Chapter 1571 Extra: Except for Wushan, there are no other clouds (Part 2)
Qin Li couldn't immediately tell if his lord was speaking the truth or using the truth as a pretext to lie. He quickly nipped this thought in the bud; he should trust him. It was truly unbelievable that in their two or three decades as ruler and subject, they had never once had a heated argument. The bloody examples in history and his unpleasant past with Wu Xian seemed like a dream.
Qin Li said, "Yes, I misspoke."
Shen Tang poked her head out of the cabin: "Roll towards Lotus Lake."
The boatwoman, who was gazing at the scenery of the five seas and mechanically rowing the oars, came back to her senses and gave her a hearty smile: "Your Majesty, Lotus Lake has been closed off, and tourists are not allowed to go there."
Although it is called Lotus Lake, it is actually only a part of the Five Seas.
It used to be open to tourists, but I heard that the Lord wanted to eat fried lotus root cakes, so he personally designated an area there to plant a large field of lotus flowers, so that he could harvest a lot of lotus roots during the harvest season. Tourists cannot row in, but they can admire it from the outside.
I heard that students from the Imperial Academy also planted some experimental lotus there, to make some kind of experimental lotus root, probably for food.
Shen Tang smiled and said, "It's alright, I have a pass."
Upon hearing this, the boatwoman readily abandoned the popular lake tour route.
"Does the female ruler hold a high position in the court?"
"Um."
The boatwoman asked again, "Is it the official in court?"
"Hmm, do I not look like it?"
"The lady is handsome and has an extraordinary bearing; naturally, she resembles her," the boatwoman said, offering a few auspicious words. The tourists who came to the boat weren't in a hurry, so she rowed at her usual pace. At this moment, Qin Li, like Shen Tang, sat on the gunwale. Seeing his upright and reserved posture, the boatwoman said, "This young man is equally dashing; the two of you seem like a match made in heaven."
Boating on the lake is a common occasion for many eligible men and women to cultivate their relationship or go on blind dates, and the boatwoman thought the two of them were doing the same.
Qin Li said, "You must not speak recklessly; she is my superior."
The boatwoman quickly smiled apologetically and took back her earlier nonsense.
Qin Li softened his expression, letting the wind from the lake blow through his hair.
The Five Seas area is vast, and the closer one gets to Lotus Lake, the fewer boats there are, revealing a verdant expanse from afar. Just as the boatwoman said, this area is indeed fenced off for lotus cultivation, allowing the boats to admire the flowers from a distance. Shen Tang had changed her posture, her wooden clogs hanging from her fingers, her feet immersed in the lake water. The icy chill traveled from her feet straight to the top of her head.
She asked the boatwoman for information.
How much can a boatman earn for one trip?
The boatwoman replied, "I'll take half."
The contract she signed with the agency responsible for managing the five seas was a 50/50 split. If she attended every open day and achieved certain performance targets, she would receive an additional 10% incentive. Although this job wasn't her main profession, as a side hustle, the income was quite considerable.
Shen Tang asked, "Are there any outstanding payments?"
The boatwoman shook her head and joked, "We've never been behind on this, and I doubt we'd dare. I've heard that our lord occasionally travels to the Five Seas to enjoy himself with the people. If our lord were to inquire and find out that we owe even this little bit of money, wouldn't those officials in the Five Seas want their heads?"
As she said this, Qin Li cast a smiling glance at her.
What did the boatman do before?
"In the past, I was a civilian laborer in the army, helping to transport military supplies and do odd jobs. Later, I followed the soldiers to train and went to the battlefield to fight..." The boatwoman's experience was actually quite interesting.
Because her husband and in-laws had died, the local warlord came to conscript laborers and took her away. If she refused to leave, her two children, both under ten years old, would be taken away. She was, after all, an adult, and stronger than children under ten.
Following the army, they did laundry, cooked, and mended clothes.
The warlord lost the battle, and his remaining troops scattered and fled.
She was lucky; she encountered Shen Tang's troops on her first try. After being recruited, she unexpectedly discovered that she had a little talent for cultivation, so she learned some tricks for regulating her breath. She fought alongside the army for three or four years, and miraculously, she rose to the position of squad leader through her military merits, cultivated to the lowest level of the Gongshi (a low-ranking military officer), and finally returned home safely without any missing limbs.
Even more fortunately, they also found their two children.
Although life as a slave was hard, and her two children were skin and bones, at least they were still alive, and even her daughter was sold off by her master. Looking at her two listless, emaciated children, she comforted them, saying, "Regardless of the past, the three of us will live a good life from now on."
Forget about the hardships of the past.
The boatwoman was a very talkative person.
When Shen Tang asked her about her family's jobs, she didn't hide anything.
"My daughter rented a small shop and opened a steamed bun shop. I heard that all the officials in the neighborhood love to eat there, and they never get tired of it even after eating it for years. A couple of years ago, she got married to an orphan. My son went to learn a craft and opened a shop to do repairs. He doesn't earn much, but it's enough to support the family. I heard that he recently enrolled in some kind of evening tutoring class offered by the Imperial Workshop. If he can study hard and master it, he'll never starve anywhere with this skill. As for me, I try my best to scrape together what I earn each year to help them out."
