Chapter 1612 IF Scenario: What if Shen Tang woke up earlier? (The End)
"My lord, what's wrong with the Marquis...?"
Ji Sunyin led his troops away, and halfway there, someone finally couldn't hold back any longer, looking hesitant and wanting to speak. He wanted to remind Ji Sunyin, but hesitated to be too direct because of his relationship with Wei Lou. For a moment, he was caught in a dilemma, but fortunately, Ji Sunyin understood what he meant.
"I know."
"Does the lord know? Then why not bring him back?"
A sudden surge of resentment towards Wei Lou arose in his heart.
After all, their lord Ji Sunyin had been truly good to them, and the loyalty between ruler and subject was unwavering. How could Wei Lou betray his lord just because Shen Jun could offer better treatment? That would be incredibly disloyal.
“All rivers flow into the sea, and all paths lead to the same destination. Tell me, why did I bring him back?” Ji Sunyin smiled lightly and cheerfully. “Shen Jun entered the world for the sake of the world, and you and I entered the world for the sake of the world as well. This time, Lord Shen is doing so for the sake of the world. Since that’s the case, we are still like-minded people.”
Ji Sunyin and Wei Lou were never estranged.
"But...but..." The general's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and his pupils contracted sharply. He instinctively turned his head to look behind him, and seeing that no one was paying attention, he immediately flicked his finger to create a barrier of martial energy to block out the noise. "My lord, please don't say such frightening things."
Ji Sunyin's words implied a desire to integrate into Shen Tang's faction.
Or rather—
If that day ever comes, Ji Sunyin won't resist too much; he'll probably just half-heartedly submit to her. This is clearly detrimental to the interests of some of Ji Sunyin's subordinates. Let alone ruler and subject, even fathers and sons, mothers and daughters would tear each other apart over interests, creating a life-or-death situation. If they hear their lord's words, things will likely turn sour.
Ji Sunyin laughed and said, "What's the panic? I know what I'm doing."
If that day truly comes, he will fully consider the interests of his generals, at least ensuring their treatment in the new environment is no less than that of his own side. How could the benefits of a warlord's confidant compare to those of a pillar of a unified dynasty? Faced with such a vast disparity in benefits, the generals' resistance will be minimized. Besides, even if they follow His Highness, he won't abandon them.
The military general sighed deeply, "Alas."
Ji Sunyin slowed his warhorse down a couple of steps so it could ride alongside him, and patted his shoulder: "Why are you sighing? It is our greatest fortune to witness such a momentous change in our lifetime."
Military general: "If possible, this humble general would prefer to be the lord."
This once-in-a-millennium transformation was accomplished by the Lord and his people.
But now, alas, it all comes with a touch of regret.
Shen Tang was surprised that Wei Lou was willing to stay. In fact, she was prepared to swindle him out of an exorbitant penalty for breach of contract—especially after Wei Lou's scholarly way of life cooperated with the Gongxi clan, she became even more envious—as long as Wei Lou could not pay the penalty, the labor contract could continue to be fulfilled, and Ji Sunyin would have no choice but to release him.
The contract, written in black and white, was in her hands.
"Why don't you go with him, my lord?"
"There are still some tangled threads that haven't been untied."
"Entangled silk? What unfinished entangled silk?"
Wei Lou beckoned Gong Xifeng over: "Your son is exceptionally talented and has extraordinary comprehension. If he can be properly guided, he will surely become a great man in the future. Your wise ruler is unruly and busy with state affairs, and the high priests are also burdened with many mundane matters. I cannot bear to see such a gem go to waste."
Gong Xifeng listened with deep emotion, his eyes brimming with gratitude.
Shen Tang: "It will take quite a while to teach Lingde to be virtuous and talented."
Wei Lou: "Am I the kind of person who gives up halfway?"
Shen Tang bent down slightly and smiled at Gong Xifeng, which made the little girl feel awkward and shy. She said, "Your son is so promising, truly a good daughter to his mother. You have inherited all your talent and comprehension from me."
Wei Lou: "..."
What a shameless statement.
Isn't this child's talent a gift from her biological parents?
However, let her say it as she pleases. If Lingde wants to rightfully become her heir, what's wrong with making her happy?
The allied forces' massive attack on Shentang caused quite a stir, and the various factions secretly observing the situation had their own agendas. They unanimously believed the outcome of this campaign was a foregone conclusion. How could inexperienced rookies possibly withstand the elite forces comprised of various allies?
Even if it weren't overwhelming, Shen Tang wouldn't last more than a few days.
Some even started placing bets based on this.
