NOVPUB...
A prominent long dragon slowly moved along the official road between Qingzhou and Yanzhou, and it was the army Liu Bei sent to suppress the Yellow Turbans.
With Chen Xi as the commander, Fa Zheng as the military advisor, and Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Taishi Ci as deputy generals leading the mixed infantry and cavalry, the thirty-thousand-strong luxurious suppression army was currently headed to Qingzhou. However, at present only a leading deputy general, Sun Guan, and five thousand infantry prepared for Taishi Ci, were marching on this official road.
"Why do you have to blame me for your reluctance to ride a horse!" Fa Zheng said indignantly from within the carriage.
"Riding horses, I’ve often heard of people falling to their deaths, and don’t you think it’s much safer to ride in a carriage?" Chen Xi argued with a smile, though could he admit he remembered how to ride a horse when he had actually never ridden one?
"Hmph!" Fa Zheng turned his head away in dissatisfaction. "And there’s the principle of ’Divine Speed’ in warfare, isn’t it a problem to march so leisurely?" Fa Zheng pointed to the army dragging behind the carriage and voiced his discontent.
"I am afraid of death, so even when traveling on the official road I dispatched scouts. By the way, it’s better not to rush if it can’t change the situation. Maintaining the soldiers’ physical strength to deal with any emergencies should always be a priority," Chen Xi said nonchalantly.
"No wonder you placed the Sword and Shield Soldiers on both sides with the spearmen sandwiched between the archers and the Sword and Shield Soldiers. Nonetheless, I always feel the formation is somewhat too long," Fa Zheng nodded and commented.
"I have positioned the cavalry with the best mobility at both ends. If anyone tries to cut through the middle, I don’t mind surrounding and annihilating them," Chen Xi said carelessly. "I might not excel at commanding troops, but I know how to respond, so aside from prestige, my role as the commander is the same as yours."
Feeling helpless, Fa Zheng had witnessed Chen Xi’s capabilities during half a year at Mount Tai. Although Chen Xi seemed indolent, delegating anything he could to others, under his governance, Mount Tai county became well-ordered, with a continuously increasing population, flourishing agriculture and commerce, and no sign of depletion in the government treasury. Even the currently rebellious Fa Zheng had to praise his "ability"!
Now that Chen Xi claimed his tasks were the same as Fa Zheng’s, Fa Zheng suddenly felt pressured. When he left Fenggao, he thought he’d escaped a devil’s grasp, only to find he had jumped out of the wolf’s den and into a tiger’s lair, subject to another’s manipulation.
No matter if Fa Zheng was willing to admit it or not, he could feel the gap between himself and Guo Jia, which could possibly take three to five years to close. And that was a fact. As for the person beside him, Fa Zheng seriously wondered what the latter had eaten to grow up. The man was only a year older but seemed so much more advanced.
Seeing Fa Zheng’s complexion change repeatedly upon hearing his own words, Chen Xi knew Fa Zheng had misunderstood and silently chuckled to himself. Just how many times a day did Guo Jia need to discipline this guy? Clearly, Fa Zheng now had a psychological shadow.
"Forget it, I’ll give you a chance this time. I’m different from Fengxiao’s kind of mischief. This time I won’t say anything. As long as you don’t make any serious mistakes, I’ll follow your plans. My presence is simply to keep these people in check. This is your only chance. The Yellow Turbans are easy to deal with, but remember, our worth is shown by achieving the greatest benefit with the least loss!" Chen Xi placed his hand on Fa Zheng’s shoulder, radiating a noble and righteous aura.
Fa Zheng was stunned, looking up at Chen Xi. Happiness came so fast that he could hardly believe it.
"After all, this time last year, I was already planning the world’s situation at Hulao Pass. Lord Xuande believes you should be able to do it as well, so he’s giving you a chance," Chen Xi said, patting Fa Zheng on the shoulder. "Go for it, we all have high hopes for you. Who knows, you might mature after being tempered on the battlefield."
"I definitely will!" Fa Zheng said excitedly.
"Whew~" Chen Xi let out a long sigh of relief, [It’s so easy to deceive a child. Now that I have an extra hand, although I might not be good at strategizing on my own, I can still make revisions. My eye for things is quite good. Even if Lord Xuande finds out later, it will be because I was cultivating a new generation.]
Fa Zheng had no idea that Chen Xi would use so many schemes just to get a helper, and considering Chen Xi’s previous actions, no one would suspect that his ability to strategize was poor.
In the home of Li Ru in Chang’an.
Li Ru, his complexion pale and occasionally flashing an abnormal flush, lay on his bed, listening to the report from a servant in his home.
"Are you saying the abdication will take place tomorrow?" Li Ru asked with his eyes closed.
"Yes," the servant replied with a bow.
"Go get pen, ink, and paper. I no longer have much interest in living, but the power of Xiliang that I built with my own hands cannot collapse along with Minister Dong’s downfall," Li Ru’s face showed a trace of desolation. Having done all that he could, even if he could warn Dong Zhuo, what would it change? How could one win the people’s hearts with regressive policies? Even the Xiliang Iron Cavalry that he had established was starting to see deserters, leaving no hope left.
"Deliver this letter to Generals Guo and Li, tell them they don’t need to worry about me, and also tell them that as long as there is no internal strife, they can enjoy a lifetime of wealth. Now, take the servant and leave," Li Ru said as he handed the written letter to his old servant, gesturing for him to leave.
Seeing the old servant bow three times to him, Li Ru’s tears almost flowed out, but he still urged the servant to leave quickly, for tomorrow he would face death.
After watching the old servant leave, Li Ru changed into a set of white mourning clothes and knelt by the desk, waiting for dawn. He had expended so much effort to create an army capable of looking down upon the world, a mighty army that had emerged from the harsh cold of Xiliang, a force that could single-handedly challenge the world’s overlord,
"What a pity, back then I was so proud, thinking that I alone could dominate the world. Possessing the talent to strategize for the nation, yet lacking the ability to understand people, how laughable, laughable indeed!" Li Ru downed a cup of wine. He generally did not touch alcohol, feeling that it clouded his mind, but now only in inebriation could he escape his pain.
"Crack!" A gust of cold wind blew through. Li Ru, originally engulfed in the warmth of alcohol, was suddenly jolted back to sobriety by the cold, his eyes fixing on the man who appeared before him, then he lowered his head and continued drinking. He felt no panic, no fear; one whose heart is almost dead does not care whether it is a person or a ghost.
"Strategist!" Hua Xiong knelt on one knee and saluted Li Ru.
"You should go. Liu Xuande is a fine lord," Li Ru said, waving his hand, "I no longer wish to join any of the feudal lords. Zhongying was once so brave, so heroic, yet he still surrendered to these luxuries. Can you guarantee that Liu Xuande will never change?"
