Chapter 579: A Mishaps on the Road [Part 2, please vote!]
This is a long story, about a child who has no mother.
Upon hearing the question, the weathered-looking soldier couldn't help but tear up, looking at Shen Tang with a very aggrieved expression.
His eyes—
It's just like a dog that has been wandering outside for many days and has suffered the harsh realities of society, bursting with emotion the moment it sees its owner.
Shen Tang was completely bewildered and could only say, "Um... why don't you tell me slowly? Did you encounter any difficulties on the way?"
Seeing the messenger's reaction, she softened her tone.
The messenger raised his hand and wiped the corner of his eye with the back of his hand.
He recounted his experiences over the past few months—his return was only now due to unavoidable circumstances. He was fortunate to have escaped with his life and be able to personally report back to Shen Tang on his mission; it was all thanks to his ancestors' blessings. After hearing his "legendary experiences," Shen Tang sighed inwardly—
It's a real shame they didn't make a "Lost in..." movie.
It has drama, twists and turns, suspense, and humor—perfect real-life material!
"It is said that 'a letter from home is worth a thousand pieces of gold when war rages for three months.' In this chaotic world, sending a letter is indeed very difficult. You must have had a hard time this time..." After hearing this, Shen Tang did not want to blame the other party. Instead, she wanted to comfort the other party's wounded heart.
This letter was sent before the Lunar New Year.
Minfeng County is neither far nor near Longwu County. Not to mention the banditry along the way, even if the situation were peaceful and tranquil, there would still be treacherous mountains and lurking wolves. It is no exaggeration to say that every word of this letter weighs a ton.
To ensure the letter's successful delivery, Shen Tang specially dispatched a low-ranking official as the messenger. Her plan was sound: if they encountered ordinary bandits along the way, even if the low-ranking official couldn't defeat them head-on, at least escaping wouldn't be a problem.
but--
Ideals are lofty, but reality is harsh.
Unexpected events always happen faster than planned.
The messenger was besieged, wounded, and captured.
_(:з)∠)_
He narrowly escaped death, but before he could take two steps, he encountered conscripted soldiers. All he had left were a set of clothes that hadn't been washed for days and a letter hidden in his bosom. To make matters worse, he couldn't fight them off, he couldn't escape, and he had run out of money.
Stuck between two counties, they were caught in a dilemma.
Therefore, he had no choice—
They ruthlessly put on third-party clothes.
If you can't beat them, join them!
Shen Tang: "..."
The messenger had trained with the troops for a few days, taking the opportunity to recover from his injuries. Before his wounds had fully healed, he was dragged back to the battlefield in a daze. He was terrified, fearing he would lose his life. But in order to survive and complete Shen Jun's mission, he had to rack his brains.
On the battlefield, the louder you shout, the slower you run.
Those who aren't proactive in charging forward are the best at eating.
In the chaos of the battlefield, and being just an unknown soldier, he went unnoticed and managed to slip through several times by slacking off. Not only was he not punished by military law, but he was also promoted several ranks—because he was, after all, a martial artist, and even if his talent was low, his treatment was still far better than that of ordinary soldiers. Whenever there was a promotion opportunity, he was the first to be considered.
From a lowly soldier to a squad leader, and from a squad leader to a platoon leader.
Shen Tang: "..."
This isn't even the most outrageous and fantastical one.
Once he had fully recovered from his injuries and saved up some travel money, he planned to take advantage of the chaos of the next battle to slip away and continue delivering messages to Minfeng County. Unexpectedly, he was suddenly promoted to a position as a front-line bodyguard for a young martial artist. This was no ordinary position; it was typically held by a trusted confidant of the commander or a personally trained soldier. It was dangerous, but offered many opportunities for merit.
The position of centurion was beckoning him.
If you're tough enough, you can even climb to the rank of deputy general.
Shen Tang: "..."
For some reason, a very fitting joke popped into her head—[Hey, officers, if you don't let me rejoin the team soon, I'm really going to become the boss!]
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
You've had a pretty smooth career advancement process, haven't you!
Is he trying to hint at something to her?
Shen Tang kept her jaw taut, her emotions hidden from view; no one knew the complexities of her inner turmoil. At this moment, the messenger's story reached its climax—unexpectedly, the young martial artist turned out to be the recipient of this delivery mission.
