Chapter 401: The Ten Crows' Calamity (Part 11) [Two-in-One]
The registrar was curious.
What exactly is this new prefect up to?
He picked up his pen and wrote a letter, which he then handed to the messenger.
"Remember, you must personally deliver the letter to Prefect Shen, note his expression, and see how he reacts after reading the letter." This messenger was a trusted confidant of the Registrar.
The messenger tucked the letter, now dry from the sealing wax, into his pocket.
"only!"
The chief clerk walked out of the tent.
The cold wind stung his face slightly as he stood atop the city wall, gazing towards the capital. He gave a mocking laugh, his eyes devoid of any warmth. He hadn't forgotten the stab Zheng Qiao had in the back regarding this matter…
Could the lackeys he sent be any good ones?
Even if it's good, it's still just what that person sees and hears.
"...crocodile tears are just feigned compassion..."
The chief clerk, wearing a sword, inspected the watchtowers.
Relieved that everything was alright, he descended the city wall and returned to the rear camp. Before he even got close to the main camp, he heard a commotion coming from the direction of the main tent. He calmly lifted the heavy curtain, and there were several familiar faces still arguing.
"What's all the noise about?" the registrar asked.
One of the men in the tent said, "The army is in dire straits, and this guy somehow managed to get a few jars of wine to bribe us! Doesn't he know that alcohol is forbidden in the army? He's completely disregarding the rules!"
Another person asked, "Where did this meat come from?"
Similar incidents have occurred before. There are always those in charge of logistics who try to use this to build connections, form cliques in the military, seek protection, or bribe their superiors with precious liquor in order to escape punishment.
They are having a meeting to discuss this.
The soldiers delivering the food were too careless and ran into them.
Registrar: "..."
Looking at the few burly men who were usually fierce in battle and quick to run when it came to handling military affairs, the clerk's lips twitched slightly, and he mocked, "You've thought things through..." To the men, the clerk's words were nothing short of a compliment.
He immediately smiled broadly and said humbly, "This is what we should do! Registrar, you must thoroughly investigate these lads!"
Registrar: "..."
I feel inexplicably tired _(:з)∠)_
He waved to the soldier who was so frightened he forgot how to speak, and told him to sit down in his place and kneel properly.
Then he said, "They didn't get the stuff. If they were that capable, would they still be hanging around here?"
"What is that?"
"Sent by the new prefect of Longwu County."
The general, seated at the head of the table, frowned deeply, his face revealing undisguised disgust: "The new prefect?"
Upon hearing this, the soldiers below became furious: "They bring us these things as soon as they arrive? Do they think they can bribe us with these?"
Another subordinate officer angrily retorted, "Who cares!"
"They're so generous, giving us food for free, why shouldn't we eat it?" Everyone present had a similar thought.
Suspecting that Shen Tang had ulterior motives, they were unmoved by his actions, whether they were meant to curry favor or offer bribes.
It's okay to get angry with people, but there's no need to get angry with military rations.
They can be so brave as to go hungry, and these brothers guarding the pass can also fight on an empty stomach.
Everyone understands this principle, but they still feel uneasy, especially the general sitting at the head of the table. This man was saved by the former governor of Longwu County. It can be said that without the former governor, this general would have been dead long ago.
The former prefect did not look down on his background and experience, and even entrusted him with important responsibilities. In this general's heart, there was only one prefect of Longwu County. He said, "I do not recognize this new prefect."
The clerk was not surprised by his general's reaction.
"I just wrote a letter to test the intentions of this Prefect Shen. In any case, as long as he doesn't interfere with military affairs and can provide military supplies, we can coexist."
The general's expression remained displeased.
The registrar gently advised, "Just think of it as a matter for the sake of the brothers."
These words left the general with no objections whatsoever.
only--
The general said, "...Previously, in order to curry favor with Shiwu, Zheng Qiao repeatedly made things difficult for Longwu County. His subordinates, seeing the wind, deliberately delayed the delivery of military supplies and replaced them with an unknown young boy, thinking that this would guarantee a sufficient supply?"
The general was not optimistic about this.
The registrar must have thought of this as well.
"That depends on whether the new prefect knows how to conduct himself."
Military power in Longwu County was in their hands.
Even if the new prefect has his own armed forces, they are unlikely to be very strong. He has administrative power but no military authority, so he can't cause much trouble. At the very least, the new prefect will never be able to interfere with the defense and strategic deployment of Yonggu Pass…
The group didn't dwell on the topic for long.
Then they started talking about other things.
It was too late, so we decided to have a meal together.
All the jars of wine were distributed.
Although alcohol is prohibited in the army, it depends on the situation. In Yonggu Pass, the winters are exceptionally cold, and when the military situation is not serious, a little alcohol can be consumed to warm up. However, since military supplies and rations have become intermittent, this perk has become practically nonexistent.
