Chen Xi nearly spat out his tea when he received the report from Jingzhou; Lyu Bu’s destructive power was simply too formidable. Didn’t history record that after joining Yuan Shu, he had helped stabilize Nanyang County for him?
Soon after, he ran off to Yuan Shao to help Yuan Shao completely destroy the Black Mountain Army, then freed up Yuan Shao to utterly crush Gongsun Zan.
Then, fearing Yuan Shao would annihilate him, he fled to Wang Kuang, and it wasn’t long before he was enticed by Chen Gong and Zhang Miao to make a move against Cao Cao. How could he be acting so wildly this time?
Now, he was directly attacking Xiangyang, was Yuan Shu really defying the heavens? Jingzhou’s richest areas were reduced to just Jiangling and Jiangxia, and Yuan Shu had commanded Sun Ce and Ji Ling to race horses in the north of the Yangtze, pursuing Liu Biao the whole way. The situation wasn’t much different from when Cao Cao chased Liu Bei, except perhaps Liu Biao still had some capacity to fight back.
"Is this situation not a complete mess?" Chen Xi was going crazy. If Yuan Shu truly devoured Nanyang, South Commandery, and Jiangxia to the north of the Yangtze, that would be the end. The Yuan Family’s power would surely be enough to make all the Aristocratic Families of Yangzhou surrender unanimously; those opportunists had not an ounce of integrity!
Chen Xi could guarantee that if such a scenario occurred, even the Lu Family, which currently maintained good relations with Mount Tai, would fall toward Yuan Shu because by that time Yuan Shu’s advantage would be too evident. If he held a third of the world in his hands, the Yuan Family’s connections would be enough to make the majority bow down—the fight would no longer be necessary, but rather, it would be about leveraging their connections to conquer! Once the Yuan Family, with its heritage of Four Generations Three Dukes, displayed absolute dominance, numerous Aristocratic Families would be eager to offer their allegiance!
"Damn it, can’t there be peace for a few days?" Chen Xi angrily slammed the intelligence report on the table. You had no choice but to fight in this situation; you had to keep the situation within your grasp.
If Yuan Shu truly defeated Liu Biao beneath Jiangling, the Yuan Family would have the prestige and enough interest to mobilize all their connections, and able officials and military generals would certainly flock to their cause, driven by the Aristocratic Families behind them.
If Yuan Shu got hold of a third of the world now, before the Aristocratic Families Under Heaven had placed their bets and withdrawn, the game would be over—too many Aristocratic Families would follow the Yuan Family’s lead!
For someone of Chen Xi’s caliber, a Monarch’s indulgence in luxury was hardly a problem; after all, no matter how luxurious, how much can a single person really spend? A billion coins would more than suffice. As long as your subordinates are capable, and you, as the Monarch, dare to delegate authority, holding the world in your hands is no fantasy!
Based on Chen Xi’s understanding of Yuan Shu, the man was the type who wouldn’t question those he trusted. The fact that Yuan Shu entrusted all his soldiers to Ji Ling wasn’t a sign of courage or trust—it was purely because he was a fool who never considered what might happen if Ji Ling were to rebel.
Thus, you must understand, if Yuan Shu really teamed up with a ruthless character like Zhuge Liang and found they saw eye to eye, especially with such a significant advantage, it might well be possible for Yuan Shu to take the world!
Chen Xi could vouch that apart from Xun Yu, Xun You, and Xun Zhan, the Xun Family definitely had hidden figures, and likewise, other Aristocratic Families had their own hidden cards. Even the family of the Local Tyrant Li Dian hid someone like Li Jin, who had bested Lyu Bu. Other families surely had unplayed cards—perhaps they weren’t great, but they definitely weren’t worthless.
With this development, Yuan Shu truly gathered public support, and even if he went mad, the strategists and military generals who flocked to him because of fame and power were not ones you could easily defeat. With the connections of top aristocratic clans bound by absolute interests, Chen Xi didn’t even want to imagine the extent of the power that could be unleashed!
