Chapter 355: I Have All the Cakes You Want [Requesting Double Monthly Tickets]
Gu Chi heard this.
Without saying a word, he turned his head to look at Shen Tang.
Shen Tang looked back with a bewildered expression.
After thinking it over, I couldn't find anything wrong with what I said.
"Isn't that... the case?"
Gu Chi's gaze made her unsure.
His smile faded: "No, what you say is quite right, my lord."
"Hahaha, I knew it..."
Shen Tang tried to ease the atmosphere with an awkward, almost embarrassing laugh, wondering to herself what was wrong with Gu Chi today. He gave her the feeling of a woman having her period every month. While thinking this, she secretly observed Gu Chi's expression, which remained normal.
Something's wrong, something's very wrong!
He didn't even react to his own internal complaints?
Could it be that his scholarly ways have failed him and he can no longer hear?
Shen Tang guessed the reason for Gu Chi's strange mood at this moment.
She then recalled her conversation with Gu Chi, wondering if she had touched a nerve. Could it be that Wang Chao wanted her to emulate Wu Zhaode and Zhang Yongqing?
It doesn't look like it...
Wang Chao doesn't think much of either of them.
Gu Chi didn't let Shen Tang overthink for long.
To casually pose a question.
What is your opinion on the term "checks and balances"?
"The so-called checks and balances are to create a relative balance between two or more parties, forming a mutual restraint relationship."
But clearly, her Baidu Encyclopedia-style answer did not truly satisfy Gu Chi, nor was it what he wanted.
Shen Tang got it right the first time, but she needed to remind the teacher who set the questions.
"What Wangchao wants to know is the 'balance' between people or between forces. Hey, how about a hint?"
"Between people".
"What's the relationship between these two? Enemies or colleagues?"
Shen Tang pressed for answers and asked the teacher who set the questions to define the scope of the exam.
Gu Chi echoed, "Colleagues, ruler and subject."
Shen Tang: "..."
Gu Chi: "Wu Zhaode is putting pressure on other family forces in Tianhai, and Zhang Yongqing is using us to take the opportunity to consolidate his power in Yiru. Whether it's Wu Zhaode or Zhang Yongqing, their current achievements are not something one or two people could accomplish. They have a complete team under their command, including people from these family forces. This suppression is not only for better control over their subordinates, but also for balancing the factions within their ranks..."
This is no longer killing two birds with one stone.
Only their own lord was still unaware of the situation.
Shen Tang: "..."
Gu Chi's face finally regained its previous smile, his voice tinged with laughter, though it sounded devoid of any real warmth.
"The Wu family, to which Wu Zhaode belongs, has lived in Tianhai for generations. Their ancestors were illustrious for several generations, and Wu Zhaode himself has gained great prestige in this generation. However, even copper coins are despised by some, let alone people. There are many who are dissatisfied with Wu Zhaode, and even his wife's family has caused him considerable trouble on several occasions. For safety, it is necessary to suppress and balance them in order to ensure his own safety."
Gu Chi knows quite a lot of gossip.
At first glance, Shen Tang thought there was nothing wrong with it.
They even felt that Wu Xian was too kind.
Why suppress them?
Gu Chi: "???"
Shen Tang said, "Only by killing them outright can we eliminate future troubles!"
Gu Chi: "..."
That wasn't his intention.
Gu Chi wanted to argue with her: "What if you can't kill him?"
Shen Tang waved his hand: "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! If they're in my hands, none of them are invincible! Anyone who dares to show their face will be crushed!"
Gu Chi: "..."
Well, okay, my lord, you're capable of killing me.
In the balance between ruler and subject, the ruler has absolute power and therefore need not fear how his subjects might rebel.
Gu Chi wanted to hear how his eccentric lord maintained a balance of power among his "colleagues," or rather, "subjects."
