Chapter 1436: Home Invasion Robbery [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
"Brother Chu?"
"Good brother?"
"Give me a straight answer."
Su Shiyi kept calling Chu Jie "brother" over and over.
Chu Jie was so disgusted that it took him a long time to recover.
Imagine this: a burly man, over two meters tall, with a thick beard and a pungent odor, is clinging to you and calling you "brother" in a high-pitched voice. He's also your longtime enemy... How disgusting would that scene be?
Chu Jie covered his eyes with one hand: "Stop shouting."
He felt so nauseous he wanted to vomit.
Chu Jie and his lieutenants were also stunned by Su Shiyilu's shameless behavior. They never dreamed that Su Shiyilu would one day act so "shyly": "You're supposed to be a general, how can you be so shameless..."
They couldn't find a suitable adjective for the time being.
Su Shiyilu was also going all out.
With his hands on his hips, he said, "What's the point of a military general if he doesn't seek merit?"
He only led so many Wuzhou troops here because he was looking to make a profit; wouldn't it be a huge loss if he didn't take advantage of the situation?
The others were speechless, unable to refute his words.
Military officers do indeed demand merit, but Su Shiyilu's methods are pushing their limits. He's so blatantly pretentious, yet even he himself doesn't have the courage to appreciate it. General Jiang, a man of great experience, wasn't swayed by Su Shiyilu and maintained his sour expression.
"Seeking merit is not wrong, but you're right to encourage the marshal?"
Chu Jie had indeed done as Su Shiyilu wished, and this matter could be either a minor or major issue. At best, it was just a normal troop movement; at worst, it was Chu Jie's unauthorized deployment of troops. Military generals whose achievements overshadow their rulers often meet a bad end. When the emperor and his ministers are on good terms, a little overstepping of authority won't cause a ripple, but once a rift develops, these things can become leverage for future retribution. Su Shiyilu is no good.
General Jiang gave Chu Jie a meaningful look.
Hopefully, our general will be more rational and not be led astray.
The worst thing a military leader can do is to act on a whim.
Better to achieve nothing than to make a mistake!
"If that's how you think, there's nothing I can do about it."
Su Shiyilu shrugged, and just as he was about to curse General Jiang in his heart, Chu Jie said, "I know."
Su Shiyi thought the matter was doomed, but unexpectedly, Chu Jie stood up with his long sword and ordered the entire army to rest for a quarter of an hour before setting off.
General Jiang: "...Marshal!"
Su Shiyilu's smile was practically reaching for the sky.
Chu Jie patted Su Shiyilu on the shoulder, a mischievous glint appearing on his usually serious face: "Although it sounds disgusting, I like hearing you call me 'brother.' If you can, then say it a few more times."
What could be more interesting than watching your enemy act pretentiously?
Chu Jie was curious about how this scoundrel could be so shameless in his pursuit of military power.
For example, wearing women's clothing, dancing, or swaying your waist.
Su Shiyilu's face darkened: "Pah!"
To avoid leaving any evidence, Chu Jie sent a messenger to deliver the message to the central army, while he himself led troops to intercept and kill the Central Allied reinforcements. Shen Tang was furious when she learned of this, while Chu Yao was somewhat surprised upon hearing the news and repeatedly confirmed its authenticity with the messenger.
It's no wonder Chu Yao questioned this news.
Based on his understanding of his childhood friend, Chu Jie wouldn't intentionally do anything out of line—he would fulfill his duties without hesitation, but he would never meddle in anything beyond his responsibilities, precisely to avoid giving others cause for criticism. If it weren't for this caution, Chu Jie wouldn't have been able to remain the top military general in Kang State, wielding military power without attracting attacks.
Why has such a person suddenly gone mad?
When pressed by Chu Yao, the messenger stammered and gave evasive answers.
It took him a while to utter a few words, which broadened Chu Yao's horizons, and Shen Tang was also dumbfounded: "I didn't expect that old man Su Shiyilu would have some potential to be a femme fatale."
Shen Tang really couldn't tell.
Chu Yao: "My lord, this matter..."
Shen Tang waved her hand, interrupting Chu Yao's remaining words, and said magnanimously, "I'm not a petty person, why would I hold my own marshal accountable for such a trivial matter? However, I will still give Su Shiyilu a hard time later, so that he will remember this lesson."
"You dare to claim credit for my military achievements? You've gone against the Heavenly Order!"
However, Shen Tang also knew that with her current low luck, even if Chu Jie and the others didn't intercept the military merits, they wouldn't fall into her hands.
Chu Yao: "..."
It's somewhat funny, and somewhat frustrating.
It is said that the superiors set an example for the inferiors. If the emperor hadn't been so focused on achieving merit, the civil and military officials of Kangguo wouldn't have been so single-minded in their pursuit of merit.
Chu Yao said, "Your Majesty is the ruler of a country."
The entire empire belongs to the sovereign; no matter how much merit she accumulates, it's all just passing through her own hands. This obsession is truly baffling. Shouldn't achieving great deeds be what officials strive for?
Shen Tang: "It is precisely because I am the lord that I do this."
