NOVPUBLi Youu sat behind and to the side of Liu Bei, a look of realization dawning on his face as he heard Chen Xi’s proposal. It was clear that Chen Xi intended to firmly secure military power for Liu Bei, something Liu Bei might not have noticed was somewhat scattered already.
"That would be suitable. The Soldiers of Mount Tai have shared life and death with me and labored for many years; they indeed deserve such an opportunity," Liu Bei nodded and said.
It should be mentioned that not only was Liu Bei good to the elders who had followed him, but he was also kind to the soldiers who had served him for many years. Normally, such a matter would require careful consideration, but Liu Bei had approved it almost without thought. Perhaps it was because, in the end, Liu Bei was human, and no matter how great his vows, it was impossible for him to be completely impartial.
"Lord Xuande could personally select a group of soldiers from the lower ranks. Try to choose orphans or soldiers with brothers within the ranks," Chen Xi pointed out some details indifferently. In this era, unlike the twenty-first century where one considers the whole world their home, the ancients who valued returning to one’s roots would not easily leave their ancestral homes for extended periods.
"This matter is rather simple," Liu Bei said with a smile. "There are many Mount Tai soldiers; drafting three to five thousand soldiers and low-ranking officers is not a difficulty."
"If it is so, then I would ask Lord Xuande to assist in the selection when the time comes," Chen Xi spoke calmly, "As for the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family, let’s give them a chance. We are seeking stability at the moment and do not want to create chaos in Xuzhou over this matter."
Li Youu shook his head slightly. His goals aligned with Chen Xi’s, yet his advice to Liu Bei was quite the opposite.
Indeed, considering the current situation, it was not quite the right time to eradicate the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family. One could say that Tao Qian had turned the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family into startled birds, who could unite and mount a desperate counterattack at the slightest disturbance, possibly causing serious damage to Xuzhou.
However, when contrasted with the potential risks posed by leaving the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family in place, Li Youu rather thought it was more realistic to completely break the existing constraints and start afresh. After all, a desperate counterattack from the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family would certainly not lead to the loss of millions of Xuzhou’s population. At worst, it would collapse the Xuzhou market, displace the people, and result in losses of money and grain calculated in the billions.
This was indeed very serious, but for Li Youu, it was not unbearable. He considered Chen Xi’s greatest strength to be in rebuilding. Without the aristocracy, there would be no shackles; Chen Xi could recover within a year, and from then on, the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family would have no chance of rising again for a decade.
One year of chaos for a decade of unstoppable development—Li Youu had hardly any hesitation in pushing the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family, letting them see an opportunity to overrule Liu Xuande, then allowing them to seal their own fate. This would leave Liu Bei’s benevolence unscathed.
"I too do not wish to further slaughter the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family. Without them, stabilizing the populace of Xuzhou won’t be easy in a short time," Liu Bei also agreed with Chen Xi’s viewpoint. As someone who came from the lower classes, Liu Bei had truly seen how clan aristocrats could resolve issues of the people that were difficult even for the government.
Chen Xi nodded. His thoughts were not much different from Liu Bei’s. At this time, the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family was still useful, and completely wiping them out would cause too much damage. There was no need to rush things. It’s better to slowly let the aristocracy destroy themselves, rather than act hastily and provoke rebellion.
"However, we can’t just let the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family benefit without paying a price. Can they really take all the advantages so easily? Do they truly believe they are indispensable to Lord Xuande’s Xuzhou?" A cold smirk crossed Chen Xi’s face.
"Lord Xuande, continuing the slaughter in Xuzhou is indeed undesirable, but to let off the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family so easily is even more unacceptable. I suggest transferring all officials from the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family to Qingzhou, and bringing the Qingzhou officials to Xuzhou. I believe the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family ought to extend to us at least that much courtesy," Chen Xi suggested with a gentle smile, looking at Liu Bei.
"Good!" Li Youu instantly understood Chen Xi’s intention.
Most of the officials in Qingzhou had been Humble Scholars, recruited by Liu Bei during his poorest times under the Talent Recruitment Order. They were also scholars whom Liu Bei had wined and dined, presenting with gifts as he sent them out of the city, and the same group largely consisted of his die-hard loyalists.
When the million-strong Yellow Turban Soldiers rose from Qingzhou and spread out, these scholars, even if without a single troop, swore never to surrender. They were the hardliners who would rather die than part with their governed land.
Transferring that group to Xuzhou would undoubtedly ensure the execution of Liu Bei’s orders to the letter, making it hard for the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family to sway them. Once officials from the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family were reassigned to Qingzhou, without the support of the local aristocratic families, and with the Soldiers of Mount Tai watching over them, they would hardly be able to engage in any inappropriate activities.
Moreover, once Liu Bei’s loyalists took over the official positions in Xuzhou, their presence would naturally suppress the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family. Thus, this would effectively limit the local aristocratic families’ growth. At that time, with military power in Liu Bei’s hands, the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family wouldn’t dare to retaliate as long as they weren’t foolish. Without political or military power and only a handful of private troops, nobody would be willing to sacrifice needlessly.
"This plan is excellent," Liu Bei, whose mind was quick, soon caught on. "However, it won’t be so easy to get the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family to agree."
"Whether they agree or not is up to us, not them. The leverage Jia Wenhe holds is enough to ensure they make the correct choice. Additionally, we’ve already declared we’ll overlook past grievances, so they must pay a price for us to uphold that. Aristocratic families are always sensible," Li Youu sighed.
"Zichuan’s proposal makes sense, and it also allows for the transfer of the new group forming in Qingzhou to Xuzhou, where this new power can contest with the weakened local forces," Li Youu, reminded of recent reports from Qingzhou and feeling even more satisfied with Chen Xi’s suggestion, thought it better to let internal strife among the die-hards play out within the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family. It would mean any depletion thereof could ultimately benefit the bigger picture.
"Yes, that’s precisely the idea. Plus, this will be a test to combat the issue of Great Aristocratic Clans dominating local governance and ensuring territory falls under their influence within three to five generations, ignorance of the Han Court, and knowing only of their own clan. Such matters must be curtailed. Let’s first see how it goes," Chen Xi said with a sigh.
Honestly, Chen Xi was not optimistic about the Qingzhou officials’ ability to continuously compete with the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family upon arrival in Xuzhou. The most likely scenario saw these officials reaching equilibrium with the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family after successive clashes. However, if this could buy enough time, it would be hard for the Xuzhou Aristocratic Family to pose a threat to Xuzhou once they realized this.
Officials without local roots, unless extraordinarily talented, would find it difficult to compete with native forces—a phenomenon too often seen in history. This was also why Chen Xi sought to first establish absolute military authority: to give these people a solid backing so they might fight local Xuzhou powers without reservations, pursuing everything they deserved. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) with your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)
