Mythic version of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 7126 The Beginning of the Next Era

From a certain perspective, the Grand Assembly itself can be considered a centralized distribution of benefits. Although it mainly discusses the goals for the next stage, once the goals are set, many people already have a good idea of ​​how the resources should be distributed.

In addition, everything that can be brought to the Grand Court Assembly is a truly significant matter, and the benefits involved are immense. It is something that brings huge benefits just by participating, even if you don't try to profit from it. Therefore, every Grand Court Assembly represents a redistribution of a large amount of benefits, although some things are better left unsaid.

"That puts my mind at ease. At least it gives an explanation to those fellow villagers who came all the way from their hometown to ask questions." Mi Zhu shook his head and said. With such a reply, even without a precise arrangement, some things are fine as long as the qualifications are confirmed. The rest is just waiting.

These people all have enough patience, but patience is something that can only be truly shown when hope is seen, and now they have seen hope.

"A person is the sum of their social relationships. Most of the time, it is impossible to ignore one's social relationships. No matter how impartial one is, there are times when things that need to be done cannot be avoided." Chen Xi said calmly. It's not a matter of favoritism or bending the law, but rather that human relationships are sometimes unavoidable, especially within reasonable limits.

Of course, the core issue is that it should be within this reasonable range. What level is considered reasonable and what level is considered unreasonable? This degree is, in fact, related to the continuation of this country.

"After all, we are all born of mothers and fathers, and it is impossible to be detached from interpersonal relationships." Liu Bei was very open-minded about this. Although he had realized that some things were caused by these interpersonal relationships, and even the illegal behavior of some veterans was due to interpersonal relationships, he still believed that no one could live in the world completely alone. That would not be right.

So there are some things and relationships that you should help with, but you need to be clear about the limits, otherwise you'll get dragged down with you sooner or later.

Chen Xi nodded slightly upon hearing this, but said nothing. After all, this was a feudal era. Even if Chen Xi tried his best to elevate this era and constantly injected new things into it, he could not make this era achieve unimaginable improvements in terms of systems and people's hearts.

In feudal times, certain things were simply public facts, and no one would think there was anything wrong with nepotism. To put it bluntly, if we didn't practice nepotism, who would we appoint? I don't know them, I don't know their abilities, and we're not related by blood. When it really comes down to risking our lives, would they risk their lives for me? Who knows!

On the contrary, it's nepotism. At least I know this person, I know this person, and I'm even clear about this person's abilities. To put it bluntly, this guy is related to me by blood. If it really comes down to a fight, and he doesn't fight, I'm finished, and he'll be finished too.

Right? That's pretty straightforward. So, nepotism is necessary. In fact, at certain stages, the enfeoffment was specifically for one's own family!
These interpersonal relationships and blood ties are characteristic of feudalism; they are unavoidable, taken for granted by everyone, and no one sees anything wrong with them.

But Chen Xi was very clear that this was actually the most fatal aspect of class solidification. When the older generation wanted to completely hand over their power and everything to their offspring, rather than to those more suitable and outstanding young people, and wanted their family to continue to occupy this status and power, solidification would inevitably begin.

This kind of solidification varies in scale. The largest is like the imperial family's lineage, where the country is hereditary and the rule is passed down through generations. The medium-sized is like the large and small aristocratic families, who control the local ecology and pass it down from generation to generation. The smallest is like a clerk who has been in office for thousands of years, where even if the officials change, the number of people in charge of local tax collection and management remains the same.

These deeply ingrained feudalistic ideas are something even Chen Xi can't solve. The idea of ​​killing them all is utter nonsense, because even if you kill these people, the people selected later will still continue down this path.

This is an inevitable path for intelligent life to maintain its own safety and to better reproduce; it is an instinct that no one can change.

Even though Chen Xiguang was standing in Chang'an, he knew that some things had already happened, but he couldn't stop them because he couldn't.

Because this is a human instinct, it's a result that inevitably occurs once education begins. There's a saying that almost everyone has heard in school: "That kid isn't doing well in school, he's a troublemaker, don't play with him. Try to play with the kids who are good at studying."

In fact, from this statement onward, many things are destined: that is, humanity has an innate desire to develop for the better and to continue that goodness.

So talking about the inherent flaws of feudalism is meaningless. Chen Xi is very clear that everything he can do is just delaying these things from happening. But from what Chen Xi has collected, it is clear that he is really just delaying them. What is coming will eventually come.

Just like when Liu Bei met Yi Ji at the Court of Justice after the Grand Martial Arts Competition, he privately discussed with Chen Xi something—the so-called Yanzhou Agricultural and Grain Bureau had set up a very good school. Now, the veterans of Yanzhou are not actually members of the Agricultural and Grain Bureau, but they want to attend this school. Will they be stopped?

No, even if there is a system, every system has loopholes. Just the fact that Wei Jun, a man from Youzhou with thick eyebrows and big eyes, temporarily squeezed his grandson into this school is enough to explain a lot of problems. A system is a system, and a person is a person. A system is inanimate, but a person is alive.

