Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1396: Chapter 1347: You Are the True Rebels!

So in the end, Chen Xi also did not consider large-scale official egg chicken farming; they all turned into jerky as military provisions. Chicken and fish now count as the main meats on Liu Bei’s side.

As for other meats that can be eaten, Chen Xi could tell that the government would not engage in large-scale breeding, and it was simply impossible to have large-scale sales in the market. Thinking about this, Chen Xi felt that the Han Dynasty’s government office truly had it tough.

Completely different from the resource-rich times of later generations, nothing in this era could solve problems better than obtaining resources.

”Can’t we raise something else?” Chen Xi said helplessly to Chen Nuo, who was originally a servant of his family and now appointed as a Bo Cao Attendant because of his high level of farming expertise.

”Geese are more suitable, but we are short on seedlings here.” Chen Nuo was also helpless, ”As for the ways to eat them, many have already been developed, just missing the seedlings.”

”As for pigs, the research is almost done, and we are preparing to start large-scale farming in designated areas.” Chen Nuo continued, focusing exclusively on one thing and enthusiastic about research, he is now considered one of the best in his field, although being a Bo Cao Attendant doing this is quite odd.

”Then you continue, the horse breeding on Wen He’s side might still need your supervision.” Chen Xi nodded, in an era of resource scarcity, everything requires gradual accumulation, and many seemingly simple things don’t even have the technology established.

After instructing these matters, Chen Xi drove home to meet with Zhang Hong, who had several times in the past refused their invitations without hesitation and was now visiting the Chen Family.

Chen Xi returned just within one incense stick’s time, changed clothes, and right on time, Zhang Hong arrived with his servant to visit the Chen Family.

Watching Zhang Hong, dressed in Black Clothes, step through the door, Chen Xi saw a fleeting bitterness in his calm eyes. Once, after three attempts, he was difficult to bring into one’s door, and now, only after presenting a letter of visit, could he enter.

Zhang Hong also thought about the situation where even presenting a letter of visit would be hard to gain entry, after he had thrice rejected Liu Bei in the past. But unexpectedly, Chen Xi showed no intention to block him, yet this behavior made Zhang Hong feel a sense of shame even more.

The other party had already looked past the events of the past, while he himself couldn’t let go; even aligning with Sun Ce, he still couldn’t let go of those three requests back then.

”The Zhang Family from Xuzhou, Zhang Hong, Zhang Zigang, meets the Head of the Chen Family.” Although Zhang Hong was older and could qualify as Chen Xi’s father in age, at this moment, he had to be the one to greet first.

”Chen Xi, Chen Zichuan, please.” Chen Xi bowed slightly, then made a gesture of invitation. He had surpassed the era of needing prefixes; when someone spoke of Chen Xi or Chen Zichuan, it specifically referred to him.

[Not with his official position, but with the Zhang Family.] Chen Xi calmly turned around, guiding Zhang Hong into the outer chamber, neither too perfunctory nor overly respectful; accurately speaking, meeting Zhang Hong in the outer chamber was the most proper welcome etiquette.

”Coming uninvited, I hope Marquis Chen does not mind.” After drinking a cup of tea, Zhang Hong cautiously observed Chen Xi. His visit wasn’t to discuss matters but merely to fulfill a wish, and he was already satisfied just seeing Chen Xi once. As for Liu Bei, he might not even meet him.

”Since a letter of visit has been presented, how can it be considered uninvited?” Chen Xi slightly lowered his head, making it hard for others to see his eyes, but just from his expression, one could sense his smile. ”I still do not know, Zigang, for what matter have you come?”

Clearly, Chen Xi and Zhang Hong did not have much to talk about, so they could only steer toward the main business; there was no way around it since he wasn’t familiar with Zhang Hong at all.

”Initially, I came with no matter, but now there is one thing to ask.” Zhang Hong fell silent for a moment; he too realized there wasn’t much to say with Chen Xi. Coming to see Chen Xi and fulfilling a wish was good enough; he hadn’t expected there’d be nothing to say upon arrival.

”Then please, Zigang, speak plainly. I, Xi, am listening with washed ears.” Chen Xi’s words were not pleasant; on the contrary, there was a sense of provocation in them.

