As the cold wave swept across, Sun Ce, who was in mid-air battling Taishi Ci, was the first to feel its effects. His body stiffened for a moment, giving Taishi Ci the chance to pierce him with an arrow. However, Taishi Ci didn't escape unscathed either; in the next instant, Sun Ce's explosive shout left him dizzy, with blood streaming from his nose.
On the other side, as the cold wave hit, Ling Cao narrowly avoided being killed by Guan Hai. Ling Cao had underestimated Guan Hai, thinking the latter had exhausted his inner energy. But Guan Hai feigned weakness and took the opportunity to land a fierce strike. If Ling Cao hadn't desperately dodged, Guan Hai's spear would have pierced his head. Even so, Ling Cao wasn't lucky enough to escape unscathed—his neck was slashed, blood spurting out.
When the gongs sounded, Sun Ce and Taishi Ci were locked in a fierce battle that had taken them from the sky to the water, and then from the water to the shore. Despite finding it difficult to fly earlier, Sun Ce had somehow learned how to fight in the air during the fight. It was as if these two were destined opponents, growing stronger with each clash!
"Clang!" Spear met halberd as Taishi Ci and Sun Ce collided in mid-air. Both were bathed in golden light, though it was beginning to wane. They crashed into the water, sliding nearly a hundred meters across the surface before simultaneously leaping back up.
"Taishi Ci, our battle ends here for today. Next time, I will surely kill you!" Sun Ce, breathing heavily, called out as the sound of the gongs reached his ears, leaving him somewhat frustrated.
Despite his natural talent, Sun Ce was still young, and his strength hadn't yet peaked. Though he had made great strides during the fight, he had also suffered numerous injuries.
"I'll kill you right now!" Taishi Ci, his inner energy surging with fury, retorted. Taishi Ci had witnessed Sun Ce's unnaturally rapid improvement and, considering Sun Ce's youth, couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding.
"I'm done playing with you!" Sun Ce laughed heartily. He wasn't a masochist; continuing the fight might not endanger his life, but it certainly wouldn't be pleasant. With that, he leaped in the direction of Ling Cao's aura.
"Clang!" Sun Ce's spear deflected Guan Hai's attack on Ling Cao. Grabbing Ling Cao, Sun Ce unleashed all his inner energy and sped away along the river with astonishing speed.
"Hum!" Taishi Ci loosed an arrow after them, though he had little hope it would hit its mark. Sun Ce had learned to guard against Taishi Ci's archery after suffering several times from it.
"Ah!" Sun Ce's scream echoed through the air as Taishi Ci's arrow hit him again. Some people may improve quickly, but their brains don't always keep pace.
"You alright?" Taishi Ci asked Guan Hai, unsure how to address him.
"If Sun Bofu hadn't shown up, I would've killed my opponent," Guan Hai replied, annoyed. "He seemed as strong as you."
"Unless it's a prolonged fight, I probably can't defeat him," Taishi Ci admitted with a wry smile. "Let's move on. Chasing them is pointless—they're too determined to escape, and pursuing them could backfire."
"Let's head towards General Gan. He's in that direction!" Guan Hai said, pointing the way before rushing off.
Meanwhile, Chen Xi and Zhuge Liang had begun clearing the cold fog. Though the fog had been useful for covering their surprise attack, they now needed to capitalize on their victory and pursue the enemy.
After the cold fog was cleared, Chen Xi and Zhuge Liang exchanged glances, both realizing the enemy was retreating. "With the wind and current in their favor, their smaller boats are much faster than our larger ones. Forget it. Order the troops to tend to the wounded on both sides, and have Gan Yi tally the losses. Let's regroup with Xingba quickly; we can't afford to linger on the Yangtze River."
"Our navy isn't very strong..." Zhuge Liang murmured.
"Of course not. It'd be surprising if we could produce a strong navy in just two years. Plus, building and upgrading the ships took a lot of time, leaving little for proper training. The river bandits Gongjin mobilized aren't weak, so I'm already satisfied with our current performance. After all, we're still far from conquering Jiangdong," Chen Xi replied, nodding. After all, Gan Ning's navy was still mostly former pirates.
"Sigh, there are problems with the ships, the sailors, and the navy as a whole," Zhuge Liang sighed deeply. "Reality always seems to differ from expectations. I suddenly realize there's so much you haven't done yet."
"I'll have to draft another plan when we get back. For now, let's focus on consolidating Qingzhou and Xuzhou. We're almost ready for the northern campaign. Hopefully, there won't be any natural disasters," Chen Xi sighed. "I wonder how far Zijing has progressed with the Qingzhou Academy plan. There's so much to do when we get back!"
"I get the feeling you're trying to achieve a hundred years' worth of work in one lifetime," Zhuge Liang said with a bitter smile.
"If I can accomplish a hundred years' worth of work in my lifetime, why not? It's not like we're overburdening the people. Once we conquer Jizhou, I'll show you what a legacy for a hundred generations looks like," Chen Xi said with a smug smile.
To turn a barren land into the granary of the realm, that grand canal was indispensable. And to prevent any future east-west or north-south splits, that same canal was necessary. Emperor Yang of Sui may have been a tyrant, but he wasn't a fool.
"A legacy for a hundred generations?" Zhuge Liang felt his eyelids twitch. If Chen Xi said it was a legacy for a hundred generations, it wasn't just talk.
"Yes, but it'll be a colossal project. Even after we achieve peace, it'll take ten to twenty years to complete. Slowly but surely, we'll get there," Chen Xi said with a sigh. "Of course, if the gentry and merchants across the land all pitched in, we might just manage it. The Five Great Merchant Families alone could cover about ten percent. They seem to have endless money."
Zhuge Liang couldn't help but shiver at Chen Xi's words. Only Chen Xi would conceive such grand schemes, while others wouldn't even dare think about them.
"You're not serious, are you?" Zhuge Liang's eyelids twitched uncontrollably. He saw no hint of jest on Chen Xi's face, which meant he really intended to carry out such a plan. Wiping out the wealth of the Five Great Merchant Families would only cover ten percent? What kind of project was this? Was it not going to burden the people?
"I've already made this plan, and there are even crazier ones to come. This is just the preliminary step and hasn't yet been put on the agenda. I'm only telling you so you can look beyond the immediate situation. There's much more to be done. Conquering the land is challenging, but building a nation is even harder," Chen Xi said nonchalantly. In this chaotic era, there were already millions of refugees. Employing them in public works projects could provide relief while laying the groundwork for future infrastructure, such as canals.
Zhuge Liang suddenly felt that the gap between him and Chen Xi was vast. Chen Xi's governance was truly extraordinary.
"Will there be many benefits?" Zhuge Liang asked after some thought.