Chapter 911-910: Serving Two Surnames (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Jiang Sheng knew something was going to happen when he saw Gu Chi's reaction.

Probing: "What does the lord mean..."

Gu Chi tucked his hands into his sleeves and stepped aside, as if trying to distance himself from the scheming Jiang Sheng: "What could the lord possibly mean? A ruler's heart is unfathomable. You all don't know, but I, Gu, do? Hanzhang is right, you should indeed restrain yourselves. You can't scheme against your own people. If anyone isn't even half a step away from us, this matter will be much easier to handle."

If Gong Shuwu wasn't one of their own, they could plot against Wu Yuan to kill him, which would likely turn Gong Cheng and Wu Yuan into enemies. Alternatively, they could plot against Gong Cheng to kill him by mistake. Gong Cheng was young and inexperienced, lacking a strong and resilient mind. His strength came from the secret technique [Enlightenment], and the impact of that technique would be enough to backfire and severely injure him. At best, his cultivation level would stagnate, and at worst, it would regress.

With Gong Cheng gone, the Northern Desert lost a trump card.

Unfortunately, Gong Shuwu is one of our own, and a veteran at that, with whom we have a very close relationship. We can think about it in our hearts, but let's not actually do it: "If our lord were to exchange half a step for one of the Northern Desert's resources, would you gentlemen truly not feel terrified?"

Today, if we can sacrifice Gong Shuwu for the sake of maximizing our own interests, we can also sacrifice anyone for even greater interests in the future.

The lord did indeed harbor schemes against Gong Cheng.

But they were definitely not as ruthless as these people thought.

They're all ruthless and vicious; even a dog would shake its head in disbelief.

Working with these colleagues was incredibly stressful for Gu Chi. Luckily, he had the ability to read people's minds; otherwise, he wouldn't even know how they betrayed him. Gu Chi's lecture displeased the others—what was the difference between this and a crow laughing at a pig for being black?

Can Gu Wangchao honestly say he never had such thoughts?

If not, how could he have reacted so quickly?

As a strategist, one's job is to come up with all the solutions, and whether or not to implement them, and which one to implement, depends on the lord's decision: "How could you not know?"

Jiang Sheng didn't believe his nonsense.

Gu Chi's greatest skill was understanding and flattering his lord's thoughts; the two of them worked in perfect harmony. After so many years of fawning and sycophancy, why did he suddenly claim to be upright and incorruptible?

Gu Chi left only one sentence—

"I don't know, I really don't know."

Having said that, he strode away.

There are still many trivial matters that need to be dealt with.

Qi Shan said quietly, "He's only half a step into the ranks of military generals. If he goes to the battlefield, it's only a matter of time before he runs into Gong Yunchi. Not to mention uncle and nephew, there are quite a few cases of fathers and sons fighting to the death."

This matter is not about how they schemed and plotted, but about what choice Gong Shuwu would make—Gong Cheng did not know Gong Shuwu's identity, but Gong Shuwu knew Gong Cheng. If he had known that Gong Cheng was not dead and was helping Bei Mo, Gong Shuwu would have crawled to the Bei Mo front line.

Given Gong Cheng's strength, Gong Shuwu was doomed.

Xun Zhen asked, "So?"

Qi Shan: "Tell Banbu privately. The news that Gong Yunchi is still alive will reach his ears sooner or later."

Xun Zhen nodded upon hearing this.

If the next enemy is the Northern Desert, which requires the entire nation's strength to conquer, then unless Gongshu Wu guards the rear, once he goes to the front lines, what happens will be beyond human control. The lord's desire to keep it a secret likely stems from this consideration.

But how can it be kept secret?

Gong Shuwu was not one to cling to life or fear death.

If he knew Gong Cheng's choice, he would understand Gong Cheng's difficulties on a personal level, but when faced with the bigger picture and hatred, he would probably prefer to clean up the mess himself, even if he couldn't win.

This secret letter was delivered to Gong Shuwu half a month later.

