Chapter 1394: Nation and Family [Happy New Year]
"Just one."
"There really is only one."
"This one is clingy enough."
"Oh right, I'll bring it back for you guys to see when I have time..."
Faced with her parents' barrage of questions, Li Wan wanted to escape, but she also knew the saying "too much of a good thing." She had just had a falling out with them, and if she didn't go along with it now, the hard-won easing of tension would return. She gave perfunctory answers, but her parents' reactions were surprisingly unanimous: "Since she's a mistress, her status is illegitimate. How can she just casually enter our home?"
Li Wan's father waved his hand, indicating that he did not want to watch.
He wants to see a proper son-in-law; he has no interest in mistresses.
Li Wan wanted to correct his father on some of the ways he used words, but he swallowed the words back. He admired his father's old-fashioned yet open-minded thinking: "Although she is a mistress, she comes from a respectable family and is both talented and good-looking."
Li Wan's father snorted coldly.
"Would a woman of good character and beauty willingly become a mistress?"
Li Wan: "He really wants to be promoted to the top position."
"So restless?" Even her mother couldn't help but object. "Wan'er, it's not that I want to interfere in your private affairs, but look around the whole of Fengluo City, which respectable family would make their mistress their legal wife? There are some truths you don't like to hear, but you are a woman, not a man. Men who marry into the family will think about enduring it now and hoping that their descendants will return to the clan in the future. They won't truly accept it."
"so?"
"That's an ambitious vixen!" Li Wan's father, being a man, understood men far better than Li Wan. A mistress who wanted to become the legal wife was ambitious and would cause trouble sooner or later! He pointed at Li Wan and warned her sternly, "You'd better be careful not to fall into her trap. Let me tell you, I only recognize the children of your lawfully wedded husband! That's the true bloodline of the Li family."
Li Wan: "...Who taught you all this?"
How come she never noticed that her father had this kind of thinking before?
For a small landowner, survival and reproduction were paramount; she had no concept of legitimate heirs or concubines. What did it matter if they were children of a principal wife or a mistress? In the end, wouldn't Li Wan have to bear them herself?
Li Wan's father walked away with his hands behind his back, without answering.
The mother sighed, "You should listen to your father about this."
As she spoke, she lowered her eyes to look at Li Wan's lower abdomen, feeling somewhat conflicted. All her other daughters were married, and the elderly couple had been grandparents five or six times, but their grandchildren all took their daughters' husbands' surnames, creating a distance between them and the Li family. They wanted to be truly close to them, but it felt awkward. Most importantly, these grandchildren lived in their own homes, only seeing the elderly couple once or twice a year, or even once every few years.
How can feelings deepen without spending time together day and night?
If Wan'er is pregnant, the child will definitely belong entirely to the Li family. Her husband will be able to put his mind at ease, and the relatives in the countryside won't have to bring up the issue of adoption from the same clan all year round.
The children Wan'er gave birth to were at least related to them by blood.
Can--
If it's a mistress, then I don't really want her.
If you have one, keeping it will satisfy your cravings, which is better than not having one at all.
She whispered, "...If you accidentally get pregnant, it's better to give birth. Your mother will talk to your father on your behalf."
Li Wan: "...Mother, trust my literary talent."
If this happens accidentally, it would be a serious accident.
Having successfully pacified the internal situation, Li Wan immediately went to prepare for external rebellion.
Fortunately, while the man's side was arrogant and domineering, they lacked real power and were barely established in Fengluo. They didn't need much threat when faced with a tough opponent; they knew when to back down and perfectly exemplified the saying "arrogant at first, obsequious later." Li Wan even enlisted the help of the medical department, managing to preserve his ability to father children. All things considered, aside from a beating and several days of detention, the man's side suffered no other major losses. Under these circumstances, their morale was severely damaged, and they no longer had the will to fight to the death.
Two days later, Li Wan prepared a small gift and went to visit Ning Yan.
He claimed to be visiting to thank Ning Yan for getting him out of jail, but it was actually a subtle way of implying to Ning Yan that he had already dealt with the problems at home and that she could confidently entrust the task to her.
