Chapter 903: A Missed Opportunity

At this moment, the Cui family stood at a crossroads. Aligning with Liu Bei—would it be like handing a knife to Yuan Shao, or would it lead to another peak of power? Even Cui Yan himself could not see clearly. Yuan Shao and Liu Bei were both so strong that their true strengths were hard to discern. Cui Yan could only rely on instinct and guesses to make his judgments.

This was, in fact, the sentiment felt by most aristocratic families. Determining whether Yuan Shao or Liu Bei was stronger affected too many things. The only way these families could make their decisions was by the old metric—whichever side had more aristocratic support was stronger.

In this era, aristocratic families represented knowledge, wealth, grain, and population. As such, many believed Yuan Shao was the stronger contender. However, people like Cui Yan, who were deeply involved in politics, had started to sense something was off, though the clues were still faint.

As for top figures like Xun Yu, who had advised Xun Shen to go on full defensive, those who should know already knew. However, words based on mere guesses couldn’t fully convince others. Unfortunately, Xun Yu couldn’t be at the battlefield personally. If he could have been, he might have made even more accurate judgments.

Cui Yan, however, was not at Xun Yu’s level. His speculations alone were not enough to convince the elders of his family.

To make matters worse, after his previous misjudgment in backing Cao Cao, Cui Yan's position within the family had already become shaky. If it weren’t for the fact that the Cui family of Qinghe had no one more capable than Cui Yan, he might have already been replaced.

[I can't afford to make another mistake. If I fail again, the Cui family of Qinghe might no longer exist.] Cui Yan sighed deeply, feeling the weight of his responsibilities. If he made even the slightest error, other aristocratic families would pounce on them.

"Master, there is a visitor," a servant informed Cui Yan with a bow.

"Who is it?" Cui Yan steadied his emotions, trying not to let his worries show on his face.

"It is the master's cousin," the servant replied with his head lowered.

"De Ru?" Cui Yan asked, and then instructed, "Prepare a banquet and invite him in. Also, tidy up the back hall."

Soon, under the servant's guidance, Cui Lin entered the inner chamber. Compared to Cui Yan, who was dressed in fine robes, Cui Lin appeared much more modest.

"Cousin, do you know why I have come today?" Cui Lin wasted no time and got straight to the point as he took his seat.

"I do not," Cui Yan replied, though he could more or less guess the reason. He wanted to see how Cui Lin would try to persuade him.

"Don’t try to fool me, cousin," Cui Lin shook his head. "I have come on behalf of Liu Xuande. The Cui family is caught in this turmoil. If we don’t leap from the mud pit now, when will we?"

"But what if, by jumping out of this mud pit, we fall into an even larger one?" Cui Yan sighed. He knew his cousin, often dismissed by others as slow-witted, was in fact quite insightful. Unfortunately, Cui Lin had always struggled to express himself well.

"The grain routes!" Cui Lin raised one finger, and in that moment, the fog in Cui Yan's mind lifted, though he remained hesitant.

"If even with this advantage Liu Xuande cannot win, then he has no right to be called a contender for supremacy alongside Yuan Shao," Cui Lin said confidently.

"Indeed!" Cui Yan nodded. His family had been granted such an opportunity; how could they not take the gamble? Even if Liu Xuande proved incompetent, if the Cui family managed to create such an overwhelming advantage and still lost to Yuan Shao, then perhaps it would be the end of the Cui family of Qinghe. At the very least, the Cui clan of Boling would carry on.

With Cui Lin's words providing clarity, Cui Yan hesitated no longer. He immediately ordered servants to invite Xin Pi and Zhu Ling for a banquet and sent messengers to notify Xu Shu and Wei Yan. While Xin Pi and Zhu Ling arrived, Xu Shu and Wei Yan, having discovered that Gao Lan had headed to Yanzhou, had already led their troops away.

Though Xin Pi and Zhu Ling came, they were clearly on guard. Xin Pi, in particular, did not hide his suspicion toward Cui Yan. After all, despite the Cui family of Qinghe still being an influential family in Ji Province, their internal struggle with the Cui family of Boling was known to the upper ranks.

While the defeat of the Cui family of Qinghe didn’t lead to widespread ridicule, as it was understood that Yuan Shao had played a role in tilting the scales, Cui Yan’s invitation at such a delicate moment naturally aroused suspicion.

The servant sent to check on Xu Shu and Wei Yan returned quickly, just before Cui Yan could meet Xin Pi. The news he brought left Cui Yan momentarily stunned. Just as he had finally made up his mind, Liu Bei’s army had left. Could something significant have occurred?

Still, Cui Yan knew he couldn’t dwell on that now. He composed himself and went out to greet Xin Pi and Zhu Ling with a smile.

"Zhi Zhi, Wen Bo, you both must suspect my intentions behind this banquet," Cui Yan greeted them warmly with a bow, then invited them into the hall, speaking kindly as they sat.

"War is a nation's most critical affair, the path of life and death, the way of survival or destruction. It cannot be taken lightly," Xin Pi said coldly, without changing his expression.

"Do you think I am someone who doesn’t understand the art of war?" Cui Yan's face twitched, but he suppressed his irritation.

"One must always be cautious, given the circumstances. I hope you can forgive me, Ji Kui," Xin Pi replied indifferently, making it clear that they were reluctant to stay for the meal, and that perhaps they could discuss things later.

"Hmph. Someone, see them out! Since you two are so suspicious, the Cui family has no need to entertain you any further." Cui Yan snorted, turned on his heel, and left, leaving Xin Pi and Zhu Ling standing in the hall. Soon, a few servants came and escorted them out of the mansion.

By the time Xin Pi and Zhu Ling realized what had happened, they were already outside the Cui residence, feeling quite bewildered.

"It seems we may have been a bit harsh with the Cui family," Zhu Ling remarked with a bitter smile.

"Sigh. In times like these, it's better to be cautious. If we’ve offended them, we can always make amends later. But if we lose Ganling now, it could set back our lord’s ambitions," Xin Pi sighed. Though he had always known Cui Yan to be a straightforward man, this situation had indeed left him in an awkward position. However, he now felt more at ease.

"Chief Advisor Xin, the steward of the Cui family asked me to deliver this to you. It was given by Master Cui," a guard suddenly ran up and handed Xin Pi a letter.

Xin Pi quickly read it and was taken aback. He then handed it to Zhu Ling, whose face lit up with joy after reading it.

"No wonder they’re so well-established here. They’ve even obtained such intelligence!" Zhu Ling exclaimed in amazement.

"Send scouts to investigate the area within a hundred miles. If Xu Shu has indeed withdrawn, then we’ll go apologize to the Cui family afterward," Xin Pi said decisively, confident that such valuable information was unlikely to be false.

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