Chapter 1208: The Eighth Year of Yuanhuang (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Qi Shan and the others were well aware of Shen Tang's fondness for Gong Xi Chou's body; back then, he even considered twisting off Gong Xi Chou's head and replacing it with his own. Now, simply pinching his chest was considered civilized. However, Tan Ting and He Xin were clearly not among these people.

Tan Ting knew Qi Shan had this ability, so he wasn't surprised that Shen Tang could transform into another man. What truly surprised him was Shen Tang's action! The entire room fell silent! Li Wan's chess piece fell onto the chessboard with a crisp snap, startling everyone.

Qi Shan: "..."

Qin Li chose to close his eyes, out of sight, out of mind.

Shen Tang asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Li Wan stammered, "Your Majesty... this is frivolous..."

To say it was disrespectful to Gongxi Chou wouldn't be accurate. His face was a one-to-one replica of High Priest Ji Moqiu's, and the body was also the Lord's own, merely a "phantom" of Gongxi Chou. Even when he squeezed the pectoral muscles, he was squeezing the Lord's own, not Gongxi Chou's, so it couldn't be considered disrespectful. But this action did shatter some of the illusion.

Shen Tang knew what she was going to say.

"How can this be considered frivolous?"

Looking down at her perfect figure, which made the loose women's clothing look like tight-fitting clothes, she exerted a little force to make the muscle contours more defined, and proudly showed off, "Even if we take a step back and think it's frivolous, what's wrong with letting me have fun for one day out of 365 days a year?"

His grand and imposing speech immediately stunned the entire audience.

Upon hearing this, Li Wan actually felt that there was some twisted logic to it.

The rumors circulating within the Gongxi Chou Conservation Association are indeed true.

The Lord truly admires Gongxi Chou.

When asked how she knew about the inside rumors, she replied...

Naturally, this was because Li Wan was also a member of the Gongxi Chou Conservation Association. Although she initially joined for the association's benefits, after getting to know Gongxi Chou better, she realized that there was a reason so many people admired him; he truly appealed to some. Over the years, Li Wan had become a half-fan of Gongxi Chou. However, Gongxi Chou had been elusive and rarely seen in recent years. Before the Zhen Kingdom War, Li Wan's impression of Gongxi Chou was limited to written descriptions and images. After the Zhen Kingdom War, she was further awestruck by his absolute strength.

I admire him as a half-idol, but I also feel a sense of awe towards him.

But the master before me is different.

Shen Tang said, "Don't you want to touch a body like this?"

She wanted to possess it all along.

People should be bolder; what if their dreams come true?

Li Wan was taken aback by the question. As a subject, she could not lie to her lord, so she could only awkwardly reply, "I really do want to."

Who wouldn't want to touch the body of a top-tier military general from Kangguo?

Shen Tang retorted confidently, "Was I wrong to touch it?"

Li Wan: "..."

Qi Shan secretly kicked Qin Li, her eyes flashing a frantic hint—didn't the usually dignified and proper Minister of Rites have any clue what to do when faced with the emperor's blatant lewd behavior?

Qin Li's response was to stomp on his instep and deliberately grind it hard—wasn't it Qi Shan who facilitated the Master's public indecent behavior using Gongxi Chou's face and body? Pushing others to be shields, why don't you ask yourself what you did wrong?

Qi Shan's face turned blue from the pain.

Lowering his voice, he threatened: "Qin—Gong—Su!"

"I'm not deaf, but you'd better shut up."

Don't force him to slap someone on his happiest day!

The others looked up at the sky and down at the ground, but dared not look at Shen Tang, fearing that too much looking would tarnish their image of their lord as a tall, mighty, and wise ruler. Anyway, none of the court officials were around, and no one would write this down for posterity; let the lord do as he pleased. Shen Tang pursed her lips, but chatted happily with He Xin/He Shu's wife. She clearly stated that Shen Tang's aesthetic sense was indeed ahead of its time, and that such a healthy physique was truly admirable.

If I had the right tools, I would love to paint a picture.

Shen Tang, munching on a pastry, said, "There will be an opportunity."

Completely ignoring the slightly disapproving looks in the eyes of the He Shu brothers.

【Another Spring】As expected of a renowned entertainment club, it offers a wide variety of entertainment options. Each courtyard has its own theme, reportedly more than thirty in total, and each themed courtyard also has its own special programs. In addition to regular song and dance performances, there are also popular local stories. Shen Tang wanted to join, but she hadn't finished sending out her curse-suppressing red envelopes yet, and as the lord, she couldn't show favoritism.

"I'll finish delivering first, then I'll come back."

Chu Yao was naturally worried and wanted to follow along.

Qi Shan: "Go home early after you're done. We have five sheep today."

With five sheep dangling in front of him, dressed in new skins, Shen Tang felt his literary and martial energy flowing more smoothly. Without turning his head, he waved to indicate that he had memorized it. He then leaped and disappeared beyond the courtyard wall, heading straight for the nearest house.

Many people along the way mistook her for Gong Xichou.

