Many of Chen Xi's ideas have been carefully considered for many years, and there may be something too ideal, but roughly speaking, this is the best governance strategy that he can think of in his current identity and situation.

But even so, they still encounter huge resistance!

The deep-rooted conservative ideas of this era, the power of discourse mastered by Confucianism, the right to discuss people's character, and the restrictions from imperial power were not something that Chen Xi could have broken through the siege at once.

Chen Xi did not want to wait for the seventies and eighties to control everything in the court, or to usurp the throne and become emperor before implementing reforms. If it is not suitable for this era, no matter how advanced it is, it cannot be taken. However, if he can progress step by step, promote scientific and technological progress in a subtle way, and then promote the great development of productivity, he will devote himself to it without hesitation.

Hui Niang and Li Jin fully supported Chen Xi in many things, but there were still certain restrictions, which was that Hui Niang and Li Jin could not fully understand Chen Xi's concept.

The funding problem for the construction of the new city was solved, and Chen Xi could put more thought into the shipbuilding, but at this time he was a little uneasy, and he seemed to have a devil living in his heart, and he kept instigating him to do something, but he knew that this thing could not be done, which meant that his life would undergo tremendous changes in the future.

"Why do I feel less confident in the future when I see this city becoming more perfect and the more unknown it feels," said Jiangnan.

Chen Xi was in a depressed mood and could not find the answer to many questions, but he could not tell Hui Niang about these.

In Shen Xi's eyes, there are almost no one in this world who truly understand him. The best way to deal with him is to live in a state of confusion, but that is simply escaping and not having any substantial help to things. Chen Xi was also wondering whether he could change this situation, but the result of hard thinking was that the Ming Dynasty had no suitable place for him to change. Even this thriving new city seemed to be enveloped by an invisible big hand.

"I am like that monkey Sun. No matter how powerful he is, there is always a Five Finger Mountain pressing down... Even if I escape by chance, there is a tight spell and so many rules and regulations."

The Mid-Autumn Festival should have been reunited, and laughter and joy are everywhere inside and outside the new city.

Five days ago, Hui Niang and Li Jin had moved to the villa area in Henan, Suzhou. Chen Xi stayed alone in the yamen in a daze. He did not participate in any festival celebrations in the city, nor did he reunite with Hui Niang, Li Jin, or Ma Lian.

There is no suffocation, only endless business. Chen Xi picked up the official documents on the table and read them, but found that he couldn't calm down to deal with them.

Just at this moment, the guards reported that Tang Yin was coming.

Chen Xi did not refuse the old friend's invitation to see him, and asked the guards to invite Tang Yin in.

Tang Yin was very happy because his family had set out from the capital a few months ago. It is estimated that he would be able to reunite with his wife and children in about half a month. And two days ago, he also saw his daughter who was married to a wife. Suddenly, he felt that he had become a winner in life. He was over for the age of 1980s, had a successful career, his wife was virtuous, and his children were surrounded by his knees, and his life was about to reach its peak.

Tang Yin was drunk at this time and spoke loudly after he arrived: "Shangshu Chen, brothers are waiting for you to drink together. It is rare to have a time to relax. Why are you still doing things here now? Are there any official duties that cannot be handled until tomorrow?"

On the Mid-Autumn Festival, there is no strict ban on alcohol in the army, but the soldiers on duty are still not qualified to touch alcohol. This is the humane side of Chenxi.

This is the first time that the new city has celebrated a festival since its inception. Whether it is soldiers or the people, they are all happy, but Chen Xi is not seen in the lively festive atmosphere. I always feel that something is missing, so Tang Yin came here to invite him, because the generals knew that only Tang Yin could really invite Chen Xi, and there were too few people who could directly talk to Chen Xi in this city.

Chen Xi shook his head slightly: "There are too many business tasks, so it's not OK to deal with them without working overtime. Once the backlog is over, it will delay major issues... Is there anything else for Brother Bohu?"

Tang Yin said: "Brothers all want to have a drink with you. If Shangshu Chen doesn't go, I won't force you. They asked me to come. I also want to see what Shangshu Chen is doing... Haha..."

