Chapter 1616 IF Line: The True Meaning of Taking What Others Want (Part 3 of the Movie Review)
"This infuriates me!"
"This infuriates me!"
Luo San, in a fit of anger, repeated it twice.
It's also clear from the side that the old man is indeed somewhat vulnerable.
The others were also surprised by the unexpected "coordination" between the scene and the audience, and couldn't help but chuckle, but dared not act openly due to Luo San's imposing presence. No matter how good-tempered or normal a rank 20 Marquis was, he was still a rank 20 Marquis. If he were determined to kill someone and secretly carry out a deadly revenge, the Royal Court's current investigative methods might not be able to bring justice to the deceased at the hands of a Marquis.
"Didn't you see that I, an old man, brought a group of trusted followers from our ancestral home to follow her? How can this be called a nameless, unregistered laborer?" Luo San pointed at the screen angrily, feeling extremely displeased. It was bad enough that he had waited for Shen Jun in his twilight years, but the version of himself in the screen was still young and strong.
Since you've met the person you're most satisfied with during the prime of your life, why can't you join forces and achieve great things? At the very least, you could become a high-ranking official. Why refuse him a share of the initial public offering (IPO)?
Luo San was furious, and he was even more furious in the picture.
He no longer bothered to hide his emotions, let alone when he was young and impetuous. Losing control of his expression, Luo San laid his sour face bare before Shen Tang. Angry as he was, he was still serious about reporting to his lord. The more Shen Tang listened, the brighter his eyes became, shining like the moon.
So much? You guys clear this much land in one day?
Joy and appreciation were practically overflowing from her almond-shaped eyes.
Seemingly affected by Shen Tang's straightforward emotions, both the old and young Luo San calmed down simultaneously. However, the younger Luo San couldn't bring himself to give her a pleasant look, still wearing his usual sour face, feigning humility by saying it was nothing to worry about, but those who knew him well knew he was about to get cocky. Shen Tang, however, couldn't tell and thought he was genuinely humble.
He earnestly advised him not to underestimate himself.
Zero Frames immediately showered young Luo San with the high praise of "great achievements," leaving the young man dizzy with envy. In his short life, few people had given him such accolades. Everyone silently watched as his agitated state was smoothed out with a few words.
Instead of coming to confront him, he had somehow mastered the art of flattery and sophistication. Despite being a notorious killer with countless lives on his hands, he claimed to be "fearful," exuding an overwhelming sense of unworthiness, leaving anyone unaware of his true character completely bewildered. Shen Tang even confided in him, patiently offering words of comfort and occasionally patting his handsome arm.
After some analysis, we had an initial heart-to-heart talk.
Shen Tang was very satisfied, as were the two Luo Sans, one old and one young.
Only those off-screen were not entirely satisfied.
"...Alas, such thoughtful words have never been spoken to me by my lord." Someone reflected, wondering if they had been too stubborn usually. Should they occasionally show a vulnerable and confused side in front of their lord, so as to naturally gain the opportunity for a heart-to-heart talk with him?
"What she said just now was quite pleasing to the ear," Luo San chuckled. If it were him in his younger days, wouldn't he have been completely captivated?
With the arrival of young Luo San and his troops, the land reclamation and reconstruction proceeded in full swing. Before Shen Tang could fully immerse herself in the joy of farming and infrastructure construction, a banquet invitation arrived in her hands, inviting her to a feast.
Chu Yao said, "The commotion must have attracted jackals."
They hadn't forgotten the money tree in the Gongxi clan's territory, laden with gold and silver bars. The sheer wealth was dazzling. Xun Zhen, who was obsessed with money, stopped pretending and wanted to jump up on the spot. He found out the location of the Gongxi clan's ancestral home and then led his men to raid it.
With so much wealth, even those watching from the sidelines were envious.
Not to mention the other people in the picture.
Qi Shan was worried but also a little angry.
The principle of not flaunting wealth is a given. Even if the lord is unconventional and doesn't care, wouldn't others offer some advice? Oh no, they couldn't advise against it at all. The Gongxi clan themselves are quite ostentatious. The only one who could offer advice, Wei Lou, is also a scheming person. How could he sincerely offer advice to the lord? He only does what the lord pays him; it's just a matter of cooperation.
