Chapter 7165 Inheritance

Chapter 7165 Inheritance
"Fine, I've already gained a little knowledge from you, and I can see how things will develop. With all your knowledge, you'll definitely see things even more clearly." Liu Tong was indifferent to Chen Xi's annoyance, since her previous words had indeed been somewhat provocative.

"In short, if we want to avoid these things, education is the only thing we can do," Chen Xi replied expressionlessly. "Education can at least prolong this prosperous era and slow down the collapse of people's hearts. Although it cannot completely stop it, it is still a better situation."

"I see." Liu Tong nodded, indicating that he understood Chen Xi's basic operating principles.

"Alright, I've said what I needed to say. Don't get stuck on things or be extremely emotional in the future. That kind of behavior won't solve any problems." Chen Xi glanced at Liu Tong and said, then naturally withdrew. Discussing these things with Liu Tong, and talking about the inevitable collapse of the future, to be honest, Chen Xi couldn't possibly be in a good mood. However, he wasn't the kind of person who would be emotional, and he seemed relatively calm.

This time, Liu Tong did not stop Chen Xi and let Chen Xi leave.

After extricating herself from Liu Tong's side, Chen Xi's gaze naturally fell on Zhuge Liang and Cyprian. Compared to the possibility of Liu Tong being corrupted by Cyprian, Chen Xi thought it was a better approach for Zhuge Liang to interact with Cyprian.

Maybe we can learn something from them, right?

Besides, even if you don't learn anything, broadening your horizons is a good thing.

"Zhongda, are you sure you're not going back to Chang'an?" After Chen Xi left, Zhuge Liang naturally went to find Sima Yi. After all, among their generation, only Sima Yi and Pang Tong were left to play with Zhuge Liang. The problem was that Pang Tong was being trained as the Inner Vice Minister of Jiangdong, so it was impossible for him to return to Chang'an. On the other hand, as for Sima Yi, could it be that some people really thought that Sima Yi was a member of the Yuan family?

"Why come back? Anyway, no one in the Sima family can command me now. It's not bad to choose a path of my own. It's time for me to fight for myself in this life." Sima Yi refused Zhuge Liang's personal offer of recruitment without hesitation.

After all, during last year's grand martial arts competition, his cousin personally recruited him. If Sima Yi had even the slightest interest, he would have surrendered. Since he didn't surrender then, it's even less likely he would surrender now. After all, if he surrendered now, what was the point of his previous stance?
No matter how you look at it, could Zhuge Liang have had a greater influence on him than Chen Xi?
"Actually, you don't need to worry about these things. There's a limit to what you can learn in the Yuan family. The Yuan family isn't a complete political system, and it's extremely difficult to fully mold it. During this period, what you do has no theoretical significance," Zhuge Liang said to Sima Yi with a hint of admonition.

Upon hearing these words, Sima Yi felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He looked at Zhuge Liang and finally revealed a sense of utter helplessness in the face of being unable to catch up.

It's not about doing the work, but about elevating one's own understanding and thoughts to a theoretical level, so that future generations can continue based on this. This is a way to bridge people's hearts, solidify the framework, and allow the country to continue along the path it desires.

This is completely different from Chen Xi's behavior, but it's normal. Chen Xi's approach is to force everyone to follow him by winning one victory after another.

Zhuge Liang was unsure whether he had the ability and was unwilling to gamble on it. He had sufficient resources and other options, such as the theoretical framework he had chosen to build that could be accepted by most people and could be pushed forward. Even if this framework was not yet fully developed, the idea itself was something that Sima Yi had never considered.

In other words, while Sima Yi was still thinking about how to do his job and how to do it well, Zhuge Liang was already thinking about how to get others to follow him, command all people, and unite everyone.

The latter is not just doing work; it's gathering the power of the world. It's no longer about planning, but about accomplishing something. In other words, Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang have emerged, representing the difference in their levels of understanding that Sima Yi faced when he was with his cousin.

This is a very dangerous and terrifying situation.

