Chapter 113: All in the Bag

If they are not familiar after all, then Guo Jia, in this drunken state, comes to see me, the lord of a province.

That is indeed a bit disrespectful.

If someone had a worse temper, they would have been thrown out on the spot.

During Su Ye's travels, he spent considerable time among the Confucians.

Therefore, having met Xun Yu, this beautiful jade of the Confucian Xun clan,

So, those close friends of his around him, Su Ye would naturally not have missed meeting them.

Including Guo Jia, that old drunkard who constantly mooches food and drink from Xun Yu!

Guo Jia tipped his head back and gulped a mouthful of wine, laughing loudly: "Wine is water in form, fire in nature; it warms the throat and inflames the heart. Life is like wine—you know its chill and warmth yourself."

"Act as you please, without fussing over trivialities."

"Life is brief; why cling to worldly views?"

Seeing Guo Jia's proud, self‑admitted drunkard look, Su Ye laughed and shook his head.

Who let them be so capable?

That's naturally because we dote on him!

Which lord could refuse a lovable sacrificial libationer who constantly offers brilliant schemes, is candid and uncompetitive, seeks no power or profit, and can chat heart‑to‑heart without any pressure?

"Gongda harbors hills and valleys in his chest; nowadays his expression is solemn, but over this period has he gained new insight into the state of the world?"

A flicker of helplessness passed through Su Ye's eyes, then he turned to the perpetually solemn Xun You.

"The world's tides: long division leads to union, long union leads to division. The wise act with the times; the foolish go against reason."

"In today's world, clouds shift unpredictably; only by assessing the situation and planning from within the tent can one win victories a thousand li away."

Xun You clasped his fists and replied in a deep voice.

You this

It's not bad to give a reaction.

"Changwen, coming from a prominent aristocratic family, surely has a unique view on the rise and fall of clans."

"May I ask how Changwen views the relationship between clans and the state?"

Seeing Xun You's calm, unreadable face, Su Ye could only turn his gaze to the nearby Chen Qun, dressed as a scion of an aristocratic family.

"Clans and the state support each other; clans take talent as their foundation, the state takes talent as its base."

"Clans nurture virtuous talent to assist the ruler in governing the world; the state selects virtuous talent to consolidate rule and prosper."

"Yet clans must also adapt to the times and strive for strength, or else they will become dust in history."

Seeing Su Ye's inquiry, thinking his future would be toiling under someone else, Chen Qun raised his head, puffed his chest, and answered confidently.

"Today, having the aid of these four masters is like gaining a hundred thousand troops!"

"I wish to join forces with these four masters to plan a great undertaking and create brilliance!"

Su Ye looked at the four great talents before him, clapped his hands and laughed loudly.

"The lord honors the virtuous and seeks talent as if thirsty; he is truly a wise ruler."

"We are willing to exert our utmost to assist the lord in achieving a great accomplishment."

Xun Yu bowed and returned the salute.

All four are men with hidden depths; now that they have arrived within Cangzhou's Azure Spirit City,

Then they naturally have long been prepared to devote themselves to Su Ye.

Otherwise, why would they have come?

Just to eat their fill and idle?

"As long as fine wine accompanies me, where is not home?"

"Guo Jia wishes to follow the lord in campaigning to the four directions, drinking deeply of the world's fine wines!"

Guo Jia waved his wine jug with a flourish, drunk and smiling at Su Ye.

"Changwen is willing to lend the lord a helping hand and jointly plan a great undertaking!"

The aristocratic scion Chen Qun also declared with lofty ambition.

But he spoke only for himself, not bringing the entire Chen clan.

This is the survival strategy of clans in troubled times.

Although nowadays most aspiring individuals have already seen that the Great Qian dynasty is beset by wind and rain.

And someone of Chen Qun's caliber need not even be mentioned.

Now Su Ye, without realizing it, has come to be regarded as the most promising imperial star within the Great Qian realm.

He holds the East Ning and East Ling passes, and he also possesses this tract of land in Cangzhou.

Thereafter he could inherit the Nine Heavens Army, hundreds of thousands of armored troops, battle‑hardened veterans.

