Chapter 1069: Fanning the Flames (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Mei Meng smiled, a strange light flickering in her eyes.

"You're not afraid of losing your life just to watch my show?"

The burly man, however, had a nonchalant air about him, saying nonchalantly, "Have you ever seen a martial artist who's afraid of death? A martial artist should be prepared for an untimely end from the very first day they step into the martial arts path. If you're afraid of death, don't go down this path that risks your life. I even dared to watch Zheng Qiao's downfall, why would I be afraid of someone like Mei Jinghe?"

Mei Meng: "..."

At first glance, this statement seems to make no mistake.

But which martial artist dies while watching a spectacle? Is dying while watching a spectacle the same as dying while pursuing the path of martial arts?

The burly man leaned back, arms crossed over his chest.

With a rather nonchalant air, he said, "Only you young people would agonize over how to die. In my opinion, the death of a commoner, the death of a king, dying for the greater good of the people, or even choking on water—death is death, there's no distinction between noble and lowly. If there's anything absolutely fair in this world, it's death! Why can't I just watch the show and die?"

Are generals who die on the battlefield more noble than him?

He can die, what right do others have to comment?

Mei Meng: "..."

Helpless, she looked at the burly man who seemed to be utterly self-righteous. She rubbed her aching temples, closed her eyes, and mentally analyzed every detail, striving for absolute certainty. This was also her only chance in recent years to perfect the path of a scholar; if she missed this opportunity, she feared she would never have another.

The burly man didn't make a sound to disturb her.

All I could hear was the sound of the wheels spinning rapidly.

As the caravan was about to leave the territory of Heyin County, the burly man looked at the monotonous scenery outside the window and suddenly said, "...Does Your Majesty know what I admire most about Zheng Qiao? Even if in your eyes, this man is utterly rotten, a bastard who should be nailed to the pillar of shame and scorned by thousands, in my opinion, he has one merit that Your Majesty should learn from."

Mei Meng knew that the burly man wouldn't suddenly say these things.

There must be some purpose behind it.

He then asked, "What are your advantages?"

The burly man said, "He clearly understands how to leverage strength and opportunity, and he won't be swayed by unnecessary emotions. Whether he's a king above all others or a powerful minister second only to the emperor, what guarantees his life and future has never been any blood relation or personal gain..."

"It's force."

"It's military power!"

"Only those with strong and powerful armies are qualified to be the ruler."

"So-called etiquette and morality are only for those with strong armies and powerful horses to define. If Zheng Qiao hadn't wanted others to have an easy time and lost control of his madness, he shouldn't have had to retire so early with his strength. At least he could have suppressed Shen Youli's development for another ten years, do you understand?"

Mei Meng smiled and said, "So?"

"If you don't have military power in your own hands, it will eventually be used against your vitals." The burly man looked Mei Meng up and down, seemingly wondering how many blows she could withstand before she died. "Don't believe the lie of 'sharing joys and sorrows' too much. That's just for fools to suffer with you. Only a fool would believe it completely. There are plenty of people in this world who can share the hardships but not the joys, and who won't let outsiders taste the sweetness."

Mei Meng's smile gradually faded away.

"Is this implying that I will be 'killed when the rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked'?"

The burly man burst into a loud, bell-like laugh, which grew louder and louder until he almost choked on his laughter. He slapped his thigh in a vulgar manner and said, "My lady, I finally understand why there are so many excellent ladies in the world, yet so few who actually wield real power. The difference between a person and a person who wields power is greater than the difference between a dog and a person. If someone who holds real power can have a pleasant conversation with you, it's either because she's accommodating you and using you for amusement, or because you're useful to her and she needs to win you over... There are many, many, many reasons, but it's definitely not because of gender."

"When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked; why is that impossible?"

The burly man was merely reminding Mei Meng not to trust her master too much.

The strongman knew perfectly well what Mei was planning, and so did their lord, but knowing didn't mean complete trust, and past trust didn't guarantee future trust. People change, especially those in power; they can even become monsters!

Mei Meng seemed naively convinced that this trust would never change.

She also thought that since she and the Lord shared the same gender and the same experiences, they would understand each other from beginning to end. This understanding would also make the Lord trust her: "Zheng Qiao is right about one thing: from birth to death, you only have yourself!"

Only you can truly trust yourself.

Only you will always be loyal to yourself.

Rather than pinning your hopes for change on another person, hoping they will share your vision and remain steadfast, it's better to place those hopes within yourself. Hold all the power in your own hands, and seize the initiative in shaping the rules—

“Voluntarily relinquishing power is tantamount to handing a knife to someone else; whether the knife stabs you or not depends entirely on the conscience of the person wielding the knife.” The burly man stroked his somewhat curly, thick beard and muttered, “In all my years, I’ve rarely seen anyone do this.”

Without exception, those who did this met with a bad end.

Mei Meng remained silent for a long time.

He sighed deeply and said, "How could I not know?"

But she had no choice.