Ning Yan naturally understood the refined meaning behind the music.
He then said, “Your Majesty is pleased to know that you have such a heart for serving the country. There are no vacancies in the Northwest, but there are some in the Southwest. However, for the sake of stability, officials from the Southwest will be given priority. I don’t know if there are any vacancies there…”
Li Wan will have to wait if he wants to go to the southwest.
Ning Yan couldn't guarantee when it would be ready.
Li Wan felt no discouragement; instead, her heart pounded like a rapid drumbeat. Suppressing her excitement, she said, "This humble official will follow Prime Minister Ning's arrangements."
There are no vacancies in the Northwest, but the Southwest is a place of origin.
What does this mean? It means that Ning Yan arranged for her to stay in the capital, not in a remote location, but in the capital city, to become a government official!
“A man whose heart is filled with thunder yet whose face remains calm is worthy of being appointed a general.” Ning Yan carefully observed Li Wan’s expression and saw that she remained humble and obedient, appearing to completely follow Ning Yan’s arrangements. She was slightly satisfied. “The Ministry of Personnel’s transfer order will be delivered in two days.”
Li Wan bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you, Master Ning."
Ning Yan raised an eyebrow slightly.
Ning Shizhong, Ning Xiang, and then Ning Shi...
That smooth-talking, opportunistic personality is quite good.
As long as it's not excessive, being appropriately tactful is not a bad thing.
"How come I never knew you had such a sweet tongue? Flattery is just a minor skill; the real way to win the emperor's heart is through the right path."
"The student requests guidance from Teacher Ning."
"Naturally, we should do practical work and avoid failing the Ministry of Personnel examinations."
Red means promotion, green means demotion; green means failing the Ministry of Personnel's assessment.
If you fail, you have three chances to retake the exam. The average score from the three retakes is taken. If you fail the retakes again, you won't even get a chance for a lateral transfer; you'll be demoted, and no one can change that. Wangting is a place where you can't survive without focusing on KPIs.
Lying down is impossible; it's like rowing against the current—if you don't move forward, you fall behind.
"Students, please remember this."
When she left Ning Yan's residence, her back was covered in cold sweat.
Li Wan had a premonition that if he didn't seize this opportunity, he might have to wait several years in Fengluo until a vacancy opened up. The political landscape was unpredictable; who knew what the future held? Opportunities wait for no one.
While I was lost in thought, someone patted my shoulder.
Startled awake, she turned her head and saw Miao Ne, her expression instantly changing. Before she could react, Miao Ne dragged her away: "Come, come, as your senior, I've specially booked a table for you today to celebrate your bright future and soaring career!"
Miao Ne specially invited all her classmates from the capital to come over.
These classmates also invited their friends, from both the scholarly and the common people.
"Are you being so kind? Or is this a trap?"
"How could that be?"
Even a private room couldn't fit five hundred axemen.
Upon seeing the location of the gathering, Li Wan felt an urge to turn around.
"Is your meager salary enough to pay the bills?" Could it be that you're planning to pawn her off to wash dishes and pay off your debts after you've had your fill of food and drink?
Miao Ne pointed her thumb backward: "Someone with money."
Li Wan: "..."
The wealthy Cui Xiong nodded and smiled at her.
She immediately turned around and said, "That's right."
The Cui family of Southwest China is truly so poor that all they have left is money.
Celebrating Li Wan's birthday was just a side event; the real purpose was to take the opportunity to get to know his classmates better and build closer relationships so he could use them in the future. Miao Ne felt the burning sensation of the cold liquor sliding down her throat, her mind clearing up. A complete picture gradually formed in her mind: who was who, their relationships, and who could be of use in what way and when—it was all crystal clear.
Amidst the clinking of glasses, the atmosphere was lively.
This restaurant is the largest in Fengluo City, and its partners are either those serving the royal family or well-known merchants from various regions, making it excellent value for money in every aspect. Each private room is soundproofed, physically isolating most noise. If that's still not quiet enough, you can pay a fee to have a professional install soundproofing spells.
