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This time, Gu Lie didn’t act against Su Ye. He instead restrained the other nobles who weren’t very obedient, so that the team’s ability to act was improved a lot.
Once all the students were gathered, Wen Jishan looked at them and said, “You might know me. I am the chief administrator of the empire, Wen Jishan. This time, I am working with Dean Justin to be in charge of the reconstruction of Mercenary Town. At the same time, His Majesty commanded me to wait for you here.”
“Now that things have already happened, it is useless to be sad and blame yourself. What you should be doing now is to summarize the gains and losses and try not to make the same mistakes in the future!”
Wen Jishan spoke solemnly.
“It is night right now and the road isn’t safe. Stay here for one night. You should’ve watched the live broadcast of Mercenary Town. There are homeless people waiting for help. Therefore, there are no extra houses in the town for you to live in.”
Wen Jishan waved and some soldiers moved the prepared tents over in front of the children.
“You can put up a tent here tonight but you have to do it yourself. I will send someone to teach you. Since you are here, you should be mentally prepared. I don’t want to hear any complaints or requests for a change of residence.  This isn’t your home or the academy. No one will help you. Everything is up to you.”
Wen Jishan understood it.
He already knew the emperor’s intentions. These elementalist apprentices weren’t invited here to be served but to work. There was no need to entertain them so delicately.
There might be many noble children among them but Wen Jishan wasn’t scared of them at all. He wasn’t afraid of the older ones, let alone these young ones.
The students looked at each other and then at the tents on the ground. Some noble children were obviously unhappy.
Then they heard Wen Jishan say, “If you don’t want to live in a tent, you can choose to sleep on the ground. The current weather is fine and you won’t freeze.”
The child who was just about to express his opinion shut up out of fear that the tents would be confiscated.
Sleeping on the ground...
It was really better to live in the tent!
Meanwhile, Su Ye had already taken a step forward.
“My Lord, rest assured. I will take care of all the team members. Thank you very much for the tents.”
He was polite so even Wen Jishan felt more good feelings toward Su Ye.
He patted Su Ye on the shoulder and said in a good voice, “Have a good rest tonight and work tomorrow.”
Then he ordered the soldiers to prepare hot food for these students before leaving.
Su Ye stood still, his eyes a bit dull.
Working tomorrow...
Was it the administrator’s opinion or... the emperor’s intentions?
Su Ye frowned and thought about it. Just then, his shoulder was hit.
He looked sideways and saw Gu Lie holding a tent. It wasn’t known when this person appeared next to him but Gu Lie’s eyes were hesitant.
Su Ye blinked. He looked at Gu Lie and then the tent in this person’s hand.
He suddenly said, “Junior Gu Lie, do you want to sleep in the tent with me tonight?”
Gu Lie was taken aback. He actually just wanted to thank Su Ye.
He just couldn’t say anything after seeing Su Ye’s face.
At this moment, he was amused by his own self-righteousness. How could he, Gu Lie... Sleeping a tent with a civilian? Not to mention that it was Su Ye who beat him.
However, before he could explain, Su Ye had already turned around and directed the students to set up the tents.
He obviously had experience. He did it quickly and easily before continuing to help the other students.
He took care of them regardless of whether they were a nobleman or commoner.
Gu Lie watched him and didn’t try to say anything. He just followed Su Ye to learn how to set up the tent. They helped over 100 students together.
In this situation of mutual help, they became more familiar and cooperative with each other. They gradually realized what a collective was.
Once they were all set up, they sat around the bonfire and ate the hot food the soldiers had brought them. They were exhausted and hungry so they felt that nothing was more delicious than this thick tea and light meal.
“Captain, tomorrow morning... are we really going back?” Someone suddenly asked.
This topic made the relaxed atmosphere sink again.
Su Ye put down the spoon, pursed his lips and suddenly said, “No, we aren’t going back.”
As everyone looked surprised, he expressed his own ideas.
“We can’t give up so easily. Why did His Majesty ask us to come here? It was to assist Dean Justin to rebuild the town. Mercenary Town is currently in need of manpower. We are here to help and prove our usefulness. His Majesty... will definitely see us!”
Wen Jishan’s words seemed unintentional but they allowed Su Ye to see hope again. He no longer wasted time on an insignificant problem.
There was nothing wrong with a failure.
They still had a chance.
Dean Justin was lacking people. They might not be able to release a complete skill but they lend a helping hand and gather elements.
If the same skill was used frequently, the elements in that place would temporarily be reduced in concentration. This would undoubtedly make it more difficult to use the skill.
Having them gather elements would definitely help.
“Don’t forget. We are all here to learn and practice!” Su Ye declared earnestly.  “It is just like how our classmates of the wind department gathered and dispersed the wind elements to increase the speed of the carriage. This is also a type of training!”
