Northern Dynasties Imperial Industry

Prince Chen Chang's closeness and flattery of the Western Wei Dynasty were too obvious, which not only embarrassed Chen Baxian, the emperor and his father, but also caused dissatisfaction among other people in the country.

Compared with Chen Chang's return, he was treated with great attention and praise by the stars, while Chen Xu, who returned to Jiangdong with him, was treated much worse. Except for his close family members who expressed joy and welcome for his return, he had almost no sense of existence outside.

Chen Baxian did not treat his nephew badly, and he was given various treatments such as being crowned king and being granted official positions. After all, the power of the Chen clan was relatively weak, and any member of the clan had to make reasonable use of it.

However, there has never been a specific criterion for judging the so-called good and bad, and it is mainly the self-perception obtained by each person through comparison. Therefore, even if they are in the same situation and treatment, people with different personalities will have different feelings and judgments, not to mention that the difference in treatment between Chen Chang and Chen Xu after their return was so great.

At least in Chen Xu's view, the series of arrangements he received after returning to the country were the treatments he should enjoy as a nephew of the Chen family. However, he lived in Guanzhong for several years as a hostage, and suffered humiliation and abuse such as wife seizure. After returning, he did not receive a reasonable compensation, and there was a certain gap in his heart.

However, this gap cannot be clearly and directly expressed. After all, in the eyes of the public, he has been blessed with his current situation and status. Even if he does not receive reasonable compensation, it will not resonate with the masses, but will attract criticism. It is difficult to express directly, so he can only express his dissatisfaction and indignation through discussions and criticisms of various current events.

Therefore, unlike the crown prince Chen Chang, who admired the Western Wei Dynasty and was happy to cooperate with the Western Wei Dynasty, Chen Xu always maintained a sober and calm attitude after returning to the country. He said on various occasions that the Western Wei Dynasty was now the number one enemy of their survival and development in the Southern Chen Dynasty. The Chinese people should be vigilant and not be eager for quick success and only see the good side of the alliance with the Western Wei Dynasty, but completely ignore the bad side.

Chen Xu's attitude and statement soon gained the support and agreement of many people, because this was the fact, but because the gap in strength between the two sides was too great, even if it was overemphasized, it would not have much practical significance, but would destroy the cooperative relationship and good atmosphere between the two sides. Therefore, not many people talked about this situation before.

However, now that the prince's attitude is too exposed, coupled with the emergence of personnel conflicts in the country, it has also stimulated the rebellious psychology of some Jiankang people. They may not dare to directly disobey and offend the prince, but they have a great sense of identity with Chen Xu, the King of Shixing, who also returned from Chang'an, Wei State, and whose attitude towards Wei State is completely opposite to that of the prince.

So soon, a group of like-minded people who were deeply wary and dissatisfied with the Western Wei gathered around Chen Xu, becoming an opinion leader who could participate in state affairs discussions and express his own views in the court, and also quickly found his position in the current situation.

After the news of the negotiation to take back Huainan reached Jiankang, Chen Xu, as usual, had to pour some cold water on it. So while the prince was speaking excitedly, Chen Xu said in a lukewarm tone: "Wei and Qi are both northern barbarian countries. They are attacking each other. What difference does the victory or defeat make to us?

Wei's victory is not worth celebrating, Qi's victory is not worth mourning, and it is totally unreasonable to get carried away and rejoice over the Huainan incident! Isn't it Wei that has swallowed up the most territory in our southern country? Bashu, Jingxiang and Jingxiang have not been returned. Now that they have taken the Huainan counties from Qi, how can they be easily returned to our country!"

As soon as these words came out, the mood of many Jiankang people who were rushing to celebrate immediately cooled down, and they became sad again, and then began to blame the northern expedition soldiers who sent troops to Huainan.

If these northern expedition soldiers could take back Huainan in one fell swoop when the battle between the two northern countries was the most intense and they had no time to look south, it would undoubtedly make things less complicated. At that time, even if Wei had any ideas, it would not be convenient to do anything subversive due to the restrictions of the alliance, and it could only admit this fact.

But now, although Qi's forces withdrew from Huainan, it was the more powerful Wei that took over. Chen not only needed to rely on Wei more, but it would also be more difficult to recover Huainan through conventional means!

Chen Xu was also very pleased that his words caused the calmness and reflection of the people in Jiankang, so he took this opportunity to continue to express his views and said in front of people: "In the old days, Qi was the most powerful, so Wei needed to seek mutual protection with our country to resist Qi. Now the situation of the enemy has reversed, Wei is strong and Qi is weak, and it is no longer the situation of previous years. Our country also needs to guard against the difficulties of big countries, and we cannot reach it. The wisdom of the predecessors is that the three countries are now in a tripod. If the weak want to be safe for a long time, they should not stick to the old alliance and should move with the situation!"

