As Chen Xi spoke, behind him seemed to emerge a golden light, scattering the glory belonging to the sages, while Liu Bei constantly nodded beside him.
"Lord Xuande, the ancient sages pursued the well-being of the people’s clothing and food, yet do we also set our sights only on that level?" Chen Xi asked indifferently. He had already succeeded, and as long as he continued on this train of thought, success was inevitable. Liu Bei had already begun to acknowledge it.
"Do you remember your oath?" Chen Xi’s eyes shone as he looked at Liu Bei, for this was the most important thing, "Although securing food and clothing is difficult, I, Chen Zichuan, will boast a bit; for mere sustenance, I can barely make it happen. But is that all we pursue? We may not be able to allow everyone to live in extravagant mansions, but we should try to fulfill their needs as much as possible, we want to expand their horizons, to give them higher aspirations!"
Liu Bei constantly nodded. When he had previously patrolled the borders and traveled across various provinces personally witnessing the famine-ridden corpses, he felt that ensuring food and clothing was extremely difficult. But now, with Chen Xi, having come to Fenggao, Liu Bei at least dares to thump his chest and say, Laozi ensures the people under my rule have food to eat!
This is also why Chen Xi wasn’t worried when Xu Chu left with him, nor was he concerned about Liu Bei lacking guards and getting assassinated. The reason was simple: this was Mount Tai’s jurisdiction, this was Fenggao. Liu Bei only needed to reveal his identity. In this era of faith and righteousness, there were too many people willing to die for Liu Bei!
In this place, anyone daring to talk of assassinating Liu Bei would immediately find people drawing their knives and rushing to kill the one who uttered such words. It can be said that Liu Bei was called benevolent not only because of Liu Yan’s hype but also because Liu Bei did indeed accomplish real things, and his governance was indeed acknowledged by his subjects. Benevolence cannot be acknowledged merely through empty hype!
To allow a group of people who nearly starved to death to have their fill, to have a place to live, to receive money, and to no longer worry about not having food—this benevolence is enough for these people to remember for generations. Well, maybe not for generations, but probably within five generations, there likely won’t be any problem.
"Lord Xuande, the commoners’ vision is actually very limited; they only see their own small plot of land and can’t see the long-term," Chen Xi retorted. "You’ve given them food and clothing, which is already a life they once dreamed of, but is such a life considered good for you?"
Liu Bei pondered the current life as a Feudal Lord, then thought back to the days of making straw sandals to get by and couldn’t help but shake his head. Back then, having a drink required careful consideration of whether he had enough money in his pocket, while now, he cooks meat in a bronze cauldron. The difference is too vast; how could it be considered good?
"What was your wish in life back then?" Chen Xi looked at the shaking Liu Bei and chuckled slyly.
"To be free from worries about food and clothing and to have wine and meat," Liu Bei laughed out loud. Today, he had achieved his goals. Looking back on his past wishes, he found them to be both adorable and incredibly modest.
"Zichuan, I understand," Liu Bei’s face flickered with radiance. "You’re saying we should not only focus on the present for the common people. We’ve achieved freedom from food and clothing concerns, and if we have the capacity, we should strive to do even better, just like the residence you built for me. Although it is only one now, it serves as a goal, a goal for all under heaven to enjoy this kind of life!" Liu Bei no longer needed Chen Xi to continue; he had already completed the thought in his mind.
Li Youu struggled to swallow a piece of meat, the radiance of Liu Bei made him feel the ridiculousness of Liu Bei being hoodwinked by Chen Xi, but it also left him deeply shocked. Just by glancing at Chen Xi’s expression, he knew Liu Bei was fooled, yet Li Youu couldn’t bring himself to say "Chen Xi is just deceiving you."
["I am willing to follow behind you, my humble wishes pale in comparison to your grand aspirations, and I am willing to always follow you, to witness the arrival of that brilliance."]Li Youu raised his cup in salute to Liu Bei, and then emptied it in one gulp. He finally understood why he was so moved by Liu Bei—Liu Bei’s charm was so foolish, yet so profoundly genuine.
"Exactly that’s the spirit!" Chen Xi made a face as if he too had been moved by Liu Bei, but who really knew what he was thinking. After all, Chen Xi was not one so easily touched by others.
"Alright, the place where I live from now on shall be called the Self-Discipline Hall! I, Liu Xuande, am not worthy to live there, but since I reside there, I will strive to earn that place!" Liu Bei preached fervently, appearing to enter a state where his Aura of Domination was fully unleashed. However, unfortunately, the two companions beside him were not quite as enthusiastic.
"Hmm. Lord Xuande, try hard. I will also strive towards that direction. Our goal is, after all, incredibly lofty!" Chen Xi spoke solemnly. It was critical to keep Liu Bei hoodwinked and not let him realize the truth, to continue indulging in his own world—that was the King’s Way!
Liu Bei stood by the window with a cup in hand, looking down at the stream of people below. He turned to the two men and said, "We are still very far off from our goals. Even in this bustling Fenggao, there are far too many refugees and beggars. Zichuan, let’s focus on the smallest places first, let’s grant the common people the basic needs of clothing and food security."
"No problem, I’ve already started handling this aspect. It seems that Lord Xuande has been paying attention to the problems in our governance. Actually, if you have the time, you could ask the common folk about their feelings during your travels rather than relying on your own. Their feelings are what we need because the perspective is different, and in some details, it is very hard for us to take into consideration others’ feelings."
Chen Xi could not help but smile upon hearing Liu Bei mention these issues. It showed that Li Youu was indeed subtly mentoring Liu Bei on matters of governance.
"That makes sense. Reflecting on it, the way I look at problems now is vastly different from that of a commoner in Zhuo County," Liu Bei acknowledged with a nod, agreeing with Chen Xi’s statement. "I will pay attention to this. However, Zichuan, what did you mean by saying that you have already started handling it?"
"I’ve already started tackling this issue, after all, everything must be done step by step. Now we have reached the stage where we need to start arranging a place for these people, and as for the previously mentioned academy, child-age education, military veterans’ welfare, and other such issues, they are finally being brought onto the agenda," Chen Xi said with a mix of explanation and pride in his voice. Liu Bei was coming to realize just how many problems existed under his seemingly prosperous and peaceful rule.
"...How could it be that I wasn’t aware of so many problems in my jurisdiction?" Liu Bei was somewhat dumbfounded; in his memory, his rule was impeccable among all the feudal lords, and he wondered when all these problems had arisen.
"Problems have always been there, but it’s a matter of prioritizing them. Currently, if we don’t deal with these issues, it might not be a big deal, but they could become potential issues later on. Therefore, I am taking steps to remove these hidden dangers," Chen Xi explained without much regard to Liu Bei’s bewildered expression. After all, if Liu Bei did not pay attention to these political affairs, they would quickly pass unnoticed. (To be continued. If you work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian ). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)