NOVPUB...
Lub Su was taken aback by Chen Xi’s arrogance. He had considered all sorts of scenarios but he never imagined that Chen Xi, whom he regarded as a prodigy, would be so conceited.
"Do you think I’m too arrogant?" Chen Xi laughed heartily, not minding Lub Su’s stunned look at all, "We are both not yet twenty years old if we aren’t arrogant now, showing the sagacity and composure of an old man, then what fun will there be when the time comes for us to be prudent? Wouldn’t it be boring to think back to today?"
Chen Xi’s words left Lub Su dumbfounded once again. Without waiting for him to speak, Chen Xi laughed and said, "Under Lord Xuande’s rule, I’m the only one who can be considered a civil official. The others, though in the position of civil officials, are merely assuming the role temporarily. I need someone to help me."
"Being savvy and discreet is indeed not what we should do at our age. Indeed, when we are young we should have the spirit to look down on the mighty heroes of the world. I have become so used to being a head of local tyrants that I neglected my identity today." Lub Su slowly closed his eyes and when he opened them again, his entire presence radiated confidence, his eyes fixed on Chen Xi, "I have never given control to others!"
"Very well, let me hear your thoughts," Chen Xi said, laughing at Lub Su’s pride. An ambition like his, filled with confidence and prominence, is what a power needs to surge forward. Only under such vigorous leadership can a magnificent empire be built against the odds.
As for the saying that maintaining an empire is harder than building one, that is only because there are more emperors focused on preservation than on creation. Thus, those who have never experienced the ocean assume the small waves of a lake are frightening, not knowing that the billows of the great sea are beyond their wildest understanding.
"What do you want to do, Zichuan?" Lub Su asked, staring at Chen Xi.
"To pacify the world, and recreate the universe!" Chen Xi said calmly.
"Conquer Qingzhou, annex Xuzhou, swallow Yuzhou, destroy Yuan Shao, and accept Bingzhou to the west. Amass the power of the Central Plains and engulf the world," Lub Su said with a sly smile to Chen Xi, as if to say such plans were so apparent that even he could see through them, and how could they be presentable?
"There’s no big issue; at most, there’s an additional step of fighting the world alone before amassing the power of the Central Plains to engulf the world," Chen Xi replied, unbothered by Lub Su’s smirk.
The reason Lub Su could see through his plans was that Chen Xi deliberately acted so arrogantly in front of him. A sage whose exterior is elegant but whose heart is ambitious will inevitably use the most tyrannical and audacious plans, which may seem simple and crude. However, one cannot deny the simplicity and brutality of such plans—they can be astonishingly unexpected, so much so that nobody would pay attention to such a madman’s strategy.
"A mad plan, the first three steps, based on the brilliance you’ve displayed, should not be an issue. I even suspect you’ve already started plotting against Yuan Shu. As for the fourth and fifth steps, those are the crux," Lub Su mumbled as he pondered, tapping the table, inadvertently getting drawn into this lunatic strategy, challenging the foremost family in the world and the first and second feudal lords. How insane a person must be to dare such a feat? And for some reason, Lub Su felt his blood boiling at the thought.
"No, only the fifth step is crucial," Chen Xi said with a cold laugh, "As long as we’re fast enough, there’s hardly any difficulty in the first four steps."
"That’s impossible, Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao, after all, are from the same Yuan Clan. Even if they’re feuding, once a force emerges that threatens the Yuan’s status, they will definitely join forces to deliver a heavy blow. From the third step on, the resistance will greatly increase. Nonetheless, considering Yuan Shu’s great ambitions but limited abilities, he might be destroyed before he can react! But Yuan Shu’s downfall will be a warning to Yuan Shao!" Lub Su shook his head, refuting Chen Xi’s bold statement, unconvinced by Chen Xi’s calculations.
"The third step is not for us to do alone; there will be a group tackling it. The Jade Seal is still in Sun Ce’s possession, and Sun Ce is under Yuan Shu’s command. When the time comes, just distract Sun Ce and dazzle Yuan Shu with prophecies." Chen Xi’s prophetic insight emerged, his gaze towards Lub Su beaming with intense confidence, as though saying, even if everyone else didn’t want these things to happen, he, Chen Xi, could make them happen!
