Chen Xi didnât have much to say about Liu Beiâs division of labor, but he was puzzled by the fact that Liu Bei seemed ready to mobilize troops. The new year had just passed, and winter wasnât over yet. Was Liu Bei planning to act before the spring planting season?
He glanced at the group of advisors and noticed that, except for Jia Xu, who was sitting with his head lowered like a meek wife, the others appeared deep in thought. Chen Xi couldnât help but furrow his brow.
"Dare I ask, Lord Xuande, are we planning to wage war in winter?" Lu Su hesitated before speaking, shivering slightly. Despite the passage of time, Lu Su still couldnât tolerate the cold. Ironically, his talent was related to cold attributesâhow unfortunate!
"Yes, Iâve decided to eliminate the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou before the spring planting begins. Delaying any longer might bring complications, and we currently have enough resources to support an army of fifty thousand in winter combat," Liu Bei explained, glancing at Chen Xi. Seeing Chen Xi deep in thought, Liu Bei felt reassured. As long as Chen Xi didnât outright refuse, it meant that Taishan had the necessary resources.
"Why the rush, Lord Xuande?" Chen Xi asked with a bitter smile. He had indeed prepared a substantial amount of supplies, so launching a winter campaign wouldnât be a significant problemâbut it did feel wasteful.
"Wenhe," Liu Bei said with a wry smile, directly calling out Jia Xu.
"According to reports from Xuzhou, Cao Caoâs father, Cao Song, has been killed. As of now, Tao Qianzhu in Xuzhou likely hasnât received the news, nor has Cao Cao. But within ten days at most, both will learn of it," Jia Xu explained with a bitter smile.
Jia Xuâs intelligence was the first to arrive among the three factions, but even then, it was still late by over half a month since Cao Songâs death. After all, Cao Song had died in a region that bordered both Yuzhouâs Lu State and Xuzhou.
Ever since Liu Beiâs campaign in Yuzhou last year, they had taken Lu State. When Yuan Shu returned, Liu Bei had withdrawn his forces and didnât occupy the territory, as it would have required a substantial garrison. Yuan Shu, realizing the area couldnât be defended, also didnât bother retaking it. As a result, it had become a no-manâs land.
Cao Cao didnât occupy it, Liu Bei didnât manage it, Tao Qian couldnât even manage his own territory, and Yuan Shu was preoccupied with relocating his base. This created an area where no one held authority.
With Cao Song dead in that area, Tao Qian had no information, and Cao Cao simply assumed his father was taking longer than expectedânever suspecting that something had gone wrong on the journey. Only Liu Beiâs faction, after noticing the undercurrents in Xuzhou, specifically investigated and discovered that Cao Song had been murdered.
Jia Xu hadnât originally planned to report this, but Liu Bei happened to visit Jia Xuâs office and saw the intelligence report. Liu Bei immediately broke into a cold sweat. Knowing how he would react in Cao Caoâs shoes, Liu Bei realized that this matter would not end well for either Cao Cao or Tao Qian. Eventually, Tao Qian would seek his help, and having received so many favors from Tao Qian in the past, Liu Bei knew he couldnât refuse.
Liu Bei considered Cao Caoâs formidable combat prowess. If Cao Cao, fueled by rage over his fatherâs death, went all out, Liu Bei would need to deploy nearly all his forces to stop him.
Liu Bei was no genius, but he was an excellent judge of character. In almost no time, he deduced that Tao Qian would appoint Cao Bao as a general. Liu Bei had only one comment on Cao Bao: "He truly lives up to his name."
And so, without further ado, Liu Bei decided not to let Tao Qianâs plight derail Chen Xiâs carefully planned strategy. The precision of Chen Xiâs strategy had left Liu Bei in aweâmaking it clear that even a single misstep could unravel everything, leading to irrevocable consequences.
Abandoning the current situation for Tao Qianâs sake was out of the question, but leaving Tao Qian to fend for himself? Liu Bei couldnât bring himself to do that either. He had relied on Tao Qianâs resources during the toughest times. Now that they were self-sufficient, kicking him aside didnât sit right with Liu Bei.
After much deliberation, Liu Bei reviewed Chen Xiâs strategic reserves and compared the inventory carefully. He ultimately concluded that if they moved swiftly, they could resolve the situation in Qingzhou before rushing to Xuzhou to aid Tao Qian.
"So, it has come to this," Chen Xi muttered, rubbing his temples. "This really is troublesome. But, Lord Xuande, you can put the Qingzhou campaign on hold. Cao Mengde wonât wait until spring to take action. As soon as he hears the news, heâll move immediately."
"You mean Cao Mengde will launch an all-out assault without hesitation?" Liu Bei asked, shocked. "How is that possible? Itâs winter. He doesnât have enough supplies to outfit his soldiers for such harsh conditions. Even if heâs driven by revenge, he still needs to consider his troopsâ well-being. They wonât be effective in battle."
"Well, how should I put it? Lord Xuande, wait ten days and youâll see. Even if we plan to attack Qingzhou, thereâs no need to rush. If necessary, we can issue an ultimatum, then sweep through Qingzhou with thirty thousand cavalry, relocate the Yellow Turbans from the east to the west, and establish agricultural colonies in the east," Chen Xi replied, finding it difficult to explain fully.
When Chen Xi mentioned sweeping through Qingzhou, there was an unmistakable killing intent in his words. They had planned for Qingzhou for a long time, and in an emergency, they could achieve results within a month. Although this method would result in more casualties and less popular support, it would be quick. However, Chen Xi would only resort to such forceful measures as a last resort.
"Ten days? Very well, weâll wait ten days. If Cao Mengde attacks Xuzhou, weâll put the Qingzhou campaign on hold and resume it once the situation in Xuzhou is resolved," Liu Bei agreed after some thought. "Wenhe, please keep a close eye on the situation in Xuzhou and Yanzhou. Report any changes immediately."
"Understood," Jia Xu replied, rising to his feet and bowing.
"Lord Xuande, do we have any information from Xuzhou regarding the identity of those involved in Cao Songâs murder? Are there any rumors about who ordered it or who might be connected?" Chen Xi asked as he stood up.
"Wenhe," Liu Bei said, signaling Jia Xu to answer.
"According to our intelligence from Taishan, Zhang Kai, who killed Cao Song, is currently heading south and hasnât encountered any resistance along the way. This suggests that the perpetrators are indeed from within Xuzhou, likely locals," Jia Xu explained, making his meaning clear.
"A classic case of using a borrowed knife to kill, while achieving multiple goals," Guo Jia sneered. "I didnât expect there to be such a brilliant mind in Xuzhou."
"Chen Yuanlong?" Liu Ye frowned, thinking of Chen Deng, who had previously tipped them off. He couldnât help but speak his name.
"Itâs likely not him, but he wonât be able to wash his hands of it. Regardless of who wins or loses this battle, Tao Qianzhu will lose power," Fa Zheng said with a mocking tone. "When that happens, whoever takes power will need to heavily rely on the Chen family of Xuzhou, which is a far cry from the current situation where Tao Qianzhu distrusts them."