14 Chapter 14

◎Office slaves working overtime◎

Li Hengqing added, "Looks like we need to get the carpenters to hurry up and make a batch of bunk beds. We'll make do with them at the new camp for now."

Agula frowned, but turned around with a brisk pace. Naren, who must have heard the noise, trotted out of the hut, clutching a roll of spun wool yarn. "Khatun, Dad! Look, the yarn I spun is the best! My sisters all say it's the best."

She was so proud that her invisible little tail seemed to be standing up. Li Hengqing smiled and patted her head, praising her generously: "Good girl, you are so smart."

Agula on the side relaxed his brows again.

Footsteps were heard from the side. Cen Jue, holding a stack of papyrus, approached Li Hengqing somewhat awkwardly. Although he had adapted to the local customs and dressed like a grassland dweller, he still looked like a frail scholar, and he pursed his lips a little embarrassedly.

It was only after he arrived at the tribe that he realized that the woman who gave him the money to bury his father was not an ordinary woman, but Princess Shunyang, who was married to the Northern Di as a peace marriage. She was a princess that he could never reach even if he stood on tiptoe in his entire life.

"...Your Highness," Cen Jue became even more nervous at the thought, subconsciously straightening his collar, which was not wrinkled at all. "I have already prepared the first draft of the sample textbook you asked me to write, and I would like...to have your review."

He was afraid that Li Hengqing would think he was seeking credit, so he chose his words carefully and spoke with great caution.

Li Hengqing took the book, flipped through a few pages, and was about to praise him when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a pair of familiar narrow fox eyes in the crowd.

He was an extremely handsome young man from another race, and even wearing ordinary pioneer clothes could not hide his noble air.

Li Hengqing's heart trembled. When he looked again, the young man had blended into the crowd and disappeared without a trace.

Was it an illusion? She frowned slightly, told her personal guards to be more careful about people with such characteristics, and didn't dwell on the matter too much.

Thousands of survivors were not a small number to be taken care of easily; behind these figures lay many living people. Taking on these people meant that Silver Moon Valley would be responsible for their food, clothing, shelter, transportation, food, drink, and toilet. It was a lot of work to do, and she didn't have much time.

The expansion was happening faster than she had anticipated, and she was once again faced with the dilemma of having no one available. Tana was of noble birth among the remnants of the Black Hawk Tribe, and had already established herself in the new camp during its operation. Transferring her here as the chief officer was a perfect fit, fulfilling the agreement she had made with Tana.

The civil service education Cen Jue received would have been very useful at this time, and the tedious clerical work was just right for him. However, as he was a Nansheng imperial examination candidate, whether he would be willing to serve as an official in Beidi was still unknown;

The rest of the guards can also read and write, and can initially perform simple personnel statistics work.

...As for the remaining tens or hundreds of households, perhaps they can be found among those who came in response to the recruitment order.

She made a decision in an instant and called her personal guards over. "Bring all the previously compiled recruitment rosters to my tent. Send a message back to the tribe and have them compile the same rosters and send them to Silver Moon Valley in groups of 100."

After a pause, he continued, "Mr. Runsheng, please follow me into the tent. Everyone else can just stand back."

The personal guard received the order and was about to deliver the message, but he paused again when he heard the order. Thinking of Helian Xiao's previous question, a complicated expression flashed across his face.

However, Li Hengqing and Cen Jue both looked calm and composed, so they quickly left.

Li Hengqing walked into the tent, personally picked up the bone china teapot and poured a cup of tea for Cen Jue, then nodded and said, "Sir, please sit down."

Cen Jue was flattered and quickly sat upright, carefully observing Li Hengqing from the corner of his eye. The tea was served as a prelude to a long conversation, and he personally poured the tea with such respect... His heart couldn't help but pound wildly in his chest, and a light layer of sweat formed on his palms.

"I'm sure you've heard, sir, that Silver Moon Valley will be accepting nearly a thousand more people," Li Hengqing said. Treating scholars differently was a matter of course, so she had to be more subtle with Cen Jue, giving him time to prepare, fearing she might scare the delicate Nansheng scholar into fainting.

Cen Jue had been trying to focus his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, but when he heard Li Hengqing's calm and gentle voice, his eyes unconsciously fell on the bare hand casually resting on the teacup. He bit the tip of his tongue and came back to his senses before saying, "Yes."

He was a very smart person, but when facing Li Hengqing, he felt that his brain was confused and could only respond in a mumbled manner.

Seeing that he didn't resist too much, Li Hengqing continued, "This may seem easy, but it's actually not a trivial matter. Sir, you are very knowledgeable and must be familiar with the intricacies of this matter. I'm afraid you will need help."

Even the most foolish person would understand what was said. Cen Jue sipped his tea to moisten his throat, and found his voice extremely hoarse: "...I am willing to serve His Highness Shunyang at my utmost."

