Chapter 395: The Ten Crows' Calamity (Part 5) [Requesting Double Monthly Tickets]

What kind of look is that?

Xu Jie felt a little itchy as he watched his cousin.

He was originally the young head of the family. This cousin lost his parents at a young age, and since there was no suitable family in the clan to adopt him, the child was sent to Xu Jie. At first, it was out of consideration for their shared clan, but over the years, their relationship had become much more than just ordinary.

They are nominally cousins, but in reality, they are more like father and son.

My cousin whispered, "I told you earlier that I wanted to serve under Lord Wu so you could look after me, but you refused..."

As a native of Tianhai, Wu Xian was given priority in serving in the government.

This has been an unspoken rule for many years.

The Xu family also put a lot of effort into Wu Xian, providing him with money and grain as needed. Even Xu Jie, the head of the Xu family, served Wu Xian. It was perfectly reasonable for him to serve Wu Xian and help his cousin.

However, Xu Jie directly rejected this idea.

My cousin then had other ideas.

Making multiple bets is a common practice for families to make a living and continue their lineage, especially since the Xu family started out as merchants.

Even after generations of operation, and despite the Xu family having transcended social classes, the habit of "speculation and profiteering" remained deeply ingrained. This habit wasn't limited to merchants; which powerful and prestigious family didn't do the same? Putting all their wealth on one person, gambling everything—this was inherently a highly risky business!

He is still young, he has plenty of time.

If Wu Xian can seize the opportunity to rise again in a few years, he can still take office; there is no need to rush.

My cousin always thought it would be Wu Xian.

result--

His cousin handed him over to Shen Tang without saying a word.

Xu explained, "Times have changed."

My cousin muttered, "I don't really like Shen Jun..."

Xu Jie didn't even bother to lift his eyelids: "Why?"

My cousin replied, "Sigh, it's a feeling."

He was well-known for his reputation as the River Governor Shen Jun.

only--

They're incompatible!

Shen Tang had such a good reputation that whenever his cousin thought of him, an image of a soft-spoken, melancholic, and tearful young man with rosy lips and white teeth would automatically appear in his mind. No matter how good his personality was, he lacked passion and decisiveness, and was hesitant and indecisive in his actions.

He could almost picture himself being overwhelmed by the other person's tears in the future, crying and sobbing, which was the last thing he liked.

Xu Jie glanced at his cousin.

"I'll give you two choices."

My cousin asked excitedly, "What choice?"

"Entering officialdom or passing away."

Cousin: "..."

The smile on his lips gradually faded.

If the occasion weren't inappropriate, Xu Jie would have preferred to invoke family discipline.

His refusal to let his cousin serve in Wu Xian was not because he wanted to make multiple bets; in fact, he hadn't thought that much about it at the time.

The refusal stemmed simply from their incompatible personalities. Wu Xian's subordinates had a complex web of relationships; how could a mere youth like him possibly navigate it?

Furthermore, Wu Xian has many highly skilled and powerful subordinates.

How could a mere kid like him easily rise to prominence?

My cousin hung his head and obediently followed Xu Jie.

He liked Wu Xian's type. He had heard that Wu Xian was a true hero who dared to kill bandits and thieves single-handedly when he was young, carrying enemy heads as trophies in his satchel. He was a real man!

Xu Jie: "..."

Whether Shen Jun was prone to crying or not, he didn't know, but his lord Wu Xian was truly capable of crying on cue; Wu Xian's tears were as smooth as the blade he used to slay bandits. This cousin of his really needed to be sent to a place like Longwu to be properly tempered.

Although he was not happy about it, he still acted obediently and followed Xu Jie to see his future lord.

His first impression of his lord—

Well—

Aside from the fact that her red lips and white teeth matched my expectations, she lacked anything else, such as being "soft and sweet" or "sentimental."

"Wenzhu, what is this?"

Shen Tang had already guessed the boy's identity, but she still asked politely, giving Xu Jie a chance to introduce his cousin.

Xu Jie smiled and said, "My cousin Xu Quan, courtesy name Wenshi."

