Chapter 222: Acquiring a Piece of Land [Taking a Leave of Absence]
Although Shen Tang also had this plan, but—
Gu Chi's question was far too blunt.
Since they've been so direct, she has to be honest too.
He replied sincerely, "Of course."
Whether it's for themselves or for the sake of these hundred-plus people.
Thinking of this, her gaze darkened slightly.
Her path as a feudal lord was too restrictive; to develop her power discreetly, she needed a stable territory. Without a stable territory, she had no room to develop discreetly. Because while a person can carry their wealth and resources, they cannot carry crops.
Crops need time to grow from planting to maturity.
Shen Tang had considered becoming a mountain king.
However, this behavior is too risky and can only be considered a last resort.
Because Shen Tang is not the nominal owner of this land! Her rights are illegitimate, giving others the right to attack her under the guise of "eliminating a scourge for the people" or "suppressing bandits." Even if she is confident in her strength and unafraid of external interference, she can defeat anyone who comes her way!
but--
If you're a thief for a thousand days, how can you guard against thieves for a thousand days?
The latter can always find an opportunity to strike.
Even if he succeeds just once out of ten times, Shen Tang might not have a chance to turn things around—he has too little capital and can't afford to take any more risks!
Thinking further ahead, if she wants to recruit refugees for her own use and expand her own scale in the future, she'll need a place to settle them, right? Otherwise, what's the point of a bunch of refugees coming here? To follow her from one end to the other?
She had no reputation, no territory, and even the homeless ignored her.
Without territory, all plans are just empty talk.
Shen Tang asked Gu Chi for advice: "Mr. Gu, do you have any good ideas?"
Gu Chi really does have one.
He smiled and took a sip of plum wine, his expression meaningful.
"I wouldn't call it a brilliant strategy, but it is certainly a golden opportunity! This opportunity is right in front of us; it's just a matter of whether we can seize it!"
Shen Tang frowned: "A golden opportunity? It's so close at hand?"
After a moment's thought, she understood where Gu Chi's "opportunity" lay... However, there was something she didn't know whether to say or not: this "opportunity" was a hot potato... Wouldn't she just die even faster?
Shen Tang shook her head: "Mr. Gu thinks too highly of me."
Gu Chi encouraged and fanned the flames: "Fortune favors the bold."
“That’s true, but if the risk far outweighs the reward, it would be a losing proposition to do it…” Shen Tang paused, seemingly afraid that Gu Chi would misunderstand, and added, “I have the strength, so I’m not afraid to face generals on the battlefield. Even if I’m not as skilled as others, I still have Yuan Liang and the others, so I can still retreat unscathed… However, just because I can do it doesn’t mean that others can.”
Having at least a hundred or so people under your command is not enough.
Sending them to the battlefield is no different from sending them to meet the King of Hell.
"How could Shen Lang know that he cannot succeed?"
Shen Tang shook her head: "This isn't a question of success or failure... Even if we were to succeed by chance, given Zheng Qiao's temperament and style, would he really keep his promise?"
Even a stamped imperial edict could be denied by him.
“Shen Lang is too cautious.” Gu Chi narrowed his eyes contentedly, his expression carrying a hint of nonchalant laziness. “Zheng Qiao issued that edict simply to create a conflict between the two sides so he could reap the benefits, but it only exposed his greatest weakness. It is precisely this weakness that makes Zheng Qiao hesitant to break his promise. No matter how unwilling he is, he has to grit his teeth and accept it…”
Gu Chi changed to a more comfortable position.
"Why don't you take a guess, Mr. Shen?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Tang looked at Qi Shan, who was listening quietly with her eyes lowered.
Qi Shan did not give any hints.
Shen Tang: "..."
She lowered her eyes and pondered for a while before tentatively asking, "Is Zheng Qiao's biggest weakness—his outward strength masking inner weakness? He possesses the Geng Kingdom's imperial seal, and the rebel army led by the Pig King only had the advantage of 'surprise attack.' If the two sides were to clash, Zheng Qiao would have a greater chance of winning."
but--
Zheng Qiao did not send troops to kill the King of Pigs and his accomplices. Not only did he not do so, he also issued an edict calling upon virtuous and righteous people to punish the traitors, regardless of their background or past. Anyone who could achieve merit in the campaign would be rewarded with official rank, title, or even enfeoffed as a king…
It appears to be a very normal imperial edict.
