After hearing the Capital Chief's explanation, Gongsun Zan immediately understood and, without hesitation, allotted half of his soldiers to Liu Bei, indicating his willingness to let Liu Bei take charge. He had urgent matters to attend to back home and had no choice but to leave, entrusting the entire campaign against Dong Zhuo to Liu Bei.
Gongsun Zan bid farewell to Yuan Shao after assigning a portion of his troops to Liu Bei, and with his five thousand White Horse Righteous Followers, he hastened back to Youzhou. He was determined to make the Hu People understand that plundering would only lead to death!
Similarly, upon hearing the news, Dong Zhuo, following Li Ru's advice, appointed Gongsun Zan as the General of the North, which conveniently curtailed Liu Yu. However, he didn't recall Liu Yu back to Luoyang, likely hoping to use Liu Yu's reputation to trip up Gongsun Zan. Moreover, since the army and government were distinct, there were many opportunities to sow discord, especially when military affairs overshadowed political ones, with covert activities proving to be even more destructive than overt sabotage.
Liu Bei, now in command of eight thousand infantry and cavalry, was much more confident. It must be said that the Youzhou soldiers, who had seen blood and fought the Hu People in the Northern Frontier, were far superior to the conscripted laborers from the Central Plains Land.
When Gongsun Zan hurriedly left, he left all of the infantry behind, while only a thousand of the elite White Horse Righteous Followers stayed with Liu Bei, serving primarily as a show of force. After all, in the Northern Frontier, it was the cavalry that mainly strangled the Hu People, and every extra rider applied more pressure.
"General Gongsun left, huh? He really acts swiftly and decisively," Chen Xi remarked with a sigh. The departure was so quick that he hadn't even woken up, and no one had bothered to wake him. At least he should have seen off such a generous benefactor, a rare sight in later generations.
With Gongsun Zan gone and entrusting his authority to Liu Bei, Liu Bei, who already had some say, suddenly found his voice greatly amplified, and, most importantly, his own power had increased.
In the days that followed, under Yuan Shao's command, the Coalition Army continuously attacked Hulao Pass, but despite Yann Liang and Wen Chou's efforts, they failed to seize it. Even with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei joining forces, they couldn't make a dent. Xu Rong calmly held off the five hundred thousand Coalition Army, demonstrating that personal martial force sometimes cannot resolve a battle, though one may be able to defeat tens of thousands alone...
"Zichuan, how long do you think it will take for us to capture Hulao Pass?" Liu Bei asked as he stared distantly at Hulao Pass.
"Unless Xu Rong leaves, Hulao won't fall. The man over there stands the best chance of becoming a top general under Dong Zhuo, and he seems to possess some special techniques," Chen Xi said helplessly. Xu Rong was very strong; after all, historically he had knocked down Cao Cao one-on-one. With just the fervor of the Coalition Army, it was genuinely difficult to defeat Xu Rong, who had the advantage of terrain.
"Ah, it's a pity for such a good general," Li Bei lamented, his fondness for talented individuals awakening once again, to which Chen Xi could only roll his eyes.
"But don't worry, he will soon be called to the rear. Our offensive will eventually force Dong Zhuo to come and sit at Hulao himself, and this time, Lord Xuande will witness the greatest military general in the world," Chen Xi said as he looked towards Xu Rong standing beneath the gate tower. He could feel that the coordination of Xu Rong's soldiers was far superior to that of the Coalition Army, so much so that even an expert like Lord Guan could be surrounded by a dozen elite soldiers and then targeted by dozens of arrows, even sustaining some injuries because of it.
[Alas, as generals grow stronger, so do their soldiers. The importance of battle formations and order is increasingly magnified. Once scattered, a top general like Lord Guan might be able to rout an enemy force of over ten thousand, but if the enemy's formations, order, and commanding generals are superb, even he could perish in the midst of a few hundred soldiers' encirclement!]
Chen Xi looked towards Hulao Pass while organizing the information he had recently acquired. In this world, the strength of formations and troop alignments was amplified, as was the impact of military leaders. Used wisely, a single general leading a mere hundred men could rout an army of ten thousand.
"Ah, the title of 'the world's top general' is such a lofty one. Anyone who dares claim it would certainly invite endless trouble. I'm quite interested to see how Dong Zhuo's 'top general' manages to command respect," Liu Bei shook his head. He had always been curious about the title Chen Xi would often mention, but he neither affirmed nor denied it. It's not that he, Liu Bei, was unworldly, but Guan and Zhang were indeed so formidable as to be frightening. Despite that, neither Guan Yu nor Zhang Fei felt confident claiming the title of the best in the world.
"Just wait a little longer, and Lord Xuande will understand soon. By the way, has General Hua recovered from his injuries?" Chen Xi changed the subject. He no longer wanted to waste energy on the title of the world's top general. Lyu Bu's strength was undoubtedly immense; at least currently, even Guan and Zhang together could not take him down.
"General Hua has been beaten by my younger brother again. Right now, he's probably still lying in the rear camp," Liu Bei shook his head as he took up Chen Xi's conversational thread, not mentioning the top general any further. His patience with Chen Xi was vast.
"Beaten again..." Chen Xi said speechlessly.
Hua Xiong had regained consciousness, and he held no ill will for being defeated by Guan Yu. That celestial, godlike strike was still fresh in his memory. But defeat was defeat. Upon waking, Hua Xiong had no intention of surrendering. In his words, Dong Zhuo had shown him kindness; if death was his fate, so be it. As for Dong Zhuo's misdeeds, those were Dong Zhuo's issues. Whether he remained loyal or not was his own affair. If execution was the order, then so be it!
Jeez, during their conversation, Guan Yu, who had volunteered to persuade Hua Xiong to surrender, nearly got beaten to death. Already not very articulate, Guan Yu was so angered his face turned red.
Since words had failed to persuade Hua Xiong, Guan Yu felt that he should use his preferred method of persuasion. Might makes right, and Guan Yu decided to persuade Hua Xiong with his fists...
If it was about persuasion, the highly empathetic Guan Yu naturally unshackled Hua Xiong. After the two exchanged ferocious blows, Hua Xiong was knocked down. However, through this exchange, Hua Xiong realized that the man who had bested him with three strikes did not seem that much stronger than himself.
In Hua Xiong's perception, the force he had faced on the battlefield had been utterly irresistible, but now, even though the force he faced was still strong, it clearly felt resistible.
Given that, Hua Xiong naturally attributed his previous defeat to his own carelessness and to Guan Yu's surprise attack. He was even less convinced and thus was continuously 'persuaded' by Guan Yu's fists.
But clearly, no matter how many times Guan Yu beat him, Hua Xiong stubbornly resisted, gritting his teeth and insisting on enduring the fight with Guan Yu.
By now, Guan Yu had come to completely acknowledge the stalwart man from Guanzi. His loyalty alone was enough for Guan Yu to recognize him. Blind loyalty, especially when pledged to a dishonorable cause, could easily endear one to loyal and righteous men like Guan Yu. Thus, even though Hua Xiong never surrendered, Guan Yu treated him with fine wine and dishes, continuing with the physical 'persuasion' day after day.