Mythic version of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 7186 Human Ecology

Chapter 7186 The Many Facets of Life

"To be honest, every time I see Chen Hou, I have a feeling that we are not the same kind of beings. I consider myself to be quite capable, but when faced with Chen Hou's long-term thinking, I just..." Zhen Yan smacked his lips a couple of times, somewhat unsure how to describe it.

“There’s nothing we can do about it, because he can really see the future. Unlike us mortals, he saw the ending from the beginning.” Liu Tong said with a hint of teasing, but Zhen Yan didn’t think he was teasing at all. This was something that Chen Xi himself could do, right?

"Alright, there's no point in talking to me. Let's be realistic. This is quite a good thing, Your Highness." Chen Xi curled her lips, too lazy to bother with these details. Whether she could see the future or not was not an important matter to Chen Xi.

"Of course I'll do it. It's rare for you, Chen Zichuan, to recommend me. If I don't accept, it might not be respectable in the future," Liu Tong said with a half-smile.

Liu Tong had a good understanding of Chen Xi. It was true that Chen Xi would swindle her money, but he would definitely not harm her. So, the choice was obvious.

"I don't have much to say either. Just give the word, Lord Chen, and I'll lead the charge." Zhen Yan said wearily. After all, a formidable enemy was attacking his rear, and he needed to raise funds to rebuild his family's former empire.

Otherwise, if this timeframe passes and Sun Min succeeds, even Zhen Yan won't be able to do anything about it. When everyone has a powerful backer, then you can only rely on your own abilities.

"Are there any other people available?" Liu Tong asked Chen Xi.

“The Mi family, the Wu family, the Wei family, these are all candidates,” Chen Xi said casually.

"Can I bring the Yuan and Sun families along?" Liu Tong suddenly asked. Chen Xi was silent for a moment. Was he planning to mess things up? Was he planning armed extortion? Or did Liu Tong also realize something but just didn't want to say it?

"Sure, it's no big deal." Chen Xi paused briefly before giving a clear answer. It wouldn't be a problem for the Yuan and Sun families to participate in this matter. They are wealthy and reputable, and in terms of status, the five major merchant families are no match for these two.

They may not have as much cash as the five major tycoons, but if they really needed money, they would have plenty.

"What about the real estate side?" Liu Tong asked with a slight smile.

"Of course, the land deeds should be abolished. What else could they possibly count as?" Chen Xi said with a sneer.

"Alright." Liu Tong said no more, then nodded to Zhen Yan. At that moment, Zhen Yan realized that he seemed to have been involved in something very big.

"I don't think I'm qualified to participate in this kind of thing," Zhen Yan said with some complicated feelings.

“During the last Five-Year Plan, you saw how some people divided up the world. This time it’s just a new way of dividing it up,” Chen Xi said calmly.

Although Zhen Yan's presence wasn't particularly strong, he did participate in every major event, so you could speak frankly with him about many things.

“Indeed, the last grand court assembly used education to divide the spoils, and this time they used economic means. To be honest, there’s not much difference. In fact, my method is even more inferior.” Zhen Yan smacked his lips twice, thinking that Chen Xi’s words made a lot of sense.

"Lord Chen, go and offer the toasts. The remaining details will be discussed with the head of the Zhen family." Liu Tong glanced at Chen Xi, indicating that Chen Xi did not need to concern himself with the rest.

"I am no longer worthy to be the head of the Zhen family. My brother is the head now. I have already broken away from the Zhen family of Zhongshan Wuji," Zhen Yan said with a sigh.

Chen Xi glanced at Liu Tong, then patted Zhen Yan on the shoulder, and chased after Liu Bei with the wine cup in hand. Neither he nor Liu Tong took Zhen Yan's last nonsense seriously.

The head of the Zhen family in Zhongshan Wuji may not be Zhen Yan, but given Zhen Yan's strength, the head of the Zhen family can only be Zhen Yan. Even if the family falls into decline temporarily, the power that belongs to the Zhen family will eventually return to the hands of the person who can control the Zhen family, and that person can only be Zhen Yan.

