Chapter 816: Crossing the Yellow River

Chen Xi was momentarily stunned by the revelation. "You all favor Lord Xuande?" Did that mean that Liu Bei's current approach had earned their approval and that they were ready to fully support him?

"Zichuan, why did you suddenly go quiet?" Liu Bei asked, noticing that Chen Xi had stopped speaking.

"Hmm, I just received some important news, but it’s not too critical. Let's prepare the army and declare war on Yuan Shao," Chen Xi hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided not to tell Liu Bei. After all, wasting such a great opportunity would be disheartening, and the missed chance might affect Zhao Yun’s morale. It was better to just move on.

"In the end, it seems we’ll have to rely on our army to resolve everything," Lu Su said with a smile. "By the way, Wenhe, your moves were brilliant earlier. You took down three people in one go."

"Just luck, just luck," Jia Xu laughed as he patted his now-empty crossbow. Meanwhile, Liu Yan, Jian Yong, and Sun Qian had overturned tables to hurl at the enemy, then leaped back, looking more excited than fearful.

"Zhongkang, take a few days to rest. Mengkang will temporarily lead the Tiger Guard while you recover," Liu Bei said to the pale-looking Xu Chu, reassuring him.

The news of Liu Bei’s return quickly reached Guan Yu, and from that, he could tell a conflict must have occurred between Liu Bei and Yuan Shao in the middle of the Yellow River. Guan Yu rushed to greet him, but after seeing that there were no casualties, he returned to his usual aloof demeanor.

"Wen Chou?" Guan Yu asked coldly, looking at Xu Chu’s chest wound as the others described what had happened.

"He didn’t fare any better," Xu Chu grumbled irritably.

"I will make sure he pays for this," Guan Yu nodded slightly, his expression icy. He glanced around, not in the mood to talk to anyone else. However, when Guan Yu demanded retribution, it usually meant someone's head would roll.

"Be careful. Wen Chou has a technique that allows him to embed internal energy into his opponent’s body during a fight. Once it accumulates, he can detonate it, causing severe damage. And with your body, you won’t be able to withstand an explosion of that magnitude," Xu Chu quickly warned. He wasn’t someone who insisted on personal revenge, especially when it wasn’t necessary.

"Understood," Guan Yu tightened his grip on the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. He now realized that dragging the fight out would only make Wen Chou more dangerous.

"Back to camp," Liu Bei said with a slight shake of his head, giving orders to his troops. "Yunchang, you will lead the vanguard tomorrow."

"Alright," Guan Yu agreed, while Chen Xi, Lu Su, and the others gazed at the Yellow River with some trepidation.

After returning to the camp, they tidied up before gathering in the main tent to discuss the necessary matters.

"Should we cross the Yellow River upstream or...?" Chen Xi asked calmly. "Yuan Shao has set up several defensive positions along the Yellow River. The closer we get upstream, the more advantages Yuan Shao will have, as he can mobilize more troops."

"If we go upstream, I’m worried Yuan Shao might ignore Cao Cao altogether. If pushed, he could march from Chenliu, crossing through Fengqiu and Guandu, and strike directly at Jiyin," Jia Xu frowned.

Jia Xu wasn’t just worried; if Yuan Shao realized the danger, he could bypass Guandu, break through Jiyin, and push his armies from Puyang, Cangting, Chiping, and Pingyuan simultaneously. Such a move would overwhelm Liu Bei’s forces.

Of course, breaking through Jiyin was risky, but Jia Xu, being results-driven, had already identified this critical weakness.

"We could cross at Linyi and force our way across the Yellow River. Yuan Shao’s deployment here likely includes defenses against any attempt we might make to attack Bohai from Qingzhou. If we move upstream, it’s like changing pieces on the board," Guo Jia shook his head. He didn’t want to force Yuan Shao toward Guandu, where Yuan Shao had a strong defensive position.

"If Yuan Shao moves through Fengqiu, leveraging the rivers and waterways there for defense, it’ll create a major headache for us. It’ll be easy for him to set up defensive lines," Lu Su noted, nodding. Moving upstream would give Yuan Shao more room to prepare.

"How about we feint toward Chiping and Pingyuan?" Chen Xi suggested, glancing at the group. Originally, if they had Gan Ning’s navy, crossing the Yellow River would be a simple task. But now they had to consider other factors, especially since Yuan Shao had already set up defenses along the river.

"A feint?" Guo Jia raised an eyebrow. "Are you that confident? I’ve heard about Xu Yuanzhi. He’s from the same region as I am, and after the Battle of Changshe, he moved to my hometown of Yangzhai. He’s well-known there, but you should know that too."

"Yes, I’m quite confident. Don’t you think that if he can properly execute a diversion, it will be greatly beneficial to us?" Chen Xi smiled.

"It would certainly be advantageous. Honestly, if it weren’t for the fact that the Xuanyuan Cauldron is in Ye City, attacking Qinghe from Qingzhou and cutting off Bohai would be the ideal route," Liu Bei suddenly interjected. Over the years, he had learned a lot and now understood basic strategy.

"So, let’s take the gamble. If it works, we can push the battle to Ye City and create an opportunity for our internal forces," Chen Xi said, rubbing his fingers together as he looked at the others.

"It’s an acceptable gamble. If we lose, the consequences won’t be too severe, but if we win, we’ll almost reach our goal," Jia Xu said indifferently. He had other plans for crossing the river, but with the current objectives shifting, Chen Xi’s idea aligned better with his thinking.

"It’s acceptable, but if we cross the river at Chiping, we’ll have to engage Yuan Shao in several smaller skirmishes. I’m concerned Yuan Shao won’t be so easily fooled," Lu Su frowned, not opposing Chen Xi’s suggestion but pointing out the potential risks.

"If we don’t cross, Yuan Shao will come after us. If we move through Chiping, Yuan Shao won’t give up trying to force a crossing. He wants the Xuanyuan Cauldron as much as we do," Guo Jia added. "And, Zijing, I doubt the skirmishes will be small. Yuan Shao will make full use of his numerical superiority."

"Then let’s proceed with the plan to cross at Chiping and see if we can force our way across. Meanwhile, we’ll prepare more defenses on our end," Liu Bei said, glancing at Chen Xi before decisively concluding, "As for Yuan Shao, if he attempts to flank us through Baima, Yanjin, and Fengqiu, I won’t mind clashing with him in Yanzhou!"

"Fighting there might even work to our advantage," Chen Xi smiled, rubbing his chin.

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