Three Kingdoms: Start by marrying Cai Yan, then vie for supremacy.

10

Seeing his surprised and doubtful expression, Yan Xiang was secretly pleased, but pretended to be serious and said, "There are only two possibilities—either they will hold out in Lujiang, or they have other plans, such as... Jiujiang Prefecture!"

Or perhaps, this is paving the way for a more far-reaching plan!

Yan Xiang's words carried a deeper meaning, causing Chen Deng's thoughts to race. He rapidly deduced Lu Feng's true intentions in his mind:

What is the significance of capturing Jiujiang Prefecture?

Suddenly, a terrifying thought flashed through his mind—if Lu Feng were to capture Qiao County again, he could encircle Xuzhou! As for the natural barrier of the Yangtze River? Who doesn't know that the two great naval forces under Lord Wu, Gan Ning and Tai Shi Ci, dominate the north and south? Xuzhou's navy is weak, and its Yangtze River defense line is practically non-existent.

"Lord Wu's ambition lies in Xuzhou!"

Having grasped this point, Chen Deng immediately made a decision: "We must facilitate an alliance between our army and Yuan Shu and Liu Biao, and remove Lujiang and Jiujiang, these two thorns driven into our heartland!"

He said decisively, "I agree to your proposal on behalf of my lord! I will write a letter to inform you shortly. Furthermore, we need to depart immediately for Xiangyang to forge an alliance with Liu Biao. I wonder if your side could send an envoy to accompany us? In that case, the three parties can immediately enter into a treaty. What are your thoughts?"

Every word and sentence conveyed a sense of urgency.

If Lu Feng really conquers Xuzhou, what will become of the Chen family of Xuzhou?

It seems the only option is for the entire clan to migrate.

But the world is so vast, where can one move to?

Looking across the vast territory of the Han Dynasty, apart from Lu Feng's rule, where is not a place where powerful clans stand in droves?

Consider how they themselves rejected outsiders, and consider the attitude of the local gentry in Xuzhou towards outsiders, and you will understand the difficulties they faced.

We must not let Xuzhou fall into the hands of the Wu ruler.

How can we simply hand over the legacy of our ancestors?

"Mr. Yuanlong is absolutely right! That's exactly what I was thinking! Come, let's go inside and discuss this in detail. I'll send someone to accompany you to Xiangyang later!"

After saying this, Yan Xiang pulled Chen Deng towards the government affairs office.

Inside the study of the Chen family residence in Xiapi.

Chen Gui was startled to find two men in black robes had silently appeared in the room and was about to shout when he realized what was happening.

"Master Chen, please wait! We have come with utmost sincerity; it would be undesirable to cause misunderstandings."

One of the men in black robes chuckled softly.

Chen Gui's eye twitched slightly: "Trespassing on private property and hiding like a coward—is this your sincerity? Truly an eye-opener."

The man in black robes casually removed his hood, revealing a carefree young face—it was Guo Jia.

"Zhongkang, take off your hat, lest Patriarch Chen mistake us for villains."

Chen Gui thought to himself, "Isn't that right?"

"Haha! You're right!"

Xu Chu revealed his true face in response, and his unique appearance immediately allowed Chen Gui to guess the person's identity.

Guo Jia cupped his hands and said, "Guo Fengxiao, the strategist under Lord Wu, greets Patriarch Chen. My unannounced visit today is truly for the safety of the Chen family. If Tao Qian were to learn of this meeting... Patriarch Chen would surely understand the implications."

After hearing Guo Jia introduce himself, Chen Gui's pupils suddenly contracted, and he clapped his hands in admiration: "No wonder he's so cautious! This sincerity is truly substantial."

He turned to the towering giant: "This must be Xu Zhongkang of Qiao County?"

Xu Chu scratched his head sheepishly and said with a smile, "Lord Chen actually recognizes me?"

"Qiao County is not far from Xuzhou," Chen Gui stroked his beard and said, "I have naturally heard of such a hero from Xu County." He suddenly changed the subject, "You two have come all this way specifically for this purpose. What does Lord Wu require of you? I will do my utmost to assist you in any way that is within my power."

He smiled bitterly to himself—Lu Feng had actually sent these two people; their intentions were probably not good. Even if bloodshed occurred today, some principles could not be compromised.

Guo Jia keenly sensed the other party's wariness, lightly tapped the table, and said with a smile, "Lord Chen seems to have quite a prejudice against my lord? Could it be that you're even stingy with a cup of tea?"

