Chapter 290: To the Pigs and Sheep [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Zhao Feng nodded.
He knows that.
That group of commoners followed from Sibao County to Fugu City, the city of Heyin. Although they all tried their best to keep up, the journey was slow due to the frequent stops and starts. It would be unsuitable to put them through heavy physical labor. Therefore—young men should be conscripted to do the work.
As for how many able-bodied men are left in Fugu City...
That's a problem too.
Could it be that he and Gong Shuwu are in charge of this matter?
There's no problem with that.
Leave it to him; the thousand private retainers he brought wouldn't even need wages, just enough rice and grain every day.
Zhao Feng's standards are practically driven by love.
Gu Chi: "..."
His gaze towards Zhao Feng carried a hint of pity.
Why would Shen Tang be so generous?
Or rather, where does she get the money to be so generous?
"Ahem—so, could you please come along and help level the entire southwest corner? Then the other commoners can carry it all? If the martial energy consumption is too high, Yuanliang and the other three can lend their help..."
Zhao Feng: "???"
Gong Shuwu: "???"
Zhao Feng pointed to himself and then looked at Gong Shuwu.
No, is he hallucinating?
Zhao Feng solemnly declared, "I am—"
“…I know that Da Yi is a general who is brave and unparalleled on the battlefield.” Shen Tang interrupted him before he could finish speaking.
Zhao Fenggang's anger subsided with a squeak.
His expression softened: "Shen Jun—"
"But if I may be so bold, General Zhao, are you fighting bravely on the battlefield merely to pursue the pinnacle of martial arts and military merit? Any patriotic man would be willing to die on the battlefield, whether for himself, his clan, or his country... In the end, isn't it all to protect the millions of common people from being trampled and harassed? The rebel army of the Prince of Zhi has withdrawn from Sibao County, and there is no war for the time being. General Zhao must want to improve himself and hone his martial arts to prepare for the future, right?"
Zhao Feng's expression turned unfriendly upon hearing the first sentence.
But I gradually started to listen.
"That's natural."
"Since the battlefield is about killing the enemy with force, and that's what ordinary people do, why is it that nowadays it's not acceptable to rebuild houses and protect ordinary people with force?" Shen Tang's rhetorical question left Zhao Feng speechless.
He opened his mouth, but something felt off.
But I really can't quite put my finger on what's wrong.
He fought on the battlefield, risking his life, but now he's "causing destruction" everywhere, demolishing useless ruins to help ordinary people rebuild their homes, and even getting some exercise... Why can't that be allowed? But he's a brave and courageous warrior!
Zhao Fengdao: "It's never been like this before..."
Shen Tang then asked Zhao Feng, "Does something that you never do mean that you can't do it, shouldn't do it, or shouldn't do it?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Feng stood frozen in place.
This is a difficult question to answer.
No one has stipulated that martial arts masters can't do demolitions. In fact, martial arts masters can also transform their martial energy into soldiers, allowing one person to do the work of hundreds of people at the same time. It's fast, efficient, and quick, and most importantly, it's very cost-effective.
It's truly a great value for working people.
Zhao Feng cultivates for a long time every day, so why doesn't he finish the work for hundreds of people while warming up during his cultivation? Who says a general can only command battles?
You can fight on horseback, and when you're not on horseback, you can demolish houses, farm, or build houses... It's never a bad thing to have more skills.
Make the best use of resources and give more work to those who are capable.
Is there anything wrong with what you said?
No problem!
Shen Tang also thoughtfully told him that if his martial arts skills were insufficient, he could borrow the assistance of literary scholars. Chu Yao, Qi Shan, Kang Shi, Gu Chi... which one couldn't be used? Even in battle, one might not receive this kind of treatment—right, Uncle Gong?
Gong Shuwu: "..."
He remained expressionless as he watched Zhao Feng being tricked into becoming lame.
If Zhao Feng, an outsider, could be persuaded, how could he, a martial artist loyal to Shen Tang, refuse?
Obviously not.
But is that all they do?
That's obviously impossible.
Chu Yao has found a solution, but Shen Tang's matter is still unresolved. In short, Shen Tang is too poor, and envious of the wealthy and powerful Zhang Shi, the river magistrate, is preparing to go and beg for her money… no, I mean, to speak up for the people, uphold justice, and bring the wicked to justice!
Revenue generation is merely an additional benefit, not the goal.
Gu Chi: "..."
He was glad that only he heard such shameless words. How could Shen Lang, at such a young age, master the essence of banditry without a teacher?
Chu Yao said, "Shall we make our move tonight?"
Shen Tang: "Yes, tonight. We'll need to borrow some people from General Zhao. The government has been inactive for years, and the common people have probably lost all hope. Taking advantage of the opportunity of River Governor Zhang's reprimand to establish authority is the perfect chance to win back the people's hearts."
