"Hiss, the Imperial Secretary and the Imperial Guard, these two officials, although their ranks are not high, can only be held by trusted confidants. Especially the Imperial Secretary, who is responsible for drafting all imperial edicts, that's really, really enviable." An elderly scholar said somewhat wistfully.
He was clearly a down-on-his-luck scholar, so he naturally knew what the position of Zhongshu Sheren (中书舍人) was. Being responsible for drafting imperial edicts meant he could be by Lin Yang's side at all times—what a privilege!
"Oh, this must be the Cai family of Jingzhou! I recognize this family crest!"
"Look, that's the Huang family of Jiangxia. That young man should be Huang Zu, the young patriarch of the Huang family."
"Over there are the Kuai brothers from Jingzhou, who are also famous child prodigies."
Soon, everyone discovered that almost all the prominent families of Jingzhou had arrived. However, before they could finish being surprised, they found that several prominent families from Jiangdong, including the Lu family, the Yu family, and the Gu family, had also come.
However, this was not the end. In addition to these prominent families, almost all the well-known merchants from the surrounding area were also invited. Some had assets worth hundreds of millions, while others had assets worth millions.
Next came the academy's dean, the sect leader, such as Huang Zhong, Pang Degong, and some other famous figures, such as the prefect of Lujiang County, the prefect of Xiangyang County, and the prefect of Jiangling County.
Besides officials, Lin Yang even invited some famous wandering knights. After all, it was just sending out invitations; even if they didn't come, there wouldn't be much loss, right?
"Yuan Tan, what do you think of our lord's actions this time? Such a grand display makes me feel a little uneasy. People from Jingzhou, Huainan, and Jiangdong—anyone with influence, wealth, or power—have been invited. What if we fail..." Yu Fan said with some worry.
At this time, Yu Fan and Gu Yong had already sought refuge with Lin Yang after the Xu family was wiped out. As scions of prominent families, they received a large amount of resources when they joined him.
Therefore, Lin Yang felt embarrassed to directly assign them to start from the ninth rank. Considering their aristocratic family background, he gave them two options. One was to stay in the central government and start as an eighth-rank official. The other was to be sent down to the countryside as an eighth-rank village chief.
Both were quite clever and chose to become village chiefs. Now, they've both risen to the rank of township head, a seventh-grade official, managing ten villages and the daily lives of ten thousand people. They've certainly gained a lot of experience and learned a great deal.
At the same time, he deeply admired Lin Yang and wholeheartedly accepted the nascent Wu Kingdom. Otherwise, why would he have any worries?
"We will not fail, we will definitely not fail. You must have faith in our lord. Look, there are so many wealthy and powerful people here. It can be said that the entire Jingzhou, Huainan, and Jiangdong are not actually controlled by the imperial court, but by them."
"In other words, they control the resources of at least hundreds of millions of people. They can mobilize tens of millions of people. Even if our lord manages to persuade just one percent of them, that's still several hundred thousand people."
"And Lujiang County is just the first step in our roadshow. There are other cities to come, such as Xiapi in Xuzhou, Yecheng in Jizhou, and Luoyang in Zhili. Even if we only mobilize a few hundred thousand people at a time, our total population will reach several million in the following year, and easily exceed ten million in a few years!" Gu Yong said through gritted teeth, his eyes red.
Tens of millions of people! In the south, even a smaller prefecture, like Changsha or Lingling, only has a population of ten million!
Moreover, is it really that difficult to persuade one person out of a hundred and secure an investment? Gu Yong thought it wasn't! He could imagine that after this roadshow, the name of the Duke of Wu would be known throughout the land. The entire Kingdom of Wu would once again experience a period of rapid growth.
That's truly a brilliant idea!
Soon, it was nine o'clock in the morning, which is the Si hour.
"Of those who received invitations, how many actually came? How many came in person, and how many sent someone else on their behalf?" Lin Yang asked, looking in the mirror.
At this moment, Lin Yang was dressed in a fiery red dragon robe, and on his head was a crown with a cauldron on the front, where a very conspicuous sapphire was placed. He also wore some jade ornaments, sachets and other items.
Beside him were Cai Yan and Su Qing'er, one in front and one behind, constantly tidying up Lin Yang's clothes.
"Raise your left hand."
