Afterwards, Chen Xi and Ju Shou casually chatted about non-military matters. Ju Shou couldn't quite understand Chen Xi's confidence, but he eventually chalked it up to youthful arrogance.
As the sun was setting, Chen Xi looked at the clouds on the horizon and smiled. The Taishan soldiers had the protection of the city, whereas the camp outside, no matter how well-fortified, would inevitably have its vulnerabilities—like right now.
"Boom~" A huge thunderclap echoed, lightning coiling around the dark clouds. Chen Xi used one dark cloud to push a raincloud towards them. However, as he pushed, it started discharging electricity, and it looked like it would start pouring before reaching its destination.
Fortunately, Chen Xi's actions were fast enough. Just before the torrential rain fell, he dragged the cloud over, resulting in the classic scene of half the sky sunny and half rainy. The massive camp to the west of Nanpi City was drenched in a downpour, while only a few stray raindrops made it into the city, carried by the wind.
"Well, this should make it difficult for you to launch a sneak attack. If you can still storm the city in this rain, I'll be impressed!" Chen Xi clapped his hands with a smug look, mockingly eyeing the panicking Jizhou soldiers in the rain.
As expected, the camp had no strategist capable of dispelling the rain clouds. Chen Xi kept the cloud there, and it rained heavily all night. By morning, the western part of Nanpi had turned into a swamp. Chen Xi figured that even he couldn't mount an attack in such muddy conditions.
Taishi Ci arrived just as dawn broke, having marched through the night. Though they lost a few dozen men along the way, considering the two thousand troops, Chen Xi was quite satisfied. Given this was the Three Kingdoms period, these soldiers could be considered tough veterans by Republic standards.
"Seems like I had good luck. Nothing went wrong on the way here. Hahaha, Ju Gong is indeed cautious," Chen Xi said, standing at Nanpi's south gate with Ju Shou, a smile on his face.
Hearing Chen Xi's words, Ju Shou's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. If he didn't know by now that he had fallen into Chen Xi's trap, he would be a fool!
"Well, well, well, as expected of Chen Zichuan, a strategist unparalleled, planning everything against my mindset!" Ju Shou suppressed his anger and looked at Chen Xi with resentment. He had not anticipated that Chen Xi, whom he knew little about, would have such a deep understanding of his own character.
"Slipped my tongue," Chen Xi said, covering his mouth with his folding fan, a look of helplessness on his face. After thinking for a moment, he turned to the guard behind him and said, "Keep an eye on Ju Gong, make sure nothing happens to him."
After that, Chen Xi walked down the city wall, as he didn't have the combat ability of Lu Bu to jump down directly.
"Ziyi's arrival is timely. Let the soldiers rest and have a good meal before we proceed with the relocation. Jizhou is good at following rules. By now, the request for instructions from Yuan Benchu has probably reached his hands, but by the time he issues new orders and they reach the Taishou of Hejian, we'll almost be out of the border. Not having the power to make decisions on the spot is really tragic!" Chen Xi disparaged Yuan Shao as he spread his thoughts. This incident would surely shock Liu Bei, emphasizing the necessity of having the authority to make on-the-spot decisions.
The quality of Taishan soldiers was average; several of them, despite having access to the treasury, went to loot from civilians' homes, which was frustrating.
"Ziyi, Zilong, keep an eye on these men. If any of them dare to sneak into people's homes again, don't be polite—ten lashes to teach them a lesson. However, if a soldier wishes to marry a widow, that's fine," Chen Xi instructed Zhao Yun and Taishi Ci, signaling them to be lenient as long as the men didn't go too far. After all, they were there to seize grain and money; the victors couldn't avoid doing some bad deeds.
Chen Xi set up a tea table on the south gate tower of Nanpi City and, enjoying the cool northern breeze and cold tea, tried to soothe his mood. A true nobleman maintains composure amidst the chaos of war.
"Chen Zichuan, isn't this enough? You've emptied the treasury and looted the homes of commoners and nobility alike. What more do you want?" Ju Shou demanded angrily, though he couldn't part with the white porcelain cup in his hand.
"Well, if I had more time, I'd surely gather the people, distribute land, and exempt taxes for three years. Wouldn't that be great?" Chen Xi said nonchalantly, sending cold sweat down Ju Shou's spine.
Such a method was a sure way to destroy any opposition. In ancient China, land was everything to the people. Once they had land, they wouldn't let go. For a peasant, land was life itself. If Chen Xi did this, Nanpi would never be peaceful again.
"Alright, Ju Gong, let's go for a walk. We'll release you once we reach our destination. Nanpi is yours, and on behalf of Lord Xuande, I sincerely apologize. We have no intention of interfering in Jizhou. Please give us a way out," Chen Xi said with a gentle smile that lacked any sincerity.
A coachman drove the carriage with Chen Xi and Ju Shou. Zhang He, who had been knocked out by Zhang Fei when he tried to escape, was carried along, to be released along with Ju Shou. Gao Lan, also knocked out, was left in the dungeon, likely unconscious for half a day.
In truth, Chen Xi had considered persuading the three to switch sides, but during Yuan Shao's ascendancy, they would never surrender. Nor could he kill or imprison them, as that would mean formally intervening in the conflict between Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan, contrary to his goal of stable development and stockpiling grain and troops. With locust plagues and droughts looming, it was unwise to ignite a major conflict now.
Intervening in the Yuan-Gongsun war could lead to Yuan Shao mobilizing allies, turning it into a major war in the Central Plains. This would not benefit the fledgling forces of Liu Bei. Even if victorious, they'd be weakened, with the benefits likely snatched by the major players. It was better to control the scale of the war for everyone's benefit, for the sake of the people.
Watching the slow-moving Taishan army, Chen Xi felt pleased. War was not his forte; he preferred a leisurely life at home. With so much grain, and Lu's family exchanging books for grain everywhere, they could sustain a million Yellow Turbans for three months, enough to reach the summer planting season.
Thinking of the promising future, a smile spread across Chen Xi's face. Returning home, it was time to get married. He had a concubine, Lan Chen, after all.