Chapter 260: Departure [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
"This King Zheng Zhi truly lives up to his name."
Shen Tang has never liked to judge a person based on public opinion, but the Zheng brothers are definitely an exception.
Zheng Qiao and Zheng Zhi are truly blood brothers.
The two are essentially birds of a feather.
Zheng Qiao allowed his soldiers to burn, kill, and loot, while Zheng Zhi allowed his livestock to run rampant, stealing people's food, robbing their property, taking lives, and stealing wives and daughters. Soldiers, armed with bayonets, killed and beheaded unarmed civilians, slaughtering them until their blades were worn thin. The ditches outside the city were filled with corpses, and the stench of death filled the air.
Looking at the pile of corpses, Shen Tang's face was darker than ever before, and he was surrounded by murderous aura. He wished he could draw his sword and kill all the murderers!
Even as the rebels withdrew, they didn't forget to set fire to civilian homes.
Flames soared into the sky, turning the heavens crimson!
Black smoke blanketed the ground, and all was silent!
That's it?
No, it's not over yet!
When Shen Tang went to the meeting, he heard that the ancestral graves of the wealthy families who had been robbed had been completely dug up, and the skeletons were scattered in the wilderness. Anyone who tried to stop them was killed. Although digging up ancestral graves was one way to make money in war, it was rare to see it done in broad daylight without even a fig leaf to cover it up.
The Allied soldiers slammed their fists on the table and cursed, spitting as they spoke.
It was as if they were the ones whose ancestral graves had been desecrated.
Gu Chi secretly curled his lip—if the Zheng brothers were even human, these people wouldn't have had the chance to jump out and cause trouble.
He leaned closer and asked, "How are your preparations, Shen Lang?"
Rebel forces swarmed across the land like locusts, leaving behind a mess that the Allied forces were unwilling to clean up. Everyone tacitly avoided mentioning it.
Shen Tang pondered for a moment and said, "Let's do our best."
After saying that, he continued to drink his tea with his head down.
They managed to get through the day's meeting by drinking tea. As the crowd dispersed in twos and threes, Shen Tang remained seated and did not move.
Seeing this, Alliance Leader Wu Xian asked, "Brother Shen, is there something you need?"
Shen Tang went straight to the point, getting straight to the point.
They inquired with Alliance Leader Wu Xian about how to resettle the surviving civilians.
“They have no food, no money, and no shelter. If we leave, we fear we will be targeted by bandits and won’t survive.”
Alliance Leader Wu Xian's heart pounded, but he smiled and said, "Brother Shen, don't worry, I will send someone to come up with a plan as soon as possible."
Shen Tang is a penniless bachelor, so he has nothing to lose, but Alliance Leader Wu Xian has a vast fortune and far surpasses everyone else in terms of wealth, resources, and manpower. All things considered, it's best for him to take over. Even if the Alliance tries to "crowdfund," Alliance Leader Wu Xian will still inevitably suffer a significant loss.
Shen Tang pressed further, "How quickly at the earliest?"
Alliance Leader Wu Xian: "..."
His smile grew increasingly awkward.
Hesitantly, he said, "Well, it will take a few days."
He said, "You can't rush it, you can't rush it."
Shen Tang, however, was determined to get to the bottom of things.
"What number of days is what number of days is?"
Alliance Leader Wu Xian: "..."
He wondered whether Shen Tang was truly stupid or just pretending.
Didn't you realize that nobody wanted to take on this hot potato?
It's not that these people lack compassion.
Rather, they were willing but unable to do so.
War is the most expensive activity.
Alliance Leader Wu Xian came because of the potential profit (the Imperial Seal), but now he has neither the Imperial Seal nor provisions, only so-called "military merits." The crucial point is that even these "military merits" can only be redeemed through Zheng Qiao; he's losing money every single day he wakes up.
It's not that I can't afford to lose money...
But even that small fortune couldn't withstand extravagant spending.
