Then let them offer their loyalty!

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Moreover... once you reach certain positions, the difference in ability between people isn't actually that significant.

The reason why two people with similar abilities can achieve completely different results is often because one person hasn't been in that position and hasn't experienced those trials.

Don't you see that so many of the civil and military officials around the founding emperors were their fellow townsmen, or even their neighbors?

Was that township really so powerful that it produced a founding emperor and a host of famous generals and strategists?

That's not necessarily true.

Most of the time, it's just through experiencing battles and events that one gradually matures.

And now, the same is true for the group of people around Qiu Tu.

The fact that they were able to stand out from the unplanned areas and enter the shelter system already indicates that they have a certain level of capability.

After several more rounds of selection, he was chosen by Qiu Tu as a confidant. This further proves that there were no fools among them.

Now, following Qiu Tu's lead, they will quickly gain a wealth of experience during the construction of the two states.

Coupled with their considerable talent, this could very well produce a group of elites.

Thinking this, Princess Xi slowly came back to her senses and then continued to ask, "By the way, who is the current Speaker of the Dongye Prefecture Council?"

Upon hearing Princess Xi's words, Ellie replied, "It's currently vacant."

"It seems that Elder Pang has some other ideas about this position. So he applied to the shelter to leave the position temporarily vacant."

Princess Xi's political acumen is indeed very high.

She was slightly taken aback when she heard Ellie's words, but then she realized: this was Pang Haichen's flatbread.

Princess Xi had already heard from Ellie about the recent high-level meeting between the two states, where all eight vice speakers sided with Qiu Tu.

Therefore, she also knew that Pang Haichen's prestige had been completely lost, and he was now being overshadowed by Qiu Tu.

Therefore, Pang Haichen urgently needed a way to turn the tide.

And... the vacant speakership is the best solution.

"Vacant" means that anyone can use it.

As the garrison commander of the two prefectures, Pang Haichen clearly wielded enormous influence over the position of Speaker of the Dongye Prefecture Council.

Most likely, if he agrees, the shelter will agree as well.

Therefore, all deputy speakers aspiring to become the speaker of the Dongye State Assembly will face a choice: whether to continue choosing Qiu Tu or Pang Haichen...

The reason these deputy speakers sided with Qiu Tu was simply to secure a future and a promotion.

Now... Pang Haichen has directly placed the bait of "promotion" there, and it will be easy for the vice speakers' psychological defenses to be breached.

At that time, Pang Haichen will be able to establish a foothold in the two states without any difficulty.

'Impressive...As expected, those who become faction leaders are all highly politically astute.'

Princess Xi sighed inwardly, feeling a pang of nostalgia.

It is now her 25th day of visiting Shelter No. 8.

In five days, she will visit Shelter 8 and then return to Shelter 6.

As a result, who could have imagined that the "little shrimp" they met when they first arrived in Dongye Prefecture would grow into a "prehistoric behemoth" in the blink of an eye.

The governors of two states, and high-ranking officials in the shelter. Any one of these positions would place them among the very elite of the human community.

Moreover, he joined forces with Zhao Ji to kill two sixth-tier evil gods.

This signifies that he has officially reached the pinnacle of the entire Northwest region and now possesses the ability to influence the situation single-handedly.

But he himself was still mired in the mire, searching for a way to save himself...

Fortunately, perhaps sensing his unfavorable situation, the people in the 6th shelter finally quietly came to Dongyezhou and established a simple contact with him.

I'm currently trying to figure out a way to rescue myself without causing too much disruption.

This means that I am gradually beginning to regain control of the situation...

'The rest is about persuading Qiu Tu and gaining his support to regain control of the Sixth Shelter...'

Thinking of this, Princess Xi's gaze was serene as she silently murmured to herself,

So...we'll see tonight.

.......

at the same time.

Qiu Tu stood in front of the sand table, watching Tang Feifei's progress in conquering territory while listening to Dai Yukang's report.

A moment later, he picked up a blue flag and replaced the red flag above a city on the sand table.

Then, turning to Tao Yaoyao, who had succeeded Guan Xiao as Minister of the Interior, she said, "Tell Ning Xin to gather his men and have them stationed in 'Iron Horse City' by tomorrow to maintain order."

"This place will serve as the capital of the prefecture, and I don't want to find only ruins when I get there."

"Yes," Tao Yaoyao replied, and quickly left the office to start arranging work.

After Tao Yaoyao left, Qiu Tu turned to Dai Yukang beside him and said, "Old Dai, you came here today just to tell me that you haven't found anyone yet?"

Hearing Qiu Tu's words, Dai Yukang nodded, then said with a puzzled look, "Yes. At least since our large-scale search began, we haven't noticed any suspicious individuals."

"We speculate that the sixth-tier evil god 'Yaksha' might have escaped to the disaster zone?"

"In that case, the scope would be much larger."

Upon hearing Dai Yukang's words, Qiu Tu's expression darkened slightly.

He gently weighed the small model in his hand, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Contact Yu Die and Guan Xiao, and then conduct an investigation together in the four states."

"Even if 'Yaksha' is a sixth-tier evil god, it would be incredibly weak after its fall. Logically, it couldn't have run that far."

"It should still be in one of our four states."

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's arrangement, Dai Yukang quickly agreed and then hurriedly retreated.

