Xi Chao keenly detected something unusual in Liu Cheng's words.
Although Liu Acheng often rambled about all sorts of things in front of Xi Jiabin, today's remarks were a little too pointed.
"I thought your trip to Jiangling had been a great success. After all, you even swept up a son of the Huan family to serve as your Staff of Authority." Xi Chao narrowed his eyes as he replied. "Why does it sound as though things didn't go so smoothly?"
"It's not about whether things went smoothly. I'm thinking about what comes afterward." Liu Cheng made no attempt to conceal it. "I count as an outlying commander now, both to the court and to the Grand Marshal... As an outlying commander, seeking authority over a region inevitably comes with suspicion... Those within suspect those outside, and those outside distrust those within. That's human nature."
"What do you distrust about the Grand Marshal?" Xi Chao pressed.
"Given his temperament, if things go very well, he might deliberately put me through the wringer. If things go very badly, he might take his anger out on me." Liu Cheng spoke as he lowered his head and scrubbed his leg wraps. "Am I wrong?"
Xi Chao paused for a moment. Rather than deny it, he answered seriously, "If things really go very well, what's a little rough handling? You're so young. As long as he doesn't seriously suppress you, you can endure it and get through. That's commonplace in an official career. It would be strange if you weren't put through the wringer... As for taking his anger out on you, Yulong, I think you're overthinking it."
"How so?" Liu Cheng wrung out his leg wraps and casually set them aside.
"The reasoning is simple." Xi Chao smiled. "If things really go badly