Mythical Three Kingdoms-Chapter 661 - 626: The Heart of the Northern Expedition

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Without mentioning how Chen Xi and Guo Jia decisively decided to expel Tian Feng and the others from Yanzhou to gain the upper hand in seizing Yanzhou, let’s talk about the negotiation between Chen Gong and Tian Feng. Tian Feng laid all his cards on the table, yet Chen Gong just laughed it off, clearly unable to shake Chen Gong’s resolve.

After Tian Feng left with a bitter expression, Lyu Bu and Zhang Liao rushed back, and by that time, Chen Xi and Guo Jia had already set out with their troops, ready to attack Tian Feng’s stronghold.

"You’re saying we should return to Bingzhou." Chen Gong felt like his eyeballs were about to fall out. What was all this? How had it suddenly come to this?

"I want to reclaim Wuyuan, Yunzhong, Dingxiang, Shuofang. I want to take back the lost land of Bingzhou," Lyu Bu said with a determined expression.

"Stop right there," Chen Gong cut off Lyu Bu’s attempts to woo him and turned to Zhang Liao. "Wen Yuan, you tell me. I want to see what Liu Xuande’s side is thinking. Joining them is the best choice. With such a great display of force, if they didn’t want to recruit us, I’d be surprised. How did it become about returning to Bingzhou?"

Zhang Liao recounted the whole event. Although Lyu Bu huffed and puffed in dissatisfaction on the side, he did not stop Zhang Liao.

Chen Gong smiled wryly. This was indeed full of twists and turns. In his view, Chen Xi indeed had sincere intentions, but Lyu Bu’s obsession was too deep, messing up Chen Xi’s persuasion. However, Chen Gong was curious about what Lyu Bu was thinking to make such a statement that even Zhang Liao was influenced.

"Fengxian, the lost lands of Bingzhou are mostly the Hetao Plain, which is hard to take back. Are you sure you want to reclaim it? Moreover, in such a place, we won’t get support from Liu Xuande. Being behind Yuan Benchu’s lines, we could face danger," Chen Gong said tentatively. However, after mentioning the danger, he paused and looked at Lyu Bu with a surprised expression.

"Without support, we will just plunder the Hu People. Many years ago, when I was in Wuyuan, that’s what I did. As long as we’re strong enough, we can seize a fertile piece of land, which will be sufficient for us to survive. Once we accumulate enough strength, we’ll march north to conquer the Hu. Whether it’s for the greater good of the nation or for my own moral code, it all fits!" Lyu Bu declared forcefully.

"Who gave you this strategy," Chen Gong asked with a frown. This was virtually the same as the solution he had previously thought of. As for how to accomplish the first step, it was natural for the Hu to submit to the stronger ones. As long as it wasn’t someone like Gongsun Zan, a race-obsessed lunatic, a good thrashing would surely bring the Hu to heel.

"No one told me. When I had the realization that I needed to return to Bingzhou, this idea came to me. Then, deep in my heart, an intuition told me I had to go back to Bingzhou, whether to correct my mistakes or something else. My intuition tells me this is the last chance," Lyu Bu spoke with a misty look in his eyes, but as he mentioned "the last chance," his eyes instantly regained firmness.

Lyu Bu’s obsession with Bingzhou was profound; Zhang Liao’s words had given him hope for a return to Bingzhou. Following that came a restoration of his Heart Spirit. The so-called Spirit which enlightens resides in the person, and Lyu Bu was experiencing such a condition. The subtleties of this period were understood solely by Lyu Bu.

As the first to have broken through among the "Spirit" of Essence, Qi, and Spirit, Lyu Bu had an indescribable, ambiguous feeling about his future.

The moment Zhang Liao spoke, Lyu Bu momentarily had the sensation that if he didn’t go now, he might never get another chance. Coupled with his true attachment to Bingzhou, Lyu Bu hardly hesitated to choose to return to Bingzhou. By making that choice, Lyu Bu felt a distinct lightening of his Heart Spirit and subsequently had an epiphany, immediately using the five prefectures of Bingzhou to bind himself.

