Chapter 871: The Feast at Hongmen, Scooping Up the Poop (Part 1) [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Shen Tang hit the nail on the head.

Xie Qi's expression nearly shattered into pieces; his eyes darted around, and he lowered his head even further, looking completely bewildered. He knew he couldn't hide it from his lord, but he hadn't expected his lord to react so quickly, exposing his scheme in an instant: "Family scandal, please forgive my lord."

He gave an awkward laugh, not daring to look Shen Tang in the eye.

Even the most powerful families might occasionally produce a few naive traitors, but no traitor has ever become the head of the family. If the Xie family hadn't been such a mess, Xie Qi, as the nominal head of the Xie family, wouldn't have given up on things so recklessly. He couldn't handle it; he had no other choice!

Just then, the lord was about to snatch the meat from the mouths of the aristocratic families.

Xie Qixin gritted his teeth and made a suggestion that shocked everyone present. They might start with the first act, but he would follow suit with the fifteenth!

but--

What he didn't expect was that Shen Tang could guess most of the truth from the limited information: "Shi Zang and his wife have not been involved in clan affairs for many years, and they have been managed by several clan elders?"

Xie Qi nodded: "Yes."

Shen Tang asked, "Are there problems with these clan elders?"

Xie Qi: "..."

Shen Tang asked with concern, "Is there a thief in the family?"

Xie Qi: "..."

Seeing his continued silence, Shen Tang knew she had guessed correctly.

Aristocratic families are like a tree.

The main trunk is like a tree trunk, while the smaller branches are like tree twigs.

The vast majority of the property is inherited by the main line, including farmland, shops, gold and silver treasures, valuable ancient paintings and books… These do not nominally belong to the public, but to the main line. Barring unforeseen circumstances, they are passed down only among the direct descendants of the main line. Smaller branches rely on their own efforts, or, if they have good connections, can utilize family networks. Those with good abilities live well, while those less capable need family support. The income from the study fields is used for the education of the clan's children, while the income from the ancestral worship fields is used for sacrifices and the care of elderly clan members…

Similar examples include ancestral hall fields, cemetery fields, and charitable fields...

These are all clan lands!

It belongs to the entire family.

In ordinary aristocratic families, once members prosper through family resources, they would more or less purchase clan land for the family, creating a cycle that ensured the family's continued existence. While this didn't guarantee everyone would become extremely wealthy, it did provide opportunities for declining branches to rise again. This process required accumulation over generations, and the pace of accumulation was slow. At least in this chaotic world where everyone's livelihood was uncertain, it was slow.

Therefore, even minor branches of the main lineage may be envious of the main lineage.

After years of being held hostage, Xie Qi and his wife had only managed to secure three daughters. Inevitably, family power fell into the hands of the clan elders. The majority of assets quietly flowed into collateral branches and the public accounts, and there was likely embezzlement and concealment by those involved. Xie Qi's return to audit the accounts this time would likely reveal that the main branch had been embezzled and emptied, leaving only a few assets to pass on to his daughters.

As the head of the family, as the father—

It would be strange if Xie Qi wasn't furious.

Adding to the conflict with the Xie clan, he decided to throw caution to the wind! Since no one was going to have an easy time, no one else would either! Shen Tang and Xie Qi exchanged glances.

Xie Qi couldn't hold on any longer and confessed everything.

Shen Tang's guess was largely correct, but the last two straws that broke the camel's back were two different things—first, Xie Qi accidentally discovered that a member of the Xie clan had bribed someone close to Zheng Qiao in an attempt to kill someone by using another person to take advantage of the extinct lineage of the main branch; second, Xie Qi's plan to include his three daughters in the main branch's genealogy and to establish his eldest daughter as the heir to the main branch was rejected.

Even though Xie Qi explained that his eldest daughter was exceptionally talented and would definitely be able to take on the role of family head when she grew up, several elders refused, citing "this is like a hen crowing at dawn." They also said, "Women are born unable to cultivate. Now that they can suddenly cultivate, how can we guarantee that they won't be able to cultivate again?" They further argued that Xie Qi's daughter would eventually marry out and become someone else's daughter-in-law, no longer a member of the Xie family. Wouldn't making her the family head be using the Xie family as a dowry? They insisted on refusing! No matter how much Xie Qi argued, they couldn't change anything, and they even arranged for a son to be arranged for Xie Qi.

[It is inappropriate for the head of the household to refuse to take a concubine and to have no male heir.]

The patriarch and mistress are deeply in love, and we shouldn't try to sow discord between them. These children are descendants of several impoverished collateral branches of the clan; they have decent talent and understanding. Perhaps we should choose one to take back and raise. They are all young, and with proper care, they can be tamed.

Xie Qi was truly discouraged now!

After finishing my work, I stormed back, clutching my belongings in a huff.

Because Xie Qi's experience was so tragic and frustrating, Shen Tang, as the lord, needed to empathize and couldn't laugh out loud. He held back for a long time before adopting a serious expression: "Shi Zang's suggestion is good, but I'm worried the other family heads might not agree..."

