NOVPUBAs expected, they encountered no resistance along the way, and Ju Shou’s already dark complexion had become completely solemn.
After reaching the border of Jizhou, Chen Xi asked Ju Shou to step out of the carriage, "Ju Gong, please forgive me for this necessity due to the demands of life preservation. I believe Gao Yuanbo will arrive here shortly, so I ask you to wait for a moment longer. Yide, release General Zhang as well."
Zhang He, since the day he was carried out under Zhang Fei’s arm, even though he knew he was no match for Zhang Fei, looked at him with resentment.
"Zhang Yide, remember this, one day I will repay this debt!" Zhang He said angrily.
"You’ve said these words many times already. Don’t you want to change them before you leave? Repeating the same sentence over and over, don’t you find it embarrassing?" Zhang Fei said dismissively, while casually cleaning his ear.
Zhang He said nothing, just coldly looked at Zhang Fei. For the first time, he felt that compared to commanding troops, martial force was also a vital criterion. He resolved to reach the height of Inner Qi Manifestation. For the first time, he felt such an intense desire to surpass his current level, so he wouldn’t feel as powerless as he did now.
Guan Yu glanced coldly back at Zhang He which made him shiver. The divine brilliance of that sword from the day before still lingered at the bottom of his heart. In his mind, the silent Guan Yu was far more intimidating than Zhang Fei.
"Ziyi, Zilong, cover our retreat!" Chen Xi ignored the expressions of Ju Shou and Zhang He, and directly issued an order to Zhao Yun and Taishi Ci. He had no intention of being ambushed. Soldiers in ancient times could very likely collapse if they suffered casualties as little as ten percent; they offered little sense of security for Chen Xi.
"Acknowledged!" Zhao Yun and Taishi Ci bellowed, completely disregarding Ju Shou and Zhang He. Ju Shou even felt the order was directed at himself to an extent. It was clear to him that Chen Xi, like himself, had no desire to start a war at this time. The biggest difference between the two was Chen Xi’s greater youth and boldness.
"Chen Zichuan, you’ve won this time, and I’ll remember this. But when we battle again in the future, I won’t be lenient just because you spared me today," he said with a bow, his voice cold and resolute.
"Heh, by then, you won’t encounter me anymore. I won’t be coming back to Jizhou," Chen Xi laughed, then turned and prepared to leave.
Watching the Mount Tai forces slowly withdraw from Jizhou, Zhang He’s face was ablaze with anger, "Prefectural Governor, shall we not pursue them?"
"No need. Those supplies for a lesson, in my view, were well worth it. Moreover, this lesson has revealed such a significant vulnerability within Jizhou. Chen Zichuan was able to capitalize on this vulnerability and accomplish an incredible feat with just a thousand men. Doesn’t that merit deep reflection?" Ju Shou eyed Zhang He, having noticed the problems within the Jizhou Army exposed by this incident, problems much more serious than the lost supplies.
"Jizhou’s military and administration must be reformed! We can’t go on like this, and we must have the capacity for absolute authority when necessary, otherwise, we may end up like meat on the chopping block!" Ju Shou said emphatically. Without this authority, situations like the current one could reoccur. As for convincing Yuan Shao, Ju Shou hadn’t considered that. He was thinking about the future of Jizhou, not just for himself. Ju Shou believed that Yuan Shao would surely agree!
Chen Xi was also contemplating on the carriage ride back to Mount Tai. The problems existing in Jizhou definitely existed in Tai Shan as well. Even if, due to the smaller territory and the abundance of valiant generals, the hidden dangers could be suppressed for now, they would inevitably surface and reveal the same problems as in Jizhou eventually.
Military governance must be improved, and situations where one is played for a fool absolutely cannot occur. When Chen Xi thought about the possibility of the same scene from Jizhou happening in Tai Shan one day, he felt it would be utterly embarrassing, as if he had lost face all the way to his grandmother’s house. As for how to get through Liu Bei’s side of things, Chen Xi barely thought of a countermeasure. Take it step by step, and generally speaking, the situation of the Mount Tai Army was much better than that of Jizhou.
"It’s difficult to find perfect balance through the ages!" Chen Xi chuckled bitterly. Even in special times, autocracy can lead to significant problems; after all, in any era, it is the breeding ground for ambition. Even Chen Xi himself could not guarantee that he could quell his own heart if he continued to maintain autocratic power indefinitely.
In this respect, Chen Xi greatly admired Zhuge Liang. For a thousand years, he had held absolute power and governed the military, yet he remained respectful to the emperor. To possess such self-discipline was something Chen Xi admitted not even he could achieve. It did not concern wisdom or foresight—power schemes have always been such. Throughout history, the game that has made men sink deeper and yet revel in endlessly has been none other than politics—the proverbial "to lie drunk atop the knees of a beauty or to wake and hold the reins of power" has remained unchanged for thousands of years!
Even grand ambitions cannot prevent this erosion. "White sands in the Nei darken together"—the sentiment is precisely so. Even if one’s desires are modest, once touched, corruption sets in. Chen Xi had known this early on; maintaining one’s original color in a dyeing vat is simply impossible! This is why, when Chen Xi left Fenggao, he handed over power directly, because he did not want to give himself any reason. Once the first reason emerged, Chen Xi was uncertain if he could refuse the second time. To avoid falling, the best choice is not to touch it at all.
The current situation, however, is such that due to some circumstances that cannot be ignored, some people must be given autocratic power in specific situations—this form of power is the best breeding ground for ambition. Yet, without granting this power, continuing to seek instructions in specific situations would lead to incidents like the monkey show in Jizhou.
"Forget it, let’s not think about these matters for now. After this incident, Liu Ziyang, Lu Zijing, and the others will surely pay attention to this issue. I’ll leave it to them to handle," Chen Xi silently raised his head and looked at the roof of the carriage. He had done what he needed to do, and the hidden dangers had been pointed out. Now it was up to someone else to resolve the issue.
"Zizhong!" Chen Xi opened the carriage window and called out to Mi Zhu, who was riding a horse outside.
"What’s the matter?" Mi Zhu replied.
"Have your informants pay close attention to Ju Gong’s handling of this matter and Yuan Shao’s reaction," Chen Xi said in a low voice.
"Zichuan, you can utilize the intelligence network of Mount Tai itself, why use the Mi Family’s?" Mi Zhu asked with a puzzled expression.
"The intelligence network of Mount Tai is now fully committed to investigating Yanzhou and Yuzhou, and I can’t add to their burden. As for the intelligence on Jizhou, I only want a result," Chen Xi shook his head and said.
Based on the previous dangers, as well as Ju Shou’s intelligence and Yuan Shao’s temperament, Chen Xi felt he might understand why historically, when Yuan Shao was in a favorable position, he allowed his three sons and his favorite nephew Gao Gan to each command a province. It was not that Yuan Benchu had problems with his thinking; rather, the threat posed by his three sons and Gao Gan each leading a province was far less than that of giving a single subordinate general command over a province along with military governance.
Upon further thought, in the era of Cao Wei, it seemed that the actual controllers of the border regions were always direct members of the Cao Family and the Xiahou Family. Other subordinate generals, no matter how capable, had to step aside. That is to say, by that stage, all the feudal lords had understood the necessity of autocracy at specific times! But what was more clearly understood were the risks involved. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com), give a monthly pass, and your support will be my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
