Three years passed in the blink of an eye, and the year 200 arrived. Throughout that time, Liu Bei and Cao Cao had maintained an unspoken understanding. Not even a minor border skirmish had occurred; instead, trade had flourished.
Of course, Liu Bei's side had clearly taken the initiative in this trade. As an exporting nation, it had maintained a trade surplus. However, aside from the people around Wang Xuan, no one in this era understood such economic theories. Moreover, the aristocratic families under Cao Cao had profited greatly during the trade. Even when some problems gradually began to emerge, no one paid them any mind.
Or perhaps no one was willing to.
Liu Bei's side had not come away without making sacrifices. At the very least, the massive influx of coinage into Cao Cao's territory had greatly eased his shortage of currency, pulling him back from the brink of economic collapse. With so many factors at play, Cao Cao could only remain silent. Since he could not resist, he might as well enjoy it quietly.
As for marching north, it was not only Cao Cao himself who lacked confidence. The aristocratic families under him absolutely would not support such a move.
This was different from any previous dynasty. In the past, regardless of whether a regime rose or fell, it had no effect on the aristocratic families. At most, they would simply change the nominal object of their loyalty. Now, however, Wang Xuan existed in the north, while Liu Bei had launched his damn reforms. One careless move could mean total defeat, and the aristocratic families were unwilling to take that risk.
As for Liu Bei's support for overseas expansion and the founding of new states, there had been no visible results in three years. Aside from Gongsun Zan