Chapter 7080 Writing the Book

Chapter 7080 Writing the Book
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei carried the "drunk" Zhou Yu out. Sun Ce, seeing this, felt the wine welling up in his eyes. Fortunately, he was sure that Liu Bei wasn't really going to punish Zhou Yu, but just wanted to throw this guy who had been deceiving Chen Xi out. Sun Ce glanced at him and then ignored him.

As for Zhou Yu, he realized at this point that he had become somewhat complacent. This was Liu Bei's territory, and he had gotten carried away with accepting so many benefits that he dared to cheat Chen Xi right in front of Liu Bei. He had clearly lost his mind.

I quickly tested my mental talent, and sure enough, the mental talent was right in my head. Oh well!
"Commander, you really went too far today." Guan Yu and Zhang Fei carried Zhou Yu to the palace gate. Looking at the heavy snow falling outside, they felt that it was really not good to just throw Zhou Yu out like that. So they warned him in a low voice, then looked at each other, exerted all their strength, and threw him into the sky.

In that instant, the two top experts of the era simultaneously unleashed their ultimate power. The merging of their dark blue-green inner energy enveloped Zhou Yu, like a small insect wrapped in tree sap. Then, it burst forth with dazzling light, like a giant rocket, flying directly into the sky. Moreover, due to its excessive speed, it even formed a meteor tail as it flew backward in the snowy night.

After all, Liu Bei had given the order to throw Zhou Yu, who had behaved improperly before the emperor and had also defrauded the marquises, out of the palace. However, he hadn't specified how to throw him. For the sake of dignity, he was tossed into the sky. With that kind of force, there was no guarantee that Zhou Yu wouldn't fly out of the atmosphere. That was it. Anyway, the person had been thrown out, so how he was thrown out didn't matter.

Zhou Yu was completely immobilized by the internal energy of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, and could only silently endure this restraint. Then, like a firework, he flew straight from Zhaoyang Palace into the sky.

"Alright, let's continue the music and dancing." Liu Bei saw Guan Yu and Zhang Fei return, but didn't ask how Zhou Yu was doing. At Zhou Yu's level, it was understandable that he would make mistakes. It was only because he had made a mistake in Liu Bei's hands today, and it was while he was deceiving Chen Xi, that he was dealt with a little more severely. Otherwise, he would have been fine. But now that he's been exposed, there's no need to pursue the matter further.

On the other side, Zhou Yu flew for more than ten kilometers before he could barely control his posture. After confirming that he could use his internal energy, he flew back. "A mere banquet, they threw me out like this. I'm not eating it. It's just seafood, right? What kind of seafood haven't I, Zhou Yu, eaten?"

With this in mind, Zhou Yu flew back to Weiyang Palace, gave a few instructions to the guards, and then left the palace. What's the point of a banquet? I'll make the Jiangdong aristocratic families create emotional value for me!
I, Zhou Yu, a proud man, have already been asked to leave. Do I have to go back in? No, I'll find a huge number of sycophants from Jiangdong to lick my boots and soothe my somewhat aggrieved heart after failing to gain more benefits from Chen Xi.

Meanwhile, in Weiyang Palace, the few people who had been keeping an eye on the commotion at Zhaoyang Hall were also laughing uncontrollably. After all, Zhou Yu had already taken such a benefit, and he still habitually wanted to take advantage of the situation. Then, seeing that Chen Xi was drunk, his act of secretly defrauding her really shocked Liu Tong.

"That Zhou Gongjin, I never imagined he would do something like this." Liu Tong stopped drinking and watched Zhou Yu being speared away, his laughter somewhat arrogant.

“There’s no way around it. This kind of wealth is already something that Chen Zichuan can only dream of. How could Zhou Gongjin not be envious? Besides, he’s already submitted his petition to persuade Zhou to take the throne, and Chen Zichuan has promised a generous reward. If the scam succeeds at this point, given Chen Xi’s personality, he can’t possibly deny it.” Bai Qi said with a smile. “Not to mention Zhou Yu, anyone would be willing to try if given the chance. After all, even if it goes wrong, nothing will happen.”

