บท 10: Chapter 10 What we need to do
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"Lord Xuande, there's no need for such formalities," Chen Xi hurriedly stood up and helped Liu Bei to his feet, as receiving a courtesy like this for nothing was undesirable.
With Chen Xi's assistance, Liu Bei also straightened up; however, unlike before, he didn't attempt to recruit Chen Xi but instead asked, "If Master has any other plans, I would be most grateful to hear them."
"There's no need, Lord Xuande. What remains is to play it by ear. Now that we have made a good start, it largely depends on Generals Guan Yunchang and Zhang Yide," Chen Xi shook his head, indicating that all that could be done had been done, and what remained was to wait for an opportunity.
It wasn't that Chen Xi was unwilling to rescue Sun Jian; rather, because Liu Bei's current foundation was too weak, there was a high risk of not saving anyone and even losing oneself in the process. Chen Xi still had no idea how formidable the Xiliang Elite Cavalry truly was.
For this reason, Chen Xi could only assess the situation, to see if Sun Jian, the fierce tiger, would end up like in the Romance, defeated by Hua Xiong. It was known that Sun Jian brought his four mighty generals with him, and according to Lord Guan's assessment, even if he exerted his full strength, there was no guarantee he could easily take down one or two of them, and more likely, both sides would retreat unscathed.
From this, it could be deduced that Hua Xiong's strength wasn't to be taken lightly. Even if he was inferior to Lord Guan, it wouldn't be by much, yet he was eliminated by Lord Guan within a few rounds, which probably indicated a serious issue.
Of course, Chen Xi didn't inquire into this matter in detail; he figured he would find out in due time. Perhaps Lord Guan still had one or two ultimate techniques up his sleeve.
In the time that followed, Chen Xi, along with Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, would drink and boast in the main camp. It had to be said that the hospitality offered to the Eighteen Feudal Lords was quite excellent, with music and wine aplenty and lacking the pressure of imminent war. With such ease, victory was assured—how very cowardly Dong Zhuo must have been…
As he was leaving, a drunken Chen Xi said to Liu Bei, "When the Marquis of Wucheng returns, remember to hold him back and prevent him from being reckless, otherwise, it'll be a real disaster."
Liu Bei didn't take those words seriously, mainly because he didn't understand what they meant. The group continued to eat, drink, and brag each day, praising one another and thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Then, Sun Jian, covered in blood, burst into the tent. At that moment, Yuan Shao and the others were still indulging in wine! Sun Jian's eyes were blood red as he glared solely at Yuan Shu, drew his Precious Sword, and roared, "Die, Yuan Shu, you petty man!"
Yuan Shu, who had been feeling smug about successfully tricking Sun Jian, was startled to see Sun Jian coming at him with a sword. He leaped aside like a rabbit and hid behind Yuan Shao.
"Hold him down!" Yuan Shao was annoyed. He had never noticed Sun Jian being so ignorant of the situation before; truly lacking the manners of a noble. He thought to himself, "We're all dignitaries here. It's utterly preposterous to draw a blade and take matters into one's own hands over such trifles; you may not be embarrassed, but it shames us."
A large group of generals and soldiers surged forward and subdued Sun Jian.
"Marquis of Wucheng, what is the meaning of this?" Yuan Shao finally asked.
"You ask Yuan Shu!" Sun Jian, filled with hatred, spat out while staring at Yuan Shu with gnashing teeth, "That scoundrel Yuan Shu cut off my supplies. My army has gone several days without food, was ambushed by Hua Xiong, and suffered heavy losses. My brother Zu Mao was killed in battle! Yuan Shu, your life is forfeit!"
"Wen Tai, calm your anger, please calm down. Let's talk this out," Cao Cao and Liu Bei finally reacted, with Liu Bei shocked by Chen Xi's drunken words from the other day. To have known so early that such an event would happen—that's real talent!
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As Sun Jian spoke, his fury grew. His eyes wide open with rage, he glared at Yuan Shu, struggling so violently against those holding him back that he nearly broke free. He seemed desperate to charge at Yuan Shu and beat him mercilessly on the ground. Yuan Shao saw the situation deteriorating and subtly signaled the people around him to hold Sun Jian more firmly.
"Gonglu!" Yuan Shao said with a dark expression. He had no interest in dealing with this mess, but as the Alliance Hierarch, it was his duty to mediate the relationships among everyone. Reluctantly, he gave Yuan Shu a meaningful look, "What's going on?"
"I... how should I know?" Yuan Shu flatly denied any involvement.
Immediately, Sun Jian flew into a rage, "You oversee the supply lines, my army is lacking food – how could you not know? Regardless, don't even think of shirking responsibility!"
Yuan Shu realized the mess he had made appeared rather serious. He had only planned to cripple the soldiers under Sun Jian's command, but Zu Mao had died – damn, even Yuan Shu was shocked by this news. Zu Mao was one of Sun Jian's four leading generals, famously brave, almost like a brother to Sun Jian, and now he was killed. Damn it, were the Xiliang Elite Cavalry that fierce? Hua Xiong, must you be this brutal? I wasn't ready for a complete fallout with Sun Jian, crap!
Though he cursed to himself, he still had to provide some explanation. Yuan Shu's eyes darted around, and he came up with a rotten idea, "Hmm, I have been feeling unwell these past few days, and had fully delegated the supply operations to my subordinates. It must have been that man who ruined everything. Marquis of Wucheng, don't blame me for this. Guards, off with that Logistics Officer's head!"
No sooner had the words left his lips than a group of soldiers, led by Ji Ling, charged in and dragged the Logistics Officer from behind Yuan Shu, not allowing him any chance to explain. Moments later, a scream echoed, and the man was executed.
Sun Jian stood dumbfounded, pointing a bloodstained finger at Yuan Shu in disbelief, "You, you, you..."
"Wen Tai, please consider the bigger picture!" Cao Cao sighed and advised.
Those nearby generally understood the situation, and after Cao Cao spoke, they all looked at Sun Jian, who eventually let out a dejected sigh, "An army of more than five hundred thousand, united in purpose, what would there to fear from Dong Zhuo the traitor? Ah! Alliance Hierarch, I take my leave!" With that, Sun Jian turned and walked away without looking back.
Cao Cao glared at Yuan Shu, noting his continuous sneers, and thought to himself, "This upstart is unfit for scheming!", then turned and left as well. The banquet thus ended in discord.
The rest exchanged glances and also excused themselves and left.
"Lord Xuande doesn't seem very pleased," Chen Xi remarked from inside the tent, noticing Liu Bei's grim expression as he entered, and quickly got up to say.
"Sit down, sit down, there's no need for formalities between us," Liu Bei gestured with a wave of his hand and sighed, briefly recounting the events that had taken place in the main tent.
"Oh, so Yuan Shu did that; Sun Jian has been defeated. As expected, the real show is about to start now. The battle of the vanguards has ended; it is our turn to face Dong Zhuo. Hua Xiong will soon come to issue a challenge," Chen Xi said with the air of someone holding the winning card. "Lord Guan, it's up to you next. If Hua Xiong comes to challenge, observe him closely, then make your move. It would be best to capture him alive, but if you're not confident, then dispatch him."
"I shall not fail my mission," Guan Yu stated proudly, opening his eyes slightly.
"Lord Xuande, your role is to be the peacemaker, like Cao Mengde, mediating the conflicts between the various Feudal Lords. If necessary, you can pull in Kong Rong and Tao Qian. The alliance is what matters most. Only by defeating Dong Zhuo can we have hope of restoring the Han Dynasty," Chen Xi said with a sly smile.
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