Chapter 10

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"Lord Xuande, there's no need for this." Chen Xi quickly stood up to help Liu Bei to his feet, knowing that accepting such a bow from the other party was not a good thing.

With Chen Xi's help, Liu Bei straightened his body. However, unlike before, this time Liu Bei did not try to recruit him. Instead, he asked, "Sir, please share any other plans you have. I am deeply grateful."

"Lord Xuande, there's no need for this. The rest is just taking one step at a time. We have already made a good start, and the rest will depend more on Generals Guan Yu and Zhang Fei." Chen Xi shook his head, indicating that he had done what he could and now it was time to wait for an opportunity.

It's not that Chen Xi was unwilling to save Sun Jian, but Liu Bei's current foundation was too weak. If they tried to save Sun Jian, they might end up in trouble themselves. Chen Xi still didn't know how fierce the Xiliang cavalry was.

Therefore, Chen Xi could only wait and see. Would Sun Jian, the fierce tiger, be defeated by Hua Xiong as in the novel? It's worth noting that this time Sun Jian brought all four of his capable generals. According to Lord Guan's assessment, even if he used his full strength, he might not be able to defeat all five of Sun Jian's men, and they would likely withdraw without any casualties.

From this, it can be seen that Hua Xiong's strength was not to be underestimated. Even if he was slightly weaker than Lord Guan, he was still able to defeat him in just a few moves, which was quite suspicious.

Of course, Chen Xi didn't ask about this in detail, thinking that the truth would come out eventually. Perhaps Lord Guan had a few secret moves.

After that, Chen Xi and Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei spent their time drinking and chatting in the camp. It must be said that the treatment from the eighteen warlords was quite good. They listened to music, drank wine, and felt no pressure from the impending war. If they could win like this, how cowardly must Dong Zhuo be...

When leaving, Chen Xi, slightly drunk, said to Liu Bei, "When Lord Wucheng returns, remember to hold him back. Don't let him fight recklessly, or something might really happen."

Liu Bei didn't take this to heart, not understanding what Chen Xi meant. Everyone continued to eat, drink, and chat, praising each other and having a great time.

When Sun Jian, covered in blood, burst into the tent, Yuan Shao and the others were still drinking! Sun Jian's eyes were bloodshot, and he stared intently at Yuan Shu, drawing his sword and shouting, "Yuan Shu, you little brat, prepare to die!"

Yuan Shu, who was gloating over his success in tricking Sun Jian, was startled when he saw Sun Jian charging at him with a sword. He quickly dodged like a rabbit and hid behind Yuan Shao.

"Hold him back!" Yuan Shao was very displeased. He had never seen Sun Jian act so rashly before. He thought, "We are all people of status. To personally draw a sword over a trivial matter is embarrassing for both sides."

A group of soldiers and generals rushed forward to subdue Sun Jian and held him down.

"Lord Wucheng, what's going on?" Yuan Shao asked.

"Ask Yuan Shu!" Sun Jian glared at Yuan Shu, gritting his teeth, "Yuan Shu, you little brat, cut off my supplies. My army has been without food for days, and Hua Xiong successfully ambushed us, causing heavy losses. My brother Zuma died! Yuan Shu, you must pay with your life!"

"Calm down, Wentai, calm down, let's talk this out!" Cao Cao and Liu Bei finally reacted. Liu Bei was shocked by Chen Xi's words when he was drunk, realizing how early he had predicted this. What a talent!

The more Sun Jian spoke, the angrier he became. His eyes bulged with rage as he glared at Yuan Shu, struggling fiercely to break free from those holding him back. He wanted to rush over and beat Yuan Shu to a pulp. Seeing the situation deteriorate, Yuan Shao signaled his men to hold Sun Jian more firmly.

"Yuan Gong!" Yuan Shao's face darkened. He didn't want to get involved in this mess, but as the leader, he had a duty to mediate. He signaled Yuan Shu, "What happened?"

"I... I don't know!" Yuan Shu denied it outright.

Sun Jian was furious, "You were in charge of the supplies. How could you not know that my army was short of food? No matter what, you can't shirk responsibility!"

Yuan Shu knew he had made a big mistake. He had only planned to cripple Sun Jian's troops, but Zuma had died. This news shocked even Yuan Shu. Zuma was one of Sun Jian's four capable generals, known for his bravery and close relationship with Sun Jian. Now he was dead. Damn, how fierce were the Xiliang cavalry, and how brutal was Hua Xiong? He wasn't ready to completely break ties with Sun Jian yet.

Despite his anger, he still needed to give an explanation. Yuan Shu's eyes darted around, and he came up with a poor plan, "Well, I've been unwell these past few days, so I entrusted the supply duties to my subordinates. It must have been one of them who caused the problem, Lord Wucheng. This is not my fault. Bring in the supply officer and execute him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of soldiers led by Ji Ling rushed in and dragged the supply officer out. Without giving him a chance to explain, they beheaded him, and a scream echoed through the tent.

Sun Jian was stunned, staring at Yuan Shu with his bloodstained hand, pointing at him, "You... you... you..."

"Wentai, please consider the bigger picture!" Cao Cao sighed, trying to mediate.

The others in the tent knew the situation. After Cao Cao spoke, they all looked at Sun Jian. Finally, Sun Jian sighed, "With over 500,000 troops, if we could unite, Dong Zhuo would be no match. Alas! Leader, I bid you farewell!" With that, Sun Jian turned and left without looking back.

Cao Cao glared at Yuan Shu, seeing his smug smile, and thought, "This scoundrel is not worth plotting with!" He turned and left as well, and the banquet ended in discord.

The others exchanged glances and also left.

"Lord Xuande doesn't look very happy." Chen Xi, sitting in his tent, saw Liu Bei enter with a gloomy face and quickly stood up to speak.

"Sit down, sit down, there's no need for this formality." Liu Bei waved his hand and sighed, briefly recounting what had happened in the tent.

"Oh, so Yuan Shu did that, and Sun Jian lost. As expected, the main act is about to begin. The battle between the vanguards is over, and it's our turn to face Dong Zhuo. Hua Xiong will likely challenge us soon." Chen Xi, with a confident look, said, "Lord Guan, it's up to you. If Hua Xiong challenges you, observe him carefully before engaging. It's best to capture him alive, but if you're not confident, just kill him."

"I will not fail!" Guan Yu opened his eyes and said proudly.

"Lord Xuande, your task is to be a mediator, like Cao Mengde, resolving conflicts among the warlords. If necessary, you can involve Kong Rong and Tao Qian. The alliance is the most important thing. Only by defeating Dong Zhuo can we restore the Han dynasty." Chen Xi said slyly.

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