NOVPUB"The Xiliang Iron Cavalry is now divided into four factions, each controlled by Li Que, Guo Si, Fan Chou, and Zhang Ji. Among them, Li Que commands the strongest force with about twenty thousand true Xiliang Iron Cavalry. Guo Si has seventeen thousand, Fan Chou around ten thousand, and Zhang Ji approximately eight thousand riders," Fan Qin said helplessly. The entire Sili region is practically the nest of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry—it’s rife everywhere.
"Hiss—" The others gasped upon hearing Fan Qin’s words; that was a staggering number. The region of Sili simply couldn’t support that many Iron Cavalry.
"Originally, each Xiliang Iron Cavalry would be accompanied by a varying number of Qiang Cavalry as an auxiliary army, but now due to food shortages among the Xiliang Iron Cavalry themselves, the number of Qiang Cavalry has significantly decreased," Fan Qin provided some good news. At least they wouldn’t have to deal with an extraordinary number of Qiang Cavalry.
"Although the Xiliang Iron Cavalry are brave, their internal supplies issue has already caused major problems, and military discipline is in chaos. They have become habituated to plundering, and this goes beyond mere pillaging of the civilians—they’ve started to raid the Hu People in Bingzhou, and even within their own ranks!" Fan Qin informed Cao Cao’s strategists of this advantageous news, which increased their chances of success.
"However, the Xiliang Iron Cavalry still acts as a collective body in its essence, and Dong Zhuo’s remnants still maintain restraint among each other. This means the timing isn’t ripe. Once we enter Sili, they might use this opportunity to unite," Fan Qin dealt a blow to the group’s thoughts of advancing westward. The time was not yet right!
"That’s the situation. Gentlemen, let’s discuss how we should proceed," Xun Yu gestured to Fan Qin, signaling that there was no need to say more.
"I’m afraid we can’t take over Sili without internal strife. Not to mention other factors, we simply can’t seize Hulao Pass," Sima Lang was the first to speak. Having witnessed the might of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry firsthand, he knew all too well that the infantry under Cao Cao was no match for them.
"Once we breach Hulao Pass, we still wouldn’t be able to defeat Dong Zhuo’s remnants. This is the fundamental issue," Chen Qun said, rubbing his forehead, visibly troubled.
"Zhicai, Zhongde?" Xun Yu turned his head to inquire.
Xi Zhicai and Cheng Yu were both frowning deeply; the most fundamental problem was their own side’s weakness. They were simply too weak to cope.
"Gong Da?" Xun Yu turned to look at his nephew, not wanting to use his tactic, as it was too risky.
"The Yang Family mentioned they still have some strength, right," Xun You said emotionlessly. "Similar to Xiliang, Ma Shoucheng and Hann Wenyue have also not left. What about trying to swallow the elephant whole like a snake? If we’re fast enough, it should be successful."
"Hm, using Fan Chou to leverage the overall situation of the Xiliang Army? Taking into account Zhang Ji’s return to Hongnong and Zhang Boyuan’s previous actions, it seems Zhang Ji’s days are numbered. This could be a point of entry, but we can’t be certain," Fan Qin murmured to himself, not without admiration for Xun You’s suggestion.
After Xun You spoke, Fan Qin instantly surmised a general plan from his words. Then, glancing over the others and thinking of the high-level spies in Sili, his gaze finally settled on Sima Lang.
[It seems that this task will likely fall on Sima Lang. Whether it be identity, ability, or intelligence, Sima Lang is the most suitable. He alone could handle all these matters.] Fan Qin thought silently. [Probably Xun Wenruo also conceived this idea after seeing Sima Boda.]
"Without bait, we would need bait at that time," Xi Zhicai’s mind quickly caught up, "Since they are all loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty, it is only right to make a gamble for the Han territories—they won’t lack effort when the time comes."
"I’m afraid that won’t work," Cheng Yu thought from the worst aspect of people, naturally arriving at a different conclusion from Xi Zhicai’s.
But just as he started to speak, he saw Xi Zhicai’s cold smile and instantly understood what Xi Zhicai meant by "bait." Forget loyal ministers—the bait Xi Zhicai referred to was Emperor Liu Xie of the Han Dynasty, which was definitely more than enough!
"A letter will be drafted when the time comes," Fan Qin said with a smile, his understanding of Xun Yu’s thoughts quite thorough, "When it concerns oneself, it’s better to make one’s own choice."
"That’s also good," Xun Yu nodded without saying anything else, tacitly agreeing.
"I will volunteer to enter Guanzhong and make my appeal to the Emperor," Sima Lang said as he stepped forward to address Xun Yu, not entirely understanding but grasping half of what Xun You had said.
It’s worth mentioning that not long ago, Sima Lang harbored some resentments, but upon hearing Xun You’s plan, he instantly saw it as a golden opportunity. If successful, it was unquestionable that Cao Cao would make a dramatic turnaround, and the Han territories might well be within grasp, with Sima Lang undoubtedly at the forefront of the credit, and the Sima Family’s rise just around the corner. And should it fail, it would not greatly impact Sima Lang, who could always switch allegiances—there was no hurry in this brief moment.
"Boda is self-nominated; how can we not agree? However, let’s first consider all aspects thoroughly before reporting to our lord, and then we can discuss entering Guanzhong," said Xun Yu with a smile. Although he didn’t immediately accept, it was essentially an agreement.
Whether it was his status, spiritual talent, wisdom, or even the incidents where Dong Zhuo compared him to his own deceased son, Sima Lang’s participation would greatly influence the outcome of this venture.
[Perhaps this time Cao Mengde really could stage a remarkable comeback. Xun Yu hasn’t divulged his own plans, but he surely has made calculations, probably to find and fill the gaps. Hmm, I better not help. I’ll just watch and let things unfold, whether he succeeds or needs assistance.] Fan Qin thought with his head lowered. Among this group, if Xi Zhicai was the one he felt most threatened by, then it was Xun Yu he admired the most.
It was indeed strange; Xun Wenruo rarely took action himself, managing only state affairs, but when pushed into a corner, he too could devise cunning strategies. It could be said that each of Xun Wenruo’s schemes was flawless, with no possibility of counteraction or failure!
It might sound impressive, but in reality, Xun Yu’s plans always seemed to miss out on the maximum benefits due to some unforeseeable reasons. If he couldn’t secure the greatest advantage this time, Cao Mengde might no longer have the chance to contend for supremacy and restore the Han Dynasty.
It was for this very reason that Xun Yu had prepared a triple safety net this time, delegating all state affairs to Chen Qun and Fan Qin, focusing first on securing the army and food-producing areas. After this, Xun Yu couldn’t be sure there would be another opportunity.
After all, if claiming Sili, capturing Yongzhou, re-opening the Zhengguo Canal, and resettling the land did not work out, Cao Cao would have no other route to take besides advancing into Sichuan—and the thought alone made Xun Yu wryly smile, for even with his towering intellect, entering Sichuan was not so simple.
[If we succeed this time, no matter what our lord says, we absolutely can not start any wars within three years. We must first open the Zhengguo Canal and cultivate the abandoned forty thousand qing of fertile land to ensure there are no more issues with food supplies—we can’t keep draining the pond to catch all the fish!] Xun Yu shouted inside his mind, almost at his breaking point. 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
(To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
