Mythical Three Kingdoms

... Chen Xi was feeling rather depressed now, primarily because he had misjudged Chen Qun's reaction. Naturally, in times of chaos, aristocratic families vie for power, seizing the opportunity to reclaim their status. That's when branch lineages, separated families, and concubine's children all try their luck. Generally speaking, when the head of a family notices such implications, they would deal with it accordingly. Most would just let them go; if the situation was unclear or the family was hesitant to take a side, they might allow a separation of the household. In more serious cases, they would be expelled from the family. A notable example is Yuan Shu. Had Yuan Shu won, the leadership of the Yuan Family would have automatically shifted from Yuan Shao's head to Yuan Shu's, regardless of Yuan Shao's previous expulsion. Once the outcome was decided and it came to recording history, it would be written that Yuan Shu had expelled Yuan Shao since only the victor is entitled to the family estate. However, Chen Xi didn't believe his intelligence and behavior were on the same level as Yuan Shu's. Just as Chen Xi had expressed his intention to become independent, he was kicked out of his family. This immediately irritated him. Normally, for someone as insignificantly related as he was, the family would simply give him some travel expenses to venture out on his own, but this time, they directly expelled him from the family. Although his parents' spirit tablets were still kept in the ancestral hall and he wasn't completely disowned, it was done in an excessively harsh manner! After carefully contemplating his current situation, Chen Xi looked darkly in the direction of his family home, understanding what Chen Qun was up to, and couldn't help but let out a series of cold laughs. Making an example of him to warn the others, huh? Chen Xi asked himself and then laughed. It seems Chen Qun was overly confident—so confident that he didn't feel the need to hedge his bets. Even the Xun Family couldn't be sure their choice of lord would turn out to be correct, thus they hedged their bets on both Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. Did the Chen Family really believe Chen Qun was a saint that appeared only once every thousand years? Chen Xi had more or less figured out Chen Qun's way of thinking, guessing that Chen Qun believed the wise lord he chose would unite the land under his guidance. Too bad, though he chose the right lord, it was not under his guidance that the accomplishments were achieved. The overly confident Chen Qun wouldn't realize there were greater heights to reach until he came up against Xun Yu, who could knock him down from head to toe. The Chen Qun of this time was probably still in the throes of youthful arrogance. For someone in his middle-age second adolescence, conventional thinking would not suffice to predict his actions, so let him be. Having come to these realizations, Chen Xi had nothing more to worry about. Being expelled from his family had freed him up to do many more things. As for Chen Qun, there would be plenty of time to laugh at him in the future. Liu Bei, upon hearing of Chen Xi's expulsion from the Chen Family, immediately came with Guan, Zhang, and Zhao, as well as Hua Xiong. "Since Zichuan is now without a family to return to, from now on, follow me. As long as I have a morsel of food, I will surely share it with Zichuan," Liu Bei said earnestly, grasping Chen Xi's hand, without even asking why he had been expelled from the Chen Family. "Hmph, the Chen Family! I, Zhang Fei, will go and knock on their door right now to show them their place," Zhang Fei said indignantly. Chen Xi felt a warmth in his heart, as none of these people cared about him being expelled from his home. After all, in this era, being expelled from one's family typically implied a moral deficiency, yet none of them minded. "Brother, there's no need for such actions. It was my own decision to become independent. The Chen Family will give an explanation later, rest assured, they will definitely give one," Chen Xi confidently told the others. Seeing Chen Xi behave as usual, Liu Bei and the others were relieved. They were most worried that Chen Xi would become disheartened because of the matter. "Zichuan, Yingchuan is indeed a place where talented people emerge, distinguished and spiritually endearing. Although we didn't recruit the great talents you mentioned, we have summoned a number of scholars," Liu Bei remarked with emotion. His identity as a Han Imperial Kinsman and the Governor of Mount Tai Commandery, as well as his influence over more than ten thousand elite troops, made him quite attractive to scholars eager to display their talents. "Hm? Lord Xuande, didn't you meet with Xun Wenruo?" Chen Xi asked curiously. "Logically, as long as Xun Yu is at home, even if he is unwilling to accept your recruitment, he should at least have discussed with you. How come you didn't see him?" "Alas, due to unfortunate timing, I did not meet him. His fourth brother, Shen, said that he had gone out to visit friends and might not return for three to five months," Liu Bei said helplessly. "I had no choice but to leave the invitation and gifts behind, requesting him to speak to his eldest brother on my behalf once he returns." "Xun Shen?" Chen Xi felt his eyelids twitch incessantly. The Xun Family had many talented individuals, and Xun Shen was one of them. If he remembered correctly, Xun Shen was Yuan Shao's mastermind. To hedge their bets, the Xun Family backed two sides, so naturally, one side couldn't be too strong while the other was too weak. This meant that if Xun Yu's political strategy was worth a hundred, Xun Shen would not surprisingly have a ninety-two or three without incident. On further reflection, it seemed that Xun Shen had previously secured a large territory for Yuan Shao; he had even persuaded Han Fu. Then, during the Battle of Guandu, he emerged as the mastermind, overpowering Tian Feng, Ju Shou, Xu You, and Shen Pei. What was most important was that Xun Shen had not uttered a word throughout the entire Battle of Guandu. After the battle, he vanished, much like Li Ru. All right, he was a mysterious character. Judging by his abilities, he was probably a bit better than Ju Shou and others – a remarkable figure worth digging into. With that in mind, Chen Xi spoke up, "Lord Xuande, since we haven't met Wen Ruo, let's go find Youruo. Just pull anyone from the Xun Family, and they can handle national affairs. Don't worry, it doesn't matter whom we take: if not the eldest brother, then the younger brother; if not the younger brother, then the nephew. As long as the person is willing to come with us, we'll take them. After all, Mount Tai lacks scholars, and if they come to us, we'll accept them." After a moment's thought, Liu Bei, recalling Xun Shen's measured demeanor at the Xun Family's doorstep, nodded in agreement with Chen Xi's suggestion. Liu Bei's party, accompanied by Chen Xi, went to the Xun Family bearing a myriad of gifts again. This time, the outcome was quite amusing. Xun Yu, Xun Yan, Xun Shen, Xun You – the whole generation fit for service – were all not at home. Xun Yu had gone to visit friends, Xun Yan had gone sightseeing, Xun Zhan had gone north in search of a worthy lord, and Xun You had gone to find his uncle, Xun Yu. Well, even if Chen Xi was a fool, it was clear the Xun Family was not ready to place their bets on Liu Bei just yet. But that was understandable; at this time, it was a bit too much to ask. Liu Bei might seem impressive now, but in fact, he was like a tree without roots. If these people were to recognize him and come to his side, he needed to offer something that would give them hope, otherwise, it was impossible. "Lord Xuande, it seems we're really out of luck," Chen Xi said, still smiling. The aristocracy sought stability first and then opportunity to advance. Since they felt it wasn't the right time, that simply meant there wouldn't be any chance in the future. However, Chen Xi felt it was a pity that the entire Fantasy Faction would likely be out of reach. Ah, such was fate! As for the rest, Chen Xi did not feel too sorry. Without these people, what needed to be done still had to be done. Since these aristocratic families were not optimistic about Liu Bei, Chen Xi was all the more determined to prove them wrong, eager to see their regretful expressions as they watched Liu Bei, a weaver of mats and seller of shoes, with no foundation, ascend step by step to the supreme throne. "Yes, out of luck indeed," Liu Bei agreed, showing no signs of being discouraged. He had already suffered enough hardship; such matters were of little consequence to him. ps: See, I knew you wouldn't care about the cover, and it would still be there anyway.