It's too late to take sick leave.
Kang Shi had no choice but to bite the bullet and attend this treacherous banquet.
Most of the time he is absent-minded and his mind is wandering.
Xun Zhen was both a meritorious official and a guest, so he should rightfully be seated in the seat of honor. The dishes served might be unremarkable elsewhere, but in the limited resources of Yonggu Pass, it represented the highest level of hospitality. Naturally, Xun Zhen's favorite wine was also included.
This banquet was both a welcome feast and a celebration feast.
Naturally, many people participated.
Apart from a few injured men who were bedridden, all of Chu Jie's core forces were present, demonstrating the importance he placed on the matter.
After a great victory, everyone's face was beaming with joy, and they toasted each other in a relaxed and festive atmosphere.
Many people knew Shen Tang's pitifully low alcohol tolerance, so she drank a few cups with Xun Zhen, Chu Jie, and others, using goat milk as a substitute for wine, making the goat milk taste like strong liquor, her cheeks flushed red in the candlelight. She could chat with anyone she could get her hands on.
"Hanzhang, let me toast you."
Xun Zhen returned the greeting, saying, "Please, Lord Shen."
"Wu Hui, you're getting old, you should switch to a bar."
Shen Tang was worried that Chu Yao might drink himself into serious trouble.
Life expectancy is currently very low.
Chu Yao should also learn about scientific health preservation to prolong his life.
Chu Wuhui: "..."
Chu Jie: "???"
While drinking with his head down, Registrar Yu secretly glanced at Shen Jun out of the corner of his eye, thinking to himself that the other man's eyesight was not good.
Shen Tang then grabbed another person.
"Xian Deng, help me stop Wang Chao and change his milk too. He's still very weak, why would he drink strong liquor?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Chi quickly tilted his head back and drank the rest of his drink in one gulp; it was too late to drink any more.
They watched helplessly as the wine jars on the table were replaced.
Gu Chi: "???"
Why?!
Lin Feng and Yu Zi were both allowed to drink some sweet wine.
but--
Considering this was a trap, he silently swallowed his anger. This was the calm before the storm; the lord's smile now would only deepen his despair upon learning the truth. He couldn't afford to walk into the line of fire now.
Reluctantly drinking the same goat milk as the lord.
Seeing this, Shen Tang was pleased. Although most of her attention was focused on Xun Hanzhang, her ability to "see in all directions and hear from all sides" was still top-notch. She kept an eye on her troublesome subordinates out of the corner of her eye; what a worry for a lord!
As for Kang Shi and Jiang Sheng, they weren't deliberately restrained.
These two are young and strong, so they don't need to be watched.
Gu Chi: "..."
He had something to say that he couldn't keep quiet.
After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,
Soon we entered the most important part.
As the prefect of Longwu County, Shen Tang was nominally Chu Jie's superior and had the right to know in detail about everyone's contributions and the actual battle situation. She most wanted to know about Xun Zhen, but before she could speak, Gu Chi, taking advantage of his drunkenness, intervened: "My lord, I heard that there was a brave and meticulous general who dared to launch a night raid on Shiwu's supply train with eight hundred warriors and returned with a great victory. I wonder which one of General Chu's men was?"
Shen Tang cast a puzzled look at Gu Chi.
However, there was no reprimand or expression of dissatisfaction.
She always indulged those things that were harmless.
Furthermore, Gu Chi is always good at observing people's hearts, and he wouldn't interrupt without a reason. Shen Tang then looked at Chu Jie in the direction of his topic. Chu Jie laughed and slapped his knee, saying, "I don't have that kind of luck. This man is capable and decisive, and he belongs to Lord Shen's command."
Now it was Shen Tang's turn to be taken aback: "Me?"
I thought about it for a while but couldn't figure out which one it was.
Chu Jie said, "It is indeed a man named Lü Jue."
"Lü Jue? Shou Sheng was the one who did this?"
But is Lü Jue not in Ru Yao's jurisdiction?
