Chapter 1252: Naval Battle, No Martial Morality (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Gu Chi: "..."
Although he was somewhat prepared, hearing her say it herself still left him feeling uneasy. He forced himself to suppress his emotions and teased her in as calm a tone as possible, "My lord is still far from being a man of advanced age, how can you be thinking about things so far ahead?"
In terms of seniority, Lin Feng is indeed a junior. In terms of age, she is not much different from Chu Yao and others, only about twenty years apart.
Among ordinary people, twenty years is indeed close to two generations. However, in a world where scholars and warriors can easily maintain their prime for over a hundred years if they don't die prematurely, twenty years is considered the age of contemporaries. The lord knows this, yet she still regards Lin Feng as her future chief advisor and places high hopes on him. What does this mean? It means that she does not intend to hold power for long.
Perhaps it has been more than twenty years, or perhaps more than thirty years.
The country is once again being transformed by a new generation replacing the old.
Shen Tang and Gu Chi had known each other for over a decade; how could she not know the other's emotional turmoil? She smiled and leaned closer. Seeing that she was still smiling, Gu Chi's suppressed emotions rebounded, and his anger instantly ignited, burning away his reason: "Why is Your Majesty still smiling? What's so funny about this?"
She quickly put out the fire and calmed the person down.
"Isn't this taking precautions?"
If she's planning for long-term development, she can't possibly not consider every step of the future in advance. She can't wait until she's in a crisis and desperate to start cultivating a successor team, can she? Shen Tang's explanation clearly didn't convince Gu Chi, who even sneered.
"Prepare for a rainy day? In my opinion, preparing for a rainy day means that Your Majesty should be celebrating your 100th birthday while reviewing the Ministry of Personnel's past assessments and considering which young talents among them are capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities, rather than choosing Lin Feng, who is about twenty years younger than Wu Hui!"
Shen Tang's expression went numb.
"Are you really planning to let me retire at 100?"
In the last human civilization, the retirement age for women was only 55, but Gu Chi is starting at 100. She plans to cultivate new talent for her 100th birthday celebration, which will take at least 10 or 20 years. After eliminating troublemakers and giving them a proper handover, it will probably take another 10 years, right? In conclusion, she won't see any hope of retirement until she's at least 130. Gu Wangchao, can't you be a decent human being?
Gu Chi answered her heartfelt question without hesitation: "No!"
"Your personality is even more stubborn than Wu Hui's."
"Now you think I'm stubborn? When you were taking advantage of me back then, why didn't you complain about Gu Wangchao's stubbornness?" Gu Chi's expression was one of grief, indignation, and heartbreak; he wanted nothing more than to point his finger at Shen Tang and berate her as a scumbag. When their relationship was good, she never said anything bad about his personality. More than a decade later, and now she's starting to dislike him? Is there no justice in this world?!
Shen Tang was thrown off balance by his accusations.
"I...I...times have changed...back then, wasn't it consensual between us?" Seeing Gu Chi so emotional that he seemed to want to stomp a series of holes in the ground, Shen Tang followed up to reason with him, but her voice was obviously weak. "I never said I would quit after working for twenty or thirty years. Don't you think that even if I wanted to quit, someone would have to take over?"
She is currently single.
"I don't even have a man, let alone children."
Right now, she's still fighting in the southwest. After that, she'll deal with the central region, and then there are the northeast and southeast continents to contend with. She's constantly on the move, either sleeping or fighting. Plus, there's that old man Deng's curse in Yunda, so she has to wait until the world is unified before considering a successor. If she chooses someone from the common people, Chu Yao and the others will be the first to object. Even if they acknowledge a ruler other than Shen Tang, that ruler must be of her bloodline, thus preventing Shen Tang from shirking her responsibilities.
If she wants an heir, she has to find one herself.
Having a child will have to wait until the world is unified.
"How can I settle down when the great cause is not yet accomplished?"
Shen Tang reasoned with him, explaining that she wasn't an irresponsible person; she had to wait until the child was grown and capable of handling important matters. If luck wasn't on her side and this child proved unsuitable, she'd have to reluctantly create a new one and start cultivating the child from scratch. All in all, it wasn't something she could simply abandon after twenty or thirty years. Even if Gu Chi was worried about her, he still had to follow the basic principles, right?
"Both men and children have to wait for unification, don't you agree?"
After a few words from Shen Tang, Gu Chi's anger subsided instantly. Calming down and thinking about it, he realized he had indeed been overly sensitive and suspicious. Those were all baseless rumors; why was he worrying about them now? And if he was going to be worried, this wasn't the time.
Gu Chi pursed his lips, took a step back, and bowed in apology.
“Chi Fang has just lost his composure and disrespected his superiors… Please punish him, Your Majesty.”
Before he could finish bowing, Shen Tang helped him up, saying, "What are you apologizing for? Between us, why bother with these formalities? Don't worry, I still have many years to worry about."