Upon opening the bottle, a strong aroma of liquor fills the air.
Only after testing the water to ensure it's safe to drink can one begin to consume small amounts.
"The grain is all new grain, and the wine is still good wine... This new prefect is quite a generous man..." the group murmured to themselves.
The matter at Yonggu Pass had not yet reached Shen Tang's ears. Although she knew she was unpopular and didn't expect that two thousand shi of grain would make them bow down in worship, this unpopularity and suspicion was probably something she hadn't anticipated.
A few days later—
Thanks to the skilled construction enthusiasts, Ruyao, the administrative center, undergoes significant changes every day. In particular, Shen Tang is currently flush with money and supplies, and his efforts to recruit local refugees to join the construction never cease, with the ranks growing stronger day by day.
The reward of two pancakes for half a day was an unbeatable high wage at the time! The able-bodied men were assigned to work, while the women and frail elderly stayed behind to do other things, such as sewing winter clothes, and so on—
Velvet flowers!
_(:з)∠)_
This is a business of long-term profiteering.
Compared to other highly profitable industries, the profits are not much, but the advantage lies in the steady and long-term nature of the business, resulting in stable revenue.
Under the capable management of Xu Jie, the velvet flower market was no longer limited to Tianhai and Haikou; it had long since spread to various regions along with the Xu family's business caravans. When selling, they would display signs such as "A New Style of a Distinguished Family," and sales were never a problem.
Compared to expensive flowers that require a lot of manpower and resources to cultivate, velvet flowers offer a much better value for money.
Shen Tang recommended Xu Jie as the Prefect of He County, and Xu Jie recommended his cousin Xu Quan to Shen Tang. The two families were incredibly close. Therefore, it was only natural that she continued to supply velvet flowers, and Xu Jie helped with the distribution.
Once your position stabilizes, other business projects will be put on the agenda, allowing this place to prosper again.
Because of her experience during her time as the River Governor, and with Qi Shan and the others being quite capable in internal affairs, Shen Tang didn't actually need to do much personally. Compared to before, she was much more relaxed now and could even take time to inspect the progress in various regions.
If any refugees reported bandits appearing in a certain area, they would grab their weapons, gather a few men, and head there. Xu Quan, as their bodyguard, would naturally stay close by. However, five or six times out of ten they would come up empty-handed—not because they were slow to act, but because the information traveled too slowly, and the bandits were elusive creatures, so catching them depended on luck—the remaining few times they would return with a full load.
Whenever there was a harvest, the most excited were not the rescued commoners, but the commoners who were guarding the city gates.
Why?
Don't forget, Shen Jun personally promised that plucking a hundred hairs from the bandits would earn him an ounce of millet.
At first, no one believed this decree, until a child whose relative had died at the hands of bandits angrily tore off a tuft of hair from a bandit's head and was rewarded with two catties of millet. Upon hearing the news, the common people put aside their fear and rushed to grab the bandit's hair.
As their scalps were ripped off or cut off with knives, the bandits screamed in agony.
They were already bound hand and foot, and buried from the chest down in a pit smeared with gold syrup, enduring cold and hunger for two or three days.
His hands and feet were already ulcerated and crawling with maggots, causing unbearable itching. Now, with this kind of blow, he naturally wouldn't live long.
Those with long lifespans can survive for four or five days.
Those with short lives will live at most one or two days.
For every one that dies, another is thrown in.
The corpses would be thrown into a place to be burned, and the bones that weren't completely burned would be used to build a mound of corpses, where any commoner could come and spit on them. This meant that every time Shen Tang brought back a new batch of bandits, the commoners at the city gate would cheer for quite a while.
The bandits' hair... ah, no, the fresh millet all had to be snatched by the fastest hands. Watching the soldiers plant the bandits in the pits, then swarm in with such ferocity, even the soldier in charge felt a chill run down his spine...
But no one found it cruel! For to sympathize with these bandits was to betray their loved ones who had fallen in pools of blood!
Shen Tang's recent acts of kindness, such as rebuilding Ruyao and sheltering refugees, have moved the common people to tears of gratitude, but none have done so much. Everyone who heard of this rejoiced. They only regretted their slowness, for they could have ripped the bandits' heads off!
While getting revenge, you also get food...
Then I would be even more grateful!
"What a small thing, it's eye-opening..."
When Xu Quan wrote a letter to his cousin, he truthfully recorded what he had seen and heard and his emotional journey.
Xu Jie: "..."
Such crude and unrestrained witty remarks... there is no other person who could be the same as Shen Jun. He found them so offensive that he couldn't help but feel his eyes burning.
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻This kid has been by Shen Jun's side for so long, can't he learn something good?
While crude as it may be, it accurately expressed inner emotions. Not only was Xu Quan taken aback, but even Xu Jie was alarmed by Shen Jun's changes in Longwu County. On second thought, however, it seemed normal; a gentleman's benevolence was not the same as weakness or vulnerability.
