Chapter 1184: A Big Red Envelope

“Tomorrow morning or afternoon?” Chen Xi quickly understood what Liu Bei meant. Organizing the Xiliang troops into one unit was easy, especially since these elite soldiers could perform effectively without much guidance.

Even if they were grouped together, there would be no need to constantly change their commanders. The Xiliang soldiers' fighting style was simple and direct—charge head-on. As for military formations and tactics, after a hundred battles, the Xiliang troops had developed their own formation, which didn’t require much adjustment. They were practically a "teaching" unit on their own.

The only requirement was to have a brave commander. Even changing generals wouldn’t damage their morale. As long as the one leading them wasn't reckless, commanding the Xiliang soldiers was essentially a golden opportunity for any officer, an easy way to gain glory.

Liu Bei had no shortage of capable generals. The Xiliang soldiers could be assigned to the central army, which was primarily responsible for fighting all major battles. Whoever went out to battle would take command of the Xiliang soldiers, and when they returned, the troops would revert to the central army.

This system had been used so often that people were likely tired of it by now. While constantly changing commanders could hurt morale, Li You's pyramid structure was perfectly suited for this system, as it was essentially custom-designed for it.

"You’ll go in the afternoon. I might be able to catch up by then," Liu Bei said after thinking for a moment. He genuinely couldn’t make it, which was why he had asked them to go in his place.

"Alright, that works. I’ve got something to do in the morning. I need to give out red envelopes to all the children from the various families," Chen Xi nodded. If Liu Bei had asked him to go in the morning, he would have had to reschedule. Visiting the troops was more important than giving red envelopes to a group of children.

Liu Bei chuckled. “Do you need me to give you some extra funds for that?”

“If you're willing to add to it, that would be wonderful,” Chen Xi laughed.

The Chen family wasn't poor at all, but Liu Bei had recently gained additional wealth through his marriage to Lady Zhang, and he also held a thirty percent share in a business association managed by Lady Gan. All these factors combined meant that Liu Bei's personal treasury had grown significantly. So much so that he was often supplementing the government’s finances due to Chen Xi’s frequent expenditures.

Without saying much, Liu Bei handed Chen Xi three deeds. All of them were for land properties, most of which were in Ji Province. Liu Bei had amassed a lot of real estate, some through confiscation, and he had more than he needed. Feeling it was unnecessary to hold on to so much, he decided to gift some away.

"These three estates should count as gifts," Chen Xi quietly accepted the deeds and, after some thought, decided to add a few more gifts of his own this year, as Liu Bei was acting rather generously.

"When I came in, I think I saw Miss Wu," Li You interjected, steering the conversation in a different direction.

“Yes, she moved in two days ago,” Liu Bei casually replied.

"Actually, it wouldn’t be a bad idea if you took her as a concubine," Guo Jia suddenly added, nearly causing Liu Bei to choke. He really had no motivation for taking concubines. While he had, on occasion, accepted a few beauties, Lady Gan was the only one he had ever formally taken as a concubine.

"Why would I need to do that?" Liu Bei countered. At this point, marrying into a powerful family wasn’t necessary unless he genuinely liked someone. What was the point?

"Fengxiao, bring your son to my house tomorrow," Chen Xi quickly shifted the topic, stopping Guo Jia in his tracks. "Everyone should do the same. If you don’t have sons, bring your wives or concubines."

"I’ll pass. I’ll send my cousin instead," Fa Zheng replied after thinking for a moment.

"I’m good too," Guan Ping said, looking a bit embarrassed.

In the end, Chen Xi realized that most of the visitors coming to his house tomorrow would likely be women. He turned to Mi Zhu and asked, "Zizhong, have you found a match for your sister yet?"

Mi Zhu sighed and looked around at everyone in the room. "Not yet. At one point, all of you were potential matches, but one by one, you’ve all married or taken concubines..."

"Zizhong, who do you think is suitable? Mi Zhen isn’t getting any younger," Liu Bei coughed lightly, speaking up. Although there was no longer any law requiring women to marry by fourteen, from any perspective, Mi Zhen was at an age where it was appropriate to find a husband.

"There are many good candidates, but very few can handle debating with my sister without being completely defeated," Mi Zhu said with a wry smile, glancing over at Liu Yan, who looked equally helpless. As a man recognized by the Human Cauldron and manifesting the image of a Junli beast, Liu Yan could proudly say that winning over Mi Zhen would require finding common ground.

Liu Yan, though lacking in administrative or military talents, was highly eloquent and skilled in public relations. He had a keen sense of self-awareness and joined Liu Bei early on, rising through the ranks alongside him.

He was strikingly handsome—a dashing young man in his twenties. When it came to elegant activities like philosophical discussions, playing chess, or writing poetry, he was among the best in the world. His charm and vast network of friends earned him a reputation as a man of refinement and charisma.

The concept of a "cultivated gentleman" essentially described Liu Yan. Of everyone present, Liu Yan had the most concubines, but he had neither deceived nor wronged anyone, so no one bothered him about it.

However, despite being in his twenties, Liu Yan hadn’t yet married. Although he had many concubines, he still had a good reputation, and many people had recommended potential wives to him.

One notable fact was that Liu Yan had a talent for propaganda and had been instrumental in managing public relations for many of the scholars who wandered under Liu Bei’s rule, challenging the system. As a result, he had accomplished a great deal, which was why none of his peers looked down on him.

At one point, Liu Yan had set his sights on marrying Cai Yan. However, he found himself thoroughly outmatched, losing in every area, from philosophical debates to literary skills. Realizing he couldn’t compete with her, Liu Yan decided not to pursue her further, knowing he’d never be able to hold his head high if they married.

Afterward, he continued searching for a suitable match. Liu Yan had a preference for beauty, and soon, Mi Zhen caught his eye. Mi Zhu and Liu Yan were on good terms, and since Liu Yan was a man of good character, Mi Zhu was open to the idea.

However, Mi Zhen was deep into her studies of mathematics at the time and utterly crushed Liu Yan in intellectual debates. Eventually, Liu Yan conceded and gifted her a rare copy of the ancient mathematical text "Zhoubi Suanjing," admitting that she was beyond his reach.

"Sigh, we’ll take it one step at a time. Actually, Bo Yan is a good match. Mi Zhen just thinks he’s a bit too young, but it seems like she’s softening on the idea," Mi Zhu sighed again. If only the ages of Lu Xun and Mi Zhen were reversed—if Lu Xun were sixteen and Mi Zhen twelve—it would be much easier.

“Bo Yan, huh? Oh, by the way, bring your sister tomorrow to draw for a red envelope. I’ve prepared a big one this time—a very large one. Whoever draws it will never have to worry about anything again,” Chen Xi said with a grin.

“Zichuan, what exactly did you put in the red envelope?” Liu Bei asked in surprise. Chen Xi usually did things with specific intentions in mind, so Liu Bei quickly added, “My son will draw as well.”

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