Chapter 1110: The Thunder King [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
Qi Shan seemed to realize that his words lacked persuasiveness, so he added some details: "Marriage between two families is different from other arrangements. Whether it succeeds or fails doesn't depend on the wishes of the man and woman, but only on the interests of their families. If the family that is marrying into the He family knew about the He brothers' situation, they would only be happy. What a perfect handle that would be! With this marriage, the He family would be in the wrong without even realizing it. Even if the woman herself doesn't want to accept it, her parents will make her accept it. I've met that lady, and she didn't seem unwilling in her words or actions..."
The Lord has always been a soft-hearted person.
He made a point of explaining this because he was afraid that the Lord would be uncomfortable if he heard it.
Although Qi Shan saw no reason to feel uncomfortable about it, in this chaotic world where men having multiple wives and concubines was commonplace, and women's outrageous behavior was condemned as promiscuous, it was perfectly reasonable for that lady to have two husbands, and He Shu and his brother couldn't possibly have concubines. No matter how much wealth the two brothers accumulated in the future, the heirs would only be her children. This alone would make many ladies trapped in the power struggles of the inner court, struggling to find successors, envious. For the three of them, living a good life was more important than anything else.
Shen Tang's reaction was not as strong as expected.
She simply nodded to indicate that she understood.
"If I have the chance, I'd like to get to know you."
Perhaps she's a woman with an interesting personality.
Qi Shan said, "If the Lord wishes to see me, he can see me now."
Anyway, the whole family is now on their own territory.
"No, I don't want to spoil the fun. Let's give the couple some time to... the three of them." Shen Tang felt that this was a bit awkward. Disturbing a couple who had been separated for a long time to catch up would be considered a bad idea. Not everyone is like the group of single people under her command who don't have a loving partner. "I also need to think about how to deal with the mess left by the battle in Shangnan."
The timely evacuation, coupled with the unusual nature of the lightning strikes, resulted in minimal civilian casualties.
The greatest losses in Shangnan County were to the city's defensive structures, residential buildings, garrison troops, and the aristocratic families who chose to remain secluded during the war. Fang Yan's actions, ostensibly to borrow manpower but actually to plunder, successfully forced some families to send men. These families, having lost their guards, were also worried that someone might take advantage of the chaos.
They packed up and fled long before the large-scale evacuation of civilians from the inner city.
In other words, it was a lucky coincidence.
They unexpectedly escaped He Shu's massacre of the Shangnan family.
Shen Tang stared at the message Fang Yan presented, speechless for a long while. Her head began to throb, and she wished she could turn the table into He Shu and poke it right through: "No, just looking at this result, if I were one of the various tribes in Shangnan, I would also suspect whether 'I' had a tacit agreement with He Shu! Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence? I'm speechless. It's like mud falling into your pants; even if it's not shit, it's still shit. Even a passing dog could get a bucket of shit thrown on it! Even if I recruited He Xin and exploited him for thirty or fifty years, I still couldn't recover the damage to my reputation."
Fang Yan hadn't slept well for the past few days, and his complexion looked terrible.
The eldest brother didn't leave many memories for his brothers in this life. Shangnan County holds too many beautiful memories of his brothers. Seeing the once familiar place turned into ruins, Fang Yan even had the idea of eating He Shu.
Despite his hatred, he knew that as long as He Xin was alive, He Shu would not die, and Shen Tang would not kill a meritorious official because of He Shu.
At least it won't end up killing the business halfway through.
If you're going to kill them, save them for when the birds have all flown away and the cunning rabbits are dead.
Fang Yan understood Shen Tang's predicament and tried his best to suppress his personal emotions with reason. He also reminded Shen Tang that the surviving members of each clan were trying to band together! Even if they couldn't take He Shu's life, they would transfer this deep-seated hatred to the He clan.
He Xin's entry into officialdom naturally brought him countless enemies.
Even members of the He family who entered officialdom were targeted.
As long as the bloodline remains intact, even a feud spanning ten generations can be avenged!
Shen Tang asked, "A lot of people?"
"There weren't many survivors, but with so many generations of intermarriages between prominent families in various regions, there are quite a few families that are connected to them."
"Tsk, then let's see what He Haogu is capable of."
Shen Tang thought it over in her mind.
Finally, he waved his hand, indicating that the matter would not be discussed for the time being.
After Fang Yan left, Shen Tang stared blankly at the candlelight for a moment, until Qi Shan caught her slacking off. Qi Shan's right arm had just recovered and her grip was still weak, so she could only continue to use her left hand. Without the interference of the snail fairy Cui Xiao, Qi Shan handled official documents with increasing fluency using her left hand.
Shen Tang refused to admit that she was slacking off.
"I was clearly thinking about important matters."
"May good help share the burden of the Lord's thoughts and concerns?"
Shen Tang blurted out, "I've been thinking, is it really worth it to recruit He Xin and keep He Shu? When Fang Yan came, I felt it was a bit of a loss. But after recalculating, I realized it's quite worthwhile. Using magic against magic, using powerful families against powerful families. He Shu's actions have made countless enemies, and there's no possibility of reconciliation for these deep-seated hatreds. The He family has also been pushed into the eye of the storm. The He family has completely severed ties with the powerful families, and if they want to continue, they can only wholeheartedly rely on me, right?"
