But speak freely, it matters not.

He was generous and tolerant toward the Hu people, yet far harsher with his fellow Han, not only making things difficult for Gongsun Zan, who now served as the Captain of Surrendered Troops, but also continually finding pretexts to reduce his military strength. Now, under the guise of "strictly controlling salt and iron to prevent aiding the enemy," he had severed the trade routes with Xinghan City, leaving Wang Bo furious, stamping his feet and cursing, "Traitor! Traitor!"

Then came two secret letters from opposing factions: one penned by Dong Zhuo, who styled himself Chancellor, promising to recognize the Xinghan Army and appoint Wang Bo as Governor of Bing Province if they pledged allegiance to the current emperor; the other, in stark contrast, was an appeal from Qiao Mao, Prefect of East County, and others urging the raising of troops to punish Dong Zhuo and restore Emperor Liu Bian.

"Hmm... Niu Meng! Summon everyone for council!" Wang Bo, having weighed the situation, still wished to hear his generals' opinions. This would not only display his humility and willingness to accept advice but also encourage these warriors to think through matters rather than act impulsively.

Once assembled, they sat in a circle. Wang Bo had Yang Feng recount the situation in detail. He intended for this briefing to prompt a discussion of ideas, then unify the opinions. Unexpectedly, the moment these warriors realized there might be a battle, their eyes lit up, fists clenched, and all trace of their earlier sheepish smiles vanished. They started blurting out crude remarks—itching for action, bored stiff—talking animatedly and all at once.

Wang Bo frowned, scratched his ear, and smiled wryly. Yang Feng slammed the table, scolding them, and the generals shrank back, embarrassed, heads down, though their eyes darted about, unable to fully conceal their excitement.

"If none of you are inclined to debate, perhaps you should stand aside and await orders?" Wang Bo said, smiling. His gentle tone unsettled them more than a direct rebuke.

Instantly, the lively conference hall fell silent, save for the shuffle of chairs and cautious footsteps. Zhou Cang and a few others, who thought they'd behaved, hesitated, but joined the others along the walls, awkwardly rubbing their hands.

"Whose shout was the loudest just now?" Wang Bo turned to Xu Chu, who was hiding behind him, muttering. Xu Chu stiffened and quickly moved away.

After this, only Chen Rong, Tian Chou, Zhen Yu, and Liao Hua remained at the table, all standing. Chen Dao was absent, stationed at Wuyuan, so these few were the only somewhat educated men in the Xinghan Army. Wang Bo beckoned Du Yuan, Niu Feihu, Lü Kuang, and Li Damu from the wall, then signaled everyone to sit and discuss these crucial decisions for Xinghan's future.

"Liu Yu's old man has gone too far! The Xinghan Army must advance east to You Province, seize Dai, Shanggu, and Yuyang! This will end our reliance on others for salt and iron and allow us to repel the Hu in the north, finally relieving the suffering of Han people plagued by barbarian raids. Is this not killing two birds with one stone?" Chen Rong said seriously.

Niu Feihu and Li Damu nodded. Coming from humble backgrounds, they cared only for immediate gains and losses, not court intrigues; their proposal was purely pragmatic.

"No, though this would benefit Xinghan greatly, it has many drawbacks! Seizing the western part of You Province would place us surrounded by the Hu, at the center of four fronts. Ignoring imperial orders and attacking other counties would render us unjust. This is not the right course," Tian Chou countered, shaking his head.

"Yes... The time for marching on You Province is not ripe. What do you all think we should do?" Wang Bo asked calmly.

"The northern part of Bing Province, Fenyang, is rich in iron. Ever since Inspector Ding obeyed orders and went to Luoyang to suppress unrest, only for Dong Zhuo to collude with his adopted son Lü Bu and kill him under the pretext of 'subordinates defying superiors,' several counties have been leaderless. Onufulo has nowhere to go, stirring trouble, and the White Wave Army is ravaging the land. Bing Province is now ownerless. Perhaps, my lord..." Zhen Yu mused, carefully articulating his thoughts.

"Brilliant! Brother Zhen, you are indeed learned. I admire you!" Liao Hua exclaimed before Zhen Yu had finished.

"Indeed!" Wang Bo nodded, then pointed at Xu Chu and the others standing solemnly, scolding, "You lot are ignorant, only knowing 'kill, kill, kill.' From now on, if there's no campaign, you must spend half an hour daily in the academy learning to read and write! Anyone who dares to slack off—hmph!" The threat was clear.

Yang Feng shifted the topic, "With this, the Xinghan Army must choose between punishing Dong Zhuo or supporting the Emperor. What is your intention, my lord?" As Yang Feng posed the question, all eyes turned to Wang Bo, awaiting his decision.

