Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chen Xi has a lot on his plate recently, and each task would have been considered a major event if it were happening at another time.

For example, the Yellow River Bridge that took several years to build has finally been completed; Yuan Shu has finally managed to remove the Central Plains aristocratic family; various regions have begun the orderly process of village merging; and, similarly, a section of the Grand Canal has finally been completed.

Of course, if we include the road-building efforts that have never ceased, there are still many tasks on Chen Xi's side. However, to put it another way, it's not just Chen Xi who has a lot to do, everyone actually has a lot going on. Even the aristocratic families that were suppressed are now working hard, preparing to leave their descendants with a fertile land.

Of course, what they don't fully realize is that this fertile land is not truly meant for them; it's meant for Chen Xi's use in the Central Plains. The aristocratic family's path leads not to the Northeast, but to Central Asia and Western Asia, a brighter celestial avenue.

"Forget it, let's leave the road to Sichuan and Shu for the chamber of commerce to handle. How many prefecture cities do we still have that aren't connected by prefecture roads?" Chen Xi glanced over the documents presented by the chamber of commerce after their survey, not paying much attention, as it wasn't a big deal. If Liu Zhang wanted to make such reckless decisions, it wasn't Chen Xi's concern.

"You don't need to worry about road-building anymore; Gong Youu will be back soon, and he will take over in this regard. Cao Sikong and General Sunx have already sent over about fifty thousand tomb robbers." Lub Su indicated to Chen Xi not to worry about this matter, saying that Sunx Qian's return would suffice since he was a professional, arguably the most professional in the land today.

"The Yellow River Bridge is finally completed. No problems, right?" Chen Xi nodded with satisfaction, "Since he's back, it's indeed a wise choice to hand it over to him. However, this time we must first construct the route from Ye City to Youzhou and then from Youzhou to the Northeast."

"Yes, that's not a problem." Lub Su nodded, understanding Chen Xi's intention. Since they had just put the aristocratic families in a difficult position, it was time to offer them a carrot, letting them understand that they were still remembered. Having such a road would make transport considerably more accessible.

In reality, Chen Xi also understood that even if he didn't construct this road, someone within the aristocratic families would eventually collaborate to build it, since this road represents a lifeline for them in the practical sense. Thus, constructing it is inevitable.

Yet, why hand over something he can handle to someone else? The aristocratic families can certainly build it, but Chen Xi's aim was to push the Central Plains aristocratic family to the Northeast to farm and develop land, without letting them stir up chaotic activities.

Moreover, maintaining control over such a strategic route ensures the government retains some initiative. Though the meaning might not be significant, advantages accumulate bit by bit, so whenever possible, Chen Xi wasn't inclined to hand tasks to those who had been relocated.

"Hmm, there's a big business deal recently, and the current aristocratic families, having been psychologically intimidated, might need some appeasement as well." Chen Xi thought it over and said, while Lub Su glanced at him without speaking; if Chen Xi described it as a big deal, it might indeed be astonishingly significant.

"What big business are you discussing?" At that moment, Fa Zheng suddenly stepped in through the main entrance, curiously asking.

"Well, it's about compensating the aristocratic families. Although they haven't suffered much directly, they were intimidated by Wen Ru. I plan to offer them some compensation," Chen Xi said with a smile, "The state still has many unfinished infrastructure projects, and both Cao and Sunx are short on funds."

"You're planning to lend them money?" Fa Zheng replied with an odd expression, "Even though the signals you released through various channels would have led them to speculate and even start confirming, if you choose to lend them money now, the future may not develop as you think. Your five-year plan is good, but they may not follow through at this moment."

"I know," Chen Xi smiled, "They will surely allocate some portion of it as military expenses. However, if we negotiate with them, the bigger portion will remain towards what I initially required, and the military enhancement shouldn't be substantial."

"You're indeed adding difficulty for yourself," Fa Zheng observed before looking toward another direction. Chen Xi simply smiled; was he really making things harder?

"In comparison to the difficulties they'll create in strengthening their military, I believe, my prior plan holds more significance for the entire nation. Besides, when I initially estimated, I had reserved a certain surplus," Chen Xi understood Fa Zheng's viewpoint but wasn't worried.

"Whatever you say," Fa Zheng sighed, casting a glance at Chen Xi, "But be prepared for when Cao and Sunx decide to confront you. Even if they lack the strength, for the sake of the future, they're sure to give it a try."

"Yes, I know, even though it's a guaranteed loss, they won't prove their capabilities without a fight. When it comes time to step beyond the national boundaries, they'd worry about the restrictions we might impose on them," Chen Xi could relate to this kind of thinking as it represents a perfectly logical perspective.

"So if you lend the money, they might very well use it to bolster their armament," Fa Zheng said casually, but he didn't try too hard to dissuade him, as stopping Chen Xi from doing what he intended was quite challenging.

"Yes, but military expansion has its significance. Furthermore, why not lend to them? If they become more powerful, it signifies a collective increase in strength that benefits us in the future," Chen Xi nodded, indicating understanding, "I plan to lend them one hundred seventy billion coins, though it's quite a large amount, so I need to recruit some people, acting as guarantor myself."

In fact, Chen Xi had the ability to produce the one hundred seventy billion coins. Speaking plainly, this sum was intended as a strategic play against Cao and Sunx. The current circumstances were already transparent, and developments had reached this juncture, requiring no more contemplation. Hence, Chen Xi was well aware of the aristocratic families' eventual choice, which is why he was eager to engage in this game with Cao and Sunx.

Fa Zheng nonchalantly picked up a stack of documents, sat on the other side of Chen Xi, and began reviewing them. Jia Xu had gone off to handle Ma Zheng, and currently wasn't in Ye City. Guo Jia temporarily took over Jia Xu's intelligence responsibilities, or more accurately, intelligence work was part of Guo Jia's forte.

Mann Chong and Xun Yue held the incriminating documents prepared by Li Youu, conducting trials for the deceased to pin certain actions, establishing legal precedents for future occurrences within the aristocratic families.

As for Liu Ye, known for his multi-angled thinking, Chen Xi assigned him to address issues arising from the village merging process.

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