Three Kingdoms, Myth

That's why Liu Yan, this idle talker, could mingle with Lu Su and the others. Even Lu Su and Liu Ye now had a high opinion of his abilities. Building a reputation isn't as easy as it sounds, but Liu Yan seemed to do it effortlessly, as if he were cheating in a game.

Of course, this was partly due to Liu Yan's good nature. Apart from being somewhat romantic and fond of literary contests, he was otherwise similar to Jian Yong, and extremely self-aware. Not knowledgeable about governance, he refrained from giving random advice even when in a high position.

Instances like this, where he blurted out about military governance, were rare and likely due to a moment of hotheadedness. Normally, Liu Yan was the type who would "just watch and not speak," letting others do their thing. Thus, bringing him along was Lu Su's way of showing that everyone valued him and hoping he'd help boost their reputations.

After Liu Yan quieted down, everyone turned to Chen Xi, hoping he had a solution. To them, the situation seemed very troublesome, but based on Chen Xi's past clever solutions, they hoped he could resolve it.

"Select minor officials," Chen Xi said after some thought. "Promote all officials currently stationed in Qingzhou by one level and make them formal officials. Then, select new minor officials."

"But where do we recruit them from? Even if we send all the literate people from Taishan to Qingzhou, it won't be enough," Lu Su said, half-laughing, half-crying. If it were that easy, they wouldn't need Chen Xi.

"Why do they need to be literate? We're just selecting minor officials. Ziyang, you've been dealing with Qingzhou affairs. Explain the current situation in Qingzhou," Chen Xi said casually, then asked Liu Ye directly. He might not have a perfect solution, but with a perspective two thousand years ahead of the times, he had methods.

"The main problem is a lack of officials," Liu Ye replied honestly, a bit flustered by the simplistic nature of his answer.

Chen Xi covered his face, then turned to look at Lu Su, his eyes almost saying, "I gave you a great strategist, and you've reduced him to this?"

"Ahem, Ziyang, Chen Xi is asking you to explain why the people in Qingzhou are causing the current situation," Lu Su said, embarrassed, quickly clarifying for Liu Ye.

"Oh, most of the problems in Qingzhou arise from land disputes, customs, and old feuds. Each of these issues has three to five causes and three to five scenarios. It's very complicated," Liu Ye said, rubbing his head. He was overwhelmed by these complexities, which explained his earlier simplistic answer.

"There you go. Break it down, and it's just about thirty scenarios. Each one can be handled, right?" Chen Xi asked, exasperated. How could they let it get so complicated?

"That's not the problem. I can come up with fifty ways to handle each situation. The issue is the lack of people to implement these solutions... wait, you mean this could work?" Liu Ye was initially frustrated but then realized what Chen Xi was implying, looking at him in surprise.

"Exactly. It's that simple. The Yellow Turban refugees have few demands. Just find some people to implement the solutions. You've been struggling with this for so long. You, Liu Ziyang, have plenty of strategies. Why not create people who can handle these tasks? Explain the methods to them and have them follow the steps," Chen Xi said, feeling exasperated.

Liu Ye and Lu Su exchanged glances, realizing this novel approach could work. The Yellow Turban refugees had straightforward demands. Liu Ye could easily resolve these issues, spending a day drafting solutions for various scenarios, and then distributing them. The problems could be managed with just about anyone implementing the strategies.

"Alright, let's recruit minor officials. Officials need both virtue and talent, but minor officials just need to manage their tasks. Ziyang, Zijing, write a manual detailing all possible administrative scenarios in Qingzhou and the corresponding solutions. Print it out and give each of the hundred or so officials a copy," Chen Xi casually assigned the task, confident that Liu Ye's mind would make quick work of it.

"Alright!" Liu Ye and Lu Su nodded, recognizing the merit in the plan.

"As for the minor officials, recruit them locally in Qingzhou. It doesn't matter if they're literate or not. As long as they claim they can do the job, let them take it. After a month, evaluate their performance. If they're competent, keep them; if not, replace them. For severe cases, execute them. And make sure officials teach them how to handle various scenarios," Chen Xi said coldly. Recent events had made him more inclined toward harsh measures when necessary.

"Understood. Ziyang and I will start working on it immediately. We'll have it ready in three days. Have the craftsmen print it within two days, and we'll solve this within ten days," Lu Su said decisively. He was efficient and recognized this task wasn't too daunting, especially with Liu Ye doing the heavy thinking. His job was to match strategies to situations, his forte.

"No problem," Chen Xi said nonchalantly. "The craftsmen aren't too busy. If needed, they can work an extra shift. No big deal." He just had to give the orders; the actual work was for others to handle.

Sending Lu Su and Liu Ye off to their tasks, Chen Xi planned to take the administrative duties home. Meanwhile, Liu Yan, on public expense, was planning to meet scholars Liu Xi, Wu Fan, and Zhao Da to drink wine, play music, and climb Taishan. He even reported his budget for the day's activities. What a life!

However, according to Hua Xiong's latest report, a notable figure would soon arrive at Taishan. Handling the renowned Cai Yan, who they had conveniently brought along, would be tricky. Her father's reputation alone made it difficult to deal with her. Bringing her to Taishan could cause trouble, and Liu Bei might even need to formally welcome her due to the previous acquisition of the Cai family's books.

As Chen Xi walked out, carrying the administrative documents, he pondered whether he should also craft himself a reputation as a scholar. After all, only scholars could freely roam the territories of various lords and receive excellent treatment. Aside from renegade figures like Mi Heng, scholars generally enjoyed great respect.