Ge Congshan looked at Shen Xi suspiciously. Could it be that she knew I was going to gather troops?

Anyone with political acumen can guess this; it will come down to who acts the fastest, who is the most capable, and who is even luckier.

Shenxi is not a naive little girl; it wouldn't be difficult for her to guess.

Moreover, according to reports, Wu Aimin is already assembling troops, and he will certainly need to recruit soldiers from Bian'ai County.

Once Ge Congshan understood this, he said directly, "Indeed, there are some things I need to go back to deal with. If it weren't for your interference, young friend, I would have already traveled dozens of miles by now."

Shen Xi smiled and said, "I think Lord Ge isn't in a hurry at all."

Ge Congshan was indeed not in a hurry. Let those people at the top fight amongst themselves, he didn't think any of them were good enough for him anyway.

The lord he wants to protect must be a lord who cares for the people of the world.

Of those princes, which one truly cared about the common people?

He only saw his own little patch of sky, while the whole world was in chaos. Apart from his own prefecture, which prefecture didn't have uprisings, and which prefecture didn't have bandits?

Of the thirty prefectures, only ten have remained untouched by major unrest.

Even among these ten, most experienced minor disturbances. For example, in Jianming Prefecture, the number of refugees in the prefectural city had just decreased a few days ago, and it is said that they had all fled to Bian'ai County.

Moreover, Jianming Prefecture has conscripted soldiers to attack Yuzhang Prefecture. How can things remain peaceful?

For example, in Zhonggui Prefecture, not only are there many displaced people, but the border is also embroiled in fierce fighting with the Red Guards. They have already conscripted soldiers twice, and the people are filled with resentment.

The seemingly peaceful Yizhou Prefecture is also under the military might of the rebel king Lu Daxu. Given Lu Daxu's current momentum and the infighting in the capital, Yizhou Prefecture will soon descend into war.

These ten regions, though seemingly stable on the surface, are actually on the verge of major unrest.

Even for himself, Ge Congshan smiled wryly, knowing that whether or not to send troops would require him to go back and discuss it with his family and subordinates.

According to his position, troops must not be sent this time.

Moreover, they also have to cooperate with Wu Aimin. What kind of person is Wu Aimin? As long as they cooperate, he will definitely cause trouble and make his army unstable.

Ge Congshan listened to Chen Xi's words with a hint of teasing, and smiled knowingly.

He would delay as long as he could; he had already done enough for the Third Prince.

The world is in chaos now, and who knows who will ultimately rule it? It's not worth risking your life for a prince who doesn't care about the people.

Shenxi continued, "Why don't you stay for a few days, Lord Ge, and see how our civil servants' performance evaluation and recruitment went?"

"good."

Ge Congshan was already hesitant about whether to go back, but now that he had this opportunity, he naturally decided to take it.

Besides, he was also very curious as to why Chenxi would make such a big fuss in a town.

Why make such a fuss over ordinary yamen runners and office workers?

Besides, is it really a good thing if all ordinary people can read?

Born into a prominent family, Ge Congshan was taught from a young age about the policy of keeping the people ignorant.

The less educated and more foolish the common people are, the easier they are to control and manage.

All they needed to do was obey orders and follow the rules he set and the laws of the court.

What's the use of being educated? You still have to follow rules and regulations, and you still have to do things obediently.

Moreover, once the common people become literate, they will no longer be at peace.

They will think a lot and strive for more benefits. How can they still benefit from being a powerful family?

Upon entering Bian'ai County, Ge Congshan noticed a strange phenomenon: everyone in the village was literate and discussing national affairs and county documents.

It would be one thing if everyone were a soldier, since the world is not at peace these days. But if everyone could read and discuss national affairs, would that be a good thing or a bad thing?

Regardless of whether it was good or bad, the situation he saw in Bian'ai County was much better than elsewhere, with everyone full of vigor and striving for progress.

He'll stay and observe for a few more days. If it really works, he can then push it forward in his region.

The day's roll call was over. Those who passed were naturally happy, and not many who failed were dejected.

Zhang Yi failed the exam, but his cousin Zhang Xiong did, and he was happy for Zhang Xiong.

"Zhang Xiong, I will study official documents diligently like you from now on, and strive to pass the exam next time."

Zhang Xiong had been happy all day; the bumpy road home now felt incredibly smooth.

"Yes, yes, I just listened to my mother and memorized it all."

"Besides, my mother said I'm good with my hands and I'm sure I can get into the Ministry of Industry."

Zhang Yi was very envious: "The second exam is the day after tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, I still need to do a few more paperwork pieces when we get back. I can't let others outdo me. Let's hurry up and go!"

Zhang Yi pursed his lips, "Any faster and we'll be flying."

His legs were about to go numb, but the tall and strong Zhang Xiong didn't care. He strode home as fast as he could.

Before even entering the house, he shouted loudly, "Mom, I passed the test! I passed the test today!"

Zhang Xiong's mother rushed out with small, quick steps, jumped up, and smacked Zhang Xiong on the head: "What are you yelling for? Didn't I tell you to learn to be a gentleman? Why are you still so impetuous!"

Zhang Xiong ignored her. His mother's blows didn't hurt. The old lady actually had a lot of strength, but Zhang Xiong was strong enough that it was like a tickle.

"Mom, forget about being a gentleman or not, your son passed the exam, aren't you happy!"

"I'm happy, of course I'm happy. Go, before it gets dark, go weed the fields."

As she spoke, Zhang Xiong's mother handed Zhang Xiong a hoe: "When you water this land, other things don't grow fast, but the weeds do."

Seeing that his mother didn't show any other reaction, Zhang Xiong wasn't sad either. That's just how the old lady is; you'll see her go and brag about it in a bit.

Zhang Xiong, without any apparent burden, picked up a hoe and went to the field to weed.

Sure enough, Zhang Xiongniang, carrying a sewing basket and a piece of cloth, turned to a place where the village women often gathered, where many women were doing needlework.

The new mayor of the town is wonderful. Anyone in the village who is good at needlework can go to the town to get materials to make clothes or shoes and socks. He said that these clothes and shoes and socks are for soldiers and need good needleworkers to make them.

And it must be made according to the given standard dimensions.

There are more than a dozen women in the village who are good at needlework. They have already taken on a job once and were paid quite well. If they continue to do this, it will be enough to feed their whole family.

Zhang Xiongniang was very good at needlework, and in her spare time she would make clothes or shoes and socks to earn pocket money.

Autumn is not over yet; the weather is cool but not cold.

So when people had free time, they would gather at the village millstone to chat and do needlework.

When Zhang Xiongniang arrived, she was all smiles, and someone immediately guessed, "Zhang Xiongniang, did Zhang Xiong pass the exam?"