This is actually why many people criticize Chen Xi in private. Chen Xi's morality seems a bit too high at this time. Of course, these kinds of comments are usually made by others when they see others getting more benefits from Chen Xi's high morality.

When they face Chen Xi themselves, Chen Xi's high moral standards are actually a form of protection for them, allowing them to dare to express their thoughts in front of Chen Xi, even if they are somewhat presumptuous or greedy. Even if Chen Xi does not allow it, he will not deliberately suppress them.

After all, Chen Xi truly embodied the principle that anything not prohibited by law is permissible for others, and he would naturally abide by this rule.

Even when discussing things privately, many people feel that Chen Xi is not hypocritical enough.

Yes, that's ridiculous. Normally, people would say someone is a hypocrite, but when it comes to Chen Xi, they can't help but feel that Chen Xi isn't hypocritical enough and has too high moral standards.

Therefore, others feel awe towards Chen Xi, but that is because of the fear that arises from doing something wrong or even committing a crime, rather than fear of Chen Xi's authority. This is because Chen Xi does not arbitrarily take other people's lives, and in many cases, what others would consider at least a painful lesson, Chen Xi will try his best to give them some dignity.

This attitude isn't exactly a bad thing, but upon closer examination, it's not entirely a good thing either. At the very least, it makes some of the guys who can appear in front of Chen Xi lose their awe of him—try to scam Chen Xi, maybe it will work, right? Besides, even if it doesn't work, it's no big deal. Chen Xi won't punish me. I'm just following my own inner desires and instincts, it's not a bad thing.

It is quite obvious that Zhou Yu's behavior was exactly like that.

“Yes, Master’s personality means he won’t pursue such behavior. Master always says that if someone can obtain something from him through their own abilities, even if they get it by taking advantage of loopholes, he will still recognize it.” Xin Xianying said with a slight smile as she looked at her master’s drunken state.

"Twenty years ago, this kind of behavior wouldn't have been considered offensive, but now, with the comparison, it seems rather despicable," Liu Tong said, shaking his head slightly. "But thinking about it carefully, there aren't many people these days who would still think of scamming Chen Zichuan."

"It should only be Governor Zhou left," Xin Xianying said after thinking for a moment.

"Thinking about it carefully, Chen Zichuan has already given him a lot, but unfortunately, people's hearts are never satisfied. I am somewhat worried about the future." Liu Tong said with a touch of emotion, "Chen Zichuan is still alive now, and Zhou Gongjin is still used to doing this. If Chen Zichuan is no longer in the central government in the future, how will Zhou Gongjin view the successor? This will be a big problem."

When Liu Tong said this, he was actually referring to the situation that Chen Xi had made up for him back then, which was about the situation that Zhuge Liang, as the second generation, might face. At first, Liu Tong might have had some doubts, but seeing what happened today, how should I put it, Liu Tong felt that what Chen Xi said back then was very likely to have happened.

Upon hearing this, Si Niang looked at Zhou Yu, who was already walking towards the outside of Weiyang Palace, with a bewildered expression. Bai Qi, on the other hand, stopped. His political acumen was indeed not high, but if others were not as open-minded as Chen Xi, then Zhou Yu would eventually face a backlash.

“Master has made arrangements in this regard. He said he hopes everyone will have a good ending, at least a decent ending,” Xin Xianying said after thinking for a moment.

Regarding this, when Chen Xi was with Xin Xianying, he explained to her that Chen Xi's high moral standards actually provided a relatively decent path for everyone, regardless of whether they played the role of a righteous person or a villain in this era.

After all, they had been working together for a while, and Chen Xi didn't want these people to fall by the wayside because of so-called benefits, so he offered them benefits that were beyond their imagination.

However, as things have progressed to the point where some people have come up against Chen Xi, all we can say is that what Chen Xi prepared was correct. The path he thought was good for them may not be the path those people need. There's not much we can say about Chen Xi.

“I believe that. If it weren’t for giving everyone a good ending and a decent life, your master wouldn’t have needed to go to so much trouble.” Liu Tong nodded in agreement with Xin Xianying’s statement.

In Liu Tong's view, many of Chen Xi's actions could not be explained by the Confucian concept of self-cultivation, family management, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world. What might be a dream for others was a practical and achievable goal for Chen Xi.

