The strongest devouring system in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 194 The reception banquet

Man Chong subtly probed Wang Hui's words. Xiahou Dun knew he wasn't good at this kind of thing, so he didn't interrupt Man Chong's ramblings. He simply nodded to indicate that it was true.

"My lord, you are overthinking it. Actually, we are traveling so quickly only because we are forced to do so by the rain in the south. As you know, the rain in the south never stops. It has been raining ever since we set off from Pengcheng, and the roads are muddy and difficult to travel."

"As soon as the rain stopped, our lord told us to speed up our journey to avoid being delayed by rain again." Wang Hui clearly understood the deeper meaning behind Man Chong's words, but he didn't point it out.

He also kindly reminded Man Chong, "Our lord is somewhat dissatisfied with the road conditions in Yangzhou. Lord Man, you should be prepared for this later."

"Thank you for the reminder, Lieutenant Colonel Wang."

Man Chong quickly bowed to Wang Hui, but Wang Hui dared not accept the bow. He was just a lieutenant colonel. If he hadn't been Chen Er's adjutant, he would never have had the opportunity to speak to a high-ranking official like Man Chong on equal terms.

Wang Hui knew he would be going to work in the provinces later, so it was essential to establish good relations with the local officials as soon as possible. He had his own plans, which was why he reminded Man Chong.

Just as the three were talking, Chen Er and Zhao Yun also came over. Upon seeing them, the three quickly went up to them, cupped their hands, and bowed, saying, "We greet our lord."

"Hmm." Chen Er nodded, indicating that the three of them should stand up.

"Brother, I've already had the banquet prepared and am just waiting for your arrival," Xiahou Dun said to Chen Er.

Chen Er laughed and said to Xiahou Dun, "You're just talking nonsense. You know I arrived less than half an hour ago. How could a welcoming banquet be prepared so quickly?"

"Hehe, it's just that your arrival was too sudden, brother. Yesterday, Lord Man and I were calculating when you would arrive in Shouchun so we could make preparations, but we didn't expect you to arrive today," Xiahou Dun said, scratching his head.

Chen Er waved his hand, indicating that he didn't care: "I just didn't want to travel in the rain anymore, so I simply sped up. It's always better to organize a rapid march than to travel in the rain."

“As a prince, there is really no need for you to live a life of hardship,” Xiahou Dun said.

"Although I am the King of Wei, I am also an organizer. What does it matter if I have to endure wind and rain?" Chen Er said nonchalantly. "Yuan Rang, this is my second time in Shouchun. But this time you are the host. I wonder what you have prepared to entertain us guests who have come from afar?"

"Brother, you flatter me. Shouchun is just a territory under your jurisdiction. If we're talking about the host, then it has to be you. We're all just long-term workers for you." Xiahou Dun subtly flattered Chen Er.

Chen Er smiled and said to the people around him, "It's only been a year since we last met, and Yuan Rang has already learned how to flatter."

"Hahahaha..." Upon hearing Chen Er's words, everyone around burst into laughter.

Xiahou Dun was a little embarrassed and habitually scratched his head, saying to Chen Er, "I learned all of this under the influence of Man Chong." Man Chong was shocked to hear this; how did this get involved with him?

Man Chong quickly explained, "Yuan Rang, don't talk nonsense. I've only been in Shouchun for less than half a year. Don't push all the blame onto me."

Xiahou Dun was even more embarrassed when he realized he couldn't get Man Chong involved. He didn't know what to say for a moment, so he just scratched his head and said shamelessly, "I'm just a rough man, I can't argue with you literary types."

Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing Xiahou Dun's shameless remark.

Chen Er quickly stepped forward to defuse the situation, saying, "Yuan Rang, I have arrived in Shouchun. Tell me about the current situation in the entire Southern Organization Area."

"How is the formation of the Sixth Organization Group progressing?" Chen Er asked.

"Because Yuan Shu has been conscripting many able-bodied men from Yangzhou and Yuzhou, in order not to damage the agricultural production of the two provinces, the main targets of the Sixth Organization Regiment for recruitment are currently displaced people and able-bodied men who are landless or homeless, plus a portion of new recruits assigned by Gao Shun of Xuzhou."

"Of the six organizations, nine divisions, and two regiments, only five divisions have been formed so far; the remaining four divisions are still just empty shells."

Xiahou Dun said somewhat awkwardly. Five months had passed since the order to form the Sixth Organization Regiment was given, and he had only managed to form five divisions based on the three states. Moreover, most of the soldiers had not yet completed their training. He was really embarrassed to report such results.

"When I gave you this task, I had already considered these difficulties. It is already quite an achievement that you were able to form five divisions without disrupting local development. Here's what we'll do: send a message to the General Staff in Yuyang in my name by carrier pigeon, and have the General Staff order the recruitment of one division of new recruits each from Jizhou, Bingzhou, and Qingzhou to be sent to the southern organization area."

Chen Er did not blame Xiahou Dun, because the difficulties in Yangzhou and Yuzhou were well known. These two originally relatively prosperous provinces had been ravaged by Yuan Shu, leaving the people destitute.

It was already remarkable that Xiahou Dun was able to assemble five divisions without disrupting local agricultural production. He had no reason to blame Xiahou Dun; on the contrary, he should be commended, because Xiahou Dun had resolved many problems related to displaced people and refugees.

Chen Er turned to Zhao Yun and said, "Zilong, have your cavalry unit allocate a regiment to Yuan Rang. Although the Sixth Regiment's main battlefields are in the water-rich southern regions, there are still many plains in the Yangzhou and Jingzhou areas where cavalry can play a significant role."

"This subordinate understands," Zhao Yun replied.

Chen Er then asked Man Chong, "Bo Ning, how is the formation of the Water Organization progressing?"

"Reporting to my lord, the establishment of the water organization is progressing quite smoothly. Yangzhou has many rivers and lakes, and is also near the sea. There are many fishermen who make a living by fishing, and I have recruited enough sailors."

“Training has already begun, but the warships are not yet completed, so the water organization in the Southern Organization District will have to wait a while before it can be officially established,” Man Chong replied.

"There's no rush. The main reason I had you set up the water organization in the southern organization area was to facilitate the transportation of supplies for the organization team. As for combat, the sea organization will handle that. The ironclad ships and a large number of Admiral organization cannons that are equipped for them can't just be used for show, can they?"

Chen Er stated that there was no rush to establish the water organization, as it was not the focus. Currently, the maritime organization in the area he was governing was gradually taking shape, and if war broke out, the personnel and warships of the maritime organization would handle it.

The Southern Organization District established water organizations primarily for daily patrols, transportation, and the suppression of water bandits. Those greenhorns should not participate in large-scale wars to avoid excessive casualties.