Conservatively estimated, the annual cost of each soldier Ning Ye maintained was close to one hundred taels of silver. For five hundred soldiers, that would already require fifty thousand taels of silver a year, and that doesn't even include other expenses.
After all, the investment in warhorses can sometimes be much greater, so all of this adds up to at least 100,000 taels of silver.
Of course, an army built with so much silver would be incredibly powerful. Any other ordinary army trying to take advantage of it would be a complete disaster.
Spring planting has just ended, so even if we recruit all the people by now, there shouldn't be any major problems.
Wang Wu didn't think much of it, after all, he had just lost a group of brothers and needed to replenish them urgently.
After the intensive screening was completed, Ning Ye found that there were quite a few suitable people. After staying with him for a long time, their nutrition improved, and most of them seemed to have experienced a second growth spurt.
Or rather, very few people in ancient times were able to truly eat and drink their fill and take good care of their health.
At the same time, Ningye also sent out one development task after another. It was impossible to build the city wall openly, but Qingmei Village had to be impregnable, and his rear could not be compromised.
While Ning Ye was busy with various tasks, Zhang Zihe was being taken out for drinks by different people every day, and all of them were people he couldn't refuse, which put him in a difficult position.
These people had only one goal in mind: to get Zhang Zihe to stay under their command and work for them.
When Zhang Zihe attended the banquet again today, he found himself in what seemed to be an extraordinary place: the First Prince's banquet.
The Eastern Palace is not a place that just anyone can enter. When Zhang Zihe received the banquet invitation, he even wondered if he had fallen ill. How could he have been invited by the First Prince?
However, to be precise, this eldest prince is also the current crown prince, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will be the one to inherit the throne in the future.
No matter how prosperous a small place may be, it is only temporary. But the Eastern Palace is a gathering place for the most skilled craftsmen in the world. Just stepping into it gives one a sense of awe.
Zhang Zi and his guards had all been left outside, so he had to walk alone towards the banquet venue. Every few steps along the way, he would see a beautiful maid.
Whatever your question, just ask these maids and you will get an answer.
When Zhang Zihe finally arrived at the banquet, he didn't know how to describe what he saw. Perhaps this was why countless people flocked to the capital, after all, the dazzling array of luxury was already overwhelming.
At the center of the banquet, a man dressed in a black and gold gown raised his wine glass and said, “Everyone who is here today is my friend. You are all welcome to drink and talk freely. I will not care what you talk about.”
When Zhang Zihe arrived, someone naturally led him to a seat. Although it was very close to a corner, everyone who could be there was a renowned talent and a crucial figure in the officialdom.
This is also what confuses Zhang Zihe the most. After all, he is only the third-ranked scholar in the spring college entrance examination. If he were the top scholar, he could accept being treated like this, but unfortunately he is not.
The occasional glances that swept over him left Zhang Zihe wondering who they were, but no matter who they were, they were probably not people he could afford to offend.
Zhang Zihe now only hopes that it will end quickly so that he can quietly slip away and pretend that he was never here.
Unfortunately, no matter what he wanted to do, things were not going according to his wishes at this moment.
Before long, the Crown Prince's gaze fell on Zhang Zihe, and he even walked directly towards him.
Zhang Zihe immediately stood up, "Your Highness."
The prince's cheeks were flushed from drinking, and his breath reeked of alcohol, but his eyes showed no sign of drunkenness.
"Come, everyone, take a look at this man. He is the third-ranked scholar in the spring examination. His literary talent is outstanding. Unless some of his writings are not approved by the examiners, I think he will probably be the top scholar this year."
After the Crown Prince said that, everyone looked at Zhang Zihe, their scrutinizing gazes quite obvious.
After all, in the Great Gan Dynasty, besides the top two scholars (状元 and 榜眼), the third-ranked scholar (探花郎) was the most outstanding, which was somewhat different from other dynasties.
"Oh, is this young friend the current third-ranked scholar? He looks quite unfamiliar, but he will surely become famous in the future, and perhaps even a great Confucian scholar."
The man who spoke had gray hair, but Zhang Zihe recognized him at a glance as Sheng Qinghong, one of the great Confucian scholars of the time.
Prince He quickly bowed and said, "You flatter me, sir. I still have many shortcomings and need to learn and improve gradually."
"Well, that's quite modest. There aren't many young people as modest as you."
Sheng Qinghong raised her wine glass and said, "Come, come, let's drink this cup together."
Zhang Zihe didn't dare to be negligent at all. He quickly poured himself a full glass of wine and drank it all in one gulp. Sheng Qinghong laughed heartily when she saw this, "It seems that not only is his writing talent good, but his drinking capacity is also quite good. He will surely be a romantic and talented man in the future."
At this moment, the Crown Prince also said, "The spring exam has really narrowed your options. Why don't you become my retainer? If a suitable opportunity arises in the future, I will help you out. This would definitely be a good thing for you."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Zihe suddenly felt a lot of pressure from the gazes that had been scrutinizing him. If he were to refuse directly, it would be disrespectful to a prince.
If Zhang Zihe does not refuse and thus becomes a disciple of the Crown Prince, he will inevitably be labeled as the Crown Prince in everything he does, and will never be able to remove that label for the rest of his life.
Just as Zhang Zihe was caught in a dilemma, a gentle voice came from afar.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince has thrown a grand banquet but didn't invite me, your elder sister. Has our relationship grown distant?"
As soon as the voice was spoken, everyone's attention immediately shifted, and a woman dressed in a palace dress walked slowly towards them. It was Princess Yuye, who had just returned to the capital.
This Crown Prince is indeed a year younger than Princess Yuye, and the hierarchy of age and status must still be observed.
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