"Xianhe, let's have a drink," Liu Bei said with a smile, looking at Jian Yong, who seemed to be a little drunk.

"You actually made the lord toast me? Where's my wine? Bring me a large cup." Jian Yong said with a touch of frivolity and nonchalance, and began to roll up his sleeves as he spoke.

Liu Bei had no complaints about this. He smiled and clinked glasses with Jian Yong. To be honest, there was no need to toast Jian Yong, since Jian Yong would be following along later. But since he had come to this crowd, it wouldn't be appropriate not to drink with him.

"Drink less, Xianhe?" Chen Xi also clinked glasses, and then sent a telepathic message to Jian Yong before leaving.

“If I don’t drink too much, a bunch of people will be chasing me asking about the future logistics park layout and whether I can make arrangements for them,” Jian Yong said wearily. “Look at my censors here, even your Shengzhi is already completely drunk.”

"You've had it tough too." Chen Xi looked at Guo Kai, who was genuinely dizzy, and shook her head. To be fair, she could understand. Sun Qian and Jian Yong were hot commodities right now, and everyone else, whether they knew them or not, would want to get close to them, just in case things worked out, right?

Jian Yong glanced at them out of the corner of his eye, then continued working with the people around him.

After passing Jian Yong, they arrived at the place where the major families gathered. When Liu Bei arrived, the heads of the families were surrounding Chen Ji, and Chen Ji drank cup after cup without any politeness, showing a carefree and ethereal air.

“Yuanfang, you should drink less,” Zheng Xuan advised Chen Ji. “You are already quite old. Although wine is good, I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle too much.”

"What else is there to be unable to bear? My time has come, it's only a few days away. The reason I've gathered you old fogies together today is to tell you that my lifespan will end on the nineteenth day of the first lunar month. Remember to come and kowtow to me then." Chen Ji said to Zheng Xuan without any politeness, his slightly dazed eyes, which were still a little tipsy, sweeping over all the old fogies present.

“You can’t say that, Yuanfang Gong.” Wang Lie also reached out and pulled Chen Ji back, advising him not to get carried away just because he had a little to drink.

"It is not an empty statement, but a true sign that my lifespan has come to an end." When Chen Ji said this, there was not a trace of sorrow, only a calm acceptance of the world. Even his previously somewhat dazed eyes became clearer after he said this.

Of course, it was only a brief moment of clarity before the dazed expression returned.

"Uh, surely not. You seem to be in pretty good health." Bing Yuan looked at Chen Ji with some surprise. "It shouldn't be that bad, and how do you know exactly when it will be the nineteenth of the first lunar month?"

"Just find a doctor to take a look," Yuan Tao said calmly, then added, "To be honest, at Yuan Fang's age, it's normal for him to pass away at any time. He's eighty, and it's rare for someone to live to seventy. If Yuan Fang passes away today, it will be a happy occasion."

“I have no objection. If you die on the nineteenth of the first lunar month, I’ll kowtow to you twice.” Fa Yan wasn’t the oldest among the group, but Chen Ji wasn’t his uncle. However, if Chen Ji really died, Fa Yan could accept kowtowing to him twice. After all, when Chen Shi passed away, Fa Yan went and performed the grand ceremony of three bows and nine kowtows. Now that it’s Chen Ji, kowtowing twice wouldn’t be excessive.

"Where's the doctor?" Hua Xin had already actively sought out someone to bring a doctor over.

"Let me take a look." Zhang Ji didn't have anything to do tonight, so he came to the banquet. Since he was also a Confucian scholar, he mingled with these old guys.

"Take a look at Yuan Fang's condition. This old man says he'll die on the nineteenth of the first month." Yuan Tao made room for Zhang Ji, allowing him to get closer to Chen Ji. Zhang Ji then reached out, checked Chen Ji's pulse, and fell into deep thought. The man was already dead!

"What's wrong?" Chen Ji asked, noticing Zhang Ji's strange look.

“Lord Yuanfang, you really don’t need to play us. From a physiology standpoint, you are actually already dead. Is this a special secret technique of the Chen family?” Zhang Ji asked Chen Ji with a somewhat eerie expression.

