章 6: Chapter 6: Come to my big brother, Chen Xi
...
Each of these three families had their strengths and weaknesses. The Sunx Family was arguably the most problematic, with numerous internal contradictions. However, the advantage was that if one wanted to just get by, the Sunx Family was indeed the best choice; after all, their strategic approach seemed somewhat chaotic, making them the perfect Feudal Lord to join for someone looking to coast along, with a high level of safety as well.
Cao Cao could be considered a Mighty Lord, but regrettably, he was excessively paranoid. However, the advantage was that before he reached his prime, as long as you were capable, you could get by with him, and no matter how arrogant you were, he could tolerate it. Without his paranoia, he would definitely be the best choice.
What's important is that except for those of Cao Cao's Strategists who died of illness or were forced to commit suicide, I haven't heard of any that were captured or killed. Even though it seems dangerous, in reality, Cao Cao's protection of his subordinates was quite formidable. Even in the tragic battle of Red Cliff, there were no reports of any Strategist being captured.
However, Chen Xi had no confidence that his own behavior wouldn't raise Cao Cao's suspicions; no matter how carefully he considered his words and actions, there was always going to be a bit of difference from the people of ancient times, and he would unintentionally offend others.
In the end, you either ended up like Xun Yu, inexplicably forced to commit suicide over an empty box, or like Guo Jia, with Cao Cao turning a blind eye to whatever you did, placing absolute trust in you. It was a gamble between these two outcomes – dare to bet?
As for Liu Bei, I still can't understand him to this day. Some say he's just pretending, but if you can pretend your whole life, there's hardly a difference from being genuine. According to a certain viewpoint, you might not be accustomed when you start pretending, but once you get used to it, you become the act itself.
In short, whether Liu Bei was pretending or genuinely expressing himself, it practically made no difference; the outcome was largely the same. The problem was that following Liu Bei wasn't safe, and it would be quite stifling for the first decade or so.
Xuzhou was a nice place, but it had no natural defenses. Jingzhou was a nice place, but Liu Biao was presiding over it. By the time you had the strength to hold such a battleground, Jingzhou would be lost, and simultaneously the Land of Abundance would be decimated by the war, making you nothing but an unlucky fellow.
Thinking this far, Chen Xi was at a loss for words. Following Liu Bei would only work out if he had the combat power of Guan and Zhang, and Zhao; otherwise, disaster was inevitable. The issue was that he didn't have it – Zhang Fei alone, with his strength to leap over ten meters and leave a crater on the ground, posed no problem to him.
"Ah..." Chen Xi sighed, it was a predicament indeed.
"What's the matter, Young Master?" Chen Lan, who had been sitting quietly reading a book, looked curiously at her master.
"I'm just considering which person to seek refuge with," Chen Xi said with a smile, feeling no need to keep secrets from his Maid. In those times, maids were often deemed more trustworthy than mere subordinates.
"Come join my elder brother!" Before Chen Lan could speak, Chen Xi heard the booming voice of Zhang Fei.
"...Can you not appear so suddenly, like a ghost? A burly man walking without a sound, what are you trying to do?" Chen Xi rolled his eyes and said, now quite familiar with this Zhang Yide.
"For us martial practitioners, it's quite normal to walk without making a sound at this level. On the contrary, making noise deliberately would be an unnecessary provocation, right?" Zhang Fei said with a chuckle, "If Zichuan is considering whom to join, then join my elder brother. He is a Han Imperial Kinsman, after all."
Even Zhang Fei, with his brash nature, had his delicate side, giving Chen Xi no chance to change the subject and invoking Liu Bei's greatest asset, an asset he would consistently rely on in the future.
"Lord Xuande is also under consideration," Chen Xi admitted reluctantly after hesitating for a moment. Fortunately, Zhang Fei wasn't as proud as Guan Yu. Had it been Guan Yu, Chen Xi would never have said this, not wanting to leave a thorn in the heart of the second brother.
"What's there to consider!" Zhang Fei's large hand clapped down on Chen Xi's shoulder, "My elder brother is a peerless great man, determined to restore the Han Dynasty. Since Zichuan harbors such thoughts, why not strive for this cause with us."
"You've said it all," Chen Xi rolled his eyes and spoke, "Let me put it this way, Lord Xuande now has no people and no territory. To restore the Han Dynasty isn't just talk. First, you need people, referring to the citizens under your rule. Then you have to turn these people into soldiers, select officers from among the soldiers, and with this larger framework in place, you need to create momentum to attract talented individuals. Only after doing all these things will you qualify to compete with the world's heroes."
After speaking, Chen Xi perhaps felt Zhang Fei wouldn't understand and gestured, "Look, this is roughly the level at which a noble family stands, with money, grain, and people. Once an opportunity arises, they could transform from local tyrants to legitimate authorities. Whereas Lord Xuande is about at this level—having nothing, the only title of Han Imperial Kinsman hasn't even been acknowledged by the Imperial Clan Court, which can be said to be extremely challenging."
Zhang Fei's face darkened considerably, but he didn't contravene Chen Xi's words. He wasn't stupid; he was just somewhat impulsive.
"Then talk about something else," said Zhang Fei curiously looking at Chen Xi.
"All right, let's first discuss Cao Mengde, who issued the proclamation this time. I hold him in high regard. Although he failed to assassinate Dong Zhuo, he then issued a proclamation to unite the righteous heroes of the world against Dong Zhuo. Regardless of the outcome, his name will become renowned. If he grasps the right moment to rise, the world will be shaken."
"A campaign against Dong Zhuo could fail?" It was clear Zhang Fei's thoughts weren't on Cao Mengde but on the phrase "regardless of the outcome."
"What is the goal of the campaign against Dong Zhuo?" Chen Xi didn't explain, but instead posed a question.
"To rescue the Emperor and restore order in the world," Zhang Fei stated righteously.
"What if Dong Zhuo is defeated and kidnaps the Emperor as he flees..."
"He wouldn't dare!" Zhang Fei roared in anger!
"You go ask him if he dares. My ears have started buzzing already; your voice is too loud, it's killing me," Chen Xi said, somewhat troubled by his headache.
Zhang Fei gave an awkward smile, but a shadow had already fallen over his heart. His intuition told him that what Chen Xi had mentioned was very likely to happen.
"Let's talk about something else. A snake can't move without a head; so many righteous heroes will need someone to lead them. Who will command? Who will arrange for fodder and horses, and how will orders be unified from all sides?" Chen Xi threw out a few more questions, "Most importantly, if Luoyang is taken and Dong Zhuo flees to Chang'an with the Emperor, what then? Should we pursue or not, and can our supplies support it? If pursuit leads to the Emperor's harm, who is to take responsibility? And there's one final crucial point—everyone has their own self-interest."
Zhang Fei fell silent. He had never considered what Chen Xi brought up, but once Chen Xi spoke, Zhang Fei understood—all of it was lethal.
"From what you're saying, the Emperor can't be rescued," said Zhang Fei, his expression crestfallen.
"It's utterly impossible. To rescue the Emperor, there must first be an imperial force inside Luoyang capable of protecting the Emperor unharmed, and secondly, a rescue force must be able to suppress Dong Zhuo's troops completely, to prevent a desperate counterattack. These two points are fundamental, and we cannot meet either," Chen Xi shrugged and said; rescuing the Emperor at this moment was nothing but a pipe dream.
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