Chapter 7174 Human Heart and Human Nature

Chapter 7174 Human Heart and Human Nature

Honestly, only Liu Bei came close. In this thousand-year history, there have been many people who were better emperors than Liu Bei, but in terms of being a good person, those who were better than Liu Bei really need to be considered.

If it were anyone else, given Chen Xi's strength, they would definitely have to take him with them whenever he went out. Let alone not being able to come back for several years, even if it were only for a few months, leaving a pure monster like Chen Xi in their hometown would make them wonder if they would still be the boss of the house when they returned.

Only Liu Bei had a very open-minded view of this matter—I understand what I pursue, and I also understand what you pursue, so let's keep it simple: you are good at this, and I am not good at it, so you go ahead and do it. This will only benefit both of us.

"To be honest, Wenze is enough as the commander. We told Wenze before, and he was prepared. Although being prepared doesn't guarantee victory, it at least prevents a crushing defeat. Plus, with us here, no one can do anything to Wenze." Although Sun Qian didn't understand these things, the Ganges River incident had become too big a deal. Even the guy who worked for Sun Qian had complained about it to him.

Therefore, Sun Qian had discussed this matter with his brothers, and after learning about Chen Xi and others' arrangements, he also wrote a letter to Yu Jin, telling Yu Jin to be on guard.

Well, it wasn't just Sun Qian. In fact, all the elders here who had any sense of caution had talked to Yu Jin about this, either in letters or when they met in Chang'an.

Yu Jin's answer at the time was also very clear: "What's there to be afraid of? So what if I, Yu Jin, lose a game? I'm not Lord Wu'an or Marquis of Huaiyin. Who can win every battle? If I lose a game, can they skin me alive? Since they can't, what am I afraid of? You can't sell me out, right? Since you won't sell me out, what am I worried about? As long as we brothers are united, they'll just keep whining!"

Although Yu Jin was a man of few words, he was an old man from the Taishan era. He may have been wary of Chen Xi and his group at first, but as time went by, Yu Jin gradually realized that while each of these people might have their own problems, they would not act recklessly in public.

In addition, considering Chen Xi's morality, although Yu Jin felt it was a bit too benevolent, he still felt it was good if this benevolence were bestowed upon him. Therefore, when it came time for him to sacrifice some interests, Yu Jin did not hesitate.

After all, this era is already very good in Yu Jin's eyes, and he has gained a lot. Moreover, compared to Guan Yu's personality, his personality and ability are better suited to take on this kind of task, so it is perfectly appropriate for him to be in charge of the Ganges.

As for the suspicion of being a scapegoat, it doesn't really matter to Yu Jin. Sometimes, being a scapegoat isn't a bad thing, especially when your own people are in the inner circle. If he takes the blame, then Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and others all owe him something.

Surely no one thinks that only Zhao Yun's troops had that problem, right? What a joke! Back then, when the story was told, it was all about General Yu's Qu Nu City. If it appears in this joke, do you really believe that the soldiers under him had no problems?

What a joke! Yu Jin himself knew that his subordinates also had this idea. In fact, Yu Jin was very clear that, apart from Guan Yu's subordinates, whose middle and upper-level core members were mostly old Yellow Turbans, the overall chaos was not too great. Others, such as Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and himself, all had quite a lot of problems.

Guan Yu insisted on sending Zhang Fei and Yu Jin to fight in Northern Europe, and insisted on sending Zhao Yun back to Chang'an, because Guan Yu had realized that something was wrong.

The problem is that Zhao Yun's group has made a huge mess, but more importantly, despite all that mess, Zhao Yun hasn't actually been punished. Yu Jin has roughly figured out what Chen Xi and his group are thinking—they still want to give their brothers some dignity.

Since that's the case, what is there for Yu Jin to panic about? At most, I, Yu Jin, will suffer a defeat, and it will be a well-known defeat that was clear before the battle even started. But Zhao Yun has made a huge mess of things. My defeat is certainly less serious than Zhao Yun's execution of the imperial envoy.

With this understanding, Yu Jin was not flustered at all. He was only concerned with playing well and losing as little as possible, rather than necessarily winning. He did not feel any pressure in this regard, and he also believed that even if he lost, his supporters would definitely find a way out for him.

Therefore, Yu Jin felt no pressure about taking the blame. He could gain favor and retain more subordinates. It was just a loss, and he would most likely not even be punished. Since that was the case, he, Yu Jin, could sit in the Ganges and give it his all.

It can be said that the rear and the front lines have communicated very well about this matter, and even the possible situations have been predicted. Yu Jin has also made mental preparations. As long as he does not covet the places he has previously occupied, Yu Jin can lose if he loses, and it will not have much of an impact.

Therefore, Sun Qian didn't quite understand Liu Bei's thinking as a commander, which was to go to the Ganges River and even stay in the rear, because it seemed unnecessary.

"We wanted to give the soldiers on the front lines a way out, to let them have some dignity," Chen Xi sighed. "If Wen Ze were to command from the front lines, those people might have other ideas, but if Lord Xuande were on the front lines, as long as they have any conscience, they would know what to do."

