Chapter 7148 Drawing the Sword

Chapter 7148 Drawing the Sword
Seeing the annoyance in Liu Bei's eyes, Chen Xi could understand. Liu Bei was not really concerned about scheming against him. He had the magnanimity of Liu Bang and the benevolence that surpassed all previous members of the Han imperial family. But this time, the scheme was not against Liu Bei, but against Chen Xi, against the Han dynasty, and even against the people of the Han dynasty.

And what is the purpose? It's for the benefit of powerful families!
This infuriated Liu Bei. For the sake of a little benefit, the aristocratic families had become so distorted. Moreover, hadn't Chen Xi already given up enough benefits to the aristocratic families over the years?
"What exactly are they pursuing? Haven't you given them enough?" Liu Bei asked with a hint of coldness. "You always give them some benefits during the grand court assembly, but now, they are the ones who scheme against you the most."

“After all, they are a Han aristocratic family. So, this situation is to be expected.” Chen Xi composed himself, adjusted his mindset, and said calmly, “In fact, the current situation is mainly because the aristocratic families in Central Asia have finally had some free time.”

"You've gotten free?" Liu Bei looked at Chen Xi with some surprise. What kind of absurd conclusion was this? Weren't the Central Asian aristocratic families supposed to be researching where to beg for food recently? How come they've gotten free?

"Looking for food is one thing, but recently, the Central Asian region has become relatively stable for the Han families. The sense of danger we used to feel is gone. The Roman Empire is in some kind of predicament, which means the Han families are now relatively safe," Chen Xi said calmly.

The reason why the Han aristocratic families in Central Asia didn't cause much trouble before was because of Rome and the Yuan family, right? Although the Han dynasty and Rome had a good relationship, the Han aristocratic families were clearly not the type to place their hopes on others. In addition, seeing the Yuan family get beaten, they definitely had to work hard to strengthen their internal forces.

After all, the powerful Yuan family was beaten like dogs. What if the Roman Empire suddenly realized what was happening and came from the west to slap these Central Asian families a few times? Wouldn't they cripple them on the spot? So the major families worked hard to cultivate their inner strength, thinking that even if they couldn't defeat Rome, they would still splatter blood all over the Roman Empire.

Because of this idea, the Han aristocratic families in the past didn't have much time to cause trouble, and even if they did, they didn't have the opportunity to do anything big. But now, the Roman Empire is in turmoil, and it's clear to everyone that this turmoil might take several years to resolve. In addition, the Yuan family has been incorporated into the Roman Empire, and internal cultural conflicts have begun to erupt invisibly. The Yuan family no longer has time to deal with the Han aristocratic families in Central Asia.

As a result, among the Han families in Central Asia, Chen Xi was the only mother-in-law left. What else could be said? When they were busy, it wasn't that they didn't want to cause trouble, but rather that they didn't have time to do anything. On the contrary, since they weren't busy, they could just do whatever they wanted.

No matter what the job is, get it done first.

"They deserve to be taught a lesson!" Liu Bei said with a hint of coldness. "Don't worry about the Chen family. I'll take care of them. I'll also go see Chen Ji."

Liu Bei knew Chen Ji, and they even had some kinship ties in the past. In addition, Chen Xi was indeed from the Yingchuan Chen clan. Chen Ji met with Liu Bei several times later on, and the two had a fairly pleasant conversation. Even though their positions and perspectives were different, Liu Bei had a relatively high respect for Chen Ji. This man truly deserved to be called a Confucian master and a gentleman.

But now that this guy is scheming against Chen Xi, what else can I say? I'm going to skin you alive!
"Forget it, I'll go see him. Some things shouldn't be handled by Lord Xuande. I'll go see Chen Ji tonight. Once I'm there, many things will be resolved. He's a smart man too." Chen Xi shook his head and said. It was better for him to handle this matter. If Liu Bei went, it would be a bit awkward, since this was an internal matter of the Chen family.

“I’m afraid you won’t be able to do it,” Liu Bei snorted. “These people are essentially taking advantage of your adherence to the rules. As soon as you stop following the rules, they all behave themselves.”

