“Mama really likes Gong Shuwu.”
Gong Xichou silently watched Shen Tang reluctantly part with Gong Shuwu.
Even though he wasn't good at reading people's expressions, he could tell.
Shen Tang stood there, savoring the feel of the large pink diamond: "Half-Step is my Great General, how could I not like him?"
Although it's not very ethical to think that way.
But now, Banbu is truly rolling in money!
Gong Xichou curled his lip.
He hadn't spent much time with Mama before, nor had he known her deeply. His impression of her was always the best, and with his own biased perspective, many of her flaws were overlooked. Now, as her part-time bodyguard, he's discovered that Mama also has her shortcomings.
Not only was he ridiculously poor, but he was also extremely greedy.
They were so poor that even Gongxi Chou felt some sympathy for them.
How could someone so poor grow up to be this big? Was it all thanks to the northwest wind?
"The way Mama looked at Gong Shuwu just now was as if she were looking at a mountain of gold, wishing she could tear off a few of his ribs..."
Shen Tang gave an awkward laugh: "Is it that obvious?"
Gong Xichou carefully considered an analogy.
"Yes, obviously, he looks just like a thief."
Shen Tang kicked his calf and threatened him fiercely: "I am, after all, a sacred object of your clan, Gongxi Feng'en. Is this how you treat a sacred object? Watch out, when your older brother comes back, I'll tell him about you and see if he doesn't beat you up!"
She slapped Gong Xichou, and he retaliated.
If Ji Moqiu makes a move, he can only stand there and take the beating.
Gong Xi Chou had anticipated her actions. He jumped up and down, then quickly stomped on her instep: "I'm just telling the truth, and you're still angry? Is this how a ruler should act? What's wrong with a sacred object? My duty is to protect the sacred object and bring it back to the clan's coffin, nothing else. If you weren't Mama, I wouldn't care even if you were a great god of the clan descended to earth, let alone a sacred object."
No matter how fast he dodged, he couldn't outsmart Shen Tang's prediction.
My calf took a solid hit.
Gong Xichou was so angry that he wanted to kick it back.
In the end, both sides suffered heavy losses.
Qi Shan limped into the camp with a cold face, his resentment heavier than the black soot at the bottom of a pot. He said in a gloomy tone, "My lord, have you made enough trouble? Gong Xi Chou, as the great general, don't you know what you should and shouldn't do?"
Gong Xichou already had the reputation of being the "white moonlight" of a returned overseas Chinese.
Since his return, he has been inseparable from the king.
He's still childishly playing and fooling around. What does he think this place is? The inner palace? Is that old barbarian Gongxi Chou trying to solidify his title as a sycophant? He's dissolute and shameless.
They have absolutely no idea what "the relationship between men and women is extremely incompatible" means!
Am I part of their group?
The thought of how her calf had suddenly started to hurt and she had almost collapsed in public in a very embarrassing way made her even angrier!
Qi Shan gave Gong Xi Chou a good scolding in front of Shen Tang.
She gave him a fierce glare before leaving.
Gong Xichou muttered to himself, pointing in the direction Qi Shan had left, and shouted that it was unfair: "Who is he? Why is he only scolding me?"
He kicked Mama three times, and Mama kicked him four times.
He was clearly the one who felt wronged and suffered the most.
Qi Yuanliang, without distinguishing right from wrong, simply cursed him as a corrupt official!
Shen Tang peeked out to make sure Qi Shan was really far away before pulling her head back in and laughing, "Of course he only scolded you, since I'm the king, his lord. But he did scold me too, wasn't he? Wasn't he just indirectly criticizing me? The things he said to you were also insults to me. Gong Xi Chou, what did you do to offend Yuan Liang? The look in his eyes before he left... it felt like he was cursing me so filthy."
Gong Xichou: "...How did I provoke him?"
He didn't like dealing with intellectuals like Qi Yuanliang.
Over the years, I've barely spoken a few words to the other person.
Qi Yuanliang's anger came on inexplicably.
Shen Tang figured out a bit of the truth, her gaze falling on Gong Xichou's braided hair: "Probably... in Yuan Liang's eyes, you're just a young, blond guy who drives a ghost firecracker and makes a ruckus in the streets? It's normal for him to have this kind of mentality after being a father for many years."
Gong Xichou: "..."
He could understand each word Mama said individually, but when put together, he couldn't understand anything at all; he struggled to comprehend it: "Ghost fires blaring in the street... blond hair... energetic young man? What's that?"
Shen Tang said softly, "That's because every man reaches a certain age... and it's not limited to men, it's just that young men that parents of this age can't stand. Imagine you have a pampered daughter, and as soon as she reaches that age, a blond, frivolous young man grabs her hand and tells you he wants to be with her, and your daughter sides with that guy..."
The more she spoke, the more silent Shen Tang became.
She glanced at Gong Xichou, then at herself.
Suddenly, he guessed Qi Shan's subtle thoughts. The scene just now was indeed enough to make a man of his age have a mental breakdown.
