Mythical Three Kingdoms-Chapter 888 - 849: Yuan Cao’s Tacit Understanding

"Alright, stop asking. It's truly a deep-seated grudge," Chen Xi quickly replied upon seeing Liu Ye's curiosity, eager to avoid discussing Fa Zheng's past publicly. Although Fa Zheng didn't particularly care about the Wang Family Woman, it was clear that the matter had once bothered him greatly.

"Oh, Xiaozhi, if you ever need help, remember to come to me," Liu Ye said with a bit of skepticism. Nonetheless, he held Fa Zheng in high regard and had a good relationship with him, decisively planning to offer his assistance when the time came.

"We'll talk about it then," Fa Zheng said helplessly. Chen Xi had said these words before, so had Guo Jia and Jia Xu, and even Zhuge Liang had once asked about it. Still, such grudges seemed to demand personal involvement to truly feel the satisfaction.

Before long, the group arrived at the main tent. Chen Xi took the central seat, scanning his subordinates. His gaze lingered on Yu Jin for a moment before retracting. Originally, Chen Dao was supposed to be transferred here, but due to some issues, he remained in Yuzhou. For now, Chen Xi had to make do with Yu Jin.

That said, Yu Jin was undoubtedly a respectable defensive general, proficient in drilling and commanding troops. It wasn't a major concern, and Chen Xi thought it was time to promote Yu Jin anyway. After all, Yu Jin had been with him for quite a while.

"Ah, seeing all of you here gives me confidence. Let's discuss what we should do. Our goal is to capture Ye City!" Chen Xi said with a smile, having sized up the crowd.

"Hahaha!" The group immediately burst into laughter. As Chen Xi observed, the confidence was palpable among them. Though there weren't too many civil officials and military generals present, each was outstanding, capable of matching the main forces in strength despite being from a vice army.

"First, we cross the Yellow River. Soon enough, Xun Shen will probably emerge from Sili," Liu Ye said without hesitation, still harboring wariness toward Xun Shen, who had constrained him considerably during his time in Sili.

"Is he that formidable?" Chen Xi turned to ask.

"The more we fought, the more frustrated I became. He's exceptional, and every move I made felt like it was within his calculations," Liu Ye replied, frowning.

"If you were up against someone like that, how are you still alive?" Chen Xi smirked, pondering aloud. It sounded impressive, but upon some thought, it seemed a bit exaggerated. If Xun Shen were truly that formidable, Liu Ye likely wouldn't have made it back.

"Generals in Guanzhong, along with Zijian, gave me a significant advantage. Otherwise, the fight would have become increasingly difficult, and I might have suffered a crushing defeat," Liu Ye said seriously, his words reflecting his respect for Xun Shen's competence.

"Oh, do you know what his Spiritual Talent is?" Chen Xi asked solemnly, noticing Liu Ye wasn't joking. At their level, intelligence differences were marginal, but the fear of counters remained.

"No idea. I probed for a long time but couldn't figure it out," Liu Ye replied with a bitter smile. "Unless it's something akin to mine or Wen He's, or worse, if he doesn't rely on Spiritual Talent at all. That would be disastrous!"

"How much worse could it get?" Fa Zheng asked while turning his head. "Here, we have three strategists. Battles don't have to be fair duels—strategically speaking, it's overwhelming numbers against a single foe."

The group burst into laughter. Since proving himself on the battlefield, Fa Zheng had gained much confidence, along with a thicker skin. At least he wouldn't have made such shameless remarks earlier.

"Hmm, three against one—what's there to fear?" Chen Xi shrugged, agreeing. While he might be coasting in his role, the combined efforts of Liu Ye and Fa Zheng were enough to hold their ground against any strategist on the battlefield.

"Fine, I'll organize my thoughts and share them with you," Liu Ye said with a sigh before continuing. "When Xun Shen left Chang'an, he passed through Hangu Pass and then Henei, instead of directly heading to Bingzhou."

"An understanding between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao?" Fa Zheng frowned. "But ultimately, it's irrelevant—it doesn't change reality."

"Still, it's undeniably troublesome," Chen Xi countered, shaking his head. "However, their honeymoon period is bound to end with the transformation of Cao Cao's faction. To achieve the dominance of Western Qin, Xiaoshan Pass will be essential."

"Not much discord will arise in the short term. Xun Shen has likely already met Xun Yu. The moment I learned of his departure through Hangu, I knew this would be the case," Liu Ye said, slightly nodding. "Moreover, our strength will significantly influence their decisions."

"Even if a tiger withdraws its claws and fangs, sleeping in its lair, it still instills fear. So tell me, Zichuan, can we retract our claws?" Fa Zheng sneered while raising an eyebrow.

"The moment you called us back, everything was destined. Without absolute certainty, you wouldn't risk such actions," Fa Zheng said indifferently. Since Chen Xi had resolved to act decisively, he would see things through to the end.

"Well, even if it appears over-confident, you're not wrong," Chen Xi said, smiling. "We have enough strength to wage war on multiple fronts. Yuan Shao may be capable of the same, but we ensure that every army deployed can fight toe-to-toe with their main forces."

"Rest for two days. Then we cross the Yellow River. With so many people, there's no way to hide it. At most, we prevent others from realizing I'm the commander. We launch a direct attack across the Yellow River," Chen Xi said, sharply pivoting to issue directives.

"Understood!" The group responded with clasped fists and bows.

"Wen Ze, you'll act as the vanguard this time," Chen Xi said, giving Yu Jin the role outright, denying Zhang Fei the chance to claim it.

"Understood!" Yu Jin responded with clasped fists. His expression remained calm and solemn.

"I don't have much else to instruct you. Hold your ground and avoid being caught off guard. Strictly discipline your troops. If any Qingzhou Soldiers disturb civilians, punish them severely!" Chen Xi instructed. As the one who trained the Qingzhou Soldiers, Yu Jin was most aware of their strengths and shortcomings.

"I will enforce strict discipline!" Yu Jin solemnly replied.

"The rest is up to you. Spend tomorrow gathering boats and massive timber to construct a pontoon bridge," Chen Xi said, glancing at Fa Zheng and Liu Ye before deciding it was wiser not to entrust such a critical task to Fa Zheng.

"Leave it to me. While I can't match Gong Youu in construction, I've learned plenty in the past. Building a simple pontoon bridge is no great challenge," Liu Ye said confidently.

"Xiaozhi, you and Yide will stay with me in the Central Army. Once we cross the Yellow River, I'll assign you further tasks," Chen Xi said, addressing Fa Zheng and Zhang Fei.

"Understood!" Both Zhang Fei and Fa Zheng complied, despite not being particularly fond of serving in the Central Army. But Chen Xi's orders were absolute, leaving them no choice.

"Zijian, guard the flanks and coordinate the connections between the front, rear, left, and right. I can't wait to see the might of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry!" Chen Xi entrusted the escort mission to Hua Xiong.

(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)