Days passed, and soon it was the season of blossoming flowers, marking the start of the busy spring plowing.
Inside the Xu province government seat of Tancheng, everyone took their respective seats as Liu Bei listened to Chen Deng speak about the agricultural affairs of Xu province.
Seeing that Chen Deng had arranged the matters of sowing and land reclamation in an orderly manner, Liu Bei couldn't help but nod slightly, praising, "With Yuanlong's assistance, I expect Xu province will be able to recover its vitality in the next few years."
Previously, Xu province was known as the wealthiest place under heaven, with a population of a million and hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile land, possessing not only abundant fishery and salt resources but also renowned for its mulberry and hemp production.
Xu province had been attacked twice by Cao Cao and ravaged by Ze Rong in three commanderies, resulting in a great loss of vitality, far from its previous prosperity.
Mi Zhu spoke up, "We have now reached an agreement with the Yuan family, and the coastal trade route from Qing province to Ji province has been fully restored, allowing for the exchange of goods and the earning of substantial wealth."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Xu province also had a well-developed maritime transport system, originally with sea trade routes to Yang province, Qing province, Ji province, and You province. However, the northern routes were cut off when Yuan Shao took control of Ji and Qing provinces.
Now that peace had been negotiated with the Yuan family, the trade routes were restored, and the Mi family was investing heavily in building seagoing vessels to help Xu province recover as quickly as possible.
Chen Qun said, "Although the northern Qing province and western Yan province pose no immediate threat, we will become Yuan's vanguard, directly facing Yuan Shu to the south."
"Moreover, although the Yuan and Cao families are allies, they are not necessarily completely reliable."
Chen Qun's words were true. Xu province, being a place of constant conflict, was destined for unrest. Thinking of this, the discussion of future plans began to diverge once more.
Some suggested first consolidating and developing Xu province, while others felt they could take the opportunity to expand, otherwise, the surrounding lords would grow stronger, and opportunities would become scarce.
Seeing everyone begin to argue again, Liu Bei thought that it would be difficult to reach a conclusion this way. If only he had a strategist who could make a final decision!
He asked, "What is the current situation of the world?"
Seeing everyone look at him, Chen Qun began to speak, "First of all, Chang'an is in great chaos. Li Jue and Guo Si attack each other day and night, setting fires and plundering, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties in Chang'an."
Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. So many people?
Chen Qun sighed, "If this continues, I fear Chang'an will be destroyed by war, just like Luoyang."
"In previous years, Sili was still a prosperous land with a large population, but now several major cities have been destroyed, and with the Southern Xiongnu plundering, it has become a desolate and sparsely populated place."
Liu Bei sighed, "It's a pity Xu province is too far away. If we were in Yu province now, we could go and rescue the Emperor and support the world!"
Chen Deng said in a deep voice, "Xu province is currently beyond our reach and struggling to manage itself. We can only plan slowly."
Chen Qun spoke up, "Speaking of which, I heard that Lu Bu's army is no longer attacking Dong Commandery but is instead holding Chenliu and expanding westward."
Everyone was stunned upon hearing this. This didn't make sense!
Although Lu Bu couldn't defeat Cao Cao, wasn't attacking towards Sili a bit misguided?
Wouldn't it be better to use that strength to attack the wealthiest Jing province?
Sun Gan said, "Lu Bu is from Bing province. Could it be that he wants to conquer Sili, go north to Bing province, and bring glory to his ancestors?"
Jian Yong shook his head, "Those provinces have repeatedly suffered from war and disaster, and there are also Xiongnu raids. Occupying them would be a mess. Aren't Yan and Yu provinces better?"
"Not to mention, among these two provinces, the White Wave bandits, the Black Mountain bandits, and the Southern Xiongnu, which one is easy to deal with?"
Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't figure it out. However, Lu Bu's actions were strange to begin with. Only he himself probably understood what he was planning.
Chen Qun continued, "Cao Cao's army has temporarily ceased hostilities, but there are rumors that the Cao family has been in contact with Yuan Shu and Liu Biao, and they have inexplicably gained many more soldiers, possibly sent by Chen State."
