Chapter 1520-1519: The Grand Finale (Twenty-Two) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Zhai Le returned home, his feet glistening with morning dew.
Before he could even catch his breath, he received news that Yu Hai wanted to see him.
Zhai Le stiffened, a barely perceptible unease creeping into his expression. His gaze swept over Yu Hai, noticing the latter was still dressed as he had yesterday. Yu Hai had a frivolous habit; whenever possible, he changed his clothes daily. He had even been impeached by the Censorate for this, criticized for his extravagance. However, Yu Hai ignored him: "Gui Long didn't return last night?"
Yu Hai said, "Yesterday I was only staring at the guy surnamed Lin."
Zhai Le sighed and said, "Oh, how many groups of people went?"
Lin Feng's persuasive words swayed many of the pro-war faction, but those who wanted her dead continued to arrive in droves. Zhai Le knew without a doubt how chaotic the inn had been last night; it was probably already a river of blood.
"The number of groups of people is not important."
"Then what is important?"
"The important thing is to guard against Lin Lingde's underhanded schemes. If I hadn't intervened in time, I would have suspected that she would have harmed herself to frame you and drive you to the brink of despair." Yu Hai was Zhai Le's trusted strategist for many years, and also a close friend with whom he could confide. The two were no longer simply ruler and subject. "Why don't you think about what kind of person Shen Youli is?"
Zhai Le opened his mouth.
Intuition told him to set aside his doubts about the first sentence and answer the second: "She is chivalrous, righteous, and compassionate towards all people and things."
A general and a ruler are two worlds apart. Zhai Le believed he had become unrecognizable; to be a good ruler, he would have to abandon certain qualities and even principles of a general. But upon seeing Shen Youli again after many years, he was surprised to find that she was no different from before—the same enthusiasm, the same sincerity. That was why he unusually sought confirmation from Lin Feng twice yesterday.
Yu Hai: "Do you think she would deliberately drive you to your death?"
Zhai Le remained silent.
After a long pause, she said, "If she were still the Shen Youli I knew, she probably wouldn't. She had countless legitimate ways to kill me, and she wouldn't be willing or stoop to using schemes to get me... But people change. I know the Shen Youli of the past, but I don't know the Shen Youli of today."
Lin Feng's answers were both so confident.
Zhai Le naturally chose to believe.
After all, he understood Shen Tang but not the King of Shen.
Yu Hai said, "What if this was Lin Feng's idea on his own? Or was it her and Qi Yuanliang's idea? Shen Youli has no idea."
“Shen Youli’s leniency does not mean she is not strict in managing her subordinates.”
Lin Feng and his confidant are both her trusted confidants. If even her trusted confidants don't listen to Shen Youli, how could he have conquered such a large country as Kang?
Zhai Le smiled, but the smile vanished in an instant.
Upon seeing this, Yu Hai knew that he had the same idea: "What if Shen Youli isn't in Kangguo? She herself isn't here."
Zhai Le said sternly, "You want me to take advantage of someone's misfortune?"
His friend wasn't home, so he went and bullied a five- or six-month-old baby?
Yu Hai wanted to roll his eyes: "How is this taking advantage of someone in distress?"
His friend would be 100% no match for him at home.
Zhai Le: "..."
Yu Hai: "...Have you made up your mind?"
Zhai Le pursed his lips and avoided Yu Hai's gaze: "I can't gamble with the lives of my blood relatives and innocent soldiers for a slim chance. If it were just me, I would fight to the last drop of blood and not surrender, but I am not, I can't do that."
If you want to fight, you must use the Zhai family's property as a wager to show your determination.
This is precisely Zhai Le's weakness.
Yu Hai said that Shen Tang most likely hadn't returned, and that Kang Guo was just bluffing. He was indeed tempted for a moment. If he were still young, if he were still unburdened, he might have had the courage to gamble that one in ten thousand chance. He would rather die standing than live on his knees.
Yu Hai did not try to persuade him further.
He simply asked, "Have you ever thought about your reputation after death?"
For a martial artist who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of martial arts, surrendering without a fight is always shameful, regardless of the reason. If Zhai Le makes this choice, his resolve will be destroyed, his life will be cut short, and future generations will never understand him.
I can't even imagine how nasty the insults will be.
This offended the remaining pro-war faction in Qu Guo all at once.
Why not take a risk and gamble that your friend isn't home, and take advantage of the situation to bully Kang Guo, who is only a few months old and in charge of the household?
Zhai Le: "..."
Yu Hai had a headache: "Have you ever thought about me?"
If Qu Guo were to vote, I can't even imagine how arrogant Qi Shan would become.
Zhai Le: "I'm sorry."
Yu Hai waved his hand and sighed, "...Never mind."
To be fair, Zhai Le and Zhai Huan are indeed direct cousins. These two, seemingly one scholarly and the other martial, one quiet and the other active, are actually exactly alike—both willful at heart. Zhai Huan abandoned his family without hesitation back then, and Zhai Le isn't much better off now. What a tragic situation.
