Chapter 298: The Singles Alliance [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Gu Chi replied, "There's no need."

Qi Shan raised an eyebrow and said, "How could it not be necessary? Gu Wangchao, no one knows better than you how much trouble these lingering poisons will cause. You are raising a tiger to cause trouble. It would be better to take this opportunity to wipe them out completely so that you can rest easy."

Almost the instant Qi Shan finished speaking, Shen Tang, who was scratching his head at his desk, suddenly looked up.

"There's a murderous aura!"

Gu Chi said in a detached voice, "It's an illusion."

Shen Tang: "..."

Gu Chi pursed his thin, sickly-blue lips, looking at Qi Shan with a half-smile, and said, "Qi Yuanliang, you're getting more and more lax. Heh, what's wrong? Killing enemies and avenging your grievances has made you so negligent?"

After saying that, his smile vanished instantly.

After Gu Chi turned and left, Shen Tang peeked out from behind a pile of JianShu (a Chinese online literature platform) pages, frowning: "Did you two have a fight?"

Although Gu Chi claimed it was an "illusion," Shen Tang couldn't possibly be unable to distinguish between genuine and feigned murderous intent; Gu Chi had clearly just exuded a hint of murderous intent. Even if it wasn't serious enough to warrant a fight, the warning was very strong.

Gu Chi's second half of the sentence is also thought-provoking.

Intentionally spreading its wings like a roc in a minefield of prayer and goodness.

Are these two arguing?

She then demonstrated how to handle official documents upside down on the spot.

Qi Shan replied dismissively, "That's not true..."

Shen Tang said, "Whether it exists or not, I have the ability to judge."

Qi Shan knew that Shen Tang was not easy to fool, but he was not prepared to fool him either—he had been careless just now and had inadvertently touched Gu Chi's sore spot, which was as serious as someone making fun of the deceased "true Yuan Liang" in front of him.

Honestly, if it were Qi Shan, he would definitely have drawn his sword and fought that person to the death. Gu Chi merely changed his expression and released his killing intent, which was quite restrained in a way. This incident also served as a reminder to Qi Shan to talk to Shen Tang about Gu Chi's taboos.

Having overheard the whole thing, Shen Tang had some idea of ​​what was going on and tentatively asked, "Could it be related to the so-called 'residual poison'?"

Qi Shan nodded: "You should know that Gu Chi's former kingdom was destroyed many years ago. That tiny country was about the same size as Chu, and it couldn't withstand the strong attack from Xin. The old king of Xin had few heirs and, heeding the advice of a sorcerer, didn't exterminate all the nobles of that small country. Instead, he spared them all, demoting them to commoners, and that's when things went wrong..."

Shen Tang listened with great interest.

"Something bad? Spreading sabotage and assassination among the people?"

Qi Shan gave a bitter smile: "If only it were that simple. These nobles of a fallen kingdom would have to fend for themselves as commoners, but they were born with silver spoons in their mouths, pampered and waited on hand and foot. How could they possibly be used to the life of commoners?"

In the dead of night, I dream of palaces and pavilions adorned with gold and jade, and a constant stream of delicacies. But when I open my eyes, all I see is a low, leaky, dilapidated thatched hut. And if I listen closely, I can hear the thunderous snoring of my neighbors next door. How can I possibly cope?

They naturally harbored deep hatred for the Xin Kingdom.

They formed cliques and secretly traveled around trying to restore their country.

However, the powerful Xin Kingdom and its venerable king, sitting high on the throne, were beyond their control, leaving them with no choice but to adopt a roundabout and patient approach. To survive and build up their military strength, they resorted to banditry, plotting to cause trouble everywhere, but progress was far too slow!

Over time, the frustration and unfulfilled reality, coupled with the unrecoverable past in their dreams, led to a psychological distortion in them.

