Besides that, we unexpectedly got quite a few sweet potatoes and potatoes, which was a pleasant surprise.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get the cement formula.
Although we managed to get a few bags of cement, it wasn't even enough to fill a tooth gap, let alone repair the road. It seems we need to keep thinking of other solutions.
But since they've already made their own explosives, if they anger them, all they can do is blow everything up.
Just as he was pondering this, a guard rushed in and whispered, "My lord, Duan and Wang have arrived, bringing with them a large number of craftsmen!"
"That's right, these two seem to be collecting craftsmen too. They've come at the perfect time. Let them in," Lin Yi said, his eyes lighting up.
I had previously heard that the Duan and Wang families were also looking for craftsmen, and it seems they were looking for them for me too. Now that they've come knocking, perhaps there's a chance for things to turn around.
"This humble servant pays respects to Your Highness!"
The two men entered the backyard and, without the slightest hesitation, immediately bowed deeply, behaving like loyal servants.
Seeing how sensible the two were, Lin Yi couldn't help but nod slightly.
In fact, Ma Chao had intended to kill both of them before, but after some thought, he spared their lives because they were much more low-key than the others.
Now that they're so sensible, it seems I didn't misjudge them.
He laughed and said, "You two are now local officials, how come you have time to come here? These are rare guests."
The mere mention of "rare guest" sent shivers down their spines; it was clear the prince was displeased with them.
What does it mean to be a rare guest? This person rarely comes to pay his respects to the Crown Prince. This must be a rare guest. It seems I should come more often to show my loyalty.
Wang Chengfei took a deep breath and solemnly said, "This humble servant is guilty. This time, I heard that the young master needed some craftsmen, so I brought all the best craftsmen from the White Sand River, and also found some other people for the young master."
After he finished speaking, he gave an order to the guard beside him, who immediately ran out and returned with a large group of people in no time.
Huh!
Lin Yi's heart skipped a beat. Judging from the appearance, there were at least five hundred people here. It was impossible to gather so many craftsmen in the White Sand River alone. It seemed that Wang Chengfei had gone elsewhere to find people. He was indeed putting in a lot of effort.
Hmm, this person is not bad.
sensible!
He smiled and said, "Yes, thank you for your hard work!"
ah!
Seeing the prince nod, Wang Chengfei was overjoyed. He handed over the roster and explained, "Your Highness, these people all rushed to serve you, and I only did a little bit of work."
"Hmm, let me see!"
Lin Yi took the roster and glanced at it, his lips twitching slightly. There were all sorts of weirdos in there; Wang Chengfei had indeed found quite a few talented people for him.
He couldn't help but laugh and said, " Wang Chengfei, the talents you sent are quite comprehensive. It seems you've put a lot of effort into it."
Blacksmiths and merchants are all fairly normal, but I never expected them to bring in swindlers and thieves, and even quite a few assassins. This guy is really outrageous.
Wang Chengfei remained completely unperturbed; since he dared to write it on the roster, he naturally had no intention of hiding it.
He said solemnly, "The Crown Prince is the ruler of Xiliang, and in the future, he will be the master of the entire North. Therefore, I believe that the Crown Prince will find these people useful, and they are just the right people to handle some dirty business."
Although there are some strange and unsavory characters among them, none of them have done anything wrong, and most importantly, none of them have any problems, so the prince can use them with peace of mind.
"Haha, I'll remember your contribution. Go collect your reward from the Prefect later!"
Lin Yi chuckled nonchalantly; this guy was certainly a bachelor.
However, this guy's meaning was also very clear: the prince should handle the upright and honorable matters himself, while leaving the dirty work to these people.
He couldn't deny that he didn't lack such people, but keeping them around might actually come in handy someday.
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
Wang Chengfei was overjoyed, his heart practically bursting with happiness. He had made the right bet this time! The Crown Prince himself had approved it and even given him a reward—this was fantastic news! He had finally passed the second hurdle.
He glanced at the craftsmen below, gave them a meaningful look, and said in a deep voice, "What are you all standing there for? Quickly pay your respects to the Crown Prince!"
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
The moment they knelt down, Lin Yi received another message.
"Ding! Congratulations, host, for winning people over with Win People Over with Virtue and successfully subduing the exceptional talent and businessman Zhang He, thus gaining the support of the top talent and business tycoon Mi Zhu."
"Ding! Congratulations, host, for successfully winning over the special talent blacksmith Zhang Yu with your Win People Over with Virtue and obtaining a steel bar."
"Ding! Congratulations, host, for winning people over with Win People Over with Virtue and successfully subduing the special talent, horse breeder Zhang Fang, and obtaining ten warhorses."
"Ding! Congratulations, host, for winning people over with Win People Over with Virtue and successfully subduing the extraordinary talent and master of deception A She, and obtaining the Complete Book of Magic Tricks."
"Ding! Congratulations, host, for successfully winning over the talented thief Chen Wu with your Win People Over with Virtue and gaining the skill 'Empty-Handed Sleight of Hand '."
"Ding! Congratulations, host, for successfully winning over the special talent assassin Zhang Song with your Win People Over with Virtue and obtaining the assassin's weapon, the hidden blade."
"What, Mi Zhu??"
Upon seeing the reward, Lin Yi thought he had misread it; a truly exceptional talent had suddenly emerged.
Mi Zhu is known as someone whose wealth rivals that of a nation. Leaving aside his governance abilities, he is a true business tycoon. With him around, things will be much easier for me in the future; at least I won't lack money.
This person single-handedly raised Liu Bei to adulthood; such wealth and courage are beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Unexpectedly, such a person has been revealed this time. Even without the cement formula, having this person is enough to make up for everything.
To put it bluntly, with Mi Zhu around, given his earning speed, he could even build Great Wall out of glutinous rice.
Moreover, besides Mi Zhu, equipment and skills have also appeared this time, which is quite interesting.
The term "Empty-Handed Sleight of Hand" refers to stealing, which isn't necessary for now. However, this hidden blade is quite interesting. It's a good item for self-defense. Although I already have a musket, I can still give it to my subordinates.
The reward Wang Chengfei brought this time is quite good; it seems he needs to be rewarded handsomely. Just for Mi Zhu alone, it's already worth it.
He looked at Duan Yingxiong; now it all depended on this guy.
"Your Highness, I know you are about to undertake great things, so I am giving you the largest iron mine in Cloud and Mist Mountain. With it, Your Highness can forge sufficient weapons and equipment. In addition, these stonemasons and miners..."
After handing over a set of blueprints, Duan Yingxiong also sent over a group of people.
Besides ore, his family also ran a stone business, so they had a large number of workers responsible for quarrying.
Since the crown prince wanted to rebuild the city walls, he would definitely need skilled people in this field, so he gritted his teeth and brought them over directly, keeping only a few for himself.
He suffered heavy losses in his efforts to please the crown prince.