Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chen Xi had already made up his mind to fully promote this idea. No matter whether you are Confucian, Mohist, Legalist, or others, you are all one. Since ancient times, you have always been one. Under the witness of the Hundred Schools of Thought, history must converge into one source!

Of course, Chen Xi would never select an existing school of thought as the source of this unification. He would rather create a flawed ancient school than give any single school such an opportunity, as that would inevitably lead to another absurd situation like the supremacy of Confucian arts.

Even if it’s not the Confucian School ascending to dominance, any school that achieves unification will suppress other schools at the start and later distort its own principles to cater to rulers, ultimately ending up in ruins—for example, Confucianism forcefully transforming from the noble principle of humanity into a path of suffering comparable to hell.

”It looks like everyone has regained their strength,” Chen Xi said, gazing at Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, and other valiant generals who had managed to complete their recovery.

”Yes, I’ve recovered,” Zhao Yun exhaled sharply and said. The technique of forcibly creating a god was not simple—Guan Yu’s strike was truly life-threatening. The inner Qi of elite warriors such as Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, Xuu Chu, Gan Ning, Hua Xiong, and Wuu Anguo had been utterly drained during the process.

Still, judging by its effectiveness, it did indeed yield the result Chen Xi desired. That earth-shattering strike was enough to ensure that Yuan Shao’s Army could only exert half their strength when confronting Guan Yu.

”It was truly a shocking move,” Huang Zhong said with a bitter smile. The strike itself was a collective effort; without the combined strength of everyone, there was no way Ye City’s walls could have been shattered—it was not something mortals could easily achieve!

”Truly a brilliant tactic,” Gan Ning praised, giving a thumbs-up as he grinned mischievously at Chen Xi. ”Strategist, can I also have an opportunity to shine like that in the future? That was so cool!”

”General Gan, it’s better not to think too much about such things,” Huang Zhong remarked, shaking his head. ”Among those present, and even among all the world’s martial experts, only General Guan is suited to such a berserk attack style. Each of us has our own specialized combat techniques, and only General Guan can execute a strike like this. If others tried, it’d be impossible to pull it off.”

”Just call me Xingba. Can you stop shattering my dreams?” Gan Ning protested, visibly annoyed. Although Huang Zhong’s words served as a wake-up call, it was undoubtedly frustrating to have his budding excitement so quickly extinguished.

”Indeed, only General Guan in the entire world is truly suited to this form of attack. Others—even if Lyu Bu forcibly attempted such a strike—would likely suffer backlash from their inner Qi,” Zhao Yun agreed with a nod.

”Don’t even dream about such things in the future. This is the peak. Lord Xuande, let’s enter the city!” With that, Chen Xi tugged the reins of his horse and spurred it toward Ye City.

Liu Bei chuckled, watching the fully recovered generals before waving his whip and leading the charge toward Ye City.

At this moment, chaos enveloped Ye City. Although Liu Bei’s Army was known for its strict discipline, even Chen Xi couldn’t fully prevent certain unlawful actions. Just like what had occurred previously in Bohai, all Chen Xi could do was exert maximum effort to restrain the army’s behavior. As for achieving total restraint from wrongdoing, that was something Liu Bei’s Army simply couldn’t achieve at this stage!

After eradicating opportunistic gangs and hooligans, the generals dispatched their personal troops throughout Ye City, finally quelling the rampant disorder.

”Military discipline, sigh...” Liu Bei sighed deeply. He knew that the Mount Tai Army’s discipline was already among the best under all the feudal lords, yet problems still persisted. One could say that humans inevitably harbor a violent side, though it is usually constrained by morality, upbringing, and education.

”Don’t set unrealistic expectations. After all, we haven’t finished imparting moral education to them,” Chen Xi said helplessly. By now, the citizens of Ye City were cautiously peeking out of their doors to observe Liu Bei.

Once Liu Bei’s Army stabilized the situation and ceased any misconduct, the ordinary people did not feel much fear. At least Liu Xuande’s benevolence was recognized by the world.

Especially when Liu Bei’s seemingly laughable oath was initially mocked but later spread among the feudal lords as he began to fulfill it. The once-jeering remarks transformed into a promotion of Liu Bei’s reputation. As a result, ordinary citizens who saw Liu Bei’s forces and their ”Liu” banner entering the city didn’t show much apprehension.

However, as the surrounding buildings became increasingly lavish, the tightly shut doors and occasional wailing emanating from inside clearly revealed deeper issues.

From the perspective of aristocratic families, Liu Bei’s Army represented something obvious. Even though noble families under Liu Bei’s rule were thriving, for the aristocratic families in Hebei, it was akin to living in a gilded cage. Without their lands and a sufficient number of private soldiers, they weren’t much different from fattened pigs being raised in captivity.

”Such chaotic and unsettling sounds,” Chen Xi remarked with a bitter smile. ”It seems Hebei’s noble families are quite fearful of us. After all, I am the head of the Chen Family.”

”That’s because our lord is present now. Once we seize the Xuanyuan Cauldron and you are left alone in Ye City, you’ll fully understand what will happen,” Li Youu said, pursing his lips.

Chen Xi’s identity was truly unique—when stripped of everything else, he was currently the head of the world’s second-largest aristocratic family.

As for the original Yuan and Yang families, the Yang Family was essentially half-dead, while the Yuan Family—having lost Yuan Shao—was at least crippled by half. Yet, due to their vast assets, they retained some strength, including Yuan Shu. Meanwhile, the Xun Family, once on par with the Chen Family, had silently retreated to the shadows of the Chen Family under the brilliance of Chen Xi’s halo!

As the head of the second-largest aristocratic family, it was almost inevitable for Hebei’s noble families to turn to Chen Xi as a target for their grievances. His very existence symbolized the possibility of reconciliation between the aristocrats and the Humble Families. However, as to how this reconciliation would come about, that was beyond these noble families’ control.

”These are minor matters. We’ve got millions of hectares of land, and we still don’t know how to distribute them properly. For the cooperative ones, they can exchange small plots for larger ones, or drylands for irrigated farmland. For the uncooperative ones—sorry, no special favors,” Chen Xi said with a laugh. Such matters were trivial to him!

”We should focus more on how to develop the land,” Li Youu sighed as he exhaled, clearly exasperated. He had received comprehensive data on the Northeastern Great Plain, which left him with only one feeling: overwhelmed.

”Let’s develop it in partnership with the noble families,” Chen Xi said dismissively. ”Do you think it’s realistic to make ordinary citizens see the benefits here? While I’m not particularly fond of aristocratic families, one has to admit their foresight and mentality far surpass those of ordinary, mediocre civilians and even powerful landlords—though this is true only when there are profits to be gained.”

”And that’s why I feel helpless,” Liu Bei sighed deeply. He genuinely wanted to grant enduring benefits to the common people. But for ordinary citizens, intangible benefits were far less meaningful than having a full meal.