Chapter 7057 Rules for Me?

Chapter 7057 Rules for Me?

"But Her Highness the Princess and Consort Xian came with two commanders earlier, and they saw a lot of fresh ingredients, but they didn't bring them because of their size," the Imperial Kitchen Manager said with some concern.

"Don't worry, I will send a memorial to His Highness on this matter, and various ingredients will also be sent over later." Chen Xi waved his hand and said. This matter was originally a test, and the so-called ingredients were just bonuses in the process of testing.

Although Chen Xi had already planned that these bonus items would definitely be used for a banquet, since it was the grand court assembly at the beginning of the year and meals would be provided, and having some exotic ingredients would also be a way to showcase the empire's prosperity, he had Liu Tong test it first, which was the version without stress testing. Next, Liu Bei would write down the list and put it under stress testing.

It's pretty much the case that Liu Tong won't pass this round of tests; at best, he'll go to jail, at worst, he'll be finished!
For Liu Bei's group, those who successfully completed the high-intensity tasks received rewards, while those who failed were given opportunities for improvement and adjustments were made as needed. That's basically how it works.

With Chen Xi's words, Tai Guanling stopped trying to stop them and led the group to the place where the ingredients were stored. This place was divided into many sections depending on the condition of the ingredients. Some sections needed to be pressurized and heated, while others needed to be cooled and kept moist. In short, the requirements were different for each section.

"This is really outrageous. Even if I buy these things myself, sometimes I can't even get my hands on them." Mi Zhu looked at the ingredients on the scene with some surprise. As the saying goes, having a large land area and abundant resources is not entirely a good thing in feudal times. At the very least, the difficulty and cost of management will increase a lot, and it may even make it difficult for the top to understand the actual situation in remote areas.

“Let’s eat seafood. River delicacies and mountain delicacies aren’t too difficult to obtain in Chang’an, but seafood is extremely rare there, especially live seafood. Even today, many people inland have never seen it.” Li You said, looking around. The last time he saw such a large quantity of live seafood was when Lu Jun treated him to dinner in Donglai.

As I said before, although there are some seafoods that Li You doesn't like to eat, he finds the delicious seafood to be quite good.

"You can choose whatever you like. I don't really need anything in particular, but some ingredients require special processing, and some things must be cooked as soon as they're taken out of the water." Liu Bei looked at the shad and silverfish, which seemed a bit odd at this time of year. These two things could only be killed and cooked on the spot.

"I don't have much need for these things. Just make me some beef and braised meat as snacks to go with my drinks," Chen Xi said to the imperial chef standing beside him. Chen Xi was the kind of person who was particular about the finest food and the most elaborate preparations. In other words, as long as it tasted good, he would be happy with whatever you made.

Since the meal consisted entirely of seafood, Chen Xi felt that they should also prepare some regular snacks to go with the drinks.

“Then we’ll each make our own choices.” Jia Xu didn’t stand on ceremony. He had eaten some delicious sea fish when he was on the Ganges River, so he knew how to choose.

Soon, the group of people each selected a bunch of ingredients. It was obvious that they all had the attitude of eating and taking some with them, and the amount they selected was not enough for one person to finish.

"Yun Chang and the others haven't arrived yet, so let's pick some for them too." Liu Bei recalled the seafood that Guan Yu and the others ate when they had a drinking contest with Sun Ce, and after roughly selecting some, he asked the Imperial Kitchen Manager to prepare some meat dishes that the kitchen usually had on hand.

To be honest, in Liu Bei's opinion, seafood, which requires peeling, is somewhat unfriendly to warriors. This group prefers to eat large chunks of grilled beef, various braised pork, and pure meat dishes like braised pork belly and red-braised pork.

"That's all. Get some rice, steamed buns, and dumplings, the freshly cooked kind. We'll start serving them when everyone's here." Liu Bei, thinking that drinking was also a form of eating, waved his hand and arranged dinner for Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and the others.

"Is this drinking?" Fa Zheng asked in confusion.

