Chapter 399: The Ten Crows' Calamity (Part 9) [Two-in-One]
Bai Su rode on her warhorse.
He glanced indifferently at the group of captured bandits.
Her limited imagination couldn't immediately come up with a way to make someone "worse than dead," but she also felt that the known tortures weren't enough to vent her anger and establish her authority. So she cast a curious glance at her lord, and Xu Quan looked over as well.
Xu Quan guessed: "Dragdled by a horse?"
He then asked, "Hanging clothes to dry at the city gate?"
Bai Su added: "Three thousand six hundred cuts of slow slicing?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Quan immediately thought it was impossible and retorted with a sneer, "So many bandits, each one slicing flesh with a knife, and three thousand six hundred cuts? Where would they waste so much time?"
To put it simply, the torture of slow slicing takes too long and is too costly in terms of manpower; bandits don't deserve this treatment.
Bai Su frowned and asked, "Then what method do you suggest?"
Xu Quan pondered, thinking of a plan: "First, cut open the belly, take out the fat meat and burn it like a sky lantern, then skin the rest and stuff it with straw?"
This method isn't considered cruel.
It should be noted that the previous governor of Longwu County was captured while defending the city. He was brutally dismembered, his body was ripped open, his internal organs were removed, and he was beheaded. His head and body were hung separately at the city gate to be exposed to the sun, and his remaining internal organs were fed to jackals.
For beings like the Ten Crows, who are utterly inhuman...
Only more ruthless and cruel methods can be used to deter them. As for appeasement and conciliatory treatment, those are merely acts of "pity" when someone has been completely subdued or driven to the brink of annihilation. They are just a few scattered acts of sympathy bestowed by the strong upon the weak.
Until then, the only option is to fight!
Any gentle approach will be seen as cowardice by the enemy.
Bai Su did not respond, but looked at her lord, whose face was as cold as if covered with a layer of frost. The other party's voice was laced with laughter, and he said in a sinister tone, "Those are too bloody. Just bury them alive, leaving only their heads exposed, to take the auspicious meaning of 'standing out from the crowd'."
Bai Su and Xu Quan were both surprised.
This method is even more intimidating than building a mound of skulls, a way to make the enemy wish they were dead.
Yes, that's it.
but--
That's enough!
Shen Tang's eyes were dark and brooding. A murderous intent rarely seen even by Qi Shan and the others flickered in them. He Yin had been keeping a low profile for the past two years, leading many to believe that she was a "benevolent and virtuous person," but they overlooked her ruthless decisiveness before she put on this mask.
The capital of Longwu County was located in Ruyao.
Due to its geographical location, Ru Yao has a fierce and unruly populace, and its economy fluctuates greatly. If its military strength is strong enough to deter Shi Wu from easily provoke it, its economy will flourish. This is because Shi Wu has a backward productivity and scarce resources, and many necessities cannot be obtained through plunder. Therefore, it can only barter, exchanging relatively expensive local specialties for cloth, salt, and grain.
Naturally, Ru Yao's economy won't be too bad.
At its peak, the city was bustling with activity, and merchants from all over the country flocked there to do business. Local merchants would bring their less-than-rare local goods to trade with them, making ten or even dozens of times their initial investment in profit. Some were even bolder, secretly venturing deep into the heart of Shiwu to engage in smuggling, reaping even greater profits.
They also have an awareness of "eugenics and good upbringing".
To improve the tribe's genes, they also encourage tribal women, who are in short supply even during peacetime, to marry men from Longwu County. The children born from these marriages are generally stronger than the children of their own tribe.
_(:з)∠)_
This is not difficult to explain.
The area around Shiwu has abundant natural resources, but food resources are truly scarce, and the diet is monotonous.
In addition, more than two hundred years after the celestial thief descended, the people on the mainland, through generations of inheritance and fierce infighting, have average height, physical strength, and aptitude that are higher than those of the Ten Crows. The proportion of scholars with literary minds and martial artists with martial prowess is also higher.
