Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chen Xi’s intuition was good. In fact, when he learned that Cao Cao had entered Sili, Chen Xi had a feeling that Cao Cao would eventually take the Emperor, but he was curious about how Cao Cao would manage this feat, considering how weak he currently was.

As for the troubles Cao Cao’s acquiring the Emperor would cause for Liu Bei, Chen Xi could only say one thing, unless Cao Cao and the Emperor could be like Emperor Ai of Han and Dong Xian, then sooner or later an edict concealed in a girdle would be issued. Ever since ancient times, power ministers never met with good ends; full retreats happened either because the Emperor was magnanimous or the minister was capable.

[Whether Cao Cao succeeds or not, it actually doesn’t have any impact on me anymore. After establishing our position in the north, there’s virtually no chance of losing as long as we don’t self-destruct like Yuan Shao did in history.] Chen Xi silently shifted his gaze away from Liu Bei, sighing to himself.

Speaking of which, Liu Jingsheng and Cao Mengde both could be called heroes of their time, but in this life, both fared poorly. Cao Mengde was defeated by the demise of his veteran soldiers, while Liu Jingsheng suffered due to the scarcity of his subjects. Despite their lofty ambitions and having both valiant generals and good strategies, they could only watch helplessly as mediocre people occupied the Central Plains.

Sometimes, Chen Xi would think about Cao Cao’s often-quoted saying, ”An army of thousands is easy to obtain, but a general is hard to find,” and now, Cao Cao was not lacking strategists or generals. What he lacked were the common soldiers he never really took seriously.

”Zichuan, what are you muttering?” Liu Bei noticed Chen Xi’s lips moving without any sound coming out and asked out of curiosity.

”The saying ’An army of thousands is easy to obtain, but a general is hard to find’ reminds me of Cao Mengde’s situation,” Chen Xi said calmly.

”An army without a backbone of veteran soldiers is no different from a dish; it’s meaningless even if Yunchang leads new recruits. The combat experience these veterans from the Danyang Troops and our urban management troops have gained from life-and-death battles means they know how to fight, even without a top general leading them,” Liu Bei also showed a hint of a smile. ”However, such troops are very rare.”

”In a first-class legion, veterans must never drop below half. Speaking of which, I feel quite regretful about the tens of thousands of veteran soldiers we captured from Cao Cao. After two years without tasting blood, their strength has probably fallen to the level of our second-class legions,” Chen Xi said with a look of regret, those soldiers could neither be killed nor released, truly a pity.

”Cao Mengde truly made a mistake back then. The Great Han Dynasty governed the world with filial piety, not for using it as a reason to vent anger onto others. Fortunately, he realized his mistake and reformed. Let us hope such things do not happen again,” Liu Bei said sentimentally, ”Cao Mengde can sometimes be too extreme, too obstinate.”

”He has acknowledged his wrongdoings?” Chen Xi looked puzzled at Liu Bei and asked, ”When did he admit his faults? I wasn’t aware.”

”You didn’t know?” Liu Bei was about to jest that Chen Xi was confused again, but seeing the bewildered look on Chen Xi’s face, he briefly mentioned the incident where Cao Cao admitted his mistakes before last year, leaving Chen Xi surprised.

”Such a thing happened?” Chen Xi furrowed his brows, ”It can’t be. I haven’t heard anything about this. How could such a major event not have any repercussions? Did Cao Mengde send private letters to each Regional Inspector and also submit a statement to the Emperor?”

”Cao Cao issued a proclamation,” Liu Bei’s words completely shocked Chen Xi.

”How is this possible, such a good opportunity, we should have pressed on for victory. At the very least, we could have made the people of Xuzhou share our enmity and thoroughly integrate them into a unified group. Moreover, how could the Two Yuans and the Two Lius have no reaction?” Chen Xi said in disbelief.

Chen Xi, both shocked and reflective, eventually realized what had happened, after showing a pallor for a short moment.

”Zichuan, have you remembered?” Liu Bei saw Chen Xi regaining his composure, then he asked.

”Xi Zhicai...” Chen Xi muttered a name, then sighed, ”Forget it, there’s no need to hold a grudge against a dead man. I was outsmarted by his schemes after all. That Jade Bi Disc was indeed meant to ensnare me! His grasp on human nature was truly impeccable!”

”What happened, you were outwitted by Xi Zhicai’s schemes too?” Liu Bei also recalled the man who visited Mount Tai dressed in green, sallow-faced, but with a sharp glimmer in his eyes.

Chen Xi selectively shared his analysis with Liu Bei, then added with a bitter smile, ”This man was indeed cunning. His schemes devised on his deathbed were likely unknown even to Xun Wen Ruo and others. With Cao Meng De’s vow made earlier, he will probably avoid making such infuriating and resentful mistakes in the future.”

Liu Bei nodded repeatedly, full of emotion, and held great admiration for such a loyal minister who, even facing death, did not fail to lend a hand to his lord.

[Perhaps even Cao Cao was unaware of the true purpose of that proclamation. Worthy of being a top strategist who personally encountered Liu Bei, could this be his backup plan? But if Cao Cao, Xun Yu, Xun You and the likes knew of it, they would probably feel ashamed!] Chen Xi thought impassively, [If Cao Cao learned the truth in the end, he would probably be torn between crying and raging.]

[Indeed, none of these men were pushovers. The thing I hate most is the cunning taking advantage of the naive; probably even Cao Cao and Xun Yu did not expect Xi Zhicai to outwit them.] Chen Xi gazed at the sky, knowing that if Liu Bei had not mentioned it by chance, this matter might have remained buried in history.

[Let it be, there’s no need to delve into Wen He’s issues. He must have chosen this path seeing the benefits outweighing the detriments. Likewise, there’s no way to hold Cao Cao accountable now, too much time has passed. More importantly, is it really about aspirations, that at the time I became aware, there was no way to seek justice?]

Chen Xi looked up at the vast sky, Liu Bei’s ambitions were too immense, impossible to fulfill alone, thus necessitating external help, and that proclamation issued by Cao Cao would become such aid over time, transforming into a formidable force.

Chen Xi smiled wryly, truly faced with a grand temptation. If it were back when Cao Cao had just issued the proclamation, Chen Xi might not have understood, but now he did.

”Lord Xuande, may I venture to ask, if a capable individual exists who could help you fulfill your initial oath, would you dare recruit him?” Chen Xi raised his hand in a salute and asked.

”What’s there to dare or not dare? Of course, I would ask him, if not once, then twice or thrice. As long as he truly has the ability, I ought to invite him; not for myself, but for the Great Han Dynasty.” Liu Bei glanced at Chen Xi, almost adding the phrase, ”Isn’t what you asked obvious?” after speaking.

”Oh, that’s good to know. But what if this person holds a grudge against Lord Xuande?” Chen Xi inquired further.

”A mere personal grudge; how could you not understand what it means to distinguish between public and private interests? As long as it is truly beneficial for the Great Han Dynasty, the people of this world, then he should be invited. One should not let personal grievances obstruct the flourish of the Great Han Dynasty’s opportunities. If Duke Huan of Qi could tolerate Guan Zhong, who nearly took his life, who do I have such a deadly feud with?” Liu Bei spoke with a proud tone, clearly very enlightened in this regard.

(To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, please visit qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)