Chapter 849: The Understanding Between Yuan and Cao

"Alright, let’s not talk about it anymore. It’s truly a deep grudge," Chen Xi quickly interjected when he saw Liu Ye’s curiosity. It was best not to bring up Fazheng’s personal matters in front of others, especially regarding the complicated situation with the Wang family’s daughter. Even though Fazheng didn’t care much about it anymore, it was clear that it had troubled him deeply in the past.

"Oh, if you need any help, just let me know," Liu Ye offered, half-convinced but still willing to lend a hand. He respected Fazheng and thought highly of him, so he had no problem stepping in if needed.

"We’ll see when the time comes," Fazheng said with a sigh. He had heard the same offer from Chen Xi, Guo Jia, and Jia Xu, and even Zhuge Liang had once asked him about it. But this was the kind of grudge that had to be settled personally for it to feel satisfying.

Before long, the group arrived at the main tent. Chen Xi took his seat at the head, scanning the faces of those gathered. His gaze lingered on Yu Jin for a moment before moving on. Originally, he had planned to transfer Chen Dao here, but due to unforeseen issues, Chen Dao remained in Yuzhou. For now, Chen Xi had to rely on Yu Jin.

Yu Jin, however, was a solid defensive general, skilled in training and commanding troops. There was no issue with using him for now, and Chen Xi also felt it was time to promote Yu Jin, who had served loyally for a long time.

"Looking at all of you, I suddenly feel a surge of confidence. Let’s talk about our plan. Our target is to take Ye City!" Chen Xi smiled as he addressed the group.

"Hahaha!" The room erupted in laughter. Just as Chen Xi had said, with so many capable people gathered, they all felt a renewed sense of confidence. Although they were not a large army, each man here was a formidable talent, capable of matching any main force.

"First, we need to cross the Yellow River. It won’t be long before Xun Shen leaves Sili Province," Liu Ye immediately chimed in. He still felt apprehensive about Xun Shen, who had made his time in Sili difficult.

"Is he that formidable?" Chen Xi asked, turning to Liu Ye.

"The more I fought him, the more frustrated I became. He’s very skilled, and I felt as though every move I made was part of his plan," Liu Ye admitted with a frown.

"With such a dangerous opponent, how did you even survive?" Chen Xi quipped. Although it sounded impressive, when he thought about it, it seemed like a joke. If Xun Shen were truly that formidable, Liu Ye wouldn’t have made it back at all.

"The familiarity between Guanzhong’s generals and Zijian gave me a significant advantage. Without that, the battles would have been much harder, and I might have suffered a major defeat," Liu Ye said seriously. Having witnessed Xun Shen’s abilities firsthand, his wariness was justified.

"Oh, do you know what his spiritual talent is?" Chen Xi asked with a more serious tone. At their level, the difference in intelligence was often minor, but a clashing of spiritual talents could turn the tide of battle.

"I don’t know. I tried probing him for a long time but couldn’t figure it out," Liu Ye said with a bitter smile. "It’s likely similar to mine or Wenhe’s. If he doesn’t have a spiritual talent, though, that would be even worse."

"How bad could it get?" Fazheng interjected, raising an eyebrow. "There are three of us here, and it’s not like this is a one-on-one fight. Strategically speaking, three against one is always in our favor."

The group burst into laughter. Ever since Fazheng had proven himself on the battlefield, his confidence had grown significantly, and so had his shamelessness. In the past, he wouldn’t have openly boasted about ganging up on a single opponent.

"Yes, three against one. What’s there to be afraid of?" Chen Xi shrugged, joining in on the joke. Although he didn’t contribute much in battle, the combination of Liu Ye and Fazheng was enough to handle any strategist.

"Let me organize my thoughts and tell you what I’ve concluded," Liu Ye said with a sigh. "Xun Shen left Chang’an through Hangu Pass, then traveled through Henei instead of heading directly to Bingzhou."

"Cao Cao and Yuan Shao have an understanding?" Fazheng frowned. "Well, it doesn’t change the reality we face."

"It’s still a nuisance, though," Chen Xi added, shaking his head. "But their alliance will be on borrowed time once Cao Cao’s power begins to shift. They’ll need to secure the passes at Xiaoshan if they want to establish a Western Qin dynasty."

"However, in the short term, there won’t be any underhanded moves. Xun Shen has likely already met with Xun Yu. When I heard he left through Hangu, I knew this would happen," Liu Ye said, shaking his head slightly. "Our strength, of course, will also greatly influence their choices."

"Even if a tiger retracts its claws and slumbers in its den, people will still be wary. And, Zichuan, can we really afford to retract our claws?" Fazheng sneered, raising an eyebrow.

"By the time you recalled us, everything had already been set in motion. You wouldn’t have made such a decision without absolute confidence," Fazheng added with a nonchalant tone. If Chen Xi had resolved to act, it meant he would bring decisive results.

"Yes, it might sound overconfident, but that’s essentially it," Chen Xi replied with a smile. "Our forces are strong enough to fight on multiple fronts. Yuan Shao might be able to do the same, but we have the strength to make sure each of our divisions can fight their main forces head-on."

"Rest for two days, and then we’ll cross the Yellow River. There’s no need for any elaborate tricks with this many men. We’ll simply force our way across," Chen Xi said abruptly, giving his orders without further explanation, catching everyone a bit off guard.

"Understood!" the gathered men responded, cupping their fists in salute.

"Wen Ze, you’ll lead the vanguard this time," Chen Xi said, not giving Zhang Fei a chance to volunteer. He directly assigned Yu Jin to the task.

"Understood!" Yu Jin responded, his face calm and composed.

"I don’t need to tell you much—just establish a solid foothold and avoid falling into traps. Make sure your soldiers are well-disciplined. If any Qingzhou soldiers disturb the civilians, they’ll be dealt with severely," Chen Xi reminded him. Yu Jin had trained the Qingzhou troops, so he was well aware of both their strengths and weaknesses.

"I’ll ensure strict discipline," Yu Jin replied in a deep voice.

"You handle the preparations. Tomorrow, gather ships and timber to build a floating bridge across the river," Chen Xi continued, glancing between Fazheng and Liu Ye before deciding it was better not to leave such an important task to Fazheng.

"Leave it to me. Although I’m no match for Gong You when it comes to construction, I’ve studied enough to handle something as simple as a floating bridge," Liu Ye said confidently.

"Xiaozhi, you and Yide will stay with me in the central camp. Once we’ve crossed the Yellow River, I’ll assign you further tasks," Chen Xi said, turning to Fazheng and Zhang Fei.

"Understood!" Zhang Fei and Fazheng both nodded. Though neither enjoyed staying in the central camp, they couldn’t disobey Chen Xi’s orders.

"Zijian, you’ll be in charge of guarding the flanks and coordinating with the front and rear. I’m eager to see the Xiliang cavalry in action!" Chen Xi entrusted the task of protecting the flanks to Hua Xiong.

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