decided by Cai Mao and Zhang Yun. Military affairs fell under Cai Mao's jurisdiction, while civil matters were managed by Zhang Yun.

Zhang Yun was also related to Liu Biao—he was Liu Biao's nephew—while Cai Mao, as mentioned, was his brother-in-law. From this, it was clear that Liu Biao favored his own kin over capable men.

Within the government office, chaos reigned. News had reached Jingzhou that the Cao army had taken Xiling County, captured Huang Zu, and slain Huang She. Although Jiangxia was Huang Zu's territory, he was nominally a vassal of Liu Biao, so Jingzhou was compelled to adopt a stance on the matter.

At this moment, the court was embroiled in a heated debate. Generals such as Wei Yan, Huang Zhong, and Wen Pin believed they could not stand idly by; they argued for sending troops to rescue Jiangxia. "If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold"—once the Cao army took all of Jiangxia, Jingzhou itself would be in imminent danger.

The practical-minded ministers, like Kuai Yue and Kuai Liang, supported the generals' views. However, their support was futile, for none of them wielded real power. The actual authority rested with Cai Mao and Zhang Yun, and only with their approval could any troops be dispatched.

Yet, both Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were cowards. To their minds, the Cao army was attacking Jiangxia, not Jingzhou. Why should they make enemies of Cao Cao for the sake of Jiangxia and Huang Zu? Cao Cao's power had grown too formidable; among all the warlords under heaven, only Yuan Shao could rival him. Jingzhou could not afford to antagonize Cao Cao!

"Send troops? And how are we to do that?"

"Dispatching troops requires arms and provisions—these cannot be gathered at a moment's notice," Cai Mao flatly rejected the proposal to send reinforcements.

Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were of one mind. As soon as Cai Mao spoke up, Zhang Yun immediately chimed in, "Warfare demands resources! The state treasury is not full enough at present; we simply can't afford a campaign! Let's wait—once this year's harvest comes in, then it won't be too late to send troops." Zhang Yun smiled slyly, trying to gloss over the issue.

Wait until the harvest? By then, the grass growing on Huang Zu's grave would be a yard high! And as for the claim that the treasury was insufficient, that was pure nonsense. Jingzhou was a land of plenty, with abundant harvests year after year. Moreover, the wars among the warlords had not touched Jingzhou, so the granaries were overflowing. The truth was simply that Zhang Yun and Cai Mao had no desire to fight.

After hearing their excuses, the practical-minded generals—Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, Wen Pin, Li Yan—were all fuming with rage, but there was nothing they could do. In Jingzhou, capable men went unused, while incompetents like Cai Mao and Zhang Yun held sway.

Hot-tempered Li Yan was about to leap up and argue with Cai Mao and Zhang Yun, but Kuai Yue grabbed his arm, signaling him to stay calm. Kuai Yue knew that arguing would be pointless; Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were dead set against sending troops. Only Liu Biao could override them.

With that thought, Kuai Yue cast a glance at Liu Qi, Liu Biao's eldest son, hinting that he should summon his father to take charge.

Liu Biao had three sons: the eldest, Liu Qi; the second, Liu Cong; and the youngest, Liu Xiu. Liu Xiu was so insignificant that he was hardly considered. Only Liu Qi and Liu Cong were contenders to succeed their father.

By custom, the eldest should inherit, not the most capable. Since ancient times, bypassing the firstborn in favor of another was a road to disaster, for there can only be one eldest, but there are countless capable men.

However, the son of Cai Mao's elder sister was Liu Cong, the second son, so the Cai family supported Liu Cong. Moreover, Liu Biao was a soft-hearted man, easily influenced. With Lady Cai often whispering in his ear, he had indeed begun to entertain thoughts of disinheriting Liu Qi in favor of the younger Liu Cong.

Thus, Liu Qi could only seek solace in alliances with men like Kuai Yue and Kuai Liang. Understanding Kuai Yue's signal, Liu Qi quietly slipped away while the factions were at odds, intending to find his father and seek his decision.

Liu Qi wanted to seize this opportunity to send troops and annex Jiangxia, which would be a notable accomplishment. Although Jiangxia was nominally part of the nine prefectures of Jing and Xiang, Huang Zu had always ruled it as his personal fief. It was a stroke of luck that, as Liu Qi arrived to see his father, Liu Biao had just awakened and was feeling much better.

"Father, you're awake!"

"Perfect timing. There's something I must discuss with you. Outside, Master Kuai Yue, General Li Yan, Zhang Yun, and Cai Mao are nearly at each other's throats," Liu Qi reported to his father.

"Oh?" Liu Biao asked in surprise. "What has happened?"

In recent days, Liu Biao had been so tormented by his illness that he hadn't attended to any state affairs.

"Father, it's like this: Cao Cao has sent forces to seize Jiangxia. They've already taken Xiling County and captured Huang Zu alive. If we do nothing, the Cao army will take all thirteen counties of Jiangxia in a matter of days." He paused, then continued, "This is how I see it: if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. If we ignore Jiangxia, Cao Cao will surely set his sights on the nine prefectures of Jing and Xiang in the future. In my opinion, it would be better to send troops now and take Jiangxia ourselves, thus truly incorporating it into our domains."

Liu Biao nodded repeatedly at his son's words, finding them sensible. He was acutely aware of Cao Cao's ambitions. For years, he had maintained secret ties with Yuan Shao, seeking to check Cao Cao's expansion. Yet, as he grew older, Liu Biao became ever more timid—he feared Cao Cao's designs on his lands, but did not dare directly oppose him. Thus, while he maintained clandestine relations with Yuan Shao, he had not dared to form an overt alliance.

"My son speaks wisely! Cao Cao claims to serve the Han as chancellor, but in truth, he is a traitor of immense ambition. We cannot allow him to take Jiangxia. Otherwise, with a tiger lying right at our bedside, how can Jing and Xiang live in peace?" Liu Biao's reasoning was sound.

In truth, Liu Biao was satisfied with his eldest son Liu Qi. Unfortunately, Liu Qi's mother had died young and her family wielded no influence. Now, the great families of Cai and Zhang in Jingzhou all supported the second son, Liu Cong, which left Liu Biao in a difficult position.