Chen Xi took the military orders and went outside the city to mobilize troops. Before he even arrived, he saw a cloud of dust and smoke in the distance. Soon after, a horse charged forward and stopped right in front of him. Zang Ba dismounted and saluted Chen Xi.
"Greetings, Governor!"
"That's enough, Xuanguo. No need for formalities. I want to know if you still have agents in Qingzhou." Chen Xi asked straightforwardly.
"Yes!" Zang Ba hesitated slightly before responding.
"Good. Select your men and infiltrate the Yellow Turbans. Await my orders. I refuse to believe that over a million Yellow Turbans would all know each other." Chen Xi said with a mischievous smile. "If you succeed, the troops you capture will be yours to command, forming an independent unit. Are you confident?"
Zang Ba hesitated this time. Having followed Hua Xiong for a long time, he envied him. When they first met in Taishan, Zang Ba thought Hua Xiong was just a commander of infantry. But once he became Hua Xiong's deputy, he learned that Hua Xiong also commanded three thousand elite cavalry. Six months ago, when Hua Xiong left to undertake military duties, he entrusted the three thousand cavalry to Zang Ba. Used to leading cavalry, Zang Ba found it hard to return to commanding infantry.
"Is there a problem?" Chen Xi asked, puzzled. Normally, forming an independent unit was a boon for any commander. Why was Zang Ba reluctant?
"Well, I feel I can command cavalry better." Zang Ba cautiously replied, not intending to take over Hua Xiong's troops but hoping his unit would include cavalry. It was clear Taishan had no more horses, and each cavalry unit had specific allocations.
"That's not impossible. Mixed units of infantry and cavalry are better for dealing with unexpected situations and less likely to be countered by a single type of force. I'll approve your request. Once Ziyang returns to Taishan, there will be more horses. But remember, training cavalry is different from training infantry. They are two completely different concepts." Chen Xi thought for a moment and agreed to Zang Ba's request. Since they hadn't expanded their forces yet, resources were still somewhat available.
"Thank you, Governor!" Zang Ba bowed deeply.
"No need for thanks. When I discussed military organization with Xuande Gong, we noted that single-type units are easily countered. Each unit should include infantry, cavalry, and archers. Mixed units have varied strengths and weaknesses, making them more adaptable. That's why each unit has cavalry, though the numbers vary." Chen Xi shook his head, indicating this decision wasn't solely his. "If there's nothing else, hurry to Qingzhou and contact your agents. I'll summon you when necessary."
"Yes, sir!" Zang Ba responded loudly before quickly departing for Qingzhou.
After arranging things with Zang Ba, Chen Xi proceeded to Yu Jin's camp. The vast expanse of the camp made Chen Xi wonder how many trees had been felled to build it. Of course, that was just a jest. In this era, trees were far more abundant than people, and wild animals outnumbered humans. The crocodiles south of the Yangtze River were impossible to eradicate.
"Halt! Who goes there?" A soldier approached Chen Xi as he neared the camp. Noticing Chen Xi's carriage and his silk robe and jade belt, the soldier refrained from driving him away but asked him to stop.
"Wenzu is training, right? Take this to him and have him come out." Chen Xi beckoned for the military token to be brought forward and handed it to the soldier without expression.
Although many of the soldiers were illiterate, they could recognize the "令" (command) character on the token. Taking the token with both hands, the soldier bowed to Chen Xi. "Please wait a moment, sir. The general will be out shortly!" With that, he ran into the camp holding the token.
Chen Xi stood at the camp entrance. While disregarding rules in other places might merely offend people, doing so in the military could be fatal. Despite his high rank, Chen Xi didn't want to set a bad example for those who followed.
"Greetings, Governor!" Yu Jin emerged from the camp, bowing to Chen Xi. "I cannot give a full salute in armor. Please forgive me."
"I'm here to mobilize troops." Chen Xi replied, adopting a businesslike tone with the stoic Yu Jin, who rarely interacted with civil officials and focused solely on his duties.
"There are currently 56,000 new recruits in the Taishan camp, including 12,000 intended for regular army service. The remaining 44,000 are rotation-based soldiers from other areas, currently undergoing training." Yu Jin responded efficiently, without hesitation.
"Select 6,000 strong soldiers from the rotation-based troops to be added to the regular army. Reassign 3,000 of the weakest from the regular army to the rotation-based group. Assign 5,000 infantry to Tai Shici. The rest remain under your command to defend Fenggao. While I'm in Qingzhou dealing with bandits, should an enemy attack…" Chen Xi looked up at Yu Jin.
"Destroy them!" Yu Jin declared resolutely.
"I believe you understand the nature of the incoming threats. The Yellow Turbans are not a significant problem, but if the new Yanzhou Inspector is appointed as Taishan Governor…" Chen Xi made a slashing gesture and smirked. "Xuande Gong will guard against stragglers from Qingzhou. Your task is to secure the northwest!"
"Yes, sir!" Yu Jin bowed deeply. After training for so long, he was eager for battle. Among Taishan's forces, the largest contingent wasn't commanded by Guan, Zhang, or Zhao, nor by Hua Xiong, but by Yu Jin, who oversaw training in Taishan's camp.
"Focus on stability. Just hold the line between Taishan and Shanyang." Chen Xi nodded. Speaking with Yu Jin required maintaining a serious demeanor, which Chen Xi found tiring. While he generally appeared grim in solitude, he usually kept a slight smile when around others, unlike Yu Jin's perpetually stern face. It seemed those skilled in training troops often had a rigid and orthodox lifestyle.
After arranging matters with Yu Jin, Chen Xi, wearing the Taishan Governor's seal, went to see Lu Su to relay some instructions. Liu Bei personally defending Taishan and the borders of Jinan and Qi wasn't an issue. Chen Xi had already prepared for this, and Xu Chu was there as Liu Bei's bodyguard. Having experienced many battles, Liu Bei wouldn't find it difficult to defend.
Chen Xi's concern was Cao Cao. After this, Cao Cao would become the Yanzhou Inspector with the strong support of Bao Xin and Chen Gong. As part of Yanzhou, Taishan was vulnerable to Cao Cao's tactics. Ultimately, it would come down to a test of strength.
Setting other factors aside, Cao Cao was in a dire situation. Last year's summer planting was missed. With Xun Yu's help, Cao Cao had scraped through three months, planting crops for the following year. But with the Yellow Turbans now invading Qingzhou for sustenance, Cao Cao was left with no choice but to fight. Last year's harvest offered no hope. Now, he had to either borrow or seize grain.
Jizhou and Youzhou were at war, leaving Yuan Shao too preoccupied to care about Cao Cao's plight. In fact, Yuan Shao's confidence didn't match that of Jizhou's families. He wasn't sure he could defeat Gongsun Zan. Frankly, if Gongsun Zan proposed a peace settlement, Yuan Shao would likely accept it.