Chapter 1042: "The Chain Reaction of Gongsun Du's Southern Advance"

Lu Su's viewpoint was quite practical. It was almost certain that Youzhou would fall into their hands, and the current state roads only impacted the transportation of provisions. As for grain transport, when Liu Ye wasn't around last year, Lu Su had witnessed Chen Xi playing around on the ice.

"Exactly, so building state roads right now isn't very feasible. But now that it's cold and the northern seas are frozen, we can use other methods to transport goods," Chen Xi said with a smile. The winters at the end of the Han dynasty were quite harsh; the sea froze as soon as the cold set in.

"Using the ice to transport?" Jia Xu asked in confusion, looking at Chen Xi. Since Chen Xi mentioned the frozen sea, the only thing Jia Xu could think of was using the ice for transport.

"Yes, using the ice to transport goods. It's very simple, and whether using human or animal power, it's easy. Our conditions are perfect for it," Chen Xi said with a smile. The animal power he referred to was the Xiongnu horses, which were the Mongolian horses of later generations, a breed that could survive in cold climates.

"You all weren't here last year, so you don't know," Lu Su nodded in agreement, "but last year on the ice, Zichuan could run faster than a horse." Lu Su recalled Chen Xi skating on the ice last year.

"It's quite simple. You can learn it in no more than a day," Chen Xi said with a smile when he noticed everyone staring at him. Ice skating was a common skill in places like the Northeast.

He then gave a brief explanation, which made Fa Zheng eager to try. On the other hand, Lu Su, who had previously expressed support, shrank back again. He had no interest in playing with such things.

"But to transport goods, we can't use something like this. Those tools are only good for speeding across the ice; to move supplies, we’ll still need the Xiongnu horses," Chen Xi explained some of the basic knowledge. "In winter, the northern terrain is very flat, and so is the ice. As long as you stay warm, everywhere becomes a road."

After giving all the necessary instructions, Fa Zheng excitedly invited everyone to eat some boiled mutton again. It seemed that this was about as ambitious as Fa Zheng got. Ever since he was granted a title, his go-to move was to gather a bunch of people and cook an entire sheep in a bronze cauldron.

Fortunately, with all kinds of spices available now and cooks well-trained through experience, the food was quite good. Otherwise, Fa Zheng would have grown tired of it by now. But, as it turned out, he never did. In fact, he often seemed to convey the feeling that he wasn't just eating mutton—he was consuming dignity and grandeur.

"Let's go, warm up with some mutton at Xiaozhi's place," Lu Su said with a smile to Chen Xi, who had no objection to Fa Zheng's frequent invitations to eat.

"Why don't you all try cooking with five cauldrons for once?" Chen Xi said with a look of despair at Guo Jia and the others, who were walking away with Fa Zheng. Mutton was great for warming up in the winter, but eating the same thing all the time was definitely not ideal.

"Stop talking nonsense," Lu Su said, wrapping himself in his cotton robe before grabbing Chen Xi and pulling him toward the others. "Everyone else is going, so how can you not join?"

[Xiaozhi, is this really all you're capable of?] Chen Xi silently cursed in his heart. But thinking back, Fa Zheng's earliest dream was to eat mutton cooked in a bronze cauldron every day, and now that he had achieved it, it made sense that he would eat it all the time.

While Chen Xi and the others were enjoying the delicious northern mutton, Yuan Tan's Youzhou was being attacked by Gongsun Du. What surprised everyone was that Gongsun Du had practically thrown all his forces into this attack on Youzhou.

"Bang!" Yuan Tan kicked the small table in front of him, sending it flying. Not long ago, he had just suppressed Gao Gan, a potential threat to his power. He had been worried about Gao Gan harboring ill feelings, but fortunately, Gao Gan had been sensible and hadn't put up any resistance.

Having suppressed Gao Gan and built a long defensive line against Liu Bei, Yuan Tan had expected action from either Liu Bei or the Wuhuan and Xianbei tribes. Yet, in the end, it was Gongsun Du—someone the Yuan family had considered as insignificant as ants—who made the first move.

"Gongsun Du, you're seeking death!" Yuan Tan roared in fury, immediately ordering the messengers to call for Shen Pei, Jiang Yiqu, and the others.

"Gongsun Du is attacking us?" Shen Pei frowned as he asked.

As soon as he spoke, Shen Pei could sense a conspiracy at play. Their long defensive line against Liu Bei had already stretched their forces thin. While Gongsun Du’s actions fit the opportunistic mindset, Shen Pei suspected that Liu Bei’s influence might be behind this.

"I'm afraid Liu Xuande is behind this," a cold glint flashed in Xu You’s eyes. Compared to Yuan Shao, Xu You’s assessment of Yuan Tan was that he was just a somewhat capable average man. However, because of his past friendship with Yuan Shao, Xu You was willing to assist Yuan Tan, as long as Yuan Tan didn't bring disaster upon himself.

"It's Liu Bei pulling the strings. Otherwise, Gongsun Du wouldn't risk everything, even giving up Liaodong," Xun Chen said, shaking his head.

"Whether or not Liu Bei is behind it, Gongsun Du dared to cause trouble for us at this moment, so we must deal with him first. If we show any weakness now, the entire world will look down on the Yuan family!" Yuan Tan declared.

Having inherited the Yuan family’s foundation, Yuan Tan, like every new head of a family, was highly concerned with strengthening the clan. If he couldn't make it stronger, he certainly couldn't allow it to lose the prestige accumulated by the previous generation.

"Send Zhen Yi and Yuan Bo north to confront Gongsun Du. Victory will be swift," Dong Zhao slowly suggested. This time, he was truly strategizing for the Yuan family. The previous battle and Yuan Shao's death had left him feeling both ashamed and aware that he might already be on Liu Bei's blacklist.

"Zhang He and Gao Lan?" Yuan Tan’s face darkened. Calling out the names of his remaining top generals only caused the others to frown. After all, Zhang He and Gao Lan were the only truly capable generals Yuan Tan had left.

"Zhen Yi and Yuan Bo are indeed the most suitable generals," Cui Jun added, following Dong Zhao’s lead after noticing Yuan Tan's displeasure. However, before Yuan Tan could refute, Cui Jun shifted his tone. "But with Taishan's growing influence, it would also be appropriate to leave both generals in Zhao County for defense."

Cui Jun, just as Chen Xi and the others had anticipated, had not only avoided punishment after retreating from Ye City but had earned Yuan Tan's trust due to his excellent performance. He had now successfully integrated himself into the upper echelons of power.

This remark served to clarify Dong Zhao's suggestion while also providing Yuan Tan a way to save face. It effectively eased the tension, allowing Shen Pei and the others to breathe a sigh of relief. They, too, had noticed that Yuan Tan’s resentment toward Zhang He and Gao Lan had yet to dissipate, making it extremely difficult for them to be reappointed.

Dong Zhao sighed inwardly. His involvement in Yuan Shao’s faction had never been deep, and he had always maintained a somewhat detached perspective. Thus, he could clearly see that Yuan Tan’s grudge against Zhang He and Gao Lan went beyond mere resentment. One wrong move, and those two might never be reinstated. Without Zhang He and Gao Lan, Dong Zhao doubted Yuan Tan’s ability to maintain his power until he found a new patron.

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