When Zhao Yun arrived, he didnāt bring many troops, only his White Horse Cavalry. He handed over his infantry to Taishi Ci, as Zhao Yun never had a deep sense of attachment to his personal troops and didnāt need them to maintain his influence.
Zhao Yunās arrival signaled Chen Xiās imminent departure, which wasnāt welcomed by everyone. For example, Gan Ning, though Zhao Yun technically didnāt have the authority to command him, understood that with Chen Xi leaving, Zhao Yun would be the one to take over the northern defense. There was no debate about this.
Fortunately, Gan Ning was reasonable and didnāt voice any objections. After Zhao Yun arrived, he turned Chen Xiās previous orders into a plan of cooperation. Gan Ning, along with Zhuge Liang and Fa Zheng, remained in the north, awaiting the right moment to act.
Of course, Zhao Yun had no intention of commanding Gan Ning directly. His role was to divide the defensive zones, from the Qingzhou-Jizhou border to the Yanzhou-Jizhou border. Barring any major surprises, this defense line wouldnāt change for years. Even if they advanced into Jizhou, it would be a gradual push into enemy territory, not a shift in the defensive line.
"Zilong, Xingba, the eastern defensive zone of Yanzhou is yours. Zijing will likely arrive with troops soon, and heāll serve as your strategist. Xingba, you should take command of the navy. I believe the time is near," Chen Xi sighed. "Reports from Qingzhou indicate that the Lu familyās latest ships have launched. When the time comes, you can go and take command. In the south, you must achieve victory."
"Donāt worry, Military Advisor. I will defend Yanzhou well," Zhao Yun said steadily, clearly having done his homework.
"Iām confident too. Once the eastern part of Yanzhou is stabilized, Iāll lead Kongming and the others to Jiyin. We will be victorious," Gan Ning declared with his usual arrogance. No matter how much time passed, Gan Xingbaās confidence never wavered.
"Whether or not we succeed depends on you," Chen Xi said, turning to Zhuge Liang and Fa Zheng. "The northern war wonāt end quickly, and I donāt want us to fight on two fronts. Neither does Lord Xuande. So, you two must not make any mistakes. Zhou Gongjin is formidable; donāt let him seize any opportunities."
"Rest assured, the plan Iāve set will be executed. I will ensure that Yuzhou is cut off," Fa Zheng said, his tone flippant but his eyes filled with confidence. Despite his seemingly unreliable demeanor, no one could deny his intelligence.
Zhuge Liang nodded. "Iāll keep an eye on Yizhou. Although the generals from Yizhou have performed admirably since leaving the region, Pang Shiyuan is skilled at exploiting risky situations. Itās possible he could defeat the enemy in the most unexpected ways."
"So, if Yizhou falls, itās up to you," Chen Xi said with a smile. "Actually, thereās nothing much I need to tell you. Just donāt overwork yourself. Against any opponent, you wonāt lose, but overexertion could lead to worse consequences than any defeat."
In truth, Chen Xi was most confident in Zhuge Liang, but he was also the most worried about him. Unlike Gan Ningās occasional foolishness or Fa Zhengās impulsive decisions, Zhuge Liang was always mature and cautious.
Unfortunately, Zhuge Liang was also too diligentāso much so that Chen Xi found it concerning. Zhuge Liang didnāt seem to consider himself human with how much he worked.
"Iāll be careful," Zhuge Liang replied, hesitating briefly before agreeing to Chen Xiās request.
"Alright, I have nothing more to say. Once youāre on the battlefield, just do your best. While there are many strange and talented people in this world, few can truly give you trouble. Just stay cautious," Chen Xi said lightly, glancing at the four people in front of him. All of them were exceptional talents, and as long as they performed well, they would rarely meet a match.
As Chen Xi boarded his carriage, he noticed Zhuge Liang looking as if he wanted to say something but couldnāt. Smiling, Chen Xi reassured him, "Iāll bring Miss Huang and Old Master Huang to Taishan on my way. The Huang family needs someone to hold down the fort right now."
With that, Chen Xi departed for Taishan, escorted by Xu Chu and his group of Tiger Guards. Originally, Chen Xi had planned to leave Xu Chu in Yanzhou, but since Xu Chu was Liu Beiās bodyguard, he had no choice but to bring him back to Taishan. Moreover, Chen Xi needed someone to protect him openlyāor rather, someone to act as a deterrent.
As Chen Xi, escorted by over six hundred Tiger Guards under Xu Chuās command, made his way to Fenggao, reinforcements from Taishan also departed from Fenggao. Led by Sun Guan, Zhao Dun, Wu Lan, and others, and with Lu Su as their strategist, they led an army of thirty thousand out of Fenggao.
Meanwhile, in Donglai, Qingzhou, merchant ships loaded with goods docked, and the guards were the first to disembark. Judging by their disciplined march, it was clear they were seasoned warriors.
Xun Yan stood at the dock, overseeing the inventory of goods with his soldiers. He frowned slightly at the increasing number of guards but, recalling Jia Xuās secret letter, decided to let it be.
Xun Yan had grown fond of Liu Beiās policies and no longer held the mindset of drifting aimlessly, just looking for a decent lord to serve. He had seen that Liu Beiās ambitions resonated with his own, which was why he had fully committed to Liu Bei, rather than just going through the motions like before.
[Jia Wenhe is unreliable,] Xun Yan thought as he looked at the growing number of guards. Although he understood that these guards were meant to serve as bait to eliminate internal threats, the size of the bait seemed excessive.
[It looks like I need to contact my cousin to show where I stand,] Xun Yan thought as he closed his ledger and calmly walked past a tall man, maintaining a professional demeanor. In reality, during the time spent accounting, Xun Yan had already identified the guards and their leader.
[I hope Jia Wenhe knows what heās doing. Yuan Shao seems to be entering a phase of high confidence, with plenty of courage and strength. These soldiers could be considered death squads. Fortunately, theyāre not here to cause destruction.]
Xun Yan weighed the combat strength of the opposing force and concluded that, even with the retired veterans and the emergency reserve soldiers he could summon, he couldnāt take them on alone. However, with this assessment in mind, Xun Yan felt reassured. As long as Fenggao was prepared, the noble families about to reveal themselves would be nothing more than jesters.
[Iāll go home and write a letter to my cousin, then shut my doors and watch the show. This stance should be enough to indicate my tacit approval of the noble familiesā actions. Theyāll likely strip me of my governor position and summon me to Fenggao for questioning. After that, I wonāt need to returnāan alternative way to enter the center of power.] Xun Yan yawned, pretending as if he hadnāt seen anything, and left.
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