Shen Tang did not do that.
She leaned against the railing, enjoying the cool night breeze while sipping her wine.
The sounds of laughter and chatter from the young men and women next door filled my ears.
Unlike the lively atmosphere next door, it was much quieter here.
"It's not some kind of fine wine or nectar, so why is it so expensive?" Before Luo and the other two even appeared, his complaints had already reached the room.
He opened the door right after that.
Shen Tang pointed to the dazzling night view outside the window, which resembled stars scattered across the Milky Way: "Where is it expensive? This view alone is worth half the price."
Luo San muttered, "A swindler!"
Shen Tang said, "It's under my name."
To be precise, it was an industry that Xu Jie helped manage.
This restaurant is a landmark building in Fengluo and a must-visit attraction for tourists. The surrounding lighting is meticulously arranged, and from above, you can see a fiery dragon that seems to be about to soar into the sky.
Luo San was even more annoyed: "You're still taking money under your name?"
Shen Tang: "..."
She turned her face away guiltily and said, "...The price is a bit high, but you can't buy a night view like this without spending money."
After finishing his lamb leg, Gongyang Yongye sucked the oil off his thumb.
The comment was: "Fancy and overly flashy."
Luo San rarely agreed.
In their minds, Shen Tang was a remarkably frugal and simple ruler; they had never seen her engage in any extravagant spending. Today, however, they were quite surprised to see her like this. Shen Tang said, "What do you know? I'm just asking you, isn't the night view outside the window beautiful?"
"No matter how beautiful it is, it's still a waste of money and resources."
"If it's beautiful, we can't bear to destroy it, nor will we allow anyone else to destroy it." Like a peony in full bloom, accustomed to its vibrant beauty, no one wants to see the devastation left by war. Beauty needs careful protection.
"fallacies and heresies."
Shen Tang smiled faintly, her eyes reflecting the candlelight of countless homes.
It can more or less dispel the fatigue accumulated in your heart.
The ruler of a country is busy with countless affairs of state every day.
The worst of the worst, the most ruthless of the oxen.
Launching a war requires mobilizing the entire nation's resources, resulting in an exponential increase in workload. Even working 007 with half-hearted concentration every day wouldn't be enough. Besides physical exhaustion, there's also mental fatigue—the morning meetings have been fraught with arguments for days on end, and today's issues were particularly sharp.
It involves two major ethnic groups within the territory of Kangguo.
The original Ten Crows and the Northern Desert.
This military campaign was naturally nationwide, and Wuzhou, Beizhou, and Mozhou, being the three largest prefectures in Kangguo, were no exception. Recruiting soldiers wasn't a problem; the problem was that, aside from the standard procedures for the Zhechong Prefectures, not many raw recruits were gathered. The civil and military officials in the court were quite dissatisfied with this, and some raised the issue publicly.
The generals of Wuzhou, represented by Su Shiyilu, were dissatisfied.
What's the meaning?
Still not enough?
Speak your mind and stop talking nonsense. Don't think they can't hear the sarcasm in these old fogies. Do they think we're not doing our best and are deliberately holding back our troops to rebel? Su Shiyilu snorted coldly: "Your subject does wish to share the burden of the emperor and recruit enough troops."
Unfortunately, I was willing but powerless.
Why do we feel powerless despite our good intentions?
Some of the people here know this best.
If we lay this out and talk about it directly, it will affect internal unity.
Firstly, during the period of hostility, the Kang Kingdom's killings were too ruthless, resulting in the loss of many able-bodied men from other tribes. Newborns still needed to be born, and it takes time for them to develop; it's not like scattering a seed will instantly create a massive army. Secondly, Kang Kingdom's policies over the years have been subtly encouraging slaves from both regions to escape.
Of course, you can't say that publicly.
Su Shiyi Lu didn't understand at first, but as time went on and he attended more court assemblies, observing his colleagues' cunning and shrewdness up close, he gradually figured it out—Kang Guo's policies were all ill-conceived, and he couldn't voice his opposition.
Anyone who dares to oppose it is considered to have ulterior motives!