Gu, the question setter, casually made a hypothetical scenario: "If the lord has ten important ministers, belonging to three factions, the first faction has studied under the same teacher and shares a bond of friendship; the second faction comes from the same place and shares a bond of friendship; the third faction consists of relatives by marriage and are closely connected. The three factions appear to be on good terms with each other, but in reality, they are constantly fighting each other in private. How would the lord deal with this?"
"What's the conflict? Can it be resolved?"
Gu Chi's smile froze slightly, and he took a deep breath.
"The three factions are bound by conflicting interests that are difficult to reconcile. After all, there are only a few high-ranking positions. If one faction occupies too many, the other two factions will have to be subordinate and will gain less benefit... Suppose! Suppose that our lord is the ruler among them, he doesn't have the ability to kill anyone at will. If one faction becomes too powerful, it will threaten you. At best, our lord will become a puppet; at worst, he will be assassinated. What would our lord do?"
Shen Tang countered Gu Chi's question: "What does Wang Chao think?"
"Naturally, it's about checks and balances," Gu Chi revealed his suggested answer. "Suppress the overly powerful faction, intimidate the other two, and bring the three unbalanced factions back into a state of mutual checks and balances. This way, they can be used by the monarch without affecting his safety."
Shen Tang pondered this hypothesis for a while.
She said, "Buy more flour, add more eggs and water, and make the cake bigger! In layman's terms, it means increasing the number of 'high-ranking officials' seats. Wangchao, don't you think there's something wrong with your question? Why are there only ten high-ranking officials?"
"Can't we increase enrollment?"
"I'll make a hundred..."
"Ah, that won't do. Too many staff members in the office is also a problem. Let's reduce the number and expand to fifty."
Shen Tang reduced the scale of the enrollment expansion.
"When expanding recruitment, don't recruit classmates, fellow townsmen, or relatives by marriage. Even if you do recruit, don't put them in the same department. If that doesn't work, implement a KPI performance evaluation system, where the most capable rise to the top! Those with high performance will be promoted, and those with low performance will be demoted. Furthermore, the essence of checks and balances lies in the balance between different parties. Why must we suppress any emerging factions? Can't we support two weaker factions? As long as the three of them can maintain a balance... Blindly suppressing and maintaining a balance is not a long-term solution. Internal strife is wasteful and only makes it easier for outsiders to take advantage of the situation."
The three factions under his command received overall scores of 30, 30, and 40 points respectively. To maintain balance, the 40-point score was reduced to 30, lowering the total score from 100 to 90. If the imbalance persists, the scores will be reduced further… Are they treating people like sliced noodles?
She couldn't say whether the monarch was safe or not, but the enemy watching from one side was definitely laughing...
Vicious involution is a dead end.
"...Isn't my lord afraid that all three factions will become too powerful?"
Gu Chi always felt that his lord's thought process was as baffling as Gong Xi Chou's musical aesthetics; clearly, suppression and balance were the optimal solutions, and also the safest methods for the monarch.
Shen Tang narrowed her eyes, looking at Gu Chi with a suspicious gaze.
"Watching the Tide".
Gu Chi's helplessness was mixed with a sense of languor.
He responded lazily, "Hmm?"
Shen Tang said, "I'll go back and tell Yuan Liang and Wu Hui that you tried to lead me astray!"
Qi Yuanliang dreamed that she would be a gentleman.
Chu Wuhui insisted on letting her grow wildly.
Kang Shi's attitude is still unclear.
He seemed to think that both of them were dreaming.
Gu Chi wanted to turn Shen Tang into a cunning and ruthless person!
Gu Chi: "..."
No, he just wanted to seize any opportunity to make Shen Tang realize the importance of "checks and balances" and familiarize her with it in advance.
Shen Tang snorted and said, "I would never suppress those who are loyal to me for such a trivial reason. Interests are a topic that can be discussed openly, so why should we be suspicious of each other because of their distribution? Besides, I am now carrying three lives on my unborn child. Yuan Liang and Wu Hui are just being greedy and have nothing better to do than to harm me. I can't say for sure about Ji Shou, but he would dare to do it, and Yuan Liang would fight him to the death."