Therefore, they transferred their hatred to the indifferent remnants of their former country—these remnants were originally just lowly commoners, whose life or death was unimportant to the old nobles. They could die for the cause of restoring the country, which could be considered as a sign of their loyalty.

And those former officials who were loyal to the new dynasty!

If the former officials are willing to fund their restoration cause, then joining them will be safe; otherwise—

Haha, how can such a disloyal minister be kept around?

Qi Shan said, "...What I know is not comprehensive. I only know that Gu Chi is from an official family. His ancestors and father served the ruler of the former country for two generations. However, the trend was irresistible, and the people under his rule needed him, so the family surrendered to the Xin Kingdom."

Faced with the nobles from their former kingdom who had come knocking on their door, they dared not refuse outright, nor dared they agree outright—the Xin Kingdom was keeping a close eye on these surrendered officials. After much deliberation, they decided to spend most of their wealth to send these nobles away, considering it the least they could do.

Shen Tang recalled Gu Chi's philosophy of life as a scholar, and then, recalling part of the background story Qi Shan had told her, she realized that this matter was not simple.

As expected, the nobles of the old country were dissatisfied with the perfunctory attitude of the Gu family father and son, and suspected that they were planning to sell themselves in exchange for wealth, honor and high-ranking positions. Fearing that things might get complicated, they wanted to eliminate them completely!

Shen Tang was stunned.

"What kind of thought process is this?"

It's true that the Gu family's ancestors and fathers were loyal to their homeland for generations, but now that the dynasty has changed, they are still willing to give up most of their wealth, and these lunatics actually want to kill them to silence them.

They call it "cutting the weeds and eliminating the roots"?

"They succeeded?"

"If he hadn't succeeded, would Gu Wangchao be where he is today?"

They had just seized most of the Gu family's wealth when they suddenly turned on them, ruthlessly capturing Gu Chi's grandfather and using him as leverage to lure Gu Chi's father to a meeting. At the same time, they sent troops to ambush the Gu family members who had been secretly settled on the farm.

The farm was burned down.

Of the entire Gu family, only Gu Chi survived, and that was only because he went out at the invitation of his cronies. If he had been at the farm that day, he probably wouldn't have escaped being killed.

Gu Chi is the eldest son in his family. He has a younger brother who is not yet six years old, a younger sister who is seven years old, and his mother is pregnant with a seven-month-old fetus, which is said to be a girl.

Shen Tang seemed to see a scene from his youth: Gu Chi returning home drunk after a night of revelry. He saw a farm in ruins in the distance, his heart sank, and he stumbled off his horse, pulling unrecognizable charred corpses of his relatives from the rubble...

She asked Qi Shan, "Yuan Liang, Wang Chao's scholarly way... could it be... that he awakened not long after that?"

Qi Shan wasn't quite sure: "Probably..."

He only learned about Gu Chi's background by accident.

Shen Tang then asked, "What about his enemies?"

“I don’t know. Maybe he’s still alive, maybe he’s already dead. I’d guess the former is more likely. I heard all this from his fellow villagers…” Qi Shan changed the subject and said, “His fellow villagers also told me that Gu Chi was supposedly engaged to someone before.”

Shen Tang: "???"

Is the topic really that far off?

"Then what?"

To be honest, Shen Tang also found it strange.

People in this world get married at a very young age on average.

But the people around him, such as Qi Shan, Chu Yao, Kang Shi and Gu Chi... none of them seemed to mention their families, wives and children. As for Gong Shuwu—Gong Shi was exiled after Zheng Qiao confiscated her property, and even if Gong Shuwu had a wife and children, they had most likely already met with misfortune.

Of course, it's also possible that Gong Shuwu was so engrossed in martial arts that he had no interest in men and women, and thus celebrated Singles' Day (November 11th) every year without fail.

How many people are there who pray for goodness?

