Chapter 333: Brand New Leeks [Two-in-One]
"etc--"
Shen Tang recognized the speaker as Kang Shi.
The other four people also looked over.
"Does Ji Shou think I'm heartless?"
Regardless, Zhao Feng had been a great help to everyone in the early stages of their business, but for her to harbor murderous thoughts without a word was indeed unpleasant. It was understandable that Kang Shi would have objections, but Shen Tang never expected this—
Kang Shi was both amused and annoyed, and reminded Shen Tang, "My lord, have you forgotten what you're still hiding from me?"
Shen Tang asked in confusion, "Am I hiding anything?"
Kang Shi blurted out, "What's going on with Wen Yun?"
Shen Tang: "..."
Chu Yao and the other three: "..."
Five pairs of eyes stared at Kang Shi, who had asked such a rather dim-witted question. Their gazes seemed to say, "You didn't even know this?" as if it were normal for Kang Shi to know. The question was, how did Kang Shi find out?
He was looked at like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and his fur stood on end.
"Shi knew nothing about this!"
Shen Tang and the other four looked at each other, exchanging bewildered glances. Shen Tang tilted her head and asked Chu Yao, "Wu Hui, didn't you say anything?"
Chu Yao said calmly, "Yao thought he knew."
Qi Shan said, "I also thought my cousin knew."
Gu Chi feigned surprise and said, "There are actually people who don't know?"
Gong Shuwu also looked at Kang Shi with curiosity.
He assumed these cunning scholars, with their ulterior motives, knew everything. Even assuming they didn't know Shen Jun possessed the Imperial Seal, why did Kang Shi help Shen Jun without hesitation? Did he perhaps enjoy the thrill of starting from scratch and playing the role of a monarch?
Kangshi, facing criticism: "..."
It is not very lethal, but it is extremely humiliating.
Since the matter had already been laid bare, Shen Tang nodded decisively and admitted, "Yes, I have the Imperial Seal."
Kang Shiji frowned, a series of clues flashing through his mind, until his gaze fell on Gong Shuwu: "Xin State?"
Shen Tang hesitated for a moment but then nodded.
Indeed, one of the imperial seals belongs to the Xin Kingdom.
The other piece belongs to her, but she doesn't even know where it came from. Perhaps she will have to recover all her memories to find out the truth, but it's not a bad thing.
Kang Shi paused for a moment, then asked firmly, "Besides that, is there anything else you can say that I don't know?"
He didn't want to be ridiculed by these unscrupulous literary types again in the same situation!
Shen Tang pondered deeply: "There really is one."
Kang Shi looked at her with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
Shen Tang said casually, "I'm a woman."
“Oh, a woman…” What kind of secret is that? A woman is a woman, right? Kang Shi was about to blurt it out, but then he realized what he had heard, his gaze falling on Shen Tang’s handsome and beautiful face, and he blurted out, “How could my lord be a woman?”
He then looked at Qi Shan and the others.
The others looked at him with expressions that said, "You don't even know this?" Good heavens, so he was the only one who didn't know! Before Kang could even gather his emotions, he heard Gong Shuwu's questioning voice beside him: "This matter, even I don't know..."
His own nephew, Gong Cheng, even called his lord "brother-in-law".
How could she be a girl?
Everyone: "..."
Gong Shuwu said in a murmur, "But that's not important."
Kang Shi calmed down.
Gender is indeed not important.
In this world where supernatural abilities exist, strength is the pinnacle of the hierarchy, transcending all other forms of contempt.
People admire strength and submit to the strong. They may despise women, but they will never despise a woman who possesses both literary talent and martial prowess!
Moreover, the die is cast.
Kang Shi: "..."
It really doesn't look like it!
Looking at Shen Tang's beautiful face, it's still impossible to equate her with the women I've met.
In response, Qi Shan said that her cousin would get used to it.
Anyway, he often forgets.
_(:з)∠)_
It's difficult to define one's lord's gender as "male," "female," or "neither male nor female," but ignoring this point won't be a big problem.
