Sheng Fu

Chapter 1024 A Glimmer of Hope
The next day.

In the north, in Bazhou.

The wind is gentle and the sun is beautiful, and the sky is clear.

The Northern Prince's Mansion has been bustling with activity these past few days, opening its doors to welcome guests, with visitors arriving every day.

However, none of the guests who arrived were from wealthy or powerful families.

Most of them were independent cultivators or local merchants.

However, the weather was very nice today, and Fu Cheng was in a good mood. Only now did he realize that he was the true King of the North, and he didn't have so many scruples when dealing with these people.

In essence, if a person wants to grow, they need to have some basic experience. Fu Cheng started out as the son-in-law of the Helian family and then dealt with powerful and influential people non-stop.

Despite appearing to hold a high position, his foundation is actually weak and cannot withstand scrutiny.

Although everyone knows that Fu Cheng is a man of great talent and strategy, everyone also knows that Fu Cheng does not have his own independent force. But now, Fu Cheng finally has his own force.

Outside, Li Huaiyi and Huang Chun greeted the guests from all sides.

Guo Shenghe and Gao Zhicai simply dealt with the situation briefly, since this was the Northern Prince's Mansion, not the Hengchang Sect. When this matter was nearing its end, Guo Shenghe, Gao Zhicai, and Jing Hanqing would have to return to the Hengchang Sect.

Clearly, Li Huaiyi and Huang Chun were the true right-hand men of Fucheng.

Guo Shenghe and Gao Zhi were able to strike a good balance in these matters.

In the study.

Jing Hanqing handed a document to Fu Cheng.

When Fu Cheng opened the memorial, he saw that Jing Hanqing had clearly identified who was of superior talent, who was of average talent, and who was of inferior talent.

"After so many years of honing your skills at Hengchang Sect, you have become an outstanding female politician. This is a blessing for Yuwen Jun." Looking at the list, Fu Cheng smiled bitterly.

In fact, this blessing should have belonged to Fu Cheng.

Unfortunately, after the banquet of eight visits, Fu Cheng did not achieve his early success as expected, so he missed out on this blessing and could only bury his regret in his heart.

Jing Hanqing naturally understood the implication in Fu Cheng's words, but could only pretend not to understand and patiently said, "Jiang Ping's background is not good, but his knowledge is profound. We do not know which sect he belongs to yet. His cultivation level is also quite good. He has now reached the Great Yellow Court realm and is about the same age as us."

"In the future, he can assist his senior brother Wenzhi in this matter."

"Currently, we lack experience and still need to hone our skills."

No matter how much various forces recruit talent, there will always be some capable and extraordinary people who, for various reasons, do not get to perform on stage.

Either they dislike a particular social class, or they are unwilling to compromise themselves.

Or perhaps they feel their skills aren't yet up to par.

Or perhaps the time is not right.

Jiang Ping is a prime example; there are very few young scholars at the Great Yellow Court realm in the entire northern region.

Although he had never been to Bailu Academy or received guidance from renowned scholars, this did not diminish Jing Hanqing's high regard for him. At this moment, he gently pushed Jiang Ping closer to the Dragon Gate.

"Is he unsure of the specifics, or is he simply unwilling to elaborate?" Fu Cheng asked, frowning slightly.

Some people are eccentric, but the reason they are eccentric is because of their poor family background. When people, whether commoners or the powerful, judge a person, they look first at their family background, not at their talent and ability.

"He is reluctant to say more, but he is very insightful. Moreover, true talents do not necessarily belong to the orthodox school. Occasionally, one or two prodigies will emerge from the unorthodox schools."

“Jiang Ping’s potential may not be weaker than mine,” Jing Hanqing said.

Ever since the Northern King's Mansion openly began recruiting talented individuals, people have been coming here every day to seek refuge with the Northern King.

The task of selecting talent was entirely entrusted to Jing Hanqing. It must be said that Jing Hanqing's experience in governing Hengchang Sect saved Fucheng from many unnecessary procedures in the matter of talent appointment.

Because Hengchang Sect had previously conducted assessments to select talent, Jing Hanqing was naturally very skilled in such matters.

While the Northern Seven-Character Quatrains seem to be written by young people, they are actually a mix of civil and military officials, barely possessing the grandeur of a small imperial court. Whether in foreign or domestic affairs, they are far superior to those rabble and commoners.

Hearing Jing Hanqing's words, Fu Cheng felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

"I never expected that someone so talented would be willing to follow me." Fu Cheng rubbed his cheek, deeply moved.

Jing Hanqing smiled knowingly and said, "Because Senior Brother is the true successor of the North."

"Yuwen Jun once selected talents in the north, but Yuwen Jun was ultimately the sect leader of Hengchang Sect. Although he had pacified refugees and built Hao'an City, and had made great achievements, he still would not be recognized by the northerners."

"Bai Xiaowei came to the north to carry out work relief, and in one fell swoop he resolved many old and unclear cases, appeased the people, and restored order. He can be called a peerless celebrity of his generation."

"But the northerners won't accept Bai Xiaowei either."

“Only you, senior brother, are a native northerner, so when you open your gate, it will naturally attract the true prodigy of the north to come and seek refuge.”

"This glory is great, but so is the responsibility. I hope you will proceed with caution and not lose yourself in the moment of being surrounded by admirers."

Hearing Jing Hanqing's reminder, Fu Cheng felt a chill run down his spine.

"How much do I differ from Yuwen Jun, in terms of vision and perspective?" Fu Cheng asked curiously.

Jing Hanqing stared at Fu Cheng. This time, she didn't mince words and said very seriously, "In this era, Yuwen Jun has already taken the lead."

"The combined brilliance of the Five Wonders of Nanshan and the Seven-Character Quatrains of the North cannot compare with that of Yuwen Jun."

"But this does not affect us. We still have the opportunity to become a great figure who will be remembered in history."

Fu Cheng nodded, his face showing neither disappointment nor much joy, and said with a calm smile, "I think so too."

Jing Hanqing continued, "Song Jian comes from the Song family of Jinqiao County. He is thirty years old and has already reached the Guiyuan Realm."

"If it were Senior Brother's recruitment of talents this time, probably no one would know that such a rising star has emerged in the Song family of Jinqiao County. Song Jian's true essence is abundant and powerful, and he may have obtained a fortune on the battlefield of the demon realm."

"From what I can see, it has a slight appearance of the Wuji."

“A military general who can serve as the senior brother, one scholar and one warrior, complement each other perfectly, but he needs time to grow.”

Fu Cheng's eyes suddenly burned brightly. He had heard of the Song family in Jinqiao County, but he never expected that he would be so fortunate one day.

"Actually, I'm quite young myself," Fu Cheng said with a satisfied smile.

Jing Hanqing suggested, "In my opinion, why not hold a banquet tonight to celebrate our return to the sea?"

"To celebrate the establishment of the Northern King's Gate between heaven and earth?"

"To convey to the world the meaning of a dragon returning to the sea."

In terms of governing experience alone, Fu Cheng was no match for Jing Hanqing, and asked somewhat unsure of himself, "Isn't this a bit rushed?"

Holding a homecoming banquet only a few days after establishing the government inevitably seems a bit hasty.

Jing Hanqing said, "What we are doing is already in a hurry. Now, for us, the faster the better. Let's strike while the iron is hot."

"The King of the North should also possess the demeanor and magnanimity of the King of the North."

Upon hearing this, Fu Cheng slapped himself and laughed loudly, "As you say."

Fu Cheng stood up and bowed deeply to Jing Hanqing, saying, "Thank you for your generous guidance, Junior Sister..."