Chapter 708: Wei Shou's Job Application [Two-in-One]

Shen Tang chewed a few times before swallowing.

He wiped the crumbs from the corner of his mouth: "Leave the professional matters to the professionals. I am, after all, the lord. Even if I could create shadow clones, I still wouldn't be able to handle everything personally. Also, what does 'dividing the spoils' mean? Does your older brother know about it?"

Shao Chong held the cake and said earnestly, "Big Brother knows."

His older brothers repeatedly warned him that whenever he was out of their sight, he must explain where he was going, what he was doing, and who he was meeting. Even when Shao Chong came to Shen Tang for a meal, it was with their permission. His eldest brother even told him to learn from Shen Jun what it means to be composed.

Shen Tang: "...That's not called dividing the spoils."

They make it sound like she's a bandit.

Not politically correct at all.

Shao Chong asked in confusion, "What's it called?"

Shen Tang patted his shoulder: "A commendation ceremony!"

Shao Chong nodded thoughtfully, vaguely remembering Shen Tang's teachings. His elder brother had said he should learn from Shen Jun's composure. The allure of conversation clearly couldn't compare to the pleasure of a meal; after a brief exchange of complaints, the two continued to munch and replenish their energy.

Shao Chong had another purpose for this trip.

"Shen Jun, that cook who makes the flatbreads..."

He wants to poach someone; he's willing to give them any amount of pocket money.

Before he could finish speaking, Shao Chong keenly sensed an unfamiliar presence approaching. He immediately looked up with displeasure and saw a tall, muscular pink figure. The figure's gaze was fixed on Shen Jun, who was eating rice—or more accurately, on the flatbread.

Shao Chong asked the other person, "Does even a brave warrior want to eat?"

The next sentence is: "It's just that you came at the wrong time. Shen Jun won't give it to people he doesn't get along with, no matter how much he wants it."

Wei Shou: "..."

He wasn't greedy at all, and didn't want to eat.

Shen Tang appeared calm and composed, but was inwardly incredibly embarrassed. She sat upright, outwardly maintaining a composed demeanor as she put the last bite into her mouth. She rose gracefully and calmly, a perfect smile curving her lips: "Today, thanks to General Wei, otherwise countless soldiers would have perished in this battle. Please accept my deepest bow—"

"No need. This humble general and Shen Jun are not strangers. Let's skip the formalities and pleasantries. It's better for both of us." Wei Shou refused without any politeness. He still remembered the scene of Shen Tang jumping out of the window with two scholars that night.

Shen Tang also stopped what she was doing without hesitation.

He straightened up and said, "General Wei is straightforward."

Wei Shou still looked at the tall young man in front of him with displeasure, and went straight to the point: "As you know, Lord Shen, because of your strategist Chu Wuhui, I had to betray my former master Zheng Qiao. Now, apart from Lord Shen, I have nowhere else to go. If it were just me, everything would be fine, but my brothers who have followed me through thick and thin cannot."

Shen Tang nodded and said, "Of course."

Her straightforward attitude actually helped Wei Shou significantly improve his already precarious goodwill towards her. However, talking about money can damage relationships, and talking only about relationships can damage money. The terms of service needed to be agreed upon before she could start work: "How much military pay will Shen Jun give you per year?"

Shen Tang asked Wei Shou how many soldiers he had.

Wei Shou said, "Not many, more than two thousand five hundred people."

He spoke casually, but a hint of pride shone in his eyes. He certainly had reason to be proud; his private retinue was more than double the normal size. Even military generals like Zhao Feng only maintained around a thousand private troops.

It's not that Zhao Feng can't expand, but that maintaining it is too expensive.

Wei Shou chose to follow Zheng Qiao largely because Zheng Qiao was generous to martial artists, offering good treatment and high pay. Many of his personal retainers were brought from their hometowns; they followed him simply for a living.

He couldn't possibly switch jobs without considering their livelihoods—the treatment Shen Tang would offer later would largely determine whether Shen Tang was his lord for a short time or for a long time.

Shen Tang was unaware of Wei Shou's thoughts, but Chu Yao was somewhat aware of them. However, he wasn't worried at all and didn't intend to remind Shen Tang. Chu Yao knew his lord's temperament well; to establish military discipline and prevent soldiers from surviving by massacring and looting, she was extremely generous to her soldiers. The money might not be much, but they would never go hungry, and their rice and grain rations were always plentiful.

really--

Shen Tang then asked, "How much do they eat?"

Wei Shou frowned inwardly, but replied aloud, "They are all young and strong men, so their appetites are naturally quite large. They eat as much as an adult male. Most of them have left their hometowns and have no relatives or friends, but some of them do have families."

Shen Tang lowered his head and pondered for a moment.

He took out a blank bamboo slip and wrote a string of characters.

He said seriously, "General Wei's troops deserve the most credit for conquering Chaoli Pass... What do you think, is this acceptable?"

She handed the bamboo strip to Wei Shou.

