Chapter 1169: The Prisoner's Dilemma (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
"The Prisoner's Dilemma?"
Gu Chi's face showed undisguised worry.
"Do Kang Jishou and his companion know that they are 'prisoners'?"
Shen Tang said, "I don't know if they know or not."
"If they didn't know, the two of them would surely die." Gu Chi originally thought that the two enemies, Bei Mo and Gao Guo, were troublesome enough, but he didn't expect that the real trouble would be his own people. "My lord!"
After Shen Tang finished reviewing a memorial, she looked up and gestured to Gu Chi to relax.
"We can only wait for their news now. Whether it's good or bad, it's their own choice, and we can't interfere."
Gu Chi made a startling statement: "Then cripple them both."
Disabling a single exit is not feasible.
What if we disable two of them and forcibly abort the completion ceremony?
It might not be impossible!
Shen Tang was almost stumped by this statement, and chuckled, "You still don't quite understand Wei Heng. If she were to give up the hard-earned results of her cultivation in order to survive, it would be more painful for her than killing her. If she had to choose between the two, she would not choose to survive."
Because Shen Tang understood all of this, she was also helpless.
Gu Chi opened his mouth as if to say something.
I have so much to say, but I don't know where to begin.
Seeing his expression, Shen Tang offered a few words of comfort: "Actually, there's no need to be so pessimistic. On the surface, those trapped in the 'prisoner's dilemma' have almost no chance of survival because human nature will lead them to make the 'smart' choice that best serves their own interests. But you've forgotten that the premise for the 'prisoners' in the 'prisoner's dilemma' to fail is a lack of trust in each other, so they choose a lose-lose situation over a win-win one. But Ji Shou and Wei Heng are different..."
They have a sufficient foundation of trust.
It's not necessarily impossible to overcome human nature.
This is also one of the reasons why Shen Tang was able to sit still.
"Taking this opportunity to let the two of them completely get over their grudges might not be a bad thing." In the short time it took Shen Tang to say a few words, she had already reviewed several more memorials. The more she reviewed, the more irritated she became. She was already annoyed and distracted by worrying about Kang Shi and the other man, but she was being forced to review these rubbish memorials that were longer and more stinking than foot bindings. This was practically a slow murder of her. "Put all of these on the yellow list!"
Shen Tang has a small notebook here.
It meticulously recorded the evaluations of each official. Anyone disliked was added to a "yellow list" and closely monitored by the Ministry of Personnel during their performance evaluations.
"Did they offend the Lord? Or were they simply incompetent?"
The Lord's heartfelt words are all cursing.
Gu Chi didn't know what these people had done to her.
Shen Tang said, "They've offended me by talking too much nonsense. Don't they know how many memorials I have to review every day? Who has the energy to read every word of their flattery! They even wrote about a cow in the county giving birth to twins and claimed it was my achievement! What achievement could I possibly have? Am I a bull that can help a cow get pregnant? Let them talk more about their achievements in governance, and look at how they wrote it! If I checked their work for plagiarism, a whole bunch of them would be red! Who gave them the audacity to be so incompetent? If you twist a few of their memorials, the water they squeeze out could fill the Miao River! Damn it, if they do this again next time, I'll drag them all over and give them a good scolding!"
Listening to Shen Tang's long string of words, Gu Chi breathed a sigh of relief. This meant that her lord was also anxious inside, far from being as calm and composed as she appeared. Otherwise, no matter how sloppy the memorial was, she could patiently read it to the end and then criticize it in the comments.
Gu Chi was worried that staying any longer would cause trouble, and he was just about to find an excuse to slip away when, as fate would have it, another stack of memorials was brought in. Shen Tang casually picked up the top one, and after only a couple of glances, her face turned cold, and murderous intent surged in her eyes.
Seeing this situation, Gu Chi knew he couldn't leave.
As expected, Shen Tang tossed the memorial to him.
"Wangchao, take a look."
Gu Chi nervously opened the memorial and glanced at it, fearing that its contents were related to him or the Censorate—the Emperor was in a bad mood, wouldn't he be the first to be punished? After carefully reading it, his heart gradually calmed down, followed by a surge of schadenfreude. He suppressed the smile on his lips and handed the memorial back to Shen Tang: "Your Majesty, it's good news!"
This is definitely a good thing!
The powerful clans within the Gao Kingdom were all taken away by Mi Kui and her son in one fell swoop. The few remaining were insignificant, and it wouldn't be difficult for the royal court to seize their lands. If they dared not cooperate, then something unexpected would happen to them. Besides, there were still sizable wealthy and powerful families in the region. These people were among the top landowners in the area, and the amount of land they owned was staggering.
They did not allow the royal court to measure and count the land.
They even obstructed population checks.
Some secretly plotted against Shen Tang, even spreading rumors detrimental to him among the tenant farmers and commoners. Others were more cunning; they didn't openly oppose Shen Tang but actively cooperated with the government, though they secretly engaged in acts of defiance, including but not limited to spreading radical rumors, using violence during land surveys, and transferring land that rightfully belonged to others to the "Royal Court." The wronged commoners naturally refused to accept this and, in a fit of anger, clashed with the officials, only to be beaten to death by the officials' men…
There were also cases of commoners beating and killing officials.
