Chapter 76 Recruiting Newcomers: Bai Qi vs. Han Xin?

For the others in the Songyang County government, Wu Shifu's death was like a leaf falling to the ground, causing little to no ripple.

No one would doubt that Wu Shifu was murdered.

After all, he had nothing that others would covet. He had been abandoned at the city gate by his family, penniless, and then severely injured.

If it weren't for Magistrate Jiang's kind heart, he would probably be dead long ago and wouldn't have survived until today.

According to custom, the body must remain in state for seven days before burial. Django paid for all the funeral arrangements, which were not extravagant, but they were still a respectable affair.

Wei Zhongxian had been busy all day. Looking up at the sky, he realized, "Oh dear, it's time to finish my shift so quickly."

Sure enough, time always flies when you're busy. He was unwilling to admit it, but he just didn't want to run into the founding emperor.

Afraid of being beaten.

When he was reporting his memorials in the morning, Zhu Yuanzhang would beat him at the drop of a hat. He was already old and his body was fragile, so he couldn't withstand the abuse.

Estimating that the founding emperor should have returned to court, Wei Zhongxian felt relieved and returned to his office. As soon as he stepped inside, he heard the founding emperor's voice.

"Why don't you two have a fight?" They just wanted to stir things up.

Zhu Yuanzhang was not in a hurry to return to the capital. Now Zhu Di could handle most of the government affairs and was doing a pretty good job.

A feather fan swayed gently, stirring up a light breeze. "Gentlemen," a clear voice spoke calmly, "I believe this matter should be shown to us first, so as to clarify the truth." Zhuge Liang tapped the screen lightly with his fingertip, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

Zhuge Liang was very eager to see what happened next. Language and writing could not replace the expression of images. Moreover, Zheng He had only mentioned his own end last time. What about those who followed him?

Even though it's not well-known, it still needs an ending.

Zheng He may not have noticed, but Zhuge Liang did not forget.

Zhou Yu pressed his long fingers to his lips, a cold smile playing on his lips: "Kongming, you are mistaken. If you want to get to the bottom of things, you should naturally look at the official history first, so that future generations won't be misled by certain... fictional accounts." He emphasized the last two words, his gaze sweeping meaningfully over Zhuge Liang.

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms has elevated Zhuge Liang to an almost supernatural level, even making him pray for wind and rain.

If he could really summon rain, why would Zhuge Liang be prime minister? He could be the high priest, wearing a grass skirt and hopping around all day. Maybe he could even flood the seven armies.

In the corner, Huo Qubing stood with his arms crossed, his weapon gleaming coldly in the twilight. "What are you two arguing about?" he raised an eyebrow. "Can this thing display the Records of the Grand Historian? Let me see how future generations praise my uncle's achievements first."

The three people's eyes met, and sparks flew instantly.

Neither side was willing to give in.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came, and Li Chengqian, holding Li Tai's little hand, stepped across the threshold with his short legs.

Don't let their young age fool you.

They are also of royal lineage, and have an amazing keen sense for good things.

Li Chengqian had seen this television set before. After his father and mother watched it, their attitude towards him changed subtly, and they paid more attention to him.

Moreover, his mother told him when no one was around, "Chengqian, don't worry, you are the Crown Prince." The young Li Chengqian had no grudge against Li Taisheng and no leg ailment. He even quite liked his younger brother Li Taisheng.

He's chubby and very smart.

The two brothers came to Songyang County together again. They had a deep bond, and Li Tai understood everything with just a glance from Li Chengqian.

Li Tai's round eyes blinked and instantly locked onto his target—the television set!

"Brother!" he called out in his childish voice, as if to start. Then, with a sudden burst of energy, he lunged at the table, his chubby little hands gripping the television tightly, and he looked up and shouted, "Father! Show it to Father!"

Huo Qubing's eye twitched upon seeing this: "..."

Zhou Yu's lips twitched slightly: "..."

Zhuge Liang coughed lightly: "Young master, this is not a toy, why don't you let me have it first..."

There should be a first-come, first-served order, right?

You can't reason with a spoiled child.

