Through countless dynasties, I can summon the heroes of Chinese history.

Chapter 52 Fan Li Arrives

A large crowd gathered around the notice board, and noisy discussions rose and fell.

The densely packed crowds blocked the streets, forcing even passing vehicles to detour.

Among the crowd were poor scholars dressed in coarse cloth, yet with bright, shrewd eyes.

There were Dongyi people dressed in Dongyi clothing, their brows furrowed with hesitation.

There were craftsmen craning their necks to watch curiously, and even a few swordsmen with restrained auras who were clearly skilled in martial arts, their swords at their waists gleaming coldly, attracting the attention of onlookers.

The crowd whispered amongst themselves, their voices filled with surprise and uncertainty, mixed with barely suppressed excitement and disbelief. Some clenched their fists, while others frequently tiptoed towards the direction of the recruitment hall.

"No regard for social status? Even commoners like us can enter officialdom? This...this can't be true, can it?"

"He even accepts people from all four barbarian tribes? The King of Laiyang's magnanimity is truly extraordinary!"

"Even mechanical engineering skills can be considered talent? I've never heard of such a thing!"

"Assigning positions according to talent and not being bound by convention! Your Highness's boldness is truly admirable. No wonder you were able to unify the entire Laiyang Prefecture in just a few months, relying on only one county."

Many people were secretly caressing the policy essays they held in their arms, their fingertips trembling slightly, their eyes burning as they looked at the magnificent mansion with the newly hung "Hall of Recruiting Talents" plaque, as if they could already see their future where they could realize their ambitions.

.........

In front of the Hall of Recruiting Talents.

Li Xian was already seated at his desk, meticulously receiving each person who came forward to inquire or even dared to submit documents seeking talent. His writing brush, inkstone, and inkstone were neatly arranged beside him.

Elite vanguard soldiers stood on both sides, maintaining order. Their armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, ensuring that no one dared to cause trouble or make a fuss.

Unbeknownst to everyone, several seemingly ordinary horse-drawn carriages were quietly parked on a street corner further away.

The carriage curtain was slightly lifted by the wind, revealing several unfathomable eyes that were silently watching every move in front of the recruitment hall, their eyes holding a deep meaning that others could not understand.

.........

Laizhou, once a vital border town of Cangming, is indeed a place where hidden talents and brilliant minds abound.

Moreover, Jiang Ce, the Prince of Laiyang, had personally fought several brilliant battles, proving his abilities. As a result, in recent days, long queues had formed outside the Hall of Recruitment.

This grand occasion, however, was only in the city of Changyang.

It should be noted that since Changyang was occupied by the Han family of Wendeng two years ago, it has rarely been invaded by the Eastern Yi army, and its population and economy have naturally developed rapidly.

In the past two years, many people from Laiyang, unable to survive in their own county, fled to Changyang to escape, which caused the population of Changyang County to double.

Today, it has a population of over 100,000.

However, although Changyang is large, its scope is still limited. Once this order to seek talent is spread to the entire Laiyang Prefecture, and even Wendeng, Fengxiang, Sendai and other prefectures, who knows what kind of huge waves it will stir up.

On the morning of the fifth day...

The Hall of Recruitment then welcomed several influential figures.

After verifying the other party's identity, Li Xian almost lost his composure on the spot.

After all, no one dared to neglect the message brought by the visitor, so they personally led the young man in charge to Jiang Ce's Laiyang Prince's Mansion.

…………

Meanwhile, at the Prince of Laiyang's residence.

Just yesterday, the imperial decree was delivered to Changyang, and the person who delivered it was a member of the Ye family, namely Ye Jun, a good friend of Jiang Ce in the capital, and the grandson of Ye Wenlai, the head of the Ye family.

While reading out the imperial decree, he also warned Jiang Ce to be wary of the Yuan family's schemes.

Jiang Ce naturally nodded in agreement, after all, the other party meant well.

When Jiang Ce learned that the imperial court had given him a quota of 100,000 new soldiers, a complex feeling flashed through his mind.

The 100,000-strong army of the Prince of Laiyang was essentially his private army, just like the Zhenbei Army of the Prince of Zhenbei.

The emperor even had another intention: if he could subdue Laizhou and completely drive the Dongyi back to their homeland, then he might very well bestow upon himself the title of King of Zhendong.

"A regional governor?" Jiang Ce said dismissively.

After seeing Ye Jun off, Jiang Ce once again immersed himself in the development and construction of Laiyang. The vast Laiyang Prefecture had twenty-one counties under its jurisdiction and required hundreds of officials.

Although Ye Jun brought more than a dozen talented members of the Ye family with him this time, it was only a drop in the ocean and far from enough to fill this huge gap.

However, these people are quite capable. Although they are far from being pillars of society, they are more than capable of governing a county or prefecture.

And this can be considered an investment by the Ye family.

After all, although the current crown prince has political skills, he is far inferior to the current emperor.

If the Cangming Dynasty's empire truly falls into the hands of the Crown Prince, the Ye family doesn't believe the Yuan family will be able to maintain their ambitions.

Therefore, for the sake of the Cangming Empire, the Ye family also began their own actions, namely to examine the many princes and select a promising one.

Jiang Ce was their choice.

Jiang Ce handed over all the people Ye Jun brought to Wei Renpu for distribution to various counties based on their abilities.

With such a talented prime minister in charge of handling state affairs, Jiang Ce was happy to be able to relax and focus on thinking about the next strategy.

Once the situation in Laiyang County has completely stabilized, Jiang Ce will initially select 50,000 prisoners to be incorporated into the new army, and then begin planning the next phase of the war.

Ninety thousand troops are more than enough to handle the battles to come.

However, Jiang Ce, who was in the midst of his excitement, was unaware that the group of people he had been eagerly waiting for had already appeared at the Recruitment Hall this morning. Upon learning of the situation, Li Xian dared not delay for even a moment and hurriedly led them to the Laiyang Prince's Mansion.

"What? You said the visitor's name is Fan Li, and that he brought news of my mother?"

Upon hearing that Li Xian had brought this person, Jiang Ce's pupils suddenly contracted, and he exclaimed in surprise. Although he already knew from the system's implanted identity that Fan Li was coming and would bring news of his mother.

However, he did not expect this day to come so soon.

Jiang Ce's anticipation of news from his mother made him completely forget that he had just been wearing only a pair of soft-soled socks for comfort.

In his haste to get up, he accidentally left his boots under the table.

However, even if he knew, he wouldn't care. After all, he was a top-tier martial artist, and he wouldn't have any problems even if he walked barefoot.

However, Ning Bobiao panicked and quickly followed after him, carrying his boots.