Instead of concealing her talents to assist her lord, she chose to work independently. Leaving aside the immense difficulty of starting from scratch, how could an ordinary woman like her take the first step in recruiting talented individuals? She was from a prestigious family, but she wasn't a man; why would her family help her?

Or she might usurp the throne and seize the fruits of others' labor. While she might benefit from doing so, she would also leave behind a bad reputation. For future generations, this would not be a help but an obstacle, and they would only be more vigilant in preventing such actions!

Mei Meng had no choice.

She could only trust the Lord.

I also hope to continue to trust her.

Seeing that Mei Meng understood, the burly man said no more.

Everyone understands the principle, but some people still refuse to follow it.

Mei Meng probably knew in her heart how much people feared her scholarly ways. Of all things, it had to be "He who steals a hook is punished, he who steals a kingdom becomes a prince"—who wouldn't feel uneasy upon hearing that? And yet, Mei Meng was determined to perfect it, but the way she achieved that perfection was fraught with bloodshed and betrayal. Who could guarantee that this betrayal wouldn't fall upon them?

Rather than waiting to be killed, it's better to strike first.

Of course, it's too early to say these things now.

Even if it were truly a case of "the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked," it would have to wait until "all the birds are gone." As long as there is still prey in the forest, and a good bow is still needed for hunting, or a substitute for a good bow has not yet appeared, Mei Meng will be safe. The strong man himself might even die younger than Mei Meng.

Why does he bother with all this?

From then on, they remained silent the entire way.

Ning Yan gathered the information and notified Shen Tang immediately.

Upon receiving Cui Xiao's bluebird, Shen Tang dispatched scouts to verify the authenticity of the intelligence. Based on the investigation, most of it was true: [estimated to be nine parts true and one part false.]

They don't know where they've dug a pit for themselves to fall into.

Shen Tang hesitated for only a short while before making the final decision.

Let's not think too much about it, let's just fight first.

Regardless of Wu Xian's schemes or the Eternal Life Sect's trump cards, on the surface, they could easily take over Tianhai County. So why not seize this opportunity? Without warning, Shen Tang issued a challenge, and the Tianhai troops raised their white flags of truce.

What's the point of a truce card?

Seeing the huge sign of truce, the generals paid it no heed.

The fact that a truce sign was displayed didn't mean the battle wouldn't happen. War doesn't concern itself with formalities; it simply indicated that the other side didn't want to fight, and that if they wanted to, they could attack. So, Shen Tang led his troops directly to the front, not bothering to wait for Wu Xian.

In this battle, Shen Tang displayed a formation capable of flattening the sky and sea.

Tianhai's forces could hold out for a while, so he immediately informed Yiru, whose forces were ready to launch a surprise attack on Heyin.

result--

They encountered Shen Tang's troops, who should have been fighting in Tianhai.

The battle was fought fairly standardly. The Gao Kingdom didn't send any powerful eminent figures from the Eternal Life Cult capable of overthrowing civil and military officials. Shen Tang's main force was merely a feint; their true focus remained on the Tianhai battlefield. By the time Wu Xian realized what was happening, several counties in Tianhai had fallen.

The attempts to send reinforcements were repeatedly interrupted.

Shen Tang felt that things were progressing too smoothly.

"How long is Wu Zhaode going to hold back?"

"Is he constipated or what? How can he endure it so much?" Shen Tang looked at the basic course on literary arts that she had practically worn out, her temples throbbing and her eyes aching. "Whether you stick your neck out or not, you're going to get stabbed anyway, so why not just get it over with? Studying those incantations every day is making me so resentful..."

Gu Chi and several other literary figures were also greatly troubled.

Especially Gu Chi.

Despite practicing martial arts every day, Gu Chi didn't develop any muscles; instead, his energy and spirit became increasingly weak, making one wonder if he was indulging in nightly revelry and having his vitality drained by some demon. When Shen Tang checked on his progress, she felt that the future of Kangguo was bleak.

All Shen Tang could do was give him tonics.

The physicians would prescribe whatever medicine was most potent in tonifying.

She could conjure up any medicinal plant in a short time if Gu Chi needed it, replenishing him however little it could. Gu Chi drank so much that his face turned green, and his smile became stiff: "Is Your Majesty afraid that this won't be enough to kill him?"

Shen Tang said, "Good medicine tastes bitter."

His health is truly worrying.

Upon hearing this, Gu Chi could only pinch his nose and drink it all in one gulp.

He actually wanted to say that he could recover if he stopped practicing martial arts, but he couldn't say it. Chu Wuhui and the others were training day and night without stopping, so how could he, as the most valued old minister of the lord, fall behind? He could only curse that old man from the Eternal Life Sect a thousand times in his heart.

Supplementing while practicing.

The result was that she overdoed it and had a severe nosebleed.

Shen Tang glanced at Gu Chi's face, her gaze lingering on the dark circles under his eyes for a few moments, before asking the physician uncertainly, "Are you sure it's because I overdid it? Or is it due to dry weather or some other illness?"

