An eerie silence fell over everyone once again.
Inside the main tent, you could hear a pin drop.
Gong Xichou swept his critical gaze over everyone, not missing their reactions, and sneered, "Why are you all mute? You are all experienced veterans, surely you know something about the power of words of the literati, right? [The Five Virtues of a General]?"
The Five Virtues of a General are considered essential military strategies for scholars and warriors, and also the dream strategies for brave warriors.
Gong Xichou said this to Qian Yong.
Qian Yong, not one to tolerate such behavior, immediately retorted.
He said sarcastically, "General Gongxi—do you know how?"
Qian Yong deliberately made the pronunciation of "big" sound convoluted.
Gong Xiqiu crossed his arms, glanced at Qian Yong, and sneered, "I don't eat Kangguo's salary."
Qian Yong: "..."
This statement is truly the ultimate kill.
Qian Yong's face turned green!
Is Gong Xichou implying that they're just drawing salaries without doing any work? Is he mocking them as good-for-nothings who only know how to eat?
Qian Yong cursed inwardly.
Damn it, so what if you don't get paid?
Just because they don't receive a salary, does that make them superior and speak sarcastically to others?
They were all men with elderly parents to support, young children to raise, and beautiful wives to care for, unlike Gong Xiqiu, a bachelor who was still single at his age! Qian Yong mentally gave Gong Xiqiu the middle finger. Practicing virginity kung fu, huh? Be careful you don't ruin that thing!
Gu Chi sighed inwardly and helplessly covered his ears.
Gong Xichou, with his mouth like that, has managed to live to this age entirely thanks to his martial arts skills; otherwise, he would have been attacked by the generals long ago. How many people have been broken down by his few words? He knows how to hit where it hurts—that's some talent.
Xun Zhen, who had been silent for a long time, quietly undermined the situation.
"The General has a salary." Gong Xichou's words were an insult to the Ministry of Revenue, making it seem as if the Ministry of Revenue had embezzled his salary. Xun Zhen met Gong Xichou's surprised gaze and said lightly, "Since the first year of Yuanhuang's reign, your sister has been collecting your monthly salary on your behalf. The Ministry of Revenue's accounts are certainly not wrong."
His title of Grand General was merely nominal, so his salary only included the most basic portion; he didn't receive any military merit assessments or reviews. Shen Tang's decision to have Gong Xilai collect the salary on his behalf was a way of fulfilling his promise to take care of Gong Xilai. With just this portion of the salary, the latter could live comfortably. However, Gong Xiqiu had left behind a private retinue, and the expenses of this retinue were the main concern. Gong Xilai had no choice but to shoulder the responsibility for Gong Xiqiu, which led to his subsequent transformation and business ventures.
Now it was Gongxi Chou's turn to be speechless.
He cast a questioning glance at Chen Tang.
Shen Tang nodded, then chuckled and teased, "I can't just make you work without paying you. Am I that kind of person?"
Although she does deserve to be considered a sacred object.
But what can you do when she has a conscience?
Gong Xichou pouted, his lips so pursed they could hold soy sauce.
How much commission does Mama owe him?
Several commissions haven't been settled! This meager salary is worse than not paying it at all; if she didn't pay it, at least Qian Yong wouldn't have anything to say. Now, the old rogue has caught her red-handed. Gong Xi Chou, who was just arrogant, is now so upset he can't even stand up straight.
Qian Yong, pleased with himself, asked again, "Does the General know it?"
Gong Xichou said with a sour face: "I'm so strong that I don't need the help of scholars' words. I can cut through the enemy lines by myself. So I don't need to understand it, much less know how to do it. Does General Qian know how to do it?"
Qian Yong: "..."
Gu Chi heard a sharp, explosive sound erupt from Qian Yong's heart.
This was immediately followed by long stretches of profanity.
He wished he could slap Gongxi Chou's face with the sole of his 9.2-inch shoe.
Shen Tang was also afraid that Qian Yong would get sick from anger, so she changed the subject: "A scholar with a literary mind becomes a warrior with martial courage, and a warrior with martial courage becomes a scholar with a literary mind. Doesn't this mean that this person's way of being a scholar has no effect on me? After all, I cultivate both literature and martial arts."
Upon hearing this, Qian Yong's attention was immediately drawn to her.
Yes, our lord is proficient in both literature and martial arts.
He is also the only known person who has successfully cultivated both literary and martial arts skills; his intelligence seems fine, and his lifespan seems fine as well.
Ji Moqiu said, "It will also work."
Shen Tang frowned in confusion: "How—how will it work?"
For her, whether it's civil or military, it's still civil or military.
"To overturn what His Highness excels at."
Shen Tang: "..."
Ji Moqiu said, "The essence of this person's scholarly way is not so much about reversing the roles of civil and military, but rather about 'using one's strengths to attack the enemy's weaknesses, and using one's weaknesses to diminish the enemy's strengths.' Sealing off the enemy requires a huge price. With only flesh and blood, how can he, alone, simultaneously seal off tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of enemy and friendly troops on the battlefield? However, if he simply transforms the enemy's power into another equivalent form, the price he pays is negligible. His scholarly way cleverly exploits loopholes in the laws, which is quite rare."