It is normal to "borrow" superior genes from one's own family.
certainly--
This "harmonious scene" only existed when the military was strong.
If Longwu County's military strength is weak, or if the country behind Longwu County is weak and corrupt, and they not only have to resist the harassment of Shiwu, but also have to bow down and appease Shiwu, then they won't do any business. They'll just launch a zero-yuan group purchase.
In the past, cloth, salt, and grain obtained through barter were simply stolen. Tribal women were discouraged from "borrowing sperm" and were instead abducted to their own territories. In short, arson, murder, and looting were rampant, and often even more brutal.
What Shen Tang saw at this moment was Ruyao, ravaged by war time and time again. It was even more desolate and impoverished than Fugu City under the jurisdiction of He Yin. The huge city walls were almost completely destroyed, and the buildings inside the city were nothing but ruins. As for the government offices...
The government offices in Fugu City were still dilapidated buildings.
Ru Yao's official residence is now in ruins.
When Shen Tang arrived, the main force had already entered the city half a day earlier, clearing a barely usable space on the ruins of the government office. The army skillfully picked up tools and began repairing the city wall, barely giving Ru Yao a sliver of life.
Qi Shan and the others had already clearly defined their roles.
They sent people separately to gather information about the city.
Try your best to bring the scattered common people back together.
Lin Feng was assisting her teacher, Chu Yao. The two were discussing something when Tu Rong took off his armor, revealing most of his bare arms in the cold wind. He joined the other soldiers in carrying away the rubble of the building, sweating profusely from the heat.
"Greetings, my lord."
Shen Tang arrived at the government office on a motorcycle.
Chu Yao straightened his dusty clothes and bowed to her along with Lin Feng. Shen Tang jumped off the motorcycle: "No need for formalities. How's the city being prepared? How come the government offices are..."
Speaking of this, Chu Yao also sighed.
The former governor of Longwu County fell for the enemy's diversionary tactic. Furthermore, the band of "horse bandits" led by Shiwu, who had been plotting revenge for a long time, took advantage of the fact that Longwu County's troops were unable to return to their posts. They led several thousand men to massacre Ruyao—a massacre, in fact, a wanton slaughter that lasted for several hours, before setting a large fire on their way out. The entire government office suffered greatly as a result…
Shen Tang frowned deeply: "Not a single survivor?"
The incident in Longwu County occurred in the height of summer, and Shen Tang set off to take office a few days after the autumn harvest. During this period, no one was there to clean up the mess.
Unless everyone perishes in that catastrophe.
Chu Yao said, "Not really..."
Why is that?
"It's because I was so disappointed..."
Chu Yao didn't need to explain in detail; Shen Tang could understand. Longwu County had suffered such a calamity, and the corpse of its governor had been so humiliated. Even if the royal court wasn't furious enough to send troops, it should at least have made a statement. Instead, it said nothing and even sided with the Shiwu brothers… The soldiers guarding Longwu County were mostly natives of Longwu; hearing this, they would naturally be deeply disheartened…
They simply started to give up.
However, despite the slackening, the fight against Shiwu could not be relaxed. Unfortunately, the military supplies and provisions were no longer being provided by the royal court, so life was extremely difficult, and many places could not be taken care of at all—such as the massacred Sangouli Village.
They could only hold the pass and not break through.
As for those petty thieves who secretly breached the city walls and crossed the increasingly weakened border barrier to smuggle themselves across the border to burn, kill, and plunder, they were powerless to do so.
The pot is so dry it's impossible to even lift it, let alone repair the divination.
This situation is truly heartbreaking to hear and tearful to see.
There's a very big problem here.
Shen Tang was nominally sent by Wang Ting and Zheng Qiao.
so--
Shen Tang will most likely face resistance from these people. Just thinking about these troubles gives even Shen Tang a headache.
This is several times more difficult to start than He Yin's game!
