Ying Zheng did not stay long in the Peacock Kingdom, and after only a few days, he would return to Great Qin.
Upon his return to Great Qin, however, Ying Zheng ordered the large-scale construction of trains and the laying of railways.
Concurrently, Ying Zheng began to recruit craftsmen in large numbers, aiming to improve trains and power generation devices.
He took to heart Lin Tian's words about electricity reaching every household, and began to act upon them.
Even though he did not know if he could achieve electricity in every home, he still did his utmost to develop in that direction.
It was precisely because of Ying Zheng's determination and vigorous pursuit of this goal that his strategies had a profound impact on the people of Great Qin.
Originally, for the people of Great Qin to rise in status, their only recourse was the imperial examination.
Through the imperial examination, they could obtain official positions in Great Qin and become officials.
But now, Ying Zheng needed craftsmen, and simultaneously, he granted official positions to these craftsmen, which entirely changed the situation.
"What? Craftsmen can also become officials? Does that mean I can become an official too?"
"Since childhood, I've harbored a dream of becoming an official. Now there's a chance to realize it. I want to become an official, I want to be an official!"
"My craftsmanship is already superb. I believe it won't be difficult to strive for an official position!"
If Ying Zheng had not promised official positions, these people would not have been so enthusiastic.
But with the promise of official positions, the situation changed drastically.
For ordinary people, the greatest aspiration in their lives was to become an official.
Now, an opportunity to become an official was placed before them. In such circumstances, how could they let such a chance slip away?
Therefore, every single one of them wanted to become an official.
With this thought in mind, they were exceptionally proactive when signing up.
The scene could even be described as a sea of people.
After all, Great Qin was incredibly powerful, and the value of an official position in Great Qin was immense.
Under such circumstances, they naturally had to strive for it.
Even many individuals who did not possess craftsmanship skills participated in the selection process.
While these people lacked professional knowledge, the allure of an official position was too great. They wanted to try their luck and see if fortune would smile upon them and get them selected.
Moreover, the number of people with such aspirations was not small.
However, the number of people selected was not very large.
Although Ying Zheng needed many craftsmen, he did not need those who were merely going through the motions.
He needed those with genuine talent and practical skills.
He particularly valued those with top-tier skills.
To this end, he specifically issued a decree: anyone with outstanding skills who was willing to serve in court would be rewarded with a thousand pieces of gold.
The saying of buying a horse's bones for a thousand pieces of gold was brought to life before everyone, which greatly moved them.
Even reclusive masters could not remain indifferent.
Although they were reclusive masters, they still needed to eat!
Not only did they need to eat, but their descendants also needed to eat.
Furthermore, after these craftsmen entered officialdom, Great Qin was not aiming to steal their techniques, but rather to research more profound matters.
For instance, trains that sped on rails, ships that sailed rapidly on the sea, and even balloons that flew in the sky.
All of these were unheard of for craftsmen, and because of this, they were filled with curiosity about their existence.
They were extremely eager to know how these things were made and what their designs were.
And such technology was a greater temptation for these craftsmen than money.
Many of them could resist the temptation of money, but they were utterly unable to resist the temptation of technology.
Thus, many of these reclusive masters directly entered the court of Great Qin.
This was not all. In order to allow Great Qin to develop even more rapidly,
Lin Tian and Ying Zheng jointly established many schools.
Besides cultural studies, these schools also taught craftsmanship techniques, including the principles behind train manufacturing.
Ying Zheng and Lin Tian intended to make Great Qin even stronger in the future by cultivating the next generation.
However, although these schools were easy to enter, the environment within them was extremely strict.
In modern terms, it was pure military-style management.
While there was a degree of freedom, when necessary, strict adherence to orders was absolutely required.
Concurrently, many among them needed to undergo military training.
Their physical fitness needed to be gradually enhanced to reach the level expected of a soldier.
This management system proved to be a challenge for many.
Many people wanted to learn the techniques, believing that by acquiring these skills, they would certainly have a good future.
However, many were unwilling to endure hardship.
After all, entering those schools was tantamount to joining the army.
The very thought of such a situation made one's head spin.
Especially for many sons of wealthy families, they were even more unwilling to undertake this.
And for the children of the poor, they were also unwilling to do so.
Because if they sent their children to school, their families would lose a laborer.
Not only that, but they might also have to spend a considerable amount of money for their children's daily expenses.
Just thinking about this made many people unwilling.
It was not that they did not want their children to improve, but rather, life was a struggle.
Because of this, the number of students recruited by these schools was not large.
It was not until Lin Tian implemented a policy that this situation underwent a drastic change.
Lin Tian announced that students from impoverished families attending school would receive a certain monthly financial subsidy.
This subsidy would not only ensure that these students could eat their fill but could even bring a small amount of wealth to their families.
As soon as this policy was announced, a large number of people expressed their support.
Indeed, many of them wished they could send all their children to school, so they could both nurture their children's talents and receive a substantial sum of money.
However, the schools did have age restrictions, and even some entry requirements.
Furthermore, the schools conducted multiple assessments each year.
Those who repeatedly failed the assessments would be expelled from the school.
All these factors combined made the atmosphere in the schools exceptionally diligent.
Every single student studied assiduously, daring not to slack off in the slightest.
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