Chapter 60

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Zhang Fei left, and from the excited look on his face, Chen Xi knew that this guy would most likely have a big fight on Mount Tai before coming back.

The next day, Liu Bei came again. Seeing Chen Xi leisurely drinking tea in the government hall, he felt somewhat helpless. After such a long time, Liu Bei no longer worried that Chen Xi would be overworked. He had come to understand that no matter how many troublesome matters Chen Xi handled, he would only frown for a moment. He believed what Chen Xi had said on the road—that political strategy was his forte.

"Zi Chuan, are you feeling bored again?" Liu Bei asked with a smile. He almost never dealt with government affairs now, except for the power to promote or punish his subordinates. Other matters were mostly left to Chen Xi to handle as he saw fit. Liu Bei spent more time selecting physically fit civilians from the displaced population and training them. By now, he had some semblance of a new army, though these ten thousand new soldiers were still just a facade.

"Everywhere, we are digging canals, wells, and repairing roads. The city walls have also been renovated. With nearly a hundred thousand people to command, it's best to get everything done at once. This will save a lot of trouble in the future." Chen Xi pretended to take out a scroll and read it while speaking. Although he knew Liu Bei understood his character, he still felt the need to put on a show in front of his superior, not to go overboard.

Jian Yong chuckled on the side, amused by Chen Xi's pretense of reading the scroll, which he had actually held upside down.

"How is Zhao Yun doing with the land reclamation? Can he meet Zi Chuan's requirements?" Liu Bei asked, still somewhat unsure about Zhao Yun's ability. After all, it was not easy for someone with such high martial skills to excel in political strategy.

"Probably only a handful of people in this world can match him in land reclamation," Chen Xi said proudly. "And hardly anyone can outdo him."

Chen Xi was not boasting. After all, land reclamation was a relatively new concept at the time. Although it had been done before, after Zao Zhi's reforms, it was essentially a different system. Chen Xi had informed Zhao Yun about Zao Zhi's land reclamation policies and let him modify them as he saw fit.

Zhao Yun was not unintelligent. Although he had not seen this new military land reclamation model before, he could discern its merits and drawbacks. Naturally, he analyzed the land reclamation policies with his own perspective. According to Zhao Yun, these policies were indeed a way to rapidly accumulate national strength, but they seemed a bit harsh, with a 50-50 split of the harvest.

Chen Xi did not bother to explain to Zhao Yun that even with a 50-50 split, the common people would still be better off than before. After all, the middle class had been eliminated, and with a 30% land tax and 50% rent, farmers only kept 20% of their harvest, which was why, despite the Han Dynasty not lacking land, people still starved.

As for the 50-50 split Chen Xi proposed, it was based on the average yield from random inspections, with no private taxes. Chen Xi guaranteed that even in a bad year, 60 acres of land would at least provide enough to avoid starvation. However, Zhao Yun insisted on arguing with Chen Xi, and since he could not debate Chen Xi, he left angrily to gather data, returning a few days later.

Field investigations, it turned out, were indeed necessary. After more than half a month of research, Zhao Yun discovered that Chen Xi was right. A 50-50 split could even sustain the people during a bad year. Was this fair? Why had the Yellow Turban Rebellion occurred in the past?

When Zhao Yun returned, he was holding a spear, looking grim. It seemed that if he could not debate Chen Xi, he would stab him. He argued with Chen Xi again, from tax systems to farming, from yields to bad years, for an entire hour. Even Jian Yong was shocked by Zhao Yun's eloquence.

In the end, Chen Xi shrugged and said that he would leave the land reclamation to Zhao Yun. He did not need to see the policies; Zhao Yun could read the books and conduct field investigations himself, taking responsibility for any issues that arose.

Chen Xi dismissed Zhao Yun, even though he could find many flaws in Zhao Yun's policies. However, Chen Xi believed that Zhao Yun would notice these issues over time and through field investigations. He had already taken the first step.

Listening to Jian Yong recount the previous events, Liu Bei sighed. "The policies of the Han Dynasty are not wrong; the problem is that people always find loopholes. The aristocratic families are not short of talent, but they use it in the wrong direction."

"Every policy has loopholes; it's just a matter of how many. After all, times change, and old laws no longer fit the current situation. Keeping up with the times is what's important," Chen Xi said helplessly.

Chen Xi realized he needed to instill some new ideas in Liu Bei. If he continued to cling to outdated practices, even if he unified the world, he would only be another Emperor Guangwu. Chen Xi wanted the spirit of Emperor Qin and Emperor Wu, the ambition to conquer and dominate. He preferred Liu Bei to be like Emperor Wu, who, despite his military campaigns, maintained control over the empire, rather than being constrained by the aristocracy and the imperial relatives like Emperor Guangwu.

Emperor Wu's military campaigns, though they caused unrest and even rebellions, still left over a hundred years for the empire to recover. A hundred years—what was there to worry about, trading one generation for a hundred years of peace?

In the late years of Emperor Wu, there was unrest, but the Xiongnu were largely defeated. When he said it was time to rest and recuperate, it was possible. During Emperor Jing's reign, you had to consider whether the Xiongnu would agree. In Emperor Wu's time, there was no worry about border invasions. Emperor Xuan continued the policy of rest and recuperation, leading to a prosperous era. The troubles caused by Emperor Wu were manageable.

Furthermore, if another Emperor Wu-level figure emerged after Emperor Xuan, the cycle could continue, essentially turning the world into a resource to be exploited. The Han Empire could dominate all of Asia...

In contrast, after Emperor Guangwu, the aristocracy and the imperial relatives took control. Without a powerful figure to suppress them, the aristocracy grew stronger over a hundred years, eventually threatening the imperial throne and leading to the downfall of the Han Dynasty. It was a tragedy.

Understanding this, Chen Xi preferred a Liu Bei who would engage in military campaigns rather than follow Emperor Guangwu's path. At least Emperor Wu's path, as long as the resources could support it, was viable. Emperor Guangwu's path was a dead end, leading to a society where the upper class was dominated by the aristocracy and the lower class by the commoners, which would not be much better, given the nature of the aristocracy. Without strong suppression, problems would eventually arise.

With this in mind, Chen Xi now tried to instill ideas of dominance, righteousness, and the way of heaven whenever he met Liu Bei.

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