This kind of scholarly way is quite shameless.
This is tantamount to fundamentally altering the rules of the game.
At this moment, Shen Tang asked himself what he was better at.
The conclusion is that she is better at head-on confrontations.
In other words—
"If I were to participate, would I only be able to become a literary scholar?"
Ji Moqiu nodded slightly: "Mm."
Shen Tang: "..."
She felt as if a thunderbolt had struck her from above, hitting her squarely and leaving her charred and raw. This was even worse than being stripped of her title! Shen Tang's expression was one of profound grief, as if she had lost her parents.
"This isn't true."
What's the difference between someone who can't fight and a salted fish?
"Before the war begins, you can take this opportunity to learn about each other's Words of Power, so that you won't panic in the heat of battle."
Ji Moqiu's words were sincere.
But to everyone else, it sounded like the whispers of a demon.
Qian Yong felt a chill run down his spine just thinking about it. He voiced what everyone was thinking: "How could anyone possibly learn this? What's the use of just understanding it? There are countless literary and martial arts techniques in the world. The same technique can be used in both literary and martial arts, and each scholar will have different effects when using it."
Ji Moqiu: "But the essence remains the same despite all the changes."
Qian Yong: "???"
Ji Moqiu encouraged him, "It's not difficult."
Qian Yong stared at Ji Moqiu's face, his head throbbing. Ji Moqiu resembled Gong Xichou, but their temperaments were completely different. Gong Xichou was always sarcastic, while Ji Moqiu was gentle and sincere—but what he said was equally irritating!
Are these two brothers specifically targeting me?
Shen Tang rubbed her temples, her head aching.
She looked around but didn't see Lin Feng: "Where's Lingde? Send someone to ask her if she has the notes and textbooks she used for her early education. If she does, please make a copy for everyone. Even if you have to study like a madman, you must learn from this. You don't need to be very familiar with it, just enough to be able to protect yourself on the battlefield and avoid being caught off guard... Oh, and give a copy to all the other soldiers and warriors in the camp as well."
Shen Tang no longer expects them to be able to help others.
An army formation without the assistance and coordination of scribes...
I can't even imagine it.
At this moment, Gu Chi spoke softly, "There are many similarities between literary and martial arts techniques. Literary techniques rely on comprehension and experience. All of you here are geniuses, not blockheads. You can all grit your teeth and use a few techniques. The ones who are really struggling are us. Physical skills cannot be mastered in just a few days of intensive training..."
Shen Tang: "..."
The civil officials who had remained silent all along: "..."
Gongxi Chou asked, "Isn't there the Six Arts of a Gentleman?"
He had barely finished asking the question when he felt something blocking his throat, preventing him from speaking. Just as he was about to get angry, wondering who had the audacity to silence him, he turned his head and met his brother's gentle eyes. The latter shook his head slightly, telling him to look more and talk less.
It's one thing for Qian Yong and a few other military officers to bully them.
The criteria for determining the victor among military generals are military achievements and strength.
Gong Xichou can use his strength to make Qian Yong and his group suffer, but these civil officials are different. They are cunning and ruthless. If Gong Xichou offends them, he won't even know when he'll be retaliated against. These people are all His Highness's subordinates, and it's not advisable to have too many conflicts with them.
Gong Xichou pouted slightly and took a half step back.
Ji Moqiu then withdrew the High Priest's silencing spell.
Gong Xiqiu turned his head and whispered to him.
"Is the eldest brother also affected?" The high priest's divine power and that of the scholars and warriors are two different systems, so theoretically it would also be overturned.
Ji Moqiu nodded: "Mm."
“Then brother shouldn’t go to the battlefield. If he goes to the battlefield, I will—” Gong Xi Chou was nervous upon hearing this, but then he thought that if he went to the battlefield, he would also get a “Wenxin Scholar Experience Card”, and he would not be able to protect his brother at all. “Brother will be safer in the rear.”
Ji Moqiu glanced at her younger brother: "Concern leads to confusion."
Gong Xichou: "..."
Ji Moqiu reminded him, "I am also a martial artist."
He also practices dual cultivation.
Gong Xichou: "..."
Among the many people in the camp, Jimo Qiu was the least affected.
If we could see everyone's literary and martial stats, we would find that everyone present had either a literary heart of 80-100 and a martial courage of 5-20, or the values were reversed. Shen Tang's literary heart was above average, and her martial courage was maxed out, while Ji Mo Qiu had a divine strength of 95 and a martial strength of over 85.
If Ji Moqiu hadn't reminded him, Gongxi Chou really wouldn't have remembered.
He always tacitly accepted that his elder brother was the high priest.
He rarely intervened, and when he did, it was always to provide support from the sidelines.
While the two brothers were talking, Gu Chi said in a gloomy and resentful tone, "Now, we'll really get to see the famous scene of Lin Daiyu uprooting the willow tree. With my physique... I'm in trouble..."
The officials looked at Gu Chi, who always had medicine in his mouth.
