Chapter 1373: The Central Branch (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
"Does Your Majesty mean that you caused me to suffer physical pain for that old vixen Robert, and that he ruined the entire wine cellar?" Gu Chi, dressed in plain clothes, sat on the couch, leaning against a table behind him. His expression was fragile and on the verge of collapse, his eyes shimmering with tears. His tone was as melancholic as the misty smoke in a mountain stream, as if it could shatter at any moment. "It is said that new people are welcomed and old people are abandoned. He is a lotus in the palm of my hand, while I am a thorn in my eye."
In short, I don't want to take medicine.
Shen Tang, who came to visit his subject: "..."
Gu Chi lowered her head slightly, her eyes and brows conveying the submissive dejection of a divorced woman. She lightly wiped away non-existent tears with her sleeve, her occasional glances like those of a clever scholar secretly observing a heartless woman. After her performance, even Chen Tang couldn't help but doubt her own abilities.
Pshaw, what did she do wrong?
Shen Tang, unable to bear it any longer, wished she could grab the other man's chin and force the medicine down his throat: "You are a married man now, don't do anything that violates male virtues, do you even know what the Three Obediences and Four Virtues are?"
Bai Su is an absolute action-taker.
Her voice was indifferent: "It's fine, I don't mind the crowd."
Gu Chi was stunned for a moment by Bai Su's explosive remarks. Bai Su reached out with lightning speed, grabbed Gu Chi's chin with one hand, and poured the medicine down his throat in the other, finishing the job in a few seconds. Afterwards, she said to Shen Tang, "He can't be spoiled."
That's why the Lord would be willing to listen to Gu Chi's sour words.
Gu Chi coughed suddenly, her black hair cascading down her shoulders, her eyes shimmering with a captivating charm, making her look even more pitiful like a dodder vine: "Shao Xuan, I'm already so pitiful, and you still bully me? That wine cellar should have been mine, I even arranged how to drink it, but some old vixen who fell from the sky got there first."
He was truly heartbroken.
Shen Tang: "..."
Bai Su crossed her arms and said, "When have you ever not tried to be pitiful?"
With Bai Su present, Gu Chi's tried-and-true tactic of feigning weakness was completely ineffective, and he could only sigh and restrain himself. He changed his previous languid posture, which had been so soft it was almost boneless, and sat up straight and upright.
"Has Your Majesty subdued him?" In recent years, Kang State has gradually shaken off the predicament of a lack of capable military leaders, but having an additional rank 20 Marquis can prevent immeasurable losses at crucial moments. Besides, there is another significant meaning.
The stronger a martial artist is, the less likely they are to be subdued.
They might temporarily attach themselves to a power due to personal relationships, interests, power, or wealth, forming a mutually beneficial transactional relationship with that power. Once that power can no longer meet their conditions, or the transaction is completed, or its power is waning, they will simply leave without a second thought, showing no loyalty whatsoever.
Gu Chi keenly realized that Luo San seemed different.
"Not really, but he was indeed quite friendly to me." Especially compared to the old men of Yunda, Luo San stood out even more, and every move he made touched and warmed Shen Tang's heart. "If we get along, we stay together; if we don't, we part ways. There aren't many things in the world that can restrain a 20th-rank Marquis, unless he is willing to be self-disciplined. As long as he is willing to show goodwill and doesn't cause me any trouble, that's fine."
Shen Tang had very low requirements for these old men.
Gu Chi was slightly disappointed and regretful, but he knew that he couldn't force it.
Shen Tang knew what he regretted, and explained in a calm tone: "Robert's situation is very special. He is not an ordinary 20th-rank Marquis. Kang State cannot use his banner to seek benefits."
When the time comes, Luo San will still slip down to the eleventh level of the right shift.
The marketing strategy of "Kang Guoguo Chehou Xiaozhong" is unworkable.
No matter how well the propaganda war is fought, the survival of both countries will still be decided on the battlefield. Rather than coveting this small benefit, it would be better to keep Luo San's trump card at bay. At crucial moments, it can also restrain the one from Qu Kingdom and deal with the old monster lurking in the central continent.
Luo San didn't want to make a scene.
Low-key and unpretentious.
Aside from a period of self-abandonment and obsession in his early years, he gradually came to enjoy the sight of his enemies swaggering around in front of him, looking like they had victory in their grasp, only to be met with the astonished expressions of those who died bewildered at his hands after the battle began. Playing dumb to outwit the enemy is truly exhilarating.
"That's a real shame."
He pursed his lips slightly and brought up another matter.
"Has the Lord granted Luan Gongyi permission to go to Yuan Fu?"
"Yes, I had already agreed."
Gu Chi said, "Luan Gongyi is a piece of fat meat. If someone discovers that he is delicious, he will die there. It is not advisable to take the risk. It would be better to let me go. Perhaps there will be other gains."