Gong Xichou scratched his head, still puzzled by the blond-haired man with the ghostly fire: "Then let them be together. Just because your daughter likes this man doesn't mean he can only be her. He's not the only option. Why can't we go along with what our daughter likes?"
"What my daughter likes, I may not like myself."
"If I really think my daughter has poor taste and the people she chose are no good, I'll just introduce her to a few people I like later, won't that solve the problem?"
Therefore, Gongxi Chou concluded—
Qi Yuanliang has a serious mental illness.
Gong Xichou's mere cultivation of the "Boyhood Skill" didn't mean he lacked common sense in this area. He quickly realized why Qi Shan was angry, his contempt deepening as he openly sowed discord: "Mama, Qi Yuanliang doesn't suspect we're having an affair, does he? Even if there's nothing between us, why is he angry? Stripped of your status as the ruler, you're a powerful figure in this world. It's perfectly reasonable for you to employ men you find agreeable, even to have them serve your male favorites. Could it be that he admires you?"
Shen Tang almost choked on her own saliva.
"Don't scare me. I prefer younger ones. Older ones have no elasticity. And he's just being overprotective. It's better for a master and his subject to maintain a pure relationship of exploitation and being exploited. That way, there won't be any psychological burden... Also, if you can't use a good analogy, don't use one. You, serving my male favorite water to wash his feet?"
Gong Xichou thought for a moment and said, "That's not the case."
The more likely scenario is that the opponent's leg will be broken.
He didn't forget to kick Qi Shan as well.
“Mama, your ministers are too old-fashioned.”
Shen Tang coughed even more violently: "...Don't be so sure of yourself. As the saying goes, 'Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you.' If you get lucky and find a girlfriend one day, but she likes another man, I don't believe you can sit still?"
Mothers-in-law often like to try to seduce their sons.
When you become a wife, you hope to be with your husband for life.
Ah, such is human nature.
The so-called double standard is nothing more than choosing what is in one's own interest.
Gong Xichou said, "If a man is good enough and catches my eye, that's fine too. It just proves that my partner has good taste. But if she chooses someone who is inferior in every way, then it means she's blind, and that's an insult to me."
Shen Tang gave him a thumbs up.
"Anyone who doesn't apply double standards is a true man!"
Gong Xiqiu added a clause: "This is just a statement; how it will be implemented will depend on the specific circumstances."
Shen Tang: "..."
So this is still a flexible version of "not applying double standards".
Even though it was wartime, Shen Tang, as the ruler, still had many memorials to deal with—even though she appointed Qin Li and Gu Chi as the two leaders in charge of overseeing the country, there were still some memorials that she couldn't escape—while she was dealing with the memorials, Gong Xi Chou was dozing off beside her.
Before they knew it, all the candles inside the tent had been lit.
Gong Xichou glanced at Shen Tang several times for no apparent reason.
She said, "Ask me if you have any questions."
I wonder how sensitive she is to outsiders' opinions given her abilities?
With Gong Xichou like this, I simply can't concentrate on my work.
Since she spoke with absolute certainty, Gong Xichou took the opportunity to ask his question: "Mama, I'm curious, why doesn't anyone admire you?"
Shen Tang: "..."
I almost tore up the memorial from the River Governor's side.
Yin Ze said, "Gong Xi Chou, do you want to hear what nonsense you're spouting? With my charm, how could no one be attracted to me?"
Gong Xichou retorted, "Really? I don't believe it."
Shen Tang spoke with righteous indignation: "With the nation and its people not yet settled, there is no way to establish a family."
Gong Xiqiu casually gave an "oh," and it was clear from that he didn't believe her. Shen Tang immediately bristled: "What did you 'oh' for?"
However, Gongxi Chou did not answer.
He simply looked her over with a very subtle gaze.
There was sympathy, pity, regret, and ridicule...
Shen Tang was so angry that she couldn't help but hit him again.
"Gong! Xi! Chou! Lao! Deng!"
Gongxi Qiu learns and uses it flexibly.
"Yellow-haired Ghost Fire Mama?"
The second day—
Gong Xichou was thoroughly humiliated by Qi Shan.
You could hear him passionately speaking from a great distance.
Although Shen Tang had carefully placed a restriction before acting to prevent the violence inside the tent from spreading, he could keep it a secret from the outside world but not from Qi Shan. Qi Shan was seething with anger and came to settle scores before dawn. Gong Xi Chou looked at him with a half-smile, his fingers twirling his braid, lost in thought, completely ignoring Shen Tang's verbal attacks.
Gong Xiqiu leaned closer and said, "If Secretary Qi is dissatisfied with me, he might as well give Mama a heads-up and send her a few reliable ones."
Qi Shan's blood pressure spiked instantly.
Gong Xichou pretended to stretch his muscles and bones, saying, "Ouch, my neck and back are a bit uncomfortable. I've been working hard all night and haven't slept much. I'm going to take a nap. Qi Zhongshu is not young anymore, so it's best not to get angry so often."
With a wave of his hand, he left without a trace.
Mama, let's thank him for his kindness.
