"Wan Ling Liquid costs one hundred wen for a bucket of hot water for bathing. Bathing once a week is sufficient, and the required materials are common mountain goods found everywhere."
"Thousand Hammer Refining Pill is a bit more expensive, costing no more than two hundred wen to refine one pill. Only one main ingredient is slightly higher in price."
"Ancient Martial Arts Breaking Realm Pill is more troublesome. It's not that the cost is high, but that there are few alchemists who can successfully refine it, and the success rate is low."
A cost of one hundred wen, two hundred wen?
Chu Chen looked at this fellow in surprise. The Zhou family indeed had some capabilities. No wonder they dared to come to him and ask for the position of Minister of the Ministry of Health.
Such a cost could be widely popularized. Although the effect was much worse than the pills he exchanged from the system, these things only required silver, not points, and the quantity was large!
Chu Chen pondered for a moment and said, "The cost of these three formulas is low, which is not bad. However, you are new here and have no qualifications, and your skills are not known to others. Therefore, I will first arrange for you to be a physician in the Ministry of Health. If you can convince everyone within three months, I will personally promote you to be a Secretary of a Department. If you continue to perform well, the position of Minister within the year will surely be yours. Do you have confidence?"
Physician?
Zhou Yunshen frowned slightly. He was not satisfied with this position and asked, "Prime Minister Chu, are there any other people who have come to recommend themselves?"
"For now, you are the first."
"Then if someone recommends themselves later, will the arrangement be the same?"
"Naturally, it will be the same. It's not as if the position of Minister of the Ministry of Health will be directly confirmed, right? If so, how would people in the world know the capabilities of the Minister of Health? How would His Majesty see your achievements?"
Chu Chen looked at him with a half-smile.
Young man, you think too much. The Minister of Health is a big piece of cake, and there was never any intention of giving it directly to others. Even the positions of Secretaries under him were the same; they had to show their capabilities.
There are too many swindlers these days, so it's better to be careful. After all, the Ministry of Health is of great importance. If a swindler takes office and operates poorly, it would be difficult to handle if a large number of people die.
"If that is the case, I am willing!"
Zhou Yunshen thought for a moment and said with cupped fists.
"Very good! I believe that with your talent, you will definitely have a place in the Ministry of Health in the future!"
Chu Chen happily stepped forward and patted his shoulder.
He then continued, "You will come to take office three days later. During this period, I will arrange a group of initial subordinates for you. If you have any trusted personnel, you can also bring them along."
"Yes! I take my leave!"
Zhou Yunshen bowed to Chu Chen and left the government affairs platform.
Standing outside the government affairs platform, Zhou Yunshen took a deep breath.
The Zhou family is indeed a family of alchemists, but there are many talented people in the world. Whether he can fight his way to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Health with his own abilities is still unknown.
However, career is like sailing against the current; one either advances or falls back.
The Zhou family has developed for more than ten generations and has been stagnant for too long. It urgently needs to move forward!
"Three days, three days later will be the time for me to show my skills!"
With this thought, Zhou Yunshen returned to the Zhou family and informed the elder of the result of his self-recommendation.
The elder nodded and patted Zhou Yunshen's shoulder, "The future of the Zhou family rests entirely on you. Do not disappoint Grandpa, nor your father and the family."
"I know."
"If you need silver or manpower, you can tell Grandpa at any time. Grandpa and the entire family will stand behind you!"
"Mm."
Zhou Yunshen nodded.
In the following time, Zhou Yunshen stayed indoors, only sending people to monitor the government affairs platform and collect information on those who attempted to recommend themselves.
He himself stayed at home, constantly practicing refining pills, and learning about the governance of the court.
At the government affairs platform, Chu Chen cleared his throat.
The position of Minister was not filled through imperial examinations, but instead, a convenient door was opened to select talents from the martial arts world.
This method of selecting talents deeply shocked the hidden "snakes and gods, ghosts and monsters." Upon receiving the news, they all rushed to the government affairs platform to recommend themselves.
The Zhou family was the first, the Li family was the second, and then there were alchemical sects like the Pill Sect, the Ziyang Sect, and the Longevity Sect, all of whom came to recommend themselves.
Minister, a second-rank official position. As long as one can obtain it, it would be a step to heaven, with immense power.
Why would one wander the world if they could become an official? Right?
If one cannot become an official, cannot pass the imperial examinations, and is not suited for scholarly pursuits, then they have no choice but to practice martial arts, alchemy, or artifact forging. If there is an official position, who would not want to be an official?
As a result, the scholars naturally had some opinions, but they were not suited for alchemy, so they were envious but had no way to compete.
Chu Chen clapped his hands and summoned the hidden guards from the surroundings, asking, "What is the current situation with the Spirit Rice and the Spirit Grass?"
"Reporting to my lord, the Spirit Rice has harvested the second crop, yielding three hundred shi of rice. The Spirit Grass has harvested a thousand shi. Both have been stored in the Prime Minister's mansion treasury."
"Mm, take half of the Spirit Rice and distribute it to the combat personnel in the valley for consumption. The Spirit Grass will be supplied to the selection meeting three days later for refining pills."
"Yes!"
After the hidden guards disappeared to make arrangements, Chu Chen shook his head and sighed, "This Spirit Rice is much better than the Spirit Grass. It can provide more nutrition and a large amount of blood and qi. It can have the effect of a Blood and Qi Pill without needing to be refined into a pill, but unfortunately, the yield is too low."
The yield is only about one and a half shi per mu, which is about one hundred and eighty catties. It cannot be fertilized and can only rely on fertile soil. Planting one crop basically consumes half of the fertility of superior land. Planting two rounds will ruin a piece of superior land.
The Spirit Grass is much better, with a yield of five shi per mu, which is six hundred catties. However, its effect is only to assist in cultivation, help beginners meditate and enter a state of tranquility, stabilize the spirit, and have a slight effect on berserk states and inner demons.
However, this item's advantage is its high yield and ease of cultivation. It does not require much fertilizer, and ordinary farm manure can be used for cultivation, unlike Spirit Rice, which is troublesome to grow.
"This spiritual energy recovery is not enough. It has not permeated the fields. Only in deep mountains and old forests are there some spiritual materials. It is difficult to obtain them in large quantities!"
"Or, should I choose that mysterious small black box during my next life simulation? To strengthen the spiritual energy recovery?"
Chu Chen was somewhat conflicted. After thinking for a long time, he decided to give up for now.
The Yunyue Kingdom has just gotten on the right track and is flourishing. There is no need for drastic environmental changes for the time being, otherwise, this fragile national system cannot withstand such a toss.
Currently, the Royal Chamber of Commerce has an income of about three hundred million shi of corn. Based on a fifteen percent share, he can receive a dividend of thirty million shi of corn, which is enough to supply the more than ten thousand soldiers in the Hidden Soldier Valley for several years.
Chu Chen has been meticulously cultivating the more than ten thousand soldiers in the Hidden Soldier Valley, aiming to shock everyone when the time comes.