Chapter 1144: Keep Your Identity Covered (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Shen Tang awkwardly recalled this incident.

"Ahem, this is just a lie. Moreover, the marriage procedures of aristocratic families are complicated. They usually start preparing one or two years after the coming-of-age ceremony for men and the coming-of-age ceremony for women. If they find some way to delay it during this period, they can take over the southwest region in three years at most."

Shen Tang is not a heartless or insane boss.

Why would someone sacrifice their subordinate's marriage for their own grand ambitions?

Unless it's consensual.

Miao Ne looked up in surprise: "Three years?"

The look in her eyes as she gazed at Shen Tang had subtly changed, as if she were witnessing a miracle. If someone else had said that they could conquer the Southwest Continent in three years, Miao Ne would have thought that this person was arrogant and unruly, with no real ability other than boastful talk; reality would teach them a lesson.

However, the person who said this was Shen Youli.

In just over a decade, he went from being penniless to unifying the forces in the Northwest, and incidentally turning the two scourges of Shiwu and Beimo into his own backyard—a legendary founding monarch. Everything is difficult at the beginning, but once the initial accumulation phase is over, success follows naturally.

"Otherwise what? I said three years is just to give face to these countries in the southwest. They are not the same size as Kangguo now, whether in terms of territory, population or national strength. Sending you and Ke Wu here, one openly and one secretly, is not for Mei Jinghe alone. Dealing with her is just a side effect. The real purpose is to make Qiguo slow down its expansion in these three years, fall into a vortex of mutual suspicion between the ruler and his ministers... to stop the trend of the southwest countries vaguely leading Qiguo... to prevent the countries from uniting as one. If it weren't for the need to appease the people in Beimo and Gaoguo, to guard against unrest in various places, and for the soldiers to rest, it wouldn't be impossible to reorganize the troops and launch a strong attack on the southwest now."

She didn't even have to worry about how to procure military provisions.

Kangguo enjoys bountiful harvests year after year, and various regions have established relatively complete intelligence transmission departments. Any signs of natural danger must be reported immediately. In addition, with the existence of the Imperial Observatory and Qin Li, floods, droughts, locust plagues, etc., simply do not exist.

After a year of hard work, the common people could not only feed their families with the grain left over from paying land taxes, but also have a considerable surplus. They could buy clothes for their families for all four seasons, renovate their houses, and no longer suffer from hunger. Such a life was insignificant during the golden age of human civilization, but for the lower classes who had suffered through centuries of chaos, it was a peaceful and prosperous era they could never have dreamed of...

The battles of Beimo and Gaoguo were mostly fought on enemy territory. Apart from the forced relocation of commoners on the border, the commoners within Kangguo didn't feel much of a difference. For the past year or so, they had been working from sunrise to sunset, occasionally marveling at how a new road had appeared out of nowhere.

Shen Tang certainly had the right to say that he would launch a strong attack on the southwest.

Miao Ne felt an even heavier burden on her shoulders.

She forced a smile: "But this... this matter of vital importance to the fate of the Kang Kingdom is entrusted only to this humble subject and Lady Cui..."

Isn't that giving them a bit too much credit?

Shen Tang laughed and said, "How could it be just the two of you?"

Other countries plant spies in Kangguo, and Kangguo isn't stupid either; naturally, it will also plant its own spies in other places. Some of these spies are just ordinary people, and some are just low-ranking officials. They may seem insignificant, but they can be very useful at crucial moments.

Miao Ne breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

Shen Tang changed the subject: "However, you two are indeed the highest-ranking spies, and your influence is very significant. You don't need to worry about Ke Wu; even if she's exposed, Cui Zhi won't touch her. The couple combined are probably eight hundred cunning individuals. You're different. Hide yourself well and protect yourself. If you are exposed, the best strategy is to escape and save your life! Understand?"

This was completely different from what Miao Ne had initially expected.

"A spy is a suicide soldier; to seek survival is an act of cowardice and betrayal."

Should one seek death immediately after revealing their identity?

Shen Tang: "If you were my soldier, of course I could ask you to do that, but you are just a nobody. It is already a great favor that Xi Min helped me. How can I ask you to risk your life as well?"

Miao Ne's task is very important!

But it doesn't mean the war can't be fought just because it can't be completed.

Miao Ne said, "This humble subject will not disappoint Lord Shen."

Even if the opponent is Mei Jinghe, who has deep roots in the Qi Kingdom, the enemy is in the open while we are in the dark. As long as the divisive tactics are used well, the outcome is still uncertain. Shen Tang had just gotten up when she remembered something else: "By the way, my avatar 'Wu You' will also be active in the southwest. If you have any difficulties or need any cooperation, you can contact 'Wu You,' and it will contact me immediately. In addition, another person will come to contact you after a while. You can also contact him if you need anything."

"May I ask, who is this person?"

"The Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Left Vice Minister, Liao Jia."

Liao Jia came to the Southwest naturally to seek an opportunity to perfect the path of the scholar. His perfection ceremony was too disastrous, and Shen Tang couldn't let him harm his own people in the Northwest. If Mei Jinghe planned to initiate a second perfection ceremony, that would be even better.

