RPAGF Chapter 7192 Common Interests
Chapter 7192 Common Interests
Chapter 7192 Common Interests
Chen Xi looked at Nanxi with a half-smile, while Nanxi felt somewhat embarrassed. As someone who had spent the past three or four decades trying to survive, having been a Qiang, Xianbei, Southern Xiongnu, and Wuhuan, before finally joining the victorious Han army and accumulating military merits to become a noble, even if he wasn't smart, he wasn't stupid either.
The reason why people are scammed by sorcerers can be explained by both unexpected factors and the fact that such special rituals are indeed effective for Nanxiong.
Therefore, whether Nanxi knew anything when he said those words is already self-evident.
"Lord Chen, I wouldn't speak carelessly about such matters." Nanxi probably sensed Chen Xi's ambiguous smile and added seriously.
Chen Xi nodded without saying anything. As a veteran who had come to him for help, Chen Xi knew him well at least. Perhaps he had indeed done bad things and acted like an inhuman beast in the past, but no matter what, the fact that Chen Xi was happy to give him pointers meant that Nanqiao was at least worthy of guidance.
In other words, this person is someone Chen Xi can trust, and someone Chen Xi should lend a helping hand to.
"I know, I just think you all know too, but no one dares to say it." Chen Xi looked at Sun Er, Zhang Yong, Wei Shuang, and Zhang Ping in front of him, and then at Jiang Guang, Zhao Ying, Zhang Liang, and others who were a little further back. These people basically knew. The only ones who didn't know what happened in the Ganges were brainless tough guys like Er Xiong, Niu Dali, Si Liang, and Zhang Yue.
Others either realized it themselves or through their wives' prompting. Only those whose minds are blank and whose wives are straightforward, innocent, and lack common sense will find themselves in a situation where neither they nor their wives know, and they both laugh and joke foolishly.
Many veterans of the Han Dynasty were once empty-headed, but after so many years of experience, including battlefield combat, marrying a concubine's daughter from a noble family, and then returning to officialdom to make a living, there are very few left who can still be empty-headed.
Think about it, even Li Tiao can realize something. Those who don't are either pretending not to realize it or they've already participated in it. Those who really don't realize it are basically mentally challenged, and their wives must also be mentally challenged.
To be fair, the latter condition was more difficult to meet because Chen Xi was in charge of the process. Chen Xi wanted the Han aristocratic families to marry off their illegitimate daughters in order to accelerate the spread of knowledge and improve literacy rates. When he made the requirements for the major aristocratic families, he said that they should marry girls who had received a systematic education and not illiterate girls.
It wouldn't be accurate to say that all the women who came were intelligent concubines from noble families, because occasionally some families would bring over cute but brainless girls from their own clans.
Even if a wealthy family marries a daughter from their direct line, they still have requirements for that daughter. They can't just send their innocent, adorable daughter to marry into the family, right? She's meant to be the mistress of the house. The saying "entering a noble family is like entering a deep sea" is no joke. Sending a cute but brainless daughter there would be like sending her to her death, wouldn't it? Is that a marriage alliance? It's an act of enmity!
Since that's the case, why not put her in one of these matchmaking events for centurions? Centurions don't have many requirements; they usually just want a woman, their own cute but brainless legitimate daughter. Just tell me what she looks like, whether she's presentable. The only drawback is that she's not very good at socializing. But that's okay; your family doesn't need to be good at socializing anyway!
As for having children, that's no problem. She's a bit clumsy, but she's adorable, so she can still have children.
In addition, if the bride brings a large dowry and the father-in-law says some nice things, the centurions who marry these women generally don't have any objections. They even feel that they've made a profit. They think that the woman's IQ is just a little low, but she's not incapable of communication. She may look like a child, but she's innocent and naive, so it's not a big problem.
Just look at Ji Xiang. Ji Zhong told Lu Su the truth back then that his daughter had a lot of problems, and he also gave Lu Su a huge dowry. Everyone knew her background, so no one thought there was anything wrong with it. Men are quite tolerant when it comes to looks, especially since she was raised to be this old. Even if she was a bit slow, she wouldn't be a brat. Was that a problem for a centurion who was still struggling to find a wife? Absolutely not!
However, this has led to some absurd situations. For example, Si Liang and Zhang Yue are truly brain-dead. They genuinely don't know what's happening on the front lines, nor do they understand the implications of their words in this situation. In short, there are significant problems.
After Chen Xi finished speaking, he looked at Sun Er in front of him. He could feel Sun Er's struggle, but before the other party could speak, he waved his hand to indicate that there was no need for such a gesture. In this matter, everyone's positions did not overlap. Some people inevitably felt that they had made some sacrifices and needed compensation, while others were selfless. These were all normal phenomena.
"That's good, at least they have their own stance now," Liu Bei said with a smile.
Liu Bei was quite upset about this situation, but with Chen Xi's encouragement, he understood a fact: only those who have a clear stance and are willing to pay the price, even their lives, to uphold that stance are the backbone that a force truly needs. Even if the other party's stance conflicts with yours, at least you can clearly understand the facts from their perspective!