Ah, only Zhen Yu can speak sensibly. Life without strategists is truly difficult! Looking at his rough subordinates, waiting for him to decide, Wang Bo sighed inwardly, a wry smile on his face.

But then he thought: their lack of ideas only highlights his own brilliance, does it not? The look of satisfaction returned to his face.

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Wang Bo's thoughts raced, his expression shifting rapidly. Before the others could recover from their confusion, he sat up, adopting a mysterious air, and declared, "We shall not march to punish Dong Zhuo nor support the Emperor! We take a third path: move south to Bing Province and fish in troubled waters!"

"Raise the banner against Dong Zhuo? Qiao Mao's call is admirable, but without elite troops and an imperial edict, how many heroes can rally to a mere document? Only those with ulterior motives and divided loyalties! Few are truly devoted to restoring the Han. The response is more about reputation than conviction. Leaderless, they are scattered sand and cannot succeed. The Xinghan Army need not join this petty pursuit!"

"Supporting the Emperor and obeying the edict is even less desirable! Dong Zhuo is tyrannical, the Emperor is young, and the edicts never leave the Chancellor's office. With Dong Zhuo's cruelty and the slaughter of officials, the Xinghan Army will never agree! Otherwise, how are we any different from wolves and jackals?"

Wang Bo spoke forcefully, surveying the assembly as he spoke. Once everyone nodded in agreement, he chuckled, "What is fishing in troubled waters?"

Without waiting for a reply, Wang Bo strode to the large map of Han territory on the wall, beckoning the others closer, and using a small wooden stick, explained his plan.

"Dong Zhuo is arrogant, making no alliances with the nobility nor caring for the common people. He deposed the young emperor at will, his actions illegal and illegitimate. Such behavior will certainly provoke opposition throughout the Han, especially the Yuan clan, who have held high office for generations. I predict their power will exceed even that of the virtuous teachers at the start of their uprising!"

"Now, Qiao Mao, Prefect of East County, calls for punishment of Dong Zhuo, which strikes a chord among the heroes. The Yuan brothers, having fled Luoyang and gathered troops, and the Military Colonel Cao Mengde, along with other eastern warlords, will surely respond. But royal kin who have become governors, with no room for advancement, may not: Liu Junlang in Yi Province keeps to himself, harboring ambitions of becoming emperor, and will not join; Liu Boan in You Province and Liu Jing Sheng in Jing Province, both appointed by Dong Zhuo and busy with unrest, will not respond either!"

"See here: this is Luoyang, the capital. The warlords of Ji, Chon, Yu, and Xu provinces are east of the capital. To take Luoyang, they must converge at Henei, Tunliu, and Yingchuan, forming three routes for a pincer attack. However, compared to the experienced Xiliang cavalry, the eastern warlords are divided and lack unified command. Their troops are mostly private retainers and servants, untested in battle. Even if their numbers surpass Dong Zhuo's, they cannot achieve quick success!"

"In my view, Dong Zhuo need only send a few good generals to defend Mengjin, Hulao, and Xuanyuan passes to rest easy. Once the coalition fights for too long and loses morale, they will disperse without a battle!"

"Yet what truly worries Dong Zhuo is here: White Wave Valley in Hedong! Last year, Guo Tai and Yang Feng seized the chaos in Liang Province to rally forces, but the Han court was too weak to suppress them. Dong Zhuo was appointed Governor of Bing Province to use his troops for balance, but he refused, coveting the court instead. Now, with tens of thousands of followers, White Wave Army is a dire threat. Dong Zhuo sent his son-in-law Niu Fu to suppress them, but failed!"

"The White Wave Army is in Hedong, near Luoyang, north of Hongnong. If Guo Tai and others take advantage of Dong Zhuo splitting his forces to fight the coalition, and march south around Hangu Pass, they will trap Dong Zhuo in Luoyang, setting him up for a coalition victory! If this happens, the tide will turn!"

"But Liang Province and the Three Adjuncts are Dong Zhuo's power base, the foundation of his dominance. Should the war go poorly, Dong Zhuo will abandon Luoyang and retreat west, forcing the Emperor and officials to move the capital to Chang'an!"

"Chang'an is protected by vast mountains to the south, the mighty river to the north, and can use Hangu and Tong Pass to block the east, and San Pass to defend the west. The geography is excellent—Han's founder rose here! At this time, rebel leaders in Liang Province have been eliminated, and Han Sui and Ma Teng have been pacified. Even if the coalition attacks, Dong Zhuo can hold Chang'an, defending three sides, relying on Hangu and Tong Pass, and remain invincible!"

After Wang Bo's analysis, Xu Chu, Zhou Cang, Zhang Baiqi and the other rough warriors nodded in agreement, though their blank stares revealed their lack of understanding. Zhen Yu and Yang Feng were still pondering; only Liao Hua and Niu Feihu had excitement and admiration shining in their eyes.