“Eating rice is also a way of drinking, eating and drinking well.” Chen Xi said with a smile. He liked this atmosphere because in this atmosphere, everyone could put aside their scheming and temporarily abandon their own sense of justice, and enjoy a good rice meal. Chen Xi thought this state was quite good.

“That’s right, let’s just eat.” As the head of the construction team, Sun Qian knew very well that eating was the right thing to do. Without any hesitation, he handed over all the main dishes he had chosen to the imperial chef and began the waiting mode. “I like this state of not thinking about anything and having a blank mind while eating.”

"Unfortunately, people can't stop thinking," Liu Ye said slowly.

These words silenced the entire room. Liu Bei clapped his hands, as if he were leading a group of children, indicating that they could follow him to a professional venue for the banquet.

"Are we having a banquet here?" Chen Xi asked, pointing to Zhaoyang Palace.

"I've already sent someone to apologize to the princess, and she's agreed, even rewarding us with a plate of fried fish fillets," Liu Bei said with a smile. "We're all already in Weiyang Palace, so why should we go out? That wouldn't be good. It's better to stay here. After all, not all of these palaces are actually useful. Her Highness only uses a few palaces regularly. Zhaoyang Palace has been empty for a while. We can just submit an application and have someone else come here. That would be fine!"

"It's rare for the Xuande Guild to overstep its bounds in this regard." Chen Xi muttered to himself, but Liu Bei patted him on the back, signaling him not to talk nonsense.

“Don’t take some things so seriously. I remember you weren’t such a rigid person before. Besides, overstepping one’s bounds isn’t always such a big deal,” Liu Bei said with a smile.

"Lord Xuande, you didn't actually make this on a whim?" Chen Xi asked Liu Bei telepathically as he walked up the steps.

"No, that's not it." Liu Bei replied very seriously. "Your Highness did a good job. I had no intention of overthrowing Your Highness. We agreed on twenty years for Yuanfeng, and that will definitely be twenty years. What I'm dissatisfied with are those probing actions."

"Does Lord Xuande mean those people who deliberately tested us by going around in circles because of the existence of the princess?" Chen Xi asked after thinking for a moment.

"Isn't that so?" Liu Bei countered.

"That's true." Chen Xi answered truthfully. After all, the matter was already quite obvious. Whether they admitted it or not, Liu Bei would eventually reveal his hand. Since that was the case, they might as well just say it directly.

"The eldest princess's succession to the throne was a good move. It resolved many internal conflicts and made unification more peaceful. But as you told me, if you take shortcuts, you will definitely have to make up for it later. Relying on the late emperor's daughter to unify the world and subdue various political forces did reduce internal friction, but what about now?" Liu Bei sighed and glanced at Chen Xi as he entered the room.

Chen Xi seemed to be thinking. Liu Bei's words were not wrong. Since the great cause had been entrusted to Liu Tong, then sometimes it was necessary to uphold this great cause. It was obvious that in Liu Bei's view, this great cause was now making Liu Bei's forces somewhat restrained.

"After all, aristocratic families have the right to interpret scriptures, and the existence of this means that we, as subjects, sometimes have to consider the opinions of certain scribes," Liu Bei said with a heavy expression.

"So, there's another reason why Lord Xuande told me before that he wanted to step down as Grand Commandant and only serve as Prince of Jin, and then promote me to be Prime Minister." Chen Xi nodded with a somewhat understanding expression.

“Yes, I suddenly realized this some time ago,” Liu Bei said with a sigh. “We are quite conservative in handling many things now, largely because we are too rule-abiding. The victor is blameless, Zichuan, you said that.”

Chen Xi nodded silently. These words were true, and no one could refute them.

“If you think this way, it’s actually quite good. It saves us a lot of trouble. After all, it’s not just Lord Xuande who faces being constrained.” Chen Xi sighed and said, “My habit is that if the law doesn’t prohibit something, it’s permissible, but those aristocratic families habitually take my views as laws.”

"Isn't this a matter of course? You have always been the most correct and have consistently brought benefits. Under such circumstances, it is self-evident who should be chosen as the standard." Liu Bei said with a smile, "Let's go and hold a banquet in Zhaoyang Palace. Let those powerful families watching from Chang'an understand who the victor of this world is. The most important reason why many things can happen is that we are too particular about the rules and we have lowered ourselves to be on the same level as them."

