Chapter 1527 (1526): The Grand Finale (Twenty-Nine) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
"An idler?"
"What idle person?"
"You want to be a nobody?"
Shen Tang took a sip of wine and asked three questions in a row.
His natural and fluent tone actually made Zhai Le feel insecure. He looked at his young friend with a complicated expression: "I know your difficulties, and you should know mine. I feel unworthy of that title of Duke, which is equivalent to a prince. If you are willing, you can give it directly to my daughter. You have met that child. Her personality has matured after experiencing some things, and she is much more stable. She is also a girl. If you need her someday, you can use her. But no matter what the outcome is, please don't be too harsh on her, considering that we have known each other since we were young."
He was completely considering things from a father's perspective for his children.
This was an arrangement that Zhai Le had carefully considered.
If Zhai Le had lost to anyone else, to protect his wife, children, elderly parents, and clansmen, he would most likely have had to wisely commit suicide, extinguishing any hope of future allies among the former Qu Kingdom members, allowing their new ruler to employ them without hesitation. However, the victor was Shen Tang. She was neither cruel nor ungrateful, and she was powerful enough to disregard all conspiracies and schemes. She could control both friend and foe.
Call her confident or call her arrogant.
This is a good thing for Zhai Le.
Because it was Shen Tang, he was able to accept surrender.
The people of Qu Kingdom will not be mistreated, the officials of Qu Kingdom will not have to worry about being slaughtered, and the Zhai family of Qu Kingdom will not have to live in fear and trembling, nor will they have to worry about when the sharp blade hanging over their heads will fall. This is already the most perfect ending.
The only obstacle Zhai Le couldn't overcome was a hurdle in his own heart.
He was unwilling to accept the title of Duke.
Before Shen Tang could speak, Zhai Le raised his hand to indicate that he had more to say: "You Li, let me finish. This title of Duke can be given to anyone with the surname Zhai, it doesn't matter if it's not my daughter, but it just can't be me. I need to explain to my brother."
He failed to fulfill his elder brother's last wish and disappointed the people's expectations, so naturally he could not enjoy the title of Duke with a clear conscience.
Call Zhai Le stubborn or stupid, it doesn't matter.
Shen Tang: "..."
Zhai Le: "Youli, you can speak now."
Shen Tang took a deep breath, wishing she could smash the wine jar in Zhai Le's arms. Pointing at his nose, she said, "You said you want to be a freeloader? Zhai Xiaofang, how can your 36-degree mouth utter such cold and heartless words? Retirement and being a freeloader is something someone your age is entitled to enjoy! Look at me, I've returned from my tribulation as a god and am still working this damn job. You actually want to be a freeloader? How dare you even think about it? Even daydreaming isn't done like this! Do you even remember that Zhai Yuewen is still in my hands? Now, say it again!"
Zhai Le: "..."
He was forced backward by Shen Tang's finger and fell onto the roof tiles.
Meeting those condescending, angry almond-shaped eyes, Zhai Le swallowed hard, clutching his round wine jar, his mind a jumbled mess. At this moment, he desperately needed Gui Long's help to translate the meaning of those words. The amount of information was overwhelming; he was overwhelmed.
However, there was one sentence he understood.
"...How could you use your brother as a hostage to threaten us?"
Shen Tang said, "You were the one who lacked martial ethics first! When you said you wanted to be a free man and laugh at me for working this dog job!"
"…Shen Youli, be reasonable!"
"When did I not reason with you?"
Zhai Le: "..."
Being looked down upon is not a good negotiating posture.
It makes one appear inferior in terms of presence.
He shifted to the side and carefully sat up.
Zhai Le tried to make Shen Tang understand his good intentions: "Isn't this all for your own good? To reduce your troubles? If I accept this title of Duke, and if the former officials of Qu Kingdom ever have any rebellious intentions, they can raise an existing banner. Besides, with both the new and old rulers in the court, how are the former officials of Qu Kingdom supposed to face each other? Giving this title to someone else in the Zhai family will be more reassuring."
Shen Tang only heard Zhai Le's incessant chatter.
"Small mouth, don't speak."
Zhai Le: "..."
He opened his mouth, only to find that he had lost his voice.
His peach blossom eyes widened suddenly, as if accusing Shen Tang of playing dirty tricks on him. Wasn't it supposed to be that repairing the four pillars of destiny would temporarily reduce his power and turn him into an ordinary person? What's with this [silencing and deprivation of voice] now?
"What kind of look is that?" Shen Tang's face was full of disdain. "I've never disregarded martial ethics, nor do I not understand that words carry the law?"
Although she was tricked by that stinky fox and that old man, and was completely stripped and sealed into an ordinary person, her words still carry the effect of laws.
With authority in hand, I have the world at my fingertips.
Isn't it easy for a permission-controlled person to mute someone?
Zhai Le: "..."
Shen Tang threatened, "Who gave you the courage to work while you retire? And with a paid retirement at that! Even if you want to have that daydream, I won't let you have it. If any of the former Qu Kingdom's subordinates have any disloyal intentions, I'll settle accounts with you! They're harboring rebellious thoughts? Laughable, are they not familiar with your entire family? You're saying you're doing this for my own good? Trying to reduce my troubles? Then how dare you even think about having a paid retirement?"
