Chapter 41

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Chen Xi stood at the entrance of the classroom, took a deep breath, and firmly held the letter containing secrets that his mother had given him.

Chen Xi was confident that he could turn this group of famous ministers, who had no understanding of economic circulation, into stepping stones for himself. In this era, no one truly understood the necessity and destructiveness of commerce.

Therefore, Chen Xi was very confident. As long as nothing went wrong, with his help in gathering famous generals and ministers, and gradually infiltrating his ideas to develop the economy, he could accumulate the strength to crush all the other feudal lords before they even gained momentum.

From the beginning, Chen Xi had clearly defined his role. He would not go to the battlefield; his strategies were purely theoretical. He might be able to serve as a mediocre advisor based on the strategies he learned from history, but if he were to truly go to the battlefield, he might not even be as good as Zhao Kuo.

Chen Xi positioned himself as a logistics officer. Being a harmless strategist like Zhang Liang would be fine, but he lacked the ability to win battles from afar. So, he could only look up to Xiao He from afar, hoping to match the capabilities of this logistics officer.

Seeing Chen Xi's sincere gaze, Liu Bei hesitated. In his view, this was a test from Chen Xi. Since ancient times, rulers have chosen their ministers, and ministers have also chosen their rulers. Li Si left Chu for Qin because he saw the potential in the King of Qin, not in the King of Chu.

Naturally, Liu Bei considered this question to be very important. After Chen Xi appeared, he felt much more relaxed, and many things had changed. What was originally a minor campaign against Dong Zhuo had been transformed into a major role for him. Coupled with the strategies Chen Xi had previously demonstrated, Liu Bei knew that this might be his only chance.

"Was he deliberately explaining his plans to me bit by bit to make me think carefully? Is my ambition to restore the Han Dynasty? I've told Chen Xi many times, so why is he asking again? Is he dissatisfied with this ambition? Why am I also doubting my own ambition?" Liu Bei thought silently, without speaking. He was reflecting on his original ambition, which he had almost forgotten after saying it so many times.

"I will be the Son of Heaven, and I will ride in this carriage." Liu Bei recalled his earliest wish, pointing at the big tree and saying those words. His original wish was to be the Son of Heaven!

Liu Bei laughed heartily, without any concern for his status, completely unbothered by Chen Xi's presence. He laughed wildly, finally stopping and looking at Chen Xi, saying, "I, Liu Bei, am loyal to the Han Dynasty and am determined to restore it. If the Han Dynasty can be restored, I will help it; if not, I will replace it! I am a member of the Han imperial family, and with this bloodline, I must set an example. The glory of the Han Dynasty must not be tarnished, and anyone who tries to harm it is my mortal enemy!"

Chen Xi was taken aback. Liu Bei did not just say he would restore the Han Dynasty but also expressed his loyalty to it without hiding his ambition. Indeed, with this bloodline came this responsibility. For the first time, Chen Xi felt a sense of imperial aura from Liu Bei, similar to Yuan Shao's, though it was inconsistent.

Liu Bei's gaze made Chen Xi uncomfortable, and he said helplessly, "I'll follow you for now. At least I haven't seen anyone more suitable than Lord Xuande."

Liu Bei was somewhat disappointed but then felt relieved. At least Chen Xi hadn't left, and he had clearly stated that no one else was as suitable as Liu Bei. This was significant, considering this was a coalition of feudal lords, and all the famous people in the world, except for the Han imperial family, were here. Among so many people, Liu Bei being the most suitable was a testament to his ability.

"Since that's the case, don't slack off, Zichuan!" Liu Bei smiled, exuding a proud and confident aura, a stark contrast to the Liu Bei Chen Xi had first met in Gongsun Zan's camp.

"Even if I slack off, no one in this world would notice." Chen Xi laughed, his confidence surprising Liu Bei. He had always thought of Chen Xi as low-key and steady, never imagining he could be so confident.

"Your words put my mind at ease!" Liu Bei said with a smile. "Let's go and receive our elite troops from Liang!"

On the other side, Cao Cao was desperately fleeing. He was attacked by Lu Bu while his troops were cooking, and the entire army was almost destroyed. If not for his capabilities, he would have been scattered by Lu Bu's Liang iron cavalry. Even so, Lu Bu pursued him relentlessly, and it was only through the desperate efforts of the Xiahou brothers that Cao Cao managed to catch a breath.

The Xiahou brothers, who had fought for only a few minutes, were nearly killed by Lu Bu. They finally understood how formidable Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun were. Fighting Lu Bu was not a job for humans!

Cao Hong led a hundred or so surviving soldiers to protect Cao Cao as they fled towards Xingyang. They had no choice but to go wherever they could.

"Brother, flee quickly!" Cao Hong, seeing Lu Bu's helmet on the horizon, turned back to fight without hesitation. He could die, but Cao Cao must not die. This was his belief!

Seeing Cao Hong being cut down in just twenty moves, Cao Cao despaired. "To die before achieving success" described this situation perfectly.

However, Lu Bu was now focused on the words in the letter. Since everything else in the letter had been accurate, the mention of the coalition's pursuit was terrifying. Generally, after repelling the first pursuit, all soldiers would relax. If another pursuit came, it could lead to total annihilation. So, Lu Bu was being very cautious.

Seeing that only Cao Cao was left, Lu Bu pursued him, hoping to claim a great victory, but he didn't notice that he had become separated from his main force.

"Kill Cao Cao, and return no matter what! I can't ignore that letter!" Lu Bu trusted his fellow townsman and believed it was for his own good.

"Die, Cao Cao!" Lu Bu laughed maniacally, urging his Red Hare to charge at Cao Cao, intending to kill him in one move.

At that moment, a voice came from afar, "Die, Lu Bu!"

Lu Bu focused and saw Guan Yu, and he realized he could catch up to Cao Cao in just a minute.

"Die, Lu Bu!" Another voice, and Lu Bu saw Zhang Fei. He hesitated, thinking he could kill Cao Cao in one move. Once he caught up to Cao Cao, he would turn his Red Hare around, and these two would be finished. But why did he feel a sense of danger?

Lu Bu turned to the other side and cursed. Zhao Yun was already close, and the worst part was that he hadn't shouted, coming from behind.

Without hesitation, the letter from his fellow townsman was very clear. If he was held back, he might die here. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun might find it difficult to kill him in his current state, but they could easily hold him back until the coalition's elite forces arrived.

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