People in the Three Kingdoms: Starting from Preaching

Chapter 621 Public and Private
In the hall, food tables had been set up with all kinds of food placed on them. Soon the host and guests took their seats one after another. Although Zhang Zhongjing was the only guest, the host family showed him enough respect. Not only did Xu Chen accompany him for meals, but the hostess Cai Wenji and Xu Xuan and Xu Xia's son and daughter also ate together.

The meals in the Prime Minister's Mansion are not actually luxurious, but they are made with care. The chefs in the mansion were all trained by Xu Chen himself and have already mastered various cooking techniques. They can cook ordinary meals very well.

After the host and the guest exchanged greetings, they began to eat quietly. Although the food was delicious, Zhang Zhongjing was not in the mood.

His mind was still on the question he had just asked. Without getting an answer from Xu Chen, he felt uneasy. This matter was too serious.

While eating, he would occasionally glance at Xu Xuan who was sitting opposite him.

Xu Xuan, who is already in his teens, is now in the prime of his life. His temperament combines the spirituality of a teenager and the composure of an eldest son. His every move is polite and proper, and anyone who sees him will have to say that he is a heroic young man. The most commendable thing is that Xu Xuan's eyebrows and eyes are almost cast in the same mold as Xu Chen's.

As the son of Xu Chen, Xu Xuan should actually have been the focus of the world's attention. This is a status that means he is born to be the apple of everyone's eye.

But in fact, Xu Chen seldom brought him to public appearances since he was a child. His low-key attitude made the outside world know very little about Xu Xuan. Under Xu Chen's deliberate arrangement, Xu Xuan had always been studying abroad as an ordinary person, and outsiders rarely knew his true identity.

Of course, the same goes for Xu Xia.

However, these are all for outsiders. Zhang Zhongjing was very familiar with Xu Chen's children, and often taught Xu Xuan and Xu Xia some knowledge. It is not an exaggeration to say that he was half of their teacher.

Now, as a teacher, he has no intention of caring about their studies at all, but is thinking about another important matter. The outcome of this matter may even affect the future direction of Xuanxia country and even Chinese civilization.

The food in his mouth felt like chewing wax, and Zhang Zhongjing's eyes only moved on Xu Chen and Xu Xuan.

He believed in Xu Chen's loyalty to his ideals more than anyone else, but in the face of such a huge temptation, he couldn't help but start to fantasize. Can anyone really withstand such temptation?
Will this be a good story of a public world, or a return to the path of a family world?
"Zhongjing just asked me, who will take over after I retire?" Xu Chen was originally eating peacefully, but he suddenly blurted out a sentence, continuing the topic he had just discussed with Zhang Zhongjing.

When Zhang Zhongjing heard this, he was shocked, but he didn't rush to answer.

He first glanced at Cai Wenji and found that she looked calm, obviously having known about this for a long time. But when he looked at Xu Xuan and Xu Xia again, he found that the brother and sister looked confused and obviously did not know about this.

Zhang Zhongjing came back to his senses and put down his chopsticks: "Prime Minister, you are right. I just asked the same question."

Xu Chen smiled. It was obviously a major event that could shake the imperial court, but he spoke of it as casually as if he were chatting. "It is not up to me to decide who will take over. This matter has its own doctrine. When the time comes, we can just follow the procedure to nominate the successor."

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone had different expressions. Cai Wenji remained calm, after all, she already knew the answer.

Zhang Zhongjing breathed a sigh of relief. Naturally, Taoist teachings were the foundation of the country, and there was naturally a clear statement on how to establish a prime minister. Since Xu Chen had no intention of challenging the teachings he had established, it meant that Xuanxia would not regress to a family empire.

Only at this moment did Zhang Zhongjing feel relieved, and he admired Xu Chen even more. The man in front of him finally endured the greatest temptation in the world. The times had changed. The ideas planted by Xu Chen had awakened the consciousness of the people of the world. Even the common people could not accept the emperor riding on their heads, let alone Zhang Zhongjing.

We have gone through so many hardships, and if we fail at the last step, it will probably shock the world.

What made Zhang Zhongjing even more relieved was that after this, the subsequent successors would never be able to make any retrogressive moves. After all, if even Xu Chen had not done it, then no one would be qualified to do it in the future.

However, Xu Xia, who was in his early teens, still looked confused and didn't seem to understand what Xu Chen meant.

Among the crowd, only Xu Xuan's expression changed. After his pupils trembled slightly, he couldn't help but smile bitterly, and no one knew what he was thinking.

Although Xu Xuan's expression changed slightly and he quickly returned to calm, Xu Chen, who deliberately glanced at him, noticed it keenly.

No one knows a son better than his father. How could Xu Chen not understand what his son was thinking? To a certain extent, he retired from his position so early to interrupt some inappropriate thoughts. These thoughts were not only Xu Xuan's own thoughts, but also the thoughts of many other people on Xu Xuan.

Political affairs are such dirty and secretive things. There is no shortage of ambitious people in any era.
Zhang Zhongjing also gradually realized that Xu Chen chose to talk about this topic in person at this time, probably just to use the topic to talk to Xu Xuan. However, he did not expect that father and son would use such a roundabout way.

Shaking his head, Zhang Zhongjing stopped thinking about it and looked at Xu Chen: "I still don't understand why the Prime Minister is so eager to step down when he is clearly in his prime?"

Xu Chen smiled, as if jokingly saying: "Now that Xuan Xia is on the right track, it doesn't matter whether I'm here or not. If I continue to stay in office, I'm afraid people will find it annoying. It's better to retire early."

Zhang Zhongjing remained silent. He felt that this was not a necessary reason. However, since Xu Chen was unwilling to reveal his true feelings, he did not dare to ask any further questions.

In fact, it’s not that Xu Chen is unwilling to reveal it, but that he can’t reveal it.

For Yu Xuchen, as an outsider of an era, now is the time to return everything to the people of the era. He has done what he should do, and there is no need to continue occupying this pit.

Of course, the bigger reason for doing this is that he wants to observe the future of Xuan Xia as a bystander. He needs to see whether this new civilization can develop itself smoothly after separating itself from Xuan Xia.

After all, this is the world he created himself, and no one wants Xuan Xia to become better more than Xu Chen. However, only after he is gone can one truly see Xuan Xia's abilities.

If his retirement does not have any great impact on Xuan Xia, it means that this era no longer needs him. This new civilization can grow and develop on its own, and he can then be completely at ease.

(End of this chapter)