Chapter 529: The Fat Fish Takes the Bait (Part Two) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Some people sing so beautifully that it brings tears to your eyes, like hearing heavenly music.
Some people's singing is so bad it makes you want to urinate, and makes you wish you were dead.
In Shen Tang's eyes, she naturally belongs to the former category.
In the eyes of others, Shen Tang definitely belongs to the latter category!
To prevent Shen Tang from gaining favor with Zhao Feng at the farewell banquet, Qi Shan made a decisive decision and stepped forward.
"My lord!"
Shen Tang looked at him: "What happened?"
Qi Shan said with a forced smile, "I have worked with Dayi for two years, fought side by side several times, and retired together in the same year. Now that he is leaving, I am reluctant to let him go... I want to play a piece for him to express my feelings. My lord, you don't need to compete with me for this opportunity, do you?"
Shen Tang didn't quite understand.
Why can't we play together or play an extra piece?
After she finishes playing her accompaniment, can Qishan stop playing?
However, considering that Qi Shan rarely made requests of him, and it was a rare occasion for him to speak up, he didn't want to argue with Yuan Liang, so he nodded in agreement and gave up the opportunity. Qi Shan and the others breathed a sigh of relief, but Xun Zhen was still completely oblivious.
“My lord is not good at music theory…” Jiang Sheng, who had just returned from a short business trip and was close to the start of the banquet, turned slightly to Xun Zhen and whispered.
Xun Zhen frowned and said disapprovingly, "Even if he is not good at it, Qi Yuanliang should not be so rude..."
The atmosphere was fine until he suddenly did this… Luckily, it was the simple-minded Zhao Feng. If it were any other martial artist with a temper, even if they didn't show it on their face, they would have felt dissatisfied inside. Why did Qi Shan have to do this?
In more serious cases, it could be described as "being arrogant because of favoritism".
Jiang Sheng's expression was strange.
"Our lord is truly not good at..."
This time, he sided with Qi Yuanliang. If their lord were to be implicated, ruining the farewell banquet would be a minor matter; the real problem would be losing face with Wu Xian.
Xun Zhen: "..."
Zhao Feng sang a folk song from his hometown, which should have been a tender and poignant farewell tune in the soft Wu dialect. However, under his rough and loud voice, he forcefully sang it with the momentum of a heroic battle song. The whole song had no technical skill; it was all about emotion.
The accompaniment for prayers is exactly the opposite.
There's no emotion involved, it's all technique.
After Zhao Feng finished singing, he slapped his thigh and laughed loudly, "I never thought that after so many years, Yuan Liang would still remember this tune..."
Realizing his slip of the tongue after speaking, he gave an awkward laugh. Just then, Shen Tang clapped and praised Zhao Feng, saying that his singing was excellent and that he hadn't expected him to have such a hidden talent. Zhao Feng blushed and felt his ears burning from Shen Tang's praise, waving his hands repeatedly.
He thought Shen Tang was just being polite.
Little did they know, Shen Tang genuinely thought it sounded good.
This banquet was originally set up for Zhao Feng and his group. There was plenty of food and drink, so everyone could drink to their heart's content.
As the saying goes, a good drink can dispel a thousand sorrows. The sad atmosphere of parting faded considerably under the influence of alcohol, and soon everyone was tipsy.
The scholars were quite restrained, only drinking a little, because they had to get up early to work the next day, and a hangover would affect their performance.
The martial artists present were not so reserved.
Opportunities to drink freely are rare.
As the effects of the alcohol continued to build, the scene became as chaotic as a morning market, with hundreds of ducks quacking incessantly, giving everyone a headache. Shen Tang couldn't drink alcohol, so she could only force Gu Chi to drink milk with her, and by the end of the night, he was covered in the smell of alcohol.
They didn't manage to get away and go back to their room until late at night.
He raised his hand to sniff the smell of alcohol on his sleeve, then frowned in disgust.
She can't sleep without taking a shower.
However, it wouldn't be right to wake someone up to boil water at this hour, so Chen Tang took a set of clean clothes and prepared to take a cold shower in the bathroom. But as soon as she got close, she saw that the bathroom was lit up and a figure wrapped in a quilt was leaning against the doorpost, dozing off.
By the dim moonlight, barely able to make out the person's face, Shen Tang squatted down, gently placing one hand on the other's shoulder and the other gently pushing, "Madam Shen? Wake up, why are you sleeping here?"
Why is a pregnant woman like Chen Zhi here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping soundly in her room? Isn't she afraid of getting sick from the cold?
Clearly, Shen Zhi was a light sleeper. Shen Tang had only called her twice when she slowly opened her sleepy eyes, her expression still somewhat dazed. Realizing what was happening, she propped herself up with her hands and adjusted to a more comfortable position: "Shen Jun, is the banquet over?"
Shen Tang: "Yes, it's over."
She was more curious about why the other person was there.
