Chapter 1004: The Transaction

Xun Shuang, his face deeply lined with wrinkles, exuded infinite wisdom as he said, "Then you shall become a disciple of my Xun family. The path of our family’s teachings grows narrower. Since we do not possess the abilities of our ancestors, we will rely on collective wisdom to compensate. Any descendant who studies the Xun family’s classics must leave behind their own insights and reflections. In exchange, the Xun family can offer the core teachings of our lineage to suitable successors."

Xun Shuang was highly reputable and capable, and the Xun family had always been regarded as one of the most powerful aristocratic families. Their most prized classic was the original Xunzi, a text the Xun family had painstakingly refined and interpreted over generations. This extended interpretation, built upon hundreds of years of scholarship, was the true treasure of the Xun family.

If there was any family in the world that embodied a perfect blend of institutional governance and human nature, it was the Xun family. Their combination of Confucian human morality and Legalist regulation was the key to the family's long-lasting prosperity.

This was also what many other aristocratic families coveted—the high adaptability of their system and their blend of rules with human nature.

For Xun Shuang to offer something that had ensured his family’s prosperity for centuries shocked the other families present. This was no mere wealth or power that, once lost, could be regained. This was something that, once given away, would provide others with the same starting point.

Although Xun Shuang’s terms were strict, once rules were set, no matter how harsh, achieving them was merely a matter of time.

"No problem," Chen Xi replied, giving Xun Shuang a deep look. He finally understood why the Xun family had endured and thrived for so long. With individuals like Xun Shuang in every generation, how could the family not prosper?

Xun Shuang paid no mind to Chen Xi's gaze. Although Chen Xi’s look conveyed a wealth of unspoken meaning, Xun Shuang knew that Chen Xi would never refuse this offer. After all, the Xun family was the first to support him so wholeheartedly, regardless of their motivations.

As for pure, selfless support—such a thing was nearly impossible. Everyone had their own interests and agendas. Even if their goals aligned, that didn’t mean they were identical. After all, it was impossible for thousands of people to think exactly alike.

"The Chen family’s duty is to support the family head in all matters," Chen Guang said calmly.

Chen Xi smiled, thinking of Chen Qun. Unknowingly, he had gained the full backing of the Chen family. The shift in leadership had already explained much.

The support of the Yuan family, Xun family, Chen family, Wang family, and Pang family was just the beginning. One after another, the other family heads began to agree with Chen Xi's proposal. As they had said earlier, they had little power to resist Chen Xi. Since Chen Xi had offered them a path to survival, they had no choice but to take it.

Why should they care what this path looked like? They didn’t want to die, and they didn’t want to remain stagnant. Was that even possible?

Chen Xi might appear patient and kind, but that kindness wasn’t without limits. The aristocratic families weren’t willing to bet their lives on the possibility that Chen Xi would remain this benevolent in the future. So, they chose to act now, while they still had a chance.

Perhaps it was blind obedience, or maybe it was Chen Xi’s reputation and the backing of the most powerful families in the land, but the result far exceeded Chen Xi's expectations.

"Sixty have agreed?" Chen Xi said softly, looking at the nearly filled room with some surprise. None of the families in the first rank had left.

"You seem surprised, Lord Chen," Zhang Chen remarked, observing Chen Xi. "Does this mean you weren't that confident in your own plan and arguments? Can I revoke my allegiance now?"

"Ridiculous. When did I ever lack confidence in myself? I’m just surprised that so few left. There are still so many of you here. Too many aristocratic families make things difficult to divide." Chen Xi said, pulling a book from his sleeve and tossing it directly to Xun Shuang, the only family head present who could surpass everyone else in intellect, seniority, and ability.

"What is this?" Xun Shuang asked, picking up the book. Though he was unhappy with Chen Xi’s casual gesture, he said nothing. However, after scanning the contents, he immediately stood up.

"Is this real?" Xun Shuang asked directly.

"You can investigate it yourselves. We have detailed records, but I suspect you'll believe your own findings more. Using the information in that book as leverage, I ask that you transfer your land in Zhongyuan to me. In return, I will provide you with compensation in the form of books, official positions, and more," Chen Xi explained, looking at Xun Shuang.

"I believe you. You wouldn’t dare produce something like this if it weren’t genuine. The price, though, will be a generation’s investment. Still, for families with long histories like ours, twenty years is not much," Xun Shuang said calmly, after closing the book and regaining his composure.

"So, what do you think of this trade?" Chen Xi asked.

"We’ll need to transfer the land in batches, and it must be irrevocable. Only then will it work," Xun Shuang replied coolly.

Everyone present was stunned by Xun Shuang’s assessment of what Chen Xi had handed him.

"Agreed," Chen Xi nodded. Xun Shuang's demands were within his expectations. "However, how you develop the land will be up to you. We can provide military protection."

"Everyone, Lord Chen is offering five million qing of undeveloped land, judged to be more fertile than the land in Xu Province, in exchange for your land in Zhongyuan," Xun Shuang said, sweeping his gaze across the aristocratic family heads. The room fell into stunned silence before erupting into murmurs.

"Silence!" Chen Xi said calmly, hearing the buzz of voices below.

"Lord Chen, may I ask where this five million qing of land is located?" Cui Yan stepped forward and inquired after the room had quieted down.

"Don’t worry about where it is. You don’t farm yourselves anyway. I need you to move your servants and tenants to that land and take control of it for me. Each of you holds at least a thousand qing of land, and at most a bit over ten thousand qing. Even the imperial family holds only about a hundred thousand qing. I will compensate you one and a half to two times over!" Chen Xi said casually. That was the key point!

The aristocratic families were speechless. To them, it didn’t matter where their farmland was located—other than their ancestral lands, of course. After all, they didn’t do the farming themselves. They had tenants to work the land on their behalf. What Chen Xi said made perfect sense. As for their ancestral land, most of it didn’t exceed a hundred mu...

In truth, this was just a land swap, and they were trading average farmland for superior land. The sheer scale of this swap was the only reason the aristocratic families needed to migrate their people. Five million qing of land—how could they cultivate it all without moving four to five million people over?

After Chen Xi finished speaking, the aristocratic families suddenly realized that the location of the land didn’t really matter. It didn’t even matter if it was within their country. All that mattered was that the deal was real!

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