In short, there is strong public opposition.
Shen Tang almost sneered as he looked at the memorial.
She actually experienced firsthand the disgusting methods the Qi family used to deal with Mei Jinghe and his associates. Did they really think she was made of clay and wouldn't get angry? Or were they confident their methods were so secretive they wouldn't be exposed? Shen Tang asked Gu Chi, "How?"
Gu Chi raised his hand and made a throat-slitting gesture.
In this situation, making an example of someone to scare others is a suitable approach.
Shen Tang closed her eyes and pondered for a while.
He raised his hand and made a downward pressing motion: "Don't kill yet."
It's not that Shen Tang suddenly became kind and wanted to accumulate good karma.
She added, "We should inform Wu Zhaode about this first, give him a heads-up. He used to indulge all the powerful families within the Gao Kingdom. Before we make our move, we need to give them one last chance. What if their former masters can't persuade them..."
Then these people deserved to die.
If you're reincarnated in your next life, remember to keep your eyes wide open and avoid her.
Wu Xian, who was struck by an unexpected disaster: "..."
He had been wallowing in grief over the loss of Mi Kui, wanting only to be alone and undisturbed. Seeing this memorial, he was completely baffled. Opening it, he nearly jumped up. He didn't know Shen Tang was in a bad mood lately, but he knew that Shen was ruthless, killing without batting an eye: "Are these people crazy? This trick will work on Shen Youli?"
Wu Xian looked at the final annotations on the memorial.
His lips twitched: "...It does work."
It could change the fact that Shen Tang was supposed to kill a few people to that of hundreds or thousands.
Wu Xian has been staying at home and has no one to consult with lately. He is quite worried as he looks at this memorial. He is no longer the king of Gao Kingdom, but just an ordinary middle-aged man who is immersed in the pain of losing his wife. Why would trouble come to him?
After staring at it for a long time, Wu Xian picked up his pen and wrote several letters.
Whether or not he could persuade her, he at least conveyed his message.
If the person still dies, then he has done everything he could to be kind and righteous.
The letter was written and sent.
Within two days, the first reply arrived in Wu Xian's hands.
He didn't even look at himself; he tidied up his beard, which hadn't been shaved or washed for ten or fifteen days, and only after he had cleaned himself up did he go to see Shen Tang. His timing was very unfortunate; Xun Hanzhang, the Minister of Revenue, was discussing matters in his tent.
Wu Xian wondered if he should come back another day.
Shen Tang said, "Wait a moment."
Wu Xian: "..."
Shouldn't we avoid any appearance of impropriety?
Wu Xian felt a headache coming on after listening for only a short while.
During my years as king, things didn't seem this complicated. But then again, it makes sense. Back then, some of the fertile lands within the Gao Kingdom were in the hands of powerful families, some were in the hands of the Gao royal family, and the rest were in the hands of the common people. The annual grain harvests were roughly the same, and the accounts were clear and transparent.
There's no need to be as meticulous as Shen Tang.
Wu Xian sat in the corner, lost in thought, while Xun Zhen was in a state of utter distress.
The memorial that enraged Shen Tang was submitted by the Ministry of Revenue. The land could not be completely cleared out by the end of the year, and if it were all handed over to Qin Li of the Imperial Observatory, he dared not imagine what would happen to next year's spring planting. The Imperial Observatory was the most important department in Kang State, bar none!
Qin Li, leveraging the influence of scholars and the power of the national seal, oversaw all cultivated land within the kingdom. He used the postal system to uniformly issue spring planting instructions to each region annually, ensuring a roughly uniform pace of crop growth. He also provided rainfall when needed and ensured ample sunshine during harvest seasons—for example, when crops were ripe and ready for harvest—to prevent mold and yield reduction.
In addition, droughts and floods can also be prevented.
Even disasters like earthquakes can be addressed promptly with the dispatch of rescue teams.
All of this hinges on the crucial prerequisite that the quantity, location, and quality of arable land within the territory be delivered to the Imperial Observatory; otherwise, the Imperial Observatory cannot function properly. The Imperial Observatory urges the Ministry of Revenue, which in turn urges the various prefectural and county governments, but the prefectural governments engage in underhanded tactics.
Xun Zhen felt like cursing their ancestors for eighteen generations.
He wasn't afraid of Qi Shan, Chu Yao, Gu Chi, or the others; if he offended them, so be it. Why would he be afraid of them? But Qin Li was different. It wasn't that Qin Li was particularly difficult to deal with, but rather that his attributes were too rare, and the lord's trust in Qin Li was no less than that of the elders like Chu Yao. When necessary, Qi Yuanliang would even have to give way to Qin Li.
The long and tedious discussion finally came to an end.
As Xun Zhen walked away with a sullen face, Wu Xian was still lost in thought.
"Brother Zhaode, snap out of it."
Wu Xian was startled and came to his senses.
His gaze towards Shen Tang was filled with endless complexity.