"Your Highness, what are you planning to do next?" Xin Xianying was asking Liu Tong, not as a subject, but as a friend, since he was about to bid farewell to Liu Tong after the New Year and resign from his position as Grand Chamberlain.

"Just continue with your own affairs as before." Liu Tong shook her head. Although she understood Xin Xianying's meaning, she had no further thoughts. She would just follow the established path for the next ten years and then step down to make way for a more capable person.

"I see." Xin Xianying didn't say anything more, but silently deleted a certain notebook that had already shown some promise from her mind.

"After I abdicate, I will have Si Niang take me to see the Han Dynasty's land." Liu Tong turned to look at Si Niang. Si Niang, who was swallowing hard, felt Liu Tong's gaze and naturally reached out her hand, their fingers intertwined. Then, because she was distracted, Si Niang's throat tightened, and she almost choked to death. Her cheeks began to swell, and her face quickly turned red.

“If Your Highness doesn’t mind, I can write a book for you, telling the story of Your Highness and Consort Xian’s romantic escapades.” Xin Xianying saw that Si Niang and Liu Tong had held hands and then choked because she was distracted. Liu Tong chuckled and patted Si Niang’s back as he reached out to help her. Suddenly, he smiled and said.

These days, there are only a few historical records available, such as the Guoyu, Zhan Guo Ce, Chun Qiu, Shi Ji, and Han Shu. Given Xin Xianying's situation, she had already read them all. And in the historical records about the emperors of the Han Dynasty, homosexuality was practically the mainstream view.

Xin Xianying used to read books as literature, but after entering the palace and seeing Liu Tong and Si Niang, she realized that this might not be a case of homosexuality, but rather a case of homosexuality. Liu Tong was clearly a very pure model of the Han emperor.

Therefore, after seeing Liu Tong and Si Niang's scene and eliminating any unnecessary thoughts, Xin Xianying felt that she could help Liu Tong record her relationship with the Imperial Concubine. After all, she was also a witness and had written so many palace novels. Occasionally writing some palace chronicles would leave a record and also help Liu Tong clear away some future troubles.

"Xianying has such writing skills?" Liu Tong asked Xin Xianying with some curiosity. It wasn't that he looked down on Xin Xianying, a talented woman, but rather that popular romance novels and classical poetry were completely different things.

For a novel to spread widely and be enjoyed by readers, in addition to plot and character design, it also needs a spiritual core and the ability to explain complex matters in a simple and easy-to-understand way. The latter two, in particular, determine the size and stickiness of the audience.

Poetry is good, even if you can't explain why it's good. You can feel the natural beauty inherent in poetry.

But novels are different; the stories they tell are merely the surface.

Liu Tong believed that Xin Xianying, being such a talented woman, would have no problem handling anything significant, even something as simple as poetry and prose. Liu Tong was confident that Xin Xianying could produce something quite excellent.

But novels, if they set the bar too high, become niche and only appeal to a small group of people, the so-called "highbrow and unpopular" kind of thing, meaning they have no audience. But if they set the bar too low, they become unpresentable. Trying to combine intellectual depth with popular appeal is just too difficult.

"I'm quite good at this," Xin Xianying said with a light smile. She didn't believe Liu Tong hadn't heard certain rumors. With Liu Tong's abilities, he had quite a few channels for obtaining information. At most, it was just that she had concealed it well, so Liu Tong hadn't suspected it too much.

But to be honest, having said all that, how could Liu Tong not have guessed who the most mainstream palace novels on the market came from?
“It seems the rumors aren’t entirely false.” Liu Tong shook his head with a hint of disbelief. “In that case, it would be a shame to disagree. However, Xianying, if you’re going to make me and Si Niang the main characters, you can’t write anything too explicit.”

"..." Xin Xianying couldn't hold back any longer and looked at Liu Tong, "So you watched it too!"

