Chapter 10: What We Must Do

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"Lord Xuande, there is no need for this." Chen Xi hurriedly stood up to assist Liu Bei, for receiving such a formal bow from the other was not a good thing.

With Chen Xi's help, Liu Bei straightened his posture, but unlike before, he did not attempt to recruit him this time. Instead, he simply asked, "Does Mister have any further plans? Please share them; I would be most grateful."

"Lord Xuande, please do not trouble yourself. The rest is simply taking things one step at a time. We have already had a good start; the rest will depend more on the two generals, Guan Yunchang and Zhang Yide." Chen Xi shook his head, indicating that they had done all they could for now, and the rest was a matter of waiting for the right opportunity.

It wasn't that Chen Xi was unwilling to save Sun Jian, but rather that Liu Bei's foundation was currently too thin. If things went poorly, he might fail to save the man and lose himself in the process. Chen Xi still had no idea just how ferocious the elite cavalry of Xiliang truly was.

Because of this, Chen Xi could only observe the situation. He wondered if this "Tiger" Sun Jian would be toppled by Hua Xiong just as in the *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*. One had to remember that this time, Sun Jian had brought all four of his capable generals with him. According to the Second Master's assessment, even if he fought at full strength, he couldn't guarantee taking down even one or two of Sun Jian's five men in a one-on-five fight; it would more likely result in both sides retreating unscathed.

From this perspective, Hua Xiong's strength was no joke. Even if he wasn't much weaker than the Second Master, the fact that the Second Master could take him down within three to five bouts suggested there might be something significant at play.

Of course, Chen Xi hadn't inquired deeply about this. He would find out once he arrived. It was possible that Lord Guan possessed one or two secret ultimate techniques.

In the following time, Chen Xi and the trio of Liu, Guan, and Zhang spent their days drinking and boasting in the main camp. It must be said that the treatment of the eighteen lords was quite excellent—listening to music and drinking wine—leaving them with none of the pressure of an impending war. One had to wonder, if they could win like this, just how cowardly Dong Zhuo actually was...

As he was leaving, a drunken Chen Xi said to Liu Bei, "When the Marquis of Wu Cheng returns, remember to hold him back. Don't let him throw his life away, or things will truly go wrong."

Liu Bei didn't take these words to heart, mainly because he didn't understand what they meant. The group continued their daily routine of eating, drinking, and boasting—praising one another in a cycle of mutual flattery, enjoying themselves immensely.

When a blood-soaked Sun Jian burst into the great tent, Yuan Shao and the others were in the middle of drinking! Sun Jian's eyes were bloodshot. He stared fixedly at Yuan Shu, drew his precious saber, and roared, "Die, you brat Yuan Shu!"

Yuan Shu had originally been gloating in his heart after successfully sabotaging Sun Jian, but seeing Sun Jian charging at him with a blade, he was instantly startled. He scrambled away like a rabbit, hiding behind Yuan Shao.

"Hold him back!" Yuan Shao was extremely displeased. He hadn't realized before that Sun Jian was so tactless; it was truly the behavior of an unfilial man. He thought to himself, *[We are all people of status. To draw blades and handle things personally over such trivial matters is embarrassing. You might not care, but it makes us look bad.]*

A large group of military officers and soldiers rushed forward to subdue and restrain Sun Jian.

"Marquis of Wu Cheng, what is the meaning of this?" Yuan Shao finally asked.

"Ask Yuan Shu!" Sun Jian glared at Yuan Shu with hatred, his teeth clenched. "That brat Yuan Shu cut off my provisions! My army has not eaten for days, we were successfully ambushed by Hua Xiong, and our losses are heavy! My brother Zu Mao has fallen in battle! Yuan Shu, give me your life!"

"Wentai, calm your anger! Wentai, calm your anger! Let us speak of this reasonably!" Cao Cao and Liu Bei, who were nearby, finally reacted. Liu Bei was shocked by Chen Xi's drunken words from that day—to have known this would happen so far in advance... what a genius!

