Chapter 7074 Everyone Has a Job

Chapter 7074 Everyone Has a Job
This set of talking points is a natural compilation of the conversations that almost all the big shots who could meet Sun Qian and have a few words with him naturally put together when talking to him.

From prefects to generals, everyone uses the same rhetoric when they meet Sun Qian: they all hope that when Sun Qian builds roads, he will consider their area and upgrade all the paved roads he built earlier, and preferably build four-lane roads.

As for the claim that it won't work, years of development have proven that once a road is built, there will always be a huge number of vehicles running on it. So the standard response is: Don't worry about us not being able to use it. Dr. Sun, just go ahead and fix it. We certainly won't waste your efforts. Fix it quickly!
"What a load of crap!" Sun Qian used to apologize a bit when he was less inclined to listen to advice, but now he had to be as hard as a rock. No one's words mattered. He had to follow his own plan first and build the three horizontal and five vertical highways to connect the entire country's highway system and form a unified whole.

As for the other details, let's just make do for now. A paved road is still a road, and as long as it works, it's fine. It's better than when there weren't even paved roads in the past!
Looking back now, Chen Xi's consolidation of villages was truly an extremely important strategic foundation. Without it, Sun Qian wouldn't have even been able to build paved roads for these villages.

Between villages with tens of thousands or two thousand people and natural settlements scattered throughout the mountains and forests, it is clear that the former is easier to develop in terms of infrastructure.

No matter how easy it is to build a road, Sun Qian was speechless when faced with someone like Huangfu Song who came up with an extra construction team. "Build a four-lane road for my hometown of Anding, preferably connecting it to the Northwest Expressway!" He thought to himself, "Damn it, do you guys really think roads are easy to build?"

No, no, no, you don't really think the cost of road construction is very low, do you? What a joke! I, Sun Qian, don't even dare to calculate in detail how much I've spent on road construction over the years. Just going through the material costs in my head every year makes me feel like the wrinkles in my cerebral cortex have been smoothed out!

Even without being particularly perceptive, Sun Qian would occasionally notice that the money Chen Xi invested in him each year was higher than the military budget. Sun Qian even suspected that his annual consumption as a resource black hole was more than the Han Dynasty's military budget plus the aid provided to various lords and aristocratic families.

While this idea may seem exaggerated, it's true that historically, total infrastructure investment has always exceeded military spending. Of course, if we only consider transportation investment, it is indeed less than the overall military expenditure, but the difference isn't too significant. Moreover, military spending is consumed by many powerful figures, while transportation and logistics are primarily consumed by Sun Qian. Now, with the addition of Jian Yong, logistics and related infrastructure are still a significant burden, and Sun Qian specifically carved out a portion of it.
Do you understand what a true God is? It's this simple and unadorned.

Of course, it is only because he is so simple and unpretentious and keeps a low profile that others will habitually overlook Sun Qian. This is what is meant by "the greatest form is formless". Sun Qian, the second most powerful elder in rank, is now almost like a background figure, and he is a background figure that almost every industry cannot avoid.

Sun Qian, however, lacked self-awareness. He considered himself a mere laborer and thus managed to mingle with other officials, acting as if he were of low rank. For instance, in front of Huangfu Song, Sun Qian behaved just like an ordinary doctor.

The problem is that Sun Qian, this doctor, doesn't really have much real power; he's only about as powerful as a general!
"Uh, is there something troubling you, Doctor Sun?" Huangfu Song asked, somewhat puzzled, looking at Sun Qian who seemed a little lost in thought after hearing his words.

“It’s not that we’re making things difficult, but we have limited manpower right now. We need to ensure the main national roads are open first. Our main focus is on the southwest. We need to complete the straight road to the Ganges first so we have more time to deal with the other roads,” Sun Qian replied calmly, then silently added in his mind, “It’s alright, we can arrange that first. After the southwest corridor is completed and the straight road to the Ganges is finished, we can work on our side. Although we’re in a hurry here, we can wait a bit…”

Sun Qian silently repeated these words to himself, and then heard Huangfu Song say almost exactly what he meant. He understood immediately. These important figures, why do they all think like this? Even if I'm in charge of roads, logistics, and transportation, it's not up to me to make decisions...

