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Cao Cao’s thoughts were completely unknown to Liu Bei’s side, and as for Cao Cao reclaiming Yanzhou, Chen Xi and the others didn’t take it to heart.
Previously, the eastern part of Yanzhou was abandoned by Cao Cao himself, and after he abandoned it, Liu Bei couldn’t even be bothered to occupy it. After all, for the current Liu Bei, it’s less that he lacks territory and more that he lacks people. So, he had little interest in the vast swathes of land in Yanzhou. With Qingzhou still not fully under his control, it made no sense to disrupt the pace and occupy Cao Cao’s territories; thus, the eastern part of Yanzhou remained overgrown with vegetation since 192.
As for Cao Cao’s uninteresting behavior, Jia Xu and the others unanimously scoffed at it. And concerning whether Cao Cao would come to stir up trouble, not a single one of them was worried. Did they really think that the large army Yu Jin stationed along the edges of Mount Tai was just for show?
In a fight, who would be afraid of whom? Although Chen Xi claimed every day that the basic infrastructure was not yet complete, the abundance of Mount Tai was already enough to make everyone envious. Even though he was unwilling to slow down the pace of development, if Chen Xi wanted to, he could at any time allocate a fund and pour Money and Grain into repacking Yu Jin’s Legion for a defensive counterattack that could beat Cao Mengde till he vomited without any problem. Never underestimate Elite Soldiers bought with Money and Grain!
"How does Cao Mengde seem to have such petty-minded thoughts? He’s not even as good as Yuan Benchu. Even at his most perilous times, Yuan Benchu still considered future benefits. Why is he playing with this eat-and-vomit, vomit-and-eat game that has no real significance?" Chen Xi covered his face, unable to comprehend Cao Cao’s cautious move to re-station troops in the eastern part of Yanzhou and start reclaiming land and stockpiling provisions.
You should know, in Chen Xi’s view, although Cao Cao was indeed suspicious, occasionally inhumane, his mentality, courage, and personal charm were all top-notch!
Chen Xi believed that aside from benevolence that could suppress Cao Cao, Liu Bei’s personal charm was on par with Cao Cao’s. In other respects, Liu Bei was probably utterly overshadowed. And now, what on earth is he doing? How can he even be inferior to Yuan Shao, who knew to take a risk at the most dangerous time? Why is Cao Mengde regressing?
"Petty-minded thoughts?" Liu Ye was puzzled and didn’t understand what Chen Xi meant.
"It means being blind to anything but immediate benefits, disregarding the future," Chen Xi explained. He felt that Cao Cao’s current performance did not align with his character, so he was forming plans secretly.
"Hmm, that makes sense. Cao Mengde originated from eunuchs after all. It’s normal for him to be like this. The saying ’Once in power, words become muddled’ describes just this situation. If before he could be considered a Mighty Lord, now he can only be described as a newly-wealthy man who has lost his senses. We’ll have one less opponent in the future," Liu Ye said seemingly delighted by Cao Cao’s current state, thus reducing their troubles.
"Don’t underestimate Cao Mengde, if his mentality were truly only that, he wouldn’t have attracted people like Xun Wenruo to join him. Most likely, it’s just a temporary lapse, or even his current actions are just to confuse us," Jia Xu said, speaking out his feelings before Chen Xi could say anything, "Just like we can make Lord Xuande understand the situation in the world, I don’t think Xun Wenruo and the others are incapable of the same. They are probably just letting Cao Mengde do as he will, just like Zichuan is doing now!"
Lub Su nodded in response to Jia Xu’s analysis. Although he didn’t understand Cao Cao’s unpredictable actions, he didn’t rush to conclusions, simply ordering Yu Jin to strengthen defenses, remaining unchangeable in response to all changes. It didn’t matter what Cao Cao was doing; as long as they were strong enough, they didn’t need to worry.
"Yeah, I know that. But I really hope that the hidden nouveau riche mentality in Cao Mengde’s heart surfaces. It would be best if he competes with Yuan Shao for the position of top dog. That would be fantastic," Liu Ye said with a mischievous smile, "By the way, I heard that Lyu Bu has recently turned against Yuan Shu, and Yanzhou is now vulnerable. Truly a good opportunity!
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"..." Chen Xi looked at Liu Ye speechlessly. Lately, for some reason, this fellow had shifted his interest in administrative affairs to military affairs, keeping himself busy by giving feudal lords of the four directions things to do when he had nothing else on his plate.