Tang Yin's cheeks were red, he laughed, and he was a little proud. He sat down and looked at Chen Xi with sincere eyes... His gratitude to Chen Xi was free, because it was Chen Xi that changed his life trajectory and his respect for Chen Xi increased day by day.

Chen Xi walked out from behind the desk, holding a document in his hand: "The court sent a letter from the imperial court, informing His Majesty that he would set off for Jiangnan the next day after the Mid-Autumn Festival, that is, tomorrow morning. This journey may follow the canal or take land. It is not clear which path His Majesty will take, but the new city should be ready to welcome the car."

Chen Xi handed the official documents to Tang Yin, but Tang Yin had not recovered from his drunken state and did not quite understand why Chen Xi told him this.

However, his mind was always clear. After a little thought, he realized that he was the military advisor Chen Xi and the person who had previously been responsible for the welcome.

Tang Yin stood up, respectfully took the official document to his hand, rubbed his eyes... He was drunk and could not see clearly what was written on it.

Chen Xidao: "You can continue drinking tonight, but don't drink too late. Some things will be discussed when you sober tomorrow."

Chen Xi shook his head and smiled bitterly. With Tang Yin's current state, it would be futile to talk to him, so he simply handed over the official documents to Tang Yin and asked him to take them back for research.

Tang Yin was very stubborn and insisted on reading the official documents clearly.

He kept shaking his head as he watched, trying to make himself clear. After watching, he smiled: "Isn't he just ready to welcome the lord when he is not drunk and unconscious? Everything in the city is ready. Where will His Majesty get ashore, which road to go after the shore, how to arrange security, and the service of His Majesty checking in and traveling later are no problem."

Perhaps Chen Xi gave Tang Yin too much support, no matter what he did right or wrong, Chen Xi would encourage him. Tang Yin was full of confidence, and after drinking some wine at this time, people began to become floating.

Chen Xi turned around and returned to the desk and sighed: "Try to do what should be done as much as possible. Don't force it to do what should not be done. All houses in Xincheng will be renovated in the future. Those unformed streets will be repaired urgently, and all undeveloped places will be planted in all places... Even if it is just a face-saving project, it must be perfect. This will be left to you to do."

"Then welcome the sage..."

Tang Yin was very anxious, afraid that Chen Xi would hand over the errands to others to welcome the emperor. He is now eager to show his performance in front of the emperor. He has been looking forward to it since he received the errands.

Chen Xidao: "It's your job, and time is tight. You not only have to complete it but also do it well."

...

...

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Chen Xi was in the yamen for one night.

The next day, when the sun was three o'clock, Hui Niang changed into men's clothes and came to see Chen Xi with ginseng soup.

The county government office is a haunted house. Hui Niang was afraid that something would happen to Chen Xi. When she learned that Chen Xi was resting in the bedroom, she did not rush to disturb her because she knew that Chen Xi would get up late in the morning. Chen Xi was the kind of night owl.

It was almost noon when Chen Xi woke up. He and Hui Niang met in the backyard room of the yamen. Hui Niang poured out the ginseng soup from the jamb and said, "It's warm, not too hot, why don't I go to the kitchen to heat you?"

Chen Xi took a sip and said, "The temperature is just right... did you stew it?"

Hui Niang shook her head: "No, it's Sui'an and Dongxi... The two sisters arrived in Xincheng safely yesterday and are now serving at home. However, because they don't have the men's clothing, they can't leave the yard for the time being... They just moved to the Suzhou River and felt a little deserted. Now the home is finally much lively. I thought the adults would go over to reunite with the festival together, but I didn't want to spend the night here."

While talking, Hui Niang looked around, as if she wanted to know if there was a golden house hidden in Chenxi.

Chen Xi took a small sip of ginseng soup again and put the bowl aside. He rarely had the habit of nourishing the food. He was young and strong, and he knew his health very well. After sitting down at the table, he naturally said: "It's too late to handle business. It takes at least two quarters of an hour to go back, so I won't go back and disturb you... Didn't I send someone to say hello to you so that you don't have to wait for me?"

Hui Niang smiled, as if she had answered, but in fact she felt a little bitter in her heart. Of course, she could feel the emotional changes in Chen Xi recently. As the person Chen Xi is closest to, she knows Chen Xi more than anyone else.