Watching Dai Yukang's retreating figure, Qiu Tu shook his head slightly and muttered "old fox" to himself.

Don't be fooled by Dai Yukang's apparent lack of accomplishment and seemingly inviting criticism. In fact, it was a very clever tactic.

Having lived two lives, Qiu Tu knows deeply that things are not done, but "said".

Whether in romantic relationships or in the workplace, working silently is not very effective.

Everyone is busy, and no one pays attention to others.

Therefore, only those who both do the work and communicate effectively can let others know how hard they are working.

However, someone like Dai Yukang, who regularly reports on the progress of work even when things are not yet done well, is extremely clever.

When the time comes and they actually find "Yaksha," Qiu Tu will definitely remember all the hardships he has endured during this period.

Even if he couldn't find "Yaksha," Qiu Tu knew he was working hard because he often came to report to Qiu Tu. Therefore, Qiu Tu wouldn't blame him.

'But...where did Yasha go?'

Qiu Tu, who was quite familiar with Dai Yukang's abilities, couldn't help but feel a little doubtful...

.....

And just like that, the day passed quickly.

Late at night. After communicating with Tang Feifei for half an hour and confirming that Tang Feifei's side had captured the 14th city and the state was initially secured, Qiu Tu took a shower and went to bed.

Of course, before going to sleep, he finally took out the pink "Dream Invitation" and placed it under his pillow, preparing to formally meet Princess Xi.

However, what he didn't know was that shortly after he fell asleep, Lariro, humming a song, flipped through the world and arrived at the "Trade Market" to find him...

.....

When Qiu Tu opened his eyes, what came into view was a spacious front courtyard square.

The square is paved with intricately carved rectangular stone slabs. At the center is a fountain featuring a sculpture of a woman with fruit.

The babbling water contrasts sharply with the tranquility of the surrounding environment, adding a touch of dynamism and vitality.

The pool beneath the fountain is carved with heroic epics and myths, both inside and out, with exquisite and detailed craftsmanship, making it very beautiful.

After quietly admiring the beautiful scenery before him, Qiu Tu heard Princess Xi's voice in his ear, "Isn't it beautiful?"

Upon hearing Princess Xi's words, Qiu Tu snapped out of his reverie. He turned to look at Princess Xi and deliberately asked, "Are you talking about yourself?"

A simple sentence instantly added a touch of ambiguity to what was originally a normal atmosphere.

However, Princess Xi, being a political figure, is clearly quite different from ordinary women.

So the smile on her lips flashed by quickly, then she suppressed it and said seriously, "Of course I'm talking about the square in front of us."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Tu nodded and said, "She is quite pretty, but unfortunately, she is not as beautiful as Your Highness."

Princess Xi: .....

Princess Xi rubbed her temples. She realized that Qiu Tu was unlike any of the high-ranking officials she knew.

Perhaps due to his personality, or perhaps because he rose to power too quickly, this guy simply lacks the composure and restraint of a high-ranking executive.

They say whatever they think without any pretense.

This made it impossible for her to even practice "Tai Chi".

Thinking this, Princess Xi hesitated for two seconds before speaking again to persuade him, "Qiu Tu... I understand your feelings for me."

"But... it's actually impossible for us. Putting aside everything else, I'm several years older than you."

Don't you men all prefer women younger than yourself?

Upon hearing Princess Xi's words, Qiu Tu, while admiring the fountain with his hands behind his back, said with a smile, "Princess, you've misunderstood."

"I have no feelings for you, I just want to sleep with you."

"Besides...who says men all like younger women?"

"Let's not even talk about my ex-friend who only liked 'pushing aunties' (a derogatory term for women who are overly affectionate)."

"Take the trend now, for example, everyone's looking for an older sister, so they can skip ten years of hard work."

"So we're a perfect match."

"You are four or five years older than me. A woman three years older than me is considered lucky."

"And I'm a 'good young person in society,' I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

Princess Xi could understand Qiu Tu's words up to a certain extent, but she really couldn't understand the last sentence, when Qiu Tu called himself a "good young man in society."

So she couldn't help but ask, "What is a 'good youth of society'?"

Qiu Tu smiled at her and said, "Try reading it backwards."

Princess Xi: ?

She silently repeated the words in her mind, one by one: 'Young, good, capable...'

Even with Princess Xi's composure, her face couldn't help but blush slightly when she read the last word.

She felt that Qiu Tu was a really unreliable person.

The two only exchanged seven or eight sentences during their meeting, and Qiu Tu spent every single one praising and flirting with him.

His intentions are as clear as day!

Thinking this, Princess Xi sighed slightly and decided not to follow Qiu Tu's lead.

She said calmly, "Commander Qiu, last time you told me a story about Da Yu'er and the Regent."

"I want to hear it again."

Upon hearing Princess Xi's words, Qiu Tu naturally stepped forward, put his arm around her, and said, "Since Your Highness wants to hear it, I will definitely tell you slowly."

When a normal person hugs someone, they put their arm around the waist or shoulder.

But Qiu Tu... was different from the others; the hand on his waist seemed to be positioned a little higher.

So, what he felt upon touching it was its soft texture.

Princess Xi's body stiffened noticeably. She wanted to break free, but perhaps she thought of Qiu Tu's current identity, status, and strength, as well as the help he could give her and her child.

She bit her lip again and held back.

Seeing this, Qiu Tu couldn't help but smile.