He had just heard that Qin Li, as Minister of Rites, was also concurrently serving as the Director of the Imperial Observatory. At first, he thought it was because Qin Li was out of favor, since the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Observatory were relatively quiet departments compared to others. Wu Xian even felt a bit of sympathy for him, but the more he listened, the more something seemed amiss. What spring plowing? What annual rainfall forecast? Why calculate the discharge of various rivers within the former Gao Kingdom?
The Imperial Observatory...
Isn't it just the Imperial Observatory?
When will they be allowed to interfere with the Ministry of Revenue?
Xun Hanzhang's words clearly showed that Qin Li had gotten quite a bit of a snub.
Wu Xian suspected that the Qin Li he knew was a different person from the Qin Li he had just heard about. They shared the same name, but nothing else matched!
Either there are two people, or—
Qin Li had concealed something from him back when he was under his command.
This realization left Wu Xian with mixed feelings, as if something was stuck in his chest. He suppressed his emotions and handed the reply to Shen Tang, the sealing wax still intact. Shen Tang didn't stand on ceremony with him, and after reading it, she became even more blunt.
"Brother Zhaode, I've given you face, but it's not my fault they didn't appreciate it." Shen Tang returned the letter to Wu Xian. As long as Wu Xian wasn't stupid, he would know what to do.
Wu Xian opened the app and read ten lines at a glance.
Only one thought remained in my mind—
These things are better off dead, so they don't cause him any more trouble. Luckily, Wu Xian was wary and sent the reply over without opening it himself. If he had opened it, it would have been like mud falling into his pants—even if it wasn't excrement, it would still look like excrement. These troublemakers not only brought disaster upon themselves, but they also tried to drag him down with them.
Wu Xian's heart stirred, and the next moment tears streamed down his face.
He sincerely mourned his deceased wife, Mi Kui.
He and Mi Kui had only two sons and two daughters. Their eldest son and deceased wife perished at the royal tomb, leaving only one son and two daughters who disappeared during the chaos in the capital, never to be seen again. Only today did he learn that all three of them had been hidden away by powerful families within the former Gao Kingdom, waiting for something to happen to Kang Kingdom so they could use them as puppets to create chaos under the guise of restoring the Gao Kingdom…
These scoundrels have malicious intentions.
Wu Xian is only worried about the children's safety now.
Shen Tang was speechless at his performance.
It seems no one expected Wu Zhaode to have this special skill.
She calmed herself and assured him, "Brother Zhaode, don't worry, your son and daughter will surely turn misfortune into good fortune. These villains still need them, and we will certainly not let anything happen to them."
Wu Xian nodded in agreement while shedding tears.
"Please, Lord Shen, save my son!"
"That's natural!"
Shen Tang was pleased with Wu Xian's tact and understanding, for he had proactively provided Shen Tang with an excellent excuse to take action without worrying about the consequences. Wu Xian's three children were still missing, and their father claimed they were being hidden by the old forces of the former Gao Kingdom, who were even trying to use them as puppets to rebel—that was the truth! He had pleaded with Shen Tang; how could Shen Tang refuse, considering their past relationship?
Regardless of the outcome, Wu Xian took responsibility for the consequences.
Tsk—
Unexpectedly, Wu Xian also has the potential to be a confidant.
Shen Tang wrote down the order: "Do as instructed!"
Behind a seemingly casual order might lie the deaths of hundreds. Only after finishing her daily tasks, when the memorials on her desk were nearly empty, could she finally stand up and rub her numb backside. Sigh, she unilaterally declared that every ruler needed an iron butt.
I had just twisted my waist twice when hurried footsteps sounded outside the tent.
Gu Chi's aura was rapidly approaching: "My lord!"
Shen Tang's hip-swaying motion stopped halfway: "Something else?"
She was just about to go and synchronize her daily life with the other two, who were having a much easier time than her, at least they didn't have a bunch of annoying memorials to read. Gu Chi's expression made her heart sink.
"Did something happen to Ji Shou and Wei Heng?"
Gu Chi said, "This is the final part of the completion ceremony."
The duration of the completion ceremony varies depending on the specific items involved. For some, the outcome is determined within a few hours, such as in Mei Jinghe's case. For others, it may take several days, months, or even half a year. Kang Shi and Yu Zi's ceremony only lasted for twenty days.
They must make the final choice.
Submitting a blank paper after the deadline is also considered a failure.
Shen Tang's heart skipped a beat: "Isn't there still five days left?"
Gu Chi said, "Wei Heng has not woken up for two days."
That last time should have been the last time I was sober.
Even a scholar with a refined literary mind cannot survive for seven days without food or water. Kang Shi sensed something was wrong; the literary energy in his meridians was inexplicably turbulent and flowing backward. If it reached his heart, there would be no saving him. Left with no other choice, Kang Shi had to take action and end the completion ceremony ahead of schedule.
He made his choice.
If we rush there now, we should still be able to see him one last time.
ヽ(ー_ー)ノ
Ugh, I'm so annoyed. I received the motherboard and CPU bundle today, but the motherboard's pins are bent and there's some dirt on it. The seller won't give me a refund or a replacement; they just said they'd send it in and they'd take a look and try to repair it. I'm so angry! (╬◣д◢)
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