Gu Chi: "..."
Thinking about it carefully, it really is true.
Shen Tang followed up with another straight shot.
"Internal strife and conflict are inevitable, but we cannot overstep boundaries because of it. If that day ever comes, I will step in to mediate, speak frankly, and convene a meeting to discuss and envision the future together. You know what? The land beneath our feet is round; beyond the continent lies not only the vast ocean, but also another, or even several, more expansive worlds..."
"No matter how big a cake they want, I have it!" Exhausted by internal strife, they will eventually be devoured by a lurking third party.
Shen Tang didn't know what Gu Chi thought of these words. She only heard Gu Chi chuckle a few times and say loudly, "My lord, your words are a bit naive. People can change."
"No, some people remain young until they die." Physical appearances may fade, and feelings may grow weaker, but ideals and principles remain as firm as a rock.
Gu Chi listened to Shen Tang's thoughts and sighed softly.
Then she heard Shen Tang's voice in her ear. She said, "For example, the incantation 'You can't see into someone's heart' will never be used on you. The thoughts you hear will always be my most honest and straightforward true thoughts."
Gu Chi stood there stunned for a long time.
Silently, she turned her face away.
Seeing this, Shen Tang couldn't help but cheekily urge the motorcycle to run a few steps faster, trying to circle around to Gu Chi and see if Gu Chi's eyes were red: "Wang Chao, were you moved by my sincere and heartfelt confession? Straightforwardness beats everything, it really doesn't lie to me!"
Then--
This was the first time Gu Chi had silenced her.
Shen Tang: "..."
Look around! See the tide!
Shen Tang took a few deep breaths. It's alright. Anyway, Gu Chi doesn't just listen with her ears, and she doesn't just talk a lot.
Gu Chi: "..."
What a miscalculation!
The consequence of his momentary anger and humiliation in silencing Shen Tang was that on the way back, he was forced to listen to Shen Tang's outrageous and bizarre stories—including but not limited to: Snow White going up Liangshan in the snow and uprooting the willow tree; Li Kui, the Black Whirlwind, waiting in the cold cave for eighteen years to wait for the unfaithful Jia Baoyu; Lin Daiyu being appointed as the弼马温 (Bima Wen, a low-ranking official in charge of horses) and beheading the Yellow Turbans and whipping the Inspector; Aladdin borrowing the east wind at Wuzhangyuan with his magic lamp. Oh, and it even mentioned Zhou Yu's name. What on earth is all this?!
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
Under Shen Tang's relentless torment and cruelty, the group finally returned to Fugu City in Heyin County. Gu Chi secretly thought that if he hadn't come back soon, he would have run out of heart-protecting pills...
Looking at Gu Chi's enormous dark circles under his eyes, and then at Shen Tang's beaming face, Qi Shan and the others couldn't help but imagine what was going on. Knowing Gu Chi's style, Qi Shan privately speculated that Gu Chi might have taken their lord to some rather improper places…
Gu Chi: "..."
He was even more wronged than Dou E.
Chu Yao keenly noticed an unfamiliar face in the crowd and asked, "My lord, who is this young friend?"
Shen Tang, seeing Xianyu Jian standing there dumbfounded, briefly introduced Xianyu Jian's background and then handed him over to Gong Shuwu, asking him to help arrange accommodations. Unexpectedly, Xianyu Jian asked in a daze, "Wait, you are... Lord Shen?"
Was it not an envoy sent by Lord Shen?
Shen Tang made Qi Shan remove his disguise.
It reveals its true nature.
"It is me."
Gu Chi, not wanting Xianyu Jian to overthink things, preemptively said, "Our lord hasn't deliberately hidden anything along the way."
Xianyu Jian: "Yes..."
