Mythical Three Kingdoms

”Hmm, a provocation? An act unreturned is discourtesy itself!” Gan Ning immediately notched an arrow and loosed it; like a shadow, the missile flew, and though the Inner Qi clinging to it dissipated, the sheer force of the Ten-Stone Strong Bow still drove the arrow deep into the beam of the city gate tower.”

”Just like that.” Wen Chou helplessly said, ”If I can do it, so can he; it’s a losing proposition. Usually, in such situations, everyone needs to show some restraint, or else a battle will erupt.”

By the time Chen Xi appeared again, Wen Chou and Gan Ning had already come to blows elsewhere, both roughly on par with each other and both wounded—their fighting hadn’t caused much impact.

Handing over the siege of Chiping to Zhuge Liang, and watching as one Stone Thrower after another was erected, Chen Xi then returned to New Linyi City.

When Chen Xi arrived at Linyi, the entire place was abuzz with activity rather than showing any signs of war-weariness. Nearly all the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans who had relocated there were hard at work building New Linyi City, turning the construction site into a hive of bustling industry.

”Gong Youu, how much longer until it’s finished? The situation now is favorable. Just wait for Zilong to arrive at Linyi, and once I hand over military command, I can return to Mount Tai,” Chen Xi said while looking over the blueprints with Sun Qian.

”The New City will be complete within three days, and then we’ll start building the outer city—that’s the real major project. But the foundational structures have already been planned; what remains is the construction. You’re returning to Mount Tai, though?” Sun Qian frowned. Even though he wasn’t particularly attuned to the situation in Mount Tai, he knew that it was currently quite chaotic, and that the chaos was engineered.

”Yes, I’ve said before that I would definitely return before May. This autumn, the battle against Yuan Shao’s Army will commence, and I’m not entirely sure how long the fight will last. While victory isn’t in doubt, it’s Yuan Shao’s intentions that concern me,” Chen Xi nodded.

Chen Xi had long planned to deploy Zhao Yun to this region to defend against Northern Yuan Shao. A battle with the North was unavoidable, and they needed a general to serve as regional Commander-in-chief. Only Guan Yu fit the bill from their side, but Zhao Yun’s virtue lay in his humility and willingness to heed advice.

”I have confidence in you, I’m only worried that something may happen to you on the road in your haste to return,” Sun Qian shook his head. Right now, the ruthless Li Youu, Jia Xu, and Mann Chong controlled Mount Tai. Other Elders who could influence their decisions were all sent away, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Lub Su arrived soon. This matter was precisely within their ruthless expertise.

”The mere gentry, should they dare turn their attention to harm me, I will ensure they learn their lesson. Besides, upon my return, I’ll be shutting my doors to visitors,” Chen Xi replied with a nod, his eyes harboring a ruthlessness Sun Qian did not see.

”Alright then, Xianhe, Weishuo, and I won’t be returning. Xianhe and Weishuo will soon need to go...” Sun Qian hesitated before agreeing with Chen Xi’s plan, then made a digging motion.

Coming from Zheng Xuan’s Daoist Sect, Sun Qian might have been involved in military matters more than scholarly pursuits, but he still upheld the moral standards of a scholar. Truthfully, had he not known about Jian Yong’s actions, Sun Qian would never have condoned what Jian Yong and Liu Yan were doing—after all, it was akin to desecrating ancestors’ graves.

”The progress is so fast.” Chen Xi frowned, clearly disconcerted by the rapid shift from calligraphy to excavation—clearly hastiness tinged with the desire for quick success.

”Hmm, while many Great Confucians might not have much money, they do have ancient cauldrons and artifacts. With your reminder, they have already excavated relevant information from these objects. These patterns, once thought to be unidentifiable, are now being organized into what Xianhe jokingly calls ’Cauldron Script’,” said Sunx Qian with a smile.

The main task of Jian Yong and the others in the recent period has been searching for cauldrons with inscriptions. Fortunately, every Great Confucian has one or two ancient cauldrons for ritual use, and with those urgently summoned from their disciples, they have recorded many symbols. As more and more symbols are organized, people have even begun to guess and understand what they are.

”Oh, not bad,” said Chen Xi, nodding his head, ”Keep it up then. How long do you think it will take to finish organizing?

”I’m not sure, but they are sorting out some very strange things. For example, the origins of people like the Wuhuan and Xianbei. Based on the text identified in some ancient cauldrons, these people are also descendants of Huaxia,” Sunx Qian said, pulling a face as he seemed quite dissatisfied with this conclusion.

”Oh, that’s good news,” Chen Xi was stunned for a moment, then chuckled, ”Since they are also common descendants, then it becomes natural for us to govern them. This is even better. I wonder which records mention this?”

”Duke Yana Fang has a cauldron, one that was used by King Wuu to audit the collection of King Zhou of Shang after his defeat. Among the records, there is one stating that the Huns are survivors of the Xia Dynasty. This is also why King Wuu later decided to award lands in the north to the merchants,” Sunx Qian thought for a moment before speaking. He had seen that cauldron himself and indeed, it contained records of such matters.

”Alright, there’s nothing more to say then, it’s just Huaxia brethren involved in an internal conflict,” said Chen Xi indifferently, ”So, we should help them later on. We can’t let them continue to shame the greater Huaxia. Anything else?”

”Recently people who assist in Feng Shui exploration mentioned they faintly detected the presence of ’Dragon Veins’ in the vicinity,” said Sunx Qian, frowning slightly, ”But as you know, even if they say it’s nearby, who knows where it actually is?”

”Oh,” Chen Xi nodded, as by now he had a certain understanding of ’Dragon Veins’, and he had started to believe these things as well because some of these people were just too accurate in this era.

In the following days, Chen Xi was busy handling affairs in Linyi, awaiting Zhao Yun’s return to take over; because when it came time to confront Yuan Shao, every person on the northern defensive line needed to be a powerful individual. Only by ensuring such strength along the way could they withstand Yuan Benchu’s initial aggressive assault, and then finally defeat the opponent thoroughly.

During this time, Jiangh Wan also appeared a few times, seemingly working while also learning on the side. In the brief encounters, Chen Xi noticed that Jiangh Wan had already achieved some insights, affirming that a talent truly is a talent.

Speaking of which, Chen Xi had also tried to find those talents omitted from history, only to eventually realize that those who could leave their names in troubled times could not be simply summed up in a few words. They had not just ability, but luck as well. The capable yet unknown individuals Chen Xi had hoped to find were, at best, suitable to manage a district or a county; anything beyond was simply wishful thinking.

By now, if Li Youu and others praised someone as capable, Chen Xi would know that person was definitely someone with a name and reputation, because truly capable people wouldn’t get very far before making a name for themselves if they couldn’t even preserve their own lives. Hence, Chen Xi gradually stopped seeking these unnamed individuals with potential and started to focus on widespread ordinary education instead.

If talents would not be erased, then let’s randomly cultivate and build the infrastructure of this world. The vision of a talent also needs numerous solid materials for construction. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian ) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com).