Back in He Yin's time, all she had to do was tend to her own small plot of land; everything else was taken care of. Although her neighbors liked to harvest her chives, they were outwardly friendly and wouldn't bother her main base without a solid excuse.
They really haven't harassed us in the past two years, and Shen Tang has even managed to freeload off a lot of our human resources.
Although the "wedding dress" that took more than two years to produce ultimately benefited Xu Jie, Shen Tang was not someone who only focused on immediate gains and losses. She had a much longer-term vision—at least, this matter had attracted Xu Jie, a big tycoon, to invest in her, and she had even tricked him into giving her Xu Quan, whom the Xu family had carefully nurtured. In the future, there would be no shortage of additional investments, and he was willing to be Shen Tang's ATM.
If she grows stronger later, she can fight back, and He Yin will essentially return to her own pocket after all. However, to achieve such a bright ending, she must first deal with the troublesome Longwu County and survive under the iron hooves of the Ten Crows.
"...Sigh, money is hard to earn, and life is tough..."
The immediate priority is to deal with Ruyao, gather the remaining refugees, and provide them with a barely acceptable place to stay. Then, she can personally negotiate with the original troops of Longwu County. Their desperate defense of Longwu County does not necessarily mean they are friendly towards her.
It's possible to stab someone in the back unexpectedly.
And just then, a light drizzle started.
Everyone was so busy that they were practically running around, and even Jiang Sheng's family members didn't have time to rest, so they came out to help clean up.
After all that work, I was finally able to have a bowl of hot soup.
Shen Tang huddled in the makeshift tent, the biting cold wind blowing, and the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
Gu Chi returned burdened with a mountain of legal troubles, and from afar, she could hear her lord muttering to himself: "Enduring this for a while will result in ovarian cysts, taking a step back will lead to breast hyperplasia… This anger absolutely must be vented! Damn it! How could I possibly be a doormat?"
Gu Chi: "..."
It's been more than two years...
He also knew what "ovarian cyst" and "breast hyperplasia" meant. Although he wanted to complain every time he heard them, "Does his lord have such a thing? It seems so," he stopped worrying about it because it might be slang from his lord's hometown.
He preferred his lord's words, "It's unbearable, there's no need to endure any longer," to phrases like "taking a step back opens up a wider world."
"My lord."
Gu Chi got ready to come in.
Shen Tang said, "The tide has come at just the right time."
Gu Chi knew he had work to do as soon as he heard that.
"What are your orders, my lord?"
Shen Tang: "Send men to dig dozens of pits on the road at the city gate and bury all the bandits I captured in them, leaving only their heads sticking out. Then send men to guard them and write a notice that all commoners of Longwu County can kick them a couple of times!"
"that's all?"
After pondering for a while, Shen Tang added fiercely, "For every hundred hairs pulled from the bandits, the reward is one tael of millet."
Gu Chi thought for a moment and suggested, "Let's pour some more gold juice into the pit. We can get this from ordinary people."
They just buried someone in the ground and kicked them in the head...
They can live comfortably for a few more days.
Killing someone is nothing more than a beheading.
But against these bandits, all you can do is slowly chip away at their flesh.
The common people of Longwu County also need an outlet to vent their emotions. At the same time, this method can be used to quickly gain their acceptance of Shen Tang as the new governor of Longwu County. Let them know that the previous governor risked his life to protect the county, and Shen Jun will not only protect Longwu County, but also lead the county to blow the brains out of the Ten Crows.
These bandits were nothing more than a "pledge of allegiance".
How they died is not important.
The important thing is how the common people of Longwu County vented their anger.
Shen Tang: "...Okay."
Shen Tang asked again, "...You seem quite skilled at watching the tides?"
Gu Chi, unfazed, said, "Similar things happen all the time after a long campaign. These methods of intimidating and humiliating the enemy are all pretty much the same. As long as our lord doesn't find it disgusting or cruel... We can't be merciful to the Ten Crows!"
How could Shen Tang not know this principle?
