Chapter 735: The Two Youths

"Approve everything. If there are any special requests, report them all at once. Making just one set at a time is a waste. Hurry up and tell me; in a few days, I’ll inquire with others and get everything done in one go. By the way, why did you go to Cai Zhaoji’s place?" Chen Xi decisively chose to bend the rules, knowing that making a large mirror was no easy task. To this day, he still didn’t know how those craftsmen managed to create one.

"How did you know I went to Cai Zhaoji’s place?" Huang Yueying asked, puzzled.

"Because Cai Zhaoji’s place is the only one with a glass round mirror. If you hadn’t seen it there, you wouldn’t have asked for such a thing." Chen Xi waved his hand, indicating for Huang Yueying to step aside and not bother him.

"Many thanks to Lord Chen for your understanding," Huang Yueying said, covering her mouth with a smile. She hadn’t known that the item was unique, but after hearing Chen Xi’s words, she realized there was something else behind his offer and accepted it graciously.

"Master Zheng, what brings you here?" Chen Xi asked, noticing the somewhat dazed expression on Zheng Hun’s face.

"It’s like this: Inspector Lu ordered me to create water wheels, wheelbarrows, curved plows, and other tools, and they’ve all met the requirements," Zheng Hun replied, taking a deep breath to steady himself.

"Oh, that’s great!" Chen Xi responded, puzzled by Zheng Hun’s lack of enthusiasm.

"The thing is, after Inspector Lu left, he handed the task over to Secretary Wang," Zheng Hun explained with a bitter smile. "Without Inspector Lu’s oversight, Secretary Wang’s demands have become much more burdensome. The problem isn’t the manufacturing; it’s that many things need to be redesigned according to her specifications."

"Secretary Wang? Wang Shuzhi? That’s impossible; isn’t he in Yanzhou?" Chen Xi asked, turning to Li You for clarification.

"He’s referring to Fa Zheng’s cousin, Wang Yi," Li You explained, gesturing for Chen Xi to step aside so he could discuss matters with Zheng Hun.

"Oh, I see." Chen Xi nodded, realizing he had met Wang Yi before but hadn’t known she was holding an official position.

"Surprised?" Jia Xu asked with a smile, noticing Chen Xi’s thoughtful expression.

"Not really. Balancing yin and yang is a core principle of governance, and there’s no need to differentiate based on gender when selecting the capable. Besides, with people like you overseeing things, if she lacked ability, she wouldn’t be entrusted with such important duties," Chen Xi replied, shaking his head. He wasn’t particularly shocked, given his past experiences.

"She’s indeed a remarkable young woman. When she first started, she made mistakes, but now she’s adapted to her role. When Zijing left, he entrusted her with full responsibility for setting up the water management network. She’s truly exceptional and makes our work much easier," Jia Xu said with a tone of admiration.

"Let’s see how far she can go. Perhaps she’ll surprise us," Chen Xi said casually, showing little concern. "She might even benefit from this and gain more recognition if she handles it well."

"She’s currently a secretary, but if she performs well this time, she might be promoted to an assistant. She’s doing exceptionally well," Jia Xu added, sounding like a proud elder.

"I think so too. If Fa Zheng is promoted to marquis, she might ride on his coattails. As long as she can perform at an average level, it’ll be enough," Chen Xi nodded in agreement, aligning with Jia Xu’s assessment.

"You’re underestimating her. While she may not possess the innate talent that you and Fa Zheng have, her dedication and diligence are truly admirable. Other than Kongming, I’ve never seen anyone as eager to learn as she is," Jia Xu said, shifting from his earlier teasing tone to one of solemn respect, making it clear that he held Wang Yi in high regard.

"It seems you hold her in even higher esteem than you do Boyan and Ziji," Chen Xi said, somewhat displeased. Although Wang Yi was smart and eager to learn, he didn’t think she warranted such high praise.

"Not exactly. I’m simply impressed by her. Her intelligence is indeed above average, but compared to us, it’s ordinary. However, her determination to learn has piqued my interest. She might achieve great things," Jia Xu said, looking toward Li You with a hint of nostalgia.

Twenty years ago, Li You had only slightly better potential, but now even Jia Xu couldn’t claim an easy victory over him. Li You had maximized his potential, a feat that even Jia Xu admired.

"Let’s hope so. The opportunities and effort that Wenru put in back then are nearly impossible to replicate," Chen Xi said, shaking his head slightly. "By the way, keep an eye on that chubby son of yours. He’s been dragging my disciple into money-making schemes under my name."

"Haha, Lu Boyan saw through that easily. If he hadn’t been thinking along those lines already, he wouldn’t have gone along with it so readily," Jia Xu said with a chuckle, not concerned at all about Lu Yu leading Lu Xun astray. As long as they didn’t stray too far from the right path, it was fine.

"Isn’t it too early to teach him politics as a compromise? It feels like you’re rushing things; if you keep this up, Lu Ziji might go off the rails," Chen Xi said, frowning at what he saw as Jia Xu’s overly aggressive educational approach.

"It’s something he picked up on his own. Besides, even though your disciple talks about competing with Ziji, they actually get along the best among their peers," Jia Xu replied with a neutral expression.

Jia Xu didn’t interfere much with Lu Yu’s development; he offered guidance but also let Lu Yu rely on his own understanding. So far, Jia Xu was satisfied with Lu Yu’s progress, feeling that the disciple Chen Xi had recommended lived up to expectations.

"That’s because they’ve matured earlier than their peers. Friendships are often about shared interests or common goals, or at least having something in common. Do you think any of the other kids in Taishan can really keep up with them?" Chen Xi said, rolling his eyes. "It’s not surprising that they’ve bonded over shared experiences."

"True," Jia Xu sighed, letting the matter drop. Their positions ensured that their successors would be closely watched, and their exceptional talents naturally set them apart from others.

"It’s probably for the best that they mature early. I think I’ll cut off their allowances and let them fend for themselves," Chen Xi said with a mischievous grin. "Maybe I should assign them some tasks. It’s not good for them to be cooped up studying all the time."

"You say that as if you’ve actually taught them anything. I’ve spent more time teaching Boyan than you have," Jia Xu retorted, giving Chen Xi a disapproving look. "But your idea isn’t bad. Send them out, give them some assignments to handle. It’ll save us some trouble."

"I still haven’t scolded you for turning my disciple into such a gloomy character. You should be glad I haven’t complained," Chen Xi muttered.

"What did you say?" Jia Xu shot him a sharp glance, annoyed by the implication. Since Lu Xun often accompanied Lu Yu, Jia Xu would occasionally offer them advice, and he didn’t appreciate Chen Xi’s critique.

"Let them handle the local officials in Qing and Xu. They’re young, and their presence won’t draw much attention. If someone manages to outwit those two, then they must have some real skill," Chen Xi quickly changed the subject, not wanting to escalate the argument

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