In short, if Li You ever goes to dig up those things, he might be blinded by the radiance. He might even start doubting whether he was the one who buried them in the first place.
Meanwhile, Chen Xi was leading Zhuge Liang, commanding troops to build a new city in Linyi, Yanzhou. At this stage, they had no choice but to speed up construction.
Chen Xi wasnât foolish. After seizing the territory from Yuan Shao, the conflict between Yuan Shao and Liu Bei had been brought to the forefront. The decisive battle for control of the north was already in its final countdown. Both sides could clash at any moment, sparking a war that would determine the fate of the land.
âKongming, go with Ziyi to select the able-bodied men from the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans. Theyâve had more than half a month to rest, and those with injuries should have recovered by now. Select the strong ones to form military colonies and begin cultivating the land.â Chen Xi estimated the construction timeline and then turned to Zhuge Liang. Honestly, by now, Zhuge Liang had learned everything Chen Xi could teach him, and there was no need for him to continue following Chen Xi around.
âYes,â Zhuge Liang replied with a respectful bow. âIâll go find Shuzhi. The construction of Linyi should be supervised by Shuzhi. You, Zichuan, should maintain your principle of not involving yourself in matters that arenât your responsibility.â
âAlright, stop joking. Iâm just here to check the progress and meet with Zhang Yan,â Chen Xi said with a smile.
If it werenât for the fact that Chen Lan was coming here, Chen Xi wouldnât have bothered with the construction in Linyi. As for meeting Zhang Yan, it was merely to have a look at the Yellow Turban leader who had managed to survive and make a name for himself in history.
âMany among the lower ranks of the Yellow Turbans are unruly, but the top leadersâwhether itâs the two in Qingzhou or this oneâare all men of integrity,â Zhuge Liang remarked, his tone filled with admiration. He had initially suspected that the situation with the great leader of the Qingzhou Yellow Turbans might have been a setup, but after several similar occurrences, even Zhuge Liang had to believe it.
âThose who stand up for righteousness often come from humble backgrounds. They arenât accustomed to weighing the consequences of their actions,â Chen Xi sighed.
As they spoke, Zhang Yan and Wang Xiu appeared before Chen Xi. Zhang Yan had surrendered, demonstrated his loyalty, and proved his capabilities. Given the circumstances, Zhang Yan had been given the title of a miscellaneous colonel, though it was uncertain whether the position would be officially approved. In theory, there shouldnât be any problems.
What Chen Xi didnât know was that the issue wasnât about whether it would be approvedâit was that imperial orders couldnât even leave Sili. Fan Chou and Guo Si were already in a standoff with Cao Cao and Liu Ye, while Zhang Ji and Yang Feng had already been defeated in the previous battle.
When Zhang Ji had faced Liu Ye earlier, they had exchanged only a few blows before discussing old times, as Zhang Ji and Hua Xiong were old acquaintances. Neither side had much animosity, and Liu Yeâs purpose was more about posturing, as coming to the aid of the emperor was a statement in itself. Therefore, Liu Ye was in no hurry and was content to drag things out, aiming to strengthen his claim to legitimacy. Thus, the conflict on Zhang Jiâs side was tepid at best.
The issue was that Zhang Jiâs health was failing. One day, his old ailments flared up, so he sent a message to Hua Xiong, gifting him a thousand elite Xiliang cavalry as a token of goodwill.
When he departed, Zhang Ji didnât dismantle his camp or take any supplies, leaving everything behind. He simply led his troops back to Changâan. With the Zhengguo Canal in hand, Sili and Guanzhong were not short of grain.
At Zhang Jiâs stage in life, he wasnât living for himself but entirely for his nephew. During Dong Zhuoâs reign, his schemes with Jia Xu were all for Zhang Xiuâs sake. Even earlier, he had urged Zhang Xiu to go all out for his future. Now, even when making peace with Hua Xiong, he was thinking of Zhang Xiuâs well-being.