Although Chen Xi did not say the specific reason, she vaguely felt that Chen Xi was going to make a major decision to change people's life destiny.

Hui Niang said, "The houses on the Suzhou River are very spacious and much more comfortable to live in than the gloomy place. If the master cannot go back at night in the future, I will send a girl to serve him, and it is more convenient to serve him. There is not even a servant here, which is too shabby."

Chen Xi shook his head: "It is best to rely on oneself to do things. I have hands and feet and don't need anyone to serve you. You can go back first. Sui'an and Dongxi have not seen each other for a while. You'd better chat with them and understand their true thoughts."

Chen Xi actually ordered Hui Niang to expel the guest. This attitude made Hui Niang even more worried. She wanted to ask what happened to Chen Xi, but Chen Xi's expression told her that even if you are worried, you should not ask more.

Hui Niang was quite knowledgeable and tactful. After finding that she could not enter the depths of Chen Xi's heart, she gave up her efforts and stood up and said, "I am not well served, so I should do serious things. I will go home first and do something within my ability, which can help me."

Hui Niang's words were a little bitter and disappointed, and she stood up and left the yamen.

...

...

Chen Xi was depressed by the miscellaneous thoughts in his heart. As a result, the women around him felt neglected. Hui Niang and Li Jin were the first to feel this emotion. As for Xier and Yun Liu, they were basically running around and had little impact. Ma Lian returned to the previous state of staying alone in the empty bedroom.

Chen Xi is quite kind to Ma Lian. After entering the room, he will visit him as long as he has the chance. Ma Lian can occasionally feel the taste of happiness.

But Chen Xi is always a man with a family business and it is impossible for him to protect him from time to time. In the past two years, Chen Xi went on a war and was busy with court affairs. Even when he was in the capital, he often hid at home because he was sick, which made Ma Lian's life seem a bit miserable.

Ma Lian originally thought that life would improve greatly after arriving in Jiangnan. It was indeed the case at first. After arriving in Xincheng, Chenxi often fell into the bed room, but as time went by, Chenxi ignored her again, and Ma Lian felt that she seemed to have become a forgotten person.

But she was treated very well in the new city. She lived in a unique courtyard and was adjacent to a small lake with beautiful scenery. She would not be disturbed by the sound of construction on the construction site. She was basically reading books or doing things that could divert attention as much as possible. However, compared to accompanying Chenxi every time, these mental paralysis methods were difficult to make her truly calm down.

Until the night of July 16, her sister-in-law, the woman who was used to giving her advice, came again... Her sister-in-law was with the first group of military families.

"...Your brother has made a lot of contributions under Lord Shen's command. The court promoted him to the commander of the guards, but there is no real flaw for the time being. I'm afraid that it will be arranged to return to the capital. The next step may be to advance to Dusi. Our life is much better than before... The ones who can come to the family are now basically in the new city."

The woman sat down and explained the situation at home to Ma Lian.

Although Ma Lian is by Shen Xi's side, she is actually very concerned about the situation in her parents' family, because she becomes a cage bird for the benefit of the family, hoping to see her sacrifices valuable.

But she was not very interested in this at the moment and asked casually: "Can you take your family with you when you go out?"

Chen Xi can take care of her family. There is no doubt that Chen Xi is used to being with someone to accompany her wherever she goes. However, due to some rules of the court, women in the Shen family's inner house could not leave the capital when Shen Xi went to war. However, there were no such restrictions on women such as Ma Lian and Hui Niang.

The woman said, "It was arranged by Lord Shen. After all, we are not a military household in Beijing. The management is not that strict... There are not many people here this time. After I arrived, I only met your elder brother twice. Every time I was in a hurry and left. Your elder brother is very busy now and looks more motivated than before. I look forward to making achievements, so I hope you..."

Ma Lian shook his head and said, "I have no good idea. In front of me, I don't want to mention the family matters, so as not to be misunderstood by me. I have other purposes."

Ma Lian hopes to be recognized by Chen Xi through her own efforts. As for helping the Ma family, she hasn't done this for a long time. In front of Shen Xi, she even deliberately did not mention Ma Ang's affairs, and did not want her to be asked by her family, but would rather treat herself as the Shen family than the Ma family... Although she has some concern for the Ma family, it is not the whole of her life.