The good reputation she cultivated in Heyin served as a protective shield, preventing her neighbors from doing anything to her out of consideration. However, maintaining this persona in Longwu County would be suicidal. Gu Chi added.
"Let Chi bring this up..."
Shen Tang: "Hmm?"
Gu Chi said seriously, “Because our lord is a future ‘benevolent ruler’ rather than a ‘tyrant’ like Zheng Qiao, your paths are different. This kind of method can only be considered a low-level trick. It’s enough to use it once or twice to intimidate and humiliate the enemy. If you use it too much, it will become a bad practice. It will also make outsiders criticize our lord for having sadistic tendencies... The real way to establish authority is on the battlefield.”
Shen Tang smiled, her eyes crinkling.
"That's natural, Wangchao, don't worry."
Gu Chi nodded.
He wasn't really concerned about this matter; he understood his lord's temperament better than Qi Shan and Chu Yao.
However, the environment has a great influence on people. Shiwu acts without any bottom line, and his crimes that are outrageous to both gods and men are too numerous to count. If his lord is thoroughly angered and retaliates with the same methods time and time again, he will eventually be corrupted.
In the words of our lord—
It's like the dragon-slaying hero who ends up becoming the dragon himself.
Shen Tang then summoned Lin Feng and Yu Zi.
He asked the two how much food they had left. Shen Tang's current resources were quite substantial, incomparable to what they had two years ago, especially food. They had no shortage of it, enough to feed their more than 10,000 troops for four or five years even if they just sat around eating it all up.
Shen Tang said, "Allocate two thousand shi (a unit of dry measure)."
Yu Zi carefully took notes: "What are you doing?"
"Send it to the Longwu soldiers guarding the pass."
"Now?"
Yu Zi and Lin Feng exchanged a glance.
They had spent the past half day helping Chu Yao with various tasks, gaining a general understanding of the situation within Longwu County and knowing that they would eventually come into contact with the stationed troops. Yet, on the very first day, they couldn't wait to send out two thousand shi of grain…
They probably won't be grateful; after receiving the grain, they'll likely curse them as idiots and spit on them.
Shen Tang said, "This is called 'courtesy first, then force'."
She made her stance clear from the start.
If they still don't appreciate it, then resorting to violence will be justified.
Furthermore—
Regardless, they share a common enemy.
The main force of Shiwu couldn't cross the checkpoint, so Shentang only had room to maneuver in the capital. At least he needed to repair the city's defenses first, otherwise, if the enemy attacked, they wouldn't even have a decent defense, wouldn't they just be easy prey? Giving away two thousand shi of grain wouldn't hurt.
Yu Zi and the other person nodded in acceptance: "Yes."
Of course, before implementing it, Shen Tang would consult with Chu Yao and a few others to confirm its feasibility before proceeding.
Having learned from the construction experience in Heyin County, Ruyao saved a lot of trouble this time. Although there were only a handful of commoners left in the city and manpower seemed severely insufficient, the able-bodied men that Shen Tang brought were all skilled in infrastructure construction, "old craftsmen" with two years of experience!
Big changes in just five days!
A small group of refugees who went out to find food and ended up starving and empty-handed saw this and thought they had gone the wrong way.
Wait, is this still the Ru Yao hexagram?
(︿)
I've read everyone's comments. I spent a lot of time thinking about it yesterday, and I was really frustrated. I even talked to the editors this morning. The benefits aren't going to be changed, so I'm just hoping they'll add a patch later.
Sigh, the most important thing is that the serialization of "Retreat Emperor" still has two years left, and that's relatively optimistic. If the spores develop smoothly, it will probably be delayed for a few more months. The serialization can't just be stopped, and it can't be abandoned either.
As for dividing a long novel into volumes, that's not really feasible at the moment.
The mushroom doesn't want to retire, just like the military women who were doing well back then, it dragged on and eventually became appendicitis.
Therefore, I should continue this series, and everyone please continue to follow along.
Let's leave it at that for now and wait for the storm to pass.
(End of this chapter)
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