Chapter 152: Your Positions Have Long Been Reserved

After the banquet, Chen Xi personally escorted his two friends to the residences he had prepared for them. Meanwhile, Fan Jian took Cai Yan to the temporary residence prepared for her. As for Hua Xiong, he was kept behind by Liu Bei, who wanted to inquire about the events that had occurred during his extended stay in Chang'an, as Hua Xiong had spent an unusually long time in Yongzhou.

“Wenhe, Wenru, please.” Chen Xi smiled and made a welcoming gesture. Without any hesitation, Jia Xu and Li You casually walked in, as if the three were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years.

After sitting in the living room, the three men casually chatted about the affairs in Yongzhou, and after some time, Chen Xi excused himself and left.

The next morning at dawn, Li You and Jia Xu appeared together at Chen Xi’s doorstep. At Chen Xi’s invitation, they entered his home.

“How is it?” Chen Xi asked with a smile.

“It’s indeed not bad. There are no spies placed in our residences. Liu Xuande is truly a man of virtue.” Li You stiffly smiled as he spoke.

“If that weren’t the case, I would rather remain hidden than expose myself to the light.” Chen Xi looked at Li You with a slight sense of pride.

“Let’s be honest—why did you think of having me and him join? You should know that if his identity is exposed, it could cause significant trouble. I don’t like putting my life in someone else’s hands,” Jia Xu said, frowning slightly. “This is far too dangerous. If I had any other choice, I wouldn’t have asked that question before.”

“Because both I and Lord Xuande need you. As for your identities, you are now Li Wenru and Jia Wenhe, and you’ve already washed away your past. With your abilities, maintaining this won’t take long before you become indispensable to us. Lord Xuande’s ambitions are vast. I believe that once we reach a certain level, even if your identities are exposed, it won’t matter to him,” Chen Xi shook his head, rejecting Jia Xu’s concerns.

“Lord Xuande’s ambitions are vast!” Li You suddenly exclaimed, eyes wide.

“Indeed. From the tone of his responses earlier, I could almost feel that ambition to unify the world—a spirit that truly befits the title of a heroic leader. However, it’s a pity his background is too humble, and his scope is too narrow,” Jia Xu first praised, then sighed as he recalled Liu Bei’s behavior in front of Cai Yan.

“You two are the only ones I dare speak so frankly with,” Chen Xi sighed. “Lord Xuande’s goal is to surpass the glory of his ancestors in every way. If he cannot achieve that, he will never covet the throne. This is his vow.”

Both Jia Xu and Li You were taken aback by Liu Bei’s ambition. They exchanged glances and then shook their heads slightly before Jia Xu spoke, “Ambition and resolve are not the problem, but did you not notice his earlier behavior?”

“A humble background, never having enjoyed wealth, and never having seen a truly beautiful woman—these are things I will address. It’s simply a matter of using poison to cure poison. I can handle it. As for why I had to bring you both to Taishan, one reason is that you are too dangerous elsewhere, and the other is that Lord Xuande needs you,” Chen Xi waved his hand, indicating that these concerns were not problems.

“No need to explain the danger. If you weren’t involved in the events in Yongzhou, I’d be surprised. As for Lord Xuande needing us, that’s true. To achieve Lord Xuande’s goals, one or two advisors alone wouldn’t be enough. You two, who have already proven your abilities to the world, are the best candidates,” Chen Xi continued.

“If those issues are settled, let’s discuss other matters. What’s your view on the current situation?” Jia Xu, satisfied with Chen Xi’s answers, asked this next question. Li You, having learned what he needed, closed his eyes and rested.

“I don’t have much of an opinion. I’ll continue developing my own territory while they handle their affairs,” Chen Xi replied with a shake of his head. He had no plans to interfere with other warlords for the time being, except for perhaps causing some trouble for Cao Mengde when he had the chance. But it was clear that he hadn’t found the time yet.

“If I didn’t know that you crushed the Yellow Turbans and pressed down on Ji Province at just the right time, managing to govern a poor region like Taishan into such prosperity, I’d suspect you, Chen Zichuan, of being a charlatan,” Jia Xu remarked calmly.

“I have limited resources, so I must prioritize. I believe if I governed Qing Province, the results would be even better. Steadily widening the gap between us and others, safely and effectively—why would I choose any other approach?” Chen Xi responded, unfazed.

“Indeed. Given the speed of Taishan’s development, your choice of strategy is likely the best. However, it’s a bit of a pity to abandon external affairs entirely,” Jia Xu said, clicking his tongue in amazement, as Chen Xi’s administrative abilities were truly impressive.

Chen Xi silently noted that he had left this very task to Jia Xu. Although Guo Jia was also suitable, his current primary role was to educate Fa Zheng, which meant that other tasks had to be delayed. If Guo Jia were simultaneously mentoring Fa Zheng and harassing the surrounding warlords, it was likely that Cao Cao would find an opening.

By assigning this task to Jia Xu and allowing Guo Jia to assist occasionally, the two could work together to ensure that even if they couldn’t suppress Cao Cao, they could at least make it difficult for him to exploit any weaknesses.

“Wenhe, rest assured. Since I’ve invited you here, I’ve already made arrangements. When you visit the administrative office today, you’ll learn about your duties. But please, Wenhe, do your best. Don’t let Cao Mengde find an opening,” Chen Xi said, fixing his gaze on Jia Xu. His greatest fear was that Jia Xu wouldn’t put in the effort. Given Jia Xu’s abilities, as long as he worked diligently, it would be very difficult for Cao Mengde to find any weaknesses to exploit.

“Hahaha…” Jia Xu laughed heartily but didn’t respond. It was unlikely he would give his all, but Chen Zichuan’s recognition of Cao Mengde’s threat reassured him somewhat.

“As for Wenru, please continue as we discussed earlier, helping Lord Xuande address any oversights. Your health is clearly an issue, so I won’t trouble you with other matters. Your experience is something we urgently need. Right now, everyone in Taishan is exceptionally talented, but they are still too young. If they act too rashly, please point it out,” Chen Xi bowed to Li You.

He had brought Li You out of Chang’an precisely for his experience. As for Li You’s abilities, to be honest, they might be top-tier, but compared to his experience, they were lacking. At this time, Li You was one of the few who had encountered various situations, from large-scale military campaigns to elite small-unit operations, cross-province campaigns, and even nationwide strategic planning. In this era, there were few who could match his experience.

As for others, they had never held positions as powerful as Li You’s at his peak. Thus, during this period, even if Li You were to face anyone in the world, he wouldn’t lose. While others might be brilliant, how much more brilliant could they be? This was the difference between experience and inexperience!