Let the people know that if they suffer injustice, they can report it to the authorities, and as long as they report it, someone will help them seek justice! The city of Fugu is different now than before. It will never be inactive as before, nor will it act as a henchman for the enemy, openly or secretly.
Although restoring public morale is not something that can be accomplished overnight, eliminating the Zhang family is definitely a crucial step.
Zhao Fengdao: "Of course."
Shen Tang only had two skilled martial artists at his disposal: Gong Shuwu stayed behind to guard the area and prevent any accidents, while he himself led and commanded the troops.
Bringing his private retainers was to repay a debt of gratitude, to help Shen Tang gain a foothold in the perilous He Yin region, and to eliminate the Zhang family [to generate revenue] was also part of repaying that debt of gratitude.
Shen Tang took out the blueprints that Bai Su had given her.
This drawing was made by Bai Su when she was scouting locations.
She even climbed the city wall to check everything, meticulously recording every path and exit. Shen Tang and her group then devised an encirclement plan based on the blueprints and launched their attack as quickly as possible.
at last--
Catch them all in one fell swoop!
Zhao Feng asked, "How many retainers does the Zhang family support?"
Shen Tang: "Not many. The most elite ones have probably all been sent to the military camp. The remaining ones won't be any stronger than those few... If they encounter a scholar with a refined mind or a warrior with a fierce spirit, and they put up a stubborn resistance, we'll dislocate their jaws and break their legs!"
"If you don't even know what's good for you, then..."
Shen Tang uttered a sentence slowly.
"Add some red to winter with blood, kill on the spot!"
Shen Tang's gaze was icy, like a piercing blade, causing people to subconsciously overlook her overly beautiful appearance and instead be startled by the aggressive wildness beneath it. But this was only for a moment.
In the blink of an eye, a smile returned to the corners of her eyes and mouth.
The illusion of speed is a misperception.
Qi Shan: "Those accumulated case files..."
“Naturally, everything must be reviewed and investigated.”
Qi Shan said, "So there's no need to kill them for now."
Chu Yao agreed: "That's right, just cripple it."
Shen Tang: "Not kill them for now?"
Kang Shi: "Since our lord wants to rebuild his prestige among the people, simply arresting the Zhang family is not enough. They must die in front of the common people of Fugu City, because 'seeing is believing.' Why not capture them, cripple them, interrogate and convict them one by one, and execute them in public!"
Gong Shuwu was somewhat worried.
"Won't this attract interference from other companies?"
Qi Shan said, "Yes."
Gong Shuwu shook his head: "That won't do."
The methods used are too bloody and decisive, which could easily provoke the other parties to fight to the death, which would be counterproductive.
therefore--
Shen Tang said, "...Since you're worried about the other families fighting to the death, then let's capture them too! It'll be tiring tonight, but we'll have to make several trips. As long as we're fast enough, we can strike before the others join forces!"
Fugu City was the seat of the River Governor.
This place was once the most populous and economically prosperous area in Heyin, where several major local powers gathered, saving Shen Tang the trouble of searching for them one by one.
If we can take them down in a surprise attack tonight, the rest of the weaklings, whether they flee at the first sign of trouble or join forces to resist...
What kind of storm can it stir up?
Shen Tang's appetite suddenly swelled.
Even Zhao Feng couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.
Raiding property is one of the fastest ways to make money.
Shen Tang not only wanted to seize the Zhang family of He Yin, but also wanted to seize several other larger families. Such an ambition was beyond the reach of even their lord, Wu Xian. After all, if things went wrong, they would face a furious and relentless backlash!
Even if you don't die, you'll be skinned alive.
It will be difficult for him to establish himself in Heyin again in the future.
The last-minute change to the plan caused a sharp increase in workload.
Fortunately, Bai Su was "the all-knowing and all-powerful person in the River Region".
She not only scouted the residences of the Zhang family in Heyin, but also collected information on the layouts of several other residences, which were very similar to those of the Zhang family.
We'll start tonight as usual, but two hours earlier.
Shen Tang asked the old official Fu Gu to help him deliver an olive branch (a formal invitation) to the Zhang family, ostensibly to bribe local bullies for protection, and then visited them with generous gifts.
Then, Gong Shuwu was disguised as a servant.
Qi Shan led 800 men to lie in ambush outside, awaiting orders, and raised a literary barrier to block outside forces and delay time; Chu Yao and Zhao Feng led 1,000 men to take charge of another family, whose task was relatively more difficult; Gu Chi led 1,000 men to stay behind and raise the alarm if anything unusual happened.
As for Kang Shi and the remaining two hundred-odd people—
Shen Tang: "With my seal of office, seal off Fugu City!"
A risky tactic, like catching a turtle in a jar!
(_)
Babies, we've got 6445 monthly passes!
555 more photos to reach the dream of 7000...
This number is exactly what I feel right now, sob sob sob.
I swear, this is the last day of January, please vote for me!
Grab it and shake it!
(End of this chapter)
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