Even if Zhuge Liang had only just reached this level, even if Zhuge Liang had not yet completed it, a realm is a realm. The difference between planning and accomplishing is too great; the latter is heaven!
"You!" Sima Yi stared at Zhuge Liang in utter shock.

"There's no other way. I can't take over what Lord Chen left behind by myself alone. So I hope you can join me and share some of the burden." Zhuge Liang was pulling a sheep, and the reason for doing so was clear: the foundation left by Chen Xi was too great. He needed to be responsible for the people of the world, and from there, he needed to gather the strength of the world to build a better world together!
“Zhongda, there are many things you don’t understand. For example, the Marquis Chen, who seems so close to you, is actually very far away from everyone. He only seems close because he is so great. When you understand enough, and even more and more, you will realize how distant he truly is.” Zhuge Liang looked at Sima Yi, a heavy look in his eyes.

This is the conclusion Zhuge Liang reached after serving as Chen Xi's deputy for several years: Chen Xi was too strong, to the point of being completely inhuman.

“I agree with this statement.” After the event, Zhou Yu, who had been circling around Weiyang Palace with Sun Ce for some reason, looked at Zhuge Liang with a newfound respect when he heard Zhuge Liang’s words. “I originally thought that apart from Lu Zijing, it would be difficult for anyone else to realize that Chen Zichuan was actually very far removed from people.”

When Zhou Yu said this, he wasn't joking at all; on the contrary, he was very serious. The more he interacted with Chen Xi, the deeper his understanding of him became, the more he removed the halo and the more he saw the truth, and the more terrifying Chen Xi seemed to him.

"Sima Zhongda, you don't really know much about your cousin." Zhou Yu glanced at Sima Yi with a hint of disdain, but given Zhou Yu's demeanor and expression, Sima Yi wasn't annoyed. Over the years, everyone had come to realize that Zhou Yu was a remarkable person, always looking at everyone with the same gaze. Very few people could earn Zhou Yu's respect or even high regard.

"What Lord Chen left behind cannot be inherited by Zhuge Kongming alone." Zhou Yu said with his arms crossed and a hint of indifference, then looked at Zhuge Liang, "I originally thought you would overestimate your abilities, but I didn't expect you to be so self-aware."

Zhuge Liang replied calmly, "Ultimately, one must be responsible for the world. Caution is an essential quality. Moreover, from the first day that Lord Chen brought me to his side, he warned me that I must be careful in this matter. The more I understand, the more I agree with this."

Zhou Yu had originally thought that Zhuge Liang would be greedy because of Li You, and then be crushed by the foundation left by Chen Xi. Unexpectedly, Zhuge Liang had no intention of challenging him at all. He calmly stated that he was just taking over and only hoped that everything would be handed over smoothly without any turmoil.

This kind of mentality is something even Zhou Yu couldn't achieve.

Every genius has their own pride. Even though Chen Xi had forced him to submit so many times, Zhou Yu would still try to surpass Chen Xi in some way whenever he had the chance. It wasn't to overpower Chen Xi, but to make the other party think more highly of him.

However, Zhou Yu did not sense this desire to challenge Zhuge Liang; he only felt a sense of peace, which was strange. It is said that every genius would have such a mentality, and Zhuge Liang was undoubtedly a genius. Even if Zhou Yu looked down on him because of his own background and abilities, he would try his best to treat him as an equal and avoid misjudging him, considering that Chen Xi had chosen Zhuge Liang as his successor.

After all, Chen Xi has already demonstrated his unparalleled strength, so Zhuge Liang, who was chosen by Chen Xi as his successor, should at least have an extraordinary level of ability, even if he is not as good as Chen Xi.

Of course, it was merely an extraordinary level of skill, which was nothing special in Zhou Yu's eyes. This is why Zhou Yu's gaze towards Zhuge Liang would switch back and forth between scrutiny, respect, and contempt.

The reason for this high regard is that Zhuge Liang must possess extraordinary abilities to be valued by Chen Xi.

The reason for the disdain was that, in Zhou Yu's eyes, Zhuge Liang's past achievements were nothing special, and that he was able to reach this position more because of Chen Xi than because of Zhuge Liang.

