Chapter 850: Searching for Clues (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

This scene was so sudden.

By the time Qin Li reacted and used his Word of Power, Shen Tang was already in mid-air. Being a 16th-rank Grand Master, she used her cane to tap a missing corner of the city wall and then jumped back up. A bewildered Qin Li saw Shen Youli's distorted features and clenched teeth.

"Kang Jishou—I'm so lucky to have you!"

That was so dangerous!

The soldier responsible for repairing the city wall didn't dare to breathe when he saw this scene. He hurried forward to apologize, trembling with fear—if the higher-ups investigated, not only would he lose his head, but he and his men would also lose their lives.

"I have failed in my duty, my lord, please punish me!"

Shen Tang stared speechlessly at the small gap in the ground and sighed, "Have someone reinforce and repair this. Go and get to work."

The implication is that they don't intend to pursue the matter further.

Upon hearing this, the soldier was immediately moved to tears.

Qin Li frowned and said, "Are you just going to let him go like that, my lord?"

Is the new lord being too soft-hearted?

The city wall is so poorly constructed; either these people cut corners, or they were negligent and irresponsible. As a crucial pass in Yanzhou's defenses, Chaoli Pass will inevitably become a future threat if it's treated carelessly. Qin Li still hopes Shen Tang will seriously investigate and hold those responsible accountable.

Kindness is kindness when used in the right context.

Using the wrong position makes one weak and easily bullied, and shows a poor judgment of people.

Shen Tang said, "This matter cannot be blamed on them. They were implicated because of me, no—it should be said that they were implicated because of Kang Shi."

Qin Li was puzzled: "What makes you say that?"

Shen Tang's face looked as if she had drunk a large bowl of bitter melon juice, her features scrunched up in worry: "Alas, this is a long story. Who told Kang Jishou's scholarly ways to harm people?" Some people's scholarly ways cannot be hidden, such as Kang Shi.

Upon hearing about the side effects of the Kangxi scholar's way, Qin Li's already not small eyes widened even more in shock. Shen Tang, leaning on his cane, walked slowly and cautiously, no longer daring to approach the wall: "Ji Shou and Yuan Liang are indeed worthy of being cousins. The only thing he is better than Yuan Liang in is that he has self-awareness and did not take office casually. If he had taken office, who knows who would have been called 'evil scheming'? Whoever became his lord would have died... If it weren't for my strong destiny and great strength, I would have met the King of Hell long ago."

She had a lot of complaints.

Having known Kang Shi for many years, this time the power was exceptionally strong.

I've never needed a cane before!

Qin Li: "...My lord, this is no easy feat."

"You can only accept your fate if you've chosen your subordinates."

Shen Tang was very open-minded and even had the mood to joke.

"Was Gong Su frightened?"

Qin Li chose to respond honestly: "Slightly surprised."

He thought only Qi Shan posed a threat to Shen Tang's life, but he didn't expect there to be an even more ruthless Kang Shi. However, these two have followed their lord for many years without causing anyone's death, which shows that their lord's birth chart is indeed quite something. Qin Li doesn't need to worry about his lord passing away anytime soon.

Shen Tang said mysteriously, "Once Gong Su gets to know the others, you'll find that Ji Shou and Yuan Liang are actually quite kind."

Qin Li: "..."

As a smart man, he naturally wouldn't naively believe that Shen Tang's words were referring to Qi Shan and Kang Shi's kindness. Her unspoken implication was that his other, less familiar colleagues were, in some ways, no less capable than Qi Shan and Kang Shi. The lord's birth chart is truly something else!

The two men came down from the city wall after inspecting the area.

Shen Tang took the initiative to ask Qin Li why he had come.

She wasn't physically at the front lines, but she received daily battle reports. Qin Li and Zhao Feng's troops weren't at Chaoli Pass these days; they were either mopping up Huang Lie's remnants or on their way to do so, aiming to recapture Yanzhou territory as quickly as possible. Huang Lie's remnants couldn't resist and retreated into Ganzhou territory while fighting. However, this was merely a prolongation of their existence; capture was only a matter of time…

Qin Li hesitated for a moment, but Shen Tang didn't urge him. He waited for Qin Li to speak before saying, "It's about the arrangements for the headquarters' troops."

"Headquarters troops?"

Shen Tang's generals each have their own private troops, which are loyal only to their respective generals, not to Shen Tang himself. Only additional recruits are loyal to Shen Tang. However, these troops are far inferior to the private troops of the generals, both in terms of quality and combat strength. These issues must be addressed if a nation is to be established.

Those in power also worry about military generals wielding too much power and causing trouble, so they usually entrust military command to someone they can absolutely trust to keep an eye on things. Shen Tang can be honest and straightforward, but he can't gamble that others are just as sincere and selfless. One shouldn't have the heart to harm others, but one must be wary of others.

Previously, without the Imperial Seal, Shen Tang was at most a warlord with a local power. As a makeshift organization, he didn't care about such things and grew wildly, so many problems could be ignored. But now, he couldn't be so hasty. He just didn't expect Qin Li to bring it up first.

