Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

Of course, this plan isn’t guaranteed to go smoothly. If Liu Xie shows remarkable courage and decisiveness, he might actually come to Taishan. Unfortunately, while Liu Xie is smart, he lacks the boldness required. If he were both bold and intelligent, Chen Xi wouldn’t mind Liu Xie restoring the Han Dynasty himself.

With both courage and intelligence, Liu Xie could easily win over the still less ambitious Liu Bei. However, if Liu Bei conquers several provinces first, it will be nearly impossible to subdue him. Currently, apart from the Yuan clan and Dong Zhuo, very few truly oppose the Han Dynasty.

The ambitions of Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan aren’t very pronounced yet. Even Sun Ce’s occasional rebellious statements can be dismissed due to his youthful exuberance. For these three, ambition awakens as their territories expand. As imperial power wanes, loyalty transforms; as long as loyalty remains, it indicates the rewards aren’t yet sufficient. Once the benefits are substantial enough, loyalty will inevitably change.

For Chen Xi, whether Liu Bei ascends to the throne or not makes little difference. He desires a Han Dynasty that commands the world with an unrivaled majesty, where even in a divided world, Han’s power dominates.

So, it doesn’t matter who becomes emperor. Even if Cao Mengde (Cao Cao) ascends the throne, it wouldn’t bother Chen Xi, as long as he can subdue all and command absolute respect, leading the Han people beyond their borders with pride. If he can execute foreign kings in front of their ministers and send them back without complaint, Chen Xi wouldn’t mind Cao Cao taking the throne. His aim is that grand.

For Chen Xi, the allure of power and beauty is minimal. His goals are vast. In his previous life, he could only reminisce about a time when his nation stood at the pinnacle of history. But now, living in a time when that glory has faded, he longs to change the course of history.

Nomadic civilizations, to him, are akin to bandit cultures—essentially trash. Chen Xi has been considering ways to eradicate nomadic civilizations at their root. For the internal issues of agricultural civilizations, he aims to recreate the flourishing intellectual era of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, which could sustain a civilization for millennia.

However, recognizing the dangers of such an era, Chen Xi often reconsiders. Given his intelligence, solving these issues seems impossible. Without other options, the best path is the only path. Whether it’s dangerous or not, another era of a hundred schools of thought would set a pace other civilizations could scarcely match. If it fails, future generations will suffer. If it succeeds, it will be legendary.

Accepting the risk of future consequences for the potential glory, Chen Xi decides to act. If it results in unparalleled cultural prosperity, his name would be immortalized. This motivates him deeply, accelerating his thoughts and fueling his ambition.

Chen Xi contemplates deeply, knowing that dreams of unification or personal desires hold little sway over him now. He might find someone attractive, but true excitement is rare. Accepting his arranged marriage with Fan Jian and acknowledging Fan Lan’s love, he realizes he’s become indifferent, merely seeking a partner to spend his life with.Sometimes, Chen Xi wonders if his preoccupation with grand plans is a way to avoid thinking about personal desires he yearns for.

”Zi Chuan!” Chen Xi snaps out of his thoughts, masking his emotions with a gentle smile as he raises a cup to everyone, covering his moment of introspection.

”Zi Chuan, what were you thinking about? You seemed deep in thought,” Liu Bei asks after finishing his drink, ”Were you missing your wife? I hear you’re very fond of her.” Liu Bei laughs heartily.

”I was just reminiscing about the past, which includes matters of marriage,” Chen Xi admits with a smile, not denying it. Nowadays, he frequents the pleasure districts with Guo Jia, despite his earlier disinterest.

”Zi Chuan, you and Lady Fan haven’t formally married yet, right? Would you like me to arrange it?” Liu Bei suggests.

Chen Xi considers briefly, ”Let’s wait another year. We’ll marry when Jian’er turns sixteen. There’s no rush now.”

With the new year approaching, Fan Jian would soon be sixteen. Liu Bei, interpreting Chen Xi’s response as a preference against a winter wedding, laughs, ”Then, I’ll arrange the marriage when she turns sixteen. How about taking a concubine first? I’ve heard Chen Lan has been loyal and is quite beautiful. Making her a secondary wife wouldn’t be bad. What do you think?”

Caught off guard, Chen Xi sees Liu Bei’s goodwill and thinks of Chen Lan. Realizing Liu Bei’s sincerity, he nods, ”Alright. With the new year coming, marrying Chen Lan would bring her from the outer courtyard to live with me. It would be more convenient.”

Everyone initially reacts with surprise, followed by congratulations. Chen Xi surveys the group, contemplating that a wedding could bring substantial gifts, especially as a two-thousand-stone governor.