Chapter 1134: One Power in the World

When Liu Ba saw the detailed information on Liu Bei's faction, he completely sobered up. The difference between the two sides was enormous. First of all, Cao Cao was extremely short on funds, while Liu Bei was incredibly wealthy.

What shocked Liu Ba even more was when he learned the full reality of Liu Bei's situation. This wasn't just about borrowing money through clever rebranding; the real terror wasn't the bank itself, but the people using it!

Maintaining an army is extremely expensive—armor, weapons, provisions, salaries, all require vast sums of money. But Liu Bei wasn’t just supporting an army; he was also investing in education. Most terrifying of all, part of that education was even provided for free to school-aged children.

Cao Cao’s data showed that Liu Bei invested billions in education every year. That amount of money could easily support tens of thousands of cavalry!

This level of mad investment made it understandable why the aristocrats once believed Liu Bei would collapse under the weight of it all. Yet, looking at Liu Bei's current situation, it was clear he didn’t even flinch at throwing billions into education annually. And let’s not forget, the first year’s expenses, such as textbooks and facilities, were even higher...

On top of that, Liu Ba recalled that Liu Bei’s government even offered scholarships for outstanding students. The sheer amount of money Liu Bei was pouring into education and military welfare was enough to sustain twice the size of his current army, a figure that left Liu Ba deeply uneasy.

The reports also described Liu Bei’s personal residence in great detail: calling it opulent was an understatement. The carpets alone, made from the wool of tens of thousands of sheep, were lavish beyond measure. Every piece of furniture and decoration cost tens of thousands. The building materials for his residence alone amounted to billions!

And yet, Liu Bei only lived there for just over a year before abandoning it. It was said that Chen Xi planned to build a new one in Ye City, but Liu Bei vetoed it!

All of that was money—astronomical sums of it. It couldn’t even be described as extravagant anymore! But the words Chen Xi reportedly said, which had spread along with the glowing mansion, also made their rounds: "When has the chaos of the world ever been caused by rulers being too extravagant? If you can’t enrich the country and the people, then all officials should be dismissed!"

That mansion, which was now abandoned, became a symbol, used to mock other rulers for their extravagance. “Look at Liu Bei—that’s what real extravagance looks like! Yet, his realm is so prosperous it leaves everyone speechless. The chaos in the world isn’t just the emperor’s fault—it’s also because you, useless officials, don’t have the ability to fix anything!”

Liu Ba pondered these words for a long time, and in the end, found them irrefutable. Chen Xi seemed to have a point. If there was fault, everyone shared in it. And if you had Chen Xi’s ability to enrich the nation and solve problems by throwing money at them, maybe a little luxury wouldn’t matter so much…

"Are you sure the person in these reports is the renowned Chen Zichuan?" Liu Ba felt as if his worldview was on the verge of collapse.

Sima Lang chuckled and pointed to Chen Qun and Fan Qin. "These two—one is his family brother, the other is his brother-in-law. You can ask them yourself."

"And here’s another stack of reports for you," Fan Qin added with a smile. They had collected quite a bit of information on Chen Xi. The more one read, the more it shattered one’s perception of the world, revealing that Chen Xi’s attention wasn’t always on governance.

"It’s not like Boda isn’t part of my family too," Chen Qun said with a laugh, neither confirming nor denying anything. Liu Ba’s worldview was completely shattered after reading further.

The man described in these reports didn’t live like a noble scholar at all.

He indulged in the finest foods and delicacies, showing extreme care in his lifestyle. More than 70% of the dishes now popular across the land originated from Chen Xi’s household. Even the most popular plays were created by Chen Xi for his own enjoyment.

By all accounts, Chen Xi should have been a pampered aristocrat. And to be fair, the Chen family was an aristocratic family. But Chen Xi himself didn’t fit the mold, as Chen Qun awkwardly admitted when Liu Ba asked, "Has your family always lived so luxuriously?"

Chen Xi wasn’t some hidden talent the Chen family had raised, and the Chen family itself had never been so extravagant. It was Chen Xi, not the Chen family, who lived so lavishly.

Yet, this playboy of a man demonstrated abilities that left all the sages of the world speechless.

In governance, none could surpass him. His talents seemed to defy any natural disaster. Enriching the nation and empowering the people seemed second nature to him. Even the scheme to praise Chen Xi into a corner, devised by Ju Shou long ago, failed miserably as Chen Xi outperformed even Ju Shou’s highest expectations…

Faced with such a man, people could only shrug and laugh. After all, no one is perfect.

Besides, what’s so wrong with enjoying food and drink? If someone can solve all the problems of the common people, shouldn’t they be allowed to have a few hobbies? Even though these hobbies might be excessive, as Confucius once said, "If the meat isn’t cut properly, I won’t eat it." Some people just have high standards, and if money can solve the problem, then it’s not really a problem at all, right?

While the prevailing attitude of the era was to avoid talking about money, the truth was that a country couldn’t function without it. Armies needed money, enriching the people required money, governance needed money, construction needed money—without money, how could a country develop?

There were plenty of people who preached righteousness, but even they couldn’t endure endless hardship. After all, a person like Yan Hui, who could live in such poverty, was one of a kind in all of history. For most people, appealing to their emotions, reasoning with them, and offering them some small incentives was the best way to govern.

Most of the world was filled with ordinary people. Even Confucius had said that moral standards couldn’t be raised indefinitely, because to raise them too high would only lead to widespread moral decay.

For the common people, they couldn’t see too far ahead, nor understand too much. So the simplest way to guide them was to offer small benefits, steering them along the path the rulers wanted.

This is why, even though the Han dynasty favored agriculture and suppressed commerce, the pursuit of profit by the people couldn’t be eradicated. Chen Xi’s policies were clearly designed to offer benefits to the people.

"Truly a remarkable man," Liu Ba said with a bitter smile after reading everything. He suddenly felt that his opponent was almost godlike. Judging from the current situation, Chen Xi clearly wasn’t even trying his hardest.

If a person is giving their all, they wouldn’t have time for other pursuits. Yet, Chen Xi had plenty of time to indulge in food, drink, and entertainment. This relaxed demeanor clearly showed one fact: he wasn’t giving his full effort.

"There is one such family in this world—if they wished, even if the entirety of the Central Plains were destroyed, they could rebuild it. Even if the world descended into chaos three times, they could rise again and establish their kingdom anew," Liu Ba muttered quietly. "And now, they are being robbed of their power amidst their own joy."

Then Liu Ba straightened up, his expression solemn. "But as the saying goes, 'Those who steal a hook are punished, those who steal a kingdom are made lords.' Chen Zichuan, your greatest achievement is that you have seized the ultimate power of this world!"

But you’ve also taught me how it can be done, Liu Ba thought, smiling inwardly. Very well. Let me, too, challenge the greatest power in this world—the aristocracy. Your policies can be replicated. Now, let me experience this power for myself!

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