The World Online

Chapter 1095 – Mandarin House

One month came and went quickly.

Using the overpowered effect of the recruitment board, Ouyang Shuo was filled with happiness and worry during this month.

He was happy because the effects were exceptional. In just a month, Great Xia had attracted 40 different ranked historical talents. Amongst which, there was a god level steal like Zeng Guofan.

The moment Zeng Guofan arrived, Ouyang Shuo invited him into the Cabinet.

Name: Zeng Guofan (God Rank)

Title: Top 10 ministers in history

Dynasty: Qing Dynasty

Identity: Great Xia Cabinet elder

Occupation: Civil Servant

Loyalty: 75

Command: 80

Force: 40

Intelligence: 80

Politics: 98

Specialty: Famous Minister (raises territory honesty by 40%, raises territory efficiency by 25%, raises literary standards 15%, raises territory ruling standards by 30%)

Book: Nine Chapter Law

Evaluation: Zeng Guofan had the ability to read people, using his knowledge to promote talented people. He had great knowledge and foresight, working for the greater good of the public instead of himself, a rare skilled person in history. Although he was not good at fighting, he was able to promote many generals. His plans were really exquisite, which was how he was able to get a group of capable men to sweep the rogues and become the top minister of Zhongxing.

Zeng Guofan was born in a landowner family. Since a young age, he loved to learn. At eight, he could read the four classics and recite the five scriptures. At 14, he could read literary choices like The Rites of Zhou and Records of the Grand Historian.

In the 18th year of Daoguang, he became a Jingshi, becoming the disciple of Grand Council minister Mujangga. Then he became a Cabinet advisor, department of rites assistant minister, the minister of various departments, Provincial Governor, Zhili Province Viceroy, Wuying Hall Grand Secretary, and more roles.

When the Taiping Country started running, he established the Xiang army to wipe them out after many years of battles.

Zeng Guofan spent his whole life in politics, and his main belief was that one had to be diligent, honest, and humble and could not be arrogant because one was an official. He was a really disciplined person who focus on rites and politeness, using loyalty to do politics.

Under the suggestion of Zeng Guofan, the Qing Dynasty built China’s first steamship, their first ordnance school, printed the first batch of western books, and arranged for the first batch of students to study in America.

As such, one could say that Zeng Guofan was the pioneer for the modern constructions in China.

With such a person who was familiar with ocean work as well as having a deep influence in Qing, the benefits toward Great Xia were evident.

Zeng Guofan had many reasons for choosing Great Xia. Apart from the influence of the recruitment board, he was invited by his disciple, Li Hongzhang. Furthermore, his ancestor Zeng Zi was also in Great Xia, which was why he came.

Coming along with Zeng Guofan were Zeng Guoquan and Zuo Zongtang, who both came from the Xiang army.

Ouyang Shuo was planning to expand the Household Legion Corps, and both of them were the top choices for Legion General.

Currently, Ouyang Shuo just arranged for them to enter the Household Legion Corps 1st legion. Along with Legion General Oda Nobunaga, they would build and train the 1st full firearm legion in Great Xia.

Apart from Zeng Guofan and his group, Cao Xueqin also arrived in Great Xia.

Cao Xueqin’s great grandmother was once Emperor Kangxi’s nanny, and his great grandfather was once the tutor and guard to Kangxi.

During the Kangxi and Yongzheng rules, the Cao family three generations helped to run China for 58 years. Their family was really huge, having power and strength, really rich and becoming the top family in Nanjing.

Kangxi went down Jiangnan six times and Cao Yin led it four of those times.

In the 5th year of Yongzheng’s rule, Cao Xueqin was 13. In December, his hncle who was the Jiangning weaving department minister was jailed for disturbing the relay and polluting the air, shifting funds, and the like. In the Lantern Festival of the next year, his family was raided.

Cao Xueqin moved to Beijing along with his family, and since then, they were not as glorious as before, depreciating by the day.

Under such circumstances, Cao Xueqin obviously was not willing to return to Jingdu and live under the Qing Dynasty. On the contrary, Shanhai City had a great literary environment and did not restrict literary talents, and it was also a really open place that was suitable for him to stay in.

Along with Cao Xueqin moving into Xinan University, a System Notification spread across China.

“System Notification: Representative figure of the school of literary works – Cao Xueqin – has moved into Great Xia, fulfilling the three requirements for the school of thought to move in.”

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“System Notification: School of literary works move into Great Xia. Awarding Shanhai City the title of home of literary works, congratulations player Qiyue Wuyi!”

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“System Notification: School of literary works move into Great Xia. The current Shanhai City title Land of Philosophers covers the new title given, awarding Shanhai City hidden building – Mandarin House, congratulations player Qiyue Wuyi!”

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Name: Mandarin House

Type: Hidden Building

Function: After hanging a portrait of a civil servant within, can revive them.

Specialty: increases attraction toward civil servants by 20%, increases territory reputation by 5%

Note: a building built specifically for civil servants. Lord can pay a certain amount of gold to hang a limited amount of civil servant portraits within to revive them once without any added cost.

The Mandarin House had a total of four floors, the lowest one had a limit of Gold Rank and 50 people, each 10 thousand gold. Second was King Rank and 20 people, each spending 50 thousand.

The third was for Emperor Rank, 10 people, each 200 thousand. The top was for God Rank civil servants, limit of three with each costing a million gold.

With the Mandarin House, the civil servants of Great Xia would have an added layer of insurance.

As there was a limited number, the main reason for getting into the Mandarin House would be the best person in the yearly evaluation.

At the same time, Ouyang Shuo specially left 10 spots for old civil servants like Gu Xiuwen and Zhao Dexian.

Zeng Guofan, Cao Xueqin, and the like were only a small portion. Out of the 40 historical talents, half of them came from Qing Dynasty.

This was understandable.

If it were not for them not having a choice, there were few Han officials, especially those with ambitions, who were willing to work under Qing Dynasty. After appearing in the wilderness and after Great Xia obtained the orthodoxy, he naturally became their top choice.

Needless to say, Li Hongzhang, Zhang Tingyu, Tian Wenjing, and the like also played a role.

As for the ones from the Ming Dynasty, they were mostly chancellors and great ministers like Shang Lu. Although they came from the Ming Dynasty, the Great Ming in the wilderness only took up one prefecture. Without a space for them to perform, they would naturally go elsewhere.

The arrival of this batch of civil servants greatly increased the foundations of Great Xia, pretty much levelling the power difference with the generals. Of course, there were other problems that came from it.

Apart from that, during this month, Great Xia also had an unexpected surprise.