As for Chu Yao, Shen Tang had no intention of hiding anything from him: "Can't you reward meritorious service? Can't you spend money on rewards? Your master is penniless right now, and Hanzhang is still relentlessly increasing my debt. Where am I supposed to get so much money?"
This is like a small factory owner tightening screws himself; every little bit of labor cost he can save is a way to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
Shen Tang made many contributions, while others made fewer.
When it comes to rewarding merits, she can pay less money.
"I have my own unavoidable difficulties. Just thinking about how to reward the army after conquering the central continent gives me a headache." Shen Tang slapped his thigh and sighed, "The world is tough these days, and being a lord isn't easy either. Wu Hui, don't you think so?"
If we weren't so poor, who would want to work so hard?
Chu Yao was both amused and exasperated: "What Your Majesty says is absolutely right."
One reason why the lord always takes the lead is because of poverty. He can't directly tell the outside world about his difficulties. He can't tell the civil and military officials that they should make fewer contributions and give her the opportunity because his family is too poor to afford food and can't afford to give rewards. If he thinks about it carefully, he has known the lord for so many years and he has never seen her have any money.
Financial problems have plagued her for over a decade.
"Sigh, it's all because the southwest is too poor. We lost out in the war."
The Southwest campaign was profitable, which will make her more financially secure.
Unfortunately, after this battle, Shen Tang still ended up losing money no matter how much she calculated. Her original plan was to recoup some losses by operating in the southwest for a few years, but the central region wouldn't give her that opportunity, dragging her back into the war. In other words, Shen Tang was now fighting a war with a fiscal deficit. She kept this information a secret to avoid affecting morale; she had to swallow the bitter pill herself.
Chu Yao painted a rosy picture for her: "The Central Continent is definitely rich."
Shen Tang said with a bitter face, "I hope so."
I don't seek to make money, I just want to break even.
"Look at you, so useless..." Although Wei Lou had some understanding of Shen Tang's financial situation and knew she was poor, he didn't expect her to be this poor. Who could believe that the lord personally led the expedition, taking the lead himself, with the biggest motivation being to save money?
It's so funny, people would laugh their heads off if they heard it.
Shen Tang ignored the fact that there was an old man standing next to her.
"Money gives heroes courage; of course I'm useless if I don't have money."
Wei Lou was speechless at her self-righteous attitude.
Shen Tang: "Didn't your late lord ever worry about money?"
She knew better than anyone how hard it was to start from scratch, and she didn't believe that Ji Sunshi, who left the Gongxi clan all alone, was financially well-off.
Wei Lou smiled slightly: "Of course not."
"I don't believe it. Where would he get so much money?"
Even if Ji Sunshi was a succubus who bewitched the elders into working for her for free, it's impossible that everyone from top to bottom would be paying her off, right?
Wei Lou thought about it carefully and counted several companies on his fingers.
The donations ranged from two or three hundred thousand taels of silver to over a million taels.
The former ruler was most skilled at confiscating property and exterminating clans. When he was short of money, he would simply demand it from the wealthy, since they were powerless to resist. The docile and obedient would be given a little reward, while the disobedient would be slaughtered. Furthermore, the situation in the Wu Kingdom was different then than it is now. Ordinary people who followed the former ruler had no way to survive; otherwise, they wouldn't have voluntarily taken Gu worms to become strongmen.
If you're willing to risk your life, why would you talk about money?
Kangguo suffered because it was too reasonable.
"You need a reason to confiscate their property and exterminate their entire clan? Is that even reasonable?" Wei Lou said righteously. "If the country is poor but your family is rich, then you deserve to die!"
The conquest of the Wu Kingdom was nothing short of a large-scale burglary.
You'll never lack money, no matter what else you lack.
Shen Tang conquered the world by knocking on doors from house to house; she deserved to be poor.
Shen Tang: "..."
so--
Conquering the world requires conscience, but can you conquer it faster without conscience?
Shen Tang had expected to get some insightful and profound discussions from Wei Lou, but instead, he spoke the most vulgar words with the most serious face. She thought she was shameless enough, but she didn't expect the people from Wu Kingdom to be even more shameless—a veritable den of bandits.
"...Um, aren't you worried?"
Wei Lou sneered, "What are you worried about? Worried that a bunch of ants with no ability to resist can shake a towering tree? They only have money, not power, influence, or strength. They only have money, and that money is just temporarily in their hands. What, just because they have wealth for a short time, they think they are the owners of that wealth?"
If you're not afraid of death, you can try to see if your neck is harder than a knife.
Shen Tang: "..."
Wei Lou summoned soldiers and brought them writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.
I picked up my pen and quickly drew a simple topographic map.
Shen Tang didn't quite understand: "What is that?"
Wei Lou said, "The Wu Kingdom's treasure trove."
Shen Tang: "..."
Chu Yao: "???"
Wei Lou frowned and thought for a while. Seeing Shen Tang and his ministers' blank expressions, he said disdainfully, "What's with that expression? They say there are several treasure troves, but they're just a few money vaults that they couldn't spend all of back then and buried on the spot. There might even be some left over."
Shen Tang stared blankly: "...You can't spend all the flowers, and you can't take them with you?"
