Mythical Three Kingdoms

These technically inclined talents, once Liu Bei had a certain understanding of them, realized their immense importance. For example, when Qu Qi occasionally drank excessively and, without suppression from Spiritual Capacity, caused drunken mayhem, Liu Bei would intentionally keep an eye on him to prevent any incidents.

According to Liu Bei, each of Qu Qi's breakthroughs in grain production represented a major step toward the revival of the Han Dynasty. In this era, as long as you ensured your people had food, many would willingly die for you.

"Zichuan, is there anything else you want to relay?" Liu Bei turned to Chen Xi and asked, preempting potential troubles later.

"It's just a pity that I wasn't by my wife's side when she gave birth," Chen Xi sighed. Compared to others, he always struggled to let go of personal attachments.

"Let's retrieve the Xuanyuan Cauldron first, then discuss other matters. Relay orders to all courier stations; begin mobilizing our soldiers," Liu Bei said with two bitter laughs. He knew Chen Xi couldn't let go of Fan Jian. "The Zhang Clan should also return to Jizhou. This time, it will be quite dangerous."

"If we want to reduce casualties, danger is unavoidable. If our initial goal had only been unifying the world, by now, we would already have started pacifying the south," Chen Xi said helplessly. "But if we had done so, countless Han Dynasty citizens would have been displaced, their lives thrown into chaos. We cannot let the wishes of one person squander an entire generation."

"Keep the war within controllable bounds. When necessary, we'll always have the option to end the war if we're willing to pay the price." Liu Bei sized up everyone present and said, "The Yuan-Liu battle that the world has eagerly anticipated—let them witness it. Let them see our unparalleled strength."

"Let them grasp the gap in power!" Chen Xi said with a trace of mockery on his face. "Ju Gongyu and Xuu Ziyuan believe they've mastered the essence of Mount Tai. Let them witness the true strength of Mount Tai."

"Xi means the light of dawn, dispelling darkness and bringing radiance. Zichuan, your father's expectations of you are no small thing!" Liu Bei laughed heartily and then, with a solemn expression, declared, "Let us together purge the darkness that has fallen upon the Han Dynasty!"

"Willing to follow our Lord forward!" Li Youu said with a smile, the previous unease gone. As long as Liu Bei didn't waver, even if opposing the whole world alone, victory would belong to Mount Tai—they would not lose!

After Liu Bei delegated various military affairs, Chen Xi and the others immediately got busy. Each began to activate the seeds Chen Xi had buried back then, and now, every one of those seeds had grown into a towering tree.

"Wang Yi, continue managing the water network in the Qing and Xu regions while researching whether river and Yangtze waters can be connected. Figure out how to structure the irrigation network if such a connection were feasible," Chen Xi said to a dissatisfied Wang Yi nearby. Lately, he had heard his wife mention that Wang Yi had been diligently studying water management.

"What?" Before Wang Yi could respond, Mi Zhu had already reacted. "A water network to link the Yangtze and river systems?"

"The level of difficulty is incredibly high, and the manpower and resources required would be tremendous—likely no less than when the First Emperor built the Great Wall." A glimmer of excitement flashed in Wang Yi's eyes but was swiftly replaced with disappointment upon hearing Chen Xi's orders. Such a task was utterly taxing on the people and exhausting on resources.

"I didn't say it had to be done immediately. You'll have five thousand work hours to handle relevant planning. By then, deliver a complete design. As for technical personnel, I can only recommend Duke Zheng Wen and Huang Yueying to you—there's no helping it; not many are versed in hydraulic engineering," Chen Xi said with a casual shrug.

"How can such a labor-intensive and resource-draining project be completed!" Wang Yi protested indignantly, interpreting Chen Xi's assignment as an arbitrary task meant to keep her occupied simply because she was a female official.

"Miss Wang, how about entrusting the entirety of this matter to me instead?" Mi Zhu beamed with a smile as he said this, looking sly. Though Wang Yi couldn't discern the advantages behind the task, Mi Zhu certainly could. A merchant of modest beginnings, Mi Zhu had risen to his current level; without a keen sense of business opportunities, such an ascent would have been impossible.

"Agree to it, Shiyii." Huang Yueying's warm voice whispered into Wang Yi's ear. Wang Yi, who had been prepared to continue arguing, suddenly halted. She truly admired Huang Yueying, who, while a few months younger, always inspired her concretely.

"Agree to whom?" Wang Yi whispered, but before Huang Yueying could respond, she suddenly realized and, in a conciliatory tone, said to Chen Xi, "This young lady spoke out of turn earlier. Marquis Chen, please give me the opportunity to handle this due to my youthful impetuousness."

"Collaborate more with the others. Those women who attend the same lectures as you can also assist," Chen Xi said indifferently, not minding Wang Yi's tone or taking offense at such small matters.

"I'll definitely produce a plan that satisfies Marquis Chen," Wang Yi said excitedly. At first, her response had been reflexive, but after calming down, she realized there might be tremendous benefits if this task were completed. "I'm off now."

Chen Xi didn't look back but waved his hand dismissively, prompting Wang Yi to dash off energetically. Huang Yueying, on the other hand, gracefully bowed before taking her leave. Recently, Mount Tai's war machinery had reached operational readiness.

"Zichuan, how could you entrust such a significant matter to that young girl!" Mi Zhu couldn't wait to ask after Wang Yi and Huang Yueying had left. "Tasks demanding such financial and human resources are more suited for people like us!"

"This task must not be done by people like you," Chen Xi said after glancing briefly at Mi Zhu, then continued quietly, "Money, grain, and manpower—all of it must come from us."

"What if I fund the construction myself? We don't need any money from you. I can guarantee that within about fifteen years, this canal will be finished. Just give us a plan. Actually, we don't even need a plan. Give us twenty years, and we'll finish it for you," Mi Zhu said, thick-skinned. It wasn't about profits anymore; the Five Great Merchants had transcended the excitement of wealth accumulation. By now, it was all about a sense of achievement.

"Even if you're only supplying manpower and labor, I still won't agree to let you handle it. If you manage the excavation process, eventually, you'll charge toll fees. In your view, that revenue may seem negligible, but..." Pressing his temples, Chen Xi decisively refused.

To hand over the Grand Canal project to private construction was tantamount to downfall from Chen Xi's perspective. Mi Zhu's plan sounded plausible—fifteen years, given the current expertise of the merchants, made the canal's construction an achievable feat. With the financial network unfolding steadily and sections sub-contracted to major merchants, the operational model was sound.

However, if this canal became privatized, even temporarily leasing it out for a few decades would be a nightmare. From the beginning, Chen Xi had never considered outsourcing the Grand Canal to anyone. Only government-led construction could ensure favorable outcomes amidst chaotic times!

"How about I donate money for the construction instead?" Mi Zhu completely dispelled notions of profit-making, ready to invest funds to enhance his reputation. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, consider visiting Qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)