webnovelfull Chapter 661 Two Bet
Chapter 661 Two Bet
The multi-ship was a specialty of Jiangdong, and Chen Yu didn't have such a high-end ship, so he could only lead dozens of small boats back with great difficulty.
Moreover, to prevent the Wei navy from patrolling, the transaction was conducted far from the coastline, and Chen Yu sailed for a long time before landing at dawn.
They traveled overland for another two days, finally returning to Xiapi, the capital of Xuzhou, at noon on the third day.
After returning home, he did not rest but immediately went to see the current head of the Chen family, his father Chen Pi.
The head of the Chen family is Chen Deng's eldest son, Chen Su, but Chen Su is currently serving as a physician in Luoyang, so the affairs of the clan have fallen to their branch.
After reporting on the maritime trade to his father Chen Pi, Chen Yu handed him a copy of "The Legend of the White Snake" and said, "Father, this is a book that Zhang Xiu asked me to help distribute. I have read the contents of the book, and it contains the private agenda of the imperial examination. I would like to ask you to decide whether to distribute it or destroy it on the spot."
Chen Pi took the book and flipped through it carefully for two hours before finishing. Then, with a gloomy face, he said, "They want to use the imperial examination to eradicate the roots of our aristocratic family! That damned Liu Bei is utterly despicable! Wait, this is definitely not Liu Bei's idea. It must have been Guan Xing, that despicable scoundrel, who came up with this."
Liu Bei had served as the governor of Xuzhou and had close dealings with the Chen family. Chen Pi had even worked under Liu Bei and was very clear about Liu Bei's character, morality, and style of doing things. Therefore, he was certain that the imperial examination system was not Liu Bei's idea.
Looking at the entire puppet Han regime, Chen Pi couldn't think of anyone else besides Guan Xing, the Marquis of Shence, who could come up with such a terrible idea.
Chen Yu said, "It doesn't matter who came up with this idea. What's important is how we respond to the fact that the pseudo-Han have already made their move. Why don't we do as my son suggested and destroy them all? Don't let a single copy leak out."
Chen Pi was intrigued by this, but after pondering for a long time, he shook his head helplessly and said, "It's no use. This book is definitely not just for you. The pseudo-Han people must have found others to help distribute it. Unless everyone who receives the book destroys it voluntarily, even if only one family distributes it, our destruction will be meaningless. But do you think other noble families or merchants will destroy it voluntarily?"
Chen Yu shook his head. It might be possible for aristocratic families, but it was absolutely impossible for merchants and people from poor families. There was no point in even thinking about it.
Chen Pi said, "In this way, our destruction will not only be meaningless, but will also completely offend Liu Bei. If Liu Bei really succeeds in his northern expedition in the future, he will definitely settle accounts with our Chen family later."
The Chen family betrayed Liu Bei back then. If they do it again now, once Liu Bei's Northern Expedition succeeds, he will definitely settle old scores with them, both new and old.
Thinking of the consequences, Chen Yu became uneasy and hurriedly asked, "Then what should we do?"
Chen Pi was at a loss. He paced back and forth anxiously, frowning and struggling for a good quarter of an hour before finally making up his mind. He gritted his teeth and said, "Now the Han and Wei are facing each other across the river. It is hard to say who will win or lose. Our Chen family cannot put all our hopes on the court (Cao Wei). If we lose, the Chen family will be finished."
"Now that the patriarch is an official in the court, let's go after the fake Han, or rather, the big Han. Since destroying them is useless, let's spread them with all our might and keep a record. When we see Zhang Xiu next time, we'll give him the record and use it to present our pledge of allegiance to Liu Bei."
Destroying the books would not only fail to stop their spread, but would also completely offend Liu Bei, making it a losing proposition no matter how you look at it.
The aristocratic class valued survival through compromise. This philosophy of survival meant they lacked the courage to take a desperate gamble when faced with a formidable adversary. More importantly, they were not particularly loyal to Cao Wei.
In this way, there's no need to consider loyalty or righteousness; only the issue of profit needs to be considered. Hedging risks by betting on both sides is in the best interest of the aristocratic class.
