Chapter 1018: Born with Knowledge

"Let me take this map and study it," Fa Zheng casually said as he reached to roll up the map.

"I still want it," Jia Xu replied with a roll of his eyes. "Forget it; this isn't something we can use right now anyway. Just leave it with Zichuan. It's safest in his hands."

"Yes, Wenhe knows me well," Chen Xi said, rolling up the map. "Just remember what you saw. Don't draw it. This thing could cause problems later."

"There are also some errors on this map. Although they're small, it can't be used as a definitive guide. You'll still need to conduct your own investigations," Chen Xi added with a nod.

"Actually, the real value of this map is to shatter the limitations we had before. It helps us unleash our full potential. As long as we, at this level, remain unified, the chaos below won't matter," Guo Jia commented, having realized why Chen Xi showed them the map.

"Exactly. We don't need to use it yet. It's more of a reminder to stay vigilant and cautious," Chen Xi said, agreeing with a nod.

"After all, once we reach the final stage, conflicts of belief between us—still so young—are bound to happen. It's normal to stir up some trouble when there's nothing left to do," Liu Ye said with a bitter smile. Their power had reached a certain limit, which naturally led to various internal conflicts. Throughout history, forces that united during hardship often collapsed just before the finish line.

"That's precisely why I set the bar high for you. We must deal with Kushan and Parthia. If we still have energy afterward, we can even take on the Roman Empire," Chen Xi said, his expression stern.

With the previous "lies" planted in their minds, Kushan and Parthia had already become formidable opponents in Jia Xu and the others' eyes. Now, Chen Xi was suggesting that even after defeating those two, there might be an even stronger foe to face, which only added to their burden.

Seeing the faint worry on their faces, Chen Xi smiled and said, "Relax. If we can conquer Kushan and Parthia, then engaging in a skirmish with Rome won’t be an issue. We’re not talking about total war, just some exchanges."

However, their expressions darkened further. As smart men, they were adept at reading between the lines. Chen Xi's casual mention of "skirmishes" hinted at a much stronger Roman Empire compared to Kushan and Parthia.

"You'll understand when the time comes," Chen Xi said, not bothering to explain further. He was quite pleased with their reactions. Keeping these men alert and cautious was critical; complacency could lead to disaster.

"Well, that's not the most pressing matter right now. The priority is to rebuild Jizhou and Yuzhou, strengthening our national power. Compared to Cao Cao and the others, we are strong, but not strong enough," Chen Xi waved them off, signaling the end of their meeting and urging them to rest.

"I’m curious, though—how do you know all of this?" As everyone got up to leave, Guo Jia paused and turned back, staring at Chen Xi.

Chen Xi paused for a moment, then smiled without responding. His enigmatic expression seemed to confirm their suspicions.

"Alright, if you don’t want to say, never mind," Guo Jia shrugged, indifferent. However, from Chen Xi's demeanor, they all sensed something unusual.

"Born with knowledge, perhaps?" Lu Su said, his tone tinged with bitterness.

"Born with knowledge? Impossible!" Jia Xu's eyes flashed with disbelief. He considered Chen Xi’s unwavering confidence in matters that defied logic. Jia Xu's keen intuition told him that Chen Xi was different—his learning abilities shouldn’t have led to this kind of certainty.

"Well, that makes sense," Liu Ye laughed bitterly, yet he felt somewhat relieved. Losing to an ordinary person would be frustrating, but if their opponent were a sage, then losing seemed only natural. With that thought, Liu Ye adjusted his mindset.

As the others departed, Chen Xi gently stroked the map, a smile forming on his face. Regardless of how much Liu Ye and the others believed, he knew that from this moment on, they had returned to the mindset they had during the early days at Mount Tai.

"Should I really give away such fertile lands? To establish lasting peace by creating an enemy of the same origin... But these twenty-seven million acres of rich land... it’s truly a burden," Chen Xi murmured quietly as he touched a particular spot on the map, his voice barely audible.

As the group left in pairs, Liu Ye and Jia Xu boarded a black carriage and headed away from their homes. They needed to clear their heads with the cold night air.

"How much of it do you believe?" After a long silence, Liu Ye asked, leaning back with his eyes closed.

"I believe everything except the assessment of our own strength," Jia Xu replied, slowly opening his eyes.

"I've accepted Zichuan’s judgments on Parthia and Kushan. They are indeed formidable foes. We need to step up our efforts," Liu Ye nodded. Though they had detected the falsehoods in Chen Xi's words, they recognized that he hadn’t truly deceived them. For strategists like them, discerning truth from lies was part of the game.

"We’ll reclaim what belongs to us. Ten years is more than enough time for us to accomplish many things," Jia Xu said quietly. "In the grand scheme, you are more important than I am. I excel at military strategy, but you excel at statecraft and governance."

"Zichuan and Zijing will handle internal affairs. All I need to do is focus on my current tasks. As long as we all do our part, we’ll be fine," Liu Ye replied calmly, having collected his thoughts. Clearheaded judgment was a crucial trait for a strategist.

Meanwhile, Guo Jia and Fa Zheng shared a carriage, and their mood was much lighter compared to Jia Xu and Liu Ye.

"Something feels off," Fa Zheng said after taking a swig from the flask of wine he had snatched from Guo Jia’s sleeve.

"Many things feel off," Guo Jia replied wryly. "But for the most part, Zichuan’s story holds up."

"Ziyang’s behavior is truly annoying. He’s done this several times already, and now he pulls this again," Fa Zheng remarked without holding back.

"Don’t you feel pressured? Ziyang has his reasons—he is, after all, a Liu," Guo Jia smiled knowingly.

"I hope this doesn’t happen again. If he pulls this stunt one more time, I’ll trip him up myself," Fa Zheng grumbled.

As someone whose spiritual talent was related to understanding the human heart, Fa Zheng had a deep grasp of people’s motives. But speaking this way in front of Guo Jia revealed his own lack of understanding. After all, when Chen Xi spoke, it wasn’t only Liu Ye he was addressing—Liu Ye was just the first to take the brunt.

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