That's definitely not something I'll agree to.

Shen Tang added, "I don't want to agree either."

The existence of clan lands allows the clan's power to grow steadily. The larger the clan, the more it can act arbitrarily in a region, bullying others! When the clan becomes large enough, any official coming to take up a post will have to pay their respects, after all, the mountains are high and the emperor is far away.

Xie Qi was taken aback, but quickly composed himself.

Shen Tang rubbed his temples, already having a general plan in mind, then smiled again: "What are all these clan lands for? Aren't they just for worshipping ancestors, helping the orphans and widows in the clan, and ensuring that children have access to education? If the government can solve all these problems, then there's no need for clan lands, right? Aristocratic clan lands can only help the elderly and weak within their own clan, but a world of harmony can help all the common people!"

"Whether they are members of a clan or ordinary people, they are all the same to me, so naturally I should treat them all equally."

Xie Qi's mind was buzzing, and his heart was in turmoil.

For a moment, they had no idea what their lord was planning.

She wouldn't really want to confiscate all the clan's land, would she?

Shen Tang didn't give him much time to consider, and said to herself, "Since these powerful local families want to bargain with me, then let's set up a trap... no, a regular banquet for guests, and sit down to discuss things properly. There's nothing that can't be resolved face-to-face! If there is, then it's definitely because I don't have enough assassins hidden in the shadows! Right?"

Xie Qi: "..."

Everyone: "..."

My lord, you're not even bothering with the most basic pretense!

Shen Tang smiled and tossed the message Lin Feng had sent onto the table. She then gestured for someone to draft invitations, inviting the heads of families large and small to attend so she could get to know them! Who wouldn't come?

"That's disrespecting the Sixteenth-Rank Grand Master!"

"I will personally go to their door and invite them over!"

It's uncertain whether it will come vertically or horizontally.

Everyone cupped their hands in unison and said, "Yes."

The invitations were written by someone else, but Shen Tang still had to personally stamp them with her Wenxin Flower seal. After that, she still had to continue working. She had been incredibly busy lately, and the matter of the aristocratic families was just one of many things, and that was only because Shen Tang had restrained her murderous intent.

If they really anger her, it's not impossible for her to slaughter them from top to bottom! Shen Tang isn't afraid of them uniting against her. Don't be fooled by her currently scattered forces; it will only take a few days to regroup them. If they dare to cross the line again, the next time it will be a bloodbath.

Besides the lands held by these aristocratic families, there were also official reports from Yan and Gan prefectures. Shen Tang saw more than a dozen official systems from dozens of counties, with various titles, ranks, and powers that were completely incomprehensible. The intelligence sent back was enough to give her a headache.

"Aren't the River Yin and Longwu dances quite unified?"

Why does it become so magical when we get to Yanzhou and Ganzhou?

Because of Qin Li's scholarly principles, Shen Tang did not send him on business trips elsewhere. Hearing Shen Tang's complaints about these matters, Qin Li smiled and said, "At the same time, there were thirty-six countries standing side by side in the Northwest Continent, each with its own system."

Big fish eat small fish, and small fish eat shrimp.

The shrimp is in the belly of the small fish, the small fish is in the belly of the big fish, and neither the shrimp nor the small fish is fully digested before the big fish is swallowed by an even bigger fish. It's normal for the local official system to be chaotic, because often the previous official hasn't even adapted before a new official position is issued in the next country. Frequent changes result in many local official positions being misplaced; they just change the name and everyone continues doing the work.

Longwu and Heyin were unified because they were both early territories of the Xin Kingdom, while most of Yanzhou and Ganzhou were once scattered small states. Shen Tang's eye twitched violently.

"But Zheng Qiao..."

Yanzhou and Ganzhou have been in Zheng Qiao's hands for four or five years now.

"Does Zheng Qiao seem like the kind of person who would bother with these kinds of questions?"

Qin Li asked a very direct question.

Shen Tang: "..."

For a madman like Zheng Qiao, whether it's the Xin Kingdom or the Geng Kingdom, in his eyes, a country is just a system riddled with bugs. As long as the system can still run, he doesn't care how it runs. Let's just say, is this country even functioning?

As long as it works, you don't need to worry about anything else.

Haha, we don't need to worry about Zheng Qiao.

But she has to manage it (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Shen Tang gripped the brand-new bronze table, lost in thought for a moment, then unconsciously increased the pressure of his fingers, leaving a fingerprint that was clearly visible on it. His expression gradually became ferocious and distorted, and the veins on his forehead were also writhing darkly. The heavy resentment could kill a ghost: "Everyone else is planting trees for others to enjoy the shade, so why is it that when it comes to me, it's like the predecessors defecating and I have to shovel the shit?"

Qin Li ignored some of Shen Tang's outrageous remarks.

When a ruler is in charge, how can he not go mad?

