Chapter 906 – Who Isn’t a Little Princess? (Part 1)
Opportunities only come once; if you don’t seize them, you can’t blame others for not giving you a second chance!
How is that reasonable?
Feng Jin chuckled, soothing Xu Ke to prevent him from getting too worked up.
Xu Ke understood this logic but felt a hint of indignation in his heart.
After pausing for a moment, he said, “Regardless, this matter still needs to be reported to the Lord and see how she wishes to decide.”
Feng Jin replied, “That’s natural.”
Even though they knew Jiang Pengji’s temperament and understood she would never extend a second invitation, they couldn’t make decisions on her behalf.
Sure enough, Jiang Pengji, far away in Chongzhou, received this news and was practically laughing out of anger.
“Rejected for recruitment? If they don’t value me, then I won’t force them. Wen Zheng, draft a letter telling Xiaoyu to do as he sees fit, following protocol. Even though twenty people agreed to the recruitment, we still don’t have enough manpower so let him continue screening.”
Qi Guanrang responded with cupped hands.
No matter the reasons behind the rejection, Jiang Pengji was more than willing to let it go.
Opportunities only come once, and they’re always given to those who are prepared.
Who would let themselves be slapped once and then stick out their face for a second hit?
She doesn’t care about saving face!
Like the audience in the live stream would say, being pretentious also requires capital.
Not everyone is Zhuge Liang, waiting for three visits to the thatched cottage!
【Book Mountain Duck Pear】: Don’t be upset, just pat your head.
【Rain Falling on Flower Path】: Missing the opportunity is their loss; if they lose these few, there are thousands of talents waiting for the Lord!
【Little Spoon】: In modern terms, the Lord is like a company CEO, and they’re just fresh graduates applying for a job. The company has already decided to hire someone, but the fresh grads arrogantly refuse. After all this, do they really expect the CEO to personally show up to invite them? Do they really think they’re Zhuge Liang?
【Floating Sheep】: I think you guys are missing the point; isn’t the focus on how the Lord is promoting talent this time?
This comment was quickly drowned out by the sea of comments.
Beside them, Qi Guanrang stole a glance at Feng Zhen, discovering the latter grinning with his eyes squinted, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
By noon, Qi Guanrang, along with Feng Zhen, stepped out. He lowered his voice and asked, “Zishi, what were you laughing at just now?”
Feng Zhen held a packet of sun-dried pickled radish, munching as he walked. He had brought this back from the Chongzhou guesthouse division.
Salty with a bit of spice, it’s something he usually nibbles on as a snack.
Fortunately, Qi Guanrang wasn’t Feng Jin; otherwise, he wouldn’t tolerate Feng Zhen munching radish while walking!
He would surely scold him for lacking proper decorum.
Feng Zhen laughed, “If I didn’t laugh, should I go advise the Lord to be more forgiving?”
“That’s not the point,” Qi Guanrang frowned, saying, “But those eight people…what a shame.”
“Recruitment rejection” is an industry unspoken rule; unless someone is indifferent to fame or looks down on others, a second invite is typically accepted.
Feng Zhen replied, “You know the Lord’s temperament. She knows full well, but she just won’t lower herself to extend a second invitation. Even with these eight gone, there will surely be others to fill in. If the ones who said no were world-renowned talents, then perhaps it would make sense, but they aren’t. Let’s not even mention having the Lord make a second recruitment; it’s a miracle she isn’t cursing them in her heart.”
Qi Guanrang sighed deeply; didn’t he understand this logic too?
“Rang is afraid the Lord will be criticized and labeled as petty. Can you stand for such comments?”
What he truly feared was if they pushed their luck and used her gender against her, claiming that a woman is just a woman, short-sighted and narrow-minded.
Why can others be generous enough to accept a second invite, yet she has to act pretentious after being rejected once?
Such a narrow-minded disposition is hard to cultivate!
Don’t they know that talent is precious and requires toleration?
Feng Zhen laughed, “Of course, that’s intolerable. But forcing the Lord to do things she doesn’t want to do is even less tolerable.”
Qi Guanrang shot a glance at Feng Zhen as if to say his words suggest he does not mind the Lord suffering injustice.
He reached out and grabbed the radish from Feng Zhen’s hands, wondering what else this guy could eat.
Feng Zhen cried out, “Let’s talk nicely; don’t snatch my snacks!”
By the time this news reached Wanzhou, Xu Ke and the others already knew what to do.
The first batch of people who accepted recruitment had already been assigned to their positions for training. He and Feng Jin had to keep a close watch to avoid mistakes.
All of them were relatively steady and honest, and they had already found their footing.
With these people on board, Xu Ke clearly felt the workload lighten; finally, he didn’t have to go home with the stars still in the sky!
Receiving Jiang Pengji’s reply, Xu Ke immediately set about the second recruitment, focusing on selecting talents in agriculture and water conservancy.
By the time the second batch of names was released, the first batch of those who rejected recruitment was still anxiously waiting for news.
Left waiting and waiting without updates, finally, someone couldn’t sit still.
This person had leveraged quite a few connections to find out the news, struck as if by lightning.
“Our Lord said, it’s not sweet when forced; since the gentleman has other plans, we wish him well in his career.”
That person’s face turned pale and blue with anger, both humiliated and embarrassed, and he finally snorted coldly, angrily tossing his sleeves.
“A woman is still a woman, narrow-minded and shallow! What good can a petty person like this accomplish!”
“Not to mention valuing talent and civility; at the very least, one should have some level of tolerance. Seeing it now, it’s certainly not worth it to ally with her.”
“A man of great aspirations would never bow to a petty woman; how tragic!”
Of the eight individuals who rejected recruitment, only two chose to remain silent, while the other six couldn’t bear the indignity.
They didn’t verbally lash out, but when discussing the situation with friends, they always had a jab for Jiang Pengji.
Whenever their friends praised Jiang Pengji, they would quickly retort.
“This girl has such a narrow view; if not for her father Liu Zhi’s reputation, how could she have today’s foundation? A mere woman, does she really think she can turn the world upside down? Don’t let her current glory fool you; the dangers are plenty. Sitting on Chong, Wanzhou, and Hujun, so what? To the north, the Northern Frontier watches us covetously; to the south, the false emperor sharpens his blades… Just wait and see how long this ignorant woman can be arrogant!”
Most scholars are concerned with their reputation, and while they might complain about free meals and drinks, they wouldn’t go so far as to insult someone outright.
These few stood out as particularly different, as if they towered above others.
After the establishment of the Golden Scales Pavilion in Wanzhou, many scholars flocked there.
These individuals stimulated economic demands, not only thriving Wanzhou’s economy but also fostering a flourishing cultural atmosphere.
Countless like-minded literati gathered, whether discussing poetry, commenting on state affairs, or indulging in poetic creation and artistry, creating a rich literary environment.
Literary gatherings were public events, and their actions naturally spread, reaching the ears of Xu Ke and the others.
“Damn—these lowlifes are simply—simply—”
Xu Ke slammed the table in frustration.
As the month-end approached, he had more matters to handle, leading to sleep deprivation and a foul mood, and now hearing slander nearly made him explode.
Cheng Yuan, clutching a bundle of bamboo slips, walked past and, upon hearing the commotion, sighed deeply.
Xu Ke’s temper was usually pretty good; what kind of person had the ability to make him so irritable?
The roof nearly shook from his anger.