Kang Shi: "..."
Chen, Schrödinger's Gender, Tang: "..."
After the spring plowing ceremony, the fields were bustling with activity as ordinary people worked diligently. Shen Tang also distributed the improved curved plows made by carpenters, and with the addition of the "experienced" oxen "bought" from Tianhai, the preparations for spring plowing went very smoothly.
Efficiency has increased by more than two or three times.
Gu Chi quickly discovered the problem.
He received a message from his subordinates and exclaimed in surprise, "The fertility of the wasteland reclaimed last year is comparable to that of ordinary fertile land?"
Gu Chi was responsible for measuring and registering all the fields in Fugu and even other areas of Heyin. The fertility and yield of each acre of land were estimated. However, the common people who were allocated newly reclaimed wasteland found that the fertility of the land exceeded their expectations based on their rich farming experience.
This performance is something that inferior fields with relatively poor fertility cannot achieve; it barely meets the threshold of good farmland.
Gu Chi immediately led a team to conduct on-site testing and inspection.
He admitted he didn't know much about farming, but he did know the basic standards for classifying farmland into good and bad. Farmland that yielded ten bushels per mu was considered good land. The weeds that hadn't yet been removed from the fields, with their tenacious vitality, sprouted tiny green shoots.
Several experienced farmers in the area were consulted, and their assessments were largely the same.
The soil in this field is indeed quite fertile. If it is well tended and the weather is favorable, the yield should be good.
Gu Chi frowned in confusion.
His memory is good; this acre of land is clearly inferior.
Worried that his memory was wrong, he went back to look for the booklet.
The records above also confirm his guess.
Gu Chi summoned someone and instructed, "Go and investigate the other places."
The results were surprisingly surprising.
It wasn't just that one acre of bad land that turned into good land; the fertility of other fields also improved to varying degrees, though the improvement was not very noticeable, and the farmers didn't realize it, so naturally they didn't report it. Gu Chi then led his men to run all over the place, so busy that they were nowhere to be seen for three or four days.
"It's not just near Fugu, but the fields in other parts of Heyin have also changed..." Gu Chi ran into Chu Yao when he returned from his busy work. It just so happened that Chu Yao had been busy with something related to land recently, so the two started chatting and exchanging opinions. "Strangely, the fields outside the county remain unchanged, with the Heyin boundary marker as the boundary."
"Is the change only in He Yin?" Chu Yao asked.
Gu Chi had a vague guess in his mind and said, "Yes, I also visited several farmers whose farmland is near the boundary marker. The soil inside the boundary marker is obviously better than that outside the boundary marker."
Chu Yao asked, "Does Wang Chao suspect that these changes are related to the spirit words spoken during the spring plowing ceremony that day?"
The two walked side by side toward the government office.
Gu Chi nodded and said, "Yes, that's a guess. I even asked the common people outside of Fugu. They all said that there was a light drizzle at the auspicious time on the day of the sacrifice, but... the common people outside the Heyin boundary marker said that there was no rain, they had no recollection of it."
There must be some connection between the two.
Chu Yao carefully pondered the words of power spoken that day.
My lord's way of dealing with feudal lords is also about agriculture...
He said, "Wangchao, just to be on the safe side, we should secretly spread the word that 'a timely snow promises a bumper harvest,' the more the better."
It is not appropriate to bring the lord to the forefront at this time.
We must wait until Lingde (Lin Feng) and Wenxin are united!
Lingde's scholarly way is the best shield.
Gu Chi also agreed with Chu Yao's decision.
As they spoke, the administrative center came into view.
It wasn't enough for them to make the final decision; they also needed Lord Shen Tang's approval and cooperation. Shen Tang agreed without hesitation—this was a good thing! It was almost lunchtime, so Shen Tang asked the two of them to stay for a meal.
Due to the scarcity of supplies, people typically eat only two meals a day.
Morning food, delicious food.
If we got hungry in between, we would eat some snacks to fill our stomachs.