“It’s normal to be greedy, I wouldn’t even dare to say such a thing,” Liu Bei said with a slight smile. “To be honest, everyone here is greedy, it’s just that what each person is greedy for is different. Some people seek fame, some seek profit, so it is only natural for the soldiers on the front lines to have such desires. The only problem is that their hearts are beyond their own control. What I’m going to do on my way to the Ganges is probably to make them more rational.”

Some people might regain their rationality upon meeting Liu Bei, while others might choose to go mad; the reasons vary.

“If they can control their greed and know what to do and not to do after seeing me, then they will still be the backbone of our Han Dynasty and our soldiers who protect our country. So they will have what they deserve. But if they cannot control their greed, then they must be investigated.” Liu Bei’s benevolence faded a bit, and he said with a hint of coldness.

Liu Bei was indeed a very benevolent person, a true moral exemplar in his time. But to say that Liu Bei had no ruthlessness would be to underestimate a ruler who had reached such a position. He simply kept his ruthlessness hidden most of the time.

“Zichuan once told me that if the brothers who work with us still encounter economic problems or various personnel crises at home, it means that we have failed in our duty. We have someone here who is specifically there to solve these problems,” Liu Bei said with a hint of reminiscence, then naturally looked at Mi Zhu, who was giving instructions to his younger brother.

Mi Zhu was not very prominent among the veterans under Liu Bei, but he was very prominent among Liu Bei's subordinates who encountered difficulties. When assigning responsibilities, in addition to business and tax-related matters, Mi Zhu also helped Liu Bei's subordinates at all levels solve various living problems.

This position is somewhat similar to the political commissar of later generations, but there are some differences. Mi Zhu's job is more about organizing manpower and helping people at all levels solve various problems in their lives, such as economic problems, personnel crises, etc. As soon as they arise, he will summarize and solve them level by level. If the organization at the same level cannot solve them, he will promote them to the next level. If they cannot be solved by Mi Zhu, then there are Chen Xi and Liu Bei!
However, over the years, Mi Zhu has never encountered any problems in his life that he couldn't solve. After all, he was known for his wealth since he joined Liu Bei's forces, and compared to the powerful backgrounds of the other big merchants, Mi Zhu was just a local strongman. Therefore, he was good at the service industry and also good at solving other people's life problems.

Liu Bei didn't pay much attention to these details at first, but after Mi Zhu had been doing this for so many years, Liu Bei had fully understood the significance of what Mi Zhu had done. For example, now, Liu Bei can honestly say that he had indeed done his best.

All the generals, officers, and soldiers who followed Liu Bei lived up to his loyalty. If it is said that the emperor does not starve his soldiers, then Liu Bei truly solved almost all the living problems for his brothers who worked hard.

Zhang Liang's ability to live a relatively dignified life despite losing an arm and a leg is not only due to his strong mental fortitude, but also to the team under Mi Zhu who helped him solve many problems. Otherwise, no matter how strong one's mental fortitude is, life is not easy for a disabled person.

Of course, in a situation like that of the Tang brothers, no matter how strong Mi Zhu's team is, no matter how good their logistical support is, even if they manage to bring Cheng Cheng's wife back and deal with her according to the law, if Cheng Cheng commits suicide, there's really no good solution.

Regardless of the circumstances, Liu Bei can at least honestly say that, with Chen Xi's help, he did his best to solve all the problems his soldiers needed to face. The remaining problems were those that the soldiers would have to deal with on the battlefield.

Warriors should die in battle, and scholars should die for their principles; this has been the standard since ancient times, and Liu Bei doesn't need to elaborate on it. Therefore, when facing the current problems of the Ganges, Liu Bei can say that he has done his best in the past and is still doing his best now, and he has not let his subordinates down.

"Zizhong handled it quite well." Sun Qian and Mi Zhu had a good relationship. When Liu Bei mentioned this, Sun Qian glanced in Mi Zhu's direction naturally. Mi Zhu felt the gaze, turned around, smiled at Sun Qian, sent his younger brother away, and came over as well.

"What happened again? I feel that our lord is somewhat depressed?" Mi Zhu walked over and asked with a strange look. Only these old men from the Taishan era would step up to the challenge at times like this. Most others would avoid him if they saw that Liu Bei was in a bad mood.

As mentioned before, no matter how benevolent Liu Bei was, if you weren't big enough to handle such a behemoth, even a slight scratch could be fatal.

"Lord Xuande said he'll be heading to the Ganges in a couple of days," Chen Xi replied calmly. Mi Zhu paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Zizhong, you did a great job with the logistical support," Liu Bei said to Mi Zhu with a smile. "I didn't realize it before, but many veterans praised you this time."

Upon hearing this, Mi Zhu shook his head repeatedly. He knew very well why no one had praised him before, but many people were praising him this time. It was because the veterans who had lost their arms and legs had their arms and legs reattached and their mindset had been completely corrected. Naturally, they had a deep affection for Mi Zhu, who had taken care of them over the years.

After receiving praise from these people, the ordinary veterans would recall Mi Zhu's work from the perspective of their own "normal" life security, and then they would talk to each other and naturally realize what Mi Zhu had done.

