Three Kingdoms, Myth

Gently placing Fan Jian on the bed and covering her with a blanket, Chen Xi let out a sigh of relief. Holding her for a short while was fine, but doing so for too long made his legs numb and his arms ache. Even though Fan Jian was light, she was still a sixteen-year-old girl, and no matter how well she was raised, there was only so much weight she could lose.

"You look so gentle, husband," Chen Lan said with a smile, leaning against the window.

"You're easier to take care of," Chen Xi replied helplessly.

"That's how it should be for a lady," Chen Lan said cheerfully, naturally accepting Chen Xi's words.

"Perhaps, but she thinks too much. By the way, have you finished embroidering your wedding dress?" Chen Xi asked, feeling that the previous topic wasn't appropriate and quickly changing it.

"No," Chen Lan shook her head.

In ancient times, weddings were typically held with some level of formality. Originally, Chen Xi was just an ordinary person. After he had removed Chen Lan's slave status, Chen Lan had guessed that Chen Xi intended to marry her as a concubine and had started working on her wedding dress. It took her half a year to complete it, but before she could wear it, Chen Xi was ennobled as a marquis.

With the wedding postponed, many things had to change, starting with Chen Lan's wedding dress. The wedding ceremony had to match Chen Xi's new status, which meant that the dress prepared for a "Daifu" (a middle-ranking official) was no longer appropriate. Now, it had to meet the standards for a "Marquis" level ceremony, which required much more intricate embroidery. However, this was a challenge Chen Lan found exciting and enjoyable.

"Haven't finished it yet, and you're still out here playing? Go back to your room and finish your dress," Chen Xi said, tapping Chen Lan's forehead lightly. "I'm telling you, if it's not done in time, don't blame me if I marry Jian'er first and not you. With my achievements, if you're part of the dowry, you'll get a formal document for the title of 'lady.' But if you miss the timing, you'll lose that chance."

"I'm going to finish my dress right away!" Chen Lan's eyes lit up with excitement, not realizing that Chen Xi intended to secure her a formal title.

"Go on, then," Chen Xi said, waving her off.

In the Han Dynasty, the title of "lady" was not easy to obtain. If Chen Xi hadn't genuinely taken down over a million Yellow Turbans, and if the Han court hadn't felt that he was too young and only given him an honorary title, there would be no way to get formal documents for two ladies. A concubine was just a concubine, but now that imperial authority had waned, many things were overlooked, and documents for two ladies were already prepared.

After all, Chen Lan had stayed by his side through thick and thin as a loyal servant, and it seemed unfair to leave her with just the status of a concubine. Therefore, he arranged for a document granting her the title of "lady." With this document, Chen Lan could enjoy the same treatment as a wife, both inside and outside the household, and even receive a modest stipend.

In the Han Dynasty, the status of a wife was equal to that of the husband, meaning both enjoyed the same privileges. A concubine, however, was merely a companion—at best, a concubine from a good family who wouldn't be easily dismissed or killed at the wife's whim. After the wife's death, a concubine might have the opportunity to be promoted to wife. In short, the title of "lady" in the Han Dynasty was unique, very different from the titles granted in the Tang Dynasty. It was only given to the legitimate wife of officials with a rank of two thousand shi or higher, making it a rare and prestigious title.

Given Chen Xi's current status, securing the title of "lady" for Fan Jian required no effort. After completing the three letters and six rites, the document for her title would naturally be issued, as Chen Xi's current rank and title were already sufficient. However, obtaining the same for Chen Lan was much more difficult.

Fortunately, it was a time of chaos, with imperial authority diminished after the court had been ravaged by Dong Zhuo and later by Li Jue and Guo Si. The new Minister of Rites was clearly a pragmatist, and Chen Xi, through Mi Zhu, easily secured the documents by providing a generous bribe. Of course, the minister warned that if the emperor ever investigated, he would deny any involvement, but Chen Xi didn't take that seriously. By that time, Liu Xie wouldn't have the power to interfere.