The old folks around were immediately in an uproar. What the hell? How could Chen Ji be dead?

"You're right, he is indeed dead." Chen Ji said calmly, "It's just that the Grand Court Assembly hasn't finished yet, and he still has some obsessions, so he used a special method to delay for a while. That's why I came to inform you that you should come and kowtow to me twice on the nineteenth day of the first lunar month."

"Alright, I've seen it all." Zheng Xuan was impressed by Chen Ji's words. He had seen the bad seed that had sent him this kind of thing.

“Sure enough, you’ve seen all sorts of things when you live long enough.” Yuan Tao was somewhat speechless. “But it’s normal. You’re eighty years old. Dying any day is a happy occasion. You’re not at a loss. Alright, when you’re gone, I’ll bring my second brother to your funeral hall to kowtow to you twice.”

The others also said that since things had come to this point, they had no choice but to kowtow, and that they would all go together.

However, none of the people present were too saddened. After all, the younger ones, like Hua Xin, were already fifty years old, and the older ones were seventy or eighty. In the third century, when the average lifespan was less than thirty, this was considered a long life. Therefore, they were quite open-minded about Chen Ji's impending death.

Eighty years old, a joyous death!

"When the time comes, you all need to remember to kowtow to me. If even one of you is missing, I'll come after you tonight and make sure you don't sleep peacefully," Chen Ji threatened the group with a chuckle.

"Alright, alright, I'll bring you some gifts later." Zheng Xuan laughed and scolded, not at all sad. "Whether this is a secret technique or something else, share it with me later. Sometimes, it's very meaningful to hold on for a few more days, like this one, it's quite good."

"I remember that bead the Han Dynasty made before, it could last for seven days," Hua Xin said with a hint of reminiscence. Then the group of old men around him quickly remembered what it was and naturally looked in Kou Feng's direction, because Kou Feng had one.

“That thing won’t work. It’s useless for dying of old age.” Fa Yan shook his head and said, “The end of one’s lifespan is completely different from being killed by someone. That thing is mainly for deaths from accidents, not deaths from the end of one’s lifespan. Yuan Fang Gong’s method is somewhat like the Kushan’s secret method for prolonging life.”

"What the hell is this 'Secret Technique for Preserving One's World'? I feel like I'm completely out of touch with society. I've never even heard of such a thing as a Secret Technique for Preserving One's World." Yuan Tao looked at Fa Yan with some curiosity. He was an elder of the Yuan family, you know the Yuan family? They were a super-rich family, a world-renowned clan!

“Well, your intelligence organization probably forgot to inform you about this. I heard from my son that the Kushan Empire used this method of preserving life back in Northern Europe.” Fa Yan said, somewhat puzzled.

"No, isn't that thing supposed to be a fake death to prolong life?" Yuan Tao remembered what Fa Yan meant when he heard this, but wait, this isn't a secret technique for prolonging life!

"The Kushans have gone a step further, allowing the dead to remain within their own bodies. It is said that after death, the body can still sustain itself for a period of time. As long as the problem is solved during that time, one can continue to live. If the body still has an internal energy cycle, it can last even longer." Fa Yan roughly explained the logic of this secret technique.

“That’s true. The actual time required for a human to die is calculated in hours. If there’s an internal energy cycle, then the time required is even longer.” Zhang Ji nodded upon hearing this, agreeing with Fa Yan’s statement.

"Was the Kushan Empire really that advanced in medicine?" Zheng Xuan was stunned.

"It's not exactly medicine, but it's roughly this. Yuan Fang Gong's condition is probably because his natural lifespan has ended, and he's maintaining some functions and his own consciousness through an internal circulation. However, since his natural lifespan has ended, the internal circulation can't be maintained indefinitely, and it has to end eventually," Fa Yan said with some speculation. He had heard all of this from his son, Fa Zheng.

"That's about right. Anyway, that's all I can last. I'm afraid I can't last any longer, so I came here to give you an explanation." Chen Ji thought for a moment. He didn't know what trick Chen Xi had used to prolong his life, but that was about all he could last.

