Chapter 1597 IF Scenario: What if Shen Tang woke up earlier (Part 11)
Shen Tang was unwilling to receive this unexpected pledge of allegiance; it was as unlucky as being suddenly handed a bankrupt company with negative assets while shopping. She gained nothing and had to lose everything.
Shen Tang stared intently at the county magistrate.
His gaze made the other person feel uneasy.
The county magistrate was also a perceptive man. He clearly sensed the impatience and disdain in Shen Tang's eyes. It was obvious that Shen Tang didn't value his pledge of allegiance, nor did he even think much of him. He couldn't help but crawl forward on his knees, his voice trembling with tears in his eyes, "I beg you, Your Excellency, to take us in!"
He adopted an extremely humble posture, like a stray dog.
Well, actually, he's no different from a stray dog now. The moment he decided to kill the magistrate and his cronies, he knew he had no way out. No, it should be said that even earlier, he had no way out after offending the local landowners; his daughter's fate only delayed his death. If Shen Tang hadn't suddenly appeared and wiped out the entire landowners, his peaceful days wouldn't have lasted much longer.
He had nowhere else to go but to Shen Tang's side.
Seeing that Shen Tang still hadn't agreed, he crawled another step on his knees.
His forehead slammed heavily against the cold ground, the earthy smell filling his nostrils. The impact was so strong that his forehead bled. "From now on, I will serve you faithfully, like a dog or a horse!"
Shen Tang: "..."
Good heavens, this is practically forced buying and selling!
What good stuff could be offered up so eagerly?
However, looking at the middle-aged county magistrate with a beard, Shen Tang softened slightly and said, "Go and shave your beard."
Everyone was stunned and looked at Shen Tang in confusion.
Shen Tang raised her chin slightly and repeated, "Shave your beard."
The county magistrate then seemed to realize the truth of the matter.
He drew the dagger from his waist with a backhand motion, hesitated for only a moment, and then ruthlessly cut off his beard. Because his movements were so quick and fierce, his beard was cut into a mess, and several small cuts on his cheeks were constantly seeping blood. After shaving off his beard, he lowered his head again.
Shen Tang: "..."
There's no need to be so exaggerated and impatient.
However, it must be said that this county magistrate is surprisingly young.
Without his beard, he looked to be only about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a handsome appearance and a refined yet resolute demeanor, making him much more pleasing to the eye than before. Thinking this, she reached out to the county magistrate: "Get up. Have someone clean this place up first. The corpses have all been disposed of; otherwise, they'll rot and attract insects. Bert, have someone send a message to the high priest and the others; we're moving."
Now, she is the owner of this county government.
He officially took over this bankrupt and dilapidated company.
Sigh, she's still too soft-hearted.
Shen Tang waved his hand, signaling everyone to get to work.
Looking at the barely touched dishes on the banquet table, she frowned, thinking to herself, "Wasting food is shameful." She ordered someone to reheat the dishes on the table so she could continue eating later. Lost in thought, Shen Tang didn't see Luo San behind her, thoughtfully stroking his beard.
Our bodies and hair are gifts from our parents.
Beards are something that can only be trimmed, rarely shaved.
Actually, one of the most important reasons why ordinary people like to grow beards is that the knives are too outdated. If you accidentally cut your skin with a rusty razor, the poison can easily cause the wound to ulcerate and lead to death.
However, this is not a problem for martial arts practitioners.
They can pull out the sharpest knife at any time.
Luo San then remembered that none of the male followers (specifically referring to male Gongxi people) under his lord's command had beards. He had initially thought it was because this tribe was ignorant, but now he realized that not having a beard was a sign of being truly accepted by his lord. His lord hadn't required him to shave because he considered him a hired laborer, not one of his own.
Wei Lou: "..."
It was very inappropriate to recall my casual conversation with my lord.
In an environment where his peers all grew beards to signify adulthood, the lord had no desire to grow one. When asked why, he replied that it was a tribal rule. Male high priests had to learn many things, one of which was appearance. Not only could they not have beards, but even their armpits couldn't grow hair; they had to be shaved clean: "[...High priest attire also varied according to the season; some were completely covered up, while others were sleeveless or wide-sleeved robes. If I were chosen, raising my hand during ceremonies would create a dense mass of black hair—how offensive that would be to the gods!]"
Warriors with strong courage and vigor have abundant blood and energy, and their body hair is also very thick.
Ji Sunyin secretly suspected that the fact that five female high priestesses had emerged in a row might be related to the male candidates having excessive body hair.
A colleague casually asked, "What about the next one?"
Ji Sunyin was silent for a few moments, then threw the bone she had been gnawing on at him: [What high priest would suddenly lift his robe and tear open his trousers while presiding over a ceremony? You dare to do it, but I dare not watch!]
They dared to do it, and the gods immediately sent down heavenly lightning.
Wei Lou thought to himself at that moment: [An evil god!]