The physician nodded.

Shen Tang's expression became quite subtle.

Why do I still look so sickly even though I've overdone it?

Gu Chi: [...]

Shen Tang was completely baffled.

Ultimately, it can only be attributed to the bizarre setting of this world.

In the world of Words, anything is possible.

She had barely finished complaining when Ning Yan arrived the next day, looking travel-worn. Shen Tang jumped up and exclaimed, "Tu Nan is here!"

"Greetings, my lord."

"How is everything in Beizhou?"

The present-day Beizhou is the former Beimo.

When Shen Tang led the main force to withdraw, there were still small-scale mutinies within the Northern Desert, but they were not significant and could be suppressed with a little effort. She sent Ning Yan to stay in the Northern Prefecture temporarily to deal with these loose ends, which was also a way of giving Ning Yan a short vacation.

As Zixu is part of Ning Yan's scholarly way, its disappearance will bring a considerable burden to Ning Yan, requiring time to recuperate. Ning Yan has no objection to this arrangement. However, Shen Tang did not expect Ning Yan to arrive so quickly: "You're feeling better too?"

"The Northern Continent is safe and sound, and I am in excellent health." Ning Yan paused after speaking, and continued, "Not only am I unharmed, but I have also made some unexpected gains. If there are no further surprises, my path as a scholar will soon be complete."

The way of the scholar is the trump card of every scholar, something they rarely reveal to outsiders, not even their lord. Ning Yan hesitated before coming, but ultimately chose to be honest. Her lord was special to her; their lives were intertwined, and she was as vital as half of herself, so there was no need to hide anything.

"Perfect? ​​Can it get any more perfect?"

The reason for saying "again" is that the concept of "[Nothingness]" itself had already been perfected. According to Ning Yan's own account, her scholar's way was not only hers but also that of her deceased husband, Yan An. Perhaps the couple shared the same ideals, or perhaps it was some other circumstance, but the "[Nothingness]" that Ning Yan awakened was exactly the same as Yan An's scholar's way before his death, and Yan An had already completely perfected that way. How could a "[Nothingness]" that had already been perfected be perfected again?

Ning Yan said, "Yes, I didn't expect that would be possible."

She also thought that was the perfect form of "non-existent".

However, it can also be understood from another perspective.

Every scholar has one chance to perfect their path as a scholar. Yan An used it up, and Ning Yan, as the one who took the baton, has not yet achieved perfection in her own path. What is a perfected path for Yan An is still entirely new for her.

Shen Tang was too lazy to get to the bottom of it.

She only cared about one question: "Is it difficult?"

Ning Yan said, "I already have a clue."

The path to becoming a perfect scholar is not easy. The war with Gao State is a good opportunity. If we can seize it, we have a 90% chance of success.

"I'm relieved to hear that."

Not only is she relieved, but justice will also rejoice.

Shen Tang smiled and patted Ning Yan's arm.

"After a long and tiring journey, Tu Nan should rest first." He cherishes this half-day and will join the intensive martial arts training class afterward.

Ning Yan didn't understand the implied meaning; she had other important matters to report.

Shen Tang asked, "What is it?"

"About Mei Jinghe."

"She ran away?"

"Um."

“She’s gone, so it’s not a good time to deal with her now…” Shen Tang was somewhat disappointed, but she was also prepared. Seeing Ning Yan hesitate, she knew that things were not so simple.

As expected—

Ning Yan said, "Qi Yanqing is with Mei Jinghe."

Shen Tang's first reaction was to ask, "Is Shousheng alright?"

“Shousheng was diverted by Mei Jinghe, probably to avoid any further complications,” Ning Yan said with a frown, her tone certain. “I sent Wuyou to intercept him and gather intelligence on Mei Jinghe. Wuyou brought back some information about Mei Jinghe’s approach to the scholar’s ​​way—”

"What?"

"He who steals a hook is punished, he who steals a country becomes a king. Judging from the intelligence Wu You obtained, Mei Jinghe probably plans to hold the final ceremony in Gao Kingdom, personally orchestrating the event to elevate the 'traitor who successfully stole the country,' and then execute him in order to uphold the rule of law."

"Successfully seized the country?"

Shen Tang felt that these four words were very subtle.

"So, does that mean I was also included in your calculations?"

Despite Wu Zhaode's significant changes over the years, usurping his position won't be easy. He'll need external forces to weaken Wu Xian's main army before seizing the opportunity for a decisive strike; otherwise, he'll be courting death. Those who survive in chaotic times are rarely simple-minded.

(_)

I'm going to the Lu Xun Academy of Literature in Beijing tomorrow, but I only found out tonight that I'm going. I'm completely numb. I'm still lazy; in winter, I accumulate seven or eight days' worth of clothes before throwing them all into the washing machine, and if the washing machine doesn't get them clean, I hand-wash them. Now I don't even have any clean clothes to change into... I bought the plane ticket on the spot, didn't pack my luggage, and have no drafts saved up... Despair.