"The problem is that most people in this world want to disregard the rules, but those who make the rules must abide by them; otherwise, there are no rules to speak of," Chen Xi said, shaking his head. He had known for a long time that some problems are best solved by disregarding the rules, but for Chen Xi, things hadn't developed to that point yet, and adhering to the rules was actually the most beneficial thing for him.

Because Chen Xi's reputation is built on the rules, and while these rules protect others, they also bring great benefits to Chen Xi.

Disregarding the rules isn't entirely impossible for Chen Xi; he could easily kill Chen Ji if he wanted to. However, for Chen Xi, such behavior is meaningless; it's merely a way to vent his anger temporarily, which is ultimately pointless.

Instead, let's stick to the rules. Here's why I killed you. Let's be frank: you died by my hand, and you don't even have a reason for revenge. You just deserved to die!
"Are you sure you can do it?" Liu Bei asked with some concern. Over the years, every time someone was killed, Chen Xi would persuade others to kill less. That kind of benevolence sometimes made Liu Bei a little worried. After all, Liu Bei was born in this era. For some people that Chen Xi thought could be killed or not and let go casually, he still felt that they should be executed.

Lao Tzu's feudalistic iron fist should sometimes be unleashed to crush the opponent. Rules? Rules can't be imposed on the two of us.

However, Chen Xi could be quite rule-abiding at times, which left Liu Bei speechless.

Okay, Chen Xi sometimes tramples on the rules, but the way he tramples on them is completely different from the way it was done in the feudal era. It was only after everyone had tacitly accepted the unspoken rule of trampling on the rules that Chen Xi crossed that path.

To be honest, even the Han aristocratic families who had some reservations about Chen Xi couldn't really find fault with his behavior, because Chen Xi had indeed done a perfect job in every aspect, to the point that they couldn't find fault with him. After all, the aristocratic families of this era hadn't developed to the point where only officials were allowed to set fires while ordinary people were forbidden to light lamps.

If they do this kind of thing, and others do the same, they'll just laugh at themselves, saying, "The instigator will surely have no descendants," and then they'll grumble a bit to see others copy them, before continuing to do it with great fanfare. This era should at least have some shame and some rules.

"Whether I do it or not, the Chen family will give me an explanation," Chen Xi said, shaking his head.

"I don't know how you can accept this so-called explanation. If it were me, I would definitely beat the other party to a pulp." Liu Bei said with a hint of ruthlessness. "Sometimes, what people want is not an explanation, but to vent their anger. Whether or not there is an explanation is another matter. Venting their anger is the most important thing."

“It’s not that I haven’t had those thoughts, but relatively speaking, I’m more at peace with myself. I’ve always cultivated my character and tried my best not to let anger affect my judgment and rationality. For me, it’s still very important to handle certain things calmly, and also to avoid some oversights.” Chen Xi shook his head and said, “I’ll take this sword to the Chen family when the time comes, and Lord Xuande can just lend me Zhongkang.”

Xu Chu was essentially Liu Bei's face, often representing him. However, most of the time, Xu Chu didn't act alone but accompanied Liu Bei. So, in Chen Xi's view, having Xu Chu come with him was enough. Frankly, it would be undignified, far too undignified, for Liu Bei to go.

"Alright then." After a moment's thought, Liu Bei understood that having Xu Chu follow Chen Xi, carrying the Yuanfeng Sword, would be a perfect embodiment of the will of Liu Tong, Liu Bei, and Chen Xi.

"Your Highness gave you the Yuanfeng Sword, could it be so that you could settle this matter?" After agreeing to the matter, Liu Bei looked at the sword box with a strange expression. After all, this matter involved not only Liu Bei and Chen Xi, but also Liu Tong. So when he looked at the Yuanfeng Sword now, Liu Bei couldn't help but think in this direction.

"Probably, maybe," Chen Xi said with a dry laugh. In fact, he knew very well that it wasn't like that. Liu Tong probably gave him the Yuanfeng Sword as stated in the letter, so that Chen Xi could look at the Yuanfeng Sword more often when he had time, think about the people of the world, and purify his heart. However, this sword could indeed represent Liu Tong's will.

