NOVPUBChen Xi was somewhat dumbfounded. What was Liu Bei thinking to blurt out such a thing? What did he mean by being deeply indebted to the Emperor’s grace and not harboring any aspirations towards the throne? That’s not like you at all! History has it that you ascended the throne, and now you’re saying you lack the desire for it, is this some kind of joke?
Looking at the astonished Chen Xi, Liu Bei sighed and explained, "Whether it’s ambition or desire for power, I have it all. But ever since I stepped into this position, I have not faced any setbacks. Tao Gongzu, Kong Wenju, none failed to help me; the power of the Han Dynasty still protects me. Even if I felt discontent at times, it still afforded me opportunities."
"Zichuan, have I ever strived for anything?" Liu Bei asked in return.
"No," Chen Xi pondered and then replied.
"Exactly, I didn’t strive for anything, but because of my surname, my lineage, I received so much. Perhaps if I hadn’t experienced the lash of the Supervising Envoy, I would have thought all these as a matter of course. But after that incident, I understood that in this world, apart from ability, one also needs the shade of one’s ancestors!" Liu Bei spoke with a bitter expression, struggling to find the right words, but Chen Xi still understood the implied meaning.
The greatest pain for Liu Bei lay here—he had always tried hard, but in the end, he still couldn’t escape relying on his ancestors. What was more agonizing now was that having relied on his ancestors, he also wished to lust after the legacy meant for their direct descendants!
Even if the other side was at fault, Liu Bei always felt that others had the right, but he did not, because he saw himself as a member of a branch family. The clan had given him food; if the legitimate son of the clan erred, should he strike against that son and take his place? His conscience would not allow it!
Chen Xi couldn’t help but smile wryly at the succession of thoughts. He finally understood the situation. Unlike the historical Liu Bei, this Liu Bei had not gone through the experience of being displaced and homeless!
In a previous life, apart from the title of Imperial Uncle, Liu Bei had not enjoyed any favors from the Imperial family. Even if he had some help from loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty, such assistance had long been depleted over time!
One could say that apart from a hollow reputation, Liu Bei started from scratch, owing nothing to the Han Dynasty. Thus, firmly believing that all members of the Imperial Clan had a right to ascend, and now only he, Liu Xuande, was the savior of the Imperial Clan, he ascended without any pressure.
In this life, Liu Bei had official documents from the Imperial Clan, enjoyed the Imperial family’s benefits, and quickly grew from a penniless nobody to a mighty feudal lord governing a state with a population of millions and had even attained a noble rank. Almost everything a royal should have was at his disposal. Though his rise involved his own endeavours and Chen Xi’s schemes, without loyal ministers like Tao Qian, Liu Bei would not have risen so swiftly.
For this reason, Liu Bei felt he owed too much to the Han Dynasty. The situation of the Dynasty was not quite bad, and with effort, there was still hope for salvation. Thus his conscience easily suppressed his ambition; instead, he aspired to be Duke Zhou, the restorer of order, to support the Han Dynasty—an ambition far from dreaming of becoming Emperor himself.
Because of this mindset, he was deeply hurt by the actions of Emperor Liu Xie. Otherwise, wouldn’t Emperor Liu Xie’s actions have been seen as a great opportunity for Liu Bei? By antagonizing the loyal ministers, those ministers began to lose faith in him. According to the principle where any relative of the Han could ascend, wouldn’t Liu Bei, lauded by Liu Yan as a mighty lord, be the prime candidate?
Having understood all this, Chen Xi knew how to handle the situation.
"Lord Xuande, would you listen to a word from me?" Chen Xi said with a smile.
"Zichuan, please speak." Liu Bei said calmly. After venting for a while, although he regretted speaking out of turn, he felt much more at peace.
"Lord Xuande, how did our ancestors come by their remaining blessings?" Chen Xi looked at Liu Bei with a hint of a smile in his eyes.
"It was Emperor Gaozu, who, braving thorns and thickets, overthrew the tyranny of the Qin Dynasty and contended with King Xiang to bestow grace upon the future generations." Liu Bei spoke with fervor.
"Then to Emperor Gaozu, there was no question of his descendants being near or far," Chen Xi said with a smile.
"That’s not something you can say," Liu Bei frowned.
"Alright, let’s change the topic. What kind of state did Emperor Gaozu hope the Han Dynasty would be in?" Chen Xi continued to ask.
"Everlasting, passed down from generation to generation!" Liu Bei paused as he said this, knowing it wasn’t entirely realistic.
"And what about his hopes for each generation?" Chen Xi asked with a smile.
"..." Liu Bei did not answer, but a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
"Did our forebears hope that their descendants would grow stronger with each generation, or did they hope they would just rely on their ancestors’ remaining blessings to survive?" Chen Xi’s smile became more pronounced.
Liu Bei did not answer, but the air of dejection surrounding him was swept away.
"Lord Xuande, no ancestor hopes that their descendants will live only on their own glory; the honor they create and the solid foundation they lay are only there so that if one day the future generations are truly incompetent, they might be supported for some time longer, in order to wait for a day of rising anew," Chen Xi explained slowly.
Liu Bei stood up, extending his hand toward Chen Xi, "Let us create more glory for our descendants and lay a firmer foundation for them; let us surpass our ancestors!" The last words Liu Bei practically squeezed from between clenched teeth, yet after speaking, he seemed to glow with renewed strength.
"Forgive this descendant’s irreverence, great ancestors, but today Liu Xuande, a descendant of King Jing of Zhongshan, is willing to swear to the heavens, if I cannot surpass those of past generations, I will never covet the Divine Artifact; let the Imperial Clan be my witness!" Liu Bei declared to the sky with spirited vigor, the determination in his eyes convincing Chen Xi that Liu Bei was in earnest.
"Zichuan!" In that moment, Liu Bei seemed enveloped in an aura of solemnity, as he reached out again, "State your aspirations. Don’t give me the deception about wanting to be the Chen Family Head; your capabilities surely rank among the world’s finest, for you the position of the Chen Family Head is nothing more than child’s play! Declare your ambitions, Zichuan!"
Chen Xi was taken aback, and then for the first time, he shed his frivolous demeanor and, without a look of distaste, placed his hand in Liu Bei’s, "My ambition... For all eternity, Huaxia stands at the pinnacle of the world, commanding respect, both in the past and the future; the common folk free from want, with avenues for advancement, the world’s riches, wisdom, and worthy talents, not monopolized by the great clans, and every person able to earn just rewards for their efforts!"
"Good! That’s the Chen Zichuan I know!" Liu Bei laughed heartily, then turning to look at Chen Xi, "Zichuan, swear your oath, for one day I will inscribe today’s vows in the Liu Family’s family instructions—I, Liu Xuande, will surely surpass my ancestors, my loyalty is to the Han Dynasty, not to any one person!" (To be continued. If you like this novel, you are welcome to vote for a recommendation ticket and monthly pass at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
