Chapter 2379 2102: Governing the Realm

"Why does it feel similar to the last sacrificial text?" Chen Xi looked somewhat puzzled at the sacrificial text Li Youu brought over.

After the parade, Liu Bei planned to lead hundreds of thousands of soldiers to honor the warriors who fought for the nation over the years.

"Because it's not completed yet, the elders have support, the young are educated, the farmers have land, the residents have houses. These things seem simple, but if you really pursue them, they're not that easy," Li Youu said casually. "And this slogan is quite nice."

"Besides, you already harbor some malice towards human morality, so having those in high positions announce for everyone, as law, passed down as a system, is more appropriate," Li Youu said quietly. "Your exact words were that any method of infinitely elevating moral standards would only lead to moral decay. After all, there are no saints or perfect people in this world, and the law is the ultimate guarantee."

"Hey, hey, hey, make it clear. I don't harbor malice towards human morality, I just don't want to face the lower limits of human morality and self-discipline. When things can clearly be bound by law, why bother talking about morality? What's the point?" Chen Xi said with a cold smile.

"That's why you're always holding malice towards human morality," Li Youu casually flipped through the sacrificial text he wrote, which had already been polished by someone else. After all, this was considered a grand sacrifice and had many considerations.

As for Sunx Ce and others, they originally wanted to leave, but after knowing the situation, they didn't leave immediately. They prepared to depart after Liu Bei honored the fallen. After so many years of battle, many of their soldiers had also perished.

If Liu Bei did not mention it, they might not feel anything special, but after Liu Bei brought up the matter, Sunx Ce, Xiahou Dun, and others also intended to offer incense for the deceased.

"That's also why you and I can get along because you harbor malice towards morality as well, only you're more radical, and I'm not like that," Chen Xi picked up the sacrificial text and slowly began to speak. "At least it used to be that way."

Li Youu nodded. Chen Xi is similar to him in wanting to overturn the current system, and both have or have had the power to do so.

The difference, however, lies in that Li Youu was deceived in the past, and upon identifying the flaws in the system, he chose to overthrow it directly without considering the consequences of its collapse. He believed that a new system would be born after the collapse, and it would be better. If worse, he'd shatter it once more.

Chen Xi, on the other hand, was dissatisfied with both current and previous systems, but he never had the idea to dismantle them violently. His thought process belonged to an orderly sequence.

In other words, if there's a problem with the system, don't destroy it before a better one comes along. First, repair and patch it up, allowing the system to gradually develop towards the desired state, achieving the desired system through long-term continuous improvement.

Therefore, Li Youu sometimes thought Chen Xi was somewhat conservative, following and maintaining the rules. More importantly, both Li Youu and Chen Xi knew that the latter's way of thinking would never achieve what he initially wanted.

This was because Chen Xi was highly capable. If he were weaker, he wouldn't even manage continuous refinement to achieve the desired system and might die halfway because of too many moved interests.

"That's why worshipping the heavens is significant, at least to let all soldiers understand the meaning of their sacrifice," Chen Xi leaned half against the chair and said.

Three days after resting, at the west side of Ye City, on the altar prepared long ago, just like before, Liu Bei made an old promise again. The gap between doing and doing well was enormous, and at Liu Bei's current stage, it was considered done, but doing well was exceptionally challenging.

Behind the altar, the phalanx of four hundred thousand soldiers lined up as straight as a cut by an axe or blade. Compared to the complex ceremonies of Liu Bei and others, there was just one requirement for these soldiers: to take off their hats and mourn for comrades who died over the years.

Present were soldiers who had experienced killing, fought in battles, and seen blood, naturally having comrades who now sleep eternally.

Perhaps, during the late Han period, such farewells were far too common. Soldiers born from hardship often witnessed life and death partings; during Emperor Ling's reign, disasters were frequent and life was as insignificant as grass. A sacrificed warrior, if at home, might just be wrapped in a grass mat and buried hastily, with the family mourning for a brief period, barely noticeable to the world.

However, under Liu Bei's command, they suddenly found their deaths meaningful. Tens of thousands of comrades would mourn them after their death, with the lord conducting rituals and sacrifices with every season.

Only in such an environment could these soldiers understand their battles and deaths have meanings. They too could be heroes, which was vital.

Understanding this, the soldiers would realize their responsibility and honor when donning armor, living like heroes, and dying like heroes.