"Please take a seat." Chen Gui waved his hand in acknowledgment, but did not summon any servants. If people knew the identities of these two, it would likely cause a stir on Tao Qian's side. He pondered repeatedly: What exactly was Lu Feng's intention? Recruitment? Turning him against his cause? Given Wu Hou's style of dealing with aristocratic families...

After the guests and host were seated, Guo Jia went straight to the point: "Has Lord Chen read the 'New Policy Outline' promulgated by our lord? What are your thoughts on it?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Gui sighed inwardly: "So they really are here as a persuader. It's a pity we have different principles; we cannot work together."

Chen Gui reiterated, "Of course I've seen it. As for your opinion... Mr. Guo, do you really want to hear it?"

"Speak frankly! My lord has always been enlightened, and so am I!"

Guo Jia raised his hand in a gesture.

Chen Gui felt slightly relieved and sighed softly, "Lord Wu is indeed a powerful ruler; one can tell from his growth trajectory and his ambition. However, since Mr. Guo mentioned the new policies, I would like to ask: Why is Lord Wu so hostile towards the gentry and powerful clans? Are the new policies aimed at suppressing the gentry in every aspect?"

"It should be noted that he comes from a prominent family like the Lu clan of Wu Commandery, and Master Guo is also from the Guo clan of Yingchuan. His subordinate, Xun You, is a member of the Xun clan of Yingchuan."

"Why does the Marquis of Wu treat the gentry so harshly? How can you all accept such new policies?"

Chen Gui was truly puzzled.

Guo Jia's situation is understandable.

As far as he knew, this person was only a collateral branch of the Guo family of Yingchuan, whose family had fallen into decline for three generations and had not received support from the main branch.

But Xun You was different!

This man is Xun Yu's nephew, a direct descendant of the Yingchuan Xun clan, and is said to be quite talented.

There is no doubt about this.

This can be seen from his assistance in helping Lu Feng establish his business.

How could he accept or even support the new policy?

Does the Xun clan know about this matter?

Xu Chu's eyes flashed with cold light upon hearing this.

What does this mean?

Are you perhaps slandering my lord?

If it weren't for Guo Fengxiao's responsibility to recruit, he would have made you bleed on the spot right now!

"Heh! Patriarch Chen has a deep misunderstanding of the new policies!"

Guo Jia chuckled dismissively, "Does Patriarch Chen truly understand the real meaning of the new policies?"

What do you mean?

Chen Gui frowned.

Inside the hall, Guo Jia continued to elaborate on his point of view: "Examining the new policies implemented by our lord from an objective perspective reveals that they are not targeted at anyone. The core of our lord's policies lies in fairness and impartiality!"

"Whether it's land reform, a unified tax system, or the establishment of a complete education and selection system, all embody this principle."

"These measures treat both the gentry and commoners equally; how can there be any talk of bias?"

"In reality, the gentry, due to their family tradition of scholarship, actually have an advantage in our camp. Commoners lack books, financial resources, and ample time for study. If the sons of the gentry are willing to serve an enlightened ruler, they will certainly stand out by virtue of these advantages."

"As long as one abides by the laws and regulations, acquiring corresponding wealth, power, and status is by no means difficult."

These statements are indeed true.

Lu Feng's original intention in implementing the new policies was never to target the aristocratic class. The focus was on establishing a fair mechanism and improving the loopholes in the system to prevent certain forces from seizing land, wealth and privileges through improper means.

This reform aims to promote healthy social development and long-term national stability. However, it is utterly absurd that some aristocratic families view it as suppression.

When did it become acceptable to obtain ill-gotten gains and operate illegal businesses by manipulating the law? And why are those who try to rectify these chaotic situations accused of corruption?

Such double standards will eventually backfire.

Chen Gui questioned, "Then how do you explain the confiscation of the gentry's lands?"

Guo Jia coldly replied, "Patriarch Chen must have believed the stories of those who fled from Qing and Yan provinces. Did they tell you that these properties were all illegally acquired?"

"For legally held land, the lord will purchase it at market price. Those who refuse to cooperate will naturally have to leave."

"If they are unwilling to abide by the law, how can we allow them to continue occupying the territory? Such special demands must be assessed to determine whether they are worthy of them."

Chen Gui had indeed heard about it, but the version he heard was quite different from what the powerful clans and gentry had said.

Those people all said that Lu Feng offered extremely low land prices and stipulated that each person's land holdings could not exceed a certain limit.

This puzzled Chen Gui, who immediately asked, "What do you mean?"

He just couldn't understand it—how could the policy of restricting personal land ownership be described as a brilliant move by Guo Jia?

