Three Kingdoms, Myth

On his way back home, Chen Xi was calculating all the things he needed to do and realized there was quite a lot on his plate. Some of these tasks couldn't be handed over to Lu Su, like getting married...

Originally, his wedding was scheduled for May, but due to the battle with the Yellow Turbans, the date was missed. Afterward, Chen Xi was granted a title of nobility, which delayed the wedding further. Chen Xi could only shrug helplessly at the traditional customs of the time—ceremonial obligations were indeed cumbersome, but living in this era meant adhering to its norms.

Then, Fan Liang sent word, suggesting that when he marries Chen Lan, he should also marry Fan Jian. Well, that was a bit inaccurate—it was actually suggested that when he marries Fan Jian, he should take Chen Lan as a concubine since Fan Jian would be his main wife.

After sorting through all the arrangements, Chen Xi realized that marrying Fan Jian might have to wait until the end of the year. The three formal letters and six ceremonial gifts would need to be re-arranged, and Fan Jian's elders would have to come to Taishan in person since Chen Xi's status now required proper formalities.

While the wedding could be postponed, building the new library and Liu Bei's new residence couldn't wait—they needed to be expedited as time was running out.

On top of that, there were other tasks like reorganizing household registration, managing the influx of population, adjusting the military, and reforming the tax system. Chen Xi felt overwhelmed. Although he had anticipated how difficult it would be to achieve his initial goals within three years, now that the responsibilities were truly upon him, he felt on the verge of collapse. But there was no other choice—rapid progress while ensuring a stable foundation required hard work.

"Zichuan, you're finally back!" Liu Bei appeared outside the carriage as soon as Chen Xi arrived at Fenggao.

"Thank you for coming to meet me, Xuande Gong," Chen Xi replied with a wry smile.

"You look exhausted, Zichuan!" Liu Bei laughed heartily, then turned to Hua Xiong, saying, "Zijian, take your troops back to the camp. Tonight, I will host a banquet in your honor."

"Thank you, my lord!" Hua Xiong and the others saluted.

"Zichuan, come into the city and take a look. You'll be in for a big surprise!" Liu Bei said firmly, though there seemed to be a hint of something unpleasant in his tone. It was clear that, despite returning only ten days before Chen Xi, Liu Bei had experienced some troubling events.

"It seems like there are a lot more arrow slits on the walls," Chen Xi observed as he examined the fortifications. He clearly remembered that when he left, Fenggao's city walls had only a few dozen arrow slits, but now, there seemed to be one every twenty meters.

"You'll be even more surprised once you're inside," Liu Bei said, though his smile seemed forced.

Chen Xi's heart sank as he noticed the stone-paved roads and the three massive iron-clad, gleaming city gates. It pained him to see such extravagance.

This kind of ostentatious design certainly wasn't something Lu Su would have done. After all, city gates in this world weren't meant to rely on their own defensive strength; like ships, they relied on the city gate commander and soldiers to transmit internal energy to maintain their strength. Cladding the gates with iron was entirely pointless—just a waste.

"Zichuan, you don't look well. Are you feeling unwell?" Liu Bei's last glimmer of hope shattered as he noticed that Chen Xi, like Li You, Jia Xu, and Liu Ye before him, had turned pale with a bitter smile. But still, he clung to a sliver of hope...

"Xuande Gong, how much did you spend on this?" Chen Xi asked, his voice strained.

Liu Bei held up a finger, and Chen Xi breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, Xuande Gong didn't go overboard. One million coins is still bearable. I knew Zijing wouldn't let things get out of hand."

"Ten million coins..." Liu Bei said, somewhat embarrassed.

"Did you pave the entire city?" Chen Xi asked, forcing a smile.

"The entire city," Liu Bei whispered.

"Wenru didn't stop you?" Chen Xi asked, incredulous.

"I didn't consult Wenru. I thought it was a small matter, especially since neither you nor Zijing spent money when building cities," Liu Bei admitted with a wry smile.

"Xuande Gong, how many times have you told others to surprise me with this news?" Chen Xi asked helplessly, guessing that Liu Bei must have told many people already.

"I've told everyone who returned," Liu Bei said, looking somewhat dejected. He had thought he had done a good deed by making Fenggao cleaner and more orderly, only to be met with bitter smiles from every advisor who returned.

"Has Zijing been too busy with administrative work to notice how Fenggao has changed? And, by the way, you haven't paid for it yet, have you?" Chen Xi asked, covering his face. It was embarrassing.

Sure enough, Liu Bei's expression turned even more troubled.

"What family could be so generous to pull off something like this?" Chen Xi asked, exasperated. "Spending ten million coins like this, I can't think of any family that could."

"Xuande Gong, don't worry about it. Ten million coins is nothing we can't afford. Making Fenggao clean and orderly is a good thing, even if I wouldn't have spent a single coin on it," Chen Xi said, comforting Liu Bei while simultaneously dealing a heavy blow. However, Liu Bei was remarkably broad-minded, having grown accustomed to setbacks, and merely offered a sheepish smile.

"Chen Zichuan, you're as sharp-tongued as ever, though I must admit your wisdom," came a female voice from nearby, rich and melodious, full of wealth and grandeur.

Chen Xi and Liu Bei turned to see a woman in her thirties standing beside a luxurious carriage, her face adorned with a gentle smile. Though her words were directed at Chen Xi, she bowed gracefully to Liu Bei, saying, "This humble woman, Zhen Zhang, greets Xuande Gong."

"Xuande Gong, this is the true head of the Zhen family of Jizhou," Chen Xi immediately understood the situation and introduced her to Liu Bei.

"A pleasure to meet you, Madam," Liu Bei said, momentarily taken aback but maintaining his composure as he returned the greeting.

Chen Xi was internally resigned. This woman certainly held a grudge; she didn't bow to him, even though he now held the title of marquis—a rare honor in the Han dynasty, not to be confused with the devalued titles of the Three Kingdoms era.

"Xuande Gong, there's no need for such courtesy. I'm here to apologize for my previous rudeness. Fenggao is the most magnificent city I've ever seen. I hope Xuande Gong won't mind that the Zhen family took the liberty of making some adjustments," Zhang spoke humbly, in stark contrast to her previous arrogance in Jizhou.

"I should be thanking the Zhen family instead. Fenggao has never looked so clean and orderly, all thanks to your efforts," Liu Bei said with joy. Sometimes slow to grasp things, he was quick to understand this time. He instantly recognized Zhang's intentions and felt a growing sense of goodwill toward the elegant lady, especially since she had taken responsibility for his earlier mistake, attributing it to the Zhen family.