NOVPUB"There are too many things I cannot do, yet I have found brothers who share my ideals--willing to strive for the restoration of the Han Dynasty. Later, when I was seeking refuge under Gongsun Bogui and headed to Hulao Pass, I came across Zichuan." Liu Bei murmured softly, "It’s the Mandate of Heaven that decrees my path will not be a solitary one!"
"Even if we fail, there will be those who follow us. Besides, we are on a noble path; no one can defeat us." Chen Xi said indifferently.
Liu Bei’s journey was difficult, yet even in death, there were those who steadfastly followed his footsteps. Even if Liu Bei fell, Zhuge Liang would still take up the banner to restore the Han Dynasty. When Zhuge Liang met his end on the Wuzhang Plains, Jiang Wei once again picked up the banner and remained unwavering until death.
"Even if I fail, I will rise again. I, Liu Xuande, will never bow down," Liu Bei’s gaze was calm like water, yet resolutely moving to Chen Xi. As time spun on, Liu Bei’s determination had not wavered.
"How could we fail?" Li Youu said with a smile, looking at the two capable men before him, "How could we fail when we have the greatest support of our people?"
"How could we fail?" Chen Xi grabbed the tail of the conversation and repeated, Liu Bei didn’t catch on, but Chen Xi clearly knew that Li Youu was hinting at something for him.
At this point, there was no turning back, especially after a significant victory over Cao Cao’s forces, there could be no hint of fear or instability. Should any signs of weakness be shown, it would invite the Feudal Lords to sense an opportunity, leading to an inevitable battle.
"Let’s get back to the matter of Xuzhou. What shall we do with the captives of the Cao Army?" Liu Bei pressed down the restlessness in his heart and inquired.
"Can’t we just send them back to Mount Tai for reformation through labor?" Chen Xi asked puzzledly. He had not been involved in the battle against Cao Cao and thus hadn’t seen the batch of captives that had been sent to the border near Mount Tai by the East Sea.
"The Cao Army’s allegiance to Cao Mengde is quite high. Of course, there are some dissatisfied with Cao Mengde because of the Cao Army’s grave robbing, but most are supportive of Cao Mengde. This probably stems from similar reasons as our own soldiers," Li Youu explained calmly, even pinpointing the reasons.
"The captives have started to escape?" Chen Xi frowned as he spoke, and on reflection, it made sense: one reason was gratitude among Cao Cao’s soldiers for having been pulled from the abyss of hunger and cold; another was that their families were in Yanzhou.
"Yes, there have already been many escapes from the Cao Army. Though many have been captured and brought back, several hundreds of Cao Army captives have escaped. I’ve already ordered additional Tuntian Soldiers from Mount Tai to strengthen the guard, but this isn’t a long-term solution," Li Youu said with a smile, but in the moment their gazes met, his eyes concealed an unmistakable glint of cold murderous intent.
"I see. How many are willing to stay?" asked Chen Xi, immediately quashing the notion in Li Youu’s mind of killing all the captives without a second thought. Not only is killing captives considered inauspicious, but the implications of slaughtering over forty thousand able-bodied men were too grave to contemplate.
"Over six thousand captives bear grudges against Cao Mengde, but less than half of them are willing to stay. The remaining thirty thousand or so have no particular sentiments regarding Cao Mengde’s actions," Li Ru said with a sense of helplessness.
"First, take in those who are willing to stay, and for the rest, increase surveillance for now. Under no circumstances can we allow them to return to Yanzhou," said Chen Xi calmly, clearly implying to Li Ru that unconventional measures could be used if necessary.
"If they go back, our battle would have been for naught. Once Cao Mengde calls them back, it will be troublesome again," sighed Liu Bei. But he also felt it was not right to just keep feeding them for nothing, and Liu Bei didn’t agree with mistreating prisoners, which left the situation at an impasse.
"Hmm, I’ve thought of a good place," Chen Xi said, suddenly recalling a secluded location while selecting a suitable penal labor site.
"Let’s hear it," Liu Bei said curiously.
"Take them here." Chen Xi found a map and pointed to a sea area off Yangzhou, saying, "The position depicted on this map is an isolated Great Island, which Xingba is just about to develop. Send the hardliners to that island and, after a few years, it will be sorted out. It’s a perfect time to develop the Great Island. Moreover, if in the future we must have a great battle with Yangzhou, we could use the island as a stepping stone to attack Yangzhou from the Yangtze River and attract fire there."
"Xingba’s fleet can transport only five thousand people at a time, which is the limit. To move forty thousand people would require eight trips, and Xingba wouldn’t need to do anything else this year," said Li Youu, frowning. If there really was such a Great Island, that would be a place to settle the captives. After a few years, when things had calmed down, they could be brought back.
"He really doesn’t need to do much else in the short term; his navy is still unfinished," said Chen Xi, shaking his head. "Moving the prisoners there, even if they want to escape, would be very difficult, and we can also stop the supplies. Let them farm there instead."
"Won’t this expose the island? After all, in your words, the island’s main purpose is to serve as a springboard for attacking Yangzhou’s rear," Li Youu said, frowning. Compared to the long-term strategic plan, there is no need to go to such lengths for the temporary placement of prisoners.
"No, there are many islands at sea, and they may suspect that we have found a Great Island, but without an accurate marine chart, they cannot find it, let alone know about such a place behind Yangzhou," Chen Xi said, shaking his head. With so many islands at sea, placing tens of thousands of prisoners wouldn’t arouse suspicion.
"Then let’s do it. We absolutely can’t return these tens of thousands of prisoners," decided Liu Bei, agreeing with Chen Xi’s arrangement. He wasn’t a fool; although he didn’t kill prisoners, he also didn’t want to waste his food on a large group of idlers. Chen Xi’s current handling method seems very suitable to him.
"It’s a bit of a pity, but it’s much better than previously paying for a bunch of idlers. Xun Wenruo and the others will probably be very distressed. Later on, we can make an article stating that we did indeed send the prisoners to an overseas Great Island, so they can’t accuse us of killing prisoners," Chen Xi said, shaking his head.
Truth be told, Chen Xi would rather enlist all forty thousand men directly into their troops now, allowing their forces to take a swift leap in strength. Unfortunately, without some time for reeducation, it’s impossible to incorporate these captives.
"After returning to Mount Tai, let’s organize a new legion. The weapons and equipment of the Cao Army are just what we need," Liu Bei sighed. "After the reorganization in Xuzhou is complete, we can transfer a legion from Mount Tai. The combat power of Xuzhou Soldiers can never really be trusted. It seems that in Xuzhou, apart from the Elite of Danyang, the rest are just auxiliary troops..." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to recommend and vote for it at Qidian [qidian.com]. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
