Mythical Three Kingdoms

”Zizhong is working on the new trade regulations, and since Madame Zhang will soon be returning north to Jizhou, the management rules will need to be re-established with him. Moreover, Lady Gan’s condition has worsened lately; these affairs can only be fully entrusted to Zizhong,” Liu Bei sighed and said.

As Liu Bei spoke, he couldn’t help but glance at Chen Xi, and sure enough, Chen Xi appeared contemplative too. He then smiled and asked, ”How is Lady Chen faring on her visit? I am still looking forward to seeing my daughter-in-law.”

”She’s doing quite well, just increasingly fond of sleep but nothing else really,” Chen Xi’s lips curled up slightly, his mood considerably lifted at the thought of Chen Lan.

”Was she not frightened by last night’s uprising in the city?” Liu Bei asked with a sigh, recalling Lady Gan’s visibly agitated state due to the previous night’s cacophony of slaughter.

”Not at all, the inner courtyard is well insulated against noise, and those who attempted to sneak attack were all taken down by our Protector,” Chen Xi said with a smile, his home’s defenses were quite robust, especially with Hua Xiong’s family’s guards next door, as well as his seemingly silly and adorable little white dog.

”That’s good to hear. You’ll have to take on more responsibility for Zizhong’s side of things. The commerce associations are indeed messy. Although they do generate profit quickly, based on what Zizhong, the Zhang Clan, and Lady Gan have reported back to me, there are frequent disputes that necessitate constant revision of the rules,” Liu Bei said instructively, looking towards Chen Xi.

”Still revising?” Chen Xi’s mouth twisted in displeasure, ”That efficiency is just too low.”

”Hearing Marquis Chen speak thus leaves me at a loss for words,” Mi Zhu’s hearty voice filled the hall, and then a plump, moderately tall middle-aged man entered and bowed to Liu Bei first, ”Greetings, my Lord.”

”Please, take a seat, Zizhong,” Liu Bei said with a smile. ”You’ll have to bear with some more burdens recently. If there’s an issue, consult with Zichuan more often.”

”Rest assured, my Lord. I shall not disappoint the trust you have placed in me,” Mi Zhu said with a smile. ”As for Zichuan, I’d appreciate more of your guidance as well.”

”If I identify any problems, I will speak up, but you’d better not rely too heavily on me. I can only offer suggestions, and it’s up to you to decide if they’re fitting. You have the final say on matters of the commerce association. As for the positions that have become vacant, just appoint the families who stayed out of trouble this time,” Chen Xi nodded and instructed.

”Zichuan, you and Zizhong will hold the various families accountable tomorrow,” Liu Bei hinted with a sideways glance as he took a sip of tea.

”I might as well have them all come together. At the Fragrance Pavilion on North Street—I’ll send out invitations later. Saying I’ll visit each family individually is too tiring; they can all come to this one place,” Chen Xi considered for a moment before responding.

”Handle these minor matters as you see fit. The noble families are already used to your unpredictable ways when it comes to these issues. If you were to actually pay visits, I reckon they wouldn’t even be able to handle it, but when everyone is gathered, how do you decide who gets more or less?” Liu Bei wasn’t all that concerned with this aspect, but as soon as he started to speak, he remembered that when noble families are assembled, some would need to be allocated more and others less.

”Like thunder and rain, all are graces from their sovereign. How much we give them is our affair; whether it is fair or not is their perception. Whether to compete or not is also their choice to make,” Chen Xi quirked his mouth, finding these issues hardly worth pondering.

Just as Chen Xi had said early on—after the first year, Liu Bei would cause the world to take notice, and after the third, he would be an overlord. Now that interior threats had been cleared, the rules were theirs to dictate. They could toss the benefits out for the noble families to fight over; who got more or less mattered little.

”Wouldn’t this approach inadvertently alienate those noble families? After all, during the Qing Xu rebellion, they did stand behind us,” Mi Zhu furrowed his brow and said, slightly dissatisfied with Chen Xi’s method of distribution.

”We gave them benefits; how they distribute them is no longer our concern. Frankly, I have no interest in delving into how this or that family fares. We only need to know that such a group supported us, then we give what’s due to that group, and that will suffice,” Chen Xi expressed a completely indifferent attitude.

”Zizhong, we are the makers of the rules, not the babysitters. We don’t need to focus on individual entities. Our attention should be on the group as a whole. My considerations should not fall on individuals but on a universally fair approach rather than an absolutely fair one; we aim for fairness with permissible oscillations,” Chen Xi continued as he noticed Mi Zhu’s hesitation.

”I have learned my lesson,” Mi Zhu opened his mouth, stood up after a short pause, and saluted, while the others also wore thoughtful expressions.

”This principle is something all present here should take to heart. Don’t dwell on the gains and losses of one spot or the fairness towards individuals. We need to consider a broader picture to avoid errors. Many situations that seemed significant in the past are merely trifles to us now,” Liu Bei stood and said.

Chen Xi’s words also enlightened Liu Bei as to why he always felt there were problems in his decision-making. Although he had become an overlord, sometimes his perspective remained fixed at a former level.

Take the noble family issue, for instance; Liu Bei personally witnessed the nobles rising up with their private armies converging towards the center of Fenggao. His indignation blazed within him, wishing to exterminate all the families that had joined the rebellion, and he even harbored resentment against those that had not.

This explained why Liu Bei’s smile was strained when he had previously responded to Chen Xi’s handling of the nobles. Although Liu Bei knew that Chen Xi’s approach was correct, and he agreed with it, he still felt suppressed unconsciously.

Why should he restrain himself when he was already an overlord? His ambition was for the common folk, not to forgive the noble families. Why was he only executing the ringleaders, overlooking the rest?

These questions had accumulated within Liu Bei’s heart, continuously growing. Coming from humble origins, Liu Bei harbored inherent animosity towards the noble families. But just like the name of this main hall—overcoming oneself—Liu Bei continuously reined in his desires, striving to balance the current situation.

This is why Liu Bei had not become corrupted; he maintained his original principles because he constantly kept his desires in check, avoiding lashing out at the noble families. Instead, prompted by Chen Xi’s advice, he strived to adopt an objective viewpoint on the noble families’ issues.

However, this did not alter the nature of the situation—Liu Bei had subjective prejudices against the noble families. Now, possessing the power to confront them, even if the nobles pulled out all their middle and lower-ranking officials, Liu Bei had the Qing Xu Poor Families and the scholars he had nurtured as his support.

At this moment, Liu Bei finally realized where his problem lay. Although he couldn’t immediately overcome his biases against the noble families, continuous adjustments meant that he would eventually include the nobles within his scope of consideration for the people. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)