After cornering Chen Xi, a smile appeared on Lu Su's face, and he continued to wait at the entrance. A short while later, a black carriage arrived, and Jia Xu slowly stepped out.
"Long time no see, Wenhe," Lu Su said, placing a hand on Jia Xu's shoulder before Chen Xi could greet him.
Jia Xu immediately felt a weight on his shoulder, realizing for the first time just how strong Lu Su's grip was. However, he maintained his calm demeanor and raised his hand to greet Lu Su. "Zijing, why so formal? It hasn't been that long since we last met. Oh, Zichuan, you're here too?"
As he said this, Jia Xu tried to slip past Lu Su into Liu Bei's residence, but Lu Su grabbed his shoulder, preventing him from moving forward.
"Wenhe, it seems we need to have a good talk," Lu Su said with a rather stern expression. He held onto Jia Xu with a gentle smile, but the combination of his gaunt face and pale complexion from being cooped up in the government office made him look rather intimidating.
"Cough, cough, just joking, just joking," Jia Xu quickly backtracked. He was someone who knew how to adapt to the situation, and it was clear that Lu Su had no intention of letting anyone off easy today.
"Hehe," Lu Su chuckled. "Wenhe, can you handle some administrative work?"
"I can, though it's not my strong suit," Jia Xu replied, still trying to evade responsibility. In his mind, with Chen Xi back, there were already enough people to handle the workload, so there was no need for him to step in.
"Shuzhi!" Lu Su called out to his deputy, Wang Xiu, who immediately responded by pulling out a stack of documents as tall as half a person from the carriage.
"If administrative work isn't your forte, then perhaps you can handle this. Just review the personnel situations in Taishan, Qingzhou, and Xuzhou for the year, approve the cases reported from each district, and plan for the coming year. After that, submit everything to Xuande Gong," Lu Su explained calmly. Jia Xu instantly broke out in a cold sweat.
While these tasks weren't particularly challenging, the sheer volume made them overwhelming. Year-end summaries, case reviews, and planning for the upcoming year—there was no end to it. Jia Xu realized that if he took this on, he'd be stuck working until the new year, and there was no way to avoid it.
Wiping away non-existent sweat from his forehead, Jia Xu decided to take on something more challenging instead. "I was a bit confused earlier. Actually, I can handle administrative work just fine, Zijing. No need to be so polite. Ahem."
"Shuzhi," Lu Su called out again, and Wang Xiu quickly put the stack of documents back in the carriage and handed Lu Su a single sheet of paper.
"How about this? Can you manage it?" Lu Su asked, handing the paper to Jia Xu. Even though it was getting dark, Jia Xu could still make out the contents on the page.
"I can, but I'll need the authority to assemble a new management team, appoint officials and scholars, and allocate resources from the treasury," Jia Xu replied after reading the paper. Though he was reluctant, he couldn't refuse outright given Lu Su's current mood.
"No problem," Lu Su said casually. "Shuzhi!"
Without hesitation, Wang Xiu handed Jia Xu a prepared order, complete with the seals of Lu Su, Man Chong, and Mi Zhu.
"…Zijing, you really came prepared!" Jia Xu said, somewhat surprised as he looked at the document in his hand.
"I'm here to round up everyone who's needed. Anyone who shows up today won't get away," Lu Su said grimly, clearly fed up with the mountain of administrative work and determined to share the burden with others.
Jia Xu shrugged and walked over to stand beside Chen Xi, waiting to see if anyone else would fall into Lu Su's trap.
"Wenhe, you got caught too, huh?" Chen Xi said, patting Jia Xu on the shoulder.
"You're not much better off. At least my workload has an end in sight, while yours is indefinite," Jia Xu said, comparing their situations and feeling a bit better. Indeed, everything is relative.
Chen Xi sighed, realizing that his decision to abolish most death sentences and replace them with indefinite hard labor had come back to haunt him. It hadn't taken long for Jia Xu to grasp the concept of limited versus indefinite sentences.
"Whatever, whatever. What did he give you to handle?" Chen Xi asked out of curiosity.
"Horse administration, military dogs, and the government's poultry operations," Jia Xu replied with a sigh. This wasn't going to be an easy task.
"Forget the poultry for now. The horses and military dogs are the key issues here. The poultry will probably just be something you inherit from Mi Zizhong," Chen Xi said after some thought. "How do you plan to handle it?"
"The military dogs are easy. Dogs are everywhere, so we'll start by giving each of you one. Set an example, and others will follow. Eventually, when there are too many dogs, we can round them up—it'll even be seen as a benevolent act. As for the horses, this area isn't suitable for building large stables, but I'll still construct one. Beyond that, we'll rely on the common people, and we'll need to assess the value and provide subsidies," Jia Xu explained. Although he claimed not to be good at administrative work, his intelligence made him more than capable.
"Alright, alright. Setting an example is a good idea. As for horse administration, it's a real headache. This year, we've finally ended the famine, so we have surplus grain to feed horses. But there's still a lot to consider, so take your time with it," Chen Xi said, understanding the complexity of the task.
"Yes, I suspect Zijing doesn't expect me to complete this in a few months. He's likely aiming for a complete and feasible plan within one or two years. He has big ambitions," Jia Xu said with a smile. The task Lu Su had given him was clearly not just for one county or province.
"Indeed, he's probably thinking of turning the entire grasslands into Han's horse pasture. What Emperor Zhao and Emperor Xuan couldn't achieve, he sees as possible. Having big ambitions is a good thing," Chen Xi agreed. He, too, had noticed that Lu Su had grand visions. Coming from a powerful family, Lu Su truly wanted to create a prosperous era with his own hands.
"It's difficult. You haven't lived on the northern frontier, so you don't know how harsh the conditions are. I was born in Xiliang, and let me tell you, even if we conquer that land, it'll be hard to hold onto it," Jia Xu said with a sigh. "It's too barren. The land we're standing on now is far too fertile—no one would willingly go to such a place unless they had no choice."
"Yes, I know. Let me tell you a secret, but don't share it with anyone," Chen Xi said, a mocking smile appearing on his face.