"It seems that before I die of old age, I'll have time to clean up the mess at the very end," Yuan Tao said after thinking for a moment, then naturally reached out to Chen Ji.

"What do you mean by that?" Chen Ji asked with a hint of surprise.

“Of course we’ll share it,” Yuan Tao said with a somewhat matter-of-fact tone.

"I need to share my talents," Chen Ji said with a hint of helplessness.

"So it's just a random occurrence, alright then." Yuan Tao didn't say anything more upon hearing this; Chen Ji was the kind of guy who wasn't suited to lying.

At the same time, Liu Bei had already walked to the side of this group of people. However, after looking at the group of old men, he poured a cup of wine and first toasted Yan Fotiao, who was sitting there eating meat and drinking wine with gusto. He looked no younger than Chen Ji, but his energy was very high.

"Since the Prince of Jin is offering me a toast, I, a monk, have nothing to return the favor with." Yan Fudiao took the wine cup, drank it all in one gulp, and then made a Buddhist gesture.

"Monk, you should drink this cup too," Chen Xi said with a grin.

“It would be unreasonable for a monk not to drink Lord Chen’s wine,” Yan Fotiao said with a broad smile. After finishing his drink, he put down the wine cup and made a Buddhist gesture.

"Speaking of which, you must have had something to do with what happened to Uncle," Chen Xi said to Yan Fotiao very seriously. He wasn't sure what Yan Fotiao and Chen Ji had talked about, but Chen Ji had changed his mindset so quickly from someone who was so hesitant and devoted to the family. Chen Xi felt that Yan Fotiao must have said something, otherwise, the change wouldn't have been so drastic.

Chen Ji is a smart man, but precisely because he is smart, he gets caught up in looking before and after, and it becomes difficult for him to break free. However, after meeting Yan Fotiao, Chen Ji quickly changed his attitude and even risked his life. He certainly couldn't win, but it was a move that was absolutely worthwhile for him. It must have been because Yan Fotiao had somehow enlightened Chen Ji.

“Yuanfang?” Yan Fudiao said thoughtfully. “Oh, it seems that’s how it is.”

"Using the Destiny Ability like this, aren't you afraid of shortening your lifespan?" Chen Xi asked with a hint of unease.

"Isn't it foolish not to use the power of destiny?" Yan Fodiao said with a hint of mockery. "As for shortening one's lifespan? Whether it shortens one's lifespan or not, we'll only know after using it."

“Actually, I didn’t say anything.” After Yan Fodiao finished speaking, seeing Chen Xi speak, he quickly added, “It was mostly Yuan Fang who said it. I just used facts to tell him that at the very least, a person should know what they are doing, what they want to do, and what they want to do. Then he realized it himself. Of course, Yuan Fang is indeed a very smart person, so there’s not much to say.”

"Alright, the problem isn't with you this time." Chen Xi glanced at Yan Fotiao, then looked down at Chen Ji. He showed no anger or dissatisfaction; what Chen Ji did was entirely in Chen Ji's true nature.

When Jia Xu uttered those words, Chen Xi understood that what Chen Ji did was neither right nor wrong. Everyone was acting in the direction of maximizing their own interests. As for feelings, it's perfectly correct to talk about interests when it's time to talk about interests, and to talk about feelings when it's time to talk about feelings.

"I never expected Yuanfang Guild to do this." Yan Fodiao also felt a little aggrieved. He just felt that Chen Ji had changed and become less pure. But later, the other party did become pure again and returned to the kind of person who dared to sacrifice his life and blood for his ideals. However, this matter made Yan Fodiao a little scared.

"Why didn't we use the Destiny Calculation back then?" Chen Xi asked, sounding somewhat annoyed.

“Using the Destiny Scripture too much can lead to dependence. People still have to rely on themselves to move forward. Can the Destiny Scripture really see through all destiny? Maybe it can, but the ending is not the ending I want. Would I follow the Destiny Scripture’s arrangements step by step?” Yan Fodiao said calmly.

“Master, you are not Buddhist at all,” Chen Xi said very formally.

