My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

Chapter 250 If Cao Cao kneels before the gentry, we will choose the common people! Xiao He: Your subject has a law that lasts for ten thousand generations and can be enforced for a thousand years!

Xiao He began to understand.

This Chen Qun is a complete opportunist.

Just like when Lao Liu was the governor of Xuzhou, he saw that Lao Liu's situation was not good and decisively chose to abandon him.

Seeing that Cao Cao's situation was not optimistic, he turned around and, under the guise of an envoy, came to offer himself to Liu Bei.

Of course, this offer of favors came with conditions: Liu had to adopt and implement his Nine-Rank System.

When Lao Liu refused, he threatened to present the so-called "method for unifying the world" to Cao Cao.

At this moment, Chen Qun exuded an arrogant air, as if whoever he helped would win.

"To be honest, Lord Chu, there are two copies of this Nine-Rank System. One copy is here, and the other copy is kept at my Chen family in Yingchuan."

"Before leaving, Qun instructed his son Chen Tai that if Qun did not return, he should present this document to the Duke of Wei."

Chen Qun quickly added another sentence.

He was clearly implying to Liu Bei in a subtle way that even if Liu Bei feared that he would hand over the system to Cao Cao, detain him in Xiapi, or even kill him, it would be useless.

I have two copies. My son, Chen Tai, will still present this method of unifying the world to Cao Cao.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei burst into laughter.

The laughter was laced with sarcasm.

Chen Qun was stunned, looking bewildered, not understanding why Liu Bei was laughing.

The laughter subsided, and Liu Bei's expression turned to disappointment. He shook his head and sighed.
"Changwen, you once followed me, and I once confided in you. I never expected that you would not understand me, Liu Bei, at all."

"Do you really think that I would take your life just because I fear you will turn around and hand over the Nine-Rank System, this so-called method of unifying the world, to Cao Cao?"

"Back then, even Cao Cao sent Guan Yu a thousand miles to search for me. Am I not even as good as Cao Cao?"

"Changwen, I do not know you, and you do not know me. Back then, we had no fate as ruler and subject, but now it seems that it is not a regret."

Upon hearing Liu Bei's frank and open words, Chen Qun blushed instantly, his brows furrowing with shame.

"Lord Chu, the group... the group doesn't actually mean that~~"

Chen Qun stammered, wanting to explain but unable to find the words.

Liu Bei waved his hand dismissively and said arrogantly:

"I have already answered you. I have no interest in your so-called method of unifying the world."

"Changwen, if you are willing to stay and assist me, you will have a place under my command and an opportunity to show your talents."

"If you are unwilling, you may take your Ninth-Rank Official Certificate back with you, and I will naturally not keep you."

"Go tell Cao Cao that I have Xiao Bowen, and no matter what method he uses to select officials, he cannot change the fact that he will be destroyed by me."

"I reiterate my point: his only way out is to relinquish his power and go to Yingtian to plead guilty to the Emperor!"

Chen Qun was shocked, his expression solemn.

Liu Bei's domineering ultimatum truly shocked him, sending a chill down his spine.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Qun sighed and silently cupped his hands in a respectful gesture:

"In that case, we shall part ways with that group."

"I will convey Duke Chu's words to Duke Wei truthfully."

"I take my leave now, Lord Chu. Please take care of yourself."

Chen Qun put away the scroll without hesitation, turned around, and strode away.

"Although the Nine-Rank System has many hidden dangers in the long run, it is indeed a good system in the short term."

"Chen Changwen is indeed a rare talent who came up with this system. It's a pity that he cannot be used by me."

As Liu Bei watched Chen Qun's departing figure, he still felt a pang of regret.

Xiao He took a sip of tea and said meaningfully:
"Lord Chu, in my opinion, Chen Qun's visit this time is probably a test by the powerful families of the North to probe your abilities."

"Testing?"

Liu Bei turned to look at Xiao He.

Xiao He toyed with the teacup and slowly said:
"Now the balance of power between Chu and Wei has reversed. Our Chu state has advanced to the Yellow River on its eastern border, forming a semi-encirclement of the Central Plains provinces of Yan and Yu of the pseudo-Wei state."

"It is obvious to anyone with discerning eyes that the next step for the Duke of Chu will be to lead his troops to recover the Central Plains and seize the land south of Yan and Yu."

"At that time, Chen Qun and other powerful families in Yingchuan, and even Henan, will face the possibility of submitting to the new ruler, Duke Chu."

“However, once the Duke of Chu conquers Henan, he will inevitably implement the equal-field system, strictly prohibit land annexation and the encroachment on unclaimed land, which will seriously damage their vested interests.”

"That's why Chen Qun came to present the Nine-Rank System. Once Duke Chu implements this system, it means he has chosen to govern the world together with the gentry. Overthrowing the equal-field system will only be a matter of time."

"Only in this way can the powerful and wealthy families of Yingchuan in Henan dare to abandon Wei and return to Chu, and welcome the Duke of Chu, the new ruler of the Central Plains."

"Now that the Duke of Chu has rejected Chen Qun's offer, they are afraid of the equal-field system and unwilling to give up their existing benefits. Naturally, they will do whatever it takes to help Cao Cao resist our army's advance and defend the Henan region for the puppet Wei." "As for the price Cao Cao has to pay, it is naturally that he must implement the Nine-Rank System in the puppet Wei and transfer the power to select officials to powerful families."

Xiao He exposed Chen Qun's motives and the powerful force behind him one by one.