They kept calling her "General Gongxi," and some of the bolder ones even chased her for several blocks, asking Shen Tang for her autograph. Shen Tang was pressed for time and only had time to agree to one of them. Looking at the charcoal stick he handed her, she asked, "Where should I sign?"

The boy, who claimed to be a senior member of the Gongxi Chou Conservation Association, looked excited. He turned his back to Shen Tang, ripped open his clothes, and revealed his not-so-thin back. Shen Tang wished she could retract a chat message: "You... isn't it a bit inappropriate to turn your back to me?"

The boy said, "I'm not afraid, you won't take advantage of me!"

Martial artists rarely turn their backs on strangers, much less reveal their weaknesses, but idols are different. Gong Xi Chou's strength is undeniably formidable, and if an idol harbors ill will towards him, the outcome is the same whether they turn their backs on him or not—he'll be dead in no time!

Shen Tang swallowed back the sarcasm that was on the tip of her tongue.

"Okay—you're a pretty cute fan." There's a kind of naivety about you, untouched by the harsh realities of society. "What kind of signature?"

The boy clenched his fist, his passion tinged with youthful exuberance.

"Invincible under heaven!"

"What can the enemy do to us!"

Shen Tang: "..."

The "charcoal stick" the boy gave him wasn't real charcoal; it was a "stick" made from a special plant extract. It wasn't convenient for writing, but it left a mark on the skin. If not washed off with incompatible plants, the color could last a long time. This material was commonly used for tattoos among passionate young people in Kangguo.

"You're quite arrogant—"

Shen Tang smiled and wrote down his birth date and time as well.

Watching the young people excitedly shout and run off, her mood improved even more. Although the world was still unstable, the sense of accomplishment she felt for nurturing such a pure and passionate generation in such a small place was indescribable. After completing the lap of the money-suppressing ritual, apart from those who wanted to reunite with their families or had prior plans, the other single people all asked to join "Another Spring."

Qi Yuanliang is paying the bill; why not spend it?

As night fell, lanterns lit up everywhere in the capital city of Fengluo, making it as bright as day. The aroma of roasted meat wafted from the courtyard of [Another Spring]. A sheep was already on the grill, and when Shen Tang arrived, she was just in time to get a fragrant and tender leg of lamb.

The tender lamb leg meat, with its rich fat blending with the secret sauce, brings out its ultimate deliciousness. The skin is slightly crispy, while the inside is tender and bouncy. One bite, and the juices burst forth, a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate!

"Hot—sizzle, this bite is so satisfying!"

Apart from Shen Tang and a few military men who ate somewhat wildly, everyone else was very refined, slicing the meat off pieces with a knife, chewing slowly and deliberately. Their meticulous and slow eating made the others look like they were starving ghosts reincarnated.

That alone isn't very meaningful.

I don't know who suggested we have a competition.

Games like pitch-pot and archery are rather boring. Leaving aside the martial artists present, even the scholars are mostly skilled in the Six Arts of the Gentleman, so a contest wouldn't reveal their true abilities. Let's simply create a sandbox battlefield, with both sides constructing an "alternate space" centered around their literary and martial prowess.

Bai Su said, "This is meaningless."

Apart from the two sides involved in the conflict, no one else can see the footage.

Qi Shan clapped his hands: "What's so difficult about that?"

【Another Spring】There's a reason why business is booming.

As a seasoned businessman, Xu Jie understood very well that for a business to grow and thrive, it needed one or more unique assets that others couldn't or wouldn't easily replicate. Only by being irreplaceable could a business last! Shen Tang's various ingenious ideas provided him with much inspiration.

For example, she mentioned "television" more than once.

The sand table between military generals and scholars simulates a war space where they play against each other. If the scenes inside could be moved outside so that outsiders could also watch the battle, wouldn't the playability and fun be even greater?

It can also inspire the competitive spirit of scholars and warriors.

In the end, Xu Jie actually came up with a way to achieve his goal indirectly.

Shen Tang was amazed when she heard this.

"This is interesting!"

To ensure fairness, teams were drawn by lot, and a threshold for suppressing each other's strength was agreed upon to ensure the gap between the two sides wouldn't be too large. The match would be decided in 100 moves. Seeing his drawn number, Shen Tang chuckled and said, "Come on, who's Ding? Let's start a team battle!"

Shen Tang's teammates—

No, the number of players is odd.

Shen Tang: "...It's okay, I can handle two opponents at once!"

The opponent I drew—

Bai Su and Li Wan are a couple.

Kang Shi pointed and remarked, "The Emperor doesn't have much of an advantage."

Because they agreed to a hundred moves to determine the winner, both sides tacitly skipped the probing phase and unleashed their ultimate moves. Bai Su even summoned her own Martial Spirit Totem, a gigantic black and white creature that could slap people with its tail and spit water jets at them. As soon as it appeared, it used its size to charge into Shen Tang's central army formation, seemingly unstoppable!

Shen Tang glanced at it silently.

He drew upon 60% of his martial energy, formed hand seals, and chanted incantations.

"How I wish I had the Heaven-Slaying Sword!"

In an instant, it seemed as if an invisible hand was stirring up the wind and clouds above the virtual city. The gale gradually gathered into a giant longsword, its blade pointing straight to the sky, and all the endless sword energy locked onto the arrogant orca.

