Mythical Three Kingdoms

”These people listed on this paper are unwilling to settle, they are trying their luck, be it a desperate fight to the death, or as a way for the nobility to purge the internal threats within their own ranks, and now they also serve as the chess pieces offered up for Zichuan,” Chen Shang said with extreme calmness.

”Do they know they are chess pieces? Or do they understand what’s really going on?” Chen Xi speculated as he asked, ”Or perhaps, do they know what the rest of their families think?”

”Those listed here are now aware that they are going to their deaths, as chess pieces for Marquis Chen, to help Lord Xuande gain greater benefits. That way, even if it were a rebellion, the situation would still be under Marquis Chen’s control, you would have the greatest flexibility, and we, the surviving aristocratic family members, would also gain the greatest recognition,” Chen Shang said with a clear trace of sorrow in his eyes.

As he spoke these words, Chen Shang slowly closed his eyes, then opened them again to reveal a resolute determination, ”We wish to integrate into Lord Xuande’s command, not to be as out of place as we are now, living under his rule but not feeling like his subjects. If a sacrifice can lead to the rise of the family, we, as a noble family, have never cared about making sacrifices, including myself as I stand here now.”

Chen Xi rubbed the center of his forehead, knowing that there was some falsity to it, for the rebellion defined earlier was not just for show; they did have a chance of success, especially with collaboration from both inside and outside.

However, now after Chen Shang’s disclosure, these people were indeed bearing infamy, enduring humiliation and heavy burdens, creating an excellent opportunity for themselves.

[Ah, great-uncle, if only you could make the nobility sacrifice their lives for the country and people like they do now, I could guarantee that it would be fitting for the nobility’s blessings to continue unbroken.] Chen Xi thought to himself with a bitter smile.

[The noble families, that’s just the way they are, willing to gamble with their lives for the continuation of the family but not particularly concerned for the country. You possess all the virtues, but alas, they are used for seeking personal gains.]

”Fine, I will report this matter to Lord Xuande and let him decide; there shouldn’t be any problems,” Chen Xi said, almost helplessly, realizing that the noble families were gambling with their lives that he would take their sacrifices into account and give them a way out.

”This old man here thanks you,” this time Chen Shang bowed deeply to Chen Xi, fully in the capacity of an elder from an aristocratic family.

”Is it worth it?” Chen Xi asked with a bitter smile, ”Knowing full well it’s a path to death, why still choose to take it?”

”If it achieves the family’s goals, fulfills their own wishes, and even holds a sliver of hope for turning things around, then what’s so precious about life? How many times have noble families survived by relying on such sacrifices?” Chen Shang’s voice, normally so calm, was filled with much consolation this time.

Chen Xi had nothing to say. He could understand the convictions of the noble families and indeed found them quite astonishing. Unfortunately, these could not cause Chen Xi to compromise his principles - the country, the country, with a country comes the home; harming the country to fatten the noble families was utterly impermissible.

If the noble families were to direct such sacrifices toward the country, Chen Xi wouldn’t let them slip into obscurity, no matter how many mistakes they had made. It was a pity that their sacrifices were only for the family, remembering only the virtues of the clan while forgetting the grace of the nation. Such shortsightedness inevitably led to later calamities.

Of course, one couldn’t deny that the pedantic scholars who came after the Song dynasty were even worse than the noble families; at least the genuine noble families didn’t lack moral fiber and often aligned their interests with those of the nation in times of national crisis. This was another reason why Chen Xi didn’t suppress the noble families too much.

If the members of the noble families could protect the nation as they did their own family, Chen Xi believed it would be completely justified for them to enjoy their current authority and privileges. Under the current circumstances, where the nobility willingly faced death for their families, if they could do so for the country, there would be nothing more to say.

[Let it be, the existence of noble families is necessary after all. Since they prioritize the family, in light of their moral standards, I’ll give them a chance to see the light. As for how much they understand, that’s no longer my concern.] Chen Xi looked at Chen Shang’s resolute expression and felt a slight stir in his heart, as, after all, he was not stone-hearted.

”Great-uncle, the existence of noble families has its justification. Many of the actions you take are what make the justifications unreasonable. If you wish to survive and thrive for a long time, learning and land are indispensable, but these are not the most important things,” Chen Xi sighed, ready to enlighten Chen Shang. Whether the noble families would listen, he wasn’t certain.

The most confident aspect Chen Xi faced when dealing with the noble families was that he had never wronged them like Han Wu, who slaughtered the merchant tycoons and local tyrants; Chi Xi’s policies towards the noble families were always fair and square.

Other than restrictions on their privileges and rights, as long as the noble families engaged properly in commerce, education, and industry, Chen Xi never viewed them with prejudice. Under Liu Bei’s rule, the noble families enjoyed all the benefits they should, and they were also expected to abide by the same laws that applied to the common people.

Although the land was indeed stripped away by Chen Xi, he had clearly stated from the beginning that there would be compensation and had provided substantial business subsidies, ensuring that the noble families that heeded commands were now very wealthy. Of course, if you insist on comparing them with the Mi Family, there’s nothing that can be done.

Similarly, the development plan for the Northeastern Plain is a major pitfall, but beneath it is gold. What Chen Xi really wanted was to accelerate the development of this land.

Therefore, he needed to indirectly consolidate the power of the noble families, driven by morality, faith and righteousness, and interest simultaneously. In this respect, Chen Xi could assert with certainty that he had provided real benefits for the noble families; after this episode, their tens of thousands of acres of land would expand to several times the fertile fields.

These are tangible benefits. Hence, even if the noble families learned everything in the end, they wouldn’t have much to complain about. At most, they might grumble that Chen Xi wasn’t forthright, manipulating them and forcing them into a corner.

The Northeastern Plain, desolate and uninhabited, isn’t hard to reclaim, but resettling people there is difficult, especially the initial wave of migration. In the Central Plains, Chen Xi had laid a solid foundation; the populace wasn’t displaced, so if the government were to take on the migration project, under the common folk’s mentality of reluctance to leave their homes amid prosperity, it would only cause resentment.

Even if such an action were beneficial for the people and the nation, under the commoners’ attachment to their native soil and a sense of complacency in their contentment, even with the strong support of Chen Xi and Liu Bei’s immense prestige, such a project might still alienate public sentiment. Eventually, even Liu Bei and Chen Xi could fail to see the success of the Northeast’s development before the matter came to an inconclusive end.

If an intermediate layer of noble families were added, they would be like ducks driven onto a perch with no choice but to relocate their servants, private soldiers, and employees; and even more so, with too much land to farm properly, they’d fail to meet the initial contractual requirements and be compelled to move commoners. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian ). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)