Qi Shan said, "That's natural."
"He Shuhui is a very useful tool." In the future, if she needs to appease the powerful families, she only needs to support the He family and incite hatred. She doesn't need to worry about the He family turning against her, because the He family has no way out. Supporting one group and then suppressing another, it's a comforting thought.
From this perspective, Shen Tang felt at peace.
Qi Shan said, "He will be."
It seems that the Lord has indeed not been slacking off.
Shen Tang didn't close her eyes at all that night, meeting with each of the meritorious officials who had made contributions in the battle, and personally visiting several wounded generals. When Bei Qiu returned, it was already late at night, and she found someone waiting for her as soon as she entered the camp.
She was startled by Yun Ce suddenly jumping out.
"Hey, why are you scaring me?"
Bei Qiu punched Yun Ce in annoyance.
Hearing a rustling sound behind him, he turned around and saw a group of Mohists watching the commotion. He shooed them away, saying, "What are you looking at? If you're bored, go back to the fields and work for another two hours."
The temporary shelters for the disaster victims required their cooperation in construction, and the demolition of ruins within the city was also a heavy task. Bei Qiu hadn't rested much these past few days, and also had to guard against the lightning rods that hadn't been completely removed from the battlefield. He was out running around all day, only returning once every day or two. Upon hearing this, the other Mohists reluctantly dispersed.
Until only two people remained nearby.
"Speak, what is it?"
What Yun Ce said was not what Bei Qiu had expected.
"It is the Lord who is looking for you. I will wait here."
Bei Qiu entered work mode: "When did the master arrive?"
"We've been here for several hours."
Before he could finish speaking, he saw Bei Qiu rushing towards the main tent: "Why didn't you say so earlier? You could have sent someone to call me!"
Yun Ce quickly followed, whispering as he walked, "No rush. The Lord has been meeting with other people and didn't say what the urgent matter was, so I came to wait for you myself. Zhoukou, I haven't seen you for several days, and I wanted to say a few more words to you."
After the battle in Shangnan, Beijiu's attitude towards him improved considerably.
However, he didn't talk as much as before.
He was clearly still angry.
Bei Qiu glanced at him sideways: "You've never been so talkative before! Even if you were going to talk, you don't even consider the time..."
Yun Ce's smile deepened: "Not angry anymore?"
Bei Qiu stomped on his foot in annoyance: "I'll deal with you later."
Yun Ce said, "I'll wait for you."
Bei Qiu was so angry that she gave Yun Ce a warning look.
Once inside the tent, Bei Qiu had already composed herself.
When she entered, Shen Tang almost pressed her face against the cloth. Without even looking up, she knew who had come in, and beckoned, "Zhou Kou, come closer and take a look at this. What do you think?"
Bei Qiu approached with curiosity.
The cloth is covered with familiar, distorted lines.
She squinted and tried to figure out what it was without explanation, but to her dismay, she asked, "My lord, what is this painting?"
Shen Tang pointed to the lines on the top of the cloth: "These are thunderclouds."
He then pointed to the lightning bolt line in the center of the cloth: "Lightning."
Finally, pointing to the frame below the cloth, he said, "As far as I know, He Shu's way of the scholar can summon heavenly lightning and transform it into stable martial armor. I had an idea: could the martial armor be in another form? For example, a battery... something that stores lightning, and then draws the heavenly lightning from the 'battery' for use?"
Thunderstorms can also fix nitrogen, which is beneficial to agriculture.
She racked her brains trying to squeeze every last penny out of He Shu.
Bei Qiu picked up the cloth and examined it for a long time, but couldn't figure it out. However, the master's suggestion was not impossible to implement.
If He Shu could control it, things would be much simpler. But if He Shu could only transform lightning into armor and unleash the warriors' fighting potential, then she would have to find a solution for the "battery." Bei Qiu was simply puzzled: what did the master need this for?
Shen Tang pondered how to explain.
The simplest example is: "lighting".
Bei Qiu said, "Candlelight will do."
"This is easy to promote and affordable for ordinary people."
Bei Qiu was even more puzzled, so he whispered to Shen Tang, "If I remember correctly, Ling De's family seems to sell a kind of plant lamp that can provide light, right? It's quite bright and the price is relatively cheap. It's very popular among students in Feng Luo and the surrounding areas."
It seems that these plant lamps are a major source of income for the Lin family.
Judging from the written procedures alone, the overall cost of the "batteries" is much higher than that of the plant lights. It doesn't seem very cost-effective for His Majesty to use this for daily purposes. And in wartime, its power is not as great as other methods.
Bei Qiu felt the price-performance ratio was not good.
Shen Tang said, "Lighting is just a minor aspect."
Sigh, it's so inconvenient without electricity.
Bei Qiu said no more after hearing this.
