Chapter 62: A Feast for the Senses (Thanks to the main character, Gao Mei, for +7)

The two men, working together in a call to action, persuaded Gong Shuwu.

After they finished speaking, Zhai Le said, "If you ask me, Brother Shen, you should try to leave the Northwest and go to the Southeast."

Shen Tang asked, "Going to the Southeast? There's no war in the Southeast?"

I thought Zhai Le would say something like "the situation in the southeastern states is stable," but to my surprise, he immediately said, "Fight! Why aren't we fighting? Are there any states that aren't at war right now? But the southeast is better than the northwest in one way: it doesn't get droughts so often."

Qi Shan didn't even bother to lift his eyelids. He chuckled, "It's true that the southeastern countries have abundant rainfall and don't experience frequent droughts, but they do suffer from floods. Some floods are natural disasters, beyond human control, while others are man-made. The vassal states in the upper reaches of rivers control the waterways, cutting off the rivers before the rainy season to cause drought downstream. Once the rainy season arrives, they release water to ensure stability upstream..."

These aren't the only clever maneuvers that take advantage of geographical location.

As far as he knew, one of the vassal states' secrets to wealth was "selling water." If a vassal state downstream of a river disobeyed and refused to pay its annual tribute, the state would cut off its water supply. If the vassal state still didn't cooperate, the state would deliberately release floodwaters to inundate it, thus enriching its treasury by collecting "protection fees."

Because it went too far, it incurred the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people, and was eventually destroyed by a coalition of vassal states downstream of the tributary.

The situation is pretty much the same everywhere on the mainland.

Qi Shan would rather stay in the Northwest than go to the Southeast.

Most importantly—

He can't swim and hates water!

Zhai Le pouted, seemingly frustrated that his Amway promotion hadn't sold anything. But then he thought about it and realized it was understandable; there's no place like home. He was born and raised in the southeastern border region, a skilled swimmer with natural talent, an expert hunter and fisherman, and had never experienced hardship.

Even if my homeland is in chaos, it's still better than anywhere else.

I imagine Mr. Qishan shares the same thought.

Zhai Le was still unwilling to give up and continued to persuade him: "Even if you don't want to go south, Geng Kingdom is not safe. You can either go to a vassal state with a relatively stable political situation, or simply live in seclusion and stay away from the war... My brother said that Geng Kingdom's remaining national fortune is at most five years."

Qi Shan's brow twitched: "Your elder brother?"

"My cousin, we're about the same age and have played together since childhood, like brothers. He's quite something; he plans to take up an official post after this trip. He also said that King Zheng Qiao of Geng is a petty and despicable man, all talk and no action, with grand ambitions but no real ability. The Northern Desert is full of wolves and tigers; he dares to try and get his hands on a tiger's skin? He'll surely be reduced to dust. I think he's right..."

Qi Shan used his peripheral vision to observe Gong Shuwu's expression.

Seeing that he seemed distracted but was actually focused on the conversation, he said, "Your brother's assessment of Zheng Qiao is quite accurate. This man is of low moral character but holds a high position, is not wise but ambitious, and is narrow-minded and vindictive. He certainly does not have the appearance of a wise ruler."

"In your opinion, what constitutes an enlightened ruler?"

Gong Shuwu, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke.

"Is he a ruler with outstanding achievements who expanded the territory?"

Qi Shan didn't answer, but turned to ask Shen Tang instead.

"What does Young Master Shen think?"

Suddenly called upon, Shen Tang asked, "Ask me???"

Qi Shan: "Yes, I'm asking you."

She casually replied, "People live for food, and I think a wise ruler is one who can ensure that people are well-fed, clothed, and live in peace. When granaries are full, people know etiquette; when people are well-fed and clothed, they know honor and shame. When people are prosperous and have surplus grain, their hearts are at peace, and naturally the country will be stable and the political situation clear. Isn't this the effect that a wise ruler works so hard for?"

Gong Shuwu: "..."

Qi Shan: "..."

Shen Tang felt uneasy being stared at by the two men.

