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Chapter 672: The Northern Return
🕑 Added 2024-10-02 08:00:09 +0000 UTCWith the addition of Cai Yang to their group, Li Dian felt much more at ease. Upon learning that it was Li Jin who had injured Lü Bu, Cai Yang was filled with admiration. Having witnessed Lü Bu's ferocity firsthand, Cai Yang knew just how formidable he was. Although Li Jin was now essentially incapacitated, the fact that he had forced Lü Bu to retreat was a testament to his immense strength.
Similarly, Li Jin was astonished to hear that Cai Yang had fought Lü Bu to a standstill. Even though Lü Bu had been wounded, his power was still nothing to scoff at. Without the hardiness equivalent to that of Guan Yu or Zhang Fei, it would have been impossible to drive Lü Bu back. With mutual respect, the Li and Qin families quickly merged their forces and continued their journey towards Chenliu.
Meanwhile, Liu Bei’s forces were completely unaware of the events that had transpired. Lü Bu, due to his pride, was unwilling to share the details of his frustrating day with anyone. Though his defeat could be rationalized, it didn’t make it any easier for him to accept.
So, when Lü Bu rallied his army, preparing to intercept Li Jin and Cai Yang's forces in order to settle the score, he discovered that the Li and Qin families had already reached the safety of Chenliu.
As Lü Bu contemplated whether or not to attack Chenliu to vent his anger, Chen Gong sent a message instructing him to prepare for a northern retreat because Yuan Shao had already made his move. Troops from Wei Commandery in Ji Province, Qinghe Commandery, and other areas were beginning a large-scale invasion of Eastern Commandery, Dongping Commandery, and even northern parts of Jiyin.
This was the best time for Lü Bu to extricate himself from the chaos in Yanzhou and head north to fight the Hu people. By fully abandoning Yanzhou and leading his troops north, Lü Bu could leave Yanzhou to Yuan Shao and Liu Bei. Moreover, with the justification of his noble cause, Lü Bu could potentially secure some benefits from Yuan Shao without any resistance.
If they waited any longer, until Yuan Shao had fully occupied the northern parts of Yanzhou with his overwhelming strength, they would lose any leverage they had in negotiating with him. At that point, whether or not Yuan Shao allowed them to leave would be entirely up to him.
Though the possibility of Yuan Shao refusing was nearly zero, Chen Gong couldn't bear to let the imminent benefits slip away. So, while negotiating with Feng Ji, he began gathering Lü Bu and his generals to prepare for the northern retreat. At the same time, he issued one final proclamation, calling on like-minded scholars and warriors in the Central Plains to join him in the northern expedition against the Hu people.
"Brother Feng, what do you think of this?" Chen Gong asked with a smile as he conversed casually with Feng Ji. When Feng Ji had arrived in Yanzhou recently, Chen Gong knew that Liu Bei's large-scale takeover had finally prompted Yuan Shao to react.
"This won't do, this won't do. Our army has supplied your forces with grain for tens of thousands of soldiers for a year, and yet you repay us with such insincerity," Feng Ji replied with a dramatic wave of his sleeve, as if about to leave, though it was clear he had no intention of actually doing so.
"Brother Feng, let's discuss this calmly," Chen Gong said, grabbing Feng Ji’s sleeve and smiling amiably. "We can negotiate further. Look at the fertile land in Eastern Commandery. Our forces will withdraw, and your army can take control of it without any resistance within three days."
Had it not been for the need to rely on Yuan Shao in the north, Chen Gong would have been far less accommodating to Feng Ji. He knew that Yuan Shao would lose in the end, but for now, he had to offer Eastern Commandery and Dongping Commandery to Yuan Shao. Otherwise, the northern campaign would face unnecessary complications.
"Strategist Gong, your difficulties are not unknown to my lord, Yuan Shao. However, a bride marrying two families will surely have a poor outcome. Lord Yuan Shao is a significant backer of your army, while Liu Bei is limited to the Central Plains. After you head north, it will be hard for you to gain support. Weighing the two, I hope you’ll consider carefully," Feng Ji advised solemnly.
"The issue is that your army was previously defeated by the Taishan forces. We had no choice but to cooperate with Taishan. I’m sure you understand that we had no voice in the matter and could only follow their lead. Otherwise, why would General Lü abandon this prosperous land in the Central Plains for the bitter cold of the north?" Chen Gong sighed deeply, wiping a tear from his eye with a bitter smile.
Feng Ji stole a glance at Chen Gong, convinced that he was being sincere. He had done his homework before coming and knew that Taishan had indeed heavily supported Lü Bu's northern campaign.
In fact, the entire northern retreat had been orchestrated by Liu Bei. However, after analyzing the situation, Xu You and Ju Shou had concluded that, even if Lü Bu’s northern campaign had been planned by Liu Bei, it was ultimately more beneficial than harmful for Yuan Shao.
After all, the noble cause not only bound all the warlords but also restricted Lü Bu. If Lü Bu were to betray this great cause, he would be doomed. Even Liu Bei, with all his charisma, could not accommodate a general who defied such a profound national duty. This effectively eliminated the possibility of Lü Bu aiding Liu Bei.
Moreover, according to Xu You's analysis, with Lü Bu's strength, it was likely that he could at least reclaim a few counties in the Hetao region, if not the entire area.
The key issue was that Lü Bu lacked the administrative talent to manage these territories. Though he had Chen Gong, the northern regions were not like the Central Plains; they lacked the influential families and capable mid-level civil servants needed for effective governance.
As a result, the administration of these reclaimed territories would eventually fall to Yuan Shao. Over time, as Yuan Shao defeated Liu Bei and completed the campaign against the Hu people, he could easily win Lü Bu over.
Given Lü Bu's military prowess, every warlord coveted his abilities, both as a commander and as a warrior.
After much persuasion, Chen Gong finally convinced Feng Ji. Apart from Linyi, Yuan Shao's army quickly took control of the rest of Eastern Commandery within a day, as it bordered Ji Province. They also split Dongping Commandery with Taishi Ci after a brief skirmish and seized the northern part of Jiyin.
Although Liu Bei’s forces were prepared, they couldn't compete with Yuan Shao’s extensive border with Yanzhou. In the end, they managed to secure Jibei, Rencheng, all of Shanyang Commandery, the southern counties of Jiyin, and half of Dongping.
After both sides had secured their territories, they refrained from provoking each other further. Instead, they focused on quickly cultivating the land in Yanzhou in preparation for spring planting. Both sides could sense the looming clouds of war hanging over their heads, knowing that a major battle was inevitable come autumn, once the summer harvest was complete.
Meanwhile, Lü Bu's army had packed up and was officially beginning its northern return. Their campaign against the Hu people had officially begun.
"We’re finally returning to Bingzhou," Lü Bu said, gripping his Sky Piercer halberd with trembling hands. His horse, Red Hare, seemed to sense Lü Bu's excitement and galloped joyfully.
"Yanmen..." Zhang Liao's expression hardened, his inner energy visibly rising, transforming before their very eyes. Though Zhang Liao’s obsession was subtle, so faint that even he hadn't noticed it, standing on the border of Bingzhou made him feel a deep, unspoken excitement.
"Jiuyuan..." High Commander Gao Shun’s white glow was tinged with bitter laughter. Finally, they were returning home.
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