Chapter 1160: Accumulating Grain (Part 2) [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
"Pah—you stop—glug glug glug—"
Before the man could finish his harsh words, he was forced to choke on several mouthfuls of stream water.
Just when he thought he was doomed, a force yanked his hair and pulled him out of the water. He coughed desperately, greedily inhaling the precious air. The next instant, two fingers precisely gripped his neck: "Last chance!"
The man was forced to meet those lifeless eyes.
Calm and still, as if looking at a dead person.
The man's teeth chattered uncontrollably as he felt the tightening force of the fingers and the approaching breath of death. He finally broke down and shouted, "I'll talk—I'll talk, I'll talk!"
Shen Tang patted his wet face: "That's right."
After speaking, he winked at his men, and the nearest ranger understood. A short while later, they dug up the hidden token from the location the man had indicated. The token was, in reality, an official document.
A certificate proving that an official has taken office.
She played with the keepsake, a satisfied smile appearing on her face.
"Yes, this thing is real."
“You’ve got the stuff, so can I…” He could only pin his hopes for survival on the conscience of these ruthless bandits.
But they don't realize that they are ruthless bandits, how can they have any conscience?
"What are you standing there for? Drag him further away and kill him."
The hope in the man's eyes vanished completely, followed by overwhelming rage. He cursed, "You scoundrel, you broke your promise!"
"You can believe a thief?"
With a wave of my hand, I silenced everyone, and the world became quiet.
No matter how much the man struggled, he was no match for the two strong young warriors on his left and right, and was dragged away like a pig waiting to be slaughtered. Before long, bright red blood flowed down from upstream. General Shen Tang stuffed the blood into his bosom, turned over, and mounted the mule's back.
"We've got the stuff, let's go take up our posts!"
The corpses scattered everywhere had been cleaned up, leaving only bloodstains that silently testified to the recent bloodshed. Shen Tang raised his arm and called out, and the group of wandering knights responded in droves. When Shen Tang pressed them for information about the whereabouts of the official documents, these men had already stripped the guards of their clothes.
Xiahou Yu and Gu De exchanged a glance.
They both saw a complex emotion in each other's eyes.
Just a few days ago, they were discussing how to settle down.
Becoming an outlaw and ruling a mountain is the lowest-cost option, but it's also the riskiest. If the local government is tough, they could easily be used as a political achievement to eliminate them. A second-best option is to observe the situation within Qi Kingdom for a while, then find a power to align themselves with. Their freedom will be somewhat restricted, but the advantage is a stable environment and a guaranteed cost of living. They can develop themselves by relying on this power. The third suggestion is to join the army. The instability within Qi Kingdom presents a perfect opportunity to fish in troubled waters!
If you're lucky, you might be able to find a place to live.
Unexpectedly, the lord rejected all three suggestions.
[You two have such high moral standards...] It's not that Xiahou Yu and his companion's suggestions were bad; in fact, all three paths are viable. The problem is that Shen Tang doesn't have the patience to take things slowly. [Good people do good deeds, and bad people naturally do bad deeds.]
Shen Tang does not consider herself a good person.
That's a bad person.
She sneered: "Since they're bad people, they can't earn what they want through proper means; they just steal it."
Xiahou Yu had no choice but to remind Shen Tang.
My lord, we are short-handed.
How can two or three hundred disorganized and undisciplined wandering knights conquer cities and territories? The Qi Kingdom's court hasn't completely collapsed yet; dealing with them will be a piece of cake. To truly establish a foothold, one must at least have a foundation of popular support. Even if one doesn't expect these commoners to help them, at least they won't betray them.
Otherwise, how can we establish ourselves?
You think I'm asking you to launch a surprise attack on the county or town?
Xiahou Yu asked, puzzled: "Isn't that right?"
If not this, what else is there to grab?
Shen Tang smiled and shook his head, saying, "[Attacking a county town with so few people would be suicide. Of course, I won't let everyone die. What I mean is, let's rob the person about to take office. Steal his official credentials and we'll take his place!]"
Intercepting and killing officials who are about to take office.
This is much easier to do than directly attacking counties and towns.
The sale of official positions is quite rampant in Qi Kingdom, so Shen Tang and his group only need to stake out unfortunate individuals whose new posts are located in remote areas. Wandering knights have extensive networks and influence, mingling with all sorts of people, so finding suitable targets shouldn't be difficult. Shen Tang selected one unfortunate individual: "This guy it is, let's intercept and assassinate him!"
Xiahou Yu pondered: [This person isn't quite suitable.]
The place he took office in had no natural barriers or strategic advantages.
He pointed to another unfortunate soul.
The place where the unlucky guy is about to take office is not bad. If we can secretly replace his identity, we can save ourselves a lot of trouble.