Zhai Le's rank as a duke was equivalent to that of a prince, and his fiefdom consisted of ten thousand households.
As long as Kangguo exists, and as long as Zhai Le keeps his promise, this stipend will continue to be paid. Don't say Zhai Le refuses the title of Duke; this isn't considered a paid retirement. What difference is there between giving the fiefdom of ten thousand households to his daughter and giving it to him? What a clever scheme!
He, Zhai Le, will now enjoy traveling and supporting his brother.
There's no such thing as a free lunch!
The annexation of Qu by Kang State wasn't as simple as signing a contract and Qu State being smoothly absorbed by Kang. There were countless messy details: the transfer of power, the appointment of officials, even cultural differences—it was all incredibly complicated. As the person most familiar with Qu State's politics and economy, was Zhai Xiaofang really going to just say a few sentimental words and then retire?
There's no such thing as a free lunch!
Shen Tang, who was supposed to be the big winner, ended up being the sucker.
There's no such thing as a free lunch!
Zhai Le opened his mouth, his face flushed red, trying to explain something, but the power of the privileged dog's mute was far more domineering than the Word Power [Silence and Deprivation], and he couldn't utter a single word. Shen Tang, on the other hand, grew angrier and angrier, grabbing Zhai Le by the collar. The officials from both countries, who were quietly waiting below the city wall, were all startled, their eyes widening – wait, the negotiations had broken down?
"Zhai Xiaofang!"
The three words made Zhai Le's hair stand on end.
Shen Tang's next words made him jump up: "I originally decided to tell you where Zhai Yuewen was reincarnated, but now I'm not. In Kangguo, there are court assemblies all year round. If I see you being late or leaving early even once, I'll blame it all on him."
Zhai Le: "..."
His chest heaved with anger.
The blame should not fall on his elder brother, who was only a few days old!
Zhai Le was also furious and reached back to grab Shen Tang's collar to try and turn the tide, but before he could exert any force, he sensed a hidden danger, and his muscles stopped abruptly, halting him in place. Ji Moqiu grasped his wrist and said gently, "Please be careful, Duke Wu."
I wonder which brilliant person came up with this title for Zhai Le.
He is without desire, and his strength is unyielding.
Be loyal and forgiving, and uphold justice.
When Wei Lou and Wei Cheng, uncle and nephew, first found out, their expressions were priceless, giving the impression that Wu Guo had been martyred for many years, and Shen Tang was still going to trample on him. Shen Tang, seeing that Zhai Le was about to say something, lifted the restraints, and Zhai Le's first words were: "So I've become the Duke of Wu Guo?"
How can a man born between heaven and earth suffer such an unjust injustice! How did Zhai Xiaofang become a villain who is on paid leave?
I've never seen anyone so proactive in getting people to work.
"Is your Kangguo so desperate for manpower that it's gone mad?"
Shen Tang said matter-of-factly, "Isn't this obvious?"
Zhai, who had never experienced such suffering and joy: "..."
Shen Tang said sarcastically, "How am I like someone else? The team is inherited from my brother, and Zhai Yuewen has taken care of all the hardships in the early stages of your business. I am different. In the early days, I had to make even a small pancake myself. I was used as three people, and I had to be wary of powerful and wicked families taking over. I had to be very careful when using people, and I wished I could cultivate them from the fertilized egg."
Wang Ting was a one-man show.
Promoting capable people isn't difficult; the real challenge lies in promoting those who are loyal to you, loyal to the common people, and capable of serving you. The more prefixes and qualifiers you use, the smaller the pool of candidates becomes. Why did Shen Tang persevere all those years, working herself to the bone without lowering her standards for personnel? Naturally, it was to wait until the right candidates met her criteria grew up. Once they secured their positions, she wouldn't have to worry about unscrupulous individuals coveting them.
I finally had two years of peace and quiet.
They were attacking the southwest, the central region, and even trying to persuade the Qu Kingdom to surrender.
Territorial expansion means more job openings.
Where is Shentang short of people?
She's desperately short-staffed.
The shortage of staff was so severe that even Zhai Xiaofang was considered a beast of burden by her.
"Xiaofang." Shen Tang sighed deeply, gave Ji Moqiu a look, signaling him to lower his guard against Zhai Le, and then raised his hand to brush away non-existent dust from Zhai Le's shoulder, "You and your brother are deeply in love, you wouldn't want your brother to suffer an undeserved disaster, would you?"
Zhai Le gasped.
You can't do this!
It felt like I was meeting Shen Tang for the first time.
You shouldn't have done that!
"We both swore an oath by the Luo River, how can you still be as naive and innocent as Cao Zhaobo? You don't think you're the old scoundrel Sima, do you? If you dare not show up for your duty, don't blame me for turning against you!"
Zhai Le: "..."
I have never experienced anything like this in my life.
The victorious ruler threatened and oppressed the defeated ruler, not for fame, profit, power, or influence, but purely to conscript men. Zhai Le, not without temper, retorted resentfully, "Aren't you afraid that as time goes on, I'll develop ambitions and one day seize your kingdom?"
