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Chapter 709: The Ultimate Goal
🕑 Added 2024-10-05 05:06:22 +0000 UTC"Alright. Let’s not worry about what’s happening in Taishan anymore. We’ve blocked Xu You, and that means we’ve completed our mission. Focus on our tasks and let those guys handle their own. Taishan will be just fine," Chen Xi said, no longer trying to persuade Zhuge Liang. Some things needed to be understood on one’s own.
While Chen Xi and Zhuge Liang could still find time to chat, the situation on the walls of Chiping was much more complicated for Xu You. Although he had achieved his strategic goal, the devastating losses from last night weighed heavily on him. Almost 90% of his infantry was lost, and those who made it back were only the lucky ones. Even more painful for Xu You was the fact that his Wolf Cavalry had been halved, leaving only a little over three thousand.
When they counted the troops in the morning, Xu You nearly coughed up blood from the shock. The losses were simply too great. If not for leaving behind a thousand men to defend Chiping, he wouldn’t even have enough infantry to hold the city.
This was why Xu You was glaring resentfully at Chen Xi, who was laughing and chatting below the city walls. He regretted not leaving immediately after accomplishing his strategic goal, even though it might have led to some losses. But there was no medicine for regret in this world.
"Order the soldiers to hold the city firmly. I’ve already sent a request for help to both Tian Yuanhao in Yanzhou and our lord," Xu You sighed, feeling utterly embarrassed. Originally, he could have left after achieving a minor victory, but now things had turned out like this.
"Last night’s defeat was simply too bizarre..." Wen Chou nodded, looking at the exhausted Xu You. Their cavalry had attacked like tigers descending a mountain, only to be forced into retreat.
"I didn’t foresee this," Xu You sighed. Taking responsibility was a must. He then took a deep breath, trying to pull himself together. "But it’s better to discover such an issue now than during a major battle. We must find a way to solve this problem."
"Why could they see?" Wen Chou sighed. Although he had a temper, he understood that the reason for last night’s failure didn’t lie with Xu You. In fact, Xu You’s plan had been excellent; it just failed due to unforeseen circumstances. Who could have guessed that the enemy could see in the dark?
"I’ve sent word of what happened here to Jizhou for our lord to decide. As for the relevant issues, we’ll need to consult Doctor Hua," Xu You said with a grim face. "If anyone can do something like this, it’s Doctor Hua."
Hearing Xu You’s words, Wen Chou agreed with his analysis. After all, Hua Tuo had recently performed a feat that made him famous across the land—using mugwort to eradicate a plague that could have killed seven or eight out of every ten people. This showed that Hua Tuo had a knack for tackling widespread illnesses, and he had the skill to do so.
"Why didn’t he announce the prescription this time?" Wen Chou asked, sounding somewhat clueless.
"Because this condition isn’t fatal and doesn’t have a significant impact, unlike the plague that kills most of its victims," Xu You replied with a dark expression. "When we return, we’ll also need to establish a medical system. Taishan’s soldiers rarely suffer deaths from infected wounds because they have excellent military doctors."
"In the past, we didn’t value soldiers much, but now I realize that preserving three trained veterans is more cost-effective than recruiting three new ones. There’s no need for funeral expenses, and they’re better fighters. When we return to Jizhou, we’ll copy the entire Taishan medical system!" Xu You said with determination. Losing wasn’t the issue; the real priority was identifying weaknesses and fixing them.
[This noble family’s probing will provide enough information for the noble families to transmit all relevant data from Liu Bei’s administration to us. This will give Jizhou and places that have long sought reform, like Yizhou, a template to follow. Transplanting Taishan’s advantages onto Jizhou will make Jizhou even stronger,] Xu You pondered.
Taishan’s prosperity was now evident to all the lords under heaven. But how Chen Xi had achieved this from nothing was not something that could be explained by simply saying he was exploiting the nobility. If it were that simple, Xu You wouldn’t hesitate to be ruthless.
Xu You’s march on Feicheng wasn’t just to signal Jizhou’s arrival, to alert the noble families of Qingzhou and Xuzhou, or to prepare Yuan Shu in Yuzhou for attacking Liu Bei. It was also to conduct a comprehensive assessment of Liu Bei’s administration and compare it to Jizhou’s.
Although Xu You and Ju Shou managed Jizhou’s intelligence network, their biggest rival, Taishan, had always been shrouded in mystery. They had never seen it clearly. Therefore, conducting a comparison before the war was essential, and this comparison would influence Yuan Shao’s strategy against Liu Bei.
More importantly, Ju Shou needed a more practical political strategy to increase the power of Jizhou, Bingzhou, and Youzhou. In Xu You’s view, Taishan’s rise was the perfect model. He needed this model, and the noble families of Qingzhou and Xuzhou were the pawns to obtain it. To Xu You, it was worth the trade.
[But I still need an explanation. The commotion I caused this time was too big, and to have it end in such a humiliating way... Now, I can only hope for turmoil among the Qingzhou and Xuzhou noble families and for Yuan Shu’s forces in Yuzhou to march out. This is the only opportunity before the final showdown to accurately assess Taishan and our last chance to perfect our strategy.]
As Xu You considered these matters, his expression was extremely serious. He was already prepared for the possibility of being sidelined by Yuan Shao for a while after returning. After all, this mess needed someone to take the fall, and it certainly couldn’t be Wen Chou. That left only himself.
Xu You didn’t realize that after receiving that piece of fine jade, his intelligence peak had started to decline. Although still higher than usual, it was no longer at the same level, and his thinking was not as meticulous as it had been. Otherwise, his considerations would have been even more thorough.
"Strategist, are we just going to let them dig trenches outside the city?" Wen Chou asked, noticing that Liu Bei’s troops were digging a trench two hundred paces from the city in three directions simultaneously, leaving only the side near the Yellow River untouched.
"We’ll dig inside the city as well. Don’t let them tunnel in. But aren’t you going to try shooting at their soldiers?" Xu You shook his head. Their mission was complete; they just needed to hold Chiping and wait for reinforcements.
"He’s been watching me, and his archery is better than mine," Wen Chou said, pointing to Gan Ning, who stood below the city with his body wrapped in bandages, holding a ten-stone strong bow. Although he appeared casual, Wen Chou knew that if he made a move, Gan Ning would undoubtedly retaliate.
"At this distance, neither of us is suppressed by the internal energy. Although both armies are protected by cloud energy..." Wen Chou said as he pulled an arrow from his quiver and shot it towards Gan Ning. However, Gan Ning didn’t move an inch, and the arrow lodged itself in the ground at Gan Ning’s feet.
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