Chapter 1169: Pulling the Rug from Underneath

In the past, these men had indeed viewed Cao Cao and Sun Ce as major enemies—foes that had to be decisively dealt with. However, once they laid the map of the world before them, they realized that Cao Cao and Sun Ce didn’t need to be treated as such enemies that had to be eliminated.

"Let’s just make it public," Li You said calmly. "They are not really our enemies anymore. We can openly present everything to them."

Nothing is more troublesome than a food shortage. In a feudal society, if you can solve the food problem, then any other problem becomes secondary.

"Even if the noble families are estranged from us, promoting Qu Qi's agricultural techniques in the name of Lord Xuande would still be incredibly easy," Jia Xu said confidently.

By attaching the fame to Qu Qi, they could make his work widespread, and the hearts of the people would fall to Liu Bei. From there, they could undermine Cao Cao and Sun Ce from the foundation.

"Can you manage it?" Liu Ye asked Liu Yan gravely.

"To spread it to every corner of the empire? Absolutely," Liu Yan replied with a smile. There was no one better than him when it came to spreading information.

Upon receiving Liu Yan’s assured response, Liu Ye understood the full meaning behind Jia Xu and Li You’s plan.

"Then let’s make it public. Lord Xuande will approach from the upper echelons, Weishuo from the noble families and scholars, and you, Wenhe, will handle the grassroots," Chen Xi said with a smile. Within three years, the food issue in the Han Empire would be resolved.

[Zichuan always says he’s slow to react and can’t do this or that, but he’s the first to grasp the situation every time,] Jia Xu thought, amazed at Chen Xi’s sharp mind.

[Guo Fengxiao is truly a master at manipulating people. He realized it instantly, too,] Jia Xu glanced at Guo Jia, who was also scanning the room, and they exchanged a knowing look.

Chen Xi was completely unaware that, without even intending to, he had dug an enormous pit for Cao Cao and Sun Ce. With the upper, middle, and lower layers all taken care of, within three years, the hearts of the people across the land would belong to Liu Bei.

At present, the greatest asset Cao Cao and Sun Ce had was that their soldiers had food to eat, and ordinary civilians could survive. But once Qu Qi’s methods were publicly shared throughout the Han Empire, within three years, there would be no reason for anyone under Cao Cao or Sun Ce’s rule to join the army.

For external wars, you can claim to fight for the country, for those left behind. But when it comes to internal conflicts, it's just about getting enough to eat. If people can farm and feed themselves, why would they want to fight an internal war?

Moreover, the enemy in question would be Liu Bei, the man who had once ensured the people had food. You can bet soldiers would mutiny en masse, with informants popping up everywhere. For the people of the late Han era, nothing mattered more than having enough to eat.

Thus, with the introduction of agricultural methods that could eliminate food shortages, the empire would inevitably stabilize. People only rebel when they can't eat or survive. But if farming could guarantee food, who in their right mind would revolt? This is the mentality of the small farmer.

In this way, it was a strategy that would pull the rug out from under Cao Cao and Sun Ce, crippling them at the root. And the best part was that there was nothing Cao Cao or Sun Ce could do to stop it. Agricultural techniques that increased grain production would spread, whether they liked it or not.

This era was defined by grain production. If someone managed to grow five shi per mu, you can be sure that the next day someone would come knocking to discuss it. Nothing stirred excitement in an agricultural society more than high grain yields.

Jia Xu, Li You, and Guo Jia all sighed, fully understanding the implications. This was the true meaning of winning without bloodshed. And yet, it was also why they thought Chen Xi had been hiding his brilliance all along.

In reality, Chen Xi hadn’t thought things through so deeply. He simply wanted to reduce the number of deaths. After all, even if Cao Cao had both soldiers and food, it wouldn’t be of much use. If you faced a superior army, you either withstood it or got crushed in an instant.

Since that was the case, it would be better for the common people to live well. Cao Cao wasn’t much of a threat anyway, so why bother?

"Thank you all for your understanding," Qu Qi said, bowing deeply to everyone. "Without your strong support, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this so quickly."

Everyone quickly stepped aside, feeling unworthy of the gesture. Qu Qi didn’t mind their hurried retreat and stood back up, saying, "I’ve heard that cotton comes from the Western Regions, so I plan to go to Jiuquan first, and then check out Yumen Pass."

"Hold on," Chen Xi said, rolling his eyes.

"I’m not that reckless. Besides, when I go, I’ll bring Lord Xuande’s guards and one of Zichuan’s cooks," Qu Qi said, also rolling his eyes. He had already thought this through.

"Sounds like you're going on a field research trip," Chen Xi said, exasperated. Any sense of farewell had instantly dissipated.

"Field research should be done safely, and with good food. I don’t want to die young before I’ve seen the empire's full glory," Qu Qi said with a laugh. He had always been fascinated by Chen Xi’s cooks.

"Aren’t you afraid of dying young from overeating?" Chen Xi teased.

"Hanmou, Hua Tuo, and this must be Dr. Zhang," Liu Bei arrived at this moment, seemingly having changed clothes since that morning, likely because his son Ah Dou had soiled his previous outfit.

"Greetings..." Before anyone could bow, Liu Bei waved his hand to dismiss the formality.

"Zhang Ji of Jingzhou, also known as Zhang Zhongjing, greets Lord Xuande," Zhang Ji said, bowing.

Liu Ye then summarized what had transpired, though he didn’t mention that Chen Xi had already given Qu Qi permission.

"This is a matter that benefits the people—how could we not share it with the world?" Liu Bei said passionately, without hesitation. Having come from humble beginnings, he understood the value of food more than anyone.

Chen Xi shrugged and said, "Hanmou intends to travel the land and customize crops suitable for each region. What do you think, Lord Xuande?"

"Such an important matter must be allowed. Wherever Hanmou goes, I, Liu Bei, will personally guarantee his safety," Liu Bei said earnestly.

"He’s going to Cao Mengde's territory," Chen Xi said with a roll of his eyes.

"Uh... then I’ll write a letter to Cao Mengde and send a few guards along," Liu Bei hesitated for a moment but ultimately agreed. "After all, this is the Han Empire, and the people Hanmou is helping are its citizens. How could I refuse?"

"Understood, my lord..." Qu Qi slowly bowed deeply, his tone extremely respectful.

"Hanmou, please rise," Liu Bei was slightly taken aback, but quickly extended a hand to help Qu Qi up. Though Qu Qi had made no contributions in the realm of military strategy, Liu Bei greatly admired his agricultural prowess. Here was a man who could truly strengthen and enrich the nation through tireless work.

"Hanmou's talents lie in agriculture, and I have no official position to offer you. I can only ask that you continue to prioritize the welfare of the nation's farmers, just as you always have," Liu Bei said, bowing slightly, just as he had once done when appointing Chen Xi to an honorary position. Everyone present followed suit and bowed respectfully to Qu Qi.

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