A sly glint appeared in Shen Tang's eyes.

The gesture changed: "Cross the sea and slay the giant whale!"

The orca, chewing on the virtual soldier, remained silent.

Bai Su: "..."

Gu Chi, who was watching the game, almost burst out laughing.

"Where did the Lord learn the power of words?"

Words of power also have their strengths and weaknesses, but those that specifically target a person's name are truly rare. Bai Su's Martial Spirit Totem is basically the overlord of the seas, and it will definitely be a major weapon in future naval battles. However, before this weapon can even be used, it has already kicked a hornet's nest for its master.

I have a feeling that Shao Xuan will be angry from today until the seventh day of the new year.

Although the Martial Spirit Totem was defeated by Shen Tang immediately, Shen Tang was eliminated in the first round because Bai Su's teammate was Li Wan, a typical scholar with a literary mind. Shen Tang was still dumbfounded as he watched his city collapse and was declared a failure to defend it by the game commander.

See? When you go out to fight, you still need to bring a healer and support.

That night, all five sheep were devoured by the group, and they even plucked five more sheep from Qishan as an extra meal, making a total of ten sheep eaten!

Qi Shan was angry when she looked at the bill.

They all eat so much, do you think they're thieves?

Besides the expensive lamb, fine wine and delicacies are also essential. To reduce expenses, Qi Shan suggested forgoing prepared dishes. After all, gatherings and fun aren't just about food; it's about hands-on enjoyment!

Everyone agreed.

Chu Yao took on most of the work, and Shen Tang was eager to try.

"Then—my lord, be careful not to burn yourself."

Chu Yao never refused Shen Tang's requests. Throughout the entire process, he watched Shen Tang busy at the stove with a satisfied, gratified, proud, and respectful look, while he assisted her from the side.

With Chu Yao watching over things, Shen Tang's work looked alright.

"It's a little burnt..."

He leaned closer to smell it: "But it tastes alright."

Since Shen Tang came into this world, apart from the first month when she suffered a bit with Qi Shan and ate baked flatbread every time, Chu Yao took care of her daily needs. Especially when it came to meals, Chu Yao basically did all the cooking. Later, as her career improved, Chu Yao cooked less often. Strictly speaking, this was the first time Shen Tang had actually cooked a proper meal.

"Try it all, try it all!"

This was cooked by the king himself.

Even if it tastes bad, we still have to eat it to support it.

Moreover, Shen Tang followed Chu Yao's instructions exactly, adding a little of her own understanding and innovation. Even if her control of the heat wasn't perfect, it still wouldn't taste too bad.

Then--

Qian Yong recalled that the New Year that year was unusually quiet.

The most talkative king seemed to have done something wrong, and became obedient for many days. What happened in [another spring] remained unknown for a time. Until around the Flower Festival, the Censorate attacked Qi Shan again.

The charge was that Qi Shan poisoned them, rendering them mute.

This accusation once shocked the government and the public.

Poisoning?

Poisoning someone to make them mute?

This was actually done by the Grand Secretary?

No, even if Qi Zhongshu and the Censorate had a major conflict, it was fine to deal with each other in private, but how did it escalate to poisoning?

Qi Shan denied it three times: "No, no, I didn't do it!"

The censor, whose close friend had been poisoned and rendered mute, was filled with grief and indignation.

"Isn't it you?"

The story is a long one. The Flower Festival was a big day, and the royal court arranged a special market for the people to enjoy themselves. The Imperial Censor Gu Chi played the role of a folk storyteller, attracting many commoners and officials to attend. My close friend was also taken there by the Imperial Censor. While browsing on his own, he unexpectedly shared a table with Qi Shan. Qi Shan warmly invited him to eat some pastries, but—there was only one, and my close friend was speechless.

After his close friend fell for the scam, Qi Shan then tricked several familiar imperial censors.

Gu Chi was telling stories up there.

Below him sits a table of mute imperial censors.

The mute censor was filled with grief and rage, and wanted to overturn the table!

Unfortunately, the market was guarded by the emperor's elite guards, and with Qi Shan's cunning tricks, they were all unable to move. They could only watch helplessly as Qi Shan used that plate of pastries to deceive even more censors.

Qi Shan said, "No."

He said sincerely, "That plate of pastries was a gift from the Emperor."

It only temporarily renders a person mute; once the food is digested, their ability to speak is restored, an effect comparable to [silencing and deafening].

Upon hearing the words "gifts bestowed by the emperor," the censor abruptly turned to look at the emperor seated on the throne, and all the officials fell silent in fear.

no--

Has the Grand Secretary fallen out with the Emperor? The Emperor poisoned Grand Secretary Qi, who, knowing the snacks were poisoned, shifted the blame to a group of unfortunate censors? Is this a warning to the Emperor that his evil schemes are not to be trifled with? Has the Kang Kingdom's court also begun a power struggle between the monarch and his ministers?

|ω`)

Hehehe, I'm flying to Xi'an tomorrow to spend a few days there _(:з」∠)_

The Tang Dynasty Never Sleeps City, here I come!