Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

The quarantined areas in Langya and Donghai had already been lifted, but many of the relocated people did not return to their original homes. One reason was the fear of returning to a place where the plague had occurred, worrying that they might get infected again. Another reason was the appeal of the deep wells in the new locations—such wells, which provided water even during droughts, were rare in this era.

”Hua Tuo, come with me to Pengcheng. Although the plague has been brought under control thanks to the medicine, I think it’s best we join up with Lord Xuande,” Chen Xi said as he watched Hua Tuo tending to the sick among the refugees.

When Chen Xi arrived in Pengcheng, as he had expected, the plague there had already been contained.

Entering the government office in Pengcheng, he found the atmosphere unusually somber, lacking the excitement typically following a great victory. Seeing Chen Xi enter, Liu Bei smiled faintly and said, ”We owe much to you this time, Zichuan. The people of Xuzhou have been spared from the plague because of you. No need for formalities, have a seat. I have something to discuss with you.”

”What’s the matter, everyone?” Chen Xi asked, frowning. ”Did something major happen?”

”There’s news from Yuzhou—Cao Mengde is not dead,” Jia Xu said with a wry smile. ”And it seems he didn’t die in Yuzhou either. This information has been confirmed by Yuan Shu’s son and Ji Ling, who saw Cao Cao accompanied by Xun You, Cheng Yu, and the Xiahou brothers.”

”What? Did we kill a decoy?” Chen Xi was stunned.

It seemed Cao Cao’s misfortune continued. While others might not recognize a disguised Cao Cao, Yuan Shu was familiar with him, and his son Yuan Yao knew Cao Cao quite well. Although historically Yuan Shu had once mistaken Qin Shao for Cao Cao, that was an unusual circumstance. Under normal conditions, it was unlikely to happen.

So, when Yuan Yao, who was providing relief in Pei County, spotted Cao Cao from a distance, he hesitated but said nothing. When Ji Ling arrived to escort him back, Yuan Yao suddenly acted, but unfortunately, he misjudged his own strength and failed to capture Cao Cao, though it did cost him some men. Even so, Cao Cao suffered a significant setback, abandoning his plan to return to Yanzhou via Yingchuan and instead choosing to take the more difficult route through Shanyang County back to Chenliu.

”Cao Mengde truly has good fortune,” Chen Xi muttered before turning to Jia Xu. ”Have we identified their abilities yet?””In terms of spiritual talents, Ziyang and I have analyzed the reports from Xingba and the others. Their abilities are troublesome, and one misstep could lead to disaster,” Jia Xu said grimly.

”Explain,” Chen Xi said, intrigued.

”One of them likely possesses a commanding-type spiritual talent that enhances the army’s leadership and resilience. This is evident from the fact that despite six ambushes, Cao’s troops did not collapse. As for the other, we’ve confirmed it—it’s a talent that makes others overlook him, rendering him practically invisible. In its most extreme form, this ability turns the user into something as mundane as the road itself. This talent is nearly unbeatable for both ambushes and escapes unless directly confronted,” Jia Xu explained with a helpless expression.

”If it’s so inconspicuous, how was it discovered?” Chen Xi asked curiously.

”It was Xingba who broke through it by killing Cao Chun. Once counterattacked, the effect seems to dissipate. Normally, we would have ignored them, treating them as mere passersby,” Jia Xu replied, frustrated. Xun You and Cheng Yu were both brilliant strategists, and the idea of treating them as background noise on the battlefield made Jia Xu shiver.

”If they attack, it’s a kill shot,” Chen Xi murmured. Such spiritual talents were indeed difficult to deal with. ”But if it was discovered, how did they still manage to escape?”

”There were no great generals left with them. I assumed it was just some stragglers, and when the Xiahou brothers arrived, Ziyi and I went after them instead. Who would have thought Cao Cao had no major generals with him at the time?” Gan Ning said, shrugging. There wasn’t much he could do about it now. Everyone assumed Cao Cao would be with his top generals, so they focused on taking out the big names, leading to this outcome.

”Forget it. Just be more vigilant next time. With spiritual talents like these, there’s not much we can do. We should be grateful they didn’t manage to turn the tables on us. If they want to escape, there’s little we can do,” Chen Xi reassured them. ”Cao Mengde, with no soldiers left, won’t be able to recover until next year at the earliest. And this year, we should be able to amass enough strength to dominate the Central Plains.”

”Yuzhou finally borders us now,” Liu Ye said with a knowing smile shared by those who had been to Yuzhou.

”Indeed, Yuzhou is no longer an isolated territory for us,” Li You added, reflecting on how their prior groundwork in Yuzhou had finally paid off, making it ripe for the taking whenever they chose.

”But let’s not set our sights on Yuzhou just yet. We need to stay under the radar. If we gain another province now, we might provoke a united front against us. Right now, compared to the Yuan brothers, we’re not as conspicuous. Let’s bide our time and seize the Central Plains in one fell swoop. As Zichuan said, we don’t need allies,” Guo Jia confidently declared.

Chen Xi simply smiled without commenting. From their position in Xuzhou or Qingzhou, they might not feel it yet, but the rapid climate changes across other provinces were not normal. The good weather from history had ended, and disastrous weather was brewing—droughts, locust plagues, torrential rains after June, followed by freezing disasters and more plagues, all repeating year after year. Crops would barely yield anything, and the relentless natural disasters...

”Xuande Gong, has Tao Gong invited you to Xiapi?” Chen Xi asked.

”I gathered everyone to discuss this matter. Now that Xuzhou has been dealt with, I’m planning to withdraw to Mount Tai and quickly sweep through eastern Qingzhou according to our plan. We’ve already prepared seeds, tools, and enough food for the campaign. After a few months of providing for the hundreds of thousands of people there, by June, they should be self-sufficient, and we won’t have to worry about food supplies anymore,” Liu Bei explained. After learning from his strategists for so long, Liu Bei now understood their usual planning methods well.

”Do you have a plan?” Chen Xi asked curiously.

”Wenhe suggests that Yun Chang lead Yide, Zijian, and others to escort Fengxiao and the others back to Mount Tai. Xingba and Ziyi will take the navy down the Yellow River to patrol the borders of Qingzhou, while Zilong leaves a garrison here to protect me and Wenhe as we head to Xuzhou for a meeting,” Liu Bei said.

”That works. The campaign in Qingzhou doesn’t need anyone in particular to lead it. We’ve already won the hearts of the Yellow Turbans there, so we just need to go and take control. There’s no need for the lord to remain in Mount Tai,” Chen Xi nodded, agreeing with Jia Xu’s plan.

”The lord also hopes that you and Hua Tuo will accompany us to Xuzhou,” Jia Xu added. ”Tao Gong is critically ill, and for a martial artist of his level, falling ill is a near-certain sign of death.”

”Very well, I’ll go too,” Chen Xi agreed without hesitation. He quickly understood Jia Xu’s reasoning. Tao Qian couldn’t die before clearing out the troublesome local aristocracy in Xuzhou. Liu Bei’s benevolence would play a crucial role in this.