Chapter 28: Sashimi Diplomacy (Please Keep Reading!)

Whose side are the Chen family—Chen Gui and his son Chen Deng—actually on?

Looking back at their lives, they seem to have constantly vacillated. One moment they were with Tao Qian, then Liu Bei, then Lu Bu, and then Cao Cao. However, a closer look reveals that no matter how they shifted, they always remained in Xuzhou, and everything they did was consistently aimed at protecting the interests of Xuzhou.

Rather than asking which faction the Chen family belonged to, it would be more accurate to say that they were, by nature, a neutral party. They aligned themselves with whoever controlled Xuzhou and whoever could maintain the region's stability. When Chen Deng served as the Administrator of Guangling, he referred to himself as an "external vassal" in his letters to Cao Cao, refusing to acknowledge himself as Cao Cao’s subordinate. They were the prominent clan of Xiapi, established beneficiaries who wished for the shuffling of power to end as quickly as possible. Everything they did was to protect their family's interests, and ensuring the stability and peace of Xuzhou was their family’s guiding principle.

Chen Deng had certainly welcomed Liu Bei into Xuzhou with sincerity, because only with Liu Bei’s arrival could Xuzhou return to stability. But later, when Liu Bei failed, lost Xuzhou, and went to restart elsewhere, Chen Deng’s family remained in Xuzhou. He could not abandon his family and property to follow Liu Bei like Mi Zhu; thus, they had to part on good terms.

"This is the stance of the Chen father and son..." Li Yi explained to Liu Bei in simple, easy-to-understand terms what kind of role the Chen family played in Xuzhou. "In times of chaos, they seek to protect their locality. Once someone emerges capable of taking control, they will support him to pacify the chaos and restore order as soon as possible."

"In fact, these local powerful clans dislike chaotic times the most. Because in chaos, whoever has an army becomes the lord, which breaks the old order. Those who suffer the most are, of course, the established beneficiaries like them who already stand at the top."

After hearing Li Yi’s analysis, Liu Bei fell into silence. A long, lingering silence. After a long while, Liu Bei spoke slowly: "I have generally grasped the strategist's point. In your view, can I entrust Guangling directly to the Chen family?"

"Indeed," Li Yi nodded. "The Chen family has always defended the interests of Xuzhou—the interests of their family. As long as you, my lord, protect Xuzhou, what reason would they have to rebel against you? As for Guangling growing too powerful, there is even less need to worry. These powerful clans pray for a Xuzhou without a single war; why would they ever disobey your orders? Furthermore, if Yuan Shu were to truly get his hands on Xuzhou, it would certainly not be a good thing for the region. Therefore, I recommended Chen Deng as the Administrator of Guangling not because the Chens have a private grudge against Yuan Shu, but because I am certain the Chens would never allow Yuan Shu to gain a foothold in Xuzhou!"

If that is truly the case, then the Chen family’s vision is quite grand indeed. Hearing this, Liu Bei no longer hesitated and immediately said, "In that case, I will order Jian Yong to go and speak to Chen Yuanlong for me."

"Appoint him as the Administrator of Guangling."

Jian Yong was Liu Bei’s childhood friend and an excellent orator; Liu Bei choosing him was indeed a safe arrangement. But Li Yi said, "No, no, that will not do. Although Jian Yong is skilled in debate, he does not understand the underlying stakes. Moreover, Chen Yuanlong is a man of the world, possessed of a proud spirit; he is not someone an ordinary person can sit down and talk with."

...Well, that was true. Liu Bei understood Chen Deng’s personality; the man was notoriously arrogant and unrestrained. He only showed a pleasant face to those he respected; as for those he didn't, he wouldn't even deign to look at them. He was a man of distinct character.

"If so, who can go and speak to Chen Yuanlong for me?" Liu Bei asked.

Li Yi smiled slightly and volunteered: "I had a brief encounter with Chen Yuanlong previously. We hit it off immediately, so we can be considered to have some acquaintance. If you trust me, my lord, you might as well let me go and speak to him. Firstly, to clear up the misunderstanding between you and the Chen family. Secondly, to win over the Chen family for you, so as to stabilize the situation in Xuzhou."

Liu Bei nodded. How could he not trust Li Yi? Only... "Chen Yuanlong is well-versed in both ancient and modern learning and possesses extraordinary talent. If you go, strategist, what will you bring as a gift to deepen the friendship?"

The implication was, what did Li Yi plan to offer as a gift? In the social circles of scholars, etiquette and human relations were important, but Li Yi was without power or status and had no background; he certainly had nothing of great value to present. Liu Bei wondered if he should help prepare some gifts for Li Yi. After all, as his strategist, he couldn't afford to lose face.

Li Yi smiled and said: "That is a simple matter. Just trouble the Governor to catch two grass carp for me, that will suffice."

"...Hmm... Hmm?"

"...Grass carp?" Liu Bei was slightly stunned. What kind of gift was this?

Zhang Fei, who had been unable to get a word in, was suddenly intrigued upon hearing that Li Yi wanted to give grass carp to Chen Deng, and he laughed loudly, "Hahaha, the strategist is truly a man of the mountains! The gift you choose to build a relationship is indeed unique." He secretly thought that if he could associate with these intellectuals by just giving away a couple of fish, he would go fishing every single day starting tomorrow.

Liu Bei scolded him from the side: "...Yide, do not be rude!" Perhaps because of his deep fondness for Li Yi, whenever Li Yi proposed some mind-boggling ideas, Liu Bei’s first thought was whether he himself had failed to keep up with his line of thought. "I once heard that Chen Yuanlong is fond of eating raw fish. I presume the strategist thought of this and intends to cater to his preferences by sending fresh fish to build the relationship."

Zhang Fei scratched his head: "...So that’s it. It seems I spoke too quickly, my apologies to the Master. But Chen Yuanlong is a prominent family of Xuzhou; what delicacies has he not eaten? Why bother with two grass carp?"

Li Yi laughed: "General Zhang, that is where you are mistaken. It is precisely because Chen Yuanlong has eaten all the delicacies in the world that these two grass carp will appear novel. Sending these fish is enough..."

Oh, so that was the way to think about it. Zhang Fei was greatly impressed. "In that case, let me catch the fish for the Master myself, as a way to apologize to him."

Liu Bei also rose and said: "...Yide, I will go with you. The Master drank wine all night; it is only fitting to catch two live fish and boil a hangover soup for him."

Hearing this, Li Yi felt quite moved. Liu Bei had also been drinking all night, yet his first thought was to help boil fish soup to help Li Yi recover. Regardless of whether he was putting on an act to win hearts, he was genuinely showing concern.

"...In that case, I will trouble you, my lord."

...

East of Xiapi City, the Mi residence.

Mi Fang stood on the steps with his hands behind his back, watching the servants bustle about moving cargo. As the wealthiest family in Xuzhou, their trade routes spanned every commandery in the region. Despite their immense influence in Xuzhou, they were never truly accepted by traditional noble clans like the Chens. After all, the Chens were of legitimate official lineage; on what grounds could a merchant family sit as their equals? The Mi family had always wanted to change this situation, which was why Mi Zhu entered politics, becoming the Assistant Governor of Xuzhou and an aide to Tao Qian. The Mi family’s political standing was constantly rising, but they were not satisfied with this. Merchants value the opportunity to hoard rare commodities; they wanted to continue their investment. This time, they were going to make a big bet!