It is speculated how long it will take from the start of the war to the destruction of Shentang.
Some said three days, some said nine days, and some thought that Shen Tang had at least occupied some territory, and that their military defenses were supposedly quite efficient at construction. As the defending side, they could grit their teeth and hold out for a month or two. Who would have thought that the result would be such a surprise?
The Allied forces suffered a crushing defeat.
Seventy percent of the army was taken prisoner, twenty percent were killed or wounded, and only ten percent of the remnants managed to escape in the chaos. Only a handful of men managed to carry out the final mission to deliver the message. This battle made the army famous far and wide, and any forces that had designs on Shen Tang immediately backed down, fearing she would come after them.
Some forces, upon learning of the outcome, immediately sought to establish friendly relations.
May both sides form a brotherly alliance and stand together through thick and thin.
Shen Tang's meaning in this regard is only one thing—
Put down the gift and get out!
"Pah! You're all ugly and dreaming. Who's your brother? Did you even check your gender? What's the point of sending someone over? Why not just come directly to our door? If you're really so ignorant, at least copy Wen Hou's famous line—'I've drifted through half my life, only regretting not meeting a wise ruler. If you don't abandon me, I'd like to become your godmother.' You can't even use a ready-made formula, you deserve to be beaten."
Gong Xifeng overheard Shen Tang's complaints.
"Is Mom going to have a younger brother or sister-in-law for her daughter?"
"You want a younger brother who's in his forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, or eighties?"
Gong Xifeng shook his head: "No, I'm too old."
Shen Tang: "I think so too. At this age, his skin is all loose. What kind of younger brother is he? He might as well be my defeated opponent."
Wei Lou said that Gong Xifeng's talent and comprehension were first-rate, and it wasn't that he was biased or exaggerating; Gong Xifeng was truly in a class of her own. That autumn, when the four prefectures all enjoyed a bumper harvest, her literary heart finally condensed successfully, and its second-grade upper-middle level literary heart level drew astonishment from all around. Wei Cheng even said, "Apart from my uncle, I have never seen another second-grade literary heart."
I have heard of a few.
However, they either died young or met with an untimely death shortly after gaining fame.
This shows how rare a living second-rank literary talent is.
Gong Xifeng is even better than Wei Lou.
Why?
The moment she successfully condensed her power not only triggered spectacular celestial phenomena but also drew celebrations from the Heavenly Dao. The extravagant displays of heavenly splendor and the sprawling golden lotuses were as if they were free. Influenced by the auspicious energy, the crops in the four prefectures saw their yields increase by a staggering 30%. Anyone unaware of the situation would think Gong Xifeng was the Heavenly Dao's favorite daughter; such unique favoritism could easily breed envy.
but--
Wei Cheng leaned closer to take a look.
He wondered, "The inscription doesn't look quite right."
According to the rules she had figured out over the past century since the descent of the Thief Star, the inscription on her Wenxin Huaban should have been "Gongxi, Lingde," but at this moment, the inscription on that Wenxin Huaban had changed to "Jimo, Lingde." There are only five people with the surname Jimo within the Gongxi clan.
The sixth one was also shelved because of Ji Sunyin.
Wei Cheng witnessed her inclusion in the family genealogy last year.
The name on that genealogy scroll was indeed "Gongxi".
Gong Xifeng was also somewhat at a loss.
She didn't know why this was happening.
Gong Xifeng has been a member of the Gongxi clan for a year now. Although she spends most of her time learning from Wei Lou, Ji Mo Cong and others occasionally give her some homework. She naturally knows that the surname "Ji Mo" is not used arbitrarily within the clan. Only by becoming the next High Priest—not a candidate, but the actual High Priest—can one be qualified to change their surname to Ji Mo.
Wei Lou was also slightly troubled: "What's going on?"
Ji Mo Cong and the others laughed and said, "This is a good thing."
Wei Lou: "But haven't you chosen a successor yet?"
Because Gong Xifeng—no, Ji Mofeng Wenxin Huaya—changed her name, these people just let her become the next High Priestess without any objection? Isn't that a bit too harsh? Ji Mobai, the oldest and most senior, said, "The successor has been chosen."
Wei Lou: "..."
Ji Mo Cong: "Actually, the High Priest doesn't have as much power as people imagine. For the clansmen, it's just about choosing a relative from among them to communicate with the gods and handle some daily chores. Essentially, they're just ordinary clansmen. There are no standards; it only depends on whether the gods like them. Ling De has achieved some success today, and even the heavens have sent down congratulatory gifts. Doesn't that mean they like her? Naturally, it can only be her."