“Buddha is meant to enlighten, but I think I’m stupid and can’t be enlightened, so I can only drift in the sea of ​​suffering. It would be best if I died strong, so that my corpse could pick up a couple more people in the sea of ​​suffering, right?” Yan Fodiao had a somewhat cynical tone, but his compassion was genuine.

"Alright." Chen Xi nodded, not wanting to argue with Yan Fodiao. Based on her previous conversation with Chen Ji, Chen Xi felt that even without Yan Fodiao's enlightenment, given Chen Ji's understanding of the world, he would still ultimately take that step.

After all, the monarchs and Han princesses that Chen Ji saw in historical records were all like that. Human experience will inevitably influence human judgment, so it was only a matter of time before things reached that point.

After saying this, Chen Xi waved to Yan Fotiao, then turned and left, preparing to toast Zheng Xuan and the others before following Liu Bei to meet the mid-level officers.

"Lord Chen, don't go yet, I have a question for you." Yan Fudiao said quickly when he saw that Chen Xi was about to leave. Chen Xi stopped and turned his head.

"Lord Chen, what's the name of that spiritual talent from Nan Gui?" Yan Fodiao asked Chen Xi.

"The radiance of a descendant." Chen Xi said calmly.

“It is the radiance of the world’s descent,” Yan Fudiao replied very seriously.

Chen Xi was stunned for a moment upon hearing this. After a long while, she looked at Yan Fotiao and asked, "Are you kidding me? That character is pronounced 'xiang' instead of 'jiang'?"

“Yes, that character is pronounced xiang, not jiang.” Yan Fodiao nodded. “At least in the early days, this character was definitely pronounced xiang.”

At this moment, many things that Chen Xi hadn't understood suddenly became clear, and he quickly grasped some things that he hadn't understood when reading Kushan records before. If this character is pronounced "xiang," then the Kushan system was indeed distorted, right?

“In the early days, it was definitely pronounced xiang. Later, it was probably due to problems with the Brahmans that the word gradually changed to jiang. The original meaning should have been to subdue the world’s glory, not to descend upon the world. The former should have meant to suppress Brahma, while the latter became the meaning of Brahma’s descent.” Yan Fodiao explained very seriously, “This change is very terrible and very serious.”

Chen Xi nodded with a serious expression.

If the Kushans' spiritual talent was originally intended to subdue the world's glory, then it must have been a special power born to subdue Brahma. After all, in the Brahmanical world, the world is actually Brahma's dream, and to subdue the world, one must subdue Brahma.

Based on what Chen Xi had learned earlier, and the things Zhou Yu brought back from Qunu City a few years ago, Brahman must have initially intended to suppress Brahma. However, as time went by, whether he still held this idea is questionable.

At the time, Chen Xi simply thought that things had come to this point because the Brahmins were gradually degenerating. But if, as Yan Futiao said, the thing that the Kushan sages obtained from the beginning was the radiance of the world, then the problem was much bigger.

If something as simple as a slogan or even a guiding principle can be distorted and alienated, then we need to seriously consider what kind of state Brahma truly is.

"What is the effect of Avatar's Radiance?" Chen Xi asked.

“I don’t know, but it definitely has the ability to directly affect the world.” Yan Fodiao shook his head and said, “Of course, this power may not be directed at people, but it can affect the world, so it must have its own special characteristics.”

Chen Xi nodded, indicating that he had remembered it.

"However, Lord Chen, there is no need to worry too much. On the one hand, very few people in Kushan possess the Radiance of Descent, and on the other hand, the scope and intensity of its influence are definitely very limited." Seeing Chen Xi's uncertain expression, Yan Fudiao quickly shared his speculation.

“I’m not worried about that. What I’m worried about is Brahma. If He can autonomously guide this thing to undergo mutation, then His state is really questionable,” Chen Xi said solemnly.

Chen Xi didn't care which one the Radiant Descent was, but he was very worried about Brahma's situation. The Han Dynasty could now deal with the Golden Core Realm beings, even if it meant huge losses and time vortexes, but if they risked their lives, they could at least resolve the situation.

