lovenovelstory Chapter 6 You Passed
Chapter 6 You Passed
"Next."
A young man pushed open the door and entered, bowing with his hands clasped in greeting.
"This humble man, Chang Wei, pays his respects to the Heavenly Official."
"No need."
A thick list had already piled up in front of Si Chen.
The list above is entirely composed of candidates personally sketched out.
However, anyone with a skill is welcome.
Tianjin was originally a large military camp. Because it was located at the confluence of the North-South Canal and the Haihe River, it had long been prosperous, but its prosperity came to an end due to the canal transport.
The Tianjin Left Guard, Tianjin Right Guard, Tianjin Guard, and Tianjin Navy, which belonged to the Rear Army, had all been defeated.
However, there are still a large number of military households and guard schools.
"Since you are a legitimate military household, are you familiar with the Six Arts of Wind, Forest, Mountain, Fire, Thunder, and Yin? Are you knowledgeable about the Killing Technique and Harmony Pulse Formation? Have you attended the Imperial Guard Academy or the Embroidered Uniform Guard Martial Academy? Have you ever killed anyone?" Si Chen asked personally, sitting in his grand chair.
On the left and right are missionaries with shackles on their feet, dipping their brushes in ink to make records—a way to make use of waste.
Chang Wei lowered his head and said meekly, "I am skilled in riding and archery, a master archer, capable of hitting a willow leaf from a hundred paces. I only know the 'Wind' technique. I studied it for a few years at the Embroidered Uniform Guard Martial Academy, but unfortunately I never embarked on the path of a knight. I have personally killed a few petty thieves."
"Oh? Jia Chen, take him to test the waters."
"Next!"
Si Chen never expected that Tianjin would yield such a reward; it was truly remarkable.
Soft bows, long arrows, light swords, and swift horses—these were the secret techniques that enabled the Ming Dynasty to dominate the world. Today, it's unknown how much of them remain.
A moment later, Jia Chen leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Sir, this fellow came on an empty stomach; he can't even draw his bow."
Si Chen paused in his actions. "You mean, Chang Wei is here to freeload?"
Everyone around couldn't help but hold their breath.
Si Chen laughed and said, "Let him eat and drink his fill before he tries again."
The breathing outside the door quickened.
"Anyone who dares to freeload will have their head chopped off."
The crowd's eyes became increasingly clear.
In this kind of weather, food is as vital as people's livelihood.
In such times, what is needed is not tenderness, but order.
Si Chen sat quietly awaiting the result.
Outside the window, one can vaguely see the confluence of the North and South Canals, where large amounts of ice have begun to float, and icebreakers empowered with psionic energy shuttle back and forth in the waterway.
After a while, the canal will freeze over, and even icebreakers will be useless.
"Those who are isolated and alone will be separated into a separate category for further investigation."
"These days, what's scary is this kind of carefree attitude."
"They might run away at any time, become outlaws, or even drift towards the next four positions."
Leave your face and fingerprints, as well as your relatives and neighbors, in the ledger.
Si Chen felt that this was the advantage of a society based on personal connections; these days, a stranger is too conspicuous and easy to identify.
One of the guardians received the order and led the group to an empty room to talk.
In terms of cunning, the Weibo soldiers are more cunning than them; in terms of arrogance, the Longya soldiers are more arrogance than them. Even the wicked need the wicked to temper them.
A moment later, the two officials in charge of agriculture arrived together.
Si Chen stood up to greet them, "Please come in, both of you. I have something to ask you."
Two middle-aged men, each about seven feet tall, wearing cotton-padded coats, walked in. One was surnamed Wang, and the other was surnamed Li.
Si Chen looked him up and down, and knew what was going on.
His spirit is pure and upright, his hands are calloused, and his skin is dark, indicating that he is not a pampered person, and that he has worked in the field of agriculture for many years.
"Making offerings to the two is quite simple, with only one requirement: one must maintain upright conduct and refrain from engaging in evil practices or licentious worship."
"Can the two of you hold on?"
The two officials in charge of agriculture exchanged a glance, then cupped their hands and said, "We are willing to follow your orders."
The contract has been signed.
Si Chen instantly sensed a new change occurring within the inner landscape.
The inner refers to the heart; the scenery refers to the image.
