Chapter 975: Too Much to Handle

With the grand trajectory of history already shattered, Chen Xi's strategic mastery was no longer at the top of its game. At best, he could now be considered an exceptionally skilled tactician. However, Chen Xi's value was never in his strategic brilliance alone; his real worth lay in being the helmsman, steering the ship forward.

Chen Xi was the driving force behind why Taishan’s power grew stronger with each battle. His political strategies may have been ahead of their time, but after being refined by Lu Su and Li You, they were perfectly aligned with the era, producing results that surpassed history by centuries, even millennia.

This was precisely what made it so difficult for Cao Cao and Sun Ce to imitate him. Many times, when Li You and Lu Su received Chen Xi’s political strategies, they understood the “how” but not the “why,” and it was only through trial and error that they truly grasped the essence.

Even geniuses like Xun Yu and Zhang Zhao, however brilliant, couldn’t fully grasp the intricacies without firsthand experience in governance. It was like seeing flowers through the mist—there was still a significant gap in understanding.

This was the key reason why Liu Bei’s power continued to grow, widening the gap between him and the other warlords. The superiority of his systems was the most terrifying aspect.

Since the implementation of education, whether in civil studies or martial skills, it was only now that the first wave of students had officially completed their schooling. Once these graduates entered society, hundreds more would follow every year.

To be honest, it wasn’t that Chen Xi was unwilling to expand the scope of education. It was just that when it came to subjects like military strategy and tactics, those capable of teaching were extremely selective about their students, even if Chen Xi imposed mandatory requirements. They wouldn’t casually pass on such knowledge.

As a result, although many students would graduate from free education programs starting this year, most would only have learned basic literacy, with a few acquiring practical skills that would make their lives easier.

In this era, where feeding oneself was paramount, many of the poor children who had completed two years of basic literacy education had turned to agricultural studies, learning how to increase crop yields.

This highlighted the biggest difference between Qu Qi and Zhao Yun. Qu Qi, born into a noble family, had made many efforts for the benefit of the people due to certain ideals, but at heart, he was not one to immerse himself among the masses. Part of what made nobles noble was their high status.

In contrast, Zhao Yun, born of humble origins, was a radiant and approachable military general. When promoting new crops and more efficient farming techniques, Zhao Yun would actively engage with the people and work hard to spread these innovations.

After Zhao Yun was sent elsewhere, Qu Qi struggled with engaging directly with the people. After some reflection on his original ideals, Qu Qi couldn’t help but smile bitterly. However, being intelligent, he soon came up with a solution.

Thus, the agricultural science classes were born. Qu Qi lectured on how to improve crop yields, and his students, in turn, passed the knowledge to others. Before long, agricultural science classes spread across various regions.

It’s true that food is the most basic necessity. While literacy among the common folk didn’t spread quickly, their eagerness to learn scientific farming techniques was impressive. As long as it increased yields, even if it only meant an extra bushel of grain, it was worth their time and effort to study.

For the common people of this era, time was cheap, but food was the foundation of everything.

In addition to agricultural science, other subjects like construction, carpentry, and medicine were also offered. Well, the last one mainly focused on first aid. As for more advanced medical practices like identifying blood types and performing surgeries, even under Liu Bei’s rule, fewer than five people could accomplish such feats.

On the battlefield, as long as soldiers knew first aid, that was usually enough. There was no need for more. Most of the new recruits couldn’t even distinguish between left and right, and those without talent might take years to learn even basic bandaging.

Back in Taishan, soldiers who were trained in first aid were initially looked down upon because they had to stay behind others to ensure their own safety. But later, everyone realized just how valuable they were. Over the years, veteran soldiers came to understand that keeping the medics alive was far more reliable than protecting themselves. If they were injured, a medic greatly increased their chances of survival. Without one, they would be left at the mercy of fate.

Now, it had become clear that medics were an entirely separate and indispensable group from sword-and-shield soldiers, spearmen, cavalry, and archers. For Chen Xi, this was immensely beneficial for retaining seasoned veterans. Once accustomed to fighting alongside skilled soldiers, it became almost unbearable to work with inexperienced recruits who didn’t know how to fight.

As for raising the standards even higher, Chen Xi estimated that the current level was likely the peak of the cold weapon era. At this point, Liu Bei's army could sustain about 50% casualties and still continue fighting. While it wasn’t as extreme as fighting to the last man, pushing a battle to the point of total annihilation was never a good idea.

By now, Chen Xi had more or less established the foundations for a military system. Although there were still gaps, the most challenging issues—ensuring the welfare and honor of soldiers—had already been addressed through legislation. The rest was just a matter of refining the structure over time. The seeds Chen Xi had planted were destined to bear fruit. A new middle class, formed by soldiers and their families, would emerge between the common folk and the nobility. Two classes alone were too dangerous; a triad, or even a system with multiple factions, was the safest option.

However, Chen Xi couldn’t predict how long this would take. At least not until literacy was widespread among the soldiers. Too many aspects needed to be separated out from the traditional classifications of scholar, farmer, artisan, and merchant.

“Zichuan, you’re daydreaming again.” Guo Jia tapped the table, snapping Chen Xi out of his thoughts. Ever since his fallout with Zhen Mi, Chen Xi had been zoning out more often. Although everyone agreed he had handled things poorly, none of them dared to mention it in front of him.

“I was just thinking. When will Gongsun Shengji’s people arrive?” Chen Xi slowly refocused his mind and turned to ask Guo Jia.

“We’ll head out later to listen to some music. You’ve been in a bad mood lately, so this time, you won’t even have to pay,” Guo Jia teased. He knew Chen Xi’s character well, although he still couldn’t quite understand the reasons behind the split with Zhen Mi.

“No, I’d rather stay home and read,” Chen Xi shook his head. He wasn’t in the mood to listen to music, even if Guo Jia rarely offered to foot the bill.

The fallout with Zhen Mi hadn’t just affected her—it had also taken a toll on Chen Xi. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so quiet recently. After all, shortly after taking Ye City, Chen Xi had summoned the prominent families from Qing, Xu, Yu, Yan, and Ji provinces to discuss the establishment of the national bank.

Of course, the meeting didn’t just attract the families from those five provinces; other regional aristocrats also made their way to Ye City. However, with Chen Xi in a bad mood, the meeting was postponed, and now a bunch of noble families were stuck waiting in Ye City.

No one dared complain, though. They all waited patiently for Chen Xi’s official notification. At this point, no one could afford to provoke him anymore.

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