Lord in the Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 183: Reaching a Decision: The March to Chang’an

If he can save his father-in-law and save the emperor from afar, then his reputation will reach a new height!

"Chán’er, you go rest first!"

"I’ll discuss this matter with the two strategists later."

"Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to save Father-in-law!"

Long Chen gently stroked Diaochan’s beautiful hair and whispered softly.

Diaochan nodded gently, her footsteps graceful as she drifted away.

...

In the spacious and tidy courtyard.

Long Chen sat at the top, his hands resting on the table, eyes closed, contemplating how to proceed next.

Suddenly,

Two voices interrupted Long Chen’s thoughts.

"My lord, we pay our respects..."

Guo Jia and Xi Zhicai entered Long Chen’s mansion.

After some discussion, Long Chen told them the whole story. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

"So, what do you think, should I go to Chang’an to welcome the current emperor?"

"And if I go, what preparations should I make?"

After a series of questions, Long Chen waited for the two strategists to express their opinions.

Both of them were talented and wise, and with their advice, Long Chen felt more confident.

Guo Jia remained calm as usual, shaking his feather fan, lost in thought.

And after listening, Xi Zhicai pondered for a moment before stepping forward and bowing:

"My lord, I believe you should not go to Chang’an."

"There are four reasons!"

"First, we are facing strong enemies! Sun Ce in Changsha to the west, and Yuan Shu in Nanyang!"

"According to my spies, Yuan Shu has been actively preparing for war in the city, forcefully recruiting taxes and conscripting soldiers for his army, indicating his intention to expand his forces and territories!"

"And since you have conflicts with Yuan Shu, and occupy the prosperous land of Yangzhou, if Yuan Shu wants to continue expanding, he will inevitably attack Yangzhou and occupy the southern region!"

"This is an external worry for you!!!"

Xi Zhicai’s analysis was reasonable. If you follow the Three Kingdoms, Yuan Shu was originally occupying Yangzhou to develop his own power.

And Yuan Shu, as the legitimate son of the Yuan family, had disciples spread throughout the world.

Within Yangzhou, there were many noble families and even many allied foreigners under Yuan Shu’s camp.

From this perspective, Yuan Shu was indeed a major enemy that Long Chen had to face.

Long Chen also nodded in agreement, indicating that Xi Zhicai should continue speaking.

Taking up the teacup on the table and taking a sip, Xi Zhicai continued:

"Secondly, Chang’an is Dong Zhuo’s territory, and the soldiers of the Western Liang are formidable, and the terrain is dangerous. Even if you go, it will be difficult to win, and it will be more of a loss than a gain."

"Thirdly, Chang’an is too far away from here. Even if my lord arrives, it will probably be half a month later!"

"And opportunities are fleeting, and my lord cannot guarantee what the situation will be like when he arrives..."

"And lastly, the benefits my lord will gain from going to Chang’an are far outweighed by the drawbacks. Even if you bring back Emperor Xian, so what?"

"My lord already has the young Emperor, and the Imperial Seal. Therefore, Emperor Xian is dispensable!"

"In conclusion, although leading the army to Chang’an has many benefits, there are too many uncertainties."

"Therefore, I do not recommend that my lord send troops to Chang’an."

Xi Zhicai’s reasoning was clear and logical.

Long Chen had to take seriously the opinions he raised.

Taking a deep breath, Long Chen slowly spoke, "Zhi Cai’s words are very reasonable."

Then, Long Chen turned to Guo Jia, who had been silent, "Feng Xiao, why are you still standing there! What do you think about this matter?"

Guo Jia also spoke without hesitation, "My lord, I believe that this trip to Chang’an is necessary!"

Hearing the answer he wanted in his heart, Long Chen felt a slight joy, but then he was puzzled and asked, "Why? Zhi Cai advised against sending troops to Chang’an!"

Xi Zhicai was also puzzled and frowned, looking at his friend Guo Jia.

He didn’t dislike Guo Jia for holding a different opinion from him.

Instead, he was more willing to see this situation because it meant that another voice had appeared, enlightening his own thoughts.

In the process of thinking and debating, he could improve his own strategy...

This was what they, as literati friends, liked to do the most.

Guo Jia filled his cup with clear wine from the table.

He raised his head and drank it all in one gulp, making a hearty sound.

Then he spoke:

"My lord, I believe that this trip to Chang’an to welcome the Emperor is necessary for the following reasons."

"First, my lord can imagine, what if Emperor Xian is rescued to your territory by other warlords? What kind of reaction would that cause?"

Long Chen rubbed his chin and said, "They would use the Emperor to command the warlords, becoming the second Dong Zhuo, just like our plan later."

"But we also have Emperor Shaodi! And with the Imperial Seal, the righteous cause will definitely be on our side!"

Xi Zhicai also nodded in agreement.

This plan was discussed between them at the beginning.

However,

Guo Jia shook his head, poured himself another cup of wine, which was filled again on the table.

He whispered:

"My lord, if as you say, there will be two Emperors in the world!"

"Emperor Shaodi in your hands cannot play its maximum role, and probably half of the Han people will still obey Emperor Xian’s orders!"

"In that case, even if my lord wants to use the Emperor to control the warlords, those warlords can easily say: they follow Emperor Xian, not Emperor Shaodi."

"In this way, Emperor Shaodi cannot achieve the effect of controlling the warlords!"

"Besides, if there are two Emperors in the world, other warlords will inevitably rise up, and then there will be three, or even four, five, or six Emperors..."

"In this way, the Emperor will become a mere ornament, and the people will lose their loyalty to Han...the world will be even more chaotic!"

Hearing this, Long Chen felt like he had been enlightened, like an old man waking up from a drunken stupor.

Guo Jia’s broad vision amazed Long Chen and also left Xi Zhicai in awe.

Truly, he was still the same spirited friend as before, or even more so!

Xi Zhicai thought to himself.

"This... This... Feng Xiao, what you said has truly enlightened me!"

Long Chen exclaimed in astonishment.

Thank goodness he had invited his strategist Guo Jia for discussion, otherwise he might not have realized the importance of Emperor Xian!

Guo Jia waved his hand and smiled, "My lord, you’re too kind!"

Holding his wine cup, Guo Jia continued, "But Zhicai’s words just now are also very reasonable. My lord, it’s best to make thorough preparations!"

"My lord, do you have any good strategies to assist me?" Long Chen asked sincerely.

"Don’t worry, my lord. For this trip, you only need to bring a small number of cavalry. Firstly, it ensures speed, and secondly, too many troops may expose you!"