Chapter 7171: A Single Example

Chapter 7171 A Winning Strike at Once

Chen Xi leans toward the possibility that Cyprian will live to see the final outcome. Every leader of an organization has a clear understanding of the social framework and can extract that understanding. The process of extraction itself is a process of deepening that understanding.

What Cyprian left behind has become almost an integral part of civilization in later generations, enduring through the ages. Chen Xi estimated that even if this guy didn't fully understand the fate of the Roman Empire, he should have a pretty good idea of ​​what the outcome would be.

Even if a small clan dominates a large clan, and there is an artificial division between the ruling class and ordinary people, and the upper class clearly has a so-called sense of crisis and ethnic consciousness, the final outcome will not be good.

In addition, given the possible route Zhuge Liang suggested that might break the cycle, even if it was only a slight possibility, someone like Cyprian would give it a try.

After all, the other paths are definitely dead ends. This one may be a dead end, but its theoretical upper limit is at least very high. Even if it will also end in the future, it is still one of the routes that has lasted the longest.

"In that case, it's hard to say what the future holds." Zhuge Liang looked at Chen Xi and asked with some hesitation. It wasn't that he didn't think highly of Cyprian, but he felt that it was difficult to say what would happen if Cyprian continued to do things this way in the Yuan family.

"Cousin." Sima Yi realized something at this moment, tiptoed to Chen Xi's side, gestured a couple of times to Chen Xi, and whispered.

"Zhongda, look at Cyprian," Chen Xi said with a hint of teasing. Sima Yi was quite helpless upon hearing this. He didn't know why he always encountered such monsters. He thought he had already escaped the Central Plains, but he never expected to encounter such monsters again.

“Go see Pompiñus again, and you’ll have almost assembled the chosen ones of the era,” Chen Xi said with a smile, glancing at Sima Yi’s expression.

Pompiannis isn't actually a chosen one of the times; he's an old hand of the era. However, due to his morality and his learning from Chen Xi's tactics, his current potential is no weaker than Cyprian's or Zhuge Liang's. So, it's a good thing to meet him.

"Actually, I have already met Lord Pompiñus," Sima Yi said with a hint of dejection. It was because of seeing these monsters that Sima Yi began to wonder what was wrong with him. Shouldn't he have flown up to the sky and stood shoulder to shoulder with the sun?
"How are you feeling?" Chen Xi asked with a smile.

"Not as good as my cousin." Sima Yi flattered Chen Xi, who laughed heartily upon hearing this, "You rascal, you've gotten a bit cunning this time."

After finishing his sentence, Chen Xi straightened his expression and looked at Sima Yi, saying solemnly, "Zhongda, do a good job in the Yuan family from now on. After Cyprian communicates with Kongming, even if he doesn't get complete information, his wisdom will fill in everything he needs and then reflect it in the organization he creates. You should learn from this process."

"I will." Sima Yi nodded.

Chen Xi looked at Sima Yi, unsure of what to tell him to learn.

"Do you know what you should learn?" Chen Xi asked tentatively after a moment's hesitation. It wasn't that she was afraid Sima Yi would learn something wrong, but rather that she was afraid Sima Yi wouldn't understand her meaning.

"Learn how to gain power within an organization?" Sima Yi looked at Chen Xi with some surprise. He couldn't very well ask him to learn how to structure an organization.

"Alright, I'll give you a rough explanation. As for how well you understand it, that's up to you. There's not much your cousin can do to help you," Chen Xi said with a hint of helplessness.

Zhuge Liang gestured to the eunuch beside him to bring over a chair, and then he and Sima Yi sat opposite Chen Xi, ready to listen carefully to what Chen Xi had to say.

"Since his background, Cyprian resists authoritarianism. Coupled with his belief in equality above himself, his organizational structure is mutually restraining at the top, so theoretically, there won't be a situation where one person holds absolute power," Chen Xi explained the premise simply.

Zhuge Liang nodded. He completely understood the Greek Hydra. After all, that was the underlying nature of their civilization, so it was only natural that Cyprian couldn't escape it.

Sima Yi looked at Chen Xi with some doubt. Wasn't this something Zhuge Liang and Cyprian had discussed before? What, do I have to go through it all again?

"But this is due to his background and environment. What follows is the manifestation and sublimation of his own intelligence. In other words, although Cyprian may construct it this way, he is actually very clear about the shortcomings of this structure and knows the internal friction problem of the Hydra structure. Therefore, there will be a hidden position that allows him to hold the vast majority of power when he has sufficient ability." Chen Xi explained very seriously.

Cyprian had long recognized the flaws of the Greek Hydra and knew that certain absolutely correct things could not be implemented due to these flaws, such as the idea of ​​universal unity and the popularization of education. Once Cyprian knew this, he understood that it was impossible to achieve in the current Aegean civilization.

So, did Cyprian in the official history realize this? Without a doubt, he did. He was aware of education and the flaws of Hydra, so he left a position in the Christian organization he had built where only those with sufficient ability could exercise dictatorial power.