"Fight then. This time, Tao Gongzu shouldn’t think about leveraging others; we can only rely on ourselves. It’s a cross-province campaign now, but hopefully, Tao Gongzu will give us face and not force us to turn hostile," Chen Xi said with a bitter expression, resting against the chair. He had to resort to military action before his own internal affairs were developed, but there was no choice, Yuan Gonglu had to be contained.
Chen Xi’s expression was bitter. This was clearly a typical case of losing control. As Yuan Shu’s invisible ally, Liu Bei had no choice but to personally step in to contain Yuan Shu. As for Tao Qian, who supported both Yuan Shu and Liu Bei, it was wrong to support either this time.
"Plans cannot keep up with changes. Fa Xiaozhi has sent over the analysis of the intelligence, Cao Mengde’s target is Lub Kingdom. However, given the current situation, Cao Mengde certainly won’t go after Lub Kingdom unless he’s foolish; he needs us to share the pressure now," Lub Su said with a wry smile, recognizing that this time Cao Mengde intended to drag everyone down with him!
"The strategists under Cao Mengde are not simple at all. Their first move turned the tables. Xun Wenruo and others are indeed naturally gifted!" Liu Ye had nothing else to say about the current situation. The tables had been turned.
"Sigh, we can only follow the script they have laid out for now. It’s really well done, frying in fiery oil, covered in fresh flowers – it’s ultimately the most dangerous moment. Yuan Gonglu, holding the power to rise overnight and possibly control the lands of three, even four prefectures, has made us all genuinely feel this threat. Whether we like it or not, we must first suppress Yuan Gonglu!" Chen Xi looked up to the sky and sighed deeply. The favorable situation they previously had was completely ruined by Cao Mengde’s subordinates. Their victory in chaos was indeed not to be underestimated.
Chen Xi also felt helpless. When Yuan Gonglu’s forces broke through Xiangyang, he knew whether one was willing or not, the script written by Xun Yu and others was already set. If others didn’t want disaster to fall upon them, they’d have to follow the script they arranged. They would certainly lead the charge, and if you didn’t join, Cao Cao alone surely couldn’t win against Yuan Gonglu. Wait until Yuan Gonglu’s forces spanned three or even four prefectures, then you can cry!
Frustration – that was what Chen Zichuan felt. He had been playing others in the palm of his hand all along the way, but this time someone forcefully dragged him into the mess.
"Fight then. Yuan Gonglu’s current strength simply isn’t something Cao Mengde can handle alone, even with the addition of Zhang Ya, Liu Zhengli, Yan Baihu, Chen Gongwei, Wang Jingxing – they are not enough. We must take action now. Unfortunately, Tao Gongzu is getting old," Chen Xi said reluctantly, realizing the need to quickly resolve Yuan Shu. Once the aristocratic clans began to waver, the situation could turn sour at any moment!
"Before we make our move, we also can’t let Cao Mengde have it easy!" Liu Ye indignantly said, clearly frustrated with Cao Cao’s way of coercing everyone.
"Probably Xun Wenruo and the others calculated this all along. There’s nothing left to lose in Yanzhou; they’ve relocated the population to Chenliu under the guise of tuntian. Forget it, let them be. This time we admit defeat, there will no longer be a Technique Alliance among the world!" Chen Xi gestured, indicating Liu Ye need not be so upset, "Prepare to attack Yuan Shu. Since we’ve already made our move, let’s not hold back. Yuan Gonglu and us were never on the same side!"
This time, Xun Wenruo and the others had eradicated all hidden dangers. From the moment Liu Bei took action, Tao Qian was merely an observer, and Gongsun Zan was too busy to care, the world’s strongest alliance, which had the wealthiest lands, the largest population, and the most formidable cavalry, was thus shattered! (To be continued. If you work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian ). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)