The answer left her speechless.
Upon learning that a farewell banquet was being held in the front hall, Shen Zhi anticipated that the group would get thoroughly drunk, so he instructed the kitchen staff to work overtime and keep the hangover soup simmering. He planned to deliver it in around the appointed time. Water was also kept boiling in the bathhouse as a backup.
Upon hearing this, Shen Tang became even angrier: "Who can't handle these things? Why do you, a pregnant woman six months along, have to do them? Don't you even know how heavy your body is?"
Shen Tang couldn't help but wonder if Shen Zhi was trying so hard to perform because she was afraid of being abandoned? But Shen Zhi had contributed the map in the Battle of Shiwu, and it wouldn't be excessive for Shen Tang to pamper her and provide for her; there was absolutely no need for her to do these thankless tasks. Couldn't she just rest and prepare for childbirth?
As he spoke, he picked out a thick new coat and wrapped it around Shen Zhi, saying, "Go back to your room and rest right now!"
Worried that the road would be slippery in the dark, they changed their minds.
"Never mind, I'll take you home."
Chen Zhi opened her mouth, her eyes flickering as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. After a while, she lowered her head and responded with a soft "Mm".
Shen Tang: "..."
Originally, they hoped that Bai Su would pry open Shen Zhi's mouth, but given the current situation, they decided to do it themselves. If they delayed any longer, the fetus in Shen Zhi's belly would grow even bigger, and they were worried that something might go wrong if she dragged such a heavy body to do these trivial things.
She went straight to the point.
"What has Madam Shen been worried about lately?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhi looked up at Shen Tang, her eyes brightening slightly, but she remained tight-lipped, not uttering a single word.
If someone has a slightly short temper, wouldn't she drive them crazy?
Shen Tang said seriously, "If you don't tell me, you'll be putting me in an unjust and immoral position. If outsiders find out, they'll only say that Shen Youli is ungrateful and cruel to someone who has done her a favor!"
She deliberately emphasized her words.
Shen Zhi was startled and quickly said, "I had no such intention."
Shen Tang's gaze was fixed on Shen Zhi, not allowing her to look away. Finally, Shen Zhi stammered out her recent worries, the very thing that had been causing her anxiety and unease lately—
She seems—no, she is a heretic.
"heresy?"
Chen Zhi's eyes were filled with sorrow: "Perhaps it will be a scourge..."
She is now living under someone else's roof and dependent on them for survival. How will Shen Tang view and deal with this "heretic"?
She wanted to sneak away, but realized she couldn't escape at all... There was chaos and war outside, where could a pregnant woman well past her due date go? Running away meant certain death.
After weighing the pros and cons—
She considered asking Shen Tang for help. Lately, she had been trying to make her presence known to Shen Tang, but opportunities were few and far between, and her clumsy attempts to please and probe him had been ineffective. The thought of asking for help lingered in her mind, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.
Because she can't afford to gamble.
Shen Tang listened for a long time, still bewildered.
"You say you're a menace? What's your explanation?"
With pale lips and trembling fear, Shen Zhi said, "I am certain that I am a woman. Now I can absorb the energy of heaven and earth and keep it in my body for a long time without it disappearing... How can I not be a heretic and a scourge?"
Shen Tang: "..."
She subconsciously looked up in the direction of Yonggu Pass.
A guess vaguely flashed through my mind.
ヾ(ω`)o
Xi Xing has a new book out! Check it out: "Luo Jiu Zhen". If you like ancient romance novels, you definitely won't regret reading this (I'm secretly thinking that the title is even weirder than "Retreat the Emperor" _(:з」∠)_). But—a masterpiece from a great author is bound to be a gem.
The quality of Xi Xing's novels is undeniable.
PS: Shen Zhi's role is definitely not that of a strategist or a military general. She comes from a family of young ladies, is a master of domestic intrigue, and is skilled in managing household affairs, but has limited experience and cannot bear the identity of a strategist. Her small body is also not suitable for the shaping of a military general.
Lin Feng was young, and during his most malleable age, he traveled around with Chu Yao and his group, learning from them through observation and experience.
From her time in her boudoir to after marriage, Ning Yan was able to see the vast world and receive a traditional scholar's education. With her like-minded husband Yan Xingning to learn from her and make progress together, it was not difficult for her to transform into a strategist and advisor.
Literary talent, its brilliance, is not limited to just one field.
PPS: A reader previously discovered a hidden Easter egg (but only one person discovered it, and only one person discussed it, *sigh*). Why can both martial arts warriors and literary scholars "transform words into objects," but for a very short time? Only Tang Mei and Lin Feng, who can barely get close to it, can truly transform words into objects.
Because women are the natural creators.
Speaking of which, I have to complain again. Female-dominated novels are really boring. Nine out of ten of them just switch the genders, and they still have the same reproductive discrimination...
(End of this chapter)
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