Chapter 1366: The Exhausted Worker (Part 2) [Taking a break]

Luo San did not attend the victory banquet. He had always disliked such extravagant occasions; the clinking of glasses was nothing but a power struggle driven by greed, utterly tedious. When he learned from his former subordinates that the banquet had turned into a court assembly, leaving several men exhausted and collapsing into bed as soon as they returned to their tents, he fell silent. One of his former subordinates said, "Your decision not to go was wise; it was truly a headache."

The victory banquet had no singing, dancing, or drinking; only tedious, soul-stirring trivialities, yet they were forced to listen with utmost concentration. Midway through, several former subordinates were practically propping their eyelids open with sticks, unable to stay awake any longer.

Luo San looked at his former subordinates, whose faces were ashen.

In the past, military drills had never left the other side so exhausted that their lips turned pale.

Was this victory celebration banquet a trap?

The former subordinate shook his head, splashed some water on his face to clear his mind, and said with lingering fear, "I hate it most when people say that warriors are reckless, but today I wish I had no brains! We swordsmen don't participate in situations like this."

Participating in it once left him with lingering fear.

Luo San said, "That's a prejudice against military men. Anyone who can command an army is skilled in both military and civil affairs. If the day comes that military men are stripped of their power to participate in politics and civil officials are allowed to interfere in warfare, the future of military men will be over."

The old subordinates seemed to want to speak but hesitated, then hesitated again but wanted to speak.

"...In short, it's truly terrifying..." He used to handle military affairs for the captain with ease, but the workload today was on a completely different level. He'd rather risk his life fighting his way in and out seven times. "My lord is truly terrifying!"

It was obvious to anyone with eyes that she was thoroughly enjoying herself.

How can anyone enjoy their work?

Luo San: [...Queen Xiahou refuses to establish a state title?]

The old subordinate said: "Our lord has divined that this year is inauspicious."

Luo San scoffed, but he knew the real reason: [Xiahou Yu and his men didn't object either?]

"They didn't say anything, but..." the former subordinate paused, then continued, "After the meeting, I heard some rumors... many people were complaining, and morale was low."

Warriors trade their lives for personal gain.

Having followed Xiahou Li through thick and thin, he naturally wanted to cash in the profits during the bountiful harvest, and establishing a nation was the perfect opportunity to do so. Even though the imperial seal was already in hand, his lord was delaying the establishment of a nation—wasn't this blocking his path to wealth? Under normal circumstances, if this conflict wasn't handled properly, a mutiny would inevitably ensue. Either he would forcibly place the imperial robes on her, or they would establish a new nation and install someone else!

The former subordinates listening below were all sweating bullets.

Luo Sandao: [His desires are insatiable, and his understanding is shallow.]

These people are only complaining; if they dare to actually do it, it'll be their doom. Xiahou Li refuses to establish a kingdom because Kang State is backing her. She needs to choose a suitable time to establish a kingdom abroad, certainly not now. If these people can't hold back, they'll ruin her grand plan! Luo San also reminded his old subordinates to watch their tongues, to say nothing, whether it's something they should or shouldn't say!

The old subordinates, of course, understood: "This humble general knows."

These voices mostly originated from the lower-ranking soldiers; though numerous, they couldn't cause much of a stir, which was one of the main reasons why Shen Youli could rest easy. When Luo San met Shen Tang, she had just finished washing up, her wig hanging on a shelf to the side, her left hand holding a cloth to dry her scalp, and her right hand holding a calligraphy brush, writing with ease... The government affairs, taller than a person, were almost exhausted.

"The Queen need not be so cautious."

Forcibly establishing a nation is not out of the question.

Shen Tang was not surprised by his arrival: "Lord Luo's arrival is just in time."

She pointed to the wooden box on the table: "If Lord Luo has time, could you please run an errand for me? Could you personally deliver this item to His Majesty of the Northwest Kang Kingdom?" She emphasized the word "personally".

