Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1688: Chapter 1619: A Debt of Favor That Can Never Be Repaid

Although the rope was tied very loosely, there were many capable individuals among the aristocratic families. Not to mention those like Xun Shuang, who hadn’t yet passed away. As strategists who have the experience to say they’ve crossed more bridges than you’ve walked roads, if they couldn’t understand what Chen Xi meant, it would be a ghostly sight.

The problem at that time wasn’t about understanding or not understanding; rather, it was about acceptance. The aristocratic families were already indebted to Chen Xi. As typical examples of taking short from others, when fundamental interests weren’t touched, they could only let it pass.

However, those with foresight among the aristocratic families understood that if they didn’t dare to step forward and clear the indebtedness, those things would eventually ensnare them. If that day truly came, the aristocratic families, although still aristocratic, would no longer have private soldiers or armed forces as they had before.

Without private troops and arms, the gap between the aristocratic families and the common people would again narrow. Without the power to dominate locally, how could the aristocratic families uphold their distinguished status?

Having officials in the family does not make one an aristocratic family, nor does illustrious ancestry.

To be honest, Nine-tenths of Han people have the bloodline of Xuanyuan Yellow Emperor. When it comes to origins, no one is nobler than another. Aristocratic families are aristocratic not just because of origin, current wealth, and academic heritage, but because they are the real controllers of a region.

Clearly, another way to put it is that in their rooted area, they can achieve results more thorough and efficient than the government, as long as they choose to act.

Such a level can be deemed as aristocratic families, because that level cannot be achieved with wealth alone. It requires connections, power, control over governance, and even with careful guard, whenever the authorities try to intervene, they can find out in advance.

If the private troops of the aristocratic families were controlled, their strength would indeed diminish greatly. Although their connections, power, and control would remain, they would lose the power to negotiate with the authorities.

Though originally even with such power, if the authorities were determined, they may not win the negotiation; it is still a means of ultimate protection. If gradually eliminated, even if aristocratic families have other assets, without martial assurance, how could they maintain their distinction before the common people?

So the aristocratic families clearly understood that the indebtedness couldn’t be prolonged for long periods; it would grow bigger if it continued, possibly costing them dearly.

To avoid paying the debt with lives in the future, the best choice for the aristocratic families is to clear the indebtedness as early as possible. The issue is that the indebtedness from Chen Xi to the aristocratic families was too great.

So great that without some special means, it seemed impossible to clear it entirely. When truly calculated, indebtedness is far scarier than high-interest loans, especially when the indebtedness is owed to someone not of the same level.

This marks the greatest difference between Chen Xi’s era and the Guangwu era. In Guangwu’s time, Liu Xiu relied on aristocratic families to seize control of the realm, hence he ultimately repaid the aristocratic families’ debts, which led to the prominence of Eastern Han aristocratic families.

Normally speaking, in the Eastern Han era, if the aristocratic families under heaven genuinely united, even imperial authority was not a match, thus normally, the aristocratic families wouldn’t have unpaid indebtedness issues.

It could be said that from Liu Xiu repaying the aristocratic families’ indebtedness, the absolute power of Northern and Southern Dynasties aristocratic families was destined. As for Chen Qun’s Nine-Rank System, it merely accelerated the occurrence of this situation; it wasn’t the fundamental reason.

However, the greatest difference in this era is that Chen Xi flipped the game board, and forcibly, without relying on the power of aristocratic families, built the foundation for Liu Bei’s aspiration.

From Chen Xi inviting Liu Bei to pass through Yingchuan, and the closure by Aristocratic Families of Yingchuan and Yuzhou, marked the moment Liu Bei closed the door to aristocratic families from becoming dragon followers.

Though subsequently, due to various reasons, it was inevitable to continue utilizing talents from aristocratic families to govern regions, the essence was different. Liu Bei did not rise relying on the power of aristocratic families; rather, the aristocratic families sought shelter under Liu Bei’s wing.

Later, Chen Xi seemingly without resentment granted the aristocratic families many benefits, but one by one, decrees began to encircle the aristocratic families. At that time, the aristocratic families had to acknowledge it. That was the game rule, and even though some things were known to be poisonous, the aristocratic families were willing to swallow them.

Chen Xi continuously fed the aristocratic families honey coated with poison. Although they understood it had various restrictions, due to various pressures, they had to consume it.

This led to these hidden dangers being increasingly embedded within the aristocratic families’ system following Chen Xi’s decrees. These dangers accumulated over time would eventually be triggered, but now the aristocratic families, with profound skill, forcibly suppressed these hidden dangers.

Yet, this isn’t a solution; if Chen Xi doesn’t continue feeding poison later, the aristocratic families will eventually resolve these hidden dangers. However, how could Chen Xi let them easily solve internal issues?

As for not consuming Chen Xi’s poisonous pills, just look at those aristocratic families who haven’t bowed to Chen Xi. Although they consumed Chen Xi’s poisonous pills, compared to before, the aristocratic families following Chen Xi’s steps are growing stronger, and rapidly.

Otherwise, the Eastern Wu Aristocratic Families, Jingyi Aristocratic Families, Yongliang Aristocratic Families wouldn’t have members bowing to Chen Xi, because aristocratic families under Liu Bei’s governance are indeed growing stronger, at a rate faster than those under Cao Cao and Sun Ce, though Liu Bei’s growth is even faster.