In short, if Li You ever goes to dig up those things, he might be blinded by the radiance. He might even start doubting whether he was the one who buried them in the first place.
anwhile, Chen Xi was leading Zhuge Liang, commanding troops to build a new city in Linyi, Yanzhou. At this stage, they had no choice but to speed up construction.
Chen Xi wasn’t foolish. After seizing the territory from Yuan Shao, the conflict between Yuan Shao and Liu Bei had been brought to the forefront. The decisive battle for control of the north was already in its final countdown. Both sides could clash at any mont, sparking a war that would determine the fate of the land.
“Kongming, go with Ziyi to select the able-bodied n from the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans. They’ve had more than half a month to rest, and those with injuries should have recovered by now. Select the strong ones to form military colonies and begin cultivating the land.” Chen Xi estimated the construction tiline and then turned to Zhuge Liang. Honestly, by now, Zhuge Liang had learned everything Chen Xi could teach him, and there was no need for him to continue following Chen Xi around.
“Yes,” Zhuge Liang replied with a respectful bow. “I’ll go find Shuzhi. The construction of Linyi should be supervised by Shuzhi. You, Zichuan, should maintain your principle of not involving yourself in matters that aren’t your responsibility.”
“Alright, stop joking. I’m just here to check the progress and et with Zhang Yan,” Chen Xi said with a smile.
If it weren’t for the fact that Chen Lan was coming here, Chen Xi wouldn’t have bothered with the construction in Linyi. As for eting Zhang Yan, it was rely to have a look at the Yellow Turban leader who had managed to survive and make a na for himself in history.
“Many among the lower ranks of the Yellow Turbans are unruly, but the top leaders—whether it’s the two in Qingzhou or this one—are all n of integrity,” Zhuge Liang remarked, his tone filled with admiration. He had initially suspected that the situation with the great leader of the Qingzhou Yellow Turbans might have been a setup, but after several similar occurrences, even Zhuge Liang had to believe it.
“Those who stand up for righteousness often co from humble backgrounds. They aren’t accustod to weighing the consequences of their actions,” Chen Xi sighed.
As they spoke, Zhang Yan and Wang Xiu appeared before Chen Xi. Zhang Yan had surrendered, demonstrated his loyalty, and proved his capabilities. Given the circumstances, Zhang Yan had been given the title of a miscellaneous colonel, though it was uncertain whether the position would be officially approved. In theory, there shouldn’t be any problems.
What Chen Xi didn’t know was that the issue wasn’t about whether it would be approved—it was that imperial orders couldn’t even leave Sili. Fan Chou and Guo Si were already in a standoff with Cao Cao and Liu Ye, while Zhang Ji and Yang Feng had already been defeated in the previous battle.
When Zhang Ji had faced Liu Ye earlier, they had exchanged only a few blows before discussing old tis, as Zhang Ji and Hua Xiong were old acquaintances. Neither side had much animosity, and Liu Ye’s purpose was more about posturing, as coming to the aid of the emperor was a statent in itself. Therefore, Liu Ye was in no hurry and was content to drag things out, aiming to strengthen his claim to legitimacy. Thus, the conflict on Zhang Ji’s side was tepid at best.
The issue was that Zhang Ji’s health was failing. One day, his old ailnts flared up, so he sent a ssage to Hua Xiong, gifting him a thousand elite Xiliang cavalry as a token of goodwill.
When he departed, Zhang Ji didn’t dismantle his camp or take any supplies, leaving everything behind. He simply led his troops back to Chang’an. With the Zhengguo Canal in hand, Sili and Guanzhong were not short of grain.
At Zhang Ji’s stage in life, he wasn’t living for himself but entirely for his nephew. During Dong Zhuo’s reign, his sches with Jia Xu were all for Zhang Xiu’s sake. Even earlier, he had urged Zhang Xiu to go all out for his future. Now, even when making peace with Hua Xiong, he was thinking of Zhang Xiu’s well-being.
Although Zhang Ji knew that the situation in Guanzhong was favorable, he always felt a sense of unease—naly, that they lacked a truly capable strategist. Even though Zhong Yao was intelligent, Zhang Ji felt it wasn’t enough, as Zhong Yao wasn’t fully aligned with them. In Zhang Ji’s mind, a true ally was soone who had committed wrongdoing alongside him!
Hua Xiong was loyal, and he and Zhang Ji were comrades-in-arms, having shared hardships together. Thus, Zhang Ji could trust Hua Xiong.
This was why Zhang Ji, upon learning that Hua Xiong’s personal guards had been wiped out, sent his own elite guards to Hua Xiong. He firmly believed that if he were to die one day, leaving his nephew without support, Hua Xiong would step in to help. And now that Hua Xiong was doing well under Liu Bei, he could provide protection for Zhang Xiu.
Although Zhang Ji understood that with Li Jue and others around, it was unlikely that Zhang Xiu would be left without support, he still made this choice out of caution.
Liu Ye, being astute, quickly deduced Zhang Ji’s intentions but didn’t speak out. He saw this as a great opportunity. Zhang Xiu was no weakling; even though Liu Ye couldn’t see it himself, Hua Xiong had praised Zhang Xiu, saying he far surpassed many others.
After Zhang Ji’s withdrawal, Yang Feng quickly found himself in deep trouble. Cao Cao, a master of warfare, seized the mont when Zhang Ji’s retreat destabilized Yang Feng’s defenses, launching a surprise attack that dealt Yang Feng a crushing defeat. By the ti Yang Feng stabilized his position, Cao Cao had already sent envoys to persuade Xu Huang to defect, securing a decisive victory.
Without Xu Huang, Yang Feng was unable to resist further and barely escaped with his life, though he lost most of his forces. Xu Huang, on the other hand, had been recruited by Cao Cao.
After Yang Feng and Zhang Ji retreated to Chang’an, Fan Chou and Guo Si imdiately mobilized their troops to block Cao Cao and Liu Ye’s advancing armies. However, unlike Zhang Ji, Fan Chou wasn’t as amiable. He had no ties with Hua Xiong and went straight to battle.
anwhile, Guo Si’s confrontation with Cao Cao was fierce, but Fan Chou, rembering old ties, wasn’t as ruthless in his approach. Guo Si didn’t mind this, much like how Li Jue had brought ginseng to visit Zhang Ji, even though it was Zhang Ji’s retreat that had led to Yang Feng’s collapse. Yang Feng, on the other hand, was harshly reprimanded.
The Xiliang troops may not have understood much, but they knew who was on their side. Uniting allies and suppressing enemies was key to long-term stability.
Yang Feng clearly didn’t belong to the Xiliang faction; he was part of the Yang family’s power base. So, when Zhang Ji’s retreat led to the downfall of the Yang family, it was seen as a move that benefited Li Jue. And Zhang Ji’s old illness? No one expected him to lead troops into battle in such a state.
And so, the Xiliang army clashed with Cao Cao’s forces, marking the beginning of the battle to seal off Guanzhong, ticulously planned by Xun Yu and Xun You.
With Yang Feng’s inadvertent gift of a top general, Cao Cao finally confird that the Yang family still retained a sliver of strength. Though not formidable, it was enough to tip the scales in a critical mont. The rest would depend on the actions 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 hinged on whether chaos could be instigated in the capital.
Cao Cao pondered each step of the plan carefully, no longer displaying the ease and confidence he had when he held Yanzhou and commanded a vast army of 100,000. Now, he approached each battle with utmost caution, striving to maximize the effectiveness of every ounce of strength. His prudence only increased when Liu Bei’s army appeared nearby, ready to support the emperor, making Cao Cao even more vigilant.
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