Mythical Three Kingdoms

"All right, bring that young Ma Zhong along too, now he's the only one who occasionally gets a word in." Jia Xu pondered for a moment and then approved of the suggestion. Indeed, if one could still bluff their way through Luu Xun and Lu Yu without paying much attention, that was no ordinary feat.

"I just heard Zhongkang praising him for taking out a dozen enemy generals last night," Chen Xi said with a smile. "When it comes to purely archery skills, he's already quite impressive, not any less capable than top generals."

"Speaking of which, you have quite the eye for talent. When you picked up those kids back in the day and used them as a pilot for the first group of orphan education, that was truly commendable," Jia Xu said, looking at Chen Xi with some curiosity. Chen Xi's eye for talent was as good as ever.

"Just luck," Chen Xi said with a laugh, and then turned the conversation back, "Ma Zhong is fourteen now, isn't he? We should bestow a courtesy name on him soon. His martial skill is improving; I've heard he was even coaxed by your apprentice into ambushing Zhongkang with a bow and arrow. More importantly, he actually hit the mark, didn't he?"

"It's also time for his coming-of-age ceremony. Might as well arrange his marriage as well. Zhongkang has been training him during this time back. He's grown strong, like a little calf, and as for the ambush... hitting the mark was indeed an accident," Jia Xu said with a smirk, stroking his beard. His own apprentice fooling Ma Zhong into ambushing Xuu Chu was a skill in itself.

"Hahaha." Chen Xi couldn't help but be aware of Jia Xu's pride and laughed along. The conversation was swiftly moved past, with Jia Xu forgetting to inquire further about Chen Xi's knack for spotting talent.

"Let's go, we should report to the Lord." Li Youu dismissed Zheng Hun. Seeing that the conversation between Chen Xi and Jia Xu had concluded, he spoke up.

Traveling from the north to the south through the main street, the faint smell of blood was still present in the air, and the buildings to the left and right of the street also bore more marks of cut and slash from swords and spears, along with traces of smoke and fire damage.

"Get these issues sorted within three months. After the summer harvest ends, neither we nor Yuan Shao will be able to hold back any longer," Chen Xi said, looking at the marks on main street and quietly closing the carriage window, then turning back to Jia Xu, Li Youu, and Xun Yue.

"We've never stopped fighting, always been at war, like this current battle, which is arguably the largest we've fought. We're confronting Yuan Shao's Vice Army and also waging war against Yuan Shu," Li Youu said with calm concern visible in his expression, "Now, Fa Xiaozhi is probably already on the move towards Shanyang, and Kongming likely already marching from Jiyin."

"Both of them have their own sensitivity to the situation of the battle, and when they left, I told them that they have the right to make independent decisions. Only in this way can they fully utilize their abilities," Chen Xi nodded, understanding the concerns of Li Youu.

"Whether they are dragons or worms, this will be the test," Jia Xu said much more indifferently than Li Youu who was worried about Zhuge Liang. Jia Xu already had much confidence in Fa Zheng, sure of his capabilities.

"They will all forge their own glory. I'm just worried that Xiaozhi might go underneath the walls of Shouchun City to show off his might. Similarly, I'm concerned that Kongming might pressure Wancheng with his troops," Chen Xi assured Jia Xu and Li Youu with absolute confidence.

"Kongming knows the bigger picture and has Taishi Ziyi and Chen Shuzhi as his generals; he'll advance cautiously and shouldn't face any problems. But as for Xiaozhi and Xingba..." Li Youu spoke with a tumult of concern, his anxiety making him overthink.

"Xiaozhi and Xingba are cut from the same cloth, absolutely confident and very bold. They dare to risk danger, but that might not necessarily be a bad move," Jia Xu said, glancing at Chen Xi with a meaningful tone. The proximity of Runan and Jing-Xiang had already been proven in the battle where Lyu Bu made a raid on Xiangyang.

"It's too risky," Xun Yue stroked his beard and weighed in, "This is a bet on the loyalty of Jing-Xiang's generals to Sun Bofu!"

"Success or failure is a matter of debate, but this thorn is enough to prevent Yuan Shu and Sun Ce from reconciling. If things don't go well, even the civil and military under Yuan Shu who lean towards Sun Ce may find themselves troubled by this thorn," Chen Xi waved his hand and said. Although there was indeed an element of gambling involved, whether to use it or not still depended on the choices of Fa Zheng and Gan Ning. Of course, Chen Xi tended to believe that Fa Zheng and others would definitely act in such a manner.

"It's a pity to miss such a great opportunity. As soon as Sun Bofu and Zhou Yu take the stage, we will have to initiate our plan a step earlier to prevent them from discovering our hidden agents. Otherwise, after establishing our rule in the North and carrying the momentum of a great victory, it would probably take only one month to annihilate Yuan Shu," Jia Xu said with a hint of regret. Long-term strategies sometimes face such predicaments, as the plan cannot keep up with changes.

"If we were to act that way, we'd be too hasty, and it wouldn't fit our current strategy of developing each occupied area step by step," Xun Yue continued.

"I think our current strategy of gradually encroaching is more reliable. When the world unifies, it will also be at its most prosperous. With the momentum of unifying the world, our policies will be consolidated, and we might even have a chance to fulfill our lord's oath," Xun Yue estimated, though he clearly lacked confidence.

Although such gradual encroachment would ensure that when the world finally unifies, it would be in a state of great governance. Moreover, with the united world's momentum, politics, military, and various industries would experience a rapid boom, achieving explosive growth. But to fulfill Liu Bei's oath...

"The initial proposal was just a suggestion. But with Northern Control of the Central Plains, carrying the momentum of a major victory, and with hidden strategies at play, we could conquer Yuan Shu in the south within a month, and then we could basically convince others to surrender along the way," Li Youu said, gesturing with his hand. He loved such grand situations, but it was a shame.

"Let's take it one step at a time. The current situation isn't bad for us. Fighting while building is our plan. Besides, if we abandon the preparations for building in the North without having started, Zijing would be furious," Chen Xi said with a teasing smile.

The other four laughed heartily at the mention of the diligent Lub Su, even the ever-stoic Man Chong's smile appeared a bit rigid. If they were to give up on Lub Su's planning for the North without a second thought, Lub Su would definitely be driven to a murderous rage.

The group of five quickly arrived at the door of Liu Bei's residence in the city center by carriage. As for the trial of the noble families, they didn't have the inclination for it at the moment. They would let it hang for a while, grinding down the nobles' temper, keeping them anxious for some time, and letting them develop a clear impression of the terror of imprisonment.

"Lord Xuande really named his hall this," Chen Xi said with a smile at the entrance, looking at the words "Self-Discipline Hall" before stepping inside. Xu Chu, acting like a wooden statue at the door, stood immobile with his great sword.

"Self-discipline, self-discipline," Li Youu shook his head and followed inside.

"It's still the same as before." Jia Xu entered in single file, making no further comments. His satisfaction with Liu Bei was much higher than that of Li Youu.

"Staying true to one's original heart is more important than anything else," Man Chong said emotionlessly as he filed in alongside Xun Yue. The battle for Northern Bing was about to unfold, and Liu Bei could not avoid it!

Liu Bei's affairs were also approaching. Stationed all this time at Mount Tai, even as the lord, Liu Bei could not avoid participating in the upcoming Northern Expedition along with everyone else! (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)