Chapter 270: I Believe in Lord Shen [Three Thousand]
Unfortunately, ideals are often grand, but reality is often harsh.
Yan An never expected that the biggest obstacle he would face would not come from Zheng Qiao, but from the court officials around him, who would obstruct him in various ways.
The reasons given were even more laughable—
Those who make contributions will be rewarded!
Furthermore, it is said that the people's neglect of farming and laziness have led to a sharp decline in harvests and insufficient payment of land taxes. Their current lack of food for winter is their own fault. In truth, they have not contributed anything and are even guilty! The king has shown mercy by not holding them accountable, yet Yan'an is actually going to provide these lazybones with winter rations? What will the hardworking, self-sufficient people think?
"If merits are not rewarded, good deeds will not be encouraged; if transgressions are not punished, evil will not be feared!" Upon hearing Yan An's suggestion, a court official stepped forward, cautiously observing Zheng Qiao's expression. Seeing that Zheng Qiao was not displeased, he continued eloquently, "Those lazy and lowly people have neither merits nor transgressions. Your actions will only encourage their evil deeds! Next spring, diligent people will neglect their farming duties because of this!"
He paused, then said, "That's where the consequences will be endless!"
Yan An was so angry that his face turned ashen.
How can you even spout such fallacious reasoning?
What is the difference between this and "Why not eat meat porridge?"
When you're hungry, you go to farm?
Does the lack of grain mean that farmers are neglecting their agricultural work?
At least let them have fertile land to cultivate!
Looking at the hypocritical faces before him, Yan An felt a spasm in his stomach and almost vomited.
If he weren't currently cultivating his character and needing to set a good example for Zheng Qiao, he would have already drawn his sword and cut off this man's tongue!
If this tongue can't speak human language, then we'll discard it!
Yan Anxin was as clear-headed as a mirror, certain that there was something wrong with the grain depot's accounts; otherwise, why would this group of people be so united in obstructing him?
If people are driven to the brink of despair, how can they possibly survive?
Well—
The courtiers each had their own ideas.
I know some things, but knowing doesn't mean I care.
The so-called common people are nothing more than a group of ants digging for food in the mud. No matter how much they make a fuss, they can't threaten me at all.
But if the accounting problems are exposed, Zheng Qiao can make sure they don't see the sun rise tomorrow! It's obvious what to do! Let those lowly people die, their lives are worthless anyway.
Yan An's expression turned cold.
Her murderous eyes and brows bore a striking resemblance to Zheng Qiao's.
Yan Xingning persisted in his opinion.
The courtiers with guilty consciences stepped forward, each expressing their opinions. They criticized or ridiculed Yan An, arguing heatedly until their faces were red and their necks were bulging. Zheng Qiao sat at the head of the table, looking languid and content, as if watching a brilliant but eventually boring monkey show.
How could he not know that the court officials were up to no good?
I knew, but I tolerated it.
Zheng Qiao's rise to power, defeating the old king and his sons to ascend the throne, was not only due to his alliance with the Queen Mother, but also to his use of such methods to recruit talent and provide ample benefits to his subordinates. These people were like leeches, countless times more greedy than him, only willing to work for him and risk their lives for him after they had sucked his blood to the point of exhaustion.
Zheng Qiao carefully reviewed all of Yan'an's reform plans, and found that each and every one of them was beneficial to the country and the people, but only to them.
It's not only disadvantageous but also harmful, damaging their foundation and taking away the profits they've already amassed. Who wouldn't hate him?
Yan An also wanted to clean up the atmosphere and remove these court officials. He advised Zheng Qiao to stay away from treacherous and wicked people and get closer to loyal and virtuous officials.
Looking at Yan An, who was almost isolated, Zheng Qiao sneered inwardly—his senior brother had been taught by his mentor to be too naive and simple-minded, unaware of the greed and wickedness of the human heart. He didn't look at character or talent when employing people, only what they could do for him, Zheng Qiao.
If this continues and angers the court officials, Zheng Qiao wouldn't be surprised if he received bad news from his senior brother one day, such as drowning in a well in the middle of the night, accidentally falling into the water, being accidentally killed by a burglar... In short, dying in an "accident"!