"Ziyang, it seems you’ve been quite idle lately. Come, help me out. After Guo Fengxiao left, it has been tough for Fa Xiaozhi to handle everything alone. Take a look and see how we can save His Majesty," Jia Xu said with a beaming face, as if the words "Loyal Minister of the Han Dynasty" were about to be stamped on his forehead.
Liu Ye looked at Jia Xu, puzzled, but still nodded. The Han Dynasty might still be saved, but not through Liu Xie. Instead, Liu Bei had a chance, so Liu Ye wasn’t enthusiastic about saving the little emperor of Chang’an. In an era where any clan relative of the Eastern Han could claim the throne, Liu Ye calmly expressed his support for Liu Bei.
However, Jia Xu had now invited Liu Ye, and it was difficult for him to refuse, especially considering it involved the fate of the Han Dynasty. With such a noble cause pressing down, it looked as though the phrase "Loyal Minister of the Han Dynasty" was about to be written across Jia Xu’s face. Moreover, Jia Xu was usually extremely low-key, barely speaking out, making it difficult for Liu Ye to gauge Jia Xu’s true intentions. Seeing Jia Xu’s expression, one might really believe he was a loyal minister to the Han Dynasty...
Jia Xu chuckled heartily, pleased to have roped in a sturdy man. As for saving the little Emperor, that seemed like a death wish. How could he and Li Youu mix after the rescue? Lord Xuande’s subordinates would not have an easy time! Thus, Jia Xu was only using the pretense of a rescue to suppress imperial power; only if the emperor was sufficiently miserable would the banner of the Han Dynasty under his current superior, Liu Bei, become more powerful.
Chen Xi glanced at Jia Xu. Indeed, Jia Wenhe was very cautious in his actions. However, involving Liu Ye seemed pointless. Liu Ye had no reverence for imperial authority. Although his actions almost called for the words "Loyal Minister of the Han Dynasty" to be written across his face, Chen Xi, well-versed in history, knew all too well that Liu Ye had no affection for Liu Xie. To expect him to rescue Emperor Xiann was a joke! He would be surprised if Liu Ye didn’t want to see Emperor Xiann in misfortune!
Looking at his followers, not one was truly loyal to the Han Dynasty. They claimed to unite under the banner of the Han Dynasty, but in reality, none took it seriously. Given a choice between Liu Bei and the Han Dynasty, these people would all choose Liu Bei over the Han lord. They were unified in their disregard for the Han Dynasty and consistent in their allegiance!
"Gong Youu, are the things I requested ready yet? Also, Weishuo, have you found the metaphysics expert and the Taoism master I asked for? My Jingling Palace is already built, but where are the people? You don’t expect me to preside over the opening, do you? This place is built as a resting place for heroic spirits. Is the Requiem ready? We’ll need to sacrifice the three sacrifices and six livestock, and we all need to partake in the ceremony. Weishuo, if you can’t handle it, your future activity budget will be cut in half!" Chen Xi turned to ask Sun Qian and Liu Yan, checking if the things he ordered were now in place, save for the people.
"We are still searching. You have no idea how difficult it is to find the right people for the job, as I can’t just find anyone. Those who come need to have some real skills, so it’s quite complicated. I managed to get Zuo Yuanfang; he has agreed to be the Chief Priest. However, he requested that we also bring Yu Ji the Hermit and Elder Zixu. The problem is I have no idea where those two are now. Wandering the four directions—do you have any clue?" Liu Yan said helplessly, not that he wasn’t trying, but true capable people were scarce.
To think that Liu Yan had always believed his connections were extensive enough to easily find someone. Yet after inviting Zuo Ci, the man demanded that both Yu Ji and Zixu be invited, and now they couldn’t even find them!
"Zuo Yuanfang?" Chen Xi’s eyebrows twitched. The world was already mad enough; to what extent would Zuo Ci drive the madness?
"Yes, the old man is said to be one of the leaders of Taoism, rumored to soon Ascend in a cloud of rosy light. I figured, since Mount Tai is the Land of Dragon Rising, where the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors held their Zen rites, we should find the best Taoist priests, so I asked someone to invite him. He agreed but asked for two other people to be found, and I just can’t locate them!" Liu Yan said carelessly, unaware of what kind of figure he had invited to preside over the sacrifice. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to qidian.com to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile phone users, please read at m.qidian.com.)