After receiving the document, Wei Shou skimmed through it, a moment of astonishment crossing his face. It wasn't that Shen Tang was stingy or offered low pay; on the contrary, the benefits she provided were far too good for her family's means. The military pay was paid monthly, and while the silver wasn't much, there was plenty of rice, grain, oil, and meat, plus two sets of new clothes and shoes every season. An extra five catties of cotton were also provided in winter.

Because of this meritorious service, he received an extra two months' worth of military pay.

The key is—

Monthly settlement!

Wei Shou put down the bamboo slip, his gaze suspicious.

Shen Tang thought the treatment was too low, and said sincerely, "...General Wei, although the money is not much, there are plenty of necessities. In this day and age, it is not easy to have enough food."

She still has too little land to farm.

We can't afford to support too many elite personnel.

Of course, the figure she gave was not the final bottom line; there was still room for negotiation. If Wei Shou made exorbitant demands and the negotiations failed, then it was simply that she and Wei Shou were not meant to be. It was just a pity that Wu Hui's elaborate schemes had failed to recruit this formidable general.

To everyone's surprise, Wei Shou simply asked, "What is cotton?"

Shen Tang explained, "Similar to reed catkins and willow fluff..."

"Reed catkins and willow fluff? These things aren't good for keeping warm, but—" Wei Shou, though seemingly honest, was also calculating. Regardless of Shen Tang's financial situation, once someone dared to offer this as a bargaining chip in public, they wouldn't back out in the short term. Even if they couldn't afford to supply it, they would put on a show of wealth. These burdens were Shen Tang's to worry about, not his. So, he changed the subject, patting his chest, and said, "However, all my soldiers are true men who can withstand the cold. They've even fought shirtless in the dead of winter!"

He claimed that he jumped directly from "this old man" to "this humble general".

Shen Tang didn't notice for a moment and focused on explaining: "General Wei misunderstands. What I mean is - cotton, like reed catkins and willow catkins, is used as stuffing for lined clothing, but its warmth retention is incomparable to the other two. Cotton is a superior material for keeping warm."

Wei Shou nodded somewhat perfunctorily, clearly not having taken it to heart.

Chu Yao's lips curled into a smile, his eyes brimming with light.

Shen Tang only realized what was happening after she finished talking about cotton. Looking at Wei Shou, she exclaimed with great joy, "General Wei, does this mean you're willing?"

Wei Shou generously presented his martial prowess tally with both hands, saying, "I, Wei, and my men are willing to serve Lord Shen!"

Shen Tang covered the tiger tally with his hand.

"I will not fail the general's trust." She was no longer the naive young woman who was at a loss when faced with Gong Shuwu's loyalty.

As Shen Tang finished speaking, Wei Shou keenly sensed a warm current flowing from her palm into his dantian and martial arts core. He was all too familiar with this feeling. He immediately looked up at Shen Tang in astonishment, but quickly lowered his head again, his mind buzzing.

That bastard Chu Wuhui...

That's incredibly daring!

Shen Jun, standing before us, actually holds the Imperial Seal!

That undeniable warm current just now was clearly the martial fortune!

Shen Tang helped Wei Shou up, beaming as if he'd just struck gold. With Wei Shou joining the fray, their forces finally possessed a genuine top-tier fighting force, preventing them from being too one-sided. Shen Tang pulled out a flatbread and asked, "General Wei, are you hungry after a battle?"

Wei Shou: "...My lord, I am not hungry."

Unable to sell them, Shen Tang had to absorb the losses herself.

Shen Tang had already reaped unexpected benefits from recruiting Wei Shou, so she wasn't particularly concerned about how much she would get at the spoils-sharing meeting... no, the commendation meeting. She was laid-back, but Gu Chi was different; he was meticulous and calculating. Relying on his ability to read minds, he had a firm grasp on the thoughts of everyone in the tent. He'd casually mention things like, "Our lord was the first to capture the city," "Bai Su shot down the flag with her bow," and "Chu Yao plotted the overall strategy to instigate Wei Shou's defection"... It wouldn't be right not to give him the top credit, would it? And it wouldn't be reasonable to prioritize prisoners, would it?

Of course, our lord greatly respects Alliance Leader Huang. It is thanks to the wise and capable Alliance Leader Huang, who distinguishes between public and private matters, that we have achieved such a great victory. When it comes to distributing prisoners, Alliance Leader Huang naturally has priority.

Huang Lie felt flattered by Gu Chi and couldn't easily refute him.

Gu Ren echoed this sentiment, and Wu Xian had no objection.

Tao Yan, who had objections, was mocked by Gu Chi—"Not very capable, but with a big appetite"—and Tao Yan's face turned ashen.

Gu Chi was finally satisfied.

Of course, there were still some disputes that followed, and he had to keep an eye on things every step of the way. At first, Shen Tang thought he was making a mountain out of a molehill.

"Huang Lie has a sense of shame, he wouldn't be too dishonest, would he?"

Gu Chi replied that his lord was still too young.

"What's a face worth?" Suppose your side is supposed to be allocated 3,000 prisoners, but what you end up with are 3,000 wounded prisoners, or 3,000 of the oldest prisoners, or 3,000 scoundrels... they won't be responsible for after-sales service. There's a lot more to this than meets the eye.

Shen Tang: "..."

