Mythical Three Kingdoms

”Zichuan, come on, let’s head to my place. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a good chat. Although you’re always quite free, you’re often hard to find,” Liu Bei said, catching Chen Xi who was turning back towards Ye City.

”Hearing you say that makes me feel a bit embarrassed,” Chen Xi replied with a hint of awkwardness.

”Come on, to my house, there’s something I’d like to understand to avoid future conflicts due to my lack of knowledge,” Liu Bei said, ignoring Chen Xi’s expression and pulling him towards his home.

”Lord, Marquis Chen!” As Liu Bei pulled Chen Xi back, Xuu Chu was standing at the gate, watching them without a blink. Upon seeing them approach, he bowed and returned to standing like a wall.

”Zhongkang, you’re just as robust as ever,” Chen Xi waved as he followed Liu Bei inside.

After the two sat down, Liu Bei’s maid quietly prepared tea and snacks before silently exiting.

”Lord Xuande, you only summon me with such urgency once before, that time it was over Wang Yun’s death,” Chen Xi sipped his tea. Liu Bei’s urgency in seeking him reminded him of that sole instance.

Liu Bei paused upon hearing this and then said, ”Let’s not talk of the past. The reason I asked you here is to discuss your next steps. Though you’ve said we should advance, I’m still uncertain. To tell you the truth, my youthful ideals seem smaller compared to what I’m achieving now.”

As Liu Bei spoke, there was a clear sigh. His youthful ideals, once deemed grand by everyone, now seemed eclipsed by reality, which was more daunting than fantasy. Yet, with his ambitions so close to fulfillment, he could now surpass them beyond his early dreams.

This is why Liu Bei was deeply anxious. Ma Su’s previous response profoundly touched him, making him recall his past ideals, and realizing from some perspective, he had already achieved them.

”Everyone grows, and fulfilling one’s ideals is a good thing, isn’t it?” Chen Xi said cheerfully, without Liu Bei’s worry.

”That’s not what I mean. I mean my ideals are nearly complete, and even the grand aim I once set to surpass my ancestors, I can now glimpse its entirety,” Liu Bei said quietly, taking a deep breath, ”It’s your turn, Zichuan, tell me your unfinished dreams, it’s time for me to help you achieve them!”

”Comparing to material, power, and interests, I’ve never sensed any of those lesser desires in you. Your laziness aside, your self-discipline surpasses all. You’ve always had clear goals, maintaining steadfast ambitions,” Liu Bei looked at Chen Xi with utmost seriousness.

”My ideals, I can almost see their conclusion. I will be stronger than all my predecessors, and my people will live better, with more virtue. The path I’ve chosen is nearing its end,” Liu Bei spoke with a spirited vigor.

”My ideal...” Chen Xi thought for a while, shrinking back, not answering.

”Zichuan, what exactly are you afraid of? With your support, I’ve reached today, do you think I’d forget such a debt?” Liu Bei asked melancholically, seeing Chen Xi’s hesitation.

”That’s not it, in this aspect, you can trust Lord Xuande,” Chen Xi replied calmly after putting down his tea cup, ”My ideal truly requires the support of an entire nation, yet it’s perhaps not solely mine.”

”Lord Xuande, your ideal to surpass ancestors has just started on the right track, but there’s still a long way to go,” Chen Xi said evenly, ”For zero, both a score of one and a hundred surpass, but the latter is far scarier.”

”I’m not yet forty years old; I have plenty of time. As long as the direction is correct, the difference between one and a hundred is merely about time,” Liu Bei said with strong confidence, looking at Chen Xi.

”Indeed, as long as the direction is right, one and a hundred is just a matter of time,” Chen Xi nodded quietly, ”Why are you so curious about my ideal?”

”Because you haven’t changed. The current you, and the one under Hulao Pass, are almost the same. Your experience has grown, your abilities have strengthened, but your will never wavered. From the beginning to now, you’ve always taken clear, determined steps towards one direction without confusion,” Liu Bei said seriously.

