After Shen Tang finished speaking, she looked at everyone with expectant eyes.

For a long while, no one spoke.

She couldn't sit still any longer, practically swearing an oath with her sword pointing upwards to prove that what she said was true: "Aren't you even a little bit curious and excited? When I first heard about this, just imagining the unsealing of the Temple of Healers and the medical scholars bringing the dead back to life and healing the wounded made me want to say 'Holy crap, the cow's mother opened the door for the cow, the cow has arrived home!'"

Chu Yao raised his hand and pressed lightly on Chen Tang's shoulder.

He said gently, "My lord."

Shen Tang interrupted him: "Wu Hui doesn't believe me?"

Chu Yao naturally believed her, because he knew all too well that his Fifth Master wouldn't joke about something that could benefit the people. Once it escalated to this level, even the most outrageous things she said would become true: "As long as it's what my lord says, Yao will naturally believe it."

Shen Tang was puzzled.

He asked, "Since you believe it, then why..."

Chu Yao didn't seem as happy or excited as one might expect.

And there's a reason for that.

"Does my lord know how to open the Sacred Land of Mountains and Seas?"

Shen Tang shook his head honestly: "I don't know, but since countries like Xin Kingdom allow young talents participating in the selection to enter the Mountain and Sea Holy Land for training every few years... I suppose the conditions shouldn't be too harsh? If others can do it, why can't I?"

She didn't think she was inferior to the old king of Xin.

The old king of Xin Kingdom had brought about the destruction of a once powerful nation, causing his only princess to suffer unspeakable humiliation and the repeated massacres of its people. Shen Tang, reflecting on his own actions, realized he wasn't an exceptionally outstanding leader, but he was certainly competent.

She thought carefully: "...I remember Yuanliang said that opening a 'Mountain and Sea Sacred Land' once would consume a lot of national fortune, and the more people enter, the more national fortune would be needed...As for the exact amount of this 'lot', I don't know."

But I imagine the numbers aren't too outrageous.

As it turned out, she was being naive.

The actual number was much, much more than she thought.

Shen Tang lowered her head and started counting on her fingers, her face growing darker with each count.

Why are there so many national destinies at stake?

She glanced at Chu Yao, then at the others, resisting the urge to pull out the imperial seal to check how much of the nation's fortune remained in her accounts.

Its difficulty is comparable to getting an 18th-tier city to host the Olympics.

"Since opening it once consumes so much national fortune... large countries are fine, but what about small countries? Large countries can grit their teeth and bear it, but small countries basically have no chance." Due to the rulers' selfishness, it is difficult to even keep the national fortune from running into deficit, let alone allocate a large amount of national fortune every few years to open the "Mountain and Sea Sacred Land".

Even large countries can't handle it, let alone small countries.

"That's simple. Small countries can attach themselves to large countries, either by offering money or by cooperating with large countries to obtain quotas from them."

As long as you don't give up, there are always more solutions than problems.

Upon hearing this, Shen Tang immediately said that this method was not good.

Chu Yao asked her, "What's wrong?"

“Wouldn’t that leave us vulnerable to manipulation? Besides—” Shen Tang hesitated, “small countries have a hard time retaining talent…”

The result of this plan is that smaller countries are constrained by larger countries, becoming, to some extent, talent drains for the larger countries—sending them money, national fortune, and people. And wouldn't the larger countries recruit talented individuals who excel in these "sacred lands"? How can smaller countries retain their talent? People naturally gravitate towards higher positions, just as water flows downhill. How many talented individuals, both civil and military, will ultimately be willing to return to smaller countries?

Chu Yao was pleased that Shen Tang had immediately noticed the drawbacks.

"So there is a second way: several neighboring small countries form an alliance, and each country contributes a portion of its national fortune to cooperate in opening the 'Mountain and Sea Sacred Land'." Although this plan can avoid being manipulated by large countries, the national fortune required each time is a huge burden for small countries with small populations and limited borders. However, if it is not opened for many years, there will be an embarrassing situation where no one can use it.

Both options have their advantages and disadvantages.

The awkward thing is that Shen Tang can't use any of them.

She wanted to open the "Mountain and Sea Sacred Land," but she had to shoulder the burden herself.

Although Shen Tang's national fortune has been in surplus for the past few years, without any deficit, she is too focused on people's livelihood. She even used the national fortune to activate the "favorable weather" to ensure a good harvest in order to overcome last year's drought. This year, she has also acquired Sibao County and Minfeng County. These two places are in dire need of reconstruction and are currently in a state where the national fortune is only going out and not coming in. The national fortune in these two places will definitely be in a huge deficit this year!

This made Shen Tang's already meager national fortune even more strained.

Shen Tang: "..."

She seemed to want to speak but hesitated, then hesitated again but wanted to speak.

Finally, she said with a wronged expression, "For others, a penny can stump a hero, but for me, it's the fate of the nation that can stump a heroine."

The physician and scholar she longed for!

