NOVPUB"Wen He, are you sure this is okay?" Chen Xi looked at Jia Xu’s plan with some skepticism.
"Weren’t you dealing with epidemic prevention and disaster relief? Why have you shown up again?" Jia Xu was puzzled by Chen Xi’s sudden return, wondering why he had come back when he was supposed to be handling logistics.
"I’ve come to get an order from Lord Xuande. With the warming weather after early spring, a small-scale outbreak of disease has occurred. I’m preparing to deploy troops for isolation and treatment. Physician Hua has already arrived, and according to him, there shouldn’t be a big problem," sighed Chen Xi. Despite being prepared, the outbreak of disease had nonetheless led to many deaths.
"Physician Hua can actually control the epidemic!" Exclaimed Jia Xu. The thought of the plague initially panicked him, as it was something to avoid at all costs. Once it spread, small areas could see half of their population die, while larger outbreaks could decimate multiple districts, or even entire states, leaving homes empty and millions of people finished. But hearing that Hua Tuo could control it left him astonished.
"If he couldn’t control it, why would I bother bringing him in? However, he’s just one person, and moreover, after an outbreak, the biggest trouble is the scattering infection due to the movement of the populace. I’m planning to quarantine all the areas around Langya that are affected by the plague," Chen Xi exhaled deeply. In this era, the only solution after an outbreak was to relocate, which only served to spread the disease further.
Jia Xu’s pupils narrowed slightly, "Zichuan, are you sure you are not planning to burn all infected areas to the ground, sacrificing the few to save the many, if the situation gets out of control?"
"Don’t talk nonsense; it hasn’t come to that. I’ve found that our soldiers are in good health, and it’s unlikely for infections to occur even in diseased areas. That’s why I’ve come to ask Lord Xuande for more troops. Also, if possible, we should deal with Cao Cao as soon as we can. I have a rather bad premonition," said Chen Xi, frowning.
"A bad feeling?" Jia Xu frowned too, wondering if something had been overlooked.
"Maybe I’m just being paranoid," Chen Xi sighed, "Compared to soldiers who die on the battlefield, more civilians die from the plague. Fortunately, we caught this early, and there haven’t been any problems. We also have a large supply of herbs, so it shouldn’t be an issue as long as Physician Hua gets the herb ratios right."
"That’s good to hear. We’ve always had our eyes on the rich lands of Xuzhou, and I certainly wouldn’t want us to end up with a ravaged Xuzhou due to the plague," nodded Jia Xu.
"Mhm, just be careful. Elder Xun and Cheng Zhongde are not easy to contend with," Chen Xi warned before turning to find Liu Bei.
Because they are not easy to contend with, I have to act this way. To achieve a grand victory with minimal losses, there’s no other choice, thought Jia Xu quietly as he watched Chen Xi walk away.
"Lord Xuande," Chen Xi called out to Liu Bei, who was busy checking provisions.
"Zichuan, what brings you here?" Liu Bei asked in surprise.
"There’s been an outbreak of disease in the rear. I need soldiers to conduct quarantines," Chen Xi stated succinctly.
"What, an outbreak of plague in the rear!" Liu Bei was taken aback.
"It’s not a significant outbreak. As long as it’s handled properly, it should be eradicated quickly. Physician Hua has already arrived at the site of the outbreak, and the medicine has been distributed. I’ve already instructed them to drink only hot water during this period," Chen Xi sighed, "I need an order from you, Lord Xuande."
"Thank goodness. As long as Physician Hua can control the plague, we will cooperate at any cost. As for deploying troops, didn’t I give you the Female Sword of the Paired Swords of Yin and Yang as a token? You can use that to issue orders for troops," said Liu Bei, relieved by Chen Xi’s explanation, and then he asked with a hint of curiosity.
Liu Bei had given the Female Sword to Chen Xi the last time he was unable to persuade his civil officials, and had not taken it back since. Liu Bei didn’t mention it, and Chen Xi had nearly forgotten the Female Sword he left in the study.
