Chapter 1620 IF Scenario: What If There Was No Shen Tang (Part 1)

The farce ended with Liao Jia being brutally beaten, forced to drink three buckets of liquor as a penalty, forced to pay compensation to Shen Tang for her emotional distress, and then having to treat his colleagues to a meal to calm their nerves. He gasped, "It's only right to compensate our lord; she has worked hard and made great contributions. But what's wrong with you all?"

Still need to calm your nerves?

These people just watched a show.

Their presence or absence makes no difference.

He was the one who needed to calm down; this Ultimate Ritual had truly terrified him. He was so gripped by fear that he couldn't even bear the word "gamble," and in severe cases, he experienced heart palpitations and shortness of breath. He couldn't even imagine what he would face if he lost this gamble…

It seems the only way for him to atone for his sins is to draw his sword and commit suicide.

My heart is still pounding.

"What happened? We've been living in fear because of you. How dare you, Shao Mei, say you bear no responsibility whatsoever?"

They were all terrified.

Liao Jia: "..."

Knowing he was in the wrong, Liao Jia could only shut up and pay up to avoid further trouble.

No one dared to disturb Shen Tang, and they were also somewhat guilty and breathless. They dared not ask their lord if she had any impression of the decades she had spent in the scene, or if she had any lingering feelings for the people there, and they dared not ask whether everything she had experienced was real or fake.

If everything she experienced was true...

This means that her experience in Kangguo was decades ago, and time can erase too many things.

This includes so-called unwavering affection.

Everyone felt that this ultimate ceremony was completely unfair.

Kangguo came first, and Quan'e followed.

All the memories and emotions related to evil are fresh and warm.

When people feel guilty, they tend to make a lot of small, subtle moves.

Hmm, and she talks a lot too.

Liao Jia, the culprit, happened to be there as well, so he became the perfect scapegoat. They would find fault with him whether there was any or not.

For a time, Liao Jia was filled with unbearable suffering.

Unlike the noise here, it was much quieter on Shen Tang's side. She had been rubbing her temples and silent since waking up, and Qi Shan and the others, unsure of her thoughts, remained silent as well. Lin Feng had pulled Lin Su aside to settle scores, and Wei Lou and his nephew, having just broken ties with their colleagues from Kangguo, didn't want to argue with them now. Wei Lou calmly looked at Shen Tang, while Wei Cheng was still engrossed in the previous gossip.

Finally, Shen Tang spoke.

"...There's a limit to how much you can take advantage of him. After all, it's a great thing to advance to the highest level. Even if you don't congratulate Shao Mei, don't bankrupt him. At this rate, how many years will he be in debt?" Has the conflict between the civil and military officials of Kangguo become this acute?

Just listen to the list of dishes they announced; even Shen Tang couldn't afford them.

Everyone: "...Really?"

He turned to Liao Jia and asked if she was reluctant to treat him to a meal.

Liao Jia chuckled and waved his hand, not daring to delve into what his colleagues meant by the threat: "No, no, just enjoy yourselves."

Shen Tang: "..."

Well, it's a case of one group willing to hit and the other willing to be hit.

I underestimated Liao Jia's immense wealth.

Shen Tang rubbed the back of her head, which was throbbing from being hit by the falling gold brick. In her mind, she cursed the culprit a thousand times. Didn't it know that she was still a mortal? What if something serious had happened? Who would compensate her? After muttering to herself, Shen Tang felt that the atmosphere was too quiet.

Why are you all making that face?

It's reminiscent of a left-behind child reluctantly watching their elderly mother about to leave, wanting to stop her but not daring to speak up.

Gu Chi's smile was more like a grimace: "My lord."

Shen Tang looked around: "Where is justice? Justice—"

The crowd was puzzled as to why their lord had suddenly summoned Luan Xin, but they tacitly made way for him, pushing the still slow-witted Luan Xin forward, and nervously awaited what would happen next. Luan Xin, the person directly involved, was also flustered.

"My lord."

Shen Tang grabbed his wrist and said strangely, "Why does Gongyi look unhappy? Shao Mei has advanced to the Perfect Realm, Mei Jinghe has regained his Perfect Realm, oh, and there's also Lin Anzhi. Arrest him!"

Lin Feng, who was in the corner, had his attention focused on Shen Tang.

Upon hearing this, he grabbed Lin Su's wrist and twisted it behind her back. Before Lin Su could even react, she was unable to move.

Lin Su said helplessly, "What a great act of sacrificing family for the greater good."

The key point is that he didn't do anything bad this time.

He was just incredibly unlucky. The Supreme Ceremony was forced to be brought forward because of Liao Shaomei and the other two, and he was also forcibly dragged into it. He himself was a victim, and before he could even ask Liao Jia for compensation, he was arrested. He knew that Shen Jun was protective of his own, but he didn't dare to be so indiscriminate. He had just complained a couple of times when Lin Feng skillfully pushed him out: "Master, the person has been brought."

Lin Su: "..."

