Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 1519 Drinking Under the Stars and Moon
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……

Zhu Yanfeng and Ding Bingyuan, who are among the core members of the family, are all highly respected high-level or peak Soul Douluo. However, in Shi Lao's words, they are mentioned as if they were just two ordinary juniors.

Judging from his tone, he was quite familiar with the two of them, but it was strange that Xia Yun couldn't possibly not know them.

Chen Xiaojun couldn't help but ask, "Are you quite familiar with these elders?"

Old Master Shi simply took a sip of his wine and said casually, "Of course I recognize him. But young master,"

His heavy eyes looked at Chen Xiaojun. "You don't need to delve into my background. You just need to know that I am nothing more than an old man from a family that is about to die."

Having said all that, Chen Xiaojun, though still curious, knew it was inappropriate to press further and said with a sigh, "What you're saying is true. Those who can sit in your position are the pillars of the family."

Old Master Shi nodded indifferently, and the topic returned: "So, young master, what troubles you so much as to drink alone under the moon?"

After a moment's consideration, Chen Xiaojun briefly recounted to Elder Shi the situation regarding the allocation of quotas and the competitive pressure in the competition area that had been discussed in the previous meeting.

After listening quietly, Old Shi's aged fingers rubbed the rim of his wine glass. After a moment, he slowly spoke: "So it turns out it's a matter of who's on the side and who's on the side, and who's on the side and who's on the side and who's on the side."

Chen Xiaojun said with a wry smile, "Yes, the Imperial Ministry of Education's move is somewhat like forcing a duck onto a shelf."

A glint flashed in Old Shi's eyes, then sank back into the depths of an ancient well. He slowly shook his head: "It's not just the Ministry of Education. Upon closer examination, this method probably originated from the royalists."

Chen Xiaojun paused slightly in his wine glass, a clear question in his eyes: "Royalists?"

Old Master Shi lowered his voice even further, yet each word was clear in the quiet moonlight: "On the surface, this move is meant to encourage stronger connections and greater cohesion among the academies within each province. However..."

He paused, then looked at Chen Xiaojun meaningfully, "In the shadows, it's more like a fuse that truly ignites the pyre of competition that already existed between the provinces of the empire, turning it into an even more intense confrontation between provinces."

Chen Xiaojun put down his wine cup, turned his gaze to Elder Shi, and said in a slightly deep voice, "Elder Shi, do you mean that the court, and even the royal family itself, are intentionally pushing this situation forward?"

Old Shi slowly shook his head, then nodded gently. His aged voice was particularly clear in the night: "This method will not cause any major trouble in the short term."

"Especially for Yuehua (Tosk) and Tianshui provinces, which are geographically isolated, the impact is limited."

"But the problem lies in the three western provinces—Fasno, Auschwitz, and Laghhamma—their territories are contiguous."

Chen Xiaojun's eyes flashed, and he immediately caught Elder Shi's implication: "You mean, this move is related to our Fasno?"

“Hmm,” Elder Shi said in a hoarse voice, “In recent years, the family has grown rapidly, with trade routes covering the entire continent, and has even ventured into the central and western regions to compete with the Haotian Sect.”

Chen Xiaojun was startled: They already know about the expansion into the Midwest? This decision was made only recently by the Twelve Ministries Joint Conference, yet few people know about it.

"Putting aside everything else, just in terms of top-tier martial arts, Fasno has recently gained several new titled Douluo, making him a formidable force for a time."

"Now, the Chang'an Military Region represents the Tiandou Empire in exercising its rights in the Security Council of the Xieluo Mountains, with military enhancements, diplomatic expansions, and a renewed leap in influence."

"With the advance of the civilian forces led by the Chen family and the civil officials and military districts of various counties, it is indeed possible that the Fasno Province will be completely controlled by the Chen family-Silver Feather Alliance faction."

He paused, his tone calm yet each word sharp and unyielding: "Under these circumstances, the royalists will inevitably feel apprehensive."

"Their thinking is probably that it's fine to bring the land of Fasno under our control, but we must be careful to prevent our power from continuing to expand from this base and completely confining it within the province of Fasno."

Old Shi took a sip of the warm Xuezhi wine in his cup and continued, "Even if the original intention was not entirely this, it was still to take the opportunity to build up the barriers of interest between the provinces, and then mix in the sand to divide and disintegrate them."

"The power struggles in the imperial court can never escape these old but effective calculations."

"And the education minister, who came from a royalist background, proposed a plan for allocating final spots, which was just a piece he casually placed in this grand game."

Master Shi's insightful and clear-headed analysis brought Chen Xiaojun a sudden sense of clarity.

An old house where a treasure.

As expected, those sent to support the capital were all politically astute individuals.

Chen Xiaojun remained silent for a moment, then turned his gaze to Elder Shi and suddenly asked, "In this matter, what stance do you think the old prince Xue Jiqing of the royal family will take?"

Old Master Shi was taken aback, his gaze shifting slightly: "He must be someone who knows about this, or at least tacitly approves of it. Why did you bring him up, young master?"

Chen Xiaojun briefly recounted the contradictions in Xue Jiqing's initial support for Xue Chuxin and Xue Churan, the two beauties of the Xue clan, and his tacit approval of his subordinates' suppression of them.

"Master Shi, in your opinion, what is Xue Jiqing's true intention in doing this?"

