Li You sat slightly behind Liu Bei, and upon hearing Chen Xi's proposal, a look of realization appeared on his face. It was clear that Chen Xi's intention was for Liu Bei to firmly grasp control of the military. Perhaps Liu Bei hadn't even noticed that his military authority had become somewhat dispersed.
"This is indeed a good plan. The Taishan soldiers have fought alongside me, enduring years of hardship. It's time they were given a chance," Liu Bei nodded, agreeing with Chen Xi's suggestion.
Liu Bei wasn't just generous to the veterans who had followed him; he also treated the soldiers who had served him for many years quite well. Although this decision warranted careful consideration, Liu Bei approved it without much thought, showing that even a person as virtuous as him couldn't always treat everyone equally.
"Lord Xuande, you can personally select a group of soldiers from the lower ranks. However, try to focus on selecting orphans or soldiers who have brothers or family members," Chen Xi pointed out, understanding the importance of stability. In this era, people were deeply attached to their ancestral lands, making it difficult for them to leave for extended periods.
"This will be easy," Liu Bei said with a smile. "With the vast number of soldiers in Taishan, selecting three to five thousand soldiers and lower-ranking officers shouldn't be difficult."
"Good, then I'll leave it to you to handle the selection," Chen Xi said calmly. "As for the aristocratic families of Xuzhou, let's give them a chance. Right now, we need stability. We don't want to throw Xuzhou into chaos over them."
Li You slightly shook his head. While he agreed with Chen Xi's overall goal, his advice to Liu Bei was quite the opposite.
Indeed, from the current situation, it didn't seem wise to eliminate the Xuzhou aristocratic families. They had been reduced to frightened birds by Tao Qian's earlier purges, and any slight disturbance could provoke a desperate retaliation from them. This could severely damage Xuzhou.
However, Li You believed that the hidden dangers posed by allowing the Xuzhou aristocrats to remain outweighed the potential chaos. He considered it more realistic to break the current framework of Xuzhou, destroy the power of the aristocrats, and rebuild from scratch. After all, even if the aristocrats launched a desperate counterattack, they wouldn't take Xuzhou's millions of people with them. At worst, the market would collapse, and the people would suffer. The financial losses would be immense, but for Li You, it was bearable.
In his eyes, Chen Xi excelled at construction. Without the aristocrats acting as a hindrance, Chen Xi could rebuild everything within a year. And after that, the aristocrats wouldn't be able to regain their influence for at least a decade.
A year of chaos in exchange for a decade of unstoppable development—Li You had no doubts about pushing the Xuzhou aristocrats to their doom by creating the illusion that they could manipulate Liu Bei, only for them to destroy themselves, thus preserving Liu Bei's reputation for benevolence.
"I also don't want more killing in Xuzhou. Without the aristocrats, it would be hard to stabilize the common people," Liu Bei agreed with Chen Xi's view. Having come from humble origins, Liu Bei had seen firsthand how local aristocratic families could solve problems that even the government struggled with.
Chen Xi nodded, realizing that Liu Bei shared his perspective. For now, the Xuzhou aristocrats could still be useful. Wiping them out entirely would cause too much damage, and there was no need to rush. It was better to let them gradually fade away rather than provoke a backlash.
A cold smile briefly crossed Chen Xi's face.
"Lord Xuande, while continuing the bloodshed in Xuzhou is indeed inadvisable, simply letting the aristocrats off the hook is even worse. I suggest transferring all officials from Xuzhou to Qingzhou and bringing Qingzhou officials here. The Xuzhou aristocrats should be willing to give us this small concession," Chen Xi said with a gentle smile.
Li You instantly grasped Chen Xi's intent.
The officials in Qingzhou were mostly scholars recruited by Liu Bei during his most difficult times. These scholars were loyal to Liu Bei, having been treated with great respect when invited to serve him. During the chaos when millions of Yellow Turban rebels spread across Qingzhou, these scholars refused to surrender, even without military support, showing their dedication to their land and Liu Bei.
Bringing them to Xuzhou would ensure that they would carry out Liu Bei's orders without hesitation, and the Xuzhou officials, stripped of their local support, would be kept in check by Taishan's watchful eyes, preventing them from making any bold moves.
Moreover, these loyal officials occupying key positions in Xuzhou would automatically suppress the power of the local aristocrats. With Liu Bei holding the military power, the aristocrats wouldn't dare to resist, knowing they lacked both political and military strength.
"This method is excellent," Liu Bei quickly realized the merit of Chen Xi's plan. "But the Xuzhou aristocrats won't agree so easily."
"Their agreement isn't the issue. What matters is our decision. Wenhe has enough evidence to ensure they make the right choice. We've already declared amnesty, but they must pay a price for it. Aristocrats always understand pragmatism," Li You said, smiling.
"Zichuan's proposal makes a lot of sense. It will also allow the new factions in Qingzhou to challenge the weakened local powers in Xuzhou," Li You recalled recent reports from Qingzhou, finding even more satisfaction in Chen Xi's plan. Instead of letting internal conflicts fester, it was better to direct that energy toward the Xuzhou aristocrats, benefiting the overall situation.
"Yes, that's exactly the idea. It's also a test. Allowing local aristocrats to dominate their regions for generations has made them more loyal to their families than to the Han court. This trend must be curbed. Let's see how this plays out," Chen Xi sighed.
In truth, Chen Xi didn't have high hopes for the Qingzhou officials continuously battling the Xuzhou aristocrats. Most likely, after several clashes, they would reach a balance. However, the time gained would weaken the aristocrats enough to prevent them from threatening Xuzhou again.
Officials without local roots rarely outmaneuvered established aristocrats, a lesson repeatedly taught by history. This was why Chen Xi prioritized securing absolute military control—to provide a solid foundation for the incoming officials, allowing them to fight the aristocrats with confidence.