As for the rumors about how strong Zhuge Liang was, and how he could use the spiritual talents and legion talents of all friendly forces, they were meaningless to Zhou Yu. In the midst of a battle involving hundreds of thousands of troops, legion talents were nothing more than ripples on a giant ocean wave.

Similarly, for Zhou Yu, spiritual talent was merely a qualification to meet him. No matter how skillfully Zhuge Liang displayed these abilities, Zhou Yu wouldn't take them seriously until he truly demonstrated a capability that amazed him.

This guy is just that kind of proud person, but he certainly has the right to be proud.

As for the scrutinizing gaze, that's even simpler. As Chen Xi's chosen successor, I, Zhou Yu, as Chen Xi's friend, must see if you are qualified. If you are not qualified, then even if you offend Chen Xi, in order to protect his reputation, don't blame me for taking action to get rid of you!
“Zhongda, your cousin once said that those who do things will never have as much power as those who approve them, and those who enforce the rules will never have as much power as those who make them. You are currently stuck at the level of doing things and enforcing them, unable to build your own theory and framework. If you continue to be trapped in this, how long will you last?” Zhou Yu glanced at Sima Yi, and considering that Sima Fu was indeed very useful, Zhou Yu was willing to give him some pointers.

"Thank you for your guidance, Marquis Shu." Sima Yi's eyes flickered twice, and he cupped his hands in greeting to Zhou Yu.

Seeing this, Zhou Yu chuckled twice, then glanced at Zhuge Liang. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that his gorilla was actually digging at the floor tiles of Weiyang Palace. He lost interest in arguing with the two of them and decisively rushed towards Sun Ce. By this time, Sun Ce had already dug out the floor tiles of Weiyang Palace!

"Put it down!" Zhou Yu said with a hint of annoyance. He had sensed that something was off about Sun Ce this morning, and now he finally realized what was wrong. How could you steal floor tiles from Weiyang Palace? Are you even human?!

Although Zhou Yu was aware of Sun Ce's mental illness, and had witnessed Sun Ce and Ma Chao's disrespectful behavior in front of the emperor during the last grand court assembly, Liu Tong, riding in a carriage, drove the carriage over the two unfortunate children, Zhou Yu still found this kind of madness beyond his expectations. What normal person would tear up the floor tiles of Weiyang Palace?

"Your Highness, I'm taking this with me to make the Six Seals." Sun Ce grabbed the floor tile and ran off, leaving Zhou Yu furious and fleeing as well.

The seals of the Qin and Han dynasties were classified in a very detailed manner. In addition to the national treasure, the Imperial Seal of the State, the emperor also had six other seals, namely the Emperor's Traveling Seal, the Emperor's Seal, the Emperor's Trust Seal, the Emperor's Traveling Seal, the Emperor's Seal, and the Emperor's Trust Seal. Among them, the Imperial Seal of the State was generally not used unless it was a major event.

Normally, the emperor would use these six seals to affix his seal: the Emperor's Traveling Seal, used for issuing edicts of conferment and rewards to feudal lords; the Emperor's Credential Seal, used for dispatching troops; the Emperor's Seal, used for bestowing letters upon feudal lords; the Emperor's Traveling Seal, used for bestowing letters upon feudal lords; the Emperor's Credential Seal, mainly used during sacrifices; and the Emperor's Seal, used for foreign affairs. That's roughly the situation.

The Empress held a gold seal with a snake-shaped knob, while the princes used gold seals. Those below them were all called seals. The difference was that the Crown Prince, the Chancellor, the Three Dukes, the Grand General, the General of the Cavalry, the Generals of the Front, Rear, Left, and Right, and the Marquis used gold seals, which were of the same material and rank as the others.

This is actually why marquises were considered powerful figures during the Qin and Han dynasties. From the perspective of top-level design rules, marquises and other people were made of the same material, the only difference being their authority. They were fundamentally the same, both being "golden," which is very important.

This is also a result of Emperor Ling selling official positions and titles, which made many marquises very angry—one hundred million coins can make one a marquis within the pass, then what is the meaning of our ancestors shedding blood and sacrificing their lives for the country!