Chu Yao said gently but firmly, “My lord, this matter should be discussed at length. Didn’t you say before that you wanted to open the sacred sites of the various families that have been in slumber? We need to unseal more than just the medical family! Furthermore, selecting talents for each family is not something that can be done in a day or two.”

After some reassurance, Shen Tang managed to pull herself together and said, "Wu Hui is right. Haste makes waste..."

The group left with this explosive news.

Gu Chi, however, dawdled and stayed until the very end.

Once only the two of them were left in the main tent, Gu Chi finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "My lord, was your dream truly...?"

Shen Tang said, "Really."

She didn't tell everyone the specific details of the dream, but Gu Chi, with his scholarly wisdom, could hear it. As the saying goes, "Those involved are often confused, while bystanders see clearly," so he could calmly analyze details that even Shen Tang hadn't noticed. He said, "The best course of action now..."

Shen Tang shrugged and said, "Let's take it one step at a time. Let's set a small goal first: accumulate 100 million yuan of national fortune!"

Gu Chi couldn't understand why Shen Tang could still be so energetic.

Doesn't she feel that everything she's experiencing is being controlled by an invisible hand? Who was the mysterious benefactor who handed her over to the Gongxi tribe more than two hundred years ago? And who is she herself? Why is her literary palace so similar to the Sacred Land of Mountains and Seas? Why did she, who had been asleep for over two hundred years, suddenly awaken? And why did she coincidentally lose her memory after waking up?

She was deceived.

When he realized this, an inexplicable rage ignited within him!

Just as that aloof lord had asked—why was she so confident she wasn't a fragment of memory? What if she was merely a part of someone else? He felt absolutely no fear of losing his independent self in Shen Tang…

He didn't need to say what was on his mind; Shen Tang understood.

She stood up, walked behind Gu Chi, placed her hands on his shoulders, and laughed, "Because, I am your lord. If even I start to doubt myself, doubt whether I am someone's puppet... what will you do?"

What should her followers do?

If we trust her, what will happen to the common people under her rule?

"There's always a way out! Wangchao, you have to believe—the Shen Youli you know has never been anyone's appendage! Even if that 'someone' is Shen Youli herself, it doesn't matter! Even split personalities have a primary personality and a secondary personality. If I really am the unlucky secondary personality, then I'll kill the primary personality and all the troublesome secondary personalities!"

"If I were a puppet..."

"Then I'll kill that damned bastard who manipulated the lines!" The wind, rain, thunder, and lightning outside the main tent seemed to cheer for her determination.

Gu Chi sighed: "Would my lord be willing to let me see you?"

The next second, a ghostly face loomed large in front of him, startling Gu Chi so much that he leaned back. Shen Tang let go of his hand, slapped her thigh, and burst into laughter. Gu Chi could even see her back teeth: "Hey Wang Chao, you should read less of those storybooks. Did you really think I came up behind you just to make sure you saw my fake tough act?"

Gu Chi: "..."

All my worries were wasted.

Shen Tang: "You're probably thinking right now that you've truly given your heart to the dogs, but I am indeed quite a dog, so that's true."

Gu Chi: "..."

Who truly possesses the scholar's way of "reading minds"?

Gu Chi left in a huff, but when he saw Bai Su waiting for him from afar, his temper flared up again.

He wants to file a complaint!

Bai Su, however, had a knowing expression.

"The lord is probably just teasing you again."

Gu Chi looked at the ghost: "...What do you mean by 'again'?"

Bai Su honestly replied, "Because it's not the first time."

Because of Gu Chi's ability to "read minds" as a scholar, she had suffered many injustices at the hands of her lord, and she thought Gu Chi was already aware of this.

The sickly-looking scholar stormed off in anger, but Bai Su wasn't worried at all: "Strategist, remember to take your medicine on time."

Gu Chi didn't even turn his head: "Drink my ass! I'm not drinking!"

Bai Su was now certain that Gu Chi was genuinely enraged. Scholars of the literary world prided themselves on their refinement and cultivation, emphasizing composure even in the face of adversity, yet Gu Chi had uttered something as vulgar as "drinking a fart," demonstrating the extent of his anger.

only--

It would be fine if only our own people heard it, but unfortunately there were outsiders too.

Gu Chi's earth-shattering shout reached the ears of Xianyu Jian, who was returning from outside the camp, and was naturally also heard by the young military officer beside him. The latter looked slightly surprised, his gaze involuntarily falling in the direction Gu Chi had left, before turning to whisper to Xianyu Jian.

Xianyu Jian's smile was tinged with embarrassment.

Bai Su stepped forward: "And who is this young general?"

The young military general was handsome and refined, with a dashing and spirited demeanor.

Anyone who sees him would say he has a good appearance.

Xianyu Jian warmly introduced Bai Su: "General Bai, this is my senior brother, currently serving as the chief cavalry under Alliance Leader Huang. Senior brother, this is Bai Su, General Bai Shaoxuan, whom I mentioned to you. She has taken good care of me these past few years..."

