"Hahaha, Zichuan, you must be joking. I have met Zijia before. While he does have a steadfast personality, to say he could rival Xiaozhi is quite an exaggeration. Although Xiaozhi may be somewhat unruly, his genius is rare in this world," Liu Bei said seriously. He had met Lu Yu before, and his evaluation was based on that meeting. In Liu Bei's eyes, although Lu Yu was talented, he did not compare to Fazheng.
"They are different, Lord Xuande. Xiaozhi excels in strategy, while Lu Yu's talent lies hidden beneath the surface. If he walks a different path, his achievements won't be inferior to Fazheng's," Chen Xi said, shaking his head.
"Truly?" Liu Bei asked in disbelief.
"Exceptional doesn't even begin to describe him," Chen Xi said, nodding thoughtfully. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have personally brought him back. He is indeed remarkable."
"Oh, then I'll leave him in your hands," Liu Bei said after some thought, deciding to trust Chen Xi's judgment. After all, Lu Zhi only had one son left, and if Lu Yu could grow to the level Chen Xi described, it would be easier to support him in the future, ensuring that the Lu family wouldn't decline.
"Don't worry, in less than ten years, Lu Yu will undoubtedly impress you, Lord Xuande," Chen Xi said with a smile. "By the way, is that jade plate a gift from Yuan Benchu?"
"If I had such a jade plate, I would have pawned it to fund the construction of Mount Tai," Liu Bei laughed. "Do you like it? If so, it's yours. Our white porcelain is getting better and better," he added, picking up the wine cup, which now had a faint, glowing sheen.
"The progress is remarkable..." Chen Xi smiled wryly. It seemed that when something was truly needed, technological advancement in ancient times could accelerate at an abnormal pace. "In that case, have they also made progress on the agricultural tools and water wheels I instructed them to design before I left?"
"Not yet. Although there have been some results, Hanzhong is still not fully satisfied. And compared to your expectations, there's still a long way to go. Moreover, the tools break down quickly," Liu Bei said with some frustration. "But fortunately, Xiaozhi has already started producing iron farming tools."
"Have the master craftsmen made any breakthroughs?" Chen Xi asked, still concerned. In this era, food security was paramount. As long as people had enough to eat, even if the market collapsed, the Han Dynasty could still hold on.
"No breakthroughs," Liu Bei shook his head. "Let's not dwell on that. Look, Zijia is here. Don't forget to come to my place tonight. I'll be hosting a welcome banquet for you, and there are a few matters that require your presence."
"I won't forget," Chen Xi nodded.
"I'm just worried that once your wife and concubines are back, you'll forget all about it. Everyone knows how it goes when there's no one around to remind you. But this time, we must formally welcome the Lu family. Keep that in mind," Liu Bei gently reminded him, knowing that Chen Xi had a history of being easily distracted.
"Greetings to General of the East," Lu Yu greeted Liu Bei with a composed demeanor, bowing respectfully before turning to Chen Xi and bowing again, "Greetings, Lord Chen."
"No need for formalities, Zijia. You can just call me senior brother. Your sister-in-law and nephew are currently staying at the Lu residence next door. Since I thought you were going to stay with Lord Wang for your studies, I didn't make any arrangements. But now that you're back, you can stay there. Everything is well-prepared," Liu Bei said with a smile.
"Zijia wouldn't dare be so disrespectful," Lu Yu replied with a shake of his head, while Liu Bei shrugged helplessly. He wouldn't have minded if Lu Yu called him senior brother, and since he had promised to take care of the entire Lu family, he had no ulterior motives. But it seemed Lu Yu was a bit stiff in Liu Bei's view.
"I almost forgot you already have a place to stay in Mount Tai. In that case, you should quickly reunite with your sister-in-law and nephew. Tomorrow, after the si hour (around 9 AM), come to the administration office. I will introduce someone to you, but whether you can become his disciple will depend on your abilities," Chen Xi said, realizing he had overlooked this detail. However, Lu Yu hadn't mentioned it either.
"Thank you, Lord Chen," Lu Yu said, trying his best to maintain his composure.
"Go on," Liu Bei said with a smile and arranged for a few guards to escort Lu Yu to the Lu residence.
"What do you think?" Chen Xi asked.
"Steady but lacking in adaptability. His talents are mediocre at best. But as long as I'm around, the Lu family won't face any upheaval. And given his youth and the hardships he's endured, he won't become a wastrel. Though he may not revive the Lu clan, under my protection, they won't decline," Liu Bei said, shaking his head. He still couldn't see any particular brilliance in Lu Yu.
"Tomorrow, I'll take him to meet Jia Wenhe. Tonight, I'll make sure he receives some materials about Wenhe. Given his talent and my recommendation, passing Wenhe's test shouldn't be difficult. It will all depend on how seriously he takes it. By tomorrow, you should see what I mean, Lord Xuande," Chen Xi said with a smile.
"That might not be easy. Of course, if he can become Wenhe's disciple, that would be ideal. But Wenhe… I've noticed that he lacks motivation. He only moves when prodded, and if I don't push him, he does nothing. He has little interest in power or family matters. I even tried to arrange a marriage for his daughter, but that went nowhere," Liu Bei said, helplessly shaking his head.
Liu Bei had a deep understanding of his subordinates by now. Chen Xi usually didn't do much work himself, preferring to assign tasks to others. If Lu Su couldn't finish everything, Chen Xi would step in to help, but mostly to streamline processes and then delegate the simplified tasks.
Lu Su, on the other hand, was the most diligent, taking on any task and ensuring everything was completed, even when others weren't around.
Guo Jia was lazy, usually only handling intelligence and strategic planning, rarely involving himself in administration unless specifically asked.
Li You, as a secretary, was meticulous and responsible but seldom took initiative. His main job was answering Liu Bei's questions.
Jia Xu, unless given specific tasks, spent his time drinking tea and snacking. When he first arrived from Chang'an, he was thin and haggard, but now he had grown quite plump.
Liu Ye was capable of handling any task but tended to drift off into his own thoughts, sometimes for half a day. Liu Bei often suspected Liu Ye was feigning absent-mindedness.
Sometimes, Liu Bei felt that both Li You and Jia Xu were deliberately avoiding certain matters. Unless absolutely necessary, they wouldn't involve themselves in things, as if they were intentionally staying out of the way.
"Zijia has a good chance of passing. Anyway, you'll see tomorrow. These are minor matters. Now that I'm back in Mount Tai, it's time to move on to the second step of my plan," Chen Xi said with a confident smile. Ever since the Battle of Hulao Pass, he had been working towards this moment.