Shen Tang glanced around at everyone in the tent but didn't see that familiar figure. To prevent her from overthinking, Chu Jie quickly explained, "Don't panic, Shen Jun. He's not in any danger. He's just injured and can't get out of bed for a while. He'll be fine in ten days or half a month."
"The injuries are so severe?"
The self-healing ability of a martial arts master is terrifying.
The battle to defend the pass had ended some time ago, yet Lü Jue was still unable to walk and even missed the victory celebration. Shen Tang suppressed her worry—on the bright side, at least he was still alive and well. She then asked, "Shou Sheng isn't in Ruyao; when will he come here?"
Chu Yao said, "The Ten Crows' troops are blocked outside the pass, and only a few bandits have entered the territory. The troops in the prefecture are sufficient to handle them. Shousheng happened to hear about the Ten Crows' rampage and was furious, so he begged to go to war. I couldn't refuse him, so I agreed..."
Seeing that Chu Wuhui seemed to have something left to say, Shen Tang did not press further, but was genuinely happy for Lü Jue.
It's as if I can see the dawn of a new era where I'm no longer unbalanced in my studies.
Having recounted the story of the warriors who raided Shiwu at night, the next step was naturally to examine the details of the battle to defend the pass. Xun Zhen, as an absolutely crucial figure, was expected to provide a thorough analysis. Seeing this, Gu Chi, Kang Shi, and Jiang Sheng had no way to stop them or change the subject.
They could only lower their heads and drink in silence.
Kang Shi wished he could disappear into the shadows.
It would be good if there was a crack in the ground for him to hide in.
Unfortunately, God did not hear his prayers.
"In this battle, Hanzhang deserves the greatest credit..."
Shen Tang longed to hold Xun Zhen's hand and show her enthusiasm. Although there was an element of exaggeration and showmanship, half of it was from the heart—Shen Tang was not optimistic about the outcome of the battle to defend the pass, and she dared not imagine whether Chu Yao or Qi Shan would fight to the death.
Xun Zhen's arrival minimized casualties.
Simple thanks are not enough to express her feelings.
As a scholar, Xun Zhen was reserved and would not boast about himself, but only spoke vaguely and modestly.
Chu Jie, a brave martial artist, couldn't stand by and watch, so he jumped out and started showering him with compliments, his voice booming like thunder.
"Why should Mr. Xun belittle himself? Five thousand taels of gold cannot buy a great victory; this is all thanks to you..."
Shen Tang was taken aback: "Five thousand taels of gold?"
She's a bit overwhelmed by this number now.
but--
She didn't, and dared not, think about it too much.
Those who perform meritorious service will be rewarded, and those who commit wrongdoings will be punished.
Xun Zhen's merits are worthy of five thousand taels of gold.
But is it really appropriate to reward someone with something mundane?
Having emptied the Ten Black Gold Treasury, she wasn't unable to come up with the money, but all of it had been deposited into the public treasury for various purposes. As the lord, Shen Tang couldn't arbitrarily decide where it went.
Gu Chi and the other two wanted to rush over and cover Chu Jie's mouth, but they seemed rooted to the spot, unable to leave their seats, and couldn't make such a sudden move. Kang Shi closed his eyes in despair, but he could still clearly hear Chu Jie's voice.
Chu Jie smacked his lips, seemingly still immersed in a scene in his mind, and said with a hint of regret, "It's a pity I'm so short of money! Otherwise, if I had spent 100,000 or 500,000 that day, would the remaining remnants of the Ten Crows have been able to return intact?"
Shen Tang: "???"
While she was still in a daze, Chu Yao stepped forward and bowed.
"My lord, Yao has something to report."
Shen Tang blinked her bewildered eyes, suppressed the ominous feeling that suddenly welled up in her heart, and said in a second with a gentle expression, "Go on."
Chu Yao confessed in a deep voice that he had overstepped his bounds—promising Xun Zhen on behalf of Shen Tang to allocate five thousand taels of gold for guarding the pass.
Shen Tang: "..."
She didn't show any outward reaction.
Only Gu Chi knew that his lord's innermost thoughts at that moment were like thunderbolts, howling winds, and the collapse of the heavens and earth—
It was like the end of the world!
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