Mythical Three Kingdoms

Yang Dao was doing very well in Boxian. As someone fully capable of governing a prefecture, even just idling away his days in Boxian meant he was administering a county's affairs better than most, not to mention that it was close to Fenggao and benefitted from numerous policies.

As for why Yang Dao had not been transferred and promoted to be a Prefectural Governor, it was mostly to take care of his younger brother Yang Dan and his wife Cai Zhenji.

Of course, there were also many reasons why this guy did not have much desire for power. He skated by in Boxian quite smoothly, hanging a sign and allocating government affairs every few days or every ten-day period before heading back to Fenggao to stay with his wife for a few days.

As for the troubles that such behavior might cause, generally speaking, if one could manage to avoid trouble to the extent Yang Dao did throughout the entire county, basically no one would bother you for slipping away; the people do not inquire, and officials do not investigate—this was the norm. Of course, if you were caught by Mann Chong within Fenggao City, then you'd be out of luck.

After dealing with that foolhardy individual, Yang Dao dispersed the group of scholars. He could naturally see what kind of situation these scholars from noble families were in, but now he simply couldn't be bothered to deal with them.

Yang Dao was always of the type not to scheme for power if he did not hold the position. Even though the incident happened under his jurisdiction, Yang Dao, who was prepared to go back to Fenggao for a short stay, decisively chose to take this guy on the road with him. Leaving such matters for those above to handle was always Yang Dao's approach.

It must be said that Yang Dao was not foolish; his abilities might not match those of the first-class top-notch individuals, but he was certainly among the outstanding ones.

Moreover, with Yang Dao's extremely indifferent nature, often observing as a bystander, he naturally could see many hidden aspects in lots of things. This was also the reason why when Jia Xu asked him, he played dumb.

"This nobility is really troublesome," Yang Dao said, shielding his eyes with his hand, looking up at the sun in the sky. Suddenly, he had a desire not to go to Fenggao, but remembering his wife, he heaved a sigh, mounted his horse, and headed toward the place where all conflicts were about to erupt.

[Forget it, let's just consider it being loyal to Liu Bei. Fenggao is where the storm gathers. I will go as well and see just how many tricks the nobility has up its sleeve. But as for suppressing Lord Xuande and Chen Zichuan, I'm still far from capable.]

With that thought, Yang Dao couldn't help but turn to look at the scholar by his side and shook his head ever so slightly. It wasn't that he looked down on the noble families; if they were all like this incapable fellow, there really was no hope, not even the slightest bit, the gap was too vast.

[Forget it, I'll go directly to Fenggao and pay a visit to Lord Xuande, just to show my loyalty.] Yang Dao no longer wanted to think of these matters. With his insight, he had already seen that the current events were nothing but a game between noble families, and the higher-level strategizing hadn't even begun yet. The noble families were just chess pieces being manipulated.

[Thinking about it, it's quite pitiful; the noble families, who had always existed as Chess Players, are now merely pawns in this scenario. But perhaps only with such a drastic fall from grace can they realize what kind of era they are in, and only such terrifying measures can curb the nobility's greed.]

Yang Dao looked up to the heavens with a sigh. Although he did not have the ability to see the whole picture, just catching a glimpse of a few steps ahead, he knew that in the chess game of the world, the noble families had no other choice but to follow. They no longer had the qualifications to resist; they had already lost control of their fate long before.

Chen Zichuan couldn't hear Yang Dao's inner thoughts, he simply returned to Fenggao City under the escort of Xuu Chu, calm and composed as always. As usual, Liu Bei, accompanied by a handful of civil and military officials who had stayed behind, came to greet Chen Zichuan, though this time the entourage of civil officials and military generals behind Liu Bei was significantly smaller than on other occasions.

"I'm back," Chen Zichuan opened the carriage door, leaned out to disembark, then straightened up, gazing at the huge characters "Fenggao" on the wall of Fenggao City, and said calmly, "This return signifies the final adjustments before the northern campaign against Yuan Shu are to begin."

"You're back," Liu Bei sized Chen Zichuan up and down, a smile on his face, "The petty and insignificant have surfaced."

"Indeed, I'm back to listen to the demands of the aristocratic families, what exactly do they wish to do?" Chen Zichuan said calmly, then turned his head to look at Li Youu, Jia Xu, and several others, "I'm grateful for your efforts. Hereafter, I will refuse all visitors until you're done, and only make my appearance on the day you take action."

"Your return is timely, but it has also disrupted the rhythm, and I'm worried that the petty and insignificant might not dare to make their move now," Li Youu said to Chen Zichuan.

"That too could be a silver lining. As for whether they will act in madness or retreat, who can truly see through the human heart," Chen Zichuan shook his head, "The aristocratic families are indeed a paradoxical entity."

"Their contradictions are indeed profound," agreed Jia Xu with a nod, "But soon they will cease to be contradictory, we must personally subdue them to earn the right to command them. Absolute obedience will never be possible, but at the very least we can make them understand whose orders they should now follow."

"Only by subduing them personally can they be made to understand that the principles of righteousness and benevolence, combined with substantial strength, can command obedience. We have righteousness and benevolence, and we have granted them benefits. What remains for us is to demonstrate our strength and make them understand the truth of the matter!" Mann Chong spoke extremely coldly, it was clear he was ready to decisively strike down the opposition.

"Truth is forever shrouded beneath martial force," Chen Zichuan said with a wry laugh, "We gave them the ability to stand against us, and now it's time to awaken them. At this point, they are like an arrow on the string, and they must shoot. I am curious to see how many aristocratic families will take action before long!"

"Zichuan, you will see for yourself, the aristocratic families indeed embody contradiction," Liu Bei patted Chen Zichuan saying, "They have morality and learning, they also have the corresponding qualities, but they did not use them on the right path, such a waste for so many scholars, some of whom even devotedly taught students for three years."

"Right and wrong seem vague now, but the future will reveal who is correct and who is not, time will prove everything," Chen Zichuan shook his head, "Their standards and ours have collided, and that alone is enough for us to crush them."

"I can't argue with you. However, that's not important. What is important is that now standing on the head of Fenggao City and looking out in all directions, I feel very satisfied, and I hope that one day, when I stand below the Jade Steps, I will be able to look back with the same level of contentment," said Liu Bei with a smile, without countering Chen Zichuan's words. He was clear about his goals, it was just a pity for those people.

"Let's agree to disagree then; one can only hope that someday below the Jade Steps, one will see the land as it is in Fenggao today," Li Youu said quietly, turning his head after glancing at Liu Bei.

Up to now, as the overlord of the land, the only thing about Liu Bei that satisfied Li Youu was one aspect, and for everything else, he could only be considered average at best, and that was his disposition! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation and monthly votes; your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)