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Chapter 719: The Nobility’s Choice
🕑 Added 2024-10-06 05:00:04 +0000 UTC"There are so few noble families. If we had more, it wouldn't be so troublesome. It would be much easier to manage them all together if we could consolidate all the ancestral lands into one area," Chen Xi thought to himself as he began calculating in his mind.
Chen Xi knew that such matters couldn't be rushed. If he appeared too eager, it would only raise suspicion. Even though Chen Shang might have some doubts, he had no way to verify them and could only carefully ponder and later test his assumptions.
When the time came to develop the Northeast Plain, Chen Xi could guarantee that the noble families would be both frustrated and overjoyed. After all, good land was indeed good land, small plots were exchanged for large ones, and the land deeds were in their hands. Chen Xi wasn't playing games with them—the only issue was the farming.
However, noble families didn't farm the land themselves. They hired long-term laborers, short-term workers, and employed their own servants. So, it wasn't much of a scam; the only hardship was moving people there for the first year. But once the granaries were filled after the first harvest, their pain would subside.
In this way, Chen Xi wasn't exactly scamming the noble families; in fact, they stood to gain significantly. But considering the vast, uninhabited Northeast Plain, Chen Xi felt it was only fair to use the nobility to fill this void while giving them some benefits in return.
"I’ll agree to this on behalf of the noble families. But Zichuan, be mindful of yourself. Don’t let yourself get caught in a trap. Even though I don't know how you're going to do this, I hope you understand the risks," Chen Shang warned, looking at Chen Xi. After all, he was his elder and cared for his well-being.
"Don't worry. Military strategy is not my forte, but in governance, you can trust that there will be no loose ends," Chen Xi nodded in reassurance.
After a few battles, Chen Xi had realized that military affairs were not his strong suit. But when it came to administration, he found it quite manageable. And so far, no one had noticed how poorly he handled military matters, as they had always won in the end.
"Then I’m reassured. Here are the nameplates of the noble families in Yuzhou," Chen Shang said as he took out a paper filled with surnames. "Most of them are just looking to benefit from the situation. If the unrest in Qingxu doesn’t harm the foundation, they will follow in the footsteps of the Chen family."
Chen Xi took the paper and skimmed it quickly, surprised to see so many noble families considering aligning themselves with Liu Bei.
"Noble families have to look out for themselves. Although the Qingxu nobility both love and hate Lord Xuande, it's clear to the sharp-eyed that our families have been growing. Although we know we can't keep up with the rapid growth of Taishan, we have been growing nonetheless. It's just that, overall, our growth seems insignificant," Chen Shang said with a helpless sigh.
This was the most frustrating part for all Qingxu noble families. Their families had indeed grown, but why did it still feel like they were falling behind?
Some noble daughters, after learning basic statistical methods from Cai Yan, had figured out that although their families were growing faster than before, Taishan was growing much faster, which made their own growth seem trivial by comparison.
This was why noble families were eager to send their children to study under Cai Yan—she truly had talent. If Cai Yan’s family hadn't been reduced to just one member, the noble families wouldn’t have hesitated to marry into her line, as marrying a capable wife could help elevate the family. After all, it wasn’t certain that misfortune would follow.
As a result, the Hedong Wei family was currently in a dilemma. They wanted to bring Cai Yan back, but they had not made the effort when she first left Chang’an. Now, they lacked the face to do so, and the matter was left unresolved. The Wei family had barely any ties to Cai Yan anymore.
In short, despite the frustrations of the Qingxu nobility, the noble families in other regions saw how these early adopters were now flourishing. Seeing this, they couldn’t help but feel envious.
Noble families existed to grow stronger. The pioneers from Qingxu were now thriving. Even though they occasionally complained about Liu Bei, or about officials like Lu Su, no one else cared about that. They only cared about the results.
From the perspective of noble families in other regions, the complaints of the Qingxu nobility were merely a ploy to keep others from sharing in their newfound prosperity. They found it suspicious that the Qingxu nobility couldn't clearly explain how Liu Bei’s government was limiting them. Seeing their continuous growth, it was natural for other noble families to be curious.
As for the rebellious elements among the Qingxu nobility, they probably never intended to overthrow Liu Bei. They needed Liu Bei’s support, not opposition.
These families were mostly expressing their demands through this unrest. If they failed, they would obediently follow orders. After all, Liu Bei had never indicated he would completely destroy the noble families.
In truth, the Qingxu nobility could be divided into two categories, with three types of people. The first category consists of those who initially opposed Chen Xi. During the early stages, Chen Xi had no mercy in dealing with them, completely suppressing them. The second category includes those who, although dissatisfied, chose to side with Liu Bei and have been growing stronger, gradually accepting his rule.
The first category consists of a single type: those whom Chen Xi had thoroughly defeated and who now harbor deep resentment towards Liu Bei, truly desiring to overthrow him. These are the pawns of strategists like Xu You.
The second category splits into two types: those who prefer to be big fish in a small pond and, despite their improved circumstances, remain discontented because they lack significant power, and those who are pragmatic, focusing on their family's growth. Since they’ve achieved their goals, they see no reason to rock the boat.
The first category is not worth mentioning, while the second represents the common dilemma among all noble families. Every noble family has these two types of people; the only difference is the ratio. This issue was bound to surface eventually.
Due to Xu You’s machinations, the Qingxu nobility needed to vent their internal problems to maintain stability. But before doing so, they intended to lay their cards on the table.
If Chen Xi’s response satisfied them, they were willing to become pawns, using this opportunity to integrate themselves into Liu Bei's administration in a different capacity.
If not, they would still act as pawns, but they wouldn't follow orders willingly, nor would they share any beneficial information with Chen Xi.
Mice have their paths, and snakes have theirs. When it comes to matters concerning the noble families, intelligence gathering doesn’t prioritize this aspect, so not even someone like Jia Xu could know everything.
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