It's hard to tell how genuine they are.
Qi Shan couldn't help but worry about Shen Tang's situation.
"No banquet is ever a good one; this trip is bound to be fraught with difficulties."
Luan Xin nodded in agreement: "It would be better to postpone it."
Ning Yan disagreed: "We don't understand the situation there, and we don't know if the other side is friend or foe. If we refuse rashly, we'll only make enemies. It's better to see how things go and go over there to see what they're up to. If things really don't look good, we can still get out unscathed."
Even hundreds of axemen are useless against absolute power.
Gu Chi sided with Ning Yan this time: "That makes sense. Don't forget, our lord's strength is different now than it was back then."
Back then, even a novice lord like myself would suffer losses at the hands of Gongxi Chou, but the lord in the picture could probably walk around there with impunity.
What's this talk of a trap? Just go.
"...Qi Xiang and the others are also confused because they are concerned."
Shen Tang and Ning Yan in the picture share the same idea.
So what if it's a trap? Fine, I'll go. What makes her afraid? Don't they know whether their heads are tougher or her fists are tougher?
When everyone saw the banquet lineup of Shen Tang's side—
Everyone fell silent.
"These guys, let alone going to a banquet at the county government, could easily storm the royal court seven times over if they joined forces, right?"
My lord, rest assured, I will protect you and ensure your safety.
Some sharp-eyed people noticed the expectation on young Luo San's face.
Wei Cheng: "Brother Luo seems to be afraid that a fight won't break out."
Luo San snorted, "If we don't fight, how will the lord see our importance? I'm actually hoping something will happen at the banquet."
Ideally, it should be something that allows "one" to fully utilize their abilities.
Some people's attention wandered.
"I wonder what delicious food there was more than a hundred years ago."
Since it's a banquet, the meal budget certainly can't be too meager.
Wei Cheng, with his sharp ears, scoffed.
"Would you like a feast of vegetables?"
What's wrong with young people these days?
Their comfortable life of being well-fed and clothed is only possible in this world. Where have they ever had such good days before? In their time, there were even people who kept human servants. If a nobleman or royal family held a banquet without human servants, the guests would consider it impolite and disrespectful.
Today's young people can't even imagine this.
The county government in the picture looks rather dilapidated, and the so-called carefully prepared banquet dishes are unappetizing. However, the people who come to the banquet are well dressed and can be identified at a glance as pampered "upper-class people".
Throughout history, the process of exchanging toasts has remained largely the same.
The veiled entanglements of interests discussed at the dinner were also similar.
After a few glances, everyone found it uninteresting.
"...Given Her Majesty's temperament, she probably won't be able to hold out until the banquet ends." In fact, Her Majesty, who has been on the throne for many years, has this kind of composure, but the one in the picture is Her Majesty in her youth. She is probably already planning to smash a cup as a signal, raise her hand to overturn the table, and turn on everyone.
result--
They, both off-screen and inside the scene, were completely bewildered.
Several big question marks popped up above my head.
My Lord/She didn't do anything, so why is everyone vomiting blood and convulsing? Has she been poisoned?
Who did it?
Everyone in the hall collapsed, except for her group, who remained standing.
He stands out from the crowd; he can't stay low-key even if he wants to.
The poisoned person thought the same thing.
Difficulty in identifying the murderer: "You...you...how vicious!"
Shen Tang: [? ? ?]
Everyone: "...No, who did it?"
They reasonably guessed that Wei Lou might have done it secretly.
Even Lao Dengweilou had the same suspicion.
Given his ruthless nature, he is certainly capable of doing it.
What left Shen Tang speechless was that all of their food was normal. Everyone else had been poisoned except them, so who else should she suspect? As the poisoned guests collapsed one by one, the accusation that Shen Tang had poisoned the guests was about to be confirmed, which made her furious. She grabbed a half-dead, unlucky guy and started to argue with him.
She was furious!
People off-screen also commented, "What a vicious poison."
How long has it been since the poison took effect, and the person died with their head lolling to the side?
Yu Zi whispered to Lin Feng, "Can you tell what kind of poison it is?"
She became interested in the poison.
