Chapter 813
Liu Bowen and Li Shanchang Seek Refuge
The defection of Xu Da and others greatly enhanced the military strength of the Han army. Xu Da, Fu Youde, and Feng Sheng were all fierce generals capable of leading independently, and more than ten of the remaining twenty-four generals from Huaixi also made up for the shortage of mid-level officers in the Han army.
The strength of the three armies was greatly enhanced, and Chen Jie's next task was to win over the civil officials under Zhu Chongba's command.
The civil officials group mainly consisted of two people whom Chen Jie thought highly of: Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen.
Li Shanchang was a steward-like figure, exceptionally capable in matters of finance and provisions. He was even able to find a way to allocate enough funds and provisions for the frontline troops when Zhu Chongba was short of food. Moreover, he was very reliable and steady in his work.
Aside from being a bit slow and inflexible in his work, there aren't any major problems.
Another talent is Liu Bowen. Our Mr. Qingtian is still worth mentioning. After returning from Dadu, he happened to be in this mess and didn't know what to do. Just then, his senior brother, Yuan Sanjia, arrived.
Upon seeing Yuan Sanjia, Liu Bowen immediately stood up and said, "Senior Brother."
Yuan Sanjia glanced at Liu Bowen and said, "Junior brother, the situation is hopeless. What do you intend to do?"
"It's just a return to Qingtian, to continue farming and passing down the family tradition."
Yuan Sanjia looked at Liu Bowen and said, "Junior brother, with all your skills, do you just want to grow old and die in the fields?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Bowen said, "A new emperor brings a new court. I am a soldier of the King of Wu. How could the new king possibly employ me?"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Sanjia laughed and said, "You don't need to say anything else. Just tell me that you want to realize your ambitions."
Liu Bowen looked at Yuan Sanjia and said, "You've learned both literary and martial arts, and you're going to sell them to the emperor. How can you be willing to let your skills be wasted among the common people?"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Sanjia said, "Alright, in that case, you shall go to the Prince of Han's residence for the banquet this afternoon."
Liu Bowen was taken aback, then quickly replied, "Thank you, senior brother."
In the afternoon, in Yingtian City, the Han Prince's Mansion, in the back garden, among the pavilions and terraces.
The sun was shining brightly overhead, birds were hopping around on the branches, and everything seemed so harmonious and interesting.
Inside the small pavilion, two people were chatting. The one sitting in the main seat was Chen Jie, who was gently tapping his fingers on the table. Sitting next to him was Hu Weiyong, the prime minister of the Prince of Han's mansion.
The two were chatting when Liu Bowen and Li Shanchang met at the gate. They exchanged a glance and then clasped their hands in a salute.
"Brother Bowen."
"Brother Shanchang!"
"Looking for the King of Han?"
The two spoke at the same time, then smiled at each other and said, "We'll keep our appointment."
Just then, Chen Jie's personal steward, Chen Chun, came over and immediately said to the two gentlemen, "Gentlemen, please come in. The Prince of Han and Prime Minister Hu have been waiting for a long time."
As they were talking, Liu Bowen and Li Shanchang immediately said, "Forgive us, forgive us, we have kept the King of Han waiting."
The two entered the courtyard and, led by Chen Chun, arrived at the small pavilion.
"King Han, the guests have arrived."
Upon hearing this, Chen Jiefang put down his wine glass, stood up, and Hu Weiyong, who was standing next to him, also stood up with a smile. They both looked at the two people who had entered: Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen.
After the two men entered, they immediately clasped their hands in greeting to Chen Jie and said, "Greetings, Prince of Han."
Chen Jie smiled and raised his hand, saying, "Hahaha, Mr. Li, Mr. Liu, we've been waiting for you for a long time. Come quickly to the banquet."
Chen Jie was very amiable, appearing respectful and courteous. Liu Bowen and Li Shanchang exchanged a glance and then came to the table. Chen Jie immediately had Chen Chun bring out new bowls, chopsticks, and wine vessels.
The four men sat down, and Chen Jie said, "Come, let me introduce you. This is the Prime Minister of my Han Prince's Mansion..."
Upon seeing this, Li Shanchang immediately said, "I know, Hu Weiyong, the prime minister, the number one scholar, we all know him."
Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong quickly waved his hand and said, "Brother Li, please don't flatter me. In terms of poetry, literature, astronomy, and geography, I am certainly not as good as Mr. Liu. In terms of strategic planning, mathematics, and academic knowledge, I am definitely not as good as Mr. Li."
"I am not worthy of the title of the greatest scholar in the world."
"Alas, even Prime Minister Hu is unworthy of this title. Who in the world can bear the name of the number one person?"
Li Shanchang continued to flatter him.
Hu Weiyong waved his hand and said, "I am just lucky to have met an enlightened ruler and a place to realize my ambitions. In other words, I am no different from you two gentlemen."