It's a good thing that the task sent down from above is good. There are so many people in the censorate who are starving for food. The project is big and the budget is large. What can be done without money? As long as the funds are in place, no requirement is a problem.
Bei Qiu agreed without hesitation. Before Shen Tang could even show a hint of joy, she quietly inquired about the estimated amount.
Shen Tang's smile froze.
"Ahem, I'll have the Ministry of Revenue give you the budget later."
Bei Qiu nodded, then turned to the staffing quota of the Imperial Workshop, or its organizational structure. Over the years, as the Mohists had established themselves within the Imperial Workshop and made significant contributions to several major projects, their status and benefits had risen accordingly. Their reputation had spread, and Mohists from all over the country flocked to join them. The Imperial Workshop had expanded its Mohist ranks several times, but there were always too many applicants for too few positions—the quota was insufficient!
Many talented Mohists could only hold an unofficial position.
It not only affects one's salary, but also one's cultivation.
As a master craftsman, Bei Qiu naturally wanted to have more staff positions.
These words, when heard by Shen Tang, were simply two words—
Send me the money!
She braced herself and said, "I'll go to the Ministry of Personnel about this later."
Bei Qiu left with a heart full of joy, leaving Shen Tang in agony, clutching her head.
"Money, money, when will we never be short of it?"
Qi Shan came in carrying a stack of new official documents and heard her wailing. He swallowed back the words of comfort that were on the tip of his tongue and cruelly added the last straw. He took out the budget for rebuilding Shangnan County. Shen Tang skipped over a bunch of raw material and labor quotes and went straight to the final total amount. She immediately felt dizzy and wanted to bang her head on the ground.
He cursed He Shu and Wu Xian repeatedly.
"Oh, right, and Wu Xian too."
If Gao Guo takes down the enemy, he can recover some health.
Wu Xian's subordinates were mostly from powerful families, and these families were known for being wealthy.
"Poverty can indeed drive people to desperation."
She couldn't wait to raise the butcher's knife.
That being said, distant water cannot quench a nearby fire.
Shen Tang gazed at the ruins of the city, her eyes filled with strings of numbers, each one causing her pain. If only houses and roads could be built without spending a penny! She thought this, and even said it aloud, which drew a barrage of sarcasm from Qi Shan.
"No money? How will Xun Hanzhang reconcile the accounts?"
Shen Tang pointed to the ruins and said, "Words of power can cure all sorrows."
"Using the power of words to build houses and roads?"
"Let's look around, maybe—"
Shen Tang paused abruptly at this point.
Qi Shan didn't hear anything more and turned to look at her. She saw that her lord looked thoughtful, as if recalling something. Shen Tang said, "I remember, there is such a word spirit."
Back then, she was killed by this spell.
Back then, she lacked literary talent, but now, many years later, her cultivation has improved, the national seal signifies abundant fortune, and even if all else fails, there are still so many "portable power banks"—perhaps she can give it a try! She doesn't care how many houses she builds or how many roads she repairs at once; she just wants to succeed. There's no other way; she's poor now.
Every penny saved is a penny earned.
"My lord?"
Shen Tang suddenly let out a silly laugh: "Why don't we give it a try?"
Even if we fail, there won't be much of a loss.
Qi Shan looked confused, with a sense of foreboding in her heart.
"Try what?"
He Xin, still immersed in the joy of their long-awaited reunion, suddenly shivered, a chill running down his spine for no apparent reason. Before he could figure out the source, a fragrant breeze wafted into his nostrils. He looked down and saw a pinkish-purple cloak draped over his shoulders, recognizing the visitor: "Is my elder brother asleep?"
"She's asleep, but not very soundly."
He Xin sighed, thinking of He Shu's noticeably graying temples: "Last time, he sacrificed his lifespan when the 'Way of the Scholars' was activated..."
After the lady was sent over, He Xin stopped imprisoning his brother.
Let He Shu come out in the form of a scholar to get some fresh air, and it will also make it easier for him to talk to his wife and learn about the trivial matters at home recently.
The lady raised her voice: "Lifespan?"
He Xin was just wondering how to explain when he heard his wife say with a hint of anger, "Fine, if he has to be so careless, what can I say? Anyway, he is a scholar who lives a long life, and even if he consumes more of his lifespan, he might still outlive me, an ordinary person."
He Xin knew she was angry, so he didn't try to explain.
The lady asked, "Are you really going to take up an official post?"
The implication was that they were asking He Xin if he was still going to leave.
Kangguo is showing signs of wanting to destroy Gaoguo. Once the meat grinder of war is started, it is not easy to stop. He Xin will have to follow the army to fight in the north and south after entering officialdom, and he certainly cannot stay with her and the child.
“If I don’t take office, my elder brother will not be able to survive.”
"Is Shen Jun really that domineering?"
He Xin looked at the lady who was leaning against him and said softly, "She is in a position of power, with the power of life and death, depending only on whether it is necessary."
─━_─━
While cleaning out my keyboard today, I found a lot of keyboards that I bought but never used, which have been gathering dust for over a year. I was thinking of giving them away in a Weibo giveaway to avoid wasting them.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