But what level is Brahma? To be honest, based on what Chen Xi knows so far, he is most likely beyond the Golden Core stage. Even in his downgraded state, he is still beyond the Golden Core stage. If this thing keeps pretending to be weak, then there is a big problem.

“The power of past lives cannot observe Brahma,” Yan Fodiao said helplessly.

"That's it, he's definitely awakened. And don't mention Brahma's name over the Ganges." Chen Xi's heart had already died. If Yan Futiao's ability to see past lives was supported by Shakyamuni, and he still couldn't see it, what else could he say?

However, since that thing has already awakened, Chen Xi no longer needs to worry about it. He'll deal with whatever comes his way, and at most, he'll just need to prepare some super weapons as a precaution.

"If there's any more interesting news later, remember to let me know." Thinking of this, Chen Xi felt completely at ease, and then carried the wine cup to Chen Ji's table.

"Uncle, let's have a fight. Who knows if we'll ever have another chance?" Chen Xi looked at Chen Ji, who showed no fear of death whatsoever, and couldn't help but admire his composure.

“Okay.” Chen Ji raised his wine cup and clinked it with Chen Xi’s. Their eyes met, and everything was said.

"Remember to kowtow to me a few more times then," Chen Ji said.

"I'll kowtow twice, considering how much my uncle taught me." Chen Xi nodded and said. Chen Ji had taught Chen Xi a lot of useless things, but he had indeed taught him. Those techniques were a joke to Chen Xi, but for others, they were undoubtedly life-saving secrets.

"Take good care of the Chen family." Chen Ji said with a hint of sorrow. The only thing he could never let go of in his life was his family. No matter how well Chen Qun told him, he still couldn't help but bring up this sentence when he saw Chen Xi.

“My surname is also Chen,” Chen Xi said very seriously.

On the other side, Zhuge Liang, as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, temporarily took over Chen Xi's work and also began to offer toasts with a wine pot. However, unlike the large-scale event on Liu Bei's side, Zhuge Liang mainly offered a cup to those who would be working with him.

"Kongming, consider this a gift for you." Liu Ye finished his wine, then took out an imperial edict already stamped with the seal from his sleeve and handed it to Zhuge Liang.

"Your preparations are far too thorough." Zhuge Liang only needed to unroll the scroll and read the beginning to know the contents of the edict, but it was indeed a bit outrageous that Liu Ye had brought it over at this time.

“This edict was already drafted before you had any children,” Liu Ye said with a light laugh. It represented the will of almost everyone in the royal family and served as a shield for the Han dynasty.

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang remained silent for a while, then carefully put away the imperial edict. His child was not yet born, yet he had already received his fiefdom, which consisted of one-seventh of the Turan Plain and the Pamir Mountains.

As Chen Xi said, there are no permanent friends between countries, only permanent interests, and the same is true between forces.

If the Liu royal family were to name the group they hated most, it would undoubtedly be those under Dong Zhuo's command. However, the reality was that after Liu Ye led a discussion with the remaining members of the Liu royal family, they chose to spare the three fools, allowing the Liangzhou faction to firmly grasp the gateway to the Northwest.

In order to achieve this result, it was only natural that Zhuge Liang's sons were enfeoffed in Turan. Only in this way could Li You, and even the descendants of the Three Fools, be completely bound there.

It's outrageous, but after careful analysis, Liu Ye believes that having the Three Idiots, enemies of everyone, in the Pamir Mountains is better than having a large aristocratic family there.

I don't trust the Three Idiots, and I also find them hateful, but politics sometimes isn't about trust, but about interests. Clearly, this is a case of vested interests.

Therefore, very early on, Liu Ye and the royal family drafted an edict that as soon as Zhuge Liang's son was born, a piece of land in the Pamir Mountains would be allocated to him. This was the royal family's blatant goodwill towards the Liangzhou faction, and a necessary sacrifice to make the Liangzhou faction the watchdog of the Han Dynasty.