Chen Xi nodded silently upon hearing this. Strong people are willing to abide by the rules, and they always do. Over time, those mediocre and short-sighted people will think that strong people are bound by the rules. Little do they know that the people who create the rules are never bound by them.

The United Nations exists because of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. To put it bluntly, a United Nations that does not serve the five permanent members would have no reason to exist.

Similarly, since Liu Bei and Chen Xi established this set of rules, then when these rules apply to Liu Bei and Chen Xi, they should be abolished.

Walking along the white marble steps to the palace gate is a clear act of usurpation, because theoretically, no one except the emperor can walk here, even if it is for a great achievement.

But Liu Bei actually took this route this time, walking up the steps right in the middle. Although there were no spectators here at this moment, and Jia Xu, Li You, and others were not talkative, Chen Xi knew very well that this scene would definitely reach the ears of the major clans.

As for the people following behind Liu Bei, they were all deep in thought at this moment, but they didn't have any particular feelings about this overstepping of authority. To put it bluntly, many people present thought that they should have taken this route ten years ago, or at the very least nine years ago, or even five years ago when the eastern tour ended. In the end, they only left today, which is really too late.

However, none of the people present would say such things. After all, this was Chen Xi's plan back then, and the current prosperous era was indeed closely related to Liu Bei's concession. Therefore, seeing this prosperous era, everyone present could accept the ten-year wait.

"My lord!" When they reached the entrance of Zhaoyang Palace, Liu Ye, who had been trailing at the end, stepped forward and bowed to Liu Bei, preparing to persuade him to ascend the throne.

After all, the current time is not exactly perfect, but it is certainly very good. All the heroes of the world are in Chang'an, and Liu Bei's main supporters are also here. As long as Liu Bei nods in agreement, all the forces in the world are willing to push Liu Bei to the throne.

Moreover, everyone witnessed that Chen Xi did not stop Liu Bei from stepping onto the jade steps and red steps this time, which means that Chen Xi was not too opposed to this matter. And everyone who has worked with Chen Xi knows one thing: as long as Chen Xi does not directly deny something, you can do it if you want to, and he will not stop you because of personal likes or dislikes.

Therefore, it was natural for Liu Ye to step forward and urge Liu Bei to accept the throne at this time. After all, each of them had their own role, and Liu Ye's status and position made him the most suitable person to start the persuasion process. Although no matter how they persuaded him to accept the throne, even if Liu Bei agreed, it would still be Chen Xi who would submit the final memorial.

"No need, no need. It's not time yet. I walked up the jade steps and the red steps just to make the great families understand a certain principle: rules are nothing more than a thin veil that can be easily torn apart for me." Liu Bei waved his hand to interrupt Liu Ye's attempt to persuade him to ascend the throne. He had no intention of taking the throne. He still had many things to do, and compared to ten years ago, Liu Bei's desire to take the throne had faded a lot.

Having seen so much and gained such profound understanding, Liu Bei has grasped the rules governing the operation of power. Naturally, he no longer values ​​many things as much. Moreover, ten years ago, when his mind was more focused and his desires were stronger, Liu Bei was able to suppress his own desires for Chen Xi, let alone now.

"I see." Liu Ye remained silent for a moment after hearing this, then naturally withdrew.

"Ziyang, you are more familiar with the palace. Go and fetch the palace maids. Since we're already here, let's eat, drink, and watch some dancing," Liu Bei said to Liu Ye. Clearly, he wanted to go all out. Ten years ago, Liu Bei was worried that Cao Cao, Sun Ce, and Yuan Tan would join forces to fight him and destroy the Central Plains. But now, even if the three of them joined forces, it would be nothing more than a minor calamity.

"I'll have someone arrange it right away." Liu Ye nodded. He already understood what Liu Bei was doing this time. He was being too rule-abiding, which meant they couldn't see his muscles, right? In that case, he might as well show them off a couple of times so they would understand who the real king was.