Well, it really was decided in one sentence, because Chen Xi really didn't have time to manage this side, plus Sun Qian had been doing this job for twenty years, and while he wasn't exactly good at it, he certainly hadn't encountered any problems. As for Sun Min making money from this back then, that's not a big deal.

Therefore, Chen Xi believed that since Sun Qian had been able to run such a large-scale transportation and logistics construction planning system so smoothly for twenty years without any major problems, then let Sun Qian continue to run it. After all, if a system has not encountered any problems, leaving it alone is also a correct approach, and Sun Qian has indeed lived up to expectations!
Later on, Chen Xi only needed to provide the plan and goals, and Sun Qian would design and implement the solutions on his own, then proceed step by step according to the broken-down plan to achieve the goals.

This is why Chen Xi eventually stopped interfering and only gave Sun Qian targets, letting Sun Qian push things forward on his own, because Sun Qian had already been thoroughly honed.

After the fifth year of Yuanfeng, Sun Qian basically decided on how to build roads, logistics and transportation, and what direction to develop them in. Of course, after the logistics industry was separated, Sun Qian only provided assistance in the early stages to ensure Jian Yong's independence, and later let Jian Yong handle it on his own.

If Sun Qian were to be considered a faction, it would be one with considerable independence. If it weren't for Chen Xi controlling its finances, Sun Qian's faction would undoubtedly be the most powerful.

Even though Chen Xi controlled the finances, Sun Qian's power was still terrifying.

After all, compared to the others whose job was to assist Chen Xi in managing the world, Sun Qian had evolved to the point where Chen Xi only needed to give him a goal, and then Sun Qian could act on his own.

For example, the Southwest Corridor could connect directly to the Ganges, allowing the Han Dynasty to directly govern the middle and lower reaches of the Ganges. Alternatively, in the next ten years, the main urban areas of the Han Dynasty could be initially connected, allowing the national trunk road to connect the main areas of the core area of ​​the Han Dynasty, forming a complete logistics network in conjunction with the Grand Canal.

This is the "Three Horizontal and Five Vertical" plan proposed by Sun Qian, which means three horizontal roads and five vertical roads, all connected by six lanes, forming a network like veins throughout the country, thus making all parts of the country an inseparable whole.

This will also boost the logistics industry and make the flow of goods between different regions faster. As for the input and output of this plan, Sun Qian is too lazy to calculate it. He only needs to consider how to build these three horizontal lines and five vertical lines to maximize the potential of the Han Dynasty.

After all, when Chen Xi told Sun Qian about the goal of forming a complete logistics network based on the national transportation industry, Sun Qian realized, even just by thinking about it, that the money, food and materials required for this thing would be an astronomical figure. Even the accumulation of the Han Dynasty over the past four hundred years would probably not be enough to build this thing. Only Chen Zichuan dared to mention this, so Sun Qian dared to start doing it!
However, as of now, the first version of the three horizontal lines plan has been released, and the westernmost line of the five vertical lines has been drawn, but other aspects have not yet been finalized, so there is room for change.

Therefore, the top officials who were qualified to understand this plan rushed up like sharks smelling blood. For no other reason than that, even without considering the issue of corruption, the mere fact that this road passed through the places they needed was enough to bring them immense wealth.

However, what they currently know is the general outline of the Three Horizontal Lines Plan.

The northernmost route goes from Liaodong through Jicheng to Zhaojiazhuang, then through Yanmen, Wuyuan, Jincheng, Wuwei, Jiuquan, and finally to the Xinzhou Prefectural Governor's Office.

The central horizontal line starts in Donglai, passes through Linzi, Mount Tai, Puyang, Chenliu, Luoyang, Chang'an, Hanzhong, and goes to Chengdu.

The next horizontal line starts at Kuaiji, but Sun Qian has not yet scouted the points it passes through, so it is only a rough estimate. The same applies to the other four vertical lines.

