Chapter 1172: Foundation Stones

Li You had been pondering this issue for a long time but couldn’t come up with a solution. It was a deadlock. While he agreed that Chen Xi’s current strategy, based on three foundational pillars, could indeed support the empire for generations, there was also the risk that, before this foundation could be fully established, the empire might collapse under its own weight.

Still, though Chen Xi always appeared leisurely, unhurried in his daily actions, Li You sensed that Chen Xi had a plan. Thus, he had never brought up the matter. Chen Xi’s habit of preparing for the worst was something that reassured everyone around him.

"Zichuan, have you ever considered what would happen if, one day, you were no longer here? Would the world continue to move forward along the path you’ve laid out?" Li You asked after a moment of deep thought, using the ongoing discussion about military expenses as a pretext to raise this critical question.

Chen Xi paused mid-step, turning to look at Li You, his expression puzzled.

"It will. Once the war chariot starts to charge forward, no roadblocks will matter. And to stop such a mad chariot, I doubt anyone could do it," Chen Xi replied, offering Li You some reassurance, though still slightly confused by the question.

"That chariot may fall apart without you," Jia Xu interjected, his tone distant and speculative. Despite his modest approach to strategy, Jia Xu was adept at exploiting the mistakes of others and positioning himself carefully.

"Before it falls apart, I’ll have replaced its frame with steel and the horses pulling it with teams of four," Chen Xi said with a light smile. He had sealed off the porcelain kilns, sugar refining, tea processing, and foreign trade, as well as established northern ranches—these were to be the empire's future economic foundation.

Instead of exploiting the people’s grain to sustain the empire, Chen Xi’s plan was for the empire to sustain the populace through industry. Porcelain, sugar, and tea—these three commodities could provide for the empire, from this era all the way into the 20th century, as long as they retained a monopoly on their trade.

As for the northern ranches, rather than allowing the Hu nomads to roam the grasslands, it was better for the state to divide the pasturelands, cultivate grass for livestock, and raise cattle and sheep. If managed properly, Chen Xi believed that even without reaching the numbers of thirty million animals as in later times, maintaining five million cattle and sheep would give the Han Dynasty the strength to crush any foe.

Thus, the northern grasslands had to belong to the Han. Places like Siberia could be disregarded, but the lush grasslands had to be taken back.

Rather than letting the northern nomads continually cause trouble, it was better to assimilate them into the Han. Chen Xi was convinced that, under a strict ranch management system where they were well-fed and clothed, they would have no desire to rebel.

According to Chen Xi's calculations, only about thirty thousand people were needed to manage the vast northern grasslands. The rest could be relocated to the south for development. As for animal diseases, Chen Xi was already looking for skilled veterinarians. He remembered that a certain family specialized in livestock breeding.

Chen Xi had inquired with his own family, asking which Central Plains family had a long tradition of cattle and horse breeding. The elders told him that two unfortunate families had met their end. One family, the Zhao, had been wiped out 400 years ago, and the other, the Luo family, perished 200 years ago. What was left couldn’t compare.

In the end, Chen Xi had to ask Qu Qi for help. Although Qu Qi, from the Tian Cang clan, specialized in farming, Chen Xi figured there must be some connection to livestock breeding—after all, they both dealt with agriculture. Qu Qi awkwardly clarified that the Tian Cang clan only focused on farming, with no relation to animal husbandry. However, Chen Xi stubbornly insisted that since both involved food, there must be some overlap.

And so, Qu Qi reluctantly accepted the responsibility. Chen Xi had consulted experts, who confirmed that large-scale breeding could significantly reduce costs and increase profits.

Five million head of cattle could easily put Han Dynasty on the map as an empire riding on the backs of cattle, far more reliable than any other livestock. After all, cattle are far more stable.

Chen Xi was confident that with state control over the tea tax, sugar profits, porcelain industry, northern ranches, and the already established silk trade, the empire’s economy would not collapse all at once. Of course, if they encountered something as disastrous as the Donglin Party during the late Ming Dynasty, there wouldn’t be much to say.

But Chen Xi had already removed the soil in which such parties could thrive. In this life, the imperial examinations would never allow any single faction to dominate. Therefore, Chen Xi was confident that even if he were to fall, the four strong horses he had harnessed would pull the empire forward.

While pushing politics forward through economic measures wasn’t ideal, it was still far better than relying on internal oppression. Besides, Rome and the Han Empire were too far apart to engage in direct conflict. The two empires could only watch each other closely, waiting for the other to collapse first.

Of course, the result of this would likely be chaos in Central Asia. But as long as the Han Dynasty wasn’t directly affected, it didn’t matter. Let them fight. As long as the Han knew they weren’t invincible, it would be enough.

Chen Xi had carefully analyzed the requirements for maintaining an empire during the cold weapons era and concluded that only a few key elements were needed: military independence, the ability for the people to survive, and sufficient funds to support external warfare.

As one of the three foundational pillars, the military, according to Chen Xi’s design, must never be self-reliant. This class would be entirely dependent on the state, with its role purely to fight for the country. The funds and welfare required to sustain them would come from the industries Chen Xi had put in place, which he had carefully sealed off for future use.

The military’s resources would be managed jointly by the government, the imperial family, and the army itself, with multiple levels of oversight to ensure transparency. In short, the military would be focused solely on maintaining combat strength, with no role in the economy.

As for the military's independence, it was non-negotiable—it would belong solely to the state. While local thugs and hooligans might still employ personal guards, anyone mobilizing the official army would face the collective wrath of the empire.

Chen Xi had compared this principle to the oaths sworn during Liu Bang’s reign and found no significant issues. This rule would essentially prevent large-scale internal conflict.

Chen Xi knew there were limits to what this measure could prevent. But if the government, military, and economy all collapsed, it would be time for a reset anyway.

Chen Xi didn’t expect to guarantee eternal stability. He was human, not a god. Human nature is unpredictable, and even while he was still alive, controlling the current generation was incredibly difficult. After his death, what would happen next would be beyond his control.

However, after considering all the relevant factors, Chen Xi felt he had done well enough. Maybe one day, when people spoke of Zhang Zifang, who had strengthened the Han for a hundred years, they would also speak of Chen Zichuan, the man who helped restore and rebuild it. As a time traveler, he could hold his head high knowing he had done his part.

The saying "Every generation has its own talents" wasn’t a joke. If he could ensure that this generation followed his planned path, it would already be a monumental achievement. As for the future, only time would tell.

All Chen Xi could hope for was that once the chariot of conquest began to race forward on the road he had paved, nothing would be able to stop it.

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