NOVPUBAfter parting ways with Qu Qi, Chen Xi began to ponder if there were any flaws in his own scheme. Peach blossoms bloomed abundantly on the branches in winter, their petals fluttering down to the mortal world. In this era, it was, by all means, considered an auspicious omen.
Alright, Chen Xi intended to create an auspicious omen. Definitely, on the day of his marriage, the people of both Li Que and Guo Si would surely come, and so would the people from the Yang Family of Guanzi. Likewise, the emissaries of the Little Emperor would also arrive. Since all these people would be there, it would be a disservice not to stage a grand play for them!
However, Chen Xi also worried about potential significant problems that might arise after the grand play concluded. This place was Mount Tai, under Liu Bei’s jurisdiction, after all. At that time, feudal lords from all over, who were of any significance, would likely send envoys to witness the ceremony. Thus, the heavenly shower of flowers was bound to catch the eyes of all feudal lords and likewise spread to every corner of the Great Han Dynasty. There were disadvantages, but advantages as well!
The greatest advantage lay in having such a spectacle witnessed by feudal lords all around the world, a truly auspicious omen. Coupled with the present prosperity under Liu Bei’s rule, people throughout the land would inevitably ponder. The Hegemon of Central Plains was rising; it was not impossible for him to transform into a dragon overnight and establish capital over the world, with even the Heavens congratulating him.
In any case, after doing this, the morale of his subjects was bound to rise. Similarly, the fence-sitters would have to think twice. For the aristocratic families, opposing Liu Bei would now require careful consideration. After all, two hundred years prior during Liu Xiu’s era, there were numerous bizarre occurrences. Who’s to say that in the present time, another Heaven-sent sage king wouldn’t cleanse the realm.
Of course, just one such event would suffice. If Liu Xie were to flee to Chang’an, even if Liu Bei was willing to take him in at Fenggao, Liu Xie wouldn’t follow. Once Cao Cao took the Little Emperor to Chenliu, the situation of Chong Er being safe abroad while Shenn Sheng dying within would be firmly established.
Once this scenario was locked in, Liu Xie would inevitably have a falling out with Cao Cao in their struggle for power and profit. Even if Cao Cao were a loyal minister, he would be forced to act like a treacherous official. Then, with a few persuasions here and there, and saving those self-proclaimed honorable Han loyalists, seizing the edict concealed in the sash—the moral high ground—would then lie in Liu Bei’s hands.
With moral righteousness and the banner of the Han Dynasty both grasped in Liu Bei’s hands, and with a reputation for benevolence, history had seen personages like Chen Zhen, Xu Shu, Yi Ji, and Wei Yan flock to his side with neither people nor territory at their disposal. Now, holding these three assets, Liu Bei could easily solidify his foundation without mishap in a short time.
Similarly, this affair also had significant drawbacks. Liu Bei was already a formidable force. The envoys of feudal lords witnessing the prosperity of Mount Tai would undeniably elevate Liu Bei to the status of overlord. With another round of heavenly flower rain, Liu Bei becoming a thorn in everyone’s eye was a considerable possibility.
Moreover, given that Liu Bei had been recognized by the Ministry of Clan Affairs as a Han Imperial Kinsman, this advantage was greatly magnified. It was very likely that he could be targeted and collectively attacked by others.
Later, Chen Xi carefully analyzed the situation and realized that the possibility of being attacked by a group was non-existent. His location was good, bordering on both Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. At worst, he would face Yuan Shao and Cao Cao head-on. Yet, disregarding Cao Cao, who was someone that would not engage unless there was certain profit, and considering Yuan Shao—unless Gongsun Zan was defeated, Yuan Shao definitely would not look south!
This made the situation much more subtle. Even if an auspicious omen were to fall from the sky, there would essentially be no problem with all feudal lords feeling wary of it. Cao Cao would definitely not challenge Liu Bei head-on over an auspicious omen, and even with sufficient strength at present, Xun Yu and others, advocating for stability, would strive to restrain Cao Cao.
