Chapter 412: A Marriage Alliance (Part Two)
Shen Tang was initially worried that it would take a lot of effort and persuasive skills to get Xu Quan to "dress as a woman." If the other party refused, she would have no choice but to target the relatively obedient Xianyu Jian.
result--
Xu Quan hesitated for only three seconds before agreeing.
Shen Tang: "???"
Where is your integrity?
Who was it that just shouted "born a man"?
Actually, Shen Tang's worries were completely unnecessary.
These days, men, especially those from better and wealthier backgrounds, lead increasingly refined lives. Everyone appreciates beauty, especially since these days even official positions require good looks; everyone's a sucker for appearances!
Beauty requires careful maintenance and grooming; natural beauty alone is not enough. It also requires methods such as clothing, accessories, powder, and hair ornaments. A prime example is the current velvet flower market, where over half of the consumers are men.
For example, "Arranging flowers, riding a horse, and drinking a thousand cups of wine."
There are countless examples of such "words of power".
Women's clothing was generally more beautiful than men's clothing, and many scholars who pursued beauty preferred women's clothing!
As a son of the Xu family, raised with money, Xu Quan's daily life, while lacking the frivolous elegance of "riding a horse and leaning against a bridge, surrounded by beauties in red sleeves," was not entirely ignorant either. A martial artist with courage and skill does not mean spending all day in armor lifting weights.
so--
The level of acceptance is actually not too bad.
Shen Tang: "...But I can't really accept it!"
When she saw the newly unveiled "Female Martial Arts Warrior Xu Quan," the sheer impact made her internally pound the table. Was Qi Bushan hiding a pervert inside?
Why is Xu Quan's body so hot?!
The original Xu Quan was dashing and had striking features. Aside from his questionable fashion sense, which made him look like a walking rainbow, Xu Quan's face was the epitome of a school bully protagonist in a campus romance novel. But Shen Tang wasn't envious at all, because compared to other martial arts practitioners, Xu Quan was lean and wiry, lacking the explosive muscles she so desperately craved!
But—
After disguising herself as a woman, her figure is just too... You can see some muscle outlines even through her clothes, and her exposed arms look like they contain explosive power. Her body is well-proportioned and strong.
You can't achieve this without three to five years of dedicated weightlifting!
Shen Tang looked at Xu Quan's fluctuating emotions with a resentful gaze.
Xu Quan could not decipher the deeper meaning in her gaze.
Feeling uncomfortable under Shen Tang's gaze, could it be that he looked unusually ugly right now? Although he didn't care about his appearance, who would want to be ugly if they could be beautiful?
Gu Chi suppressed a laugh: "Are you feeling unwell?"
Xu Quan shook his head, looking at his clenched and unclenched palms, and praised, "No discomfort at all. The registrar's scholarly way is truly amazing. If I didn't clearly remember that I had been a man for more than ten years, I would really think that I was a genuine woman. My dantian is as good as ever, and my martial energy flows smoothly. Apart from the fact that my vision is a little lower and I'm not used to it, my body is probably even more alert than usual..."
He wasn't originally going for a fierce and aggressive style.
His style is characterized by flexibility, adaptability, and seizing opportunities.
Qi Shan reminded him, "A disguise is ultimately just a pretense. Ordinary scholars and warriors might not be able to tell the difference, but if you reveal too many flaws, it will arouse suspicion. In the next two days, you should observe the words and actions of other women and try to change your old habits as much as possible."
Why was he able to use so many different identities without being detected?
It's because he pays attention to detail.
Different genders, different backgrounds, different social statuses, different ages, different regions... each has their own speaking habits and behavioral characteristics. Every detail must conform to the current identity in order to be seamless.
Xu Quan wore a serious expression of being taught.
I plan to observe Bai Ze Cao more closely later.
_(:з)∠)_
Shen Tang planned to bring two thousand men this time, but ostensibly only one thousand elite troops, commanded by Xianyu Jian. The young man who was called out was flattered, his youthful face flushing slightly.