Luo San asked in surprise, "The Imperial Seal? You want me to help you pass it on?"

We're not afraid he might swallow this thing on the way.

Shen Tang said, "I naturally trust Luo Hou's character."

Luo San frowned, seemingly lost in thought, then nodded in agreement: "The true meaning is revealed when the map is unrolled, and the sword is hidden in the fish's belly. I understand."

Her language skills almost failed her.

“…Luo Hou, no…”

Shen Tang suddenly stopped, deciding to find some fun for herself.

The main body is even busier than I am here. Every day, when I check my memories, I find that it's all about government affairs. I'm so busy with countless tasks that my eyes are blurry, as if my yang energy has been drained by a demon.

The imperial physician said, "Your Majesty suffers from kidney deficiency."

The court attendant's pupils dilated in shock: [Insufficient kidney qi?]

To put it another way, isn't this just kidney deficiency?

Shen Tang: [...]

Older people tend to be more stubborn, and this was clearly demonstrated in several of the old men of the Chehou clan. Shen Tang thought Luo San would be an exception, but it turned out that Luo San couldn't escape this pattern either—the old men had a mysterious and terrifying obsession with the idea that "Xiahou Li will definitely usurp the throne." Even if Shen Tang explained it to them, they could still launch into a conspiracy theory analysis and forcefully circle back to the original point!

Worried that Old Dengzhen might stage a "Chenqiao Mutiny" for her, Shen Tang sent him away, adding some fun to her otherwise dull days. She eagerly anticipated Luo San's expression when he discovered the truth: "Lord Luo, please be careful on your journey."

"What if I lose the Imperial Seal..."

"How can a mere imperial seal compare to the safety of Lord Luo?"

Unless Luo San lost the Imperial Seal through underhanded means, or it was taken from him by an outsider, it means that Luo San has encountered a formidable enemy and is in danger of being alone. In this situation, Luo San would naturally be the priority, and it wouldn't be worth sacrificing an ally for a mere Imperial Seal.

Luo San smirked: "I don't drink any bewitching potions."

Shen Tang laughed and said, "Mmm, it smells so good."

"...Besides that, is there anything else you can do for me?"

Shen Tang remembered something: "Of course there is. When Lord Luo passes through Yuanfu County, please take a look..."

"Yuanfu County? What's so special about that place?"

“The place isn’t anything special, it’s just that the new prefect of Yuanfu County is a friend and student of mine. Lingde brought news from there last time saying that everything was fine, but recently contact has been cut off… I’m worried that something might have happened there. Kang State is short-handed, so I’d like to ask Lord Luo to go and investigate.” Managing an enclave is inconvenient; the communication channels are cut off, and the round trip is extremely slow. Gongyang Yongye is also in Yuanfu County, so it wouldn’t make much sense for Shen Tang to send someone weaker than him, and someone stronger than him couldn’t get away.

Luo San did not immediately agree, but asked, "Does Your Majesty still remember what I said before, that there is someone who can use time as an arrow?"

Shen Tang: "...Is he in Yuanfu?"

Luo San shook his head: "No, his name is Yuan Fu."

Yuanfu County got its name because of this person; it wasn't originally called this thing. Luo San gathered martial energy in his palm to wrap the wooden box, concealing its aura as much as possible to avoid causing a commotion when it passed through other countries: "Leave this matter to me. When we pass through Yuanfu County, we can look for his grave and see if we can break it down!"

Shen Tang had a bad feeling.

The curse of the plague god Kang Shi, though late, has arrived.

Uェ*U

I took two days off in the first three days of the month, and I feel like my perfect attendance record for the month is going to be ruined.

P.S.: I feel like I'm almost full with my monthly pass applications. I'll see if I can apply for another one tomorrow. (Hopefully the monthly pass annual competition fund will come through soon, so I can open a few more posts during the double bonus period.)