Chapter 358: Strategies of the Court and Schemes of the Lords

After Liu Bei departed, Chen Xi finished assigning tasks to everyone and then focused on calming down Chen Lan and Fan Jian, reassuring them so that they wouldn’t worry too much about the upcoming war.

“What are you doing, Kongming?” Chen Xi frowned as he saw the mess Zhuge Liang had made in his study.

“Studying the current situation of the world,” Zhuge Liang replied without looking up. “I want to demonstrate my capabilities.”

“Oh?” Chen Xi curiously glanced at the scattered documents and intelligence reports on the desk. “Why go through all this information about Cao Mengde’s past? You should be analyzing the battle in Xu Province.”

“I’ve studied Cao Mengde thoroughly. He has one virtue—he values talent. I consider myself a capable strategist, and I’m still young. What I’m going to do now is show Cao Cao how brilliant I am and then make it clear that we are sworn enemies. I want him to regret this for the rest of his life,” Zhuge Liang said, his eyes flashing with determination. Although he couldn’t participate in the battlefield at Xu Province, he intended to deliver a heavy blow to Cao Cao’s heart through his words.

“Xu Province... Lord Xuande has already gone there. He will stop Cao Mengde, so don’t worry. Let me help you with this,” Chen Xi said, patting Zhuge Liang on the shoulder.

“You want to join in?” Zhuge Liang was surprised. “The things I write will undoubtedly be seen by Cao Mengde’s strategists. Your thinking is always unconventional—aren’t you worried...?”

“It doesn’t matter. When we truly rise to power, nothing will be able to stop us. My focus is on the people—their food, their prosperity, their protection from epidemics. The deaths in battle are always the minority; starvation and disease claim far more lives,” Chen Xi said calmly.

“I see. So, when you generously invited all the lords into our lands, you were actually hoping they would learn about our agricultural practices and disease prevention methods,” Zhuge Liang quickly understood.

“Yes. It’s about preserving the vitality of the Central Plains. Even if a million people die in battle, it’s nothing compared to the devastation of an epidemic sweeping through multiple provinces. I’m just trying to do my best and leave the rest to fate,” Chen Xi sighed. “I’ll help you write the letter.”

“Alright. Take a look and see if there are any issues with what I’ve written so far,” Zhuge Liang said, handing over a sharp, biting letter that expressed his hatred for Cao Cao while also showcasing his wisdom.

“It’s very good. We’ll have it delivered through Cai Zhaoji’s hands. I heard from Li Wenru that she has severed ties with Cao Mengde,” Chen Xi sighed, realizing that the way Zhuge Liang had written it left little room to insert anything about agriculture or disease prevention.

“Why is Cao Mengde acting this way? Based on his previous behavior, this doesn’t seem like something he would do,” Zhuge Liang, despite his hatred for Cao Cao, couldn’t help but be puzzled by the man’s actions.

“He lost control. Once the slaughter started, he couldn’t stop it. Of course, local opportunists likely took advantage of the situation, but the initial spark definitely came from Cao Mengde. He’s killed the most, so don’t dwell on it—he’s no longer on the same path as us,” Chen Xi sighed. After this massacre, Cao Cao’s temperament would be quite different from before.

“Feel free to use anything in the study. Chen Yun will clean it up later,” Chen Xi said with a sigh. He had once admired Cao Cao, but no amount of admiration could cover up the atrocities he had committed.

After leaving the study, Chen Xi explained the situation to Fan Jian and Chen Lan. Both women were somewhat unwilling to accept it; after all, their marriage was still fresh, and now he had to go to war so soon.

“Alright, don’t make such faces. While I’m away, try to console Cai Zhaoji and make sure she doesn’t do anything rash,” Chen Xi sighed. This incident had hit people like Cai Yan and Gu Yong, who were both righteous and had personal ties to Cao Cao, particularly hard.

“I understand,” Fan Jian replied, though she was clearly not pleased.

“Don’t be so petty. You’ll need Cai Zhaoji’s help in teaching our future daughters the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. There aren’t many women better suited for that than her,” Chen Xi explained helplessly.

“Hmph, why would we want daughters? What’s wrong with having sons?” Fan Jian retorted unhappily.

“Actually, daughters are quite nice too,” Chen Lan said softly from the side. Though she was also a wife, she always felt overshadowed by Fan Jian and had no desire to compete with her.

Chen Xi sighed, realizing that it might be better to wait a couple of years. Given Fan Jian’s current state, raising a child would probably feel more like playing with a toy.

For the next few days, Chen Xi busied himself with gathering the supplies he needed. Meanwhile, Cai Yan’s letter, along with two books on epidemic prevention and agricultural practices, was sent to Cao Cao.

After Li You left that day, Chen Xi had someone deliver the books under his name to Cai Yan. After she packed the books and the letter in a paper bag and sent them off, Cai Yan felt much better. Li You’s thoughtful gesture had given her a sense of warmth, reminiscent of the days when her father was still alive.

“Oh, what brings the two of you here?” Chen Xi asked curiously when he saw Jia Xu and Fa Zheng appear in the outer courtyard of his home.

“We have some answers,” Jia Xu replied, tossing a packet of documents to Chen Xi. “Take a look.”

Chen Xi quickly scanned the contents and was shocked. He turned to Jia Xu. “Are you sure this isn’t a joke? Why would Tao Gongzu think like this? Haven’t we always had a good relationship with Xu Province?”

“Think about it, Zichuan. Tao Gongzu is a lord, after all, and our good relationship with him had its reasons,” Jia Xu replied with a bitter smile. “Likewise, his suggestion to hand Xu Province over to Cao Mengde also had its reasons! This time, Cao Mengde made a foolish move! If he had just communicated with Tao Qianzhu, he could have obtained Xu Province without bloodshed. Instead, his moment of rage has turned the world upside down. I’m sure Tao Gongzu himself can’t understand why Cao Cao would slaughter Xu Province like this!”