Chapter 46: Sun Jian is a Dead Man, and Money and Grain

Sun Jian departed. Almost everyone knew that the Imperial Seal was now in his hands, a fact that went without saying. Many began to harbor designs on him, and Yuan Shao was chief among them.

"Ah, what a pity. Sun Jian is about to perish in a hail of arrows. Such a remarkable figure, and to meet such an end," Chen Xi said with a lonely expression after leaving the tent and returning to Liu Bei's main camp.

"Zichuan, what are you talking about?" Liu Bei stared blankly at him. Why was Chen Xi so certain that Sun Jian was going to die, and specifically by a volley of arrows? Even though he was angry and eager to deal with Sun Jian, the Fierce Tiger of Jiangdong was not someone easily dispatched. How could he say he would die just like that?

"Heh, heh, heh. Sun Jian is a dead man. Who told him to shoot his mouth off and lay hands on the Imperial Seal? To return to Jiangdong, he must pass through the territory of Liu, the Governor of Jing Province. That is a member of the Han Imperial Clan commanding one hundred thousand men in armor. Passing through there with the Imperial Seal—if Liu didn't know, it would be one thing, but once he knows, he will definitely intercept him," Chen Xi said with a cold sneer.

Others might not understand Liu Biao's mindset, but Chen Xi could grasp it to some extent. Sun Jian would die precisely by the manner of the deadly oath he had sworn. Liu Biao, as a member of the Han Imperial Clan, strictly adhered to the Han laws and would not venture outside his own borders. Yet, to uphold the majesty of the Han house, he would ensure that Sun Jian died exactly as his oath foretold. Since you swore that taking the Imperial Seal would result in your death by a hail of arrows, then a hail of arrows it shall be, letting you rebellious scum know that the will of Heaven still exists!

"That may be, but the Fierce Tiger of Jiangdong is not so easily slain, and his subordinates are full of able soldiers and generals. Even if Governor Liu takes action, victory is not assured," Liu Bei shook his head, unimpressed by Chen Xi's speculation. He might believe that Sun Jian would suffer heavy losses of men and equipment, but to eliminate Sun Jian entirely seemed unlikely, especially given that he was the commander of an army.

"When Governor Liu learns of this news, he will naturally make preparations. As for Sun Jian's valor, against someone on Lü Bu's level, it honestly makes very little difference compared to an ordinary person—especially if the opponent launches a direct ambush. I do not see any path of survival for Sun Jian whatsoever. Even if you replaced Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Han Dang with Yunchang, Yide, and Zilong, there would still be hardly any chance of survival," Chen Xi shrugged. "Basically, Sun Jian is already dead. We just need to wait for the news."

"Putting aside whether there is a fierce warrior like Lü Bu, even if such a warrior existed, he would hardly be willing to employ such tactics. Think of Lü Bu's character; despite everything, he still maintains a warrior's pride," Liu Bei said, shaking his head.

"Hahahaha, the truth will be revealed before long. We had better hurry back to Mount Tai and leave this place of right and wrong," Chen Xi laughed, offering no further defense. Sun Jian was dead beyond a doubt. No matter how he ran, he was a dead man. Liu Biao would never allow anyone to covet the Imperial Seal. This was precisely why, later on, even when Liu Biao was unable to dispatch troops himself, he would still become enemies with Yuan Shu.

What was a member of the Han Imperial Clan? Put bluntly, they were the premier reserve emperors waiting in the wings should the reigning one fall. You lot fighting over the Imperial Seal were essentially encroaching upon their family assets. Therefore, their justification for fighting other warlords to the death was thoroughly sound, and being driven out first by other warlords was only to be expected.

Liu Bei left. His justification was impeccable: he was going to Mount Tai to assume his post. There was nothing to fault; Liu Bei himself had not engaged in any deeply offensive behavior and had often played the peacemaker alongside Kong Rong. Consequently, when Liu Bei departed, Kong Rong and Tao Qian traveled ten miles to see him off, while the other warlords who failed to attend generously supplied him with ample rations, estimating he could make the round trip to Mount Tai and back with ease.