"This, I would like to ask Lord Xuande for a transfer order," Chen Xi said somewhat embarrassedly, "The physical quality of my regular army troops is quite good, so as long as they do not eat or drink carelessly in the epidemic area, they should be fine. Furthermore, the epidemic has spread over a wide area, and we need a substantial number of troops to establish a quarantine, which requires us to call up more troops from Mount Tai."
"That’s fine," Liu Bei nodded and said. Managing the epidemic was the most crucial matter at hand, and entrusting the task to Chen Xi gave Liu Bei peace of mind.
Chen Xi took the transfer order and rushed back. The epidemic in Langya was far from being as simple as he had said. Its fierce outbreak as the weather warmed had left Chen Xi somewhat at a loss, which was why military quarantine was necessary. It was fortunate, however, that the disease seemed to have no strong effect on those with Inner Qi.
On the other side, after Chen Xi left, Liu Bei, having already inspected the logistics support, began to mobilize his troops towards the confluence of the Jig River and the Yellow River, just outside Pengcheng.
In just five days, Liu Bei led Hua Xiong, Xuu Chu, and Wuu Anguo, with a vanguard force of twenty thousand men, across the Jig River. After marching tens of miles, they started setting up camp on the same afternoon!
"Strategist Jia, are we really going to win by doing this? If we lose after forming a Back-to-Water Formation, we won’t even have a chance to retreat!" Hua Xiong looked towards Pengcheng with some concern. Cao Cao had already occupied Pengcheng, making the battle even more challenging.
"This battle depends on you," Jia Xu said with a smile, recalling the military report mentioning the enormous military camp a few miles outside of Pengcheng.
Cao Cao wasn’t foolish; he didn’t just defend Pengcheng. Instead, he stationed the majority of his forces outside the city to camp, which was indeed a decent defensive countermeasure, particularly when having superior numbers. If one attacked the camp, Pengcheng could send troops to assist; if one attacked Pengcheng, the camp could strike from the side or rear. If one divided forces to attack, Cao Cao’s numerical advantage would be fully displayed. Regrettably for Cao Cao, Jia Xu never intended to lay siege in the first place.
"Rest assured, just concern yourself with your own task. The safety of Lord Xuande now depends on you, Zhongkang, and Anguo," Jia Xu said with a slight smile.
[Cao Army can’t avoid dealing with Lord Xuande no matter what they intend to do. Besides, I haven’t told Lord Xuande the whole truth. Just acting naturally is enough. Cao Cao, this time I will be conducting your funeral rites, although I really don’t understand why Zichuan is adamant about destroying you.] Jia Xu looked at the sun, timing the plan in his mind.
"Let’s go, back to camp!" Jia Xu turned silently, leading the slightly frantic Hua Xiong slowly back to the military camp.
"Strategist Jia, the Lord requests your presence after you return to camp," a messenger told Jia Xu as soon as he entered the camp.
"All right," Jia Xu calmly walked toward the Central Army Tent, noting that the camp was set up in a rush and was not particularly well-organized.
"My Lord," Jia Xu greeted Liu Bei, looking up at the anxious look on his face.
"Wen He, I want to stage a night raid on Cao Army tonight. Even if the enemy is prepared, I can’t stand this anymore!" The more Liu Bei moved his troops closer to Cao Cao, the angrier he felt towards him, finally reaching the point of utter despair after arriving at Pengcheng, his rage hitting its peak.
Now, Liu Bei was not the Han Zhong King who throughout his life could conceal his emotions no matter how tumultuous his circumstances. It was hard for him to mask his likes and dislikes, and his anger towards Cao Mengde had peaked to an extent where he could no longer control the hatred in his heart. Even knowing that Cao Cao was likely prepared, Liu Bei was willing to wage a night battle to vent his fury! (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)