As for the official who would proclaim the document, Liu Bei, Chen Xi was confident that Liu Bei would turn a blind eye and pretend nothing had happened.

With any potential issues at home resolved, Chen Xi headed straight for the government office, determined to put on an angry display and whip Lu Su and the others into shape. Every cog in the machine he had designed needed to start turning at full speed!

"Hey, uh, Ruan Yuliang, give me your sword!" Chen Xi, after perfecting his furious expression in front of a mirror, marched toward the government office. Upon dismounting and seeing Ruan Yuliang standing at the entrance, he realized he was missing something. Without hesitation, he grabbed Ruan Yuliang's sword and stormed inside.

"BANG!" Chen Xi slammed the sword onto the table, glaring at the people in the room. Today was a good day—everyone, including Sun Qian, was present!

"Zijing, explain to me what happened with Fenggao!" Chen Xi roared at Lu Su.

"Wenru! What's going on with the lord?" Chen Xi demanded before Lu Su could respond, turning to Li You.

"Boning, where's your new law?"

"Fengxiao, you're still drinking! Liu Jingxuan nearly drank all of Jingzhou away!"

"Wenhe, what's going on with Yuan Shao? Why has the recent news been so vague? What do you mean by 'both sides fought at Jieqiao, but the outcome remains unclear'?"

"And you, Ziyang, why are you smiling? Is your governance model completed?"

Chen Xi's tirade stunned everyone in the room. They had all been sitting around, sipping tea, eating snacks, and casually handling official duties, but now they felt a pang of guilt, realizing how much they had left unfinished.

"Calm down, calm down," Lu Su, ever the peacemaker, thought Chen Xi was venting after being infuriated by the situation outside and hurriedly tried to soothe him, offering him tea. "Drink some tea, calm yourself."

"Separate the lord's personal wealth from the finances of the entire Taishan territory. Let him have his salary—just give him a bit extra if needed!" Chen Xi said, his face darkened. His mental energy seeped from his eyes, sweeping over everyone in the room.

No one dared to provoke Chen Xi when he was this angry, especially since they had all discussed this issue before and agreed that separating the finances was a good idea. And so, the decision was quickly made, with everyone agreeing to shoulder the responsibility together.

"Second, the census. Zijing, how much is left?" Chen Xi asked Lu Su, who looked troubled. Chen Xi's eyelid twitched, sensing something amiss, and tentatively asked, "You haven't started, have you?"

Lu Su smiled bitterly. Recently, he had been busy with the summer harvest, distributing and registering the spoils of war, managing the housing and land distribution for the incoming population, classifying external craftsmen, and handling various other tasks. He simply hadn't had time for the census.

"Fine, I'll help you with that later," Chen Xi said, exasperated. Seeing Lu Su's expression, he knew it hadn't been done. Turning to Man Chong, he asked, "Boning, what's the status of the new law? You've been working on it for a while now. Is the tax law ready?"

"I'm good with criminal law, but I think we need someone skilled in fiscal policy to help with the tax law. Mi Zhu would be suitable, but I fear he might not be entirely impartial given his status as a merchant," Man Chong replied with a wry smile.

"Handle the sentencing guidelines, and leave the rest to me," Chen Xi said, softening his tone.

"No news from Jieqiao is actually the best news, as it means the battle is still unresolved. However, I've examined the terrain near Jieqiao, and it's very unfavorable for the White Horse Volunteers. Gongsun Bogui is too overconfident," Jia Xu explained before Chen Xi could ask, having closely followed Yuan Shao's precautions at Jieqiao.

Turning to Liu Ye, Chen Xi saw him smiling wryly as he said, "I'll get right on it. You can trust that I'll finish it."

Finally, Chen Xi looked at Li You, who sighed deeply, "This was indeed my oversight. I got a bit too complacent."