As youtiao (Chinese fried dough sticks), salted egg yolk zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), tofu pudding, and spicy-sour noodles were unloaded from boats and lined up on the shore, the people of Chu State gathered there like hungry baby birds waiting to be fed.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
The previously rowdy Chu people on the shore had somehow managed to bring tables and chairs from somewhere, arranging them of their own ord.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
Many tea shops and cooks from Chu State had arrived as well!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
They weren''t there for anything else but to prepare hot dishes!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"This batch of tofu pudding has cooled down a bit... Quick, heat it up!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"I''m thirsty. Has the milk tea arrived yet? Give me a bowl of tea, please..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"We''re running out of tables and chairs. Where can we get more?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"Are there none left in the temple? Damn it, I remember there''s a private school nearby that has some!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">3
The Chu people organized themselves spontaneously, as if they too were hosting their own elegant gathering, full of life and color.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
Many educated individuals who could do arithmetic even stepped forward, voluntarily taking on the role of ountants, responsible for collecting money and distributing food uniformly.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
[Tsk tsk, when there''s food involved, our initiative is truly unparalleled~]<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">1
Xiao Chuchu observed with amusement.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
[If you didn''t know better, you''d think Chu State was hosting their own elegant gathering.]<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
[How amusing.]<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">1
Xiao Yunzhou also wore a smile, recognizing this as what his fairy daughter called the influence of a great nation.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
Look at how Jing Country was influencing Chu State!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">3
In the future, as long as Jing Country continued to prosper, it would influence neighboring countries in various aspects!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">2
Xiao Yunzhou felt that although the road ahead was long, there was a clear goal in sight.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">3
He truly didn''t want to meet the tragic end his fairy daughter had foreseen, where he would only live for three years.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
He wanted to see the day when Jing Country became the most powerful nation!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
Xiao Yunzhou took a deep breath and spoke to the prefect waiting for orders beside him, "After this round of eating is done, bring out the board games."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">1
"And the surgical suturing techniques."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">1
"The silk reeling machines."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"Have people bring over whole pigs!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"And the marketable hot pot base."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
Sure enough, before he had finished giving instructions, the people on the Chu side of the river were already savoring the experience and developing new desires.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"Jing Country isn''t hosting the elegant gathering anymore, what should we do? That pork belly was so delicious..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"Hot pot, who would have thought it could be so fragrant?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">3
The next day, trading boats in the middle of the river were loaded with live piglets, ready for sale.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
Pig farmers from around Xun City in Jing Country had alle, "Males and females, little piglets, just like the ones used for roast meat!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"All sows selected ording to regtions, piglets raised with careful prenatal and perinatal care!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"Bred by boars tended to by Jing Country''s former Prime Minister~"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">1
The Chu people went from eating roast meat and skewers to buying Jing Country pigs!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">3
Jing Country pigs just tasted better!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
The Chu people''s impression of Jing Country greatly improved, "Who said Jing Country was stupid? They''re quite clever. These pigs really do have vorful and rich meat!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">3
"The roast duck is excellent too. Do you have live meat ducks for sale? I''m about to host a birthday banquet for my grandmother!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
[Hmm, I knew it,] Xiao Chuchu felt gratified seeing this scene, [We''re not just doing food service, we''re also going to run thergest pig and meat duck farms with quality assurance!]<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">2
[If all countries buy from our Jing Country, how could we ever be short on silver?]<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">2
Listening to his daughter''s inner thoughts, Xiao Yunzhou also felt a surge of excitement.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
He was now experiencing the benefits of being a producer country!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
This was the foreign trade his daughter''s inner voice often spoke about!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
The scene continued to unfold as wealthy merchants'' board games were loaded onto boats and sold box by box to the Chu people.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
By that afternoon, the top schr Zheng Qiru and Minister of Works Liu Runnian had boarded the boats with new foot-powered silk reeling machines.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
