Chapter 1216: The First Family to Step Out

Fa Zheng wouldn’t be around for long, as he was about to head north with the army. Of course, Chen Xi might also need to go to Youzhou if necessary. Though the Yuan clan had declined, the foundation left by Yuan Shao was still present and formidable.

"Kongming, if you have no objections, then you’ll take charge of the Western Regions. There may not be large-scale battles this year, but next year there will certainly be continuous wars. I'll make sure you're stationed there by August," Chen Xi said to Zhuge Liang as he leaned forward.

"It’s a shame that the Xiliang cavalry isn’t well-suited for long-range pursuits. We’ll have to wait until the final stages to bring them in," Guo Jia said with some regret.

"There’s no need to overly concern ourselves with troop movements. Fengxiao, once you’re stationed in Yuzhou, things won’t change much for several years. Sun Ce’s situation will be up to you," Chen Xi said, not entirely worried about Guan Yu. However, while Guan Yu was brave, he would be at a disadvantage when facing strategists like Zhou Yu and Pang Tong.

"Our forces are insufficient, and the focus is now on the north. Zhou Yu and Pang Tong are both talented strategists, and Sun Ce's wings have grown. Even with me there, it will be difficult," Guo Jia listed the challenges, though his face showed little fear.

"You'll have command over Xiu Ruo and Yuanlong, and Xingba and Ziyi will also assist once they head south," Chen Xi said. As for all the officials under Liu Bei’s command, Chen Xi had the authority to mobilize them as needed.

"If necessary, I will use our hidden assets," Guo Jia said, looking directly at Chen Xi.

"Be cautious. You only get one chance. If you activate those assets and fail to achieve your goals, things will become truly troublesome," Chen Xi said after some thought, though he trusted that Guo Jia wouldn't play his cards prematurely.

"If I activate that hidden piece, it means the extermination of Sun Ce has begun," Guo Jia smiled faintly but couldn’t help glancing at the silent Jiang Wan. He was curious to see how Jiang Wan would react after hearing so many secrets.

"Ziyang, the situation in Yanzhou is now in your hands," Chen Xi said seriously to Liu Ye. "Cao Mengde must not be underestimated. Aside from deploying a large force in Jiyin, I will also send a significant number of Tuntian soldiers to Yanzhou. When the time comes, you’ll be responsible for their safety under Lord Xuande."

"Eh..." At that moment, Zhuge Liang suddenly let out a soft exclamation, drawing everyone's attention.

"What is it, Kongming?" Chen Xi turned to the slightly embarrassed Zhuge Liang.

"We’ve gained another army formation talent. It’s a formation talent that helps reorganize troops during a rout," Zhuge Liang said with a smile. His mental aptitude allowed him to access any formation or spirit talents of allied troops.

However, for Zhuge Liang, having access to formation talents didn’t mean much. These talents depended on the resonance between soldiers and their leader, and without that resonance, Zhuge Liang could do little, unlike Chen Xi or Zhou Yu, who could connect with their troops’ spirits.

Zhuge Liang’s formation talent was mainly useful for his personal guards—at best, a few hundred soldiers. Still, he had access to a wide variety of formation talents, similar to the numerous spirit talents he could connect with.

As for the pseudo-formation talents that Zhou Yu and Chen Xi created through mental links, they weren't true formation talents. They only provided morale boosts, not actual physical enhancements for the troops.

Formation talents were fundamentally about strengthening a soldier's morale and combat capabilities. Unless one could push morale to the point where it altered reality and generated a military soul, it remained simply a morale boost—though morale was important.

"Is it a chaotic battle-type formation talent?" Jia Xu quickly analyzed the possibility, as formation talents always matched the personalities of their bearers.

"Yes, it’s a talent for chaotic battles," Zhuge Liang confirmed after activating his mental talent. "It’s well-suited for ambushes, disrupting enemy formations, but its effects are greatly reduced against elite troops."

"Elite soldiers have battle formations ingrained into their bones. Even if their formation is momentarily broken, they will instinctively reform when under pressure," Li You said calmly. Elite troops were, after all, soldiers who knew how to fight without needing constant direction from their commander.

"Any idea who awakened it?" Liu Yan asked curiously. He was quite envious of formation talents, but he knew that he himself wouldn’t be capable of possessing one.

"Alright, everyone, pay attention again," Chen Xi clapped his hands to draw their focus back, as he had done several times already. "Since the new formation talent is definitely ours, we’ll congratulate whoever it is when we find out."

"Now, let’s return to our discussion of administration and military matters. Ziyang, you’ll be stationed in Yanzhou—that’s settled. We’re not sure yet who will assist you, but why don’t you name your choices, and we’ll help you secure them?" Chen Xi turned to Liu Ye, as Yanzhou was of critical importance.

"Yu Wenze and Chen Shuzhi," Liu Ye said after a brief moment of thought. Both were steady and reliable generals, and only Yu Jin could best handle the large number of Tuntian troops that would be deployed.

Of course, if Zhao Yun were available, Liu Ye would have chosen him without hesitation. When it came to steadiness, no one under Liu Bei’s command was more reliable than Zhao Yun.

"That works. Don’t make any moves in Yanzhou just yet. Hold your ground and develop the region. When the time comes to act, you won’t need to transport large amounts of grain there," Chen Xi agreed with Liu Ye’s decision. He wasn’t sure who Cao Cao would send to defend Chenliu, but he hoped it would be Cao Ren. If both sides focused only on defense, it would be ideal, as Chen Xi had no desire to start another major conflict in the sparsely populated Yanzhou, which had already been devastated by Xun Yu’s scorched-earth tactics.

Thankfully, Yanzhou was a fertile region, and through the policies of purchasing population, accepting refugees, and allocating land based on household registration, it had managed to recover. Wasteland was never a good thing, after all.

"Now, it’s my turn. I’ll handle persuading the Chen family. After all, if we want the noble families to willingly step out, we need a model to lead the way. Since the Chen family is now the flagbearer of the noble families, we’ll go first," Chen Xi said as he glanced around the room.

"Actually, Zi Chuan, you don’t have to do this," Lu Su said. Although he didn’t have a great opinion of the noble families, having known Chen Xi for so long, he felt that in this instance, Li You might be pushing things too far.

"Someone has to take the first step, and it’s better for me to go than anyone else. It will be smoother and more beneficial for the situation in the empire," Chen Xi smiled as he refused Lu Su’s suggestion. It wasn’t a bad thing for the Chen family to be the first. The first to act often reaps the greatest rewards.

Previous Chapter | | Next Chapter