Chapter 1615 IF Line: The True Meaning of Taking What Others Want (Part 2 of the Movie Review)
Is it more expensive to feed 2,000 people for ten days or half a month, or to feed tens of thousands of people for three to five years? Even a three-year-old could do this math.
[Would the Gongxi clan agree?]
The result, of course, was that Bao agreed.
The exhilaration surprised Wei Lou and those off-screen.
"The Gongxi clan is truly a strange bunch..."
Although they were very used to the Martial Warriors being the main force in large-scale construction projects, this was definitely unorthodox in an era more than a hundred years ago. The Martial Warriors didn't overturn the table only because of the generous money and provisions she offered when their lord ordered them to work.
Ji Sunyin's subordinates helped with the work because they were paid for it.
The two parties have an equal employment relationship.
The Gongxi clan is different now.
So far, they haven't gained any overt benefits from their Lord, yet they unconditionally obey her commands simply because she is the "deity" they worship, which is quite surprising.
Or rather—
The existence of faith is "strange".
On second thought, their ability to unconditionally believe in any decision the Lord makes is also a special kind of "faith".
Upon seeing that the high priests of the Gongxi clan could actually accelerate the growth of crops, easily making a seed go through the entire process from germination to maturity, Liao Jia patted his knee and sighed, "What a pity!"
This sigh reflects the sentiments of everyone else at this moment.
Although no direct comparison has been made, judging from the scenes presented, these high priests possess some abilities similar to Lin Feng's, which, if used well, can be of great value in agriculture. No wonder the Gongxi clan can easily create a granary with a single shovelful.
"If only I could have..."
It is unknown how many people will be spared from hunger.
Perhaps the entire course of history would have been different.
They had a Lin Feng who oversaw the affairs of the Farmers' Temple, and he actively recruited and trained new talent for the farmers, ensuring countless people had enough to eat. A hundred years ago, there were actually five high priests with similar abilities! What a waste!
The whispers and murmurs of the crowd reached the ears of Wei Lou and his nephew.
Wei Lou watched the scene calmly, his inner turmoil unreadable. Wei Cheng, however, reacted, stealing glances at his uncle twice. Having lived through many years of peace, they knew how precious a continuous supply of food was. So precious that it could overturn their ingrained mindset from chaotic times—that if food was scarce, they should rob it; how could growing their own food be faster than raiding?
It may provide temporary relief, but it only treats the symptoms, not the root cause.
It's just that those who starved to death went from being their own people to being their enemies.
There will always be people in this world who starve to death because of food shortages.
Everyone back then knew, but they didn't care.
They always believed that as long as things stabilized, with no enemies and no war, the common people would naturally have an undisturbed farming environment, and food production would increase. The current harshness was a necessary sacrifice. But Shen Tang offered a different answer.
Wei Cheng muttered to himself, "Uncle..."
Seeing that no one else was paying attention, he moved closer to his uncle, Wei Lou, and said, "Do you think the things in this painting might be...?"
Those experiences back then brought him profound fear and despair.
Every time he reviewed the situation, he still didn't know how to resolve this deadlock.
Now there's another Shen Jun...
Perhaps things really will be different?
Because Ji Sunyin's side was short of manpower, Shen Tang's side was also passively short of manpower, and Wei Lou in the scene had to act as a mule for a while.
"This, this, and this..." Shen Tang, one hand on her hip, patted stacks of bamboo slips, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling as she looked at the "Bull and Horse" building in Wei's "Bull and Horse" section, and declared confidently, "I think with your abilities, Lord Marquis, you could resolve this in one night."
Upon hearing this, Qi Shan and the others silently closed their eyes.
Their expressions were all incredibly complex.
"Truly worthy of being our lord."
Even with amnesia, he remains true to his nature.
Wei Cheng's eyes were practically blazing with fury as he candidly admitted, "While I don't know what's inside the letter, I know that my uncle is made of flesh and blood. Even if he used both hands at the same time, how many words could he write in a night? It wouldn't be enough even if it were divided among his hands..."
It takes time to come up with a solution.
One night?
One night isn't enough.
Wei Lou in the video also asked a similar question.
Adhering to the principle of being the one who provided the funding, Shen Tang said, "I don't care, I only care about the result, not the process."
How can a client pay someone to hire them and then act like a subservient servant?
These excuses weren't what she cared about; these were the issues Wei Lou needed to address. With her arms crossed and head tilted back, her arrogant and domineering demeanor made the onlookers think she was asking for a beating. Wei Lou, in the video, was good-natured; he held back, then turned and walked away with a dark expression.
the next day--
Shen Tang exclaimed with delight, "I knew you could do it, Lord Junhou!"
Potential needs to be pushed to come out.
Didn't Wei Lou successfully complete his mission?
