Li You was well aware of his own circumstances. While he could act freely under Liu Bei, trying the same under Emperor Liu Xie would be courting death. Compared to others, Li You knew he was firmly on Liu Xie's blacklist, especially considering his involvement in the assassination of the young emperor—a stain that could never be washed away.
"Thank you, Lord Xuande," Li You said with a calculating glint in his eye. By then, whether Liu Xie would still be in power was uncertain. When the time came, even if Liu Bei didn't wish to become emperor, he might not be able to resist the pressure from his supporters.
"If it weren't for your capabilities, Wenru, I wouldn't dare to recommend you," Liu Bei laughed heartily, though a hint of bitterness crept into his expression. "There are so many talented people outside the court, yet within the court, the virtuous are often dismissed, leaving only mediocrity to occupy important positions. It's a helpless situation."
"To sweep across the land and reshape the world—that has always been your goal, Lord Xuande. We must simply continue to do what we need to do," Li You replied calmly. Although their ambitions differed, Liu Bei's promise aligned with Li You's lifelong pursuit.
"The Lu family should be arriving soon. I've received an urgent message from Xiuruo. After that, we'll only have one weakness left," Liu Bei sighed. "In the northern regions, cavalry is crucial, and relying solely on Su Shuang's horse trade is far from sufficient."
"That's why our strategy is to secure Jizhou in one decisive battle. Once Jizhou is ours, we'll have a strong foundation to achieve our goals," Li You said confidently. His mind wandered to the hidden trump cards he had prepared—two forged ceremonial tripods, one representing the Emperor of Heaven and the other the Empress of Earth. These were intended to serve as justifications for future conflicts, symbolizing the supreme authority of the Yellow Emperor, even surpassing the imperial seal in legitimacy.
As Li You's thoughts drifted, he engaged in casual conversation with Liu Bei until Lady Zhang appeared, prompting Li You to leave with a blank expression.
Lady Zhang narrowed her eyes, watching Li You's departing figure. Only after he turned the corner did she withdraw her gaze.
"What's on your mind, Madam? Have you noticed something unusual or spotted a business opportunity? Tell me, and I can offer my advice," Liu Bei said, lounging casually in his chair. After spending much time with Lady Zhang, their interactions had become more relaxed and natural, unlike the initial awkwardness.
"Opportunities are plenty, but the Zhen family is already quite saturated. As long as we maintain our current ventures, the Zhen family will remain the top merchant house. Anything else would just be the icing on the cake," Lady Zhang said with a smile, using her silk fan to cover her mouth.
"Oh? Then what good news have you discovered?" Liu Bei responded calmly. "Only someone from the Zhen family could be so confident. But it's wise to consolidate your power—being too prominent invites trouble."
"Thank you for the advice, Lord Xuande," Lady Zhang replied unhurriedly. The Zhen family was no stranger to being in the spotlight, having held the top position for over a century. Now, with control over more than half of Jizhou's commerce, other families might be eager to take a bite out of their success. However, the local nobility, including the Yuan family, were at a disadvantage, allowing the Zhen family to flourish even further.
Seeing Lady Zhang's composed expression, Liu Bei didn't press further. The Zhen family's expansion had already reached its limit, as advised by Lu Su. Their rapid growth had made them a target, but their influence also played a vital role in Jizhou's prosperity. The Zhen family's operations had elevated the entire commercial landscape of Jizhou, increasing overall tax revenue by nearly ten percent, which was why Yuan Shao had allowed them to expand unchecked.
For Lady Zhang, overseeing the Zhen family's rapid growth had been both a challenge and a success. She had led them towards unimaginable wealth, with assets approaching a billion coins. Of course, this was in fixed assets; no merchant house could produce that much liquid currency. After all, the Han dynasty minted only a few billion coins per year.
Being one of the few "outsiders" aware of Chen Xi's plans, Lady Zhang was determined to deliver a prosperous Jizhou to Liu Bei. The better she made Jizhou, the easier it would be when the time came for action.
"By the way, Lord Xuande, I have some information to share with you privately. It's something you should be aware of," Lady Zhang said, closing her fan and looking at Liu Bei with a serious expression.
"Go ahead, I'm listening," Liu Bei replied with a smile.
"There's something off about Li Wenru. One of the concubines I sent to Xu You reported that after getting him drunk, she overheard that Li Wenru has ties to Yuan Benchu," Lady Zhang said gravely.
"You even managed to uncover that..." Liu Bei chuckled. "Yuan Benchu is getting careless."
"Wait, you knew about this? And you still allow Li Wenru to be close to you, even letting him handle confidential documents? Aren't you worried about potential problems?" Lady Zhang asked, bewildered.
"Relax, it's all part of a plan. Wenru is using me as bait to deceive Jushou and the others, and it took him considerable effort to set it up. That's also why Yuan Benchu sent me so many concubines and gifts. I'm not that naive," Liu Bei explained with a wave of his hand.
"Oh, I see. I rushed back from Jizhou just to tell you about this. By the way, is my daughter still with Lady Cai?" Lady Zhang asked, visibly relieved.
"Yes, Cai Zhaoji is tutoring Miss Cai and also teaching Mi Zhen and your daughter. She has no bias against them. It's a pity though—if Cai Zhaoji were a man, she would undoubtedly be a genius of the highest order," Liu Bei sighed.
"I wonder how much they can learn, but my daughter is clever. She may not surpass Lady Cai, but she should outshine Mi Zhen," Lady Zhang mused, clearly admiring Cai Zhaoji despite only having met her once.
"Mi Zhen is too headstrong and often causes trouble. I'm considering finding her a marriage match to help her settle down, but Zizhong won't allow it. He dotes on his only sister. By the way, Zichuan should be back soon, right?" Liu Bei shook his head, recalling Mi Zhen's antics.
"How would I know such things?" Lady Zhang replied with a laugh. "I just returned from Jizhou."
"When he returns, I'll greet him as usual. Funny how I'm always the one to welcome him back," Liu Bei said with a smile. Despite all the changes in his status and responsibilities, his heart remained the same as it had been at the beginning.