The fact that a deadly poison could be mixed into food without being detected suggests that either the poison had little flavor or was used in a very small amount that was masked by the heavy oil in the food, which is why the guests didn't taste it.
She's curious to know the answer to either question.
Just as Lin Feng was about to voice his speculation, he heard the sounds of clashing armor and footsteps approaching from the screen. His lord roared in response: "So, the reason they didn't poison me was to frame me!"
Everyone thought so too.
Someone is trying to frame their lord.
Unfortunately, storytelling is based on logic, but reality is not.
The people who rushed over after hearing the commotion weren't there to surround Shen Tang; they were the masterminds behind the poisoning. They not only wanted to poison everyone except Shen Tang and his group, but also to hand over the local county government to Shen Tang. The crowd watched as the middle-aged county magistrate strode towards them, and then, just a few steps away from Shen Tang, he knelt on one knee: "Thank you, benefactor, for ridding the people of this scourge. We are willing to follow you, Your Excellency."
The others immediately knelt down on the ground.
Everyone: "..."
Ah, is that right?
Has this unassuming Zhongdeng read the script of the Lord starting from scratch and conquering the world? Why did he submit his application so early?
The two Luo Sans, one old and one young, spoke in unison.
【What kind of sage?】
Luo San was so angry that his face almost twisted in anger.
I hate that this guy suddenly appeared and stole the perfect opportunity.
Some people made sarcastic and cynical remarks.
"It's true that half a lifetime of hard work is not as good as bowing down once. With this one kneel, you old man will have wealth and honor for the rest of your life."
Their master is a sentimental person.
As long as the old men who followed her in her battles didn't commit crimes or cross her bottom line, even if they lacked real strength and survived solely on sheer luck, they could still make a name for themselves and benefit their descendants. Of course, crossing her bottom line meant no mercy.
Some colleagues joked about it.
"Doesn't that just prove he has good judgment?"
After the county magistrate in the video explained the whole story, everyone expressed their understanding, even finding it perfectly normal—he was a man of principle. However, some noticed a blind spot: "...It seems that our lord never encountered anything like this during his years of campaigning."
"It would be abnormal if we didn't meet them at all, right?"
In chaotic times, the weak must learn to rely on the strong to protect themselves, and it would be even better if the strong could seek justice for them.
A strong person with a bit of charisma is as attractive as a magnet.
Given the lord's achievements over the years, county magistrates and the like would have long since flocked to him, but in the end, almost no one took the initiative to join him.
Not to mention killing one's superior as a pledge of allegiance, like a county magistrate.
After being reminded of this, everyone fell silent.
"...Indeed not."
Wouldn't one's lord be worthy of someone killing their superior and defecting to him?
Is it not enough that the Lord's charm is enough?
In short—
Their lord became the county magistrate effortlessly. In contrast, the place where they rose to power was something their lord and his men had painstakingly planned and schemed for. The contrast was stark.
Everyone had their own ulterior motives.
Some people looked east and west, up and down, but dared not look at Kang Shi. Kang Shi, who had been all smiles, finally realized what was happening. His smile vanished, and he angrily demanded, "What kind of looks are those? Are you implying I'm interfering with the Lord's cause?"
"Please don't be offended, Lord Kang. We didn't mean that."
"So what do you mean by this?"
Only Gu Chi knew that Kang Shi was only outwardly aggressive, but inwardly he was actually quite nervous. If you were to look closely, before Kang Shi appeared, their master's luck could only be described as mediocre, but he had what he was supposed to have, just no unexpected good fortune. But ever since Kang Shi appeared, one monster after another has emerged like sweet potatoes.
It's hard to say that Kangshi is not partly to blame for this.
Kang Shi provided much "assistance" to His Majesty on his conquests.
Kang Shi, hands on his hips in anger, said, "Stop laughing at me like the crow laughs at the pig. Look at yourselves, how are you any better than me?"
Without him, the Lord might not have encountered these scoundrels.
From this perspective—
These colleagues who are struggling to find employment should all thank him!
Off-screen, the crowd was on edge, while inside, Shen Tang seemed rather oblivious to her surroundings. Faced with the county magistrate who had practically delivered himself to her door and was now forcing her to buy, she hesitated for a moment, then told him to shave his beard. This county magistrate, whose luck seemed to be on fire, quickly pulled out a dagger and slashed off his beard before anyone could react, eagerly bowing his head again.
