Chapter 1194: News from the Northwest

Li You scoffed as he remarked, "Their downfall comes from their own weakness. If one of their factions had the strength to hold its ground against Daqin’s forces, they wouldn’t have fallen into such a dire situation. When disaster strikes, how can anyone escape unscathed when the nest is overturned?"

Chen Xi looked at Li You, puzzled, and asked, "Why are you telling me this?"

"You need to do your best. The enemy is stronger than you described! I don’t want our nation to rely on geographic advantages for temporary safety. One of the Wusun merchants mentioned that, centuries ago, a certain emperor had thoughts of launching an expedition against us," Li You said, fixing his gaze on Chen Xi.

"This isn't solely my responsibility; it's everyone's responsibility," Chen Xi nodded and replied. "I'll do my best to manage those matters, but I need you to help me keep the internal affairs in check."

"Alright, I’ll make sure to keep things under control," Li You sat up straight, speaking seriously as he looked at Chen Xi. "I won’t let past incidents happen again."

"Then tell me, who were the people who fanned the flames in those previous incidents? When Cao Cao and Yuan Shao meddled, who turned a blind eye?" Chen Xi pressed, staring at Li You.

"You said you wouldn’t pursue this matter," Li You shook his head, indicating he couldn’t disclose it.

"Fine, I won’t pursue it. But in the future, regarding any policies that affect the people's livelihood, if anyone tries to cause trouble, you need to stop them. I don't need help, just no interference," Chen Xi nodded.

Since the very beginning, the policies concerning the livelihood of the people had always been decided solely by Chen Xi, with others only having the right to make suggestions. Chen Xi had been unwilling to tighten his grip too much, so he delegated some tasks to Lu Su and others. However, he delegated work, not room for obstruction.

"Agreed," Li You nodded. "But let me be clear, you and I both know the limits of everyone’s capabilities. If you push too hard, I might not be able to suppress everything."

"Do your best. That’s all I ask," Chen Xi didn’t press further. He understood Li You’s predicament. Liu Bei’s group of officials was difficult to manage, but fortunately, most of them were mindful of the bigger picture.

Li You's promise relieved Chen Xi of the need to keep an eye on the civil officials. In the end, Li You delivered on his promise. With Li You leading the way and Jia Xu and Guo Jia supporting him, the civil officials under Liu Bei’s rule managed to avoid major internal conflicts.

The New Year celebrations passed quickly, and as the holiday spirit lingered, the various officials and military officers began to depart for their posts. The Xiliang army, though undergoing intensified training, didn’t experience any drastic transformations—they were already strong enough. The most they could do now was to improve further from an already high level.

However, as the civil and military officials dispersed to their new posts, it came time to select a commander for the Xiliang army. Just as that decision was about to be made, a letter arrived in Taishan and was subsequently forwarded to Ye City.

Taishan’s household registration system posed a headache for Li Jue’s personal guards. As soon as they entered Taishan, they were detected. Fortunately, the men Li Jue had chosen weren’t fools; they were elite cavalrymen. Realizing the situation before they even entered the city, they quickly withdrew to Yanzhou.

The household registration systems in Yanzhou, Jizhou, and Yuzhou were still incomplete, allowing Li Liang and his group to escape detection. Had Wang Xiu gotten his hands on the letter, with his sense of duty, he would’ve reported it directly to Liu Bei. Some things are manageable when kept between a few people, but if exposed, there’s no easy way out.

Thus, Li Liang and his men learned that Liu Bei had relocated his high-ranking civil and military officials to Ye City. They rushed to Ye City, but their movements were noticed along the way. By the time they arrived in Ye City, Li You was already aware of their presence.

Li Liang and his men were intercepted in Ye City. Although the Xiliang cavalry were formidable, the veteran soldiers patrolling Ye City weren’t easy to deal with either. With important matters at hand, Li Liang fought off three patrol teams but was eventually surrounded by dozens of men.

"You ruffians, dismount and surrender at once!" The veteran soldiers who had surrounded them were under the command of Man Chong. Upon hearing of the disturbance, Man Chong immediately arrived and shouted at Li Liang and his group.

Man Chong’s soldiers had informed him that the ten or so men they faced were all true battle-hardened veterans. If they engaged in combat, even though they could kill these ten men, they’d lose at least twenty soldiers in the process.

Man Chong opted to call for their surrender. He had already tested them and confirmed that they were not former soldiers of Yuan Shao, and more importantly, they had only injured people, not killed them.

Given that, Man Chong assumed they were disgruntled veterans whose pay or provisions had been withheld. For such individuals, Man Chong was generally lenient, as soldiers needed to be treated with respect.

Li Liang and his men were growing anxious. If things continued like this, they’d eventually be captured. Of all the places they had passed through, Liu Bei’s territory had proven the most difficult to navigate. They hadn’t even done anything and were already being watched closely. They couldn’t enter Taishan, and though they had managed to get into Ye City, they were now stuck.

At that moment, Hua Xiong rode up on horseback from a nearby street, having heard that the city patrol had encountered some difficult individuals. Curious about who would be so foolish, he decided to investigate.

One glance, and Hua Xiong was shocked. It was Li Jue’s personal guards! These fools were supposed to be in the Western Regions with Li Jue—what were they doing here?

Regardless of the reason, Hua Xiong had to protect them for now. "Boning, stop! Stop! These are my men, Xiliang cavalry. I don't know how these idiots snuck out of the camp."

"General Hua!" Li Liang and the others quickly greeted Hua Xiong.

Having served as Li Jue’s personal guards, Li Liang and his men were familiar with Hua Xiong. After all, any Xiliang soldier who knew Li Ru likely also knew Hua Xiong.

And Hua Xiong wasn’t wrong either. When the Xiliang cavalry were without a superior officer, they naturally followed the next highest-ranking leader, forming a natural hierarchy.

"How did you manage to sneak out of camp? Weren’t you supposed to be participating in the winter combat drills these past few days?" Hua Xiong scolded them harshly.

"The general said that those who performed well during the New Year drills could leave camp for a break. But then we had a misunderstanding with the city patrol. The general knows how we train—using real weapons. So, after a few strikes, they went down, and we panicked and ran..." Li Liang quickly explained, knowing how to frame the situation after hearing the mention of winter drills.

Man Chong scrutinized Li Liang. Not many knew about the Xiliang army's winter drills, and even fewer knew they used real weapons in training. Li Liang’s words confirmed that they were indeed Xiliang cavalry.

"Boning, I know you’re strict and impartial, but how about this? I’ll have some of my men take over the injured soldiers’ patrol duties and compensate them for medical expenses, as well as give them some money. These guys are tough, battle-tested veterans," Hua Xiong whispered to Man Chong, hoping to resolve the matter peacefully. He was genuinely worried that Man Chong wouldn’t give him any leeway.

"Take your men back and tighten up their training. Don’t let this happen again," Man Chong said after a moment, looking at Hua Xiong. Though he was known for being strict, he wasn’t unreasonable when it came to military disputes. Since it didn’t involve civilian matters, he wouldn’t pursue it too harshly.

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