But even office workers have human rights!
One large bowl of pork rib noodles plus three soup dumplings per person.
Shen Tang happily slurped up the noodles, drinking every last drop of the broth.
You need to be well-fed to have the energy to keep going!
"Do Wu Hui and Wang Chao not need to go into seclusion?"
During her break, she inquired about the couple's recent situation.
Literary fortune, like other things, needs to be cultivated and absorbed in order to be used by oneself; otherwise, it will be quite uncomfortable if it gets stuck in the dantian and meridians.
Chu Yao said, "Tonight is enough."
If I go into seclusion for a special trip, who will do the work?
Shen Tang opened her mouth, wanting to persuade him.
Gu Chi is "sick", and Chu Yao is "old".
I feel a little guilty about exploiting them.
Upon hearing his thoughts, Gu Chi's expression became subtle as he thoughtfully gazed at Chu Yao's young face...
Shen Tang understood Chu Yao's stubbornness (or perhaps his refusal to accept old age?), so she stopped insisting. She only mentioned that Lin Feng had been frequently going to the fields recently, which seemed to indicate that he was about to gather literary inspiration.
Chu Yao denied it: "Not so fast, at least until the autumn harvest."
“Huh? But I feel that my literary energy accumulation is almost complete…” Lin Feng’s literary energy surged on the day of the Spring Ploughing Ceremony, and he also received a small share of literary fortune. It should be enough for him to try to condense his literary heart for the first time, but Chu Yao did not think so.
He said, “Lingde has seen the desolation of winter and the vitality of spring, but a year has four seasons, and summer and autumn are still missing.”
This idea is quite novel.
"How could Lingde not have met Xia and Qiu?"
Chu Yao said, "I've seen it, but not completely."
He was very interested in this female student.
Especially after learning about her scholarly path, he secretly studied it, trying to find a way for her to gather her literary spirit more quickly and safely. At first, he thought he could try it if he had enough literary energy reserves, but he changed his mind on the day of spring plowing.
Lin Feng's philosophy of the scholar is "essential techniques for the common people"!
Based on the fields, based on agriculture.
Both are inextricably linked to the changing of the four seasons.
Perhaps only by truly experiencing it can Lin Feng fully grasp the essence and condense her own literary heart in one fell swoop!
"Did you tell her?"
“Of course I mentioned it, to put her mind at ease.”
Although Lin Feng didn't make it public, he could sense the growing impatience in his student's heart, an emotion that was taboo for a scholar! One must always maintain a calm and composed mind, neither elated by external gains nor saddened by personal losses.
Lin Feng is quite promising.
Shen Tang rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the sky outside, and said expectantly, "Autumn... then Ling De will be the first woman besides me to possess both literary talent and martial prowess? The little girl is quite promising."
"It's most likely the second one," Gu Chi said.
"Who else?"
He reminded Shen Tang: "Lady Bai Su".
Bai Su was a naturally gifted martial artist with exceptional talent and aptitude. From her childhood apprenticeship to her master, she had never slackened for thousands of days and nights. She was different from Li Li, who was a latecomer to martial arts, only learning the craft when his body was almost fully grown. Bai Su, on the other hand, had mastered the "Boyhood Skill," and in addition to her Danfu (energy center), martial courage, and martial energy, her inherent qualities allowed her to stand out among ninety percent of the world's martial courage practitioners.
During the spring plowing season, livestock meat was distributed, and she also received a small portion of the military fortune.
It was this stroke of luck that allowed Bai Su to skip the arduous process of sensing the energy of heaven and earth, taking a giant leap towards becoming a Martial Courage Warrior! Her foundation was already very strong, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, she would definitely achieve Martial Courage within a month. She would even surpass the level of Tanuki Power in condensing Martial Courage.
However, cultivating martial spirit is never the end.
Rather, it is the starting point for martial arts masters.
How far she can go in the future depends entirely on her own destiny.
Shen Tang then remembered Bai Su.
It's no wonder she overlooked it.
