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The meeting ended, and the Kuai brothers shaed a carriage on their way back to the Kuai residence.
Kuai Yue was feeling quite pleased with himself. Recalling how Fei Qian had been stunned when he was assigned the task of overseeing arrow production, Kuai Yue couldn't help but chuckle.
Producing 40,000 arrows in a month? Even as a civil official, Kuai Yue knew that was nearly impossible. Even if all the materials were readily available and the craftsmen in Xiangyang worked flawlessly, producing 20,000 arrows—half the required amount—would already be an impressive feat. Asking Fei Qian to produce 40,000 in a month was simply unrealistic...
Now, all they had to do was wait a month—perhaps even less. If Fei Qian was smart, he would resign immediately. Given his status as Cai Yong's disciple, he might escape severe punishment, but his reputation would be ruined. If he stubbornly tried to meet the quota and failed, not only would he lose his position, but he would also be charged with dereliction of duty, making the situation even worse—
No matter how you looked at it, Fei Qian was doomed. Hehe...
Kuai Yue, feeling quite smug, couldn't help but chuckle softly. When he turned to his elder brother, Kuai Liang, he noticed that Kuai Liang looked calm and thoughtful. Kuai Yue couldn't help but ask, "Brother, what are you thinking about?"
Kuai Liang shook his head, then nodded, hesitating slightly as he said, "I feel that your move against Fei Ziyuan this time might have been a bit inappropriate."
"What's inappropriate about it? He's just Cai Yong's disciple. This isn't Heluo. Even if Cai Yong finds out, what can he do?" Kuai Yue said. "Besides, he's been studying under Pang Degong for over a month, and there's been no news of Pang Degong taking him as a disciple. He's probably just another student among the hundreds who have sought Pang Degong's teachings. Are we supposed to tread carefully around every one of them?"
"That may be true, but something feels off," Kuai Liang said. He had sensed something was wrong when Liu Biao didn't immediately respond during the meeting, which was why he had deliberately steered the conversation toward Yuan Shu when Kuai Yue was about to speak.
He had thought the meeting would end there, and they could figure things out later. But then Cai Mao had unexpectedly stepped forward, providing the perfect opportunity...
Kuai Liang felt that the Cai family's cooperation had been too smooth. How could it be such a coincidence that Cai Mao raised this issue at this exact moment? Training archers was important, but was it really so urgent? It was this thought that made Kuai Liang want to stop Kuai Yue, but Kuai Yue had acted too quickly, and he hadn't been able to intervene...
"Could the Cai family have other plans?" Kuai Yue also felt something was off. Cai Mao wasn't usually the scheming type. Unless Cai Feng, the head of the Cai family, had given him specific instructions before the meeting?
What exactly was Cai Mao implying?
What was Cai Feng's true intention?
*****************
The Kuai brothers couldn't figure it out, and neither could Fei Qian.
What was this all about? How did I suddenly get saddled with this mess? I've been studying under Pang Degong every day, minding my own business. The only issue is that I'm occupying the position of Assistant to the Governor. Is it really worth all this?
It's not like I asked for this position—Liu Biao gave it to me. If you have a problem, take it up with Liu Biao. Why come after me?
Although Fei Qian wasn't sure how many arrows the craftsmen in Xiangyang could produce in a month, the way everyone had shrunk back like quails when the task was assigned told him it wasn't going to be easy...
Unfortunately, he had been backed into a corner by Kuai Yue's words. He couldn't very well say, "I just want to collect my salary without doing any work," or "Why don't you reassign someone else to this task and give me an easier one?"
That would be too shameless. He could think it, but he couldn't say it. After all, if word got out, it wouldn't just be his reputation on the line.
No, he had to go see Liu Biao. Liu Biao must have had a hand in this. At the very least, he was complicit.
No matter how eloquently Kuai Yue had spoken, if Liu Biao hadn't given the final approval, this wouldn't have fallen on Fei Qian's shoulders. But in the end, Liu Biao had gone along with it, pushing Fei Qian into the pit. There had to be something fishy going on.
Unfortunately, when Fei Qian rushed to the Governor's residence, he was stopped by Yi Ji, who had been waiting for him. Yi Ji said that Liu Biao had been very busy lately and was already resting. It wouldn't be convenient to disturb him. If Fei Qian had any matters, he could come back in a few days...
A few days?
By then, it would be too late!
But judging by the situation, Liu Biao was determined not to see him and wasn't going to give him a chance to back out. Fei Qian had no choice but to reluctantly bid Yi Ji farewell.
Just as Fei Qian turned to leave, Yi Ji grabbed his sleeve, almost causing him to stumble.
Yi Ji quickly apologized and then said in a low voice, "This matter... the Governor is also in a difficult position. After all, the Kuai family is very influential... So he had no choice but to go along with it. But don't worry, Ziyuan. We'll make sure you have all the materials and craftsmen you need. There won't be any delays..."
What exactly was the meaning of this?
First, was Yi Ji saying that Liu Biao was also a victim? That the Kuai family was the real culprit? That this was all the Kuai family's idea, and there was no point in confronting Liu Biao?
Second, the mention of the Kuai family's "influence"—was Yi Ji hinting that Fei Qian should seek help from someone even more influential, like Pang Degong? And for Pang Degong to step in, it would likely mean compromising with Liu Biao and agreeing to serve under him...
Finally, Yi Ji's assurance that Fei Qian could "rest assured" wasn't really about comfort. It was a warning not to try anything with the materials or craftsmen. Those aspects would be "fully provided," and Fei Qian wouldn't be able to use them as excuses. If there were any "delays," it would be Fei Qian's fault, not Liu Biao's...
So this was Liu Biao's plan all along!
Fei Qian really wanted to curse—'You motherf-'
But now that he was already on the chopping block, getting angry at Yi Ji wouldn't help. After all, Yi Ji was just Liu Biao's mouthpiece, and losing his temper would only make him look bad. So Fei Qian had no choice but to grit his teeth, thank Yi Ji, and leave the Governor's residence.
As soon as he stepped out, Fei Qian noticed someone waving at him from a distance. When he looked closer, he saw it was Cai He.
Cai He from the Cai family? Was he here on behalf of Cai Mao? What did he want to say?
"General Cai, what brings you here?"
"Ah, Assistant Fei, you're too kind. I'm just a captain, hahaha..." Cai He smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries before saying meaningfully, "...My general is worried that you might misunderstand, so he sent me to clarify that our Cai family has no intention of making things difficult for you... The military scribe is also from our Cai family. If you need anything... just let us know... Haha, farewell, farewell..."
After saying a few cryptic words, Cai He left.
What exactly was Cai He trying to say?
Could it be...