This plan was a goal given by Chen Xi, and then Sun Qian roughly put together something. But at present, it is only a conceptual drawing, because it may not be feasible even in ten years if it is to be properly completed. It is also a long-term project that will last for thousands of years.

However, nothing stays hidden forever. After the rumors about this thing started circulating, everyone who had the right to peek had the following reaction: Chen Xi must be crazy. How could such a thing be built? Then their second reaction was that they were naive. After all, it was Chen Zichuan. If he dared to mention it, there must be hope. So the next thing they thought was, "Holy crap, can this incredible wealth help us out?"

In other words, they were unaware that Sun Qian was in charge of this matter, assuming that Chen Xi was in charge. Furthermore, since the matter was still under investigation, they were only subtly inquiring about it from Sun Qian's perspective.

If Chen Xi had known that Sun Qian was the mastermind behind the whole affair and that he had no time to deal with it, the General would probably not be speaking to Sun Qian in the same tone now.

This is true wealth, and not just his wealth, but the wealth of his entire hometown.

After all, it's a Chinese custom since ancient times to return home in glory and for one person's success to benefit their entire family. So, if there's such an opportunity, of course, it should be arranged for the locals.

So after encountering a big shot and going through this whole ordeal, Sun Qian was somewhat speechless—don't you people even realize that your demands are conflicting?
"Why do I feel like Doctor Sun is trying to laugh, but he can't?" Huangfu Song asked Sun Qian with some curiosity. However, they had already arrived at the entrance of Zhaoyang Palace, and Guan Yu had already opened the main hall door. Huangfu Song couldn't continue to pester him, so he could only make a few teasing remarks before stepping inside, intending to ask him about it another day.

"No, that's not true. You should ask Lord Chen about it. I'm just a laborer," Sun Qian said with a smile, declining the offer. Given the situation, could he really say that he was the one who devised the three horizontal and five vertical plan? And that he could survey the area and then build it however he wanted? If he said that, believe me, even his teacher Zheng Xuan would come running over!
Don't say things like Zheng Xuan is the Confucian master of the world today, the second-best in the education industry, or a truly respectable person. Because when it comes to what Sun Qian is going to study next, these adjectives are meaningless. When it comes to this, Zheng Xuan's most important identity is Sun Qian's master!

Considering that Zheng Xuan is already over eighty years old, if the other party really dares to die in front of Sun Qian, and Sun Qian, as Zheng Xuan's disciple, would be in a very difficult situation, then he absolutely cannot say that it is Chen Zichuan's plan. He should go and attack Chen Zichuan, not him. He is just a worker, and the plan is all made by Chen Zichuan. At most, he has the ability to make minor adjustments.

Although being able to fine-tune Chen Xi's plans was considered by these people to be at the level of a great being, if others knew that the entire Han Dynasty's road, transportation, and logistics planning, as well as the "Three Horizontal and Five Vertical" plan, was done by Sun Qian, then it wouldn't just be a matter of being a great being, but rather at the level of a sage!
Sun Qian didn't want things to be like that at all. He wanted others to think of him as just an ordinary worker who was good at his job and had come at a good time. He had been working his way up from the Taishan era to the present day and didn't really have any great abilities, just a lot of seniority.

The claims that the twelve veterans ranked second, the more than ninety construction teams, and the best place to recruit retired soldiers are all just rumors.

However, think about it: because of the need to carry out road logistics and transportation planning and the "three horizontal and five vertical" plan, the Han Dynasty's only three supercomputers were all conscripted to work for Sun Qian. Even Li You has recently lost the ability to mess with Xu Yue, which is enough to show Sun Qian's true level.

Some things simply cannot be hidden; at most, they can be concealed for a time, but not forever.

Huangfu Song entered Zhaoyang Palace and immediately bowed deeply in the direction of Liu Bei. However, Liu Bei had already stepped down from the altar when Huangfu Song entered, and helped Huangfu Song up as he was about to perform the grand ceremony.

Playing these games with Jiangdong and the Yuan family is fine, but playing them with Huangfu Song is not a good idea.

"General, why bother?" Liu Bei smiled and helped Huangfu Song up, then pulled Huangfu Song to the first seat of the left-hand generals. Huangfu Song smiled and took his seat as well.

