Mythical Three Kingdoms

Liu Bei was momentarily stunned upon hearing Yuan Shao's words, then began to scrutinize him from head to toe. His gaze carried a new intensity, as though he saw the potential for deeper conversation between them.

"Ah—woo~" Just as Liu Bei was about to inquire further, Chen Xi stretched lazily inappropriately, and then, with even less restraint, yawned audibly.

"Marquis of Yingshang, have my previous words made you so impatient?" Yuan Shao, displeased, glanced at Chen Xi, who looked entirely like someone who hadn't yet awoken.

"Not really. I just don't quite understand what this so-called 'public sentiment' is… Does it refer to the common people of the world, or to nobles like us, the aristocratic families?" Chen Xi remarked casually, completely disregarding Yuan Shao's authority. While Yuan Shao's rhetoric sounded plausible, it diverged sharply from Liu Bei's aspirations.

In truth, there was no need to ask this question. Yuan Shao's foundations were always rooted in protecting the interests of the aristocratic families. Although he might provide some degree of protection to commoners, fundamentally, his starting point had never been centered on the ordinary populace.

The phrase "Only public sentiment can serve as the Emperor's Sword" was indeed sound. However, the problem lay in 'public sentiment.' In this era, the belief that commoners do not count as human was prevalent among many aristocratic families.

This was why city massacres and the burying of prisoners alive occurred—unspeakably vile actions carried out because commoners were not seen as human. It wasn't about a sense of superiority or a belief in being above others; it was a simple, brutal truth: commoners were not considered people.

Yuan Shu styled himself as a Prefect tasked to lead and educate, with the populace merely serving as the subjects of his governance and cultivation. As for Yuan Shao, while he didn't go so far as to treat commoners as lesser beings, his foundation had never been rooted in looking out for common folks.

Moreover, in the practical context of this era, the aristocratic families comprised over eighty percent of society's elites. Of course, this 'elite' status wasn't referring to top talents like Guo Jia but more to those of the middle level.

Even someone like Guo Jia couldn't entirely escape this reality. For someone from a humble family to attain such heights, not only must they rely on their innate talent, but also on intricate associations with aristocratic families.

Furthermore, seven out of ten officials in this era hailed from aristocratic families; higher-ranking positions, such as those above the fifth grade, were even rarer to find among humble families. As for ordinary commoners, how could they possibly ascend to positions above the fifth grade?

On top of this, aristocratic families controlled over ninety percent of this era's wealth. Essentially, it meant that the ninety percent of commoners who made up the majority of the population possessed barely anything. What could they use to challenge the aristocratic families? Most of the time, the aristocratic families only needed to employ minor calculations to effortlessly make the commoners submit beneath their influence.

This was precisely why Chen Xi had to proceed cautiously and gradually. His mission involved opposing the most powerful stratum of this era. Though he never intended to completely eradicate this class, even attempting reform provoked a backlash strong enough to give him endless headaches.

Were it not for the numerous strategies Chen Xi had developed to deflect and pacify, combined with how miserable the lives of Han Dynasty's commoners were and the unethical actions of aristocratic families, he wouldn't have bothered wasting effort on such an unprofitable venture.

"Before the Former Han, wasn't it always nobles who governed local regions? And since the Later Han, hasn't it been the aristocratic families cultivating the commoners? Naturally, public sentiment must be the aristocratic families, for they are the ones educating and cultivating the populace," Yuan Shao asserted with a tone of inevitability.

"Quite exceptional." Chen Xi nodded in agreement. When Liu Bei looked over, Chen Xi spread his hands, the meaning evident without the need for explanation.

"Is that truly your position?" Liu Bei asked Yuan Shao with a dark expression. His response was fundamentally at odds with what he had said earlier!

"Did you think I was referring to those mud-legs?" Yuan Shao sneered. His upbringing long determined he could never adopt the perspective of the lower strata.

