Ning Ye didn't know how long it would take to turn this place into a prosperous land, but since others were unwilling to do it, he would do it himself.
Even though so much time has passed, Ning Ye is still very clear about his own resources, not counting other things, just the weapons provided by the system.
Strictly speaking, this would be more than enough to arm an army of nearly a thousand people, but in Ning Ye's case, these things could only arm three or four hundred people at most.
Throughout history, the advantage of numbers has indeed been important, but sometimes even a large number of people cannot compare to a truly elite force; the difference between the two can be described as vast.
Moreover, given the current population, supporting a large army would inevitably increase logistical pressure, and it would be impossible to select enough suitable personnel; at best, it would just be a bunch of mediocre people filling the ranks.
Ning Ye didn't intend to support so many useless people. As long as he didn't have to worry about an army that wasn't strong enough to sweep everything away, that would be enough. After all, he understood the principle of "better to eat one peach than a whole basket of rotten apricots."
The idea of sending Zhang Zihe to participate in the spring exam was not something Ning Ye just imagined; it was something that had actually been decided long ago, because Zhang Zihe himself wanted to enter officialdom and strive for a future different from that of ordinary people.
Ning Ye knew in his heart that he couldn't keep Zhang Zihe here forever. How many young people who are just teachers don't have dreams? If he were tied to him, it would only lower his status. It would be better to let him do what he wants.
Walking along the roads in Qingmei Village, the snow had all been cleared, and all the roads were unobstructed. The workers were laying the bricks that had already been laid, following the route planned by Ning Ye.
The completely frozen ground is indeed difficult to work on, but it also has one advantage: once the snow is cleared from the road, there's no need to worry about anything else. Just lay the bricks, and then use some other filler to smooth the road.
In this way, Qingmei Village won't fall into a mud pit after spring arrives, and everyone will be cleaner, which is very important for the people, since most people's clothes are still very precious.
Two days had passed in the blink of an eye, and Ning Ye finally became interested in seeing whether the Turkic prince was willing to back down.
When the dungeon doors opened, Ning Ye felt as if he were standing in front of a disheveled, mentally ill man, Zhamuhe, who had become somewhat deranged.
Within this enclosed space, there was not a sound, not a light, and you had no idea how much time had passed.
Even those with professional training cannot endure such torture for long. There may be a few people in the world who can withstand such torture, but that certainly does not include Zhamuhe.
When Zhamuhe saw the dungeon door open, he wanted to rush out, but Wang Wu was like a guardian deity, firmly guarding the place.
Ning Ye said jokingly, "Your Highness had better behave yourself, or I can lock you up here for a while longer and then question you after you've completely calmed down."
Zhamu immediately shouted, "No, you can't do this! You must be a demon who crawled out of hell, otherwise you couldn't have come up with such a terrifying method!"
Ning Ye smiled and said, "Don't say that. It only makes me think you're praising me, and it doesn't serve any other purpose. I've prepared some food for you, Your Highness. Would you like to have a bite?"
Faced with the pig-swill-like food again, this time the prince didn't hesitate at all. Zhamu and others wolfed down the food, stuffing it all into their mouths. When a person is extremely hungry, they no longer care what they are eating; they only care that they don't want to go hungry anymore.
After finishing his meal, Zhamu said weakly, "Tell me, what exactly do you want from me? I don't understand why you insist on capturing me. No matter what I offer, you probably wouldn't dare to take it. Capturing me is pointless."
"Whether it's useful or not isn't up to you to decide. If I think it's useful, then it's useful. If it had no value, it should have died long ago."
"Fine, I'll assume you've got ulterior motives for capturing me. But now you can state your demands. I'll agree to whatever they are, as long as you release me and let me leave this dark and gloomy place."
Ning Ye said slowly, "How about this, I won't make things difficult for you. I only have a few questions. As long as you answer them honestly, I'll let you leave. Of course, it's impossible to let you go, but I can let you see the sunshine and know the beauty outside."
Zhamuhe had completely given up resisting. He used to think that torture should be bloody, but now he suddenly realized that sometimes the invisible torment was more deadly and more painful.
All of this was caused by this seemingly harmless guy. It was just a few problems. Nothing was more important than his life. As long as he could leave alive and return to the grasslands, he could still inherit the throne. Then he would let Ning Ye know what it meant to be in unbearable pain.
"First, your Turkic delegation came here to negotiate peace, but is that really your true intention?"
After a moment of inner struggle, Zhamuhe's eyes flickered, and he finally chose to bow his head. "Our mission this time is to investigate the situation in various parts of the entire Daqian Dynasty. We have already collected intelligence on all the places that should be given special attention."
Ning Ye had already guessed this outcome; after all, it would be a miracle if these guys had any good intentions.
"After witnessing it firsthand, how long do you think it will take before you launch an attack?"
Zhamuhe shook his head and said, "Even if I am a prince, this is not something I can know. No one will know about this until a real order is issued."
Ning Ye looked intently into Zhamuhe's eyes, knowing that the guy wasn't lying and genuinely didn't know.
"One last question: if I wanted some ransom, how much do you think you, as a prince, would be worth?"
Upon hearing this, Zhamuhe even thought he was hallucinating. Had this guy really become so arrogant?
Even if I am indeed worth a lot of money, would this guy really dare to take it?
Kidnapping a prince of a country and then demanding a ransom is something that has never been heard of before.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