The family's prosperity is due to their concerted efforts.
The rent at Huangting is expensive, and the children will also have to pay for school in the future.
"Sigh, if only Sun Neng could cultivate..."
The whole family has something to look forward to in the future.
Shen Tang: "Is the rent still too expensive?"
The boatwoman said, "It's acceptable for my family, but for others... sigh, I heard that even officials can't afford to rent nice houses."
It's not that I can't afford to rent it.
It's just that it's difficult to rent a house that matches one's social status.
Qin Li used telepathy to recount Cui Xiao's previous rental experience—a past so embarrassing it could be considered a dark chapter in his life. The unfinished house, which he had painstakingly worked to complete and near completion, was burned down in a fire. Qin Li felt sorry for him upon learning this.
A person so unlucky that only the former ruler could probably rival him—since the world has been at peace, Kang Shi has had no chance to harm the ruler, and the ruler has not been unlucky for many years.
Shen Tang: "...It was my oversight."
The boatwoman asked in confusion, "Ah, is this the area the Queen is in charge of?"
Shen Tang felt a little guilty and ashamed: "Mm."
Actually, we're just too busy.
Aside from its stronghold in the Northwest Continent, which is somewhat better, other places are riddled with problems that Shen Tang can't seem to solve no matter how hard he tries. The issues are numerous, especially in areas where religious influence is prevalent and where powerful families have been entrenched for many years. Various cults are lurking among the people, playing a game of whack-a-mole with the royal court. And in areas dominated by powerful families, such as the Central Continent, there are countless ways to cause trouble.
Encouraging local officials to go on strike is a basic tactic.
This is the result of the royal court's annual inspections.
If we don't keep a close eye on things, we might have seen officials arrive in office with their appointment certificates only to be assassinated without warning.
Shen Tang didn't want to indulge them, but the problem was that she didn't have that many low-level clerks at her disposal. She couldn't expect the officials she sent out to do everything, could she? They wouldn't be able to handle it.
Fortunately, the public hospitals in various places have been established every year, and new batches of patients are being recruited, which has given Shen Tang a long sigh of relief.
The rent for the Phoenix Palace...
In comparison, it's really not worth mentioning.
However, it is ultimately a matter of people's livelihood and cannot be ignored.
Shen Tang secretly noted it down, preparing to go back and discuss it with someone to finalize a new rental law and regulate the rental market.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Qin Li take out his pen and write something down. She smiled and said, "If the boatman has anything to say, he can say it now. Maybe the Queen will also have a hand in introducing a leasing law later."
The boatwoman said, "Oh? There are many more."
The cruise ship entered Lotus Lake smoothly.
These lotus flowers were specially selected and cultivated. Lin Feng and Chen Zhi collaborated with them many times but could not achieve the expected results. Finally, they borrowed Cui Xiao from the Censorate and used his scholarly approach to overlook certain characteristics, which barely succeeded and resulted in the lotus lake before them.
The lotus leaves are large, and the lake is so green that it can almost submerge the tour boats.
Shen Tang: "Gong Su, would you like to guess the lotus root yield?"
Qin Li shook his head.
He's not good at these things.
Shen Tang then said, "Once the lotus roots are harvested, I plan to have everyone who can come help with the harvest. Gong Su, should we start practicing our swimming skills in advance?"
"I'm a fairly good swimmer."
It can even be considered excellent.
However, the lord's words, "Those who can come, come and help," reminded him of someone who couldn't swim. Qin Li didn't hide his sarcasm: "Yuan Liang can probably only stand on the shore and gloat."
Shen Tang reached out and plucked a lotus bud, forcefully prying open the folded petals one by one with her fingers, making the boatwoman look distressed—would this affect the lotus root yield that her lord was so eager for? Shen Tang didn't pay attention to the boatwoman's thoughts, and just smiled as she chatted casually with Qin Li: "Yuanliang can't swim...when did you find out?"
Qin Li said, "We haven't known each other for very long."
I just didn't believe Qi Shan's nonsense at the time.
Later, while practicing freestyle fighting by the stream, he discovered that he was genuinely afraid of water.
"So early? That was many, many years ago..." Shen Tang tossed the folded lotus flower into Qin Li's arms. Actually, she wanted to toss it into his hair so that the flower and the person would complement each other, but considering that this move was a bit frivolous and that the stern Prime Minister Qin might get angry, she restrained herself. "Speaking of which, Gong Su rarely mentions the past."
"What does Boss Shen want to hear?"
"A man of few words, riding a horse and leaning against a slanting bridge, surrounded by beauties in red sleeves beckoning him from every corner of the building."
Qin Li cursed Gu Chi under his breath.
Not all young people are romantic in their youth.
He said, “There’s nothing interesting, just a lot of tedious and trivial stuff. My branch is to become the clan head, and I have to memorize all sorts of sacrificial rites and rituals. Fortunately, the Wenxin Scholar can use the Wengong to record things, so these things that I have to memorize by rote don’t take much effort.”