So what is destined to happen will definitely happen. Having realized this, Chen Xi has become relatively more relaxed about certain behaviors. For example, how to plan the three horizontal and five vertical routes. In the past, he considered the so-called best solution, but now, considering all factors, the second best solution is not unreasonable, right?

These are all compromises in essence, and the compromises of the reformists are more than just compromises. Even if they know that something is not quite right, they will continue to compromise after careful consideration.

When Chen Xi thought about this, he would sometimes sigh helplessly. He knew that he was not doing the right thing, and he also knew that he had the right answer, but he was clear about the extent to which it was wrong. So why bother? With the overall improvement and the people around him living better lives, Chen Xi really didn't want to pursue the matter any further.

After all, if things continue to move forward and if they continue to take action in this area, Chen Xi is not incapable of suppressing them, but it would be meaningless. Some things Chen Xi does are merely restraints; those destined to become evil dragons will inevitably become evil dragons, and there's nothing that can be done about it.

"Alright, Zichuan, go check out the greenhouse in Shanglin Garden." Liu Bei patted Chen Xi on the back and said with a smile. Chen Xi had actually shared some of his thoughts with Liu Bei, explained how feudalism came about, and talked about things that were obviously not supposed to be said. Of course, he knew that Liu Bei might not understand, but there were some things that Chen Xi could only tell Liu Bei.

If I tell other people, they might have some strange thoughts. They might wonder why Chen Xi would tell me this, and whether he's planning something. They might even think that if I tell Li You and the others, Li You might have already taken up the knife, which would be very dangerous.

Therefore, sometimes Chen Xi would tell Liu Bei about things that he felt were not appropriate. Since Liu Bei was always wandering around and getting to know things on his own, he would see more than Chen Xi and have a more accurate understanding of the situation. Naturally, he could also combine Chen Xi's words with his own judgment and understanding.

However, people are ultimately limited by their times. Even after hearing Chen Xi's description and knowing that Chen Xi's argument was correct, when Liu Bei saw the veterans who followed him getting their due benefits within an acceptable range, even if Liu Bei realized that this was the beginning, he would still think that it was right - they had worked hard all their lives and risked their lives, so why shouldn't they enjoy themselves!
Humans are not born to live in suffering. All the burdens we carry forward are actually for a greater future. This greater future may be a better life for ourselves, or it may be some kind of ideal and belief.

There is no such thing as someone born purely to endure hardship. The normal state of being is for ideals, beliefs, and the future.

So even if Chen Xi's words were correct, Liu Bei, looking at the group of veterans who fought to the death for him and to conquer the world for him, would naturally accept reality. After all, Chen Xi also said that he was talking about an ideal situation, like the beautiful concept of a utopian society, rather than something that could definitely be achieved. It is inevitable that people will have different degrees of closeness or distance. The concept of loving all people is anti-human.

Liu Bei listened and felt it was only natural. With this mindset, certain behaviors seemed much more natural. Similarly, when he combined this with everything Chen Xi had said before, it also seemed much more reasonable.

Even though such behavior might be seen as undermining the country and planting time bombs for future generations, sometimes we still have to trust in the wisdom of posterity. Maybe there will be another Chen Zichuan working hard to defuse the bomb someday, right? Trust yourself, trust future generations.

Moreover, after experiencing a period of great chaos and reshaping the rules, Liu Bei didn't see anything wrong with this behavior. When it came to a time of great upheaval and reconstruction, he would let the right people take charge. This attitude might seem outrageous in other dynasties, but it was perfectly normal in the Han Dynasty.

Starting with Liu Bang, there was a mindset of taking life and death lightly. If you get sick, you get sick. If the doctor says it's a serious illness and incurable, Liu Bang will simply give the doctor a large bag of gold and silver and tell him to get lost. Life and death are in the hands of fate, and wealth and status are determined by destiny. If it can't be cured, it can't be cured. In this life, just do what you should do.

As for the matter of rebellion, Liu Bang was equally nonchalant. He himself was a rogue who rebelled. If others couldn't survive in the future, so be it. If the emperor had the ability to stop the people from rebelling with a single word, I, Liu Bang, would still be a village head in Pei County, right? So it didn't matter. Let it be.

Liu Bei also had a chivalrous side. Although he hoped that the Han Dynasty could continue as it was today, he had witnessed the people starving and the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Liu Bei felt that if things really came to that point and the world was overthrown, it would be right for the strong to shape the dynasty. After all, nothing in the world is more important than the people eating.

Compared to the so-called frontline war, compared to the so-called Battle of the Ganges, whether the people can eat is the real issue. What if we lose the Battle of the Ganges? What if we are defeated at the front? Liu Bei cannot say anything excessive, but in good conscience, how many people would die even if that were the case?

Even if we lose territory, it's just losing a piece of land that we've been fighting over repeatedly. So what?

Nothing at all!
Now that the battle has progressed to this point, with Chen Xi presenting the final solution, the strategic aspect of the Ganges River strategy has essentially been finalized. What remains is merely a matter of tactical victory or defeat. But is there any point in discussing tactical aspects for someone of Liu Bei's stature?
What does it matter if you lose? What does it matter if you win? It's meaningless to someone of Liu Bei's stature.