To Shen Tang, Gu Chi and Luan Xin were not like the palm and back of her hand, but equally precious; she couldn't bear to favor one over the other. She sighed helplessly, "You got a beating from Shao Xuan, and you still haven't learned your lesson? Your body can't handle any more strain."
Let him recover peacefully; it's not like we're going to kill him.
Gu Chi was worried about Luan Xin, but Luan Xin wasn't a three-year-old child. He was just a little slow to react, not mentally challenged.
“Last night, I entrusted Luo Hou to escort him.” Luo San was a straightforward man, readily agreeing and even making a promise that resembled a military pledge. Shen Tang said, “…that so-called successor of Yuan Fu’s Time Arrow…kill him if you can!”
It's a bit difficult, but it's okay if you can't finish it.
Luo San clicked his tongue: "Regarding this matter, I can only say I'll do my best. If it's a one-on-one fight, I might have a chance, but if it's multiple people… I can only do my best to ensure the safety of Minister Luan."
Gu Chi reviewed the available intelligence in his mind and barely convinced himself: "At present, there is no news of the enemy's large-scale troop deployment to the border. This negotiation is for the ransom of prisoners rather than war. Even if the enemy does not agree, they will not really break off relations. After all, they also need time to gather troops and mobilize supplies."
With multiple layers of protection, Luan Xin is still safe.
It's hard to say about Luan Xin's student Xiang Zhao.
Bai Su left for the military camp to train soldiers, leaving only him and Shen Tang in the house. Even the servants sweeping the courtyard dared not approach. Aside from Shen Tang's personal guards secretly protecting him, the only other living creatures around were the occasional chirping of birds in the courtyard. Gu Chi looked at the winter scenery through the window, and after a long while, broke the silence again: "Xiang Zhao and that person… do those two have some connection with the Lord?"
Gu Chi knows almost all of Shen Tang's secrets.
Ever since he inadvertently dragged his master into a dream and witnessed a truth that nearly shattered his worldview, he rarely brought up the past, as it was hardly a lighthearted topic. He never dreamed that these trivial matters left over from the end of the last civilization would cause so much trouble for future generations thousands of years later.
"Um...maybe a little?"
"Therefore, that person's cultivation of the Time Arrow prevented them from aging." It was a part of the divine, passed down for thousands of years and still remaining within the new generation. Ordinary people would have to pay the price of their lifespan, but she didn't, or only needed to pay a minimal price.
Perhaps that's the key point.
Shen Tang shook her head: "Not necessarily."
Only a few experimental subjects escaped, but they have multiplied for thousands of years. Even if the Gods physically exterminated them, the number of descendants wouldn't be small. So how come she's the only one to benefit from this? Her success cannot be simply attributed to this.
Seeing that Gu Chi looked tired, she gently patted the back of his hand.
"Don't overthink it, just rest and recover first."
Every obstacle is difficult, but every obstacle can be overcome.
We've weathered more than a decade of ups and downs.
Gu Chi's dislike of drinking herbal medicine wasn't just a way to flirt with Bai Su, nor was it because he disliked the taste. The main reason was its excellent sleep-inducing effect. After finishing a bowl, he would feel drowsy within fifteen minutes and sleep soundly for half a day without any dreams.
Shen Tang left and returned to the imperial palace to continue reviewing memorials.
"Someone, still no news of Mengyuan today?" Tan Ting and Lin Feng's group set off together. Lin Feng went to Qu Kingdom to complete his mission and then went back to his avatar Zixu to cause some trouble. Tan Ting, who went back to the central region, has lost contact.
This made Shen Tang somewhat worried about his situation.
Did they encounter a crisis along the way?
Or were they kidnapped by some force?
Unfortunately, Shen Tang's operations in the central region were too short-lived, his territory too small, and his contact points too few, making it difficult to use clandestine forces to find the missing Tan Ting. Left with no other choice, Shen Tang could only rely on Qi Shan and the connections of the Gods' Society.
Yuanliang replied quickly.
The letter contained only a few words.
Tan Ting made a brief appearance at a social meeting in the central region before disappearing, and Qi Shan has no related information. However, the letter also mentioned that the meeting was about two recently powerful forces: the Qu Kingdom and the Kang Kingdom.
The primary target was Kangguo.
The central branch noticed something amiss with Qi Shan and isolated the northwest and southwest branches. Learning from Qi Shan's example, the central branch also blocked Yu Hai as well: [It is said that the central branch has brought up the old stories of the Wu Kingdom again—]
We will deal with the Kang Kingdom in the same way we dealt with the Wu Kingdom back then.
(。-ω-)zzz
New faces arrive while old ones are discarded; a lotus in the palm becomes a thorn in the eye.
—From Bai Juyi's "Mother Bids Farewell to Her Son".
P.S.: I bought some sleep medication. I'm not sleepy, but my head is spinning. I can't seem to keep up with the plot when I stare blankly at the computer... This chapter is a bit short. I'll try to update normally at midnight tomorrow when I'm more awake.
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