Chen State was located between Yan and Yu provinces, with Liu Chong, a great-great-grandson of Emperor Ming of Han, Liu Zhuang, and the son of Chen Xiao King Liu Cheng, as the current ruler. He was exceptionally brave, skilled in archery, and inherited the title of King of Chen after his father Liu Cheng's death.
During the Zhongping years, the Yellow Turban Rebellion caused widespread famine, and the various princes no longer enjoyed rent and taxes but were repeatedly plundered. Some even wandered outside and died in the wilderness.
Only Chen State remained strong, and people from neighboring commanderies flocked to rely on it. Chen State had a force of over ten thousand, and Liu Chong led his army to garrison Yangxia, calling himself General Who Assists Han.
Liu Bei and the others were slightly alarmed. If Cao Cao and Liu Chong joined forces, it would be a big problem!
Liu Bei sighed, "Cao Mengde is an outstanding figure of our time. Even when he was reduced to only three cities earlier this year, he managed to survive. If it weren't absolutely necessary, I really wouldn't want to be his enemy."
Jian Yong said, "Even so, Cao Cao has suffered a great loss of vitality. Compared to us, he is facing enemies on three sides. I don't think he will easily attack Xu province in the short term."
Chen Qun thought that this was not necessarily the case, but since Liu Bei had taken Xu province without informing him, Chen Qun began to hold back some of his words. Now, he pretended not to hear and continued to speak.
"Also, to the south, in Yang province, Liu Yao and Yuan Shu are attacking each other. I heard that Sun Ce, a subordinate of Yuan Shu, is brave and fierce, making Liu Yao look utterly defeated, even losing Jiujiang Commandery."
Jian Yong sighed, "That Sun Ce is the son of Sun Jian. I thought Sun Jian was troublesome enough, but I didn't expect his son to be so powerful."
In the third year of Chuping, Yuan Shu sent Sun Jian to conquer Jing province and attack Liu Biao. Sun Jian defeated Huang Zu but was ambushed during the pursuit and died from an arrow wound.
After Sun Jian's death, his son Sun Ce observed mourning for a year and then joined Yuan Shu as a general, wanting to gather his father's old troops.
However, Yuan Shu was wary of him and sent him to Danyang to recruit soldiers as a test.
So Sun Ce went to Danyang and recruited several hundred soldiers, returning to Yuan Shu, who then returned over a thousand of Sun Jian's old troops to Sun Ce to command.
With just over a thousand soldiers, Sun Ce attacked Yang province and confronted the governor, Liu Yao.
Chen Deng said, "Sun Ce is good at using people and has won the hearts of the people. I heard that people are constantly joining him. Now, his army has grown to five or six thousand. If he conquers Yang province for Yuan Shu, the next target will definitely be Xu province. We must be prepared."
Chen Deng was from Xu province and, like Mi Zhu, was naturally most concerned about the safety of Xu province. However, others were not as worried as he was and simply comforted him, "Yuanlong, don't worry. That's still a long way off."
Chen Qun then said, "Leaving these aside, the biggest event today should be Yuan Shao's attack on Gongsun Zan."
Upon hearing this, everyone's mood was somewhat complicated. One was a former ally, and the other was a current ally. Although they only needed to sit on the sidelines and watch the tigers fight, they still felt somewhat awkward.
Chen Qun thought for a moment and added, "Yuan Xi, the son of Yuan Shao who came to Xu province last time, has returned to Beixin City in Zhuo Commandery, You province, and is said to be reclaiming land."
Upon hearing Yuan Xi's name, everyone listened attentively, because Yuan Xi's reputation as a fierce tiger had become quite prominent.
Moreover, everyone knew Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's abilities. Both had suffered great losses under Yuan Xi, indicating that he was also very talented in strategy.
At this moment, Zhang Fei, standing behind Liu Bei, changed his expression and angrily grunted, "What ability is there in winning with more troops than the enemy!"