The gods' approval is the only selection criterion.
Wei Lou: "..."
He still felt it was too casual.
Well, it wasn't until Lord Ji Sunyin received the news and specially sent someone to deliver congratulatory gifts that Wei Lou realized the selection criteria were actually more arbitrary than he had imagined—their clan's deity favored a certain style of appearance, and the closer one was to the standard answer, the more likely they were to be favored by the deity. Wei Lou was extremely shocked and couldn't understand it.
[Has Your Excellency not noticed that your clansmen bear some resemblance?]
The five high priests also shared similar facial features; it was only because their individual auras were so strong that outsiders could easily distinguish one from another. Wei Lou only noticed this after being reminded by him.
However, Lingde is not like you.
Ji Sunyin: [Perhaps His Highness has changed his taste.]
People's aesthetic sense is not static.
As for gods, well, that's even more casual.
Wei Lou: […Stop talking.]
If he continued talking, he would probably mutter a few more words about evil gods in his mind.
Ji Sunyin: [Actually, I'm not surprised. After all, His Highness has already taken the new High Priestess as his daughter. How could he not like her?]
Why would you adopt someone as your daughter if you didn't like them?
Wei Lou: [That makes sense.]
Time flies by as Jimo Feng grows.
Shen Tang elbows her neighbor without considering any strategic plans; she only cares about her mood. For example, if the harvest is good this year, but there isn't enough fertile land for the refugees she takes in, or if there isn't enough wasteland on the land for everyone to cultivate, she'll hold a meeting and throw a copper coin.
"If both sides are positive, attack the north; if both sides are negative, attack the south; if the left is positive and the right is negative, attack the west; if the left is negative and the right is positive, attack the east. Who we attack depends entirely on fate!"
The surrendered generals and soldiers she had defeated over the years: "..."
no--
They were beaten because of these two damn copper coins?
It wasn't because of their reputation, their wealth, or the strategic locations they occupied; it was simply because Shen Jun didn't have enough land for her to cultivate and support the refugees, so she tossed two copper coins into the air. Did she only consider the outcome of her coin toss, not the strategic steps involved?
Over time, these became regular parts of the program.
The old man remained silent, while the newlyweds were filled with grief and indignation.
On the bright side, this is Heaven's will for us to submit.
【Pah! You submitted to your lord because of fate?】
Isn't it because of her fists that could smash a head open? What are you all pretending for, trying to glorify yourselves?
When the territory grew to a certain size, everyone felt it was time to establish a nation. And a nation should have a catchy and cool name.
"Why not use 'Chen' as the name of the country?"
This is a subtle form of flattery.
"No, no, we should use the place where our lord rose to power as our emblem."
This is because they felt that using a surname as the name of the country would easily give people with the surname Shen the idea that they were superior and superior to others.
Other researchers also suggested several alternatives.
Until this matter was brought up to Shen Tang.
Shen Tang scratched the back of his head: "Hasn't the name of the country been chosen?"
Everyone: "..."
They knew that their lord already possessed the imperial seal.
But since the country hadn't been formally established and the proper sacrificial rites to Heaven hadn't been performed, how could the country's name have been officially determined? Wei Lou, as the chief civil official (the most senior laborer), inquired about the country's name at the opportune moment.
Shen Tang summoned the Imperial Seal.
The civil and military officials below: "..."
This moment—
They hate that they have such good eyesight.
I hate that I'm not illiterate.
Some, with weaker willpower, were so shocked that they immediately stood up, pushed through the crowd to get a closer look, and practically glued their eyes to the national seal. Given the rapid changes of dynasties in this chaotic era, all sorts of strange and unusual national names existed, including many with two characters, but they had never seen such an earth-shattering and bizarre national name—the national name, All Evil.
Who named it???
Wei Lou, who was always calm and composed, broke down in tears.
"Who named this?!"
Shen Tang said awkwardly, "Huh? It was like this from the beginning."
To be precise, when Shen Tang led the Gongxi clan out of their ancestral lands and realized she possessed the so-called national seal, the characters on it had always been these two. However, she had always assumed these two characters were the name of the object. It wasn't until nearly ten years later, after cramming on the chaotic background information of this world, that she realized her mistake; the two characters were actually the fixed name of the nation.
Her first reaction was that the name of the country didn't sound very good.
But then I thought, all evil is pretty cool.
Among so many country names, this country's name stands out from the rest, exuding a cool aura of "I am who I am, a firework of a different color," which is simply perfect.
Wei Lou: "Change it!"
Shen Tang drawled, "I~ don't~ want to~"
Completely evil—that's the cool national title that suits her aesthetic!