Enemies are enemies, so there's no need to feel guilty when you cause them harm.

Miao Ne gasped inwardly.

Liao Jia's background was clearly beyond her expectations.

Having finished their discussion, Shen Tang raised her hand and broke the barrier of spiritual power. Just then, someone from the palace came to summon Miao Ne. Miao Ne said gently, "Could the angel wait in the hall for a moment so that I may wash and dress?"

The messenger eunuch was extremely polite.

He said in a shrill voice, "Please proceed, Your Majesty."

Shen Tang had already quietly left.

Miao Ne was a young lady from a prestigious family. Even though the etiquette differed between the Northwest and the Southwest, she could pass the test with careful attention and intensive training. In addition, her cultivation made her aura more restrained, giving her a graceful and elegant demeanor than a proper young lady from the Southwest.

"Nephew greets Uncle."

"Get up quickly."

The king's male favorite couldn't suppress his amazement.

He had seen his niece as a child; she was indeed adorable and beautiful, but he didn't know what she would look like when she grew up. He had only heard from his family that she was exceptionally beautiful, even good enough to be a queen. Unfortunately, the current king had no penchant for seeking favor, and his male favorites didn't need his niece to help him secure his position. His niece possessed both talent for cultivation and beauty; if she could enter the court and establish herself, she would be a great asset to him!

These are things that cannot be said openly.

He chatted with his niece for quite a while.

He asked her how her parents, brothers, and sisters were doing, and whether they were lacking anything. After going around in circles, he finally steered the conversation back on track and asked, "I heard from your father that you fell in love at first sight with Cui Houbai from the Cui family?"

Miao Ne nodded without blushing: "Mm."

The male concubine scolded, "Don't you know how to be ashamed, you young lady?"

Miao Neluo replied generously, “Why should my nephew be shy? The daughters of Qi all take the king as their role model, daring to love and hate! Daring to think and act! If you like someone, you like them; if you don’t like someone, you don’t like them. Why say things against your conscience? Why be bound by the virtues and precepts of women? If you like someone, you should go for it. You can’t just wait for God to be kind and give you one.”

The male concubine was delighted, but said aloud, "Nonsense."

Miao Ne pouted, feeling wronged, and stopped arguing back.

Because she had already achieved her goal.

The male concubine had just begun his lecture when a languid female voice came from behind the screen: "Well said, this is the proper demeanor of a daughter of the Qi Kingdom. Being so coy and unassuming, she might as well cut her hair and become a nun in a temple, thus purifying herself of worldly desires."

Miao Ne seemed to only then realize that there was a third person.

She was startled for a moment, then remembered that this was the inner courtyard of the temporary palace. There was no other woman besides the king who would say such a thing in her uncle's house. She bowed and said, "This humble woman greets Your Majesty."

As the woman stepped out from behind the screen, the room was filled with radiance.

"Did I scare you?"

Miao Ne shook her head: "Your Majesty is of unparalleled beauty. I feel ashamed and amazed when I see you. How could I be afraid?"

No one can resist sweet words, and no one can refuse compliments on their appearance; even the king is no exception. The king himself was already interested in his male favorite niece, and upon meeting her in person, he was pleasantly surprised. The girl's personality suited him perfectly: "You just said that women of Qi should dare to love and hate, dare to think and act? And that they should take me as their role model?"

Miao Ne nodded and said, "Every word I said is true."

The king gestured for her to continue.

Miao Ne opened her beautiful eyes, which no one could resist, and said sincerely, word by word, "I don't understand other grand principles, but I do know that without the King, many daughters of Qi would be buried in the backyard, trapped in a small place for their entire lives. Not to mention the distant past, but just the recent past, I am only here today because of the King's grace."

The king was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Although Miao Ne wasn't entirely correct, it did please her, and even the worries stemming from her minor conflict with Mei Meng dissipated considerably. She beckoned to Miao Ne, gesturing for him to sit closer: "The Cui family is a prominent clan, and Cui Houbai is the next head of the Cui family..."

Miao Ne revealed the apprehension and worry typical of a young girl.

"Does Your Majesty mean that I shouldn't even dare to dream of such things?"

The king said, "Your background is indeed quite different from his, and the Cui family values ​​social standing, so it may not be easy."

Miao Ne was somewhat discouraged, but her eyes quickly hardened again.

The king teased her, "Still won't give up?"

Miao Ne said, "No matter how powerful the Cui family is, they can't surpass the ruler of a country. If His Majesty bestows a marriage upon us, let alone my humble origins, even if I were born into a commoner family, I would still be able to enter the Cui family's gate!"

The world is vast, but no noble family can surpass the ruler of the country.

Although it was just innocent talk from a child, it pleased the king.

"Why should I bestow a marriage upon you?"

Miao Ne: "My loyalty to my lord is as clear as the sun and moon! If I can achieve great deeds, I will naturally be worthy of the eldest son of the Cui family!"

The male concubine listened with trepidation.

