Chapter 932: Daring to Kill Even an Inspector-General? (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Although most of Shiwu has been incorporated into the territory of Kangguo, given the deep-seated enmity between Shiwu and Longwu County, entry and exit at the border still need to be restricted. Su Shiyilu is compiling a list of people who want to make a living in Kangguo, and these people will then be examined at Yonggu Pass.

Entry is only permitted after the review process is completed.

It wasn't too difficult; at most, they'd ask their names, which tribe they belonged to, their ages, how many people were in their families, and what their special skills were. The standard language was the common language within Kangguo. If these people didn't know the standard language, they would need to stay at a temporary stop for a while to learn the common phrases before being sent to the next place.

Why go through all this trouble?

Su Shiyilu never dreamed that he would enter Yonggu Pass in his current capacity. The old general sitting before him was surnamed Jiang, formerly under Chu Jie's command, and now a Zhechong Duwei, stationed at Yonggu Pass. From what Su Shiyilu knew, General Jiang was also the one with the deepest hatred for Shiwu. Dealing with him was something he was extremely unwilling to do.

It's better to argue with that bastard Chu Jie.

Chu Jie was already a loner.

The hatred between him and Shiwu was not as deep.

It will be easier to negotiate.

This veteran general was different; if he intended to make things difficult, Su Shiyilu would have to suffer in silence. However, none of the deliberate obstruction or difficulties in the review process that he had worried about occurred. The only thing Su Shiyilu discovered was the arrangement of these personnel. The able-bodied men sent into the pass were scattered to various prefectures and counties of Kang State, and after being dispersed, there were less than a hundred people in each place.

General Jiang: "Official platitudes—compared to other small countries, Kangguo is now quite vast, with opportunities to make a living in every region. This arrangement is based on individual abilities and strengths. The truth is, naturally, I, Jiang, do not trust you."

He looked at Su Shiyilu with a sneer and mocked him without any politeness: "Your Wuzhou has sent more than 25,000 young men to the interior in recent times. If they are all concentrated in one place, and something unexpected happens—if they succeed, that's fine, but if they fail, Wuzhou will really become a no-man's land. Su Shiyilu, this is for your own good."

All the military generals in the court were pro-war.

After four or five years of rest and recuperation, even your bones will become lazy.

Every year, opportunities for actual combat are concentrated at the border, with far more soldiers than available positions, making it a fiercely competitive battleground. Aside from that, the only other activity is the military exercises between the various military commands. But these exercises aren't real combat; even in actual battle, restraint is necessary. To seasoned generals accustomed to bloodshed, these exercises are nothing more than child's play. True warfare, however, is about killing the enemy.

Unfortunately, the king suppressed all voices advocating war.

Right now, these military generals are all craning their necks, waiting for these Ten Wu alien races to make a mistake. Even if they get into a brawl, as long as they show the slightest problem, the army will have a legitimate reason to attack and march all the way into the entire territory of Ten Wu, turning it into Wuzhou.

Urumqi can exist without a single living person.

“Since it shouldn’t happen, it naturally won’t happen. If it does happen…” Su Shiyilu clenched his fist secretly, but his eyes were probing as he looked at General Jiang. “Then we’ll have to see who made this happen!”

At this stage, Shiwu really doesn't have the energy to cause any trouble.

Su Shiyi also wanted to take a good rest and recuperate.

To alleviate the losses caused by the frequent conquests of recent years.

His concern was that a military general in the royal court who harbored a grudge against Shiwu might secretly sow discord, feigning innocence and deliberately setting a trap. If that were the case, Su Shiyilu would be unable to defend against it. To express a friendly attitude, he ceased pursuing the matter of the able-bodied men being dispersed and sent to various places.

Su Shiyilu believed in the warriors of the Shiwu tribe.

Their pride will not be easily corrupted by the conspiracies of Kangguo!

General Jiang scoffed, "A petty person's mind."

If he truly harbored personal grudges, he guaranteed that not a single member of the Ten Crows could pass Yonggu Pass; even if they did, they would enter upright and leave horizontally! This sarcastic remark did not enrage Su Shiyilu, and a delicate balance was maintained between the two.

General Jiang tossed out a scroll of books.

He was informed that, "Including the Zhechong Prefecture in Wuzhou, there are currently eighty-one Zhechong Prefectures in Kangguo. Each Zhechong Prefecture must conduct an exercise with the two nearest Zhechong Prefectures every year. The results of the exercise are related to the extra military pay allocated by the Ministry of Revenue to the Zhechong Prefecture in the following year, as well as the military fortune... Remember to prepare early, and don't lose too badly. You have quite a few opponents."

Su Shiyilu was completely confused.

Although spies had been sent in to gather intelligence in Kang State, the military exercises held by various military commands were a closely guarded secret. While the details were unclear, it was evident from General Jiang's words that this matter was of great importance. Given the location of the military commands, it was certain that the military commands in Wuzhou would clash with those in Longwu County…

Su Shiyilu: "At present, Wuzhou only has one Zhechong Prefecture, and the troops there are all elites of our tribe. It is still unknown who will win or lose."

