Inside the private room, Xu Xingchen felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles; at this moment, he desperately wanted to leave, not wanting to stay for another second.
He hated this uncertainty, this fear of the unknown, which made him feel very insecure.
Xia Chen in front of him was truly too dangerous.
A wise man does not stand under a tottering wall!
He glanced towards the door, only to find that at some point, Xia Qian had quietly positioned himself by the door, seemingly guarding the two of them, but also specifically blocking his path.
Xu Xingchen sighed inwardly; he had always considered himself extremely intelligent, but today it was as if he had walked into a tiger's den.
And he had walked in willingly; now, he couldn't leave even if he wanted to.
Xia Chen's lips curved into a slight smile as he quietly watched the somewhat restless Xu Xingchen.
"Brother Xu, what's wrong? Are you perhaps a little hungry? The dishes should be served soon. Let's drink first!"
Xia Chen picked up the wine cup and poured a drink for Xu Xingchen. Xu Xingchen looked at the cup, gritted his teeth, took it, and drained it in one gulp.
"Director, I was reckless today. I'll punish myself with a drink!"
Xu Xingchen knew that he hadn't thought things through today. He still knew nothing about Xia Chen, yet he had rashly come forward, wanting to observe him up close.
Ultimately, he had underestimated the heroes of the world!
"There's no need to punish yourself. Just answer my question, Brother Xu. Do you truly believe that the world today is peaceful and prosperous?"
Xia Chen still smiled, yet he also gave off a sense of seriousness. Xu Xingchen gritted his teeth, knowing he could no longer muddle through. If he didn't answer well today, he likely wouldn't be able to walk out of this door.
What if Xia Chen accused him of some crime, like being a spy for the Surveillance Institute or the Imperial City Bureau, or colluding with enemy countries, and directly threw him into the Lantern Bearer Prison? That would be troublesome.
He had been too low-key all these years and didn't know any important figures in the capital. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel some regret. He should have revealed some of his talents earlier and gotten to know a few powerful individuals, so he wouldn't be without connections when he encountered trouble now.
"Although our Great Wu is currently strong militarily, its finances have long been unsustainable, and it can only operate by continuously increasing taxes.
In the common people, there have already been instances of people starving to death due to insufficient food rations.
Over the years, the pawnshops in the capital and the brothels and entertainment venues on Su Yu Street have sprung up like mushrooms after rain, and the price of a single visit has continuously decreased over the past three years.
This is enough to show that competition in these places, like brothels and entertainment venues, is becoming increasingly fierce, and there are more and more girls, and they are becoming more and more beautiful. The reason for this is that ordinary families cannot survive and can only sell their children. Although entering a brothel is shameful, it is better than starving to death..."
Xu Xingchen's voice was filled with indignation and heaviness. Xia Chen looked at Xu Xingchen seriously, thinking, 'This kid is really something!'
He even knew that the brothel industry could reflect the current state of society, and by observing industries like brothels, one could see through to the essence and understand the root causes of social problems...
Xu Xingchen continued:
"Now, Great Wu still has the Eight Kings garrisoned in the provinces. These Eight Kings are like local emperors, exploiting the common people. Many people are tormented by them, and their lives are miserable.
More importantly, more than half of these Eight Kings are ambitious...
Externally, there are Qing Country and Great Feng, and the situation in the Northwest is volatile, with a war potentially breaking out at any time.
Indeed, there are problems in the world today. Our Wu Dynasty appears strong, but it is like oil cooking in a raging fire; if we are not careful, a great upheaval will come."
Xu Xingchen said seriously.
"So, Brother Xu has been lying low, seeking a wise ruler, waiting for the world to fall into chaos, to help a true Dragon ascend to power, and thereby gain the merit of aiding the Dragon!"
Xia Chen chuckled, as if speaking casually and unintentionally.
Xu Xingchen, sitting opposite Xia Chen, instantly broke out in a cold sweat.
He knew all that? He saw through all of that?
Even someone as composed as Xu Xingchen felt a tremor in his heart, becoming extremely uneasy.
He hadn't forgotten Xia Chen's current identity: a Lantern Bearers, a loyal servant of the court, the current Your Majesty's son-in-law!
The Xia family had been loyal to the imperial family for 600 years!
That's why they had always been able to lead troops and gain the emperor's trust.
Now that he had been completely seen through, Xu Xingchen regretted it deeply. One wrong move, and the whole game was lost.
He might truly fall here today!
He was a man with grand ambitions, determined to become a Grand Secretary, and not just any Grand Secretary. He wanted to achieve the feat of unifying the world and become the first Grand Secretary in history.
But now he was about to die before his ambition could be realized!
"What do you think of the other two countries?"
Xia Chen still smiled and asked another question.
"Although these two countries have some internal corruption, there are still some loyal officials and capable generals. Their national power has declined somewhat, but their Luck is still there!"
Xu Xingchen sighed. He had already thought of the worst outcome, so he no longer hid anything and spoke freely.
"So, in the situation of the three kingdoms standing against each other, our strongest country is actually the most dangerous."
"Yes, Your Majesty likes war. Currently, our country shows signs of internal disintegration. If Your Majesty is willing to begin recuperation and appoint me as Grand Secretary, I can reverse this situation within five years!"
Xu Xingchen was like a drawn sword, now revealing his sharp edge. He had seen the crisis of death, so he abandoned his previous strategy of remaining low-key.
He wanted to attract Xia Chen's attention with his astonishing words, hoping to revive this dead end, and through Xia Chen, make the court's powerful figures, or even Your Majesty, notice him.
As long as someone was willing to give him a chance, he would surely be able to demonstrate his value. Although this step was very risky, he had no choice but to take a gamble.
...
"Xu Xingchen, from a humble background, was exceptionally intelligent from a young age, unmatched in his village. At seven years old, a Daoist priest, dressed in rags but with an extraordinary demeanor, arrived in the village.
The Daoist priest sought lodging at the Xu family. Seeing Xingchen's intelligence, he tested him with questions. At that time, Xingchen had already mastered all the Confucian classics and understood many principles of the world. The Daoist priest was greatly surprised and stayed at the Xu family.
Xingchen took the Daoist priest as his teacher, and the Daoist priest personally taught him for five years. No one knew what the Daoist priest taught, only that Xingchen became increasingly steady, appearing mature beyond his young age.
When he was thirteen, the Daoist priest bid farewell to the Xu family. Before leaving, he left Xingchen a book titled 'The Way of the King'.
—'Xia History', Volume 1, Biography of Xu Xingchen, Chapter 13"
PS: Thanks to 【Boring Little White】 for the 【Great God Certification】 reward, specially adding an extra chapter for him!