Chapter 1348: Hehe, expired lottery ticket [Seeking monthly votes]
Luo San's words were somewhat in defense of Wei Cheng.
Shen Tang said quietly, "Heh, if it weren't for the complications he and Gong Xichou caused, forcing a fight with you without my knowledge and bringing you back to your peak condition, I wouldn't have needed to use the granary as bait. Wei Cheng isn't working for me; he's cleaning up the mess he made. The siege strategy does take a long time, but it minimizes the losses."
They made things difficult for themselves for no reason.
Shen Tang didn't turn against him because she valued their friendship.
Luo San: "..."
Shen Tang's accusations were truly beyond refutation.
Luo San remained skeptical of Shen Tang's statement that "Tuluo Hou will not cause trouble." What difference did this little scheme make compared to having no scheme at all?
The threshold for meeting this condition is simply too low.
The price Shen Tang paid was immeasurable; the investment in a bloody battle was astronomical, not to mention the invisible, intangible losses. In contrast, Luo San, the defeated one, didn't have to pay a single price to save his life and regain his freedom. Where in the world is there such a cheap bargain?
Luo San is just old, he doesn't have dementia.
Since Shen Tang is being secretive and unwilling to be honest, Luo San won't go looking for trouble and won't feel comfortable until he's been skinned alive.
He considered it carefully and said, "I agree to your conditions."
Shen Tang's face visibly relaxed.
I'm moved once again—
Luo San, this Marquis, was the easiest to talk to among all the Marquises she had ever met. He was mentally stable and very reasonable.
"However—" Luo San then changed the subject, mentioning the captured former subordinates, wanting to ask Shen Tang how to deal with them. If possible, he still hoped that the former subordinates could have a better ending. "Those former subordinates have followed me for many years. They may have made mistakes in minor matters, but their righteousness is intact. They are all men of iron will and courage. Your Majesty is magnanimous. Could you please carefully consider their fate?"
In chaotic times, human life is as worthless as grass.
Prisoners of war weren't even considered human.
Those who were better off surrendered and became cannon fodder in the next war; if they were lucky enough to survive, they still had hope of climbing the ranks. Those who were worse off were bought and sold in various ways, becoming slaves and exiled to wastelands to do hard labor and corvée labor, where they had to work until they died as long as they lived.
If Luo San hadn't been completely defeated, he could have used his prisoners to exchange for Shen Tang's prisoners and ransom all his men. But unfortunately, Luo San had no hope of turning the tide. Naturally, there was no possibility of these prisoners being rescued.
According to Luo San's understanding, it was practically impossible for Shen Tang to use these prisoners of war as ordinary soldiers. Unexpectedly, Shen Tang's existence shattered this understanding: "A country has its laws, and an army has its regulations. Even I cannot easily show favoritism and make exceptions for Luo Hou... Your former subordinates, why don't you step forward and persuade them? See if they are willing to continue serving in the military or to perform labor to redeem themselves."
There's little controversy surrounding the former.
The original organizational structure was disrupted and the personnel were reassigned to various military camps.
As for the latter, Luo San really needs to step in and say something.
She never targeted ordinary people with burning, killing, and looting during her wars, but she wasn't a philanthropist either. The high costs of war had to be shared, and prisoners of war were one of the biggest sources of profit. Prisoners of war had to sell their labor to earn enough "ransom money."
Luo San: "..."
If anyone else had said this, he would have known what the two paths Shen Tang had given meant: joining the army meant becoming cannon fodder and dying, while labor service meant becoming a slave and working until death. But given the previous groundwork, Luo San felt it wouldn't be that simple.
If they can restore him to his freedom, why would they make things difficult for the remaining troops?
Luo San asked, "What are the regulations?"
Shen Tang once again remarked that Luo San's mental state was stable.
If it were any other military general, they would have been restless long ago.
After more than a decade of fighting, Shen Tang had developed a complete procedure for resettling prisoners of war. Raising a young adult in chaotic times was too costly, so she wouldn't easily kill prisoners of war unless absolutely necessary, nor would she torture them to death. If these people could abandon their original identities without bloodshed, live peacefully as farmers, support their families, and contribute to the population of Kang Kingdom, Shen Tang wouldn't deliberately make things difficult for them, let alone carry out a large-scale purge.
She gave Luo San a general outline of the process.
Luo San: "..."
After looking at it again and again, I began to doubt my own illiteracy for the first time.
I recognize each character individually, but when put together, I'm hesitant to believe it: "Is all of this real? Your Majesty, are you doing charity?"
Now it was Shen Tang's turn to be speechless.
She often felt out of place among these old men because she wasn't ruthless enough. Wei Cheng had said something similar, criticizing Shen Tang for being too lenient and lenient with the prisoners of war from the Gao Kingdom war. If the prisoners weren't killed, they should be grateful; how could they dare to dream of anything else?
Luo San looked at it again and again, frowning in confusion.
His probing gaze made Shen Tang uncomfortable.