The troublesome part is the other etiquette gestures that require practice.
There were also all sorts of messy sacrificial vessels.
Shen Tang: "..."
Speaking of which, the Imperial Clan Court of Kang Kingdom is such a remote government office that even cockroaches rarely visit it; some of its duties are even handled by the Ministry of Rites. This is mainly because the Kang Kingdom's royal family consists of only two people, Shen Tang and Shen De, neither of whom have ancestors to worship…
What are ancestors?
Shen Tang cursed Heaven three times a day in his heart, which was already giving Heaven face.
Qin Li sighed, "Actually, I don't want to learn at all."
"Why?"
She thought the answer would be "meaningless," but Qin Li said instead, "In times of chaos, the average lifespan of a nation is only about thirty years. In years of famine, the change of dynasties is even more frequent. The term 'the lineage of the imperial clan' sounds respectable, but to put it bluntly, it's just the pretentious fuss of a poor person who has suddenly become rich. The more they lack something, the more they try to attach themselves to it..."
Qin Li was not happy at all, despite all the research on ancient rituals and the desire to emblazone herself with the words "My family has a rich heritage" on her forehead.
As it turns out, all that he learned was completely useless.
It was completely useless.
Ultimately, it was the Ministry of Rites of Kangxi who benefited.
Shen Tang also thought of this. She smiled and then, without thinking, plucked a flower bud: "I remember that Gong Su once became a monk?"
There are far too many religions in Kangguo.
Among the officials, few have made any achievements in this area.
Perhaps one day when this area is cleaned up, he can step in.
Qin Li nodded: "Yes, I cultivated for a few years."
Why choose to become a monk or nun?
"The reasons are complex."
The main reason was to avoid the struggles between his royal uncles.
He didn't want to get involved and lose his life.
"What was the main reason that time?"
"A wise hermit said that my fate is fraught with misfortune."
Shen Tang perked up: "This is blatant slander."
Qin Li was an "oddball" among the many confidants who betrayed her, the kind who remained untainted by the mud, never betraying her lord and always getting the job done.
"It's true."
"Tell me more?"
Qin Li was not afraid that this past event would affect his lord's trust in him: "Before I entered the temple to cultivate, I was already of marriageable age, and my family wanted to find me a respectable and noble family. However, every time I went to find a match, I would inevitably fall seriously ill and be bedridden for a long time."
Kang Shi frequently encountered problems with the women he went on blind dates with.
When it was Qin Li's turn, he fell ill.
Once or twice could be considered a coincidence, but after it happened many times, people realized it really was his problem. The most serious time, he almost died, which frightened his family so much that they dared not mention it again and hurriedly sought out a reclusive master in China to see what was wrong with him.
The reclusive master glanced at him and asked for his birth date and time.
The final conclusion was that his birth chart indicated misfortune.
In other words, they were born with the destiny of a celestial being.
The son of a deity must naturally serve the deity.
The hermit also advised him that he could become a monk for a few years to perhaps counteract his fate as a child of immortality. Although his family was reluctant, they had no choice but to let him go to the temple to hide for a while, so he went.
"A serious illness?"
"Hmm, Your Majesty, may I calculate it by counting on my fingers?"
Qin Li didn't actually believe in the idea of being born a prodigy.
However, there is one thing that the "reclusive master" who was exposed might be right about—the son of a deity should naturally serve the deity.
They are immortals, and also heavenly beings.
Shen Tang pretended to do some calculations with her fingers for a while.
He then frowned: "Does Gong Su really want to know the result?"
"It's inevitable to be a little curious."
Shen Tang: "The one who tied the knot must untie it."
Qin Li was taken aback; this answer was clearly not what he had expected: "The one who tied the knot must untie it? Who is the one who tied the knot?"
Shen Tang: "It's Gong Su himself."
Qin Li was momentarily stunned into understanding: "How could it be myself?"
"Has Gong Su ever considered that this might be a consequence of a past life?"
"Past life? Karma? Perhaps I wronged someone? Or perhaps I made a promise to someone that I cannot break?"
"Well—what if there really was such a person?"
Qin Li shook his head seriously: "Then I can only disappoint you."
It is him, and it is not him.
He is Qin Li, shaped by decades of life experience. He is not the soulmate the other person is waiting for from a past life, so why be so persistent?
Shen Tang propped her chin up and plucked another flower bud.
The tour boat weaved through the lotus flowers and leaves, and she wreaked havoc along the way.
"The lotus leaves stretch to the sky, an endless expanse of green; the lotus blossoms, bathed in sunlight, are a uniquely vibrant red."
From afar, a melodious tune drifted in from who-knows-where.
Qin Li hummed along very quietly.
"What night is this, that I row my boat midstream..."
"What day is this...?"
|ω`)
The last fan title event application has been submitted, and it should be approved and released tomorrow. If you don't have a fan title yet, remember to reply to this post to participate!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
