Chapter 1128: Three Machines Can Conquer the World (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

“My son did a great job.”

Hearing that his daughter had considered these things, the man in the tight-fitting clothes felt a sense of relief. He had always feared that his daughter would be as reckless and impulsive as he had been in his youth. Youthful spirit is commendable, but it depends on the circumstances. He had his older brothers to protect him from his impulsiveness; the two brothers carried no other burden than the rise and fall of their family. But his daughter was different. From birth, she bore the weight of the entire nation's future.

"Knowing when to advance and when to retreat, remaining calm and composed."

The girl in the red robe blushed and said, "Of course. As the daughter of the king, a daughter should surpass her father!"

She's not one of those arrogant playboys.

Those spoiled brats think they're invincible just because they have bodyguards, believing they can do whatever they want. Little do they know there are always people stronger than them, and the world is vast. This world isn't about having a lot of people and being invincible. If they run into a brick wall and offend a martial arts master who can take the enemy general's head in the midst of a massive army, how much of a help can those bodyguards provide?

We should still be cautious and prioritize stability in everything we do!

The man in the tight-fitting clothes flicked her forehead in an annoyed manner.

"Didn't you, Grand Tutor Yu, teach you how to be humble? If the censor hears these words, he'll impeach you in court again."

The girl in the red robe pouted and rubbed her slightly reddened brow.

Her good mood plummeted upon hearing the words "censor," and her head began to throb: "Them? Hmph, even if my daughter is innocent, they'll find fault with everything. No matter what, they'll never be satisfied. So why should I humiliate myself?"

She was already outstanding!

Grand Tutor Yu said that her natural talent was no less than her father's, and her intelligence was far superior. Why did she pretend to be mediocre? If she was mediocre, how would the useless sons of the civil and military officials feel? So, humility is useless.

The man in the tight-fitting clothes had sharp, sword-like eyebrows that seemed to carry a hint of worry.

He sighed, “Indeed, let’s not talk about them. This trip was to relax. I was busy dealing with the Sun Kingdom before, and I didn’t have time to check your archery skills. Let’s have a good competition, father and daughter, and see who hunts more game so we can get your mother a fur coat.”

In the southeastern climate, even a thick, warm animal-hide cloak can only be worn for two days a year. You can go without it, but you can't be without it.

The girl in the red robe pulled the quiver on her back forward.

"Father, you mustn't deliberately break your daughter's arrow this time."

Hunting competitions are naturally about who can hunt the most and largest prey with the fewest arrows. If multiple people hit the same prey at the same time, the ownership of the prey is determined by the arrows—whoever's arrow was closest to the prey's vital organs and the deeper the wound, gets the prey.

Two years ago, when she had just started training, her strength was only slightly greater than that of boys her age. She couldn't draw an adult's heavy bow, her stamina was poor, and her aim was terrible, so she couldn't hunt any big fish. On two rare occasions when she was lucky enough to catch one, her father intercepted it halfway through.

The enemy's arrow, though fired later, struck first, piercing the prey's eye and breaking her arrow in the process, leaving her so angry she cried.

She went back to her mother to complain, but her father was still self-righteous.

Hunting is all about skill.

If you're so capable, you can also snatch the prey from your father's grasp.

The girl in the red robe could only watch helplessly as her father used a screen made from the animal hides of the prey that should have been hers to curry favor with her mother, and she received only a small, fluffy tail as a reward. The father and daughter had a tradition of hunting every year, two or three times a year, each trip lasting ten days to half a month. So far, the girl in the red robe had never won a single hunt.

However, she believes she will definitely win this time.

The man in the tight-fitting clothes breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his daughter disappear into the deep mountains. The Sun Kingdom had just been destroyed, and he was busy with government affairs. He didn't really have time to go hunting. He made a special effort to spend time with his daughter this time to help her relax and was worried that it would affect her mental state.

She was personally taught by Guilong and was also exceptionally intelligent. How could she not have noticed that the imperial censors were becoming increasingly harsh on her, even to the point of nitpicking? The root of all this was that—after eight years, the queen, who had been diagnosed by the imperial physician as infertile, became pregnant again and gave birth to a son on the day when the king of Sun Kingdom was naked, bound, and carried in a coffin with a jade disc in his mouth. This child also had the talent for cultivation.

The man in the tight-fitting clothes paused for a moment when he heard that he was going to be a father for the third time. Then, realizing the child's gender, he hurriedly summoned the royal physician: "Didn't you say back then that the Queen's last pregnancy damaged her fertility, making it difficult for her to conceive again? How could this be...?"

When the imperial physician diagnosed the pregnancy, he broke out in a sweat.

He whispered, "Difficulty conceiving again doesn't mean it's impossible. With a bit of luck, conception is still possible. Besides, the Queen has taken good care of her health over the years, and she has recovered most of her lost energy..."

You can't blame the imperial physicians for this pregnancy!