"Eldest Brother, this is the first time I've seen us have so much grain and baggage! The coalition treats us quite well!" After leaving the camp, Zhang Fei excitedly circled around the supply train before running over to Liu Bei and shouting joyfully.

"Indeed. In the past, our provisions were always tight. This time they've actually allocated three months' worth of grain for twenty thousand men! If we tighten our belts a bit, lasting half a year should be no problem at all. If all of them were infantry, we could easily last over half a year!" Liu Bei said heartily, and it was clear he was very pleased.

"Though cavalry eat a bit more, cavalry are still better," Guan Yu interjected.

"Whether the coalition is good or not, I don't know. I only know that these supplies are far from enough. Three months of provisions is decent, but that place called Mount Tai... at least for the first year, our food can only rely on external borrowing," Chen Xi said helplessly. "Five hundred thousand starving refugees, plus the Mount Tai bandits. We need to suppress the bandits while administering the region simultaneously. Suppression is straightforward; as long as they venture out of Mount Tai, any one of the gentlemen present can handle them. As for administration..."

Chen Xi looked helplessly at Liu Bei. "Lord Xuande, you are well-versed in state affairs... Never mind, you don't even need to be well-versed in state affairs—does Lord Xuande know a quick way to generate wealth?"

Liu Bei smiled bitterly, refusing to take the bait. Ever since Chen Xi began instilling in him the notion that Mount Tai was desperately short of money, his head had been spinning. He discovered that everything required funds; the cost of administering the entire Mount Tai region could probably pile up into a golden mountain.

"This is truly troublesome then. Does Lord Xuande have any merchant friends?" Chen Xi asked unhappily. To be honest, this remark bordered on discourtesy. At this time, commerce was considered a lowly occupation; merchants might indeed have money, but their social standing was exceptionally low, and most people felt ashamed to even speak of trade.

"Speaking of which, before the three of us defeated the Yellow Turbans in You Province, we had the assistance of Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping, who provided us with horses and weapons. Those two are horse-merchants from the State of Zhongshan. If Zichuan has need of them, I can write a letter summoning the two of them to come and assist," Liu Bei felt no shame or irritation at Chen Xi's words. He had originally started out selling mats and shoes, so he held no excessive contempt for commerce. As for writing a letter to summon the two of them, it was no idle boast; given his current status, summoning Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping could already be considered doing them a great favor.

"Ah, since they are righteous men who aided Lord Xuande, entrusting this matter to them is only natural. I am only concerned that they might not be able to handle something of this scale. Lord Xuande, find someone to write down what I dictate and dispatch it directly to them. I imagine they will bring the people and goods we require," Chen Xi smiled. Since time was short, they would work as they traveled. Ideally, by the time they reached Mount Tai, the funds and grain would already be secured. Although borrowing was an option, using one's own resources was always best.

"Zichuan, can this really produce salt?" Liu Bei asked in astonishment. As a daily necessity, the profit margins involved were simply unimaginable.

"Just let it dry in the sun. I recall that determining saturation involved lotus seeds... well, never mind, I've forgotten. They can figure it out themselves when the time comes. Seven pits, right? Each pit ten centimeters deep? Very well, write it down as three inches; if it's too much or too little, they'll figure it out..." Chen Xi furrowed his brow as he wrote, having forgotten far too many details.

"Subsequent purification—I seem to still remember that. Write it down, write it down. This stuff, whether well-salt or rock-salt, can all be processed," Chen Xi muttered halfway to himself.

"Done. Lord Xuande, just have someone deliver it. The methods are real; at worst, there might be a few errors here and there, and they can figure them out with a little experimentation," Chen Xi casually handed the document over to Liu Bei. His mind was full of such wealth-generating schemes, though he mostly only knew the general concepts and required craftsmen to research the specifics...