The decision to send Zhao Yun to Yanzhou was finally settled. The remaining issue was whether Chen Xi would assume command.
If Chen Xi didn't take command, according to the standard chain of command, even if Zhao Yun went to Yanzhou, he would only be able to act in support and wouldn't have the authority to lead operations independently. This could easily give Chen Gong the opportunity to defeat them one by one.
"Forget it, let's not discuss this for now. Zilong will need some time to arrive in Mount Tai, so I'll think about it more," Chen Xi sighed.
Chen Xi knew that in large-scale military operations, there had to be a chief commander making decisions. Although both Guan Yu and Zhao Yun were fully capable of making these decisions, Chen Xi's presence would signify a higher level of command rather than Guan Yu leading Zhao Yun, or vice versa.
"Zichuan, even if you go, you won't need to do much. You'll mainly oversee the construction at the rear, and there's no danger. Most importantly, there's no one better suited to personnel planning and construction than you. Even though the Heishan army has been scattered, there are still hundreds of thousands of them. I wouldn't trust anyone else with such a large-scale project," Lu Su said with a wry smile.
Lu Su didn't understand why Chen Xi, who used to leave without hesitation, was now so reluctant to take on the role of commander.
"Why don't you go, Zijing? You can handle the situation, and your rank is high enough to serve as commander. You're also skilled in construction and have plenty of experience, more so than I do," Chen Xi said helplessly. He just didn't want to leave. His wife had just become pregnant, and being sent on a campaign felt too cruel.
However, such sentiments couldn't be expressed in this era. A man who was attached to his home wasn't considered a good man in this time. Building achievements and making a name for oneself was the ideal.
"Me as commander?" Lu Su was momentarily taken aback but then felt a hint of interest. Stroking his beard, he said, "It's not impossible."
But before Chen Xi could push the matter onto Lu Su, Lu Su took a deep breath and added, "The problem is, I have to stay in Mount Tai. You're good at planning, but you're too lazy to handle the details. Right now, we need to manage plans for Jizhou, Youzhou, and Bingzhou, as well as future issues beyond the border."
"..." Chen Xi sighed. He could handle these tasks if he followed Lu Su's previous framework, but it was hard to match Lu Su's meticulousness. In this world, only Zhuge Liang could rival Lu Su in diligence—both men seemed to compete over who slept less.
"Forget it, let's wait until Zilong arrives and discuss it then," Chen Xi sighed. "I'll take my leave now."
After Chen Xi left, Jia Xu and the others were puzzled, unable to understand Chen Xi's thinking. In the end, they could only attribute it to his different way of thinking.
After navigating through the streets, Chen Xi arrived at a secluded area in the northern part of the city where Hua Tuo's medical research center, Zheng Hun's civil engineering and waterworks research center, and Qu Qi's agricultural research center were located. Qu Qi's experiments mostly took place outside the city, while Hua Tuo had many hospitals within the city, but this quiet spot was ideal for research.
"Doctor Hua, you seem to be in good spirits," Chen Xi greeted Hua Tuo, who was accompanied by a group of students.
While many scholars looked down on doctors as belonging to a lowly profession, no one treated Hua Tuo that way, especially after he successfully controlled the typhoid epidemic. Without needing any promotion from Liu Yan, Hua Tuo's reputation spread, with scholars praising him in their conversations. After all, everyone feared death, and befriending a divine doctor like Hua Tuo was a guarantee of life.
"Lord Chen, you look healthy as well—your complexion has improved," Hua Tuo observed, examining Chen Xi. "If you're not here because of an illness, what brings you to see this old man?"
"I'm just checking if you need anything," Chen Xi said with a smile, realizing that Hua Tuo's habit of diagnosing people on sight was second nature. However, he was pleased to hear that he was in good health.
"I don't lack anything. Officials come every ten days to check our inventory and ensure that all medicinal supplies are well-stocked. If I need any special herbs, there's always someone to illustrate them for me, and I receive them the same day," Hua Tuo replied, casting a glance at Chen Xi. The officials assigned to him were highly efficient.
"Oh, that's good to hear," Chen Xi nodded.
"You seem to have other matters to attend to, so I won't keep you. I need to adjust some prescriptions today," Hua Tuo said, gesturing to Chen Xi.
At this point, Hua Tuo had accepted his situation. Initially, he was somewhat dissatisfied with Mount Tai's protective measures, but now that he saw how many lives he could save, he no longer had any complaints.
"Please, go ahead," Chen Xi said, making a gesture of invitation.
After Hua Tuo left, Qu Qi finally dared to show himself. "That old man is finally gone. Lately, he's been wearing me out, always saying I'm weak and need rest. He even uprooted all the herbs from my experimental plot before I could finish studying them!"
Qu Qi spoke with a tone of grievance, feeling utterly helpless against Hua Tuo. He couldn't even explain to Hua Tuo that the herbs were his own cultivated plants, so he just had to endure it. In this era, herbs were all wild, and Hua Tuo had once asked Qu Qi why so many herbs were growing in his yard...
"It's just Doctor Hua's habit of gathering herbs. You'll get used to it. But have you succeeded in your herb cultivation project?" Chen Xi asked curiously.
"Not entirely. Large-scale cultivation isn't possible yet. I haven't fully mastered the process. I can grow herbs, but scaling up is still an issue," Qu Qi replied with frustration. He felt like he was being bullied by Hua Tuo, but he couldn't fight back against the man who was likely the greatest doctor of their time.
"Then why did you call me here?" Chen Xi asked, annoyed that he had rushed over without even checking on Chen Lan, only to find no significant progress.
"I've perfected cotton cultivation," Qu Qi said with a grin. "Not only that, but I've also figured out how to remove the seeds and spin the fibers into thread."
Chen Xi was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. "It's done!"
"Just like you said, it's a reliable crop. I spent so much time in Shanglin Park, where previous generations treated this plant as just a flower. Who knew it had such a valuable use? As for improving the variety, my suggestion is to focus on quantity first," Qu Qi said, filled with admiration and offering his recommendation.
"You already know what I'm planning?" Chen Xi asked curiously.