Chapter 8: You Can Even Sneak In Like This

Chapter 8: You Can Even Sneak In Like This~

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"General Gongsun is quite good to Lord Xuande," Chen Xi said with a smile. "It seems General Gongsun wants Lord Xuande to show his face before the various righteous volunteers. You should know that three hundred cavalry and two thousand infantry can be considered a small faction in their own right."

"Sigh, I am unworthy of such treatment!" Liu Bei sighed, feeling overwhelmed by Gongsun Zan's kindness.

"Just don't forget your old brothers once you become wealthy in the future," Chen Xi said in a teasing tone. Thinking back to the future rescue of Xu Province, although Gongsun Zan was skeptical, out of respect for their shared school days, he had directly supplemented Liu Bei with five thousand infantry and cavalry and even sent Zhao Yun to help. It was unlikely that Gongsun Zan wouldn't notice the chemistry between Zhao Yun and Liu Bei, yet he still provided such strong support, which proved that Gongsun Zan was absolutely unwavering when it came to brothers he recognized.

"If there comes a day when I am wealthy, I shall never forget," Liu Bei said solemnly, looking at Chen Xi. It wasn't until then that the slow-witted Chen Xi realized that Liu Bei's words were not actually intended solely for Gongsun Zan.

"Hahaha, you'll be wealthy very soon, very soon," Chen Xi said, turning his head away somewhat unnaturally. He still wanted to meet Cao Cao, Sun Jian, and Yuan Shao; he couldn't give an answer so hastily.

Seeing Chen Xi turn away awkwardly, Liu Bei couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed, but he quickly recovered. Regardless, the man was still by his side; there would be plenty of opportunities, and sooner or later, he would become one of his own.

The following day, the coalition meeting officially began. As a small faction, Liu Bei was qualified to appear at the meeting site following in Gongsun Zan's wake, and Chen Xi naturally took the opportunity to sneak in.

As for the names and reputations of the eighteen warlords

The First Garrison: A gatherer of talented men and heroes, the Rear General and Governor of Nanyang, Yuan Shu, courtesy name Gonglu.

The Second Garrison: A scholar well-versed in the classics, the Inspector of Ji Province, Han Fu, courtesy name Wenjie.

The Third Garrison: A man of grand discourse and ancient knowledge, the Inspector of Yuzhou, Kong Zhou, courtesy name Gongxu.

The Fourth Garrison: A man of filial piety and benevolence, the Inspector of Yan Province, Liu Dai, courtesy name Gongshan.

The Fifth Garrison: A man of generosity and extravagance, the Governor of Henan, Wang Kuang, courtesy name Gongjie.

The Sixth Garrison: A man of charity and high ambition, the Governor of Chenliu, Zhang Miao, courtesy name Mengzhuo.

The Seventh Garrison: A man of kindness and intellect, the Governor of Dongjun, Qiao Mi, courtesy name Yuanwei.

The Eighth Garrison: A man of integrity and elegance, the Governor of Shanyang, Yuan Yi, courtesy name Boye.

The Ninth Garrison: A man of strategy and martial prowess, the Administrator of Jibei, Bao Xin, courtesy name Yuncheng.

The Tenth Garrison: A man of scholarly grace and hospitality, the Governor of Beihai, Kong Rong, courtesy name Wenju.

The Eleventh Garrison: A man of extraordinary martial arts and majesty, the Governor of Guangling, Zhang Chao, courtesy name Menggao.

The Twelfth Garrison: A man of virtue and kindness, the Inspector of Xu Province, Tao Qian, courtesy name Gongzu.

The Thirteenth Garrison: A man whose fame reaches the Qiang and Hu tribes, the Governor of Xiliang, Ma Teng, courtesy name Shoucheng.

The Fourteenth Garrison: A man with a voice like a great bell and a heroic stature, the Inspector of Youzhou, Gongsun Zan, courtesy name Bogui.

The Fifteenth Garrison: A man of adaptability and courage, the Governor of Shangdang, Zhang Yang, courtesy name Zisheng.

The Sixteenth Garrison: A hero of the age with unparalleled bravery, the Marquis of Wu Cheng and Governor of Changsha, Sun Jian, courtesy name Wentai.

The Seventeenth Garrison: A man from a family of high prestige with many former subordinates, the Marquis of Qixiang and Governor of Bohai, Yuan Shao, courtesy name Benchu. (I really didn't want to copy this, but it's necessary.)

Combined with Cao Cao's own forces, there were eighteen warlords in total.

Each warlord's force ranged from as many as thirty to fifty thousand to as few as ten or twenty thousand. Of course, there were also small groups like Cao Cao's and Liu Bei's with only two or three thousand, but the difference was that as the initiator, Cao Cao certainly had a seat, whereas for Liu Bei, it depended on luck.