Whether it's the Pope or the Patriarch, as long as they have enough ability, they can break through the original organizational structure by exploiting its weaknesses and become a "king" who can mobilize 70-80% of the organization's power!
With this in mind, Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy have a real future: they can muddle through in normal times, but when they really need to act, they can establish authoritarianism, and when they want to promote something correct, they have enough power.

It's a way that barely manages to combine the advantages of both.

“Cyprian himself didn’t really want this position to exist, but his mind told him that sometimes someone has to step up.” Chen Xi spread his hands, speaking with a hint of sarcasm. “People are just that complicated. Even if he has a hundred reasons to prove that it’s wrong, in order for this system to exist and continue to exist, such a position has to be left.”

“Because he truly understands organizational operations, and precisely because he understands, there must be such a position.” Chen Xi looked at Sima Yi, who was trembling slightly. He had realized what Chen Xi was saying. If such a position really existed—no, since his cousin said so, then such a position must exist.

“Some things, precisely because we understand them, we may go against our own morality, because reality is sometimes unreasonable.” Chen Xi patted Sima Yi on the shoulder. “Since you have chosen this path, your cousin will not say anything more. Do not waste your talent. This is all I can do to help you. From now on, you will have to rely on your own efforts.”

After finishing his sentence, Chen Xi got up and left. He neither explained to Sima Yi how Cyprian would be structured nor mentioned the dangers involved. He only mentioned the inevitable possibility. For Chen Xi, this was already an advantage. He had essentially learned about the pathways left in Cyprian's structure by comparing it with history, and then let Sima Yi follow the map.

Even so, if Sima Yi still can't get that position, Chen Xi felt that he really couldn't be blamed; as his cousin, he had truly done everything he could.

After leaving Weiyang Palace, Chen Xi stood at the entrance and felt the cold wind blowing on him. He felt a little thin and looked around. He habitually prepared to go to the side hall of Weiyang Palace to ask Lord Wu'an or Marquis Huaiyin for a bowl of hot soup or something. However, after taking a few steps, Chen Xi remembered that he had agreed not to go to the side hall of Weiyang Palace after get off work. Why couldn't he remember?

"Zichuan, wait a moment." Zhuge Liang followed Chen Xi out as Chen Xi was about to descend the jade steps.

"What's wrong?" Chen Xi turned to look at Zhuge Liang, asking with a hint of doubt, "Is there something you need?"

“No, I’m just curious, will Cyprian’s final organization really leave such a thoroughfare? I feel that Cyprian is actually quite averse to authoritarianism.” Zhuge Liang asked with some doubt, “Although he wasn’t entirely satisfied with the Greek system, he was even more dissatisfied with authoritarianism.”

“Yes, he doesn’t like centralized power, but there are some things he sees very clearly. He puts aside his likes and dislikes for now, and letting an organization carry on his ideals so that people a thousand years from now will still remember him. That’s more important than temporary displeasure.” Chen Xi nodded and then explained.

"Of course, that's only one reason. Another reason is that he actually has a very clear understanding of organizational operations and the workings of society. And a smart person like him won't let his likes and dislikes affect his work. He knows very well what is the right thing to do." Chen Xi told Zhuge Liang what he knew before Zhuge Liang raised any questions.

"I see. So, he actually realized the importance of centralization, and the upper limit of power that centralization can mobilize when fighting against external forces?" Zhuge Liang said slowly. "Now I can understand why he left such a passage in his own structure."

“Especially after you argued with him and made him understand that some actions can only be done by centralized power, he will become more cautious when structuring things, and will also take into account the advantages of both sides in detail, trying his best to make up for the disadvantages. An ordinary person would never be able to do this, but who told him to be Cyprian, right?” Chen Xi said with a smile as he stood on the edge of the jade steps.

“In that case, Zhongda…” Zhuge Liang said with some worry.

Organizational structure brings organizational power, and when Sima Yi rose from this central position to become the core of the organization, the organization's power would inevitably gravitate towards him. At that point…

“The Yuan family can’t close the gap with Rome in a short time. We need to bring Rome into the game as well.” Chen Xi shook his head and said, “The Han Dynasty and Rome are too far apart. They can’t fight each other. And the Yuan family and the Central Asian families are not enough to face Rome. We need to strengthen the Yuan family and put more pressure on Rome so that they don’t die too soon.”

"Is this really considered strengthening the Yuan family?" Zhuge Liang asked Chen Xi with a somewhat strange expression. "Because of the Deng family, the seeds of trouble have already been sown in Eastern Europe. Now that something like this has appeared, the problem is even bigger."

"Well, one bug in Eastern Europe is a bug. Two bugs in Eastern Europe can barely function. But if several bugs are piled up together, things might get better," Chen Xi said with a smile. "If Sima Zhongda doesn't take over Cyprian's organization, the Yuan and Deng families will eventually be devoured as the organization expands and operates on its own."

The organization built by Cyprian has proven throughout history to be far superior to those of the Yuan and Deng families, which are relegated to the margins of world history.