Qi Shan said, "The woman he is engaged to is said to be the daughter of Gu's father's close friend in officialdom, and the two families are considered a good match. Unlike Gu's father, she is closer to the nobles of the former country and has been secretly providing them with various conveniences and running errands for them for many years. After the Gu family's downfall, he offered his daughter to the nobles of the former country for the sake of restoring the country... The enemy should not die so easily."

Shen Tang: "..."

Suddenly I realized that Gu Chi was truly pitiful beyond belief.

That was absolutely terrible!

Qi Shan sighed and said, "I told the lord these things because I was worried that the lord might accidentally touch his sore spot. Gu Wangchao is no pushover. He stayed, and I don't deny that he was sincere, but he also had to compromise because of the situation."

In other words, if Shen Tang were to unknowingly violate his taboos, it would be incredibly easy for someone to murder their master...

In today's world, with frequent changes of state power, it is never a stain on the character of literary figures to switch sides or turn against their former masters, let alone to be associated with moral depravity.

The relationship between a ruler and his subject requires maintenance from both sides.

Shen Tang nodded solemnly in agreement.

"Okay, I understand."

The best way to avoid exposing someone's wounds is to pretend you don't know them, and Shen Tang did just that, except—

Shen Tang rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought, completely oblivious to official business.

Qi Shan asked curiously, "Why is my lord troubled?"

"I just suddenly remembered a question—Wangchao is now all alone, but she was engaged before, though it didn't work out. What about you and Wuhui? Once the situation in Fugu City stabilizes, should we send people to find them and bring them over?"

A qualified boss should care about all aspects of her subordinates' lives. Only when their families are harmonious can they work for her without distractions. But Shen Tang's worries were obviously unnecessary. Qi Shan said indifferently, "I'm all alone."

Shen Tang: "..."

Are there still 24-year-old single people in this era?

It's still alive!

What about Wu Hui?

Qi Shan scoffed and retorted, "Does my lord know how high the standards of the 'Three Heroes of Chu' are? They don't just want daughters of noble families, they at least want someone whose talent and beauty match their status. Chu Wu Hui achieved fame at a young age and was arrogant, but his life has been a series of ups and downs ever since..."

Specifically, it's a series of ups and downs...

He couldn't even settle down during the high points of his life, and after falling one after another, does he still expect to find someone? If Chu Wuhui were to get married, his partner would most likely be a cleaning lady working in the kitchen of Yuehua Tower in Xiaocheng. Hmph, no need to ask, he'll be an old bachelor too.

Shen Tang: "...Then Ji Shou shouldn't be..."

Kang Shi's family was the most complete among them.

There should be elders arranging the marriage.

Who knew that Qi Shan revealed a hint of something deeper.

"Does my lord know that he has successfully served five terms through his scholarly methods?"

Given Kang Shi's family background and talent, finding a partner shouldn't be too difficult for him. His family had indeed arranged marriages for him. However—Kang Shi himself was unworthy of the opportunity. He awakened to the ways of a scholar too early and still had that same troublesome trait. It was truly tragic.

The engaged woman either eloped with her lover or suffered from a series of illnesses, such as fires, thefts, and conflicts with elders in the clan. Of the six rites of betrothal, including the betrothal ceremony, the name inquiry, the auspicious date selection, the gift presentation, the wedding date setting, and the wedding ceremony, the most resilient woman only made it to the "wedding date setting."

Shen Tang: "..."

Good heavens—

That's so tragic!

"Then what?"

Is this being forced into being single?

Qi Yuanliang couldn't help but laugh.

Whispering gossip—a wise person offered an explanation, saying that Kangxi's scholarly way was too domineering. He either needed to find someone equally domineering to restrain him, or someone who could complement and counteract him to assist him. Apart from these two options, anyone else who came would be domineeringly killed.

Shen Tang: "..."

Why was she speechless?

Previously, the roles of scholarly gentlemen and martial arts masters were exclusively male, so Kang Shi's only option to find a partner was to engage in homosexual relationships. However, he wasn't into that, so he was forced to remain single. Anyway, life is short, and he'd get used to being single after a while.