Old Master Shi pondered for a moment, his voice as steady as water: "The so-called royalists, in essence, are just a conservative faction within the royal family's power."

Seeing that Chen Xiaojun nodded in agreement, he continued to analyze, "And these conservatives, especially the non-extreme moderates, have a prominent characteristic: pragmatism."

"As the top figure in the Tiandou military and a leading figure of the conservative faction, Xue Jiqing's political stance is definitely not extremely conservative; it will inevitably be moderate."

Mr. Shi asserted, “Therefore, his different approaches to the two Xue sisters before and after were merely pragmatic choices under different circumstances. The fundamental logic and political spectrum of them still do not break out of the framework of moderate conservatives seeking balance and maintaining the overall situation.”

It was as if a light had been lit in Chen Xiaojun's mind. Old Shi's analysis precisely matched what he knew about Xue Jiqing's various actions.

Just like in his memories from his previous life, the Western political leaders on Earth who established diplomatic relations with the Eastern Power, whether it was de Gaulle of France, Edward Heath of Britain, or Nixon of the United States, were all right-wing conservatives, but under the consideration of interests and reality, they still chose to establish diplomatic relations with the Eastern Power.

The later German Chancellor Merkel also belonged to the right-wing camp, but this did not affect her pragmatic decision-making: relying on Russia for energy and on the Eastern Power for markets.

Stance is the underlying principle, while self-interest is the eternal driving force.

……

The night deepened beneath the pavilion, and Old Shi's aged voice rang out again: "Young Master, are you worried that the royalists will ultimately choose to join forces with the Haotian Sect?"

Chen Xiaojun's eyes suddenly sharpened, like an ice river suddenly cracking, revealing a chilling aura. He uttered only four words: "Just in case."

Old Master Shi was silent for a moment, then gently shook his head: "In my opinion, the situation has not yet deteriorated to that extent."

"Hmm." Chen Xiaojun responded, the sharpness in his eyes not completely gone, but he did not continue to argue.

Old Shi's gaze fell on Chen Xiaojun's tightly gripped wine glass, and the topic seemed to naturally shift: "What you are really worried about is that as the competition goes on, the clashes will become more and more intense, and you are afraid that Xiaoyi's hidden strength will be exposed too early, right?"

A hint of bitterness, as if he had been seen through, flashed across Chen Xiaojun's face.

He twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a somewhat helpless smile; he was a shrewd old man.

However, judging from his tone, Old Shi knew Xiao Yi's background.
Old Master Shi seemed not to notice his momentary doubt, and continued calmly, "Young Master has always been decisive in his actions, and even sometimes has a pioneering spirit."

"Only when it comes to things related to Xiaoyi, I always overthink and worry too much, losing my usual composure."

These words stung Chen Xiaojun like a needle. His upright posture stiffened slightly, and he fell into silence, his lowered eyelashes casting faint shadows in the moonlight.

A cool night breeze blew by, making the surrounding air seem to stagnate.

Seeing his reaction, Old Shi did not urge him, but calmly drank the remaining snow sesame wine in his cup.

His aged fingers caressed the warm, smooth jade cup before he spoke again after a moment: "In fact, the existence of Miss Xiaoyi and the strength she has displayed have already aroused people's fear."

"Even if more is exposed in the future, it will only deepen this fear a little more."

"The situation will not change fundamentally; it will only make those who covet it even more envious and those who are wary even more wary."

Chen Xiaojun's lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something: "I..."

Before he could finish speaking, Elder Shi cut him off, saying, "The Chen family is now powerful enough to protect its own prodigy."

"But if you, the future leader, lose your footing due to momentary gains and losses, it will not be a blessing for the family."

He looked up, his gaze piercing through the night and landing on Chen Xiaojun's young face, which was already burdened with heavy responsibilities. "Besides, being too careful and protective is not necessarily good. A greenhouse cannot nurture a towering vine."

……

The night was still, and Old Shi's figure gradually disappeared into the depths of the courtyard.

Chen Xiaojun sat silently for a moment, then suddenly spoke softly, as if asking a question, or perhaps talking to himself: "What do you think?"

Before she finished speaking, Xiao Yi's figure quietly appeared behind her, the cool moonlight outlining her slender silhouette.

Her sweet, gentle voice rang out in the silence, clear and calm: "Grandma said something similar."

Chen Xiaojun's eyes suddenly narrowed, as if a sharp glint flashed within them.

He then calmly picked up the cup of warm and smooth Seven-Turned Snow Mushroom Wine, tilted his head back, and took a sip.

As the rich, cool liquor went down his throat, he suddenly chuckled softly, a laugh tinged with a clear self-mockery.

Xiaoyi never refuses his arrangements or intentions, nor does she easily refute his decisions. Whether it's gentleness or tolerance, this is her consistent style.

But the fact that Xiaoyi said that shows her attitude.

Besides, Xiaoyi had said before that she could do it, but he had always been used to protecting her and was being overly cautious.

Perhaps Xiaoyi's three years of slumber left him with enough trauma that he always unconsciously placed her under heavy protection.

Setting down his wine glass, Chen Xiaojun turned to the girl bathed in moonlight beside him: "So, what do you think of Elder Shi...?"

Xiao Yi's clear and bright eyes shifted slightly, and after a moment, she softly uttered four words: "It seems familiar."

Chen Xiaojun was slightly taken aback.

(End of this chapter)