Mythical Three Kingdoms

”So many?” Chen Xi said in surprise.

”Isn’t it though?” Guo Jia said, speechless as he looked at Chen Xi. ”You don’t care about these things at all, always loafing around.”

”You speak as if you’re the one doing the work!” Chen Xi could allow Xun Yu, Chen Qun, or Zhuge Liang to say this, but definitely not Guo Jia, because Guo Jia was slacking off too, okay?

”Enough of you both, stop criticizing each other for things you’re guilty of.” Chen Qun said gloomily; neither of these two was working properly. ”Zichuan, what do you want so many prisoners for? To be honest, there has never been an era since the state was founded that captured so many prisoners.”

”They’re useful, these people are useful.” Chen Xi thought for a moment and said.

”You know, although we give these people only half rations daily to prevent their physical strength from recovering, there are hundreds of thousands of prisoners, okay? Every day, not producing and consuming food for the horses, it’s like a mountain consumed every day.” Chen Qun said with a sigh.

”After catching them with great difficulty, releasing them doesn’t seem good. Once we reach the Central Plains, we can solve this problem; these slaves are equivalent to money, okay?” Chen Xi said with a giggle, ”And hundreds of thousands of young and strong workers can solve many issues, you know?”

”They can indeed solve many problems, but placement is also a huge issue,” Chen Qun said with a sigh, ”It’s not a small number but a solidly good hundreds of thousands. Placement is a very big problem.”

”Don’t worry, don’t worry.” Chen Xi waved his hand. ”It’s simple; compared to when I had nothing at Mount Tai, much simpler. Back then, we didn’t even have absolute power; there were plenty of bandits of Mount Tai, no money and no people, yet I still built up Fenggao, right?”

”Even so, they are Miscellaneous Hun after all.” Chen Qun glanced at Chen Xi and said.

Chen Xi wiped his sweat, realizing that Chen Qun was quite a ruthless person. But, considering even someone who could overlook Central Plains’ people, his gentle facade was perhaps to cover a dark heart.

”Later, I will select craftsmen, artisans, and those who raise horses, cattle, and sheep from within, while the rest will become government slaves and work for ten years to be granted household registrations.” Chen Xi didn’t believe Chen Qun’s persuasion. Though the food consumption was fast recently, looking at the bright future, Chen Xi definitely wouldn’t kill the current grain-consuming Miscellaneous Hun.

”As for the so-called difficulty in management, ha, this doesn’t exist for us; I’ve managed more than this number of people,” Chen Xi said, pouting.

”Actually, I’m more curious about why you have so much work that needs Miscellaneous Hun to do?” Chen Qun said curiously.

”I’m thinking of digging a straight road with four tracks from Qi Mountain Path to CD.” Chen Xi said, pouting. Chen Qun wiped a cold sweat upon hearing this, and Xun Yu and others wore shocked expressions.

”Ahem, ahem, you wouldn’t be joking, right?” Chen Qun said awkwardly, yet he didn’t find any joking expression on Chen Xi’s face; considering a direct route from Qi Mountain Path to Sichuan and Shu, Chen Qun was really at a loss for words.

”Do you think my expression looks like I’m joking?” Chen Xi said, pouting, completely disregarding whether Guo Jia, Jia Xu, and others could accept such a blow.

”Ahem, ahem, Zichuan, I think we should calculate the project volume, and Sichuan and Shu’s roads, forget about four tracks, even single-lane paths aren’t easily built there; it’s mountainous, and many places are backed by cliffs.” Jia Xu coughed twice, thinking Chen Xi had another impulsive moment, preparing to do something rash.

”Um, you wouldn’t think I decided on a whim, would you? This plan was conceived long ago, and building along the mountains is unrealistic. Sichuan and Shu’s mountains, you don’t need to say, I know them too.” Chen Xi said, pouting.

”How will you build without roads along the mountains?” Chen Qun saw Chen Xi’s expression and noticed the other seemed serious, and generally when Chen Xi says it’s an old plan, it means the plan’s completion and execution level are very high.

”Encounter mountains, just make a tunnel through, later with land appraisal, geomancy, feng shui, all types are incorporated, open mountains directly, then build bridges between mountains; if we can bridge the Yellow River, we can surely bridge between two mountains, right?” Chen Xi said, pouting leisurely.

At this moment, Chen Qun looked at Chen Xi with a newfound respect for such road construction approach!

”...” Jia Xu felt a bit stupefied; such a road construction method was overly aggressive. Though Qin State had done such things, it abandoned this method after one attempt.

”First, say if it can be done or not?” Chen Xi rolled his eyes and said, ”Wen Ru says it can be done, but according to his estimate, even with Inner Qi, geomancy and other practitioners and lengthy survey on water systems and mountain ranges, it will require sacrificing over ten thousand, just to accomplish this road within a decade.”

”After all, the difficulty in carving through mountains is significant, even with Inner Qi and use of water and fire techniques; opening such a road isn’t easy. But if achieved, Sichuan and Shu would no longer have natural barriers, and be forever linked with Central Plains.” Xun Yu quietly said, ”A strategy sacrificing one generation for millennia of benefits.”

”Balderdash about sacrificing one generation; capturing so many Miscellaneous Hun is for this very reason. Even without Northern Huns intervening, I’d have flattened the entire North anyway, whether for eliminating future threats or securing the grasslands to strengthen our country’s foundation or to support some dangerous domestic constructions—they are indispensable.” Chen Xi said, pouting.

”Actually, large projects in my planning for our generation are few.” Chen Xi said, sneeringly, ”The Sichuan and Shu straight road plan is just one of them, the Yangtze and Yellow River channel clearing plan, Grand Canal plan, and Thirteen Prefecture road network plan—all these projects need manpower.”

Jia Xu looked up silently; he suddenly realized according to Chen Xi’s blueprint, if truly completed, North and South East and West could never be separated again, and Chang’an’s troops could appear at any location within the Han Dynasty within a month upon command.

”Zichuan, from the beginning did you design the entire realm as your base plan?” Jia Xu asked quietly after thinking a moment, no need for concealment now.

”Oh, I forgot.” Chen Xi thought for a moment, unable to recall his initial thoughts accurately, perhaps Jia Xu was right.

”The four big plans bind Central and local together completely, don’t they?” Xun Yu asked after a moment’s silence.

”Yes, other things can be insignificant, but the domestic should be a unity, dividing East, West, North, South essentially remains as a ruling difficulty problem.” Chen Xi shook his head, ”Sichuan and Shu and Wu and Chu are mainly hard to rule because of being out of reach, and as foundational regions, absolutely shouldn’t be divided.”

”So to be convenient or eliminate future threats, you connect rivers from Yangtze to Yellow River, passing Luoyang via Chang’an, and north to Jicheng?” Jia Xu felt deeply Chen Xi’s breadth of vision.

Yeah, this isn’t just vision, it’s solving the problem through brute force, high ruling costs, yet can’t be abandoned, out of reach, if extending the whip is challenging, then change horses; changing horses might fail, change people—essentially through simple forceful ways, this issue got solved.

Frankly, anyone can think of this method; the problem is, only Chen Xi has accomplished it, it’s really knowing is easy, doing is difficult.

”Oh, I don’t think there’s a better method, actually it’s not just for North Huai River, South Huai River, Guandong and Guanzi, more so for ensuring Central ruling over local.” Chen Xi spread his hands openly.