Liu Bei glanced at Yuan Shao, then a mocking smile appeared on his face. "Yuan Benchu, you will never understand!"

Liu Bei's words lacked context but resonated clearly with Chen Xi, who sighed softly afterward. Yuan Shao had been adopted into nobility too early; if only he had experienced more of life at the bottom, perhaps he would have chosen an entirely different path.

Liu Bei glanced at Yuan Shao, then rose slowly, raising his cup and offering a toast towards the Hebei crowd gathered. "People say Hebei is filled with heroes, and indeed it's true. However, after today, I fear our future encounters may never possess the ease of today. Let this cup serve as my toast to you. If, someday, you fall to me in defeat, I swear to leave you your lives!"

"Lord Xuande, your words are mistaken." Xuu You, provoked by Liu Bei's declaration and charged by Yuan Shao's gaze, immediately stood up and retorted, "Our Hebei warriors are peerless in fortitude; our strategists are countless as stars. Someday, Lord Xuande may not find himself standing atop the platform as he does today."

"Such arrogance! To those across the table, apart from those I haven't encountered before, which of you haven't suffered losses? Of course, as for those I haven't met, they're likely unknown nobodies anyway." Chen Xi brazenly launched verbal artillery across the table, his complete disregard for politeness earning stunned reactions. 'Not on the platform? Are you suggesting being prisoners instead? Xuu You, you're far too wild!'

"Marquis Chen, speaking this way risks becoming the laughingstock of greater society." Tian Feng responded unhurriedly. The sight of young Chen Xi sitting amidst these veterans, coupled with his boisterous attitude, proved to be a source of irritation for the gathered Hebei civil officials.

"I don't mind being the laughingstock. After all, I've been victorious all along the way." Chen Xi quipped indifferently. His intent was always to sow chaos, unafraid of the consequences.

More importantly, Chen Xi had already spotted the opportunity to eliminate Yuan Shao, and this boldness fueled his provocative demeanor. Yann Liang, Wen Chou, Zhang He, and the disheveled-faced Juo Yi—of all those present on the opposing side, these were the only capable military generals.

As for the civil officials, Chen Xi was utterly unworried about them retaliating; his spiritual capacity was sufficient to resist any mental attacks from the other side. This confidence formed the bedrock of his brazen defiance.

Chen Xi's declaration temporarily stunned the Hebei crowd. Though brazen, his remarks were frustratingly grounded in truth; they were backed by solid achievements and therefore difficult to rebut.

"Hah, is that all it takes to silence you?" Chen Xi sneered coldly, sweeping across the Hebei delegates with his gaze. Aside from Dong Zhao, who maintained an expression of detachment, observing his nose and contemplating inwardly, most others showed varying degrees of embarrassment or irritation.

At that moment, the Zhang Clan stepped in decisively to mediate, allowing the Hebei delegation a moment to recover. Soon after, the music and dance performances commenced. However, it didn't take long for Juo Yi to lose patience—what was this if not "When the lord grieves, the ministers are disgraced" personified?

"Such feeble and uninspired dancing lacks the vigor worthy of us warriors. Let me perform a sword dance instead!" As he spoke, Juo Yi picked up his sword and began to perform a dance. Gradually, his movements brought him closer to Chen Xi. Yet Chen Xi clearly didn't regard Juo Yi as a threat; Zhao Yun was right by his side—there was no doubt about their safety.

"Wen He, be ready. Prepare to act. I'll deal with Yuan Shao, and you pick your target carefully," Chen Xi's voice rang in Jia Xu's ears, transmitted through Zhao Yun's Whispered Transmission technique, absolutely secure.

"No problem," Jia Xu replied, lightly brushing the ten-arrow crossbow concealed within his sleeve. Given his status, no one would dare frisk him, and his analysis already aligned with Chen Xi's assessment: today, there may be an opening to act! Although eliminating Yuan Shao wasn't guaranteed, it wasn't entirely out of the question—worth trying at least! (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)