Chapter 1349: Rebellion Against Oneself [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

This name sounds somewhat familiar.

I think I heard about it recently somewhere.

Luo San then asked, "What's the situation with this person?"

The prefect said, "Not human."

Luo San: "..."

The prefect leaned closer to the cell next door, conserving his energy by leaning against the iron bars: "...You have to admit the King of Kang is quite the player. The second volume says this person is a second-rank official, a brilliant lad from a poor, impoverished family. He started following the Shen family in battles from the age of ten, fighting in the north and south, from Heyin County to Longwu County, participating in the Battle of Shiwu, and then turning around to fight more than a dozen northwestern warlords, almost never missing a day. She's skilled in both warfare and governance, and at such a young age, she's already the Minister of Agriculture, and it seems they're even planning to let her fill the vacant position of Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel...Most importantly, she's a woman! Shen Youli is also a woman, isn't this just a blatant attempt to create hype?"

Most countries do not have a Minister of State Affairs.

The Left and Right Vice Ministers are the actual heads of the Ministry of Personnel, and can be called the Left and Right Chancellors. Kang State has the Minister of Personnel, Chu Yao, so if Lin Feng were to also have the title of Grand Master of the Palace and concurrently a member of the Secretariat and Chancellery, he would be a legitimate Right Chancellor.

Not to mention that this person also concurrently managed the Ministry of Agriculture.

The prefect didn't quite understand why there would be such a bizarre part-time job. Just as he didn't understand why Qin Li, the Junior Tutor of Kang State, was concurrently the Minister of Rites and the Grand Historian, it always gave people the feeling that he was stingy and paid one salary to do many jobs. How could he manage?

Luo San: "Why not based on real skill?"

The prefect didn't need to look at Luo San to know what his eyes meant: "It's not that I look down on women, I just can't stand this forced hype. Those who are not worthy of their position will surely suffer disaster. It would be more convincing to settle down for three to five years before competing with heroes."

Chaotic times glorify force and violence.

Lin Feng has an impressive resume, but his reputation is too low.

There always needs to be some build-up, more publicity, and a certain atmosphere before launching something makes it easier for the world to accept. If it doesn't become a household name, it just doesn't feel right: "...Of course, if this female ruler is truly as powerful as the biographies of famous ministers and scholars suggest, with genuine military and political achievements, then I will—"

"Then what will you do?"

The person asking the question wasn't Luo San; it was a woman's voice.

The prefect laughed and said, "Then I will present you with a calf-nose trouser."

This is the greatest respect a loser can show to a winner in the world of online adventurers.

The dark female voice fell silent for a long while before saying in a meaningful tone, "Then you should stick to your original opinion."

The person who came was a familiar face to Luo San.

That rope-throwing warrior.

"The lord must have spoken to Lord Luo about the resettlement of your former troops, but they are not very willing and are worried about a mutiny. If Lord Luo has the time, could you go and persuade them in person?" Lord Luo's cell was not locked, and the rope-dart general opened the door himself.

Luo San got up from the straw mat: "Please lead the way."

The dungeon returned to silence.

On the way, Luo San asked the rope-dart general, "A second-rank official with a talent for literature is one in a million. His age matches, his gender is correct, and he speaks with the elegant northern accent... Have I met Lin Feng before?"

In those days, there were no telegraphs or mobile phones, and communication was unreliable. Even if you worked in the same place, it was impossible to know the whereabouts of your colleagues immediately. As of now, General Shengbiao hadn't seen Lin Feng yet. However, she knew that several elite troops had been temporarily assigned special missions to reorganize the wasteland. She had heard her older sister, who was on leave at home, mention this situation before—nine out of ten of them were in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture's missions.

If this time is no exception—

That female ruler might actually have come here.

Rope Dart Warrior: "It's possible. Why is Lord Luo suddenly asking this? Where did you see a scholar of the second rank or above?"

"It was on the front lines."

Upon hearing this, the rope-throwing warrior's eyes suddenly lit up.

"At the front lines? Could it really be her?"

The trait of being a second-rank official is extremely rare. Combined with other labels, it's no different from simply stating Lin Feng's ID card.

Luo San remained silent for a long while.

Even if skilled physicians are scarce, one can still find a few if one is willing to search. It's understandable that the female ruler boasted about having the strongest physician under her command. But for the Minister of Agriculture of Kang, the future Right Minister, to appear here seems a bit absurd, doesn't it?

He tentatively asked, "Is your lord of Kangxi origin?"

The so-called scattered troops are actually a ruse. Is this force a strategic deployment by the Kang Kingdom in the central region, or perhaps its vanguard?

This explains why a small organization can produce so many talented people.

"Um."

"Is he a member of the royal family?"

He didn't know how many people were in the Kang royal family, but he made this conjecture based on normal logic—from the current point of view, the queen had a high degree of control over this "scattered army" and could freely command and dispatch it—if it really was a spy planted by Kang in the central region, the person in charge of this army must be a confidant of the king, otherwise, if he had any crooked thoughts, he would have gone solo long ago.

