Mythical Three Kingdoms

After some time, if Li Youu were to dig up this thing, his eyes would probably be blinded by its brilliance, and he might even doubt whether it was he who buried it.

Meanwhile, Chen Xi was leading Zhuge Liang and their troops in Yanzhou Linyi, constructing Xincheng. At this point, they had no choice but to rush the work.

Chen Xi was no fool. After the snatch from the tiger’s mouth, the conflict between Yuan Shao and Liu Bei had basically been laid out in the open. The battle for the establishment of power in the north was counting down, with both sides ready to spark at any moment and commence a fight that would decide their fates.

”Kongming, you and Ziyi go and select some strong young men from the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans. They’ve had over half a month of rest, and those with health issues should have recovered by now. Choose the strong ones to form military settlements and start reclaiming the land,” Chen Xi said after estimating the work schedule, then turned to Zhuge Liang. To be honest, by now, what he knew, Zhuge Liang knew as well; there was no need for Zhuge Liang to follow him and learn anymore.

”Understood,” Zhuge Liang replied with a clasped fist salute, ”I will call for Shuzhi. The construction of Linyi should be entrusted to Shuzhi. Zichuan, you should maintain your principle of not intervening in affairs outside your position.”

”Alright, stop joking. I’m just here to check on the progress and incidentally touch base with Zhang Yan,” Chen Xi replied with a smile.

If not for Chen Lan’s arrival, Chen Xi could hardly be bothered with Linyi’s construction. As for contacting Zhang Yan, it was merely to meet this historically renowned Yellow Turban who also managed to save his own life.

”Among the Yellow Turbans, many in the lower ranks lack discipline, but at the very top, whether it’s the two from Qingzhou or this one, they truly are men of faith and righteousness,” Zhuge Liang commented with a note of emotion. He hadn’t ruled out the possibility that the issue with the Qingzhou Great Channel Commander was a trap, but with one instance after another, Zhuge Liang couldn’t help but believe it.

”Men of valor often end up slaughtering mere dogs; they lack the habit of looking before and after,” Chen Xi sighed.

As they spoke, Zhang Yan and Wang Xiu appeared before them. After all, Zhang Yan had surrendered and understood the great principle. He was quite capable, and with the past behind them, he even managed to snag a position as a miscellaneous colonel. It was just uncertain if the appointment would be approved from above, though it should not be a big problem in theory.

What Chen Xi did not know, however, was that the issue wasn’t whether it was a large problem or not, but rather that imperial commands couldn’t even leave Sili. Fan Chou, along with Guo Si, had already started clashing with Cao Cao and Liu Ye. As for the earlier duo of Zhang Ji and Yang Feng, they had already fallen.

Zhang Ji had originally faced off against Liu Ye. Hua Xiong and Zhang Ji knew each other well and would reminisce once they fought. There was hardly any animosity between them, and since Liu Ye’s main purpose was symbolic—to show imperial relatives supporting the King—he didn’t mind spending time and was more concerned with rousing the notion of higher duty. Consequently, the battles at Zhang Ji’s front were neither hot nor cold.

The problem was Zhang Ji’s health wasn’t good, and one day, an old illness flared up. He notified Hua Xiong, commanded that a thousand elite Xiliang Iron Cavalry be given to Hua Xiong.

When Zhang Ji left, he did not dismantle his camp; the supplies and baggage remained there as he led his army back to Chang’an. Now, with the Zhengguo Canal in hand, Sili Guanzhong was not short of food.

For Zhang Ji, living was not for himself but entirely for the sake of his nephew. During Dong Zhuo’s time, plotting with Jia Xu was for Zhang Xiu; previously pushing Zhang Xiu to go all out was also for Zhang Xiu, and now considering old ties and making peace with Hua Xiong was still for the sake of Zhang Xiu.

