Mythical Three Kingdoms

”Marquis Chen personally arrives, and my Bao Family is willing to offer you a favor, at any time power can be contested, but facing you directly, and having conflicts with you, no family among the Aristocratic Families Under Heaven dares to do so, we only dare unite to face you, but should you appear before us, we dare not,” Bao Dan said with utmost frankness.

”Good, I understand, from today the Bao Family will shut its gates for three months,” Chen Xi slowly spoke after scanning the descendants of the Bao Family before him.

”Good,” Bao Dan nodded in agreement.

The final counterattack of the aristocratic rebel faction, either pave the way for the family with corpses and completely submit to Liu Bei’s rule, or clip their wings to achieve success. Chen Xi glanced at the members of the Bao Family and left without another word; he already understood what was going on, it seemed that the Aristocratic Families Under Heaven were not foolish!

Chen Xi said no more, directly got into his carriage, guided away from Pingyang by Xu Chu, and returned to Fenggao. With the previous conversation, he knew the entire situation, and that was enough.

After seeing Chen Xi off, the Bao Family members slowly returned within the old house at Pingyang and then sealed the household’s gate, just as previously mentioned, for three months.

”Are we just giving up?” Bao Xun looked bitterly at his own family’s head; although he had thoughts of giving up upon learning of Chen Xi’s arrival, such an unhesitant and decisive surrender without gaining anything...

”Do you want to negotiate terms with him?” Bao Dan turned to look at his own grandson, seeing the dissatisfaction in his grandson’s eyes, but what could be done with dissatisfaction?

”I dare not...” Bao Shao said with a wry smile, ”This is also good, as my Bao Family is not involved in this matter. For ill fortune may bide fortune, and fortune may bide disaster, who can tell how today’s choice will impact tomorrow?”

”Alas, the gates will be sealed for three months, and all members of the Bao Family may not leave, anyone stepping out of the Bao Family Ancestral Land will be expelled from the Bao Family,” Bao Dan sighed deeply and then with a stern look swept over the descendants, issuing the command.

”Family head, how will we manage the Bao Family’s business?” one of the younger members of the Bao Family stepped forward, clearly hesitant as he spoke.

”Has the Bao Family really come to the point where missing three months of business means we cannot survive? Absurd!” Bao Dan left, flinging his sleeves as he went.

Several days later, several members of the Bao Family left, and as Bao Dan had said, he struck their names from the family register, but he did not remove their lineage from the family ancestral hall.

When will the Bao Family have a generation of outstanding talents like those in the Xun Family, the Chen Family? Alas, if they wish to leave, so be it, I hope that one day I will regret the decisions I’ve made today, just like the Chen Family once did.

Bao Dan, touching the genealogy on his desk, couldn’t help but tremble in his right hand; he truly hoped that one day it would be himself who regretted, not the members who had left.

Alas, such is time and fate. Bao Dan exhaled a sigh, setting aside the impossible daydreams in his heart; the existence of Chen Xi to all the aristocratic families, on one hand, was a testament to the capability of the families, and on the other hand, proof of their vision.

The Chen Xi who left Pingyang naturally could not know what had happened with the Bao Family, but even if he did, he wouldn’t have any special thoughts about it, as by now Chen Xi already had a clear understanding of the thoughts of the aristocratic families.

I, too, represent the Aristocratic Families Under Heaven. Chen Xi took a breath; although he had always insisted he stood from the perspective of the common people, but now that he thought about it, the class he actually represented was also the aristocratic families.

”Forget it, there’s no point in worrying about these things anymore. If the class I represent cannot change, then let me be the one to change it. At least I still possess the power to do so. The Aristocratic Families, truly a strange class indeed,” Chen Xi looked up at the carriage canopy with a wry smile of helplessness; this class was indeed quite peculiar!

”Strategist, are you alright? Ever since we left Pingyang, you’ve been silent. Is there some problem with the Bao Family? Should I go and slaughter them?” Xu Chu hadn’t heard Chen Xi’s voice for a while, so he spoke up and asked.

”There’s no problem, I’ve just come to understand a few things, which makes dealing with the next steps much easier,” Chen Xi said with a smile, ”The Aristocratic Families have their own demands of me, which is something I should have expected. I suppose the Chen Family, after moving to Mount Tai, must have quite a bit to say to me too.”

”...” Xu Chu was left speechless. He found once again that he and Chen Xi were not from the same world, with no way to pick up the conversation where Chen Xi left it. What was he supposed to answer now, ”Mmm” or ”Oh”?

”Zhongkang, let’s head back to Fenggao. I already understand the general situation. I was wondering why there was such a commotion, and now it all makes sense. As for my own demands? Perhaps I really should start looking into them,” Chen Xi said with a laugh. The response of the Bao Family patriarch made him reflect for a moment, considering he, after all, represented the Aristocratic Families.

Although Xu Chu didn’t quite understand what Chen Xi was talking about, he at least understood the part about heading back to Fenggao. After all, if he couldn’t even comprehend those words, Zhou Yu would have had to lower his intelligence to be able to have a good time with Sun Ce, and that intelligence also affected the harmony between the two of them.

As Chen Xi rode his carriage toward Fenggao and got closer, he heard more and more rumors, yet the common people seemed increasingly calm. It was evident that after years of governance, the center of rule simply ignored the rumors. While people would still listen and pass them on, as long as no official notices were issued, no one would believe them.

”It seems the situation isn’t too bad,” Chen Xi said with a satisfied expression. He had made so much effort to win the trust of the people, and now it finally bore fruit. No matter how widely the rumors spread, the common people just treated them as jokes. People might listen to them over tea or dinner for amusement, but virtually no one believed them.

”Strategist, someone is blocking the road requesting an audience,” Xu Chu suddenly spoke to Chen Xi inside the carriage and started ordering his soldiers to halt.

”Don’t bother with them. Local matters are for local authorities to deal with. I am a military commander returning to the army now, and it’s not my concern. Tell them to find the Boxian County Magistrate Yang Dao instead of bothering me,” Chen Xi said calmly.

”Yes!” Xu Chu saluted with a fist and then, without any hesitation, ordered his men to draw their swords, and they marched forward with an air of Evil Qi, causing the many scholars who had planned to stop Chen Xi’s carriage to tremble and make way.

”Marquis Chen says if you have any issues, report them to the local county magistrate,” Xu Chu bellowed as he passed through the crowd.

Only after Chen Xi had left did those scholars breathe a sigh of relief. ”Hmph, what’s so great about him? He was just born a few years before us, how dare he snub us like that!”

”He might not even be older than you,” someone at the side mocked.

”If I had his luck...” before the mocking one could retaliate, the previous speaker cut them off, ”Even then, you wouldn’t match up to him.”

”You, dare to leave your name!” The scholar who was infuriated by his peer shouted angrily.

”I am none other than the Boxian County Magistrate,” Yang Dao said nonchalantly, ”Now tell me, what is it that you wanted to request by blocking the road?” (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote and support it at . Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read at m.qidian.com.)