There are quite a few cunning and manipulative individuals in the imperial court who want to eliminate any future troubles.
He cannot hand over readily available leverage to others.
They could only express their dissatisfaction in a subtle way.
The situation in Beizhou and Mozhou is much the same, even worse than in Wuzhou. Wuzhou was renamed from Shiwu, while Beizhou and Mozhou were split in two by the Northern Desert. Both are sparsely populated and have been secretly migrating their populations to other prefectures and counties in recent years…
We simply can't recruit enough soldiers.
If it weren't for Kangguo's desire to save face, the Zhechong Prefectures within the three prefectures might not even be full, and now they're blaming them for not being proactive in recruiting soldiers... Tsk, these people are really saying both human and ghostly things.
"Hmph, if you're not comfortable with that, let me play forward."
Generals from Beizhou and Mozhou also voiced their support.
Exactly, why can't a vanguard be a general from both races?
After all these years, you still can't let go? How can we live like this?
It's time for them to have the chance to be the first to strike and kill, isn't it?
And so, the morning assembly started arguing again.
As they argued, they started bringing up old grievances, and you can imagine how tense things got. If Shen Tang hadn't stopped them in time, it could have ended in a fatal fight.
Afterwards, the official who initially provoked the incident was confined to his home and fined.
After much reassurance and talking until my throat was dry, the situation finally calmed down.
Aside from these setbacks, other progress has been relatively smooth.
"The evening sky threatens snow; shall we share a cup?"
She handed a wine cup out the window.
A hand reached out from above and took it.
Shen Tang met the other person's deep, silent eyes; it was Wei Lou.
Where did this snow come from?
Wei Lou mocked Shen Tang for being pretentious and affected.
He and Wu Xian had only recently arrived in Fengluo. Wu Xian had arranged accommodations for him and then went home to reunite with his family. Wei Lou followed the scent to find Shen Tang, intending to ask her about the details, but she was leaning against the window, spouting pretentious nonsense.
Shen Tang looked up at the sky.
"Isn't it already there?"
Wei Lou downed the wine in one gulp and scoffed coldly.
Shen Tang rubbed his temples: "I must have been on the wrong frequency."
She did indeed see snow falling heavily.
It wasn't in the capital, nor was it from her perspective.
"Mr. Wei, you are a man of great knowledge and experience. Have you ever heard of a death that brings a snowstorm? Especially in a place where snow never falls all year round?"
Wei Lou was silent for a moment: "Dou E?"
That is one of the few words that can control the phenomena of heaven and earth.
“…Indeed, there is a grievance.” She was talking to Wei Lou, but what she heard in her ears was Tan Ting’s devastating cries.
((((())))))
I went to see Nezha today. The IMAX screen here is so expensive! One ticket is 79.9 yuan, so for three people it's over 200 yuan...
Why was it so expensive before I went?
After you go, Nezha will become the number one in film history, you're the best!
An animated film that's 150 minutes long, but it felt like 120 minutes of it was all fighting. It was so exciting to watch, and the special effects were amazing. At least for me, it was worth the ticket price.
I'm planning to go for a second visit when the ticket price drops in a few days; it's totally worth it.
By the way, Cyber confesses: Dragon Daddy is so handsome, really so handsome! He's the perfect, most stunning man in the East Sea who perfectly hits my fantasy! Compared to Dragon Daddy's overflowing hormones, Ao Bing instantly becomes a delicate young boy. You know that feeling, right? The perfect husband!
The plot is quite fast-paced with many twists and turns; I didn't expect the villain to be Shoutao at first. Also, the groundhog's nose is so cute and bouncy (the groundhog squealed several times, perfectly reminding me of that meme; it feels like they're playing on that reference, because groundhogs don't normally squeal like that).
PS: I want to repent. When the cauldron was broken, the demon transformed into a pill. At the time, I was thinking, why don't the demons next to me eat the pill to replenish their magic power? (Knocks on the wooden fish, my mistake).
P.S.: There will be a chapter at midnight, no need to wait, read it when you get up tomorrow.
(End of this chapter)
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