Chapter 1507 (1506): The Grand Finale (Part 9) [Happy Dragon Boat Festival]
Whose kindness could be so fierce?
Before the incident, Shen Tang might have harbored some intention to discuss things amicably with Shan Nian—if she were gone, Shan Nian couldn't exist independently, wouldn't that be a lose-lose situation? But now she'd changed her mind. She realized that Shan Nian might indeed be capable of independent existence, and harbored immense malice towards her. Since there was no room for negotiation, she wouldn't bother trying to win him over, not even herself!
Not to mention that this guy even killed the incarnation of Zixu in public.
Without the instant messaging tool, Ren Zixu, Shen Tang was unable to keep abreast of the situation at the branch office thousands of miles away. Even during her few hours of recuperation, she was still worried about Xiahou Yu and the others. If Xiahou Yu and the others couldn't control the situation, her business achievements in the Central Continent would be halved.
How much profit will be lost?
It's not just about short-term interests, but also long-term interests.
How is Yuanliang's injury?
Shen Tang suffered a backlash, and Qi Shan naturally fared no better.
"Qi Zhongshu is young and vigorous, he has only lost a little blood, he can recover after taking a few doses of blood-replenishing medicine. As for the Lord..." Fang Yan paused suspiciously for a moment, then lowered his voice, "Does the Lord know that his life force is being depleted? Has something gone wrong with his cultivation?"
This symptom is not usually seen in young and middle-aged martial artists.
Shen Tang said, "No."
She gave Fang Yan a meaningful look: "Don't say things you shouldn't say."
The loss of vitality is likely related to the escape of the benevolent thought. If Shen Tang wants to live, she must eliminate it as soon as possible to prevent it from taking advantage of her by playing hide-and-seek. Given the benevolent thought's malice towards Shen Tang, even if she doesn't actively seek it out, the other party will come looking for her.
Fang Yan wanted to say something more.
Shen Tang told him to go out and call Ji Moqiu and the others in.
Apart from Qi Shan, who was forced to lie down, Qin Li and the others were all present. Everyone had received the bad news of Shan Nian's misfortune early in the morning. Even though their lord had not yet announced how much trouble this bad news would bring, seeing their colleagues around them, they all had the same ominous premonition.
The source of this premonition is unknown.
"Please be seated, gentlemen. There's no need for formalities."
"Thank you, my lord."
Shen Tang calmly dropped a bombshell, making everyone's ears ring: "Time is of the essence, so I won't say much more. The reason I've summoned you all here today is to inform you of the candidate for regent."
"Assisting in governance?"
"To put it another way, entrusting one's orphan to another."
Chu Yao jumped up: "My lord, you must be joking!"
Shen Tang chuckled: "Why is Wu Hui doing this?"
Chu Yao could see countless futures; he should have been the calmest among them all, so no one expected him to explode first. The others were momentarily stunned, unsure whether to be shocked that their young mistress was already making arrangements for her succession, or that she, all alone, was engaging in such a serious entrustment of her child…
Does she have anyone to rely on?
Shen Tang seemed to have acquired Gu Chi's mind-reading ability, and immediately saw through the thoughts of the ministers: "Firstly, I am not joking. The lessons of the Wu Kingdom more than a hundred years ago are still fresh in our minds. Those who do not understand this history can consult Mr. Wei, he knows it best."
Wei Lou's face turned black.
She can entrust her son to someone else if she wants, but what's the point of kicking the Wu Kingdom while she's down?
Despite Wei Lou's death stare, Shen Tang brazenly said, "With the sudden loss of our lord and the undecided successor, the country is bound to fall into turmoil. Haha, while I'm still alive, let's make arrangements for what happens to me. Chu Wuhui, Qi Yuanliang, Qin Gongsu, and Gu Wangchao, if anything happens to me, I urge you four to temporarily set aside your personal grudges and prioritize the well-being of the people of Kangguo. For a thousand years, the people have suffered in this chaotic world."
She is adept at using moral blackmail.
But under normal circumstances, they wouldn't kidnap their own family members.
We can only make an exception this time.
Not for Kangguo, not for the ruler, but for all living beings.
Chu Yao stared intently at the person sitting high in the main seat, wanting to ask a million questions, but these words were stuck in his throat and he didn't know how to express them.
When he came to his senses, the lining of his clothes was already soaked with sweat and stuck to his skin. The air was so heavy it was suffocating, making it hard for him to breathe. Even the tent and the faces in his field of vision began to flicker and sway. He didn't know what his body was trying to do; he only felt two forces pressing down on his shoulders. Gu Chi and Qin Li's expressions were more grave than ever before.
When Qin Li spoke again, his voice was hoarse and out of tune.
"May I ask, Your Majesty, where is the Crown Prince?"
Shen Tang pointed in the direction of Ji Moqiu.
This broke everyone's guard, and they all refused in unison.
They agreed to live and die together, but the Lord is thinking of dying first?
Did they just leave them behind?
Qin Li and his companions reacted with extraordinary ferocity, each like a raging lion or tiger, as if they would immediately turn on Ji Moqiu and draw their swords to kill him if he dared to accept the charge. So what if it was rebellion? Accepting the charge was no big deal. Gong Xiqiu, however, keenly sensed the murderous intent.
