"Lord Chu, please stay. I have bought some good wine and dishes at my home today. I wonder if Lord Chu has time to grace my humble abode and have a couple of drinks together?"
The morning court had just concluded when Chu Chen was cornered by a group of ministers not far from the Hall of State Affairs.
These ministers now looked at Chu Chen as if he were a beautiful woman or a pile of gold, their eyes sparkling, as if they were about to pounce on him.
Chu Chen, feeling flustered, looked at his enthusiastic colleagues and politely declined all invitations with a round of insincere compliments.
He quickly left the imperial city, got into his carriage, and escaped the place. The enthusiastic ministers, all in their forties and fifties, were too terrifying, yet he couldn't do anything about it.
Otherwise, a slight push might cause a minister to fall to his death.
"Lord Chu is leaving in such a hurry. We haven't had a chance to chat much."
"Indeed. However, Lord Chu is newly appointed, and this so-called Imperial Guard seems to be no less important than any of the Six Ministries. He must be busy with work, needing to gather people to form the department, so it's understandable that he left in a hurry."
"That's true. At most, we can invite Lord Chu a few more times after each court session."
"Hey, isn't Lord Chu unmarried? I happen to have a daughter, sixteen years old, who could be betrothed to him."
"Isn't it rumored that he and a certain Highness are deeply in love? You dare to interfere?"
"What is there to fear? It's not even a done deal yet."
The escaping Chu Chen was unaware of just how sought-after he was, to the point where people were actively discussing marriage arrangements for him and offering their daughters.
In the carriage, Chu Chen wiped the sweat from his forehead. This was all due to him controlling his strength to prevent accidentally injuring a minister.
"Hmph~ If it were a group of beautiful women surrounding me, that would be great. Why is it a bunch of old men? And they're so wicked."
Chu Chen sighed, shaking his head, and cast away the image of being surrounded by old men from his mind.
He knew that the reason these old men were so enthusiastic was entirely because he held the authority to establish a new department, no less important than the Six Ministries.
A new department meant how many official positions? And how much benefit could these positions bring to their own families?
No one in the court valued official positions more than the ministers.
"Now that these old men are so enthusiastic, I hope they will remain so after the Imperial Guard is established."
Chu Chen chuckled, but in his mind, he pictured them trembling and begging for mercy.
Well, the scene was too beautiful to dwell on.
Upon returning to his mansion, Chu Chen intended to recruit personnel immediately. However, upon sensing the hidden guards around him, his expression changed slightly, and he said with a wry smile, "I forgot that I had dispatched most of the hidden guards. The remaining ten are still responsible for intelligence gathering within the city, guarding the mansion, and my safety. It's truly impossible to spare anyone."
"People, where can I find trustworthy individuals?"
Chu Chen was troubled. After thinking for a long time, he realized that his connections in Twin Moon City were too few. His main connections were in the imperial palace and the Eastern Frontier Army. Those he knew among the civil officials in the capital already held important positions and could not be spared.
"There's no other way. I'll have to work hard myself. Come on, Chu Chen! You can do it!"
After secretly encouraging himself, Chu Chen decisively activated the Life Simulator system.
[Simulation loading complete. Protagonist: Chu Chen! Current points: 10950 points.]
[Please select mode: Self Life Simulation or Second Life Simulation!]
[You have chosen Second Life Simulation. Simulation begins!]
[Year 3202 of the Qingzhou Continent, 0 years old. You were born into the family of a local wealthy landowner in Daohua Village. The family owned 150 mu of land, a moderately wealthy household.]
[1 year old. Your father, to predict your future, held a 'zhua zhu' ceremony for your first birthday. You grabbed a whip, leaving your parents bewildered as to its meaning.]
[2 years old. Your mother became pregnant with your second child.]
[3 years old. You had a younger brother. As the eldest son, you were educated to be harmonious and fraternal with your siblings.]
[4 years old. Your mother became pregnant again.]
[5 years old. For a full year, there was no rain. The climate was dry and the outdoor temperature was high, making you feel uncomfortable. You had a younger sister.]
[6 years old. Last year's drought led to a reduced autumn harvest. Your family began to live frugally.]
[7 years old. This year was also a drought. Your family began to dip into their savings. Fortunately, they had enough money and grain.]
[8 years old. This year, the drought finally ended, and grain production returned to normal. Your father had lent out a small sum of money in the past two years and acquired five mu of land, regretting not lending out more.]
[9 years old. You heard that a great flood occurred in the neighboring prefecture, causing countless casualties. The imperial court was busy with disaster relief. Your father took the opportunity to raise prices and sell a batch of old grain, making a substantial profit. You had another younger brother.]
[10 years old. Your father hired a tutor for you and your siblings to teach you to read and write.]
[11 years old. You were mischievous and unwilling to study, so you were beaten. You were taught that as the eldest son, you should set an example for your younger siblings.]
[12 years old. You reached the age of marriage, and your parents arranged a marriage for you.]
[13 years old. A minor epidemic. Your second brother died young. You were very sad and fearful of the plague.]
[14 years old. You married the second daughter of a landlord from the neighboring village and started your own family.]
[15 years old. Your wife became pregnant.]
[16 years old. You had your first son. At the same time, your father asked you to help him manage the family business.]
[17 years old. After several years of development, your family's land expanded to 160 mu.]
[18 years old. You were already skilled in managing the family's land affairs. Your father allocated fifty mu of land for you to manage.]
[19 years old. Through indulging in wine, women, and song, you met a local county official. Under his guidance, you embarked on the great task of land annexation.]
[20 years old. You lent out the more than ten taels of silver you had.]
[21 years old. You lured others to gamble in the county town and acquired five mu of fertile land as a share.]
[22 years old. The lent silver was not recovered, but you recovered five mu of fertile land. You now owned sixty mu of land.]
[23 years old. The neighboring prefecture experienced a severe drought. You sold a batch of grain at a high price, reaping a considerable profit.]
[24 years old. You acquired another five mu of land in the neighboring prefecture through lending.]
[25 years old. By donating silver, you obtained the status of a Xiu Cai (a scholar who passed the lowest level imperial examination), gaining twenty mu of tax-exempt land.]
[...]
[39 years old. You have reached the age of forty, and your family business has grown. You own over thirteen hundred mu of land and have become a well-known wealthy landowner in the area, respected as a village elder.]
[40 years old. You contracted an illness and died in bed. Your son inherited your family business.]
[Congratulations to the host for completing the Second Life Simulation, earning 400 points. Current points: 1350 points.]
[Congratulations to the host for successfully completing the Second Life Simulation. You may choose one of the following three rewards.]