The various powerful families had just finished processing the intelligence sent by the Lin family when they began receiving invitations sent out by Shen Tang. The handwriting on the invitations and the threatening message, "The imperial treasury will be burned to ashes, and the bones of nobles will be trampled on the streets," were both written by the same person. They instinctively assumed it was Shen Tang's own handwriting and felt a chill run down their spines—hadn't they already paid their donations? Was this still going on?

Upon reading the contents of the invitation, everyone looked as if they had lost their parents.

The invitation begins with sincere thanks to everyone for their generous donations. Shen Tang, on behalf of countless commoners, expresses gratitude for everyone's understanding and kindness, and uses this as a pretext to invite them to a banquet. Although the invitation does not explicitly name the heads of families, the meaning behind the written invitation is clear.

The head of the household may not go, but someone who can make the decision must go.

At the very least, he should be the second-in-command.

Everyone was shrouded in gloom, and dared not discuss countermeasures this time.

Some stubborn individuals even considered self-harm and feigning illness to have others go in their place—even a fool would know this was a trap, and going there might mean never returning, but not going would truly mean being weighed down with the box—but the plan hadn't been implemented yet, as the garrisons in various places had been completely taken over by Shen Tang's people, and these soldiers trained every few days, using the streets in front of each house as a running track for drills.

[One two one, one two one! 】

They started their synchronized morning exercises before dawn.

One, two, three, four—

Not only the head of the family, but even the women in the inner quarters of the family heard it.

Besides running drills before dawn, the training instructors also used the main street as a training ground, and every few days they would lead more than a hundred low-ranking soldiers to learn how to use martial energy to create weapons and practice drawing bows and arrows. Every now and then, arrows would fly out of their hands and over the courtyard wall.

The head of the aristocratic family: "..."

Shen Tang did nothing, and she said nothing.

However, the heads of powerful families could not pretend that she had done or said nothing.

After the last commotion, Shen Tang had thoroughly investigated the locations of the private armies each family kept on the farm, including their size and combat strength—all closely guarded secrets. Communication between the families was now extremely difficult; any action by any of them would result in a major fire breaking out on the farm and several people dying.

Without communication, there can be no unity.

Without the protection of force, they are lambs to the slaughter.

So, after hesitating for a few days, the heads of each family set off on their own.

They dared not linger on the road and all arrived within the stipulated time. Strangely, those who lived closest and those who lived furthest arrived on the same day. Many of the family heads were related by marriage and knew each other. Out of caution, they dared not even exchange a word.

This was also the first time they had seen Shen Tang.

That legendary androgynous monster.

In terms of appearance, she is indeed no less attractive than Zheng Qiao.

Under the protection of her guards, Shen Tang walked to the main seat and took her seat. She raised her hand to greet the pale-faced heads of the noble families: "Good morning, everyone. You must be tired from your journey. Did you sleep well last night?"

Because there wasn't enough space, Shen Tang simply set up the banquet in the martial arts training ground, with a small plaque bearing the name of each family head on each table. The intention was to make it easier for them to find their seats, but in the eyes of each family head, it was just a small memorial tablet.

The crowd looked even worse: "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Shen."

"If there is any neglect in the care provided, you must speak up."

The heads of the various families: "..."

At this moment, someone noticed that the food table was completely empty except for the small memorial tablet! This scene instantly reminded several perceptive individuals of a certain story about the power of words. They remained outwardly calm, but inwardly they were sweating profusely.

Clap clap clap, Shen Tang clapped his hands.

Following them came rows of burly, strong soldiers carrying plates. Their arms were thicker than the heads of the household's thighs. When they bent down to put down the dishes, their huge shadows enveloped the heads of the household. They also had swords hanging at their waists.

Shen Tang said with a slight apology, "As you all know, I come from humble beginnings and had a difficult time getting started. I've long been used to a simple life and don't like extravagance. I don't keep any dancers or entertainers in my household, and even serving dishes to guests is done by the soldiers under my command. Hehe, my conditions are simple and certainly can't compare to the warm and beautiful ladies in your households. I apologize for my rudeness."

The heads of each household were all pale.

They couldn't help but wonder if Shen Tang and Zheng Qiao were related by blood. Why did the two of them like to be sarcastic and sarcastic in front of others?

No--

Zheng Qiao is not as good at playing games as Shen Youli.

They knew this was a trap, and Shen Tang knew they knew it too, but they never expected Shen Tang to openly display the executioners. Was he too lazy to even bother with pretense? Yet, none of the high-ranking officials dared to utter a word of rebuke.

Shen Tang seemed oblivious to their mental breakdown, and casually said, "Eat and drink well," before her appetite returned.

The heads of the various families: "..."

Well, not everyone loses their appetite.

Among the members of the Lingzhou aristocratic family, one person stood out.

An elderly man with white hair and beard closed his eyes to rest.

People around him were enjoying their meal.

|ω`)

Waaaaah, I'm so excited! I can finally upgrade my MATE40Pro! Although it's still as smooth as ever, who doesn't crave something new?

(End of this chapter)