They couldn't possibly have given the Queen lead or mercury. Her last childbirth was dangerous and damaged her health; even the most skilled doctors couldn't heal her. The fact that the couple is pregnant again after eight years—doesn't this prove the deep love and devotion between the Lord and the Queen?

However, the royal physician also understood why the king reacted this way.

If this pregnancy is a daughter, that would be fine; but if it's a son, it will inevitably affect the Crown Princess's position. The courtiers had no other choice back then, and given the king's strong will, they had no choice but to accept this Crown Princess. Now that there's a more suitable candidate, the Crown Princess's position will naturally be shaken. The king's words also confirmed his suspicions: "Tell me, is the Queen's pregnancy this one stable?"

Seeing the fleeting pain and struggle on the emperor's face, the imperial physician guessed his meaning and said softly, "Your Majesty, this pregnancy was hard-won. If we force it to end, I'm afraid the mother's body will also suffer..."

Don't be fooled by the folk tales that often mention abortifacients and birth control pills, seemingly mild and harmless. In reality, these are often potent drugs that damage the body and can even be fatal. Even doctors struggle to control the dosage. These drugs can be used in the early stages of pregnancy, but in later stages, the only option is for the woman to be beaten on the abdomen with a stick to forcibly expel the pregnancy. The Queen's pulse was very weak; it was already four months pregnant when the pregnancy was detected…

One wrong move and both mother and child could perish.

The imperial physician explained cautiously, fearing he would incur the emperor's wrath. The man then asked, "Then, can you tell the gender?"

[My medical skills are too limited to discern anything at this time.] The Queen's pregnancy will take six or seven months before we can make a fairly accurate assessment.

The chances of it being a boy or a girl are fifty-fifty.

The man suppressed the news.

However, the truth will eventually come out.

As the months progressed, the Queen's pregnancy became increasingly obvious, and the atmosphere among the courtiers grew somewhat strange. The Queen and her family repeatedly pleaded indirectly, hoping to keep the child. The man summoned his trusted advisors, hoping for a solution.

Even tigers don't eat their cubs, I... I can't bring myself to do it. Guilong, do you have a good plan to get me out of this predicament? He knew he couldn't bring himself to kill his own flesh and blood to eliminate a potential threat.

Yu Haidao: [Being born is so simple.]

What I'm worried about is Er Ya...

He's paved the way for Er Ya for so many years!

Er Ya is still the heir personally chosen by her brother!

Like father, like daughter; this child is sure to follow in his footsteps!

Yu Hai laughed, "Isn't that enough? Her Highness the Crown Princess has the late King's approval and the Emperor's strong support; her position is secure. It can't be shaken by a child who hasn't even been born yet and whose gender is unknown. Even if it's a boy, the siblings will be eight years apart. As long as the Emperor isn't senile, there won't be any internal strife!"

The man said, "I'm worried about the voices from the court..."

Yu Hai scoffed, "So what? Yu Guilong's student is a sharp sword, capable of cutting hair in two when drawn. If anyone thinks she's a whetstone, they'll only break the sword..."

From Yu Hai's perspective, he also favored that the Queen give birth to the child, preferably a competitive son. If the siblings got along well and had a deep bond, everything would be fine. But what if someone with ulterior motives tried to sabotage things, using the Crown Princess as a whetstone? Ha!

The students taught by Yu Hai are no good.

He comforted the man, saying, "Life should always have some ups and downs so that we can overcome obstacles and become stronger with each battle. If Her Highness the Crown Princess has too many successes, I worry that she will become arrogant and complacent when she comes of age."

The man understood the subtext in Yu Hai's words.

As a father, he didn't want any of his children to become stepping stones for another, but Yu Hai's suggestion made him make up his mind completely. However, to be on the safe side, he secretly ordered people to search for methods of contraception among the common people. After the Queen gave birth, it wouldn't be acceptable to remain abstaining from intimacy, nor would it be acceptable to have another child after becoming intimate with her.

Unfortunately, what kind of rubbish was offered up!

To dispel any inappropriate thoughts among the courtiers, the man accepted the surrender of the Sun Kingdom along with his daughter. During the subsequent sacrificial ceremony, he told Heaven and the ancestors of the Qu Kingdom, who in fact told his cousin Zhai Huan, that Zhai Huan had divined for Er Ya and said that Er Ya would inherit his mantle.

The Crown Princess was chosen by the late King!

He, who always regarded his eldest brother as a father, would naturally not disobey! Those who had the intention to advise him to change his heir should shut up if they wanted to live! This move was quite effective. The ministers who had been secretly praising their third son's good fortune and auspicious birth all fell silent and stopped chattering.

However, the man understood that this was only temporary.

When the three sons grew up and their talents became apparent, others began to make their move. He wanted to sigh, "Alas, elder brother, you might as well take your younger brother with you..."

Intrigue and backstabbing are simply not for him.