"Are you really going to such lengths? Have you actually read the script?"
He couldn't help but think of his own experience of being forcibly taken from him back then.
I feel increasingly like I've been cheated out of my life.
Others also chimed in with their opinions about the county magistrate.
Not only does he have a keen eye, but he's also lucky.
I don't even know if the other person is still alive.
Then, on screen, Lord Wei began spouting conspiracy theories again, with someone indignantly defending Shen Tang: "How can you, Lord Wei, speculate about the Lord like this? Can't the Lord like pretty people?"
Not everything can be interpreted as a conspiracy.
The Lord would not use shaving to test or oppress others.
Your Excellency is judging others by your own petty standards. No wonder you are so out of step with the cheerful and open-minded civil and military officials of Kangguo. The person who said this was a military general, and also one of the victims of Wei Lou's scholarly way of life—ever since Wei Lou joined the civil official group, whenever there was a fight at court, military generals never gained the upper hand when they clashed with scholars.
Wei Lou: "..."
Shen Tang in the picture also sighed.
My lord, your mind is so dark.
What made Wei Lou even more furious was that she openly uttered lines almost identical to those of a military general: she had someone shave her beard, genuinely just for the sake of looking pretty. His assumption that she was harboring sinister intentions was completely unfounded.
Evil God!
The two Wei Lou, one old and one young, broke through the defenses simultaneously.
The next day, a strange woman appeared on the screen.
Judging from the conversation, the woman is likely the daughter of the county magistrate.
After only a few words of conversation between the father and daughter, everyone realized that she was a woman of great foresight and wisdom: "Oh, so the one with real vision isn't the county magistrate, but his daughter. She's truly a hero among us. Everyone else was pessimistic, but she discovered the lord's gold... Speaking of which, back then, women weren't supposed to be able to cultivate? Do you think she might be the first woman to be able to cultivate?"
Bored, someone started a betting pool on the spot.
Just as I placed my bet, a slightly unfamiliar face appeared on the screen.
Someone with sharp eyes recognized it and immediately burst out laughing.
Isn't this Luo Hou with his beard shaved?
When everyone recalled the previous scene, they instantly understood the subtle intention behind young Luo San's shaving his beard to show his position.
This action is reasonable, but—
It still seems interesting when applied to Luo Hou.
Luo San wasn't ashamed at all, even though everyone was staring at him.
He was actually quite pleased with his own actions.
He's a smart person, just like me.
Decisive in action, yet retaining his composure.
The visuals were quite human-centered. For those familiar scenes of governance and office work, they were typically presented in a few brief moments, through sunrise and sunset, and Shen Tang working with his head down in different locations, discussing matters with others. Although the audience had never seen this style of presentation before, they understood it immediately. Until the tranquility was broken by a series of hoofbeats, and Yun Da's handsome face took center stage.
Yun Ce stared at the teacher in the picture for a long time.
He sighed, "I never imagined that my lord and teacher could get along so peacefully. Although things are good now, there's still—"
I still feel somewhat resentful.
If the scene in the picture had actually happened, perhaps the teacher wouldn't have ended up like that. The old man would probably be retired at home now, watching his students get married and start their own families, allowing him to enjoy the pleasures of being with his grandchildren. Yun Ce's感慨 (feelings of deep emotion) didn't last long.
He and the others noticed the master's subtle actions—when Shen Tang patted Yun Da's arm, his eyes showed undisguised admiration and joy—until Wei Lou and Yun Da had that private conversation.
[Did the lord order you to wear this?]
"Hmm, how did you know?"
Wei Lou and the people off-screen couldn't bear to look and closed their eyes.
Xianyu Jian stared in astonishment and blurted out.
"My lord, this is a honey trap!"
It was his teacher, Yunda, who used his beauty to seduce him.
Is this reasonable?
The teacher must be turning in his grave!
|ω`)
The results of the enhanced CT scan will be available tomorrow. I'll go to bed early and hope for good news.
P.S.: My uncle needs to be observed for another seven or eight days. My dad said that nearly a meter was removed during the surgery... I hope he recovers well.
(End of this chapter)
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