RPAGF Chapter 7198 Repeated Tests
Chapter 7198 Repeated Tests
Chapter 7198 Repeated Tests
Chen Qun couldn't really understand what Chen Xi was thinking. In the past, Chen Qun thought that Chen Xi might be someone who could calculate ten steps ahead, someone with superb wisdom and strategy, and someone with a heavy mind. But over the years, Chen Qun has come to realize that Chen Xi's problem might not be about calculating ten steps ahead or having superb wisdom and strategy. Rather, it's that his perspective and level of understanding of problems are simply not on the same level as theirs.
The result is that what they thought was unsolvable is now easily solved by Chen Xi. Therefore, Chen Qun no longer tries to guess Chen Xi's thoughts, because it's impossible to guess. You might only be considering how to solve the problem, while Chen Xi is probably using the phenomenon to consider how to solve the problem at its root.
With such a difference in their levels of understanding, what could Chen Qun say? He could only shut his mouth and remain silent.
However, this was under normal circumstances. Now that this old fellow Yang Zhong had asked, it wouldn't be right for Chen Qun to simply remain silent. Therefore, after showing a slight thoughtful expression, he followed Yang Zhong's words and said, "I think that Marquis Chen might really be thinking about resolving the issue."
"Solve the problem?" Yang Zhong was taken aback. "Is there even a solution to this kind of thing? Li Wenru is basically certain he's going to the Ganges, so doesn't that mean this is the normal solution? Is this a solution?"
The fact that Li You accompanied Liu Bei to the Ganges is now generally known among the major clans. Although they don't quite understand why Liu Bei went to the Ganges, thinking that he must have something on his mind to go there when they should avoid it, they are not sure.
Of course, some aristocratic families understood that Liu Bei was indeed a benevolent man, and that he and Chen Xi, a moral saint, were truly kindred spirits. At a time when he should not have gone to the Ganges, he actually risked damaging his own prestige to go and provide a final rescue, which was a manifestation of benevolence.
Those aristocratic families who realized this, while lamenting Liu Bei's actions, became even more determined to become bad people. After all, bad people most want good people to control their own destiny, because only in this way can they more easily maximize their so-called interests.
Moreover, the bottom line of good people is also the best place for them to take advantage of. Chen Xi's saintly virtue has been demonstrated enough over the years. He is the kind of saint who has established his own rules and will follow them even if he hits his own hand.
Now, Liu Bei's display of benevolence has completely dispelled the last concerns of this group of people. These two, if not saints, are at least gentlemen who can be deceived.
This is undoubtedly good news for the major families who have already begun to eye the future.
In other words, Liu Bei and Chen Xi were both morally upright individuals who respected rules. They would not arbitrarily break the rules they had established, even if those rules would put them at a disadvantage. This was undoubtedly exciting news for the major clans.
With this guaranteed minimum, the rest becomes very simple: operate within the bounds of the red line and maximize profits.
Just like the Han, Bai, and Shen families who were famous for exploiting loopholes back in the Taishan era, they were indeed exploiting loopholes. Li You was very unhappy about this, but because of Chen Xi's existence, Li You wished that the heads of these three families would cause trouble together during the chaos in Taishan, so that he could kill them. However, faced with the fact that the heads of the three families sided with Liu Bei without hesitation during the chaos, Li You could only accept reality and save the heads of the three families.
“Li Wenru is Chen Hou’s knife, a very sharp and terrifying knife. But this knife is ultimately wielded by Chen Hou, so this knife has a bottom line. Even if this knife has evil thoughts and its own independent thinking, as long as Chen Hou is behind it, this knife cannot cross the bottom line.” Chen Qun, who is politically astute, saw through this fact long ago.
It's not that Li You has changed, but that Li You has been restrained by Chen Xi. The Li Ru of the past was able to kill indiscriminately because no one could restrain Li You. However, although Li You made his move again and again, he never actually crossed the line of death.
“So Li You is terrifying, but he is not Li Ru who ignores the rules.” Yang Zhong sighed softly. This was the same as his judgment. “The people from the Jingchu aristocratic families should have come to the same conclusion. After all, it was Marquis Chen who wielded the knife, not the knife’s instinct. When he picked up the knife, it was more about releasing some of the constraints, not about completely letting go.”
This is actually something that the major families have gradually discovered over the past ten years through various means. Li You is terrifying, but Li You became Li You because of Chen Xi. And Chen Xi's existence also prevents Li You from acting as recklessly as he did back then.
Protecting Li You also protected the major families, which is why the families of Jingchu are now tacitly willing to take a gamble. After all, even if it really comes to the point of crossing the line and Li You is involved, it will definitely be with Marquis Chen's approval and approval, not the mass killings of the past!
With restraint in place, Li You, though still terrifying, would certainly not be as capable as Cao Cao in previous years, who would directly lead his troops in to massacre people. To put it bluntly, that was something only Li Ru could do back then. Now, even if Li You wanted to exterminate an entire family, he would have to obtain an imperial edict, read out the charges, and then review and sign each charge before he could do it!
