Cunning Three Kingdoms

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Just as Fei Qian returned to Lushan, Kuai Yue of the Kuai family, the initiator of the arrow-making incident, found himself in an awkward position. Sitting before his elder brother Kuai Liang, he lowered his head, unsure of what to say.

Kuai Liang looked at Kuai Yue and eventually shook his head without saying a word.

This time, Kuai Yue had indeed been careless.

Originally, they had thought Fei Qian was just an ordinary student who came to study under Pang Degong under the name of Cai Yong's disciple. Although Fei Qian held the position of Biejia under Liu Biao, he had never been assigned any significant tasks or responsibilities. Over time, it became clear that Fei Qian's position was merely a nominal one.

From this, Kuai Yue deduced that Liu Biao didn't pay much attention to Fei Qian either, likely only giving him the position out of respect for Cai Yong or Pang Degong. Thus, Kuai Yue boldly sent a signal to Liu Biao to test Fei Qian's standing.

However, they hadn't expected that Fei Qian, who seemed like a small stone floating on the surface of the water, would turn out to have a massive presence hidden beneath. Pang Tong of the Pang family had stepped forward and taken Fei Qian to the Huang family, who, without hesitation, agreed to help Fei Qian with the arrow-making project!

Although the Kuai family didn't know the exact reason behind this, the current situation clearly indicated that there was something about Fei Qian that they had overlooked—something significant enough to make both the Pang and Huang families support him.

Kuai Liang slowly spoke, "Let's drop this matter..." Fortunately, the Kuai family hadn't dug themselves too deep into this hole, and the situation could still be salvaged. A formal apology might smooth things over on the surface, though it would come at the cost of their pride.

However, Kuai Yue was unwilling to let the Kuai family's rising momentum in Xiangyang be thwarted so easily. After all, the Kuai family had just managed to secure half of the political power in Xiangyang, and it was hard to accept that their progress would be halted by an insignificant figure like Fei Qian.

Kuai Yue's eyes flickered as he said to Kuai Liang, "There's still a chance. If we cut off the materials..."

Kuai Yue was thinking of a plan to pull the rug out from under Fei Qian by causing a shortage of the materials he needed. Without the necessary materials, Fei Qian would naturally fail to meet the target.

There were many ways to cause a material shortage, but such actions would be more conspicuous and would inevitably involve other parties...

Kuai Liang pondered for a while but ultimately shook his head. Unlike Kuai Yue, who preferred taking risks, Kuai Liang was always cautious when it came to matters with uncertain outcomes.

"Brother!" Kuai Yue tried to persuade him again, but seeing that Kuai Liang remained unmoved, he could only sigh and accept the outcome.

***************

Liu Biao, too, was caught off guard by the current situation.

Originally, he had intended to use the Kuai family to pressure Fei Qian, who had been slippery and insufficiently respectful toward him, while also expressing mild dissatisfaction with Pang Degong's repeated refusals to cooperate. In Liu Biao's initial plan, Fei Qian would undoubtedly fail to complete the task and would then turn to Pang Degong for help. Pang Degong, even if unwilling to take an official position, would at least write a letter of recommendation. Liu Biao would then mediate, demote Fei Qian but not punish him, and the matter would be settled.

However, he hadn't expected that the Pang and Huang families would join forces to help Fei Qian. This not only surprised Liu Biao but also made him uneasy. Could Fei Qian actually be a representative of the Pang and Huang families?

If that were the case, not only could Liu Biao not touch Fei Qian, but he would also have to be careful about Fei Qian using this opportunity to interfere in Xiangyang's political arena. After all, the influence of the Pang and Huang families in Jingxiang was not to be underestimated.

Moreover, if Fei Qian were to truly get involved, the delicate political balance that Liu Biao had maintained would be disrupted. The stable three-party dynamic between the Cai family, the Kuai family, and Liu Biao would turn into a four or even five-way struggle, which would be nothing short of a new disaster for Liu Biao.

What a headache!

He would need to find an opportunity to sound out Fei Qian's intentions...

But before that, the Kuai family would likely be the first to suffer. Hmph...

He would wait and see how things unfolded. If necessary, he could always send Fei Qian away to a remote post. Nanyang might be a good option...

***************

In the grand hall of the Cai family's estate in Caizhou, the spacious room was eerily empty. The servants had been sent far away, leaving only the head of the Cai family, Cai Feng, and his son Cai Mao.

Cai Feng sat as still as a mountain, his eyes closed, deep in thought.

Cai Mao sat quietly beside him, knowing that his father disliked being disturbed while pondering important matters, so he remained silent.

After a long while, Cai Feng finally opened his eyes and said in a deep voice, "What is discussed today must not leave this room."

"Understood. I will strictly follow your orders, Father," Cai Mao replied solemnly, aware of the gravity of the situation.

"Fei Qian, courtesy name Ziyuan, has been taught the "Six Secret Teachings" by Pang Degong!" Cai Feng's words, though spoken softly, struck Cai Mao like a thunderbolt.

"What?!" Cai Mao nearly stood up in shock but quickly composed himself after a sharp glance from his father. Still, he found it hard to believe...

After all, the "Six Secret Teachings" was one of the classic texts that the Pang family used to establish their foothold in Jingxiang. It was widely known among the major families of the region. They had always assumed that such an important text would only be passed down to members of the Pang family. The fact that an outsider like Fei Qian had been granted access to it was astonishing.

The reason why aristocratic families were considered aristocratic, compared to commoners or even lower-class families, was precisely because of the knowledge and teachings passed down within their households. In the eyes of those in the know, Pang Degong's actions were tantamount to acknowledging Fei Qian as a disciple in all but name—and a highly ranked one at that.

This was why Cai Feng had seized the opportunity presented by the Kuai family's rash actions against Fei Qian to try and curry favor with him. After all, offering help in times of need was far more valuable than offering it when it was no longer needed. However, the Huang family had unexpectedly intervened, ruining Cai Feng's plans and making it seem as though the Cai family had colluded with the Kuai family to target Fei Qian. As a result, Cai Feng had personally gone to Lushan to explain the situation to Pang Degong.

The Pang family's roots in Jingxiang ran deep, and it was best not to provoke them unnecessarily. This was one of the reasons why the Cai family had maintained good relations with the Pang family over the years.

"Cai Mao..." Cai Feng called out.

"Yes, Father. What are your instructions?"

"The daughter of the Zhi family at the front entrance of Caizhou—she's quite beautiful, around sixteen years old, isn't she?" Cai Feng suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question.

Although Cai Mao didn't understand his father's intentions, he thought for a moment and confirmed it.

"In that case, go and ask if she would be willing to be adopted into our main family..."

"Father, are you suggesting..."

"I've heard that Fei Qian, courtesy name Ziyuan, is still unmarried. Although she would be an adopted daughter, she comes from a branch of the He Luo Fei family, so it would be a suitable match."

Cai Mao understood. His father wanted to form a marriage alliance with Fei Qian, thereby tying him to the Cai family's interests. It was a brilliant idea, and Cai Mao quickly went to carry out the order.

As Cai Mao left, Cai Feng sighed. If only he had taken more concubines and had more daughters, he wouldn't be facing a shortage of strategic resources at such a critical moment...

The Cai family only had two daughters—one married to Huang Chengyan and the other to Liu Biao. Cai Feng lamented the lack of "strategic reserves" when they were most needed.