As for Yuan Shao, he would surely stay put along the frontiers of Qingzhou and Jizhou, absolutely not provoking any issues because the timing was not right. Despite defeating Gongsun Zan, he was still very, very far from completely seizing Youzhou!
That is to say, when the auspicious omen descends, it would really only pose a potential threat, while most of the benefits could be directly reaped!
With these considerations in mind, Chen Xi no longer allowed the potential threats to weigh on his mind. After all, as long as the foundation was solidly reinforced quickly enough and development was rapid, those hidden dangers might never have the chance to erupt in his lifetime.
Jian Yong and Liu Yan, serving as envoys to the Feudal Lords in the south and north respectively, set out for their first destination, which was Cao Cao’s territory. Fortunately, Cao Cao had already defeated Yuan Shu, chased him down, seizing countless supplies and military provisions. Additionally, since Cao Cao had maintained a reasonably good relationship with Liu Bei during their time at Hulao Pass, after a brief conversation, he readily agreed to send delegates to the wedding ceremony.
In reality, Cao Cao was well aware that attending Chen Xi’s wedding was just a pretext, the real purpose being to connect and bond. It was quite evident that Liu Bei was now in a mess with the Technique Alliance, and Cao Cao’s relations with Yuan Shao and Liu Biao weren’t exactly friendly either. The two largest alliances from before were already struggling to hold together, so it was fitting to take this opportunity to discuss matters.
"Gentlemen, who among you is willing to go to Mount Tai as an envoy?" Cao Cao asked with a smile, putting the invitation on the table. The latest intelligence on Yuan Shu greatly improved his mood; Yuan Shu had decided to move his base from Pingyu of Runan to Shouchun of Jiujiang, which was far too distant from Liu Bei and Cao Cao.
"My Lord, I wish to go!" Chen Qun and Xi Zhicai both stood up and said in unison.
"Oh? You two..." Cao Cao was somewhat surprised. Why did two important strategists wish to go to Mount Tai this time? Could there be something he didn’t know? A glint of curiosity flickered in his eyes.
"My Lord, Chen Zichuan is also a member of the Yingchuan Chen Family, although I’m not too keen to acknowledge it," Chen Qun said with a sigh.
Cao Cao was taken aback; he had always thought Chen Xi was merely someone from Yingchuan who coincidentally shared the surname Chen, especially since an aristocratic family member like Chen Xi should not be an unknown youth given his displayed capabilities.
Xun Yu and Xun You exchanged glances. The emergence of an unknown formidable figure in their own territory was indeed unexpected.
"In that case, Changwen, I’ll leave the matter to you then," Cao Cao nodded. The proprieties of the Aristocratic Families were indispensable, and as a person whose reputation was renowned throughout the land, it would be a disgrace to the family if the head did not appear at the wedding. 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝒐𝒎
"My Lord, let me go too. I have a keen interest in Mount Tai," Xi Zhicai said somewhat helplessly, glancing at Chen Qun. He had thought it was an uncontested task only to have it rationally seized by Chen Qun.
"Zhicai, what do you need to go for? With Changwen representing both Yanzhou and the Chen Family, if you also go, I’ll be left with two fewer sages to offer counsel," Cao Cao curiously looked at Xi Zhicai.
"To accurately gauge Qingzhou’s strength and simultaneously boost our own. The civil and military capabilities of Qingzhou are certainly not inferior to ours," a gleam flashed in Xi Zhicai’s eyes. He intended to steal talents to expand his own talent reserves—with three storage slots, plus one talent currently in use, he planned to select three talents most suitable for him in Qingzhou!
Cao Cao, with a puzzled expression, turned to look at Xun Yu, who was seated at the top position to his left. Seeing Xun Yu nod slightly, Cao Cao stopped pondering and agreed to Xi Zhicai’s proposal to also go to Mount Tai. When the time came, Xi Zhicai would represent Yanzhou, and Chen Qun would represent the Chen Family. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, we welcome you to vote for it with recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)