But since the charges must be read aloud and reviewed and signed one by one, things without evidence cannot be used as charges. After all, this is a punishment, not a suppression of a rebellion. The former requires evidence. Even if Li You, with his status, can ignore part of the evidence chain and wrongfully kill a small number of people, he absolutely cannot carry out a massacre. After all, it is in accordance with the law to deal with crimes. There are quotas for wrongful death, but you can't stuff everyone into those quotas.
To put it bluntly, Li You doesn't have that ability right now!
In fact, this is the reason why the Jingchu aristocratic families dare to play this tacit game. Because once the law is involved, you can only follow the rules. Within these rules, you can indeed fabricate charges and execute the other party, but you can't use this trick to wipe out an entire clan!
Ultimately, it's not about suppressing a rebellion. There's no way to send down the entire clan, but to proceed according to the charges. So, we can concentrate certain matters in one lineage, or even a very important main lineage. The losses might be enormous, but so what?
According to the judgment of the major clans, it would take until the seventeenth or eighteenth year of Yuanfeng to destroy Kushan. This year's blow has tested Chen Xi's bottom line. There will be no time to recover in the next seven or eight years. At that time, they will naturally summarize this experience and use more ingenious methods to obtain greater benefits.
The Ganges-Indus Plain, a vast alluvial plain that yields three harvests a year, is a place where one can build a business. What does it matter if a few people die?
No matter how ruthless Li Wenru is, he is still just Chen Hou's blade. No matter how surging the killing intent is, as long as the person wielding the blade is still Chen Hou, he cannot kill without warning. Even if he slightly exceeds the rules set by Chen Hou himself, he cannot completely trample on them. After all, he is Chen Hou, right?
“My judgment is similar,” Chen Qun said calmly. “But it’s hard to say what the outcome will be. To be honest, no matter how brilliant the scheme, I don’t have a good chance against my cousin. The things we’re considering are completely different from what he’s considering, and that’s fatal.”
"Yes, that's the biggest problem," Yang Zhong said with a hint of melancholy.
The most painful thing for the major families when facing Chen Xi is this: every time they feel they have won, but as time goes on, they realize that they have lost every time. Even now that they know Chen Xi's step-by-step plan, if they went back to the beginning, they would have no choice.
When land is exchanged, can it not be exchanged? If it's not exchanged together, how can we mitigate risks, how can we coordinate with each other, how can we unite, and how can we prepare for establishing a state in Central Asia later?
To put it bluntly, if your family doesn't exchange land, not to mention the issue of Chen Xi's suppression, if you don't sit down with those powerful families to discuss and consider things together, when it comes time to exchange land in Northeast China for a super-large fiefdom, will you be able to act together with those powerful families who are banding together?
How could that be? People have experience in developing the Northeast Plain and helping each other by sticking together. What do you have? You only have one family. When it comes time to move to another place, go abroad, or go to Central Asia, what will you do then? You can't really think you can do it all by yourself, can you? What a joke.
Unless all the powerful families refused to exchange land from the very beginning!
However, this was simply impossible. Without knowing about the subsequent enfeoffment of Central Asia, Chen Xi's approach of compensating the black soil region on a 1:2 basis, regardless of whether it was upper or lower land, was impossible for any aristocratic family to refuse, especially given that Chen Xi already had the upper hand and Yuan Shu, that idiot, was pushing things along from behind!
Even the Yang family back when Yang Biao was still alive didn't actually disagree; they just wanted a reasonable way out, like giving others a one-for-two exchange and giving me a one-for-two-and-a-half exchange. Wouldn't that be a way out?
Similarly, there's the issue of exchanging Central Asian fiefdoms. Back then, families who coveted land from Chen Xi and lied about exchanging too much land couldn't leave the country until the land was fully cultivated. This is a clear case of them having to give back what they took from me!
In short, the aristocratic families won every time, but in the long run, compared to Chen Xi, it was just so-so. Chen Xi, on the other hand, went further and further down the road of winning big and winning big.
So when Chen Qun said that what we were considering was completely different from what that person was considering, Yang Zhong was very distressed. After eating so many pancakes fed to him by Chen Xi, Yang Zhong also felt that this pancake seemed quite delicious. Losing a few manpower was fine, but if he ate it, would he not be able to eat anything else later?
It can be said that the biggest problem for the major families is that they did not fail to enjoy good food, but rather that they ate until they were stuffed, only to find that there was something even better to come.
"Master Yang, listen to me. There's really no need to think about these things. What Marquis Chen has given us is already very good. Even if we want something better, to be honest, we can't even imagine what something better would be. So just accept what we know is the best." Chen Qun advised with a touch of frankness. He had truly come to terms with reality now, and arguing with Chen Xijuan was pointless!
Upon hearing this, Yang Zhong's expression was incredibly complicated. How to put it? He also wanted to do the same, but seeing the gap between the Yang family and other families getting smaller and smaller, while the Yuan family's size was becoming increasingly outrageous, how could he, as the current head of the Yang family, stop moving forward?
"Lord Chen, alas!" Yang Zhong sighed.