"Then it's up to you, Zhongkang. Follow Zichuan in a bit. Wherever he goes, just follow. Whoever he tells you to fight, fight that person. Just don't say anything out of line." Liu Bei called out to the outside of the carriage, and Xu Chu, riding his horse outside, replied loudly, "Okay!"

After sending Chen Xi to a location close to Cai Yan's house, Liu Bei dismissed him. This location was relatively close to Chen's home, and Liu Bei's intention was for Chen Xi to resolve the matter as soon as possible.

"Then I'll head back first and deal with this matter tonight. It's not really appropriate to go to the Chen family during the day." Chen Xi got out of the carriage and nodded to Liu Bei. Liu Bei waved his hand, signaling Chen Xi to hurry up and go. Then, he left Xu Chu with Chen Xi, and the coachman quickly pulled Liu Bei away.

"Zhongkang, you might see some outrageous things tonight," Chen Xi said with a hint of melancholy. He vaguely realized that Chen Ji might already be waiting for him at the Chen family's residence. After all, Chen Ji was present at the scene with the Yuanfeng Sword and should have deduced some things. So, Chen Ji already had a good idea of ​​what was going on today.

"What an outrageous thing?" Xu Chu was puzzled, but he still followed Chen Xi toward the Cai family. To be honest, Xu Chu had never been to the Cai family before, nor had his son. His son was tall and strong, and at the age of eight, he was already taller and stronger than Cao Cao. Therefore, Chen Yu could not bully Xu Yi at all, and naturally, he had no chance to come to the Cai family.

"Dad!" After entering the main gate of the Cai family, passing the screen wall, and then entering the second gate, Chen Xi saw Cai Chen playing with a spinning top. Upon seeing him, Cai Chen threw the top away and rushed towards Chen Xi with a cheer. The Cai Chen of the past was not like this, but he had learned it from Chen Yu. He was almost ready to give Chen Xi a headbutt.

However, Chen Xi's strength is quite terrifying now. The moment Cai Chen rushed over, Chen Xi reached out and picked Cai Chen up, then lifted him high in the air.

"You're back." Cai Yan came out of the main hall with her maid. She saw Chen Xi and asked with a slight smile. Then she saw Xu Chu and bowed slightly. "Greetings, General Xu."

Xu Chu smiled憨厚ly, then bowed in return, "Greetings, Madam Cai."

Upon hearing this, Cai Yan's smile softened considerably. Most of the time, people addressed Cai Yan as "Head of the Cai Family," and even if she were to attend this grand court assembly, she would be called "Head of the Family" instead of "Madam." Only Xu Chu would address her as "Madam."

"I'm leaving. Make some hearty dishes for Zhongkang. I'm going out for a bit tonight and probably won't be back until late," Chen Xi said to Cai Yan with a smile. Returning home had calmed her down considerably, and her previously chaotic thoughts had become clearer. Indeed, home was a place that brought her peace of mind.

"Are you going out tonight?" Cai Yan nodded. Seeing Xu Chu, Cai Yan had some guesses. After all, Xu Chu had never been here before. Now that Chen Xi had brought Xu Chu here, it was obvious that something big was about to happen. However, Cai Yan did not ask for the reason. After nodding, she quickly left.

Meanwhile, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu were eating and drinking at home.

"The quality of this royal tribute mutton is simply divine." Sun Ce said with some surprise as he ate the mutton, which was said to cost eight thousand coins per catty. The freshness of it shocked him. It was so delicious that it was better than any mutton he had ever eaten before.

"After all, it costs eight thousand coins a catty. If it doesn't taste good, how can it be sold? Think about it, today is the grand court assembly, and this meat wasn't served to everyone. Given Chen Zichuan's habits, there must not be enough." Zhou Yu said with some admiration after drinking a bowl of mutton soup to warm himself up. Even someone from a wealthy family like his felt that the quality of this stuff was truly extraordinary.

