Chapter 792: War Preparations

"The issue with the veterans is the main problem we need to address this time. If those soldiers remain idle for too long, they'll eventually cause significant trouble among the civilians. As for everything else, it's all related to material allocations," Jia Xu said calmly. The veterans' situation was indeed the larger concern.

"Are the military supplies fully allocated?" Chen Xi asked.

"Seven thousand crossbows, twelve thousand bows, and all the archers selected over the past three years have been trained and are ready. Regarding horses, we still have a shortage of around thirty thousand. I've given up on trying to address that. As for military weapons, ninety-four thousand spears have been allocated, with around thirty-five thousand kept in reserve," Jia Xu explained.

"We also have eight thousand long pikes, with two thousand in reserve; eight thousand heavy back knives for assaults, with three thousand in reserve; forty-five thousand thin-bladed broadswords, with eleven thousand held in reserve; five thousand seven hundred large shields, with seven hundred reserved; and thirty-nine thousand small round shields, with nine thousand kept back," Jia Xu continued, pausing to take a sip of tea.

"Being short thirty thousand horses means we have very few cavalry, right?" Chen Xi remarked with a wry smile. "Well, I guess that's not a major issue."

"It's not a major issue," Liu Bei echoed with a resigned sigh. From the start, he hadn’t pinned much hope on cavalry, given that their region didn’t produce many horses.

Xu Shu, on the other hand, was listening attentively, gaining a clearer understanding of Mount Tai's current military strength.

"Jia Junshi, may I ask how many qualified archers and crossbowmen we currently have?" Xu Shu inquired curiously.

"No need to be so formal, you can call me Wenhe," Jia Xu replied flatly. "As for archers and crossbowmen, due to the high difficulty and cost of selecting and training such troops, we only have around fifteen thousand fully trained archers, even with Mount Tai's considerable resources."

Xu Shu was quietly amazed. Archers required exceptional strength and precision, and training a capable archer was far more challenging than producing an excellent swordsman or shield-bearer. Though archers could be highly effective in battle, their limitations were significant.

"In terms of supplies, the first batch is already being transported via the official roads. The first shipment includes provisions for the army for three months, and it should arrive by the time we reach Yan Province and launch our offensive," Jia Xu added.

"It's not perfect, but it's not bad either," Liu Bei mused. "Is Zijing under much pressure at the front? Should we send Zilong to Linyi ahead of time? Has Xu You made any moves?"

"Both our army and Yuan Shao’s forces in Yan Province are exercising restraint. Large-scale battles have ceased, and only minor skirmishes between scouts continue. Our advantage isn't overwhelming, but Yuan Shao’s forces in Linyi are fully suppressed," Jia Xu shook his head.

"Zijing is certainly capable of commanding the army. While Xu You may be cunning, he’s not much of a military strategist. Even with the assistance of the Lü brothers, they can't match Zijing," Chen Xi said confidently, trusting in Lu Su's ability to lead troops. Unlike pure strategists like himself or Guo Jia, Lu Su had some talent for military command.

"That said, things haven’t been going well on Fengxiao’s front. Tian Feng has clashed with Guo Jia several times since both lost their generals, and according to Fengxiao, the loss of Yan Liang hasn't diminished Yuan Shao’s army’s capability. In some areas, they’ve even improved," Jia Xu reported, turning to Liu Bei for advice.

"Is Gongxi no match for Tian Feng?" Chen Xi asked, frowning.

Then, recalling the reputations of Tian Feng and Ju Shou, Chen Xi nodded. "That makes sense. Both Tian Feng and Ju Shou excel at commanding with overwhelming force. To make the most of their talents, it’s best for them to take direct control."

"It seems Yuan Shao understands that as well. But perhaps he still harbors some doubts or fears about their abilities, and Tian Feng and Ju Shou might deliberately downplay their talents to avoid making Yuan Shao overly reliant on them," Jia Xu speculated. After all, Ju Shou had previously demonstrated his tactical prowess when he used the Xuanyang formation to trap Gongsun Zan, only to later step back from direct command.

"Do we need to send reinforcements to Ji Yin?" Liu Bei pondered aloud.

"There’s no need for that. While Fengxiao may not excel in commanding armies, his strategic thinking is top-notch. Tian Feng can only suppress him for now. Besides, sending troops at this point wouldn’t change much. There are only a handful of people in our army capable of curbing Tian Feng, and it’s better to let Fengxiao stall for now," Chen Xi said, shaking his head, showing no concern for Guo Jia’s situation.

"And what do you think, Wenhe?" Liu Bei asked, turning to Jia Xu.

"I agree. Sending General Guan there would be an ideal solution, but given the current situation, it's not the right time. It would be better to wait until our northern campaign is fully underway. Moreover, both Ji Province and Bing Province have reported that Yuan Shao is already mobilizing his forces on a large scale. The implications are clear," Jia Xu concurred with Chen Xi’s assessment.

"It seems great minds think alike," Liu Bei said with a hearty laugh.

"Yuan Benchu," Chen Xi sighed, recalling the image of Yuan Shao he had seen at Hulao Pass—a man of charisma and strength, whose presence had commanded respect. Yuan Shao had shown impressive leadership from Hulao Pass up until now.

"I wonder what expression he’ll make when he sees me again," Chen Xi suddenly laughed.

"No need to wonder. In seven days, our northern campaign will begin, and you'll have the chance to ask him yourself. I, too, want to see how the alliance leader of the past compares to the present. After Hulao Pass, I haven’t followed anyone else’s lead, nor have I joined any other alliances. Looking back, it’s truly been a remarkable journey," Liu Bei said, raising his cup in a toast to Chen Xi.

"We couldn’t afford to stray even the slightest bit on our path. Every step has been difficult, but now, at last, we’re ready to reap the rewards," Chen Xi said, his tone filled with nostalgia.

"I wasn’t there for those times, but in the letters sent to me in Mount Tai, I read much about those early days. I’m just glad I didn’t come too late," Xu Shu said, rising from his seat and downing his drink.

When Xu Shu had arrived at Mount Tai and stood before the city gates, his hesitation came not only from nervousness but also from doubt—doubt that he might not meet Liu Bei’s expectations. When Liu Bei left Yingchuan all those years ago, only two scholars had followed him: one was the now-famous Chen Zichuan, and the other was Xu Yuan Zhi.

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