Chapter 1040: Zi Lu Receiving the Ox and the Tian Clan Replacing Qi

"I can represent Bo Fu in accepting these terms. In fact, if the conditions allow, we can even engage in warfare in sparsely populated areas," Yuan Shu said as he stared at Chen Xi. "However, I need to personally inspect the land. Though I, Yuan Shu, am a man of noble birth, it's not as if I haven't tilled the fields myself!"

Chen Xi did not stop Yuan Shu from heading to the northern frontier. With Yuan Shu's words, the noble family alliance meeting came to an end. It seemed that by the next meeting, the situation would be completely set.

Watching Yuan Shu and a large group of noble families depart, Chen Xi couldn’t help but marvel. The hundreds of people in the group were high-level experts in agriculture, painstakingly gathered from various noble families to form an inspection team for the northeastern plains. Seeing this made Chen Xi somewhat envious. These people would be ideal as subordinates for Qu Qi.

[These noble families really have talent. They gathered so many skilled farmers from all over. Do they collect everything for safekeeping, even agricultural experts?] Chen Xi mused silently, somewhat in disbelief.

In fact, Chen Xi wasn’t entirely wrong. Although the custom of keeping retainers had fallen out of favor, the noble families still maintained the habit of retaining people with specialized skills.

For noble families, having skilled individuals on hand could come in handy at any time. It wasn’t costly to maintain them, and sometimes, the benefits they brought far outweighed the expenses. These families were never short on money.

Now, those individuals had been called into action. Various noble families brought out their top agricultural experts, cobbling together an inspection team. Under Yuan Shu’s leadership and with Ji Ling at the helm, they prepared to head to the northeastern plains after making full preparations for the cold.

"If the noble families could unite like this more often, things wouldn’t have come to this point!" Cui Yan sighed as he watched the departing figures. Regardless of the reasons behind their unity, the strength of the noble families, when combined, was formidable. They could marshal resources at a moment’s notice!

"If the noble families were truly united, what use would they have for me?" Chen Xi retorted mockingly. "Infighting has been part of our nature for generations, so it's best they stay divided. I've already prepared places for them to split off to."

Cui Yan glanced at Chen Xi, who coldly sneered as he walked away. In truth, Cui Yan didn’t understand why Chen Xi reacted so strongly to his earlier comment. During the meeting with the noble families, hadn’t Chen Xi been rather cordial? Why the sudden shift?

After returning to report to Liu Bei, Chen Xi gave a brief overview of the situation. The general direction was now set. Although investing over a hundred billion coins would be challenging for the complete development of Ji, Yu, and Yan provinces, it would be achievable by utilizing labor effectively and employing methods like work-for-relief programs.

"Zi Jing, give me the construction plans for Ji, Yu, and Yan provinces. I plan to launch the construction projects early next spring. Also, prepare for the northeastern borderlands. Make sure to keep an eye on Yuan Gonglu’s team—don’t let him die in the northern frontier," Chen Xi instructed Lu Su. He knew Lu Su had detailed construction plans at hand.

"You plan to develop three provinces simultaneously? That’s not a good idea. We could go to war with the Xianbei or Wuhuan at any time, and this time, unlike before, we aim to occupy the northern frontier. The nature of this conflict will significantly increase the required investment. Given our current financial resources, focusing on Ji Province would be the most prudent choice," Lu Su wasn’t just a passive follower of Chen Xi. He had deep insights and knew how to prioritize.

"The Xianbei and Wuhuan need to be fought, the northern frontier must be occupied, and those lands must be cultivated. At the same time, internal construction can’t be delayed either. Just give me the road plans, city layouts, and village consolidation proposals," Chen Xi said dismissively, not showing much concern. He already had the resources lined up and could proceed methodically.

"In other words, you’re planning to inject more funds again," Lu Su stroked his beard, indirectly expressing his concern. "Zi Chuan, your approach might not be the best. You should be aware of the story of Zi Lu receiving the ox. While you might not mind these things, if moral standards are set too high, it could end up damaging the overall ethical environment."

"...," Chen Xi paused for a moment, realizing the implication of Lu Su’s words.

In Lu Su and others' eyes, since the development of Qing and Xu provinces, Chen Xi had been pouring money into projects without ever expecting returns. This method, while beneficial to the state in the short term, could harm the nation’s moral framework in the long run.

"Don’t worry. I’ll eventually take the money back. It’s just a low-interest loan for now, with the borrower being the state. Rest assured, I’ll remember to draft a promissory note later, marking it as national debt," Chen Xi responded casually, unaware of the wry smile forming on Lu Su's face.

"The change from the Jiang Qi to the Tian Clan in Qi was essentially the ransom of a state. The Jiang Clan couldn’t afford to buy back their own state, and the Zhou royal court had no choice but to accept it. The court’s growing debts were the result of this," Li You remarked quietly to Chen Xi through transmission. He and Chen Xi were on the same side.

"Uh...," Chen Xi opened his mouth, momentarily at a loss for words. The most infamous legacy of his Chen family’s ancestors was their purchase of an entire state. Now, Chen Xi’s actions seemed eerily similar.

"It seems you understand now," Jia Xu’s sinister voice chimed in.

Li You’s words served as a wake-up call to Chen Xi. Whether through his own methods or those of others, the amount of money he had already invested was staggering—enough to bankrupt one or two of the five major commercial families.

"You don’t understand money at all. A mere hundred billion coins? With the current level of development in Qing and Xu provinces, if I personally manage things, we could repay that in about two years. Moreover, the Han Dynasty isn’t limited to just Qing and Xu. We’re far from reaching our peak prosperity," Chen Xi stated directly. In truth, he had little interest in his family’s history of purchasing a state.

Chen Xi’s words were spoken publicly, and Liu Bei heard them as well. In fact, Liu Bei had no suspicion of Chen Xi harboring ill intentions. He saw further than Lu Su and the others. After all, he remembered clearly when Chen Xi had mentioned that "there is a land of three harvests in the world."

Liu Bei knew such a place didn’t exist in the Central Plains, meaning that the land of three harvests must be in foreign territories. Given that Chen Xi knew of it, it couldn’t be too far away, and even though Chen Xi possessed profound knowledge, there were still limits to human understanding.

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