As for the past, even someone like Zhang Liang, who had a very good mindset, would be a ghost to say he didn't harbor some resentment. It was already quite difficult for him to maintain a relatively stable mindset. In this situation, being able to thank the people around him for their help was already quite good in Mi Zhu's opinion. Spreading his good name and reputation was something he could forget about.

Now that they have recovered, they are naturally grateful to everyone who helped them back then, and they have the means to repay that help.

Therefore, the efforts of Mi Zhu's team would naturally be acknowledged. After all, this was still an era where morality could put food on the table, and Mi Zhu's work was indeed commendable, solving many problems and allowing them to fight on the front lines without any worries.

Therefore, after the limbs were reattached, many people realized what Mi Zhu, who had a very low profile among the elders, had done, and what the significance of these things was.

“These kinds of things do require persistence. You have to work on them slowly and steadily, building up the relationship gradually, and then when the time comes, their true value will be revealed,” Mi Zhu said with a smile. He was very good at this kind of thing. He was able to become one of the top five wealthy merchants. Even though his abilities were not necessarily stronger than Zhen Yan's, Mi Zhu won by focusing on these details.

"That's true." Liu Bei said with a touch of emotion. Some things don't come to light, and even if he sees them, he won't realize it. But when certain things do come to light, Liu Bei will realize just how much his men have accomplished.

"Are you sure you want to take Wenru over?" Chen Xi asked after thinking for a moment. He knew very well what Mi Zhu was doing, because the supplies needed to solve these problems were all drawn from the Imperial Household Department. Although the quantity was not large, the types were quite varied, so Chen Xi knew them all.

"Yes, I've decided to take Wenru with me. As for Xiaozhi, you should take him along." Liu Bei thought for a moment and said, "Wenhe is right. Xiaozhi should be the Grand Commandant, so it's better for him to stay out of these things for now. As for Wenru, there are some things that are indeed best suited for him to do."

Chen Xi nodded upon hearing this. Even he couldn't deny these two reasons. Although in Chen Xi's opinion, sending Fa Zheng to the Ganges might be the best option on the battlefield.

After all, as he has developed to this point, Fa Zheng's significance on the battlefield is actually greater than that of other strategists, and he is also more adept at the battlefield.

On the contrary, as a regular civil official, Fa Zheng was somewhat lacking. Of course, it wasn't that he lacked ability, but rather that he was somewhat indulgent, which left Chen Xi feeling helpless.

“As for Xiaozhi, he is indeed good at the battlefield. We should take Xiaozhi with us for the last battle. Let’s skip him this time. Wenhe told me that Xiaozhi can be a bit extreme on the battlefield at times.” Liu Bei said with a wry smile. “Actually, I also think so. It’s not that he’s not capable, but he seems to want to do something big, so it’s better to play it safe.”

Chen Xi was silent for a moment after hearing this, then burst into laughter.

Jia Xu's judgment was undoubtedly correct. There is a saying that asks who the most needed strategist in Shu Han was, and the answer to that question is Fa Zheng.

Because Fa Zheng's courage was somewhat outrageous, and his vision supported his courage. In the Battle of Hanzhong in the official history, when Cao Cao brought everyone together to suppress Liu Bei, Fa Zheng forcibly dragged Liu Bei up and brought everyone from the Shu base to fight Cao Cao in a decisive battle. It can be said that this was the only decisive battle between Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

In this battle, Cao Cao finally realized he couldn't fight, so he decisively gathered his men and fled.

Because if a real battle were to break out, a major victory would be fine, but a minor victory, a draw, or a loss would all be tantamount to the end for Cao Cao.

After Guan Yu won the Battle of Xiangfan, unrest broke out in Cao Cao's heartland. Cao Cao began to accept Guan Yu's appointments and prepared to respond to the Northern Expedition.

If it were the Battle of Hanzhong, a decisive battle between Cao Cao and Liu Bei, and Cao Cao won a great victory, that would be fine. But the problem is, could Cao Cao really win a great victory in the terrain of Hanzhong? Are you kidding me!
If Cao Cao cannot achieve a major victory, it would be a complete waste of his time, or even worse, he would lose and let the Liu family defeat the northern overlord and break out of Hanzhong. What kind of plot would that be?
This is going to unify the world!
Therefore, in the Battle of Hanzhong, when Cao Cao led his army there and Liu Bei also led his army there, Cao Cao was in a precarious situation, because if Cao Cao lost the battle, the framework of the north would be shaken.

Zhuge Liang might not have been able to continue the campaign when he was already exhausted and wounded, but in the Battle of Hanzhong, Fa Zheng insisted on leading everyone to fight Cao Cao. If they had won Hanzhong, Fa Zheng would definitely have been a warmonger and insisted on dragging Liu Bei into Guanzhong. Once the Liu family entered Guanzhong, Cao Cao could have just moved his defenses to Hebei.

It's impossible to organize troops to fight in Yongliang; it would be a miracle if the north didn't descend into chaos.

This is Fazheng's madness!

The Battle of Hanzhong was truly an opportunity, but unfortunately Cao Cao realized his mistake and fled.

Damn, the timer was set for tomorrow!