Chen Xi scratched his head as he looked at the intelligence in his hands, Yuan Shu’s move seemed to be a strategic relocation, rather than a failure.
"Zijian, see if there is anything else worth taking in Runan; if so, move it out quickly," Chen Xi set down the intelligence, knowing that Yuan Shu’s return was unlikely to pose a threat to conquering Pingyu.
"Everything worth moving has been moved, and what could be transported has been sent back by Meng Kang— we’ve emptied Runan of its resources," Hua Xiong said with great pride, as this affair had allowed him to skim quite a bit for himself, and his soldiers had all gained an extra two catties of flesh.
"Then let’s send a letter to Yuan Shu, just to save face for both parties," Chen Xi said indifferently, feeling little pressure from Yuan Shu. If Yuan Shu had taken Jiangling and not been blocked by people like Chen Xi, Liu Ye, and Cao Cao, the whole world might now fear him, but as things stood, a direct confrontation would surely not end in Yuan Shu’s favor.
Meanwhile, Cao Cao, who was in Yingchuan with all his generals gathered, finally felt at ease upon receiving the latest news about Yuan Shu, as he could now implement the last step of his strategy to disrupt the Central Plains.
"My lord, can we rest easy now?" Xi Zhong asked with a smile.
"Without the combined efforts of everyone here, where would I, Cao Mengde, be today in this land of abundance?" Cao Cao laughed boisterously, but did not forget to acknowledge the key strategists who had been aiding him with their plans.
"My lord should quickly deploy troops from Wancheng, take advantage of Yuan Shu’s current panic. Once Wancheng is secured, we’ll have half of Nanyang’s rich territory, giving us the capital to sweep across the land!" Cheng Yu suggested, stroking his beard.
"Good, I will mobilize the troops immediately and march on Wancheng. Once it’s secured, Nanyang County will be split into north and south! The land north close to Yingchuan will become ours, but…" Cao Cao, being in his thirties and at the stage of establishing his career, had always acted decisively and swiftly.
"My lord may simply focus on taking Nanyang, for Zhong Yao is a member of the aristocratic families of Yingchuan," Chen Qun, a recent addition to the circle of strategists, said with a reassuring smile.
Yingchuan truly belonged to the Xun Family and Chen Family. With Chen Qun leaning towards Cao Cao, and with Xun Yu and Xun You also on Cao Cao’s side, the three merely had to slightly harness the power of the Yingchuan aristocracy, and all of Yingchuan fell into Cao Cao’s hands. The reason for this was that officials in Yingchuan all had unclear relationships with these two families.
Cao Cao looked unnaturally at Xun Yu, who sat nearby and nodded gently. Cao Cao, with his clear-headedness, instantly understood the entire plan.
If one were to look at the map, the territory under Cao Cao’s control was not contiguous. However, Chen Qun’s words were a strong hint to Cao Cao, suggesting that Zhong Yao was exerting constant efforts in Chang’an. He was even leveraging the court officials, always ready to find an opportunity to bring Emperor Liu Xie out, and then to give Cao Cao, who would be nearest, a justifiable reason to get involved with the Zhang Yang territory and enter the Yongzhou Commandery to support the king!
Since Sili had been devastated by Dong Zhuo’s calamity, it was now sparsely populated. However, Cao Mengde, who had taken Yanu, assimilated hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turbans, devoured Nanyang, integrated Yingchuan, was just the opposite!
The most important thing was that, with Liu Bei’s stronghold in the formidable pass and fortified city, for Cao Cao, proper defense was the only path forward. One must know that in the plains of Yanzhou, Cao Mengde was almost not capable of defeating Liu Bei. Moreover, without cavalry, Cao Mengde’s occupation of Yanzhou in itself was stretching his battle lines, turning an already challenging situation worse. Just as Chen Xi had said before, when necessary, even Zang Ba leading a mere three thousand cavalry could ride through Yanzhou and utterly humiliate Cao Mengde.
