Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 386 - 369

Watching Liu Ye and the others leave, Chen Xi also let out a long sigh of relief. The greatest strengths of this group were their intelligence and strategies. However, precisely because their wisdom and strategic thinking were exceptional, it was impossible for them to simply follow behind Chen Xi and echo his words; they all had their own minds and each was capable of holding sway over a region.

"I always thought that the talents I had selected formed a perfect ensemble. Now that I think about it, in terms of intelligence, vision, grasp of the general situation, and strategies, both political and military, they definitely wouldn’t be inferior to any of the feudal lords. It’s just a pity there is still one piece missing from the board," Chen Xi thought helplessly.

Whether it was Guo Jia’s temperament, Jia Xu’s pragmatism in protecting himself, Liu Ye’s knack for saying the right thing to the right person, or Lub Su’s kind-heartedness, Li Youu’s hardiness through trials, all led to one outcome: this group would never directly remonstrate!

Just like this time, not a single one of them opened their mouth to persuade Liu Bei not to wage war on Cao Cao. As a result, without Chen Xi, the campaign against Cao Cao would have been shelved, becoming the business of people like Chen Gong, Lyu Bu, Li Que, and Yuan Shu.

Chen Xi could guarantee that Jia Xu and the others had definitely coordinated well. Li Que might not be certain, but Lyu Bu and Yuan Shu were definitely enough to let Cao Cao taste the bitter sweetness of life’s dramatic ups and downs.

There were many ways this group could subtly change Liu Bei’s mind without him even realizing, to the point where he wouldn’t notice himself. None of them could bring themselves to offer blunt counsel; they all felt that if Liu Bei was wrong, they would find ways to steer him back on the right path on their own, and not once would they directly admonish him.

"It seems I need someone like Tian Feng or Wei Zheng, those who are forthright and unafraid to offend superiors. Yet such characters with this attribute are not common. First, they must be highly intelligent, second, their nature must be quite stubborn, and they must also have foresight," Chen Xi thought about these attributes, yet he couldn’t think of anyone who fit the bill.

"Alas, under Lord Xuande’s rule, all of us, myself included, are a bunch of slippery characters who don’t wish to offer frank advice. Whenever our opinions conflict with Lord Xuande, we first conceal our views and later subtly correct him. This is utterly frustrating," Chen Xi thought speechlessly.

Jia Xu looked at the map, with the strengths of Cao Army and Liu Bei’s forces coming to mind, constantly comparing the power of both sides. Soon, he had worked out the overall strategy, "However, if done this way, the slightest carelessness could lead to disaster. Would our lord approve of it?"

With this thought, Jia Xu took the map to Liu Bei, "My lord."

"Wen He, have you come here so late for something important?" Liu Bei asked as he closed the Analects and looked at Jia Xu. Initially, Liu Bei was indeed very angry about the concealment and manipulation by his subordinates, but after Chen Xi laid out the whole affair, he also calmed down. After all, as unfeeling as Jia Xu’s planning might be, it was aimed at securing his domain.

"My lord, please look," Jia Xu laid the map on the table, pointing at Pengcheng, where the Jig River and Yellow River converged, and thoroughly laid out his strategy.

Liu Bei listened and almost without hesitation, nodded, "Let’s proceed in this way. I believe Zhongkang will definitely ensure my safety."

"Rest assured, my Lord, Xuu Chu will certainly protect you," the resonant voice of Xuu Chu entered the tent.

"If that’s the case, I would ask you, my lord, to be extra cautious. This plan will undoubtedly determine the outcome of the battle," Jia Xu sighed as he spoke. He didn’t like taking risks, but he liked spoiling plans even less. The initial plan was almost about to commence, and if they suffered too many losses this time, dragging down the entire campaign strategy, it would be nothing short of tragic. Besides, they had previously agreed to let Cao Cao go back and have a dog-eat-dog fight with Yuan Shu and Lyu Bu. Now, to proceed this way, sigh—

Because of this, Jia Xu didn’t think twice before preparing to end the battle in one fell swoop, no matter how many elite troops Cao Cao had, no matter how many powerful generals. He firmly believed that his strategic planning would be flawless.

"Hahaha, Wen He need not worry so," Liu Bei laughed heartily. "I have experienced far more dangerous events than this during the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Now, with Zhongkang and Anguo defending, what do I have to fear? Besides, I have full confidence in Wen He’s wisdom; Bandit Cao is bound to fail!"

"Xu is filled with trepidation," Jia Xu said with a bowed head. As long as Liu Bei remained bold, the possibility of ending Cao Cao once and for all was nearly ninety percent.

"There’s no need for such worry. Wen He, from now on, just speak frankly about your strategies. Even if they do not align with my inclinations, you needn’t fear punishment for your words. I, Liu Bei, can at least guarantee that. If I am in the wrong, even if rebuked to my face, I shall first admit my mistake. So Wen He, you need not fear that I will blame or punish you for having different political views," Liu Bei sighed and said; Chen Xi had made clear to Liu Bei the dispositions of several individuals this time.

"My lord’s magnanimity is boundless; surely you would not hold a grudge against us for offering our views. It is we who have wrongly judged a nobleman by the standards of the petty," Jia Xu replied with his head still lowered.

"Alas, you’ll accompany me on my journey. Zichuan is better suited to governance. Although he is also not bad in military affairs, after all, there are hundreds of thousands of commoners who need settling," Liu Bei said, seeing Jia Xu’s bowed head and feeling it inappropriate to say more.

"Rest assured, my lord," Jia Xu said with his head lowered.

On the other hand, Cao Cao was discussing with Xun Youi and Cheng Yu how to deal with Cao Bao the next day. To Cao Cao, the elite status of the veteran soldiers from Danyang was something he coveted, which was why he kept showing weakness to the enemy time and again.

"My lord, the correct way to defeat the Elite of Danyang is not for us to beat them, but to have them defeat themselves," Xun Youi said with a wooden expression.

"Gong Da speaks truthfully. Liu Xuande’s proclamation has already spread throughout the land. Although we have taken a series of actions previously, we have now fallen morally behind, thanks to Yuan Benchu’s suppression of Chen Kongzhang’s proclamation. Even so, Mii Zhengping’s proclamation is also troublesome," Cheng Yu said with a headache. "In the declaration of war, Liu Xuande expressed his rage thoroughly. We cannot avoid the upcoming battle with Mount Tai."

Though Cheng Yu and the others had never held the literati, who were skilled in writing and the arts, in high esteem, after seeing Mii Zhengping’s proclamation that could enrage people to the point of heart attack, Cheng Yu realized that everything has its use when applied correctly.

It was precisely because he had seen Mii Heng’s proclamation that Xun Youi was now slightly grateful to Yuan Shao. If it weren’t for him holding back Chen Lin’s proclamation, Cao Cao’s reputation might have been completely tarnished by now.

What was most terrifying about Chen Lin’s proclamation was that it did not contain a single foul word, yet it perfectly exhibited the bearing of a noted scholar. If this were to spread, many bored noble families would take a close look at what Cao Cao had done in Xuzhou.

In that case, the massacre of Xuzhou would not be able to be covered up as it is now. The noble families are not fools; they might not investigate the exact data of the massacre, but they would undoubtedly come up with an estimated value.

As for Mii Heng’s street vituperative proclamation, although it incited rage to the point of heart attacks, it was seen as mutual slander between enemies by most noble families. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at . Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)