Guan Yu glanced at Zhang Fei, "Winning is winning. Haven't we also won with more troops than the enemy?"
Zhang Fei muttered, "Second Brother always praises others' ambition and diminishes our own prestige."
Guan Yu helplessly shook his head. Zhang Fei's temper was too bad, and he spoke too bluntly. If he was like this to his own brothers, imagine how he was to others. It was too easy for him to offend people.
Chen Deng said, "Yuan Xi is no ordinary person. I heard that he is reclaiming land in Zhuo Commandery, and many people are flocking to him."
Mi Zhu said, "Didn't Cao Cao also engage in land reclamation?"
"Taking six out of ten in grain and making them commoners for generations, what's the difference between that and slavery?"
"Isn't Yuan's family afraid of criticism from the world for doing so?"
Chen Deng shook his head, "No, there must be a big difference, otherwise, so many people wouldn't go to join him."
"However, that location is located at the intersection of You, Bing, and Ji provinces, and it's not very peaceful. It is said that the Black Mountain Army has already attacked once, but they were repelled."
Zhang Fei coldly snorted, "It would be strange if the Black Mountain Army, a rabble of crows, could defeat that Yuan Xi."
Liu Bei said, "That Black Mountain Army is not simple."
"Back then, when Marquis Wen was under Yuan Benchu, he led dozens of riders to charge into the enemy lines every day, fighting for more than ten days, each time with gains, only then was the Black Mountain Army repelled. It can be seen that the Black Mountain Army is not easy to deal with."
Guan Yu praised, "That Zhang Yan, like Zhao Yun, is also from Zhending, Hebei, brave and agile, known as the Flying Swallow. He is indeed capable."
Mentioning Zhao Yun, Liu, Guan, and Zhang all felt a sinking feeling in their hearts. Zhao Yun's allegiance to Yuan Xi was still a sore spot for the three of them.
Sun Gan said, "Will Yuan Xi join forces with the Black Mountain Army?"
Upon hearing this, a group of officials laughed and said, "Zhang Yan was almost killed by Yuan Benchu. How could he join the Yuan family again?"
"Moreover, the Ye City Rebellion caused by the Black Mountain Army is an irreconcilable feud with the Yuan family. Even if Zhang Yan is willing, the Yuan family will definitely not agree."
"Moreover, the Black Mountain Army has a Yellow Turban background and, like the White Wave bandits in Hedong and the Mount Tai bandits north of Xu province, is extremely difficult to subdue."
Chen Deng sighed, "Speaking of which, Xu province not only has the Celestial Masters sect but also Buddhism. If this continues, the people will easily be coerced and incited like the Yellow Turbans."
Upon hearing this, everyone was worried. If the aftermath of the Yellow Turban Rebellion was so easy to resolve, the world wouldn't have been in chaos since Zhang Jiao's uprising, and there would be no signs of recovery after more than ten years.
While the people in Tancheng were discussing Yuan Xi, at this time, in Beixin City, Yuan Xi was also gathering his subordinates. He said to Zhao Yun, "The Black Mountain Army was too insidious this time. Thanks to Brother Zilong."
The Black Mountain Army's ambush also greatly exceeded Yuan Xi's expectations. Thousands of them trekked for many days through the Taihang Mountains, suddenly launching an attack from the dense forest outside Beixin City, attacking the soldiers and civilians who were reclaiming land.
Although Yuan Xi's side was prepared, with hundreds of soldiers constantly on guard, they were still somewhat flustered by the several times larger enemy.
Fortunately, Zhao Yun led his cavalry around the city every day on patrol and quickly came to the rescue. After several exchanges, the leading general of the Black Mountain Army was killed, and the rest surrendered.
Zhao Yun said, "It seems that this kind of harassment will only increase in the future, and the captured bandits are also difficult to settle. There is a mix of good and bad among them, and there must be many spies."
Yuan Xi smiled and said, "Speaking of this, I already have some ideas."
"I have decided to punish them with a month of labor and then release them."
Zhao Yun was stunned. What was he trying to do?
Two chapters are added today due to circumstances.