Literary figures possess a refined air, protecting them from the effects of their late nights, so Shen Tang couldn't see his exhaustion and felt no pangs of conscience. She picked up a few scrolls and flipped through them; the handwriting was neat and tidy, showing no signs of sloppiness despite the pressure of time and the heavy workload. This revealed Wei Lou to be a very conscientious person at heart, one who wouldn't let personal matters interfere with public duties. Hmm, that's a fine quality; it means that even if he wanted to hit her, he wouldn't use a lazy, dismissive attitude to appease her. Hehehe, this also means Wei Lou is a truly honest and hardworking man.
It's every boss's favorite.
Everyone saw the cunning glint in Shen Tang's eyes.
Those who knew her well knew what mischief she was plotting, but Wei Lou in the scene was not one of them. He only saw Shen Tang open her mouth: "Lord Jun, your friend must be just as capable as you, right? One person can do the work of several, right?"
Wei Lou: [...]
The people watching off-screen were getting anxious.
“Everyone deserves their due retribution. Didn’t he just say that ‘in terms of character, they all deserve to be struck by lightning’? Behind his back, he’s been calling cricket-like scholars heartless? If that’s the case, then don’t be stingy with your relatives and friends!” Wei Shou’s words were unanimously agreed upon.
Yes--
Falling into the Lord's hands is a kind of retribution, isn't it? Especially since the Lord has no one to rely on, she truly shows no mercy.
Shen Tang sighs briefly in the picture.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be worth my three visits to Zhuge Liang's thatched cottage...
The moment the phrase "Three visits to the thatched cottage" was uttered, many people perked up, paying no attention to the following two sentences. Qi Shan appeared unmoved, but her aura had actually shifted. Everyone knew that their lord, skilled at sweet-talking his ministers, had only ever used the metaphor of Ge Gong to describe one person: Qi Shan. Back then, he had publicly declared, "Yuanliang is excellent. In my eyes, he is my Zhang Liang, my Zhou Gong, my Ge Gong, deserving of all praise," a treatment even Chu Shangjun had never received.
The atmosphere off-screen was even more awkward.
Everyone was secretly glancing at either Qi Shan or Chu Yao, fearing that the two would start fighting over this. Someone stepped in to smooth things over: "Over the years, who doesn't know that both Prime Minister Chu and Prime Minister Qi are the lord's trusted advisors? These empty titles don't prove anything."
He cursed inwardly at the person who had stirred up trouble with their sharp tongue.
Why bring up something you shouldn't talk about?
Some people have also inquired about the original "Daily Recorder 1.0". There shouldn't be any record in the daily records that the ruler referred to Chu Xiang as Ge Gong, right?
In any case, they had never done it in a public place.
As for whether it happens privately, I don't know.
Chu Yao's smile was flawless, though upon closer inspection it seemed somewhat forced and stiff, while Qi Shan's smile was almost impossible to suppress. But the thought of the scene in the picture caused his mood to plummet.
"...Does Lord Wei know who that person is?"
Wei Lou: "I don't remember much."
He has met far too many people in his lifetime.
Others: "..."
They felt inexplicably sorry for their friend.
Alas, after more than a hundred years, even his former friends don't remember him. I wonder what he would feel if he knew. More likely, he died in the war long ago, perhaps reincarnated countless times. It's better not to mention it.
The footage did not show Shen Tang and his group traveling.
A shot of an empty scene later, and the group is already outside the thatched hut.
Boy: [The master has traveled far away and is not at home.]
No one was surprised: "Is this really a case of them having to visit Zhuge Liang three times?"
On the way down the mountain, Shen Tang, hands on her hips, sighed and complained: "Ah, not seeing him isn't surprising at all."
The people off-screen nodded in agreement.
At the foot of the mountain was a dilapidated and desolate city.
It was said to have over ten thousand permanent residents, but it looked even more dilapidated than the most economically backward and remote town in Kangguo. Shen Tang and his companions stayed there for a while, waiting for "Lord Ge" from over a hundred years ago to return home. Shen Tang suddenly had a whimsical idea, feeling that they shouldn't waste their precious time like this and should do something about it.
Since there are many permanent residents here, we first hired a few people to come back. Then we called in the skilled workers she had hired at a high price to write posters.
Everyone: "We've never seen this before."
The recruitment orders they saw back then seemed quite normal.
Wei Lou: [Are you sure you want to write it this way?]
Every part of her body exuded rejection.
He genuinely disliked the conditions offered by the client.
Shen Tang: [Otherwise what? Is there a problem with writing it this way?]
She examined it carefully from top to bottom, her face beaming with satisfaction at the perfect job posting: "This is exactly what I want!"
Wei Lou: [...]
Wei Lou, off-screen, raised an eyebrow: "..."
Tsk, let alone three visits to the thatched cottage, even thirty visits might not be enough to succeed. The two Wei Lous had strangely synchronized ideas, but the difference was that the Wei Lou of a hundred years later was more reclusive and had a more severe obsession with cleanliness, while the Wei Lou of a hundred years ago had to bow down for the reward.