Wei Lou, who had been so eloquent just moments before, became vague and evasive when this topic came up—Wu Kingdom was not Kang Kingdom; the former had been founded on bloodshed from beginning to end. To sustain war through war, wouldn't it mean that after conquering a city, the wealth within would be plundered? The Ji Sun clan hadn't harmed the common people, knowing they couldn't squeeze much money out of them, but they showed no mercy to the wealthy households in the city. Those who voluntarily surrendered could save their lives; those who refused would have their heads chopped off one by one.
Regardless of right or wrong, good or evil.
Every piece of treasure that was gathered was stained with blood.
Sometimes, when they had too much money, they would simply dig a cave to hide it.
We'll dig it up again sometime in the future.
The Wu Kingdom had so much money that they never needed to use it.
Wei Lou was a confidant of the Ji Sun family back then, and he knew the locations of all the treasure vaults, perhaps even better than the Ji Sun family themselves. Later, when the Wu Kingdom was divided up, some of the treasure vaults were also taken away as inheritance.
Shen Tang was somewhat skeptical: "Still here after all these years?"
Wei Lou said confidently, "It should still be there."
The prerequisite for dividing the inheritance is that they know what the inheritance is.
Some inheritances are unknown to us, so naturally we have no way to divide them.
Wei Lou and his nephew had been confined to one place for over a hundred years, with nowhere to spend their money. Out of boredom, they established the Eternal Life Cult, which received tributes and money from its followers. Living in seclusion in Kang State, they also received various welfare benefits from the local government, so they were never short of money. Naturally, they had no need to dig up the treasure trove left by their ancestors. Wei Lou hadn't wanted to tell them, but seeing Shen Tang in such dire poverty was unusual, so he considered it a donation to help the poor.
Shen Tang looked at the blueprints, her expression showing some struggle.
He clapped his hands and laughed mockingly: "What a comfort! I'll reward you with three or five treasures."
Shen Tang: "...Are you really treating this like a reward for a beggar?"
Old Deng's few words ignited a burning passion within her.
She wanted to refuse with dignity, but then she thought that she was a sacred object of the Gongxi clan, and it was only right that she spend Ji Sun's inheritance. What was wrong with accepting it? Shen Tang folded the drawings and tentatively asked, "How many were buried exactly?"
If it's too little, we won't even be able to recoup the labor costs.
"It must be at least three to five million, right?"
Shen Tang: "...Just how many families did the Wu Kingdom rob?"
Judging from Wei Lou's words, three to five million is just a drop in the bucket?
"A defeated foe from over a hundred years ago, who would remember that?" In fact, this was something Wei Lou couldn't understand at all. Kang Kingdom was now larger than Wu Kingdom at its peak, so how did Shen Tang become so poor? He once thought she was being abstract.
Even after Wei Lou left, Shen Tang was still somewhat dazed.
Pointing to himself: "Wu Hui, is this really my problem?"
Is her poverty entirely of her own making?
Chu Yao had never seen the spectacle Wei Lou described, and said, "The King of Wu follows the path of kingship and hegemony, which is different from the path of the Lord."
There's no need to compare everything.
This is very good, Your Majesty. It is a thousand times better than that Ji Sun clansman.
Chu Yao didn't know what the quality of life was like for ordinary people under the rule of Wu Kingdom, but he was certain that it was definitely not as good as that of Kang Kingdom.
"What the Lord seeks is long-term stability and peace, not short-term gains and losses."
Admittedly, while the Wu Kingdom's approach might allow them to thrive in chaotic times, the long-term consequences are enormous. As long as they don't die halfway through the war, it will eventually end. How could those civil and military officials, whose bestial nature has been unleashed, be content with peace? This is where the seeds of division are sown.
Chu Yao had a premonition that even if the gods of the Wu Kingdom didn't interfere, this forced unity wouldn't last long.
In contrast, Kang Kingdom is different. Chu Yao is confident that one day Kang Kingdom will unify the entire continent, and all the civil and military officials will find their place, instead of being unable to make a living without war. Everyone will cherish this precious era of peace and prosperity. Because Kang Kingdom has nipped the biggest threat to peace in the bud from the very beginning, Kang Kingdom will go further and more steadily than Wu Kingdom.
Taking advantage of Wei Lou's absence, Chu Yao dared to speak his mind.
"Even if the Wu Kingdom is rich, they won't live to enjoy it, will they?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Tang instantly felt at peace.
That makes sense!
Fighting didn't stop Shen Tang from making money, let alone unexpected wealth. He sent someone to deliver the blueprints Wei Lou had given him to Xu Jie, instructing him to find someone to excavate them. Why Xu Jie and not someone else?
Naturally, it's because this money is going into a private coffers.
The Kang Kingdom's treasury isn't poor; it's Shen Youli who's poor: [We must do this secretly, and absolutely not let Hanzhang find out.]
If Xun Zhen finds out about this money, we're doomed.
The Ministry of Revenue will definitely try to take money from her.
ヽ(ー_ー)ノ
As I was writing, the power suddenly went out in the whole neighborhood. I thought my computer case had burned out, but luckily I was using a writer's assistant, so I didn't lose my draft.
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