”After Yuan Gong returned to Yangzhou, he informed us of what he had seen and heard in the North. What is Marquis Chen’s intention?” Zhang Hong thought for a moment before speaking.

”Intention? Actually, there’s nothing much; it all depends on what the aristocratic families want to do.” Chen Xi said with a smile, ”Among the Aristocratic Families Under Heaven, there is no shortage of wise men, and even if there aren’t those with extraordinary talent, there’s no problem with the families enduring to this day.”

As he spoke, Chen Xi pointed to his own head with his finger, ”It’s not about what I want to do; it’s about what the aristocratic families will do. Aristocratic families are made of people, and people will naturally seek benefit and avoid harm, so they will make choices to seek benefit and avoid harm, which is instinctual.”

Zhang Hong was silent for a while, then nodded slightly, ”But, Marquis Chen is so confident?”

”Confident?” Chen Xi thought for a while, ”That’s indeed hard to say. What I can say perhaps is only that the objectives of the aristocratic families are all the same, oh no, for people as a species, the individual goals vary greatly, but for a group, their objectives tend to be similar.”

”As for the so-called being enemies with the Aristocratic Families Under Heaven, I have heard that too often and don’t like it anymore. Haven’t you noticed that the support from your side is progressively decreasing even for the noble families that back Cao Mengde?” Chen Xi said with a grin as he looked at Zhang Hong.

”I see, it means the money exchange setup has long been promised to the Chen Family by the Aristocratic Families Under Heaven?” Zhang Hong slowly said while lowering his head, ”Does that mean we have already been excluded from this group?”

”That’s probably the case, but just from the situation of various sections’ exams before, there were participants from Yongliang, Jingyi, and Yang, which presumably speaks for itself.” Chen Xi smiled as he spoke.

Apart from the aristocratic families already tied to Sun Ce and Cao Cao’s ships, other aristocratic families have been much more cautious. Early on, Lord Pang De wanted to wait for Pang Tong in Jingzhou to pick him up, and even when Jian Yong invited the Huang Family and Xu Shu, they remained indifferent.

The only connection with Xu Shu was a good one, even sending Jiangh Wan, the most promising under their command, to join Liu Bei’s command, while they themselves stayed unmoved.

Once the battle between Yuan and Liu ended, the situation in the world became increasingly clear, and after the initiation of the Character Homology Plan, Lord Pang De appeared in Mount Tai because of a grand event in Confucian Studies. Similarly, Xun Shuang also appeared in Mount Tai, as did Chen Guang and Chen Shang, one after another; the families are not foolish!

It’s just that the bets already placed cannot be taken back, and the families do have a minimum of integrity. Unless the benefits grow to a certain magnitude, they won’t defect.

”So it’s not me who abandoned the aristocratic families but you who abandoned the new aristocratic class led by me. You are the rebels,” Chen Xi said with a smile, ”Rebirth or destruction, in the increasingly clear situation, the path I head toward is the future.”

Zhang Hong had nothing to say, and now residing in Yangzhou, he could also sense the stance of the Eastern Wu aristocratic families. While those families might lack foresight, it isn’t something ordinary that could make all families waver.

”Thus, what you mentioned is no longer a question. It’s not about what I intend, but rather you should ask yourselves what you want to do, why you chose to betray our class and follow Sun Ce and Cao Cao?” Chen Xi slowly stood up, looking down at the seated Zhang Zhao.

Once, he was the traitor to this class of aristocratic families, with countless families glaring angrily at him, even supporting others to prepare to suppress him as a traitor; later, he became the reformer of the aristocratic class, with other families observing from afar, except for a few stubborn ones still persisting.

Now, Chen Xi can proudly say, Aristocratic Families Under Heaven are led by me, opposing my will is being a traitor to this class. The direction I am heading is the most correct path for the aristocracy, and everything else is already history!

Back then, Liu Bei could only recruit Humble Scholars through Talent Recruitment Order, and Jia Xu and Li Youu were only acquired through coercion; the noble families looked down on them, negating all of Liu Bei’s efforts with a dismissive ”let’s see.”

This is how the world works, either the east wind prevails over the west, or the west wind prevails over the east. Unfortunately, the once powerful anti-Liu aristocratic families have now become the powerful pro-Liu aristocratic families, such is the integrity of the aristocratic families.