Lub Su’s expression became serious as he began to ponder the possibility. Eventually, with difficulty, he raised his head to look at Chen Xi. For the first time in front of Chen Xi, he felt pressure. Could someone really be this meticulous?
"If that’s the case, then the third stage really becomes a situation of kicking a man when he’s down, and Yuan Benchu can only sit by helplessly." Lub Su spoke with difficulty. Temple strategy is such that if one step goes wrong, everything that follows can collapse. Previously, he had not at all considered the matter of Yuan Shu and Sun Ce. One oversight could drastically change the situation.
"Actually, I think by the fourth stage, cunning plans are no longer important, because by that time the strength of both sides cannot be completely negated by a single failure. It can be said that in essence, it’s not military strategy on the battlefield that’s being compared, but rather logistics. And unfortunately, Yuan Shao has already fallen prey to my schemes," said Chen Xi with a mocking smile on his face. He profoundly disdained the notion, as there were many more ways to defeat an enemy in this world besides the battlefield.
Lub Su sighed as he looked at Chen Xi, "Aren’t you afraid that I will defect to Yuan Benchu?"
"If you wanted to defect to him, you wouldn’t have considered so many things for Lord Xuande," Chen Xi said with a snort. "Though I don’t know why you didn’t directly join Lord Xuande and hesitated instead, it’s clear from the way you’ve been thinking that you truly have been considering things from Lord Xuande’s perspective. Even when you were pointing out flaws to argue against me, you didn’t take the enemy’s standpoint. You’re already part of the game."
"Alas! Chen Zichuan truly is a genius in this world," Lub Su sighed. "My inner hesitation was only because I felt that joining you directly now would somehow be contrary to what I’d said before about observing for an extended period. Now, however, I’m also willing to take on the role of a Guest Elder at Mount Tai, to assess the situation while helping Zichuan identify and rectify any oversights."
"Very well, very well," Chen Xi laughed heartily. "Since you’re inclined to join Mount Tai, I finally have the opportunity to discuss the future direction of Mount Tai with someone."
"Uh..." Lub Su was taken aback for a moment. So all the previous discussions about taking Qingzhou, swallowing Xuzhou, annexing Yuzhou, and attacking Yuan Shao to the north were just for fun? That couldn’t be. Clearly, Chen Xi had already started dealing with these matters. Whether it was Yuan Shu or Yuan Shao, Chen Xi had already begun plotting against the two largest powers in the south and the north.
"Hmm, it’s different from that kind of planning. If previously it was about external matters, now it’s about internal ones. I’ve always wanted to discuss governance with someone. Destruction is always easier than construction, so before taking action, I think I need to study governance, solidify the foundation and enhance the resilience, until the day comes when we can win without fighting," Chen Xi said with a smile, his eyes closed. This was indeed his plan.
"I would like to hear the specifics," Lub Su bowed respectfully. Unlike before, this time Chen Xi was clearly about to share some substantial insights.
"Zijing, do you think strategists and commanders-in-chief are very important in these chaotic times?" Chen Xi asked Lub Su seriously.
"Very important. An excellent strategist or commander-in-chief can be worth a hundred thousand mighty soldiers," Lub Su replied. Although he didn’t understand what Chen Xi was getting at, he still voiced his own opinion.
"Indeed, they can stand against a hundred thousand mighty soldiers. So what if a staid and cautious average commander, leading a few mediocre strategists and a hundred thousand well-supplied elite infantry and cavalry, goes up against a commander and strategist the likes of ancient renowned generals, leading ten thousand infantry with shortages in provisions?" Chen Xi asked as he looked out into the night.
"Probably..." Lub Su took a long time to approximate, and still couldn’t come up with an answer, but it was as if he had grasped at something.
ps: Is it really so magical when I post two chapters? I update with two thousand words each time, but my mother’s record of the average update is three thousand. This means that in a few days, I’ll be posting two chapters again...