"Although the Chuanyu and Ceyu chapters are about male-male romance, they are indeed well-written. The Cai Ji chapter is absolutely top-notch in the romance genre. Hu Ma and Jiangnan are too far-fetched, but they still manage to capture the grandeur of historical records, though they are a bit too much like unofficial history. As for the Luoshen chapter, it is indeed the best in mythological romance, but I sensed that it was paid for." Liu Tong gave Xin Xianying a thumbs up!
Upon hearing this, Xin Xianying's expression became somewhat tense. "Of all the things you've mentioned, only the 'Goddess of the Luo River' chapter was written by me."

"Xianying, what do you mean by that look?" Liu Tong looked at Xin Xianying with some confusion. "Do you think there are other famous works? I've read the others, but they are indeed somewhat inferior to these. These works are not only beyond the limits of content, conception, and even imagination. I estimate that they will become timeless masterpieces in the future."

"What I want to say is that, of all those things Your Highness mentioned, only the Luoshen chapter was written by me," Xin Xianying said somewhat awkwardly. Although she was also in this line of work, she wasn't the only big shot in it. Xin Xianying suspected that the Chuanyu and Ceyu chapters were written by Qiao Wei, and the Cai Ji chapter, besides its beautiful chapters, also contained a lot of explicit and violent content, which Xin Xianying suspected was written by Cai Zhenji. As for the Hu Ma and Jiangnan chapter, which could be considered unofficial history, it was co-authored by Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao.

It's just that Xin Xianying knew why she could see him directly, even though she didn't understand the book, and directly asked him what level of ability he had. It seems insignificant, but in reality, it's quite extraordinary.

"Ah, could you introduce me to the authors of the Chuanyu and Ceyu chapters? I think he's quite suitable to write them," Liu Tong said with a hint of excitement.

The poem about the goddess Luo is about the love between men and women, and the resentful woman who longs for someone but cannot have them.

Cai Ji's story depicts a couple who are perfectly matched in their love and affection, but are unable to be together due to societal constraints. This does not align with the love story between Liu Tong and Si Niang.

On the contrary, the chapters about Chuanyu and Ceyu are good, very good, and very suitable.

As for why we didn't choose "Hu Ma and Jiangnan," it's mainly because it's too wild. You novelists write this kind of thing and it feels like it's from history. Are you really not afraid of offending people?

Nonsense, what's there to be afraid of? The Qiao sisters came up with some serious work out of boredom, to boost the strength of Ma Chao, Sun Ce, and Sun Ce's brother Zhou Yu. Of course, it has to have a historical feel to it!
As for being afraid of trouble, at their level, what's there to be afraid of? Even if they were cornered by Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, so what? It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing for me to do!

Xin Xianying's lips twitched twice, and she just looked at Liu Tong. Liu Tong chuckled twice and said that Xin Xianying could write it down. After she finished writing, the two of them could take a look. If there were no problems, they could send it out; if there were problems, they could keep it as a collection in the palace.

"Consider it a gift for me," Liu Tong concluded. Faced with such words, what could Xin Xianying say? She couldn't say anything, and could only express that she had done her best.

After expelling Zhou Yu from Zhaoyang Palace, Liu Bei continued to eat and drink with his men, while Zhou Yu, after leaving Weiyang Palace, went straight to his own post in Chang'an.

"Bang bang bang!" Zhou Ming, who was eating and drinking with a group of buddies in front of Zhou Yu's house and had also greatly enhanced the defense system of Zhou Yu's house, heard the knocking and quickly went to open the door. When he saw that it was Zhou Yu, he immediately bowed.

"Oh, Zhou Ming." Zhou Yu nodded to Zhou Ming.

At this moment, Zhou Yu was preparing to have Zhou Ming lead men to smash the door and find all the Jiangdong aristocratic families and well-known Jiangdong officials who would be attending the meeting in Chang'an. After all, he had just made a fortune from Chen Xi and wanted to show these lackeys why he, Zhou Yu, was one of the top three sages in the world and why he was the pillar of Jiangdong!
Upon entering their own front yard, they saw veteran elites from Yangzhou, including Zu Shan, Zou Ta, Qian Tong, and Lang Zhi, having a barbecue on a snowy night.

To be honest, only these superhumans could do this. A normal person would never be able to do this in this kind of weather. However, when they saw Zhou Yu enter, they quickly bowed. Theoretically, they were all Zhou Yu's subordinates.

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