Chapter 46: Sun Jian is Dead Meat, and Money and Provisions

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Sun Jian had departed, and almost everyone knew that the Imperial Seal was in his possession. There was no use denying it. Many began to set their sights on Sun Jian, and Yuan Shao was one of them.

"Sigh, what a pity. Sun Jian is destined to die under a hail of arrows. Such a remarkable figure, gone to waste," Chen Xi said with a look of melancholy as he returned to Liu Bei's main camp from his tent.

"Zichuan, what are you talking about?" Liu Bei stared blankly at Chen Xi. How could Chen Xi be so certain that Sun Jian would die, and specifically by a hail of arrows? Even though Liu Bei was furious and wanted to teach Sun Jian a lesson, the "Tiger of Jiangdong" was not so easily dealt with; he wouldn't just die like that.

"Hehe, Sun Jian is a dead man. Who told him to talk so recklessly? Moreover, he has laid hands on the Imperial Seal. To return to Jiangdong, he must pass through the territory of Governor Liu of Jing Province. That man is a member of the imperial clan with a hundred thousand armored troops. Passing through there with the Seal might be fine if no one knew, but once they do, they will certainly intercept him," Chen Xi said with a cold sneer.

Others might not understand Liu Biao's intentions, but Chen Xi understood them well. Whatever death oath Sun Jian made, that is how he would die. As a member of the imperial clan, Liu Biao would strictly adhere to Han laws and would not leave his own territory, but to ensure the dignity of the Han dynasty, he would absolutely ensure Sun Jian died exactly as his oath dictated. If Sun Jian swore that taking the Seal would lead to him being shot to death by arrows, then he would be shot to death by arrows, just to show this band of rebels that Heaven's will still exists!

"That makes sense, but the Tiger of Jiangdong isn't so easy to kill, and his subordinates are well-equipped. Even if Governor Liu acts, he might not be able to take him down," Liu Bei shook his head, skeptical of Chen Xi's prediction. He believed Sun Jian might lose men and soldiers, but killing him outright seemed unlikely, as he was the commander of an entire army.

"Governor Liu will naturally be prepared once he hears the news. As for Sun Jian's bravery, compared to someone of Lu Bu's caliber, it truly makes little difference from an ordinary person—especially in a direct ambush. I don't believe Sun Jian has any chance of survival. Even if you replaced Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Han Dang with Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, or Zhao Yun, they wouldn't have much of a chance either," Chen Xi said with a shrug. "Basically, Sun Jian is already dead. We just need to wait for the news."

"Setting aside whether there are fierce generals like Lu Bu, even if there were, would such a man be willing to use such underhanded tactics? Think of Lu Bu's character; he still maintains the pride of a warrior," Liu Bei said, shaking his head.

"Hahaha, we shall see soon enough. Let us hurry back to Mount Tai and leave this place of trouble," Chen Xi laughed loudly, but he did not argue. Sun Jian was doomed; no matter how he ran, he was finished. Liu Biao would never allow anyone to touch the Imperial Seal, which was also why Liu Biao would later oppose Yuan Shu even if he could not personally deploy his own troops.

What were the imperial clans? To put it bluntly, they were the best reserve emperors after the reigning emperor fell. This group of people snatching the Imperial Seal were essentially encroaching on their assets. Therefore, their reasons for fighting tooth and nail against other warlords were well-founded, and it was only natural that they would be the first to be cast out by other warlords.

Liu Bei left, and his reasons were sound. He was going to Mount Tai to take up his post, which was beyond reproach. Liu Bei himself had done nothing to offend anyone; on the contrary, he often acted as a mediator alongside Kong Rong. Thus, when Liu Bei departed, Kong Rong and Tao Qian saw him off for ten miles, and the other warlords who did not come also provided Liu Bei with ample provisions, enough to last him a round trip to Mount Tai and back.

"Brother, this is the first time I've seen us with so many provisions and supplies! The coalition has treated us quite well!" After leaving the main camp, Zhang Fei excitedly circled the supply train before running to Liu Bei's side, shouting with excitement.

"Indeed. In the past, our provisions were always tight. This time, they actually allocated us three months' worth of food for twenty thousand men. If we are frugal, it could last half a year; if it were all infantry, it could last over half a year!" Liu Bei said heartily, clearly pleased.

"Cavalry eat more, but cavalry are still better," Guan Yun interjected.

"I don't know if the coalition is good or not, I only know that this food is far from enough. Three months of food is decent, but Mount Tai is a difficult place; for the first year, we will have to rely on borrowing food from elsewhere," Chen Xi said helplessly. "There are five hundred thousand starving refugees and the bandits of Mount Tai. We need to suppress the bandits while simultaneously governing the people. Suppressing bandits is easy; as long as they leave Mount Tai, any of the gentlemen present here can handle them. As for governing..."

Chen Xi looked helplessly at Liu Bei. "Lord Xuande, you are proficient in administration. Actually, forget it—you don't even need to be proficient in administration. Do you have any way to make money quickly?"

Liu Bei gave a bitter smile and did not respond. Ever since Chen Xi began instilling in him the idea that Mount Tai was desperately short of money, his head had been aching. He realized that everything required money; the cost of governing all of Mount Tai would likely pile up into a mountain of gold.

"This is truly troublesome. Then, Lord Xuande, do you have any friends in business?" Chen Xi said with dissatisfaction. To be honest, this was somewhat impolite. One must realize that in this era, commerce was considered a lowly profession; while one might be wealthy, their social status was extremely low, and most people were ashamed to be associated with trade.

"Speaking of which, before the three of us defeated the Yellow Turbans in Youzhou, we received help from Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping to obtain horses and weapons. They are horse traders from the State of Zhongshan. If Zichuan requires it, I can write a letter to invite them to come and help," Liu Bei was not offended by Chen Xi's words. He had originally come from a background of weaving mats and selling shoes, so he did not look down on commerce. As for writing to invite them, it was no empty promise; with his current status, inviting Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping could be considered a great honor to them.

"Mm, since they are righteous men who supported Lord Xuande, it is only natural to entrust this matter to them. However, I fear they might not be able to handle the scale. Lord Xuande, find someone to write down what I say and send it directly to them. I expect they will bring the people and goods we need," Chen Xi said with a smile. Since time was short, they would work as they traveled. Ideally, by the time they reached Mount Tai, the funds and supplies would be in place. Although borrowing was an option, it was better to use their own.

"Zichuan, can salt really be produced this way?" Liu Bei looked at Chen Xi in shock. As a daily necessity, the profit margins were unimaginable.

"Just sun-drying it will do. I remember that to ensure saturation, one uses lotus seeds... well, I forgot. Let them research it themselves when the time comes. It's seven pits, right? Each pit ten centimeters deep... alright, just write 'three inches.' They'll figure out if it's too much or too little..." Chen Xi frowned as he wrote, having forgotten too many details.

"I seem to remember the purification process afterward. Write it down, write it down. This 'well salt' or 'rock salt' can all be used," Chen Xi muttered to himself.

"Done. Lord Xuande, just find someone to send it. The information is real; there might be some errors or omissions in certain places, but they can figure it out with a bit of research," Chen Xi handed the document to Liu Bei. His mind was filled with such "money-making" ideas, though they were mostly general concepts that required craftsmen to refine...

(End of Chapter)