Fortunately, while Cao Cao and Liu Bei were chatting, Chen Xi casually blurted out Liu Bei's identity: a member of the imperial clan. Hey, this was very important news. All other members of the imperial clan were hunkered down in their own territories, yet Liu Bei had come, bringing over two thousand men. Regardless of the number, it was a status. After everyone deliberated, they counted him in, and Liu Bei successfully sneaked into the ranks.

Afterward, the group began to bicker. After all, a snake cannot function without a head. Cao Cao proactively gave up the position of coalition leader. This left the two brothers of the prestigious Yuan family, who disliked each other, to contend. After Cao Cao extended an olive branch, the heroic Yuan Shao successfully secured the position of coalition leader, while Yuan Shu could only go to oversee the provisions.

By this time, Liu Bei had already blended into the warlords. Entering before the leader was established was a different matter from being granted a seat only after the leader asked. At least now, Liu Bei could magnanimously find a place to sit, acting as a small warlord among the eighteen, and on the surface, he even had a bit of a voice.

Before Liu Bei could even figure out what was happening, Chen Xi pulled him by his sleeve and sat him down next to Tao Qian and Kong Rong. Similarly, the two were very interested in Liu Bei's status as an imperial clansman, and the three easily struck up a conversation.

As for Chen Xi, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, they sat behind Liu Bei. This time was completely different from history; Guan Yu and Zhang Fei also had seats. After all, they were a legitimate faction fighting under the banner of imperial relatives. No matter how small a warlord was, once recognized, they were equal in status to other lords.

With this layer of protection, even if Hua Xiong came to cause trouble later and Guan Yu stepped forward to say he would kill him, Yuan Shu would definitely not step out to offend anyone. After all, if he insulted Guan Yu this time, he wouldn't just be offending Liu Bei, but everyone present. Even if Yuan Shu were foolish, he wouldn't do that.

"Second Master, sit here. Remember, you are now an officer under Lord Xuande, not some archer or anything," Chen Xi began to indoctrinate Guan Yu. After all, Liu Bei only had these two formidable generals to hold the line, and now they had blended into the warlords. As long as you didn't speak, no one would know. When provisions were distributed, they would certainly be allocated to Liu Bei as a warlord. A warlord must have the aura of a warlord; it didn't matter if the numbers were small, as long as they were fierce, no one would doubt them!

"Hmm?" Guan Yu was startled. He stroked his long beard and opened his eyes slightly to look at Chen Xi. "Zichuan, to be honest, I do not understand the current situation. Why have we suddenly been seated here?"

"Because we are a troop of the imperial protection army. General Gongsun gave us an opportunity, and we took it to become a faction of the imperial protection forces. With Lord Xuande's title as an imperial clansman to back us, as long as we demonstrate our value, everyone will recognize our status," Chen Xi said with a smile. He hadn't expected that the seemingly proud Guan Yu would be quite easy to talk to.

What Chen Xi didn't know was that Guan Yu's cold and proud appearance was mostly because he was not skilled at conversation, combined with his majestic countenance, which naturally made everyone feel a sense of aloofness. However, once familiar with him, he was capable and wouldn't offend people through his speech; Guan Yu was actually quite easy to communicate with.

"You can even do this?" Zhang Fei and Guan Yu were stunned.

"Yes, you can even do this. I think it's a bit excessive myself," Chen Xi said with a smile, though a playful look clearly appeared on his face. "It will depend on you two generals when the time comes. If you have the chance, you must impress everyone present. Your strength and Lord Xuande's status complement each other! Furthermore, your current performance will affect Lord Xuande's future official rank."

"Official rank?" Guan Yu growled softly.

"Yes. The extent of your contribution and how much you stand out in this battle will ultimately determine Dong Zhuo's judgment of the strength of the various imperial protection armies. After Dong Zhuo is defeated, he will rely on the Emperor in his hands to divide the Guandong warlords. As long as Lord Xuande catches Dong Zhuo's eye, he will naturally become a target for division. This will naturally lead to official ranks and territory. This is the foundation for all future development. If you don't want to live under someone else's shadow for decades, unable to realize your grand ambitions, you had better give it your all this time," Chen Xi said very seriously to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

This was something he had summarized from his previous knowledge. It could be said that the eighteen warlords' campaign against Dong Zhuo was the opportunity for the figures among them to rise. Whether it was Cao Cao, Sun Jian, or Yuan Shao, they all obtained what they desired after this event.

If Liu Bei could catch Dong Zhuo's eye during this time and serve as a pawn to divide the Guandong warlords, the gap between Liu Bei and these warlords would instantly shrink to almost nothing. Afterward, as long as he wore the mantle of an imperial clansman, it would be anyone's guess who was superior.

(End of Chapter)