He couldn't see his older brother being roasted over a fire.
He thought to himself that these scholars and literati, who usually seemed so refined and gentle, were actually quite temperamental, and the air was thick with murderous intent.
Shen Tang didn't want to shout, so she imitated the authority dog and cast a [Silence] spell on everyone to gain a moment of peace so that her voice could reach everyone's ears: "Hey, don't take things halfway. I didn't say that the High Priest is the Crown Prince. What I meant was that he can bring the Crown Prince, and in the future, Lingde can be the Crown Prince's teacher."
Lin Feng then thought of the future that her teacher had spoiled for her.
The crown prince's tutor is naturally also the future emperor's tutor.
In that future, the Lord is still well.
"...But he is a man. Even if we assume that a man can bear children for a woman, the union of yin and yang does not necessarily guarantee a result. There are many couples in the world who have been together for years without conceiving." How can His Majesty guarantee that it will happen on the first try? How can He guarantee that this child will be able to shoulder great responsibilities? Even if they are willing to acknowledge him, and the people are willing to acknowledge him, the child may still die young.
There's a reason why ordinary people pray for many children and many blessings.
If more than half of the children survive to adulthood, it's considered a blessing from their ancestors.
Shen Tang waved to Ji Moqiu.
The latter hesitated for two breaths, then raised his hand and conjured the wooden staff.
Shen Tang used her Mother's Sword to cut a gash in her palm. An invisible force enveloped a drop of blood, which floated towards the wooden staff—or more precisely, the flower at the top of the staff. Without her instruction, Ji Moqiu also cut his palm with his dagger. Their blood mingled in mid-air.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, they were all absorbed by the little red flowers.
The crowd could even faintly hear a sound similar to a heartbeat.
"With Yin wood as the soul, Yang wood as the spirit, and Qi as the body, the interaction of Yin and Yang allows for conception." As she finished speaking, the wound on her palm began to heal at a visible speed. If the onlookers used their divine senses, they could see that the small red flower, previously visible to the naked eye, now had a vague human outline. The developmental process that normally takes ten months of pregnancy was now being accelerated at an astonishing pace.
Everyone was speechless.
For a moment, no one could think of anything else.
Gongyang Yongye secretly slapped his thigh. This method of creating babies is so easy, cool, and efficient. Why didn't Ji Moqiu teach him?
Shen Tang: "She is the crown prince who was born in the right time."
She accidentally brought this little red flower from the sacred mountain and sea.
It's no exaggeration to say that this child was born out of necessity.
Everything in the Sacred Land of Mountains and Seas is a remnant of the previous civilization, where countless heroic spirits slumber, filled with resentment, bitterness, anticipation, and longing... Shen Tang uses the creatures nurtured by the Sacred Land of Mountains and Seas as her physical body, and endows them with complete souls using Yin-Yang Vine Wood, thus creating an extremely special life. Rather than being her offspring, Shen Youli's offspring, it is more like a "hope" that carries on the legacy of the past and paves the way for the future.
It marks the end of an old era and the beginning of a new one.
Shen Tang was unaware of these arrangements at first, but after Shan Nian declared war on her, something seemed to have appeared in her mind, and unfamiliar memories quietly surfaced. It was like opening a blind box; even she herself didn't know what she would remember next.
"After nine times nine equals one, the melon will ripen and fall from the vine in a month."
Lin Feng turned pale upon hearing this.
My mind was screaming, "No, no, no!"
The current developments are different from the future the teacher foresaw. Shouldn't the crown prince be revealed sometime after the world is at peace, with the emperor happily holding the child and introducing his identity to his ministers? Instead of revealing the answer now and drawing lots a month later.
The future doesn't match up!
In other words—
Is there no guarantee that there will be a ruler in the future?
This realization made Lin Feng almost grind his teeth to powder, unaware that the thick taste of blood had filled his mouth. Shen Tang seemed oblivious to the changes in the expressions of the officials: "I know you are all anxious, but don't rush. I am just making arrangements in advance, not really going to draw my sword and slit my throat. The score with Shan Nian must be settled penny by penny."
She's not necessarily going to die.
What if the person who died had good intentions?
Shen Tang had a feeling that as she accumulated more memories of opening blind boxes, even her strength seemed to have undergone subtle changes. Before this, she would never have been able to simply donate a drop of blood and mix it with another person's blood to create a new life; she simply didn't have that ability.
And just now, on a whim, she did just that.
Intuition told her that the gap between her and Shan Nian shouldn't be as large as before, and the outcome was still uncertain. These officials didn't need to mourn for her beforehand; wouldn't it be embarrassing if they did?
Chu Yao forcefully broke through the silence, his voice hoarse as he said, "Has Your Majesty forgotten? Once the land sinks, no one will be spared. Whether Kang Kingdom has a crown prince or not will not matter."
We're going to die together anyway.
unless--
Unless she is certain that regardless of whether she wins or loses the struggle with goodwill, she can enter the Four Extremes Lands and ensure that the land does not collapse!
