Welcome to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms podcast.

This is episode 51.

Last time, Cao Cao and his huge army were on the move toward Jing province.

Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang managed to scorch his vanguard, but with his numerical advantage,

Cao Cao just shrugged off his bloody nose and kept on marching, so Liu Bei took a bunch of

civilians with him and fled.

While that was happening, Liu Cong, the younger son of the now-deceived Liu Biao

surrendered to Cao Cao and handed him Jing province.

Cao Cao summoned Liu Cong for a meeting, but Liu Cong was too afraid to go,

and one of his officers, Wang Wei, advised Liu Cong to launch a surprise attack on Cao Cao instead.

Liu Cong, however, told his uncle, Cai Mao what Wang Wei has said, and Cai Mao, who had been the

one pushing for Liu Cong to surrender, was not about to put up with this.

How dare you go against Heaven's will and speak such nonsense?

He chided Wang Wei angrily.

You traitor, I wish I could eat your flesh!

Wang Wei retorted equally angrily.

Cai Mao was irate and wanted to kill Wang Wei, but the advisor Kui Yue played peacemaker and reminded

Cai Mao that he had to go see Cao Cao. So Cai Mao and his fellow officer Zhang Yun went to

see Cao Cao at the city of Fan Cheng, which lay across the river from Xiangyang, where Liu Cong was

holed up.

There, Cai Mao and Zhang Yun met Cao Cao, and launched into hyper-sug-up mode to get on his good side.

How many troops and provisions does Jing province possess, Cao Cao asked them?

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