Mythical Three Kingdoms

Zhou Yu slowly nodded, indeed it was so. Zhou Yu prided himself that his intelligence did not fall short compared to others, but truly, the disparity between Sun Ce’s power and Liu Bei’s was incredibly vast.

”After pacifying the Huns in the north, the most we will rest for is a year, before commencing to stabilize the world, the chaos within the Han Dynasty has endured long enough. How long do you think you can hold us off?” Chen Xi put down the wine goblet, stood up slowly with a slight smile, and turned his head slightly to look at Zhou Yu.

”A year?” Zhou Yu looked at the lightly smiling and composed Chen Xi with a tense expression, feeling a tremendous pressure upon him at this moment.

”Indeed, a year. Barring any surprises, by this winter and into next spring we should have dealt with the Northern Huns. Next year, all our various policies should be successfully embedded and begin functioning smoothly. By the year after that, I think it will be almost done.” Chen Xi said to Zhou Yu.

There’s nothing to hide anymore, even if it’s an open card now, it doesn’t matter, such a grand army can just push through steadily.

”Aren’t you afraid of us making targeted arrangements when you lay out your plans in this manner?” Zhou Yu’s expression turned slightly cold as he looked at Chen Xi.

”Not at all, even if it’s made clear, nothing much will change, your so-called targeted arrangements, what would that be? Guarding the Yangtze River line?” Chen Xi rolled his eyes and said, ”Don’t even think about it, the Yangtze can’t stop us, it’s just a mere strip of water.”

Instantly Zhou Yu’s face turned extremely dark, anyone hearing their reliance on the Yangtze’s natural barrier being compared to a mere strip of water would not feel well.

”I can even tell you that I will first attack Nanyang, but even knowing that, what can you do? I really don’t understand why you want to resist us? Frankly, I can understand why Cao Mengde resists us, but what’s the point in your resistance?” Chen Xi asked Zhou Yu, truly curious about this point.

Zhou Yu was left speechless, looking at Chen Xi as if he were an idiot. ”Bofu’s ambitions are immensely large, so the Central Plains aren’t enough to share.”

A flash of sharp light crossed Chen Xi’s eyes, to the extent that Zhou Yu could feel Chen Xi’s killer intent.

”Don’t you understand yet?” Zhou Yu wasn’t scared off by Chen Xi, instead, he looked at Chen Xi with a smile and said, ”If you don’t even understand this, then why are you assisting Liu Xuande?”

”Why am I assisting Lord Xuande?” A hint of confusion crossed Chen Xi’s eyes. Yes, what was my initial reason for assisting Liu Xuande?

The image of Liu Bei initially pulling his hand, his face full of disdain, then later Liu Bei coming to Mount Tai, releasing grain to the city’s residents, and Liu Bei’s unwavering determination despite his anger, floated up in Chen Xi’s mind.

Chen Xi slowly smiled and said, ”Why am I assisting Lord Xuande? Because I met him, yes, that’s why, sometimes luck and destiny are more important than ability.”

Zhou Yu felt a tightness in his chest; Chen Xi’s calm and smiling demeanor suddenly made him feel that everything Sun Ce had achieved didn’t match the effort Sun Ce put in.

”Of course, that’s just a joke. The real reason, I can’t tell you, I can only say that I have a very important reason for choosing him.” Chen Xi shrugged as he said.

Liu Bei’s benevolence, Chen Xi acknowledged, regardless of what one might say, in this era of harshness and cruelty, in a time where lives are treated as worthless, throughout his lifetime, Liu Bei never wielded the butcher’s blade against the common people. Among the founding monarchs of every dynasty, only Liu Bei constrained his subordinates and himself had no records of sacking cities.

Others like the Former Han’s Liu Bang, the Later Han’s Liu Xiu, down to the Ming and Qing’s founders, it’s common for them to either sack cities themselves or allow their subordinates to do so. Based on this point alone, it seems Chen Xi could only choose Liu Bei.

As for Sun Ce, Chen Xi once contemplated, Lul Kang blocked Sun Ce at Lujiang for many years, and Sun Ce, in anger, had once said he would not yield and would sack Lujiang upon conquering it, but ultimately did not wield the sword. It could be said that Sun Ce too had a significant bottom line in this regard.

However, Sun Ce’s innate problems were too severe, coupled with the presence of Zhou Yu, Chen Xi would be hard-pressed to believe that he could form stronger relationships than with Ce and Yu, who had sworn siblinghood in front of their parents.

It can be said that Chen Xi’s only choice was Liu Bei. As for Cao Cao, unless Cao Cao refrained from sacking cities, everything Chen Xi learned made it difficult for him to endorse Cao Cao.

Although everything Chen Xi studied forged a belief that couldn’t be testified through life like those kings, hegemons, heroes, or extraordinary heroes, it wouldn’t easily be tarnished either.

Some things might fade away in the long river of history, but some beliefs will not easily dissipate. When the land of civilization descends into a barbaric era, do we need to shed the attire symbolizing civilization and act like savages consuming raw meat and blood? That’s impossible!

Perhaps some people admire the courage demonstrated by Cao Cao in using blood and sword to destruct and rebuild, but Chen Xi cannot endorse the method that tramples on civilization; from the beginning, Chen Xi only recognized the will and capability of Cao Cao, never the man himself.

”This reason allows me to choose Lord Xuande in situations ten times worse than now!” Chen Xi suddenly laughed and said.

[Indeed, I still can’t agree with those before me and after me who resolved problems with slaughter. Perhaps I can’t control elsewhere, but when among the same culture and kind, if it remains so, then it truly is an issue with the nation.] Chen Xi thought wistfully.

[It seems that in the end, it’s not this era assimilating me, but me changing this era. Even if all I leave today becomes the dust of history, please let my goodness, my benevolence, and my thoughts dwell with this nation.]

Chen Xi looked at Zhou Yu, and Zhou Yu faintly sensed the pressure emanating from Chen Xi. Sometimes, just a slight hint, that step that couldn’t be crossed, could be taken over.

As time slowly passed, the overflowing spiritual capacity of Chen Xi was finally controlled again by him, slowly retracting, his once bright eyes turning deep, resembling the unfathomable depth of Jia Xu.

”Congratulations.” Zhou Yu looked at the inward glow of Chen Xi and after a moment of silence, he spoke, this terrifying spiritual capacity was no longer just the spirit of ten thousand wandering people, but the spiritual capacity possessed by Chen Xi himself.

”Nothing to congratulate about, essentially, I’ve become harder to deal with.” Chen Xi said with a smile, ”However, Sun Bofu’s ambitions are indeed large; maybe that’s just what you think.”

The composed demeanor in Chen Xi’s casual talk made Zhou Yu even feel a sense of insignificance.

”I once taught Fa Xiaozhi and Zhuge Kongming that human cognition in essence is a form of bias.” Chen Xi said as he looked at the speechless Zhou Yu.

”Let me ask you a question: how can a long rope become shorter without changing itself?” Chen Xi looked at Zhou Yu and asked, Zhou Yu appeared puzzled looking at Chen Xi, as he’d never encountered such a riddle before.