Mythical Three Kingdoms-Chapter 1416 - 1366: The Era Determines the Way of Life

"That was close to having a woman win the championship. To be honest, if it wasn’t for some underhanded tactics at the end, a woman really would have won." Hua Xiong said with a bitter smile, although Chen Xi and others didn’t think it was cheating, in Hua Xiong’s view, once Hua Tuo stepped in, it felt like cheating.

"Hey, hey, hey, that’s not cheating, okay? That’s within the rules. Li Tiao’s Inner Qi Separation is normal, so winning was to be expected, okay?" Chen Xi said irritably.

"Indeed, it’s Inner Qi Separation, but when he broke through, he had basically no combat power. Not to mention, Lyu Qiling’s one slash could have made Li Tiao lie down for half a month." Hua Xiong said irritably, "Luckily Li Tiao had already reached Inner Qi Separation, otherwise, it would have been quite embarrassing."

"Such a situation actually happened?" Sun Qian clicked his tongue, "In the military section, even Inner Qi Separation participants ended up showing up in the end?"

"Yes, two female participants, one from Zilong’s family who was just like a filler, sweeping through effortlessly; the other was the Marquis Wenn’s daughter, whose strength was basically firmly in the top three." Hua Xiong said with a look of nostalgia, "And Lyu Qiling is very young; it seems that if any woman can reach Inner Qi Separation, it should be her."

"Scary, huh?" Sun Qian looked at his own thin arms and legs, never having thought that a woman could reach the level of Inner Qi Separation.

"You could say that this Spring Test was essentially beneficial for women." Hua Xiong sighed and said.

"Beneficial? They earned their results fair and square." Chen Xi shook his head and said, "Don’t underestimate them; half of the world is women, you know."

"..." Sun Qian was speechless as he looked at Chen Xi, thought for a while and changed the topic, "By the way, a few days ago I had a talk with the Grand Craftsman about the evaluation situation, and it seems that the ratings for the craftsman’s side are quite a mess, aren’t they?"

"Basically a mess. Didn’t you notice that we didn’t conduct any ratings last year in the second half and this year in the first half? I feel that this can only be rated from high to low, and then those who pass at higher levels can evaluate the lower level examinees." Chen Xi said helplessly.

"In that case, Zichuan, are you also involved in these things?" Sun Qian asked.

"I am involved, but haven’t found the time. Although it seems quite leisurely, there’s always something in hand, which is very troublesome. I plan to rate the Grand Craftsman level first, and let the Grand Craftsman themselves assess the others afterward!" Chen Xi said with a face full of frustration.

Honestly, while rating matters isn’t huge, it’s not minor either. It concerns Chen Xi’s plan to support craftsmen. Plus, Jia Xu has just come up with non-animal-powered machinery, which needs further depth exploration and is truly of consequence for hundreds of years to come.

So if we’re really getting into it, it’s quite significant. But the problem now is Liu Bei’s side is really busy, not to mention how challenging it is across different sectors. Even with Chen Xi checking their craftsmanship, it’s hard for him to grasp the high and low standards.

"In that case, what’s the meaning of our official existence?" Sun Qian immediately questioned, which is crucial as some things must be officially led.

"The significance of official existence is to oversee the venue, and conveniently incorporate Grand Craftsman into the system, allowing not just Grand Craftsman but also top-tier individuals in various sectors to join. These people aren’t idle, can’t be too many, and fostering them won’t cause loss." Chen Xi waved dismissively, implying that it’s not important.

Chen Xi also estimated the number of people at the Grand Craftsman level; among the Great Han Dynasty’s current population of over forty million, there might be about one or two hundred. Supporting a hundred-plus idle people won’t sink the Great Han Dynasty, especially since they already create substantial value themselves.

"Isn’t this approach a bit overboard?" Sun Qian frowned and said, "This not only greatly increases the authority of the Grand Craftsman but what they say will also significantly impact the whole industry, which isn’t favorable to us."

"This is the simplest way and saves the most trouble. Though such a situation might arise, we represent the nation’s strength, and in a policy-tilted compensatory situation, if we still can’t grasp it, it means the country’s rulers are all fools." Chen Xi said with a cold smile, making Sun Qian a bit awkward.

"How to rate the Grand Craftsman level then? Although I seem very formidable now, after seeing a few Grand Craftsmen’s techniques, I must say, I cannot distinguish who’s superior among them." Sun Qian, awkward, relaxed his brows and immediately brought up the issue he’d encountered before.

"Simple, we can’t see it, but can they on the same level?" Chen Xi laughed and said, "Moreover, Shenn Ming is an internal evaluation involving the Grand Craftsman level. Only those who believe they have reached this level can participate, and it is specified that anyone who overreaches, once discovered, will be immediately removed."

"Though we are clueless about their levels, I believe adding this rule makes them much more prudent; no one would dare deceive even the rising Feudal Lords, not to mention if it’s a newly emerged Feudal Lords; the commercial class cannot afford to provoke." Chen Xi said to Sun Qian with a smile.

"If you put it that way, it makes sense." Sun Qian looked up at the sky, thinking of Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping, who were in such a situation at the time.

"It’s not just about making sense; it’s about having the military, they are the bosses." Chen Xi abruptly said a coarse word, leaving Sun Qian stunned, then greatly agreeing.

"I smell something delicious." Sun Qian sniffed voluntarily, turned around, yet nothing was served; however, the aroma had already spread everywhere.

"Yun’er’s skills are improving." Chen Xi said with a smile,

"Well, it’s incomparable." Sun Qian said with a look of nostalgia, "I didn’t quite understand what it meant to cook well before; this time, I truly get it."

"When hungry, everything tastes good." Chen Xi said with a mischievous smile.

"You guy, do you really know what it’s like to be hungry?" Sun Qian first laughed, then suddenly a trace of bitterness appeared on his face.

"Actually, no. Though not living a life of luxury, my background was fairly decent, and once I left Yingchuan, I encountered Lord Xuande, and during the Eighteen Feudal Lords’ campaign against Dong, I was on the Feudal Lords’ menu. By the time I got to Mount Tai, for sure, I didn’t experience hunger." Chen Xi shook his head, saying he indeed hadn’t really been hungry.

"The words Lord said on the altar back then, the deepest impression on me was about being well-fed and clothed." Sun Qian sighed and said, "This line is the most basic, yet the hardest to achieve."

"Perhaps. Many things I truthfully haven’t personally experienced, but if I judge this era by my lifestyle, probably very few people would qualify." Chen Xi nodded, acknowledging that what’s most important about this era is indeed that.