Seeing that the argument was nearing its end, Zheng Qiao interrupted and shifted the topic to the allied forces that had repelled the rebels in Sibao County—since the emergence of the Imperial Seal, he had been sending people to monitor the battle situation there. To be honest, the strength of the Pig King's army was somewhat beyond his expectations.
Especially that fierce general, Gongxi Chou.
Even Zheng Qiao was somewhat wary, but that was all he was afraid of. As long as the King of Pigs did not obtain the Imperial Seal, he had nothing to fear.
so--
Who has acquired the suddenly appearing national seal?
Where is it hidden?
To put his mind at ease, he decided to meet the so-called rabble of the Allied Forces. If any of these people posed a threat to him, he would kill them on the spot! The leader was Wu Xian, followed by Gu Ren.
After that, Zheng Qiao lost interest in paying attention.
After scanning around, Zheng Qiao found no suspicious signs on them, and although she was a little disappointed, she still cheered herself up.
Rewards should be given according to military merit.
Wu Xian was credited with the greatest merit, followed by Gu Ren, and then the others. Although they didn't receive the "granting of land and titles" that everyone had hoped for, they were all promoted and richly rewarded, so their trip wasn't in vain. Some people wondered to themselves, "Is this really Zheng Qiao, being so easy to talk to?"
At this time, Gu Ren stepped forward and recommended Shen Tang to serve as the governor of He Yin County. Although it was called a county, due to the numerous small states in the northwest continent, the overall area was not large after each state divided it up.
The names are just very detailed, and the titles sound impressive.
Heyinzhen is a small place.
Besides Gu Ren, several others stepped forward to recommend him. Only Wu Xian didn't move. Not only did he not move, but he also stared wide-eyed, looking shocked as if he had been betrayed on the spot. His heart was filled with "friendly greetings" to Gu Ren, completely unable to understand what he was going to do!
He Yin was "rented" to Shen Tang for free.
Gu Ren recommended Shen Tang to be the Prefect of He County.
Then why bother borrowing it yourself!
Unfortunately, Zheng Qiao was right above him, so he had to keep all his pent-up anger inside, which made his face turn pale.
Zheng Qiao frowned slightly: "Shen Tang? He didn't come?"
The spies sent back news about Shen Tang early in the morning.
It is said that this man could fight Gongxi Chou, a fifteenth-rank scholar, for hundreds of rounds. He was also a kind-hearted man, penniless himself, and took in more than 1,800 refugees. He also borrowed 1,000 men from Wu Xian and slowly made his way to He Yin.
Zheng Qiao received the message and thought the intelligence was wrong.
How could Shen Tang possibly fight to a standstill with the Fifteenth Young Master? Later, it was learned that Gong Xi Chou and Shen Tang had a personal relationship and frequent exchanges on the battlefield, raising concerns that the match might have been rigged. Furthermore, given Gong Xi Chou's surname, it's entirely possible he deliberately threw the match to trick the King of Pigs.
Zheng Qiao understood.
Shen Tang is capable, but not as terrifying as the rumors suggest. Plus, he's a kind-hearted, overly compassionate person. With over 1,800 elderly, weak, women, and children holding them back, Zheng Qiao didn't have much suspicion. However—she still needed to ask the questions she needed to clarify.
Gu Ren's answer was similar to what he had thought—the reason Shen Tang didn't come was simply because it was difficult to travel with more than 1,800 people. These people couldn't keep up with the army's speed, and they wanted to catch up with the spring planting next year, so after thinking it over, they decided to go to He Yin first.
Zheng Qiao glanced at Wu Xian's unpleasant expression.
It's approved!
Although he saw the Allied Forces as a rabble, he reasoned that even ants gathered together can bite painfully, so it was better to let them quarrel and drift apart. Judging from Wu Xian's out-of-control expression, he knew that Wu Xian was unaware of this matter.
hehe--
Zheng Qiao praised him a few times and then ordered a banquet to be prepared.
Yan An was particularly bothered by Shen Tang's absence.
