"I can't stay by the lord's side forever. If I can cultivate the army's spirit independently, I can extract half of the veteran soldiers and create another unit of Xian Deng Death Warriors. Although the second unit may not be as strong as the first, with me leading them, I won't fear anyone," Ju Yi said confidently.
Ju Yi was undeniably arrogant and often acted impulsively, but once he acknowledged someone, he remained completely loyal. After establishing the Xian Deng Death Warriors, his first thought was to ensure Yuan Shao's safety. The memory of Gan Ning's night raid on the camp, where Yuan Shao was almost killed, still chilled Ju Yi to the core.
Whenever Ju Yi recalled that incident, he felt immense fear, which led him to harshly punish all the officers who had been responsible for guarding the camp, including Yan Liang, who had been injured at the time. Since then, he had been focused on creating a force to protect Yuan Shao.
"If General Ju has such intentions, our lord will surely be delighted," Tian Feng praised him, a rare display of flattery. However, he didn't support the idea of giving the Xian Deng Death Warriors to Yuan Shao. After all, under Yuan Shao's command, they would at best perform like well-led Danyang soldiers, but under Ju Yi's leadership, they were among the top five elite forces in the land, at least in Tian Feng's estimation.
"Unfortunately, I haven't perfected it yet," Ju Yi said with a hint of frustration. His bluntness was well-known, but Tian Feng, who was equally straightforward, didn't take offense—such matters were trivial.
"Let's consider when and where Guan Yu might strike at Licheng," Xun Chen suggested.
Ju Yi, Zhang He, and Yan Liang exchanged glances—how would they know? Asking them was as good as asking no one.
"I suspect we'll be facing not just Guan Yu and Guo Jia but also Zhang Fei, Hua Tuo, and Yu Jin. This time, the real battle is in Yanzhou, and our main forces have shifted to Weijun, not Bohai as before," Tian Feng mused.
"Let Wenbo and Gongyu create some friction on the border between Qing and Ji provinces. That should keep Guan Yu preoccupied. By the way, the main roads and county roads in Taishan and Qingzhou have been completed. We need to reassess their grain transportation capabilities," Xun Chen remarked with a hint of admiration. "Chen Zichuan truly is a genius."
"Should we also start constructing our main roads? Chen Zichuan didn't keep his road-building materials a secret. The Zhen family already has the sales rights," Tian Feng pondered. The biggest challenge with grain transport was spoilage—sometimes, a shipment of grain would arrive with only a fraction of it intact. The wide, flat roads that Chen Xi had built could significantly reduce travel time and losses.
"Don't you think the Zhen family is getting a bit too close to Liu Xuande?" Xun Chen asked with a frown.
"Maybe, but could the Zhen family really betray us? After the last exchange, the Zhen family is locked into Jizhou. Not just their roots but their entire century-old foundation is tied to Jizhou. If they were to betray the lord, I'd almost be happy—we could seize their wealth and double our treasury!" Tian Feng laughed.
"You're right," Xun Chen nodded, agreeing with Tian Feng's reasoning. However, a lingering sense of unease nagged at him. Unable to pinpoint the issue, he decided to set it aside for now.
Ju Yi's arrogance was well-founded. His infantry had defeated cavalry and even bested the fastest elite unit in the land, the White Horse Cavalry. His soldiers had triumphed over larger infantry forces in open battle, and they remained composed under ambush or night attacks.
Given Ju Yi's desire to challenge Lü Bu, Tian Feng felt some concern about Ju Yi's potential overconfidence. Still, after weighing the balance of power, Tian Feng felt reassured. Even with his humility, he acknowledged the strength of Ju Yi's Xian Deng Death Warriors.
It's strange how things turn out. Before Ju Yi's Xian Deng Death Warriors crushed the White Horse Cavalry, no one would have imagined such an elite force could exist. Similarly, no one paid much attention to the once-unknown Ju Yi. But while Ju Yi's Xian Deng Death Warriors were formidable, Lü Bu also had a yet-unrevealed elite unit—the Ferocious Cavalry.
"General Gao, do you have confidence?" Chen Gong had already guessed their enemy's intentions when Yuan Shao encircled the Black Mountain Army but didn't attack, and when Liu Bei remained on the sidelines. Naturally, he had begun making preparations.
"The Xian Deng Death Warriors? I can't be sure until we meet in battle," Gao Shun replied, his tone somewhat stiff and wooden.
"I'm not asking you to win. Just hold off Ju Yi. If you can hold off his Xian Deng Death Warriors, Lü Bu's Wolf Cavalry will be enough to crush Yuan Shao's forces in a very short time. Rather than relying on complex strategies, a thunderous strike to annihilate Yuan Shao's army is a more straightforward solution!" Chen Gong urged Gao Shun. "The outcome of this battle will determine our future standing!"
"Hold off the Xian Deng Death Warriors?" A gleam appeared in Gao Shun's eyes as he calmly replied, "No problem."
"Good. You and General Zhang should prepare. Once the Black Mountain Army enters Yanzhou, I'll notify you where to make your stand," Chen Gong said, though he didn't sound entirely confident.
In truth, Chen Gong wasn't sure Gao Shun could hold off Ju Yi. While he believed Gao Shun was a capable general, he didn't think he was a match for Ju Yi. In his mind, only Zhang Liao among Lü Bu's generals could stand alone against such a formidable foe. Gao Shun, who always attended meetings but rarely spoke, had left little impression on him.
However, during one strategy session, when Chen Gong mentioned, "If we can neutralize Ju Yi, this battle will have a high chance of success," Lü Bu immediately suggested assigning the task to Gao Shun. In Lü Bu's experience, Gao Shun had never lost a battle with his elite troops.
"Forget it. I can't put all the weight on him. I'd better make some additional arrangements," Chen Gong muttered as he watched Gao Shun leave.
As Gao Shun exited, Zhang Liao approached him. "Gongzheng, are you joining this campaign?"
"Yes, to face Ju Yi's Xian Deng Death Warriors," Gao Shun replied calmly, showing no sign of tension.
"Are you confident?" Zhang Liao asked with a slight frown. Ju Yi's defeat of the White Horse Cavalry had earned him considerable fame, making him one of the most renowned generals of the time. Naturally, Zhang Liao was concerned.
"I'll destroy him," Gao Shun said coldly, his expression as indifferent as if he were crushing an ant.
"That's good to hear," Zhang Liao sighed in relief. Whenever Gao Shun wore that stone-faced expression, it meant he was confident. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spoken so decisively. "But be careful. Ju Yi is still a formidable general."
"We'll be launching a surprise attack. We won't lose. The Xian Deng Death Warriors are strong offensively but weak defensively. Against ordinary troops, they can rely on offense as defense, but against my Ferocious Cavalry, they'll be wiped out in one strike," Gao Shun said, unusually talkative.