“His Majesty didn’t drive us away and asked the administrator to give us the tents. If we really leave then His Majesty will be disappointed!”
“Therefore, we will stay and try our best in the town, seizing every opportunity to practice. Now Dean Justin is here. If we encounter problems while we are helping, they shouldn’t be stingy about teaching us. This is an environment that is impossible to have in the local army!”
Su Ye usually didn’t speak much but at this moment, he spoke clearly. It made the originally depressed students excited again one by one.
Yes, the emperor didn’t chase them away. So they... would just stay stubbornly!
Wen Jishan wasn’t far away. At this moment, they heard the words coming from the student area and couldn’t help laughing.
Okay, they didn’t seem really stupid.
However, the shrewdest one was the emperor. He used such simple methods to let people rush to work for him like this. It was a real eye-opener for Wen Jishan.
He smiled and turned around. He took out a notebook from his pocket and opened it to the latest page.
This page had a list of names that he just remembered to record.
The characteristics of these people were simple.
1. They were rich.
2. They weren’t familiar with the Chris family.
3. Someone at their home had injuries.
The water healer Niya was very arrogant and easily refused people. In the entire Imperial City, apart from the teacher at the Elementalist Academy who dabbled in water healing, there was only Niya.
Now...
Wen Jishan looked at Niya’s tent and smiled.
The funds for Mercenary Town should be available soon.
He wouldn’t collect healing fees privately. He would directly have those in need of healing donate money to the empire.
Then even if it was accidentally revealed, there was the emperor to protect him. It had nothing to do with him. Would Niya dare go to the emperor to make trouble?
Wen Jishan closed the book in a good mood.
In the final analysis, it was the emperor who had a high vision.
It was really pleasant having such a wise ruler.
He didn’t have to work hard to increase revenue and reduce expenditure. The emperor directly paved the way for him and he just had to follow the path.
Was his Majesty that smart?
Wen Jishan thought back but found that his memory of the emperor during his time as the third prince was a bit vague.
Perhaps the mediocrity and weakness in the past were due to the lack of contention for the throne. After all, he already had an excellent older brother and sister.
If it wasn’t for their deaths...
Wen Jishan shook his head. He no longer thought about such a heavy matter. He instead held his little book and hurried to contact them overnight.
On the other side, Xu Sili wandered around Mercenary Town.
Night fell and the town was lit up.
The old streetlights weren’t particularly bright. They illuminated the surroundings dimly like a layer of yarn.
There were still many pedestrians on the street and the noise of the night market could be heard in the distance.
Dean Justin’s group had temporarily stopped construction and were eating. Xu Sili also felt hungry so he casually walked into a restaurant, ready to have dinner here.
The restaurant in this town wasn’t big. It was cramped but it was still clean.
Xu Sili chose a position by the window. He sat down at the round table and raised his eyes to look at Si Sheng who was still standing now to him.
He couldn’t help raising an eyebrow.
This guy... he didn’t seem so disciplined in the palace. Was he more cautious outside?
“Sit down.” He pointed to the opposite position and ordered.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Si Sheng sat down.
He was tall. As he sat down at the small round table, it suddenly seemed a bit more cramped. He was barely able to sit here.
This wasn’t the first time Xu Sili and Si Sheng had eaten together but it was the first time sitting at a narrow dining table like this.
Xu Sili glanced at this person before looking away. He was worried he would be immersed in Si Sheng’s beauty again.
Maybe it was because they were too close.
The shock of this beauty was felt several times more than  usual. This made him feel a bit uncomfortable.
Si Sheng was an evildoer!
The waiter delivered the meal very quickly and didn’t recognize them. He put down the  plates, told them to take their time and left.
It was a busy day and Xu Sili was really hungry.
But...
The food in this world was really rough, especially in this backward town. After a few bites, he lost his appetite immediately.
Fortunately, there was still milk so he didn’t have to be hungry.
He looked at the food left and in the spirit of saving and not wasting anything, he placed the untouched half of the noodles into Si Sheng’s bowl.
Si Sheng consumed a lot in his name and needed to eat more.
Si Sheng paused but didn’t say anything. He just ate silently.
He was elegant, charming and personable.
Based on the way he ate, it was hard to see how fierce he was when fighting.
Meanwhile, Si Sheng was a bit nervous about being watched by the young man.
The distance was too close.
He couldn’t control his heartbeat.
This dinner, which he thought was only between the two of them, wasn’t as romantic as he thought.
After briefly eating, Xu Sili just sat there. He occasionally looked at Si Sheng but more often, he looked at the street view outside the window.
It wasn’t known what ideas those shining eyes had come up with.
Once Si Sheng finished eating, they returned to the palace.
Xu Sili washed up and didn’t do anything else. He fell asleep almost as soon as he touched his pillow. The next morning, he woke up and entered the dark room, ready to go to the Star Network to take a look.