Chapter 206: "The Darkness Before Dawn"

Ever since Chen Xi issued his orders that day, he would show up at the city gates of Fenggao in the afternoon, accompanied by his rumored bodyguard, Hua Xiong.

"Let's go, Zijian," Chen Xi sighed as he glanced at the bustling caravans passing through the city gates, then turned to Hua Xiong. He now had reached a point where he needed protection; anonymity certainly had its advantages.

"Strategist, please." Hua Xiong glanced at Chen Xi with confusion but didn't ask any questions. He simply made a gesture of invitation and followed Chen Xi as they descended from the city walls.

"Zijian, give me a hundred guan of Wuzhu coins. I'll invest it in some property for you. It's about time you settled down and started a family," Chen Xi casually remarked as they walked down the steps, seemingly thinking of something.

"Oh," Hua Xiong nodded, not thinking much of it. He had always lived off the spoils of war, and quite comfortably at that, so the thought of investing in property never crossed his mind.

Chen Xi climbed into a carriage, while Hua Xiong mounted his horse, leading a group of soldiers to escort Chen Xi to the northern second, third, and fourth streets. The area had become much more prosperous compared to before, though the tax revenue hadn't increased by much.

Of course, Chen Xi had already noticed the enormous potential here. Unlike Liu Ye, who couldn't create graphs, Chen Xi could easily draw out a curve showing the exponential growth, enough to make any mathematician ecstatic. Unfortunately, this was the late Han Dynasty, and no one truly understood the terrifying implications of exponential growth. Even Liu Ye, who claimed to be a mathematics expert, only saw the difference compared to before but failed to grasp the incredible rate of increase.

"Zijian, how about this one?" Chen Xi casually asked. He had already advised all his acquaintances to buy property on these streets in advance. Whether they heeded his advice or not was up to them, but he knew that soon the value of this land would skyrocket. Once Fenggao became a commercial hub, the rental income alone would be staggering.

Hua Xiong, not understanding much about the value of such investments, casually nodded in agreement with Chen Xi's suggestion, especially since they had just won a major battle and had plenty of resources. A hundred guan was nothing to him.

Chen Xi bought three properties on this street for himself, but the entire first street was under Liu Bei's name. Liu Bei might not even remember Chen Xi's words from when Fenggao was still under construction, but Chen Xi used the whole street of shops as a form of investment. The value of a street in a global-level market was something Chen Xi didn't want to calculate.

"Tomorrow's tax revenue should catch up to the usual amount," Chen Xi mused as he watched the bustling merchants pass by, then closed the window of the carriage. "How dull. I've underestimated how oppressive the Han Dynasty is towards merchants. After all, even the aristocracy needs money!"

In just fifteen days, from the moment Chen Xi gave the order until now, the number of merchants in Fenggao had multiplied several times over, and trade had significantly increased. This was despite many merchants arriving with limited goods due to being on the move.

Was it the Han Dynasty's oppressive policies toward merchants that held them back, or was it that Chen Xi's credibility was just that strong? Perhaps it was the vast networks of the Zhen and Mi families. Whatever the reason, the merchants had arrived, and that was enough.

Chen Xi's business laws ensured that once merchants arrived, they wouldn't leave. When there were enough merchants, Fenggao would have everything needed, including contraband. But Chen Xi didn't mind—after all, even illegal goods would be traded in Fenggao, and he had no qualms about stockpiling weapons and armor.

"Zijian, am I boring?" Chen Xi asked as the carriage stopped in front of his residence, casually hopping off. "Haha, it really is boring. I haven't felt like going to the administration hall lately. It's just money and power."

"Strategist, I don't understand what you're saying," Hua Xiong responded innocently, scratching his head.

Chen Xi looked at Hua Xiong and waved his hand, signaling that he could leave. Hua Xiong's home was just a wall away from Chen Xi's outer courtyard, as Hua Xiong also held the position of Chen Xi's bodyguard.

Watching the gates of Chen's residence slowly close, Hua Xiong sighed. Could he really not understand? Even if he didn't, could Li You and the others not understand? The tax revenue in Qingzhou and Taishan had dropped by a third recently, and this massive deficit was entirely due to Chen Xi's policies. As a result, rumors began circulating in the administration hall. It wasn't just Lu Su and the others who worked there; countless others helped manage affairs behind the scenes. If it were only Chen Xi and a few others, they would be overwhelmed by the workload.

Chen Xi had risen to this position before turning twenty, and it would be strange if no one was jealous. Lu Su and the others were all incredibly talented and not petty, but Chen Xi had never made a mistake. Even if there was jealousy, it was suppressed. However, now that there was a clear decline in tax revenue, these older officials, who had lost hope in Chen Xi's young age, finally had an excuse to vent.

Five days ago, when Chen Xi went to the administration hall, a lower-ranked official publicly denounced him, accusing him of being arrogant and ignorant. In response, Chen Xi ordered the man to be beaten and thrown out. Afterward, Liu Bei personally intervened to suppress the situation, preventing the disgruntled officials from rising up. But since then, Chen Xi hadn't returned to the administration hall, and the rumors and criticisms only grew louder.

Chen Xi understood that this situation was partly due to Liu Ye and Lu Su's passive attitude. They had their grievances, but the fact that they didn't actively fan the flames showed their integrity.

But with the situation escalating, Chen Xi had nothing more to say. Whether people were pushing their agendas or letting things slide, it would all be a joke in the end. Perhaps Liu Ye and Lu Su only wanted to steer him back on track, but once the momentum started, it became difficult to control. Liu Ye and Lu Su were likely troubled by it as well!

Since that incident, Chen Xi hadn't returned to the administration hall. As for the increasingly rampant rumors and growing calls for his removal, Chen Xi could only ignore them. The results would be evident soon enough—there was no need to rush.

The darkened expression and solitary demeanor hadn't completely faded. Despite the changes over the past year or two, Chen Xi hadn't entirely lost his old habits.

"Lord Xuande?" Chen Xi called out as he pushed open the door to his residence, only to find Liu Bei sitting alone at a stone table under a tree, with two cups of wine and a few small dishes. It was clear he had been waiting for Chen Xi. "Thank you for waiting, Lord Xuande."

"Have a seat, Zichuan," Liu Bei gestured to the stone bench Chen Xi had ordered made, speaking casually. "Can you handle it?"

"There's no problem, Lord Xuande. No need to worry. In three days at most, the situation will turn around, and Fenggao's tax revenue will gradually reach four to five times its current level," Chen Xi replied calmly. "As long as I haven't fallen, there's no need for you to step in. Don't worry about me."

"Let's drink this cup of wine!" Liu Bei raised his cup and drank it in one go. "Zichuan, rest well. If you can't handle it, use my sword. And if that still doesn't work," Liu Bei reached out and patted Chen Xi on the shoulder, "you still have me."