Chapter 940: Awakening

Jia Xu and Guo Jia’s words were an indirect approval of Chen Xi's actions. Liu Bei also understood what Chen Xi was doing, but his purpose for coming wasn’t to discuss that matter; he was here to begin the next step.

Xu Ziyuan’s rankings had alerted all the warlords across the land—it was time to begin suppressing the outer tribes.

In Shouchun, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu left their moments of leisure behind and headed to Jiangdong together. There were issues that needed to be resolved, and the wars in Jiangdong needed to end. If they continued any longer, it would only highlight their incompetence.

In Chang'an, Cao Cao slowly burned the rankings. Just like Liu Bei and Sun Ce, he also realized what needed to be prioritized now, and other matters had to be postponed.

"Zhongde, have you figured out the military system of the Xiliang Army?" After burning the rankings, Cao Cao left and immediately went to find Cheng Yu. If there was one thing worth learning from Dong Zhuo’s army, it was their military structure—truly a formidable force.

"It’s a simple system, but it doesn’t suit us," Cheng Yu replied with a bitter smile. He was half a commander, half a strategist, and had a deep understanding of military structures, which was why Cao Cao had tasked him with analyzing the strength of Dong Zhuo’s forces.

"Why not?" Cao Cao asked, puzzled.

Cheng Yu explained the pyramid structure of the Xiliang Army, which left Cao Cao's face twisted in disbelief.

"That can’t be right! If that were the case, when we captured Zhang Boyuan, the Xiliang Army should have fought to the death, with a new commander immediately taking over!" Cao Cao suddenly realized something and questioned.

According to Cheng Yu’s explanation, the Xiliang cavalry should have fought to the last man unless their entire unit was wiped out.

"If other soldiers rely on their commander’s personal guard for strength, then the Xiliang Army's personal guard is actually the weakest link," Cheng Yu explained with a wry smile. "In principle, the Xiliang soldiers don’t have a true personal guard. What is referred to as the commander’s personal guard is really just a part of the Xiliang military structure, with officers ready to take over in case of the commander’s fall."

Cao Cao was clearly taken aback. How could there be an army where the commander’s personal guard was the weakest part? What kind of logic was that?

"The personal guard exists to protect the commander. But if the commander is captured, the personal guard will hesitate to act. In contrast, the Xiliang military structure allows the next in line to immediately take over," Cheng Yu explained helplessly. "So, killing or capturing the commander doesn’t affect the Xiliang Army much."

"So, the only reason we were able to defeat the Xiliang cavalry around Zhang Boyuan was because of Zhang Ji's indulgence?" Cao Cao felt a cold sweat running down his back. He realized just how close he had come to death.

"That’s the only explanation," Cheng Yu replied, resigned. "Only someone like Zhang Ji, who stood in the second tier of the Xiliang hierarchy, could alter the military structure like that. People said Zhang Ji doted on Zhang Xiu, and now we see it’s true."

"Then what should we do about our own military structure?" Cao Cao asked in frustration. The Xiliang military system was the fastest way to forge a battle-ready army, but it was also based on extreme exploitation of the lowest ranks.

"Adopt the Qin system of twenty ranks, as Changwen (Zhuge Liang) suggested. That’s the only way to stir the blood of the Guanzhong people," Cheng Yu sighed.

"It seems that’s our only option. I plan to launch an offensive against the Qiang and Hu this winter," Cao Cao said, also with a sigh. Xu Ziyuan’s rankings had left him with no other choice. At the very least, Liu Bei and the others were actually working hard, whereas Cao Cao had committed some sins along the way.

According to Xu Ziyuan’s rankings, Cao Cao had not only failed in his duties but had also harmed the country.

Left with no alternative, Cao Cao decided to do something productive. Since the Qiang and Hu tribes were getting restless, he might as well seize the opportunity to expand his territory.

"This winter?" Cheng Yu was deeply concerned.

Cao Cao’s biggest issue was his lack of experienced soldiers. Although some veterans had been trained over the past two years, they were still far from being truly battle-hardened. The difference between these veterans and those who had fought in the large-scale wars between Yuan and Liu was significant.

"We can’t afford to hold back any longer. If my guess is correct, the Qiang and Hu will raid us this winter. Yongzhou has become quite prosperous," Cao Cao said, his eyes cold. Since they were going to fight anyway, why not take the initiative?

"If that’s the case, once we ally with Yuan Tan, we won’t have enough forces to take over Bingzhou’s defenses," Cheng Yu said, frowning.

"We only have enough troops to deal with one front," Cao Cao replied coldly. "The Xianbei forces in the north are still far from Yongzhou, but the Qiang and Hu are already threatening Chang'an. We don’t have the luxury of choice."

"Once Yuan Tan withdraws his forces from Bingzhou, the region will fall into chaos when the Xianbei invade. Even if Lü Bu defends the borders of Bingzhou, without a stable rear and sufficient supplies, it will be hard to repel the Xianbei," Cheng Yu said after a moment of contemplation. He wasn’t ready to abandon his humanity just yet.

"Send word to Lü Bu, telling him to hold Nine Plains and Five Plains. Have Kongming (Hu Zhao), Ziyuan, and the others do their best to relocate the people there. Don’t worry about the rest. After Yuan Tan withdraws, I’ll send grain from Yongzhou to hold those two locations!" After some thought, Cao Cao finally made his decision.

Yongzhou had recovered and was once again a land of fertile fields. Grain wasn’t in short supply. After a brief hesitation, Cao Cao decided to solidify his position.

Of course, Yongzhou’s current abundance didn’t mean it was entirely secure. The wealthy families of Yongzhou hadn’t yet reclaimed their fertile lands. During the chaotic period when Li Jue and his cohorts were in power, they had seized lands and distributed them among the people.

These lands, long neglected due to the breakdown of irrigation systems, had mostly lain fallow. But just because they were neglected didn’t mean they had no owners. On the contrary, most of this land belonged to the powerful aristocratic families.

When Li Jue had been in charge, no one dared to ask for the land back. But now that Cao Cao had taken power, the aristocrats were eager to reclaim their fertile estates, with some, like the Yang family, already overstepping their bounds.

Cao Cao had taken note of this, but it wasn’t yet the time to confront the aristocracy. He needed to wait for the right moment.

Otherwise, if the aristocracy reclaimed these lands, all of Cao Cao’s achievements would vanish like smoke. The nobility’s attachment to their land had lasted for over a thousand years, serving as both the foundation of their rise and the root of their downfall.

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