Although Zhang Ji knew that the situation in Guanzhong was favorable, he always felt a sense of uneaseânamely, that they lacked a truly capable strategist. Even though Zhong Yao was intelligent, Zhang Ji felt it wasnât enough, as Zhong Yao wasnât fully aligned with them. In Zhang Jiâs mind, a true ally was someone who had committed wrongdoing alongside him!
Hua Xiong was loyal, and he and Zhang Ji were comrades-in-arms, having shared hardships together. Thus, Zhang Ji could trust Hua Xiong.
This was why Zhang Ji, upon learning that Hua Xiongâs personal guards had been wiped out, sent his own elite guards to Hua Xiong. He firmly believed that if he were to die one day, leaving his nephew without support, Hua Xiong would step in to help. And now that Hua Xiong was doing well under Liu Bei, he could provide protection for Zhang Xiu.
Although Zhang Ji understood that with Li Jue and others around, it was unlikely that Zhang Xiu would be left without support, he still made this choice out of caution.
Liu Ye, being astute, quickly deduced Zhang Jiâs intentions but didnât speak out. He saw this as a great opportunity. Zhang Xiu was no weakling; even though Liu Ye couldnât see it himself, Hua Xiong had praised Zhang Xiu, saying he far surpassed many others.
After Zhang Jiâs withdrawal, Yang Feng quickly found himself in deep trouble. Cao Cao, a master of warfare, seized the moment when Zhang Jiâs retreat destabilized Yang Fengâs defenses, launching a surprise attack that dealt Yang Feng a crushing defeat. By the time Yang Feng stabilized his position, Cao Cao had already sent envoys to persuade Xu Huang to defect, securing a decisive victory.
Without Xu Huang, Yang Feng was unable to resist further and barely escaped with his life, though he lost most of his forces. Xu Huang, on the other hand, had been recruited by Cao Cao.
After Yang Feng and Zhang Ji retreated to Changâan, Fan Chou and Guo Si immediately mobilized their troops to block Cao Cao and Liu Yeâs advancing armies. However, unlike Zhang Ji, Fan Chou wasnât as amiable. He had no ties with Hua Xiong and went straight to battle.
Meanwhile, Guo Siâs confrontation with Cao Cao was fierce, but Fan Chou, remembering old ties, wasnât as ruthless in his approach. Guo Si didnât mind this, much like how Li Jue had brought ginseng to visit Zhang Ji, even though it was Zhang Jiâs retreat that had led to Yang Fengâs collapse. Yang Feng, on the other hand, was harshly reprimanded.
The Xiliang troops may not have understood much, but they knew who was on their side. Uniting allies and suppressing enemies was key to long-term stability.
Yang Feng clearly didnât belong to the Xiliang faction; he was part of the Yang familyâs power base. So, when Zhang Jiâs retreat led to the downfall of the Yang family, it was seen as a move that benefited Li Jue. And Zhang Jiâs old illness? No one expected him to lead troops into battle in such a state.
And so, the Xiliang army clashed with Cao Caoâs forces, marking the beginning of the battle to seal off Guanzhong, meticulously planned by Xun Yu and Xun You.
With Yang Fengâs inadvertent gift of a top general, Cao Cao finally confirmed that the Yang family still retained a sliver of strength. Though not formidable, it was enough to tip the scales in a critical moment. The rest would depend on the actions of Sima Lang and Zhong Yao. With only Li Jue and Zhang Jiâs forces left in Changâan, the success of Xun Yuâs strategy hinged on whether chaos could be instigated in the capital.
Cao Cao pondered each step of the plan carefully, no longer displaying the ease and confidence he had when he held Yanzhou and commanded a vast army of 100,000. Now, he approached each battle with utmost caution, striving to maximize the effectiveness of every ounce of strength. His prudence only increased when Liu Beiâs army appeared nearby, ready to support the emperor, making Cao Cao even more vigilant.
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