Everyone doubted, "Can this really attract talented people?"
The next day, a familiar face appeared.
Luo San, the person involved, was stunned for a moment, then pointed at the screen and said, "Hey, there's actually something to do with me in this. It seems that my connection with Shen Jun is indeed deep. Whether it was more than a hundred years ago or more than a hundred years later, we are destined to have some entanglements and grudges."
If the visuals hadn't reminded him, he would have completely forgotten that he had been here over a hundred years ago. Even with the reminder, he couldn't recall his specific experiences in this place back then. These dilapidated cities were all too common; his daily experiences were mostly repetitive and utterly meaningless.
[I've heard the master has hired a martial arts master?]
【Name? 】
Luo San, courtesy name Bert.
Everyone: "It really is Luo Hou."
"Huh? Robert?" Shen Tang's face showed undisguised curiosity. "You have a younger brother named Luo Zhongshu?"
【no. 】
The two engaged in a back-and-forth conversation.
Luo San in the picture was confused, Shen Tang's expression was one of embarrassment that no one understood her joke, while Gu Chi outside the picture was already laughing.
Others: "???"
They don't understand what's funny.
"Luo Hou is such a good person."
Shen Tang believed his fellow villagers' explanation; they could tell that these villagers were probably Luo San's henchmen. But that didn't change the fact that Luo San was a likable new employee, because when the company was first established, he brought nearly a hundred fellow villagers with him, which greatly alleviated the manpower shortage.
Shen Tang also readily approved everyone's onboarding.
One contract was issued to each person.
This is yet another strange thing.
"It seems we didn't have this back then."
Kang Shi turned to Qi Shan to verify.
Qi Shan shook her head: "No."
No one else did either.
For a moment, everyone felt uneasy.
There was a sense of déjà vu, like something that should have belonged to them had been taken away by someone else, but they quickly came to terms with it.
Does the content of this contract have any binding force?
Even now, it would be difficult, let alone a hundred years ago when morality was utterly worthless. If you were unhappy, you would simply turn your back on someone.
"If they sign this, won't they be spared the stigma of betraying their master if they later defect?" The person who said this received a cold glare from Luo San. No one could withstand the power of a 20th-rank Marquis, and the others wisely kept quiet to avoid offending him.
Then, some refugees who had come to seek refuge started causing trouble and making a ruckus.
Shen Tang: [Are they dissatisfied with those fields?]
Yes, I think the fields are too barren.
Then please ask them to leave.
Her public image was so kind and benevolent that even Wei Lou questioned the truth: "I thought the Queen was the kind of person who loved everyone."
He was then met with a retort from Jimo Cong.
I believe that Lord Wei is not a benevolent person.
The onlookers couldn't help but sneer, but then remembered that the person being watched was also there, and that the other party had a fierce yet loyal nephew, so they fell silent in fear. Fortunately, Wei Lou didn't have time to worry about that at the moment; his attention was focused on the blunder caused by Luo San and the others. He was even a little disappointed that Luo San and Shen Tang hadn't clashed.
Looking at the familiar scene of land reclamation on the screen, everyone wore expressions of emotion, especially the military officers. In Kang Kingdom, every warrior was familiar with farming. Seeing the people in the video reclaiming land roughly, they couldn't help but chatter and correct them, pointing out where the technique was wrong, where the tilling wasn't deep enough…
But soon, they found something to laugh about.
After a busy day, Luo San met Wei Lou in the cafeteria.
The straightforward man immediately stabbed Wei Lou in the back: "Sir, you also dine here? I thought someone would deliver food to you."
[We don't get that treatment.]
How could this be? Sir, are you not the lord's humerus?
This straightforward military general didn't even try to hide his expression.
If they don't value him, why would they frequently send him on assignments?
In the frame, Luo San looked suspicious, while off-screen, he was laughing uncontrollably. He hadn't expected himself to be such a master at kicking someone when they're down. Didn't he see Wei Lou's expression was practically out of control?
Wei Lou replied coldly, "...I am not."
He kindly explained the whole story to Luo San.
Luo San stabbed a second time: "Is this... a short-term job?"
Upon hearing this, everyone instantly imagined themselves as laborers working for a wealthy landlord, and their laughter became even more uncontrollable. The expressions of the two Wei Lous, both on and off screen, were almost identical: [Luo Jun is also a laborer.]
Luo San: "..."
Very well, now there are even more people who are unhappy.
"How did I become a nameless and unregistered day laborer?"
Wei Lou answered his question: "Didn't Ms. Luo sign a contract? Because of that contract, calling her 'master' is already quite polite."
|ω`)
Today's checkup went well, but I'll need to do a CT scan tomorrow to investigate further.
Today was also my uncle's surgery day. The doctor operated for more than three hours. He has mid-to-late stage colon cancer. I saw my dad was silent, and I started to feel scared too.
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