General Jiang said calmly, "We'll see."

After Su Shiyilu left, someone who absolutely shouldn't have been there arrived. General Jiang bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

The visitor removed the black veil from his head.

Revealing a mature and beautiful face, it was Shen Tang.

"No need for formalities. Has there been any unusual activity in Wuzhou?" Shen Tang used her veil as a fan to cool herself as she sat down in the main seat, her casual demeanor hardly befitting a ruler. "Have any of the old noble families like Su Shiyilu noticed anything?"

General Jiang shook his head: "I didn't notice."

In reality, even General Jiang himself was still in the dark. He knew that the king was far-sighted and had his own considerations, but as someone who had dealt with the Ten Crows for many years, he preferred to completely eradicate them when the country was strong, thus eliminating any future troubles.

Shen Tang said, "It's good that no one noticed."

She smiled slyly: "By the time they realize it, it will be too late."

General Jiang: "I humbly request Your Majesty to enlighten me."

Shen Tang said, “Divide, split, appease, win over, integrate... that’s the process. It takes a long time, but the results are good. You don’t necessarily have to use a knife to exterminate a race; time can do it too. The young and old of the Ten Crows have already formed their values ​​and are used to plundering, but the children are different; they are more easily turned.”

Once the new generation of the Ten Kingdoms are all close to Kang State and even eager to integrate, what kind of trouble can the older generation stir up?

General Jiang lamented, "It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature."

Even the children of Shiwu should not be underestimated.

Shen Tang smiled and said, "So, before we see any results, we need to both win them over and appease them, while also suppressing and controlling them. Until they truly learn to be docile..."

General Jiang moved his lips, but hesitated to speak.

Shen Tang immediately sounded the alarm upon seeing his expression.

He raised his hand to stop him: "Don't rush me. I know what you're going to say. It's about filling the inner palace and having a crown prince as soon as possible, isn't it?"

The problem with the unification of countries on this continent is that they are short-lived.

In the first two years after the founding of the country, no one mentioned this to Shen Tang, but—ever since the Ministry of Rites had nothing better to do than design the royal consort's ceremonial robes, the news spread like wildfire, from one to ten, from ten to a hundred, until it reached all the prefectures and counties that Shen Tang was going to take a royal consort and had even chosen a candidate!

This was the beginning of a situation that spiraled out of control.

Several officials from the Court of Imperial Stud and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices would come every few days to inquire when this legendary royal consort would enter the inner court. If the royal family didn't recruit more officials, they'd feel guilty even receiving their salaries. Not only that, they'd also be ridiculed by their colleagues for being freeloaders!

For these reasons, they are the most frequent in urging people to get married.

The royal family is expanding its recruitment, so they're going to be busy!

Various prefectures and counties also secretly wanted to offer up handsome men.

The sheer variety of names and methods employed is astonishing!

Shen Tang: "..."

"Before the emperor arrived, the officials within the territory had already..."

Her brow twitched sharply: "They're always resorting to these crooked and unethical methods!"

It's an old tradition for the king to tour various regions, and local officials to secretly present beautiful women to him while receiving him. If a woman catches his eye, he can be taken back to the inner palace. The official who presents the woman also gains a valuable connection. It's a sure-fire, highly profitable investment!

Furthermore, Shen Tang currently doesn't even have a legitimate wife. Whoever can have a child first, and whose child becomes the crown prince, greatly increases the chances of the father gaining status through his son. This is the main reason why, despite Shen Tang's repeated stern faces, there are always opportunists trying their luck.

Besides these, there is another important reason.

This year marks the fifth year of Shen Tang's reign. Every year, she takes three months off to travel across the country with key personnel from various provinces and departments. Before setting off, she doesn't inform anyone; many officials don't even know when she will return to the capital, Fengluo.

The first time, local officials were unaware of the situation and were caught red-handed by her, who appeared out of nowhere! Those who offended her suffered minor punishments such as having their salaries reduced and losing their official positions, or worse, being demoted to commoners and having their entire families punished by picking cotton and corn. What about the more serious cases?

It's a straight death!

The second time, it was the same as before.

The third time, officials across the country were on high alert. Everyone knew that corruption, bribery, and disregard for human life would lead to death, but some people still refused to believe it and clung to wishful thinking. That year, Shen Tang once again went on a killing spree.

The fourth time, which was last year, we held a few.

The quantity is much less than before.

This is the fifth time.

Shen Tang was thoroughly enjoying himself, but officials in various regions were starting to get restless. They seriously suspected that the king's boundless energy and annual inspection tours were due to the lack of beautiful women around him. Whether male or female, once someone is entangled with beauty, their energy shouldn't be so much, right?

The various regions that presented beauties to the emperor often had this intention in mind—to quickly indulge in male/female pleasures, and even better, to have a child so they could peacefully nurture their pregnancy in the capital, instead of having sex every year. Officials with impure motives were afraid, but even those with clean hands felt the pressure.