The man in the tight-fitting clothes followed his daughter, gesturing to the people in the shadows, signaling them to investigate the young man and the girl riding the pig they had encountered on the road. Both were fugitives with considerable strength, and they had been in contact with Er Ya; he wouldn't feel at ease without thoroughly investigating their backgrounds.

If there's a problem, strangle it!

"Who is it this time? Gong Xichou, or Wu Hui and Ji Shou?" At the same time, Shen Tang's nose was unusually itchy, and she sneezed repeatedly, her nose practically dripping with snot. She sniffed, "...It could also be a friend..."

Zhai Xiaofang must be whispering behind her back.

Shen Tang sat steadily on the back of the wild boar.

Her body was very light, and the wild boar carried her steadily without much effort. After descending the mountain, the young man realized that Shen Tang didn't know the way, so he resigned himself to walking ahead, seemingly paying attention to the road conditions, but actually his mind was entirely on her: "Shall we enter the city now?"

"As long as there's a place to stay tonight, that's fine." After saying that, he recalled his experience in a small mountain village back then, "I don't want to stay in the village, I'm afraid of rain."

Qi Yuanliang back then was truly inhuman.

They watch her slack off every day, seeing her get attacked by others.

The young man glanced at the sky.

"The weather has been very changeable lately, and there are indeed signs that it is about to rain."

I never expected that this clever northern monkey could also read the heavens.

Their immediate priority was to officially register their identities; otherwise, once the situation in Qu Kingdom stabilized, it would be difficult for the two undocumented fugitives to move freely in densely populated towns. The young man followed his memory towards the city, while Shen Tang leaned back on the pig's back.

youth:"……"

He's really clever; he can lie still even like that!

“Actually, it’s fine if we don’t go into the city. I can tell you’re literate, and your speech sounds like you’ve been to school…” Shen Tang suddenly asked a question, “Your family must have been quite well-off before you fell on hard times, right? Do you know where there are a lot of bandits and hooligans?”

A sense of wariness arose in the young man's eyes.

He didn't understand the connection between the two sentences.

"Bandits and thugs? What do you want with them?"

Shen Tang casually replied, "Of course, I started from scratch."

Even starting from scratch requires some start-up capital.

How do you get startup capital?

We can't keep letting her run a bar and sell alcohol, can we?

She didn't have the time to run a business, and working a regular job was out of the question. After much deliberation, robbery became her only option. Robbing ordinary people would weigh on her conscience, but robbing unscrupulous individuals would spare her the pangs of conscience. Double-crossing—it was a quick and easy way to make money!

What's the point of starting from scratch?

Shen Tang spread his hands, looked at the sky with self-admiration, and said, "Look at me, all pampered and spoiled, I was born to order others around to do my work! If I don't start from scratch and make money, where am I going to find people to do my work? There aren't many love-driven brains in this world, they're a rare find."

A few words were enough to silence the young man completely.

Looking at the disheveled wild boar, and then at the even more disheveled bald, skinny girl lying on its back, he felt that she had misunderstood the terms "living in luxury" and "being pampered and precious."

"You're a bandit in Zhai Xiaofang's territory?"

"I'm not a wooden stake, why should I stand here as a statue?"

She's always the one who fights bandits; if Zhai Le were to take her down as a bandit, it would be a complete joke. Her idea of ​​"starting from scratch" wasn't just a whim! She figured that since Zixu was completely intimidated by her kindness and refused to go back with her anyway, she might as well let him stay and start a business. Multitasking could be used for official documents, or it could be used to start a business and open several branch offices.

She was a stranger in this place, with no roots.

Robbing bandits is clearly the fastest way to accumulate initial capital.

If conditions permit, robbing a powerful family is also an option.

However, the conditions simply didn't allow it.

She was all alone, without any help; she could kill people but couldn't take the money.

"Choose the softest persimmons to squeeze."

youth:"……"

He had to remind Shen Tang.

"We have no chance against bandits within a hundred miles." The King of Qu was notoriously warlike and liked to lead his men to wipe out bandits in his spare time. Over time, he became infamous, and people in the underworld avoided him. Not long after the fall of Sun, some bandits fled upon hearing the news.

Shen Tang smiled and said, "Then let's go a hundred miles away."

The most urgent thing is to get myself ready first.

Infiltrating the city wasn't difficult; the challenge was getting money legitimately. The young man suggested selling the wild boar to the city's butcher shops, but Shen Tang said, "That won't do. Black-faced Man No. 1 has already died of old age, so shouldn't Wild Boar Man No. 2 be alive and well? Let's see if there are any pickpockets on the streets. We should be like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!"

Stealing is wrong, but robbing a thief is acceptable.

|ω`)

Yesterday, I bought a bag of sugar that cost me almost 400 yuan, which really broke my heart... Sigh, it's like a killer, I'm heartbroken!

P.S.: WB is giving away some used keyboards; those interested can participate.

(End of this chapter)