Three Kingdoms, Myth

Neither Liu Bei nor his advisors had any knowledge of Cao Cao's thoughts, nor did they pay much attention to his reoccupation of eastern Yanzhou.

Cao Cao had abandoned the eastern part of Yanzhou earlier, and Liu Bei didn't bother to seize it. After all, what Liu Bei lacked was not land but people. He hadn't even fully absorbed Qingzhou yet, so disrupting his own development to occupy Cao Cao's lands seemed pointless. As a result, the eastern part of Yanzhou had been left to grow wild since 192 AD.

The likes of Jia Xu and others sneered at Cao Cao's trivial actions. None of them were worried that Cao Cao might cause trouble. Did he really think that the army Yu Jin had stationed along the Tai Mountains was just for show?

If a fight broke out, who would be afraid? Although Chen Xi often complained about not having completed the foundational construction work, the wealth of Tai Mountain was enough to make everyone envious. Even though he was reluctant to slow down development, Chen Xi could easily mobilize resources and money to equip Yu Jin's army, turning it into an elite force capable of defensive counterattacks that could thoroughly exhaust Cao Cao's forces. Never underestimate an army made elite by vast amounts of resources!

"Why does Cao Mengde seem so shortsighted? Not even Yuan Benchu would act this way. Even at his most desperate, Yuan Benchu still considered long-term benefits. But what is Cao Cao doing? It's like he's just eating and regurgitating without any real purpose," Chen Xi remarked, covering his face in disbelief as he observed Cao Cao carefully reoccupying and cultivating the eastern part of Yanzhou.

In Chen Xi's mind, although Cao Cao was indeed suspicious and occasionally inhumane, his temperament, courage, and personal charm were top-notch!

Chen Xi believed that apart from benevolence, Liu Bei's personal charm was on par with Cao Cao's. In every other aspect, Liu Bei would be firmly suppressed by him. But now, what was Cao Cao doing? How could he be outdone by Yuan Shao, who, even at his most dangerous, dared to take risks? Cao Mengde seemed to be regressing!

"Shortsighted?" Liu Ye was puzzled by Chen Xi's terminology.

"It means he's only concerned with immediate gains without considering the future," Chen Xi explained, as he started to suspect that Cao Cao's current actions might not align with his typical temperament.

"Well, there's some truth in that. But since Cao Mengde came from an eunuch's family, this behavior is expected. The saying 'A person who suddenly gains fortune becomes reckless' fits him well. He might have been a hero before, but now he's just a nouveau riche who has lost his way. We can count him out as a future rival," Liu Ye commented, feeling quite pleased about Cao Cao's current state, as it meant one less threat to deal with.

"Don't underestimate Cao Mengde. If his temperament were truly like that, he wouldn't have attracted talents like Xun Yu. His current behavior might just be a temporary lapse, or perhaps he's deliberately misleading us. It's like how we can make Lord Xuande understand the situation of the world—I don't believe Xun Yu and his peers would be incapable of doing the same for Cao Cao. They're probably allowing him to act this way, just as Zichuan is letting us do things our own way," Jia Xu interjected, offering his own analysis.

Lu Su nodded in agreement with Jia Xu's assessment. While he didn't fully understand Cao Cao's erratic behavior, he refrained from making hasty judgments. Instead, he ordered Yu Jin to strengthen their defenses, adopting a wait-and-see approach. It didn't matter what Cao Cao was up to—so long as they were strong enough, there was nothing to fear.

"Yes, I understand. However, I sincerely hope that Cao Mengde's latent bourgeois mindset surfaces. It would be even better if he starts competing with Yuan Shao for supremacy, which would be a boon for us," Liu Ye said with a sly grin. "By the way, I heard that Lü Bu recently betrayed Yuan Shu, leaving Yanzhou vulnerable once again. It's such an inviting target!"

"..." Chen Xi could only stare blankly at Liu Ye. Recently, this guy seemed to have shifted his focus from administrative duties to military affairs, spending his days concocting schemes to stir up trouble among various warlords.

"Ziyang, you seem to have a lot of free time lately. Why not lend me a hand? With Guo Fengxiao off leading troops, Fazheng is struggling to manage everything alone. See if you can come up with a way to save His Majesty," Jia Xu suggested, wearing an expression of solemn devotion, almost as if the words "Loyal Minister of the Han Dynasty" were inscribed on his face.

Liu Ye glanced at Jia Xu in confusion but eventually nodded. Though he wasn't particularly concerned with saving the young Emperor in Chang'an, Liu Ye was more focused on supporting Liu Bei. However, with Jia Xu bringing up the Han Dynasty's survival, Liu Ye couldn't very well refuse. After all, with such a grand cause on the line, and with Jia Xu presenting himself as a devoted servant of the Han, it was hard to say no.

Jia Xu grinned to himself, pleased with his ability to recruit another capable man. As for actually saving the young emperor, that would be a foolish endeavor. If the emperor were to be rescued, how would Jia Xu and Li You continue to operate? The group under Lord Xuande would all have a much harder time! So, Jia Xu was merely using the pretext of saving the emperor to weaken imperial authority. The more unfortunate the emperor's situation, the more powerful Liu Bei's banner of the Han Dynasty would become.

Chen Xi shot a glance at Jia Xu. True to form, Jia Wenhe was a cautious operator, but recruiting Liu Ye was somewhat pointless. Liu Ye had little respect for imperial authority, despite outwardly presenting himself as a loyalist of the Han Dynasty. Knowing Liu Ye's history, Chen Xi was well aware that Liu Ye had no fondness for Emperor Xian. The idea of sending him to "rescue" the emperor was laughable—he was more likely to ensure the emperor's misfortune!

Looking at the people around him, Chen Xi realized none of them were genuinely loyal to the Han Dynasty. They all paid lip service to the idea of unity under the Han, but in truth, they didn't care. If they had to choose between Liu Bei and the Han, they would all side with Liu Bei. Internal cohesion and unity were paramount!

"Gongyou, have those things I asked for been built? And Weishuo, what about the Daoist experts I asked for? My Spirit Hall is already built, so where are the people? I can't be the one presiding over the opening ceremony, can I? This hall was built to serve as a sanctuary for heroic spirits. Is the requiem ready? We'll need to perform rituals with sacrificial offerings, so if you can't get it done, Weishuo, I'll halve your budget!" Chen Xi turned to Sun Qian and Liu Yan, eager to ensure that everything was prepared.

"We're working on it, but you've asked for a lot. I can't just fake it; I need to find people with real abilities, so it's been challenging. I managed to invite Zuo Yuanfang, and he's agreed to preside over the ceremony. However, he insists on having Master Yu Ji and Master Zixu accompany him. The problem is, I have no idea where those two are! They're roaming the world, you know?" Liu Yan responded helplessly, explaining that it wasn't due to a lack of effort but a shortage of suitable candidates.

"Zuo Yuanfang?" Chen Xi's eyebrow twitched. The world was already crazy enough; what kind of chaos would Zuo Ci bring?

"Yes, he's supposedly one of the leading figures in Daoism, even rumored to be on the verge of transcending to immortality. I figured that since Mount Tai is the place where the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors performed their rituals, we should invite top-tier Daoists. So, I extended an invitation to him. He accepted but requested the presence of Yu Ji and Master Zixu as well. Unfortunately, I can't find either of them," Liu Yan explained, completely unaware of the kind of figure he had invited to preside over the ceremony.