Chapter 16

......

Chen Xi tugged at the corners of his mouth and did not answer. This was not a matter of confidence or lack thereof. He was extremely confident about the overall situation, but he had no control over the details and the abilities of others.

Seeing that Chen Xi was not speaking, Liu Bei did not continue. For the current Liu Bei, he had already taken a step toward his youthful goal, and Chen Xi's series of arrangements had given him great confidence.

"Report!" A messenger ran up to Liu Bei.

"What is it?" Liu Bei raised his eyes and asked.

"General Gong Sun has sent over three hundred White Horse soldiers, and has also allocated three hundred more horses. Please, General, go to receive them." The messenger said loudly.

"Really a tycoon..." Chen Xi muttered.

Yesterday, Liu Bei's troops had suffered some losses at the battle of Fenshui Pass. Gong Sun Zan had replenished his forces and also allocated a detachment to Liu Bei. For Gong Sun Zan, who was still a tycoon, cavalry was something he had in abundance, having gained many fine horses from years of fighting the Xianbei and Wuhuan.

"Gong Sun Bo Gui..." Liu Bei sighed. He had no way to repay Gong Sun Bo Gui at the moment, and could only remember the saying, "If we become rich and powerful, do not forget each other."

"Since they have already delivered them to the camp, there's nothing to say. Accept them. Sooner or later, we will prosper, and when that time comes, don't forget the friendship of this moment." Chen Xi smiled, appreciating Gong Sun Zan's actions. This pure nationalist, the series of favors he showed, made Chen Xi very fond of him.

After all, Liu Bei was now just a minor figure. Others might not know, but Gong Sun Zan certainly did. Yet, he never looked down on Liu Bei because of his status. Even as their statuses widened from classmates to a provincial governor and a commoner, Gong Sun Zan still maintained their initial friendship.

"A captain under General Gong Sun pays respects to General Liu." A young, beardless officer bowed respectfully as Liu Bei approached.

"Rise, rise. Is General Gong Sun well?" Liu Bei extended his hand to help the officer up. From the officer's actions, he understood that this captain was also part of the handover, and he must be a capable cavalry commander.

"The northern barbarians are about to invade again. Last year's heavy snowfall killed many, and in the spring, the barbarians may move south. General Gong Sun is hesitant about whether to return to support, as he is concerned about Youzhou." The captain's response was clear, indicating that Gong Sun Zan had sent him to convey a message.

Liu Bei was still thinking about it when Chen Xi spoke up, "If General Gong Sun is worried, he can return to Youzhou. The matter of slaying Dong Zhuo in Luoyang can be handled by Lord Xuande. As for the issue of Liu Gong Bo'an in Youzhou, it can be resolved by Dong Zhuo."

Gong Sun Zan might not have seen the form of the allied forces, but he cared about the people of Youzhou. Hearing that the northern barbarians were about to invade, he wanted to return to Youzhou to defeat those scoundrels. Unlike most people in the Han dynasty, Gong Sun Zan had no concept of appeasement!

The White Horse General and the White Horse Volunteers had a formidable reputation built on the blood of the barbarians!

This was also the reason why Gong Sun Zan and the governor of Youzhou, Liu Yu, almost came to blows. Liu Yu was a legitimate member of the Han imperial family and, in the Han dynasty, had to maintain the dignity of the Liu family. However, in 193 AD, Liu Yu was directly killed by Gong Sun Zan.

Liu Yu, as a governor, was one of the few capable officials in the late Eastern Han dynasty, turning the barren land of Youzhou into a region that could rival Ji Province. However, he had a significant flaw: appeasement. His policy of appeasing the barbarians led to constant raids, causing the people to suffer.

Gong Sun Zan believed that only dead barbarians were good barbarians, while Liu Yu believed in assimilating the barbarians. Naturally, their policies clashed, leading to a falling out and eventually a confrontation, which Gong Sun Zan won.

Later, when Yuan Shao fought Gong Sun Zan, many barbarians came to help, claiming to avenge Liu Yu, indicating that Liu Yu had some influence among the barbarians.

If not for Liu Yu hindering Gong Sun Zan, the barbarians would have been driven north of the Great Wall long ago, and Gong Sun Zan might have even crossed the Changbai Mountains to deal with the barbarians in Bing Province.

Chen Xi's idea was to have Dong Zhuo bring Liu Yu back to Luoyang, or, in consideration of Gong Sun Zan's departure, give him a high-ranking position, at least higher than Liu Yu. This would prevent Liu Yu from hindering Gong Sun Zan, and once back in Youzhou, Gong Sun Zan would have free rein to defeat the northern barbarians.

As for the current situation where returning home to deal with the barbarians and withdrawing from the eighteen warlords would damage the moral high ground, well, who said he was withdrawing? General Gong Sun is returning to defend his homeland and protect the border. The troops sent to support the emperor are still in the allied forces, under the command of Lord Xuande. Who said he was withdrawing? General Gong Sun is simply returning to Youzhou to defend the border due to his responsibilities.

Chen Xi explained this to the captain, and the captain's eyes grew brighter.

People in the Central Plains found it hard to imagine the suffering of the border regions, which was why Gong Sun Zan had such high prestige in the north. Similarly, this was why, despite Lu Bu's despicable character, his troops from Bing Province, including Zhang Liao and Gao Shun, did not abandon him, and why Lu Bu never returned to Bing Province after leaving.

"Zichuan, isn't this a bit improper?" After the captain left, Liu Bei asked with a hint of hesitation.

"There's nothing improper about it. Honestly, General Gong Sun probably wants to return very much. After years in Youzhou, Lord Xuande should understand General Gong Sun's attitude toward the barbarians, as well as Liu Youzhou's attitude toward General Gong Sun." Chen Xi smiled.

Chen Xi could guarantee that, according to Gong Sun Zan's way of thinking, if someone could prevent Liu Yu from hindering him, he would not care about a little stain on his reputation. For such a person, the emperor's commendation was less important than the people's well-being. Historically, this man had defied orders to attack the barbarians when he saw the suffering of the people, and after defeating the invaders, he finally killed Liu Yu, who had become unbearable.

After that, no one hindered him anymore, and the barbarians no longer raided on a large scale. However, the problem was that Gong Sun Zan's governance of Youzhou was not as good as Liu Yu's. A man who had conquered the land on horseback found it difficult to govern it.

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