Gong Shuwu's reaction was just as Xun Zhen and the others had guessed; his expression changed several times before finally settling on a resolute one.

The letter contained everything that could be said.

This includes, but is not limited to, the information Gu Chi overheard.

Gong Shuwu stared at the glaring words "enlightenment" in the letter, and for a moment, he lost control of his emotions. He snapped the hilt of the sword he used for morning practice in his hand, exhaled a breath of stale air, and looked up at the sky, muttering, "Brother... Yunchi has suffered so much..."

However, Gong Cheng is willing to work for anyone.

The only thing it cannot be is the Northern Desert.

Gong Shuwu burned the private letter to ashes, leaving no trace, and after a little repair, went to train his troops as usual.

He was already diligent in his training, but he became even more determined.

Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch.

Just as this secret letter was being sent, representatives of the aristocratic families arrived, ostensibly to offer early New Year's greetings to Shen Tang, but in reality to deliver "hostages" chosen by their respective families. These aristocratic families held sway over various regions, and sending "hostages" was standard practice to reassure the royal court; these were usually the younger brothers of the heirs. Their status was neither too high to cause the aristocratic families to feel sorry for them, nor too low to displease the royal court.

Of course, it wasn't just to reassure the royal court.

This also puts the families at ease.

With connections in the capital, they can get the news immediately if there's any disturbance and quickly prepare a response.

If Shen Tang were to refuse these "hostages," the various families would be filled with unease and wild speculation, worrying that Shen Tang might be up to no good again and could harm their families. Given Shen Tang's straightforward nature, the representatives of the aristocratic families spoke frankly and directly.

Unsurprisingly, the unlucky guy introduced by the aristocratic family is Kang Nian again.

Shen Tang looked at Kang Nian, who had come to visit on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, and her lips twitched slightly: "Uncle Sui, you just came once before the New Year, and now you're here again. It must have taken you a lot of time to travel back and forth. Did you just rush home for the New Year and then set off again?"

Kang Nian's expression was blank.

Who is the person who made him run around so much?

Having witnessed firsthand Shen Tang's thought process, Kang Nian learned from his previous two experiences and handed over a list from his pocket, clearly listing the information of each "hostage." Age, gender, surname, family background—Shen Tang glanced at it briefly. The youngest was only five years old and still needed a wet nurse, while the oldest was thirty-five and currently had a family to support. Shen Tang looked up at Kang Nian.

"What's this?"

Kang Nian said, "Hostages."

Shen Tang raised his voice: "...Hostage?"

When did she order the hostages to be sent over?

What were these aristocratic families imagining behind her back?

Kang Nian felt inexplicably exhausted. Why did this unspoken rule have to be brought up in public? Sending out outstanding clansmen as hostages in exchange for stability was a shameful thing, and aristocratic families also had to save face, so they would often cover up this act with a fig leaf.

Now they have to be spread out to dry.

Anyone would be upset in that situation.

After Kang Nian finished explaining with a forced smile, Shen Tang was forced to learn something new. Rubbing her forehead, she said with a headache, "Alright, alright, come on over. But let me make this clear from the start: I won't cover their food, clothing, lodging, or transportation. Each family will have to take care of all their own expenses."

These hostage expenses cannot be covered by public funds.

Should Shen Tang pay for it out of his own pocket?

Heh, her pockets are emptier than her face; she still has a mountain of debt to pay off. Where would she find the spare money to support the burden sent by the aristocratic families? The aristocratic families have quite a plan, but unfortunately—once the Mohists have figured out the "holographic online remote conferencing technology" of the Gods' Society, Shen Tang plans to travel around to conduct official business. The aristocratic families should stop dreaming about being far away from the emperor.

Shen Tang can appear anywhere.

These were things he naturally didn't intend to tell Kang Nian.

"I'll take these people; you can do as you please."

