Chapter 15: Dong Zhuo's War Potential

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Chen Xi sighed and began to introduce the formidable talents of Yingchuan to Liu Bei. "There are some people who lack fame, but if a lord were to grant any one of them authority, they would be more than capable of sustaining a regional power."

Chen Xi's greatest advantage lay in his knowledge of everyone's future trajectory and the true capabilities of every named individual. After all, these people had been tested by history, proving themselves through merit on the battlefield or through competence in the rear.

Because of this, Chen Xi knew very well that the early-stage talents under Cao Cao—such as Xi Zhicai and the subsequent "Five Strategists"—would be difficult to poach.

Under Chen Xi's introduction, Liu Bei's eyes lit up. Whether it was Chen Xi's evaluation of Xun Yu's political strategies, his affirmation of Xun You's tactical brilliance, his analysis of Guo Jia's unconstrained way of thinking, or his warnings regarding Cheng Yu's ruthless nature, everything was eye-opening for Liu Bei. If these men truly possessed the abilities Chen Xi described, any one of them would be enough to turn the world upside down given the right platform.

"Zichuan seems to know these people very well," Liu Bei said with a smile. He dearly wished he could acquire them, but after listening to Chen Xi, he realized that perhaps only the Xun uncle and nephew held any hope. Of course, he also understood that this hope rested on his status as a member of the imperial clan and the necessity of possessing a territory.

"Yes. Basically, I have some impression of all the capable people under heaven. To be blunt, Dong Zhuo actually had a very high chance of defeating all the lords of the realm. Unfortunately, his ambition was too great and he lost his way; he was no longer the brave warrior of Xiliang, but had been intoxicated by the life in Luoyang," Chen Xi said, a hint of pride appearing on his face before giving way to a sigh of lament.

"Dong Zhuo actually possessed such strength?" Liu Bei raised an eyebrow, sounding somewhat incredulous.

"Indeed, he had that strength. He held the finest cavalry in the world, the finest generals under heaven, and two civil officials who could rank in the top ten, with one even capable of ranking in the top three! Furthermore, he held the natural defenses of the Xiaoling Pass and the momentum of the Western Qin. Had he not been lost to the prosperity of Guandong, he might have swallowed the world just as the Qin Dynasty once did. Even though Dong Zhuo is intoxicated now, if he were to awaken, he would still possess the power to seize the mandate!" Chen Xi remarked with emotion.

As for Li Ru, Chen Xi found him difficult to evaluate. Based on Dong Zhuo's current strength and his plans before entering Luoyang, Li Ru's ability—if calculated from the Yellow Turban Rebellion until the fall of Western Shu nearly a century later—could rank in the top ten. However, after entering Luoyang, Li Ru seemed to enter a period of chaos, and his strategic intelligence declined sharply.

One must realize that Li Ru was the one who had bolstered Dong Zhuo from a mere Xiliang brute into the strongest warlord of the late Eastern Han. Even when the eighteen lords gathered to campaign against Dong Zhuo, Dong Zhuo still possessed the capability to annihilate all the heroes of the age. In this regard, Li Ru's intellect was undoubtedly among the very top tier of the late Eastern Han.

Most importantly, Chen Xi knew one thing: in history, this man had seen through the "Chain Stratagem" and told Dong Zhuo directly. When Dong Zhuo ignored him, Li Ru had already determined that Dong Zhuo's downfall was inevitable. When Lu Bu assassinated Dong Zhuo and sought out Li Ru, the man had already fled Luoyang to follow Li Jue. Later, when Cao Cao dealt with Li Jue, this fellow had mysteriously disappeared.

As for the other one, Jia Xu, who was also a subordinate of Dong Zhuo, he was not merely some nameless secretary as described in *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*. One must realize that Li Jue and Guo Si were generals commanding a hundred thousand Xiliang soldiers, yet they underwent a sudden realization after a few words from Jia Xu and followed his command without question. If they hadn't known of Jia Xu's abilities beforehand, would they have been so easy to persuade?

Liu Bei's brow furrowed deeply. "The finest elite in the world, the finest general under heaven, two of the top ten strategists, one even in the top three, the defenses of Xiaoling, and the momentum of Western Qin."

With every phrase, Liu Bei's frown tightened unconsciously. "Setting aside the finest elite, regarding the finest general under heaven, who would dare claim that title? As for the top ten civil officials, who was it that evaluated them?"

"The point about the finest general can be proven very quickly. As for the top ten strategists, Xuande, think about where Dong Zhuo rose from, how long it took him, and how great his power is now." Chen Xi gave a bitter smile. This was not an easy question to answer; one could only rely on facts.

Liu Bei pondered carefully and nodded. "Indeed. From a Xiliang brute to a Chancellor who suppresses all heroes, it seems even the Marquis of Liu would be no different. It is a pity he serves a thief!"

"..." Chen Xi rolled his eyes and said nothing. He did not agree with this point. If Li Ru were to overthrow them, then whoever was called a thief would be the thief.

"As for the other strategist I mentioned, his strength lies in his ingenious schemes and his ability to plan without error. He is quite easy to win over; as long as Dong Zhuo is dead and someone can provide him with a sense of security, he can be recruited." Chen Xi thought for a moment and decided to mention Jia Xu. This man was relatively easy to recruit, but one had to possess sufficient strength; otherwise, he would look down on you, and without a sense of security, he would never follow you.

"Planning without error!" Liu Bei looked at Chen Xi in surprise. This was the highest praise one could give a strategist. To Liu Bei, if one could achieve this, then Chen Xi's previous evaluations were not exaggerated.

"Yes, planning without error. Whether it is a minor scheme or the grand trend, his plans always succeed," Chen Xi said with a sigh. "It could be said that among the strategists currently active in the world, basically no one can compete with him. Well, perhaps Ju Gong, whom Han of Jizhou recently recruited, might be able to hold his own..."

Chen Xi had originally intended to say that no one could compete with Jia Xu at this time, but then he remembered that after Pan Feng died, Han Fu had summoned Ju Shou, who had been staying in Jizhou. In that sense, Han Fu's foundation was quite solid; no wonder Yuan Shao wanted to seize it. Thinking about how Zhang He was also under him, Chen Xi couldn't help but feel a bit envious. It was indeed a solid foundation.

Liu Bei looked uncomfortably toward Han Fu's main tent. He had been talking with Ju Shou, but he hadn't expected Ju Shou to be so capable.

"What about you? Zichuan, what about yourself?" Seeing that Chen Xi had mentioned many others but not himself, Liu Bei asked curiously.

"If we are talking about strategy, I am purely a theorist. If we are talking about political administration, I am merely full of whimsical ideas. As for actual practical skills, I don't have many," Chen Xi said somewhat helplessly after reflecting on himself.

"Hahaha! Why must you be so modest, Zichuan? Just remember that since entering my camp, your plans have always succeeded. Why be so timid?" Liu Bei stared at the helpless Chen Xi for a moment before bursting into loud laughter. In his view, Chen Xi's lack of confidence was merely the introversion caused by his youth; once he proved his strength, his confidence would naturally follow.

In this regard, Liu Bei was even more confident than Chen Xi. At least, in his eyes, the current Chen Xi truly lived up to his words: his plans always succeeded!

(End of Chapter)