Li Shanchang: "Prime Minister Hu, you're too kind. You're too kind."
Watching the two of them flattering each other, and seeing Liu Bowen's awkwardness, Chen Jie couldn't help but think, "This is what it means to be a pure stream versus a muddy stream. The pure stream is like Liu Bowen, who is arrogant and dislikes social niceties and flattery."
The term "turbid current" doesn't necessarily refer to corrupt officials. The most prominent characteristic of a turbid current is that they speak to people in a human way and to ghosts in a ghost way. They are capable, but they also have ambition and their own greed.
Those who are truly capable of getting things done are the corrupt ones, because their ambition and greed drive them to do things well, and that is their motivation.
However, those in positions of authority sometimes value their reputation more than their official positions. They might do things that would draw criticism now, but if they benefit the country and its people in the future, they might choose not to do them, as their reputation is of utmost importance.
Therefore, these people lived a life of hardship but were not given important positions.
The reason is simple: Heshen was corrupt and greedy, but he could also smooth things over and not cause the emperor any trouble.
Ji Xiaolan, the character from the TV series, is a paragon of integrity, not the historical figure known for his gluttony and dissolute lifestyle. He embodies the spirit of integrity, which is why he sometimes acts naively.
For example, the episode about disaster relief.
Heshen's idea was to mix sand into the food of the disaster victims. When Ji Xiaolan found out, he cursed Heshen for being heartless and cruel, asking how he could bear to feed the people food with sand in it.
But Ji Xiaolan had no idea that the national treasury could only provide this much grain. If Heshen had distributed good grain, the officials would have certainly cut all the money. Only by mixing in sand could the officials avoid embezzling it, since they couldn't sell grain mixed with sand for a good price.
Only then can the grain honestly reach the hands of the people.
This is the difference between officials who are upright and those who are corrupt.
Those who are upright love fame but do little work; those who are corrupt do work but are greedy for money.
This is actually understandable. After all, no one is perfect and nothing is flawless. As long as they are still within the scope set by Chen Jie and can maneuver around as they please, then Chen Jie will give them this opportunity.
After all, a dynasty needs people to function, and those from corrupt backgrounds are the most useful.
If used properly, the "pure stream" (a group of upright officials) can be a valuable force, such as the position of Censor.
Of course, it must be said here that the three people sitting in front of me are all capable of being prime ministers. It is acceptable to divide them into the "pure stream" and the "turbid stream," but to say that Liu Bowen, who belonged to the "pure stream," was incompetent is nonsense. As for the claim that Hu Weiyong and Li Shanchang were corrupt, it may also be unfounded.
So now all three of them are good comrades.
Chen Jie looked at the three men, picked up his wine cup, and said, "Alright, stop arguing. Since ancient times, there has been no first place in literature, but there is no second place in martial arts. In terms of literature, all three gentlemen are first-rate in this era. They are evenly matched and there is no clear winner."
After hearing Chen Jie's words, all three of them turned their gaze to him.
Today, the King of Han is the real protagonist.
Chen Jie then looked at Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen and said, "Both of you gentlemen are great talents. I am very pleased that you have condescended to come and see me today."
Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen exchanged a glance, raised their wine cups, and said, "It is our good fortune that we, the defeated generals, have been pardoned by the King of Han."
Upon hearing this, Chen Jie sighed and said, "Zhu Chongba is a capable man. Whether it is me or him, if we win in the end, it will be a blessing for the Han people. It's just that we are both too selfish and did not give up our own interests to help each other achieve our goals, which is why we fought to the death."
"Now it seems that the Han people have suffered, and this is my fault!"
Upon hearing this, Li Shanchang said, "King of Han need not think that way. Since ancient times, the victor is king and the loser is villain. King of Wu is competing with you for the world. No matter who loses, there should be no bad feelings. This is just fate."
"Throughout history, how can one fight for the world without losing lives?"
"Therefore, this is an unchanging truth throughout the ages. The King of Han is not a unique person, nor does he need to have such a great psychological burden. This is the way of Heaven. The way of Heaven is so, and human power cannot resist it."
Li Shanchang looked at Liu Bowen after saying this and said, "Bowen, am I right?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Bowen said, "Yes, that's right. There's no right or wrong here. Neither you nor the King of Wu are wrong; it's just fate."
Li Shanchang said, "Moreover, the King of Han has already shown leniency to the family of the King of Wu and to us criminals. Madam Ma is living well with Zhu Biao now, and Marshal Xu and others have been dealt with peacefully. Even if Tang He wanted to return home, you provided him with travel expenses and allocated funds to Huangjue Temple to rebuild the temple and erect a new golden statue."
"This is already an immense blessing from heaven. If we are still not satisfied, then we are truly ungrateful."
