Simply put, although the aristocratic families under Cao Cao and Sun Ce are growing slowly, the proportion of their total strength relative to Cao Cao's and Sun Ce's total strength is gradually increasing.
On Liu Bei's side, although the aristocratic families are growing much faster than those under Cao Cao and Sun Ce, the proportion of their total strength relative to Liu Bei's total strength is visibly decreasing. Simply put, Chen Xi's wealth accumulation is becoming increasingly astonishing.
This has led the aristocratic families to the realization that the influence they desire is unattainable; the highest position they can achieve is Xun Yue's current position. Unobserved, they have come to understand that they have encountered the unseen ceiling that the Humble Family once faced.