"Don't you think this country's name sounds amazing, my lord? It's so eerie! Anyone who hears it will know that this country is not to be trifled with."
Wei Lou: "..."
In a flash, he made his judgment.
"If that's the case, then keep it covered up and make sure it doesn't get out to the outside world."
He really didn't want to expand the territory under such a national title, always feeling that he would be laughed at all day long if he confronted an enemy country.
Before the battle even began, they had already lost ground in terms of morale.
Shen Tang reluctantly asked, "How long are we going to keep it covered up?"
Wei Lou: "We'll keep this a secret until there are no outsiders left in the world."
We're all on the same side, why are you laughing like that?
To this, Shen Tang curled her lip: "Outdated aesthetics."
Even someone as intelligent as Wei Lou couldn't appreciate the beauty of this country's name.
Wei Lou: "..."
They can keep it a secret from outsiders, but they can't hide it from insiders.
When the Imperial Diarist writes the daily records of the emperor's activities, how can he avoid mentioning the reign title and the name of the country? Every time he picks up his pen, the Imperial Diarist's expression is ferocious.
When the news of the founding of the nation spread throughout the people, what they were most curious about was the reign title and the name of the country. The reign title was quite normal under the supervision of the officials, but the most important thing, the name of the country, was slow to spread.
"Did the sage overlook something?"
"Has the lord not yet decided on the name of the country?"
Various discussions arose, but the authorities remained silent.
At that time, Ji Sunyin was not only a Grand General but also belonged to the Crown Princess's Palace, and Ji Mofeng's faction was the official faction of the royal court. He looked at Ji Mofeng and sighed wistfully, "I hope His Highness will soon..."
Judging from Her Highness's fondness for the country's name, "All Evil," she has no intention of changing it during her reign. The only hope rests on Ji Mo Feng, who was granted the title of Prince shortly after the country's founding and made Crown Princess at the end of the year. Once she ascends the throne, she should be able to change the country's name.
Qin You said quietly, "I really don't like this name of the country."
Yun Da echoed, "It's as if anyone likes it."
This was the first time he had ever felt that a country's name could be so shameful.
However, no matter how embarrassing it is, you can only grit your teeth and bear it.
Qin You grinned slyly. He knew Yun Da had been pretending and acting high and mighty his whole life, and forcing Yun Da to stop pretending would be tantamount to killing him. However, he also knew of something that could annoy Yun Da.
Yunda's poor relatives in the northern desert!
Not only are they poor, but they're also arrogant and domineering.
In the end, it was completely wiped out by Yunda's personal troops.
The Northern Desert is a difficult place to locate, and outsiders can easily get lost. However, Yunda came from this place, so how could he not know where the tribes of the Northern Desert are scattered? He can find them with a single shovel.
By severely punishing his poor relatives, his military achievements soared.
Qin You was envious.
He also wished he had such a caring relative to help him accumulate military merits.
While governing, she also waged war. Finally, in the eighteenth year after her awakening, the world was unified as she had wished. In fact, if she had wanted, it could have been settled in fourteen years. But she deliberately slowed down her pace.
When asked why, she said, "Guess."
If it were Wei Lou from many years ago, he might have used his own logic to speculate, but he and Shen Tang had renewed their employment contract for over ten years, and they had developed a good working relationship. He now understood Shen Tang's attitude much more deeply: "It's for someone else, isn't it?"
Shen Tang smiled and said, "Who am I waiting for?"
Wei Lou: [Waiting for the women of this world.]
The prosperity of a nation is inseparable from women, because no one can replace them in bearing life; without women, there is no new life. If the nation is established too early, the power structure at the top will be too firmly established in the early stages, making it difficult for anyone to vacate their position later. Rather than that, it is better to wait until someone can fill these vacancies—there are many women in the Gongxi tribe, but they are special and cannot be used as models for ordinary women.
This land, having endured over a thousand years of war and ravages, has seen its population dwindle. Now, it is slowing down, recuperating, and sharpening its tools before chopping wood.
A nation's strength is inseparable from its people.
Men and women are all among the masses.
No one can live without the other.
A century ago, a thieving star unexpectedly descended upon the world, giving men a dominant position. Now, the unbalanced world is finally returning to equilibrium. For all things to flourish, how can they do without women who nurture new life?
The balance of Yin and Yang is just like the way of Heaven.
My lord, you finally understand.
|ω`)
Tomorrow will be a post-apocalyptic story based on the IF line.
No one should be able to guess the name of the country, haha, it's finally being used.
(End of this chapter)
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