Originally, given Sun Ce's rank, he would have used the golden seal of a feudal lord. However, the feudal lords of this era were very different from those of the past. In this era, feudal lords could also be enfeoffed as feudal lords. Therefore, in order to maintain the legitimacy of the throne, Sun Ce had to construct something similar to the six seals of the emperor.

To be honest, this was actually a lazy approach, but everyone felt that it was better to imitate the correct answer. Moreover, the six seals of the emperor completely covered all the paths, so it was easier to just imitate this without having to think. Therefore, after repeated discussions between the Grand Master of Ceremonies and the Imperial Clan Court, the power to grant the princes the six seals was finally approved. However, compared to Yuan Tan, who did not act recklessly and knelt down to accept the emperor's reward, Sun Ce was more reckless and wanted to create his own.

Just like the Golden Seal of Wu, which Sun Ce made himself from bricks cut from the walls of Chang'an, Liu Tong found it interesting and accepted it. After all, the material of a national seal doesn't matter; what matters is the identity of the person who created it.

Just like if we were to dig up a pottery basin now, with some kind of year inscription inside, something about Yao ordering Yu to control the floods, etc., then even if it's just a pottery basin, it would be the most important antique, directly proving the lineage of the Five Emperors, leaving behind the year inscription, and establishing the dynasty.

Therefore, many things do not rely on the material they are made of to demonstrate their value, but rather on the historical weight they carry as their value.

Clearly, Sun Ce has his eye on these floor tiles. They're destined to become national treasures. If they have the chance to be transformed into the six seals of the feudal lords, replicas of the emperor's six seals, then these things will be unique in history.

In short, after Sun Ce finished shouting, he ran away with the floor tiles, and Zhou Yu chased after him helplessly. As for Chen Xi and Liu Tong, they looked at Zhou Yu and Sun Ce running away with eyes that said "I'm an idiot," and then shook their heads in the same way.

There's no way around it; any normal person would find it hard to accept Sun Ce's madness.

"Who was that guy just now? It felt like he stole your spotlight and became the main character in the conversation as soon as he arrived." Cyprian was a little slow to react after watching a certain gorilla happily run away with a paving stone in his hand, and Zhou Yu followed suit. Then, remembering Zhou Yu's previous behavior, Cyprian asked with a hint of disdain.

There was nothing he could do; the scene of Zhou Yu and Sun Ce leaving at the end was, in Cyprian's view, far too mentally taxing.

Cyprian didn't know Zhou Yu. Although he had met him before, Cyprian was a proud man and disdained to learn about those he had no interest in. However, Zhou Yu's appearance this time, which immediately stole the spotlight, piqued Cyprian's interest.
Well, judging from his previous behavior of not being able to control his pet gorilla and being forced to chase after it, he has lost a lot of points.

"You know the Roman emperors, right?" Sima Yi thought for a moment, then decided it wasn't appropriate to tell Cyprian about Zhou Yu's situation, so he made an analogy.

“I know.” Cyprian raised an eyebrow. Although he had a lot of arguments in the Senate and always mocked the senators as good-for-nothings and useless people, if you put aside those sarcastic remarks, Cyprian still recognized Rome, or at least recognized Rome’s strength. Therefore, he also had his own understanding of the Roman emperors.

"The one who just ran out, the Romans usually call him Emperor Zhou." Sima Yi didn't care at all whether saying this in the Han court was a double stab to Zhou Yu, but thinking about it, it probably didn't matter. Zhou Yu was incredibly tough, and besides, the Romans were calling him Emperor Huangfu just a couple of days ago, which made Huangfu Song's face turn green, but Liu Tong didn't care much either.

“I understand now. No wonder he was so arrogant. He even seemed a bit haughty when he spoke.” Cyprian nodded, indicating that he understood.

Compared to all the messy embellishments and lengthy explanations, this phrase, "Even the Romans would have to call him Emperor," made Cyprian fully understand Zhou Yu's strength.

　I'm going to spend a few more days in Sanya; my drafts are almost running out!

　　(End of this chapter)