Gu Chi's accusations made him seem afraid that he would let him go.
Is it really necessary to go to such lengths?
After this incident, Shen Tang dared not easily mention retirement again, and because of Gu Chi's scholarly ways, she had to think twice before even considering it. To be a boss to this extent was truly one in a million. Little did she know, Gu Chi was already plotting how to trip her up.
Of course, it wasn't to trip up Shen Tang.
He was prepared to ruthlessly crush any potential suitors of the mistress's affections. For the mistress to retire, she needed an heir; for an heir, she needed a man who suited her tastes; and this man… was the source of all evil. If Gu Chi could control this link, the mistress's retirement would be a very, very long way off!
Bai Su rolled her eyes at him.
"Throughout Kang, who among the single people, regardless of gender, doesn't want to be the king's husband/wife? So many people are lining up to admire the Lord. Even if you had eight hands, you still couldn't possibly destroy them all."
Gu Chi calculated the registered population of Kangguo with his fingers.
He remained silent for a moment.
Bai Su continued, "The Lady's character is such that she would rather have none than someone of poor quality. Anyone she likes must be an exceptional individual. Instead of being wary of those who like the Lady, you should be wary of those the Lady might like."
A change of perspective can bring sudden clarity.
In short, be wary of all the single people in the court!
Gu Chi instantly perked up.
Bai Su slammed her twin swords in front of Gu Chi's toes, blocking his path, and said with a half-smile, "You came to me out of the blue and asked who likes the lord, and then said that your luck with romance has been bad lately and you're prone to being targeted by villains... How come I didn't know you were an expert in this?"
Gu Chi: "..."
"To spy on the Lord's whereabouts is a grave sin, isn't it?"
Bai Su's face darkened, as if she were ready to betray him if Gu Chi didn't provide a reasonable explanation. Gu Chi had no doubt that Bai Su would sell him out—the prevailing custom in Kangguo was to follow the example set by the ruler. With a mad leader initiating this infighting, the civil and military officials below were all ruthless in their pursuit of power, and Bai Shaoxuan was the most outstanding among them. Even if there was an urgent matter in the middle of the night, he would lean against the incense burner and sit until dawn.
Gu Chi could only vaguely reveal that his lord wanted to retire early, refusing to say anything more. This little information was enough for Bai Su. She sheathed her twin swords: "My lord is in the prime of his life, why is he already thinking about these things?"
Gu Chi said, "She wants to run away."
Bai Su subconsciously gripped the sword hilt tightly for a long, long time.
After a long pause, she said, "Keep an eye on those two brothers from the Gongxi tribe."
"Why is there a Ji Mo Shao Bai? Doesn't he need to?"
The emperor maintained a similar social distance with his courtiers, making it almost impossible for any romantic feelings to develop between them. If there were any exceptions, Gongxi Chou stands out in recent years. The relationship between the emperor and Gongxi Chou is well-known; their bond is one of bizarre, unspoken camaraderie, like generals exchanging cold arrows.
Will Ji Moqiu be included as well?
Gu Chi didn't quite understand.
Bai Su said, "He's too rich."
Gu Chi said with a strange expression, "Wealth and honor cannot corrupt, poverty and hardship cannot sway, power and force cannot subdue... The emperor will not easily compromise because of material possessions. If he really values something, selling official positions is the fastest way to make money. Do you think she has opened that door?"
Selling official positions and titles is not a positive term, but that doesn't mean it had no positive aspects. By selling official positions and titles that had no real power, large sums of money could be accumulated in a short period of time, which could be used for military training and local construction.
It would take countless years to collect this amount of money through taxes alone.
In addition, those with qualifications and abilities are more likely to stand out. After all, without real skills and a substantial family fortune, one cannot afford to sell official positions, right? In fact, when the Ministry of Revenue was at its poorest, some court officials even tried to open this door.
Even Qi Shan and others wavered.
Selling fictitious titles would solve the immediate problem.
As long as we keep an eye on them and don't give them the opportunity to embezzle or be corrupt, we can stop after this one job, which would be a win-win situation. The emperor's reply was no, and he even took the initiative to cut the already meager expenditures of the royal court, showing his determination. The courtiers then stopped mentioning it.
I know every country has done this before; it's a way to collect excess funds from private individuals and solve immediate problems. No one would criticize me for doing it. But this touches on a bottom line. If I use it to quickly amass wealth and weather the storm this time, what about next time? And the time after that? And the time after that? Governing such a large country is never smooth sailing; unexpected events can always strain the national treasury—perhaps a natural disaster, perhaps a man-made one…
I can't always take shortcuts!
Don't give yourself the opportunity to become addicted.
Shen Tang said sincerely, "Don't test human nature, not only the nature of others, but also your own. This time you bowed down because of financial pressure; what makes me confident I won't do it next time?"
