Chapter 198: Chen Xi's Method of Education

Chen Xi's final command, though unnecessary, was something Sun Qian would have done regardless. From Sun Qian's perspective, these materials were simply too valuable to be handled carelessly. However, he now understood why Chen Xi had mentioned that the real challenge would begin when the actual construction of those buildings started.

Building a mansion wasn’t inherently difficult, especially since Sun Qian didn’t need to do much besides overseeing the process. But with the inclusion of such valuable materials, Sun Qian would undoubtedly lose sleep over it, naturally increasing his stress.

After explaining the construction materials clearly, Chen Xi returned to the government office. Although he was reluctant, there were too many matters that required his attention. He had already explained the basics of the new tax law to Man Chong, but implementing and testing it would be much more complicated.

In the end, Chen Xi instructed Man Chong to first draft the trade tax he had mentioned. As for whether it was right or wrong or had any flaws, Chen Xi wasn't worried. If there were significant issues, he could always claim that the policy was canceled due to certain merchants exploiting loopholes. He was confident that if such a beneficial tax policy were to be canceled because of one merchant, that merchant would become universally hated.

Moreover, Chen Xi intended to let merchants find loopholes, not because he was careless, but because he was confident in controlling them. Liu Bei’s power was not to be underestimated. Crushing a few scheming merchants would be effortless. In fact, given Liu Bei’s current strength, even destroying a family wouldn’t provoke much trouble, provided there was a valid reason.

With absolute power as a guarantee, Chen Xi wasn’t concerned about merchants acting foolishly. Faced with the choice of death or profit, no one in their right mind would choose to court death, especially in a chaotic world where no one dared to provoke Liu Bei.

When Chen Xi returned to the government office, the people present stared at him as if they had seen a ghost.

“Isn’t it a bit rude to stare at me like that?” Chen Xi said with a smile as he pulled up a grand chair and sat down at the head of the table, looking at the others.

“Zichuan, don’t you think we’re going a bit overboard with this construction?” Liu Ye asked with a wry smile. Everyone had seen the materials Chen Xi had brought in earlier, and calling it luxury didn’t even begin to cover it.

“No problem. Just build it as I’ve instructed. It needs to be grand, magnificent, and dazzling. It should be a landmark of Fenggao, something that makes all other lords envious and jealous,” Chen Xi said arrogantly. “I want Lord Xuande’s residence to become the symbol of Fenggao! I want all the lords to think of his mansion whenever they think of Fenggao, making them green with envy!”

“But don’t you think this is too ostentatious?” Jian Yong asked, holding his forehead. He had initially thought they were merely building a luxurious residence, but this had gone far beyond that. The cost of this mansion was likely more terrifying than simply piling up money to match its volume.

“Ostentatious?” Chen Xi sneered.

“Don’t you think that with such a grand mansion, Lord Xuande will feel more confident when facing other regional lords? He might even scorn their inferior residences. My philosophy has always been that if we’re going to do something, we should do it to the best of our ability. I refuse to believe that once we’ve created the best, any other external temptations could sway Lord Xuande!” Chen Xi’s expression exuded a unique and unyielding pride.

“I think we should keep a lower profile,” Jia Xu rarely spoke up. “It’s better to keep a low profile and avoid drawing too much attention. And what I fear most is not external temptations but that your elite family education method might backfire.”

Jia Xu initially agreed with Chen Xi’s approach to shaping Liu Bei’s character and broadening his horizons, removing the limitations imposed by his humble origins. Therefore, Jia Xu was very supportive of Chen Xi’s ongoing efforts in elite family education.

In Jia Xu’s view, if Liu Bei could remain unmoved by beauty and untroubled by luxury, many potential problems in the future would become minor issues. He was even prepared to spend millions to cultivate this mindset in Liu Bei. However, when Jia Xu saw Chen Xi’s recent actions, he was stunned.

This wasn’t elite family education; it was setting Liu Bei up for failure. Starting with everything at the highest level was fine, but progress should be gradual. If you give Liu Bei everything at once, won’t he lose his drive? Many heroes remain resilient during tough times, but once they reach the top, they quickly fall into decadence. Look no further than Dong Zhuo—his empire crumbled after being corrupted. Are you trying to ruin Liu Bei?

There was a soft “crack” as a white porcelain cup was smashed to the ground, breaking into pieces.

“Chen Zichuan, what are you doing?” Liu Yan asked angrily.

“Someone, fetch another set from my home,” Chen Xi ordered calmly, ignoring Liu Yan’s anger and the glaring eyes of Liu Ye and the others.

The room fell silent as everyone stared at Chen Xi, waiting for an explanation. But Chen Xi simply sat in the chair with his eyes closed, resting until a guard returned with an entire set of white porcelain cups.

“Crack, crack, crack…” Chen Xi casually smashed each cup, along with the teapot, then turned to the guard who had just left. “Have the housekeeper bring the set with the figures on it.”

“What are you doing, Chen Zichuan?” Even the mild-mannered Lu Su finally lost his temper after the guard left. “What’s wrong with you today?”

Chen Xi looked at the others. Aside from Jia Xu, who seemed deep in thought, the others were all filled with anger. He sighed.

“Wenhe, why don’t you explain it? I think you’ve figured it out,” Chen Xi said, turning to Jia Xu.

“The actual cost of these items should be low, probably like paper. Chen Zichuan can use paper worth a thousand gold as toilet paper. To those unaware, it seems like extreme luxury, but those who understand know it’s nothing,” Jia Xu said with a sigh.

Jia Xu had finally grasped Chen Xi’s approach. Indeed, the mansion being built might seem extravagantly luxurious to those unaware of the true cost, but to those in the know, it was nothing more than a facade.

Jia Xu also realized that as long as Chen Xi didn’t reveal the truth, these items would indeed be perceived as priceless. He also understood Chen Xi’s plan for Liu Bei’s elite education—to make Liu Bei accustomed to, or even numb to, a lifestyle where items worth a thousand gold were mere playthings, discarded without a second thought.

Once Liu Bei became desensitized to such luxury, Jia Xu couldn’t imagine what kind of wealth could ever tempt him.

“Sigh, Zichuan, I must admit your methods are impressive,” Jia Xu said with a bitter smile.