Well, to be honest, this wasn't really a sacrifice, because the royal family didn't give anything. The fiefdoms were even carved out from the Pamir Mountains and Turan. But enfeoffing Zhuge Liang's sons there, even if it was just a nominal enfeoffment, was already a sign of goodwill, making the Liangzhou faction willing to die for them.

Of course, in exchange, apart from the fact that the Liangzhou faction must defend the northwest gateway to the death and obey the royal family's command to suppress the Central Asian aristocratic families, Liangzhou no longer needs to pursue the Xinzhou faction.

As long as the Liangzhou faction doesn't rebel, and the new state is controlled by the royal family, there will definitely be a continuous stream of support. Since everyone is a new interest group and they are sitting at the same table, they naturally won't get stuck on such matters. However, if the Liangzhou faction does anything inappropriate, in order to show their loyalty, they will definitely bite the Liangzhou faction in Central Asia, and there will be no source of supplies.

Therefore, this matter is truly a win-win situation. The Liangzhou faction may seem to be at a disadvantage, but with this edict, many of the previous problems are no longer problems. Similarly, the Liu family also has a sufficiently closed and powerful base of influence in the world. Both sides are guaranteed to benefit. It can be said that by slightly lowering their pride, they have achieved a win-win situation.

“Really…” Zhuge Liang looked at Liu Ye with great helplessness.

As for Chen Xi and Liu Ye, among the twelve elders, although Liu Ye was always at odds with Chen Xi, he was definitely the one who supported Chen Xi the most on important matters. This was because the Han dynasty and Chen Xi's ideas had the highest overlap. The biggest difference between Chen Xi and Liu Ye was that Chen Xi didn't care what surname the country belonged to, as long as it was Han, while Liu Ye wanted the country to belong to Liu. It was that simple.

Despite being perfectly aligned on major issues, they were the most divided, which, frankly speaking, was because Liu Ye consciously created so-called rifts in Chen Xi's Han cultural sphere.

"Zichuan is aware of this as well," Liu Ye added, noticing Zhuge Liang's expression.

"I know, otherwise I wouldn't have accepted it." Zhuge Liang nodded.

"Then what does that expression mean?" Liu Ye asked, frowning.

"Because Zichuan believes that all these methods are meaningless." Zhuge Liang said with a sigh. In Chen Xi's view, everything Liu Ye is doing now is meaningless. Whether it is defense or not, or the foundation of the world, when it is time to collapse, these things are meaningless.

"Just because the future will collapse, does that mean we should do nothing? Even if the ending is ruin, the process is still important." Liu Ye was very dismissive of Zhuge Liang's words. "That guy is too pessimistic. He does see the future in the long term, but all he sees is the ending. On the road of life, the ending only determines how you die, but the posthumous title is determined by a person's life experience."

"Besides, even if it's meaningless from a historical perspective, and just a repeating cycle, so what? At least it can hold on a little longer, and at least it can allow the people on this land to live a better life for a longer time." Liu Ye raised his voice before Zhuge Liang could reply.

“That’s true. From a historical perspective, what we’ve done is indeed meaningless.” Zhuge Liang nodded. “But just because it’s meaningless to history doesn’t mean it’s meaningless to our time.”

"That's right!" Liu Ye said happily. He realized that Zhuge Liang completely understood his thoughts. He really couldn't change Chen Xi, but he couldn't change the past. He could change the future, and Zhuge Liang was the future.

"But have you considered that Zichuan himself held this view?" Zhuge Liang said with a heavy tone. "If, in essence, his pessimism stems from this reason, then what should you do, Brother Ziyang?"

Liu Ye was stunned for a moment, his mind racing, and he was completely dazed.

“Sometimes, you can just ask Chuan. Although he was indeed very angry about what happened back then, the fact that he handed over all the duties of the Secretary of the Imperial Archives to you actually shows something. From a certain perspective, he knows very well who is right to handle such important matters. It’s just that everyone has their own ideas.” Zhuge Liang put down his wine cup and said to Liu Ye very seriously.