Although Bai Su started cultivating relatively late, she had a solid foundation in martial arts, good talent, and most importantly, she was ruthless enough to herself, so she has made rapid progress in the past few years. Xianyu Jian could initially guide her cultivation, but now they mostly discuss things together.

Seeing that Xianyu Jian was young and alone, Bai Su occasionally took care of him. Over time, the two developed a sibling-like relationship, though Xianyu Jian unilaterally believed it should be a brother-sister relationship.

Upon hearing this, the "senior brother" mentioned by Xianyu Jian bowed deeply to Bai Su. Bai Su stepped aside to avoid it and said directly, "I cannot accept rewards without merit. Zigu and I are colleagues, and it is only right that we look after each other. How should this general be addressed?"

"My surname is Yun, my given name is Ce, and my courtesy name is Yuanmou."

Bai Su said, "I often hear Zigu mention his sect, but when I ask him who his master is, where his sect is, and how many disciples he has, his mouth is as if it's locked, and he won't say a word. I've been curious about this for a long time, and today I finally get to see it for myself."

Yun Ce rubbed Xianyu Jian's head, smiling broadly: "Because Zigu didn't graduate and leave the sect normally, I guess he felt guilty. However, our master doesn't like outside interference, so the disciples who left the mountain try not to mention him. I didn't expect to meet Zigu here. I received a message from our master before that he had left the mountain without permission, and I was worried for a long time."

Bai Su silently noted down this information.

Perhaps it's due to the profound influence of Lord Shen Tang, but she seems to always try to recruit talented individuals to her side. Yun Ce, in front of her, is already taken, belonging to Huang Lie, but there are undoubtedly many other unclaimed talents within the sect behind these two fellow disciples.

Why not transplant a few to the lord's fence?

Xianyu Jian was hard to get to talk, but Yun Ce seemed easy to talk to, so she might as well give it a try. Bai Su then adopted the role of Xianyu Jian's older sister and asked the young man, "Did Zigu go down the mountain without permission?"

Xianyu Jian's expression darkened: "Because of my elder sister..."

Yun Ce, lacking any tact, asked, "How are your sister's family?"

Bai Su had also heard about Xianyu Jian's ordeal. Before Xianyu Jian could cry from sadness, she changed the subject: "Sigh, so many twists and turns... Let's not reopen old wounds... Brother Yuanmou rarely comes here, so I should do my best to be a good host."

Yun Ce originally wanted to say that he would leave after a while, but Bai Su and his junior brother were too enthusiastic. Xian Yujian was unwilling to let him go. He almost pleaded with Yun Ce: "Senior brother, it's rare to see you. Are you leaving so soon? The battle at the front has temporarily stopped. Why don't you stay for a few days? Tell Alliance Leader Huang. I think he will understand."

Bai Su was stirring things up from the side.

Yun Ce looked at his junior brother and then at Bai Su, his ears feeling slightly hot.

"Sigh... alright then."

As it turned out, Yun Ce was just as tight-lipped as his junior brother Xianyu Jian; when it came to matters of their sect and lineage, he either evaded the question or glossed over it. However, when the two brothers reminisced, they inevitably talked about their childhood together. Bai Su managed to gather some information.

The teacher of these two was exceptionally skilled, likely a powerful figure who had been renowned for many years but retired due to weariness of violence, and also had a habit of taking in disciples from all over. Yun Ce and Xianyu Jian were both taken in by him, thus both were commoners from humble backgrounds.

Tsk tsk tsk—

That's a good habit.

Bai Su seemed to be deep in thought.

But Bai Su soon changed her mind.

Xianyu Jian inquired why Yun Ce had joined Huang Lie's ranks. It's worth noting that Huang Lie's rise to power was not honorable, and his elite heavy-shield warriors were widely criticized. Huang Lie led a peasant rebellion, plundering much territory in his quest to accumulate capital.

The Luxia County of that time was one of the victims.

Wherever the refugees and bandits passed, it was like a locust plague.

Yun Ce replied, "It was recommended by my master."

After descending the mountain, he had nowhere to go, so he wandered around, punishing the wicked and upholding justice, but his strength was limited. When his master learned of this, he wrote a letter of recommendation for him, telling him to go find Huang Lie.

"Does Master have a connection with Alliance Leader Huang?"

Xianyu Jian was astonished, clearly seeing this for the first time as well. Huang Lie had been a traveling doctor before he became wealthy; how could he be connected to his teacher?

Yun Ce said, "It seems to be a friendship from the previous generation."

"A relationship from the previous generation?"

"My lord's teacher and I are old friends. I only learned about this by chance when my lord mentioned it..." Yun Ce wasn't unaware that Huang Lie had a bad reputation, but the man had one advantage—his humble origins. He had previously looked for a suitable lord, but Huang Lie's family background was a weakness; he didn't have his own private retinue, and being young, he was far inferior to a martial artist from a proper military family. Going there would only mean sitting on the sidelines. After much thought, he decided to try his luck with Huang Lie.

_(:з」∠)_