It was precisely because of this that Xun Yu was not optimistic about the situation in Yanzhou. However, life must go on regardless of his outlook. Xun Yu continuously assessed the balance of power between the two sides until he finally found a path forward—certain insignificant areas of Yanzhou could act as a buffer zone with Liu Bei. After relocating the population, a few hundred miles of uninhabited territory would pose a significant challenge to any aggressor!
As for where the relocated population would live, Xun Yu had already thought of a countermeasure—developing Sili! This had been Xun Yu’s intention from early on. The land in Sili was not bad, and the entire region had almost been demolished in war. Likewise, the noble families of the entire region had all lost their ability to defend themselves. Such a place was most suitable for land grants!
Xun Yu also set his sights on the elite troops left over by Dong Zhuo—the Xiliang Iron Cavalry. Despite the constant warfare in Sili which had turned these Xiliang Iron Cavalry into unruly soldiers, no longer fighting earnestly and mainly engaging in deceitful tactics, they were veterans who had truly seen bloodshed. If they could absorb the entire Xiliang Iron Cavalry, then after a bit of training, they would be powerful enough to challenge any feudal lord in the world!
Furthermore, Xun Yu had something he had yet to mention—that Mount Tai’s development was too rapid. A feudal lord without a solid foundation had grown to a point that demanded attention from all under the heavens. Therefore, Xun Yu had always been wary of Liu Bei and even instinctively felt that, in the end, it might be Liu Bei contesting the world with Cao Mengde!
With these considerations, Xun Yu naturally made plans well ahead. The war plunder that was originally scheduled a few years after stabilizing Yanzhou had to be started sooner. Also, the consideration for Sili and the Xiliang Iron Cavalry, which had been planned for three years later, had to be advanced to the current time. Although taking action so early was somewhat risky, it was better than being annihilated by others one day. By following this path, at least there was a glimmer of hope for unifying the land.
In truth, Xun Yu was very aware that he was somewhat hasty. Now that Cao Cao had taken all places in Yanzhou except for Mount Tai, and captured Yingchuan in Yuzhou, as well as annexing half of Nanyang, if he could completely assimilate these regions and control a population of over five million, situated in the heartland of the Central Plains and lacking neither wise officials nor valiant generals, with abundant provisions and supplies, Cao Cao was already qualified to challenge any feudal lord, including Yuan Shao. There was no need for such haste.
"Wen Ruo, are you ill?" Cao Mengde asked worriedly. His governance was smooth and well-regarded, all thanks to the refined Xun Wenruo. If Xun Yu encountered any trouble, the entire occupied area plus the homeland might descend into chaos.
"I am grateful for my lord’s concern, I am fine. I was just lost in deep thought about some matters," Xun Yu shook his head, not revealing what he was pondering, and failed to notice the faint smirk at the corner of Chen Qun’s mouth beside him.
Chen Qun had not originally intended to reveal himself so early. He had wanted to travel extensively and observe the feudal lords of the world up close. However, after Chen Xi’s eradication of a million Yellow Turbans and his menacing approach towards Jizhou, forcibly seizing Nanpi, the Chen family was greatly shocked. Under such circumstances, Chen Qun could no longer maintain his arrogance.
Upon seeing Chen Xi’s military achievements, Chen Qun understood why Chen Xi had acted that way before. It was because he and Chen Xi shared the same pride. And upon seeing that intelligence, Chen Qun considered Chen Xi to be on the same level as himself, so Chen Xi had every right to be arrogant!
It was a time of chaos, and chaos had its own rules. During this era, an aristocratic family member no longer relied solely on lineage to determine their status, but rather on a pure contest of strength. Whether a concubine’s child, branch family, or collateral branch, anyone with hereditary lineage had the right to assume the head of the family!
Chen Qun had no intention of relinquishing what belonged to him. Even if he did not care much for the position of the family head, Chen Zichuan wanted to strip away his, Chen Changwen’s, leadership, then bring it on—let’s see who between you and me is stronger! (To be continued. If you work, please visit Qidian ) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)