An endless stream!
On the very first day, the number of participants in the selection was no less than a thousand.
However, it was clearly not easy to get the one gold settlement fee from Zhang Shihao; there were conditions.
First: From a good family, with no one in the past three generations having committed crimes.
Second: Able to carry three hundred catties with both arms and run ten li without falling!
Third: Proficient in archery, skilled with swords and spears, and those with martial arts experience are preferred!
As soon as Zhang Shihao's conditions for selecting guards were released, a thousand people participated on the first day.
However, in the end, only eight barely made it.
As the news spread, the entire Luoyang was in an uproar.
Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, and the other Ten Attendants, as well as the Powerful Families and Officials, looked displeased and were in an uproar.
Liu Hong, inside the imperial palace, laughed heartily, clapping his hands and shouting praises.
Regardless of what each faction thought, the selection proceeded in full swing.
On the second day, men from slightly further afield around Luoyang also swarmed in, with over 2,200 participants and eighteen selected.
On the third day, men from Hongnong and Jingzhao Yin rushed over, with over 4,700 participants and thirty-two selected.
On the fourth day…
On the fifth day, even many men from Hedong Commandery under Sili arrived.
…
As time passed day by day, more and more strong and powerful men were selected, then sent to the palace for castration.
On this day, Zhang Shihao arrived at the bustling South Gate of Luoyang.
The city walls of Luoyang were tall, the city gate grand and imposing, and Guards maintained order for entry.
Outside the moat, however, it was exceptionally lively.
Under a large 'Zhang' banner fluttering in the wind, several Eunuch Court Attendants in luxurious robes sat at a table, writing something with brushes.
In front, several large stone rollers were placed.
Each one weighed no less than three hundred catties.
One after another, ragged and dusty big men first went to register their information, then, with tense and serious expressions, approached the large stone rollers. They needed to lift the stone rollers with both arms to pass the strength test.
A pale-faced, beardless Eunuch held a bamboo slip, stood in front of the stone rollers, made an orchid-finger gesture, his face full of smiles, and sang in a sharp, duck-like voice:
"Wang Xiao'er, twenty years old, from Hongnong, from a good family, with a clean family background, eligible for the strength test!"
As soon as the Eunuch's voice fell, the dense crowd of onlookers immediately stirred, all turning their heads.
Under everyone's gaze, a ragged, sallow-faced young man walked out nervously, approached a stone roller, took a deep breath, and embraced the large stone with both arms.
However, no matter how hard he tried, his face turning red from the strain, the large stone only rotated in place and simply wouldn't lift.
Seeing that the one named Wang Xiao'er couldn't lift it, the Eunuch, whose face had been full of smiles, instantly changed his expression, full of disgust, and said:
"Hmph, can't lift it, get down!"
"Alas!" Wang Xiao'er's face was pale, and he could only walk away with difficulty under the pitying gazes of the onlookers.
The Eunuch made an orchid-finger gesture, glanced at the bamboo slip, and again, his face full of smiles, sang:
"Gao Chao, nineteen years old, from Henan, from a good family, with a clean family background, eligible for the strength test!"
Another ragged young man stood out.
However, soon, the Eunuch, full of disgust, said:
"Can't lift it, get down!"
…
"Can't lift it, get down!"
… … …
"Can't lift it…"
…
One sharp, disgusted voice after another rang out, causing the surrounding crowd to stir repeatedly.
The onlookers included not only a large number of men who had traveled far to participate in the selection but also residents of Luoyang who had come out to watch the excitement. The crowd was mixed, but they all gasped and were shocked by the difficulty of the selection.
"It's hard even to become a Eunuch in the palace!"
"Isn't that right? I've never seen anything so difficult. Since it started this morning, there must have been over twenty people, and not a single one has been selected."
"If one can be selected, then they've truly made it big. I heard that Zhang Shihao wants to cultivate them as his trusted aides."
"I heard he wants to recruit three hundred people. With three hundred such people as trusted aides, this Zhang Shihao's power is truly strong."
…
Discussions rose and fell within the crowd.
The Eunuch made an orchid-finger gesture, glanced at the bamboo slip again, his face still full of smiles, and sang:
"Gao Chao, seventeen years old, from Hedong Commandery, from a good family, with a clean family background, eligible for the strength test!"
As the Eunuch's voice fell, under everyone's gaze, another ragged, sallow-faced young man walked out, his expression slightly solemn. He approached a stone roller, took a deep breath, embraced the stone roller, and suddenly exerted force from his waist. The originally casual onlookers' eyes widened, as the large stone suddenly rose in the hands of the young man named Gao Chao, seemingly without much effort.