Chen Xi was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Since ancient times, the ruler's virtue ensures wise ministers. Twenty years ago, Xun Gong was so powerful—who in the world today could easily claim victory over him? Wise ministers need a virtuous ruler, and when the ruler is wise, naturally the ministers will be capable."
Chen Xi's words made Liu Bei shake his head slightly, but he had to admit that the Han Dynasty's accumulated problems could not be solved even if Chen Xi had been born twenty years earlier. The ailments left by the Emperors Huan and Ling were not something that could be eradicated overnight. The aristocratic families had already accumulated enough power over the past hundred years.
Li You resonated deeply with Chen Xi's words. While strategists and generals are important, they are still secondary to the ruler. Every ruler has their own charm, and it is through this charm that they attract capable civil and military officials. Under their leadership, they build an empire. Without that leader, even a group of outstanding officials and generals would be like headless flies.
"The ruler's virtue ensures wise ministers; a wise ruler ensures capable ministers. Yes, the most important thing is the core ruler." Liu Bei shook his head helplessly. The concept of dynastic rule is unavoidable.
"Let's stop discussing these matters that we cannot change." Liu Bei waved his hand helplessly. He had always harbored a deep respect for royal authority, so when this topic came up, he was fully aware of the issues but chose to avoid discussing them. Continuing the conversation might lead to remarks bordering on treason.
Li You and Chen Xi exchanged a glance, both seeing the light in the other's eyes. The difference was that Li You's expression remained calm, while Chen Xi had a slight smile on his face. It wasn't impossible to change things. If they couldn't change the past, could they not change the future?
"I suppose, Lord Xuande, you are curious about what we were discussing earlier," Chen Xi asked after regaining his composure.
"Of course, I, like Wenru and Wenhe, have witnessed the Yellow Turban Rebellion and seen the suffering of the displaced people. I understand the helplessness of wanting to save but being unable to do so. What the world lacks is grain. If possible, I would ensure that every household has enough food. The place you spoke of is very important!" Liu Bei sighed. Currently, in Mount Tai, most households have enough food, but it is still not enough to meet Liu Bei's aspirations.
Compared to Li You and Jia Xu, who had also witnessed the chaos of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Liu Bei did not harbor the same resentment towards the heavens. His demeanor remained calm, but beneath his calm words lay the same thoughts as Li You and Jia Xu. In this regard, their ideas were completely aligned.
"I can't say." Chen Xi shook his head. "I can only confirm that such a place exists, but right now, we have more important tasks. We must proceed step by step. Rushing things won't help. Defeating Yuan Shao and securing the Central Plains has always been our strategic goal, and that cannot change. We must also seize the five million qing of land in the north. Only then can we accumulate enough strength."
"In that case, I won't ask further. When the day comes that we conquer the north, I will ask again. I hope that by then, Zichuan will not have forgotten." Liu Bei nodded.
At this moment, Liu Bei was convinced of his eventual victory. If he had once harbored any fear of Yuan Shao's wisdom and power, or any sense of moral hesitation, now Liu Bei could confidently say that his conscience was clear. He was determined to eliminate Yuan Shao. After defeating Yuan Shao and securing the north, he would finally be qualified to save more people!
Liu Bei walked away with a confident stride, leaving only his back to Chen Xi and the others. Jia Xu and the others then turned to Chen Xi, and in the end, Chen Xi could only brace himself and say that they must possess strong power before they could develop and utilize such a place.
In fact, Chen Xi wasn't joking. The Baiyue region indeed had three harvests a year, but even by the Tang Dynasty, it was still a place of exile. It required development, and it would take the strength of an entire nation and twenty years of effort to see initial results.
Over the years, without the investment of two generations, the Baiyue region would still be far from becoming the land of fish and rice. For now, acquiring it would be pointless, and it would only waste too much time and effort.
"Only then will it be interesting," Lu Su said, his calm expression radiating strong confidence. "Expanding territory and opening new lands is our responsibility. This is good too; the opponents in the Central Plains are too few and far between. Once we defeat Yuan Benchu, I wonder who else will be worth our careful planning."
"Zijing, don't underestimate the heroes of the world." Li You glanced at Lu Su and said, "Cao Mengde is not to be underestimated." Then Jia Xu added, "Sun Bofu is also a remarkable figure, not to be taken lightly."
"If Cao Mengde had not suffered the defeat in Xuzhou, he might have been able to achieve something. But now, he's just a minor clown. If he were nearby, we could easily crush him. Sun Bofu, bound by Yuan Gonglu, is unparalleled in righteousness, but he is destined to be unable to retaliate!" Lu Su sneered. In this world, only one person was a true opponent—Yuan Benchu. The others were merely mediocre. Although they were talented, their bad fortune prevented them from succeeding!
Chen Xi also nodded. Although Cao Cao and Sun Ce were highly capable, their current predicaments were largely due to bad timing. On the other hand, Yuan Shao was growing stronger by the day. His current strength was nearly three times what it was historically, and this was only because his advisors and generals had limited his potential. Otherwise, he would have been even more formidable.
"Let's not talk about this anymore. I'll call Xiaozhi over." With that, Jia Xu waved to Fa Zheng. Fa Zheng had been itching to know what had transpired on Chen Xi's side, and now he finally received the invitation.
"Kongming, you come over too." Li You and Lu Su both beckoned to Zhuge Liang. These matters were also within their rights to know.
The group quickly recounted the events. Compared to Liu Bei, Jia Xu, and Li You, who truly understood the world's cruelty, Lu Su and Chen Xi had seen glimpses of it. Fa Zheng and Zhuge Liang, however, had only read about such tragedies in books and were still young and inexperienced.
But fortunately, both of them were extraordinarily gifted. Although they had never suffered or witnessed real tragedies, they could still somewhat grasp the significance of a place with three harvests a year. However, they lacked the deep-seated understanding that Li You and Jia Xu possessed.
"First, pacify the north. We've prepared so much there, and defeating Yuan Benchu will bring us great benefits," Zhuge Liang said.
From the beginning, their strategic focus had always been to stabilize the north. Regardless of how important that land with three harvests a year was, Zhuge Liang believed that securing the north and building strength steadily was the correct path. After all, they could still produce enough grain to be self-sufficient, so there was no need to take unnecessary risks.
"Pacify the north, defeat the Wuhuan and Xianbei, and reclaim five million qing of land. Our grain production will double, and then what battle could we not fight?" Fa Zheng was no fool. He also knew how to choose his battles wisely. Although he favored cunning strategies, he wasn't one to waste effort when they could secure a decisive advantage with steady progress.