The place was bustling with people.
Xianyang City is as prosperous as ever, but it is much more lively than before.
Outsiders can be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys, and the tea stalls are full of discussions.
"Have you heard? The imperial court has obtained a magical seed that can produce a thousand kilograms per mu. It's called sweet potato."
"Is this true? The yield is so high, five times higher than the current corn. It's unbelievable!"
"It should be true. The imperial court even held a farming competition. Whoever planted the highest yield of sweet potatoes would be awarded an official title and a million gold coins. The winner's name would also be engraved on a stele and recorded in history."
"Hiss~ Such a big deal?!"
"My grandfather is an old farmer, good at taking care of crops. I wonder if he can participate in this competition."
"It seems there are no restrictions on the requirements for participating. Let's give it a try."
In the city, people were chatting animatedly, while various forces were quietly gathering information.
On the contrary, not many people paid attention to the news about Shennong Order.
Since it was the spring plowing season, Fusu did not delay and quickly began to screen the participants.
Most of them are disciples from farming families and experienced old farmers, and of course there are also people who take advantage of the situation.
Grain seeds were precious, so Fusu carefully examined them several times and only selected the top 100 farmers who were good at farming.
The competition venue is set in the public land on the outskirts of the city.
Each person has one acre of land, and can grow seedlings and apply fertilizers on their own based on their own abilities. Vicious competition is prohibited.
As for the results of the competition, they will be known during the autumn harvest.
The sweet potato planting competition was held successfully, and people all over the world were looking forward to it, wishing that autumn would come soon.
The storm gradually subsided, and the world became much calmer.
Xianyang Palace, Imperial Garden.
Under the peach tree, two figures, one white and one black, were playing chess, and pink and white petals fell like rain.
The young man in white, as gentle as jade, held the black piece in his hand and stared at the chessboard. His voice was gentle and clear, but it contained some hint of meaning.
"Brother, what should we do next?"
"We have taken control of the initiative. The next step is, of course, to lead the enemy into a trap."
"Walk into a trap..."
Fusu murmured softly, and there seemed to be a flash of inspiration in his mind, but he couldn't catch it.
Ying Zhao dropped a black piece and smiled faintly, with a radiance floating between his handsome eyebrows.
"Xiao Mu, what is the most precious thing for a scholar?"
"Of course it's knowledge and classics."
Fusu said without thinking, and the next moment, his eyes suddenly lit up and his expression was no longer confused.
"Thank you for your guidance, brother. I now understand how to plan the next step."
As the eldest son of the Qin Dynasty, Fusu was carefully trained and strictly required since childhood, and he was not bad in both civil and military skills.
After figuring out the key points, he quickly came up with a plan in his mind.
Half a month later.
A writing material called "paper" was popular in Xianyang.
It is as thin as a cicada's wing, smooth and flat, as white as snow, easy to write on and preserve, and can completely replace bamboo slips. It is even better than soft cloth.
No one is so stupid as not to see its value.
The emergence of "paper" was a great innovation in human history and also a grand carnival for scholars all over the world.
Whether they were high-ranking officials or noble families, they were all madly scrambling to buy snow paper.
Unfortunately, snow paper was produced in the palace, and most of it was used to reward officials, with only a small amount sold outside.
As the saying goes, scarcity makes things valuable.
Soon, merchants speculated that the price of snow paper was higher than gold, which perfectly illustrates the meaning of "Xianyang paper is expensive".
Just when the enthusiasm reached its peak, the eldest prince Fusu suddenly issued a call for talents.
The academy recruits talented and ambitious people from all over the world, regardless of their social status or school of thought. As long as they are talented, they can enroll.
The imperial court will provide free food and lodging, paper, inkstone, and writing brushes to the students of the academy, and will also open up the palace's collection of classics.
No scholar can resist such overwhelming temptation.
In addition, the academy will hold a "debate conference", and the winner will serve as the head of the academy, that is, the chief priest.
Therefore, when the order to recruit talents was spread, countless people flocked to Xianyang.
Heroes from all over the world will soon gather at the Xianyang Academy.
The gathering of heroes and the surging atmosphere seem to be recreating the grand occasion of the Hundred Schools of Thought in the past.
This time, all the philosophers could no longer sit still.
Sanghai, a small sage village.
A middle-aged man in a brown Confucian robe was pacing back and forth excitedly, lacking his usual maturity and composure.
"Zilu, Zifang, this is a good time for us Confucians to enter the world!"
"Master Uncle has served as Jixia Academy's Chief Priest three times. This time, the position of Xianyang Academy's Chief Priest must belong to us Confucians!"
"The Mars Stone and the assassination at Haiyue Cottage have already caused the eldest prince Fusu to harbor resentment towards us. I heard that he will be presiding over this debate conference. I'm afraid..."
"Zilu, I know you are cautious, but Master Fusu is a gentleman, not a narrow-minded person."
"Not to mention that we are innocent and have nothing to fear."
The two brothers had a heated discussion.
The young man in a light blue Confucian robe remained silent, as if he was deep in thought, with a dark look in his eyes.
A moment later.
The elegant young man walked through the intricate courtyard paths and came to a lush peach blossom forest.
Under the peach tree, a handsome and elegant middle-aged man was resting his head on the legs of a beautiful woman in purple, drinking and enjoying the scenery.
"Zifang, now that you're here, it's just right for you to have a drink with me."
"Ninth Young Master, something big has happened recently."
"The Xianyang Academy has been established, and a call for talent has been issued. Hundreds of schools of thought will soon gather to debate and debate."
"Recruitment Order..."
The middle-aged man sat up and shook his wine glass. His charming peach blossom eyes were a little weathered, but also showed the maturity and wisdom accumulated over the years.
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