Although Zhai Le had made his choice, surrendering wasn't something to be done lightly. The next day, he met with Lin Feng privately, conveying only one message: they were willing to talk, but neither Lin Feng nor Qi Shan were qualified to talk to him, nor were they qualified to guarantee the future livelihood of the people and officials of Qu Kingdom. He wanted to see Kang Kingdom's true sincerity.
Without sincerity, there's no point in talking.
"I will convey the King of Zhai's words verbatim."
Lin Feng showed no flaws.
She returned with a letter written in Zhai Le's own handwriting.
When the troops sent out by Qi Shan met the person, Xu Quan also breathed a sigh of relief: "...If it had been delayed for two more days, the Grand Tutor would have worried that you had been detained for a sacrificial ceremony, and that the troops would be reorganized to launch a strong attack on Qu State."
Lin Feng was preoccupied with worries.
"If they are detained, it would actually be a good thing."
That would provide a ready-made reason to start a war, giving us a legitimate cause.
Lin Feng went to see Qi Shan immediately and relayed the negotiation results in detail: "Zhai Xiaofang insists on seeing the Lord before she will give up... I suspect that the news may have leaked and let Qu Guo know something. Otherwise, why would Zhai Xiaofang go to such lengths?"
But their reasons are perfectly reasonable.
Kangguo's refusal suggests he has something to hide.
Qi Shan's attention was elsewhere. He said, "A position equivalent to a prince, with the added title of a duke and a fief of ten thousand households—isn't that enough sincerity?"
Throughout history, how many royal families of fallen kingdoms have received this treatment?
Even if you're not completely wiped out, you should still keep a low profile and behave yourself.
Lin Feng: "The biggest problem right now is that we still have no news from our lord... If our lord were here, why would we be so constrained?"
Chu Yao's teaching to Lin Feng was to use overt strategies when possible, and only resort to covert strategies when overt strategies failed; covert strategies were a last resort. Lin Feng followed this principle in his daily actions.
Qi Shan said, "Since he wants to see him, then let him see him."
He had someone deliver the letter to Shen Tang.
Lin Feng suddenly turned her head and looked over, a thought that filled her with ecstatic joy welling up in her mind: "Qi Zhongshu means that the Lord..."
"Yes, I'm back, not long after you went on your mission."
Lin Feng clutched his wildly beating heart and wept with joy.
That moment of peace felt like a place where even the soul could find its home.
Shen Tang hadn't expected her friend to make such a choice. She'd been busy familiarizing herself with government affairs these past two days, while also taking the time to bond with the new faces on the household registration book. To be precise, she was burning the midnight oil reviewing memorials, while Ji Moqiu played educational animations for Shen De.
[The High Priest discovers new uses for divine power.]
The divine power manifested into all sorts of plants and animals, which came to life and immediately captivated Shen De's attention. When they got tired of watching the animation, Shen Tang tossed them a corrected memorial to the emperor, using it to teach Shen De to read.
This memorial already has the most neat handwriting.
Given that Shen Tang is currently quite fragile, Chu Yao and the others dared not tire her out. The memorials sent to them every day were all of utmost importance, requiring her to make decisions. Even so, they were still busy until the wee hours of the morning before finally putting out the candles. Shen Tang bent down and picked up the memorials that Shen De had scattered on the floor.
Ji Moqiu said, "Your Highness doesn't understand these things yet."
If he hadn't stopped it, who knows how many of these memorials would have survived.
"If she tore it up, so be it. Just make another copy."
The memorials were not the originals; there were as many copies as needed.
Of course, this matter must not be known to a fourth person.
If word gets out, Shen Tang will be nagged by the Censorate.
_(:з」∠)_
Normally, the criticism would be directed at Shen De, but since Shen De is only a few months old, the only recourse when she causes trouble is to contact her parents. Shen Tang had just finished tidying the table when she noticed the scroll of the Investiture of the Gods, which she had neglected for so long, still lying on the corner. Shen De had also used the Investiture of the Gods as a teeth-grinding tool.
Several places were wet, covered in saliva.
Shen Tang: "...I almost forgot."
Although Shen Tang is incredibly wealthy and lavish, having emptied his coffers and used his merits to repair the Four Pillars of Destiny, and even sacrificing some of his own root system, making the Four Pillars now as solid as a rock, theoretically they no longer need the Investiture of the Gods to reinforce them. However, the greatest use of the Investiture of the Gods is not just to stabilize the Four Pillars.
Instead, they raised a herd of indestructible cattle and horses.
With her memories restored, Shen Tang understood things she hadn't before. For example, she could now decipher the obscure and complex ancient characters on the Investiture of the Gods and knew the names of the people they represented.
Upon opening it—
Ha, unsurprisingly, a whole host of enemies.
Looking around, most of the items were delivered by her.
The spirits on the Investiture of the Gods were still fighting and killing each other, but the moment Shen Tang cast his gaze, all the spirits seemed to sense something.
Shen Tang's gaze pierced through the disguise of the Investiture of the Gods, revealing scattered true spirits on a sealed land. These true spirits all retained their appearance from their previous lives, about the size of a thumb. They all looked up at the "giant," who was also looking back at them with a chilling gaze.
