Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

Chen Xi silently drank the wine, a smile gradually appearing on his face. “Although I’d like to say thank you, but...”

“You don’t need it, right?” Liu Bei noticed Chen Xi’s smile and, understanding his habits well, knew what Chen Xi meant.

“Indeed, I don’t need it at all,” Chen Xi replied calmly, looking at Liu Bei. “Though things are slightly more complicated than expected, they’ve clearly chosen the wrong time. All they’ve revealed is their own foolishness. This time, we will need the remorseful scholars and gentry on our side.”

“Zichuan, your way of thinking is entirely different from ours,” Liu Bei said with a wry smile. “Under your guidance, I haven’t encountered any disasters.”

“There have been disasters, but ‘misfortune lies within fortune,’ as they say. As for my thinking, it’s likely just a different perspective,” Chen Xi replied casually.

“Since you’re fine, Zichuan, I won’t disturb you any further,” Liu Bei said. Originally, he intended to chat more with Chen Xi, thinking it would be good to maintain contact with his key advisors. But his keen eyes spotted Fan Jian hiding behind a pillar, and with a gesture, he signaled Chen Xi to go and comfort his wife instead.

Chen Xi didn’t even turn around; Liu Bei’s expression told him who was behind him. With a smile, he made a gesture and then escorted Liu Bei to the door. Sure enough, Xu Chu was already waiting outside—truly an uncanny occurrence.

While Chen Xi was beginning to see hope, in Youzhou, Taishi Ci arrived at the front lines with a thousand men after convincing Tian Kai, personally escorting supplies. Nearly five months of continuous fighting had clearly left Youzhou in a state of disrepair.

After delivering the supplies to the main camp, Taishi Ci, who should have returned, instead stayed under the pretense of observing the tactics of the White Horse Volunteers. Surprisingly, Gongsun Zan, who had been quite accommodating to allied forces, was easy to convince, especially with Liu Bei’s unreserved support of provisions.

Thus, despite being merely an escort of supplies, Taishi Ci was given a seat at the table and allowed to observe the battles. Gongsun Zan even let him join in on the battlefield, providing him with a small unit of White Horse Volunteers to experience firsthand how they were crushing Yuan Shao.During his ten days at the Jieqiao battlefield, Taishi Ci witnessed Gongsun Zan’s forces thoroughly thrashing Yuan Shao, leaving the latter with barely any means to fight back. On several occasions, the White Horse Volunteers even breached Yuan Shao’s camp, but each time, Yuan Shao managed to hold out, though barely. It always seemed like they were just one push away from victory.

The situation was so overwhelmingly favorable that Taishi Ci found himself at a loss for words. The White Horse Volunteers were like a wave of white that crashed through the enemy lines, easily overwhelming them. With five thousand on each flank, they seemed unstoppable. How could they possibly lose? Taishi Ci felt quite at ease here, unlike the constant skirmishes and ambushes from Zhang He and Gao Lan back in Licheng.

Taishi Ci, observing another small-scale engagement where Yuan Shao’s forces nearly crumbled under the White Horse Volunteers, couldn’t help but think how absurd it would be if Gongsun Zan were to lose, especially after Chen Xi had insisted on his defeat. Based on the current situation, it seemed impossible for Yuan Shao to hold out much longer.

“How do you find it, Ziyi?” Gongsun Zan asked arrogantly, standing atop a high slope, pointing at the white waves of his troops. “Is my army not magnificent?”

“The White Horse Volunteers can indeed be called the elite of the world!” Taishi Ci replied without a hint of flattery, speaking the truth.

“Hahaha!” Gongsun Zan laughed heartily. “Under my command, the White Horse Volunteers are the strongest troops! They were forged with the blood of the northern barbarians, and each one of them can hold their own against ten men in the borderlands!”

Taishi Ci smiled. While Gongsun Zan’s words were boastful, they were also true. Perhaps a single soldier couldn’t take on ten enemies alone, but when a thousand White Horse Volunteers charged across the northern plains, achieving a one-to-ten kill ratio was entirely within their grasp. Gongsun Zan had earned the title of White Horse General not from others but from the blood of the barbarians, to the point where the northern tribes—Xianbei, Wuhuan, and Xiongnu—would flee at the sight of white horses.

In this respect, Taishi Ci, who had lived in Youzhou, held deep respect for Gongsun Zan. Though his methods were ruthless, he had undoubtedly protected the people of Youzhou. This was why Taishi Ci had willingly accepted the task of safeguarding Gongsun Zan.

“The northern frontier is harsh, and the barbarians are rampant. If not for General Gongsun, the northern part of Youzhou would have long fallen to their depredations,” Taishi Ci said. Like Gongsun Zan, he believed in using force to maintain order, disapproving of Liu Yu’s conciliatory policies. No matter how much appeasement was offered, the barbarians still raided, making Liu Yu’s methods seem like mere political posturing to Taishi Ci.

“Barbarians!” A cold light flashed in Gongsun Zan’s eyes. “If given the chance, I would march to the North Sea and wipe out every last one of those beasts! The only good barbarian is a dead one!”

Gongsun Zan suddenly thought of something and pulled a letter from his chest, handing it to Taishi Ci with a chilling look. “Look at what the southern Xiongnu have proposed. I suspect the Xianbei are also getting restless.”

“How could we agree to this?” Taishi Ci’s eyes blazed with anger. The southern Xiongnu had suggested that Yuan Shao had offered them rewards to attack Gongsun Zan, but if Gongsun Zan paid them more, they would turn on Yuan Shao instead.

“No grievances with me? I’ve lost count of how many Xiongnu lives I’ve taken! I have no problem crushing them along with Yuan Shao!” Gongsun Zan sneered. “I’d never stoop so low as to collaborate with barbarians!”

“By the way, General Gongsun, how do you plan to handle the issue of Liu Yu in Youzhou?” Taishi Ci asked, relieved by Gongsun Zan’s response. He shifted the topic, as the conflict between Gongsun Zan and Liu Yu’s differing political ideologies was a more pressing issue.

At the mention of Liu Yu, Gongsun Zan’s face darkened instantly, his eyes revealing undisguised malice. He decided there and then that once he returned, he would eliminate Liu Yu. No matter where he fought, Liu Yu was always there, undermining his efforts.

Seeing the look in Gongsun Zan’s eyes, Taishi Ci knew what Gongsun Zan intended, silently lamenting that Chen Xi had predicted this correctly.

“General Gongsun, if you find this matter troublesome, you can leave it to me. Lord Xuande and Liu Yu share the same lineage, and in these dark times for the imperial family, we need respected Han princes like Liu Yu to help. My lord hopes that General Gongsun will show mercy and allow me to escort Liu Yu back to Taishan and then send him to Chang’an,” Taishi Ci relayed Chen Xi’s message. The implications were clear.

Gongsun Zan froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. “Xuande is indeed my brother! Leave Liu Yu to him!”

Gongsun Zan might have been straightforward, but he wasn’t stupid. His earlier decision to eliminate Liu Yu had been driven by anger. He hadn’t considered the broader implications, but Taishi Ci’s words snapped him back to reality, making him realize the potential disaster he was about to create.