Chen Xi still couldn't figure out what exactly had happened. How had Sun Ce suddenly soared to such heights? Weren't things on the brink of collapse due to Zhuge Liang's rumors? How had the situation turned around so dramatically?
As for Yuan Shu, the officials and ministers on Liu Bei's side didn't take him seriously at all. Despite his potential for war, Yuan Shu couldn't even fully utilize his own combat strength. If it came down to a one-on-one fight between Liu Bei and Yuan Shu, Liu Bei wouldn't even need any backup; Yuan Shu would be like meat on a chopping block.
Now, with Yuan Shu's son, Yuan Yao, dead, Yuan Shu intended to pass his power on to Sun Ce, treating him as his own son. Wasn't there something odd about this development?
Chen Xi didn't dwell on it too long and simply tossed aside Yuan Shu, now considering Yuan Shu's forces as Sun Ce's. As for any interference from the Yuan clan elders, Chen Xi didn't even bother to worry. Even if Yuan Shu didn't personally beat them down, the Yuan clan alone couldn't topple Sun Ce.
The secret letter from Yuzhou mentioned all kinds of backstabbing attempts from the Yuan clan elders—talk of family rituals, suppressing Sun Ce, sowing discord—but regardless of whether their efforts could be brought to the forefront, the elders were up against the formidable team of Zhou Yu, Pang Tong, Liao Li, and Gu Yong.
Currently, Yuan Shu had fully lifted any restrictions on Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, allowing them to draw strength from him and grow rapidly. He even seemed inclined to give them a hand to ensure Sun Ce's path was steady.
Given the current situation, if those unnamed Yuan clan elders managed to defeat Sun Ce, the world would have already been theirs. Based on the latest intelligence, Chen Xi could only conclude that the Yuan clan elders were making a series of foolish mistakes, continually lowering the bar and inadvertently boosting the reputations of Zhou Yu and Sun Ce.
Chen Xi was unaware of Zhou Yu's mental ability. After Zhou Yu confirmed that Yuan Shu genuinely intended to treat Sun Ce as his heir, he activated his "foolproof" aura full-time, causing the Yuan clan elders to make increasingly foolish decisions.
"Sun Bofu is a problem, and Zhou Gongjin is quite unusual. When the two of them work together, the strength they unleash is astonishing," Guo Jia remarked as he set down the intelligence report from Jia Wenhe concerning Sun Ce and Zhou Yu.
"It's more than astonishing. Either of them alone is a genius, but together, they're nearly unstoppable," Chen Xi said with a bitter smile. "When Zhou Gongjin is at Sun Bofu's side, Sun Bofu's might is on par with Yuan Benchu's."
"That's quite the exaggeration," Guo Jia raised an eyebrow, a flicker of interest in his eyes.
"They're the same age as me. Just think of their abilities as being on par with mine," Chen Xi sighed, noting that he and Zhou Yu were the same age.
"Do we need to activate the contingency plan we left in Yuzhou?" Guo Jia frowned. "If they truly are as capable as you say, once they consolidate their power, I'm worried they'll dismantle our contingency plan."
Chen Xi hesitated. The plan they had left in Yuzhou was more of a convenient afterthought, but given Zhou Yu's demonstrated capabilities, it wouldn't be difficult for him to unravel their plans once he fully controlled Jing, Yu, and Yang provinces.
"Forget it, Zichuan. We're holding the northern line, so let's leave the southern matters to Wenruo and the others. We need to trust them," Guo Jia said calmly.
"Right. That's how it should be," Chen Xi nodded. Li You and Jia Xu could handle matters related to Sun Ce. Their primary focus remained on dealing with Yuan Shao in the north.
Rewinding to the day Yuan Shu received news of Liu Biao's attack on Jingbei, he was already in a volatile state due to the grief of losing his son and the constant berating from the Yuan clan elders. Upon hearing that Liu Biao was attacking Jingbei, Yuan Shu flew into a rage, immediately ordering his ministers to prepare for war against Liu Biao.
Sun Ce had always been eager to be at the forefront of any campaign against Liu Biao, and this time was no different. With both old and new grudges simmering, Sun Ce immediately volunteered to lead the charge against Liu Biao.
As for Zhou Yu, who had been concealing his true strength to prevent Sun Ce from outright defeating Liu Biao and to maintain the balance of power, he no longer saw any reason to hold back. Zhou Yu had confirmed that Yuan Shu genuinely intended to raise Sun Ce as his heir, so he no longer needed to worry about distant possibilities.
Watching Sun Ce rise with passionate fervor, Zhou Yu felt a sense of peace. Finally, he no longer had to hide his abilities and could fully commit to building a grand foundation for his sworn brother.
Zhou Yu quietly analyzed and considered the future; the regions of Jing, Yu, and Yang would soon be their stronghold.
He couldn't help but think of the success Liu Bei's faction had in cultivating talented scholars.
Zhou Yu thought with a touch of resignation.
After all, talents capable of stabilizing factions, balancing interests, and promoting development were always scarce. Those who met Zhou Yu's high standards were even rarer. With no other choice, Zhou Yu decided to take on the role himself temporarily, assigning Pang Tong to serve as Sun Ce's military strategist against Liu Biao.
Yuan Shu barely hesitated before agreeing to Sun Ce's request, appointing him as the commanding general with an army of 20,000 to march on Jingzhou. All of Yuan Shu's forces in Jingzhou were placed under Sun Ce's command. At the same time, Gu Yong, Liao Li, Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin, and other sidelined officials and generals were reinstated and promoted by half a rank.
"Bofu," Zhou Yu called out to Sun Ce after leaving the main hall.
"Gongjin, what is it?" Sun Ce stopped and asked.
"Jingzhou isn't just Liu Biao's territory; it's also under Liu Zhang's control. This time, you should listen closely to Shi Yuan's advice and carefully assess the combat strength of Liu Zhang's forces," Zhou Yu said with a resigned tone. It was clear that no one in Yuan Shu's camp had noticed that it wasn't just Liu Biao who was sending troops into Jingzhou—Liu Zhang was involved as well.
"Liu Zhang?" Sun Ce looked at Zhou Yu in confusion, but out of trust in Zhou Yu, he simply nodded and said, "I'll be careful. It doesn't matter if it's Liu Biao or Liu Zhang—I'll defeat them!"