Chapter 1698 – Hua Yuan’s Fate (Part 7)
Hua Yuan had gone missing, and no one knew his whereabouts.
“How did he disappear?”
Jiang Pengji found it hard to believe that this troublemaker, An Huan, had just vanished into thin air.
The subservient replied, “He fell ill and lost his mind, wandering off.”
What kind of illness was that?
It seemed he had succumbed to madness.
Jiang Pengji, being from the future, knew well that with the medical techniques of this era, losing one’s mind usually led straight to death.
Hua Yuan’s fate was not surprising.
How long could someone who was sometimes lucid and sometimes insane last before dying in some dark corner?
However, the “Liu Xi” personality that had split off from Hua Yuan was a real risk, and it would be best to confirm his death personally for peace of mind.
Jiang Pengji said, “Send someone to look for him—if he’s alive, we see him; if he’s dead, we see the corpse.”
The subservients felt a bit uneasy.
An already crazy Hua Yuan had garnered so much concern from Jiang Pengji, while they, those who had accomplished much, were treated coldly. It really did seem unfair.
Of course, they didn’t dare voice these thoughts; they showed no dissatisfaction on their faces, instead becoming even more devout and obedient.
Little did they know, Jiang Pengji wasn’t buying any of it. She turned to Wei Ci and the others, saying, “These people are useless for now; let’s keep them under observation. If they behave, they can stay for trivial tasks; if not, send them home to grow sweet potatoes.”
Annoying as they were, these people could still be useful for certain odd jobs, especially since Jiang Pengji desperately needed hands.
Nan Sheng was neither the largest nor the smallest among the five nations, but with the addition of the lands from the four southern tribes, it became quite the sight.
The vast territory brought an urgent need for talent; Jiang Pengji could foresee how busy the days ahead would be.
She needed to sift through the original personnel of the various states and counties, keeping those useful while cleaning out the rest, bringing in fresh talent.
After over a decade of war, lives had withered, fields lay fallow, many government agencies were effectively non-existent, and some local bullies or rich gentry had acted like local emperors, all of which were stumbling blocks to reconstruction. The task was daunting, so Jiang Pengji decided to tackle matters in Nan Sheng first before addressing Zhong Zhao, letting Qi Guanrang and Sun Wen handle things in the meantime…
“Let’s issue a recruitment decree and see how many people come to apply…”
It was just like a labor recruitment advertisement; those interested could come to apply, and those who weren’t could simply skip it.
However, a recruitment decree in ancient times was a serious and sacred matter, but Jiang Pengji was treating it like a job notice…
“Apply?”
Feng Zhen paused. Their lord often used terms that nobody understood, which were mostly her own inventions. They couldn’t ask too many questions and could only interpret them literally for understanding. Thankfully, they had smart brains; otherwise, keeping up would be impossible.
“What does our lord plan for the application process?”
Jiang Pengji had previously issued recruitment decrees, but nothing on this scale—this time, they needed so many people.
“I’ll write the guidelines for you. Just release the recruitment decree according to them, so the applicants can prepare their materials. It’ll save you all some trouble.” As she spoke, Jiang Pengji began sketching on paper, “If they qualify, we can summon the person, which makes it quite convenient.”
The employment system of this era had significant flaws; the communication about talent depended heavily on personal connections, meaning those with influential family ties, good ancestry, and striking appearance had a better chance at office. Those from humble backgrounds were left with no choice but to self-recommend as retainers to the powerful, hoping for a stroke of luck to have a breakthrough.
Jiang Pengji desperately needed people; there wasn’t time to dawdle.
She handed the plans to Feng Zhen, who was responsible for the general guidelines while the specific content of the recruitment decree was left to Feng Zhen and others to draft.
Feng Zhen glanced through a few times, his brow twitching non-stop.
“My lord, this isn’t appropriate…”
This was treating talent like cabbages, being choosy while expecting the cabbages to come knocking on their doors…
Jiang Pengji replied, “What’s inappropriate? I’m pressed for time and short-handed; the opportunity is right in front of them. They can come or not. Miss this chance, and who will still want them? It’s just about assessing their true abilities. If they’re chicken about it, they’ll just be embarrassing themselves.”
Feng Zhen: “…”
Sigh, after all these years, their lord’s temper was just getting bigger and bigger. Of course, she had the right to throw a tantrum. The times were different; she was now in control of two nations, and those eager young folks wanting to serve had to play by her rules—no chance to act arrogantly.
Thus, this recruitment decree turned out exceptionally unique, resembling the early stages of modern corporate hiring.
When the decree was released, there was another massive upheaval in the aristocratic circles of Nan Sheng.
Was she really treating them like cabbages to pick and choose?
But Jiang Pengji held a hundred thousand soldiers, and the aristocrats of Nan Sheng had been severely weakened after over a decade of warfare, unable to resist her.
They couldn’t resist? Then could they not adopt a cold war approach?
Some prideful aristocrats restricted their talented family members from applying, while those with less foundation wished to seize this chance for a comeback.
It was fine to come forward and submit themselves for selection; enduring momentary humiliation could lead to a bright future ahead.
Due to using this new recruitment model, Wei Ci and the others worried that things might go awry, and since they were too young and lacked experience to hold the scene, they decided to take turns acting as interviewers. As Jiang Pengji rose in prominence, they too had become big names in the eyes of outsiders.
This decision surprised everyone.
What did this mean?
It meant Lord Lan Ting valued this recruitment so much he was willing to deploy several big shots to be present!
With them as interviewers, the applicants would feel much more at ease.
The recruitment decree was very clear; every applicant had come prepared, eager to showcase their shining points.
If the atmosphere had been right, they might have boasted about their skills from the age of one, reading by the age of two, picking up the classics by three, and composing poetry by four. Of course, Wei Ci and the others were not there to listen to such nonsense; the prepared assessments were very targeted, aimed at testing their abilities in the shortest time possible. To minimize mistakes, once selected for recruitment, someone would specifically verify the applicant’s resume. If any falsehoods were found, it would be a grave offense, resulting in prison time, or worse, sullying the family and clan’s reputation.
With such stern warnings laid out in advance, the trend of falsifying resumes was curbed.
“Why do you always come back every time…”
As the last applicant left, Feng Zhen took the chance to sip some strong tea to refresh himself.
Wei Ci replied, “Is that a bad thing?”
“It is, but I’m worried about your health. If you wear yourself out…”
As he spoke, Feng Zhen shot a glance at Wei Ci’s lower abdomen, his eyes filled with mischief.
Wei Ci: “…”
Even at this time, he was still being inappropriate. When he returned, he needed to report this to Wan Xiuer!
Wei Ci pursed his lips in silence while Feng Zhen felt somewhat awkward and yawned, letting the next applicant in.
Before long, the next named scholar entered with his attendant.
Feng Zhen almost choked on his saliva at the sight.
Without any of their lord’s looks or charm, did he think he could impress them while dressed as a man? Did he really believe they were blind?
Instead, Wei Ci’s eyes brightened a bit.