Shen Tang gave a thumbs up: "You have ambition."
Zhai Le: "..."
Shen Tang smiled and said, "If you want to usurp my throne, first you have to live a long life. Second, not only do you have to hold a high position and great power, but even your subordinates must strive to be the best. Kang Kingdom welcomes this kind of ambitious king. Only those who pass the Ministry of Personnel's assessment every year can be promoted step by step."
Corruption is definitely not an option; it's too easy to lose staff.
To win over the people and achieve political success, right?
To achieve political success, one must work day and night, right?
"I welcome someone like this; the younger generation is formidable, and their courage is commendable." She grasped Zhai Le's hand affectionately. It's not enough to simply win over civil officials to usurp the throne; you also need the strong support of military generals. How impressive would the political achievements have to be to overthrow her while she's still in power?
Shen Tang didn't mind Zhai Le's presumptuous words.
She had said before that if Qi Shan and the others hadn't disagreed, Shen Tang had even considered abdicating in favor of one of her key ministers when the time was right. If Zhai Le had the ability to take on the responsibility, Shen Tang was willing to give him a chance. Ultimately, worldly affairs should be controlled by worldly people.
Shen Tang's words all have their own logic.
Little did they know that they had infuriated Zhai Le.
The young man, who had held a high position for many years, was both angry and anxious, and almost couldn't speak. He wasn't sure if Shen Tang was serious, teasing him, or simply displaying his composure under absolute confidence.
Zhai Le stomped her foot: "You're really going to drive me crazy!"
Despite his anger, he gave up the idea of becoming a layabout.
Shen Tang no longer acts; she uses Zhai Huan to control Zhai Le.
Normally, the negotiation process involves discussing the details first, then determining the outcome. But in Shen Tang's case, it's the outcome first, then the details. Kang Guo wants to take over the entire Qu Guo, but can't accept everything, good or bad. How could they send people to investigate this information themselves compared to Zhai Le's quick action? Having clearly understood Shen Tang's implication, Zhai Le was once again speechless with anger.
Shen Tang nudged his lower back with her elbow.
"Just tell me, who has a clean background and can be used, and who can be dealt with. It's not that I'm going back on my word or unwilling to treat your Qu Kingdom's officials well, but rather that I'm taking the best and discarding the worst. If the two countries are to smoothly navigate the integration period and truly become one, then we can't leave any bad apples around, don't you think?"
Qu Guo once ordered people to compile the genealogies of the family clans in the country.
Even within the central kingdoms, surnames were ranked into different classes.
If Shen Tang had these, it would be much easier for him to select and appoint people.
Zhai Le: "..."
Shen Tang said, "I need to sort things out before I can determine the new personnel arrangements, and even the regional divisions, for the various prefectures and counties within the Qu Kingdom. How can I give you a satisfactory solution if you don't cooperate?"
Zhai Le took a deep breath: "Okay, I'll give it to you later."
Shen Tang pressed his advantage: "The land policy in Kang State is different from that in Qu State. I have no intention of granting special privileges or making exceptions for others. Qu State must also follow the rules of Kang State. Household registration reform and land surveying are unavoidable. If anyone does not cooperate, I can only lay out the unpleasant things upfront to avoid damaging the relationship later."
Zhai Le: "That's natural."
This is also a major reason why some of the pro-war faction advocates for war.
The advocacy for war wasn't solely about defending the country; it was more about protecting one's own interests. Of course, it's wrong to assume that those who advocated peace would readily sacrifice their interests. On the contrary, these people sought preferential treatment through docility and obedience, thereby preserving their own interests.
The human heart is always complex.
Plunder, devouring, and greed are the true underlying motives.
Zhai Le had always thought this way, until he met Shen Tang, this oddball. The Qu Kingdom surrendered, and logically, aside from the negotiated profits, everything else should belong to Shen Tang, who would naturally want to plunder it all. But Shen Tang wanted to initiate some kind of bankruptcy liquidation, insisting on paying out salaries.
The accounts were perfectly balanced.
Shen Tang said seriously, "We cannot owe wages."
Once Kang State officially takes over everything in Qu State and reappoints officials, the salaries of the former Qu State officials must be cleared away to ensure their interests are not harmed. Not only will they not swallow this part, Kang State also proposes something called N+1, which provides certain economic compensation based on the number of years an official has served in Qu State: "For example, if an official has served for ten years, then he will receive a lump sum payment of eleven months' salary."
With this compensation, the whole family has a safety net.
Zhai Le: "..."
Good heavens, after this turn of events, even the dismissed officials couldn't voice their grievances. Their salaries weren't delayed, and they even received generous compensation. It's just that Kangting didn't think much of their abilities and wouldn't recruit them again. Who can they blame for that? They can only blame their lack of ability.
Even if he stubbornly refuses to admit that it was a problem with his personal abilities but rather that Kangguo had other ulterior motives, public opinion will not support him.
Kang Guochentang is completely on the moral high ground.
Isn't this a blatant, overt scheme?
|ω`)
(End of this chapter)
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