Chapter 19: Shame (Part 2)

Shen Tang almost choked on the tea she hadn't swallowed.

"Ahem—So, so this is the truth behind the Gong family's downfall and extermination?" Judging from what Qi Shan said, Shen Tang felt that the Gong family was not exactly righteous and innocent. "Knowing that Zheng Qiao was a treacherous villain, they still let him go back to the mountain. Didn't they ever think that they would be retaliated against by him one day?"

Not everyone in this world is grateful.

Zheng Qiao's experience in Xin State can be described as a complete disgrace. At that time, he was weak and had no choice but to submit. Now, as the ruler of Geng State, he has suddenly become powerful and his pent-up resentment has erupted like a volcano. His dark history has become something that urgently needs to be erased.

Qi Shan said, "Well, I don't know."

Shen Tang teased, "I thought you knew everything, sir."

Although the game started on hellish difficulty, Qi Shan, the "guide NPC," was extremely dedicated and responsible, deserving a five-star rating!

Qi Shan feigned surprise and said insincerely, "It is my great honor to be so highly regarded by Young Master Shen."

Shen Tang: "..."

She couldn't compare to Qi Yuanliang in terms of shamelessness, so she lowered her head and tactfully drank her tea. Meanwhile, Qi Shan was secretly observing Shen Tang's reaction while drinking his tea. He had always been curious about the relationship between Shen Tang and the Gong family. When he heard that the Gong family's massacre was caused by Zheng Qiao's revenge, Shen Tang showed neither indignation nor hatred. He remained calm and indifferent, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.

But how could this be unrelated?

If you say that Young Master Shen is cold-hearted and heartless, why would he have gone to great lengths in the rain last night for a simpleton he had only met once?

This person's reaction completely defied common sense and logic.

Since the Geng Kingdom soldiers had not yet left, Shen Tang did not want to go out and attract attention, so she asked the teahouse owner to refill her teapot. The two continued to stay in the teahouse to kill time and inquire about the identities of the prisoners on the prison cart.

The shopkeeper glanced back timidly at the soldiers outside the teahouse, and whispered in a low voice, "They say he's some kind of Imperial Censor..."

Shen Tang, puzzled, murmured and looked at Qi Shan again: "Imperial Censor?"

Don't blame her for being illiterate; as someone with amnesia, she really doesn't know.

Qi Shan: "The Imperial Censor mentioned by the shopkeeper is surnamed 'Tian'?"

"It seems his surname is 'Tian'? Those soldiers were cursing and swearing something like 'Old bastard surnamed Tian' and 'So what if he's the Censor-in-Chief?'" The shopkeeper didn't know anything about these things. Let alone these high-ranking officials, even a veteran guarding the city gate could easily kill ordinary people like them. He poured Shen Tang a pot of tea and sighed, "Gentlemen, you'd better not be curious, lest you lose your lives!"

When the states of Xin and Geng went to war, the people of both states were the most affected. The people of Geng fared slightly better, except that their taxes were half again as heavy as before, which made them feel suffocated, but at least they didn't starve. The people of Xin, however, suffered terribly.

The main battlefield between the two countries was in Xin.

The people of Xin not only had to be drained of their blood to provide military supplies and provisions for Xin's war effort, but also had to endure the burning, killing, and looting by the soldiers of Geng.

They thought things would calm down after the war, but the ruler of Geng Kingdom adhered to the principle of "not mistreating his brothers" and allowed his subordinates who fought alongside him to commit all sorts of evil deeds.

The common people trembled at the sight of the Geng Kingdom soldiers.

Seeing that the two young men were good-looking, the shopkeeper couldn't help but remind them to be careful so as not to lose their lives due to their recklessness.

"Don't worry, shopkeeper, we know what we're doing." Qi Shan smiled and accepted the shopkeeper's kindness. But as the shopkeeper went off to do other things, the smile on his face vanished, replaced by a gloomy expression. "The Censor-in-Chief is the head of the Censorate, who receives memorials from high-ranking officials and investigates all officials."

Shen Tang, as if on cue, said, "So, that Imperial Censor has impeached Zheng Qiao quite a bit? He must have offended him quite a bit..."