"If you have any doubts, Luo Hou, just ask."
Luo San then asked, "Judging from the foundation of the Queen's forces, they are not ordinary forces. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they could establish a country on the spot. Such preferential treatment for prisoners of war is unheard of... Forgive my bluntness, but the Queen's behavior is comparable to that of ancient sages. So why are they still just scattered soldiers?"
Shen Tang's forces are still only considered as rural warlords.
There was neither foreign funding nor assistance from prestigious families.
Her current warfare is "unjustified," or to put it bluntly, based on the background of bandits and thieves. However, judging from the details of prisoner-of-war treatment, it is more organized than many regular armies. If Shen Tang's forces were to negotiate with Shan Yong County in the name of the state, and Shan Yong County were running out of ammunition and food, Luo San would consider the possibility of surrendering the city without bloodshed. Whether to do it or not is another matter, but at least there is hope.
Luo San's faction belongs to "Suginaga County".
Shen Tang was unaware that the common people in this land had all migrated from elsewhere. Where had all those people gone?
Naturally, they were all wiped out by Luo San's accidental massacre of the city last time.
He sealed the out-of-control martial spirit totem on the city walls, building a military defense, and remained a dutiful military commander of Shan Yong County, regardless of changes in local power, his initial intention being to atone for his sins. Theoretically, as long as Shen Tang did not massacre the city and exterminate its inhabitants, Luo San's side could negotiate.
Of course, a fight still needs to be fought before going to the negotiating table.
Martial arts masters always respect strength.
Shen Tang: "..."
What's this?
She painstakingly saved up five million in assets, only to discover that the expired lottery ticket she bought on a whim years ago had already won five million.
So what about the twists and turns in between?
Is she considered unlucky?
It must be Kangshi misusing Alipay again.
Shen Tang rubbed her throbbing temples to relieve her headache.
"...They are not scattered soldiers."
The head office had already gone public, and might even be among the top five in mainland China now, aiming to eliminate other listed companies and unify the entire financial industry. She didn't reveal these details proactively, letting Luo San discover them on his own. A relationship between ruler and subject is like that between lovers; curiosity is the first step to falling in love. She didn't believe that Luo San, peeling back the layers of the branch company's facade like an onion, wouldn't develop feelings for her.
Kangguo, the succubus of the nation.
Luo San didn't consider himself a particularly curious person, and he wouldn't easily believe Shen Tang's sweet talk until he saw her promise come true, until a man claiming to be a physician from the medical field came over. The man's eyes lit up when he saw Luo San, his gaze burning, as if he wanted to pierce through Luo San's clothes and strip him naked.
Luo San: "..."
He suddenly remembered what Governor Suginaga had said: a group of strange men had taken advantage of his unconscious state to grope his chest and abdomen until he was completely naked.
Could it be this person right in front of me?
"You are the physician sent by the Queen?"
Suginaga County is not a large place, and news is not very readily available. Luo San had never personally witnessed the skills of a physician, and only assumed that the title referred to certain highly skilled doctors, such as "Master Physician".
"Lord Luo, are you well? The lord must have told you, right?"
The physician put down his medicine box and was very welcoming.
Luo San nodded and said, "I will try my best to cooperate."
His good temper was evident in many ways, one of which was that he never caused trouble for medical staff—which was quite rare. Martial arts practitioners, confident in their superior strength and abnormal recovery abilities, often looked down on lower-level doctors and were generally arrogant. If a doctor cured a patient, it was because of their own skill; if not, it was because they were a quack, leading to many horrific cases of medical disputes.
The physician was laughing so hard his eyes disappeared.
She said with great enthusiasm, "Lord Luo, rest assured, as long as you are willing to cooperate, I will definitely do my best to cure your stubborn illness. Even if my medical skills are not good enough, I will find someone to help you. All the favors will be on my behalf. If there are any results in the future, I will write a second report for you in the medical department."
Luo San didn't quite understand.
But he had a good temper, so he nodded and replied, "Okay."
The physician's smile grew increasingly sincere.
If you were to ask who the physicians of the entire Imperial Medical Academy envied the most, it certainly wouldn't be the Imperial Physician Dong Dao, but rather Bei Qiu, the Grand Master Craftsman of the Imperial Workshop, who had absolutely no connection to the Academy. This was simply because the Grand Master Craftsman had a human test subject by his side who selflessly helped collect data.
According to the Medical Department's rules, certain experimental medical techniques involving human ethics can only be tested on death row inmates and animals; ordinary people are not allowed to participate.
But rules are rigid, while people are flexible.
High-level martial arts practitioners are not included. Qualified martial arts practitioners wouldn't risk becoming guinea pigs for the medical department unless they were truly desperate and wanted to gamble everything. So far, we haven't encountered such a gambler.
Instead of the gambling addict, a great philanthropist appeared.
The medical expenses of Luo San and his former prisoners of war were all reimbursed by the government. They didn't owe the medical department a single favor. They were even willing to be their guinea pigs, offering their healthy, strong, and flawless bodies free of charge. They were practically living bodhisattvas of the medical department!