On the other side, Chen Xi and Guan Yu followed Liu Bei to Lü Bu's side. Lü Bu could have sat in a more prominent position, but Chen Gong pulled him over. Lü Bu didn't care much about that, so he sat down there. Liu Bei drank his way over and happened to arrive at Lü Bu's side.

"Gongtai, how are you feeling?" Liu Bei and Guan Yu were exchanging toasts with Lü Bu when Chen Xi and Chen Gong clinked glasses and asked with a smile.

"I miss my old friends," Chen Gong said with a touch of melancholy.

"It's not a good place to reminisce about old friends," Chen Xi said, shaking his head. He suggested that they avoid mentioning Cao Cao, especially during the New Year.

"There's nothing to say, this place is much better than the wilderness." Chen Gong instantly understood what Chen Xi meant and then naturally changed the subject.

"If you need anything, remember to let us know, and I'll arrange it for you," Chen Xi said earnestly, putting away his wine cup.

"Wen Yuan and Gong Zheng have already gone to General Zhao's place with the others. They've become quite familiar with each other. Your arrangements are indeed quite good," Chen Gong said to Chen Xi.

"Gold shines wherever it is," Chen Xi said with a smile. "If you work hard with Zilong, the future looks pretty good."

"Well, I won't be coming tomorrow. I've seen the most important parts of the Grand Court Assembly, so I have to leave tomorrow." Chen Gong showed a hint of guilt. He had no choice; if he didn't go, Cao Cao would probably be dead. The isolation array that Chen Gong had left behind had already been attacked several times in the past two days.

In other words, although the people of Xuzhou did not pinpoint Cao Cao's exact location, they did manage to get close to him.

Chen Gong didn't have a good solution to this. He wasn't by Cao Cao's side, so there were bound to be loopholes in that thing. There were just too many veterans chasing Cao Cao, and Chen Gong couldn't be sure what kind of strange talents they might have. So, when he realized that the veterans from Xuzhou might have gotten close to Cao Cao, Chen Gong felt that it would be better to take Cao Cao away as soon as possible.

"Alright then." Chen Xi raised his wine cup and clinked it with Chen Gong's again. As far as he was concerned, Cao Cao had already fulfilled his historical mission. As for other things, they were not important. Whether he lived or died, at least for Chen Xi, they really had no impact.

It can be said that as long as Cao Cao did not die in Chang'an, being assassinated elsewhere would not be a big deal at all.

"Thank you." Chen Gong clasped his hands in a fist salute to Chen Xi, then drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.

Chen Xi shook his head and didn't say anything. As for what Cao Cao and Chen Gong said, well, really, sigh!

"Ji Yu, Gong Lu, and General Zhenxi," Liu Bei greeted Liu Zhang and the other two. "General Zhang has finally woken up. Ji Yu was worried about this matter, but now he can finally relax."

"Thank you for your concern, Prince Jin." Zhang Ren struggled a couple of times, trying to stand up, but Liu Bei reached out and pressed him down. He could see that Zhang Ren's condition was indeed very poor, but now that he had woken up, everything was fine. The Han court had plenty of medicine to speed up his recovery.

"I won't dwell on the past. Let's get down to business from now on," Liu Bei said solemnly after clinking glasses with the three men. He was about to leave the country and therefore did not want any unrest to occur domestically, especially since Yuan Shu and Liu Zhang sometimes unintentionally caused trouble.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, I know what's going on." Liu Zhang drank it all in one gulp and said solemnly. He understood that Liu Bei was also worried about the real situation in the country, but there were some things that Liu Bei was not allowed to mention by name unless his subordinates made things too outrageous.

"Needless to say, I'm even more so." Yuan Shu was completely oblivious to Liu Bei's words. In fact, he was the same as before, treating all people equally, which made him seem quite fair.

"Keep a close eye on things, don't be deceived, and don't get carried away and do anything extreme. Human heads aren't like leeks; they won't grow back once they're cut off." Liu Bei didn't say much after seeing this, but he gave a few more words of advice as he left with his wine cup.

　Those with votes, please cast your votes! I forgot to ask for votes during the double vote period at the beginning of the year, so I'm catching up on yesterday's content. Oh well.

(End of this chapter)