How could one gain a foothold in a place like Longwu County without ruthless methods? This feeling was especially strong after Xu Jie sent people to investigate Longwu County. Because the most troublesome issues here weren't just rampant bandits and the covetousness of the Ten Crows…
Be especially careful of that guy at Yonggu Pass.
A confidant of the former prefect.
————————
Shen Tang rode on the back of the motorcycle, waved to the cheering commoners, and swaggered back to the government office—after these days of repairs and renovations, there was barely a place to stay.
The moment they landed, a messenger arrived.
"messenger?"
Chu Yao said, "It's a reply from Yonggu Pass."
Shen Tang summoned a messenger.
Peel off the sealing wax, and ten lines are printed.
The messenger stood below, cautiously observing Shen Tang's expression out of the corner of his eye, only to find that the other party didn't even frown. After a long pause, he said, "I already know about the request your registrar made. Although times are difficult now, soldiers guarding the border should not suffer, no matter how hard it is. I have already sent people to prepare the remaining military supplies..."
The messenger didn't know the contents of the letter, but he knew the clerk's temperament and knew it couldn't have contained anything good.
So, the new prefect was not angry?
His heart was pounding.
Answer with polite phrases, and you won't make a mistake.
Shen Tang had someone take him down to rest.
He had barely left when Shen Tang sneered.
"They really think we're easy targets!"
Shen Tang handed the letter to Chu Yao to read. There were no offensive words in the letter, nor did it express any rejection or disapproval of her as the prefect, but the underlying message was clear—
Playing the poor card!
The lamentations detailed the soldiers' scarcity of winter supplies, leading to the deaths of many brothers from the cold. Even worn-out items like spears and arrows were reused repeatedly, and many soldiers' blades were worn and unusable. The army had run out of food, and the soldiers guarded Yonggu Pass on empty stomachs. The story was heartbreaking, bringing tears to the eyes of all who heard it. The registrar was also subtly inquiring when the royal court would reissue the owed wages…
She searched everywhere but couldn't find any friendly words like "send someone to communicate with Shen Tang about cooperation"...
Chu Yao said, "The hostility is obvious."
Shen Tang sighed, "We can't afford to completely break off relations."
Giving supplies willingly is completely different from being forced to give them supplies. In the former, the giver has the initiative, while in the latter, they are not only passive but also coerced. Shen Tang originally thought that even if the other party didn't appreciate it, their attitude would be better, or at least they would give her a friendly look.
Who knew this guy would "eat his wife's rice and still insist on it"?
Chu Yao pondered for a moment, holding the letter as if lost in thought, before finally saying, "Fifth Brother, why don't I go and see what's going on? No matter how strong the hostility, there's always a source. If we can resolve it, it will be a good thing."
Shen Tang was taken aback.
Because Wu Hui hadn't called her that in a long time.
Each time he shouted this, it meant that his mind was made up.
Shen Tang: "Ru Yao is still inseparable from Wu Hui."
Business trips in the dead of winter should be left to young people like Qi Shan and Kang Shi. Chu Yao, with his old bones, can stay behind and coordinate. Most importantly, the attitude at Yonggu Pass is very unfriendly. What if Chu Yao is detained there?
Shen Tang didn't want to see this scene.
"Goro..."
"...Okay, this is fine."
What she couldn't stand most was Qi Shan calling her "Young Master Shen" and Chu Yao calling her "Fifth Brother." Whenever they did, it gave her a headache. Shen Tang said, "However, to be on the safe side, let Wen Shi and Shou Sheng accompany you, along with a hundred men. If they show any signs of aggression, don't worry about the relationship between the two sides, just go for it!"
Chu Yao: "..."
This is really unnecessary.
Things weren't that serious; it was just a probe at Yonggu Pass, not a war or a complete breakdown in relations... But Chu Yao could only accept his lord's good intentions.
Without wasting any time, Chu Yao packed up and prepared to set off for Yonggu Pass with the messenger the next day.
For once, Chu Yao put on his sword.
Compared to the loose-fitting scholar's robes, the clothing is quite simple.
He doesn't look like a scholar...
He seems more like a chivalrous scholar who roams the world with a sword.
He's still the scholar-warrior with the limited-edition gray-white hair!
He joined Xu Quan and his group outside the city gate.
Xu Quan keenly sensed something amiss and turned to Lü Jue in a whisper, "Brother Shousheng, are you sure we're just escorting Master on his mission to Yonggu Pass...? The way Master's acting... seems more like he's going to start a fight..."
Will a hundred or so people not be enough for them?
Should we try to draw another five or six hundred numbers?
This number of people isn't even enough to fill the enemy's teeth.
Lü Jue: "...???"
He was completely confused.
Is Mr. Chu acting differently than usual?
(End of this chapter)
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