Even Liu Bei's journey to the Ganges wasn't about winning or losing, but about giving face to those frontline officials who were blinded by self-interest. Did they really think Liu Bei couldn't guess who they were? Did they really think Liu Bei knew nothing?

All we can say is that we've known each other for over a decade, and Liu Bei was indeed more driven by emotion than reason. We hope those people can have a dignified end; otherwise, what good would it do if he really took action?
This was a feudal era, an era where the emperor commanded his subjects to die, an era where thunder and rain were both expressions of imperial favor, and an era where both rewards and poison were considered acts of imperial grace.

If Liu Bei were truly like Cao Cao, what difference would it make if he killed all the upper-middle class in Ganges? It's not like there wouldn't be any manpower to replace them. Would there be any turmoil? There wouldn't be any turmoil. But that's not Liu Bei's nature. He's the kind of person who would raise an army in anger for his brothers, and who would knowingly forge ahead even if the road ahead is problematic.

He was a strong person with his own beliefs and will, and his own moral compass.

Therefore, after Liu Bei made up his mind to go to the Ganges, people in Chang'an stopped discussing the Ganges altogether, because it was pointless. What would be the outcome of Liu Bei's trip was irrelevant, because this was not a normal war, but a political war, and it was Liu Bei's last attempt to salvage the dignity for those on the front lines.

It's just unknown how many people on the front lines, blinded and disoriented, will realize this.

However, there probably won't be too many. It's the same principle as Liu Bei knowing he was wrong but still moving forward. Those in the upper and middle ranks on the front lines also know that their actions are not right, but they still have to move forward. Both sides have their own positions, and some will make concessions, but it won't be the majority.

After all, things have come to this point, and there's no choice but to move forward. Retreating is out of the question, because if we retreat, the already formed groups gathered around those people will tear apart the retreating leader and then replace him with a new one. It's that simple.

"Let's go check out the greenhouse at Shanglin Garden." Chen Xi nodded, a lot of things swirling in his mind, but in the end he said nothing. He knew a lot and understood a lot, but some things are better left unsaid.

In Weiyang Palace, Si Niang was dipping a cleaned radish in sauce. As always, if it tasted good, Si Niang would definitely give it a try.

"Tongtong, isn't it General Huangfu's granddaughter's wedding today? I heard there's lots of delicious food. Why don't we go?" Si Niang asked with a hint of curiosity, munching on a fruit radish.

"Sending the gift is enough. I won't go. It wouldn't be good to go and listen to those people chanting scriptures," Liu Tong said with a smile. Her situation was very special. The eleventh year of Yuanfeng had already entered the second half of Yuanfeng. She also had to consider some follow-up matters. For example, as the only female spiritual talent possessor who was currently publicly known to have no suitors, some people were already having ideas.

"What's wrong?" Si Niang asked with a hint of curiosity, her big, innocent, and clear eyes sparkling.

"There are some things you'd better not know." Liu Tong tugged at Si Niang's hair bun. She also liked this thing, not that she liked making one for herself, but that she liked holding onto it. It was very convenient to use as a grip.

"Is that so?" Si Niang tilted her head, and didn't ask any further questions. This guy, although he wasn't very bright, still had a very sharp intuition.

"Yes, the tenth year of Yuanfeng has ended." Liu Tong said calmly. "Starting next year, I plan to bring A Dou into the palace to teach him how to govern, and at the same time, it's time to establish the position of Crown Prince."

"I see." Si Niang nodded. The position of Crown Prince has been vacant for so many years. Although many people know what's going on, some people are very good at lying through their teeth. In addition, after Wu Yuan gave birth to a son, the foundation of the country was somewhat unstable, and some rumors have not been suppressed.

Therefore, the fastest way to eliminate these problems at this stage is actually to establish a crown prince. Moreover, Liu Shan is of age, which is very suitable compared to the young emperors of the late Eastern Han Dynasty. It is indeed time for Liu Shan to receive the most core education from the royal family.

"Moreover, it's time to arrange for the Crown Prince's faction to be filled. The Grand Commandant and the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat have been too lax in this regard, which has given others an opportunity. I plan to finalize this matter at the beginning of the year and select suitable people to enter the Eastern Palace!" Liu Tong said with a serious expression, turning his head. "Of course, the Crown Princess will also be decided."

The Crown Princess is Chen Qian. This matter had not been mentioned before, but now that the two of them are of age, Liu Tong feels that everything that needs to be settled must be settled. The foundation of the state is something that must be considered. Moreover, if she is to look for a new partner, settling on the Crown Prince is a must, otherwise a series of troubles will arise. As of now, the only people who can shake the foundation of the state, besides Wu Yuan, are actually Liu Tong herself.

It's one thing for others, but if Liu Tong gives birth to a son, the impact will be even greater than if Wu Yuan gives birth to her second child!
I dare not say anything, I can't say anything, I just sigh.