Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

Yu Jin was steady, Lu Su was patient and capable, with ten thousand men stationed at the border, firmly entrenched. Even with Xun You, Xun Yu, and Cheng Yu, it wouldn’t be easy for Cao Cao to capture the territory. Defense has the upper hand over offense. As long as the border could be held until Chen Xi returned from subduing the Yellow Turbans, the situation would reverse.

As for the trouble Cao Cao might cause upon becoming the Inspector of Yanzhou, stirring up conflict might happen, but ultimately it would come down to a contest of strength. If Cao Cao wanted to seize grain from Xuzhou, with Taishan as the gateway, he’d have to fight his way through. Any other method was out of the question.

Chen Xi had already anticipated this, so whether Liu Bei liked it or not, they were now in an alliance with Tao Qian, Yuan Shu, and Gongsun Zan. Conversely, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Liu Biao were in their own alliance.

Whenever Chen Xi thought of this alliance, he felt his face twitch. He wanted to ask why all his allies were so unreliable. If Gongsun Zan fell and Yuan Shu took the Imperial Seal to proclaim himself emperor, Liu Bei would be left with no choice but to fight the world alone. But joining Yuan Shao’s alliance? That was a pipe dream!

Given this predestined situation, Chen Xi’s only course was to quickly develop Qingzhou with Xuzhou’s support, rising swiftly under the protection of Gongsun Zan, the mightiest warlord in the northeast, and the granaries of Xuzhou. At the very least, they needed enough strength to protect themselves before Gongsun Zan fell. Otherwise, they would end up wandering aimlessly.

Lu Su might have already sensed this, which explained his recent troubled expression. Liu Bei treated him well, but Lu Su had no faith in their allies. Gongsun Zan was passable, but Tao Qian was old and lacked strength. As for Yuan Shu, Lu Su had met him. If continually oppressed, Yuan Shu might still act like a hero, but once he gained power, Lu Su believed he could create endless trouble. This alliance seemed doomed to fail.

Another reason Lu Su lacked faith in this alliance was the intelligence from Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, which left Lu Su cold with fear. They were too wise and heroic, able to adapt and dominate, fit to be overlords. Looking at Liu Biao, who had entered Jingzhou alone and brought peace, Lu Su was speechless. Any one of these three had the makings of a hegemon.

Lu Su was conflicted. He didn’t want to leave because he genuinely admired Liu Bei after spending time with him. Liu Bei had the demeanor of a benevolent ruler. Because of this, Lu Su wracked his brain daily, trying to carve a path through the thorns to a bright future. With unreliable allies and strong enemies, Lu Su was overwhelmed.

Truthfully, Lu Su didn’t believe Chen Xi was unaware of these issues. Liu Ye might lack long-term vision, and Guo Jia, being nonchalant, might not bother discussing it, but Lu Su couldn’t believe Chen Xi hadn’t prepared for it. Chen Xi was always forward-thinking; it was inconceivable that he wouldn’t have a plan.

“Zijing!” Chen Xi pushed the door open and entered. Unless summoned by Liu Bei, Lu Su seldom went to the administrative hall now, preferring to handle affairs from home, just like Chen Xi. Consequently, Chen Xi hadn’t seen Lu Su much recently.“Zichuan,” Lu Su straightened up but didn’t rise to greet him. Formalities were unnecessary between them. “What brings you here?”

“I’m giving you this. While I’m gone, you’ll temporarily act as the Governor of Taishan.” Chen Xi casually placed his seal on Lu Su’s desk.

“You’re going to fight the Yellow Turbans?” Lu Su frowned.

“If not me, then who? Among us, I’m the only one with enough prestige to command the likes of Second Master.” Chen Xi found a spot and sat down cross-legged. Sitting in the formal kneeling position often made it hard to stand up afterward.

“True, only you can command Yun Chang and the others.” Lu Su nodded. “What’s your plan for dealing with the Yellow Turbans?”

“No big problem. Since Fengxiao has set up the frontier farming points and mixed in plenty of spies, I reckon he’s already screened the various Yellow Turban factions. With so many informers leading the way, the Yellow Turbans will inevitably fall into chaos just to secure food.” Chen Xi said nonchalantly. Guo Jia’s arrangement was a blatant scheme. The Yellow Turbans would have to fight for food, leading to inevitable internal strife.

Lu Su nodded. He was aware of Guo Jia’s arrangement, having placed many second-rate ruffians and Yellow Turban remnants among the frontier farming soldiers and stocked the points with grain.

This was a dual-purpose move: using the Yellow Turbans to eliminate these ruffians and forcing the Yellow Turbans into chaos. Even if they killed all the frontier farmers, it would benefit Taishan.

“Indeed, the Yellow Turbans aren’t a big issue, but what about the others?” Lu Su looked up at Chen Xi, demanding a more concrete answer this time. He was tired of guessing.

“You and Wenze defend against Cao Cao’s incursions. Though he was once a friend in the alliance, now that he’s hungry, talk is cheap.” Chen Xi instructed directly, not overthinking it.

“Zichuan, Cao Mengde isn’t the main issue. His ministers and generals might be formidable, but Taishan is no pushover. If he tries to plunder Taishan to feed his own, I, Lu Zijing, will ensure he gains nothing.” Lu Su said confidently before turning serious. “I can’t believe you don’t see the potential downfall of Taishan!”

“Downfall?” Chen Xi was puzzled for a moment before realizing Lu Su’s concern. He nodded. “You mean Yuan Benchu, Cao Mengde, and Liu Jingsheng being stronger than Gongsun Bogui, Tao Gongzu, and Yuan Gonglu, right?”

Relieved by Chen Xi’s acknowledgment, Lu Su nodded.

“Don’t worry. Gongsun Bogui won’t lose to Yuan Benchu in the short term. As long as there’s no ceasefire between Youzhou and Jizhou, we won’t face any major trouble. Over three to five years, even if Yuan Benchu wins, we’ll have solidified Qingzhou by then. With a whole province’s resources, what is there to fear from Yuan Benchu?” Chen Xi shook his head. “As long as nothing unexpected happens, we won’t have to worry about any challenges.”

“Is that truly the case?” Lu Su asked, astonished.

“A king walks his path alone, needing no allies. We can defeat all our enemies on our own.” Chen Xi said proudly. “The path of kingship needs no allies, only enemies!”

Lu Su smiled wryly. The man before him was sometimes a complete madman, making it hard to get practical answers. However, despite his occasional bouts of arrogance, Lu Su had to acknowledge his capabilities.