Meanwhile, Chen Xi and his group, marching through the cool night air, unknowingly passed by Liu Bei and his party, who were resting at a nearby farmhouse.
"What's wrong, Zhongkang?" Liu Bei, who was reading under the moonlight, was interrupted by the sudden surge of energy emanating from Xu Chu. Curious, he looked up and asked.
"A hundred or so riders are passing by, several hundred meters away," Xu Chu replied, frowning. Night marches weren't unusual, but such a large number of riders was worth noting.
"It's probably one of our units on urgent business. The heat during the day is unbearable, and with the cool night and bright moon, it's a good time for marching," Liu Bei pondered for a moment before concluding. "Did they stop?"
"No, they didn't," Xu Chu confirmed, realizing it was likely a routine march, so he didn't go out to investigate further. With the clear moonlight, if it had been a problem, he would have spotted the riders easily.
"Then it's fine. They must be handling military affairs," Liu Bei nodded and returned to his book.
Unaware that they had just missed Liu Bei, Chen Xi continued urging Hua Xiong to press on through the night towards Donglai.
"Zijian, don't worry about us. Move at full speed," Chen Xi called out to Hua Xiong, urging him to prioritize reaching Donglai over their comfort. "Better to endure some bumps than to miss the chance to secure the craftsmen from the Lu family."
"Understood!" Hua Xiong acknowledged. He then signaled his men, forming a wedge formation, and released a burst of fiery energy, accelerating their pace. Hua Xiong was indeed an exceptional cavalry commander.
"Huh?" Liu Bei, who had finally settled back into his reading, was once again interrupted by Xu Chu's surprised exclamation.
"What's wrong now, Zhongkang?" Liu Bei asked, puzzled. Ever since Xu Chu became his guard, interruptions like this were rare.
"Lord, I think I just sensed Zijian's presence," Xu Chu said, frowning in confusion. "But it was just for a moment. Perhaps I'm mistaken." Xu Chu's confidence wavered as he scratched his head, embarrassed.
"Hahaha, Zijian is still in Fenggao, training our cavalry based on the Western Liang model. How could he be here in Beihai?" Liu Bei laughed and patted Xu Chu's broad back. "Go rest, Zhongkang. You've been working hard."
"I'm not tired, my lord," Xu Chu insisted, truthfully.
"Alright, but I'm heading to bed now, so you should rest too," Liu Bei closed his book and walked toward his quarters, leaving Xu Chu standing in the courtyard, still puzzled. After a moment, Xu Chu shrugged and went to rest.
"This speed is incredible!" Despite feeling nauseous from the rough ride, Zhuge Liang's eyes gleamed with admiration as he observed Hua Xiong leading the charge. "This must be a type of ability, right? It seems to enhance both strength and speed."
"Hahaha, that's my ability!" Hua Xiong called back without turning. "When I lead, the Western Liang cavalry's impact is stronger than anyone else's."
"Too bad that even with this, breaking through formations is still difficult," Hua Xiong added, his tone turning somber. While the Western Liang cavalry was renowned for its powerful charges, they still fell short without high-quality saddles and stirrups, despite Hua Xiong's leadership.
"Don't worry, Zijian. This problem can be solved, but now isn't the right time. Until we have our own horse-breeding grounds, I have to keep this under wraps," Chen Xi shouted over the wind. "Once we have our own horse supplies, you'll understand the true potential of the Western Liang cavalry. But for now, revealing it would put us in a difficult position!"
Things like horseshoes weren't of much use in this world, but high saddles and stirrups were crucial for cavalry. These tools could make heavy cavalry capable of taking on infantry at a ratio of one to ten. However, Chen Xi knew that if he introduced these advancements too early, they would quickly be replicated by others.
Helping the enemy wasn't in Chen Xi's interest, so without a stable horse supply, he'd rather slow down the cavalry training than give others a chance to copy these innovations.
"Thank you in advance, military advisor," Hua Xiong shouted into the wind, trusting Chen Xi's words after working with him for so long.
"You'll see soon enough," Chen Xi replied loudly, leaning back and wincing from the bumps. This journey made it clear to him that roads needed to be built as soon as possible.
Chen Xi had been ordering lime to be made at kilns, but they still hadn't successfully produced cement. Perhaps the technology was more advanced than he had anticipated.
As the rough ride continued, Chen Xi finally made up his mind. Cement was proving too difficult, so they would have to make do with a Roman-style mortar mixture. Using rammed earth as a base and the mixture to bond bricks might be the best solution for now. Sometimes, only firsthand experience could reveal the importance of certain issues.
"How about you, Kongming? What do you think our territories in Taishan and Qingzhou are still lacking?" Chen Xi asked Zhuge Liang, trying to distract himself from the uncomfortable ride.
"The biggest issue is the unclear division of official duties," Zhuge Liang responded directly, not using the question as a mere distraction.
"That's already been addressed. Once Lord Xuande became General of the East and received recognition from the imperial clan, he planned to establish his own offices and clearly define everyone's roles. But with everything that's happened since then, there hasn't been a good time. After dealing with the Yellow Turbans, he should have time to finally set that up," Chen Xi explained, waving off the concern.
This issue had been brought up long ago, even by Lu Su, but it remained unresolved due to the constant crises and Chen Xi's tendency to assign tasks across different roles.