I never imagined I would witness a "wicked god" forcing someone to shave their beard.
Wei Lou: "Our bodies and hair are given to us by our parents. Is Shen Jun forcing him to shave his beard to test whether he is obedient and has no disloyal intentions?"
Shen Tang: "My lord, your mind is so dark."
Wei Lou: "???"
Shen Tang: "Can't I just like pretty girls? I don't think so when I have a beard, but even after shaving it off, I still have my charm."
Wei Lou: "...Evil God."
Shen Tang was unaware of the malice lurking in Wei Lou's words, and simply said matter-of-factly, "Everyone has a love for beauty. Don't you think you look more energetic after shaving off your beard?"
It's just shaving a beard, but they're making it sound like she forced a woman into prostitution.
Watching Wei Lou's retreating figure, she was completely bewildered: "What kind of temper is that? He's so easily angered and prone to exploding."
That's utterly absurd.
The disturbances of that night were all contained by the courtyard wall.
The next day, the sun rose in the east.
Several high priests had already arranged for people to transfer some of the assets. Watching cartloads of grain pour into the city gates, the county magistrate, who had stayed up all night, was on the verge of tears. All the torment and struggle of the night vanished, leaving only the relief of having made the right bet. With so much food, if only their lord would be willing to distribute some during the harsh winter, countless innocent people could survive this winter.
His daughter brought him clean knives and warm water.
"Father, let your daughter help you with your appearance."
The county magistrate, regaining his composure, repeatedly said, "Absolutely, absolutely."
Clean up and get ready to go to work.
Upon entering the county government building, she encountered a burly young man she didn't recognize. His clothes looked familiar, as if she had seen him the night before. Shen Tang also thought he looked familiar, but his face was completely unfamiliar. It wasn't until he spoke that she immediately recognized him: "Bert?"
"Greetings, my lord."
Why did you shave your beard?
Without her signature beard, she almost didn't recognize her.
Luo San stroked his smooth chin and said, "My beard is thick and requires time to groom every day. If I don't groom it diligently, it will easily accumulate dirt. My lord's great cause is just beginning to take shape, and he will probably be even busier in the future. After thinking it over, I think it's best to remove the beard to save energy."
Shen Tang was moved: "Thank you for your hard work, Bert."
Luo San was simply the boss's ideal employee.
Shen Tang adores him! For the sake of the company's development, he even has to cut back on personal care time—what boss wouldn't like that?
"This is also to repay the kindness of our lord, so why talk about hardship?"
Shen Tang's eyes were filled with relief.
Wei Lou stared at Luo San's smooth chin, his expression contorted.
He was instantly consumed by rage.
Shocked, bewildered, and questioning the meaning of life.
The county magistrate mistook Wei Lou for an old man from the Yuan family and treated him with great courtesy, even asking about Wei Lou's health—whether the distorted features indicated he was unwell. Wei Lou retorted coldly, turned away, and walked off, leaving the magistrate feeling awkward.
"As expected, it's a bankrupt company, what a huge mess."
Upon joining the new company, Shen Tang's first task was to sort out the company's debt issues. She met with each of her former colleagues to inquire about the specifics. After several busy days, she realized that she had to oversee almost everything: "Damn it, we've suffered huge losses!"
She didn't want to work at all.
They tried to find someone to share the burden, but couldn't get many decent ones.
Apart from a few high priests with extremely high levels of education, the rest of the Gongxi clan were habitually undisciplined. They were all incredibly efficient when it came to manual labor, but when it came to clerical work, they all ran away as fast as rabbits. In the end, they only managed to get one, Gongxi Yu.
Ah, a precious existence, like a hidden gem in the ocean.
In terms of external standards, Gong Xiyu is a scholar with a refined and scholarly spirit, possessing the ways of a scholar even at such a young age. Before Ji Sunyin ran away, he was also being groomed as a candidate for clan leader. Initially a bit rusty, he became extremely efficient after getting the hang of it, much more useful than Wei Lou. Wei Lou was indeed hardworking, but he would inexplicably utter sarcastic and unsettling remarks, appearing out of nowhere like a creepy male ghost, staring at people with a sinister gaze that made them uneasy. Gong Xiyu, on the other hand, was a sunny and cheerful young man.
She was hardworking and provided emotional support, never slacking off, never striking, and never overturning tables, which greatly pleased Shen Tang and somewhat eased her desire to visit her friend Wei Lou again. Time flew by, and while the county was bustling with construction projects, the weather had already turned cool. Autumn was approaching, yet the common people in the county were still dressed in thin clothing. Even those who wore slightly thicker clothes had inconspicuous fabrics, with reeds peeking out: "How can they possibly stay warm through the winter like this?"
Shen Tang personally tried on the reed clothing.
This thing doesn't keep you warm at all.
Order someone to buy warm clothing?