Thinking of that powerful and eloquent outburst that had just been delivered, showcasing the charm of language, how could Zheng Qiao possibly let this family off the hook?

Qi Shan sighed, "It's more than just offending someone..."

"What else did that Imperial Censor surnamed Tian do?"

"I've heard that the Imperial Censor is straightforward and outspoken, upholding the law and investigating all matters without fear of reprisal. He doesn't care if you're a high-ranking official or just anyone; if he finds fault with you, he'll impeach you. Naturally, he wouldn't overlook Zheng Qiao. Ever since Zheng Qiao became the favorite of the King of Xin, this Imperial Censor has been the most scathing critic among all the officials. He even once blocked Zheng Qiao's way to court with his own horse and spat on him in front of the people."

Shen Tang said, "Not even a little bit of face?"

Qi Shan: "No. After that, from the officials to the common people in the capital, who didn't know how Zheng Qiao rose to power? When Zheng Qiao returned to the country, the Imperial Censor was the most vehemently opposed, asserting that if this boy were allowed to return, it would be like letting a tiger return to the mountain, causing endless trouble in the future. He submitted nineteen memorials in a row, all pleading with the King of Xin to execute Zheng Qiao."

Hearing this, Shen Tang had already guessed the fate of the Censor-in-Chief's family. She said, "Zheng Qiao has turned his life around, and the Censor-in-Chief's family... no, the entire clan is going to suffer..."

Gong had at least helped Zheng Qiao, yet she ended up with some dying and others being exiled, not to mention the Censor-in-Chief.

Qi Shan replied, "Not only that."

"Any other grudges?"

"Before Zheng Qiao returned to his country, the Imperial Censor rallied his students and relatives who held official positions in the court to jointly petition the King of Xin to execute Zheng Qiao. The King, under pressure and because he also harbored resentment towards Zheng Qiao, even considered killing him..."

I heard that the imperial edict has been written and is just waiting to be issued.

However, Zheng Qiao was one step ahead and obtained intelligence in advance, narrowly averting the crisis and fleeing back to Geng Kingdom overnight.

If he had received the message any later, he would have been dead.

Shen Tang: "..."

What should I say?

"This story teaches us that we must nip the problem in the bud, strike while the iron is hot, and act early to avoid complications."

As Qi Shan listened to Shen Tang earnestly "learning from his mistakes," the corner of her mouth twitched slightly, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong.

Just as I took a sip of tea, I heard a prisoner's heart-wrenching wails coming from outside the teahouse, followed by his tearful curses: "This is outrageous! This is outrageous! Zheng Qiao, you treacherous scoundrel, how dare you do this—how dare you!"

Shen Tang turned her head to look outside the teahouse.

"What happened now?"

Qi Shan got up and walked to the entrance of the teahouse, inquiring in a low voice. After a while, she returned with a cold face, her aura chilling: "Zheng Qiao has ordered the King of Xin to lead his former officials to formally surrender..."

Shen Tang was surprised: "I thought they had already surrendered..."

"There's still a ceremony missing, which is what Zheng Qiao values ​​most."

"But surrendering after losing, isn't that normal? Xin Kingdom has been destroyed, the overall situation is settled, so why are the prisoners reacting so emotionally? That prisoner was beaten half to death but he was still tough, didn't beg for mercy or cry, and now he's crying like this over something so obvious..."

There must be a hidden story behind this.

Qi Shan clenched his hands, which hung limply at his sides, his throat bobbing, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly. He squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them again, calmly saying, "The Imperial Seal has been missing for a long time, and Zheng Qiao is furious. He forced the King of Xin to abdicate in favor of his only princess..."

Shen Tang asked with her eyes, "And then?"

First, she humiliated him by renaming him "Chongtai," then she forced someone to abdicate in favor of the princess. Zheng Qiao is a fox spirit; she's got a lot of shady dealings up her sleeve.

Qi Shan, with a complex expression, continued, "...Then the princess will perform the ritual of binding her face and holding the jade disc in her mouth, baring her body, and leading the officials in mourning clothes and coffins to surrender..."

Shen Tang: "..."

"Bound with hands behind the back and holding a jade in the mouth" is a gesture of surrender.

(End of this chapter)