Shen Tang: "...What is Lingde doing?"

Her gaze towards Lin Feng held a hint of affection, which made Lin Feng feel uneasy. His master had treated her exceptionally well, showering her with care and concern throughout the journey, yet he had never looked at her with the eyes of a daughter. Lin Feng knew in his heart that this was probably because of Ji Mofeng; perhaps his master saw Ji Mofeng's shadow in her?

Lin Feng said, "Didn't the master say that we should capture this person?"

Lin Su: "..."

In Lin Feng's words, he was just "this person," alas.

"I said arrest him, not arrest him as a criminal. Hmm, Lin Anzhi, have you committed any illegal or disorderly acts over the years?"

Lin Feng released her from her restraints, and Lin Su regained her freedom.

When he looked down and saw the red finger marks on his wrist, he cried out twice in protest, bowed, and said, "How dare this humble subject break the law? I just don't know why Your Majesty wants to see me?"

Shen Tang nodded in satisfaction, pleased to hear these words: "Just follow the law. I called you here so you could cooperate. Your ultimate ritual of the scholar's way... wait, why did it fail?"

Lin Su pursed her lips.

Is it hard to understand why he didn't get promoted?

Unprepared and inexplicably dragged into someone else's ultimate ritual, on their home turf, his room for maneuver was extremely limited. He was grateful for the mercy of fate, that it wasn't a complete failure. Then he heard Shen Tang whispering to Luan Xin, "Never mind, Lin Anzhi, let's put that aside for now. Gongyi, you go copy Shao Mei's ultimate ritual first..."

Luan Xin was taken aback: "Is this what Your Majesty is concerned about?"

Shen Tang was taken aback by the question: "Otherwise what?"

Luan Xin: "Your Majesty still keeps my affairs in mind..."

Shen Tang asked, puzzled, "Gongyi, you're acting strange today."

"...Doesn't Your Majesty find us unfamiliar?"

Chu Yao couldn't help but recall his own ritual. He had gone to great lengths to separate his true self from the countless lives bestowed upon him by the ritual, and his mistress had shown no unusual reaction at the time. It seemed that this time would be the same; the lives depicted in the image had not affected her.

Are you sick?

Did everyone suffer from a brain disease?

until--

"What—what did you all see?" Shen Tang's voice was shrill, almost cracking, and she seemed to be on the verge of collapse. "Damn it, I knew that brat was inhuman! It's one thing to secretly watch the show, but he even let so many acquaintances come and watch me... Does that old bastard think I'm a monkey in a zoo?"

Everyone: "..."

Despite her dismay, Shen Tang finally understood the source of these people's strangeness. Did they think that after decades, they had forgotten most of them? How could that be?

Shen Tang: "I haven't reached the point of Alzheimer's disease yet."

She couldn't remember things from decades ago, just as an ordinary person can't remember what happened a second ago or what will happen next. Shen Tang found everyone's worries inexplicable.

Chu Yao felt relieved.

It's good that there's no impact; it's a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

"Then, about All Evil..."

The person who asked this question was Wei Lou, who had been silent for a long time.

Shen Tang: "I remember, but when fate runs its course, it's over. The world belongs to them, and I can't interfere any further."

Wei Lou asked a question that everyone tacitly avoided.

"Was that experience real?"

What he really wanted to ask was whether there truly existed a world where he and all his familiar acquaintances were still alive, where the late lord had not died, and where they were creating their ideal golden age together in a peaceful era. He had not misunderstood the late lord, nor had he committed any grave mistakes.

Shen Tang countered, "Why do you think it's fake?"

These words nearly caused Wei Lou to lose control.

Is it true?

Shen Tang: "It is true, of course. There are countless worlds, big and small, and countless versions of you. You just don't know it. It's also possible that there are countless versions of me in levels that I can't even access, and I don't know it."

Wei Lou's lips twitched several times before he finally said dryly, "So it seems that a wise ruler is no different from an ordinary person."

Shen Tang shook his head, feigning helplessness.

Then he smiled slyly and said, "My lord, have you forgotten again? I said that the identity of a god was given to the clay sculpture by you, my lord."

Isn't it normal to be no different from ordinary people?

No one knew how fast or loud Wei Lou's heart was beating at that moment. In that instant, he seemed to feel another emotion within him that was both strange and familiar, as if he had become the "self" in the scene just now: "I forgot."

"Then you'd better remember this carefully."

"Hmm." Wei Lou suppressed the sudden, overwhelming yet vanishing tremor in his heart and exhaled a breath of stale air. "I won't forget."

"Don't look so gloomy, let's go back and throw a celebration banquet." Shen Tang turned around, clapping his hands to greet everyone, celebrating Shao Mei's successful advancement to the Supreme Realm, and also celebrating Gongyi, who had taken another small step closer to the Supreme Realm. After speaking, he added with some regret, "Sigh, why couldn't Gongyi be involved too? So many opportunities wasted..."

The entire evil team is also a unique force to be reckoned with.