Can the King of Kang trust anyone else?

Aren't you afraid that the meat bun will be thrown to the dog and never come back?

Local warlords, once they grow powerful, can amass armies and rebel; how much more so for warlords in remote, enclave regions far from the emperor's reach? With government funding and elite troops in hand, who would bow down to her?

In this kind of situation, it's naturally easier to trust one's own people.

The rope-throwing general thought for a moment: "Relatives? I don't think so."

The royal family has only one son, the emperor.

Not to mention collateral relatives, even the position of Empress in the Emperor's inner palace is still vacant.

"It's not?"

Was my speculation wrong? Or did that female ruler already harbor ambitions of independence, and that's why Kang Kingdom sent Lin Feng to oversee the matter?

Luo San didn't particularly like these power struggles and calculations of self-interest.

Then he thought again, as long as it didn't involve him or Sugina-gun, what else mattered? He banished these chaotic thoughts from his mind and focused on dealing with the mess in front of him. When his former subordinates saw that he was still alive, they all wiped away tears with the backs of their hands.

Anyone who didn't know better would think they were mourning Luo San.

"Stop crying, all of you. I'm still alive, aren't I? If you keep crying, you'll all cry away your luck." It wasn't difficult to persuade his old subordinates to cooperate. Most of them owed him a debt of gratitude, and they would listen to whatever Luo San said. "Crying, crying, crying, it's bad luck."

The weeping then abruptly ceased.

"...In this world, it's a blessing to be alive. A true man can bend and stretch; where in the world is there no vast expanse?" Luo San sighed. "It was my inferior skill that led to my capture. A loss is a loss, and there's no point in arguing. Since that lady has promised to treat you well, she shouldn't go back on her word. You—you should decide whether to stay or leave as soon as possible. Don't forget that you have wives, children, and elderly parents waiting for you at home; don't let a moment of loyalty betray them."

Of all things under the heavens, family is the most important.

Upon hearing this, everyone began to sob again.

Some were persuaded, but others remained stubborn and insisted on following Luo San, even if it meant becoming prisoners with him, and dying by his side. They were all people without parents, wives, or children, utterly alone, with nothing to hold them back.

"General—"

"Waaaaahh ...

Everyone burst into tears.

Luo San's eyes also reddened slightly.

Only the rope-bearing captain standing to the side had a strange expression, his toes in his boots awkwardly digging into the floor—although the prisoners of war had paid a considerable sum to buy their freedom, it wasn't outrageously high. Did these people really need to cry like it was a matter of life and death?

She said she didn't really understand.

Many of the former prisoners were wounded, and they were all settled in other places. Shen Tang was very humane, saying that they could recover from their injuries and then work to redeem themselves, and those who wanted to continue serving in the army did not need to rush to be assigned anywhere, but should recover first.

Two groups of people anxiously awaited a dark future.

"...No matter what, at least I'm alive."

The enemy's granary was burned to the ground during a night raid by our side. It's quite surprising that they didn't turn it into military rations to satisfy their hunger.

Isn't it normal to send them to reclaim wasteland?

This is what slave labor is like.

Work hard, work until you die.

Even if those above say they won't exploit them to the point of exhaustion, it's common knowledge that what those in power say is just empty talk; listen and let it go, don't take it to heart.

As a result, the land reclamation was truly land reclamation.

Completing the target ahead of schedule allows you to finish work earlier.

They silently discovered that some of the workers were wearing enemy uniforms. Was this force using its soldiers as slaves?

"Don't we need to wear shackles when we're working?"

The former subordinates went to ask the man who appeared to be the foreman.

The other person looked at him like he was an idiot: "What's the point of wearing handcuffs? You'd be better off swinging a hoe a couple more times with that strength."

"Aren't you afraid? Aren't you afraid we'll run away?"

"Anyone who can ask this question cannot escape."

Former subordinates: "..."

He really wanted to find a chance to escape.

Nobody wants to be a slave and die without knowing why.

But they soon realized there was no need to run away.

Here, people are organized into squads of five. The tasks assigned to each squad are not heavy. Those with martial spirit can use their martial spirit, while those without can form squads to work using their morale. If you grit your teeth, you can basically complete a whole day's tasks in a morning.

Slaves are considered merciful if they are given one meal a day, but here they are given three meals a day without fail, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all at a temporary canteen nearby. Breakfast usually consists of noodles with wild vegetables and pickles dipped in oil, lunch usually consists of rice stewed in meat gravy, and the menu changes depending on the situation in the evening.

Occasionally, they'll add extra dishes.

The dishes added depend entirely on what the person above has hunted.

The food in the canteen was always hot, steaming hot—not cold, not spoiled, and not mixed with sand or stones, so there was no need to worry about biting into a rock and breaking your teeth. Each person could eat two bowls, and the women serving the food would even pack it down if they liked someone. But that wasn't the most outrageous part; the most outrageous thing was that before eating, you had to line up to wash your hands in a pool of water brought down from the mountain.