"This person is likely to be a great threat."
Zheng Qiao scoffed: "A major problem? Because they didn't come?"
Yan An frowned and said, "Under other circumstances, it wouldn't matter whether he comes or not. But since the Imperial Seal appeared in Xiaocheng and then mysteriously disappeared, and he doesn't come again under some pretext, that's suspicious. Is this man taking in over 1,800 elderly, weak, women, and children out of kindness, or for some other reason?"
It's also possible that they're using these refugees as an excuse.
A hint of mockery appeared on Zheng Qiaojun's handsome yet effeminate face: "Does Senior Brother mean that this twelve-year-old boy obtained the Imperial Seal?"
Yan An said, "It's not impossible."
Zheng Qiao smiled.
He laughed, saying that Yan An didn't understand the Imperial Seal.
Yan An was troubled by Zheng Qiao's arrogance.
Regardless, Shen Tang's status has been settled.
Apart from the alliance leader Wu Xian, no one was injured!
With a deafening thud, Wu Xian slammed his fist on the table, abandoning his years of self-restraint, and roared furiously, "Gu Ziyi, you are truly hateful! He owes me a favor, why did you intercept mine?"
Qin Li was not surprised to hear this news; in fact, he felt it was to be expected—Shen Tang had a scheming man named Qi Yuanliang under his command, and this guy was a master of backstabbing!
He said, "It may not be that Gu Ziyi was behind it."
Wu Xian angrily retorted, "Who else could it be but him?"
Qin Li: "Pray for Yuanliang."
It must have been Qi Yuanliang's wicked idea!
On one hand, they tricked Wu Xian into sending men to the river prefecture by claiming they were "renting" it; on the other hand, they conspired with Gu Ren to have Gu Ren recommend Shen Tang for the position. When Wu Xian questioned them later, Shen Tang could easily deny everything and deny everything!
Wu Xian could only suffer in silence.
Since it was Gu Ren who recommended him, Shen Tang "didn't know" about it, and even if the "lease" expires, don't expect Shen Tang to move out.
Wu Xian examined it carefully, then waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "No, no, no, this must have been Gu Ren's doing!"
He believed in Lord Shen's character!
Qin Li: "..."
Our lord doesn't understand Qi Yuanliang!
Several days later, in the territory of Heyin, at a bandit stronghold.
With a flash of sword light, a head was propelled high by the gushing blood before tumbling to the ground. The dead man's eyes were wide open, his death unfulfilled. The young man then plunged his blood-stained sword into the chests of several other men. As the corpses fell, silence descended upon the stronghold.
"Who else disagrees?"
"Kill this little wench to avenge our leader!"
A burly man with a scarred face lunged at them with a knife.
Before he could even get close, the boy severed both of his arms with two sword strikes.
The burly man's body lurched forward, crashing precisely into the young man's sword. The sword sliced through iron like mud, severing the man's neck with a smooth, effortless motion. The young man, stepping on the warm blood, sneered, "Anyone else who dares to challenge me?"
The bandits watched, their legs trembling.
Some people nervously swallowed loudly.
From the mountainside to the bandit stronghold, the path was strewn with corpses and blood. This strikingly handsome young man had fought his way up, his brothers rushing after him, only to have their heads severed before they could even see him clearly. They fought their way to the main hall of the bandit stronghold and beheaded the bandit leader.
"I allow you to say 'I'm not convinced' to me now, and I'll give you a quick death. If you submit to me and then say 'I'm not convinced,' your fate will be worse than death!" The boy slightly raised his chin. Although he wasn't tall, his eyes held a condescending and arrogant look.
"Oh? Nobody's here? That's good!"
At this moment, a stranger appeared among the bandits and robbers, suddenly raising his arm and shouting, "Boss!"
"The boss!"
"The boss!"
The others, stunned, hesitated for a few moments.
They also raised their arms and shouted "Boss!"
The sounds started as rustling whispers, but eventually merged into a deafening roar that echoed throughout the entire bandit stronghold.
(σ)σ:*☆
I'm going to sleep now; I won't stay up late anymore.
(End of this chapter)
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