If the previous speeches can still inspire and warn people, then this speech seems a bit out of line and meaningless. Regardless of how the people felt after hearing these words, Chen Baxian was already somewhat displeased.

He took the time to summon Chen Xu to his presence, and said in a stern voice, "We are not united with the State of Wei just for the sake of profit. In addition to mutual benefit, the alliance between the two sides is also due to dissatisfaction with the traitorous Qi's betrayal of heaven and justice. You and the crown prince were able to return home safely and reunite with your relatives and friends because of the generous care of the King of Tang of Wei. You should also be grateful for this kindness and should not always complain about it!

Now that Jiangdong has been reconciled to the chaos, everything is in need of restoration. A man with ambition and strength will not worry about not having anything to do. It is better to be involved in the secular world than to be good at grand theories. Everything in the world is not a matter of luck. Even if you are lucky for a while, you still need to match your talents and strength to make your career smooth. You are now in the age of cultivating ambition and establishing things, so you should be more diligent in thinking, speaking and acting! "

Chen Xu was naturally full of awe for his uncle. After hearing this, he nodded repeatedly and said that he would definitely learn his lesson and no longer speak nonsense. However, after leaving Taicheng, he couldn't help but feel angry again. He had just been beaten and didn't dare to talk in front of others, so he went to find his brother Chen Qian to complain.

Chen Qian now serves as the Yin of Danyang, and his office is located in the city of Danyang County on the southeast side of Jiankang City. Although Chen Xu did not receive as much attention as the crown prince Chen Chang after his return, the officials in the county city were not unfamiliar with this prince. The Yin of Danyang has a special position, usually held by the royal family or the emperor's trusted ministers. Maybe one day this Shixing King will become As their immediate superior, when they saw Chen Xu coming, they hurriedly welcomed him into the county city and immediately reported to Chen Qian in the county government.

Unlike Chen Xu who was more or less idle after returning to the country, Chen Qian had played an important role in the rise and dominance of his uncle Chen Baxian. After the establishment of the Chen Dynasty, he was also highly valued. He had previously served in important positions in the Three Wus and was recently recalled to the court to serve as the important position of Jing Yin, responsible for supervising the food and grass of the Northern Expedition Division. Naturally, he was busy with official duties.

After learning of Chen Xu's arrival, Chen Qian was busy dealing with his desk affairs while asking someone to call him into the hall. He looked at Chen Xu and said with a smile: "You are not in the mansion today to feast with the people, how can you have time to visit me here? "

This remark hit Chen Xu's heart even harder. For a moment, he ignored the other assistants in the county government and sighed, "Today I know how difficult it is to be a human being. Because I was rash and reckless before, His Majesty summoned me to the palace today to reprimand me..."

When Chen Qian heard this, his face suddenly darkened. He raised his hand and waved to signal Chen Xu not to continue. He didn't want to read the case file in detail. He raised his hand and handed it to the official, then stood up and signaled Chen Xu to follow him to the side hall. After dismissing the strangers, he asked in a deep voice, "What's going on?"

Chen Xu then lowered his head and told the story. After listening, Chen Qian frowned and said in a deep voice, "You also know that the current Wei Kingdom is difficult and difficult to climb, but you still speak ill of others. It is normal for His Majesty to teach you a lesson. Things are accomplished in secrecy, two or three confidants are enough to conspire together, words can lead to failure, a single word can ruin things! Since you are not cunning, don't make any grand speeches! "

"But the prince also often..."

Chen Xu heard his brother also blaming him, and he became more unhappy, and he was about to speak out again.

However, before the man finished speaking, Chen Qian said in a deep voice: "Is the prince a vulgar person? The prince is the crown prince and the ruler. If he says and does the right thing, he naturally needs to follow his behavior. Even if his words and deeds are inappropriate, if he is willing to accept advice, then give advice, if he is not willing to accept advice, then be careful with what you say!" After hearing this, Chen Xu lowered his head again, and after a while he said in a muffled voice: "Does my brother also think that there is nothing wrong with the alliance with Wei and that it can be maintained without any precautions? Before, he asked our country for help and sent the prince and me back to our country. Now that he has defeated a powerful enemy and is more powerful, he will surely ask for hostages. Who should he send? Could it be that my brother also wants to taste the bitter and astringent water in Chang'an? "

"Is it important...what I think? I am not the one who decides the matter, but I just need to obey the order. My family is no longer a poor family in Wu, all thanks to my uncle's great power, and my brothers are where they are today, all thanks to this. I am not smart enough to make big plans, so don't speak frivolously. Just listen to my uncle's plans in everything!" Chen Qian said seriously again, because he had followed all the way and witnessed Chen Baxian's entrepreneurial process with his own eyes, so he knew that what he had now was not easy to get, and he attached great importance to it in his heart, unlike Chen Xu who had all kinds of complaints in his heart.