Kang Nian had left a deep psychological scar on Shen Tang; she didn't want to see that dean's face at all, and he wanted to kick her out. Kang Nian had also interacted with Shen Tang a few times and had a general understanding of her temperament, so he wasn't too afraid. However—

"Mr. Shen, I have a favor to ask."

"You can say it."

Kang Nian carefully considered his words before revealing his purpose.

It turns out that the Kang family also has hostages.

He personally selected the hostage, which caused him two days of arguments with his wife, who was so angry she almost went back to her parents' home that very night. The hostage was none other than her and Kang Nian's youngest daughter. This infuriated his wife, bringing her to tears. Who sends a woman as a hostage? What was the point of sending their daughter away? Was he planning to wait until she came of age in a few years and then choose a husband for her directly in the capital?

Is this a way of using their daughter's marriage as a bargaining chip?

Countless thoughts raced through the lady's mind.

Kang Nian couldn't explain much.

Shen Tang picked up that distressing hostage list again.

Sure enough, I saw the person the Kang family had chosen in the corner: "So, what do you plan to do? Have Ji Shou take his niece?"

Living with Kangshi is also an option.

Kang Nian absolutely trusted his younger brother.

Judging from the information on the list, Kang Nian's daughter has cultivation talent. In the current situation where there are not many female cultivators, sending his daughter over is not a bad thing, because Shen Tang has already accumulated enough female cultivation experience, and with his uncle Kang Shi in charge, how could he let his niece's talent be wasted?

It's a blessing, not a curse, that this daughter will stay in the capital.

Kang Nian shook his head: "No."

Shen Tang raised an eyebrow at Kang Nian, waiting for him to continue.

Kang Nian said, "Actually, I wanted to see my cousin."

Shen Tang paused for a moment before remembering that the cousin Kang Nian mentioned was Qi Shan—as long as Tan Qu didn't shed the identity of Qi Shan, his connection with the Kang family would never be severed. Kang Nian simply didn't know Qi Shan's true identity, but Shen Tang did.

"Isn't Ji Shou good?"

Kang Shi is his uncle, and Kang Nian can take this opportunity to repair the strained relationship between the family and Kang Shi. Isn't that a win-win situation?

Kang Nian's smile froze: "That's not quite appropriate."

He had personally witnessed Kang Shi's ruthless and unscrupulous abilities. Even if Kang Shi couldn't be blamed for this, he couldn't control the situation, and if something happened to his daughter, he would have a hard time explaining it to his wife.

After much thought, praying for good is the most suitable option.

However, Qi Shan was, after all, a key minister of Shen Tang, and Kang Nian was not only his cousin but also the head of the Kang family. Given their current status, any private contact between them would require Shen Tang's permission to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and potential death.

Shen Tang will not harm Qi Shan Kang Shi, but she will harm the Kang family.

This answer made Shen Tang's lips twitch.

She waved her hand in agreement: "I understand, you can go ahead."

Dealing with people from aristocratic families is truly exhausting, both physically and mentally. Qin Li and his family members come from equally prestigious backgrounds, so why don't they have these bad habits?

After receiving permission, Kang Nian bowed and withdrew.

A considerable number of hostages were settled in the camp.

He took his daughter to visit Qishan.

According to intelligence, Qi Shan is currently at the main camp.

His choice of Qishan was also well thought out. Choosing Kangshi would certainly bring his younger brother, who had been away from the family for many years, closer to the family. However, Kangshi's situation was special, and it was not advisable for the two to get too close before the path of the scholar was perfected. Kang Nian then thought of his cousin.

Due to the grudges of the previous generation, the two families had long since severed ties. The Qi family had been living in poverty in recent years, and the Kang family could only take care of them privately.

According to Kang Shi, his cousin Qi Shan is still unmarried and childless, with not a woman in his life, focusing solely on his career and abstaining from women. Kang Nian, after reviewing the "evil scheme's" track record over the years, firmly believes this. Being so busy, he certainly doesn't have the energy for romance or procreation.

Upon learning from Kang Shi that Qi Shan had the idea of ​​adopting a child, Kang Nian's mind started to wander, and he came up with a plan.