I worked here for three days and got to know quite a few fellow workers.

The workers weren't afraid of the foreman, but they were afraid of the canteen lady: "...Of course you should be afraid. If you offend her, she might shake her hand a couple of times when serving you food and spill all the meat. Where can you complain then?"

His eyes caught sight of someone's bowl of rice piled high, and the coworker said sourly, "Damn it, being good-looking really does put food on the table these days. He has two more pieces of meat in his bowl than I do..."

"They came with the hunters, so what's wrong with them getting a couple more pieces?"

How could the woman hear him even though they were sitting about ten seats apart?

The coworker said, "I'll go too."

Former subordinates: "..."

No, aren't these slaves too free?

He accidentally let slip, and a coworker overheard him: "What slave? I'm a perfectly legitimate worker—"

Luo San's former subordinates: "..."

He then learned that his fellow worker was neither a soldier nor a slave; to be precise, he had been a prisoner of war, but after working for two years, he had redeemed himself. He went out for a walk and found that he was starving to death, as there was famine everywhere, so he slunk back.

"You can regain your freedom in two years?"

Judging from his rosy complexion, he didn't seem to have been tormented by hard labor.

"Pretty much, but it can be faster when there's a lot of work."

The work wasn't all about clearing land; it also included road construction, city wall repairs, and military maintenance. After being redeemed, in addition to three meals a day, they received extra wages. These days, jobs that provided food, lodging, and timely wages were rare, so the workers planned to save up some money to settle down.

We'll settle down wherever things become stable in the future.

"...If you're not in a hurry, there's no need to redeem yourself so quickly. You're a decent size, why don't you join the army?"

In areas where warlords fought each other, able-bodied young men were easily conscripted.

Other warlords might not even have enough to eat.

Staying here at least ensures we won't starve.

Luo San's former subordinates: "..."

Another group of people who chose to join the military also encountered similar confusion.

The old men who belonged to Luo San's former subordinates were all separated and sent to various battalions. The expected cannon fodder did not happen. Some were even directly appointed as squad leaders or platoon leaders to manage their squads based on their physical strength and experience. Those who had served in the middle ranks and had the courage to fight could even become centurions.

Everyone: "..."

Are the enemies just too stupid?

The next day, I was called to go and collect my things.

A batch of standard winter clothing for warmth.

Not only were new materials used, but the lining of the clothing was also sturdy—winters in the central region weren't very cold, but a few thin layers of clothing weren't enough to keep out the cold. Soldiers were often cold, and their hands and feet were frequently covered in chilblains. A significant portion of the clothing worn by lower-ranking soldiers was salvaged from the corpses of enemies and comrades, patched and mended, and passed down from generation to generation.

Each basket even contained different sizes.

It is said that they are divided into three sizes based on height.

Soldiers can choose larger sizes, since longer sleeves and trousers can be rolled up, while shorter ones will only freeze their hands and ankles.

"One person, one set; don't get the wrong one."

It wasn't that they were stingy about providing an extra set of clothes, but rather that the clothing production camp couldn't keep up with demand. Their expansion was happening much faster than expected, and the previously prepared materials weren't enough, nor could they be replenished quickly. Therefore, they had to lower the standards to ensure everyone had basic warmth.

Besides the new winter clothes, there was also a batch of old clothes collected during the battlefield cleanup, intended for reuse. All of these old clothes had been mended and washed. Those still wearable were patched and altered to fit better, while those unwearable were cut up and used as stuffing. Even so, this batch of old clothes looked much better and fit much better than the clothing worn by the lower-ranking soldiers…

Luo San's former subordinates: "..."

This is completely different from what they thought.

Could it be for charity?

Even if they were to be used as cannon fodder to die, there's no need to go to such lengths; it's truly baffling. It's understandable to treat the elite among the old guard well, but isn't it strange that ordinary soldiers, wounded soldiers, and veterans among the old guard receive the same treatment?

It's truly unbelievable.

Luo San was also curious: "Is Kangguo so wealthy?"

Shen Tang didn't expect Luo San to discover her disguise so quickly.

She didn't hide anything, saying, "We can't be called wealthy, we just barely make ends meet, enough to fill our stomachs and not starve."

"In that case... by winning people's hearts, won't the King of Kang feel wary of the Queen?" Luo San had been hearing feedback from his former subordinates over the past two days, and his favorability towards the Queen before him skyrocketed. He wasn't an ungrateful person, so naturally he wanted to reciprocate.

"ah?"

He solemnly said, "If Your Majesty wishes to establish your own household, I, Luo, am willing to do my best to facilitate it within my power."

Shen Tang: "Huh?"

Luo San is telling her to rebel against him?

(_)

Ugh, I thought the update was out, so I opened the app to check for typos, but the page wouldn't load. When I checked on my computer, the chapter was still in the drafts folder.

Is the network connection on desktop computers this unstable too?

P.S.: Yesterday's matter is temporarily settled, but this mess is hard to clean up, especially with this year's economic situation. I have elderly parents to support and young children to raise, plus a car loan to pay off.