After the curtain fell on the northern battlefield, the aftermath work was even more exhausting for the civil officials than the great war itself. After all, compared to the kind of battle that could be won even in a direct confrontation, developing and controlling the entire grassland was far more important than the war.

"All the military generals under the age of twenty-five were sent out to sweep through the Dingling. How long will it take before we see results?" Chen Xi leaned sideways behind the desk, rudely inquiring among the civil officials.

Although Zhou Yu commanded hundreds of thousands of troops to a great victory, when it came to internal affairs, he could only bow his head in silence and follow Chen Xi’s orders in the face of this heaven-defying level of genius.

Originally, Cao Cao hoped that Xun Yu could compete with Chen Xi in internal affairs, but after a brief discussion, Xun Yu chose to work under Chen Xi.

As for others who were dissatisfied, like Pang Tong who came to test Chen Xi’s abilities, they quickly conceded, feeling Chen Xi was born to govern the world.

So now it has returned to the previous setup: Chen Xi setting up the framework, Lub Su handling the details, and others filling in the gaps.

However, the current team is considerably strong, with detail work managed by figures like Xun Yu, Chen Qun, and Zhuge Liang, who are no less capable than Li Youu and Lub Su.

As for filling the gaps, no one present could avoid it. The result was that Chen Xi completed the framework and handed it to the three internal-affairs experts, who then each took a group to discuss and supplement the details, each possessing a team of internal-affairs experts slightly less capable than themselves.

"You still have the leisure to lie there and ponder these matters instead of working with us," Guo Jia and Jia Xu immediately raised their heads, criticizing Chen Xi.

"Hey, didn’t everyone say I would set the framework while you find faults and fill in the details?" Chen Xi raised his hand, stretched lazily, and slowly sat up. His ability to do sit-ups was poor; although his body was quite balanced, it was difficult for him to get up off the ground without using his hands.

"Wen He and Fengxiao, it’s better not to have any small thoughts, and see if there are any omissions in this new tax that combines all existing taxes," Xun Yu said helplessly to Jia Xu and also reminded Guo Jia on Chen Qun’s side.

"If there are no problems, we’ll move on to the next topic: stabilizing the prices of essential goods, providing subsidies based on local conditions, and integrating essential goods into the management system over five years," Chen Xi began to explain his theory, detailing the risks involved and the significance of price stabilization and official pricing.

"All of this needs to be managed, and prices adjusted monthly. Do we have that many officials?" Everyone understood the significance of the task but also realized the difficulties of implementing it given the regional differences.

"Oh, it’s simple, just add a practical exam in the Filial and Incorrupt recommendation or Academy recommendation every year. You’re foolish not to use so many available resources," Chen Xi said casually, implying that if one wanted to become an official, they should first create a historical price chart of essential goods.

Xun Yu twitched at the corner of his eye twice but still spoke, "This method is excellent."

Following Chen Xi in internal affairs could lead to an ideally perfected national system, but the biggest challenge was finding oneself frequently questioning life due to Chen Xi’s methods.

"This involves not a small amount of calculation, and considering the breadth of the matters involved, mistakes are bound to happen. What then?" Zhuge Liang asked, aware of Chen Xi’s habits from numerous internal affairs sessions. If you don’t ask, Chen Xi assumes you understand.

"There are so many people; it can’t be that everyone calculates wrongly, right? Later, just find someone proficient in identifying correlations to eliminate any discrepancies," Chen Xi replied casually.

"In that case, each county or even a town needs to add a scribe skilled in mathematics," Chen Qun said, frowning. "That would require quite a few more scribes, and more than a hundred officials."

"Hmm, that is a problem. Let me think." Chen Xi frowned, "Oh, I have a solution. It’s simple: compile these things by county, and then redistribute them; difficult to do, but easy to check."

No one present was foolish; they immediately grasped Chen Xi’s plan, their mouths twitching. This guy truly utilized everyone’s talents to their fullest. The exam scores would depend on their efficiency, while any competitor’s test papers in their hands would surely be scrupulously scrutinized.

Everyone knew their practical exams would be evaluated by competitors who would undoubtedly check rigorously. To avoid point deductions, they had to be meticulous in their efforts.

"This is resolved; the rest is up to you. Which items need to be covered by these controls, to what extent they should be managed, how to implement restrictions, and how to promote them over the years..." Chen Xi went on at length until all eyes were glaring at him, at which point he stopped.

"Alright, you all do as I said. The rest, which I haven’t mentioned, I’ll fill in the details myself. Actually, Gongjin and Wen Ruo, the situations on your side differ from ours; you’ll need to adapt to local conditions," Chen Xi said, working while chatting with Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu felt very troubled and truly didn’t want to talk to Chen Xi. Having not brought Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong, Zhou Yu was already questioning life.

Largely, the group finished filling in previous details, yet still not as quickly as Chen Xi...