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Chapter 717: Sit Down and Talk
🕑 Added 2024-10-06 04:59:50 +0000 UTC"I can tolerate the special privileges of the noble families, their desire for power and land, and even their ever-expanding ambitions. In fact, as long as they don't destabilize the foundation of the state, I find the existence of noble families quite reasonable," Chen Xi said, almost making Chen Shang overjoyed.
"But," Chen Xi continued, "all special privileges, all desires for power and land, must be tied to responsibilities. Otherwise, what the noble families are doing, in essence, is undermining the foundation of the state." Chen Xi's words left Chen Shang utterly helpless.
"Is there no room for compromise?" Chen Shang asked, his face full of resignation.
"None. Do you remember how the Chen family rose to power? From stagnation and decline during the Western Zhou, to rising from poverty in the Spring and Autumn period, to flourishing at the beginning of the Warring States, and then gradually declining again, only to build up strength repeatedly to reach its current state," Chen Xi said calmly.
"But..." Chen Shang wanted to argue, but Chen Xi cut him off. "Without external threats, a noble family that stagnates will eventually disappear in the long river of history. Wouldn't it be better for me to personally weed out the weak and keep the strong?"
"Uncle, you still have a chance. Convince me, and I will help you. If you can't, then I will take matters into my own hands. At least if you fall by my hand, there will still be a chance for revival. But if you are overthrown by the people, you will have no chance left," Chen Xi said with a solemn expression, as if he were a warrior ready to face a challenge.
"Convince you?" Chen Shang scoffed. "Who are you? You are Chen Zichuan, the Marquis of Yingshang, the man who helped raise a powerful lord while still in your youth. If I could convince you, would I even need to be here?"
"Then let me convince you, Uncle. Let me ask you one thing: do you believe that the way the noble families have gained their current power is reasonable?" Chen Xi asked, looking directly into Chen Shang's eyes. He had realized that he now held an innate advantage over the noble families—not just in status, but in every aspect.
"It's reasonable!" Chen Shang replied firmly.
"Is it really reasonable?" Chen Xi asked with a slight smile, still staring at Chen Shang.
"It is reasonable," Chen Shang insisted, his eyes resolute as he faced Chen Xi.
"Is it truly reasonable?" Chen Xi's eyes now held a hint of mockery.
"Reasonable..." Chen Shang hesitated, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.
"It seems even you know the truth. Since that's the case, why not let me make it truly reasonable? At least then, when I ask you the same question in the future, you can look me in the eye and give me the same answer," Chen Xi said, his expression serious.
Chen Xi knew that the elders of great families like the Chen and Xun clans had the ability to discern the truth, and that they wouldn't lie to themselves. Even if they had to consider the well-being of their families, they couldn't help but speak the truth when questioned by Chen Xi.
"Making it reasonable is impossible. Human nature is inherently selfish!" Chen Shang shook his head. "The existence of families is inevitable, and human relationships are determined by nature. Mozi once spoke of universal love, but if your child and a stranger fall into the water, and you can only save one, how could you love them both equally?"
Chen Xi sighed inwardly. This was the frustrating thing about the Chen family—they were well-versed in the teachings of all the ancient schools of thought.
"Uncle, please don't speak in riddles. I can't achieve absolute fairness, but I can at least ensure relative fairness. I can make sure that the power held by the noble families is balanced by their responsibilities. At the very least, I can prevent the common people from looking at this entire class with hatred," Chen Xi said calmly.
"Our losses would be too great," Chen Shang admitted, no longer hiding his true concerns. By coming here, Chen Shang was acknowledging that after the noble families had dealt with the last wave of rebels, they had begun to reflect on their own existence and were seeking a way to negotiate with Chen Xi—not to demand more, but to minimize their losses.
"What do the noble families want? If you're hoping for eternal prosperity, forget it," Chen Xi said, cutting off Chen Shang before he could speak further.
"We aren't asking for the impossible. Those noble families who have already chosen to side with us have long since given up on rigidly maintaining the status quo. They simply don't want to see their decline continue," Chen Shang said, waving his hand dismissively. He wasn't chasing after unrealistic goals; he wanted tangible benefits.
"Fine. There's no need to discuss wealth; let's move on. You need land, family learning, power, and privileges," Chen Xi said, glancing at Chen Shang, who was watching him with a tense expression. As someone representing all the noble families in these negotiations, Chen Shang was under significant pressure.
As Chen Xi pointed out, wealth wasn't the primary concern for the noble families. While they needed money for certain things, it wasn't their ultimate goal. For the noble families, land was the foundation, power was the goal, and privileges were the icing on the cake. But most importantly, the noble families valued family learning and land above all else!
Land provided the foundation for their rise, family learning provided the means to achieve it, and the rest—power and privileges—could be pursued through the talents of their members, just as Chen Xi had done. Who would have predicted that the young man who left the family would amass such immense power?
"Yes, we need family learning, land, power—these things. But family learning comes first, land second, and power and privileges can be set aside for now," Chen Shang agreed, correcting Chen Xi's earlier statement. Noble families understood the importance of family learning better than anyone.
"Indeed, family learning is paramount. I can understand that. Land comes second, which also makes sense. Uncle, what you've said is reasonable. As for family learning, I have nothing to say. I've already opened the library; whether you're satisfied or not, the library is there," Chen Xi said, satisfied that the noble families were at least being realistic.
Chen Shang's heart sank at Chen Xi's words. If things were to continue this way, the noble families would be treated no differently than commoners, leaving them with no inherent advantages.
Seeing Chen Shang's reaction, Chen Xi smiled. "For the noble families, one book will count as ten. In other words, for every book you contribute to the library, you can choose to transcribe ten books from it."
Chen Shang's eyes lit up with joy at Chen Xi's offer. There were many valuable books in the library, and exchanging one for ten didn't seem like a bad deal. However, Chen Shang was still hoping for more.
"Can the ten books we transcribe be chosen from any category? And how many times can we do this in a year?" Chen Shang asked cautiously.
"Of course, this applies to regular books. Madam Cai Zhaoji has the catalog, as well as the library's general index. One book can be exchanged for ten, and noble families can also contribute a book in exchange for a specific title, or if they don't know the title, they can request a book based on its subject matter," Chen Xi explained. He knew that things needed to be restricted for people to truly appreciate their value.
"As for how many times this can be done, nine is the limit—so nine times a year. For specific titles, you can make three requests," Chen Xi said casually, having not considered the need for restrictions until Chen Shang brought it up.
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