Mythical Three Kingdoms

Jia Xu’s response was clearly evasive, but both Guo Jia and Lub Su had a knowing expression. Although they didn’t know the specific contents of Xun Shen’s letter, they had their own predictions.

”What are you planning?” Liu Bei asked, perplexed.

”We still have some strength to spare, but once Xiaoo Zhi makes his move, the enemy, even with the supply lines of Qinghe and the Bohai Sea, will no longer delay. This will present an opportunity for us to bring an end to Hebei. We must not, as Zichuan suggested, give the enemy a chance for a desperate counterattack!” Guo Jia shook his head as he explained.

”I’ve always been curious—who exactly is Zichuan’s inside contact within Yuan Shao’s forces? Sometimes the intelligence Zichuan passes on is far too high-level, although by the time it reaches us, its value is mostly lost.” Lub Su asked curiously, much like with Xun Shen’s letter, which only gave the letter itself without sharing the contents.

”Some information can only be accessed by certain people. Think about it, and you’ll understand,” Jia Xu remarked casually. ”But I don’t like people like that.”

Liu Bei was speechless. It was truly a rare occurrence for Jia Xu to openly admit his dislike for someone—it felt almost miraculous.

[Is it because the person on the other side is too similar to you?] Guo Jia tilted his head and couldn’t help but think. He had a guess about who Zichuan’s inside contact might be.

”Lord, please notify the generals. It seems that soon we will face the final battle against Yuan Shao!” Lub Su spoke with seriousness. By now, he had already adapted to the battlefield, and as for the reason for informing the generals, it was akin to Zichuan’s covert contact—some things are simply unavoidable.

After receiving unified answers from Jia Xu, Guo Jia, and Lub Su, Liu Bei finally felt confident enough to issue new orders, preparing to launch the final phase of battle at any moment.

Once Lub Su, Guo Jia, and Jia Xu left the command tent, Guo Jia immediately turned to Jia Xu and asked, ”Wen He, why did you have to propose this plan now? If something goes wrong, one misstep could lead to many, and we may not have time to recover.”

”You crow-mouthed pessimist, don’t jinx it yourself. Doesn’t Zijing also know this?” Jia Xu shivered at Guo Jia’s words. What troubled him most was Guo Jia’s spiritual talent, which could activate unconsciously and had a shocking effect whenever he spoke about possibilities.

”That’s exactly what I mean.” Lub Su sighed and took over, voicing what Guo Jia had been trying to express. To be honest, Lub Su also found Jia Xu’s reasoning compelling—Guo Jia shouldn’t speak of unfavorable prospects, especially given the potential activation of his spiritual talent effect.

”Do you still remember how many troops we started with at Mount Tai?” Jia Xu asked calmly.

”Roughly 150,000, in total,” Lub Su responded with puzzlement, while Guo Jia’s eyes suddenly lit up. In an instant, he understood Jia Xu’s point—unlike Lub Su’s all-around role, Guo Jia’s talent was exceptionally focused on military strategy.

”And how many do we have now?” Jia Xu pressed further.

”So far, we’ve lost more than 7,000 in battle, with over 10,000 incapacitated from combat. Our forces number around 130,000,” Lub Su replied absentmindedly, still not fully grasping Jia Xu’s line of reasoning.

Jia Xu could only feel exasperation—speaking with Chen Xi or Lub Su often led to instances where the conversation suddenly lost continuity, spiraling into unknown tangents!

”Zijing, Wen He is asking how many troops we actually have here right now—that is, how many soldiers we can actively deploy,” Guo Jia clarified on behalf of Lub Su.

”Exactly. Initially, we had 150,000 troops, but three-tenths were assigned to guard the rear. As we advanced and secured victories, pushing the battle front to this point, the defensive positions we needed to secure kept increasing, while Yuan Shao’s defensive line and supply chain kept contracting,” Jia Xu nodded, taking over Guo Jia’s explanation.

”Currently, we’ve committed five-tenths of our forces to protect supply lines and key strategic locations behind us. Factoring in battle losses, we now have only about 50,000 troops we can directly mobilize!” Lub Su realized with some astonishment. Though he had considered these elements before, Jia Xu’s explicit articulation made them more apparent.

”As our supply lines and defensive points continue to stretch longer and increase, while Yuan Shao’s lines and bases grow shorter and decrease, the manpower he can free up is also growing. Originally, his force of 200,000—after consistent recruitment—has likely freed up 140,000-150,000 troops by now,” Guo Jia said solemnly. This was, essentially, the scenario of Liann Po’s version of Qin and Zhao’s Battle of Changping playing out again.

”If this drags on further—whether we win or not—it will be no different from the Qin State spending three years entangled at Changping. Our focus should not be wasted on Yuan Shao. A short, sharp blow is far better than prolonged attrition,” Jia Xu resolutely stated, raising his index finger.

Although the strain of a single month was insignificant to the overall economy and farming of Qingxu of Mount Tai, Jia Xu had already noticed the massive impending impact this situation could have on Liu Bei’s army if it continued.

The situation mirrored the Zhao State of old—though its national strength was weaker than Qin’s, the strategy of Liann Po shortened its supply lines while lengthening Qin’s, forcing Qin to the brink of collapse. Yet the Zhao State itself couldn’t recover its own breath, leading any further conflict toward mutual destruction.

Although this conflict hadn’t yet escalated to that extreme, Jia Xu foresaw that Yuan Shao’s army—especially Tian Feng, who excelled in thorough, incremental approaches—would certainly recognize this dynamic if the war dragged on.

”So, we have no choice but to fight?” Lub Su frowned and posed the question, gesturing for Guo Jia, who had been rather silent, to contribute his perspective as well.

While Jia Xu’s argument was compelling, Lub Su wasn’t naive—things clearly hadn’t reached the dire extent Jia Xu described. On the contrary, taking a gamble now might not bring victory. For a decisive battle to begin, conditions demand that one side finds an opportunity to win while forcing the other side to engage, yet neither Yuan Shao nor Liu Bei’s probing assaults had concluded.

”It’s not that we’re forced to fight—but if we miss this opportunity, it will be incredibly difficult to get another like it.” The ever-quiet Guo Jia finally spoke, slowly but with conviction. ”Soon, we won’t have the freedom to act. Xiaoo Zhi’s presence in Jizhou signals that Cao Cao is nearing his limit.”

”Our war with Yuan Shao must reach a conclusion before the Emperor’s first intervention to mediate. And when I speak of a conclusion, I believe you all understand what kind of victory or defeat I mean.” Jia Xu said with the utmost calm.

”If we fail to win or lose decisively before the Emperor steps in, this conflict could truly devolve into a protracted war of attrition!” Guo Jia calculated solemnly, breaking the silence with his assessment. (To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile readers, please visit m.qidian.com for your convenience.)