Chapter 1213: Good Enough
Wei Yan, Xuu Chu, and Wuu Anguo looked at Yu Jin. As Inner Qi Manifestation practitioners, they had yet to possess Legion Talent, but Yu Jin, who hadn't yet crossed that threshold, already had achieved the highest honor for a military general.
"Is that really the case?" Gan Ning said in a somewhat incredulous manner. Legion Talent was not, in fact, a gift bestowed by heaven upon the Inner Qi Manifestation practitioners.
"Actually, Juo Yi and Gao Gongzheng also have Legion Talent, but the powerful Military Spirit overshadows it," Hua Xiong thought for a moment and said, "We hadn't paid attention before."
"Alright, Wen Ze, congratulations; I'll host a banquet for you later," Liu Bei clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention. "I recall something Zichuan once said, and I'd like to share it with all of you."
Everyone looked at Liu Bei, and Yu Jin also stood up. A mixture of relief, excitement, and regret washed over him, transforming into a long sigh. If he had pushed himself a little harder and been more confident back then, he would have taken that final step to break through the last barrier within his heart.
"Zichuan once told me that for people, the hardest thing to see clearly is themselves. If you don't push yourself, you'll never know what your limits are. May these words inspire you all!" Liu Bei solemnly said.
While Liu Bei was opening a motivational assembly for the military generals, Chen Xi gathered all the civil officers to hold an expanded world map conference.
Basically, it was about gathering all the notable figures to prepare them psychologically. However, unlike Liu Bei, who could rally many generals, the number of people at the civil officer level wasn't that many.
"Is something big happening here?" Xun Yue frowned as he looked at everyone present. Upon hearing of Chen Xi's banquet, he had quickly left his house, dodging Xun Shuang's reprimands, and arrived only to see this unexpected scenario.
"Sit over here," Mann Chong called out as he waved over Xun Yue, with whom he shared a revolutionary friendship. Once both were seated together, they began discussing how to successfully utilize the Human Cauldron; after all, they still hadn't decided how to engrave it!
Looking at the jovial scene between Mann Chong and Xun Yue, Liu Ye couldn't help but feel a bit downhearted. Mann Chong used to only have him as a friend, so how did Xun Yue suddenly pop up? It seemed Legalists had more in common with each other!
"Is there something significant you need to notify us about?" Xu Shu asked with a smile as he looked at those seated in the main hall. Despite his grin, there was no hint of amusement in his eyes; gathering all these people couldn't be a trivial matter, and it certainly didn't match what Chen Xi claimed as just a banquet—the atmosphere was entirely different!
"Yes, it's something significant. Please, take a seat first," Chen Xi gestured for Xu Shu to sit beside him.
"This is indeed a major event!" Even Liu Yan, not concerned with political affairs, was brought here by Chen Xi. Although Liu Yan himself had no interest in politics, there were matters at his level that he had to be informed about, irrespective of his personal inclinations.
"It pertains to your future social circles," Chen Xi said, rolling his eyes. Liu Yan had been observing the livelihoods of the people along with a group of noted scholars throughout the month.
"What are you planning to do? Is this a group meal?" Qu Qi curiously asked. Previously, he had been studying fertilizers at home when military officers came to bring him over.
"Just sit here," Chen Xi replied, somewhat exasperated.
"Zichuan, is there some big event happening?" said Mi Zhu, who had been busy with nonstop government affairs and had just been released from his duties. "Is it related to commerce? If not, I'll go back to work; I've been so busy lately I'm about to drop!"
"Sit and listen first, then talk about going back. Later, Zijing will help with your political duties," Chen Xi calculated Mi Zhu's pace of handling government affairs and felt it was almost time for year-end reconciliation, so he decided to enlist Lub Su's help.
Lub Su glanced discontentedly at Chen Xi. Whenever there was nothing to do, Chen Xi wouldn't take up the task himself and would just let him do it—what was the point of that?
Eventually, Zhuge Liang and Jiangh Wan, the furthest away, managed to arrive. For some reason, after having only met a few times, Zhuge Liang and Jiangh Wan seemed to be getting along quite well.
"Hey, why is Jiangh Gong Yan here?" Fa Zheng asked Chen Xi through voice transmission. He could understand Xu Shu and Zhuge Liang's presence, as well as Liu Yan and Mi Zhu being old ministers, but what kind of a position did Jiangh Gong Yan have?
"Do you think he's unqualified?" Chen Xi asked, without looking his way.
"Of course, Wang Shuzhi and others are more qualified than Jiangh Gong Yan," Fa Zheng said with no small amount of frustration. "Those who can be privy to this must be trusted for their discretion—is Jiangh Gong Yan trustworthy?"
"I think he's great," Chen Xi replied, rolling his eyes again. He didn't want to mention that he had only invited Zhuge Liang, and if Jiangh Gong Yan happened to accompany him, it was no surprise, but now wasn't the time to admit as much.
Fa Zheng showed a faint hint of displeasure but, seeing everyone else around him was nonchalant, he stopped transmitting messages to Chen Xi.
Jiangh Wan then realized he came at an inopportune moment. He had been chatting with Zhuge Liang at home when military officers appeared to invite Zhuge Liang to the Chen Residence.
Zhuge Liang had even asked the soldiers if it was an urgent matter, to which they responded, "Marquis Chen is hosting guests, announcing new snacks, and inviting Secretary-General Zhuge Liang to attend."
Zhuge Liang laughed heartily upon hearing this since Chen Xi often invited people to taste new snacks, with him, Fa Zheng, Guo Jia, and Lul Xun among those frequently enlisted. Generally, dishes from the Chen Family were reliable.
Thinking it was a casual meeting, Zhuge Liang had taken it lightly and, enjoying his conversation with Jiangh Wan, brought him along. Chen Xi never minded guests bringing others to dine at his home, and Zhuge Liang had good relations with the Chen Family, having stayed in their inner courtyard for months initially.
However, upon entering and seeing Liu Bei's high-ranked civil officers present—all except those absent from Ye City—it was clear there was no ambiance of merely hosting guests. It felt more like gearing up to confront a formidable force.
So, when Jiangh Wan entered, he felt quite awkward. But after Chen Xi noticed him and pointed to a seat beside Zhuge Liang, saying, "Gong Yan, sit here. No need to hold back—you'll benefit from listening as it concerns many future matters," Jiangh Wan finally relaxed, able to sit calmly at the lower end of the table, ready to listen to Chen Xi's discourse.
[Jiangh Gong Yan is indeed impressive, worthy of cultivation,] Li Youu silently noted. He had paid attention to Jiangh Wan before, recognizing his comprehensive talents but had always been too impressed with Zhuge Liang to give others much thought.
Unbeknownst to Jiangh Wan, as he sat down with a composed mind, many present looked upon him with admiration, though many around his age were there, having been molded by vastly different environments. Adjusting so quickly attested to his remarkable excellence.