Shen Tang: "..."

Having learned so much gossip at once, Shen Tang was a little overwhelmed. Just then, Zhao Feng came over to hand in the list of prisoners, and Shen Tang inexplicably asked about Zhao Feng's family. Zhao Feng looked puzzled and scratched his head: "...They're fine. Thank you for your concern, Shen Jun."

Zhao Feng asked casually.

Why did you suddenly ask this question, Mr. Shen?

"...I thought General Zhao was still unmarried..."

It seems that only our side is special.

One single dog can be caught every time.

Zhao Feng laughed heartily, thinking that Shen Tang was simply reaching a certain age and experiencing youthful infatuation, which was perfectly normal. He stroked his beard and said, "How could I, at my age, not be married? My children are even older than Shen Jun..."

Martial arts practitioners have abundant qi and blood, which slows down aging as they grow older. In addition, they take good care of themselves, so it is not very noticeable.

Seeing that Shen Tang looked hesitant, Zhao Feng asked readily, "Does Lord Shen have any other questions?"

Shen Tang asked, "How did General Zhao and his wife meet?"

Zhao Feng: "The late lord will act as matchmaker."

This "former boss" refers to the previous owner.

Shen Tang's expression instantly fell silent.

Does that mean she also has to work part-time as an ice cream maker?

No, those troublesome people under her command are just too difficult. They're either old, heartbroken, have high standards, or are just unlucky.

Even Cupid might not be able to solve this with his Gatling gun-wielding golden arrows, so who does she think she is? Shen Tang's expression immediately collapsed.

These troubles did not last long.

He was then kicked away by a pile of official business that Gu Chi had put down.

Shen Tang clutched her head and cried out, "How come there are still so many?"

Her bottom hadn't left the cushion for several hours. These official duties were tedious and boring. She would rather fight Gongxi Chou with her sword twice than face these things.

Gu Chi said expressionlessly, "It's been piling up for years."

The implication is that they can do in two days what others do in several years?

Dream on!!!

Shen Tang: "..."

They deal with prisoners before dawn and return to handle official business until late at night. They sleep for two hours and work for twenty-two hours. Even the strongest person couldn't withstand such torment.

Shen Tang's expression showed that she had no words to express her bitterness.

Gu Chi said calmly, "Since my lord already knows, why bother thinking about such trivial matters?"

He thought Shen Tang was free and had nothing to do.

Shen Tang: "..."

Gu Chi sighed and said, "Most of what Qi Yuanliang said is true, but a small part is hearsay and cannot be believed. My lord should focus on important matters and need not worry that I will easily turn against you. After all—you are different."

Although it's common for scholars to switch jobs in this world, some scholars, once they've made up their minds, are incredibly loyal and won't easily betray their principles. Only a sincere and open relationship between ruler and subject can last; if there are taboos about this or that, even the strongest relationship will crumble.

After Gu Chi finished speaking, without waiting for Shen Tang's response, he took out several thick booklets and handed them to Shen Tang. These were the spoils of war that had been searched from the seven selected families (gangs), and they were also the initial capital for them to build Fugu City.

With this "income", the most basic construction and repair can be put on the agenda, including reclaiming wasteland and rebuilding Fugu City.

At the same time, it is also necessary to absorb displaced people.

There are far too few commoners in the city.

Without people, a dead city cannot come alive.

"Reclaim wasteland? Aren't the fertile fields acquired by a few families enough?" If I remember correctly, although there are differences in the financial resources of each family, the differences are not significant. Even the Zhang family, the river magistrate, has more than a hundred hectares of fertile land. The land acquired by a few families should be cultivated by the common people.

Gu Chi said, "It's far from enough."

─=≡Σ(((つω)つ

I've been using my new keyboard for a few days now, and apart from constantly whimpering and hitting the keyboard, everything else is great. Hehe, it's so cute!

(End of this chapter)