They were terrified that the king would change his attitude on the spot and drag his niece away to be killed.

However, the scenario he feared did not occur.

The king gazed at the girl for a long time, as if trying to see her true heart through her resolute dark eyes. Just as the atmosphere became tense, the king gently pinched Miao Ne's cheek, his eyes seemingly recalling something: "While you may have lofty ambitions, you must also have the ability to match them, otherwise you will only become a laughing stock, do you understand?"

"I will remember your teachings."

The king kept Miao Ne by his side as a lady-in-waiting.

Although she was called a female official, she actually had no official rank.

But if you're by the king's side, are you afraid you won't have a chance to rise in rank?

This affair also brought benefits to the male favorites. They would occasionally visit his room or summon him to serve them, making the other male favorites envious. They couldn't help but feel jealous and resentful, openly or secretly despising his ruthless pursuit of favor. The queen is already pregnant, yet he still goes to such lengths to cling to this man—what a vixen!

The male concubine was not worried about this at all.

If she were a woman and the king a man, a concubine's pregnancy would leave her unable to stop the man's philandering, and she would also have to guard against others plotting against her womb. But he was a man, and the king a woman. Even if these male favorites had ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare harm the king's unborn child, unless they wanted to drag their entire family down with them. Taking advantage of this, she not only vied for the king's favor but fought tooth and nail for it, feigning concern for the child under the guise of a father's love, fully exploiting the queen's maternal instincts.

The king will not only love the unborn child even more, but will also value himself for helping to sow the seed. It's a win-win situation!

These are all things to be discussed later.

Shen Tang gave the jade pendant and did not linger outside.

"Sister Chen, you're finally back!" Cui Mi appeared out of nowhere, her face beaming with smiles. At first glance, she looked exactly like a peacock with its tail feathers spread. Yes, she did look like a peacock, her clothes were brightly colored and quite eye-catching and gorgeous.

"I have met you, Second Master."

Shen Tang looked away, afraid of being blinded by the light.

Is this young man from the Cui family wearing all his jewelry?

Cui Mi's unusual behavior, his ostentatious attire that surpassed even that of a nouveau riche, and the jingling of gold coins that seemed ready to burst forth at any moment, were naturally noticed by Cui Zhi. He didn't know Shen Tang's true identity, but he knew there was something fishy about it, and naturally wouldn't allow her to harm his son. He found an excuse to send Cui Mi away, and while Cui Hui was away, he met with Shen Tang privately, immediately trying to expose her true identity.

"You're a spy sent from the North, aren't you?"

Shen Tang looked bewildered: "What spy?"

Cui Zhi's face was mostly hidden in the darkness as he sneered.

"Refusing to confess?"

The shadows inside seemed to writhe, their presence locking onto Shen Tang.

Shen Tang's expression changed drastically: "When did you find out?"

This question made Cui Zhi feel insulted: "Little girl, being a spy isn't so easy. If you don't want to give yourself away, you should at least change your accent or erase all traces of your original identity. Do you think others won't investigate?"

Cui Zhi dared to say this because he clearly had key evidence in his possession.

No amount of sophistry from Shen Tang will change anything.

She could only accept her fate: "Since that's the case, there's no harm in confessing. However, I'm not a spy; I was just following orders from my parents to secretly escort Ms. Cui back to her hometown to visit her relatives."

This sentence touched a nerve with Cui Zhi.

"What are your parents' names?"

Despite asking the question, Cui Zhi had a vague answer in his heart.

But I'm not giving up, I have to get to the bottom of this!

Shen Tang said, "The head of the family is surnamed Qi, named Shan, and styled Yuanliang."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cui Zhi swept all the teaware on the table to the ground with a flick of his sleeve. The clattering sound made his icy eyes even more chilling, and his two glints of cold light were full of killing intent: "Qi Yuanliang's men?"

Shen Tang, unafraid of death, replied: "Yes."

Cui Zhi clenched his fist in his sleeve.

"Does Mr. Cui's wife need him to fawn over her?"

"A beautiful and graceful lady is sought after by gentlemen; this has always been the case throughout history. The head of the household and Lady Cui hit it off immediately, so how could he not be eager to please her? Besides, hasn't Lady Cui and the head of the Cui family divorced many years ago?"

Shen Tang is not afraid of death at all.

He danced wildly in Cui's minefield, adding fuel to the fire: "During the war in the North, the Queen was nearly injured by refugees. Where was the Cui family head then? You didn't fulfill your duties as a husband, so you can't blame other men for protecting the Queen. If I hadn't secretly escorted Queen Cui all the way, who knows how many other things would have happened along the way. Cui family head, do you think this show of courtesy was necessary?"

|ω`)

Tangmei: Spreading rumors about Yuanliang like crazy.

P.S.: I've scheduled my driving test (Part 2) for June 3rd (I finished all my driving hours a while ago, but my instructor said I had to wait for another student to take the test together, so it's been delayed a bit). I hope everything goes smoothly. (After getting my license, should I get a small car to practice in? My Xiaomi SU7 isn't expected to arrive until August or September...)