Bai Su is unassuming. When it's time to cultivate, she finds a quiet place to do so. When it's time to handle affairs, she follows the instructions and procedures. She does more, says less, and doesn't arbitrarily add her own drama, so naturally, her presence is minimal.
But when she brandishes the blades of her twin long-tasseled swords, she will surely be the center of attention!
Shen Tang said, "Then I'll go back and find Banbu..."
Having someone to guide you can help you avoid taking detours.
But what she was thinking, Gu Chi had already taken care of.
It wasn't that he did it on his own initiative, but rather that Bai Su asked her for help—she was more familiar with Zhao Feng than Gong Shuwu, but Zhao Feng was, after all, from the Tianhai faction, and some secrets were not suitable to be revealed to outsiders before obtaining Shen Tang's permission.
Gu Chi readily offered to help.
Therefore, they knew about Bai Su's cultivation progress.
Leisure time is always fleeting. After chatting for a while, the three got up to attend to their respective official duties. Chu Yao was in charge of finding someone to spread the message that "auspicious snow promises a bumper harvest," since Gu Chi had a mountain of unfinished business to attend to and had to go on a business trip.
Shen Tang continued working while yawning.
Before I could even sit down properly, someone else arrived.
Xu Jie, whom we haven't seen for almost a month.
Perhaps it's because we haven't seen each other for a long time, but Xu Jie seems to have gained weight today, with a rounder face—which makes sense, as it's easiest to gain weight in the month or two after the New Year.
"Wenzhu is back, please have a seat."
Xu Jie was speechless at Shen Tang's words.
We simply bowed according to etiquette and then took our seats.
"It's been many days since I last saw you, Mr. Shen, and you're even more charming now."
Shen Tangxin curled her lips inwardly.
Where is your style?
She's been working so much overtime lately that she's practically evolved into a metal-eating beast.
He looked as haggard as if he had just been released from prison.
Without any pleasantries or pleasantries, he got straight to the point.
"Has the previous batch of wine all sold out?"
"Sold out."
With a half-smile, Shen Tang reminded him, "Is it possible to legally avoid taxes?"
Actually, she deliberately wanted to disgust him last time, and if she could sow discord between Wu Xian and Xu Jie, it would be an unexpected bonus.
Given Wu Xian's cunning, he will most likely turn a blind eye, and then Xu Jie, under pressure, will make up for Shen Tang's losses himself... This is the ideal scenario. More likely, however, this master and his minister will act shamelessly and continue to exploit Shen Tang.
Who knew—
Xu Jie presented the account books with both hands.
Shen Tang took it and looked at it, raising an eyebrow.
Goodness, Wu Xian has changed his ways.
Last time, Xu Jie brought back fifty jars of wine, but the surplus profit was about the same as the two hundred jars the time before last. The goods he exchanged were also reasonably priced, and most importantly, they weren't second-hand or retired goods!
It's new!!!
For a moment, Shen Tang was "overwhelmed with gratitude".
Is there something fishy going on here?
He looked up from the ledger and gazed at Xu Jie.
Question: "Tianhai can still handle this batch of goods?"
The subtext is: Wu Xian didn't actually harvest this batch of leeks?
Xu Jie smiled and said very naturally, "It's not Tianhai, it's Shangnan and Yiru."
Upon hearing this, Shen Tang fell into a long silence.
Shangnan, Gu Ren, and Gu Ziyi's territory.
Yi Ru, Zhang He, and Zhang Yongqing's territory.
Did Wu Xian's leek sickle extend this far?
Just as I was wondering, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the numbers in the ledger were not right.
"Why are there two hundred jars of wine?"
Not fifty jars?
|ω`)
So how could Wu Xian, who had forty jars of wine, and Xu Jie, who had fifty jars of wine, sell two hundred jars?
PS: When making the changes, I remembered that Gong Shuwu had met with Gong Cheng and knew about the existence of his nephew's "brother-in-law". I was worried that it was a bug, so I made the change.
(End of this chapter)
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