If Alliance Leader Wu Xian is under so much pressure, what about the leaders of other smaller factions? They're already feeding so many people by bringing in more people to fight; wouldn't they be driven out of their homes?
Most of those who survived were the elderly, women, and children who were lucky enough to survive; the able-bodied men had long been forcibly conscripted by the rebels—a group of elderly, women, and children were basically just walking, unusable machines.
Their productivity is far lower than that of the young and middle-aged; accepting them would only be a burden.
So everyone tacitly agreed not to bring it up.
Who would have thought that Shen Tang, that hothead, would bring it up?
Wu Xian, the leader of the alliance, had a big smile on his face.
Secretly, I'm already starting to have a headache.
Shen Tang sighed: "Is the Alliance Leader facing some difficulties?"
Alliance Leader Wu Xian seized the opportunity to climb the social ladder and began to play the victim—Shen Tang only had a little over two hundred people under his command, and his meager resources could easily support such a small number of people, but the number of mouths to feed under his command was in the tens of thousands, so the economic pressure was on a completely different level.
Summarize--
"It's not that I'm unwilling, but I'm truly unable to help." Alliance Leader Wu Xian, worried that Shen Tang might bring it up in front of everyone next time and offend a large number of people, deliberately added, "Some things are fine for Brother Shen to say to me, but if other people with ulterior motives find out, it's easy to incur their resentment..."
Shen Tang shook her head: "That's not what I meant."
Alliance Leader Wu Xian raised an eyebrow, puzzled, and cautiously asked Shen Tang, "Then, what does Brother Shen mean..."
Shen Tang: "Leave all these people to me."
Both Wu Xian, the leader of the alliance, and Gu Chi looked at her in shock.
The former worried that Shen Tang might not be taking things seriously, and advised, "Brother Shen, do you know how many people that is? Three or four thousand old, weak, women and children! They can't go to the battlefield like the able-bodied men, and they can't work in the fields as well as the young people. If they go there, it will be a pure waste of food!"
The latter looked at her with worry in his eyes.
Shen Tang said calmly, "I know."
Alliance Leader Wu Xian repeatedly confirmed with Shen Tang, "You know?"
Shen Tang: "Yes."
Alliance Leader Wu Xian then asked, "Do you know what's important?"
Shen Tang replied, "Yes."
Alliance Leader Wu Xian was not optimistic. He knew exactly how much wealth Shen Tang had. That day, Li Li led a hundred or so people, pushing carts and herding a group of plump pigs. That amount of wealth was enough for a hundred or so people to live comfortably, but with the addition of three or four thousand unproductive old, weak, women and children, they could only last for half a month if they were frugal!
What should I do after about two weeks?
He sighed and said, "Let me think about it some more."
Someone stepped forward to take on this mess that no one else had, and he had no reason to refuse, but he couldn't just push anyone out, especially when that person was Shen Tang. Shen Tang was still young, and unsuspecting outsiders might think he was heartless and deceiving people.
Leaving the tent, Gu Chi said, "Shen Lang was reckless. This matter should be discussed with Qi Yuanliang and Chu Wuhui..."
Shen Tang said, "Do what you believe is right."
Gu Chi exclaimed "Eh?" in confusion.
Shen Tang chuckled and said, "I believe I did the right thing, so I did it. Even if I discussed it with Yuan Liang and the others, I would still stick to my own opinion. That's what I told Xiao Linfeng a few days ago; I should set a good example for her."
Gu Chi: "How do we solve the food problem?"
Shen Tang pointed to himself: "Have you forgotten my Word of Power?"
Gu Chi naturally hadn't forgotten.
only--
We can't rely on Shen Tang to supply everything.
It's not a good thing.
Furthermore—
Gu Chi couldn't help but pour cold water on Shen Tang's enthusiasm: "Not everyone is willing to go with you. Some people would rather die for their homeland than leave their hometown, let alone a chaotic and dangerous place like He Yin. Shen Lang, you should be mentally prepared."