The same problem applies to other spoils of war.

Shen Tang simply delegated full authority to Gu Chi.

After capturing Chaoli Pass, the Dragon Slayer Alliance did not immediately set up camp. Instead, they rested for a few days. Although the capture of Chaoli Pass went smoothly, the initial attack by the Heroic Spirit Army had caused them to suffer heavy losses. At this moment, their troops were exhausted and not suitable to continue fighting.

News of the fall of Chaoli Pass quickly reached Zheng Qiao's ears.

He was furious upon hearing this and kicked the table over.

He drew his sword and cleaved the table in two—ever since the assassination attempt at Yan'an, the already suspicious and sensitive Zheng Qiao had become even more paranoid, and had picked up his sword again. But because of this, countless eunuchs and palace maids had died at his hands.

"Chaoli Pass has been lost?"

How did it get lost?

"How could we lose it!"

Zheng Qiao gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and asked three questions in quick succession. Those below dared not breathe, fearing that the deadly sword would fall upon them. Zheng Qiao demanded sharply, "Where is Li He?"

He was very clear about Li He's capabilities.

The servant replied, "Supervisor Li has been beheaded."

"Beheaded? Who did it?"

"I don't know, but someone discovered its head..."

Li He's head was discovered by the remnants of the army who broke through the encirclement at Chaoli Pass. It is said that the head was carelessly discarded and had been eaten by birds when it was found, losing most of its face.

Zheng Qiao was even more furious upon hearing this.

Without needing his subordinates to explain, he guessed what the death of Li He, the persuader, meant: it must be because he failed to persuade Shen Tang, which led to his death. Zheng Qiao then asked about the details of the battle of Chaoli Pass. When he learned that the fall of Chaoli Pass was due to Wei Shou assassinating the garrison commander and leading his troops in rebellion, colluding with the Dragon Slaying Bureau's allied forces from within, his anger instantly reached its peak, and his eyes became bloodshot.

"Wei Shou! What a fine Wei Yuanyuan!"

Zheng Qiao's words were squeezed out from his back teeth.

He believed he had treated Wei Shou well—because Wei Shou was different from the ambitious and daring warriors under his command. Wei Shou's purpose was clear: to support the clansmen he had brought from his hometown. He neither vied for power nor sought personal gain, making him one of the few people Zheng Qiao didn't need to worry about. Wei Shou's ambition was easily satisfied, so Zheng Qiao had trusted him over the years. Who knew this fellow would be the first to betray him…

Of course, this wasn't the only bad news.

His men, sent to arrest Wei Shou's relatives, returned empty-handed, demonstrating that Wei Shou's rebellion was not a spur-of-the-moment act but a long-planned scheme. Despite his anger, Zheng Qiao had not completely lost his senses. He knew that beyond Chaoli Pass, the terrain was flat, and the counties had no natural defenses to rely on; it was only a matter of time before they were swallowed up by the allied forces.

The most urgent task is to come up with a solution.

With the death of that useless Jiang Ao, Zheng Qiao now has a new top-tier sixteenth-rank general at his disposal. Although this person's combat strength is far superior to that of the worthless Jiang Ao, there is still a risk of him being lost. He carefully reviewed the available personnel, and the palace lights remained on all night.

It was the dead of night, and the night wind was cold.

Zheng Qiao rubbed her temples, trying to shake off her drowsiness.

In a daze, he seemed to see a familiar figure in the candlelight. But when his vision refocused, there was nothing there. Gazing at the bright moon outside the window, he let out a soft sigh: "Senior brother..." But that person was already dead.

Military camp, encampment.

Shen Tang couldn't sleep late at night.

I climbed to a high place and found a great view of the moon.

Before she could admire it for long, she keenly heard the sound of weapons cutting through the air. Skilled and daring, Shen Tang followed the sound and found sword shadows dancing in the darkness, weaving a net of light. Leaning against a rock, she gazed at the scene intently for a long while.

Until that person sheathed his sword.

"Tunan".

The person performing the sword dance late at night was Ning Yan.

Ning Yan had also noticed Shen Tang nearby early on.

He bowed and said, "My lord."

Shen Tang's eyes were full of admiration. She broke off a branch and said, "I didn't expect Tu Nan to have such handsome sword moves and body techniques. Hehe, it makes me a little itchy to try it myself."

Ning Yan raised her eyebrows upon hearing this: "What does the lord mean?"

Shen Tang held up a tree branch and laughed, "Shall we spar?"

Without saying a word, Ning Yan drew her sword.

Please enlighten me!

Although they stopped short of exchanging blows, the two figures entangled for dozens of moves before finally ceasing. The tree branch in Shen Tang's hand, imbued with martial energy, was no less formidable than an ordinary blade. Two distinctly different sword lights intertwined and danced under the moonlight. Only then did Shen Tang realize that Ning Yan's swordsmanship was truly orthodox. Each move was both soft and strong, continuous and flowing. When she did strike, it was with astonishing lightning speed!

(.)

My wallet's a bit thin lately... I bought too many keyboards, and my brother ripped me off badly when he bought his car. I'll never brag again...

(End of this chapter)