Si Shuo’s eyes darted. "In that case, we should still focus on promoting Beast Text and opening printing houses to print some foundational books.
As long as we have enough printing houses, we can print plenty of books. We can hold examinations to select ministers who are quick-witted, independent, and capable of handling the major affairs of the Beast Country!"
No matter the era, selecting capable people is the first step to a nation’s prosperity.
Yanyi listened with rapt attention, constantly taking notes. The things his Mother and Fathers were saying were a great inspiration to him.
In the past, he had always been on the run, scrounging for food. In the dead of night, he would sometimes gaze at the stars and wonder what he would do if he truly managed to evade every disaster and become the Beast King.
He wanted to see the wicked punished and the good well-fed. But there were so many wicked people, and it wasn’t easy to tell who was truly good. When he tried to think about how to implement this, he was at a loss. ’How could it actually be done?’
But his Mother and Fathers were taking this broad concept and grounding it in practical, specific details!
"What we’re lacking are teachers..." Xiao Cheng paused, then added, "However, the promotion of Beast Text outside the forest has been going quite well. Could we hire some of them to teach in the Guiping Beast Country?"
"Right," Si Shuo said in agreement. "That’s why building academies needs to be put on the agenda. We’ll select teachers from outside the forest who are skilled at lecturing and have passed a character evaluation, then assign them to the various academies.
We can establish three standardized exams. The first will screen for a basic grasp of Beast Text, combined with some general knowledge. Only Beastmen who achieve an ’excellent’ score on this exam will be qualified to take the next one.
The second-stage exam will have more advanced content, and the third stage will be even more expansive and challenging. Their educational path will also progress from local schools to academies, and then to official government schools...
And the Beastmen who can become officials will be selected from those who pass the third-stage exam.
As long as every Steward’s responsibilities are clearly defined and the supervision is effective, the entire Guiping Beast Country will undergo a world-shaking transformation!"
Ji Liang hissed, raising an eyebrow. "Each level of screening will eliminate a good number of Beastmen. After three rounds, the ones who remain will all be quick-witted, intelligent people.
If we then give them systematic training, we can prevent a lot of misconduct."
Si Shuo said with a smile, "Exactly. And they’ll have a system of rewards, punishments, and promotions. As long as they are capable and get things done, they can rise bit by bit from a minor Steward to the position of State Elder!"
Forget the others; even the males and cubs present felt their blood boil with excitement at the thought of an illiterate Beastman striving to become a State Elder. It was inspiring, wasn’t it?
Yin Jiang chuckled. "In that case, I’ll be in charge of transportation and information gathering among the Flying Beasts."
"We’ll establish a National Escort Bureau, run by us officially. We’ll set routes between the various Beast Cities and equip them with elite Warriors. This way, whether it’s escorting Beastmen, goods, or letters, it will be safer, the timing will be guaranteed, and it will also create a lot of jobs." Si Shuo had been around the males for so long that many modern terms were now slipping out.
She had said them so often that the males could now infer her meaning from the words and sentence structures.
"Once the Beastmen have a way to earn money, they’ll cause less trouble. The entire Guiping Beast Country will become more stable, and only then can we talk about development," Zhi Le nodded.
In the past, their discussions were always about their small family. Now, they were being forced into a position where they had to take responsibility for the future of a nation.
Xu Chi lowered his head and diligently recorded the contents of the meeting. The group then went on to refine each point...
The next day, Si Shuo came to the mine again.
When they saw her, all the Beastmen scrambled to their feet. This was especially true for the sallow and emaciated miners, who hadn’t had a single good night’s sleep since arriving.
They worked long hours every day at exhausting, filthy tasks, and they were never given enough to eat. The moment a guard saw them resting with their eyes open, a whip would come cracking down on them.
The whips were barbed, and a single lash could tear away a layer of skin, leaving a searing pain!
But ever since the two women—a Divine Servant and a Witch Doctor—arrived yesterday, they hadn’t had to work. They had eaten two full meals and slept soundly.
Now, their spirits were much improved. Still, they were anxious, afraid that the two females were planning some devastating move they wouldn’t be able to handle.
Seeing how nervous everyone was, Si Shuo simply smiled without speaking. Instead, Gong You, who was behind her, stepped forward. He infused his voice with Spiritual Power and announced solemnly:
"All Beast Soldiers, listen to my command! Starting today, the mine will be reorganized for five days. During this period, you are to investigate all miners and determine what crimes they have committed.
If they have committed unforgivable crimes, such as murdering someone without cause, they will be assigned to excavation work within the mine. For other crimes, they will be assigned labor for varying lengths of time according to the severity...
Beastmen for whom there is no concrete evidence of a crime will be temporarily judged as innocent. They can choose to return home or to work at the mine for pay. Crimes will not extend to family and friends...
Furthermore, extrajudicial punishments are no longer permitted in the mine, and rations are not to be withheld! Beastmen who work will receive a daily wage of one to five Level 10 Crystal Stones, depending on the difficulty and intensity of their tasks!"
His words made the hearts of every Beastman in the mine tremble violently.
’Is there something wrong with our ears? Is this just a fantasy born from our desperate desire for freedom and life?’
In that moment, many Beastmen violently pinched themselves or the friends and family next to them, letting out cries of misery, disbelief, and elation at the pain.
Gong You’s voice continued, "The work methods and schedules at our mine will also be adjusted... Jobs will be divided into logistics positions responsible for providing various services, security positions responsible for safety and patrols, and the miners who perform the labor...
Everyone will be divided into three teams, working two rotating shifts—a morning shift and an afternoon shift. Each shift will be five Beast Hours long. You will work for two days and then have one day of rest..."
The Beastmen were even more overjoyed to hear this. Most of them had been arbitrarily arrested and framed by the faction of the Eldest Prince and the Second Prince to further their ambitions. Even if some Beastmen had actually committed a crime, their friends and family had been dragged here as well.
Their family’s property, land, and homes had all been confiscated. Even if they were released now, they would have no way to survive.
This mining job was perfect for them to start over from scratch!
Gong You then gave specific instructions to Xuhua. "You must handle this matter with strict control. Do your utmost not to let a single villain escape, but also do not wrongly accuse an innocent Beastman.
If there are cases that are difficult to judge, gather those individuals together and wait for us to return to assess them.
If you handle this matter well, there will be more mines that need you to lead the reorganization effort..."
Xuhua nodded vigorously, his excitement palpable. "My lord, rest assured, I will definitely do everything in my power to complete this task!"
As long as he completed this task beautifully, it meant he would transform from an unremarkable Little Captain into a major figure.
This was something he had never dared to dream of before. Naturally, he would give it his all.