Chen Xi didn't have much to say about Liu Bei's division of labor, but he was puzzled by the fact that Liu Bei seemed ready to mobilize troops. The new year had just passed, and winter wasn't over yet. Was Liu Bei planning to act before the spring planting season?
He glanced at the group of advisors and noticed that, except for Jia Xu, who was sitting with his head lowered like a meek wife, the others appeared deep in thought. Chen Xi couldn't help but furrow his brow.
"Dare I ask, Lord Xuande, are we planning to wage war in winter?" Lu Su hesitated before speaking, shivering slightly. Despite the passage of time, Lu Su still couldn't tolerate the cold. Ironically, his talent was related to cold attributes—how unfortunate!
"Yes, I've decided to eliminate the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou before the spring planting begins. Delaying any longer might bring complications, and we currently have enough resources to support an army of fifty thousand in winter combat," Liu Bei explained, glancing at Chen Xi. Seeing Chen Xi deep in thought, Liu Bei felt reassured. As long as Chen Xi didn't outright refuse, it meant that Taishan had the necessary resources.
"Why the rush, Lord Xuande?" Chen Xi asked with a bitter smile. He had indeed prepared a substantial amount of supplies, so launching a winter campaign wouldn't be a significant problem—but it did feel wasteful.
"Wenhe," Liu Bei said with a wry smile, directly calling out Jia Xu.
"According to reports from Xuzhou, Cao Cao's father, Cao Song, has been killed. As of now, Tao Qianzhu in Xuzhou likely hasn't received the news, nor has Cao Cao. But within ten days at most, both will learn of it," Jia Xu explained with a bitter smile.
Jia Xu's intelligence was the first to arrive among the three factions, but even then, it was still late by over half a month since Cao Song's death. After all, Cao Song had died in a region that bordered both Yuzhou's Lu State and Xuzhou.
Ever since Liu Bei's campaign in Yuzhou last year, they had taken Lu State. When Yuan Shu returned, Liu Bei had withdrawn his forces and didn't occupy the territory, as it would have required a substantial garrison. Yuan Shu, realizing the area couldn't be defended, also didn't bother retaking it. As a result, it had become a no-man's land.
Cao Cao didn't occupy it, Liu Bei didn't manage it, Tao Qian couldn't even manage his own territory, and Yuan Shu was preoccupied with relocating his base. This created an area where no one held authority.
With Cao Song dead in that area, Tao Qian had no information, and Cao Cao simply assumed his father was taking longer than expected—never suspecting that something had gone wrong on the journey. Only Liu Bei's faction, after noticing the undercurrents in Xuzhou, specifically investigated and discovered that Cao Song had been murdered.
Jia Xu hadn't originally planned to report this, but Liu Bei happened to visit Jia Xu's office and saw the intelligence report. Liu Bei immediately broke into a cold sweat. Knowing how he would react in Cao Cao's shoes, Liu Bei realized that this matter would not end well for either Cao Cao or Tao Qian. Eventually, Tao Qian would seek his help, and having received so many favors from Tao Qian in the past, Liu Bei knew he couldn't refuse.
Liu Bei considered Cao Cao's formidable combat prowess. If Cao Cao, fueled by rage over his father's death, went all out, Liu Bei would need to deploy nearly all his forces to stop him.
Liu Bei was no genius, but he was an excellent judge of character. In almost no time, he deduced that Tao Qian would appoint Cao Bao as a general. Liu Bei had only one comment on Cao Bao: "He truly lives up to his name."
And so, without further ado, Liu Bei decided not to let Tao Qian's plight derail Chen Xi's carefully planned strategy. The precision of Chen Xi's strategy had left Liu Bei in awe—making it clear that even a single misstep could unravel everything, leading to irrevocable consequences.
Abandoning the current situation for Tao Qian's sake was out of the question, but leaving Tao Qian to fend for himself? Liu Bei couldn't bring himself to do that either. He had relied on Tao Qian's resources during the toughest times. Now that they were self-sufficient, kicking him aside didn't sit right with Liu Bei.
After much deliberation, Liu Bei reviewed Chen Xi's strategic reserves and compared the inventory carefully. He ultimately concluded that if they moved swiftly, they could resolve the situation in Qingzhou before rushing to Xuzhou to aid Tao Qian.
"So, it has come to this," Chen Xi muttered, rubbing his temples. "This really is troublesome. But, Lord Xuande, you can put the Qingzhou campaign on hold. Cao Mengde won't wait until spring to take action. As soon as he hears the news, he'll move immediately."
"You mean Cao Mengde will launch an all-out assault without hesitation?" Liu Bei asked, shocked. "How is that possible? It's winter. He doesn't have enough supplies to outfit his soldiers for such harsh conditions. Even if he's driven by revenge, he still needs to consider his troops' well-being. They won't be effective in battle."
"Well, how should I put it? Lord Xuande, wait ten days and you'll see. Even if we plan to attack Qingzhou, there's no need to rush. If necessary, we can issue an ultimatum, then sweep through Qingzhou with thirty thousand cavalry, relocate the Yellow Turbans from the east to the west, and establish agricultural colonies in the east," Chen Xi replied, finding it difficult to explain fully.
When Chen Xi mentioned sweeping through Qingzhou, there was an unmistakable killing intent in his words. They had planned for Qingzhou for a long time, and in an emergency, they could achieve results within a month. Although this method would result in more casualties and less popular support, it would be quick. However, Chen Xi would only resort to such forceful measures as a last resort.
"Ten days? Very well, we'll wait ten days. If Cao Mengde attacks Xuzhou, we'll put the Qingzhou campaign on hold and resume it once the situation in Xuzhou is resolved," Liu Bei agreed after some thought. "Wenhe, please keep a close eye on the situation in Xuzhou and Yanzhou. Report any changes immediately."
"Understood," Jia Xu replied, rising to his feet and bowing.
"Lord Xuande, do we have any information from Xuzhou regarding the identity of those involved in Cao Song's murder? Are there any rumors about who ordered it or who might be connected?" Chen Xi asked as he stood up.
"Wenhe," Liu Bei said, signaling Jia Xu to answer.
"According to our intelligence from Taishan, Zhang Kai, who killed Cao Song, is currently heading south and hasn't encountered any resistance along the way. This suggests that the perpetrators are indeed from within Xuzhou, likely locals," Jia Xu explained, making his meaning clear.
"A classic case of using a borrowed knife to kill, while achieving multiple goals," Guo Jia sneered. "I didn't expect there to be such a brilliant mind in Xuzhou."
"Chen Yuanlong?" Liu Ye frowned, thinking of Chen Deng, who had previously tipped them off. He couldn't help but speak his name.
"It's likely not him, but he won't be able to wash his hands of it. Regardless of who wins or loses this battle, Tao Qianzhu will lose power," Fa Zheng said with a mocking tone. "When that happens, whoever takes power will need to heavily rely on the Chen family of Xuzhou, which is a far cry from the current situation where Tao Qianzhu distrusts them."