Liu Bei suddenly understood, but couldn't help asking curiously:
"Cao Cao promoted the principle of appointing people based solely on their talents, and he repeatedly killed famous scholars of his time. The rebellion in Yanzhou was inextricably linked to his killing of the scholar Bian Rang."

"Chen Qun's Nine-Rank System is forcing him to relinquish power to powerful clans. Given Cao Cao's temperament, would he agree to that?"

Xiao He scoffed and sneered:
"Cao Cao claimed to appoint people based solely on their talents, but which of the civil and military officials under his command did not come from powerful and influential families?"

"Only Guo Jia, who is already dead, can barely be considered a poor scholar."

"On the contrary, under your command, Lord Chu, there are countless scholars from humble backgrounds, including my father-in-law, General Yide, Wei Wenchang, and even this humble countryman of mine, too many to count."

"If we're talking about employing people based solely on their talents, then Duke Chu was the true embodiment of this principle, while Cao Cao was merely paying lip service to it."

"As for the claim that he suppressed the Shi family, that's utter nonsense. The number of famous scholars he killed can be counted on one's fingers. Even for a crime as serious as Yang Xiu's treason, he only killed Yang Xiu."

"In total, he killed fewer scholars and famous figures than Sun Ce, but he killed countless civilians."

A word of advice!
Upon careful consideration, Liu Bei realized that Cao Cao had not killed many famous scholars, apart from those loyal Han officials.

Even when he vented his anger by massacring the city of Xuzhou, he only slaughtered ordinary people, sparing all the powerful and wealthy families in the city.

“Bowen is right. Cao Cao did not kill many people from the Shi family, but he killed many ordinary people. His so-called meritocracy was nothing but empty talk.”

Liu Bei nodded slightly, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips.

Suddenly, his brow furrowed, and a hint of apprehension flashed in his eyes:
"If we follow Bowen's judgment, Cao Cao will most likely adopt Chen Qun's Nine-Rank System. Although this system has great problems in the long run, it can indeed gather a lot of talents in the short term and gain the strong support of the powerful families in the two rivers region."

"In this way, the strength of the pseudo-Wei will definitely increase greatly."

"Furthermore, if the pseudo-Wei dynasty implements this Nine-Rank System, which clarifies the path for aristocratic families to enter officialdom, it will inevitably shake the hearts and minds of the famous scholars and heroes within our Great Chu territory."

"Cao Cao, after all, occupies the fertile lands of the two rivers and has a deep foundation. With this two-pronged approach, I am worried that the pseudo-Wei will soon recover its strength and reverse the balance of power."

Old Liu voiced his concerns.

Xiao smiled, but didn't take it seriously, saying:

"Don't worry, Lord Chu. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Since Cao Cao wants the full support of the powerful clans, his military campaigns will inevitably be hampered by them."

"As for whether the people's hearts are with us, Duke Chu need not worry. You should know that the foundation of our great Chu is the equal distribution of land and the two systems of government and military service."

“The millions of farmers tilling the fields and the soldiers fighting for Duke Chu on the battlefield—these are the core of Duke Chu’s support.”

“As long as the equal-field system and the military system function properly, these people will be loyal to and support Duke Chu to the death.”

"As for the support of the gentry and powerful families, it is merely icing on the cake, and is not enough to shake the foundation of the nation!"

Liu Bei's heart skipped a beat, and the worries in his eyes vanished in an instant.

“Bowen is right. The people are my foundation. Why should I fear Cao Cao’s struggle with me for the hearts of the gentry and powerful families?”

Liu Bei smiled boldly, his eyes regaining their firm and resolute expression.

At this moment, Xiao changed the subject and said:

"However, while the common people are the foundation, virtuous ministers and generals mostly come from aristocratic and powerful families. If the Duke of Chu wants to destroy Cao Wei and restore the Han Dynasty, neither can be neglected."

"In fact, in my spare time, I have been drafting a method for selecting officials for the Duke of Chu."

"My method of selecting officials is suitable for all, regardless of whether they come from scholarly families or humble backgrounds. Anyone with genuine talent and learning can be selected through this method and put to use for the country."

"If the Duke of Chu implements this method, he can not only compete with Cao Wei for the hearts and minds of the powerful and influential families, but also avoid the problem of them becoming too powerful and causing the monarch's power to fall into the wrong hands. He can also eliminate those mediocre and incompetent people from the families of the powerful families and select the real talents for the country."

"This method can be called a method for all ages, and it can be practiced for a thousand years!"

Xiao He, of course, was not idle.

Even Chen Qun could see that the recommendation system was too deeply entrenched and no longer suited to the times. There was no longer any ground for its restoration and implementation, so it was necessary to reform and introduce a new system.

How could Xiao He, a time traveler, not see this point?
In fact, he was present at Liu Bei's negotiation about the recommendation system when they were in Yingtian.

Although he did not express his opinion at the time, he already had a direction in mind and was already working on creating it in private.

Today, taking advantage of Chen Qun's mission, I will present this method of selecting officials to Lao Liu.

Liu Bei's expression brightened, and he stood up abruptly, his eyes brimming with boundless joy.

He never dreamed that Xiao He had quietly devised a method for selecting officials for him!

This method of selecting officials even eliminated the drawbacks of the Nine-Rank System.

Xiao He even called it a law for all ages, which could be practiced for a thousand years!

Liu Bei's face beamed with barely suppressed joy, and he quickly asked:

"Bowen, what kind of extraordinary method is your way of selecting officials that makes it so remarkable?"

(End of this chapter)