The woman sighed: "If you don't expect you, who can you expect? Although your elder brother has certain abilities, compared to those veterans who have been through battle formations for a long time, your elder brother has never had much confidence... Fortunately, you are here, and Lord Shen is still taking good care of him. He can think of your elder brother every time he is promoted or has the opportunity."

Ma Lian didn't say anything. She felt from the bottom of her heart that her family was too powerful and used herself as a chess piece, so she remained silent.

The woman said, "The women I brought here before were all stayed in the capital. Lord Shen didn't want them, so your elder brother took them back and prepared to change them... By the way, do you don't want them to compete for favor in front of Lord Shen, or... "

"It's the adult who doesn't want it."

Ma Lian seemed a little angry, "Mr. Shen is not a lustful person. He is very cautious in his daily life. He cannot accept so many women... When will you understand?"

The woman shook her head: "This is not for your own good... After all, you are different from the women in the Shen family. Your responsibility is to relieve the physical and mental fatigue of an adult and do the duty of a woman... But if you want to be favored, you have to spend some time. How long is the best age for a woman? How is it possible to let a man favor him forever? You have no children and you can see hope in the future. This is helping you. Do you want to be lonely and helpless after you get old?"

Ma Lian did not answer. She understood the truth and knew very well that a woman could not keep fresh in front of the same man for a long time. She would be neglected over time. Just like now, she felt that it was because Chen Xi was tired of her that she was like this. She felt that she had done nothing wrong. Every time she saw Chen Xi, she would flatter Chen Xi and almost praised Chen Xi to a higher position than the emperor.

The woman said again: "You are not old and have experienced few things. Some of them can't be understood even if you tell me. I have discussed with your elder brother before. What your elder brother means may not be as beautiful as those Yingying Yanyans that fascinate Lord Shen, so I will change them to you. This time I won't give you too many people, one or two at a time, and stay by your side to relieve your boredom. They are also here to serve as commanders for you. No matter how good your origin was, they are just your servants."

Ma Lian frowned and said, "Brother, are you going to spend a lot of money? Our Ma family is never as good as before..."

The woman said helplessly: "Even if the Ma family declines, it still has a foundation. In the past few years, your elder brother has sold all the things that can be sold in the northwest and is preparing to live in the capital for a long time. Now he has followed Lord Shen to the south. There is no need to keep the family business in the capital. Your elder brother has friends in the Jiaofangsi and likes to indulge in sensuality on weekdays. He is best at these things and can help you. By the way, your cousin is not younger and looks inferior to you. Now he is as beautiful as a flower, and he may let her come to you at that time."

Ma Lian was very angry because she didn't want to accept the woman who was stuffed into the family.

If it is a woman found by the people, Ma Lian has a reason to suppress the other party, but if it is a person from her family, it is another matter to say whether she can suppress her in the future. It is like competing for favor in the palace. Everything is based on Chen Xi's preference. She feels that she has begun to fall out of favor, and she doesn't want to accept a woman named Ma coming to her.

"There is no need for the Ma family."

Ma Lian directly refused.

The woman seemed to have expected this answer to it and said, "Even your elder brother can't object to what you decided. I will go back and tell your elder brother, but you have to be careful. According to what was previously decided, Lord Shen will bring his family from the capital. At that time, you may have even less chance to see Lord Shen. You are not old, but some things must be as early as possible. If you can give birth to a son and a half daughter for Lord Shen..."

"I understand, you don't need to remind you of these things! Is there anything else? If not, I want to rest." Ma Lian was a little impatient and said with a stiff tone.

The woman shook her head helplessly: "Look at your temperament, just like before, you are so willful. Maybe Lord Shen is too pampering you. With your current situation, you shouldn't be a little bitch. Your elder brother has a friend who is doing business in Xincheng. He has a wide connection and wants to get close to Lord Shen. Look..."

Ma Lian frowned: "What do you mean? Do you want me to recommend this person to adults?"

The woman said, "That's true. Don't think it's a difficult thing. In fact, you can tell Lord Shen that this person has a good deal of business. I heard that the business dealings with Lord Shen is in charge of the business. The business is very big. He can bring a lot of convenience to our Ma family. If you can..."

"I understand, you don't need to say more."
To be continued...