Chapter 1116: A Peculiar Way of Thinking

Just as Chen Xi was contemplating whether to give the noble families another hint, Ji Ling returned with Yuan Shu, after a long and arduous journey.

When Chen Xi arrived at Liu Bei's residence, Yuan Shu was passionately recounting his observations of the north to Liu Bei, with no sense of being an opposing leader. It was clear that Yuan Shu had a rather unique way of thinking, showing no concern that Liu Bei might harm him.

"Greetings to Lord Xuande, greetings to Brother Gonglu," Chen Xi said with a bow, interrupting Yuan Shu’s speech.

Yuan Shu’s expression initially showed displeasure, but upon realizing it was Chen Xi, his face quickly cleared, and he smiled. "Come, come, have a seat!"

It was as if Yuan Shu was acting as the host, even shouting towards the door, "Bring some tea, quickly, serve tea for Zichuan!"

Chen Xi, now seated, transmitted a question to Liu Bei, "What's with this guy?"

"Nothing much, he’s just overly excited after seeing the black soil," Liu Bei replied calmly through voice transmission. "I never expected Yuan Gonglu to be knowledgeable about farming, and he’s quite adept at it."

After the maid served tea, Yuan Shu filled the cups for the three of them, blowing on his cup and then downing the tea in one gulp. "The northern land is truly remarkable. While I didn’t have the means to measure every inch, I can say that it’s all top-quality black soil, highly fertile land."

"And the wildlife there is incredibly naive!" Yuan Shu exclaimed excitedly, blowing on another sip of hot tea.

"I can't guarantee the exact area covered by the black soil, but Zichuan’s estimate of five million qing (hectares) seems more than sufficient. That land is no less fertile than all the grain-producing areas in the Central Plains combined," Yuan Shu said enthusiastically.

As for Yuan Shao's death, Yuan Shu had already come to terms with it. With such a vast and fertile land behind them, enough to establish a nation, it was no surprise that failure had been inevitable.

At this point, Yuan Shu's expression shifted slightly, "If I had any doubts before about you two restoring order to the world, those doubts have now vanished. This is clearly the will of Heaven."

Yuan Shu’s way of thinking was unconventional. He didn’t dwell on difficulties or obstacles. His answers were always direct: yes or no. The reasons or processes were irrelevant.

Yuan Shu lived by the philosophy "Food, sex, and human desires are the greatest of human needs." Meaning, eating, and matters between men and women were the most important things in life. Everything else was secondary. Only after satisfying these basic needs could one discuss anything else.

Because of this, Liu Bei had discovered that, despite Yuan Shu’s eccentric mindset, they could actually communicate. Liu Bei adhered to the belief, "When the granaries are full, people will know propriety; when food and clothing are sufficient, they will know honor and shame." Neither approach was particularly grandiose—they were both down-to-earth, practical beliefs. Liu Bei realized he could indeed talk with Yuan Shu.

Although Yuan Shu carried the arrogance typical of noble families, he also believed that the most basic needs of the people should be met.

However, as Chen Xi observed the now slimmed-down Yuan Shu, it seemed that beyond his arrogance, all that remained in Yuan Shu’s mind was food and women.

It was clear that Yuan Shu had no grand aspirations. Even his decision to proclaim himself emperor had been more about reviving the Yuan family's glory than any personal ambition. He was, in essence, a shallow man of indulgence.

With his simple mindset, Yuan Shu likely derived his philosophy of "Food, sex, and human desires are the greatest" from his personal experiences, using it both as a justification and as a way to give his words some semblance of sophistication by borrowing from the ancients.

"Much of this is thanks to Zichuan and others," Liu Bei said with a smile. "The northern lands are indeed something I’d like to see for myself one day. But Yecheng is already quite cold. The northern plains must be even worse."

"I’ve heard of Chen Zichuan’s foresight. If he mentioned this place, then he must have a solution for its challenges," Yuan Shu said, smiling at Chen Xi.

Indeed, the northern plains were bitterly cold, and the further north one went, the worse it got. But even with that, when Yuan Shu saw the rich, fertile black soil, his not-so-brilliant mind knew that they had to claim it at all costs.

"I imagine we’ll be ready by next year. But Yuan Gong, aren’t you at all concerned? You must know that if we were to march south and sweep through Jiangnan, you wouldn’t be able to stop us," Chen Xi said, genuinely curious about Yuan Shu’s peculiar thought process.

"And what if you did sweep through Jiangnan? Have I, Yuan Shu, committed any unforgivable crimes that warrant the destruction of my family?" Yuan Shu said, completely unconcerned. His carefree attitude was baffling, showing no pain or frustration over having once been a ruler defeated by his enemies.

Chen Xi was momentarily stunned, then silently gave a thumbs up. Yuan Shu's mindset was impressive!

"Since my family hasn’t committed any great atrocities, what does it matter if the world is unified? Besides, Sun Bofu isn’t someone who will be easily dealt with. I’m quite happy to watch him fight against you," Yuan Shu said dismissively.

"Hey, have a little compassion. War causes countless people to lose their homes and families to grieve. Since you know how powerful we are, why not persuade Sun Bofu to surrender? If you publicly support us, Sun Bofu will fall in no time, trust me," Chen Xi half-joked, half-probed.

Chen Xi wasn’t just making idle talk. Although Yuan Shu was unreliable, many of his followers were loyal. In this timeline, without the plague and without the need for excessive taxation, the people of Yu Province and Yang Province had a favorable impression of Yuan Shu.

Moreover, since Sun Ce’s position had been given to him by Yuan Shu, if Yuan Shu publicly backed Liu Bei, there wouldn’t even be a need for battle. Sun Ce’s army would likely disband, and officials like Chen Ji would surely side with Yuan Shu.

"Alright, let’s not talk about unpleasant matters. I’ll offer you moral support and, after you defeat Sun Bofu, help you persuade the people and stabilize Yu and Yang provinces. But as for trying to talk Sun Bofu into surrendering beforehand, that’s out of the question," Yuan Shu said, shaking his head. He knew his limits.

Chen Xi gave Yuan Shu a long, thoughtful look. Though he couldn’t fully understand Yuan Shu’s peculiar way of thinking, he began to suspect that Yuan Shu might actually understand his intentions.

This surprised Chen Xi, but upon reflection, Yuan Shu’s simple way of thinking sometimes got closer to the truth than more complex reasoning.

"Hahaha, so it seems we’re on the same side now," Liu Bei said, clapping Yuan Shu on the shoulder. "Who would have thought that you and I would end up thinking alike?"

Chen Xi couldn’t help but roll his eyes. These two were actually starting to admire each other.

"Brother Gonglu, if you have time, stay in Yecheng for a few days. We’ll have Doctor Hua examine you, so in the future, we can talk more often," Liu Bei said, recalling Yuan Shu’s less-than-ideal health.

At this point, Liu Bei was beginning to notice the subtle details. Apart from Chen Xi, very few people could sit with him and speak as equals anymore. As he rose in power and status, even those like Liu Ye and Li You became increasingly deferential rather than casual.

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