"Thankfully, this time Lord Xuande didn't make wishes randomly," Chen Xi gasped and lay on the table. During the sacrificial ceremony, decorum and appearance had to be dignified without moving rashly. This process turned out to be exhausting, not noticeable during the ritual, but immensely so afterward.

"Because Lord already knows this. Every word he says and every promise he makes means responsibility. Now we have 26 million people under our command, and each promise represents the government's credibility." Lub Su, equally exhausted, spoke with far more vigor than Chen Xi.

"In any case, it's truly good that no wishes were made." Chen Xi buried his head in the wide sleeve of his silk robe, his voice somewhat muffled as he spoke.

"I seemed to see the Heaven-Man Dual Cauldrons lighting up with the beginning of the sacrificial ceremony." Guo Jia slumped in his circle chair and said with a sideways glance.

"I saw it too." Fa Zheng and others echoed.

"It's a pity there wasn't as big a reaction as last time." Jia Xu shook his sleeves, took a sip of tea before speaking, "Zichuan, I think the Governor of Yizhou has some ideas about you, aren't you going to express anything?"

"What does having ideas about me mean? Clearly, it's about the logistics under my management." Chen Xi continued to lie in his wide sleeve, not lifting his head as he spoke.

"In any case, think about how you will respond." Li Youu spoke while sipping tea.

"Allocate him five thousand chainmail, plate armor; no need to gift weapons." Chen Xi said indifferently, "Just find someone to solve this problem."

"That's gifting?" Liu Ye asked, not very happily.

"Naturally, I'm the Minister of Finance, managing national finances, and I've merged the Minor Treasurer's office too, while also handling some other matters, so overall logistics is under me as well." Chen Xi sat up silently and said, "After all, I'm producing according to a plan of a million sets, so I'm not worried."

"I always feel that way they'll develop a habit of coming to us for easy gains." Liu Ye said quite displeased, completely ignoring the close blood ties with Liu Zhang.

"Once we've unified, everyone will come seeking easy gains." Chen Xi leaned half against the chair, "After all, we're all one family."

"By the way, a while back, I reviewed the output from Lub Central Iron Plant, it's far higher than what you reported." Lub Su rifled through the public documents to find a sheet, "You previously said a daily output of five to six thousand pounds, but the reports from below far exceed this number."

"What I said at the time was the daily production of weapon-grade steel in that amount," Chen Xi glanced at the document before turning his head to speak, "The majority produced is ordinary iron, which I've used for producing agricultural tools and the like."

What are weapons for, in the Han Dynasty where everyone farms, as many people are there, that's how many sickles are needed, along with kitchen knives, plows, rakes, and other living utensils.

The steel for weapons is just a small part of Lub Central Iron Plant's output; last year, we made 7 million sickles, and this year we need to make as many again. In five years, the Central Plains won't lack sickles, but by then, sickles will need upgrading again.

The iron needed for seven million sickles could re-equip 300,000 soldiers. Living necessities are the real sinkhole, but it's quite a money-spinner, a necessity for an agricultural society.

"You made seven million sickles? And plows for two million people?" Liu Ye, Lub Su and others held their foreheads, unable to continue speaking with Chen Xi; so much iron wasted, though the materials aren't of the steel's quality, they're still iron, which, when properly nurtured, makes decent weapons.

Both believed Lub Central Iron Plant was chiefly producing weapons, but you're now telling me you actually primarily produce farming equipment, weapons are a sideline!

"Yes, I also manufactured lots of kitchen knives, scissors, screwdrivers, oh and iron pots; these items sell really well." Chen Xi casually disregarded the murderous gaze from Liu Ye and Lub Su; weapons don't make money, they're a sideline, a sideline.

"Don't you realize those could be turned into armor production? You're utterly wasting!" Liu Ye said, exasperatedly, suddenly finding Chen Xi's line of thinking seems vastly different from theirs.

"Even the iron used for your kitchen knives is quite good, using it for weapons now, we could easily arm two million people and unify the realm." Lub Su spoke, headache evident.

"As if we can't now." Chen Xi pouted, "Your mode of thinking still revolves around fighting the realm; my mode of thinking is about governing the realm. Yours isn't strengthening; yours is aggressive militarism!"

"In any case, I plan this year to produce another seven million sickles, three million plows, a million iron pots, and various agricultural tools." Chen Xi said indifferently, "You also better switch your modes of thinking; our core has to change to governing the realm, rather than, as before, injecting critical resources into military strength."