"Why aren't you laughing anymore?" Liu Bei turned to Chen Xi and asked.
"Let's talk about something else. Congratulations, Lord Xuande," Chen Xi replied, shaking his head and steering the conversation back on track.
"Sigh, though I don't understand dream interpretation, I do know the significance of the North Star entering the womb, as they said. It's as they described it," Liu Bei sighed. "It's a bit frustrating."
"Frustrated that you worked hard your whole life, only to pave a golden road for your son?" Chen Xi chuckled. "There's nothing to be frustrated about."
"I'm frustrated that after spending my whole life supporting the Han Dynasty and preparing to be a wise advisor like Duke Zhou, my son might undo all my efforts," Liu Bei grumbled.
"Every generation has its own blessings. We just need to do our part, ensuring that no one in the world can criticize us. If we can surpass the virtue of three generations and the might of Qin Shi Huang, then let's see what future generations have to say," Chen Xi casually consoled him, feeling more at ease with such matters compared to Liu Bei.
"My conscience isn't clear. I can't say I'm entirely selfless, but I can guarantee that my desire for the throne is minimal—almost nonexistent. Compared to the distant, unattainable goal I once had, my current objective is much more practical: to bring every province to the same level of prosperity as Taishan," Liu Bei said with a shake of his head. He, too, was growing and evolving, though he knew this goal would be difficult to achieve.
"Taishan, huh? If you give me fifty years, reaching that level is possible," Chen Xi replied with a smile. Fifty years of favorable weather, a competent emperor, and diligent ministers, and there'd be no difficulty in achieving that.
"That would be great. In all my life, I've never seen a place more stable than Taishan," Liu Bei sighed. "If I could see the entire realm reach this level in fifty years, I could die without regrets. Even if things go awry in the future, I'd have no shame when meeting the great ancestors in the afterlife."
"Take it easy. It'll come gradually. Who knows, maybe the oath you swore back then will come true," Chen Xi said with a smile, though he thought otherwise in his heart.
Liu Bei chuckled but didn't take Chen Xi's words to heart. He knew how high the goal he set for himself was when he made that vow to restrain his desires. It was simply impossible.
"Zichuan, I'd like you to educate my child when he's born. I hope you can raise him to be a benevolent and virtuous gentleman. And if he could have your talents, that would be even better," Liu Bei said, having calmed down after Chen Xi's words and shifted the topic.
Reflecting on his past goals, Liu Bei realized there was nothing more to say. As Chen Xi suggested, he had strived for his whole life, and whatever his son did in the future would be his son's business, not his own. Now, Liu Bei was content to do his best and leave the rest to fate.
"Sure, as long as you're not afraid of me messing around," Chen Xi replied with a laugh, thinking of the conflicting historical records of Liu Bei's son, A'dou. Was he really pretending to be foolish, or was there something genuinely wrong with him?
"Zichuan, even if you mess around, I'm sure it'll be within reason. By the way, Ziyang says he plans to use this current chaos to establish connections with Chang'an and prepare for rescuing the emperor. After years of hard work, we're finally seeing a glimmer of hope," Liu Bei said, changing the subject again.
"That's good news," Chen Xi nodded approvingly, though inwardly he couldn't help but criticize Liu Ye's true intentions. Despite being a direct descendant of the Han Dynasty, Liu Ye had no reverence for Emperor Xian. Knowing Liu Ye's historical tendencies, Chen Xi was certain that Liu Ye wasn't really planning to rescue the emperor. Instead, he was probably setting a trap to push the emperor into even deeper trouble, ensuring Liu Bei could maintain the moral high ground.
"It seems like you're not too optimistic about Ziyang's plan," Liu Bei asked, noticing Chen Xi's hesitation.
"Ziyang is a bit eager, but it's understandable. As a fellow descendant of the Han Dynasty, he naturally empathizes with the emperor's plight. He wouldn't miss any opportunity, and since he's willing to take action, he must be confident in his plan," Chen Xi responded, adopting a loyal and patriotic stance to align with Liu Ye's supposed motives.
"Ziyang told me that with the chaos in the land and Li Jue and Guo Si heavily exploiting Yongzhou, the other warlords are too preoccupied to intervene. He plans to use light cavalry to launch a surprise rescue across several provinces. It could be a brilliant move," Liu Bei said proudly, clearly impressed by the talents of his advisors.
"Indeed, with the warlords distracted, a covert operation like this could work. Using light cavalry to bypass the enemy and then setting up a camp to receive the emperor—this plan has a decent chance of success," Chen Xi analyzed the situation. If he didn't know Liu Ye's true intentions, he might have been fooled by this clever plan.
After some thought, Chen Xi understood the entire situation. Liu Ye was likely worried that if Liu Bei found out he never intended to rescue the emperor, but rather to push him into deeper trouble for the sake of preserving Liu Bei's moral authority, Liu Bei might hold it against him later.
Liu Ye wasn't foolish. He could sense that Liu Bei wasn't interested in the throne right now. But Liu Ye had no desire to bring Emperor Xian to Taishan, where the current flourishing situation could be ruined. After the disasters of Dong Zhuo and Li Jue, most capable central ministers were dead, leaving only corrupt officials and incompetents.
Moreover, having experienced the central government firsthand, Liu Ye knew how adept those officials were at internal strife. If they arrived, they'd surely cause turmoil, so Liu Ye thought it best to divert this trouble elsewhere—perhaps to someone like Yuan Shao!
"The saying 'Those inside are doomed, while those outside find safety' isn't just a joke. Given Liu Bei's current strength, keeping the emperor away seems like a much better option. Liu Ye knows exactly how to stir up the power-hungry central ministers, pitting Yuan Shao against the emperor and giving Liu Bei the moral high ground," Chen Xi thought to himself.
"I hope His Majesty can escape the tiger's den. The Han Dynasty has faced so many calamities in recent years. Why have there been so many disasters?" Liu Bei sighed, still oblivious to Liu Ye's devious intentions, genuinely believing Liu Ye was trying to save Emperor Xian.
"Without such calamities, neither you nor I would be sitting here today. Times make heroes, and heroes shape the times—it's a symbiotic relationship," Chen Xi replied with a smile.