Liu Bei was exceedingly generous in handing out the property deeds, giving one to each of his long-time followers. Each deed was worth at least 30,000 to 50,000 coins, instantly motivating everyone to work even harder. As for the newcomers, Liu Bei subtly hinted that once his finances were in better shape, he wouldnât hesitate to provide money, grain, and even beauties.
After distributing the deeds and resources, Liu Bei found that managing his personal wealth felt quite satisfying. Previously, even if all these billions of coins had been earned by Liu Bei himself, spending so lavishly would have drawn criticism from his subordinates, even if they benefited from it.
But now? "Iâm spending my own money, so what do you all have to say about it? I can aid whomever I want. If the government wonât fund it, then Iâll use my own. You critics want to challenge me? Come on, letâs go at it. Whoâs afraid?"
Liu Bei was spending the windfall of money with great joy. As for the criticisms of the officials? What was there to worry about? Now that the treasury and personal funds were separate, and Liu Bei hadnât taken a single copper from the public coffers, even building his house with his own money, what was there to criticize? Let them speak; Liu Bei would just sit back and listen.
With money in hand and newfound confidence, Liu Bei felt great. Over the past few days, heâd been spending freely. In the past, he wouldâve had to consider whether his actions might impact the governmentâs finances. But now? If there were any problems with government finances, it was the officials whoâd be to blame, not him. The nationâs wealth was separate from his personal funds, and if he spent all his money, he could always earn more. After tossing out billions of coins, Liu Bei started to feel that money wasnât such a big deal after all.
Watching Liu Bei, who initially felt a bit of heartache upon learning the value of each deed but soon became indifferent after giving out ten or so, Chen Xi realized that his education had been effective.
After all, even if these billions of coins had come easily, it was still Liu Beiâs property now. The feeling of ownership was strong, and seeing 2 or 3 billion coins vanish all at once, thrown away by his own hand, itâs no wonder Liu Beiâs old views on money were shaken to their core.
âZichuan, is it really okay for the lord to be spending money like this?â Li You casually handed his own deed, worth about 120,000 coins, to Chen Xi while expressing concern about Liu Beiâs recent behavior. Chen Xiâs method was akin to a crash courseâit was effective but came at a high cost.
âAre you worried about the saying âitâs easy to go from frugality to extravagance but difficult to go backâ?â Chen Xi asked, turning to Li You. âDonât worry. At most, this will make him a bit more lavish. But the advantage is that I donât believe anything in this world can still dazzle Lord Xuande. Honestly, as long as Lord Xuande doesnât become like Dong Zhuo, mesmerized by luxury and losing himself, his foundation will only grow stronger. My biggest fear is that heâll lose his true self.â
Li You fell silent, reflecting on his past experiences. A small mistake, one oversight, had ultimately led to the downfall of Dong Zhuoâs massive power structure. If he could turn back time, Li You would have insisted on teaching Dong Zhuoâs children with no expense sparedâat least to prevent them from being so enamored with the luxuries of Luoyang and its beauties, leading to their ultimate downfall. Indeed, a lord must be carefully nurtured to avoid going astray.
âItâs just that lately, Lord Xuande has been spending too freely,â Li You sighed, acknowledging that he had accepted Chen Xiâs crash course method. At least this way, Liu Beiâs desire for gold and jewels would be significantly reduced.
âNo need to worry. Lord Xuande still has his scales to weigh things. Look at this,â Chen Xi said, pulling out his own year-end bonus from Liu Bei, alongside the hard-earned reward for Li You. âOne is valued at 250,000 coins, the other at 120,000 coins. See? Heâs not confused yet. Let him spend; itâs not a big deal. In a few days, when I convert these deeds into cash, even if Lord Xuande wants to be generous, he wonât be able to keep up this pace. Let nature take its courseâitâs no big deal.â
Li You glanced at the deed in Chen Xiâs hand, gauging the situation, and nodded without further comment. As for converting everything into cash, Chen Xi didnât think that was the right choice.
In chaotic times, copper coins might not be the most reliable currency. With this yearâs harvest still decent, Chen Xi planned to stock up on tens of billions of coins worth of grain for Liu Bei. After all, they were in a sellerâs market. âWe sell the land, and you buy it with whatever we dictate. If you donât want it, donât waste our time; there are plenty of others waiting.â
Speaking of next spring, if there were no droughts, floods, or other natural disasters, there might still be an outbreak of plague. Although Hua Tuo supposedly quelled it before it spread, it still claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Just thinking about it made Chen Xi realize how dire the situation could be, which is why he was constantly issuing official seals and collecting medicinal herbs. The amount of herbs needed for a population of a million was beyond his estimation, so he kept collecting.
In these times, offering rewards for herb collection during the agricultural offseason was like a welfare program. As for doctors, Chen Xi was searching high and low for Hua Tuo, though with little success so farâwho knew where the man might be?
As for the money, Chen Xi wasnât worried at all. Misappropriating Liu Beiâs personal funds had become a habit for him. After all, Chen Xi was always earning money for Liu Bei, though how he did it or what he earned, Liu Bei had no idea. Diverting 90% of the profits from Zhenâs shop to buy up medicinal herbs all over the place, purchasing ginseng for ten coins per pound regardless of qualityâyou can imagine how much Chen Xi had accumulated.
As for the remaining 10%, Chen Xi genuinely used it to manage Liu Beiâs finances. âJianâer, what do you want to buy? Oh, this? Sure. Lanâer, do you want anything?â Thatâs how it really was.
But given Liu Beiâs trust in Chen Xi, his often incomprehensible methods, and his tendency to play the long game, Liu Bei never even considered the possibility of embezzlement. In time, Liu Bei would forget about it entirely, leaving everyone happy.
Because of this, Chen Xi had no qualms about spending Liu Beiâs money lately. After all, Liu Bei would probably forget about it soon, and in another year or so, Chen Xi figured thereâd be another good business opportunityâlike capturing Hu people for infrastructure projects. It wouldnât make a fortune, but it would certainly boost popularity and reputation.
Speaking of popularity and reputation, Chen Xi suddenly had an idea. It seemed like a rare opportunity to boost Liu Beiâs reputation and buy some public favorâsomething that couldnât be missed.
With that thought, Chen Xi realized he could justify all the money heâd spent. After all, wasnât one of Feng Yuanâs best moves to win over the people by buying their favor? Wealth can buy public support, and for a ruler, thatâs invaluable.