NOVPUB"Why aren’t you laughing anymore?" Liu Bei turned his head to ask Chen Xi.
"Let’s talk about something else, congratulations to Lord Xuande." Chen Xi shook his head, bringing the topic back.
"Alas, though I don’t understand interpreting dreams, I still know what it signifies when the Zimei Star of the North enters one’s embrace, just as they said," Liu Bei sighed, "I feel somewhat dissatisfied."
"Dissatisfied that after a lifetime of effort, you have paved a road to the heavens for your son?" Chen Xi said with a smile, "What’s there to be dissatisfied about?"
"My dissatisfaction lies in spending a lifetime restoring the Han Dynasty, preparing to become a Duke Zhou, only to have my son waste all my lifelong efforts," Liu Bei said irritably.
"Descendants have their own fortune; we just need to do what we must, to leave no room for criticism. If our virtue spans three generations, and our might surpasses that of the Qin Emperor, then let’s see what the future generations will say," Chen Xi advised indifferently, after all, compared to Liu Bei, he was much more open about such matters.
"Conscience-stricken, I dare not claim I lack all personal desires, but I assure you that my craving for the throne is minimal, almost nonexistent. Unlike before, when I didn’t know where to start, my current goal is much more realistic: to develop each province to the level of Mount Tai," Liu Bei shook his head, recognizing that even this ambition was almost unreachable, though he too was growing.
"Mount Tai, eh? Give me fifty years, and reaching that level is possible," Chen Xi said with a laugh, thinking that fifty years of good governance and a capable emperor and ministers, making it that far would not be difficult at all.
"That would be wonderful. In my earlier years, I saw no place more peaceful than Mount Tai," Liu Bei sighed, "If in fifty years I could develop the world to that degree, in death, even if future events turn for the worse, I could face Emperor Gaozu in the Nine Springs with a clear conscience."
"Take it easy, and be patient. Maybe your initial oath sworn to the heavens will come true," Chen Xi said with a smile, pondering if he could truly withstand the celestial phenomenon of the entire world, then perhaps there was a chance for Liu Bei’s original vows to become a reality.
Liu Bei smiled and did not take Chen Xi’s words to heart. He knew all too well how lofty the goals he had set for himself were—they were simply unachievable.
"Zichuan, I want you to educate my child when he is born. I hope you teach him to become a benevolent and virtuous gentleman, and of course, if he could possess your intelligence, that would be even better," Liu Bei, reassured by Chen Xi, didn’t continue with the earlier topic, calmly shifting the conversation.
Liu Bei, recalling the goals he had set for himself, felt there was nothing more to say. Just as Chen Xi said, he had fought for them his entire life; what his son did in the future was his son’s issue, no longer his concern. Now, he was doing his duty and leaving the outcome to Heaven.
"Sure, as long as Lord Xuande doesn’t mind me improvising," Chen Xi said with a laugh, inevitably reminded of the completely contradictory records about Adou—was he pretending to be foolish, or was there genuinely something wrong with his mind?
"Zichuan, even if you do improvise, you do so with measure. By the way, Ziyang says he plans to use this chaos to connect with Chang’an and prepare for rescuing the Emperor. Years of hard work finally see a glimmer of hope," Liu Bei did not dwell on Chen Xi’s words, shifting again to a different subject.
``` 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝒐𝒎
"This is good news," Chen Xi nodded silently in approval.
In fact, when Chen Xi learned that Liu Ye went to rescue the Little Emperor, he sneered internally. Despite Liu Ye being a Han Imperial Kinsman and of the Direct Lineage, Chen Xi, who was well acquainted with history, knew all too well that there was no way Liu Ye would actually go save Liu Xie. He probably just wanted to give the Emperor a sliver of hope, urging the Little Emperor to jump into the pit of fire sooner rather than later. Liu Ye harbored not the slightest reverence for the Emperor.
"Zichuan seems somewhat skeptical about Ziyang’s actions this time," Liu Bei asked puzzledly.
"Ziyang was a bit too hasty, but thinking about it, it’s understandable. As a Han Imperial Kinsman just like Lord Xuande, he naturally empathizes with His Majesty’s plight and wouldn’t miss any opportunity. Given that Ziyang dares to make a move, he must have considerable confidence," Chen Xi adopted a facade of loyal patriotism as he put himself in the role of Liu Ye.
"Ziyang told me that taking advantage of the chaos throughout the realm now, while Li Jue, Guo Si, and others in Yongzhou are heavily developing it and other Feudal Lords are too preoccupied to pay attention, a surprising route of light cavalry crossing provinces for a rescue might just be effective," Liu Bei said with a hint of pride, showing off the prowess of his strategists.
"Indeed, with all the Feudal Lords preoccupied, this approach of taking an unexpected path is indeed a clever tactic. With light cavalry taking a detour and then our troops stationed at a point for support, the chances of success are quite high," said Chen Xi, analyzing the current situation. Honestly, if he didn’t know that Liu Ye’s heart wasn’t in rescuing the Little Emperor, even he might have been deceived by this strategy.
[Liu Ye was quite cautious indeed. This plan was seamless. If he were to really meet the Little Emperor, then even if this matter were later brought to Lord Xuande, nobody would be able to call him out on it.], Chen Xi surmised after a brief reflection on the whole matter.
Liu Ye was also afraid that if Liu Bei found out later that he had never intended to take in the Little Emperor but had actually pushed him further into danger in order to foster a sense of righteousness in Liu Bei, the potential for Liu Bei to settle scores after autumn was quite high!
Liu Ye wasn’t foolish; he could sense that Liu Bei’s current ambitions did not lie in claiming the throne. However, Liu Ye had no desire to have Liu Xie interfere with his affairs. Mount Tai was on the rise, bearing the potential to turn the tide.
If those ministers who focused on idle talk, who hadn’t touched grassroots level management and whose governance relied mostly on flights of fancy, were to come to Mount Tai with the Little Emperor, the currently favorable situation would definitely be ruined. After all, following the tenures of Dong Zhuo and Li Jue, any capable central officials were almost all dead, with the remaining ones either being sly foxes or incompetents.
More importantly, Liu Ye, who had mixed with the central officials, knew too well their capacity for infighting. They would certainly vie for power and profit upon arriving, so Liu Ye felt it was better to divert this trouble elsewhere and let someone else take over, like Yuan Shao, for example!
"Shenn Sheng perished within while Chong Er found safety without"; this saying was not to be taken lightly. Comparing the strong power Liu Bei currently possessed, Liu Ye thought it would be much more sensible to keep the Little Emperor away from Mount Tai. He was all too aware of how to provoke the power desire of those witless central ministers, making it a brilliant move to set up Yuan Shao against the Little Emperor, allowing Liu Bei to gain the moral high ground effortlessly.
"I hope His Majesty can escape from danger. The Great Han Dynasty has suffered so many disasters over the years, sigh, why must there be so many calamities?" Liu Bei sighed, completely oblivious to Liu Ye’s sinister intentions, sincerely believing that Liu Ye had gone to save Liu Xie.
"If not for these circumstances, Lord Xuande and I would not be able to sit here in such calmness. Circumstances make heroes, and heroes shape the times! They complement each other," Chen Xi said with a smile. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you’re welcome to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
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