Shen Tang waved his hand casually: "I know."
She's just a walking pancake, not a walking gold and silver treasure, and not everyone wants to like her.
Shen Tang was self-aware.
"Shen Lang, have you figured out how to persuade Qi Yuanliang and the others?"
Gu Chi had a premonition.
If Qi Shan finds out about this, she'll most likely blame him.
Shen Tang beamed: "Isn't that simple?"
She's quite adept at fooling Qi Shan and Chu Yao.
The reason is readily available—if she wants to take these people away, she has a reason to leave the Allied Army ahead of time and settle down in Heyin, and the Allied Army members can't easily object. After that, she only needs to wait for Gu Ren's recommendation, and she can naturally bring Heyin under her control.
otherwise--
What excuse did Shen Tang use to leave early?
Even if she wanted to leave, the Allied forces might not be willing to let her go easily—they were also afraid that Gong Xichou would lead his troops to launch a surprise attack.
The matter was resolved the very next day.
During the general meeting, Alliance Leader Wu Xian brought up the matter and sought everyone's opinion—although no one wanted these three or four thousand people, they were nominally rescued by the Alliance Army, and the Alliance Army had to unanimously agree to "divide" them.
Everyone was shocked by these words.
Everyone turned to look at Shen Tang, some with admiration, some with surprise, some as if he were a fool, and some with confusion.
What's the point?
Do these three or four thousand burdens even know how to eat or defecate?
Someone subtly reminded Shen Tang that accepting these people would cost a fortune, and if his family wasn't wealthy enough, he shouldn't go through the trouble.
They believed that Shen Tang was putting on a brave face.
If Shen Tang had any family wealth, he wouldn't only have two or three hundred people under his command. He shouldn't be unable to support them; causing trouble would only damage his reputation, a loss that wouldn't outweigh the gains.
Shen Tang responded to each of these comments.
"My family has a little wealth; if we grit our teeth, we can manage for two or three months. I'm also prepared to shamelessly borrow some grain and fodder from you all. As long as we can hold out until next year's spring planting, things will be alright..."
Everyone: "..."
Alliance Leader Wu Xian: "..."
They couldn't help but suspect that Shen Tang's real purpose in bringing these people was to use them as an excuse to borrow grain from them. The group suddenly had the unsettling feeling that their good intentions had been wasted—were they worried that Shen Tang didn't have enough resources, and that he was eyeing their granaries?
Is anyone there?
The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat strange.
It wasn't until Gu Ren spoke up that the matter was broken.
He said, "Although my family is not wealthy, I truly admire Lord Shen's compassion and am willing to lend him two hundred bushels of grain."
Others, reminded of this, also spoke up.
Instead of waiting for Shen Tang to come knocking with exorbitant demands, it's better to be generous yourself and set the amount. That way, Shen Tang won't be able to ask for more. You contribute a little, I contribute a little—it's all the good intentions.
Shen Tang asked Qi Shan to help her write it down.
I'll deliver the IOU to your door later.
Having settled this matter, Shen Tang took the opportunity to suggest that he take his men to He Yin ahead of schedule. The reason was readily available: the Zhi Wang rebels had completely withdrawn from Sibao County and showed no signs of returning. The situation was gradually stabilizing, so there was little point in him staying behind.
Alliance Leader Wu Xian frowned and asked, "So urgent?"
Chen Tang sighed with sorrow.
She didn't want to either.
However, bringing so many elderly, weak, women, and children along is completely unsuitable for the army; it would only slow them down. Furthermore, the situation in He Yin's territory is also dire; I need to go there as soon as possible to assess the situation, stabilize it, and seize every second to avoid missing the spring planting season.
If she misses spring planting, there will be no harvest for the whole year. She can't keep shamelessly asking everyone for grain to make ends meet, can she?