My cousin also clasped his hands in a salute.

"This humble one, Xu Quan, greets Lord Shen."

Shen Tang found the naming of the Xu family generation interesting; the clan head was named "Annotation," and his cousin was named "Interpretation."

However, the name is quite easy to remember.

She carefully examined the boy.

Well—

Her first impression of Xu Quan was that she thought she was seeing a spirited young man with a rather unconventional style of dress.

It's not that the young man was unattractive; in fact, few martial arts masters or literary scholars were particularly ugly.

The young man was spirited and had striking features.

However, this outfit is like a rainbow.

His hairstyle is similar to Gongxi Chou's, with a head full of small braids. At first glance, one might mistake him for Gongxi Chou's son, Fen Chou.

Seeing Shen Tang's gaze fall on his hair, Xu Quan smiled awkwardly and said, "I'm imitating a certain senior."

"senior?"

Xu Jie said helplessly, "You know Shen Jun too."

Shen Tang guessed, "Gong Xi Chou?"

Xu Quan asked in surprise, "Does Lord Shen know General Gongxi?"

"...I know him, but how do you know him?"

Gongxi Chou, who served under the King of Zhi, and Xu Quan of the Tianhai Xu Clan seem to have little to do with each other.

Xu Jie snorted, "That brat is so ignorant of his place. He went out and happened to meet Gong Xichou, and he fell in love with him at first sight. After he came back, he started to dress like Gong Xichou. He's always thinking crookedly. Why doesn't he learn from Gong Xichou's skills?"

Shen Tang: "..."

Simply put, it's about idol worship. If this world allowed voting and tipping, Xu Quan would definitely be Gong Xi Chou's number one fan, willing to spend money just to watch his idol fight on the battlefield.

Seeing that Xu Quan seemed eager to speak, Shen Tang smiled kindly and said, "Say whatever you want to say, there's no need to be reserved here."

"How is the relationship between Lord Shen and General Gongxi?"

Shen Tang thought for a moment and said, "That's good. We've become friends through thick and thin."

They are kindred spirits, like the high mountains and flowing water.

The people in the world who understand each other's music and art best!

Xu Quan's eyes lit up immediately.

Shen Tang gave Xu Jie a wink—since Xu Quan is a big fan of Gong Xi Chou, there's no reason he wouldn't know her.

Aren't her fights with Gong Xichou worth paying attention to?

Xu Jie: "..."

To be honest, Shen Tang has been too quiet these past two years. He's either at work or on his way to work every day, leading the way in the internal competition. So much so that when people see Shen Tang, they subconsciously associate him with "political affairs" and completely forget that he's also a fierce fighter.

Actually, Xu Jie had also forgotten.

Not to mention Xu Quan, who cares about no one but his idol.

He sighed, "Wen Shi is still young and his temperament is unpredictable... If it's a minor mistake, Lord Shen will let it slide for my sake, but if it's a serious mistake, there's no need to consider our past relationship; he should be severely punished. Although he is a disciple of the Xu family, he is also a martial artist under Lord Shen's command. His life and death should be decided by Lord Shen. Wen Shi, do you know what's important?"

Xu Jie's words were an absolute certainty.

Xu Quan's expression was more solemn than ever before.

"Xu Wenshi greets my lord."

Shen Tang naturally accepted it with a smile.

They even let the two cousins ​​stay for a meal.

To be precise, she ate at the government canteen, which was also the last time she enjoyed the food there.

Xu Quan initially couldn't help but grumble inwardly that the hospitality was too meager, but once he started eating, he couldn't stop, finishing two buckets of wheat porridge by himself. Xu Jie, watching this, looked embarrassed and muttered repeatedly, "This half-grown brat is going to bankrupt me..."

Completely forgetting that she wasn't much better off than Xu Quan at the beginning _(:з)∠)_

Xu Quan is not very old.

He's only two years older than Shen Tang, by all accounts.

There are many topics related to teenagers.

For example, Gongxi Chou.

