Chapter 1127: Human Desire Never Ends, Reflecting on the Past

Liu Yu’s current mindset was somewhat peculiar. In the past, Gongsun Zan always opposed him. Liu Yu had tried reasoning with him many times, but Gongsun Zan wouldn’t listen, and it almost drove Liu Yu to anger.

Now, Liu Yu found that even if he praised Gongsun Zan, Gongsun Zan could no longer respond. Bringing up Gongsun Zan every now and then to compliment him felt like a way to show how generous and magnanimous he was, since their political views had clashed, not because they were true enemies.

In politics, silence can often be interpreted as tacit approval, and Liu Yu realized that by occasionally praising the fallen Gongsun Zan, it seemed like he was letting go of past grudges. He even found it somewhat amusing and satisfying. He often thought that if he had the time, he would visit Ji City to offer incense at Gongsun Zan’s grave.

Liu Yu knew well that for Gongsun Zan, his most frustrating enemy had never been Yuan Shao—it had been Liu Yu. While Gongsun Zan could claim that Yuan Shao was simply the better strategist, he saw Liu Yu as someone constantly pulling him back.

Now, the thought of offering incense to the one person who had vexed Gongsun Zan the most, imagining how angry Gongsun Zan would be if he knew, gave Liu Yu a strange sense of satisfaction.

That said, Liu Yu didn’t outright discredit Gongsun Zan. After cooling down over the years, he had come to acknowledge Gongsun Zan’s achievements, but he still held firm in his criticism of Gongsun Zan’s tendency for violence.

This odd method of reflecting on the past and using Gongsun Zan to improve his own mood made Liu Yu quite happy each day. Additionally, Liu Yu had recently started supporting Liu Bei. The actions of Emperor Liu Xie were beginning to frustrate Liu Yu.

For the Liu clan, loyalty to the emperor wasn’t absolute. Instead, they viewed the emperor more like a member of an extended family. So, when they saw the emperor not performing well, they might entertain the idea of replacing him with someone else.

Royal clansmen like Liu Yu were never clear on their positions. They were more concerned with the collective interests of the clan than with the emperor’s individual benefit. Most of the time, the emperor’s interests aligned with the clan’s, but during times like these—especially when the emperor tried to weaken their power—their goals were at odds.

In times of chaos, power mattered more than anything else. Liu Bei, who was both virtuous and strong, became a figure that Liu Yu and others could rally behind. Though Liu Yu had no ambition to become emperor himself, he certainly had an interest in supporting someone he deemed fit.

Not long ago, Liu Xie had once again frustrated Liu Yu. Spurred on by Dong Cheng, Liu Xie had been planning to move against Cao Cao, emboldened by the recent retreat of the rebels from Xiliang and the submission of the Qiang tribes. With Cao Cao’s main forces now in the north fighting the Xianbei, Liu Xie saw an opportunity.

However, Liu Yu had no interest in opposing Cao Cao. In fact, he felt Cao Cao was doing quite well and had not overstepped any boundaries. Liu Yu had even quarreled with Dong Cheng over the matter, only to have the emperor, Liu Xie, side with Dong Cheng, leaving Liu Yu outraged. As Liu Xie’s uncle, being treated in such a manner was unacceptable to him.

After that, Liu Yu had lost all concern for Liu Xie. This wasn’t the first time he had been treated unfairly; a similar situation had occurred during Li Jue’s reign, and only through Liu Ye’s intervention had things calmed down. Now, Dong Cheng was stirring up trouble again, claiming to be a loyal minister. Liu Yu wanted nothing more than to see Dong Cheng gone.

There were still capable officials in the court, and Liu Xie still had the chance to regain control gradually. The situation was much better than during Li Jue’s reign, and Cao Cao was more than willing to cooperate. But Dong Cheng’s reckless behavior was ruining everything.

Liu Yu concluded that Liu Xie hadn’t grasped the gravity of the situation. Liu Xie had some intelligence, but he lacked the courage to make bold decisions. After being undermined by Dong Cheng, Liu Yu stopped caring about Liu Xie altogether. He took a leave of absence and no longer attended court sessions.

Meanwhile, Chen Xi passed by the Zhen residence, where he delivered a pair of bracelets to Zhen Mi. Although they weren’t particularly expensive, Zhen Mi was quite pleased with the gift. However, she became slightly wary upon noticing the bracelet on Chen Yun’s wrist.

She didn’t say much, though, merely mentioning that she would visit Chen Xi’s home on the second day of the new year to pay her respects.

When Chen Xi returned home, Fan Jian was delighted with her new bracelet. But after noticing that Chen Lan only had one red jade bracelet, she was displeased and demanded that Chen Xi buy another one.

"Sister, don’t trouble our husband," Chen Lan said, her voice trembling with emotion as she received the bracelet. She knew right away that this was the bracelet she had once pawned.

"He promised to treat us all equally, but now he’s failing to do so. Didn’t you see that Chen Yun has a bracelet too?" Fan Jian complained. After all, Chen Lan was the legitimate wife, not a concubine, and should not be treated this way.

"Sister, this bracelet is the one my husband gave me many years ago. I pawned it back then, and it’s already a miracle that he managed to find it," Chen Lan said nostalgically as she raised her hand, letting the light reveal the engraved "Chen" character on the bracelet.

Unlike Chen Xi, who hadn’t used the bracelet much, Chen Lan had always cherished it as her most precious gift. Naturally, she knew how to display its uniqueness.

Fan Jian’s expression turned to envy as she saw the engraving. Chen Lan continued, "This was a gift from my father to my husband, and later, my husband gave it to me. The other bracelet has the character 'Xi' engraved on it."

Hearing this, Fan Jian felt even more envious. Chen Xi didn’t have many things left from his father, and she hadn’t expected him to give such a valuable item to Chen Lan.

"You two keep chatting. I’m going to see Uncle Chen," Chen Xi said, turning to leave. He had already received plenty of pointed looks from Fan Jian, who was jealous of Chen Lan, though Chen Lan herself was lost in fond memories of the past, unaware of Fan Jian’s feelings. Life had been much harder back then compared to now.

Fan Jian glared at Chen Xi as he slipped away, then sighed as she looked at Chen Lan’s bracelet. Her own felt inferior in comparison. She sighed quietly to herself, thinking, Those days of hardship together were truly special.

"Uncle Chen, let’s play a game of chess," Chen Xi called as he carried the chessboard and box to the room of the Chen family steward.

The steward, Uncle Chen, opened the door, and behind him was a young boy who looked at Chen Xi with some fear. Chen Xi glanced at the boy and remembered that he was the steward’s grandson. Uncle Chen’s only daughter had married long ago, and Chen Xi had only seen the boy a few times.

"This... this is the old master’s chessboard..." Uncle Chen was about to apologize to Chen Xi when he caught sight of the chessboard in Chen Xi’s hands. His eyes reddened, and a flood of memories from the past came rushing back. The dreams he had once held had quietly come true without him realizing it.

"Come on, let’s play a game. It’s been a while since we’ve played together," Chen Xi said as he strode into Uncle Chen’s room. The room was decorated much like the inner quarters of the estate, except with a more classic and aged feel, lacking the feminine touch of the main house.

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