But there are too many shady dealings involved, the most interesting being the phrase "regardless of background or past." In other words, Zheng Qiao is magnanimous; as long as someone can achieve merit, even if that person has previously rebelled, it can be forgiven!
Only merits should be considered, not demerits!
As she spoke, Shen Tang's thoughts became increasingly clear.
The analyst said, "If Zheng Qiao had the ability to wipe out the rebel army of the Pig King, why would he make a promise like 'granting him land and a kingship'?"
This isn't how you make empty promises.
"...To say that they lack ability doesn't seem to make sense either..."
The advantages of Guoxi are not just empty words.
"Unless—Zheng Qiao is temporarily unable to send troops for some reason, and can only rely on external forces to restrain the growing power of the Pig King. Is he afraid that the bait isn't big enough, and other fish won't take the bait, so he's throwing out an irresistible temptation? It sounds like he's just stalling for time..."
A fleeting look of surprise crossed Gu Chi's eyes.
“Shen Lang is intelligent; his guess is almost certainly correct.”
Shen Tang asked, "So, you know the reason?"
Gu Chi: "Actually, it's not hard to guess. Why were the Pig King and his men able to so quickly turn against Zheng Qiao's trusted confidants? Because they had something on them, and once Zheng Qiao found out, they would be doomed. They had no other way out but to rebel!"
This shows how unpopular Zheng Qiao was.
He was ruthless, feared not only by his enemies but also by those around him. But fear alone cannot truly win the loyalty of his subordinates. While Zheng Qiao instilled fear in his men, it also fueled their ambition. Given the right opportunity, they would betray him without hesitation!
All for the sake of escaping Zheng Qiao's control!
Gu Chi said calmly, "The example of the King of Pigs has also inspired others—taking the opportunity to rebel against Zheng Qiao is the safest way to save one's life! In this way, Zheng Qiao certainly wouldn't dare to send troops to wipe out the King of Pigs' rebel army at this time, because once he relinquishes military power, the first thing those rebellious trusted generals would do is kill him!"
on the contrary--
By inciting various forces to fight against the Pig King, Zheng Qiao remains calm and collected regardless of which side wins or suffers heavy losses.
He was making his wishful thinking very clearly.
but--
Things in this world rarely go as planned.
It is precisely because of this weakness that Zheng Qiao will not easily break her promise. Gu Chi hopes that Shen Tang can seize this opportunity and at least acquire some territory, giving her a foothold. As long as she can successfully establish herself, she will have successfully taken the first step!
Only then can things proceed as they are.
But Shen Tang's worry was—
With both Gong Shuwu and Chu Yao absent, and only a little over a hundred people under her command, how can she establish herself and acquire her first territory? This is a critical question!
More than a hundred people were thrown into the battlefield, but not a single splash was made.
Shen Tang did not hide her true feelings from Gu Chi.
Gu Chi laughed and said, "Those hundred-plus people can't do it. Apart from Gong Shuwu, Shen Lang doesn't have a single martial artist under his command who can be considered skilled. But Shen Lang is different. As long as he can make a name for himself on the battlefield... isn't merit easily within his grasp?"
Shen Tang: "..."
I was careless!
So she was the one who did all the work from start to finish?
Others are employees who work to support their bosses... but in her case, it's her, the "boss," who's working herself to the bone to support her "employees"?
Alas, the world is so uneven.
Just as he was feeling resentful, a soldier outside the tent delivered a message.
It turned out that Gu Ren was preparing to attend the conference and was worried that Shen Tang would not be able to find her way or be looked down upon, so he asked her to come along.
Shen Tang: "..."
He overestimated himself...
My cousin moved into his new house, so I went over to help. I was woken up at five or six in the morning... Damn, I didn't get to sleep until after three in the morning... I was in a daze all day, so tired and sleepy. After finishing my work in the afternoon, I went home and tried to catch up on sleep for two hours, but I felt even more tired. When I woke up, I felt completely drained...
I'm completely still, feeling anxious, and I'm thinking of taking a day off to go to bed early.
I'll update again tomorrow after I've had some rest...
(End of this chapter)
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