Gu Chi did not believe that Ji Moqiu's money could shake her principles.
"You think I'm just talking about his family's wealth? Giving up a thousand years of his clan's wealth at the drop of a hat—that's not something someone who treats money like dirt would do. With so much to give, surely he'd ask for something in return? Yet, all these years, no matter how the master has treated him, he's always been content and composed. Only the principal wife has that kind of magnanimity."
This kind of extreme romantic brain only exists in storybooks.
Gu Chi: "..."
Ji Moqiu is the legal wife, so what is she?
Bai Su raised an eyebrow and asked, "Consider me a concubine?"
She also knew about the "three wives and four concubines" dispute that Gu Chi was talking about, and she would provoke him about it from time to time. In terms of time, Bai Su was not much later than Gu Wangchao, and the law of Kangguo only allowed one husband with one wife and multiple concubines. In ten or twenty years, when the resources for women's cultivation can catch up, the concubine system will probably need to be changed again.
Gu Chi broke down: "Don't mention that word!"
In my heart, I'm giving Ji Moqiu a special warning!
Bai Su drew her sword and drifted away, saying, "I'm going to cultivate."
Gu Chi was left alone to continue breaking through the defenses.
Within two days, scouts discovered that the vanguard of the Southwest Allied Army had arrived first, and the main force had divided its forces to encircle Shen Tang, creating a tense atmosphere where a conflict was imminent. At this point, Shen Tang's side, however, remained calm.
Looking across the river, one can vaguely see the shadows of banners on the opposite bank.
Shen Tang inspected the naval drills against the river breeze, while also listening to the battle report—the Southwest Allied Forces had finally learned their lesson and did not launch a rash attack. Instead, they set up camp and used the terrain and city defenses to try to trap Shen Tang's main force here. They also secretly mobilized troops to investigate the grain and supply transport routes of Kangguo.
Without a stable supply of provisions, Shen Tang wouldn't last long. What truly frustrated the Southwest Allied forces was the complete lack of any supposed food supply lines. They sent infiltrators to infiltrate the populace and gather clues about whether Shen Tang's troops were using people as food, but still found nothing. Despite the fact that nine out of ten houses were empty, the livelihoods of the people in the conquered areas remained unaffected. People continued their work, cultivating the land, and when they were too busy, soldiers would even lend a helping hand…
When the news reached the main camp, silence spread like a plague.
They even suspected that the scouts had been bribed.
Otherwise, how could he say such absurd and unrestrained things?
Besides these, the scouts also discovered that Shen Tang's main force was training its navy, and the formation looked rather haphazard and comical.
The King of Qi breathed a sigh of relief.
That's barely good news.
The Allied forces were somewhat demoralized by the bad news from the other three routes. However, after witnessing firsthand the irrefutable evidence of Kangri's weakness in naval warfare, their confidence returned. If they could crush Kangri's main force and inflict a major blow, all previous setbacks could be wiped out!
Cui Zhi also shared some good news.
“There have been unusual movements in the central countries.”
The central region also noticed Kang Guo's actions and prepared to enter the fray.
If we don't curb the Kang Kingdom now, it will truly become a behemoth that devours everything, and by then it will be too late to stop it. The Wu Kingdom perished due to the Gu calamity, its military strength collapsing overnight, like a collapsed building. The Kang Kingdom, however, has never faced such a fatal threat in its gradual rise.
Once Kang State reaches the scale of Wu State in its heyday...
Everything will be irreversible!
This news was like a shot in the arm, sweeping away the dejection.
"really?"
Cui Zhi said, "Really!"
As the head of the Southwest branch, his information was absolutely guaranteed to be accurate! He even knew that Mei Meng hadn't overseen the country and had gone to the front lines without authorization, the outcome of which was unknown. Little did he know that there were things in this world beyond his control.
For example, Shen Tang's friendship with the ruler of the Southeast Qu Kingdom.
It would be better to befriend distant states while attacking nearby ones!
An inch gained is an inch for the king; a foot gained is a foot for the king!
The method Shen Tang mentioned to keep the Central Region from being distracted was this: unite with the Qu Kingdom and use its power to restrain the Central Region.
Is it appropriate for you to be here?
Zhai Le opened the door.
Zhai Le is questioning the meaning of life.
Zhai Le slammed the door shut.
"Is this a suitable place for you to sit?" He pointed at the spot under Shen Zixu Tang's buttocks, his face ashen, as if he wanted to yank the man up. "Get off! This is the throne!"
Shen Zixu Tang covered his face with the memorials that Zhai Le had reviewed, revealing a pair of cunning almond eyes: "You are a king, and I am a king. You can sit on the throne, and so can I... A chair is not an insult to me to sit on it."
Seeing that the other party refused to get up, Zhai Le decided to call for help.
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Tangmei: We're all kings, what's wrong with sitting down?
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