After he finished speaking, everyone fell silent. Li Shanchang was right. Throughout history, no one has been more merciful to his opponents than the King of Han!
Upon hearing Li Shanchang's words, Chen Jie replied, "Mr. Li, you flatter me."
He then looked at Liu Bowen and asked, "Does Mr. Liu also think so?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Bowen said, "What Brother Li said is true, but it's a bit of an exaggeration."
Upon hearing this, Li Shanchang's eyes widened, and he asked, "Where is the praise?"
Liu Bowen said, "Hehe, regarding your saying, 'Throughout history, none of my opponents have been more benevolent than the King of Han.'"
Is there a problem with this?
Li Shanchang looked at Liu Bowen: "Do you think that emperor was more benevolent than the King of Han?"
Liu Bowen said, “I would like to correct two points. First, the King of Han never ascended the throne, so he was not an emperor. Second, if we are talking about emperors, Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, treated the descendants of the Chai family with great leniency.”
Upon hearing this, Li Shanchang said, "Emperor Taizu of Song obtained the country illegitimately and bullied orphans and widows. He felt guilty, so what's wrong with being lenient?"
“Our King of Han defeated the King of Wu in a fair and square manner. Although I am a former minister of the King of Wu, I do not feel that the King of Han has wronged the King of Wu in the slightest.”
"Therefore, how can Emperor Taizu of Song be compared with the Prince of Han?"
"As for the fact that the King of Han has not yet ascended the throne, I admit that it was a slip of the tongue just now, and I apologize to the King of Han. However, I think that the King of Han's ascension to the throne is a foregone conclusion, so it is not my mistake."
As Li Shanchang spoke, he looked at Liu Bowen, who replied, "Although the methods by which Emperor Taizu of Song ascended the throne are debatable, he treated his subordinates very well. The entire Chai family was also properly taken care of afterwards. I think there is no problem with that. He should be a model for the Prince of Han."
Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong frowned slightly, while Li Shanchang became furious and pointed at Liu Bowen, saying, "Liu Bowen, are you instructing the Prince of Han on how to do things?"
Despite being treated this way by Li Shanchang, Liu Bowen remained unfazed and said, "Using bronze as a mirror, one can straighten one's clothes; using history as a mirror, one can understand one's gains and losses."
Upon hearing this, Chen Jie looked at Liu Bowen and said, "Oh, it seems that Mr. Bowen wants to be the Wei Zheng of this dynasty?"
Liu Bowen clasped his hands and said, "That depends on whether the King of Han has the magnanimity of Emperor Taizong of Tang."
"Hahaha……"
Chen Jie couldn't help but burst into laughter, then looked at Li Shanchang and asked, "What do you think of Liu Bowen?"
Li Shanchang clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, although Liu Bowen is a bit arrogant, he is a good person. Please be wise and do not be angry with him."
Chen Jie looked at Li Shanchang and said, "I thought you would take this opportunity to kill him."
"It seems that the rumors of discord between Liu and Li are unfounded."
Chen Jie chuckled.
Upon hearing this, Li Shanchang gave a wry smile and said, "It's not entirely untrue. It's true that I don't get along with Liu Bowen. Our main problem is that our personalities clash, but we still have our own opinions when it comes to matters of principle."
"We will never let personal interests interfere with public duties."
Upon hearing Li Shanchang's words, Chen Jie said, "Mr. Li has a magnanimous heart. What does Mr. Liu think?"
Liu Bowen said, “Brother Li and I have indeed been criticized, but it’s all because of disagreements on political views. We always confront each other in court to determine right from wrong, and we would never do anything to attack each other in private.”
Chen Jie nodded slightly and said, "Alright, that's exactly what I wanted to hear."
"Since you're going to serve in my Prince Han's mansion, remember this: in court, you can argue with each other, even fall out, but in private, anyone who dares to make underhanded moves, prioritizing personal gain over national interests, will be severely punished."
"I will definitely use the most brutal methods to suppress them, and you should remember that."
Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen both responded in unison.
They were awestruck by the overwhelming imperial aura emanating from Chen Jie. After defeating Zhu Chongba, Chen Jie possessed all the imperial aura in the world, and now he was overflowing with imperial aura.
Moreover, he can now advance to the realm of terrestrial immortals anytime, anywhere.
However, before entering the Land Immortal Realm, Chen Jie discovered a problem: he had climbed up step by step by consuming pills, so his foundation was not solid. If he directly entered the Land Immortal Realm, it would be of no benefit to his future martial arts path.
Moreover, it would make his martial arts path unstable, so he suppressed his desire to break through and began to solidify his foundation. Once he had solidified his foundation, he could enter the realm of a terrestrial immortal.
At that time, he was the strongest terrestrial deity!
Now he must suppress his desire to break through, gradually solidifying his imperial aura and integrating it into his foundation. The day of his breakthrough is not far off! (End of Chapter)