Those who lack a stance cannot represent the facts in anything they do.
Upon hearing this, the veterans present reacted in various ways: some were bewildered, some felt guilty, and some were deep in thought. However, neither Chen Xi nor Liu Bei expressed any intention to criticize them.
"Alright, let's have a drink together. You all need to be clear about your position and where you should stand. Only in this way can you continue to protect your own interests. You can't succeed by fighting alone. The powerful families have the ability to wipe out one or a few of you, or even a group of you, but they can't wipe out all of you." Chen Xi raised his wine cup and earnestly warned.
Often, when things operate in the shadows, following certain unspoken rules, it is difficult for an individual to break through them. But when these unspoken rules are brought into the open and questioned by the collective, they will quickly dissipate, like the lingering snow in spring.
This is actually the meaning of stance, or to put it more directly, this is the so-called common interest. These veterans in front of me may not have realized it yet, but they already have this concept in their subconscious. This is good, but it is also bad. It's just that Chen Xi, who realized that everything was inevitable a long time ago, indulged in this thing!
Without common interests, they have no common enemy; without a common enemy, they have no collective!
Chen Xi could not allow the aristocratic families to continue developing in the same way as in history, nor could he gamble on the new classes that might emerge in the future. He could only use his own hands to create a group of pillars that were still relatively good.
Of course, every beautiful beginning in history has an ugly ending.
Therefore, the pillars that Chen Xi is now actively promoting and building will inevitably decay one day in the future, but for now, they are at least excellent foundations.
Upon hearing Chen Xi's words, a group of veteran soldiers, some bewildered, some excited, and some blank-minded, all raised their wine cups and drank the wine in their glasses.
"Eat and drink well, just say what you want to eat." Chen Xi put down his wine cup and said to everyone, then followed Liu Bei back to the front.
"You seem a little unhappy." After Chen Xi returned to her seat, Guo Jia raised her glass and clinked it with Chen Xi's, then asked with some curiosity.
"I just realized that even though I was the one who pushed things forward, I was still somewhat dissatisfied when I actually faced the situation," Chen Xi said with a touch of emotion after exchanging a few words with Guo Jia. As for being particularly unhappy, it wasn't that much of a problem.
“That’s not something to be taken for granted,” Guo Jia said with a light laugh. “Among the rules that govern this world, there are some that have never been officially recognized, but everyone has accepted them as true. However, Zichuan, do you know that when these unrecognized rules are eliminated, it will cause ordinary people who previously accepted them to question the legitimacy of the rules?”
Chen Xi was taken aback by what he heard. He naturally knew what Guo Jia was talking about and that Guo Jia was right. It was like an invisible ceiling; everyone knew it existed but no one would talk about it. However, if someone were to dismantle it, they would be questioned.
“Some things cannot be clearly defined, but what you are doing now is actually actively defining these things that should not be defined.” Guo Jia held up his wine cup, looking at the mid-level officers below him. “Zichuan, what is common interest?”
“Common interests are interests that are shared by all members of the community and cannot be monopolized by any individual…” Chen Xi paused after saying half of his sentence.
"To be honest, your ability to summarize is frightening, and the sheer amount of knowledge you possess is also frightening. In fact, in terms of the boundaries of knowledge, no one knows more than you. However, just because you know something doesn't mean you can perfectly put it into practice," Guo Jia said with a slightly teasing tone. He wasn't admonishing or persuading him, but rather engaging in a very fair discussion.
“Common interests cannot be clearly defined,” Guo Jia said decisively before Chen Xi could speak. “I think you know why better than I do.”
"Because a clear common interest will become the standard for measuring all policies, which will in turn expose an unavoidable fact: which interest group does the policy actually serve?" Chen Xi said with a sigh. Just as Guo Jia said, Chen Xi himself was also very clear about this.
"Look, don't you know everything?" Guo Jia said with a smile. "So it's better not to be clear about things that don't need to be. Those mid-level officers and generals will form the backbone of the new founding noble group, and also the backbone of the Han aristocratic families. Isn't that a good thing?"
“I’m afraid I can’t outmaneuver them,” Chen Xi sighed. “If things remain so ambiguous, I’m afraid this group will be unable to extricate themselves in the end. The so-called combination of emerging powerful families and ancient aristocratic families will most likely just become a re-employment for the ancient aristocratic families.”
"So you've made it clear to them who 'we' are, who the members of this group are, who their friends are, and most importantly, what kind of interest group they are," Guo Jia said wearily. "Do you really think this is the right thing to do?"
“Incorrect.” Chen Xi didn’t refute, but gave a direct answer. He didn’t think this line of thinking was correct, but right and wrong weren’t important at this time. Why talk about right and wrong in this kind of matter? It’s better to talk about positions, or even better to talk about interests!
"Alright, if you continue like this, they'll eventually learn a fact. I believe the smart ones among them will eventually understand the core issue." Guo Jia was helpless seeing Chen Xi like this. He knew everything, understood everything, and was even mentally prepared for the outcome. What could he say? The imperial enterprise was created by Chen Xi, and he had the right to write it in this way!
