NOVPUBThese words weren’t uttered in jest. Even Chen Xi himself had no clear path toward rebuilding his family clan. Although he now counted as a face of the Chen Family, he had no clue how to establish a new lineage. The only idea he had was to first have a few children to dote over. As for the family teachings, heritage, and wealth necessary for founding a clan, those were not problematic at all.
He could just grab a pile of things from the library and have a couple of generations study them to serve as the family teachings. The heritage of the Yingchuan Chen Family was his heritage. As for wealth, aristocratic families really didn’t need much beyond what was required to maintain appearances.
"..." Zhuge Liang didn’t speak. When his brother Zhuge Jin broke away to start his own path, he understood everything from a single letter without any other mentions. Zhuge Jin didn’t want him to return to the Zhuge Family either, choosing freedom, so he might as well pursue everything with his own brain and hands.
"Zijian, how long will it take us to reach Donglai?" asked Chen Xi, turning to Hua Xiong. To save time, he had taken a direct route. Otherwise, he would have gone to Qi State first and from there taken the official road to Donglai.
"About ten more days. We’ve just passed Langya and are about to enter North Sea County. If we’re lucky, we might encounter the troops that our Lord has sent to welcome the military advisor," Hua Xiong estimated the distance, their speed, and the pace at which a messenger with three horses could travel.
"I’m afraid it won’t be that easy. Right now, I only hope that Lord Xuande sends the military orders directly to Gan Xingba at Donglai Port," Chen Xi sighed, "My biggest worry is that the messenger won’t be able to get the letter to Lord Xuande quickly."
"It is said that Fa Xiaozhi has been dispatched by Lord Xuande from Qi State to North Sea County to temporarily replace Jia Wenhe in handling governmental affairs. If we can get the letter to Fa Xiaozhi, then it will surely be delivered to Lord Xuande," Zhuge Liang expressed with a furrowed brow. Truth be told, Fa Zheng has been quite a troublemaker for Zhuge Liang during the time Chen Xi was away.
"It would be unusual to find Xiaozhi dutifully managing affairs at the government office," Chen Xi sighed again. "The biggest issue in North Sea right now is the settlement of the Yellow Turbans within its borders. To showcase his capabilities before his own father, do you think Xiaozhi would contentedly stay at the government office handling affairs? The likelihood of finding Fa Xiaozhi is even more remote than finding Lord Xuande."
Recalling Fa Zheng’s character, Zhuge Liang silently sighed. Fa Zheng was not one to follow rules to the letter. When Liu Bei entrusted North Sea County’s affairs to Fa Zheng, the constraints placed upon him were undoubtedly relaxed. After all, Chen Xi already had a plan laid out, and it was merely a matter of following through with it.
However, it was clear that such duties did not display Fa Zheng’s capabilities, and, eager to impress his father, Fa Zheng had done just as Chen Xi said, taking his father to rural areas. As for their whereabouts, who knew!
All three of them sighed. In the end, Hua Xiong gestured and galloped towards the set destination. Whether or not they could deliver the dispatch to Liu Bei, they would leave it to fate. At this point, the arrow was already nocked and they had to shoot. If the orders did not arrive on time, Chen Xi would have to board the ship with Gan Ning and depart for Lujiang. After all, Gan Ning still had duties assigned by Liu Bei at Donglai Peninsula, such as patrolling, escorting, and various logistical tasks involving grain.
They continued their journey in silence. Having covered over a hundred li and entering North Sea County, the already hot weather suddenly intensified. Looking up at the sky, Chen Xi felt resigned; under the blistering sun of a cloudless sky, finding shade was not an option.
"Let’s set up camp. We’ll march again after dark. It seems we cannot travel by day," Chen Xi sighed and said, dejected by the unbearable heat.
"Military advisor, it’s best not to curse the weather. Here in Mount Tai, Qingzhou, and Xuzhou, we’re faring relatively well. Yanzhou, Sili, Yongzhou, two other provinces, most of Yuzhou, parts of Bingzhou, and Jizhou are experiencing severe drought, with almost no harvest. At least here, we get occasional rain. It’s not much, but we do see some crop yields and it’s not considered a disaster year," lamented Hua Xiong while setting up the camp.
Chen Xi sighed again without response, knowing now his precise Spiritual Talent. In fact, he could have just asked Zuo Ci. Heh...
But to have achieved this much under such conditions is already the epitome of success, to expect fair weather and good harvests in a year of disaster is virtually impossible.
"The drought seems to have affected quite a large area this time," Zhuge Liang said, frowning, "It seems the old saying is true: war is often followed by natural disasters."
"..." Chen Xi furrowed his brows, how should he respond to that? Although it seemed there was no actual correlation, in reality, it appeared to be true.
"There wasn’t much snow last winter, and now we’re facing a severe drought. The locust disaster will be next," Chen Xi sighed.
"What! You said there’s going to be a locust plague!" Hua Xiong leaped towards Chen Xi, even forgetting to address him respectfully.
"Zijian, let go of me first. I have already found a way to deal with the locusts. I remember I wrote about prevention and control methods for locust disasters before. Don’t worry, our area won’t be greatly affected, especially since Zilong ordered deep ploughing during the winter," Chen Xi said, patting Hua Xiong’s hands that were clutching at his robe.
"Is that really effective?" Hua Xiong quickly let go of Chen Xi but still asked nervously.
"Yes, it’s effective. Besides, we still have rain here, so even if a locust disaster occurs, it won’t be too severe. Plus, locusts are edible, and we’ve raised over a million chickens and ducks on Mount Tai," Chen Xi said with a smile. "I’ve started prevention and control measures a long time ago. Rest assured, it’s not a major problem."
Speaking of raising chickens, how to put it? It seems that only the chickens raised by official farms grow quickly. As for those raised by the people of Mount Tai, it probably takes about a year for them to grow fully, and people are reluctant to eat those they have raised. Mostly, they hatch chicks, and in the end, there are lots of them all over Mount Tai.
With such an incident, Chen Xi naturally ordered the government office to collect the chicks. He had finally made Mount Tai clean and tidy and couldn’t let these creatures mess it up. He bought the chicks at a high price, three for five zhu!
It was for the best, really. After collecting them, the government could raise them to adulthood. The soldiers’ bi-monthly chicken meat supply also found its destination. In any case, Chen Xi had come to realize that relying on the local people’s unwillingness to provide for the chickens, it would take years for them to grow.
"Phew, that’s a relief. I’d forgotten all about the many chickens and ducks we’ve raised," Hua Xiong said, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. The locust disaster was all too terrifying for someone like him who had experienced it firsthand. After the locusts passed, there was not a single patch of green left—even in the Great Prairie...
"Don’t worry, don’t worry, the locusts are just feed," Chen Xi said, shielding his eyes and looking at the blazing fireball in the sky.
Prolonged drought often leads to locusts, that’s no laughing matter, especially during the endless natural disasters of the late Han period. After a severe drought, a locust disaster was nearly a matter of course. The collapse of a dynasty, aside from issues with the imperial court and ministers, was always accompanied by relentless natural disasters. One can even say that natural disasters and epidemics were the substantive reasons for the collapse of empires. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