Not to mention the enormous cost, even if we disregarded the cost and did it this way, it would only solve the immediate problem, not the root cause. Shen Tang asked Ji Mo Cong and the others how the Gongxi clan used to get through the cold winters. Ji Mo Cong: "The clan has always had a spring-like climate all year round."
Even without these conditions, the clansmen are immune to both heat and cold.
If you want, you can run barefoot in short skirts and short sleeves all year round.
Shen Tang: "...What makes it so spring-like all year round?"
That place doesn't seem to have the necessary conditions based on its latitude.
Ji Mo Cong said, "It's an array."
This was constructed with divine power, and its scope is limited.
Shen Tang could only abandon such thoughts and prepared to start from reality: "Let me think, what are some ways to keep warm?"
Building a heated brick bed is one solution.
Even the best heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) still needs fuel. Ordinary families can use it for a few days to get through the coldest time, but the poorest people at the bottom of society can't. Even if you build a heated kang for them, they may not be able to afford it: "No matter what, we have to do both things well!"
The heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) should be set up first.
We also need to find a solution for firewood and charcoal.
Even with just the former, she didn't have enough manpower. Under her command were the Gongxi clan, the fellow villagers brought by Luo San, and a small number of local security forces: "I still need to borrow some more manpower."
Shen Tang immediately thought of Ji Sunyin.
Just as she was thinking of having Ji Moshuang write a letter to her eldest son, Ji Sunyin's men arrived: "Oh ho, we're on the same wavelength."
The person in charge was a familiar face: Yun Da.
Yun Da dismounted and took out a letter, which he then presented to Shen Tang.
This is a letter requesting a loan of grain.
Eighty percent of the text is spent inquiring about Shen Tang's recent situation, asking about his mother, younger brother, and clansmen, before finally revealing his true intention to borrow grain: "Borrow grain? You're in dire need over there?"
Yunda also looked worried: "It's missing."
In fact, things haven't calmed down over there at all during this period.
The surrounding warlords were all eyeing him covetously, and some even deliberately drove refugees across the border to attack the strongholds of Ji Sunyin's forces.
This year's harvest fell far short of expectations.
The fact that they've managed to hold out until now, borrowing grain, is thanks to the grain rewards they received from previous collaborations. Without these unexpected incomes, the food crisis would have come much sooner. While everyone else is eager to seize grain from other warlords, Ji Sunyin doesn't want to fight in the dead of winter, as the harsh weather would increase non-combat casualties. So, he thought of sending someone to borrow grain to get through the winter first.
Shen Tang looked at Yun Da: "It's like a pillow coming to someone who's just fallen asleep."
This is a two-way journey!
Yunda: "..."
“You’re short of food over there, and I’m short of manpower here. This is a good way to balance things out. Borrowing food is easy, just lend it! Send as many people as you want without affecting the main camp, and I’ll even pay you your wages.”
Yun Da clasped his hands in thanks and said, "Thank you, Mr. Shen."
Shen Tang patted his beautiful arm.
"You're being too polite by saying that."
Wei Lou, a seemingly random, gloomy male ghost, glanced at Yun Da's new clothes and asked, "Did the lord send these to you?"
Perhaps because he had always lived a life of abundance, Ji Sunyin was quite open-minded and optimistic about finances, and generous to others as well. Knowing Yunda's preferences, he had once gifted Yunda fine clothes. Yunda cherished the gifts from his lord and rarely wore them out, as these new clothes were delicate and would easily become worn out after being worn a few times.
But I wore it today.
This cannot be because Yunda attaches great importance to this trip.
This guy is inherently arrogant and doesn't understand this at all.
Wei Lou asked, "Did the lord tell you to wear this?"
Yunda looked at him in surprise: "Hmm, how did you know?"
Wei Lou's gaze swept over Yun Da's face, and he closed his eyes in despair, as if he couldn't bear to look at him. Yun Da was one of the few male generals who didn't like to grow a large beard. He loved beauty and liked to pretend, so even if he grew a beard, he would only grow a little bit so that his whole face would be exposed.
How good-looking is this face...?
Although I don't care, Wenda is indeed a good color.
It perfectly aligns with mainstream aesthetics.
Wei Lou: "..."
He subtly grasped the lord's intention in sending Yunda over: it wasn't that others couldn't handle the task, but rather that Yunda offered better value for money.
Following this line of thought, it's simply unbearable to look at.
Yun Da felt that Wei Lou, whom he hadn't seen for several months, was a stranger.
I feel there's a communication barrier between us.
After observing for several days, he privately asked Wei Lou, "Lou Jun, have you... decided to leave? Is it because Shen Jun seems more like a wise ruler?"
Wei Lou: "..."
He stared at Yunda with a look of horror, as if he had seen a ghost.
How could someone so young be blind?
|ω`)
I've been thinking for ages, but I still can't remember if I ever gave Wei Lou a courtesy name. Ah, this is the trouble of having too many characters. I do remember Wei Cheng; his courtesy name is Yu Cheng.
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