Chương 401: Zhang Fei agrees on behalf of Liu Ce, Wei Yan

"But what if the Prince of Yan doesn't think much of us? Wouldn't we be offering our warm welcome only to be rejected?"

"How could I possibly look down on her? Our young lady is a renowned beauty in Jingzhou! She is well-educated, gentle, and virtuous—more than a match for the Prince of Yan!"

After arguing for a long time, everyone looked at Cai Feng, who was in the main seat, waiting for him to make a decision.

Cai Feng pondered for a long time, thinking of Liu Ce's current power, the future of the Cai family, and his daughter's gentle appearance.

Finally, he slammed his fist on the table, setting the tone:

"Do as Wen Gui says! Send your sister to His Highness the Prince of Yan! Whether our Cai family can rise to a higher level depends on this!"

Cai Mao was overjoyed and quickly cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Father is wise!"

..................

At night, the governor's mansion is brightly lit and bustling with activity.

Dozens of lanterns hung in the courtyard, making it as bright as day.

Dozens of tables were set up in the hall, with delicacies from land and sea, fine wines and dishes being served in a continuous stream.

All the prominent and influential families in Jingzhou came.

The Cai family, the Kuai family, the Huang family, the Pang family... each dressed in their finest robes, holding wine cups, and toasting Zhang Liao, Guan Yu, and the others with utmost respect.

After all, these men were all ruthless figures who fought alongside Liu Ce, the Prince of Yan, to conquer the land.

Suppressing the Yellow Turbans, annihilating the Wuhuan, trampling the Xianbei, beheading Dong Zhuo... any one of them is a figure of great renown, who would dare to offend them?

Zhang Liao and his companions didn't put on airs and welcomed everyone who came.

Getting carried away with his drinking, Zhang Fei grabbed a clan patriarch and started boasting, "Back in the day, I followed my elder brother to fight the Yellow Turbans in Zhuojun. Eight hundred Xuanjia Iron Cavalry charged into a hundred thousand Yellow Turbans. You didn't see that scene..."

The clan chief was so frightened that his face turned pale, and he nodded repeatedly, saying, "General, you are mighty! General, you are mighty!"

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere at the banquet became increasingly lively.

Cai Feng gave Cai Mao a wink, and the two of them, carrying wine cups, walked up to Zhang Liao and the others.

Cai Fengxian respectfully raised a cup of wine, then smiled and said:

"General Zhang, generals, I have something I'd like to discuss with you. It's a small token of my Cai family's appreciation for His Highness the Prince of Yan."

Zhang Liao put down his wine cup and said with a smile, "Please speak freely, Lord Cai."

Cai Feng cleared his throat and explained in detail his plan to offer his daughter, Cai Shi, to Liu Ce, the Prince of Yan, as a concubine.

Finally, he added:

"While I would not presume to be a beauty that could topple kingdoms, my daughter is well-educated and reasonable, and of decent appearance. She is willing to serve His Highness Prince Yan, as a token of the Cai family's loyalty to His Highness. I hope that the generals will put in a good word for her before His Highness."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao paused for a moment, then turned to look at Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun beside him.

This happened so suddenly, he needs to think about how to respond.

Zhang Fei ignored all that. He leaned closer, glared at Cai Mao, and asked, "Hey! Tell me, isn't your sister pretty?"

Cai Mao immediately patted his chest and assured him, "General Zhang, rest assured! If my sister were not beautiful, how could our Cai family dare to present her to His Highness the Prince of Yan? She is absolutely a beauty, one in a hundred, without a single exaggeration! Everyone in Xiangyang knows that the eldest daughter of the Cai family is famously gentle and virtuous!"

"Hey! That works!"

Zhang Fei immediately burst into laughter, slapped his thigh, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "I'll take on this on behalf of my elder brother!"

"Great! Those Shen Wansan, Lu Bing, and Cheng Yaojin can find beauties for my brother, so can we! I'll go back and tell my brother, I guarantee he'll be happy!"

Guan Yu looked at Zhang Fei's anxious appearance, couldn't help but stroke his long beard, and smiled helplessly.

He didn't object, after all, this matter would benefit Liu Ce and the stability of Jingzhou.

The Cai family is the most prominent family in Jingzhou. Taking the Cai family under our control is equivalent to securing the position of the prominent families in Jingzhou, saving us a lot of trouble.

Zhao Yun smiled and shook his head, saying nothing, which was taken as tacit approval.

The most interesting one is Liu Yu.

Upon hearing this, he immediately patted his chest and laughed heartily, "This is wonderful! As your uncle, I agree on behalf of my nephew! It's just one more concubine, isn't it? Perfect for continuing to produce offspring for our Liu family! The Cai family is very kind; I'll personally write to Bo Lue later to praise you all!"

Seeing that no one had any objections, Zhang Liao smiled and nodded, then said to Cai Feng, "Since that's the case, then on behalf of my lord, I thank the Cai family in advance. Once we return to Luoyang, I will send someone to escort Miss Cai to Luoyang and personally report to my lord. My lord will certainly remember the Cai family's kindness."

Upon hearing this, Cai Feng and Cai Mao were overjoyed and quickly raised their glasses to toast, finally feeling relieved.

Cai sneered, his eyes narrowing into slits, and said, "Thank you, generals! Thank you, Lord Liu! From now on, the Cai family will do our utmost to serve His Highness the Prince of Yan!"

...

The next morning, Zhang Liao assigned the tasks.

He led 10, 000 troops to stay in Xiangyang, stabilize the prefecture, and handle the daily affairs of Jingzhou.

He needs to sort out the affairs of the prefecture before he can take care of anything else.

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Lü Bu each led 10, 000 troops and split into four routes to go to various counties in Jingzhou to take over the cities, pacify the people, and reorganize the troops.

In Jingzhou, which consisted of seven prefectures, one person was responsible for a large area, and each had their own duties.

The four men accepted the order and set off with their team that very day.

...

Let's start with Guan Yu's journey.

He led his troops to Changsha Commandery, heading south. The counties along the way had already received Liu Yu's orders and opened their gates to welcome him; not a single one dared to stop him.

Guan Yu did not disturb the people, and his army maintained strict discipline. His soldiers did not commit any offenses against the people, who all gave him a thumbs up.

Upon arriving at the foot of Linxiang County, Guan Yu reined in his horse and looked up to survey the city.

Changsha was a major prefecture in Jingzhou, with high city walls and a wide moat. The soldiers on the city towers were lined up neatly, their armor gleaming, clearly a well-trained force.

The general defending the city, clad in full armor and wielding a large sword, stood atop the city wall with sharp eyes, directing his troops with remarkable efficiency and without the slightest sign of panic.

Upon seeing Guan Yu's banner, he calmly ordered the city gates to be opened and personally came out to greet him.

This general was none other than Wei Yan.

He was eight feet tall, with a face like a red date, a broad back and a thick waist, and a pair of bright, piercing eyes.

He became a military commander in Changsha County.

Although his official rank was not high, he was highly skilled in martial arts and was deeply loved by his subordinates.

Wei Yan walked up to Guan Yu's horse, clasped his hands in salute, and said in a loud voice, "This humble general Wei Yan greets General Guan! Changsha County has prepared for the handover; please enter the city, General!"

Guan Yu dismounted, stroked his long beard, and looked Wei Yan up and down.

The young man appeared to be seventeen or eighteen years old, eight feet tall, with a face like a red date, broad shoulders and a thick waist. He carried a large knife in his hand and exuded a heroic and martial aura. Standing there, he had an imposing presence, and I immediately felt a liking for him.

"Wei Yan?" Guan Yu asked, his voice steady and tinged with scrutiny.