Shen Tang said, "The Crown Prince is still useful."
This answer also indirectly confirmed Chu Yao's guess.
Chu Yao: "..."
The imperial seal is incomplete, and the whereabouts of the coffin are unknown.
Does Your Majesty have any way to enter the legendary Four Extreme Lands?
"The relationship between ruler and subject is like that of yin and yang in the universe, a natural principle."
Shen Tang looked at the group of people under her tent and secretly rejoiced that her good intentions had indirectly helped her bring down Qi Shan. Otherwise, if Qi Shan had also started crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide, she might not have been able to handle this group of people. She breathed a sigh of relief, it was rare for her to use her status as the queen to force everyone to obey her orders.
"Gentlemen, you shall obey my command!"
After she finished speaking, her tone suddenly softened.
His gaze was loving and indulgent: "Good boy, just listen to me this once."
Shen Tang has always been incredibly patient and generous with them.
Qin Li and the others' eyes slowly reddened. If Shen Tang had used the most inhuman tone to force them to obey as a monarch, they would have submitted even if they were unwilling. But she used this tone... which was even more heart-wrenching, worse than being tortured.
Even though their future is uncertain, we still have to patiently coax them...
What's this?
_(:з」∠)_
The bond between the ruler and his subjects is stronger than gold.
Shen Tang's summons to the meeting was not primarily to introduce the Crown Prince or the four regents; rather, it was to determine the future strategic direction. This included, but was not limited to, arrangements after conquering the Central Continent—the powerful clans and aristocratic families of the Central Continent were deeply entrenched in their problems, and if they weren't eliminated now, they could continue to influence the Central Continent once they recovered.
Shen Tang's attitude could hardly be described as an implication.
It's practically an explicit statement.
She herself was strongly opposed to massacring entire cities in principle, and even more so to her soldiers profiting from such acts. However, everything has its advantages and disadvantages—massacring cities was indeed the fastest way to eliminate or eradicate a scourge. Shen Tang allowed an exception this time!
Slaughter only the powerful families of the central region!
Remember to eliminate them all; the ringleaders must not be spared!
Of the profits gained this time, each of you may receive 70%.
This portion doesn't even need to pay taxes to the Ministry of Revenue.
In addition, Shen Tang had made personnel transfer arrangements in advance, transferring some of the officials from the Six Ministries in the capital to the local areas, specifically the central continent. The vacant positions in the capital were filled by people from the branch offices. Firstly, this provided the latter with tangible benefits to avoid conflicts between the two groups over interests. Secondly, it also ensured that the central continent was under the absolute control of Kangguo's loyalists.
Shen Tang trusted Xiahou Yu and his group, but distrusted the newcomers recruited during the rapid expansion of his power. Dispersing this group of potential threats was the prudent approach. The list involved as many as three hundred people, and their placement required a comprehensive consideration of their individual contributions, abilities, family backgrounds, and moral character. They barely reached an agreement after discussing it all night…
Chu Yao: [How does Your Majesty intend to deal with the southeast?]
Shen Tang said, "If Zhai Xiaofang is a gentleman, I cannot be a villain. If he wants to fight, let him fight; whether he lives or dies depends on his own abilities."
Chu Yao: [What if he surrenders?]
To put it bluntly, Chu Yao hoped that Zhai Le would willingly die for his country.
With his pillar of support gone, the Qu Kingdom could truly crumble—Zhai Le's situation was different from Wu Xian's; Wu Xian lacked Zhai Le's cohesion and influence within the Qu Kingdom. Chu Yao wasn't afraid of Zhai Le going back on his word in the future; he was only worried about potential threats.
Hidden dangers mean we must be vigilant at all times.
Shen Tang said, "If he dares to surrender, I dare to accept."
He said it without the slightest hint of reluctance.
Shen Tang did indeed hope that Zhai Le would surrender to him.
[To say something Wu Zhaode might not like to hear, I've accepted him, so there's no reason not to accept Zhai Xiaofang. What does it matter how much prestige Zhai Xiaofang has in Qu Kingdom? How can it compare to the will of the people of Kang Kingdom? If Qu Kingdom is incorporated into our territory, the common people of Qu Kingdom will also be common people of Kang Kingdom. In this world, only politicians worry about changing circumstances; the common people only worry about basic necessities, not about favorable timing, location, or popular support.]
Facing Chu Yao and his group, she was full of confidence and exuded heroic spirit.
Is that really the case?
I'm still a little worried.
Fearing that something might happen to him in Shan Nian's hands, Chu Yao and the others would likely not accept Zhai Le's surrender, even if they did. They would not let Zhai Le live for long, so they would just give him a death from illness to save face.
Indecent—
They fabricate evidence to kill people as traitors.
[By the way, Wu Hui, I remember I owed Zhai Xiaofang a debt from years ago. If... please remember to pay it back for me.]
Regardless, spare his life.
|ω`)
My family made coarse rice dumplings without any filling, and the taste was simply amazing.
I've never eaten such a terrible zongzi (sticky rice dumpling)...
(End of this chapter)
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