Chapter 1011: Liu Ye's Maneuvers

Guo Jia's words left Liu Ye puzzled. He had no idea what Guo Jia's spiritual talent was, as Guo Jia rarely displayed it in front of others. Even though Jia Xu knew about it, he had never told Liu Ye, since Jia Xu’s relationship with Liu Ye wasn’t as deep as his connection with Chen Xi.

Earlier, when Guo Jia saw Chen Xi's actions, his thoughts naturally shifted in a different direction. After all, Jia Xu, Li You, and Xun Shuang had all noticed the possibility that Chen Xi might ally with the aristocratic families for self-preservation, and Guo Jia understood this too.

Truthfully, Guo Jia was fully aware that this was a matter of trust. If Liu Bei did nothing, Chen Xi could easily suppress the private soldiers of the aristocratic families and then gradually swallow the aristocratic power in the region. However, if Liu Bei acted, Chen Xi could simply align with the aristocrats. With his abilities, 5 million hectares of fertile land, and millions of people backing him in a remote, hard-to-conquer northern area, Chen Xi could likely hold his ground and watch the tides of history unfold.

Everyone, including the aristocrats and those present, had their own speculations about what this situation meant, but neither side expressed it outright.

The aristocrats wanted Chen Xi to take the second path—where Liu Bei would eliminate the talented and no longer-needed. This would secure the aristocratic families' dominance for centuries to come. Internal conflicts within the families would be manageable, as their ancestral lands would still be scattered across various regions, but the foundation of their long-term strength would be consolidated.

On the other hand, the others hoped that Chen Xi wouldn’t take that path. If even Chen Xi chose to do so, even people like Li You, who had accomplished their ideals and had no further complaints, might feel a profound sense of unease.

Liu Ye, however, had a more subtle agenda. His spiritual talent allowed him to think from the perspective of others, so he understood that Chen Xi and Liu Bei would never take the second path. Nevertheless, his questioning aimed to plant a seed of doubt between Liu Bei and Chen Xi—not to cause division, but because Liu Bei and Chen Xi were simply too close.

A king must remain solitary. As an emperor, one must be prepared to sacrifice everything when necessary. The Han emperors had even executed mothers while sparing sons to secure their successors. Such ruthless actions were not uncommon, revealing much about the Han dynasty's upbringing.

From Liu Ye’s perspective, Liu Bei uniting the world was inevitable. Whether through abdication or by seizing power, Liu Bei ascending to the throne was only a matter of time. Thus, Liu Bei’s excessive emotional attachment would eventually lead to trouble.

An emperor who is too sentimental is not beneficial for the state or the people. Impartiality and ruthlessness are the qualities best suited for a ruler. In fact, someone like Man Chong, who was strict, impartial, and utterly devoid of personal bias, would have made the ideal emperor. Unfortunately, only Liu Bei could be emperor, Liu Ye thought.

As for Liu Bei’s previous declarations of being unwilling to transcend the ancestors, Liu Ye had long since dismissed them. Even though he knew Liu Bei had spoken the truth at the time, without any pretense, once the time came, becoming emperor would no longer be a personal decision. Forces beyond Liu Bei’s control would push him into that position, regardless of his personal desire.

Liu Bei’s own will would no longer matter at that point. In Liu Ye's view, when the moment to declare himself emperor came, no matter how many oaths were made or how firm his will was, could he really suppress the ambition in his heart? It was the throne, after all—a position countless heroes throughout history had bowed to.

When the empire was within Liu Bei’s grasp, would he truly be able to restrain his desires? Liu Ye didn’t believe it.

This was likely the biggest flaw in Liu Ye's spiritual talent. While he could see from another’s perspective, it was still his own thoughts at work. If he denied the other person’s potential, his judgment would inevitably be flawed.

Chen Xi knew of Liu Ye’s spiritual talent, so he understood that Liu Ye was aware of his and Liu Bei’s intentions, meaning there was little chance of discord between them. Given that Liu Ye still acted the way he did, it was clear his actions were intentional.

Upon reflecting further, Chen Xi understood why Liu Ye was doing this, which explained why Chen Xi, usually patient, showed no leniency toward Liu Ye this time. Liu Ye was deliberately trying to drive a wedge between him and Liu Bei.

Chen Xi was fully aware of his own abilities. He needed the trust of someone who believed in him to fully exercise his potential. He wasn’t suited to be a monarch; he was better as a helmsman, steering a force toward greatness.

This was what enraged Chen Xi the most. If a rift appeared between him and Liu Bei, many of his plans for the future would have to be shelved.

If Liu Bei hesitated due to a lack of trust and chose to halt his ambitions within Zhongyuan, then even with all of Chen Xi’s capabilities, he could only watch as history repeated its cycle. Failing to expand beyond Zhongyuan would trap them in a never-ending cycle of stagnation, and eventually, they would fall back onto the same historical path.

Only by forcibly dragging a prosperous China out of Zhongyuan and showing it the vastness of the world could they ensure it would never fall back into the same cycle again.

Without witnessing the world’s vastness firsthand, without confronting the might of other great empires, remaining isolated would inevitably lead to Chen Xi’s efforts being eroded by the tides of history.

This was something Chen Xi absolutely couldn’t accept. He had never considered restoring the Han dynasty as the ultimate goal. Bringing Zhongyuan under control was just the starting point in his vision. But that grand starting point, enough to serve as the endpoint for strategists like Jia Xu, Li You, Guo Jia, and Lu Su, was merely the beginning for him.

In truth, of all the people of his time, only Chen Xi truly had ambitions that spanned the world. Everyone else’s ambitions, at most, were limited to conquering Zhongyuan.

Their outlook determined their mindset. Now, Chen Xi felt the time had come to reveal his true intentions. He needed these people to accompany him out of Zhongyuan. He was sick of the petty internal conflicts, and his many compromises had restrained him for too long.

If not for the shared blood, culture, and heritage he held with the people of Zhongyuan, Chen Xi would have long since abandoned his gentle and diplomatic approach. Internal conflicts within one’s own borders required restraint.

Jia Xu, Li You, Guo Jia, and Lu Su—no matter how you assessed their skills, they were among the greatest minds of their era. However, for them, the pinnacle was unifying the land and maybe intimidating the surrounding regions. Even if they reached the stage where all nations paid tribute, they could go no further.

This was what Chen Xi referred to as the limitations of their era. Their capabilities might surpass their current level, but their vision constrained their potential, limiting what they could achieve.

Now that Liu Ye had made a move, Chen Xi knew he could no longer keep his true ambitions hidden. When adversity bound them together, they were united as brothers in arms. But now that success was within reach, if they didn’t have a greater goal to pursue, internal conflict would inevitably arise.

The reason was simple: they were all brilliant minds—top-tier strategists who knew when it was time to adjust their approach.

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