”How to put it, others’ confusion, or doubt of failure, in my view it’s already clear. While others still need to verify and conclude, for me the result is already evident,” Chen Xi said after a pause, the advantage of being downstream in the river of history is clear.

”You’re still as confident as before, perhaps even self-assured, but indeed, standing at the pinnacle of all civil officials, you have the right to be so,” Liu Bei said with a smile, full of emotion.

”Until now, is your dream still distant?” Liu Bei’s expression shifted, asking curiously.

”Distant?” Chen Xi echoed, contemplatively, ”It seems not too far, yet also not near.”

”From the start, I have never changed this ideal. To me, it’s one of the few great opportunities for Huaxia, inscribed in our national spirit is the martial spirit, and this era holds countless essences, balancing civil and military,” Chen Xi spoke calmly.

”Back then, I never understood why we had to fight internally, when even during Shang and Zhou, it was clear that Zhuxia was united, consolidating the people while expanding Huaxia’s domain. We obviously have the power to conquer externally, yet everyone perished domestically,” Chen Xi’s eyes showed a trace of regret.

”Until I reached this position, I understood, or I always did but hadn’t uncovered it, and upon reaching this height, everything became apparent,” Chen Xi narrated with deep resignation while Liu Bei listened silently, not interrupting Chen Xi’s reminiscent tone.

”Indeed, fighting externally is hard, logistical challenges, acclimatization issues, the Empire’s ultimate wall and other issues, but considering all the civil and military who perished domestically, would fighting externally necessarily cost more lives?” Chen Xi described past events in a sorrowful tone.

”I can build roads, increase agricultural yield, improve infrastructure, and plan constructions. I can achieve numerous things, confident in providing logistics for advancing in the Central Plains, but I can’t change people’s hearts,” Chen Xi recounted with a hint of helplessness.

”Wars driven by personal interests are, in my view, the easiest to resolve, but wars of will where both sides fight for justice naturally end in rivers of blood,” Chen Xi’s voice lowered, filled with disappointment.

”Excluding Sun Bofu, the war between you and Minister of Works Cao was a war of wills. Both of you had clear intentions and believed you were fighting for the country and the people. You might have had personal desires, but largely fought for the nation,” Chen Xi narrated the historical context plainly.

Cao Cao’s statement: ”If there were none like me in the realm, how many would claim emperors or kings?” though presumptuous, was true. Similarly, Liu Bei had a similar will, neither was wrong in spirit, thus their unending conflict.

Desire and self-interest wars are easier to resolve as they’re practical, but will versus will wars essentially boil down to, ”You can’t comprehend what I bear!”

Cao Cao could push human limits to fulfill goals and implement his will, while Liu Bei maintained moral lines in tough times, refusing to betray his will. If these two could coexist, it would be miraculous; their wars are just labeled righteous, fundamentally will-driven battles.

Thus, Chen Xi detested wars sparked by conscience and ideals because they required the annihilation of the opponent’s physical form for victory.

Yet, human nature is such that with the power to realize ideals and will, who would back down or make way for others?

This was an unavoidable consideration at the start of Chen Xi’s governance, as preserving the vitality of the Central Plains meant not needlessly killing talented figures. But not doing so allowed them to grow stronger, pushing closer to confrontations of will.

Until later, Chen Xi realized, ”Why am I considering this, am I mad? What I should focus on is becoming strong, growing stronger, surpassing everyone.”

”To what extent strong?”

”Of course, strong enough so that Cao Cao, Sunx Ce, and any dissatisfied others recognize, ’It’s great that you’re so strong and still love peace!’”

”In this way, whether it’s peace or war, or expanding outward, it’d all be a matter of my decision,”

”So forget about wills and ideals, just become stronger, continue growing stronger, until everyone feels, Liu Bei’s offer is truly sincere; if they didn’t destroy you, you should be grateful. The ability to negotiate with him is already you being shown respect!”