Chen Yu said worriedly, "I have no objection, but if the court finds out that we are secretly helping Liu Bei, won't our family be in trouble? After all, Xuzhou is still part of the territory of Wei."
Chen Pi stroked his beard and said, "You're right. Then we'll divide the books in two, take one half, pack it in a box, seal it, and transport it to the capital to be given to the head of the family (Chen Su). The head of the family will then give it to Grand Tutor Zhong for disposal. The other half will be secretly distributed. Remember to distribute it secretly, so that no one knows that it came from our Chen family."
"Understood, I will take care of it right away." Chen Yu bowed and took his leave, bidding farewell to his father as he continued his work.
The first step is to sell the goods bought from Zhang Xiu. Large families like the Chen family have many traveling merchants in their hands. These traveling merchants are similar to distributors or agents in later generations. You can sell the goods to them without having to go out on the street to sell them yourself.
Therefore, within three days, Chen Yu sold all the goods he had bought from Zhang Xiu at a price 50% higher than the original price.
Thanks to the border blockade imposed by Cao Wei, the prices of goods from Jiangnan have collectively increased. As long as there are goods, there is no worry about selling them. Therefore, this trip alone has made the Chen family a fortune. If the shipping route can continue, it is estimated that in a few years, the Chen family's wealth will surpass that of the Mi family back then.
But wealth alone is not enough; one must also have political standing. Look at the Mi family, for example. Although they had lost their former wealth, they gained an unprecedented status in the puppet Han regime. Mi Zhu was even granted the title of Duke. The Chen family, on the other hand, faced the risk of being purged by Liu Bei afterward.
To help Liu Bei forget the unpleasantness of the past, Chen Yu took the propaganda very seriously. Moreover, he dared not entrust this task to anyone else and could only do it secretly. Therefore, every time Chen Yu went out, he would carry several copies of the Legend of the White Snake in his arms and secretly throw them into a corner when no one was paying attention, waiting for someone destined to pick them up.
While throwing out the books, he would secretly jot them down in a small notebook, intending to hand them over to Zhang Xiu the next time he received the goods, so that Zhang Xiu could deliver them to the puppet Han court. It's good to let the person involved know about doing good deeds.
As a result, within just a few days, books were stuffed into the mansions of noble families, the corners of restaurants, and even under the beds of courtesans.
The person who finds the book will definitely be curious about what is recorded inside. Those who can read will read it themselves, and those who cannot read will find someone who can read to read it. Especially those noble ladies with a strong desire to share, they will definitely tell the story to their best friends, then discuss it with their best friends, and then their best friends will tell their best friends or family members. In this way, the spread is faster than a plague.
With the help of well-meaning people, the story of "The Legend of the White Snake" quickly spread like wildfire throughout Xiapi City, and even reached other places.
Although most people are just laymen watching the spectacle and don't understand the hidden agendas in the book, if even one or two out of ten readers understand them, it will spark reflection on the imperial examination system and shake the foundation of Cao Wei's Nine-Rank System.
That afternoon, Chen Yu returned to his family drunk. As soon as he entered, an ordinary-looking young man rushed over, handed him a book, and said, "Young master, I don't know who threw this book. It hit me on the head over the wall. Please take a look."
When Chen Yu took the book, he saw that it was "The Legend of the White Snake" and his face darkened. Sure enough, they were not the only ones distributing the book; others had also received the task and put it into action.
Fortunately, fortunately, it wasn't destroyed, otherwise the Chen family would not only have been unable to harm Liu Bei, but would have completely offended him.
While secretly rejoicing, Chen Yu asked, "Xingxian, have you read this book? What do you think of it?"
The young man's name was Pi Dan, courtesy name Xingxian. He was a retainer of the Chen family. As a retainer, he was naturally from a poor family. Otherwise, which noble young master would serve as a retainer for a merchant like Chen Yu who did not even hold an official position?
A glint of light flashed in Pidan's eyes, and he said in a serious tone, "If the imperial court establishes this so-called imperial examination, this humble servant will certainly give it his full support!"