Gu Chi: "On the way back, I called you 'Lord' instead of 'Master' the whole time. Didn't Zigu suspect anything?"
Xianyu Jian, courtesy name Zigu.
Seeing the blankness in the boy's eyes, everyone knew that he truly had never doubted it, not even once.
That's too honest.
Gong Shuwu could tell at a glance that the young man was quite capable, with talent far surpassing his own. What he lacked most right now was time and experience. He wondered where his lord and Gu Wangchao had found such promising talents; in a few years, they would be able to stand on their own.
Worried that the newbie might be psychologically traumatized by these heartless literary scholars, they found an excuse to take him away.
Along the way, they didn't forget to introduce the current development of Fugu City, painting a rosy picture for the young man: "Young man, don't be fooled by our current poverty, we have great potential. No matter how Gu Chi and the others try to persuade you to come here, staying is definitely the right thing to do!"
Xianyu Jian only came to his senses when he reached the vicinity of the camp.
Then a burly man carrying farm tools came over, his legs covered in mud, and said to Gong Shuwu, "Go?"
Gong Shuwu waved his hand: "I'll go later."
Zhao Feng noticed Xianyu Jian.
A sense of appreciation for talent arose within them: "What a promising talent, what a promising talent."
Gong Shuwu waved him away dismissively: "This was dug up by the lord, he's not allowed to follow you to the neighbor's fence..."
Zhao Feng laughed and said, "I didn't say anything about poaching people, why are you in such a hurry? What's this kid's name, and what level of martial artist is he?"
Xianyu Jian solemnly clasped his hands and said, "I am Xianyu Jian, courtesy name Zigu, and I am now a seventh-rank official."
“A seventh-rank duke, not bad, not bad.” Zhao Feng suddenly had a mischievous thought and pointed at Xianyu Jian, saying, “He’s the one.”
Xianyu Jian: "???"
What do you mean, "it's him"?
"Wait—about this—"
Gong Shuwu seemed to want to stop him, but he couldn't go against Zhao Feng. After all, Zhao Feng was a twelfth-rank left-hand man, two ranks higher than Gong Shuwu. He couldn't fight city hall.
"What is this matter? What is this matter!" Zhao Feng dragged and pulled, one of the two martial arts masters in each hand, leading them to their destination. Standing on the ridge of the field, he looked out with a strong voice and high spirits, "Come on, let's go together!"
His imposing presence was like a general commanding a thousand troops, sword in hand and horse on horseback!
Xianyu Jian: "???"
He looked at the neat and orderly farmland.
Looking blankly, what do you mean, "together"?
Fifteen minutes later—
Xianyu Jian watched as the 350 puppet soldiers, conjured from martial energy, followed Gong Shuwu and his soldiers, bending over and moving through the fields, weeding, watering, and fertilizing. Their movements were so skilled that even the most experienced farmers would want to become their apprentices.
This is not the same as the promise we made to go down the mountain and make a name for ourselves!
On his first day in Fugu, Xianyu Jian was questioning the meaning of life.
Gong Shuwu was filled with anxiety.
All I could hear were the deafening snores of soldiers in other tents.
I tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
They were afraid that promising young talents would be scared away and run away overnight.
It's not easy for our lord to deceive someone.
The more he thought about it, the worse he felt, and he cursed Zhao Feng under his breath!
Thank goodness, Xianyu Jian was still alive the next day.
They get up before dawn to study and practice diligently.
Seeing the boy's impressive marksmanship, Gong Shuwu couldn't resist the urge to join in.
Unable to resist, he jumped off the field to challenge, "Come on, let's have a go!"
Xianyu Jian clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, assuming a fighting stance: "Please enlighten me."
As the sweltering summer transitions into early autumn, the weather gradually cools down.
(﹒﹒)
Double monthly passes are now available!
There's also a monthly pass event post in the book review section, remember to participate!
I'll update more tomorrow _(:з」∠)_
(End of this chapter)
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