Did he not know the gentry's thirst for land? Which aristocratic family dared to call itself a gentry without owning tens of thousands of acres of fertile land?

Guo Jia chuckled upon hearing this: "Does Patriarch Chen recall the chaos at the end of the Former Han Dynasty?"

"Of course I remember, but what does that have to do with the present?" Chen Gui nodded and asked in return.

"It's very relevant!" Guo Jia said solemnly. "The Yellow Turban Rebellion at the end of the Former Han Dynasty has the same root cause as the current chaos—both are caused by powerful clans constantly seizing land, leaving ordinary people with nowhere to stand."

"What's even more despicable is that the land owned by aristocratic families is exempt from taxes! Unable to collect taxes, the court has no choice but to increase exploitation, ultimately placing the entire burden on the common people. Unable to survive, what else can the people do but rise up in rebellion?"

"You must understand that the amount of land is ultimately finite. If some people take more, others will get less!"

"If left unchecked, even if the current situation of warlordism ends, it will take until enough people die, like in the Former Han Dynasty, to free up enough land before the world can finally achieve temporary peace."

"How long this peace can last depends entirely on how many people die—the more people die, the more land is vacated, and the longer the new dynasty will last."

"This cycle repeats itself endlessly! If the ills of land annexation are not resolved, this bloody cycle will continue indefinitely. Does Patriarch Chen, with his clear understanding of the situation, truly believe this world is reasonable? This world is fair?"

These insights were precisely the principles of governance that Lu Feng often discussed with Guo Jia, Xun You, and others. Guo Jia wholeheartedly agreed.

Xun You, Xi Zhicai, and others shared the same idea.

They followed Lu Feng in the hope that they could break this cycle of fate together and create a new world.

Upon hearing this, Chen Gui's expression gradually hardened.

He had never thought about it this way—perhaps no one in the world had ever thought about it deeply.

At this moment, his heart was filled with turmoil. He repeatedly compared the events of the Former Han Dynasty with the current situation and suddenly realized that what Guo Jia said was true.

The scourge of land annexation and the greed of powerful clans for land were the root cause of the turmoil in the country.

The two hundred years of peace in the past Han Dynasty were only possible because of the great turmoil at the end of the Former Han Dynasty, when the people were devastated, nine out of ten houses were empty, and wastelands were everywhere.

How similar is the current situation?

Is it really necessary to go through another catastrophe, with tens of millions of corpses and the annihilation of all living beings, before the world can return to peace?

Such a tragedy, isn't it absurd?

Is this cycle of reincarnation truly the right path?

For the first time, Chen Gui began to waver in his belief in the fundamental principles upon which the aristocratic class had established themselves.

-

However, as a beneficiary of the existing system, he ultimately suppressed his distracting thoughts and looked directly at Guo Jia, saying, "Even if what you say makes sense, the fact remains that the interests of the gentry and powerful clans have been diminished under your lord's command! If this issue cannot be resolved, how many gentry in the world will be willing to submit?"

Including him, surnamed Chen.

He knew that Guo Jia's actions were aimed at recruiting the Chen family to Lu Feng, and this was his answer: if the Chen family's foundation could be preserved, then submitting to Lu Feng was not out of the question.

After all, it is obvious to everyone that Lu Feng's foundation is growing stronger and his future is bright—his new policies that benefit the common people have already won him popular support.

Although he was at odds with most powerful clans and noble families, Chen Gui asserted that in the long run, Lu Feng's chances of conquering the world far surpassed those of the other feudal lords.

Chen Gui's attitude was clear—as long as Lu Feng could protect the Chen family's interests, he was willing to submit.

Conversely, he would not hesitate to side with Lu Feng's enemies and do everything in his power to deal with Lu Feng in order to protect his own interests.

As for the so-called vicious cycle that Guo Jia mentioned earlier, what about the population upheaval that occurs once every one or two hundred years?

When faced with personal gain, he can disregard and turn a blind eye to all of this.

"I understand your concerns! My lord is aware of them as well!"

Guo Jia nodded and continued, "But we will never compromise on land policy, and the rules for establishing schools and selecting officials will not change!"

"All my lord can offer is substitute compensation."

"Land exceeding the limit can be purchased at market price, provided that the land was legally obtained and not acquired through illegal occupation or plunder."

"Furthermore, the best way to acquire wealth under our lord's command is through commerce, handicrafts, fishing, and animal husbandry. If Patriarch Chen has some free time, he might as well go to Qingzhou, especially Donglai, and he will naturally understand the advantages of the new policies."