Chapter 1086: Why Is A'Dou Named Liu Shan?

Yizhou itself had a full complement of civil and military talents. While there were no top-tier ministers or generals, there were many second-tier ones, and their sheer numbers made it easy to support a warlord's regime.

Moreover, Yizhou had not yet seen a large influx of external factions, and internal political struggles weren’t particularly fierce. Liu Zhang also didn’t grip his power too tightly, allowing for relatively harmonious governance between his civil and military officials.

Both the civil and military leaders had clear figureheads, and these leaders had generally good personalities. While each person had their own ambitions, their shared goal was the protection of Yizhou.

This led to a rather peculiar situation: although everyone harbored their own personal ambitions, all the officials of Yizhou stood firmly behind Liu Zhang, including individuals like Wu Yi and Zhang Song.

In such a united front, Yizhou's military strength remained formidable. They could easily defeat weaker warlords and defend against stronger ones without much difficulty. As long as no traitorous insiders arose, they could likely hold their position until the unification of the Central Plains.

In this situation, the people of Yizhou were content to sit behind their natural defenses, watching the unfolding chaos in the rest of the world. They had no aspirations for expanding territories; they were simply waiting for the opportunity to gain high-ranking positions and enjoy leisurely lives for the next decade or so. The Yizhou faction was quite content with their current state.

This odd situation was something Jia Xu hadn’t yet fully understood, although he had begun to notice subtle clues. While he hadn’t delved deeply into the matter, he could sense that something was different.

Thus, as Emperor Liu Xie prepared to change the era name, the New Year arrived across the Central Plains in a relatively peaceful atmosphere.

There were no major wars across the land, and each warlord had built up substantial reserves. Compared to five years ago or even earlier during the reign of Emperor Ling, the country, despite the constant warfare, saw some improvement. During the holiday season, at least, the common people under the rule of various warlords could enjoy a full meal.

Whether one admitted it or not, Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Sun Ce, and Yuan Shao were all far more competent rulers than the mediocre officials of Emperor Ling’s era who only knew how to exploit the people. While their wars brought destruction, they also brought new opportunities for the people to rebuild and thrive.

As a result, in this era where the population structure had not been severely damaged, the common people generally accepted their local rulers. After all, these rulers had given them the means to survive, providing them with the opportunity to eat well, something that had been scarce in the past.

"In the end, we didn’t make it in time. I even had to drag you along to distribute supplies," Liu Bei said, turning to Chen Xi after handing a bundle of preserved meat to the family of a soldier.

"Honestly, I didn’t want to come at all," Chen Xi replied, letting his frustration show now that only the two of them were present. "Why didn’t you ask Lady Zhang to come with you instead of me?"

"It’s not a matter of shortage, but of fairness," Liu Bei sighed. "At least with you coming along, both Lady Zhang and Lady Gan will feel included. If I only brought Lady Zhang, Lady Gan, who just gave birth to A'Dou, might feel uncomfortable."

"...Now I’m the one feeling uncomfortable," Chen Xi muttered.

"Even if you are, you’ll just have to deal with it," Liu Bei said, casting a glance at Chen Xi.

"Let’s go to the next house. Luckily, there aren’t too many soldiers around Yecheng, so we should be done in a few days," Chen Xi shrugged. Though it felt a bit like a publicity stunt, the supplies they were distributing were genuine.

"Have you decided on a name for your daughter?" Liu Bei asked as they walked.

"Yes, I have. What about A'Dou? What’s his name?" Chen Xi asked casually.

"Liu Shan," Liu Bei replied decisively.

"That seems a bit inauspicious," Chen Xi tilted his head, a little puzzled.

Chen Xi had always been curious as to why A'Dou’s formal name was Liu Shan. What was the significance behind it? Only he could ask this question—others either didn’t dare or didn’t care.

"You think so too?" Liu Bei chuckled. In this era, the character ‘禪’ was pronounced as ‘shan’ and only carried one meaning: virtue.

"It’s not that," Chen Xi shook his head. "I’m just curious what your reasoning was."

"I’m actually curious about what you all think," Liu Bei said with a smile.

"I see. So it’s symbolic. But are you sure you want to make him your heir? Isn’t that a bit too hasty?" Chen Xi said with a wry smile.

The word ‘禪’ also had a connotation of succession. Given Liu Bei’s age at the time, he likely intended for A'Dou to be his heir. However, considering he already had an adopted son, Kou Feng, it made things a bit complicated.

"That’s up to you. Whether or not he turns out well is in your hands," Liu Bei said nonchalantly, fully confident in Chen Xi’s ability to educate A'Dou.

"Such a troublesome task. Fine, I’ll raise him to your satisfaction," Chen Xi sighed, then accepted the responsibility with a grin. After all, it was Liu Shan, the future Emperor of Shu.

"We still have quite a few more houses to visit. Once we’re done today, that’ll be it for the year. Since it’s just once a year, we shouldn’t complain. I wonder how Hanmou’s research is coming along," Chen Xi said, moving on to the next household with supplies, his face starting to ache from smiling so much.

"It should be going well. Food production is an incredibly important matter, and Hanmou has been steadily making progress toward his goal," Liu Bei nodded, satisfied with the advancements made by Qu Qi.

"Yes, with low crop yields, we’ll have to spend more time expanding farmland. The soil in the Central Plains is becoming depleted, so developing new fields is inevitable. However, the cold climate in the north limits what crops we can grow," Chen Xi said with some frustration.

"The northern regions, huh? Let’s leave that aside for now. Lü Fengxian should have fully reclaimed the Hetao Plain by now. While he’s had his share of problems, he’s always been clear about his sense of duty," Liu Bei praised. After Lü Bu’s victory over the Xianbei, Liu Bei’s opinion of him had improved significantly.

"Good and bad are often relative. Lü Bu’s main issue is probably his personal morality," Chen Xi mused. Lü Bu likely enforced strict discipline only in Bingzhou, where he was among his own people and cared about his reputation.

"Private virtue and public duty... In the past, I agreed with what you said about Guan Zhong’s relationship with Duke Huan, but now that I stand higher and see more clearly, I believe we should always strive to do better. While public duty is important, personal virtue shouldn’t be neglected either. That’s why I can’t help but dislike Lü Bu’s flaws," Liu Bei said. Chen Xi couldn’t help but laugh.

"It seems I share the same opinion as Yide," Liu Bei laughed along. "It appears that when one is true to their nature, they’ll view things similarly. If Wenhou is willing to side with us, we can entrust the northern frontier to him and grant him full decision-making authority!"

"Just don’t let him return to the Central Plains. This place doesn’t suit him. The vast grasslands, the windswept deserts, and the snow-covered frontier—that’s where he belongs. The Central Plains would only dull the sharp blade he’s become against the nomads," Liu Bei sighed deeply. He had come to realize that one’s environment could truly shape, or even determine, their character.

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