As they passed along the river, they exined and demonstrated the benefits of these new foot-powered silk reeling and weaving machines.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
The women and textile merchants of Chu State stared wide-eyed, "How much are these for sale?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
This caught their attention even more than the fresh food, seeming quite important to them.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
Meanwhile, on the shore, the Chu schrs were shocked to see Zheng Qiru, the new top schr of Jing Country.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"His face is disfigured?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"And he can still be admitted to Jing Country''s Hanlin Academy as the top schr?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"He can evene to our Chu territory to showcase Jing Country''s goods? Doesn''t the Jing emperor find his ugly appearance embarrassing?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
The Chu schrs were all astonished. Among them were some with unremarkable appearances or even leg disabilities, whose gazes couldn''t move away from the scar on Zheng Qiru''s forehead.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">3
Zheng Qiru, dressed in his top schr''s attire, looked at these shocked Chu schrs with determined eyes and spoke in a clear voice, "Our Jing Country''s emperor uses talent regardless of appearance. As long as one can get things done, benefit the people, and has ability, even an ugly person like me is willing to be used by the emperor. Even women are willing to be employed!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"!!!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
The Chu people on the opposite shore, still eating, had their mouths hanging open in surprise.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"Is it true?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"Really?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
Those schrs with unremarkable appearances all had moisture in their eyes.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"The Jing emperor is really like this?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">3
Zheng Qiru nodded, "Jing Country opens its doors to all talented and virtuous individuals. We don''t like war; we only wish for all people under heaven to prosper together!"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">3
[Oh, that rhetoric has a bit of modern thinking~]<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
Even Xiao Chuchu admired Zheng Qiru.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
Hearing his daughter''s inner voice, Xiao Yunzhou cleared his throat lightly.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
Before setting out, he had specially summoned Zheng Qiru to the pce for training!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
[This time, Zheng Qiru is Jing Country''s publicity ambassador for weing talent!] Xiao Chuchu chuckled.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">3
Publicity ambassador?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
Xiao Yunzhou nodded with satisfaction, thinking the name was good and fitting.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
On the Chu side, indeed many schrs were moved by Zheng Qiru''s appearance.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
In the world, there were actually quite a few people with less handsome features, insufficient stature, or congenital or acquired leg injuries.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
However, in the past, with these ws, they could never be highly valued by the court.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">3
But now...<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
Zheng Qiru was telling them, in front of them, that it was possible!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">1
As long as they were willing to study and work hard!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
Since Jing Country didn''t like fighting and wouldn''t go to war with Chu State, only wishing for all people to prosper, then—<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"I... I have a sister who married into Jing Country, so I guess I''m half Jing..." Someone in the crowd suddenly called out.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
In an instant, this shout was like a boiling stone thrown into the river, stirring up a thousand waves.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"Hey, my mother''s sister''s son''s neighbor''s husband went to Jing Country to do business, so I guess I''m... a little bit Jing too?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
"My name includes the character for ''Jing'', to be honest..."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
Some people joked, while others had a glimmer in their eyes, silently looking towards the Jing Country city across the river, with a hint of expectation!<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
[Holy crap, the system says we''ve collected two elite individuals!]<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
Xiao Chuchu''s eyes widened.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
Xiao Yunzhou couldn''t help but hold his breath, looking towards the opposite shore, utterly amazed.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">2
On the other side of the river, the Chu people were packed so tightly that individual faces could barely be distinguished.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">1
But surprisingly, there were two elite individuals inside who, just moments ago, had been won over by Zheng Qiru''s persuasive—ahem, impassioned—speech?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
Xiao Yunzhou was overjoyed and pricked up his ears, only to hear Xiao Chuchu''s voice next.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
[Liu Han, Intelligence 95, possesses a photographic memory. However, because his mother was a renowned courtesan in Jing Country, he is viewed as the most lowly illegitimate child in the family. Born with ame foot, he is unable to take the imperial examinations.]<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">0
[Cheng Xing, Intelligence 91... At the age of four, he was blinded in one eye by a bear attack, resulting in a fierce appearance. He is unable to take the imperial examinations.]<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="css-i073lf">3