"I am overjoyed to have the trust of my lord. However, this matter is of great importance, and I am worried..." Although he had been down the mountain for some time, he had only served as a chivalrous knight-errant a few times, and had been exiled once for standing up for his sister's family. His only real experience in commanding troops and fighting was when he rushed to the aid of Luxia County. He was forced into the role at the last minute and had no other experience.
Compared to him, Gong Shuwu is clearly more suitable.
The latter's identity remains a mystery, but Xianyu Jian can tell that he comes from a traditional military background and is a seasoned veteran with many battlefield experiences. It would be too risky to appoint a newcomer like him to Shiwu this time.
Xianyu Jian was also worried that he would not be able to win over the people...
However, Shen Tang's reasons were quite valid.
She said, "Half a step is needed to guard Longwu County."
He added, "This trip to Shiwu isn't a formal battle. The only requirement is to be alert, quick, and adaptable, to fight swiftly, and to kill a wave and leave. If both sides really go into battle, do you think our small force will be enough to fill Shiwu's teeth? Zigu, don't worry, you have to believe in yourself.
His words of comfort reassured Xianyu Jian.
Xianyu Jian: "This humble general will certainly not fail my lord's expectations!"
Shen Tang continued, "As for the scholars, Xian Deng and Wang Chao will go together. Yuan Liang and Ji Shou will guard Longwu together, and Wu Hui will be responsible for containing Yonggu Pass—although those people don't have a direct conflict of interest with us for the time being, they might change their minds one day. Since Wei Heng is the grandson of that Registrar Yu, he should be 'filial' to him and try to get as much information as possible..."
Why send Jiang Sheng and Gu Chi on business trips again?
The reason is the same as before.
Jiang Sheng's scholarly skills include the ability to observe auras, and he is the most outstanding among the scholars in terms of overall strength. He is older, more experienced, and seasoned, so he can play a greater role on this trip. Gu Chi's scholarly skills include the ability to read minds, which can help them avoid many open and covert attacks along the way and uncover more information about the Ten Crows. Of course, Gu Chi is also quite capable in combat, so bringing him along is perfect.
certainly--
These personnel arrangements are not the most important.
Most importantly—
"Let Lingde accompany the army!"
Chu Yao said, "Yes."
To penetrate deep into Shiwu and freely maneuver to launch ambushes, a stable supply of provisions is of paramount importance, even surpassing the previous personnel arrangements. Lin Feng's scholarly approach can effectively solve the "biggest problem in deep-penetration operations," a trump card that the enemy cannot predict or assess!
Of course, as a scholar, Lin Feng has only just gotten on the right track. It is unrealistic for one person to supply a combat group of "thousands". Others still need to bring their own food, which is not enough - they need to rely on the enemy for food!
Take from the enemy, and use war to sustain war.
To make it look like a formality, Shen Tang had to squeeze in a thousand young women under pressure from the imperial eunuchs. They were generally young, and their looks were above average. Even those who weren't particularly attractive had rosy cheeks, were healthy and energetic, and were tall and strong, making them seem fertile and robust. The Ten Crows' wedding envoys were drooling at the sight of them.
The only thing that bothered Shen Tang was that he didn't hand over the thousand women to them to deal with, let alone take advantage of them further. His brows even showed a hint of disgust and contempt for them. The Ten Crows envoys who came to pick up the bride weren't angry, but they couldn't help rolling their eyes inwardly and cursing a few vulgarities like "having your cake and eating it too."
In their view, these women were all gathered by Shen Tang to please Shi Wu, and they would get their hands on them sooner or later.
What kind of incorruptible officials are they pretending to be these days?
"Shen Jun, when can we set off?"
Shen Tang replied, "Anytime is fine."
|ω`)
I had an ultrasound today, and the results were a bit better than last time. The results changed from "pericardium effusion" to "small amount of pericardium effusion." The baby has also grown from "eight weeks" to "nine weeks + 3 days."
Hopefully, these three months will pass quickly.
I hope I can get back to my normal state soon and resume updating twice a day. Sigh ε=(ο｀*)))
(End of this chapter)
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