Liu Ye quickly sent people to make arrangements, and while Liu Ye was making these arrangements, news of what happened in front of Zhaoyang Hall in Weiyang Palace had already reached outside the palace.

That's right. There were hardly any people around, and no one seemed to be sneaking off, but when Liu Bei pushed open the door to enter Zhaoyang Palace, Zhang Yi, the Minister of Ceremonies, received the relevant intelligence, and then he felt like his head was about to explode.

"Grand Master of Ceremonies, what should we do?" the Vice Minister of Ceremonies asked Zhang Yi with a grave expression.

"Let's make do. Revise the petition for Liu Bei's ascension that we prepared five years ago, and see what the procedures are for the Grand Court Assembly. If he really intends to do so and is spreading this idea, then we'll submit the petition." Zhang Zhi said calmly. Just as Jia Xu and the others had thought, this should have been done five years ago. Similarly, the Grand Master of Ceremonies had also prepared a petition for Liu Bei's ascension, along with the relevant ceremonial procedures, five years ago. However, Liu Bei didn't seem to have this intention at the Grand Court Assembly, so Zhao Qi put it aside. Now it was Zhang Zhi's turn.

"No?" the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices tentatively asked.

“Why bother?” Zhang Zhi waved his hand and said, “This is truly following the will of Heaven. Your Highness has already prepared yourself mentally, so just go with the flow.”

Zhang Yi saw things very clearly, and he knew that this was an unstoppable trend. As for Liu Tong doing a good job as regent, it wasn't really important, because Liu Bei wouldn't do a bad job either, since Chen Zichuan was still the one doing the work, so there was no difference.

Even for the Grand Master of Ceremonies, many rituals are easier to implement when a normal emperor ascends the throne.

"Just do what you're supposed to do, and pretend you don't know anything," Zhang Zhi waved his hand and said. "Don't do anything unnecessary. Even if the Prince of Jin has this idea, we have to do our own thing before the Prince of Jin steps forward himself."

"Yes, Grand Master of Ceremonies." The Vice Grand Master of Ceremonies lowered his head and thought for a moment, then understood Zhang Yi's plan and immediately bowed.

"Go on, do what you're supposed to do," Zhang said, waving his hand.

Soon, just as Liu Bei had predicted, the major aristocratic families learned of this matter either from the Grand Master of Ceremonies or from their agents planted in the palace. In any case, within a very short time, almost all the aristocratic families learned of it simultaneously.

"What? The Prince of Jin is holding a banquet in Zhaoyang Palace, stepping onto the jade steps and red steps? And he's only inviting veteran officials?" Yuan Tao's heart sank when he received the news. The more he looked at the situation, the more it seemed like he was about to ascend the throne.

Moreover, just as Jia Xu and others thought, Liu Bei had already met all the conditions for ascending the throne, and there was nothing in front of him that could be considered an obstacle.

For the past ten years, Liu Bei has remained calm and has not overstepped his bounds. In addition, Chen Xi has always been very disciplined, leading everyone to believe that the twenty-year Yuanfeng era he mentioned back then will definitely come to an end when the time comes.

This idea wasn't a formal seal, but it was indeed the best reason for the major clans to hypnotize themselves. After all, the combination of Liu Bei and Chen Xi was just too strong, so strong that you had to believe they were law-abiding and reasonable. Because if you didn't hypnotize yourself and believe that the other party was law-abiding and reasonable, the heavy pressure would be enough to make all the clans of the time tremble with fear and unable to do anything.

A single Liu Bei is difficult to deal with, but there are ways to deal with him. A single Chen Xi is invincible in a head-on confrontation, but he is a rule-abiding opponent, and you can still find loopholes to exploit. But what if the two of them are together?
Who in the world would dare to oppose these two?

The Kushan Empire was a genuine empire, but these two have wrecked it. Why did the major clans dare to sabotage it? It's because they realized that no matter how much they tried to undermine it, the Han Dynasty would ultimately win.
It's almost the end of the month, so please vote if you have any. The author is really going to be in dire straits, it really is the end of the month.