Even with his eyes closed, Lin Yang knew that the gentle voice belonged to Su Qing'er. Therefore, he did as she said and obediently raised his left hand.
"Stand up straight, chest out, eyes open! Don't make your eyes so big, just look normal." Clearly, this was said by Cai Yan.
“We sent out a total of 1,645 invitations, many of which were sent to some very respected elderly people. Then, most of the attendees were from the younger generation. However, since it was the first time we sent out invitations, everyone was very enthusiastic. 1,362 people came in person.”
"In addition, many people have brought their friends. Now, the total number of guests in the entire Wan Hua Lou is 3,672! Now, everyone has arrived. It seems that this gathering will definitely be a success," Zhou Yu said confidently.
It must be said that Zhou Yu had grown another year older and was even more handsome than a year ago! At the same time, through a year of honing his skills, he had become even more adept. His words now carried an air of authority that commanded respect.
Hearing this, Lin Yang smiled and then walked outside, followed by Cai Yan and Su Qing'er. After all, this was the Han Dynasty, and women held a very high status. Bringing them along wouldn't be objected to. Besides, there were quite a few female guests among the guests below.
Upon entering the hall and ascending the high platform, looking down at the more than three thousand guests of all ages and genders, a sense of pride and accomplishment welled up within me.
In his past life, he was just a nobody, but now he stands here, attracting everyone's attention, with beauties like Cai Yan and Su Qing'er by his side. It's truly worth it!
He extended his right hand and waved it slightly, and the crowd fell silent. Among so many pairs of eyes were admiration, curiosity, surprise, and even disdain. A thousand different expressions, all kinds! Of course, he wasn't some adorable little yellow-haired girl; how could everyone love him?
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Chapter 41: What to do about too many people? I need an answer urgently.
"Gentlemen, I am the Duke of Wu, my surname is Lin, my given name is Yang, and my courtesy name is Feipeng. I was originally just a lowly scholar from Donglai County, Qingzhou. Later, by chance, I became a Chosen One. Now, in just one year, my strength has improved by leaps and bounds, from a scholar who couldn't even kill a chicken to a great master of the Blood Exchange Realm," Lin Yang said with a smile.
(Actually, it wasn't a year, but more than a year, almost two years. But when bragging, to make it sound more impressive, I just said a year.)
As he spoke, an astonishing aura emanated from him. Behind Lin Yang, a dragon-shaped phantom rose up. A noble, powerful, and mysterious aura followed. Those who looked upon him instinctively felt a sense of reverence and submission.
"Hiss, in just one year, he went from a scholar with no cultivation to a fourth-level Blood Exchange cultivator. Is that really true?" Kuai Yue exclaimed in astonishment, his eyes wide.
In the past, we only knew that the Duke of Wu was powerful, but who knew just how powerful he was?
Many powerful figures certainly knew Lin Yang's true strength, but Kuai Yue, a second-generation local scion from Xiangyang, Jingzhou, naturally didn't. This sudden turn of events was therefore quite unfortunate.
Keep in mind that Lin Yang was only about sixteen or seventeen years old at the time. He looked only two or three years older than him. However, their strengths were worlds apart.
As a direct descendant of the Kuai family in this generation, Kuai Yue's current strength is only that of a mere Yin God. In other words, he is only at the second tier.
And what about Lin Yang? In just one year, his strength has increased to the fourth level. This huge gap can no longer be bridged by one or two opportunities.
The second-generation elites like Kuai Yue were astonished. But in reality, weren't the older generation just as surprised?
After all, this is only Lujiang County. The heads of aristocratic families, sect leaders, and academy deans who have arrived today are actually only second-rate. In terms of strength, most of them are only at the fourth rank.
Therefore, feeling Lin Yang's genuine and undeniable aura, they all suddenly had the illusion that they had wasted so many years of their lives.
Even those powerful figures who had already received the news and had some guesses were somewhat alarmed at this moment. After all, they were just local gentry, and the gap between them and the aristocratic families of Luoyang was still quite large.
"As for why my strength has increased so rapidly, it's naturally because of the Samsara Land. I often travel to other worlds and comprehend the differences between them. My cultivation level has been increasing unconsciously and continuously, and I can't stop it even if I want to," Lin Yang said with a smile.