At this point, Huangfu Song had fully understood Liu Bei's meaning and felt completely at ease. To be honest, although he was willing to firmly follow Liu Bei and Chen Xi, he was still unwilling to do so if he could avoid standing on the opposite side of Liu Tong and the Marquis of Huaiyin.

Of course, if things truly reach a point of no return, then one must remain steadfast in their stance.

Meanwhile, Kou Feng was brought to Sun Ce's side. As for the petition to ascend the throne, it was taken away when Kou Feng was led to his seat. As the saying goes, since he came with Huangfu Song, there was no need to play these games. We are all family.

"It is an honor for everyone to be here. I will not say anything more. Let us drink this cup together, and then let the music play and the dance begin!" Liu Bei said, raising his wine cup to everyone present. Upon hearing this, Chen Xi could hardly contain his smile. Clearly, Liu Bei had gone too far with the revelry.

"Speaking of which, where is the Cao family?" Huangfu Song entered the banquet, drank two cups of wine, and ate some delicacies on the table. He found that there was basically no difference on Liu Tong's side, so he understood that both sides had even communicated in advance. It was just to set up a scene for the major families and let them know who the big and small kings were. However, in this case, was there one person missing? Then his grandson-in-law asked on his behalf.

“The Cao family is currently short of someone in charge and can’t come. We can’t let an envoy who can’t make decisions come here, that wouldn’t be good,” Fa Zheng explained to Kou Feng. He had a pretty good impression of Kou Feng, mainly because of the goodwill left over from Kou Jun.

"No? You can't just not come because the person in charge isn't here?" Kou Feng was dumbfounded. How could they do that? Even though, based on his current assessment of Zhaoyang Palace, there was nothing wrong, they really dared not to come!

"I don't know about that, but the reality is that none of them are coming," Fa Zheng said with a smile, as if he were telling a joke, but for some reason Kou Feng felt a chill run down his spine.

"As for the Cao family..." Liu Bei transmitted his voice to Chen Xi, saying with a hint of regret.

"It's normal that he can't come. In the past, Gongtai was in Chang'an from time to time and he could indeed take charge, so it wasn't a big deal. But this time, reality is what it is, what can we do?" Chen Xi said calmly.

Chen Gong was actually a very overpowered character. It wasn't a matter of ability, but rather that Chen Gong was not actually the person in charge of Cao Cao's forces. In fact, Chen Gong himself was the legal representative and shareholder of the Bingzhou Group.

The Bingzhou Group currently appears to be half-dead, lacking both prominent figures and powerful backers. However, if viewed from the perspective of the nation, it becomes clear that Zhao Yun's leadership of the Bingzhou Group is the future trend!

This is also why Liu Bei and Chen Xi remained indifferent despite Zhang Liao being able to command Baima and Zhao Yun's deputy generals causing such a commotion. On one hand, it was out of personal feelings; on the other hand, if Zhang Zhuo, Gao Xiang, and Xue Shao were still unaware of the situation at the last minute, then adding Zhang Liao to Zhao Yun's group would be a viable option. Moreover, it would be more appropriate for Zhang Liao to command Baima while Zhao Yun used the wolf cavalry.

However, the situation is not very clear right now. Although Chen Gong is the legal representative and shareholder of Bingzhou, he is just living a normal life under Cao Cao's forces. After all, Chen Gong can see the future of the Bingzhou Group clearly, and he is happy to do what he likes.

In addition, due to certain complex reasons, Chen Gong had a certain decision-making power over Cao Cao's group. At the very least, when Chen Gong said that he was acting on behalf of Cao Cao, everyone in Cao Cao's group recognized him, especially when they were unable to come. So in the early years, Chen Gong was always the one who helped Cao Cao deal with some messy things.

This is also the key reason why the Cao family has never had a leader in Chang'an. Because of Chen Gong's rank and status, he can basically handle everything. If Chen Gong can't handle it, it doesn't really make much sense to bring over a few more people from Kandahar.

But who can resist the urge to have fun now!
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