"What?" Chen Xi frowned slightly, not quite understanding.
"Because your actions, under your moral standards, are indeed perfect and without any fault. In Kongming's time, there shouldn't have been any problems, since Kongming's morality is trustworthy. But what about later generations who continued along this path? Zichuan, this is rule by man. Even if the laws are correct, even if you follow the established rules, things will still go wrong." The usually carefree Guo Jia appeared extremely serious at this moment.
“The path you’ve given them may be the right one for them, but if others follow suit, it will probably become the biggest advantage of making the rules. It’s about preventing them from becoming the ones who make the rules. Zichuan, do you agree with what I’m saying?” Guo Jia sighed softly.
Chen Xi remained silent for a long time after hearing this, but in the end he could not deny the fact that Guo Jia said it was indeed true.
"In conjunction with what you're doing now, and by clarifying certain points, Zichuan, when the world descends into chaos, those who raise the banner of Marquis Chen will be no small number, and each of them will have their own scriptures and doctrines," Guo Jia said with a hint of mockery, completely unconcerned about how terrifying his words were.
"It's just me annotating the Six Classics." Chen Xi adjusted his mindset and said with a touch of coldness. He was prepared to face this painful future. Besides, even if he took that step in the future, and his glory was gone and his country was destroyed, Chen Xi would not regret his choice today. For Chen Xi, the path he had chosen now was at least the optimal one.
"I didn't expect that even knowing this, you were still unmoved." Guo Jia smacked his lips twice, feeling that Chen Xi's mental strength had improved far beyond what it used to be.
"I can't finish what will happen in the future; I can only manage the present." Chen Xi raised his glass and lightly clinked it with Guo Jia's, saying calmly, "I'm already very satisfied with managing the present. As for other things, those are for future generations. What I need to do is leave future generations a great past that needs to be revived with all our might."
"It's rare for you to come and discuss the future with me. To be honest, I always thought you were the type to live in the moment," Chen Xi said with a smile, finishing his drink.
“In the past, I only needed to consider the present, but later I had to consider the future situation. For me, the historical mission has been basically completed.” Guo Jia said calmly, “As for the situation on the Ganges, to be honest, sending me there this time is also a way of solving the problem.”
"You might die if you say that!" Chen Xi said very seriously. Guo Jia might be taking a big gamble. Last time, when he used his mental talent on a large scale, Guo Jia had already suffered a serious injury. If it weren't for Liu Bei's mental talent, Wu Pu being on the front line, and the help from Hua Tuo and Zhang Zhongjing, Guo Jia would be at least three feet old by now.
In this situation, if it happened again, Guo Jia would definitely be gone.
"What does it matter?" Guo Jia said calmly. "Since we've decided against Brahman, why not get a big one? Brahma, as a god, can also be used as a weapon."
"You'd better not go too far," Chen Xi said seriously. "Stay in the country and do your job. You'll be rewarded after the war ends."
Guo Jia sighed softly upon hearing this, clinked glasses with Chen Xi, and then left without saying anything. He had already informed Chen Xi of his considerations, and how to choose and optimize was up to Chen Xi. There was no doubt about Chen Xi's intelligence; all that mattered was whether she was willing or not!
As the moon rose high in the sky, and the dance of 64 people, the New Year's Eve banquet of the eleventh year of Yuanfeng came to an end, and a group of officials and ministers left one after another.
"Minister Zhong." Zhang Changpu, who had come out of the inner palace with Madam Zhang, greeted Zhong Yao as usual. Since the banquet at Weiyang Palace had ended, the banquet in the inner palace hosted by Si Niang and Chen Qian had also ended. The ladies of each family would naturally go to find their husbands and then go back together by carriage. So it was normal for Zhang Changpu to meet Zhong Yao at this gathering point when they were all heading back together.
"Tsk." Zhang glanced at Zhong Yao, then at her granddaughter, but said nothing. In Zhang's opinion, there was no major problem with the matter being resolved.
"Husband, is this what Weiyang Palace is like?" Yu Yan skipped over to her husband Zhang Ping, saying with a hint of shock, "It's truly an eye-opener! The food is so delicious, much better than what I can make. I even asked someone to teach me how to cook it."
“We should come every year from now on,” Zhang Ping said, looking at his wife, who was neither quite shrewd nor particularly naive. “These ingredients can only be gathered here at Weiyang Palace.”
"My lord, I met the matriarch of our family this time. When she saw me, she didn't call me by my name," Zongmei said to Zhang Yong with a smile.
Names cannot be called casually. Even Xun Yu's wife cannot call Chen Qun's wife by her name at this time. So what if they are mother and daughter? Their mother-daughter relationship is not a reason for you to call her by her name. When you are out in public, you represent the Marquis's Mansion. A lady is a lady. Calling her by her name is disrespectful to the Marquis's Mansion!
I didn't say anything, and that's exactly how it is in the book, right?
(End of this chapter)