And the fertile land of Yunzhou, which has been managed for hundreds of years by the Cloud Prince's Mansion and the Nine Heavens Army.

His future is exceedingly bright!

Yet even so, the Chen clan within the Great Qian realm dispatched only Chen Qun, their direct lineal descendant.

One does not put all one's eggs in a single basket—a principle followed by all clans since ancient times.

It is also their means of survival!

"With the aid of these four masters, my great undertaking can be accomplished!"

"Jin Yu will surely not disappoint the lofty expectations of these four masters!"

Su Ye watched as Xun Yu and the four others rose and bowed; he laughed heartily, stood, went up to each of the four great talents, and shook hands in cordial fellowship.

At this moment the hall was filled with laughter and lofty aspirations.

Xun Yu and the four others likewise found a sense of belonging, resolved to assist the wise lord in the impending tumult to jointly create a brand‑new era!

Afterwards, Su Ye hosted a banquet to entertain Xun Yu and four people; at the table they raised cups, engaged in lively talk, and jointly plotted a grand blueprint for the future.

"Ding! Detected that the host has already summoned Lang Fan Yun, Xue Ren Gui, and Xun Yu, three people; balance is about to begin, please host prepare."

Just after chatting with Xun Yu and others until midnight, Su Ye returned to his room and had not yet lain down when he received the system's prompt sound.

Su Ye stared for a while, then shook his head to dispel the drunkenness in his mind and regain his composure.

"Has it already cycled once?"

Su Ye closed his eyes, thinking about the system's balance rule.

The system had previously said that balance is according to the number of times one has summoned, each time cycling three, four, or five rounds.

The previous balance's Shang Dynasty grand gift package was for five balances.

So this balance should cycle once, restarting from three.

Today I have summoned once, plus the previous summons of Lang Fan Yun and Xue Ren Gui, two people.

Exactly three times, triggering the balance rule.

"Then let's balance!"

The quality of these three summons of mine is not low—Lang Fan Yun, Xue Ren Gui, and Xun Yu, three people.

Besides Lang Fan Yun, who is a Cultivation, Xue Ren Gui and Xun Yu are not Saint Rank, yet they can rival Saint Rank talents.

Therefore, the quality of this balance probably won't be poor either.

But Su Ye didn't care.

The fattest, biggest piece of meat has already been eaten entirely by me.

Lang Fan Yun brought along Li Ruohai and Feng Han.

The personnel summoned by Xue Ren Gui, because Tie Shi Wen was intercepted, are considered to have been completely captured by Su Ye.

As for Xun Yu's summoned personnel, the strongest few were all brought by Xun Yu to Cangzhou.

These captured personnel of mine, added together.

Can offset more than ten summons.

As for all those involved in this balance added together, it's not certain whether the quality of this group of captured personnel in my possession is higher.

Therefore, even if this balance yields none for me.

Just relying on these captured personnel, my three summons are absolutely profitable.

No need to, like other imperial stars under heaven, bitterly scramble for food and compete for these balance personnel.

"Ding! Detected that the host has summoned three times, balance system activated, host take note."

"Ding! The first person in balance, Sima Yi, Commander-in-Chief 98, martial 80, intellect 100, politics 99."

Summoned personnel: Jia Xu, Xu You, Cheng Yu, Zhang Chunhua, Sima Shi, Sima Zhao, Sima Lang, Sima Fu, Sima Kui, Sima Xun, Sima Jin, Sima Tong, Sima Min.

Installed as the prominent Sima family, a distinguished clan in the capital of the Great Yong Dynasty; currently, due to family reasons, Sima Yi has entered the world and joined the Great Yong court, bringing several members of the Sima family's 'Eight Greats' to contend with Cao Cao in the Great Yong court.

Good fellow, the old geezer Sima Yi has arrived!

Thanks for the monthly tickets from Zhang Lin19880809, Star Master here, marryme?, book friend 20220707181641836, book friend 20220402222951638, book friend 20210205142821064, book friend 20170209223423332, book friend 20221126182711026, book friend 20170302054530598.

Also, tips from Weiyangz, padapoo, and Heavenly Thunder Crazy Rider.

Thanks, brothers!

(End of chapter)