Mythical Three Kingdoms

In the end, Liu Bei suggested going to Guang County to find a group of people. After inquiring around, from the elderly to the children, everyone believed that Hu Zhi had been wrongfully arrested. Even if the facts proved that he was indeed corrupt, the people thought that compared to Hu Zhi’s achievements, these things were negligible.

Well, Hu Zhi was released, and since the people under his rule didn’t mind, Liu Bei couldn’t be bothered to intervene. With no issues at hand, the successfully freed Hu Zhi is currently working hard to prosper his jurisdiction, motivated to repay the bail support from the local people, resulting in a win-win situation.

What can be said about this? Chen Xi also knew that it was technically illegal, but considering Hu Zhi’s political achievements, he ultimately turned a blind eye. He fined him a year’s stipend, gave him an excellent assessment, rewarded him with some money, and issued a warning to resolve the matter.

As a result, Mann Chong could only correct a couple of instances in the law to set a precedent, essentially creating a rudimentary form of case law. However, Mann Chong did not finalize it and only addressed some extreme situations, similar to Hu Zhi’s corruption where beyond the fine there were essentially no consequences.

From this perspective, it seems that the supervision and evaluation system on Liu Bei’s side involves public participation. In fact, the evaluations are also citizen-participatory. If you’re capable, do as you please, but if the public can still say you did well, the law will opt for leniency during sentencing.

However, as for incitement, Chen Xi has already modified the law into two categories: legal restraints for ordinary people and human governance for noted scholars and officials, the so-called public figures.

It’s stipulated that the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers will perform the human governance evaluations. In practice, it’s as if rulers are conducting the evaluations, subtly hinting to officials and noted scholars not to act recklessly.

Such a system, in reality, already violates the original fair concept of the law. Yet Chen Xi still chose to go against the spirit of fairness because, with the inability to eliminate privilege, other means of restriction had to be employed.

In unnecessary situations, Chen Xi would not deliberately elevate moral standards. Moreover, Chen Xi also acknowledged that ordinary people inherently pursue fame and wealth, and the existence of privilege is itself a human instinct, prompting individuals to strive toward higher goals and simultaneously foster corruption.

Nonetheless, avoiding such extremity, achieving complete fairness wasn’t something Chen Xi could do. Whether it’s the Mohist’s ”Universal Love” or Yangzi’s ”I would not take a single hair to benefit the world,” these are exceedingly ideal states. The world has never been ideal, thus only universal morality can be used.

This also meant that Chen Xi was unlikely to destroy the class in which he stood. However, on second thought, this fact was predetermined; since humans began forming tribes, the privileged class has always existed, part of humanity’s inherent drive for a better life.

But it’s precisely because of such instinct, because there is a coveted position, that more people strive for it. This can be considered one of the sources driving human progress.

Therefore, Chen Xi knew very well that this high-ranking class inherently had value, whether for maintaining stability or for allowing those below to covet similar positions, both of which have a certain positive significance.

Like the saying goes, when watching the powerful act arrogantly and domineeringly, you curse them as bastards on one hand, but on the other hand, you envy them too.

Unless one is a Saint, it is quite normal for a person to embody two sets of moral standards. In fact, when he was being educated, Chen Xi understood that there are two sets of moral standards: one is universal, and the other is **.

The standard for normal people actually fluctuates between these two moral standards. The closer one aligns with the ** standard, the more self-serving they become; the closer to the universal standard, the more altruistic they become.

In terms of intellect, Chen Xi was not as good as Li Youu and others, but in terms of understanding people, he far surpassed his contemporaries. Promotion of progress doesn’t rely on morals; it can only depend on **.

Thus, making ordinary people ambitious, relying solely on Chen Xi’s efforts, isn’t effective. They must have the initiative to be ambitious. The path Chen Xi will always leave intact.

While harming the rights of the lowest classes to give the upper classes privileges, it simultaneously endangers the interests of the upper classes, leaving an upward path for the very bottom. By restricting the privileges of the upper classes within the most reasonable range possible, it makes the lower classes envy while also understanding the efforts of the upper classes.

These were some of the earliest lessons Chen Xi learned: letting the lower classes see the opportunity to gain the same status, allowing them to strive if they have ambition and confidence, while also showing them the efforts continually demanded, so they realize the difficulties involved.

This was actually the reason Hu Zhi was pardoned. Though he had authority, he was caught for that bit of corruption; if he hadn’t indeed performed well, it would have been hard for him to come out.

This is also why every year, examples are made, so that when ordinary people forget the troubles of the wealthy and only see the good parts, it serves as a warning by killing the chicken to scare the monkey.

To show those matters that, in the eyes of ordinary people, should be easy for the influential to handle, but end up dragging the whole family down, while laughing at the pig teammates, they feel it’s better to continue living securely as themselves...

Actually, how to put this, when stirring up dirt, no family is without black material. After all, sometimes certain methods are better and quicker than formal ones, and if things can’t be settled leading the whole family to downfall, it generally indicates significant inherent issues.

By killing the chicken to scare the monkey, while vacating positions, it also serves as a warning to these people to be more restrained, and it informs those below that even the elevated status you long for is quite dangerous, and you might drag the whole family down if things go wrong.

Such actions indeed contribute to social stability, and Chen Xi usually does not express opinions on them, viewing the venting of the public’s grievances as beneficial for the general mood.

Furthermore, Chen Xi has always believed that a group must introduce competition and an elimination mechanism. Placing a golden apple there to inspire the proactive spirit of the citizens of the Great Han is good.

The privileged class, in fact, is the golden apple Chen Xi set out, and he doesn’t bother to conceal it. Unlike future generations who have entered an era of equality for all, such overt promotion of privilege is naturally unacceptable.

But this era is completely different. The privileged class has existed from the beginning, and there’s no need to conceal it. It’s thrown there like a golden apple; if you want to eat it, go pick it yourself, but the difficulty of picking it doesn’t concern Chen Xi.

There will always be those who can pick it. Among all living beings, one or two geniuses will emerge who leave you speechless, and these are the so-called role models.

With these role models, society will exhibit boundless vitality. Though, compared to some, reaching such a height is indeed difficult, as long as the path is not closed, someone will naturally succeed.

This is all that Chen Xi can guarantee; he cannot ensure more. He can only ensure that there is a path, but this path is certainly not an easy road. More can only be created by future generations.