Chapter 254: Intimidating the Four Corners and Ending This Year's War

Fazheng was overjoyed upon hearing this. While the task was indeed challenging, successfully accomplishing it would be the best recognition of his abilities. Without hesitation, he accepted the responsibility on the spot.

"Zichuan, you'll need to take on more as usual," Liu Bei didn't assign any specific administrative duties to Chen Xi, but he left this sentence, implying that Chen Xi still had the authority to oversee all civil officials.

"Understood," Chen Xi nodded and replied.

With everything settled, Liu Bei didn't say much more and, as usual, hosted a banquet to entertain everyone. Fazheng once again indulged in boiled mutton. The earlier blow to his spirits was entirely gone.

As Fazheng ate the mutton, he renewed his determination. In his eyes, this was such a grand and lofty ideal; why didn't those worldly people understand?

By the time the banquet ended, the sky had already darkened. With the approach of the winter solstice, the days were getting shorter, leaving less daylight to work. Increasingly, time was spent sipping tea, eating snacks, and planning, and the day would quickly pass.

After everyone had left, Chen Xi, feeling somewhat tipsy, sat drowsily in the living room. He knew Liu Bei would likely come over soon.

"Zichuan, you seem a bit overwhelmed by the alcohol," Liu Bei remarked as he entered, bringing a maid to prepare a bowl of sobering soup for Chen Xi.

"I drank too much; I'm feeling a bit groggy," Chen Xi gulped down the sobering soup in one go and shook his head to clear his mind.

"Zichuan, are you sure Fazheng can handle that task? If he doesn't manage it well, he'll end up offending a lot of people. This task involves so many people, and as you mentioned, it's a matter of great importance for the next hundred years. Entrusting it to Fazheng makes me uneasy. If Fengxiao were here, it would be best to leave it to him," Liu Bei expressed his concern. To him, Fazheng still seemed too young and impulsive, with a temperament that needed further refinement.

"There's no need to worry too much. You should have confidence in Fazheng, Lord Liu," Chen Xi said with a smile. "He may stumble at first, but he'll quickly adapt."

"I hope so," Liu Bei replied with a sigh. He still had his reservations, feeling that Fazheng was perhaps too young for such a significant responsibility.

"Let's not dwell on Fazheng anymore. With you overseeing things, it won't get too out of hand. Let's talk about something else. I don't quite understand why you want to remove soldiers over the age of thirty-two. With our current conditions, the veterans who meet your criteria should already have internal energy, and they're battle-hardened. Even at forty, they still possess considerable combat strength," Liu Bei shifted the conversation to a topic that had piqued his curiosity.

"We need a visible, elite force to serve as a deterrent. In reality, if we maintain the current conditions for another two years, about 30% of our troops should have internal energy. If we keep these conditions going, in three generations, we might achieve universal internal energy among the populace," Chen Xi explained, shaking his head slightly to clear his thoughts.

"That's true. As our grain production increases and the people in our territories get enough to eat, perhaps the older generation won't be able to cultivate internal energy due to past hardships, but the younger generation should have no such issues," Liu Bei nodded in agreement. In this era of abundant energy, as long as people could eat their fill and weren't physically depleted, it shouldn't be too difficult for them to cultivate at least a basic level of internal energy.

"In other words, the quality of our soldiers will only improve over time!" Chen Xi affirmed. "So the prosperity of our territories is crucial."

"Indeed, an army composed entirely of soldiers with internal energy versus one without, even with equal military skills, would easily annihilate the latter. A small advantage for each soldier adds up to a crushing force for the army," Liu Bei said, his expression becoming more serious as he considered this scenario.

In the four hundred years of the Han Dynasty, perhaps only during the later years of Emperor Jing and the early years of Emperor Wu did the empire achieve universal internal energy. It was a brief moment of unparalleled prosperity, but strong enough to terrify all enemies. Now, he, Liu Bei, might have the chance to recreate such an era.

"Yes, but with prosperity comes disorder. As you've seen in Fenggao, many places are already in chaos. I don't have the time to manage every little detail, so I plan to enforce strict control and establish a highly capable military unit for public display," Chen Xi shared his plans.

"Strict control and deterrence?" Liu Bei, though not experienced in politics, could easily relate this to military strategy. It was clear that Chen Xi was aiming to intimidate potential threats.

"Yes. The veterans assigned to city management could easily continue fighting for several more years, and they're all seasoned warriors. This unit will serve as a deterrent to any warlords who might come to Fenggao in the near future. When they assess our true strength, they'll have to factor in this elite, organized force," Chen Xi explained. Though this unit would primarily handle internal security, its presence would influence how others perceived Fenggao's military capabilities.

"It'll certainly be a turbulent time. You have your work cut out for you," Liu Bei acknowledged the necessity of such a unit, considering the challenges that lay ahead.

"It's not too troublesome," Chen Xi shrugged. "I've also arranged for these soldiers to be re-equipped. Starting a year and a half ago, I began gathering craftsmen, and now we finally have the armor and weapons ready. With the blacksmiths we brought back from Yuzhou, we should be able to finish the production."

"Next year is when you plan to standardize the army's uniforms and equipment, right? When all the lower-ranked soldiers will have uniform weapons?" Liu Bei recalled an earlier conversation with Chen Xi about the craftsmen.

"Yes, by next year, we should have enough apprentices to handle it. Plate armor consumes too much iron, so it'll only be issued to elite units. The rest of the troops will have to wait. I've also standardized weights and measures, so that after battles, equipment can be recycled and reused," Chen Xi said with a sigh, lamenting the many shortages of the era.

"Sigh, I'll leave all this to you, Zichuan. I can't wrap my head around it. Just give me the final numbers when it's all done," Liu Bei waved his hand dismissively. He was already satisfied with the improvements in iron production. With plate armor now being issued to army units, what more could he ask for? In the past, only commanders had the privilege of such equipment.

"All that remains is to end the wars and renegotiate the alliances," Chen Xi exhaled in relief. With Liu Bei's military might as a deterrent, they should have enough time to prepare for the challenges of the coming year.