Three Kingdoms, Myth

The administrative affairs in Taishan were relatively leisurely. For instance, Chen Xi was currently napping in the administrative hall. With the warmer weather, he spent less time lounging at home. Of course, this also served as an example for the newly arrived Jia Xu and Li You—if he didn't show up every day, those two might not bother coming either, and one day, if he needed extra hands, there would be no one to recruit.

Naturally, this situation was somewhat pathetic. While some had leisure time, others were quite busy, like Liu Ye, who was furiously writing at his desk, and Lu Su, who was meticulously reviewing and correcting government documents. These two unfortunate souls had been at it for over ten days, and what seemed like simple tasks had driven them mad—it was far from easy!

"How are things going, Xianhe?" Chen Xi didn't dare ask Liu Ye or Lu Su directly, so he softly inquired of Jian Yong, who was leisurely reviewing documents related to the division of Qing Province's land. If he had asked the other two, they would have glared at him.

"It'll probably take a few more days," Jian Yong shook his head slightly, clearly impressed by how what seemed like straightforward administrative work had become so overwhelming.

"Oh, that's good. If this continues, I might need to lend a hand. Ziyang's planning is too meticulous," Chen Xi shook his head slightly. Since it was only a matter of days, he wasn't too worried.

The main issues in Qing Province were handed over to Chen Xi for printing after Liu Ye came up with a solution, so there was no rush. As for selecting the minor officials in Qing Province, Chen Xi distributed the printed books to over a hundred officials, leaving the selection entirely to them. Given the principle of shared honor and disgrace, these officials naturally made careful choices.

Li You coughed lightly as he walked in with a document bag, expressionless as he handed it to Chen Xi. "Jia Wenhe passed this to Lord Xuande, who asked me to bring it to you for handling."

Chen Xi opened the document bag and pulled out the intelligence report, frowning slightly. "Hmm, there's tea for you. Help yourself; I'm not moving." He casually handed the teapot to Li You.

"Did Wenhe mention how to handle this? I recall he has the authority to deal with it." Chen Xi thought for a moment and felt it best to leave it to experts like Jia Xu and Guo Jia. As for the still-training Fa Zheng, it was time for him to gain some experience.

"Wenhe didn't say," Li You replied flatly, simply stating the facts with no further commentary.

"Alright, then send someone to notify Yuan Gonglu. Since Cao Cao has set his sights on Yuzhou, it would be a shame not to cause some trouble for him." Chen Xi squinted slightly. "Xianhe, do you mind traveling to Jingzhou as an envoy? As kin, it's appropriate to congratulate Liu Jingxian."

"I've long wanted to meet Liu Jingxian, one of the Eight Stallions," Jian Yong said with a hint of excitement.

Jian Yong was known for his straightforward and easy-going nature. If he were an envoy of a minor warlord, someone like Liu Biao might consider him beneath notice. But draped in the prestige of Lord Xuande, even as an envoy, he would be a respectable figure.

"There's no need to do much on this trip. Participate in the banquets and dances if you can. Oh, and take Wei Shuo with you—he'll help you appear more like a man of letters. Remember, you're visiting a friend, not discussing state affairs. Your presence in Jingzhou is Lord Xuande's grandest gesture. After all, the world still belongs to the Han Dynasty!" Chen Xi thought for a moment and decided it would be beneficial to send Liu Yan as well. Let the world recognize that the so-called mighty lords of the Central Plains were nothing in comparison—enhancing one's reputation across the land was always a good thing.

"This is quite an enjoyable task," Jian Yong chuckled, abandoning his earlier worries about how to meet Liu Biao and persuade the officials of Jingzhou. "Hmm, this is probably what you often refer to as a business trip on public funds."

"That's about right. Anyway, once you arrive, Liu Jingxian will have to think things over. Whether or not he sends troops, it will significantly impact Cao Cao. After all, just by being there—even as private citizens—he'll have to receive you properly. After all, you're men of letters!" Chen Xi's smile deepened as if he had just thought of something amusing. "Oh, I heard Liu Biao has three cups named Boya, Zhongya, and Xiaoya. Don't hold back—drink him under the table, and if possible, knock out Liu Jingxian too."

"…" Jian Yong was speechless for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Zichuan, make sure to give me some of your strong liquor. With fine wine and a refined demeanor, a man of letters has all he needs. I may lack the demeanor, but the wine will suffice!"

"I won't forget. But don't actually make Liu Jingxian drink three full cups—it could be deadly," Chen Xi nodded but cautioned. He didn't want Liu Yan and Jian Yong to get too carried away and fill all three of Liu Biao's cups. Given Liu Biao's habit of not considering himself a true man of letters until he had drunk three full cups, he might actually drink himself to death.

"Wenru, please convey my arrangements to Jia Wenhe. I'll leave the rest to them. Meanwhile, I'm still pondering how to build a grand residence for Lord Xuande and select beautiful concubines. Do you have any suggestions?" Chen Xi turned to Li You. Recently, this had been his primary focus.

"Cai Zhaoji is a good choice!" Li You replied expressionlessly.

"Don't tell me you don't know Cai Zhaoji is already betrothed. Although the marriage hasn't been finalized, the wedding contract is set, and she's still in mourning. She might even observe a three-year mourning period," Chen Xi glanced at Li You.

"Cai Zhaoji won't get married. Wei Zhongdao is doomed. Her fate includes losing her mother in childhood, her father in her youth, and her husband—her life will be full of hardship. If I promise her a lifetime of wealth and honor, it will require someone's life to offset those misfortunes," Li You candidly shared his thoughts with Chen Xi. The three of them were like grasshoppers tied to the same rope.

"You're not seriously considering Lord Xuande, are you? If not for Cai Yong's incident in Chang'an, she would indeed be the best choice, but as things stand…" Chen Xi didn't elaborate, confident that Li You would understand.

"So I'm just mentioning it," Li You replied calmly.

Chen Xi nearly choked on Li You's nonchalant tone. After regaining his composure, he looked at Li You and asked, "How do we proceed? Give me a plan—you're good at this."

"Just let the various warlords know. They have no shortage of beauties, so it's only appropriate to foster alliances. As for the internal matters, leave them to the merchants," Li You said, his expression unchanged. He had handled such matters countless times before.

"Alright, then this task is yours. I'll focus on building the house. I'll show the world what it means to be truly magnificent!" Chen Xi habitually tried to pass the burden to Li You.

"I'm leaving. You continue with your work," Li You turned and left without paying Chen Xi any attention.

"Huh?" Chen Xi was dumbfounded, encountering someone who didn't fall for his tricks for the first time. Upon further reflection, he realized… it seemed… perhaps Jia Xu had used Liu Bei's hand to push the task he should have handled onto him. After walking the night road too often, he had finally encountered a ghost. [Those two bastards are old foxes! How did I fall for their trick? Could Jia Xu really not handle this? I'm doomed…]

Sure enough, not long after, Liu Bei's order came down, instructing Chen Xi to consider the situation in Yanzhou during his administrative duties and to pay close attention to the circumstances in Qingzhou and Jizhou. After all, Zhao Yun and Taishi Ci in Licheng were already in a standoff with Zhang He and Gao Lan. Chen Xi's previous actions had already caused the border between Jizhou and Qingzhou to go on high alert!