NOVPUB[Everyone has arrived, and according to the template of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, we’re establishing offices, but the system of Three Departments and Six Ministries might not be suitable for this era. Centralized power demands too much from the Emperor and also suppresses the enthusiasm of the ministers; however, without centralization, powerful local authorities may rebel.] After Zhuge Liang pointed this out, Chen Xi’s thoughts drifted everywhere, but he indeed no longer felt the jostling of the carriage.
Seeing Chen Xi lost in thought, Zhuge Liang too remained silent, silently enduring the wild jostling of the carriage.
[The central government must have enough strength to suppress local powers, which means central power should account for more than half.] Chen Xi frowned, [In case an Emperor with extreme control desires comes along, the localities would be doomed, and power would be centralized again. If his successors were incompetent, it would lead to another tragedy.]
[Local power must not exceed imperial power. Indeed, a system of mutual checks and balances is needed. The Emperor, Feudal Lords, Marquis? This probably won’t work; The Emperor, nobility, civil officials, is even less likely. Not to mention that there are no civil officials in this era, just the fact that high-ranking officials must have a Marquisate discards this option.] Chen Xi thought somewhat helplessly. The Emperor, Feudal Lords, and Marquis would be the most suitable, but that’s the least likely; this system had already been played to death once.
[Forget it, the only solution is to create a new class in the middle, a system similar to military exploits, and what’s more important is that this system must be stable and enduring.] Chen Xi thought quietly, his train of thought slowly drifting back, then he nearly vomited from a particularly rough jolt.
"Cough cough cough, it seems only by transcending the material world can one ignore physical discomfort. This jolting will be the death of me." After coming back to his senses, Chen Xi said with a miserable expression, noticing Zhuge Liang looked even worse than him.
"Zichuan, what were you thinking about just now? You were so engrossed you didn’t even notice the jolting." Zhuge Liang said with a wry smile. He had been jolted miserably. The march during the day wasn’t too fast for fear of the heat, but now Hua Xiong had sped up with the military formation deployed, and the jolting was almost unbearable.
"Transcending the material world..." Chen Xi joked weakly as he clutched the handrail.
"..." Zhuge Liang looked at Chen Xi speechlessly. What kind of answer was that? He meant to ask Chen Xi what he was just thinking about, to share any good thoughts he had, and now the answer didn’t match at all.
"What do you think it would take for this world to have an everlasting dynasty?" Chen Xi asked, pulling a grimace and bending over slightly.
"An everlasting dynasty?" Zhuge Liang looked at Chen Xi peculiarly, "With the cycle of the Five Virtues, to create an everlasting dynasty..."
"Let’s not talk about the cycle of the Five Virtues, that has little to do with it. I’ll just take it one step at a time; I suppose I’m doing my best." Chen Xi sighed deeply, "Once I’ve done what I’m supposed to do, that’s enough. The road will be paved, and how it’s traveled afterward is none of my concern."
Zhuge Liang looked puzzled. What was all this? Why did the mood suddenly become melancholic? The mental leap was too drastic. He didn’t even understand what was going on, and then suddenly it all became incomprehensible. And just a moment ago, they were talking about an everlasting dynasty; how did it suddenly get so confusing?
Zhuge Liang was puzzled, while Chen Xi remained silent, both propping themselves against the jolting carriage. They were shaken nearly to death until the rising sun brought warmth and Hua Xiong, sweating, decided to halt and rest while nibbling on some dry food.
"Sigh, Qingzhou was once a populous province, yet now it’s hard to find a trace of human life for hundreds of miles. The impact of natural disasters and human calamities is too great." Chen Xi gazed at the overgrown wild grass, sighing as he spoke to Zhuge Liang, "If I’m not mistaken, the land we’re traveling through was once fertile farmland, but in just five or six years it has come to this."
"Indeed, for more than a hundred li, we barely saw any signs of habitation. This land indeed used to be fertile fields, and Qingzhou once lived up to being a granary. It’s a pity that it’s now barren." Zhuge Liang squatted down and grabbed a handful of soil, then clapped his hands together. Having actual farming experience, he was well aware that this land was once fertile.
"By improving water conservancy and then reclaiming the land once again, Qingzhou can be said to have more land than people now. However, we still need to consider the future. Distributing farmland needs to be done cautiously, as there are still some noble families and local tyrants alive and well in Qingzhou." Chen Xi sighed, realizing that contact with the noble families and local tyrants had become inevitable. Since Qingzhou was not entirely devastated, it was natural that some of the elite had survived.
"Actually, Zichuan, you don’t seem to have an aversion to those noble families and local tyrants. Although many of the proposals you’ve suggested contain ideas to suppress the noble families and local tyrants, you yourself don’t seem to really reject the noble families," Zhuge Liang said tiredly while lying on the blanket.
"Hmm, the emergence of noble families is inevitable. What I target is not the noble families and local tyrants per se, but rather the aspects within them that do not align with the interests of the common folk," Chen Xi said, yawning, his body almost falling apart from being jostled about all night.
"No wonder many of your actions are beneficial to the noble families and local tyrants; so that’s the reason," Zhuge Liang said weakly, understanding Chen Xi’s mindset, which made some matters clearer for him.
"The noble families and local tyrants are people too. If they abide by the law, there’s no need for me to target them. Moreover, the existence of noble families and local tyrants inherently benefits the stable rule of the region," Chen Xi replied with eyes closed, exhausted. Had it not been for his own orders to speed up, he would have commanded the carriage to slow down much sooner to avoid being shaken to death last night.
"Noble families and local tyrants can almost be considered an evolutionary stage of the indigenous clans, it’s unavoidable. As long as they obey, I have no intention of scheming against them. But if they act foolishly, relentlessly courting death, then there are no good solutions," Chen Xi’s voice grew fainter as he spoke, appearing to be physically shattered and half dead from the jolting ride.
"However, you are clearly undermining the foundations of the noble families," Zhuge Liang said, trying to maintain his composure, "Though indeed you have brought great benefits to the vast majority of noble families, your moves to philosophically awaken the populace are what truly upset them."
"The noble families themselves have already dug to the limits of their centuries-old family knowledge, uncertain of how to develop further. Many are beginning to try different approaches. At the moment, it seems there’s a larger group supporting the stratified class system, and it’s this group I’m suppressing while pulling up another," Chen Xi recalled the information obtained from the Chen Family assets, speaking with a sense of resignation, as the noble families were already in a state of internal disarray.
"By the way, I haven’t caused dissatisfaction among all the noble families; some are also trying to enlighten the populace," Chen Xi said with eyes closed.
After hearing what Chen Xi said, Zhuge Liang couldn’t help but think of his own family, the Zhuge Family. They, too, were not harmonious internally, just as Chen Xi had described. It was a choice between lying on the glory of ancestors and enjoying endless blessings or, like in the era of the Various Masters, spreading out the family knowledge and, through the clash of ideas, reaching the utmost heights and creating a new era. This was likely a matter of contemplation for many families who had exhausted the depths of their traditional knowledge. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)
