Mythical Three Kingdoms-Chapter 843 - 804: The Northern Expedition

"Please, Military Counselor Xu, speak plainly." Although Wei Yan's words sounded somewhat brusque, his body slightly tilted forward, indicating a tacit gesture of approach toward Xu Shu.

Back when Guo Jia served as the strategist for the Northern Legion, he frequently imparted lessons to Wei Yan. Unable to alter Guan Yu's disposition, Guo Jia shifted his focus to Wei Yan—whose personality bore some resemblance to Guan Yu—in hopes of successfully molding him.

Now, it was evident that Guo Jia's efforts had yielded results. While Wei Yan still exhibited traces of arrogance, he was no longer as prone to offending others. In fact, his forthright demeanor seemed more suited to Xu Shu, a top strategist who emerged from a tumultuous background.

"Strike here." Xu Shu casually pulled a map from the saddlebag of Wei Yan's horse and pointed to a spot.

"Qinghe?" Wei Yan asked in confusion, glancing at Xu Shu. "Our target is Yecheng of Wei Commandery, to capture the Xuanyuan Cauldron. This place isn't even on our route."

"This isn't a matter of route or detour. Did you fail to notice how Lord Liu Bei articulated his instructions?" Xu Shu asked calmly. Seeing Wei Yan still perplexed, he continued, "We have the authority to engage the Jizhou Army."

"But Lord Liu Bei said that if we encounter the Jizhou Army, it's up to us to determine how to act," Wei Yan replied, furrowing his brows.

"Incorrect. We're the vanguard. The role of the vanguard inherently carries the authority for independent decision-making in battles. Lord Liu Bei instructed me to discuss plans with you all, which essentially grants us discretionary power. This is precisely why General Guan was assigned to the vanguard," Xu Shu said, shaking his head slightly to refute Wei Yan's interpretation before looking Wei Yan in the eye.

"But isn't that just your conjecture?" Guan Ping interjected at this point.

"Conjecture certainly plays a role, but I've spoken my piece; whether you trust my judgment depends on your decision." Xu Shu's eyes remained calm and devoid of emotion, as if the weighty words he had just uttered were never spoken at all.

"Fine. We'll head for Qinghe!" Wei Yan's decisiveness was notably stronger than Guan Ping's. After hearing Xu Shu's arguments, he hesitated no further, making a resolute decision. While fighting on the main battlefield might guarantee recognition, achieving significant merits would be difficult. However, opening a new front could secure glory and rewards, so long as they secured victory.

"Brother Wei!" Guan Ping gasped in surprise, exclaiming with alarm. This action deviated from their established strategy.

"Military Counselor Xu makes an excellent point. Does Tanzhi simply intend to bask forever in his father's shadow?" Wei Yan turned his head toward Guan Ping and posed the question.

"But doesn't this go against Lord Liu Bei's established strategy?" Guan Ping frowned deeply and spoke hesitantly. His reluctance was apparent, a result of Guan Yu's disciplined training and emphasis on strict obedience to orders.

"No, we're not violating the strategy," Xu Shu said, shaking his head. "Lord Liu Bei's instructions consistently highlight one key point: that we possess both the authority for making judgments and initiating conflict."

"…" Guan Ping fell silent, but his internal conflict was evident. After a long moment, he placed his hand on Wei Yan's shoulder and said, "I'll follow you. If consequences arise, I'll take responsibility. Worst case, my father will whip me ten times!"

"If you're whipped ten times, I'm certainly not escaping the same fate." Wei Yan grumbled, sensing a headache. Guan Yu's discipline was no joke, and when it came to administering punishment, he was merciless, leaving his victims yelping in pain.

"Don't worry. I won't let things go that far for either of you." Xu Shu said calmly, almost whimsically. Observing Wei Yan and Guan Ping's rapid resolve, he—who initially had only seventy percent confidence in Liu Bei's intentions—suddenly felt ninety percent assured.

[Is the plan to send us ahead to Jizhou to create a diversion, draw Yuan Shao's attention, and connect with Zang Xuangao in Qingzhou?] Xu Shu furrowed his brows in speculation, though he remained uncertain as to what fueled Liu Bei's confidence in his and Wei Yan's ability to distract Yuan Shao amid a major conflict between Liu Bei and Yuan Shao.

If Chen Xi learned of Xu Shu's doubts, he would probably laugh heartily. With Xu Shu's brilliance as Xu Yuanzhi, and Wei Yan's valor as Wei Wenchang, that alone would suffice.

Although Guan Ping initially hesitated before committing, once he made his decision, he let go of any lingering doubts. He promptly began organizing troops, preparing the army to march toward Qinghe without worrying about problems that could be resolved later.

Hours later, Liu Bei and his company, still at the rear organizing their forces for departure, received news from the front lines that Wei Yan had deviated from the planned route and headed north.

"Your insight is indeed remarkable," Jia Xu murmured, satisfied with the information delivered to him, "But the real challenge lies in whether Xu Yuanzhi can successfully draw Yuan Shao's attention—even forcing Yuan Shao to consider the threat posed by Yuanzhi while fighting us."

"Don't worry, my foresight will amaze you," Chen Xi replied with a smile. "He'll exceed even your expectations. Some individuals are born for this tumultuous era."

"Enough. Assemble the troops and move out!" Liu Bei glanced at Chen Xi, shook his head, and shouted as he spurred his horse forward. Behind him, an army of over a hundred thousand, stationed near Mount Tai, packed up their encampments and began marching as a mighty column toward the northwest.

"With over a hundred thousand troops on the move, it'll likely take well over ten days to reach Jizhou. We're prone to setbacks, aren't we?" Chen Xi said lightly, watching Jia Xu with a smile as he rode his horse. "Had we deployed directly from Linyi back then, none of these problems would have arisen."

"Such a method would fail to demonstrate that we were thoroughly prepared from the moment of mobilization, with our forces in impeccable order—even if it doesn't amount to much in practice," Jia Xu replied composedly. "If we simply scattered troops to Linyi, as Yuan Shao, I would seize the opportunity during this period of chaos and disorganization."

"Pfft, as if I don't know that," Chen Xi retorted, curling his lip. "Fresh troops who haven't experienced real battle—or who lack adequate commanders—will break upon contact, no matter how numerous."

Jia Xu turned his gaze to Chen Xi's stirrups, observing them intently. He had already found it curious earlier since Chen Xi wasn't particularly skilled at horseback riding, yet his saddle-stability today was exceptional. It was peculiar indeed.

"This…" Jia Xu stared at Chen Xi's stirrups for a long moment before letting out a deep sigh. "Good invention, but its appearance now is premature. Is this the treasure you mentioned for accelerating cavalry training?"

"Exactly. While it's true this shouldn't be revealed prematurely, surrounded by our trusted aides, there's little cause for concern. I've already had many of these manufactured—both saddles and stirrups," Chen Xi confirmed with a nod.

"Since this campaign requires me to ride the entire way, I decided to give them a test run. Once we've taken parts of Bingzhou and Jizhou, I'll begin mass deployment," Chen Xi chuckled. "With these innovations, cavalry can truly become the ultimate force."

"With these, other troop types will become largely irrelevant. Finally, Wen Ru's old Tugi Battle Tactics can fully come into play. That's when cavalry charges will truly reign supreme," Jia Xu remarked, nodding in agreement.

(To be continued. If you love this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)