We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

The night was deep, the stars were twinkling, and the moonlight was like water spreading over this northern county city.

Teams of soldiers were patrolling the streets, and sounds of fighting could be heard from time to time, but they would soon return to calm.

The lights in the county government office were bright.

Li Che and a group of officials and generals sat in the lobby, and maids kept coming and going to add tea.

He Conglong took a big sip of tea, frowned and curled his lips.

This stuff is so bland, it's not as tasty as wine at all. I don't know why Your Highness likes it so much.

Then he continued, "According to a rough estimate, over 9,000 county soldiers have been captured. The mansions of the various noble families have been taken under control, and the raids will begin tomorrow morning."

Li Che nodded gently: "Let the brothers work harder and wipe out the remaining resistance of the county soldiers. Don't leave any trouble for the future."

"Yes." He Conglong bowed.

"Mr. Zhuge, how many people are there in this inner city now?" Li Che looked at Zhuge Zhe below.

Zhuge Zhe quickly replied, "The noble families are in the minority, only about 3,000 people. The county soldiers, household servants, and slaves make up the majority, about 20,000 people."

"More than 20,000 people?" Li Che suddenly felt a headache. "Are these county soldiers still useful?"

"Being a civilian is fine, but being a soldier is inappropriate." Zhuge Zhe thought for a moment and replied truthfully, "They're called county soldiers, but in reality, they're all private soldiers of aristocratic families. Their ancestors served the aristocratic families, and servility is ingrained in them. It's probably difficult to win their loyalty."

"There are more than 20,000 people in the inner city and nearly 40,000 people in the outer city. With so many mouths to feed, how do they survive?" Qian Bin asked curiously.

Zhuge Zhe replied, "Mr. Qian, you may not know this. Although this land is cold, it is not barren. Based on my years of observation, this place is vast, sparsely populated, and rich in resources."

"In spring and summer, the mountains are full of wild fruits, mushrooms, and nuts, and you can pick them up in large quantities. Furthermore, this area is crisscrossed by rivers and covered with swamps, so there are so many fish that people can catch fish to eat even without a fishing net."

"There's also a beast called the 'Grassfly' in the mountains. It's over a meter long, has a white spot on its butt, and is a very good runner. But it's curious by nature. Just shout and it'll stop and watch, then you can knock it unconscious with a stick and capture it."

"So, the people rely on the mountains for food and the water for water. Although they can't eat their fill every day, they can barely fill their stomachs. The only thing that's hard to endure is the winter."

When Zhuge Zhe said this, everyone was shocked. They couldn't believe that this wild land in the far north had such rich resources.

But Li Che was not surprised by this. The richness of wild resources in Northeast China can be described by a common saying:

Hit the roe deer with a stick and scoop fish with a ladle; a pheasant flies into the rice pot.

Due to geographical reasons and unique climate, the richness of this land is unimaginable for people in the interior of the country.

Due to the severe cold climate, the flat land here has not been developed for a long time and agricultural development is very primitive. The ethnic groups here have to rely on fishing and hunting to supplement their food.

Even so, this land is still the birthplace of more than ten ethnic groups including Sushen, Mohe, Buyeo, Goguryeo, and Jurchen, which shows that the resources here are amazing.

In the 19th century, the lower reaches of the Yellow River in China suffered from disasters year after year, and people from the lower reaches of the Yellow River migrated to the northeast to live.

The total number of people who crossed Guandong reached 40 million, and this cold land managed to feed more than 40 million mouths.

"Even though this place is rich in resources, relying solely on gathering, fishing and hunting won't be enough to support too many people, and it won't be conducive to long-term development." Li Che said, "If we want to gain a foothold here, we must vigorously develop agriculture."

Zhuge Zhe looked troubled. "It's too cold here, and farming is difficult. We can only plant seeds in April, and we can only harvest one crop, and the survival rate is low."

"The most important thing is that the people are unwilling to farm. It's not because they are lazy, but because they are afraid of being robbed by the barbarians."

To put it bluntly, the most important reason hindering the development of ancient Northeast China is geopolitical reasons.

To the northeast and north, it was bordered by barbarians such as the Mohe, to the west by the Mongolian grasslands, and to the east by Goguryeo. It could be said that it was surrounded by enemies on all sides.

