Mythical Three Kingdoms

”Zhen Mi, go and add some tea.” After the second wave of oppressive pressure swept across the Great Han Dynasty, Chen Xi instead calmed down. Once the pressure subsided, he tapped the table with his knuckles and spoke to Zhen Mi.

”Alright, alright.” Zhen Mi said slightly shyly, but in an instant, she regained her usual composure, picked up the tea kettle, and slowly walked out, closing the door behind her. She understood that the upcoming conversation was not something suitable for her ears.

”Wen Ru, it seems this is what has been unsettling you,” Chen Xi said with a headache. ”Let’s not even mention the Jade Seal, but the Xuanyuan Three Cauldrons—I’m partly responsible for that as well.”

”If I told you that the two cauldrons you saw before were forgeries I made, would you believe me?” Li You, having realized the situation was beyond redemption, regained his composure. He had weathered enough storms by now—this little matter was hardly terrifying. At least at this current stage, it posed no real threat to Mount Tai.

”You forged them?” Chen Xi felt his face twitch uncontrollably. ”You’re something else...”

”It’s likely some unforeseen mutation occurred. Forget it, let’s not dwell on it. We need to think about how to handle this.” Li You folded his hands under his chin. He would clean up the mess he made himself. Both he and Chen Xi were clearly responsible, but fortunately, the trouble wasn’t insurmountable; they could manage it.

”What’s there to think about?” Chen Xi sneered. ”Let’s just go to war.”

”I was thinking the same,” Li You said. ”Forget about timing or strategy—if Yuan Shao truly seizes hold of the national fate, even with our overwhelming advantages, all we’d be left with is lamenting that this must be the will of Heaven!”

”Let’s take it by force. There’s no point hesitating anymore,” Chen Xi said solemnly. ”Mobilize 120,000 Qingzhou Army troops to march north. Send all mid-level officers studying strategy at the Academy of Mount Tai back to their posts. Second-line reserve officers from the regular army will transfer to the new military corps as their commanders.”

”Activate the emergency reserves. Open supply lines along the official roads. Allocate provisions and wages in advance. Fully allocate weapons from the nurturing reserves. Permit retired veterans and Tuntian Soldiers to receive wartime weapons and enter wartime status. Prepare our territories for immediate governance control if needed,” Li You added, tackling his share of responsibilities seamlessly.

When Chen Xi and Li You exchanged glances, they both saw the fire in each other’s eyes. What a predicament this was. If they’d known things would turn real, they would’ve dug the items out long ago, rather than leaving them till now. What a disaster.

”Prepare yourselves. Everyone will likely be here soon. There’s no avoiding it. Even if it means fighting on two fronts, we have to act!” Chen Xi said to Li You, his gaze now devoid of any warmth, his expression icy and resolute.

”Crash!” Jia Xu was the first to rush in, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot.

”I’m ready to eliminate all northern spies. Activate our covert networks in Jizhou. Launch the trade route plans starting tomorrow. All our northern secret agents are on standby to start full operations. Death Soldiers are entering the field. The first wave of disruption plans targeting Jizhou is ready to begin!” Jia Xu barked coldly as he burst through the door, addressing Chen Xi without hesitation.

”Take a seat. Wen Ru and I were already discussing this matter. Gathering and redeploying our strongest elite forces will take ten days,” Chen Xi said half-explanatorily. There was no need to debate the things Jia Xu had mentioned—action was inevitable, and nothing was more important than this right now.

”Bang!” Mi Zhu also barged in hurriedly, drenched in sweat. ”Something terrible has happened! The Two Xuanyuan Cauldrons have emerged!”

”We already know, we already know,” Chen Xi waved dismissively. ”Zizhong, have you observed anything unusual?”

”Just exhaustion, but I managed to endure it. Afterward, I felt like my previous perspective was too narrow,” Mi Zhu replied, wiping his sweat and trying once again to restore his usual gentlemanly demeanor.

His earlier urgency stemmed entirely from the gravity of the situation and its relevance to Liu Bei. But now, with the people in front of him, Mi Zhu had found his backbone. The sky could fall, and this group would still hold it up.

”Zizhong, how are things on your end?” Chen Xi asked concernedly.

”No problem. When the northern campaign begins, we’ll ensure the stability of food prices, salt, and other basic necessities in our territories. Even if prices rise, I’ll keep the increase within ten percent. Since the initial formation of the merchants’ guild, I’ve been strengthening regulation in this area,” Mi Zhu nodded firmly in response.

”Once the war starts, I’ll personally oversee the law enforcement of Mount Tai of Qing Xu. Anyone who dares violate the law will be punished without mercy!” Mann Chong’s cold, merciless voice echoed as he entered. The crowd instinctively made way for the imposing Mann Chong, who exuded pure authority. In this state, he was devoid of any trace of humanity.

”What level of assault should we target at Jizhou?” Xun Yue asked, cutting straight to the critical question.

”Until the Xuanyuan Two Cauldrons are in our hands, all efforts should prioritize acquiring them. Focus minimally on resettling refugees and city infrastructure for now...” Chen Xi pressed on his temples. After a long pause, he looked up at everyone.

”Use force. Destroy city defenses and proceed with direct assault if the Xuanyuan Cauldron is confirmed to be inside,” Li You interjected, taking over. ”We can’t afford another mistake.”

”Alright.” Chen Xi sighed. ”Then let’s use force. If the Xuanyuan Cauldron is in the city, smash the walls and seize it.”

”Bang!” Another loud noise signaled Qu Qi’s arrival at the Political Office. ”Time for the northern campaign. I’ve waited long enough. This time, no further justification is needed.”

”The northern campaign is inevitable. The Xuanyuan Cauldron has emerged. And given the recent events, even if I claimed those two previous cauldrons were fakes, no one would believe me. How’s your cotton and cold-resistant crop improvement project coming along? There’s not much time left,” Chen Xi asked Qu Qi directly. The northern campaign—right from the start—hadn’t declared Yuan Shao as the true target. Liu Bei’s northern campaign was aimed at flattening the Northeastern Plain in one fell swoop!

”I’ve been studying alternative replacements and already have some leads,” Qu Qi replied with a smile. ”After all these years of waiting, hope is finally in sight.”

”The Xuanyuan Cauldron has appeared!” Wang Yi burst in excitedly, looking flustered as Huang Yueying followed behind her, visibly annoyed.

”We all know already,” Chen Xi snapped with some irritation. ”Lord Xuande should be arriving soon. Everyone, get ready. No more words are necessary. The Heaven-Man Dual Cauldrons—one is definitely in our grasp, and we can be certain the other will end up in Yuan Shao’s hands. So our goal is clear.”

”Zichuan, are you so certain?” Liu Bei stepped inside in a single stride, looking at Chen Xi with a questioning gaze.

”Greetings, Lord Xuande.” ”Greetings, my Lord.” A flurry of responses followed. One downside of Liu Bei’s governance was how many people still referred to him as Lord Xuande.

”No need for formalities. Just tell me what to do,” Liu Bei said, waving his hand as he took his seat at the head of the table and began speaking. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian [qidian.com] to cast your recommendation votes or monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. For mobile users, visit m.qidian.com to read.)