The more Sun Jian spoke, the more furious he became. His eyes bulged with resentment as he stared at Yuan Shu. He struggled so violently that he nearly broke free from those holding him, desperate to rush over and beat Yuan Shu into the ground. Seeing the situation turn sour, Yuan Shao signaled to those around him to hold Sun Jian more firmly.

"Gonglu!" Yuan Shao's face was grim. He had no desire to deal with this mess, but as the leader of the alliance, he had the duty to mediate. He reluctantly shot a look at Yuan Shu. "What happened?"

"I... how should I know?" Yuan Shu denied it outright.

Sun Jian flew into a rage. "You were in charge of the transport! My army is short on grain—how could you not know? Regardless of the excuse, do not think you can evade responsibility!"

Yuan Shu also realized that the mess he had made was somewhat large. He had originally intended only to cripple Sun Jian's soldiers, but Zu Mao had died. *Holy crap*, even Yuan Shu was shaken by this news. Zu Mao was one of Sun Jian's four great generals, famously brave and practically a brother to Sun Jian. And now he was dead. *Damn it, are the Xiliang cavalry really this fierce? Hua Xiong, do you have to be this brutal? I wasn't ready to completely break ties with Sun Jian! Fuck!*

Despite his internal cursing, he had to provide an explanation. Yuan Shu's eyes darted around, and a rotten scheme came to mind. "Well, I have been feeling unwell these past few days and left the supervision of the provisions entirely to my subordinates. It must have been that person who ruined everything! Marquis of Wu Cheng, this is not my fault. Men! Execute that grain officer for me!"

As soon as he spoke, a group of soldiers led by Ji Ling rushed in. They dragged the grain officer from behind Yuan Shu away without allowing him a single word of explanation. A moment later, a scream rang out, and the man was executed.

Sun Jian was stunned. He looked at Yuan Shu, pointing a blood-stained finger at him. "You... you... you..."

"Wentai, please consider the greater good!" Cao Cao sighed, attempting to persuade him.

Most of the people present understood the situation. After Cao Cao spoke, they all looked at Sun Jian. Finally, Sun Jian let out a dejected sigh. "With an army of over five hundred thousand, if we could work together with one heart, what is there to fear in the rebel Dong? *Sigh!* Alliance Leader, I take my leave!" With that, Sun Jian turned and walked away without looking back.

Cao Cao glared at Yuan Shu, who was wearing a continuous smirk. Cao Cao thought, *[This petty man is not worth scheming with!]* He turned and left as well. The banquet ended in a bitter, disjointed manner.

The others exchanged glances and subsequently turned to take their leave.

"Lord Xuande doesn't look very happy," Chen Xi said, quickly standing up as he saw Liu Bei enter the tent with a grim expression.

"Sit down, sit down. There is no need for such formalities between us." Liu Bei waved his hand and sighed, giving a brief summary of what had transpired in the great tent.

"Oh, so Yuan Shu did that, and Sun Jian lost. As expected, the real drama is officially beginning. The battle between the vanguards has ended; it is our turn to take the stage against Dong Zhuo. I expect Hua Xiong will be coming to challenge us very soon." Chen Xi looked as if he held the world in his hands. "Second Master, it's up to you now. If Hua Xiong comes to challenge, observe him closely before you engage. It would be best to capture him alive; if you aren't confident, just take his head."

"I shall not fail the mission!" Guan Yu said proudly, his eyes slightly opening.

"Lord Xuande, your job is to be the peacemaker. Much like Cao Mengde, you must mediate the conflicts between the various lords. If necessary, you can bring Kong Rong and Tao Qian into the fold. The alliance is the most important thing. Only by repelling Dong Zhuo can there be hope of restoring the Han Dynasty," Chen Xi said with a sly grin.

(End of Chapter)