Three Kingdoms, Myth

"When Zijing returns, send him to my house. I have something important to discuss with him. But if I have to wait too long, I won't hesitate to hand the matter over to the Zhen family. You should know that Lord Xuande seems to have sensed the goodwill from the Zhen family," Chen Xi said with a smile. Everyone in the room, including himself, had surely accepted favors from Mi Zhu and would have been notified.

Just by looking at Guo Jia's indulgent lifestyle, one could guess how much money was involved. Despite high salaries and rewards, it was clearly not enough to sustain such a lifestyle, especially when Guo Jia always demanded the best. According to Fa Zheng, even his own salary had been confiscated by Guo Jia.

"Zijing is currently in Yizhou. The last I heard, he said he was planning to establish contact with the Wu family. He mentioned that to expand the commercial alliance, powerful merchants needed to join, so he asked me to write a letter to the Yizhou governor for him," Lu Su explained. Although Lu Su was somewhat wealthy, he was nowhere near the level of Mi Zhu, who could rival a nation's treasury. Therefore, Lu Su typically approved such harmless requests without much concern.

"Yizhou, huh? Then I'll wait a bit longer," Chen Xi nodded. If Mi Zhu was going to discuss matters that would determine the future of the Mi family, it would make sense for him to go in person, rather than sending a steward like an ordinary merchant. "But if the new tax laws are finalized and he hasn't returned, then I'll have no choice but to give this incredibly lucrative business opportunity to someone else."

The room fell silent. Though only a few people were present, when Chen Xi wasn't in a rage, everyone was content to sip tea, eat snacks, or nibble on fruit. But now, the room was quiet, and no one spoke. Everyone respected Chen Xi's ability to generate revenue, even though he wasn't involved in commerce himself.

"Zichuan, why not share the details with us so we can have a clearer understanding?" Jian Yong, being one of the earliest members of Liu Bei's group, naturally took the lead in asking.

"Although Fenggao's geographical location isn't ideal, once Mi Zhu returns and we officially launch, it's possible the tax revenue could surpass that of the entire Nanyang Commandery within a year," Chen Xi said with a smug smile. He finally had the authority to implement such plans, and with a strong military backing, there was no need to worry about other warlords trying to interfere.

"Hiss!" Everyone present drew a sharp breath. They all knew what Nanyang Commandery represented. Even before the decline of the Eastern Capital Luoyang, the prosperity of Nanyang's Wan City was enough to make the world take notice. For Chen Xi to claim that one city could surpass Nanyang in tax revenue was nothing short of astounding.

"That's about it. There's a lot of profit to be made, so I think Zijing should return soon," Chen Xi said, resting his head on his hand casually.

"Keeping the wealth in the family? Does the Zhen family count as family? Poor Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang…" Fa Zheng muttered quietly.

Chen Xi shot a glare at Fa Zheng, and seeing everyone else giving him peculiar looks, he sighed and explained, "The profit margin is too large. Only the top five wealthiest merchant families can qualify, and that's the simple truth."

"Enough about that. Let's all head to Lord Xuande's place. I can already smell the meat roasting. It's getting better, just as I hoped. It's not a waste of my efforts. Do any of you have other requests?" Chen Xi sighed. Though he had changed the topic, there was still a mountain of tasks waiting for him.

"Isn't it true that you were the one who wanted to cultivate such refined tastes?" Liu Ye remarked casually, then added with a smirk, glancing at Jia Xu.

"Fine carriages and beautiful women are also essential," Jia Xu chimed in.

"Books and culture are a must as well," Li You added, patting Chen Xi on the shoulder as he left.

"We're still short on luxurious mansions and wealth!" Lu Su sighed.

"A domineering presence that looks down on the world."

"A spirit that encompasses all."

Jian Yong and Sun Qian each added another comment as they stood up.

"Fair and just, without bias," Man Chong stated matter-of-factly.

"To sleep on the mountains and wake to rule the world," Guo Jia, still drunk, added with a flourish as he and Fa Zheng passed by Chen Xi.

"Do you have something to say too?" Chen Xi growled, glaring at Liu Yan.

"Just following the crowd," Liu Yan replied with a wry smile. The pressure from the group staring at him was immense. With a determined look, he declared, "Bravery, wisdom, diligence, humility, love for the people—all that the ancient sages sought and all that the people desire, will be fulfilled!"

Chen Xi nearly choked on his own breath. Liu Yan's expectations were far more demanding than all the others combined.

Listening to the laughter outside, Chen Xi quietly cursed himself. "That's what I get for being too smug and saying one more thing. Now I'm in trouble!"

What had started as Chen Xi being proud of how well he was cultivating Liu Bei turned into a series of additional expectations from everyone, each one raising the bar higher and higher. The task was now more daunting than ever, as it had gone beyond mere training of noble offspring to embodying the group's hopes for Liu Bei's future—a burden so heavy it was almost unbearable.

"Weishuo, you'll pay for this!" Chen Xi roared in frustration. The final challenge Liu Yan had set was simply impossible to achieve!

"Do you think we were too harsh on Zichuan?" Liu Ye asked as they walked, reflecting on the group's demands. "Especially Weishuo's—it was a bit much."

"Are we tormenting him, or is he tormenting us?" Lu Su replied calmly, turning his head to look at Liu Ye. It was clear that the so-called "good-natured" man could be merciless when needed, showing no guilt or hesitation. This realization sent a chill down Liu Ye's spine—he had no idea Lu Su had this side to him, effortlessly causing trouble without feeling any pressure.

"We only get to do this a few times a year, though," Lu Su said, as if recalling something wistfully. "Don't you think Zichuan and Xiaozhi are worlds apart?"

"Now that you mention it…" Jia Xu turned his head to scrutinize Lu Su. "Zijing is barely twenty, right?"

The group fell silent.

"Fengxiao and Ziyang are only twenty-two, if I'm not mistaken," Li You added, picking up the conversation. Until now, they had focused on the talents of this group, but now that they thought about it, the oldest among them was Man Chong, who was only twenty-four.

"The younger you are, the greater the advantage for our lord," Jia Xu said, shaking his head. He and Li You had little room for further growth, while the others still had years to accumulate experience. In a few years, they would be able to support the lord for at least three more decades.

"Ah, no wonder Chen Zichuan is always talking about nurturing the next generation. If the next generation is as prosperous as this one, and the ruler can delegate like our lord, an eternal legacy is not out of reach!" Jia Xu thought to himself. Someone like Lu Su could be placed in any position with just a bit more refinement. Even if the previous generation decayed, this one would be strong enough to overthrow them. Youth was indeed a powerful asset.

Jia Xu glanced at Fa Zheng, who had yet to mature but was already brimming with potential. In just three years, Fa Zheng might rival the brilliance of Guo Jia today. "It seems Chen Zichuan isn't just supplementing the education of noble offspring for our lord. He's also focusing on the elite education of civil and military talents, like Tanzhi and Xiaozhi…"