Chapter 1220: Words of Advice

By now, every family had a rough idea of how much a book cost, even though none of them had seen the price drop below 10,000 coins. After all, even though Chen Xi had established schools, books weren't given away for free. Based on the calculations made by the noble families, the cost of a book with 10,000 characters was estimated at around 8,000 coins according to Chen Xi's printing method. Although purchasing one for 20,000 to 30,000 coins seemed a bit excessive, the noble families didn’t find it too expensive.

After all, knowledge was wealth, a concept that resonated with all the noble families of the late Han dynasty. Spending tens of thousands of coins on books was something they could accept.

Of course, they would think differently if they found out that the actual cost of producing a book was only a few hundred coins and could be further reduced to under a hundred coins with more effort.

"No need for you to go to such lengths, but since the Qu family isn't one of the wealthiest, my family will contribute 2 million coins for the expenses," Qu Qi sighed. Despite not being a wealthy family, the Qu family could still afford a few million coins.

Chen Xi rolled his eyes at Qu Qi. One thing he found particularly irksome about the noble families was how they always claimed to be poor, but when it came time to spend, they could easily pull out millions.

"Forget it. Seeing how hard you've worked, I won't bother taking your money," Chen Xi said, still a bit annoyed. The Qu family was indeed a small household, with just over a hundred members, including both the main and extended branches.

After dealing with some recent matters and delegating tasks, everyone began to leave, one by one, except for Zhuge Liang.

"Zhuge, don't let the burden of your upcoming journey to the Western Regions weigh too heavily on you. If nothing unexpected happens, Gao Shun and Zhang Liao will be accompanying you. As for Li Jue and the others..." Chen Xi paused and turned to Zhuge Liang.

"What do you think of Li Jue and his group?" Chen Xi asked, concerned that Zhuge Liang, with his staunch loyalty to the Han Dynasty, might struggle to work with men like Li Jue.

Although Li Jue, Guo Si, and Fan Chou would likely cooperate due to Li You’s influence, it didn’t mean they’d willingly tolerate Zhuge Liang’s authority. After all, everyone had their own temper, and if Zhuge Liang was uncooperative, there might be little that Li You’s letters could do.

"Brutes," Zhuge Liang said after a moment of silence.

"And how would you handle them?" Chen Xi asked, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Zhuge Liang's assessment. Li Jue and his group did indeed have a reckless side.

"If it weren't for reopening the Zheng Guo Canal and connecting the water channels of Yong and Liang provinces, they would all be deserving of death for their crimes," Zhuge Liang said gravely. Robbing imperial tombs was an unforgivable crime in this era, one that typically resulted in the extermination of three generations.

"And now?" Chen Xi asked, relieved to see that Zhuge Liang could distinguish between greater and lesser evils.

"With millions of people in Yong and Liang provinces relying on them for survival, and their success in defeating the Qiang and protecting the Han Dynasty, many issues cannot be judged simply by right or wrong. As the emperor has yet to punish them, how could I do so?" Zhuge Liang replied calmly.

Contrary to Chen Xi’s earlier assumptions, Zhuge Liang had become much more pragmatic. Although he still supported the Han Dynasty, he wasn’t particularly concerned with who held the title of emperor. As long as it was someone capable, it didn't really matter to him.

"Good. Yong and Liang will be under your watch. Take this opportunity to practice your skills, but remember, don't handle everything personally. Instead, focus on selecting and developing capable individuals to handle matters for you," Chen Xi advised, taking advantage of Zhuge Liang's calm demeanor to remind him not to overwork himself.

Zhuge Liang's main flaw wasn’t his ability—it was his tendency to overwork. He frequently stayed up working all night, only to rest briefly the next day before continuing with a cup of tea. Of all the officials in the government, Zhuge Liang was the one who worked the hardest.

Chen Xi and Guo Jia, on the other hand, were notorious for skipping work, and most others would leave at the end of the day. Zhuge Liang, however, stayed late every night, often working until the point where others felt guilty leaving before him. Even officials like Xun Yue and Liu Ye would stay behind to finish their work before departing, all in an attempt to reduce Zhuge Liang's workload.

"Zichuan, are you suggesting I set up multiple safety nets?" Zhuge Liang suddenly smiled.

"This is to prevent you from working yourself to death," Chen Xi replied sharply. "Remember, you have the talent of a prime minister. A prime minister’s job is to harmonize the workings of the government, oversee all officials, and assist the emperor. You don’t need to handle every little task yourself."

"Think carefully about this. A prime minister isn’t meant to do everything," Chen Xi continued, speaking to Zhuge Liang in a serious tone.

"But a prime minister isn’t supposed to do nothing, either," Zhuge Liang shot back, unwilling to back down. Both he and Chen Xi were extreme in their own ways—Chen Xi did almost nothing, while Zhuge Liang did almost everything.

"It’s not about doing nothing. It’s about doing less. A prime minister’s worth isn’t measured by how much they do, but by how effectively they can empower their subordinates to do their jobs," Chen Xi stressed, taking a firm stance on the matter.

"If a prime minister handles everything, how will the officials under them ever grow? We need talent, not useless bureaucrats," Chen Xi said sternly.

As Zhuge Liang prepared to go to the Western Regions to oversee both military and administrative affairs, Chen Xi felt it was crucial to set him straight. When the empire was finally unified, Chen Xi knew he would step down and hand over the reins to Lu Su. After Lu Su, the position of prime minister would undoubtedly fall to Zhuge Liang.

But if Zhuge Liang continued to micromanage everything, never trusting others to do their jobs, Chen Xi couldn’t allow him to take on such a crucial role.

Zhuge Liang looked at Chen Xi thoughtfully. This philosophy clashed with much of what he had learned. As someone meticulous by nature, he always felt that the tasks he was responsible for required a perfect outcome.

"Zhuge, remember, the state isn’t just for one generation. After you, there must be others to take over. When you’re preparing to become prime minister, your focus should be on enhancing your abilities. But once you take on the role, your goal should be to improve the abilities of those around you," Chen Xi explained, having gained much wisdom from his time in office.

"If you do everything yourself, simply because you're more capable and don’t trust your subordinates, how will they ever make mistakes and learn from them? Without failure, how can they grow?" Chen Xi said, taking a sip of water before continuing to explain the broader picture.

Zhuge Liang listened attentively, reflecting on Chen Xi’s words. He realized that while he had been taught many things, hearing these ideas from someone like Chen Xi carried much more weight. After all, Zhuge Liang had always regarded Chen Xi as more intelligent than himself.

"You may be able to resolve all issues while you're alive, but once you're gone, if your subordinates haven’t grown under your leadership, all your time will have been wasted. The result will be that, after your death, the government will be left in the hands of incompetents..." Chen Xi’s cold words struck a chord in Zhuge Liang.

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