She asked cautiously, "Then—shall we begin the drug trials?"
Luo San nodded: "Okay."
Before sending the person over, Shen Tang gave her a heads-up: any methods used must first be approved by her; not just any method could be used. Despite the limitations, the medical practitioner was quite satisfied—Luo San could help him better control the dosage and efficacy of the new prescriptions and the effects of the medical incantation, and could also provide immediate feedback on the drug's effects; those experimental animals wouldn't speak up.
Luo San had little hope for treatment.
Agreeing was merely a matter of complying with Shen Tang's wishes.
But after seeing the unusual treatment methods of the medical practitioners, they fell silent—so this is what medical practitioners are like?
He remembered what the queen had said.
The most skilled physician in the world was under her command.
Such talented and extraordinary people would not easily submit to anyone.
Back in the dungeon, Luo San asked the magistrate of Sugina County next door.
Have you ever heard of a physician in the medical field?
The prefect had only heard of it; only his uncle had actually seen it.
In the capital, a prominent family's patriarch fell seriously ill. His filial son traveled a great distance to fetch a physician supposedly possessing miraculous healing skills. This man, who called himself the "Medical Master of the Medical World," miraculously saved the patient from certain death. The family patriarch, wanting to reciprocate, sought to promote the physician and create a reputation as a medical genius. The physician refused, saying he was unworthy.
With such brilliance as Mr. Dong's work, I am truly unworthy to compare myself.
Why ask that?
Luo San asked, "Who is the world's most skilled physician?"
There is no first place in literature, no second place in martial arts, and it is also difficult to judge the level of medical skills. How dare that female ruler say that the best physician is under her command?
He calmly replied, "I'm not entirely sure about that, but I overheard a medical professional mentioning that the most highly regarded medical professional in the industry is a man named Dong Dao... I've never heard of that name before."
"Dong Dao?"
"They are said to be pioneers of traditional Chinese medicine, and they should be the strongest."
Luo San asked again, "Where is he from?"
"They seem to be from Kangju in the north?"
"The Northland? Kangguo? This name sounds familiar."
Prefect Sugyong joined the group chat: "Kang State? How can you not recognize the name? It's the one that became so arrogant after unifying the Northwest that it lost all sense of direction, and it even had the audacity to list its civil and military officials as famous ministers and scholars. What a bunch of country bumpkins! The first book's cover story is about a commoner old woman, I remember her name... I don't remember... anyway, she was some rural village woman surnamed Li..."
What flood control strategies could a rural woman possibly have?
Popular opinion widely holds that this was a case of the Kang Kingdom creating a "deity," resorting to any means to win over the people, deliberately fabricating this old woman for the common folk. Looking back from the outcome, one can see that the royal court wasted some ink, yet the people were moved to tears.
The prefect said, "I have heard that the ruler of Kang is very popular with the people."
He was amazed when he first learned that it could be done this way.
That King of Kang is too good at playing games.
Luo San wasn't interested in whether the ruler of Kangguo was popular or not. He asked, "Dong Dao? Does he have a allegiance? To whom does he pledge allegiance?"
"The physicians of Kang Kingdom are of course loyal to the King of Kang Kingdom, otherwise who else could they be?" The prefect suspected that Luo San had lost his mind after going out for a while. "Speaking of this King of Kang Kingdom, he is also a strange one. I heard that someone was indignant that the biographies of famous ministers and scholars were written in a false way, so he went to Kang Kingdom to reason with them and tear off their fig leaf. As a result, that person went there and never came back."
The uncle guessed: "Was he murdered?"
The prefect nodded in agreement: "They were most likely killed."
Luo San didn't care that the topic had gone so far off track.
His mind was filled with the image of "Dong Dao, the foremost physician of the medical profession, loyal to the King of Kang," so the queen's words were utter nonsense. This is understandable; everyone exaggerates to embellish their image at times. The physician under the queen's command did indeed have some skill: "Biographies of famous ministers and scholars, what did they write?"
"There are two volumes of this currently. Which one would you like to listen to?"
"Anything is fine."
Being imprisoned and recovering from injuries is a tedious job, but having someone to talk to can help pass the time. The prefect is, after all, a scholar with a literary mind, and he has the ability to remember everything he reads, not to mention that he has studied the two volumes of biographies of famous officials and scholars many times over.
He remembers every single word.
He spoke fluently and eloquently for a time.
Luo San listened quietly, but when the prefect mentioned that Chu Yao had a student named Lin Feng in the second volume, he frowned.
"Lin Feng?"
(へ╬)
I stayed up all night and feel completely exhausted.
Even now, I'm still in a daze.
Fate always seems to pull some unexpected tricks at crucial moments.
I'm feeling better now. Yesterday, my hands were shaking so badly they didn't belong to me, and my mind was completely blank, I couldn't think straight at all.
This is yesterday's update, not the one from the 16th.
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