Let justice find them to fill the quota, and the quota has been filled.

Luan Xin belatedly realized this, and his heart ached beyond measure—why was he outside the frame instead of inside? Why couldn't he replicate the way of the scholar from outside the frame? What was the difference between this and looking at mountains of gold and silver but not being able to touch them?

Shen Tang patted his arm to comfort him.

"Oh, it's alright, we still have a chance."

This is an opportunity for Lin Su.

His ritual of perfecting the way of the literati was not successful, but it did not mean a complete failure; there was still a chance to salvage it.

Lin Su: "..."

He probably understood why Shen Tang was willing to give him a friendly look.

Not long ago, they had a standoff and their relationship had broken down. The officials felt awkward around Wei Lou and his nephew, but Shen Tang did not have these concerns and treated Wei Lou much more warmly: "It's rare for someone to spend money to treat us. Eat and drink well."

Hearing this, the others started eating more freely.

Liao Jia's smile looked worse than her tears.

My Lord, this is truly my good Lord.

Seeing his colleagues, who were all incompetent, made him feel even more dizzy.

These guys are like thieves, they really don't hold back when they eat.

Shen Tang was in high spirits and drank quite a bit of wine, letting the alcohol run rampant in her body. Before long, she was slightly tipsy. She rested her chin on her hand and watched everyone fooling around and acting crazy while drunk, completely losing the dignity and seriousness of a subject of a country. She couldn't help but feel a moment of disorientation.

Before long, her gaze swept over the direction of Ji Moqiu and the others.

One brother waved his hand to refuse the toast, while the other secretly tried to slip away the poisonous insect that could accelerate drunkenness during the clinking of glasses, shaking his head in dismay. His gaze shifted again; Wu Zhaode, already corrupted by Gong Xichou, was flushed and dizzy after just a few jars of wine. He staggered over to Gong Su Dayi and the others, slurring his words as he tried to pull them into a drinking contest.

Qin Li merely took two sips as a perfunctory gesture.

Seeing that Wu Xian still wouldn't leave, he gave Zhao Feng a meaningful look.

Zhao Feng understood and said, "I'll get him drunk."

If we don't drink Wu Zhaode half to death today, we won't be surnamed Zhao.

Shifting the gaze again, Wu Hui was raising a glass with Yuan Liang, a relaxed smile on his face, his previous sorrow gone. Ning Yan and the others weren't big drinkers and didn't want to get drunk, so they went to a corner to eat and chat with their close colleagues. If any of the more tipsy colleagues staggered over, Bai Su would just grab them and drag them away. Shen Tang's ban on alcohol for Gu Chi was frequently reiterated, and this time it was enforced as well.

He had no choice but to shamelessly squeeze towards Bai Su.

Bai Su neither refused nor agreed.

Several of the female generals who saw each other often joked, "Why is Prime Minister Gu hanging out with us women? Why doesn't he go and drink with them?"

"What you said is inappropriate."

What's wrong with it?

Gu Chi said, "How can you distinguish between men and women? It's not just men who like wine, and it's not just women who don't like wine."

Don't be stereotypical.

I'm just staying here for some peace and quiet.

but--

Not liking alcohol doesn't mean you can't drink.

This was another free celebration banquet. Even people who don't usually drink would drink a jar or two of alcohol. The banquet went on until well past midnight. When Liao Jia paid the bill, he looked at the bill and felt like crying: "These people are trying to eat up all the money I would have saved for my coffin."

However, he was in the wrong.

With Gong Xichou fanning the flames, few people could still stand in the latter half of the night. Shen Tang was barely able to stand and ordered the drunkards to be sent back to their respective residences: "What kind of Gu did you concoct?"

Gong Xichou: "I raised him according to my elder brother's instructions."

He wasn't Mama, nor could he conjure up alcohol whenever he wanted. Getting drinks while traveling for work wasn't convenient either, so he came up with a crooked idea. There was a type of Gu worm that was easy to store; simply drop it into water, and it would dissolve instantly, turning colorless and odorless water into a fragrant and tempting wine in the blink of an eye. His elder brother didn't have time to concoct these Gu worms for him every day, so Gong Xi Chou had to roll up his sleeves and do it himself.

Shen Tang was so drunk that she felt like she was seeing double.

Back in her royal palace, she was too lazy to take a bath.

He threw himself onto the bed, and the moment his head touched the mattress, he relaxed and drifted into a deep sleep. No one woke up until dawn. When Ji Moqiu received the message and went to check, his expression was strange.

"A-Nian, what kind of wine poison did you concoct?"

Gong Xichou took out his notebook.

"Here, this kind."

Ji Moqiu glanced at it silently, then closed it silently.

He sighed and said, "I'll go and concoct an antidote."

He then asked why his stockpile of germs had run out so quickly.

It turns out that they were all consumed by Gong Xichou.

"They've been poisoned?"

"Don't worry, it's not serious, it's just that you have a lot of nightmares."

|ω`)

(End of this chapter)