"This road is well-built, Gongyou," Chen Xi commented as he traveled along the road to Yanzhou by carriage. Compared to the journey from Xiapi to Fenggao, the trip from Fenggao to Linyi took only ten days.
"Secretary Sun is now a well-known master builder," Hua An replied with a smile. After Hua Xiong left, his fellow townsman, Hua An, replaced him as Chen Xi's bodyguard.
"Are Lü Fengxian and his men not digging on the Yanzhou side?" Chen Xi asked after a moment of thought.
"No, on the contrary, Chen Gongtai wants to purchase some materials for building straight roads from us," Hua An said with a chuckle.
Hearing this, Chen Xi nodded. It wasn't that he couldn't ride a horse, but after Pang Tong's tragic accident—dying from an arrow while riding—he preferred to avoid the same fate.
[Chen Gongtai has a good eye and clearly understands the importance of these roads,] Chen Xi mused. [But I wonder if he's planning to build the main logistics route towards Taishan or Weijun after completing the supply lines. Of course, he might not have to build it himself; someone else might do it.]
Compared to Yuan Shao, who acted without hesitation, and Yuan Shu, whose mind wasn't focused on the grand scheme, Chen Gong had more considerations. He knew that logistics lines had to be built to reduce grain loss and speed up troop movements. However, after establishing these lines, deciding where to build the provincial roads would require choosing an ally. Of course, someone else could build those roads, too.
Chen Xi was pleased with the current situation. At least Sun Qian's road construction hadn't been hindered by Chen Gong, which suggested that Chen Gong might lean towards their side. However, the road leading to Linyi wasn't yet a provincial road.
In fact, Chen Xi didn't know that Chen Gong wasn't just ignoring Sun Qian's road construction. He also turned a blind eye to Yuan Shao's roadwork. Since he hadn't clearly sided with anyone, both Yuan Shao and Liu Bei were building roads. When the situation escalated, what did it have to do with him? In reality, he was just searching for a new backer.
However, Yuan Shao's road from Weijun to Yanzhou was progressing slowly. After all, the inferior cement was only produced on Liu Bei's side. Yuan Shao wanted the formula, but the Zhen family claimed they couldn't obtain it, and Yuan Shao's spies had no luck either. They had to follow the rules, and fortunately, Chen Xi didn't mind selling the product to Yuan Shao, so the Zhen family could still supply a decent amount.
Regarding the inferior cement, Yuan Shao always believed the more, the better. Confident that he wouldn't lose to Liu Bei, Yuan Shao boldly built roads to the borders of Qingzhou, just as Liu Bei did. However, courage alone couldn't substitute for cement, so Yuan Shao had to store up a portion and repair roads as best he could.
As a result, all the necessary roads in Jizhou were built, as were those in Youzhou. In Bingzhou, only the main roads were constructed. Even so, the speed of Yuan Shao's army and supply transport greatly increased, which pleased him immensely.
However, due to the faster mobilization and logistics, Gongsun Zan's hopes of counterattacking southern Youzhou were completely dashed. Shen Pei, stationed in Youzhou, was confident in his defensive capabilities. Despite Gongsun Zan's reputation as the "White Horse General," Shen Pei believed it would be nearly impossible for Gongsun Zan to breach his defenses.
When Chen Xi learned that Shen Pei had replaced the governor of Youzhou, he gave up hope that Gongsun Zan could retake Youzhou. It wasn't that he underestimated Gongsun Zan, but Shen Pei's defensive track record was terrifying. Compared to renowned defensive generals like Cao Ren and Hao Zhao, Shen Pei's achievements were awe-inspiring.
When Shen Pei defended Yecheng, Cao Cao was at his peak, personally leading his forces with all his top strategists and generals. Despite being isolated and without reinforcements, Shen Pei held Yecheng for six months. In the end, it was only because his nephew betrayed him and opened the gates that Cao Cao finally captured the city.
This achievement would have shocked even Hao Zhao and Cao Ren, making them acknowledge Shen Pei's prowess. So, when Chen Xi found out that Shen Pei was in Youzhou, he completely abandoned the idea of Gongsun Zan's counterattack. Compared to the aggressive advances of elite troops, Shen Pei's defense was like an impregnable fortress.
Not to mention, Gongsun Zan was already half-crippled. Even at his peak, he would have been infuriated by the situation.
"Where are we now?" Chen Xi asked. "How many days until we reach Linyi?"
"Strategist, General Zhao ordered us to slow down two days ago, concerned that we might encounter immediate battle upon reaching Linyi. We should rendezvous with General Guan tomorrow," Hua Yun explained. Since they were on the march, Zhao Yun was at the vanguard, while Chen Xi stayed in the middle of the formation.
"Tomorrow?" Chen Xi raised an eyebrow. "Tell Zilong to send out more scouts. We're close to linking up, so we should avoid giving the enemy any opportunity. Although Zilong isn't worried about ambushes, it's best not to risk it—losing soldiers is never a good thing."
"Understood." Hua Yun handed his reins to another guard and rode off to inform Zhao Yun.
"Indeed, every advantage comes with its drawbacks. This road speeds up our march, but it also limits our movement, making us vulnerable to ambushes," Chen Xi murmured as he gazed into the distance.
"Zhang Ming, take 1,000 White Horse Volunteers and cover our left rear. Huang Shao, reinforce the left flank's defenses. The hills in this area are on our left, so send out more scouts," Zhao Yun instructed Xue Shao and Huang Shao, ordering one to lead cavalry and the other to lead infantry to secure the position.
"Yes, sir!" Huang Shao and Xue Shao saluted, then led their troops to the left.
Meanwhile, a large force of cavalry and infantry, clad in Lü Bu's leather and cloth armor, was stationed in the hills several miles away from Chen Xi's group. A scout reported to a tall general.
"Reporting! General, our scouts have encountered enemy scouts. We've confirmed that it's the Taishan army under Zhao Yun's command!" the scout reported loudly.
"Direct contact, eh?" The tall general, clad in silver armor and wielding a spear, smiled. "What's my name?"
"General, you are Zhang Wenyuan of Yanmen!" the scout responded loudly.
"Good, remember this well—I am Zhang Wenyuan of Yanmen!" Zhang He shouted, and his soldiers echoed his words.
There was no need for Zhang He's men to disguise themselves. They were genuine Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry. By bringing them along, Zhang He aimed to win favor with Lü Bu. No matter Lü Bu's character, he still harbored deep feelings for Bingzhou, which made this a promising avenue for exploitation in Xun Shen's mind.
Zhang He and his Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry were also present to solidify a harsh reality: Lü Bu did not welcome Liu Bei. Once this became clear, both Liu Bei and Lü Bu would have only one option. When that time came, regardless of their wishes, Lü Bu would have no choice but to ally with Yuan Shao!