"My lord... Do you mean for the Xinghan Army to march south to Bing Province, ally with the White Wave Army, and cut off Dong Zhuo's retreat?" Liao Hua asked, having digested Wang Bo's words.

"White Wave Army?" Wang Bo frowned and shook his head. "I've sent messengers to Guo Tai, Yang Feng, and Han Xian, but none returned. At first, I thought it was due to the chaos, but now it seems highly suspicious! Otherwise, my envoys wouldn't disappear without a trace!"

"Though the White Wave Army claims tens of thousands, their quality is uneven and equipment poor. Unless they join with Onufulo's forces, how could they defeat Niu Fu's Xiliang troops? To me, they're no more than clay chickens and straw dogs! The Xinghan Army is strong and well-equipped. We may ally, but need not rely on them."

"This is my plan..." Wang Bo then laid out his strategy.

First, the Xinghan Army would take advantage of the fact that Qiao Mao, Yuan Shao, and the other coalition leaders had not yet coordinated, and Dong Zhuo was still complacent, to swiftly exit Yanmen Pass, seize the power vacuum and chaos of Taiyuan and Xihe in Bing Province, and approach Hedong, near the capital. This operation would break from the usual steady advances, moving boldly and rapidly, and must reach the southernmost point of Hedong, Yong'an County, by year's end.

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As for the White Wave Army in Hedong, they would try to build friendly relations and gradually seek opportunities. Most importantly, Wang Bo knew that Yang Feng's ranks included an outstanding but as yet unrecognized figure—Xu Huang. With his own army lacking independent commanders, how could Wang Bo not covet him? If Guo Tai and Yang Feng surrendered, Xu Huang's loyalty would surely be easy to secure.

Meanwhile, they would reorganize and govern Taiyuan, watching the situation unfold.

When the coalition moved on Luoyang and Dong Zhuo split his forces, Wang Bo would quickly march south across the broad plains of Hedong, threatening Hongnong and cutting off Dong Zhuo's retreat to Chang'an. Dong Zhuo would then be forced to negotiate with Wang Bo. At that point, wouldn't it be like the clam and the crane battling, with the fisherman profiting? Wealth, talent, official positions—wouldn't they all be his for the taking?

...

The more Wang Bo spoke, the more excited he became, and by the end, he was so impressed with his own plan that he puffed out his chest and laughed heartily, though his smug, fox-like demeanor was far from what one would expect of a leader.

The reactions varied: some were unfazed, some covered their faces, some had stars in their eyes. Yang Feng was the first to recover, considering for a moment before raising his concerns:

"My lord! Crossing several counties in Bing Province in a matter of days, plunging into a land surrounded by wolves, is this not too risky?"

"In extraordinary times, extraordinary actions are needed! Brother, no need to worry. If we proceed cautiously as before, the Xinghan Army might not even reach Hedong before Dong Zhuo flees to Chang'an, and our gains would be minimal. We cannot do that! Slow marching would mean meeting the coalition at Luoyang, which could jeopardize our moral standing."

"Then... how will we ensure the safety of our supplies? The foundation of Xinghan must be properly guarded..." Yang Feng pressed.

Wang Bo nodded, briefly pondered, then stood up suddenly and shouted, "Brothers, hear my orders!"

A flurry of swift but orderly movements followed. The generals immediately lined up on either side of the table, solemn and silent, faces turned toward Wang Bo.

"My orders: The Black Tortoise Army will divide into three units to guard Xinghan's territory. Liao Yuanjian will defend Wuyuan and Yunzhong; Chen Shuzhi will defend Pingcheng and Yanmen. During our southern campaign, if challenged by the enemy, defense is the best policy—no mistakes will count as great merit! Brother Yang Feng will remain in Xinghan City, managing logistics. I leave the third Wolf-Owl Guard squad at your disposal. This is Xinghan's foundation; all matters must be handled with utmost care!"

"Understood! We will not fail the lord's trust!" Yang Feng and the others replied loudly.

"The Blue Wolf Army will march with me. The Wolf-Owl Guard Beta squad will lead the Red Tiger Army and the reserve forces, commanded by Liu Yu, Lü Shan, Zhou Xiu, and Wang Qi. Zhen Yu will accompany them, leading the campaign to conquer cities in Bing Province, and oversee garrisoning and pacification of the populace."

"Yes!"

"Zifeng, speak your mind freely!" Wang Bo noticed Zhen Yu seemed hesitant, so he invited him to speak.

"My lord! After occupying Taiyuan and other counties, how shall we deal with the great families who control vast lands and private armies? Should we simply enforce Xinghan's laws? If so, they may resent us, stir unrest, and confuse the masses!" Zhen Yu asked cautiously.

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