Who can withstand their boss checking up on them year after year?

Shen Tang angrily retorted, "Tell them to give up on that idea. If they have the mind to collect beauties, why don't they have any achievements to show for it?"

General Jiang: "..."

Not only does the ruler of this country punish officials for their mistakes, but she also scrutinizes their performance. Add to that the annual performance evaluations conducted by the Ministry of Personnel, whose results directly impact future career advancement, and the pressure on officials becomes even greater. To cite a recent example, the current governor of Longwu County is a prime example!

Because the previous governor of Longwu Commandery was the king, the pressure on the successor was immense. The Ministry of Personnel was also keeping a close eye on Longwu Commandery, so this governor had no way to pull any strings. Every year, he would sigh and lament over his performance evaluation, and his hair would fall out in clumps.

Although she's not very old, she looks more weathered than I am.

General Jiang said, "What the lord says is true."

Shen Tang asked again, "Is the beauty from a clean background?"

She wasn't asking about the woman's background, but rather whether local officials had used this incident to oppress the people under their jurisdiction, or to bully men and women. She had previously discovered and dealt with one such case.

General Jiang said, "As far as I know, they are all from the clans of local officials or the female relatives of their wives. A few are also children of farmers. It was all voluntary, and there was no coercion."

Alas, the Queen is good in every way except that she can't see her own charm and popularity. If she were to open up a talent show, the number of men and women who volunteer would be enough for two royal courts to conduct a rehearsal.

Shen Tang said, "That would be best."

General Jiang was a shrewd man, and he changed the subject: "There are still more than 300,000 people in Wuzhou, and the emperor only sets up one military command?"

Shen Tang shook his head: "Setting up only one Zhechong Prefecture is not enough. Wouldn't that just help Su Shiyilu concentrate military power? The plan is to set up two upper prefectures, three middle prefectures, and five lower prefectures. The Zhechong Commandant of each prefecture should be carefully selected, preferably someone with whom we have a bad relationship."

In future military exercises in Zhechongfu, the smell of gunpowder will be a key element.

General Jiang was relieved to hear this.

Shen Tang came here for this very reason, saying, "Secretly recall the spies you sent to Shiwu, and then finalize the location of the Wuzhou General's Office and the officials in charge of each office..."

General Jiang clasped his hands in acceptance of the order.

Seeing that it was getting late, Shen Tang returned to her lodgings.

Thanks to the extraordinary existence of the Martial Arts Warriors, memorials from all over the country could be delivered to Shen Tang at the fastest speed. After processing, they would be sent back to the capital and handed over to the Six Ministries for implementation. In addition, with the "Dingding" system becoming more and more perfect and comprehensive, remote court attendance was no longer a problem.

To avoid interfering with state affairs, Shen Tang dared to conduct inspections only once a year.

I thought that after five years, even the most audacious people would have to rein themselves in, but I never expected that there would still be quite a few people defying the rules.

"Wangchao, what's wrong?"

Shen Tang returned to the temporary council hall and saw Gu Chi.

Over the past five years, as the Imperial Censor, he had never known what it meant to be frustrated with the Censorate. He would vent his anger on the spot, and no official in the court had escaped his stabs. The Imperial Physician of the Imperial Medical Bureau would also visit him from time to time to take care of him. Over the years, Gu Chi's health had finally improved considerably, and he could occasionally see a rosy complexion. His energy and spirit were much better than before.

Shen Tang hadn't seen him with a sorrowful expression in a long time.

He straightened his expression and asked, "Speak, what is it?"

Gu Chi took out a secret letter from his pocket and handed it over.

Shen Tang asked, "Who wrote it?"

The answer to this question was quickly found.

The letter was heavily creased and the handwriting was somewhat blurred, suggesting it had passed through several hands before being secretly delivered here. It was a secret letter written by Zheng Yu, a supervising censor of the Censorate, or perhaps a suicide note: "Where did the incident occur?"

Gu Chi said, "Lingzhou."

Shen Tang thought back for a moment.

"Zheng Yu shouldn't have been in Lingzhou..."

Each censor had their own area of ​​inspection.

She remembered that Zheng Yu should be in Kunzhou.

Gu Chi: "Yes, he inspected the nine prefectures within Kunzhou. Yesterday, a local report stated that the granary in Jinli County, Kunzhou, had been robbed."

Shen Tang sneered upon hearing this: "Were you silenced?"

If they dare to kill even censors, what else wouldn't they do?

Shen Tang asked, "Has the case been solved since the granary was robbed?"

Gu Chi's expression was strange: "The case was solved, but it was closed as a case of a ghost stealing grain. There were quite a few eyewitnesses that day."

Shen Tang laughed in exasperation: "A ghost stealing grain?"

Kunzhou was not completely recovered until the third year of Yuanhuang's reign.

There are many unruly people in the country.

|ω`)

(End of this chapter)