Unlike Xiang Yu, who had previously broken through the two levels of "Essence Qi" to gain unmatched strength, a breakthrough in "Spirit" did not lead to a rapid surge in power. However, it allowed one to grasp more clearly what was needed, to understand what one truly wanted to do and to dispel the confusion in one’s heart.

That is to say, Lyu Bu of Bingzhou indeed wanted to return. As for retaking places like Wuyuan, it was entirely because Lyu Bu felt the threat of death recede and wanted to avoid the constraints left by looking southward.

Chen Gong tugged at the corner of his mouth, never having thought Lyu Bu so clever before. However, he didn’t delve too much into it. Since Lyu Bu wanted to return to Bingzhou, then let him return; it might not be a bad move.

"If so, we shall withdraw from Yanzhou and take our supplies and heavy equipment to Wuyuan in Bingzhou. Fengxian, are you willing?" Chen Gong looked at Lyu Bu and asked.

"Give up Yanzhou," Lyu Bu said with reluctance, "but take everything, the food supplies, the equipment—leave them nothing."

"Alright, leave the rest to me," Chen Gong nodded and said. Now, with his Spiritual Talent fully activated, he was consuming a vast accumulation every day. Nevertheless, to do his job well, he had no choice but to activate his Spiritual Talent.

"Is Brother Weishuo present?" Chen Gong asked outside the tent of Liu Yan.

"In response to the strategist, Mr. Liu has already left," a guard replied, giving a salute to Chen Gong and then handing over a letter to him.

Chen Gong was slightly startled, and after reading the letter, his face bore a wry smile. Not only had Liu Yan run off, but he also had the audacity to play coy.

"Forget it, I shall personally visit Chen Zichuan tomorrow. Some matters must be entrusted through the hands of Liu Bei. The only way to go ahead without worries is to do so," Chen Gong sighed heavily and decisively turned off his Spiritual Talent, lest he continue to squander it.

Chen Gong ordered someone to deliver a visiting letter to Chen Xi’s stronghold, only to find that by the time it was delivered, the stronghold was already abandoned. The army had long gone to attack Tian Feng’s stronghold, not seeking the element of surprise but opting for a forceful assault.

Of course, Chen Gong was unaware of these developments. After sending the message, he started assigning duties to his soldiers, sent word to Chengg Lian, who was stationed in Puyang, about the retreat, and prepared to regroup in the North. Afterwards, he started issuing orders to the county officials, to see if any would join him in moving to Bingzhou.

Chen Gong held little hope for these letters, as the officials in Yanzhou were mostly from local noble families, and it was virtually impossible for them to follow Lyu Bu to Bingzhou. Chen Gong wrote the letters with an attitude of fulfilling his duties, thinking maybe someone would accompany them. Who knew?

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Besides these matters, Chen Gong began to closely analyze the situation in the Hetao region. Unfortunately, the area was rife with Hu People, and without early planning, the slogan of recapturing lost lands by a northern expedition against the Hu People could turn into a joke. After all, a direct confrontation with the troublesome Huns, Xianbei, and Qiang Hu in the Hetao Region was bound to end in defeat!

[Alas, the affairs of the Central Plains can be concluded, Fengxian has taken a good step, but fortunes and misfortunes are hard to predict. The Hetao Region is indeed difficult to deal with!] With his Spiritual Talent activated, Chen Gong carefully reviewed the situation in the Hetao Region and could only heave a long sigh. No wonder no one dared to attack; it was indeed a pitfall! (Don’t miss out on the amazing rewards, including cool smartphones up for grabs! Follow the official Weibo account of Qidian Chinese Network (Wechat Add Friends - Add Public Account - enter qdread), and participate now! Everyone wins a prize, so follow the qdread Wechat Public Account immediately!)

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