NOVPUBChen Xi’s words left everyone present speechless; indeed, they couldn’t prove anything, and neither could Cao Cao. But this had turned into a joke, a pretext for an attack!
"What are we afraid of? Do you think we can lose?" Chen Xi said, sneering.
"We wouldn’t lose, but it would be pointless," Jia Xu sighed. "I advise against depleting our power too much on this matter. We should aim to take over Xuzhou smoothly, at minimal cost. Once Xuzhou is in our hands, only then, holding Mount Tai of Qing and Xu, can we call ourselves true overlords."
"Cao Mengde is too dangerous; after today, whether such an opportunity will come again, I can’t be sure. So, let’s vote. Those who don’t wish to deal with Cao Mengde right now, raise your hands," said Chen Xi, glancing at the others. "Just to let you know, once Lord Xuande is certain of the truth behind Cao Mengde’s slaughter, he will not rest until Cao Mengde is dead."
Not a single hand was raised, and Chen Xi let out a long breath of relief. "In that case, let’s join forces to eliminate Cao Mengde in Xuzhou. I will make the plains of Xuzhou his burial ground!"
"Let me handle it this time. Ordinary strategies are of little use at this juncture," sighed Jia Xu. He didn’t want to fight, but it was better he handled it than let Liu Bei lead the troops in a fit of rage. "Although I absolutely do not wish to engage with Cao Cao, I suppose everyone here, except for you, Zichuan, would agree."
A flicker of surprise crossed Chen Xi’s eyes. Jia Xu actually volunteered; was something off today?
"Don’t look at me. I’ve left a rather poor impression on the lord before, so let me take care of this. It’s to prove that I truly have the lord’s interests at heart," said Jia Xu helplessly.
"That’s fine. We’ll rely on Wen He," Chen Xi nodded. "In no more than three days, the proclamations from Chen Kongzhang and Mii Zhengping will arrive in Xuzhou. Then it will be a war of righteousness, where we stand at the peak of morality to condemn Cao Cao!"
"Alright, alright, a war of righteousness," Guo Jia commented weakly. "As long as we win, it’ll be a war of righteousness. Let’s just find a way to finish off Cao Mengde for good. A snake that isn’t killed will become a problem; let’s solve this once and for all."
"Actually, the lord won’t mind these details. He will understand that we’re doing this for his sake. Nevertheless, after preparing for a big fight with Cao Cao, we’re then set to go hunting with Yuan Shao in Qingzhou," sighed Liu Ye. "Cao Cao has many contradictory traits. Seize the opportunity and go for a killing blow."
"If you need it, Wen He, I can help you," offered Li Youu. "Cao Mengde’s subordinates, Xun Gongda and Cheng Zhongde, are not easy opponents."
"Don’t worry, I know how to handle it," said Jia Xu with a nod. "Since we’ve decided to finish off Cao Mengde in Xuzhou, Zizhong, mobilize the Tuntian Soldiers to bolster our force. Let them taste blood, for we need to be prepared for the subsequent battles in Qingzhou and also for taking over Xuzhou. Let’s settle all matters at once."
"Originally, I intended to dispatch a 100,000-strong army to ensure we have the capability to handle any situation that arises. Now that I think about it, you bastards probably never planned to deal with the massacre. You just came to put on a show. The 50,000 infantry and cavalry were sent to clean up the aristocratic families, weren’t they? It’s clear now that the Xuzhou aristocratic families are going to get involved because you all made an appearance," said Chen Xi discontentedly. "No wonder you all agreed to send troops without discussing how to resolve the matter!"
"50,000 troops should be enough. With the right moves, it’s sufficient," Liu Ye retorted displeased. "Deploying 100,000 is truly excessive, and as you said, none of us really wanted to take down Cao Mengde. The 50,000 infantry and cavalry are just a deterrent force; we never intended for a conflict to happen."
"No wonder Princess Xuande’s intentions have changed. Even if there was any regard for Cao Mengde, it would not have resulted in this situation without your instigation. Dealing with the refugees was nothing but an excuse for you all to sit back and watch the fight. I bet it was all your doing that kept Xuande here," Chen Xi looked resentfully at Liu Ye. Without saying a word, these guys had unified their strategy.
Seeing Chen Xi staring at him, Liu Ye directly spoke the thoughts he had wanted to express, "What value is there in putting Cao Cao to the ground? Yanzhou? That’s a battleground of constant strife. If we occupy that place, once we start a war with Yuan Benchu, we would have to guard against too many enemies! Even our ability to mobilize troops would decrease after expanding our territory!"