Although Zhang Ji was very clear that the situation in Guanzhong was highly favorable, he always harbored a hidden worry, that is, they didn’t have a true strategist. Even though Zhong Yao had intelligence, in Zhang Ji’s eyes, it still wasn’t enough, because Zhong Yao wasn’t one of his own. In Zhang Ji’s view, so-called own people absolutely must have done bad deeds together with him!

Hua Xiong valued loyalty, and moreover, he and Zhang Ji were comrades-in-arms. All these people had shared meals from the same pot, so Zhang Ji could trust Hua Xiong.

This was also why, upon learning that Hua Xiong’s guards had been annihilated, Zhang Ji sent his own guards to Hua Xiong, firmly believing that if one day he died and his nephew was left helpless and alone, Hua Xiong would definitely reach out to help. Now that Hua Xiong was doing very well under Liu Bei, he could naturally protect Zhang Xiu.

Even though Zhang Ji was also aware that with Li Jue and others around, it would be difficult for Zhang Xiu to find himself without support, he still made such a choice.

Liu Ye was very perceptive, so he quickly guessed Zhang Ji’s thoughts, yet he didn’t express them. In his view, this was a great opportunity. Zhang Xiu’s power wasn’t weak. Although Liu Ye couldn’t see it himself, Hua Xiong had given an evaluation, which surpassed his by a lot.

After Zhang Ji’s withdrawal, Yang Feng was instantly doomed. Cao Cao himself was a master of military strategy. After Zhang Ji’s withdrawal, Yang Feng’s defenses became unstable, and Cao Cao directly launched a strong attack on Yang Feng’s army,

Cao Cao was victorious, and in pursuit, he defeated Yang Feng’s army severely. Once he stabilized his military camp, he sent someone to persuade Xu Huang, accomplishing the task in one fell swoop. After another attack, without Xu Huang, Yang Feng could no longer resist, and in the end, Yang Feng barely managed to lead the remnants to escape, but Xu Huang had already been taken into Cao Cao’s fold.

When Yang Feng and Zhang Ji retreated to Chang’an, Fan Chou and Guo Si immediately led troops to block the forces of Cao Cao and Liu Ye. However, this time Fan Chou was not as easy to talk to as Zhang Ji, having nothing to negotiate with Hua Xiong, and went straight to battle.

But compared to the exciting confrontation between Guo Si and Cao Cao, Fan Chou, after all, held back due to past affections and wasn’t excessively cruel. Guo Si didn’t say anything about this; it was clear that Zhang Ji’s retreat led to Yang Feng’s collapse, yet Li Jue actually brought ginseng to visit Zhang Ji, while disparaging Yang Feng continuously.

The Xiliang soldiers might not understand anything else, but they were clear about who was their own. Uniting their own people and suppressing the enemy was the key to long-term stability.

Yang Feng clearly did not belong to the Xiliang forces, he represented the Yang Family’s influence. Since that’s the case, Zhang Ji’s retreat and the ensuing damage to the Yang Family were actions beneficial to Li Jue. Moreover, if Zhang Ji’s health was failing, would he still need to lead troops into battle?

Thus, the Xiliang Army clashed with Cao Cao. The calculations of Xun Yu and Xun You finally began to unfold during this grand battle to blockade Guanzhong.

With Yang Feng’s inadvertent gifting of a general to him, Cao Cao finally confirmed that the Yang Family still retained a trace of power. Although weak, it was enough to turn the tide in certain circumstances. What remained to be seen were the performances of Sima Lang and Zhong Yao. With only Li Jue and Zhang Ji’s forces left in Chang’an, the success of Xun Yu’s strategy now depended on whether the turmoil in Chang’an could be resolved as anticipated.

Cao Cao quietly pondered every step of the plan, no longer having the leisurely confidence from when he had Yanzhou under control with a hundred thousand troops at his command. Now, before each battle, he was extremely cautious, ensuring that every ounce of strength was used to its fullest potential, especially since Liu Bei’s army, which supported the King, had appeared nearby, making Cao Cao even more prudent. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian ) with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)