Xun Ding was the Prefect of Minfeng Commandery.
The messenger felt like a thousand alpacas were galloping through his mind.
“Wait, this doesn’t make sense. Xun Ding is the head of a prefecture, after all… You just said you were conscripted by another prefecture… I’ve never heard of these two prefectures being subordinate to each other…” Ever since she learned that Xun Zhen’s eldest son was in Minfeng Prefecture, she had spent some time investigating and found out that he was not a prefectural commandant, but a prefectural governor. In that case, the messenger’s words don’t quite make sense.
It's rather strange that the head of one prefecture would serve as the vanguard general for troops from another prefecture, when they are not in a subordinate relationship.
If it's going to be cooperation, it should be based on equal dialogue.
"That's right."
The messenger was certain he hadn't made a mistake.
Because Xun Ding was paid to fight for others.
Xun Ding didn't concern himself with other trivial matters; he only focused on fighting battles and getting paid after each victory. If other troops needed to be hired, he would provide them himself. Because these were temporary hires, only messengers of low-ranking official rank had the opportunity to be promoted.
Shen Tang was so shocked that she almost stammered.
"Take money...to help people fight a war?"
The messenger nodded: "Yes."
Shen Tang calmed down and rubbed her chin.
How much does he charge?
Is this even possible?
Unheard of, unseen.
The messenger then shared the information he knew.
Xun Ding's battle fees were calculated based on the number of battles he participated in, and if he won a major victory, he would also receive a share of the profits—a fair and just transaction. He was a straightforward and generous man; if the messenger hadn't been so devoted to Shen Jun, he might have actually defected.
Shen Tang: "..."
Although no exact price was given, Shen Tang had a feeling that the price was too high for her to afford. Since coming to this world and encountering so many scholars and warriors, this was the first time she had ever seen a system where soldiers were rented out to fight.
Upon closer examination, it is indeed a secret to wealth.
You can make money and still stay free.
No wonder she's letting loose.
But did Xun Zhen, this old father, know this?
Shen Tang couldn't help but ask.
Is Xun Ding's finances... really tight?
Even when she was at her poorest, she never considered becoming a professional fighter.
Messenger: "...I don't think so..."
He actually wanted to know the answer to that question too, but he hadn't had the chance to ask at the time. When he suddenly learned that his "new boss" was the target of the letter, he was overjoyed. Finally, he found an opportunity to reveal his identity in private and send out that letter, which was "as heavy as a thousand pounds in every word".
Xun Ding was quite surprised.
He didn’t remember having any connection with Longwu County. Why would a messenger risk all kinds of trouble to deliver a message for no reason?
With a skeptical attitude, he broke the wax seal, took out the crumpled letter, and wrote ten lines in quick succession. The letter was short, and in that short time, his expression changed several times. He asked, "Is my father at the Longwu County government office right now?"
The messenger received some basic training before arriving.
Qi Shan simulated the questions Xun Ding might ask, and had the messenger memorize them one by one. This question happened to be one of the questions.
The messenger's answer was impeccable, and he even played the father-son emotional card. If he could persuade Xun Ding to go to Longwu County, that would be even better.
Who knew—
Xun Ding showed no emotion on his face.
He waved the messenger away, saying only that he knew, and sent him a reply the next day so that he could report back.
The messenger's luck wasn't too bad, and with his breakthrough to the second-class upper level, the return journey was smoother than the way there. However, he had been exposed to the elements and hadn't had time to groom himself, resulting in a thick, messy beard and a haggard, disheveled appearance, making him look like a beggar.
"You must be tired from your journey, go and rest first." Seeing that the messenger had already given all the necessary instructions, Shen Tang let him go, and then snapped his fingers to show off his coolness—"The journey to Pengshan is not far, the bluebird diligently goes to scout ahead"—using the bluebird to send a message to Xun Zhen.
When summoned by his lord, Xun Zhen dared not delay.
_(:з)∠)_
He always felt somewhat guilty towards Shen Tang.
After Liao Jia became familiar with him, he would shake that familiar money bag and smile in a lewd and strange way, as if reminding Xun Zhen—look, this is all of the lord's possessions.
