Chapter 25: You Have Nothing at All

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“The eighteen lords, ha ha ha ha, as long as the Chancellor’s ambition remains, I will make you understand the gap within three months at most.” One scheme after another flashed through Li Ru’s mind. Once again seeing hope, Li Ru had all the energy to crush the eighteen lords beneath the Tiger’s Cage Pass. However, there was one condition: Li Ru must not realize that Dong Zhuo was just acting on a whim, and most of the time he was still the same greedy, violent, fat tyrant in Luoyang…

While Chen Xi was pondering how to handle Dong Zhuo and simultaneously expand Liu Bei’s reputation and influence, Li Ru was busy considering how to wipe out the eighteen lords in one fell swoop within a month or two. In his eyes, this task was honestly not very difficult.

“Lord Xuande...” Chen Xi, still groggy, raised his wine cup in a distant salute as Liu Bei entered.

“Zichuan, wake up, wake up!” Liu Bei shook Chen Xi gently from side to side.

“What is it, Lord Xuande?” Chen Xi reacted sluggishly.

“Zichuan, wake up quickly! I have something to ask you,” Liu Bei said, his face flushed with excitement and urgency.

“What is it?” Chen Xi’s drowsy eyes suddenly cleared. Though he lacked Guan Zhang’s ability to dispel the scent of wine, he could still clear his mind through sheer willpower.

Liu Bei quickly recounted the day's events to Chen Xi, who paused thoughtfully, scratching his head. “This is good news. What’s so bad about it?”

After Liu Bei’s forces had mobilized, they struck directly at the camps of Tao Qian and Kong Rong nearby—both were the only allies close to Liu Bei recently. Tao Qian’s troops, though thrown into chaos by a surprise attack, still had elite soldiers guarding their core, and with Liu Bei’s arrival, the forces quickly stabilized their morale.

Kong Rong’s camp, however, fared much worse. Though a descendant of the sages and adept at moral guidance, Kong Rong struggled with military command. His camp was in such disarray that if not for one general holding off two enemy commanders, Kong Rong might have fallen amidst the chaos.

Because of this, Liu Bei’s assistance was a timely boon for Kong Rong, and as a royal relative of the Han, Liu Bei’s favorability soared. After repelling the night raid, Kong Rong invited Tao Qian and Liu Bei to share tea in his camp.

The three men chatted and eventually discussed their respective territories. Upon learning Liu Bei was residing in Youzhou’s Pingyuan state, Kong Rong generously proposed supporting Liu Bei as governor of the neighboring Taishan Commandery. Tao Qian, after brief consideration, also agreed to endorse Liu Bei for Taishan’s governorship.

With both men’s approval, unless Liu Bei refused, the position was practically secured. Don’t underestimate Kong Rong—though a scholar, his status lent weight to his words. If the authorities rejected Kong Rong’s proposal, he could rally support for Liu Bei, making his name renowned. Even if initially refused, it would eventually succeed.

Moreover, with Tao Qian, a provincial governor, backing him, even if the higher-ups hesitated, Liu Bei could claim the post with little effort during such turbulent times.

“Zichuan, you don’t know Taishan Commandery’s situation. Qingzhou has long been home to fierce folk, and after the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the region is rife with bandits. Strong mountain brigands and robbers hold fortified positions. Only a few commandery towns in Qingzhou are truly peaceful,” Liu Bei said with a bitter smile, suspecting Chen Xi was still not fully awake.

“Isn’t it just some Yellow Turbans and bandits?” Chen Xi sneered. “What’s there to fear? With Taishan Commandery, you’d have your own land and people to develop. No matter how troublesome, it’s far better than being stuck in one place.”

“Zichuan, are you sober yet?” Liu Bei smiled wryly. “You probably have no idea how serious the bandit problem in Qingzhou is.”

“Alright, I’m not fully sober. Tell me how bad it is,” Chen Xi said indifferently.

“Very serious. Qingzhou has over a million bandits, and with the civilians they coerce, the total number surpasses two million. Taishan Commandery alone has about three hundred thousand ‘Taishan bandits’!” Liu Bei said with a dark expression, sharing the information he had gathered.

“Two million?” Chen Xi scratched his head. He recalled that when Cao Cao pacified Qingzhou, there were just over a million, from which thirty thousand robust men were selected to form the Qingzhou army. How could it now be two million?

“Two million is actually an underestimate. Add those civilians who relay messages for the Yellow Turbans, and bandits are everywhere in Qingzhou,” Liu Bei explained with a headache. He coveted Taishan’s territory but knew it was unsustainable—bandits were everywhere, and sending in his five thousand men wouldn’t even make a ripple.

“Alright, bandits everywhere, let’s say three million. That’s a lot of people—real people. Even a tenth have seen blood and, with some training, could become soldiers,” Chen Xi joked, but unfortunately, Liu Bei did not grasp the irony.

“Zichuan, this is not about forming soldiers. Taishan was once a good place, but now it’s overrun with bandits. Without an army of at least one hundred thousand, it cannot be pacified! And it’s constantly threatened by the Qingzhou Yellow Turbans’ counterattacks. It’s impossible to hold!” Liu Bei said helplessly.

“Lord Xuande, what is your ideal?” Chen Xi casually looked to one side. “Is it still the same as before?”

“To restore the Han dynasty! My ideal is to restore the Han!” Liu Bei replied without hesitation, though puzzled by Chen Xi’s change of topic.

“Does Lord Xuande have the backing that Lord Yuan enjoys?” Chen Xi turned to look at Liu Bei directly.

“Certainly not. Yuan Shao is a descendant of the Yuan family, famed for four generations and three grand offices, with a foundation incomparable to mine,” Liu Bei shook his head.

“Then do you have the reputation of Kong Beihai?” Chen Xi continued with a smile.

“Of course not. Kong Beihai is a descendant of sages and a great scholar of his generation—how could I compare?” Liu Bei shook his head again.

“Do you have the strength of Tao Gongzu?” Chen Xi’s smile remained calm as he watched the still perplexed Liu Bei.

“Absolutely not. Tao Gongzu controls the wealthy and powerful Xuzhou, with elite Danyang troops. How could an ordinary man compare?” Liu Bei said, shaking his head.

“Then how do you intend to restore the Han?” Chen Xi smiled and asked.

“Of course, of course…” Liu Bei opened his mouth but found it difficult to utter his usual call for talent recruitment.

“Lord Xuande, you have nothing at all,” Chen Xi whispered.

“Nothing at all…” Liu Bei silently repeated those words, realizing that since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, so many years had passed and he still had achieved nothing. Though he now sat among the lords, commanding the finest troops and the greatest generals in the land, deep down he indeed had nothing.

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