NOVPUBLul Xun still lacked awareness on one side, but Zhuge Liang had already involuntarily curled his lips. This wasn’t just being good at something anymore. In the many years since the Spring and Autumn and Qin and Han periods, there were only a handful of people who dared to do this and actually succeeded without causing public outrage, and Chen Zichuan, you’re the only one. And is this just called being good at it?
Chen Xi, however, didn’t pay much attention to Zhuge Liang’s expression and took the two men to stroll around the port. But not much time had passed before Xun Yan appeared before Chen Xi in person.
"Governor of Donglai Commandery, Xun Yan, has seen Marquis of Yingshang Pavilion," said Xun Yan with a staid expression, bowing respectfully before Chen Xi, who couldn’t help but return the bow seriously. Honestly, the ones he was least good at dealing with were these stiff and dogmatic types.
"Good day, good day. May I ask the reason for the Prefectural Governor’s visit?" Chen Xi asked. He didn’t believe that Xun Yan, having nothing else to do, was just wandering around here.
"The Lord has instructed Marquis Chen to quickly bring the Lul family back to Mount Tai after arriving in Donglai, and also, Guo Fengxiao has a letter for me to deliver to you," Xun Yan said with a monotonous expression, completely disregarding the onlookers who were stealthily gathering around.
"I have received the letter. It’s the first time that guy has written to me. As for returning to Mount Tai, I will hurry back soon. Is there anything else, Prefectural Governor?" Chen Xi said, taking the envelope and putting it in his sleeve without even looking at it.
"Nothing else. I have already prepared all the materials needed by the various departments, just waiting for the Lul family to come and take up residence. At the port, I have also started constructing the shipyard facilities for sea ships, and the funding has already been secured," said Xun Yan, shaking his head and gesturing to Chen Xi that he should return to Mount Tai promptly.
After Chen Xi had left Xun Yan behind, Lul Xun finally caught his breath, "Who was that guy? Standing beside me scared me half to death. He’s seriously old-fashioned."
"Xun Xiuruo, very capable but somewhat self-important. Clearly, he preferred not to interact too much with Zichuan," Zhuge Liang said nonchalantly, "A very formidable person, but that’s just it – formidable."
"Yes, a very formidable person. If it weren’t for him, there wouldn’t have been any hope of rebuilding the Lul Family Shipyard this year, but now, as long as the personnel are in place, work can begin. Xun Xiuruo has such ability, and I really want to see just how exceptional Xun Wenruo can be," Chen Xi nodded and said.
Donglai was well-built, and coupled with Xun Yan’s ability to prepare just based on a few guesses, Chen Xi had to give him credit.
"Xun Wenruo, a person who has always been at the helm of the Central Government under Cao Mengde’s command," Zhuge Liang said, looking up at the sky. Even he couldn’t deny the other’s formidable abilities, although it wasn’t the same sure-footed approach as Chen Zichuan. The man patched things up as needed, yet he managed to stabilize the current situation.
"Yes, one of the most formidable people in the world right now," Chen Xi nodded, "But it’s a pity that his vision limits his abilities. Kongming, you must work hard. Right now, you are still not his match. The most suitable person to be at the helm of the Central Government under Lord Xuande, besides Zijing, is actually you."
"Don’t you and Master Wen Ru count?" Zhuge Liang was initially pleased, then he realized, shouldn’t Chen Xi be the undeniable choice to stand at the helm of the Central Government?
"I’m just capable of setting the framework, and Wen Ru is good at patching up the gaps. The only one who can really do it is Zijing," said Chen Xi with a wry smile.
Li Youu was indeed capable of standing at the helm of the Central Government, but his style didn’t suit Liu Bei’s side. If Li Youu were to hold that position and if no one kept a watch, he would end up taking drastic measures or even resorting to assassination. Hence, he could only patch up the gaps and be a jack-of-all-trades!
Chen Xi reckoned he knew his own capabilities; making him a county magistrate might not turn out well, but if he were to be a Chancellor tasked with formulating far-sighted plans, he might just create something that would astonish everyone. The problem lay in the actual execution...
Reflecting on past situations, Zhuge Liang couldn’t help but smirk bitterly. It seemed that in the entirety of Mount Tai, the one who truly bore the brunt of the workload was Lub Su, burdened with every task.
Lu Xun, who was standing by the side, looked skyward with a wry twist of his mouth. He was quite dissatisfied with Chen Xi’s assessment of Zhuge Liang, and even more so with the fact that Chen Xi gave no evaluation of him at all.
"With such an attitude towards work, it’s only a matter of time before Zijing wears himself down to death," Zhuge Liang said with a bitter smile, already foreseeing the grim fate awaiting Lub Su—Chen Xi would complete the planning and then wash his hands of the matter.
"Relax, relax, that won’t happen. We’ll all pitch in, and besides, don’t we have you? Our goal is to nurture you to hold down the central position," Chen Xi said with a smile. "Besides, the burden is only heavy now. It’ll get much easier later on. Speaking of which, it seems Lord Xuande’s educational initiatives have begun, and Lord Kang Cheng has already taken his post. What’s left is the moral upbringing of talent."
Chatting casually while surveying their surroundings, Chen Xi, Zhuge Liang, and Lu Xun had arrived outside the harbor. Looking at the inferior-grade cement road that could accommodate four carriages side by side, Chen Xi patted Zhuge Liang’s shoulder. "Gong Youu did a good job, didn’t he?"
"Good job? If I’m not mistaken, this is the lowest grade road, with Prefecture Roads and Provincial Routes above it—the ones that can fit twelve carriages abreast. Tsk tsk tsk, Gong Youu’s road construction is truly impressive," Zhuge Liang marveled with a tsk of admiration. "With enhanced transport convenience, commerce can flourish faster and it becomes much easier to transport aquatic produce from here."
"Yes, that’s about the size of it, although the road still needs maintenance," Chen Xi said with a smile. "Gong Youu really did an excellent job with this."
Meanwhile, Lu Xun was dumbstruck. He had never before seen such a smooth road, and to hear Zhuge Liang mention roads accommodating twelve parallel carriages—it was mind-boggling how much manpower and resources that would require.
"Can everyone use this road?" After a while, Lu Xun asked.
"Of course, everyone can. Sure, there are times when the roads get occupied, but those instances are rare," Chen Xi said with a laugh. He was building at the same time as fighting, ensuring that each newly conquered area could immediately enjoy the same treatment. Otherwise, he would have already started to bulldoze his way through Jizhou by now.
At first, Chen Xi had considered imposing a weight limit, but then he realized that was laughable—the utmost weight pulled by these horse and ox carts didn’t exceed two tons. Although his cement road was an inferior knockoff of modern cement, the carriages of the time were far from capable of damaging it.
When Chen Xi realized this, he brooded for a long time; in ancient times, sometimes, it was best not to overthink. High-strength cement and inferior ones alike, in this era, they were both divine artifacts...
"How then, is the expenditure recouped?" Lu Xun muttered. "If the government treasury is depleted with no surplus, what happens next?"
"It will be recouped quickly. Everything was done at cost price, and adding to that, work was exchanged for disaster relief. Efficient transportation can stimulate the economic prosperity of the governed areas. Overall, it would take at most a year to recoup the costs. Seasonal goods can also be delivered promptly, and more importantly, the reduction in the loss of transported goods," Zhuge Liang said with a sentimental tone. "Generally speaking, Chen Zichuan doesn’t undertake anything that would lead to losses." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