After all, the things Cyprian created would definitely draw sheep from Rome, and then they would erode each other. In the end, the Yuan family and the Deng family might become part of this structure, rather than part of Han civilization. But what if Sima Yi, that cancer, entered this organization?

Chen Xi may have doubts about Sima Yi's abilities, but he has no doubts about Sima Yi's forbearance. In other words, if Sima Yi were to infiltrate the system, he would eventually become the boss by exploiting the system's loopholes, and many problems would no longer be problems.

To reiterate, while Sima Yi is strong, his foundation is relatively weak, and his upper limit of ability is still different from that of a true celestial being. If he really takes advantage of the system loophole to become the leader, then he can turn against Cyprian, and the problems of the Deng and Yuan families being devoured will no longer be a problem—if the system problem cannot be solved, then Sima Yi can be solved too!

Right!

No matter how strong Sima Yi was, it was just routine internal strife for the Yuan and Deng families. This was an internal struggle they were very familiar with and had a wealth of experience in. The Yuan and Deng families had plenty of resources to deal with this problem. However, if it were to be the kind of self-replication and expansion that happened before, it would be completely beyond the capabilities of the Yuan and Deng families, and they really didn't know how to solve it.

Therefore, it's better to include Sima Yi. This way, we'll leave a weakness, making him easier to control, and we can also let Sima Yi have his fun. It's a win-win situation.

After all, if we really let a celestial being like Cyprian operate freely, to be honest, if things get out of hand, even someone of Chen Xi's level would have a hard time dealing with it. After all, he is a true immortal god. If a problem arises, Chen Xi can nip it in the bud. But if we let it go unchecked, hey, it'll be a real disaster!

"I see." Zhuge Liang nodded slowly, then said with a hint of unease, "To be honest, this is the first time I've seen you so clearly wary of other people's presence."

"How can I not be wary? You've talked to him, you should be able to sense his intelligence. A person like that, even though he's not by my side, is causing trouble within our territory. It would be strange if I didn't take precautions." Chen Xi said irritably, "He's so far away, if something happens, and I don't take precautions, it might really blow up."

If Cyprian were by Chen Xi's side, Chen Xi could keep an eye on him from time to time and understand what he was doing, and could also vaguely guess what problems might arise. However, given Cyprian's situation, Chen Xi could not keep him by his side. Keeping him by his side would only cause him trouble, but if he did not keep him by his side, Chen Xi would not be able to see him. What if he caused a major incident?
Chen Xi wouldn't even be able to cover for him then, so it's better to make arrangements for Sima Yi early on as a precaution. That way, at worst, Sima Yi might cause some trouble, but the problem won't be too big.

After all, his abilities were limited, and he couldn't pull off any incredible feats. He was basically still within the historical range, at most he could usurp the Yuan family's power. The question was, did Chen Xi care about such things? Chen Xi didn't care. As long as the meat was in the pot, it didn't matter who ate it. Besides, Sima Yi and Chen Xi could get even closer.

Therefore, what Sima Yi did was of no concern to Chen Xi; he could handle it.

But what about Cyprian? Chen Xi had absolutely no idea what kind of big things Cyprian could do. In addition, Cyprian's intelligence was indeed exceptional. If he finished his creations, Chen Xi might not even be able to detect the problems without careful study, which would be disastrous.

"Zhongda must be very sad to hear this," Zhuge Liang said with a hint of sarcasm. "He originally thought that his cousin would give him a helping hand in the end, but it turns out that his cousin was only a relative easy person to deal with because he was weak."

"Just tell me, did I help him or not?" Chen Xi said irritably. "I gave him a bunch of directions, but he never followed them. I can still remember to give him two more directions now. I'm already being very good to him. If it were anyone else, they would be lucky if they hadn't been punished."

Zhuge Liang nodded upon hearing this. This was also why he felt that Chen Xi was still quite humane. Although he always seemed to exude a divine aura, upon closer inspection, he was still a human being.

"I'm leaving, going back for a bit. I'll come back for dinner tonight." Chen Xi waved to Zhuge Liang and then quickly left. Zhuge Liang glanced at the side hall of the feeding ward as usual. Something was wrong. Shouldn't Chen Xi be waiting in the side hall of Weiyang Palace right now?
[Uh, could it be that you're intentionally avoiding suspicion?] Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment, looking at Chen Xi's retreating figure with some doubt, but then quickly dismissed the thought. Sometimes avoiding suspicion is a problem, you changed your mind too quickly.

Meanwhile, in a side hall of Weiyang Palace, Liu Tong and Si Niang were having hot pot with Lord Wu'an and Marquis Huaiyin, leaving an empty seat between them.

"It seems Lord Chen isn't coming today. Shall we stop waiting for him? The meat You Xijian cut is almost mushy. Let's eat." Han Xin looked at the neatly cut meat and asked tentatively.

"Eat, eat, there's a banquet tonight! By the way, are you two coming? We've prepared a feast for you." Liu Tong paused slightly upon hearing this, then smiled broadly.