"With fifty thousand troops to intimidate Cao Mengde, we can effortlessly gain control of Xuzhou, which, backed by Yuzhou, only requires competent generals to hold Xiapi and Guangling in order to easily deal with Yuan Gonglu. Our strength can soar without any loss, there’s absolutely no need to confront Cao Mengde’s ferocity." Guo Jia also spoke, clearly perplexed.
"As for smearing them, what significance does that hold for us, who control Mount Tai of Qing and Xu? Do you really think Sunx Gongyou and Mi Zizhong have not made contact with the locals of Xuzhou? Chen Yuanlong is our man! We’re just stringing Lord Xuande along, asking him to wait!" Li Youu also said with a wry smile, "The necessity to fight Cao Cao is zero. Occupying Jizhou, Bingzhou, Youzhou, and making Yanzhou the frontline is what aligns with our interests! Zichuan, what exactly are you thinking?"
This was indeed something difficult for Chen Xi to explain. After pondering for a moment, he raised his head, "I can’t explain clearly, but Cao Cao is truly a great enemy for us, and compared to Yuan Benchu, Cao Mengde is far too audacious!"
"Alright, I believe you." Liu Ye and the others waved their hands and sighed, "After all, you are the epitome of ’being prepared for a rainy day.’ Perhaps you’ve seen some intricate details that we don’t know about, details that can’t be openly discussed. Since that’s the case, let’s eliminate Cao Mengde. We’ll cede Yanzhou to Lyu Fengxian and let him contend with Yuan Shao over Bingzhou. This can also be considered a way to hold Yuan Shao back. As for the reason to destroy Cao Cao, it’ll be the massacre of a hundred thousand!"
"Only a foolish act would make the world perceive this as an expression of Lord Xuande’s wrath. So, with that said, let us fight. To annihilate Cao Cao here is to eliminate a warlord." Li Youu spoke helplessly.
"Yuan Gonglu must have already deployed his troops from Nanyang. The forces Cao Mengde can mobilize from his rear are dwindling. Once Lyu Bu marches out of Yanzhou and cuts off the retreat, supplies will dwindle, and our victory is inevitable." Chen Xi pointed to Nanyang and Yanzhou as he spoke, ready to crush Cao Cao in one fell swoop.
"It’s a pity that all the benefits go to others." Guo Jia joked. Since it had been decided to deal with Cao Cao, there was nothing more to say.
"We came here for Xuzhou, and Xuzhou is the greatest benefit," Chen Xi sighed and said.
If it weren’t for knowing Cao Cao’s character, Chen Xi too would think that there was no need to fight Cao Cao. If Yanzhou were attacked, even if Cao Cao still wished to seize Xuzhou, he would have no choice but to retreat to Yanzhou. All they needed to do was to send some troops to appear in Xuzhou, and eventually, they would secure it without a bloody battle with Cao Cao. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝔲𝔟.𝔠𝖔𝖒
"Who says there are no benefits? With Lyu Fengxian becoming the victim of his homeland occupied by Yuan Benchu, we essentially gain a natural ally. Moreover, compared to Cao Mengde’s ambiguous relationship with Yuan Benchu, the straightforward Lyu Fengxian is much easier to control." At this point, Jia Xu had come to terms with the decision to destroy Cao Cao, choosing to look on the bright side.
"That’s right, with Gao Gongzheng and Zhang Wenyuan under Lyu Fengxian’s command, both recognized as top-notch generals of this era, and the others as valiant warriors, they are precisely the talent we need." Having said this, Li Youu did not continue speaking, as the implication was understood by all.
"With that in mind, I feel much better. Having a more manageable neighbor, and one who also shares a common enemy, greatly eases our situation. Most importantly, they are not as cunning." Guo Jia laughed heartily.
Hearing this, everyone laughed loudly, resolving the strategic conflicts they had before, once again uniting to prepare for the extermination of Cao Cao in Xuzhou.
In Pengcheng, Cao Cao had already clashed with Cao Bao several times, and the prowess of the Danyang veterans meant Cao Cao gained no advantage. And for reasons unknown, Cao Cao did not recall the troops assigned to disaster relief from the Four Directions but relied on his own main forces to cope with Cao Bao, increasing Cao Bao’s confidence with each passing day.
The consecutive victories gave Cao Bao overflowing confidence, and he finally made up his mind not to remain on the defensive but to lead his entire army out of Pengcheng to face Cao Cao in a decisive battle, firmly believing he could determine the outcome in a single fight, gaining immense prestige and reaching the pinnacle of his life with the position as Governor of Xuzhou! (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)