Li Tai ignored him and hugged him even tighter, his little face stubborn: "No! All the good things in the world belong to the Tang Dynasty!"

The chubby boy is assertive and domineering; perhaps this is his true nature. As a member of the royal family, his humility and politeness are merely for the sake of a good reputation. When it comes to something that truly needs to be fought for, they never hide it.

Li Chengqian stood to the side, nodding slightly. Although he did not speak, his eyes were firm—clearly, the two brothers had already reached a consensus.

This confidence is not without reason.

Yuchi Jingde and Qin Shubao stood at the door, one with his arms crossed and the other with his hands on his hips, completely indulging their unruly child, their faces saying, "Let's see who dares to touch my little prince."

These two people can practically do whatever they want in the Songyang County government office. If it were just one person, it would be a little easier, but there are two of them. Who can beat them?

Huo Qubing took a deep breath, suppressing his anger: "Kid, let go."

Li Tai shook his head: "I won't loosen it!"

How can we argue about this?

You can't just snatch something from a child. Zhou Yu considered himself to have some magnanimity, and he couldn't do such a thing. Zhuge Liang might be able to, but he was ruthless and lacked manners.

Silently complaining to himself, Zhou Yu turned to look at Zhuge Liang beside him, wondering how he would react. Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled slightly: "How about this, since the young master insists on bringing it back to the Tang Dynasty, but he has already finished reading the history of the Zhenguan era, why don't we wait until I finish reading it first?"

Huo Qubing frowned: "On what grounds?"

Zhuge Liang tapped his feather fan lightly: "General Huo, are you really going to argue with a five-year-old child?"

Huo Qubing: "..."

He immediately pulled out his cousin Liu Ju from behind. Who doesn't have a child?

Just as the argument reached a stalemate, Jiang Ge pushed open the door and entered, followed by the furtive Wei Zhongxian. Following Magistrate Jiang meant no chance of getting beaten up. She glanced at the tense crowd in the room, then looked at Li Tai, who was clinging to the television, and sighed: "Alright, let's do it in order. First the Grand Commander, then Huo Qubing, and finally the Prime Minister."

Zhou Yu didn't bring it back last time, and Kui Shun could only see it in Songyang County. Bringing it back would scare his family.

Li Tai immediately pouted: "What about me?"

Jiang Ge gently rubbed Li Taiyuan's round little head, his fingers accidentally catching the ribbon binding the little guy's hair, causing a tuft of hair to fall out.

"After they've finished looking at it, you can take it home and look at it slowly." Jiang Ge casually pressed down the tuft of hair, but it bounced back up as soon as he let go. "I just don't know if any new people will come. What if a new person does..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

"bite--"

A crisp system notification suddenly rang in my mind—the sound of recruiting new employees, a sound I hadn't heard in a long time.

Wei Zhongxian wasn't recruited; he was someone you found in a blind box, so it was worth the money. He's very perceptive and capable, but he's a bit too obsequious.

Jiang Ge stood there stunned for a moment, when Wei Zhongxian eagerly stepped forward and asked, "Is Magistrate Jiang too tired?" He then turned around and pulled Li Tai aside, saying, "Kid, go away and stop causing trouble!"

This child is a prince of the Tang Dynasty, not the Ming Dynasty. And he's not afraid of princes from the Ming Dynasty. He's the Ninth Prince, who does he have to fear?

Wei Zhongxian not only used actions and words to drive Li Tai away, but his facial expression was also extremely sinister, which directly frightened Li Tai into tears.

Every face the royal family members saw was smiling, and everyone was a good person. Where had they ever seen a treacherous villain like Wei Zhongxian?

The chubby boy was so frightened that his eyes welled up with tears.

"You eunuch, how dare you!" Yuchi Jingde strode forward with his golden sword, wishing he could strike Wei Zhongxian directly, but Jiang Ge was still there, so he could only restrain himself slightly and simply grabbed Wei Zhongxian by the collar and lifted him up.

Although Qin Shubao behind him did not make any move, his stance was straightforward and blunt: if Yuchi Jingde had fought, Qin Shubao would fight too.