The daughter he brought along looks a lot like his aunt.

This was confirmed by my mother herself.

Because of her appearance, the mother doted on this granddaughter, often remarking that her granddaughter looked exactly like her nephew, Qishan.

People say that nephews resemble their uncles, and the resemblance is quite natural.

Kang Nian squinted slightly, trying to recall Qi Shan's face.

He and Qi Shan were not the same age. As the eldest son of the Kang family and the future clan leader, he had a lot to learn and couldn't play with Qi Shan. In Kang Nian's memory, he had only seen Qi Shan once or twice. At that time, Qi Shan was short and chubby, and because he wore many clothes in winter, he looked like a ball.

Her still-developing eyebrows and eyes do resemble her daughter's when she was young.

"Have you remembered everything your father told you?" Kang Nian pulled himself out of his memories and whispered instructions to his daughter beside him.

The daughter nodded: "I remember."

Kang Nian sighed and stroked her hair: "That's good."

As a father, he naturally wanted to secure a good future for his child. From birth, this daughter was raised as a proper young lady, taught to grow into a qualified wife of a prominent family. All Kang Nian could do was find her a suitable husband from a family of equal social standing, select a reliable man who could guarantee her future, and provide her with a generous dowry when she got married.

only--

Compared to everything her brother inherited, all of this was so insignificant. Kang Nian hadn't originally planned to send his daughter; his initial intention was for his second son. The eldest son would inherit the main branch, while the second son would have to fend for himself, and the inheritance he could receive would be meager.

He was also willing to give the opportunity to his second son.

As for where things will lead in the future, that depends on individual destiny.

Just then, her daughter came to wish her a Happy New Year.

As the family stayed up all night to welcome the New Year, Kang Nian watched his daughter's quiet and obedient demeanor, while his wife's voice murmured about the eligible young men from various families. His daughter sat beside him with her head slightly lowered. There was no shyness, no joy, and not a trace of unease on her face.

Those innocent eyes were mostly filled with confusion.

She only vaguely knew what "husband" and "in-laws" meant; they were the guarantee of a stable life for the rest of her life. But she was also apprehensive about transforming from a young lady into someone else's wife. Kang Nian stared blankly at his daughter, vaguely seeing her as the wife he had first met on his wedding day when he was young, not much older than her.

He asked his daughter, "Do you have any thoughts about your husband?"

She said timidly, "Father and Mother can make the decision."

A daring idea suddenly popped into Kang Nian's mind. He chose his daughter as a hostage and brought her to Qi Shan, who was still feeling guilty and confused: "Cousin, it's been a long time."

Qi Shan gave a fake smile: "Brother."

Kang Nian stepped aside, making way for his daughter behind him.

He didn't notice the momentary blankness on Qi Shan's face before her eyes suddenly widened and stared intently at Kang Nian's daughter. The girl was startled, suppressing her fear and unfamiliarity, she gave a dignified and graceful bow and whispered, "Greetings, Uncle."

Qi Shan was awakened by this "Uncle".

Kang Nian saw the legendary "evil scheme" perform a trick on the spot, with each hand and foot doing its own thing, as if it had just been installed.

"Huh? Ah... Ah!"

"I wasn't prepared for our first meeting..."

Qi Shan frantically reached for her waist.

Without even glancing at it, he pulled off an accessory and offered it as a gift. Kang Nian was almost speechless: "Cousin, this is a monogram."

Can a monogrammed handwriting be given as a gift?

|ω`)

My eyelids felt like they were glued shut when I woke up, but it got much better by the afternoon, and the soreness in my throat lessened considerably. I expect to be almost completely better by tomorrow.

P.S.: Qi Shan and the Kang brothers are cousins. Kang Nian's daughter should call Qi Shan "Uncle," right? I'll correct that.

PPS: I can't take it anymore, this relationship is so hard to figure out, are we cousins ​​or maternal cousins?

(End of this chapter)