If he could truly have women on both sides, he deserves some credit for that.
Qi Shan: "..."
He sighed to Shen Tang more than ten times that morning.
Perhaps, my lord, you really are getting old?
Or was it the Battle of the Northern Desert that created too much pressure and a need to vent?
Having been through that age myself, I know what youthful impetuosity is like; everyone navigates it differently. Regardless, to prevent my lord from being led astray by a vixen like Gongxi Chou, I should also be concerned about his private life.
He could not tolerate Gongxi Chou acting as king!
"...Is Yuanliang worried because he received intelligence from Gao Guo?"
Qi Shan's thoughts abruptly stopped: "Gao Kingdom?"
Shen Tang took out a memorial to the throne.
This memorial was kept in the capital and not issued.
Qi Shan quickly read through the book and finally understood why his lord had misunderstood. He suppressed his embarrassed feelings and cleared his mind of his previous chaotic thoughts: "...Qin Gongsu is indeed a vengeful person, but he has been patiently waiting until now to make his move..."
“Instigating internal strife in Gao Kingdom at this moment is also a last resort…” Shen Tang saw him finish reading the memorial before closing it, sighing as she tossed it onto the table, out of sight, out of mind. “I didn’t want things to come to this with Wu Zhaode. But, who told me that many officials in the Gao Kingdom’s court were inclined to launch a military campaign against us at this critical juncture… especially the powerful officials from the Tianhai faction! Back then, we tricked them on the issue of the River Governor, forcing Gao Kingdom to build its capital elsewhere, which severely damaged their interests and completely offended this faction of officials…”
A gentleman takes his revenge, even after ten years.
Moreover, only five years have passed since then.
If they could take down He Yin while Shen Tang was busy dealing with the Northern Desert, the losses of the Tianhai faction would be greatly compensated. Wu Xian knew their plans, but he wasn't prepared to betray them and was unwilling to do so. After all, Shen Tang was at war with the Northern Desert.
In the past, the northwestern kingdoms treated the Northern Desert with the principle of "settling scores with the Northern Desert first, no matter how great the grudges were." If Wu Xian dared to open this door, his reputation would be infamous for eternity.
Unless Wu Xian betrays Shen Tang and can still subdue the Northern Desert.
In this situation, Shen Tang should just accept her bad luck.
According to intelligence, Wu Xian's attitude has softened.
The situation within Gaoguo is tightening.
Although Shen Tang had long been wary of Wu Xian, seeing this memorial still chilled her to the bone, so she turned a blind eye to Qin Li's underhanded actions. The memorial remained unpublished.
She joked, "Question Zheng Qiao, understand Zheng Qiao, become Zheng Qiao. Stirring up chaos within the enemy's ranks is unethical but effective."
Qi Shan felt sorry for him too: "This is not the Lord's fault."
It's all Wu Xian's fault.
His name was definitely not mischosen.
Lacking wisdom and virtue, they can no longer even distinguish right from wrong and uphold justice.
All of this was foreshadowed when he lost Zhao Feng.
Losing Zhao Dayi, losing Dayi, is all preordained.
Internal strife erupts in Gao, with the two sons forcing the emperor to abdicate, leading to fratricide and patricide.
All of this happened ten days ago.
No matter how tightly the situation was kept under wraps, the news eventually leaked out.
I heard that Wu Xian has been absent from court for three consecutive days and has not seen anyone.
Shen Tang thought that Gao Guo would behave himself for a while and stop trying to take over his own territory. After all, under normal circumstances, a scandal of this magnitude would not stop for three to five months.
Unexpectedly, an urgent secret report arrived the very next day—
The strategic pass of Heyin was attacked.
The strategic pass remained intact and was held.
Zhao Feng was furious after being ambushed. The next day, when the Gao Kingdom withdrew its troops, he sent an envoy to inquire about the situation and demand an explanation from the Gao Kingdom. The Gao Kingdom's reply nearly made Zhao Feng explode with rage.
"This is a complete case of turning the tables!"
Zhao Feng tore up Gao Guo's letter.
That's not entirely true of letters.
This reply was shot up from below the city wall.
Along with it came a head.
The head belonged to an envoy sent by Zhao Feng.
Although the saying "In war, envoys are not to be killed" is just empty rhetoric, few actually dare to kill them—because such a blow sends only one signal—
Talk is nonsense, let's fight to the death!
Who can guarantee that fortunes won't turn around one day?
If you push things too far, you might find yourself in the same predicament later. Always leave room for maneuver in others' lives; it's always good to have someone to rely on in the future.
Zhao Feng, on the other hand, received a head instead.
The face still showed traces of fear and shock.
()“““
New Year, please vote with monthly tickets~~~
P.S.: The reaction to the name Zhang Yang seems pretty good; it looks like a good fit. Yang means deep and vast waters, so the given name could be "a great nation." It's quite suitable for a new daughter.
PPS: The new book is probably a fantasy novel about an empress. The female lead is richer than Tang Mei, skilled in needlework, and her mental state will likely be quite touching.
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