"Brother, did she see us?"
[For example, his eyes look completely different from before.]
The little spirits whispered amongst themselves, unusually pausing their life-or-death battle. Shen Tang's gaze swept across the entire Investiture of the Gods, remaining silent. Just when the little spirits thought it was an illusion, a divine decree descended from the heavens, causing a great stir.
Ji Moqiu gently laid Shen De down, who was drooling in his sleep.
I returned just in time to see Shen Tang rolling up the Investiture of the Gods.
"Has Your Highness already decided where they will go?"
Shen Tang said calmly, "Two hundred billion merits, we should at least earn some back. Free labor is free, so why not use it?"
The Investiture of the Gods selects spirits not based on their good or evil deeds in life, but solely on their eligibility to undergo tribulation. Once a spirit enters tribulation, it proves their destiny is extraordinary, making them ideal slaves. Those with great merit are best, as they are easier to manipulate; those without merit who commit evil are exploited without hesitation. As long as the Investiture of the Gods exists, they are simply tools that won't die suddenly, serving as sacred bodies for accumulating merit.
Although Shen Tang repaired the four pillars, it could only last for a thousand years; the planet beneath their feet was unwilling to renew its lease on humanity. After a thousand years, it would still sink. Therefore, if humanity wanted to secure living space, it had to expand its territory into space within a thousand years.
The oxen and horses in the Investiture of the Gods were the perfect pioneering mission.
Humanity, tormented by natural disasters and man-made calamities for thousands of years, has undergone physical mutations, and these traits have been fully inherited through genes. For example, martial artists with higher strength can withstand harsh planetary environments. Shen Tang calculated that, if all goes well, she could probably recoup four to five billion merit points.
Ji Moqiu: "Your Highness wants to reshape their bodies?"
Shen Tang: "How could I have so much free time?"
The simplest way to give a true spirit a physical body is to reshape it, and Shen Tang's original root system would be a good material. The second way is to throw it into the cycle of reincarnation and be reborn. Shen Tang finds this troublesome, and another reason is that the identities of these enemies in their previous lives are too hateful.
You should at least clean it thoroughly before using it.
After consulting with everyone, Shen Tang decided to throw them into the cycle of reincarnation.
These true spirits are all souls marked by the Investiture of the Gods. No matter how many times they are reincarnated, they can be found by the Investiture of the Gods. After reincarnation, they will regain their memories when they reach a certain opportunity. Shen Tang is not afraid of losing them.
"It will be ready for use in eighteen years."
Not all true spirits were cast into the cycle of reincarnation by her. Some true spirits were granted the privilege of appearing in dreams of their loved ones before reincarnation.
What if they continue to do evil eighteen years later?
"I have plenty of patience."
If one reincarnation isn't enough, they'll be sent in for a second reincarnation.
It can always be reincarnated into a human form.
Ji Moqiu: "..."
He's overthinking it.
It was late at night, and he could not stay in the main tent for long.
What he didn't know was that not long after he took his leave, a thin little paper figure crawled out from one of the memorials and clapped its little hands.
He had just stretched when his eyes met Shen Tang's.
After a burst of white mist, the little paper figure transformed into a giant panda.
Who else could it be but the righteous panda from that day?
The panda warrior strolled leisurely to the Investiture of the Gods and patted the list on it with his paw: "Your subjects are quite interesting."
I secretly observed it for a while, and the more I looked, the more satisfied I became.
Shen Tang looked down at it: "Speak your mind."
Panda Hero: "Have you heard of BOSS Zhipin?"
It moved to Shen Tang's seat, and another wisp of white mist appeared, the giant panda vanished, and in its place stood a tall, imposing figure. The woman leaned on the table, giving Shen Tang a triumphant smile: "We're in the same boat now. You can't bear to see your beloved treasure trapped in endless reincarnation, and I'm worried about the future of our clan. So, how about we join forces?"
Shen Tang: "How can we join forces?"
The panda warrior raised an eyebrow: "I'm lacking a demon master here."
Shen Tang: "..."
Silence is not a rejection, but a serious consideration of the possibility.
The panda warrior before them was also a victim of the torment inflicted by the Heavenly Dao. He was once the Demon King of the ancient demon race, but was targeted and suffered greatly because he disrupted the Heavenly Dao's plan for rise and fall. In this respect, he and Shen Tang were indeed in the same boat.
If the other party helps, Shen Tang can secretly switch Qi Shan and the others with the demon race after they die of old age. The demon race has been ostracized for many years and has only recently received some compensation. The demon race, with its dwindling population, does indeed need a demon master who understands the rules of order to guide them. It is more appropriate for the panda hero to step forward than for Shen Tang to personally protect them.
"how?"
The panda warriors extended their cooperative paws.
Shen Tang and he exchanged palm strikes.
"It's a deal."
|ω`)
Today I picked 100 pounds of bayberries to make bayberry preserves. The cannery was so stuffy and crowded; I couldn't even get in line.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