Xu Quan's eyes lit up when he mentioned his idol, and nine out of ten sentences were subtly trying to find out more about him. Xu Jie occasionally tried to interrupt, but Shen Tang would just laugh and stop him, which annoyed Xu Jie.

He wished he could ask his family to discipline Xu Quan and give him a good beating.

Unfortunately, Xu Quan will be setting off for Longwu with Shen Tang tomorrow, and his future is uncertain.

Thinking of this, Xu Jie held back, while Shen Tang quietly tried to figure out Xu Quan's background.

She knew that Xu Quan had not come voluntarily; he had been brought here by his clan elder cousin, which meant that this was an involuntary "arranged marriage"! Shen Tang was not Xu Quan's first choice, so his initial impression of her was naturally not high.

To win over such a young man—

We must curb his arrogance.

While the two were outwardly discussing Gong Xichou, Shen Tang had already prepared various countermeasures in her mind, striving to make Xu Quan put down his "sense of superiority" in the shortest possible time—she was lacking in courageous martial artists, but never in strong ones.

The next day, the troops were already outside the city, fully prepared and ready to depart.

Shen Tang changed into a smart and capable outfit.

In two years, Shen Tang has grown much taller and is no longer the pitiful little basin-shaped person she used to be.

The belt clearly defined the boy's slender waist, his back was straight, and a simple yet gleaming longsword was worn at his waist.

Qi Shan and the others watched in amazement.

Jiang Sheng was the most prominent among them.

He was told on the day of the autumn harvest that his lord was a girl. He still couldn't bear to look at Shen Tang directly, and at the same time, he made excuses for his mistake. His lord was fourteen years old. If she were an ordinary girl, she would have her coming-of-age ceremony in another year.

Which woman of this age hasn't yet shown off her figure?

_(:з)∠)_

Yes, Shen Tang had grown taller, but she lacked any of the curvaceous features of a woman, and she certainly didn't possess the voluptuous, enviable chest muscles that Shen Tang had longed for. She could only watch Gong Shuwu and the other military generals with secret envy and jealousy.

Putting aside other things—

Martial arts practitioners are all "proud and upright".

Gu Chi: "..."

(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

At times like these, my lord, please refrain from thinking about such strange things, shall we? Because of Shen Tang's constant nagging, Gu Chi occasionally couldn't help but check whether Gong Shuwu and the others were truly as "proud and upright" as they seemed, and was even suspected of having some kind of quirk...

Jiang Sheng, mounted on his horse, leaned closer and whispered.

"...Gu Wangchao, your complexion is not normal."

What does he mean by saying he heard something interesting?

Gu Chi: "..."

His colleagues also had problems.

How can he possibly explain this?

Before dawn, outside the city, there were not only large armies lined up waiting, but also ordinary people from Fugu who had spontaneously come to see him off. When Shen Tang rode out on that snow-white motorcycle, the people wept uncontrollably, their sobs continuous and mournful, as if they were about to suffocate from grief.

Shen Tang was also affected by the atmosphere and emotions.

Suppress the sour feeling rising in my nose.

Alas, how can humans be without feelings, even though they are not plants or trees?

How could she bear to leave?

Xu Jie had already taken the seal of the Prefect of He from Shen Tang, brought over a pot of tea, and said, "Knowing that you, Lord Shen, are not a good drinker, I will use tea instead of wine today. I wish you a bright future, may you soar like a dragon entering the sea, and one day rise to great heights!"

"Thank you for your kind words!" Shen Tang drank the tea in one gulp, then jumped onto the back of the motorcycle, clasped his hands in a fist and laughed heartily, "May the green hills remain unchanged and the clear waters flow forever. Farewell, everyone from He Yin!"

In an instant, the sound of weeping shook the heavens.

Xu Jiewei's eyes reddened, and he solemnly bowed, offering his blessings: "May you have a long and prosperous literary career and a flourishing military career!"

Shen Tang waved without turning her head and laughed, "No problem!"

He controlled the motorcycle with one hand and ordered the army to set off.

More and more common people from Fugu came to see him off.

They accompanied him for a while, then again.

