Liu Bei’s expression was gloomy and dreadful. His generals remained silent. At that moment, the Nanyang region has four cities and the people there were all alarmed.
“Milord. How about we just ignore them?” Someone suggested only to receive glares for his trouble. The enemy was already at their doorstep and you want to ignore them? It would be a different story if Liu Mang’s men were common troops. That way, Liu Bei could easily vanquish them. Liu Bei could warn his troops to be extra careful if Liu Mang’s troops hid themselves in the mountain. However, Liu Mang’s men were cavalries. On top of that, they had two horses per person much to Liu Bei’s envy. Liu Mang’s cavalry could attack Wancheng in the morning, go elsewhere and then come back at night to attack Wancheng again.
As a result, Liu Mang’s cavalry of three thousand became a huge threat. Wancheng was also lacking in provisions and had to depend on supplies brought from Yuzhou. If this cavalry were to rob those supplies, the Liu Bei’s Army would be forced to go hungry.
“Is there a letter from the Military Advisor?” Liu Bei asked as he missed Pang Tong. He would not have been so irritable if Pang Tong was around.
“The Military Advisor has not yet given a reply.” The one in charge of receiving Pang Tong’s messages replied. How could Pang Tong dare to report in? Zhang Fei was almost killed by Huang She. If this had been reported, Liu Bei may immediately go after Liu Biao. Even if Liu Bei could endure going after Liu Biao, Guan Yu may not.
“For now, close the gates of Jiaxia, Anzhong and Dengshu! Be on guard for Liu Mang’s Army!” Liu Bei ordered.
“Milord! If we close the gates to these three cities, what do we do about our transportation of provisions?” Jian Yong asked. He was not as good in strategy but he was still an expert in management. He had been ordered to move from Yuzhou to Nanyang after Liu Bei occupied the area. The purpose was for him to help manage the Nanyang region.
“Milord. We have obtained thousands of catties of iron from Jingzhou in the past few days. It is enough to make several hundred heavy armor and several thousand swords. If we close the gates, we would not be able to make the transaction!” Another person spoke up causing Liu Bei to frown. This person was Mi Zhu, the older brother of Liu Bei’s wife.
Mi Zhu was considered a very rich person as more than half of the wealth in Xuzhou went to him. The reason why Xuzhou was targeted by Cao Cao was not only because of the death of his father but also because of its wealth. It was similar to why Sun Ce was attracted to Jiangdong. One could easily earn back their expenses for capturing Xuzhou. That was why Xuzhou was necessary to Cao Cao. Liu Bei would not have obtained it if it was not because of Lu Bu. Meanwhile, Mi Zhu have at least half of Xuzhou’s wealth. This showed how rich the Mi Family were.
Mi Zhu could fork out that much wealth even if Lu Bu were to capture Xiapi. It was by handing out three thousand servants as a dowry that helped Liu Bei make a comeback.
Mi Zhu had been Liu Bei’s favored minister during those days but now he was a person that made Liu Bei frown. The reason for this is because Mi Zhu was no longer useful. His wealth had dried up. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu didn’t like the Mi Family because they were merchants. They were of the lowest class in society. Liu Bei would always chide them for it last time. Now, he stopped caring and would even turn a blind eye even if Zhang Fei were to ridicule the Mi Fanily in front of him. The people connecting them together such as Lady Mi had also gone missing along with Mi Zhu’s little brother. If it was not because of Mi Zhu handling trade, he would get even less attention from Liu Bei.
“Zizhong. First, stop trading with Jingzhou!” Liu Bei said while trying to preserve face.
“Understood.” Mi Zhu nodded. He could notice Liu Bei’s cold treatment towards him. After all, he was a merchant. Reading minds through observation was part of his job. However, he was helpless as he was a merchant. What else could he do? He did not have the strength to kill like Zhang Fei or the intelligence and craftiness to plan or scheme like Jian Yong and Pang Tong. All he could do was make money. Liu Bei currently did not have much money. However, he had also given Mi Zhu less capital.
“Alright. That is enough for today.” Liu Bei rubbed his head tiredly. He was bullied when he was a commoner. He was bullied and had to go hungry when he became the Emperor’s uncle in order to save his own life. Now when he had finally obtained territory, people came to his gates and restrained him. Even the patient Liu Bei would start to feel angry.
Since they could not attack the enemy, they might as well close the gates and not meet with the enemy. It is not like the enemy cavalry could siege the city.
Once Liu Bei left, the others slowly dispersed.
Mi Zhu sighed as he watched each of his colleagues leave with another companion. On the other hand, he remained alone. The reason why no one dared to remain with him was because they were too afraid of offending Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Initially, Mi Zhu had his little brother to accompany him but now his little brother was missing.
At this moment, he suddenly heard a voice. “Zizhong. Please slow down. I would not be able to keep up with you.”
Mi Zhu turned around to find Jian Yong.