“Just prepare according to your own ideas, there’s still time, isn’t there?” Chen Qun said to Yang Zhong in a reassuring tone. Then, feeling that there was no point in arguing about this, he waved his hand at Yang Zhong, “Master Yang, there’s no need to worry so much. At least we are doing much better now than before. Our children and grandchildren will have their own blessings, there’s no need to worry so much.”
After saying that, Chen Qun quickly slipped away. He actually knew what Yang Zhong wanted to ask, but on the one hand, Chen Qun really couldn't figure out Chen Xi's true thoughts, and on the other hand, Chen Qun also felt that it was pointless to dwell on what Chen Xi wanted to do. Everyone knew that Chen Xi's ultimate goal was to build a Han cultural sphere, so why not just follow this grand ideal?
Anyway, everyone knows the reality is that no one can defy Chen Xi. Since that's the case, it's better to just go along with it. Besides, this path is the right one for all the aristocratic families. There's no need to get entangled in it, right?
Faced with Chen Qun's sudden departure, Yang Zhong sighed and said nothing, only watching him leave. After a moment of silence, he decided to make contact with the families in Jingchu, not to cause trouble, but to promote the Chu Overlord Meditation, which was associated with people in Jingchu!
Whether or not to cause trouble is another matter. Strengthening our strength is still the most important thing at this stage. As for the thing that Chu Bawang is contemplating, let alone anything else, the danger is no joke. The Yang family is also afraid that one day Chu Bawang will wake up and kill them. So it's better to find a few more scapegoats, ah, no, I mean find a few more allies to share the risk!
As for whether any wealthy families would be interested in such a thing, what a joke! Every wealthy family is greedy. Although the Chu Bawang contemplation is very dangerous, look at the Zhang family of Henan, the Wang family of Shanyang, and the Pei family of Wenxi. They're all fine. Based on the logic that even if the sky falls, there are still tall people to hold it up, these three families are still alive. What do these people have to worry about?
Besides, this thing really does enhance your basic combat power to a certain extent, even if not by much. But it's a percentage-based boost, so tell me, wouldn't you want it?
Therefore, Yang Zhong planned to sell this thing for some money. After all, if this thing were given away for free, the other party would definitely suspect that the Yang family had some bad intentions. But if it was charged for and could indeed enhance basic attributes by a percentage, then there would definitely be some aristocratic families willing to pay.
"Is that really what you think?" Xun You appeared silently behind Chen Qun and asked him as he slipped away.
"Can you please stop using your mental talent to scare people? It's terrifying!" Chen Qun said with a dark face. He had experienced this move many times, but every time, he felt it was eerie.
"You should be used to it by now, after all these times," Xun You said indifferently.
"Hmph, I could never get used to this kind of thing in my entire life. As for what you said, is that what I think?" Chen Qun snorted and looked at Xun You, who had a blank expression. "To be honest, that depends on whether you will be assigned to the Ganges River area next."
Upon hearing this, Xun You's previously wooden expression changed slightly, and he realized many things in an instant.
"Chen Zichuan has murderous intent?" Xun You asked, somewhat surprised.
“When they think they’ve figured out what my cousin is thinking, they’re not far from being dealt with,” Chen Qun said with a hint of coldness. “I’ve always felt that in the current situation, instead of playing these fancy tricks, it’s better to go with the tide of the times created by my cousin. At least the latter really has its benefits.”
"You're making it sound like Chen Zichuan did this on purpose?" Xun You raised an eyebrow and asked with a hint of probing.
"How do you know that he didn't do it on purpose?" Chen Qun turned to Xun You and asked seriously. "He doesn't care about these things, but it's normal for him to act arbitrarily."
"I just don't want to think of him in that way," Xun You said after a moment of silence.
Xun You held Chen Xi in high regard. His past actions had earned him great admiration for Chen Xi's character and morality. Xun You accepted Chen Xi's offer because of this understanding. After all, as a loser, entrusting his second venture to his former enemy required at least some degree of respect for that enemy.
It is obvious that Xun You recognizes Chen Xi's ability and morality, and believes that following Chen Xi will at least prevent him from suffering losses. This judgment was an important reason why Xun You accepted Chen Xi's offer directly in the past. But what did Chen Qun say now?
At the same time, Chen Qun was also looking at Xun You intently, watching his expression change from initial hesitation upon hearing the news to acceptance of reality, and finally he sighed, "Indeed, Gongda, you are suitable to obtain a position under my cousin. Although I am reluctant to say it, I have to admit a reality: those who believe in my cousin's kindness and are willing to work with this mindset to build a future can obtain a better future."
“It seems I wasn’t wrong.” A smile appeared on Xun You’s wooden face. “I thought I would make the wrong choice twice. Life cannot bear several wrong choices, especially for a man.”
“Well, my cousin asked me to be his messenger. He told me that if you agree with him, you can do what you’re supposed to do.” Chen Qun sighed. “If you pass the test, I can stay in Chang’an as a court official to assist Zhuge Liang in governing Chang’an.”
Li You doesn't completely follow the rules, but he can't go on a killing spree. Chen Xi's constraints allow Li You to "wrongfully kill" some people, but not to massacre them—that's the crux of the problem.
(End of this chapter)