Chương 400: The journey south went smoothly, and the Cai family held discussions.

Zhang Liao quickly dismounted and bowed respectfully to Liu Yu, saying, "Lord Liu, you are too kind! We have come to take over Jingzhou on the orders of our lord, and we will need your guidance in the future. Our lord specifically instructed us to treat you well, as you are an elder."

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Lü Bu all dismounted and bowed.

Guan Yu clasped his hands and said, "Lord Liu's righteousness is admirable."

Zhang Fei grinned and said, "Lord Liu, my elder brother said you're a good man and that we should take good care of you!"

Zhao Yun cupped his hands and said, "My lord is truly wise and righteous; I admire him greatly."

Lü Bu also clasped his hands in greeting and said a few words, showing great respect to this member of the Han imperial family who was wholeheartedly devoted to the Han dynasty.

Liu Yu was a little embarrassed by their praise and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "What's there to advise? My skills are nothing compared to those of you fierce generals who fought alongside the Prince of Yan. And what's this talk of high-mindedness or low-mindedness? It's all the Liu family's business, it's what we should do! Come, come, come into the city quickly, I've arranged accommodations for you!"

...

That afternoon, the handover was completed perfectly.

Liu Yu brought out all the household registration books, government treasury ledgers, and military deployment maps of Jingzhou.

The household registration books filled an entire desk, the government treasury ledgers were stacked half a person high, and the military deployment map hung on an entire wall.

He explained everything clearly, without holding anything back.

"This is the household registration of the seven counties of Jingzhou. It shows the total number of households and people. Go back and check it carefully."

Liu Yu pointed to the household register and then opened the account book.

"This is the grain, money, and military equipment stored in the treasury. I had it counted three times, and the numbers all match. This is the troop deployment in each prefecture. I have marked where the garrison is strong and where it is weak."

Looking at the clear figures in the ledger, Zhang Liao admired Liu even more. This Liu was truly selfless and had no selfish motives whatsoever.

If it were an ordinary person, after managing Jingzhou for so many years, would they be willing to hand it over so easily?

After the handover was completed, Liu Yu immediately gave orders with a smile: "Hold a banquet at the governor's mansion tonight! I want to treat these generals well! Invite all the prominent families of Jingzhou, so they can get to know the generals under the Prince of Yan! From now on, we're all family, so we need to get acquainted first!"

Zhang Liao smiled and agreed, but he knew in his heart that Liu Yu was using the banquet as an opportunity to introduce the powerful families of Jingzhou to them, so as to facilitate their future governance.

This old man truly treated Jingzhou as his own home and Liu Ce as his own family, always thinking of their best interests.

...

In Xiangyang City, at the Cai family mansion, the council hall was brightly lit, and the core members of the Cai family were arguing as loudly as if they were in a market.

They had just received an invitation to a banquet from the governor's mansion, but no one was in the mood to think about the meal. Their minds were filled with thoughts of the arrival of Liu Ce, the Prince of Yan, in Xiangyang, and what would become of the Cai family.

The Cai family had been operating in Jingzhou for decades and was one of the most prominent and powerful families in the region. They owned countless fields, shops, and had numerous protégés and former officials.

But now things have changed. A new master has arrived, and they need to make a decision quickly.

Cai Feng, the head of the Cai family, who was seated in the main seat, tapped the table to quell the commotion and said in a deep voice, "Stop arguing! Will arguing lead to any solutions? The Prince of Yan's army has already reached Xiangyang, and Jingzhou will soon belong to the Liu family. Our Cai family has been operating in Jingzhou for so many years; we must decide which path to take today!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a young clansman stood up and shouted urgently, "Patriarch! This Liu Ce is not someone to be trifled with! I heard that in Luoyang, he confiscated the property of all the powerful clans who followed Dong Zhuo in committing evil deeds! Even Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, whose families had held high office for four generations, were imprisoned in some kind of Gongdelin Prison! He has never been kind to us powerful families, so we must be careful!"

Another clansman chimed in, "That's right! In the various prefectures and counties controlled by Liu Ce, most of the powerful and wealthy families have been raided. Several top-tier families, such as the Yuan family of Runan, have also been raided. Those who committed the most heinous crimes have been beheaded, and the rest have been imprisoned in the Gongdelin Prison. I heard that prison is worse than being in jail!"

Another clansman chimed in, "Some people say that Liu Ce hates us aristocratic families the most for annexing land and oppressing the people. Our Cai family has so much land and so many properties in Jingzhou; if he investigates, we're finished! Even the Yuan family of Runan had their property confiscated; what are we, the Cai family, compared to them?"

"What's there to be afraid of!" someone else shouted defiantly.

"Our Cai family has been operating in Jingzhou for decades, with disciples and former officials everywhere. We also have the Huang family of Jiangxia and the Kuai family allied with us. No matter how good Liu Ce is at fighting, what can he do to us on our own turf? At worst, we'll fight him to the death!"

"Fight? What are you going to fight with?" A young man next to him sneered and rolled his eyes.

This man was Cai Mao, Cai Feng's son, whose courtesy name was Wen Gui. Among the younger generation in Jingzhou, he was considered quite intelligent.

He glanced at the clansman, his tone laced with sarcasm, and said, "The Prince of Yan controls the entire land of China, with hundreds of thousands of troops. He even wiped out Dong Zhuo and the warlords of Guandong. Our meager resources aren't even enough to fill their teeth! Fight? That's suicide!"

The tribesmen who had just been shouting that they were going to fight instantly deflated, shrank their necks, and remained silent.

The hall fell silent again, everyone looking worried and unsure of what to do.

Some people were rubbing their hands, some were sighing, and some were staring blankly at the ceiling.

Cai Mao looked at everyone, took a step forward, and cupped his hands to Cai Feng, saying, "Father, I have an idea that will guarantee the safety of our Cai family and allow us to rise to even greater heights."

Cai Feng's eyes lit up.

"Oh? What idea? Tell me quickly!"

"It's simple, a marriage alliance," Cai Mao said with a smile.

"We're in the same boat as His Highness Prince Yan! Haven't you heard? The Zhen family in Hebei and the Mi family in Xuzhou both married their daughters to His Highness Prince Yan. Now, following Prince Yan, their businesses are booming all over the world, their families are incredibly powerful, and no one dares to touch them. Why can't our Cai family follow suit?"

He paused, then continued, "My elder sister, Lady Cai, is exceptionally beautiful and well-educated. She would be a perfect match for His Highness the Prince of Yan as a concubine. Once His Highness takes my sister, our Cai family will be bound to the Prince of Yan. Not only will no one dare to touch us, but our position in Jingzhou will only become more secure! This is the most foolproof plan!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the hall.

"A marriage alliance? That's a great idea! By latching onto the Prince of Yan, we'll never have to worry about anything again!"

"But is Miss willing? This is a life-changing event; we can't let her suffer..."

"What's there to be aggrieved about? Who is the Prince of Yan? The most powerful man in the world! Marrying the Prince of Yan is a stroke of good fortune!"

"Why wouldn't she want to? Prince Yan is a hero of the land; countless noble families would love to send their daughters there but can't get one! It's a blessing for our young lady to be able to enter Prince Yan's residence!"