"I'll continue to buy supplies from the Imperial Household Department tomorrow. As the dignified Lord Wu, I must eat this." Sun Ce made the shameless decision to buy supplies from the Imperial Household Department for free tomorrow.

"Let's not. There's definitely not much of this stuff in stock. Otherwise, given Chen Zichuan's habits, he would at least have made arrangements for everyone during the Grand Assembly." Zhou Yu shook his head, thinking that it was fine to eat this kind of thing occasionally. It wasn't that it was expensive; no matter what, Tiannan wouldn't be so poor that the two of them couldn't afford it. The only problem was that the production of this stuff was indeed low.

Furthermore, Zhou Yu could clearly feel that this thing was only 85 points different from what he normally ate. The difference was indeed quite large, but as for whether it was worth spending several thousand coins more, for Zhou Yu, if this thing could be supplied stably, it would be worth it. The problem was that this thing was obviously not supplied stably, so he decided to forget about it.

"Anyway, he's in Chang'an. I, the dignified Lord Wu, can just climb over the wall and get some free loot." Sun Ce had clearly made up his mind.

“We’ll have a big ranch in the future, and you can raise some then,” Zhou Yu said, somewhat speechless, but he didn’t stop Sun Ce. It was just a game, what’s the big deal?

"Speaking of which, I have a feeling that the atmosphere of this grand court assembly is a bit off." After finishing his mutton soup, Sun Ce looked at Zhou Yu with a puzzled expression and asked.

“If you can sense that something is wrong, how can this grand court assembly be normal?” Zhou Yu said with a sneer. “The problem with this court assembly is not in the assembly itself, but in other aspects. To be honest, I didn’t realize this before I came to Chang’an. After arriving in Chang’an, I got used to it. It was only when I saw the birth of the Yuanfeng Sword in the court that I realized to some extent where the problem lay.”

"The Yuanfeng Sword, huh?" Sun Ce clicked his tongue twice. "It's actually a divine weapon that can directly generate a spirit, and this spirit can even carry the will of the empire. But is Her Highness the Princess really that powerful? Does she possess such an exaggerated spiritual scale?"

"What are you thinking? I don't even have that kind of spiritual talent, and I've survived a near-death experience and purified my own spirit. Compared to the vast spiritual scale that Her Highness the Princess displayed before, it's nothing. Guess whose spirit this is?" Zhou Yu curled his lips. Although Liu Tong had intimidated many people in the court, anyone with spiritual talent would know after a little thought that it definitely wasn't Liu Tong's spirit.

After all, that scale was too exaggerated, so exaggerated that it was completely inhuman, and the only one who could possess such an inhuman mental scale was Chen Xi.

As for the other things, no matter what, they still look like people to some extent. Only Chen Xi is the type who is completely inhuman, and only he has such overwhelming spiritual power.

Otherwise, it simply wouldn't be able to support Chen Xi's national-level spiritual talent.

"Oh, oh, oh, Chen Zichuan's." Although Sun Ce was like a monkey, he also agreed with some ideas. After all, everyone agreed with the theory that Chen Xi was not human. Based on this logic, if Liu Tong's exaggerated spiritual talent was brought into the picture, then who else could it be but Chen Xi?

"However, the spiritual talent of 'Puppet Show' is indeed terrifying, and the ability to withstand such spiritual transmission is also very frightening." Zhou Yu added after saying that, although that spiritual power was not Liu Tong's, Liu Tong's ability to pull Chen Xi's spirit over was already terrifying.

“I don’t have any particularly strong feelings about it,” Sun Ce said, tilting his head thoughtfully. “However, I have a feeling that something is amiss with Chen Zichuan and the princess.”

“It’s normal that things aren’t quite right. After all, the princess and Chen Zichuan see each other often and have some common understandings, so it’s normal for feelings to develop,” Zhou Yu said calmly. He genuinely believed that this was normal. What was abnormal were the jokes, rumors, and the scriptures being recited. These were all wrong. Considering the current situation, Zhou Yu felt he needed to talk to Chen Xi because it was quite dangerous!

It's almost the end of the month, so please vote if you have any! The author feels like they're doomed, it's terrible.