Ju Shou and Li You had a pleasant conversation, though both had ulterior motives. Ju Shou aimed to sow discord within Taishan, weakening this powerful force that threatened Yuan Shao, while Li You intended to calculate every move carefully to buy more time for Qingzhou to develop.
After seeing Ju Shou off, Li You returned to the hall, which was already filled with people, including Chen Xi and Wang Xiu.
"Li Wenru, you really made me the scapegoat, didn't you?" Chen Xi grumbled as soon as Li You walked in.
"You're the best at drawing fire. If you don't step up, who will?" Li You replied nonchalantly. "But it worked out well. Xuande's performance was spot on—showing both the grit and ambition of a rising lord while also revealing the internal conflict of a man from humble beginnings suddenly thrust into luxury, yet hesitant to indulge for fear of alienating his subordinates."
"You're just stringing people along," Liu Ye chuckled. "But I must say, it worked. You really played into their expectations. But let me ask you something, Chen Xi—how much did this mansion actually cost? You know, the one with the ridiculously expensive rugs?"
"The cost is real, I assure you. The best way to deceive someone is with the truth. Only genuine items can truly fool people," Chen Xi responded casually. He knew someone would ask about the extravagant rug.
Everyone present, including Liu Ye, Lu Su, and Sun Qian, grimaced at the thought. Tens of thousands of sheep's wool just for a single rug? That's an unimaginable expense, especially considering how valuable a single black sheep's pelt was in those days.
"Alright, alright. Chen Xi was just messing with you. It didn't actually take tens of thousands of sheep. It's just wool from that many sheep, and only the finest down. Other than being rare, it's not that valuable," Li Ru explained with a laugh, trying to ease the tension.
"Yes, it's made from the finest down of tens of thousands of sheep, but if we didn't need such a soft and dense rug, a few hundred sheep would suffice. Plus, they'll grow it back next year," Chen Xi added with a smile. "It's really not that expensive."
"It's just the initial shock that gets to you," Fa Zheng laughed. "I was pretty stunned when I first heard it too. Real, high-quality wool from tens of thousands of sheep... quite the shock."
Everyone laughed heartily at that, feeling more at ease with the idea of luxury.
"Tomorrow is the sacrificial ceremony for our fallen heroes. Are you all prepared? I expect many eyes will be on us. After all, Cao Mengde and Yuan Benchu are still allies, and they will certainly share information. We must be careful not to reveal our plans to Cao Mengde's side," Chen Xi said seriously.
"Xuande shows the tenacity and talent of someone who built an empire from nothing, but also the tendencies of someone from humble beginnings who suddenly finds himself in luxury and is concerned about the opinions of others. This contradiction in his character is what allowed us to deceive Ju Gongyu so effectively," Li You sighed. "The truth is always easier to believe than pure fabrication."
"Kung Beihai likely won't make it in time. We should discuss how to handle him after we fully absorb Qingzhou," Lu Su, ever the workaholic, quickly turned the conversation back to political matters.
"He's a grand scholar. Why not have him write books? We have many annotated versions of the Analects. Let him compile a definitive edition for the Kong family," Liu Ye suggested. After fully incorporating Qingzhou, there would be no place for someone like Kong Rong, who was more about reputation than actual governance. Keeping him around just to fill a seat would no longer be acceptable.
"What about Xuzhou? Our relationship with Tao Gongzu has already soured, especially after the whole mess with Yuan Shu," Lu Su said with a hint of frustration.
Although Liu Bei had never explicitly stated that he would join the Shumeng alliance, those who had supported him the most, like Gongsun Zan and Tao Qian, were members. Now, Liu Bei had toppled Yuan Shu, the leader of the Shumeng, making Tao Qian uneasy.
"Power attracts power. Tao Gongzu doesn't need to be a concern. His body is weakening, and his energy is waning. If he continues to face challenges, he won't have long left. His son is too weak to succeed him," Jia Xu said calmly. "This issue of heirs is indeed a serious problem."
At this, everyone except Chen Xi sighed in unison.
"I wonder when our lord will have a son," Lu Su sighed, then looked at Fa Zheng and added, "If he could be as smart as Fa Xiaozhi, that would be ideal."
Everyone, except Chen Xi, sighed again as they looked at Fa Zheng, who wore a smug expression.
"What are you all sighing about? There aren't that many geniuses in this world. Most people are average, like me—easily replaceable," Chen Xi said, looking at everyone with disdain before sharing his thoughts.
The room fell silent as everyone stared at Chen Xi. After a long pause, someone spoke up. "Since you claim to be of average talent and easily replaceable, perhaps you should take on the responsibility of raising our sons, ensuring they reach at least your level."
Everyone present burst into laughter, looking at Chen Xi with schadenfreude. Let's see you talk your way out of this one, they seemed to say. If you can produce another person as capable as yourself, we'll believe you.
"Congratulations, Chen Xi. Best of luck," they teased, clearly enjoying his predicament. Becoming Liu Bei's son's tutor would indeed be an honor, but turning that child into someone as extraordinary as Chen Xi? That was a tall order.
"Can I take back what I said?" Chen Xi muttered. While he believed he could mass-produce talented individuals, this era didn't have the conditions to support that kind of outcome.
"A gentleman's word!" Liu Bei laughed.
"A horse with a whip!" everyone chimed in together.
"Don't worry, Chen Xi. We'll all be here to supervise," Lu Su added with a smile.
Meanwhile, in Xuzhou, Tao Gongzu had been uneasy ever since Liu Bei had marched from Yuzhou and dealt a heavy blow to Yuan Shu. Though he felt conflicted, he didn't have the energy to deal with these matters anymore. His primary concern now was finding a strong protector for his son, lest the influential families in Xuzhou ruin him. After years of governing Xuzhou, Tao Qian understood the nature of these local elites all too well.
In Tan City, Tao Qian looked over the latest intelligence reports. Compared to the now-weakening Shumeng alliance, Tao Qian saw more promise in the rising Shaomeng alliance. Naturally, this brought Cao Cao into his view. Though he had been wary of Cao Cao before, he now saw him as a potential ally, especially since his main goal was securing his sons' future. As long as the person he allied with was powerful and capable, that was enough.
This is why Tao Qian was considering currying favor with Cao Song, using the wealth of Xuzhou as a bargaining chip to ensure his sons' safety. Liu Bei, on the other hand, made him uneasy. Years of political experience had taught him that sometimes, what's taken by force is valued more than what's given.
Everyone knew Xuzhou was wealthy, and Tao Qian intended to use that wealth to lure both Cao Cao and Liu Bei. Whoever could best ensure his sons' future would inherit Xuzhou. As for Yuan Shu, who Tao Qian had once considered an ally, he had been reduced to a mere afterthought—anyone could step on him now.