These words weren't unfounded. Rebuilding a family was something Chen Xi had no clear ideas about. Although he was now a prominent figure in the Chen family, he had no clue how to create a new family. The only thought he had was to first have a few children to bring joy to his life. As for the foundation, heritage, and wealth needed to establish a family, those weren't issues.
He could easily take a pile of books from the library and have a couple of generations study them to establish a family tradition. The heritage of the Yingchuan Chen family was also his, and as for wealth, a noble family really didn't need much beyond maintaining appearances.
"..." Zhuge Liang remained silent. When his brother, Zhuge Jin, split from the family, he only left him a letter without mentioning anything else. Zhuge Jin didn't want him to return to the Zhuge family either. Choosing freedom, Zhuge Liang decided to pursue everything with his own mind and hands.
"Zijian, how long until we reach Donglai?" Chen Xi asked Hua Xiong. To save time, they had taken a direct route; otherwise, they should have gone to the State of Qi first and then taken the official road to Donglai.
"About ten more days. We're just passing through Langya now and will soon enter Beihai. If we're lucky, we might encounter the troops welcoming the strategist," Hua Xiong estimated the distance and speed, considering their relay of horses for the urgent message.
"It's unlikely. I just hope Lord Xuande will send the military orders directly to Gan Xingba at Donglai Port," Chen Xi sighed. "My biggest worry is that the messenger won't be able to get the message to Lord Xuande in time."
"I heard that Fa Xiaozhi was transferred by Lord Xuande from the State of Qi to Beihai, temporarily managing Jia Wenhe's administrative duties. If the message reaches Fa Xiaozhi, it should safely get to Lord Xuande," Zhuge Liang said with a frown. To be honest, Fa Zheng had caused Zhuge Liang quite a bit of trouble while Chen Xi was away.
"Fa Xiaozhi staying in the government office to handle administrative matters? That's unlikely," Chen Xi sighed. "The biggest issue in Beihai right now is the resettlement of the Yellow Turbans. If Fa Xiaozhi wants to prove his abilities to his father, do you think he'll obediently handle government affairs? Finding Fa Xiaozhi is even less likely than finding Lord Xuande."
Zhuge Liang thought of Fa Zheng's personality and sighed silently. Fa Zheng wasn't the kind of person to follow rules. When Liu Bei handed over the administrative duties of Beihai to him, he surely gave Fa Zheng a lot of leeway since Chen Xi had already planned the main tasks. Fa Zheng just needed to follow the steps.
But obviously, such tasks wouldn't showcase Fa Zheng's abilities. Eager to prove himself to his father, Fa Zheng likely took his father to the countryside. As for where they were now, who knew?
The three sighed, and Hua Xiong finally gestured to continue their journey towards their destination. Whether the orders would reach Liu Bei or not was now up to fate. If the orders didn't arrive in time, Chen Xi would have to personally board the ship and join Gan Ning in Lujiang. After all, Gan Ning was still overseeing patrols, escorting, and transporting grain as per Liu Bei's instructions on the Donglai Peninsula.
Traveling in silence for more than a hundred miles, they entered Beihai County. The hot weather suddenly intensified. Looking up at the sky, Chen Xi sighed in frustration. The clear, cloudless sky offered no respite from the blazing sun.
"Set up camp. We'll continue our journey at night. It's too hot to travel during the day," Chen Xi sighed. "This weather is unbearable."
"Strategist, you shouldn't complain about the weather. We're still fortunate in Taishan, Qingzhou, and Xuzhou. In Yanzhou, Sili, Yongzhou, and most of Yuzhou and Bingzhou, as well as parts of Jizhou, there's a severe drought with almost no harvest. At least we get some rain from time to time here, even if it's not much. We won't have a famine," Hua Xiong lamented as he set up the camp.
Chen Xi sighed but said nothing. He had already confirmed his exact spiritual talent. Asking Zuo Ci would have revealed it sooner... but oh well.
Achieving this much was already an extreme effort. Expecting perfect weather in such a disastrous year was almost impossible.
"This drought is affecting too many places," Zhuge Liang frowned. "The old saying is true: after war comes natural disaster."
"..." Chen Xi frowned. How should he respond to that? Although it didn't seem to have a direct connection, it did appear to be true.
"There wasn't much snow last winter, and now we have a severe drought. Next, there will be a locust plague," Chen Xi sighed.
"What! A locust plague?" Hua Xiong rushed to Chen Xi, forgetting even formalities.
"Zijian, let go of me first. I already have a plan for dealing with locusts. I remember writing about locust prevention methods before. Don't worry, our area won't be too affected. After all, Zilong ordered deep plowing in winter," Chen Xi reassured Hua Xiong, patting his hands off his clothes.
"Will that really work?" Hua Xiong quickly let go of Chen Xi but still looked worried.
"Yes, it will. And we still have some rain here. Even if there is a locust plague, it won't be severe. Plus, locusts are edible. We have over a million chickens and ducks in Taishan," Chen Xi smiled. "I've been preparing for this for a long time. Don't worry, it's not a big issue."
Speaking of raising chickens, the local farmers weren't raising them as fast as the government farms. The farmers were reluctant to slaughter them, focusing on hatching chicks instead, resulting in many small chickens across Taishan.
Seeing this, Chen Xi ordered the government to buy up the chicks. After all, they'd worked hard to keep Taishan clean and orderly; they couldn't let these little troublemakers mess it up. So they paid a good price—three chicks for five zhu of copper.
It turned out well. The government raised the chicks, ensuring the soldiers had chicken meat twice a month. Chen Xi realized that relying on the locals to raise chickens wouldn't work, as they were too reluctant to feed them properly. The chickens would never grow big enough in just a few years.
"Phew, that's a relief. I'd forgotten about the chickens and ducks we raised," Hua Xiong wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. The thought of a locust plague terrified him, having personally experienced one before. After the locusts passed, there wasn't a single green leaf left behind, and that was in the vast grasslands...
"Relax, relax. Locusts are just feed," Chen Xi said, shielding his eyes from the blazing sun.
A drought followed by a locust plague wasn't a joke, especially in the endless cycle of natural disasters during the late Han dynasty. Severe droughts almost always led to locust plagues. The collapse of an empire wasn't just due to corrupt officials and politicians. Every time, it was the relentless natural disasters and plagues that truly caused the empire to fall apart.