Gu De, however, set his sights on another territory.
The reasons are also convincing.
This place has convenient transportation and waterways, making it a significant advantage for us to settle down and make a living here.
Shen Tang's reasons were different from both of theirs.
She said, "This man had repeatedly committed offenses in the capital of Qi, and he bought his way out of office to avoid trouble. To be cautious, he will keep a low profile after taking office and won't contact his family much. Now that he's dead, no one will investigate for a while."
The others were all recommended for their positions, each possessing either connections or ability. They might even have relatives, protégés, or former officials to support them at their new posts, making it easy to expose their replacements. Shen Tang's choice of the unfortunate man was different; he was a discarded member of his family, and the purchase of his post in another region was a way to avoid danger. From this perspective, the likelihood of him being replaced was far greater than with the others.
The three unlucky guys each had their own strengths.
In the end, Xiahou Yu and Gu De chose Shen Tang.
Only after success can we consider other things.
Having finalized their plan, the group plotted to ambush the group. The man had only brought a hundred personal guards and a concubine with him, leaving his wife and children behind in the capital. Their vigilance was commendable; they detected the hidden threat first.
Unfortunately, their strength was insufficient.
"My lord—we've found a survivor!"
Before the mule had taken two steps, a subordinate dragged a figure over and dumped the person in front of Shen Tang like trash. The person was disheveled, unkempt, and at first glance looked like a savage. Upon closer inspection, however, the figure was clearly that of a woman. Shen Tang recalled that during the ambush, she hadn't seen the man's concubine.
The woman saw the guards' clothes draped over unfamiliar faces, and the familiar carriages and horses had changed owners. Her pretty face turned deathly pale. She immediately understood that the group of people had been murdered. A chill ran through her; she leaned back, bracing herself with her hands as she tried to retreat.
Xiahou Yu: "Are you going to kill him?"
Gu De: "Let's just kill him."
If she survives and manages to deliver the message to the outside world, then these two or three hundred men are doomed. It's just that the Lord hasn't given the order yet.
The woman cried out in terror, "Don't kill me! Please don't kill me! I'm innocent! Please don't kill me!"
Shen Tang: "Innocence is useless."
It is only useful if it has value.
She was about to draw her sword and give the woman a quick death.
The woman clearly knew that Shen Tang harbored murderous intent, and that she had no chance of escaping. She steeled herself and said, "Let me live! If you promise not to kill me, I can help you! Otherwise, even if you take office, your identities will be exposed!"
Shen Tang tightened the reins, bringing the mule to a stop.
Looking down at the woman, he asked, "Really?"
The woman was so nervous her heart was practically in her throat, but she still tried to remain calm: "Yes! I can cover for you."
Shen Tang doesn't easily believe what women say.
If you want her to believe you, you need to provide evidence.
Seeing that Shen Tang's sword didn't fall, the woman knew she had made the right bet. She swallowed hard to ease her dry, burning throat and tried to keep her voice from trembling. As she recounted the events, Shen Tang realized there were hidden details in the story.
The man she just killed was not the original owner of the official document.
"Then who is he?"
Woman: "He was the master's classmate."
Not only were they classmates, but they were classmates with whom they had a deep-seated hatred.
Let's temporarily use A and B to represent the two people.
The true owner of the official document was a spoiled brat, Jia, a womanizer and a lecherous scoundrel. One day, his classmate Yi took a liking to a woman who had fled to the area to bury her father. Yi, attracted by her beauty, offered to buy her. However, before he could even send someone back to get the money, the spoiled brat beat him to it and bought her first. Not only that, but he also verbally abused Yi.
Classmate B already harbored resentment, and now the grudge has deepened.
The spoiled brat got into trouble, and his father and brothers, disappointed in him, bought him a minor official position and sent him away to lay low for a while. Halfway there, he was ambushed by his classmate, who silently replaced him. Classmate B knew the spoiled brat well and had prepared a plan.
Unexpectedly, another yellow bird appeared on the road.
The woman had no good feelings towards either man. The first was a spoiled rich kid who forced her into marriage. His wife was fierce and gave her a hard time from the first day she entered the house, beating and scolding her and bringing up her short-lived father, causing her to have three miscarriages in a year and a half. The second man was only after her looks, but for some reason, he accused her of being promiscuous and selling herself to two men.
She clearly didn't do anything.
She couldn't fight city hall; all she wanted was to survive.
She thought that by submitting herself to him, she could survive, but little did she know that he, too, would die young, tragically at the hands of ruthless bandits. Now, she was at their mercy; to avoid death, she had no choice but to find a way to please these bandits.
Shen Tang turned her gaze to Xiahou Yu and the other person.
What do you think?
Xiahou Yu shook his head: "She didn't lie."