They kept stuffing their own belongings into the soldiers' arms, such as eggs laid by their own chickens and ducks, pickled vegetables, dry rations made overnight, and winter clothes sewn by themselves... Xu Jie and the officials from the government office looked at each other from afar, filled with emotion.

“A true man, if he can win the hearts of the people, will die without regrets…” Xu Jie was certain that if it were Wu Xian who was being transferred today, there would certainly not be such a grand spectacle. No, anyone in this world would have met the same fate.

The officials nodded while wiping away tears.

Seeing this, Xu Jie felt immense pressure.

But this scene also greatly encouraged him.

There are always some things that are more precious than profit.

It wasn't until midday that the crowd seeing them off gradually thinned out, and Shen Tang finally breathed a sigh of relief. Xu Quan, who had been guarding her, was still shaken—he had never witnessed such a scene in his life. He only knew that the new lord had a very good reputation, and that the people of He Yin praised him highly and loved him, but he had no recollection of exactly how they "praised" or "loved" him.

Seeing this today has truly broadened my horizons.

At the same time, his impression of Shen Tang improved steadily.

At least, the new lord is truly a good person.

Seeing that Xu Quan didn't speak, Shen Tang asked with a smile, "Do you miss your cousin?" A sixteen-year-old boy, leading hundreds of followers and going out to explore with a stranger, is indeed prone to panic.

Xu Quan shook his head: "No."

He was very happy without his cousin's constraints.

"...I was just thinking about the common people..."

Shen Tang: "Miss them?"

Xu Quan said, "They don't seem to be afraid of martial arts masters."

Don't think he didn't see it.

Gong Shuwu, Zhao Feng, and several other brave martial artists were nearly surrounded by commoners who came to see them off, and they cried and tried to persuade them to stay.

If Gong Shuwu and the others hadn't slipped away quickly, the commoners would probably have stripped the innermost layer of their armor, the trousers...

When the common people realized they couldn't persuade them to stay, they said they would erect a longevity monument for the two of them and offer incense twice a day, morning and evening.

"That's because there's been a rumor circulating in the Heyin region for the past two years—the common people believe that Banbu and Dayi are the reincarnations of the generals who serve the Spring God Jumang, and who are in charge of agricultural affairs..." Shen Tang teased, showing no awareness of being the "instigator".

Xu Quan's head full of braids seemed to have turned into question marks.

They seem not to understand the connection between the two.

Shen Tang said meaningfully, "You'll understand later."

Xu Quan: "..."

I have a strange, ominous feeling.

Shen Tang led his troops to Longwu County to assume his post.

The news soon reached Wang Tingzheng Qiao's ears. He merely frowned and waved the messenger away.

The beautiful woman in his arms was brought up by the servants. She was peeling fruit with her slender fingers and feeding it to him. Zheng Qiao took a small bite, but he had no interest in tasting it. No matter how the other person teased him, he did not smile at all. Instead, his expression became colder and colder.

The sight made all the palace maids and the beauty in their arms tremble with fear.

They were terrified that Zheng Qiao might kill someone if she was displeased.

Who knew—

Zheng Qiao simply asked, "What do you think he's planning to do?"

"who?"

Zheng Qiao said, "My senior brother."

The beautiful woman couldn't answer, and Zheng Qiao didn't expect her to answer either. He just told her to leave, feeling rather bored. Not long after, a handsome young man with red lips and white teeth arrived.

His features are quite similar to Zheng Qiao's when he was young, but the difference is that the young Zheng Qiao was much bolder and more arrogant than Zheng Qiao was back then.

"Your Majesty, why am I being subjected to such rigorous questioning even upon my arrival?"

Zheng Qiao: "We must be wary of my senior brother's methods."

The boy was surprised and puzzled.

_(:з」∠)_

I discovered spores a couple of days ago, and I tend to feel sleepy in the afternoon and after dinner. Sigh.

There are only 71 spots left for the monthly pass coupon.

Double monthly passes are only available until the 7th.

If you have monthly passes, please remember to cast them! But be sure to participate in the monthly pass post activity before you cast yours.

(End of this chapter)