Under such circumstances, which farmer would dare to farm?

They worked hard to sow the seeds in the spring and took care of them for several months. When it was time for the harvest in the autumn, the barbarians came on horseback with sickles to rob them.

As for the fact that the climate means crops can only be harvested once a year, it is not a big problem.

The main crops in Daqing are still millet, sorghum, buckwheat, etc., which are actually not very suitable for the Northeast.

The Northeast region should grow crops such as wheat, rice, corn, and soybeans.

Even if the crop is harvested only once a year, yield will not be a problem with high-yield seeds like corn.

Moreover, the one-crop-a-year planting method allows the soil to fully rest and recuperate, which is beneficial to soil conservation and reduces soil erosion and land degradation.

"Don't worry about this matter. I will find a way to solve it." Li Che said firmly, "Agriculture is the foundation and the top priority of Ninggu County. It must be developed."

Seeing Li Che's firm attitude, everyone naturally had no objection.

"The army still needs to be expanded. I'll leave this to you." Li Che looked at He Conglong, "At least fill up the battalions first. Select carefully and don't overdo it."

He Conglong didn't beat around the bush and just did whatever Li Che said.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Master Qian still has some work to do." Li Che looked at Qian Bin again, "After we confiscate the properties of those noble families tomorrow, you will be responsible for counting their property."

Qian Bin nodded and said, "Your Highness has given the order, and I will do it."

Li Che nodded, picked up the tea and took a sip.

Agriculture, military, and finance are the three major issues that need to be resolved immediately and without delay.

Putting down the tea, Li Che spoke again:

"Ninggu Commandery is in ruins and many issues need to be resolved. Unfortunately, my energy is limited, so I can only focus on the most important matters."

"Everyone here is a pillar of talent. Since I established my palace, I have not yet established any official positions. Are you willing to serve me?"

When everyone heard this, they immediately lost all sleepiness.

Isn't this the day we've been waiting for since we traveled all the way to this place outside the Great Wall with His Highness?

Everyone stood up and responded in unison: "We are willing to die for your Highness."

Zhuge Zhe hesitated for a moment, then just sat in the chair silently without standing up to speak.

Li Che glanced around with satisfaction, and finally set his sights on Zhuge Zhe.

This person managed the huge Qihuo Cave in an orderly manner by himself and enjoyed great reputation among tens of thousands of people in the outer city. He was exactly the internal affairs talent that he urgently needed.

"Mr. Zhuge, are you willing to help me?" Li Che suddenly asked.

"Your Highness is concerned about your instructions, and I will do my best." Zhuge Zhe replied.

"Okay." Li Che looked at him with a smile, "Then you can join the Prince's Office. How about you first become the Right Chief Secretary?"

Zhuge Zhe looked up in surprise.

The Chief Secretary's Office of the Prince's Palace is the highest-ranking institution in the Prince's Palace, and its main responsibility is to manage the government orders of the Prince's Palace.

In Daqing, the left is respected, and the right chief secretary is second only to the left chief secretary in the chief secretary's office.

If the palace is regarded as the imperial court, this position is equivalent to the right prime minister of the current dynasty, second only to two people and above ten thousand people, so the status is very high.

"Your Highness, I come from a noble family..." Zhuge Zhe choked.

Li Che suddenly found it funny. Mr. Zhuge was a man of outstanding character and strong abilities, but he was a bit of a crybaby.

The two of them had only known each other for less than a day, and they had already cried two or three times.

"What have the affairs of aristocratic families got to do with you, sir?" Li Che asked in return, "I, the king, do not consider people's backgrounds, but only their talents."

Zhuge Zhe was shocked.

Appoint only the best? Only consider the ability, not the background?

With such a broad mind, Your Highness is truly a wise and enlightened prince!

"Your servant, Zhuge Zhe, will devote himself to the cause until his death!"

"Good, good, good." Li Che was overjoyed and stepped forward to help Zhuge Zhe up. "I knew you were a talented person. With your help, I can rest assured."

Li Che was in a good mood as he had another talented person under his command.

As for whether Zhuge Zhe was just a figurehead, Li Che said he was not worried at all.

If he has this surname, he must be a smart person!

Your IQ is less than 120, how dare you say your last name is Zhuge?