Alliance Leader Wu Xian was speechless upon hearing this.
Shen Tang's reasons were indeed reasonable and well-founded.
If we continue to insist, it will only make us seem like we have ulterior motives.
At this point, the Allied forces had no choice but to release the prisoners.
However—
After all, we've been fighting side by side for over a month. Since Shen Tang is leaving early, we should at least throw him a farewell banquet.
As for whether it was a genuine farewell or just using Shen Tang as an excuse to throw a banquet for amusement, only they and Gu Chi probably know the truth.
Gu Chi heard Shen Tang's inner monologue.
He smiled and said, "Does Shen Lang want to know?"
Shen Tang forced a smile and said, "No, I don't want to know."
All these are just plastic flowers; you can tell the real from the fake at a glance.
She wasn't about to make a fool of herself.
After everyone dispersed, Qin Li seemed to be deep in thought.
Alliance Leader Wu Xian turned his head and saw his confidant looking worried. He asked with concern, "Qin Qing, is something troubling you?"
Qin Li said, "Something's not right."
Something's not right?
Qin Li wore an expression that said, "I really don't understand: When did Qi Yuanliang change his taste? He found such a sincere, simple, kind and enthusiastic husband? Don't they say 'birds of a feather flock together'? Someone who gets along so well with Qi Yuanliang..."
Taking in these elderly, weak, women, and children—a thankless task—doesn't seem like Qi Yuanliang's style at all.
Something is definitely amiss!
Hearing Qin Li mutter about Qi Shan in his daily life, Alliance Leader Wu Xian laughed heartily: "Qin Qing, you've been bitten by a snake once and are afraid of ropes for ten years now. Brother Shen Xian is young, what complicated thoughts could he have? Young people are always like this. The younger they are, the less afraid they are of trouble, the more chivalrous they are, full of hot blood and the courage of a leopard, they can't stand seeing the old, weak, women and children suffer in front of them..."
He agreed that Qi Shan was not a kind person.
But what about Shen Tang...?
This young man is indeed a kind person.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have risked his life to save people from Gongxi Chou time and time again, knowing that Gongxi Chou was a formidable enemy.
Because Shen Tang saved Zhao Feng, Alliance Leader Wu Xian's favorability towards her remained high, but Qin Li was not so easily dispelled as he felt something was amiss. Alliance Leader Wu Xian could only say, "Don't worry, Qin Qing, Da Yi will go to He Yin with them."
If anything seems amiss, Zhao Feng will reply.
Upon hearing this, Qin Li could only suppress his discomfort for the time being.
He nodded: "Mm."
Shen Tang went back and stamped the IOU with his personal signature, then had Chu Yao and the others deliver it, and also bring back the grain. He expected to finish in two or three days, at which point they would set off.
This is a big deal.
Even Yang, who was recuperating from his injuries, heard it.
He looked at Shen Tang with surprise, as if he no longer recognized her overnight, his expression slightly awkward.
Why do you have to do this?
Shen Tang asked, puzzled, "Isn't this a good idea?"
Commandant Yang: "It's a thankless task."
His feelings toward Shen Tang were very complex.
There was hatred, admiration, and appreciation...
Shen Tang robbed tax silver and killed many of his soldiers, but the remaining soldiers all survived thanks to Shen Tang, and even his own life was saved by him—although he was all alone and living was worse than dead, he was indeed alive now.
Commandant Yang may have flawed personal conduct, but he was unwavering in matters of principle.
Hatred is hatred, and kindness is kindness.
He can distinguish them clearly.
They were also aware of the financial difficulties that Shen Tang would face.
He sighed, "That batch of tax money should be enough to tide us over for a while. If it's still not enough, I still have some influence. Although I've offended a lot of people over the years, I also have some old friendships. I can risk my reputation to borrow some aid from them."
|ω`)
It's so hard, saving up drafts is so difficult.
(End of this chapter)
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