"I've found too many things I can't do, but I've also found brothers who share my aspirations and are willing to work with me to restore the Han Dynasty. After meeting Zichuan while I was staying under Gongsun Zan's banner on the way to Hulao Pass, I realized that fate had decreed I would not walk this path alone," Liu Bei murmured to himself. "Heaven's mandate ensures my path is not solitary!"
"Even if we fail, there will always be people to follow. Besides, we are walking a righteous path—no one can defeat us," Chen Xi said calmly.
Liu Bei's journey is difficult, but even if he were to fall, there would always be others continuing in his footsteps. The banner of restoring the Han Dynasty would not be dropped; in history, even after Liu Bei's defeat, Zhuge Liang picked up the banner. After Zhuge Liang's death, Jiang Wei took it up, and so on, never faltering.
"Even if I fail, I will rise again. I, Liu Xuande, will never surrender," Liu Bei's gaze was as calm as water, yet his resolve moved Chen Xi deeply. Through the turning of time, Liu Bei's will remained unchanged.
"How could we fail?" Li You smiled as he looked at the two capable men before him. "With the full support of our people, how could we fail?"
"How could we fail?" Chen Xi echoed, understanding that Li You was hinting at something deeper. At this point, they could only advance, with no room for retreat. Especially after their victory over Cao Cao, they could not afford any signs of weakness. If the other warlords sensed vulnerability, another great battle would be unavoidable.
"Let's continue discussing Xuzhou. What should we do with the captured Cao troops?" Liu Bei pressed down the restless feeling in his heart and asked.
"Why not relocate them to Mount Tai for labor reform?" Chen Xi suggested, puzzled. He hadn't been involved in the battle against Cao Cao and thus hadn't seen the captives who had already been sent to the area near the East Sea, close to Mount Tai.
"The Cao troops are fiercely loyal to Cao Mengde (Cao Cao). Although some are dissatisfied with him due to his grave-robbing, most remain loyal, similar to how our soldiers are loyal to us," Li You explained calmly, even providing the reasoning behind it.
"Have the captives tried to escape?" Chen Xi frowned, realizing that Cao's soldiers likely felt gratitude to Cao Cao for lifting them out of poverty and hardship. Additionally, their families were still in Yanzhou, giving them further reason to try to return.
"Yes, several have attempted to flee. While we've recaptured many, a few hundred have successfully escaped. I've already ordered more troops from Mount Tai to strengthen security, but this isn't a sustainable solution," Li You said with a smile. However, the cold glint in his eyes when he met Chen Xi's gaze revealed a deadly intent.
"How many are willing to stay?" Chen Xi quickly dismissed Li You's notion of killing them all. Setting aside the bad omen of killing prisoners, the impact of slaughtering over forty thousand able-bodied men would be far-reaching, and Chen Xi couldn't even fathom the consequences.
"Of those who hold grudges against Cao Mengde, there are over six thousand, but less than half are willing to stay. The remaining thirty thousand or so don't have strong feelings about Cao Mengde's actions," Li You replied, somewhat helplessly.
"Let's first accept those willing to stay and strengthen security for the rest. Right now, we can't let them return to Yanzhou," Chen Xi said calmly, signaling that Li You could use some unconventional methods if necessary.
"If we let them go, then our battle will have been for nothing. If Cao Mengde recruits them again, we'll be in trouble," Liu Bei sighed. But he also couldn't stand the idea of mistreating the captives, leaving him at an impasse.
"Hmm, I have a place in mind," Chen Xi said, thinking of a remote location that would be perfect for labor reform.
"Let's hear it," Liu Bei said curiously.
"Send them here," Chen Xi said, pointing to a location on a map that marked the sea off the coast of Yangzhou. "This area has a large, isolated island. Xingba (Gan Ning) is planning to develop it. We can send the most stubborn captives there. After a few years, things should settle down. Plus, the island can serve as a strategic base in case we need to launch an assault on Yangzhou."
"Xingba's fleet can only transport five thousand men at a time. It would take eight trips to move all forty thousand captives. He'll be busy all year," Li You remarked, frowning. If such an island existed, it would indeed be a suitable place to send the captives. After a few years, they could be brought back once they'd been re-educated.
"Xingba doesn't have much else to do at the moment. His navy is still a work in progress," Chen Xi shook his head. "Once the captives are on the island, even if they want to escape, it would be nearly impossible. We can also stop supplying them and make them farm the land themselves."
"Will this island's location be exposed? Based on what you said, this island seems to have more strategic importance than just holding captives," Li You asked, concerned. Compared to long-term strategic plans, resettling captives seemed like an unnecessary risk.
"It won't be. There are many islands at sea. Even if they suspect we found a large island, they wouldn't have the precise sea charts needed to locate it, let alone realize its strategic value in relation to Yangzhou," Chen Xi assured him. After all, the sea was filled with countless islands, and hiding thousands of captives there wouldn't raise any suspicions.
"Then let's proceed with this plan. We can't afford to return these captives," Liu Bei agreed with Chen Xi's suggestion. He wasn't naive—while he wouldn't kill prisoners, he also didn't want to waste resources feeding a group of idle men. Chen Xi's plan seemed like a fitting solution.
"It's a bit of a waste, but it's far better than the alternative of spending money to maintain a bunch of idlers. If we sent all forty thousand back, people like Xun Wenruo (Xun Yu) would be heartbroken. Let's prepare a document explaining that we've relocated the captives to an overseas island, so no one can accuse us of killing them," Chen Xi said, shaking his head.
Honestly, Chen Xi would have preferred to incorporate these forty thousand men into their own forces, rapidly boosting their strength. But he knew that these captives couldn't be integrated without proper re-education.
"Once we return to Mount Tai, we should form a new army. The weapons and equipment from Cao's troops will be perfect for us," Liu Bei sighed. "After reorganizing Xuzhou's forces, we should transfer a regiment from Mount Tai. Xuzhou's soldiers can't be fully trusted. It seems that, apart from the elite from Danyang, the other troops in Xuzhou are more like auxiliary forces..."