Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chen Xi held up a giant claw about a foot long and couldn't help but admit that ancient wildlife truly abounded. While a crab growing to the size of a compass was indeed shocking, its meat was undeniably delicious.

"Living off the land and water has its perks. If Yuan Shao doesn't show up today, we'll continue feasting on meat dishes this afternoon. We can alternate—fish after chicken. Didn't we bring plenty of dried Donglai fish?" Chen Xi said with a cheerful smile, reassembling the remnants of the crab into a complete shell.

During the morning at the riverbank, Chen Xi had nearly been attacked by the creature, but now it was served on a plate. Regardless of its size, in this era where there were no pesticides or hormones, even if it were a monster, Chen Xi estimated it to be an all-natural and pollution-free delicacy—even if the seasoning left something to be desired.

"But it can hardly sustain tens of thousands of troops stationed here for a few meals," Lub Su grumbled, tossing aside the crab claw in his hand, shattering Chen Xi's carefully reconstructed shell into pieces.

"Well, it's still a promotion of consumption. Tens of thousands of pounds of fish, and Donglai's profits have soared," Chen Xi said, visibly upset as he looked at the fragmented crab shell.

"It's just shifting money from one pocket to the other," Jia Xu said, picking up a fishbone and scraping some meat off the crab leg. "What kind of profit is that?"

"You wouldn't understand. Money only counts when it circulates. Through a process like this, we actually generate more wealth. With a bit more complexity in the flow, we can help enrich quite a few common folk," Chen Xi replied with a smile. He didn't bother arguing with Jia Xu's worldview—out of those present, few could understand it, and fewer still cared, except perhaps Lub Su.

"Zichuan, scouts report unusual activity from Yuan Shao's army," Liu Bei suddenly entered the tent, drawing back the curtain.

"Eh? Didn't they say the pontoon bridge wasn't built yet?" Chen Xi asked in confusion. "Are they doing morning exercises?"

"Not so idle. Yuan Shao probably constructed the pontoon bridge overnight," Jia Xu frowned as he replied.

"If they did it so quickly, it could only mean Yuan Shao made no attempt at concealment or defense. Is he so desperate that he would gamble with his life? That's impossible," Chen Xi asked incredulously. "Shouldn't we expand the scout range first?"

"No need. Yuan Shao probably built the bridge outside our scouting range. That explanation would make the most sense," Lub Su waved his hand dismissively. "Prepare for battle; cavalry really is a gift—its mobility is unmatched."

"Eh?" Chen Xi touched his forehead. For them, the scout range was fifty li, which, to be honest, was already substantial. But for Yuan Shao, deploying soldiers or repositioning people over a hundred li away could be achieved swiftly—not just with warhorses, but pack horses were far more convenient than humans, too.

"That must be it. Yuan Shao is certainly daring. He's not afraid we'll expand our scout range on a whim, and then expose the bridge along with the workers. It'd all be over," Guo Jia nodded with curiosity. "And if we succeed even once, the defense level on their side will only grow tighter. He's really gambling!"

"Unfortunately, it seems he's succeeded this time. And as you said, once we're thwarted, precautions will only increase. In such circumstances, taking a gamble might actually be more logical," Jia Xu said, opening his ebony wood fan to obscure a cold sneer.

"Forget it. Let's remain rested and prepared. Since it's clear we won't be able to catch up, the enemy's probably crossed the river by now anyway. Let's save some trouble," Chen Xi yawned and said casually. "If stopping them is no longer an option, then we'll rely on martial force. Lord Xuande, it's all on you."

With those words, Liu Bei naturally understood everything. If Yuan Shao set out first, relying on his horses' four legs, he'd undoubtedly be faster. Even if they went in blindly to intercept, they'd exhaust themselves before fighting.

Even with pack horses, Yuan Shao's infantry would arrive physically refreshed, enabling them to wage battle. As such, following Chen Xi's plan to reorganize troops and conserve combat power seemed far more reasonable.

"Prepare yourselves. The first wave they send across will certainly not be ordinary troops—see if we can swallow them whole," Lub Su said with a grin, already beginning preparations. Along the Yellow River's banks, the humidity had significantly risen, just waiting for his command to unfold.

"I absolutely will," Chen Xi said while blinking. He had already started extracting moisture from the Yellow River, further increasing the air humidity; soon it would surpass 80%.

"Don't raise it any higher. Going further might draw too much attention. It's already ridiculously humid—it feels a bit clammy right now," Guo Jia said as he lifted his sleeve.

"I've made my preparations. When the time comes, I'll increase the opposing army's humidity level even higher. Zijing, you'll handle the rest," Chen Xi said, turning his head slightly. "Wen He, remember to dry out our side a little. That way, Zijing's destructive power won't affect us as much."

"Then I'll link our army's Cloud Qi," Guo Jia said, shaking his wide sleeve again, clearly feeling somewhat damp.

"It's all yours," Chen Xi patted Guo Jia's shoulder. He always felt assured with Guo Jia in charge.

Quickly delegating the military duties among themselves, they passed orders down to their lieutenants. Liu Bei conveyed the instructions to his military officers, who then distributed them to private troops, military marshals, and ultimately to the centurions.

Soon, every veteran soldier in Liu Bei's army had been informed of Yuan Shao's impending attack. These seasoned troops, full from their recent meal, began preparations, displaying an attitude as if they had fully expected this outcome.

Each soldier donned their leather armor and strapped the hand-crafted Heart-Guarding Mirror they had made during their time farming back home to their chest. Armed with weapons, they naturally gathered into formations with their comrades.

The veterans casually squatted together. Having fought in countless battles, they had developed instinctive habits and ways of adjusting to warfare.

As now, the veterans showed no fear or panic, calmly awaiting the clash. Meanwhile, the new recruits, despite being influenced by the veterans' steadiness, squatted alongside them—but there was always a slight mismatch in their comportment.

"Report! Yuan Shao's army spotted fifty li away!" A messenger rode swiftly through the camp.

This scene was seen by the veterans closest to the military camp, and as they stood, the entire camp quickly reacted in a chain.

All the soldiers rapidly consolidated into squads, troops, and battalions. Before Liu Bei had even issued his command, troops had smoothly reorganized into military units, as the concept of collective discipline was deeply ingrained within the veterans' psyche.

(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets or monthly tickets. Your support is the greatest motivation for me. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)