"In that case, keep it."
Since Qi Yuanliang was not present, and Shen Tang could not disguise herself as a man, she had Xiahou Yu, whose physique, temperament, and age were similar to those of the second-generation rich kid Jia, take his place. Having served as Jia's concubine for over a year, the woman knew him quite well.
The crisis was temporarily averted, and the woman secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Xiahou Yu asked in bewilderment, "Why doesn't the lord kill this man?"
The woman didn't lie, but she didn't tell the whole truth either.
As a concubine of commoner origin, the help she could offer was very limited; at most, she could tell them about the original owner's habits and interpersonal relationships. Xiahou Yu and the others also sent people to inquire about this part, which, while not enough to completely deceive everyone, could at least fool them for a while.
Whether or not to keep the woman is of little significance.
Shen Tang said, "It's probably because of fate."
Xiahou Yu was puzzled: "Fate?"
Shen Tang smiled and said, "Her experience sounds like a combination of 'Dream of the Red Chamber' and 'Journey to the West.' Her background is indeed quite pitiful. Killing her won't affect the overall situation, and not killing her won't affect it either... So what's wrong with sparing her life? As long as she doesn't seek death."
"If I can choose to kill or not, I usually choose not to kill."
Xiahou Yu: "..."
If I remember correctly, our lord has killed the most people on his hands along the way, right? Shen Tang was displeased by his gaze and muttered, "Sigh, I'm still missing a wig, aren't I? Which of you or You Rong can make one? The wigs on the market aren't good enough."
The woman's hair was quite beautiful.
Her hair was black and shiny, long, straight, and thick.
I'll set aside some for myself; it'll be just right.
The wandering knights she subdued either had dry, frizzy hair or were severely thinning, which Chen Tang disliked. The only two she found agreeable, Xiahou Yu and Gu De, refused to give her their hair, even though they claimed their bodies and hair were gifts from their parents.
Xiahou Yu: "..."
It will take three days by water to get from here to my destination.
Three days is enough time for a woman to weave a beautiful wig.
Shen Tang detached her mind from Zi Xu's perspective.
Inside the tent, she touched her thick black hair and sighed softly, "Why didn't we think of this method back then? Sigh, if we had done it this way, we could have avoided so many detours..."
The territory here in Zixu is much better than that in Wuyou.
Although the territory is small, its advantage is that it is not exploited.
Yes, they are being exploited.
The person who exploited Wuwu was still the head of the Cui clan, Cui Zhi.
Whenever this matter is mentioned, Shen Tang becomes furious!
She's always been the one exploiting others, when has it ever been her turn to be exploited? Does she really think she's still the same Shen Youli from back in Heyin, the one whose neighbors were all wary of? But ironically, in the Wuyou region, a lot of farmland belongs to the Cui family!
People are needed to reclaim wasteland.
Farming also requires people.
If the Cui family refuses to cooperate, the country will almost come to a standstill.
"Cui Erlang?"
Cui Mi chuckled, seemingly unaware of the inside story: "It's been several days, Sister Chen, how have you been lately?"
"Great, I'm ready to quit."
Cui Mi asked in surprise, "Didn't Sister Shen just take office?"
"Go to what? Why don't you go back and ask your good father what percentage of rent he charges the tenants!" If a powerful family like the Cui family were in Kangguo, they would have been wiped out long ago, with only their ankles left. "Wasn't it always 10%?"
She took office and immediately raised the rent.
The common people under her rule could tell at a glance that Cui was trying to frame her.
Cui Mi showed no surprise.
"Is Sister Shen angry about this?"
Chen Wuyou Tang retorted, "Otherwise what? What else could it be? Since your father is so determined to force me to leave, fine, I'll just go ask Lady Cui, so we can travel together and have company!"
Cui Mi stepped forward to stop her, saying, "Sister Chen, you've probably misunderstood."
"Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding could there be?"
“This was really not Father’s intention.”
"That wasn't his intention?"
Cui Mi: "The meaning of the royal court."
The royal court is short of food, and the ministers suggest increasing taxes.
The tax system in Qi State differs from other regions. The royal court determines an average annual harvest, and the counties within its borders pay taxes based on this average, ensuring equality across all areas. This system safeguards the national treasury's interests but has drawbacks—cultivated areas and yields vary across regions. Qi State has fertile lands as well as barren ones. For example, in Wuyou, a region with abundant mountains, water, and limited arable land, per capita yields are far below the average target set by the royal court. Initially, the situation wasn't so severe, but as young people, unable to bear the burden, migrated to other areas, the population loss intensified, and the pressure grew increasingly heavy.
This place owes the royal court three years' worth of taxes.
|ω`)
How did you all do on your college entrance exams?
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