External phenomena refer to the sun, moon, stars, clouds, and the imagery of mountains, rivers, forests, and trees.
The inner form refers to the physical body, muscles, bones, and soul.
The mind resides within the body, observing the unified image and color, breathing in the天地 (heaven and earth), hence it is called the inner landscape.
Two tiny stars clung to his raised throne.
The burden is not heavy.
Closer to Si Chen than them were twelve emerald-colored stars whose trajectories almost perfectly overlapped with Si Chen's, sharing his birth, death, rise, and fall.
For example, the North Star remains in its place while all the other stars revolve around it.
The two ministers of agriculture grew stronger and their complexions became ruddy at a visible rate.
This is salary.
The same applies to the imperial court; the livelihoods of the nation's millions of people depend on a vast spiritual entity, and they enter into a contract in the spirit world.
A country may perish, but the world cannot perish.
Si Chen waited until their emotions calmed down, "I still have the capacity. If the two Ministers of Agriculture can regulate the water and soil of a region and build a natural cycle on top of that, it is not impossible for them to advance to the position of Grand Minister of Agriculture in the future."
"Thank you for the dot-mapping."
"Go."
Then an old master walked in, his beard was white, but his muscles were bulging. Just by walking in, he ignited the air in the room.
Si Chen couldn't help but ask curiously, "How should this old gentleman be addressed?"
The old craftsman stroked his white beard. "I am Wang, the commander of the Tianjin Garrison. Since the Wanli Emperor, I have supervised the construction of the Tianjin Garrison city wall. The Tianjin Garrison city wall is 36 feet high and 18 feet wide at the top. The inner layer is made of rammed earth with stone blocks as the base, and the outer layer is made of bricks. But now the foundation in the southeast corner is broken, the drainage holes are blocked, and it is in a state of disrepair. I wonder what the official in charge of the garrison thinks about this."
Si Chen countered, "I've heard that if a divine craftsman were to alter the nature of this city, completely fusing the inside and outside into one, it would be known as the Iron Wall. Could you, sir, complete the repairs of this city in ten days?"
"Is your city made of gold or silver?" Wang Tiangong asked, his eyes wide.
"Is it possible?" Si Chen asked again.
"able!"
"Okay, you pass."
In the interior scene, a bright red thread of contract connects the two stars.
The starlight in his water palace gradually brightened.
Si Chen cupped his hands in greeting, "Please, sir, build a few shelters for the people."
Wang Tiangong, the old conman, nodded, picked up his hammer, and went out.
For a long time in the past, some scholars suppressed their path in the name of strange skills and tricks, but throughout history, there have been many technological breakthroughs made by generations of ancestors.
Jia Chen walked in carrying a bloody head.
"Boss, we've found out this guy's background. He's probably a roving bandit with a few murder cases on his hands. He didn't know his place and ran into us. We might as well finish him off."
"Get a useful piece of information out of him."
"There is a group of people in the wilderness southeast of Tianjin, who are said to have all come from the Imperial Horse Administration."
"Among them was a Han-blooded horse."
"It's highly localized and now it's roaming the mountains and fields, but nobody can use it."
"Could this not be the will of Heaven?"
Jia Chen felt that his lord was divinely aided as soon as he left the Ming Dynasty system.
Indeed, a true man cannot remain subservient to others for long.
"How can you tell they're bandits?"
"This Chang Wei has questionable eyesight. He is not wearing armor, yet he is skilled in archery and horsemanship. His path is not among the four classes of people, and his swordsmanship is not the orthodox style of the Imperial Guard. It is clearly Japanese swordsmanship, and he is definitely not a good person. I asked him about his background, but no one could corroborate it. Such heretics who are not among the four classes of people should all be killed."
These Dragon Fang soldiers, born from chaotic times, were indeed decisive in their actions.
Si Chen nodded and stood up.
"Remember, the restraint of violence is precisely the display of violence."
"Emperor Jiajing set up the Six Ding and Six Jia deities to offer incense. When I was appointed as the Heavenly Official, I formed a connection with you and gave you the opportunity to live a second life."
"I don't want you to one day go astray and become bandits."
"Such a black sheep should be punished according to the law."
"If we're going to kill, we'll kill openly and honestly."