"Magistrate Jiang, save me!" Wei Zhongxian struggled in mid-air but couldn't reach the ground, so he could only shout.

He was just trying to curry favor, what did he do wrong?

Kids are definitely the most annoying thing!

Django was checking who was on the list, and the resumes of this group of constables were simply dazzling. Wow, how come all the big shots are on it?

Has she switched from non-European to European?

Just as he was thinking about this, he was interrupted by Wei Zhongxian's cry for help. Looking closely, he saw Wei Zhongxian being lifted up and flung around in mid-air by Yuchi Jingde.

"Yuchi Jingde, put Wei Zhongxian down first," Jiang Ge said helplessly. It was really unsightly to see Wei Zhongxian being lifted up, especially since he was old.

Upon hearing this, before Yuchi Jingde could even let go, Wei Zhongxian was already moved, sobbing uncontrollably.

What did he do wrong?

He was just disciplining the unruly child.

If parents don't discipline a brat like Li Tai, he'll inevitably cause trouble sooner or later. Wei Zhongxian believed he was just quietly doing good deeds.

Upon hearing Jiang Ge's words, Yuchi Jingde could no longer hold onto Wei Zhongxian, so he simply released his grip on Wei Zhongxian's collar, causing Wei Zhongxian to stumble and fall.

After Wei Zhongxian finally managed to get up, Yuchi Jingde slapped him on the shoulder again and said, "You eunuch, watch out for your skin from now on!"

These words were a genuine threat to Wei Zhongxian, who was so frightened that he wrinkled his face and hid next to Jiang Ge.

He was hoping Django would back him up.

"Alright, alright, we still have things to do. Let me show you the list of new recruits." The people on this list are really too amazing. Jiang Ge couldn't help but want everyone to see it. Part of the reason was also to divert attention from the conflict.

After all, Wei Zhongxian had done some real work for her.

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up. Newcomers? Since they were recruiting, they should definitely hire people from their dynasty! Many hands make light work!

Zhu Yuanzhang, watching from the sidelines: Biao'er, is that you?

Zhou Yu, whose hopes were repeatedly dashed: Bo Fu...

Most of the others probably wanted their relatives and friends to come, but Hei Fu looked left and right, wondering if a newcomer was coming?

It's best if it's not from the Qin Dynasty, otherwise he won't be the only one recruited by the immortals. Hei Fu also has his own thoughts; he doesn't want to give up his current good life to someone else.

Besides, his abilities were only average to begin with. If someone more capable came along, would His Majesty even notice him?

Heifu-chan, so ordinary and unremarkable, only wants a stable and peaceful happiness.

Django displayed the recruitment list, and fluorescent lights illuminated the office in mid-air, casting flickering light on everyone's faces.

At this moment, however, no one noticed the strange light. Everyone was looking up, their eyes fixed on the names that slowly appeared on the light screen, afraid of missing a single word.

"Bai Qi?"

Huo Qubing suddenly spoke, his voice tinged with disbelief. His fingers unconsciously tightened around the hilt of his sword, his knuckles turning white. If this god of war were to arrive...

Bai Qi silenced the office with a single word.

"Xiang Yu?!"

Yuchi Jingde suddenly stood up, his pupils contracting sharply, as if he had seen something unbelievable. The name of the Hegemon-King of Western Chu was renowned even to military generals of the Tang Dynasty, hundreds of years later.

"Han Xin..."

Zhuge Liang sighed softly, his feather fan hovering in mid-air. His gaze deepened, as if he could see the heroic figure of the man known as the "God of War" through that name.

The names on the light screen continued to appear.

Each name that appeared caused a slight commotion. Wei Zhongxian, hiding behind the crowd, stared wide-eyed, his gaze shifting back and forth between the light screen and Jiang Ge. Suddenly, it dawned on him—whether these ruthless figures who would go down in history could be spared depended entirely on Magistrate Jiang's whim.

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Author's Note: I finished writing a chapter yesterday, but it didn't feel right, so I rewrote it today, which is why it's a few hours late. I'm very, very sorry. You can choose from Bai Qi, Xiang Yu, and Han Xin. Feel free to recommend any historical figures you like to me [Let me see!].