Chapter 74

I was so frustrated by the telecommunications network; the internet went down when I was posting the second update yesterday. This update is to make up for yesterday, and there will be more in the afternoon…

"Before Zichuan arrived, the people of Mount Tai were starving and dressed in tattered clothes. Now, under his governance, half a million people have surplus food at home and can eat with a clear conscience." Liu Bei walked in from the main gate and laughed loudly when he heard Chen Xi's words, "Zilong has not made a single mistake in his administration, traveling between villages to ensure the people have enough food. The people remember your kindness and offer you seasonal fruits and vegetables. Why don't you eat them?"

"Lord, I know that in traveling between villages, I have come to understand the hardships of the people and the abilities of the strategist. I am but a minor talent, yet I enjoy the offerings of the people. I cannot eat with a clear conscience." Zhao Yun looked hesitant; he could not feel as justified as Chen Xi, and he did not think he had done better than Liu Bei or Chen Xi.

"Eat it. If they give it to you, eat it. If you're not at ease, make sure you are next year. Refusing to eat it here is just wasting time. They offer it to encourage you to do better. Eat it, and after you finish, think about how to improve, not complain about not doing well enough." Chen Xi casually tossed the package of jujubes to Zhao Yun, "And remember to take those things back. Think about how to do better next year while you eat."

Zhao Yun no longer spoke, looking as if he had made up his mind to work hard. As for Liu Bei, he had no special feelings about Zhao Yun, an unparalleled warrior, spending his days on agriculture and sericulture. After all, Zhao Yun was quite good at it, and Liu Bei was not short of fierce warriors. He thought it was necessary for Zhao Yun to strengthen the foundation of Mount Tai, especially since Zhao Yun was willing to do it.

Liu Bei also picked up a red jujube and started eating it, feeling justified since Chen Xi had come to Mount Tai with him, and now that Mount Tai was prosperous, he felt a sense of pride in it.

Zhao Yun ate the jujubes a bit stiffly, still feeling somewhat uneasy, but not as stubborn as before. If he had come with his spear to debate with Chen Xi like last time, Chen Xi would have sent him back without a second thought. Zhao Zilong was not someone to provoke when he was on the verge of a rampage.

"Did Zichuan send someone to inform me of something important?" Liu Bei sat in the main seat, moved Chen Xi to the left-hand seat, picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and then looked up to ask.

"There are some things we can now execute. Although I could issue the orders, I still want Lord Xuande to confirm them. Of course, Yunchang, Yide, Zijian, and Wenzhe will also return. We can finally proceed with the second phase of the plan." Chen Xi nodded and moved past the topic of the gifts.

Seeing Chen Xi's seriousness, everyone became solemn, even Zhao Yun, who put aside his guilt and began waiting for Guan Yu and the others to arrive.

Not long after, Guan Yu and the others arrived one by one. Seeing Liu Bei in the main seat and the solemn faces of everyone else, they also sat down solemnly in their respective positions.

"Zhongkang, you will personally guard the main gate. The outer area will be guarded by your Tiger Guards. No one is allowed to enter while we review this year's affairs and decide on next year's direction." Chen Xi bowed to Liu Bei and then solemnly instructed Xu Chu, who stood behind Liu Bei.

"Understood!" Xu Chu bowed and then walked out with his large saber.

"Let's start with our current situation. In May, we took control of Mount Tai and used public works to gather a large number of displaced people. After that, Zijian and Xuangao jointly pacified the bandits of Mount Tai, giving us a large labor force, which is the foundation for building Mount Tai. In these four months, we have basically completed the construction of winter shelters and roads between villages..." Chen Xi slowly reported on the achievements of the past four months. With half a million people under Chen Xi's direction, they had turned Mount Tai into a construction site, barely completing his goals in four months.

"Bei thanks Zichuan for your assistance again." Liu Bei, after hearing the report, finally had a clear understanding of his territory and realized how prosperous it had become.

"It sounds like a lot, but when divided among half a million people, it's just a little, barely enough." Chen Xi said helplessly, "We don't have enough land, but ten million dan of grain is enough for us to execute the plan. We'll take it step by step."

"Zichuan seems to have forgotten that ten million dan is the total production, but the tax is only four to four and a half million dan." Lu Su pointed at Zhao Yun and said.

"Yes, I know. Zilong's land distribution policy is not a fifty-fifty split; it's forty percent for the first three years, then it returns to thirty percent." Chen Xi glanced at Zhao Yun and said, "This method is quite good, at least making it easier to gather displaced people. After all, more people mean higher production, and in this era, people are the most valuable resource."

Chen Xi had long anticipated the ten million dan of grain production. After all, he remembered that during the peak of the Han Dynasty, the grain production was about 1.2 billion dan, but with over 50 million people, it was only about 600 catties per person, which was not much.

The 1.2 billion dan of grain was mainly produced by the five provinces of Qing, Xu, Yan, Yu, and Ji. Therefore, the undamaged provinces of Xu and Ji were exceptionally wealthy, which is why Tao Qian could easily provide a million dan of grain to Liu Bei, and why Cao Cao and Yuan Shao did not lack food for their armies during the Battle of Guandu, while Cao Cao's army was often hungry.

The advantage of the Central Plains lies in this: the five provinces are the main grain-producing areas. As long as these five provinces have a good harvest, the rest of the country can survive even if they produce no grain. However, the tragedy of the Three Kingdoms era is that these five provinces were all devastated…

As for the so-called major grain-producing areas of Jing, Yang, and Yi provinces, they were only significant because there were no tigers in the mountains, and the monkeys became kings. Anyone with a bit of common sense knows when the large areas south of the Yangtze River truly entered the development period: during the Tang Dynasty. Before the Tang Dynasty, most of those areas were wilderness, places for exiling criminals.

Of course, Yi Province must be acknowledged as a good place. The great work of Li Bing and his son is truly admirable, transforming Sichuan into a fertile land. But it was only that area.

Everyone took the issue of grain very seriously. Having grain means no panic, especially in times of war. Grain is crucial for political stability. With over four million dan of grain, many things can be implemented. Qing Province was once a large province. Even if we can't swallow it whole, we can gradually take it over with the lure of grain. What can you do if they want to surrender? We show compassion, gather displaced people, and give them a place to live. How noble we are~

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