Three Kingdoms, Myth

While Chen Xi was going mad with frustration, Hua Tuo's research on Qinghao Decoction was nearing its conclusion. Hua Tuo had always been capable of treating plagues, but the persistent issue was that his prescriptions were difficult to distribute widely. Now, thanks to the vast variety of herbs Chen Xi had provided, Hua Tuo had more opportunities to experiment, enabling him to develop three different formulas in a relatively short time.

"Physician Hua, how's the progress on the prescription?" Chen Xi asked as he entered Hua Tuo's tent, greeted by the strong scent of medicinal herbs.

"I've made some headway with the Qinghao Decoction. I should be able to finalize it in a few days, but it might differ from what you recall," Hua Tuo replied with a bitter smile. He had discovered that with the abundance of herbs available, there were many possible substitutions, leading to some unusual outcomes that he hadn't encountered before.

"That's good to hear. Please keep me informed once it's ready. By the way, I've arranged for a large batch of earthenware pots to be produced on-site for boiling the medicine. If you need more, just have your guards fetch them. Focus on developing the prescription; everything else can wait," Chen Xi reminded Hua Tuo, fearing a repeat of the previous incident.

In the past, Hua Tuo had managed everything on his own. When he ran out of pots for boiling medicine last time, he went searching for more himself, wasting precious time that could have saved lives. Such delays were unacceptable, especially in life-or-death situations.

"Understood. I'll notify you once I have it figured out," Hua Tuo replied without looking up, his focus entirely on his research. As he continued working with more herbs, he began to notice patterns in their properties. Although these patterns weren't always reliable, they provided enough guidance for him to confidently say that he'd solve the problem in a few days.

"It seems the situation isn't as dire as I feared, but the consumption of medicinal herbs has been substantial. We'll need to restock soon," Chen Xi muttered to himself as he watched cartloads of herbs being transported from the rear camp.

Chen Xi had a peculiar tendency when it came to problem-solving: he could remain calm when issues didn't affect him directly, but when they did, he sometimes overlooked crucial details. For instance, he focused on the fact that people from Pengcheng had migrated to Donghai's Yinping and Changlu counties, but in his concern, he neglected to consider whether people had migrated elsewhere as well.

Little did he know that in Yu Province, which bordered Xuzhou's Pengcheng, refugees displaced by the Cao-Liu conflict—driven away by Cao Cao—were also carrying the plague with them. The Yu Province authorities, indifferent as usual, ignored the influx of refugees, leading to a small-scale outbreak that worsened with the warming weather.

Similarly, a few people from Xuzhou had entered Yanzhou through Fan County. However, with Wei Xu and his men guarding Yanzhou, they didn't allow anyone to pass through, sparing Yanzhou from the outbreak.

As for Taishan, anyone attempting to enter had to wait at the border for a period. When illness broke out among the migrants, Lu Su immediately sealed off the area, preventing any further movement and began a thorough inspection of Taishan, following the guidelines for epidemic prevention.

Xun Yu's face darkened as he read the reports coming in from Xuzhou. While rumors were spreading like wildfire in Chenliu that Cao Cao was dead and his sixty thousand troops had been wiped out in Xuzhou, Lü Bu was launching fierce attacks on Yanzhou, having already captured most of it. The people under Cao Cao's rule were in a state of panic. If not for Xun Yu's calm handling of government affairs and the desperate defense against Lü Bu's assaults, chaos would have ensued long ago.

"What are you doing, Xiubo?" Xun Yu asked with a grim expression, watching as Fan Qin packed his belongings.

"With Cao Mengde dead, I need to find a new lord. Liu Xuande seems like a good option—plus, my brother-in-law is there, and he's loyal to the Han Dynasty. Why don't you join me in defecting to Liu Xuande?" Fan Qin shamelessly suggested, genuinely considering switching sides.

"My lord isn't dead yet," Xun Yu replied, his face growing darker. "And the situation isn't as hopeless as it seems!"

"Impossible! The reports from Xuzhou say that Guan Yunchang has already secured Cao Mengde's body and sent it over. If nothing else, Guan Yunchang wouldn't mistake someone else for him," Fan Qin said, frowning.

"That was Qin Bernan. He resembles our lord by about seventy percent. Once he dons our lord's armor, mounts Zhaohuang Feidian, and wields Yitian Sword, even we would be fooled," Xun Yu explained with a sour expression.

"How can you be so certain it's not Cao Mengde?" Fan Qin asked, puzzled. "You're not one to make baseless claims."

"My spiritual ability only functions when our lord is alive. Since my ability is still active, it means our lord has escaped," Xun Yu said, feeling both relieved and conflicted. His talents relied on having a lord to serve; without one, he was only marginally more capable than others.

Fan Qin frowned, pondering Xun Yu's words, then suddenly grinned mischievously. "Even so, we're in trouble. Our lord lost everything up front, and now people in the rear are practically handing over supplies and soldiers to the enemy!"

Xun Yu's face turned even darker. When he learned that Cao Cao had ordered a massacre in Xuzhou, he knew things would turn bad. He had planned to recall Cao Cao and had hoped to steer him away from further mistakes. The eastern part of Yanzhou had always been a strategic weak point for Cao Cao—something Xun Yu had considered a burden rather than an asset. His plan was to distance them from both Yuan Shao and Liu Bei, keeping them from being dragged into conflict. Allowing Lü Bu to take over as a buffer seemed like a good idea at the time, so he had turned a blind eye to Chen Gong's meddling.

On top of that, Zhong Yao's recent letter about the situation in Chang'an had given Xun Yu much to consider. It prompted him to revisit old plans, ones he had shelved for a while. After all, compared to infantry, Xun Yu believed that the undefeated Xiliang Cavalry was the true key to winning the world.

Everything had been carefully arranged. Xun Yu had even planned for how to deal with Liu Bei, securing a candidate to act as a counterweight in Yanzhou. All that was left was for Cao Cao to return with his army, and they could begin executing their grand strategy—subduing Sili, securing the Xiliang Cavalry, and welcoming the Emperor. But instead, Cao Cao had given him a nasty surprise.

All of Cao Cao's hard-earned advantages were now gone. Forget about securing Sili, acquiring the Xiliang Cavalry, or welcoming the Emperor—if they didn't find a way to stop Lü Bu soon, everything would fall apart!

For the first time, the usually composed Xun Yu wanted to curse out loud. He had accounted for everything except for the possibility that Cao Cao could lose his entire army in Xuzhou. Damn it, Cao Cao! You should change your title to Quartermaster General instead!