It's unimaginable to picture him with his bulging muscles, wielding two large axes, fighting desperately; it's truly an eyesore.
From that day on, a wave of enthusiasm for learning swept through the camp.
A warrior with the courage of a warrior is devastated, as if he has lost his parents; a scholar with the heart of a scholar is worse than dead.
Almost everyone owns a copy of "The Essential Handbook for Literary Scholars".
"The XX Essential Principles of Literary Mind and Spiritual Power that Scholars Must Master", "Teach You How to Quickly Master Your Literary Mind/Martial Courage", "The Power of Words, from Beginner to Expert", "The Secrets of Cultivation"... With this, military generals no longer look down on civil officials for being weak and only using their brains, and civil officials no longer look down on military generals for being burly and only using their muscles.
Everyone has their struggles.
They all sighed and groaned.
The white-eyed girl and her master, who were just ordinary people, were in a difficult situation.
They had no idea why the King of Shen had summoned them.
As the event drew to a close, the white-eyed girl thought Shen Tang had forgotten about her and was trying to make herself less noticeable. Unexpectedly, Shen Tang called on her at this moment: "You mentioned before that Wu Zhaode has an Eternal Life Cult elder by his side. Are you familiar with the background of this elder?"
I don't know if this worshipper is the same person as Old Deng.
The girl with white eyes said timidly, "My knowledge is limited."
Shen Tang encouraged her: "Say what you know."
Having said that, the white-eyed girl felt more confident and recounted everything she knew. Shen Tang and the others' brows gradually relaxed: "So it really is just one person, that's good."
The Eternal Life Cult was founded relatively recently, but their leader was an ancient figure, and who knew how many trump cards he held. She was genuinely worried that another enemy with a special scholarly approach would emerge. The imbalance between civil and military affairs was already chaotic enough; with another enemy, their side would suffer greatly in this battle. As it turned out, Shen Tang's relief came too soon; the white-eyed girl revealed another piece of information.
The Eternal Life Cult did indeed only send one worshipper on the surface.
But that doesn’t mean Wu Xian hasn’t recruited any extraordinary people over the years.
On the day of the funeral procession, the white-eyed girl noticed four unusual auras. As a commoner, she had little contact with scholars and martial artists, let alone those with the spirit of a scholar or the will of a martial artist. She initially didn't understand the meaning of these unusual auras, but upon entering the main tent, she discovered that several others present also possessed similar characteristics…
She realized what was going on.
Each of these auras represents a different meaning.
Shen Tang: "..."
She was completely numb.
Why is it that Wu Zhaode can recruit talented people, while she has been diligently governing the country all these years, only promoting and recruiting those at the grassroots and middle levels? Qi Shan and the others are not jealous of talent; if there were truly talented people, they would have already recommended them to her for important positions.
But—
Nobody's coming!!!
Why is it that someone from Wu Zhaode's side gets to go?
Why should I?
Gu Chi was almost deafened by Shen Tang's inner roar.
Her voice still carried an indescribable sense of grievance.
Shen Tang was internally devastated, but outwardly remained calm and composed, like a wise sage who had victory in her grasp. She unhurriedly inquired of the white-eyed girl about the auras of those individuals. The white-eyed girl described them to the best of her ability, and Shen Tang had them written down, using the auras to deduce their scholarly abilities. Specific information still awaited Luan Xin.
She had never felt so urgent as she did now.
We urgently hope that Luan Gongyi can come soon!
Luan Gongyi: "..."
He received eleven calls of urging him along the way.
If he were to face another one, he would begin to suspect that his lord was preparing to behead him.
When Luan Xin arrived, the atmosphere in the camp was so strange that it made him question his existence. A group of soldiers were chanting the incantations of scholars. He listened for a while and it seemed that they were reciting the routes and acupoints for the flow of spiritual energy. Some of them even broke down and clutched their heads while reciting, muttering, "How can it be like this?", "I can't understand it at all.", "Won't this cause me to go mad?"...
The scholars, on the other hand, would roll around in the training ground, practicing their skills with spears and clubs.
Luan Xin even saw Gu Wangchao, whom he hated the most, lying listlessly by the fence of the training ground, his face flushed, waving his hands in a desperate plea for mercy. He couldn't help but look up at the sun.
The sun didn't rise in the west today.
He went to see Shen Tang with doubts in his heart.
Shen Tang didn't even have time to worry about Luan Xin's return to normal walking pace. She quickly grabbed his hand, her eyes filled with excitement: "Gongyi, there's a mission! It's extremely urgent! After thinking it over, only you can do it!"
Luan Xin was taken aback, then said calmly, "Please speak freely, my lord."
Shen Tang pulled him aside and whispered something to him.
And so it is, and so it is.
Luan Xin: "..."
He slowly looked at Qi Shan.
Although unwilling, they knew that the overall situation was more important.
but--
"The letter can bring back at most two scribes."
No more, the other three are all out of print.
He was unwilling to abandon it until a better way of the scholar emerged.
ヾ(ゞ)
Luan Xin said that he could only back up five paths of the literati, and he really found it difficult to choose.
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