He forced a smile and continued, "Whether it's expanding territory or achieving outstanding military exploits, for the monarch, military prowess may look impressive, but how much benefit do the common people actually receive? Not only do they receive no benefit, but the court also increases taxes to raise funds for the army, ultimately placing the burden on them. The more taxes collected for the army, the hungrier they become, and some even starve to death. Look at the Xin Kingdom after it was destroyed; how many of its survivors longed for their homeland? Didn't they all just dust themselves off and continue living their lives?"

Even if the Geng Kingdom is destroyed in the future, the people will still be the same.

They might even raise a glass for a couple of sips, celebrating the tyrant who had been pressing down on them finally kicking the bucket, allowing them to catch their breath.

Gong Shuwu remained silent, as did Zhai Le.

Qi Shan shook his head: "That doesn't apply to the current world."

For example, Shen Xiaolangjun's "The Way of the Feudal Lords".

Other feudal lords used the "way of feudal lords" to recruit talented people, gather talents, and build up their army, but Young Master Shen only focused on "farming." No matter how good he was at farming or how many granaries he had, what use was it if he couldn't hold onto them? It had no appeal to talented people and couldn't provide them with any benefits.

Food is something that can be seized by force.

“Yuanliang’s words make sense. As the saying goes, ‘If you farm but don’t hoard guns, your own farm will become your own granary; if you hoard guns but don’t farm, everywhere will become your own granary.’ How can the grain grown in your own fields compare to the grain from someone else’s granary?” Shen Tang considered the current situation and expressed his understanding.

but--

Why do adults have to make choices?

Naturally, we need both guns and fields.

Forget about the emperor or the king, let's fill our stomachs first.

Shen Tang: "If I were to seek employment with any feudal lord in the future, I would absolutely not consider those with low wages and poor pay."

People go out to work just to have enough to eat.

They talk about food instead of ideals.

A good boss is one who can ensure the company operates normally, pays wages on time, gives raises, doesn't offer empty promises or empty words, pays employees according to the amount of work they do, and allows employees to support their families.

Forget 996, they can even work 007.

"You want to take up an official post?" Qi Shan's eyes darkened slightly.

Shen Tang: "..."

For some reason, I feel that this question needs to be answered carefully.

She shook her head and said, "I was just saying. Why would I work for someone else for no reason? It's not like I'm starving..."

In this era, doing a good job doesn't necessarily lead to a promotion or a raise, but doing a bad job can definitely bring ruin to your entire family.

The effort put in is disproportionate to the reward.

Starting a business with someone else is not a good choice; it's better to go solo.

She can also conjure food using words of magic.

She may not be able to help others, but she won't starve herself.

Qi Shan's expression softened slightly.

"That's fine too."

Shen Tang looked at him, puzzled: "...Anything is fine?"

"It's good to try to eat your fill."

Not just feed one person, but feed tens of millions of people.

Perhaps the "rule of feudal lords" related to "agriculture" can also lead to a successful path. This is a road that no one has ever traveled before; how can we know it won't work if we don't try?

Shen Tang: "???"

Although she didn't quite understand what bad things Qi Yuanliang was up to, her intuition told her it wasn't anything bad, so she stopped worrying about it.

Gong Shuwu, standing to the side, glanced at Qi Shan and then at Shen Tang, vaguely sensing something, but also feeling that his guess was absurd.

The campfire was dying down, and the night was ending as dawn broke.

After resting for a while, the group prepared to enter the city.

Shen Tang, Zhai Le, and Qi Shan were alright, but Gong Shuwu was really too conspicuous. As soon as it was light, when Gong Shuwu stood up, Shen Tang realized that this strong man was nearly two meters tall, with a burly figure, a strong physique, broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and powerful muscles in his limbs. He was as strong as two of her!

It stands out from the crowd; you can spot it at a glance.

Chapter Three. This chapter wasn't written very smoothly, but it was necessary.

The Imperial Seal in Gong Shuwu's hands will naturally be handed over to Tang Mei personally and willingly in the later part of the story, so there's no rush.

(End of this chapter)