"That's great." Li Hengqing smiled and took a sip of tea. The tea in the cup was a clear, bright amber color, mellow and smooth, with a light woody aroma. After swallowing, the sweetness in the mouth was also light.

It was authentic Nansheng tea, not Beidi milk tea. I don't know how I found it among the accompanying supplies.

Seeing Cen Yu finish his tea in one gulp, Li Hengqing assumed he was thirsty, so he poured him another cup and casually asked, "Sir, what do you think of this tea?"

Cen Yu had been so preoccupied with his response that he hadn't even tasted the tea. When asked, his mind went blank. He could only bite the bullet and rack his brains to come up with a random guess: "This tea... the tea soup is clear, and the taste... the taste is sweet and mellow, like a spring breeze, and it has... it has the aroma of orchids and angelica. It's truly a fine tea!"

He spoke haltingly, his cheeks slightly flushed.

After listening to this set of flowery rhetoric, Li Hengqing looked at the reddish-brown tea soup that was obviously made from aged brick tea, and felt a little amused. He thought it was just scholars who liked to show off their knowledge when talking, so he stopped asking questions and brought the topic back on track.

"Since you're willing to help, let's discuss the specifics." She pushed a piece of papyrus in front of Cen Yu. "This is a draft of the personnel grouping I've drawn up. I'd appreciate your feedback."

Cen Yu quickly looked over and saw clear charcoal writing dividing the influx of people into several groups with distinct responsibilities.

"First, there's the pioneer team." Li Hengqing pointed at the first one. "All newly arrived young and able-bodied women who are still able-bodied will be assigned to this group. Their mission is to continue cultivating the land in Silver Moon Valley and digging canals in preparation for large-scale planting next year. This will be the hardest work of all the departments, but it will also have the best benefits."

"Next is the Handyman Camp." Her finger slid down to the next line. "All registered individuals with skills like sewing, tanning, and weaving will be assigned to this camp. They'll be responsible for making the tribe's winter clothing, tents, and the protective gloves we desperately need. I need a fire chief who can initially manage the Handyman Camp. I'll have to trouble you, sir, with your concern."

"The third is the Food Harvest Camp. The tribe's dairy processing can't just rely on the first group of people. Anyone willing to learn how to make milk tofu and butter is welcome to join, and our product line will be expanded in the future. This will not only ensure our food supply, but will also become an important commodity for our foreign trade in the future."

"Finally, there's the Fire Pond Camp. The remaining elderly and children will be assigned to this camp. The elderly will be responsible for caring for the children, spinning wool, and preparing wild vegetables, allowing their parents to work outside with peace of mind. The children will all attend our school, and you, sir, will teach them."

After hearing this, Cen Yu was shocked beyond words.

"I..." He didn't know what to say for a moment, "Your Highness, this method is comparable to... comparable to the governance of ancient sages."

"Sir, you're too kind." Li Hengqing smiled. "It's just talk. To truly turn it into reality, I need people like you to help me sort out documents, count the population, and plan strategies. I'd like to ask you to serve as Bijachi, in charge of all documents and archives. Are you willing?"

"Bi Chachi..."

He stood up suddenly and bowed to Li Hengqing in an extremely solemn manner.

"Student Cen Yu is willing to die for His Highness!"

*

The setting sun dyed the entire Silvermoon Valley with a warm golden color.

Cen Yu walked out of the school with tired steps. His once clean clothes were now stained with mud and the sap of unknown plants, and his hair was a little disheveled.

Teaching nearly a hundred energetic prairie kids who didn't speak the same language and would quarrel and fight over trivial matters from time to time was much more tiring than he had imagined.

This afternoon, two boys nearly overturned the whole school to grab a beautiful slate. He had to work very hard to pull them apart, but he got himself covered in dust.

He was exhausted, both physically and mentally, and even for a moment he doubted his impulsive decision. Could a weak scholar like him truly achieve anything in this rugged land? A wave of uncertainty washed over him.

Cen Jue paused and looked around. Points of warm yellow light gradually lit up in the earthen hut, like fireflies in the dim valley. He couldn't help but recall Li Hengqing's response to his words of "dying for the sake of death"—"I only admire your talent, not your life or death. Whether it's the new camp or the construction of Silver Moon Valley, it's all for everyone to live a peaceful and happy life."

Cen Yu took a deep breath, expelling all the fatigue and confusion in his chest. He straightened his aching spine, and the light in his eyes rekindled.

How could the road to greatness be smooth? Even His Highness, a noble and noble woman, toils day and night, so what does my hard work amount to?

He had regained his spirits and was about to return to his hut when a frivolous male voice suddenly rang out from behind him. The man was speaking Chinese, with a very strange pronunciation, and the ending sounds were all upturned.

"This is the famous Mr. Cen, right?"