Three Kingdoms, Myth

When Chen Xi received the intelligence report from Jingzhou, he almost spat out his tea in shock. Lü Bu's destructive power was beyond anything he could have imagined. In history, Lü Bu had stabilized Nanyang County for Yuan Shu after defecting to him, and shortly after, he moved to Yuan Shao's camp to help Yuan Shao crush the Black Mountain Army, allowing Yuan Shao to turn his attention to destroying Gongsun Zan.

Then, fearing that Yuan Shao might eliminate him, Lü Bu drifted over to Wang Kuang, only to be lured by Chen Gong and Zhang Miao to go after Cao Cao. But this time, Lü Bu had gone berserk! He directly attacked and captured Xiangyang. Was Yuan Shu trying to defy the heavens? With Xiangyang conquered, Jingzhou's most prosperous regions were reduced to Jiangling and Jiangxia. Yuan Shu had ordered Sun Ce and Ji Ling to run rampant north of the Yangtze River, pursuing Liu Biao. The situation was almost identical to when Cao Cao had pursued Liu Bei, except that Liu Biao's forces still had some strength to resist.

"This situation is a complete mess!" Chen Xi fumed. If Yuan Shu really managed to seize all the territories north of the Yangtze—Nanyang, Southern Commandery, Jiangxia—it would be disastrous. The Yuan family's power would be more than enough to force the entire Yangzhou gentry into submission. Those opportunistic clans had no sense of loyalty!

Chen Xi was sure that if such a scenario came to pass, even the Lu family, which currently had good relations with Taishan, would switch sides to Yuan Shu. After all, Yuan Shu's advantages would be too overwhelming at that point. He might have already secured control over a third of the country, and with such power, the Yuan family could easily rally the vast majority of the aristocratic clans behind them. After that, it wouldn't even be a matter of fighting anymore—they could just rely on their influence to bring others into the fold! If the Yuan family, with its legacy of four generations of high-ranking officials, gained absolute dominance, too many clans would flock to support them!

"Damn it! Can't we have a few days of peace?" Chen Xi cursed as he slammed the report onto the table. This time, even if you don't want to fight, you have no choice. The situation must be contained within controllable limits.

If Yuan Shu really did defeat Liu Biao at Jiangling, the Yuan family would have the prestige and resources to mobilize all their connections. The capable generals and strategists across the land would surely rush to join them, driven by the influence of the aristocratic clans.

Should Yuan Shu truly gain control over a third of the country while the major clans have yet to make their final decisions, there would be no stopping him. The Yuan family's long-standing connections would make it nearly impossible to defeat the momentum they could gather.

For someone like Chen Xi, a monarch's extravagance was not the issue. After all, no matter how extravagant one person could be, there was a limit. As long as the subordinates were capable, ruling the country wouldn't just be a dream!

From what Chen Xi knew of Yuan Shu, he was the type to trust someone completely once he believed in them. Yuan Shu was the kind of person who would hand over all his troops to Ji Ling without a second thought. Not because he was bold or particularly wise, but simply because he never considered the consequences if Ji Ling were to betray him.

Therefore, Chen Xi was certain that if Yuan Shu ever allied with someone like Zhuge Liang—a ruthless strategist—and if they hit it off, and Yuan Shu was already at a significant advantage, it wouldn't be far-fetched to think that Yuan Shu might actually unify the land.

Chen Xi was sure that besides Xun Yu, Xun You, and Xun Zhan, the Xun family must have more hidden talents. Similarly, other prominent families undoubtedly had their own cards up their sleeves. Even Li Dian's family, a relatively minor power, had hidden a talent like Li Jin, who had once bested Lü Bu in combat. Other families surely had cards that, while perhaps not spectacular, were far from weak.

In such a scenario, if Yuan Shu amassed enough prestige, the capable people drawn to him by the powerful families wouldn't be easy to defeat. The human connections of the great aristocratic families, when bound by absolute interest, would unleash a power that Chen Xi didn't even want to imagine!

"We have to fight. This time, Tao Qianzhu can't just rely on us; we'll have to handle this ourselves. We're going to have to cross provinces to fight. Let's hope Tao Qianzhu gives us face and doesn't force us to turn against him," Chen Xi muttered bitterly. He knew that Yuan Shu had to be curbed.

Chen Xi's expression was bitter. This was a clear case of a plan going awry. As Yuan Shu's invisible ally, Liu Bei was now forced to personally step in to curb Yuan Shu. For Tao Qian, who had supported both Yuan Shu and Liu Bei, supporting either side now would be problematic.

"Plans can't keep up with changes. Fa Xiaozhi has already sent his analysis over. Cao Mengde's target was Lu, but given the current situation, if Cao Mengde isn't a fool, he definitely won't go after Lu. He needs us to share the burden," Lu Su said with a wry smile. He too could see that this time, Cao Mengde was pulling everyone down with him!

"The strategists under Cao Mengde are no pushovers. They overturned the entire situation with one move. Xun Wenruo and the others are truly gifted!" Liu Ye had no choice but to acknowledge the brilliance of Cao Cao's advisors, even as he grew increasingly frustrated with the current situation.

"Sigh, we'll just have to follow their lead. They've done a fine job. Fire and oil, flowers and brocade—these are always the most dangerous moments. Yuan Gonglu's sudden rise, and the potential of him controlling three provinces, has made us all keenly aware of the threat he poses. Whether we like it or not, we must suppress Yuan Gonglu now!" Chen Xi sighed heavily. The favorable situation they had before had been completely disrupted by Cao Mengde's strategists, who had expertly exploited the chaos to secure victory.

Chen Xi felt powerless. From the moment Yuan Shu's army broke through Xiangyang, he knew that whether they liked it or not, Xun Yu and the others had already scripted the play. Everyone else had no choice but to follow it if they didn't want to face disaster. They would surely charge ahead, and if you didn't, Cao Cao wouldn't be able to handle it alone. If Yuan Shu's forces ended up controlling three or even four provinces, the others would be left to cry in regret.

Frustration was all Chen Xi could feel. Throughout this journey, he had been the one manipulating others, only to be forcibly dragged into the fray this time.

"Let's fight. Yuan Gonglu's power is far beyond what Cao Mengde alone can handle. Even if you add in Zhang Yangshu of Henei, Liu Zhengli of Yangzhou, Yan Baihu, Chen Gongwei, and Wang Jingxing, they wouldn't be enough. We have to take action now. It's a pity that Tao Qianzhu is too old," Chen Xi said with resignation. They needed to deal with Yuan Shu swiftly; once the aristocratic families started wavering, the situation could quickly deteriorate.

"But before we act, we should make sure that Cao Mengde doesn't get off easy!" Liu Ye said, still seething with anger. He was clearly upset by Cao Cao's manipulative tactics.

"Xun Wenruo and his men have likely already accounted for that. There's nothing left to plunder in Yanzhou. The population has already been relocated to Chenliu under the guise of military farming. Forget it, let them be. This time, we lost. There will be no more of the Shu Alliance in this world after this!" Chen Xi waved Liu Ye off. "Get ready to attack Yuan Shu. Since we've already made our move, let's not hold back. Yuan Gonglu and we were never on the same path!"

Xun Wenruo and the others had severed all potential threats this time. From the moment Liu Bei decided to act, Tao Qian remained on the sidelines, and Gongsun Zan was preoccupied, the once most powerful alliance in the land—with the richest lands, the largest population, and the mightiest cavalry—began to crumble.