Shen Tang said, "I haven't thought about that yet."

Qin Li: "..."

Shen Tang didn't need to look to know how shocked and bewildered he looked. Of course, she could have given him a perfunctory response or said something polite, but that wasn't her style. Moreover, she had a fatal flaw compared to other faction leaders—she was all alone.

Shen Tang said helplessly, "To be honest, Gong Su, I'm the only one left in my family. I have no relatives or blood relatives, so if I wanted to appoint a leader based on nepotism, no one would let me choose. If Gong Xi Chou were willing to stay and help me keep things in order, the situation would be a little better."

According to what my lord said, this Gongxi Chou, even if he is not a blood relative of the same clan, is close to that relationship.

Qin Li silently noted this down.

"Unfortunately, Gong Xichou is so focused on finding his brother and nephew that we can't count on him."

They really don't value her as a "sacred object" at all!

Bad review!

"In that case, according to my opinion, each general should simply keep their own troops and not dismantle them." Dismantling someone's troops would be tantamount to forcibly demanding control of elite troops. If Shen Tang were to suggest this, the generals under his command would likely agree.

But it's meaningless.

If we dismantle it, who will we hand it over to?

There are too few generals in Shen Tang's team who can carry the banner.

Qin Li flatly rejected the idea: "That won't do!"

It's fine for a short time, but it will definitely become a hidden danger in the long run.

Shen Tang showed no reaction on the surface, but inwardly she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows—she thought that Qin Li's sudden talk about this matter was an attempt to subtly protect his and Zhao Feng's main force.

A rough calculation shows that there are close to five thousand elite troops.

I wouldn't say they're all seasoned veterans, but one of them could easily take on five green recruits. What ordinary person would be willing to let them go?

Shen Tang smiled and said, "I know Gong Su is worried, but we have to take things one step at a time. Discussing this before the situation is settled would discourage the military. As for the arrangement of our troops, I plan to wait until Ganzhou is under our control before discussing it at the morning meeting and seeing if there is a solution that everyone can agree on."

Qin Li: "..."

Is this something that can be discussed?

Are you telling them in advance that you're planning to take over their military power?

Qin Li: "...Okay."

Shen Tang smiled radiantly. She had never seen anyone like Qin Li, so eager to take the initiative in her own life, especially not so eagerly. Qin Li was a truly good person; Wu Xian was really blind to his worth.

Qin Li's visit wasn't entirely about his own troops. The matter arose a couple of days ago when a trusted general expressed concern after returning from a campaign. Qin Li suddenly realized that his troops, having served for many years and been through countless battles, were also getting on in years. Now, under a new master, with the situation stabilizing, their usefulness to him was dwindling.

How do soldiers make a living when there are no battles to fight?

Everyone was somewhat worried about what would happen next.

Qin Li wasn't worried about being stripped of his military power. After all, he was of royal lineage and was well-prepared for these necessary procedures. He could cooperate whenever Shen Tang brought it up. His only concern was the resettlement of the veterans, but it seemed that his lord and he had different ideas.

Considering Shen Tang's personality, he was unlikely to mistreat him, so he could only put the matter aside for the time being and bring up another matter instead.

"Have you heard that our lord has been searching for tomb raiders these past few days?"

Shen Tang explained with a slightly embarrassed tone, "It is true, but it wasn't about digging up ancestral graves. We were just looking for something. They have connections, so perhaps they have some clues..."

The Qin Li before me was once "Young Master Qin".

If he misunderstands that I have a penchant for digging up the ancestral graves of wealthy families, even if he doesn't say it, he might still have objections in his heart.

Qin Li said, "No."

Shen Tang looked at him, puzzled: "What?"

Qin Li said, "I would like to recommend someone to the lord."

Shen Tang was taken aback: "Uh, tomb raiding?"

She wouldn't be surprised if anyone said this, but it's different because it's Qin Li—no, Qin Li's circle of friends also includes people from all walks of life.

|ω`)

I need to take a day off today. Sigh, it's a long story.

The family next door to my house spent tens of thousands on basic renovations to divide it into two rental units, but they didn't do proper waterproofing. They're still using cheap plastic pipes, and it's been leaking for ages, soaking the walls and the sand under the tiles in my living room. I can only hold my nose and wait for them to fix the waterproofing and pipes, and then redo the wall plaster next year after the water dries. Unexpectedly, it seems to have affected the electrical wiring; the power kept tripping and going out today. When I got home tonight, I found a whole fridge full of spoiled food, and my computer was dead too. After finally getting the power back on, I managed to write for half an hour before it went out again. It's been going on and on. Now I only dare to turn on the lights in the study; I don't even dare turn on the air conditioner. How can I survive in this sweltering Zhejiang heat without air conditioning?

P.S.: I installed 45 during my renovation! My neighbor is really sabotaging me!

(End of this chapter)