Despite working so hard, they live such a poor life.
how so?
Because he "spent all his money".
Xun Zhen initially didn't care, but as he spent more time with his lord, he increasingly understood her admirable qualities—she dared to promise him thousands of taels of gold even when she was penniless. Despite suddenly becoming rich, she remained clear about separating public and private matters, and her self-restraint was remarkably strict.
How many people in the world can do that?
It is the norm in the world for people to become arrogant and indulge in debauchery after they rise to prominence.
Liao Jia was right in private.
She doesn't seem like an ordinary person; she's more like a little saint.
"Greetings, my lord."
"No need for formalities. I'm here in a hurry for no other reason than to ask you to take a look at this." She handed over Xun Ding's reply intact. This was the reply Xun Zhen had been waiting for for many years, and he should be the first to open and see it.
Xun Zhen initially did not understand its meaning.
Upon seeing the sealing wax seal, he trembled. The usually composed man panicked; his fingers trembled rapidly, and he nearly dropped the letter several times. Finally, Xun Zhen carefully peeled back the seal, took out the letter, and found only a few words on it—
All is well, Father, do not worry.
[The unfilial son Xun Ding left a letter.]
There is also a tiger tally mark below.
Xun Zhen's eyes immediately reddened, glistening with tears. Shen Tang pursed her lips, hesitating whether to step aside and give this old father some space to cry properly—if he didn't cry now, he probably wouldn't be able to cry anymore once he learned what his eldest son had done.
"This is his handwriting..."
Xun Zhen quickly composed himself.
Where is he now?
Shen Tang: "..."
Seeing his lord remain silent, Xun Zhen's heart skipped a beat.
Could it be—
His face, which had been flushed with emotion, gradually turned pale.
Shen Tang hurriedly explained, "No, no, he's perfectly fine now, it's just... just a little bit unruly..."
"How exactly does 'unrestrained and unconventional' mean?"
Shen Tang had no choice but to tell the truth.
As expected—
Xun Zhen's face switched seamlessly between red, green, white, and black, and the muscles in his cheeks twitched slightly, revealing that his back molars were grinding together forcefully.
"He...he is..."
"he--"
"I--"
I just couldn't think of a suitable adjective.
Shen Tang reassured him, "In my opinion, your son is quite clever. Choosing one master to the end is like hanging oneself from a single tree. But by renting himself out to fight for others, it's like he's tried hanging himself from every single tree in the forest?"
Xun Zhen: "..."
He couldn't imagine his eldest son hanging himself from tree to tree with a white silk ribbon... Couldn't his lord find a more plausible analogy? He rubbed his forehead, trying to banish this bizarre image from his mind. But Shen Tang's witty remark quickly calmed him down. He sighed, "Zhen can't control him anymore. She can only hope he can have a peaceful end."
Shen Tang agreed.
"Indeed, the child is growing up and has his own ideas."
Although his eldest son was rather unreliable, Xun Zhen was genuinely relieved to learn that he was still alive and well, and had not been left to rot in the wilderness as he had feared. He bowed to Chen Tang to express his gratitude for her thoughtfulness and care.
After Xun Zhen left, Shen Tang was the second to notify Qi Shan, but instead of sending a message via Qingniao, he personally visited him. This was because he had taken a day off for personal reasons.
The reason was that his daughter (crossed out) was about to give birth.
Shen Tang knew the significance of Su Shang to Qi Shan, so she readily granted him leave to go home and accompany him during his childbirth.
"Su Shang has been far too prolific these past two years, producing litters one after another. It can't keep producing like this forever..."
The delivery room was set up in a corner of Qishan's bedroom.
He used the finest fabric as a maternity pad, and Su Shang lay there with her big belly, her belly contracting again and again, making her feel inexplicably tired. Qi Shan was carefully feeding her homemade cat food to replenish her strength, while a pot of milky white fish soup was simmering in the east kitchen.
His expression was serious, but his brows were constantly furrowed.
"It's painful not to give birth."
“If we don’t castrate the Su Shang, we should castrate the male cats near the administrative center. Only in this way can we eliminate future troubles.” Shen Tang sat down next to him and said, “Good news. Han Zhang’s eldest son just sent a letter home. You won’t feel guilty or short of breath when you see him anymore.”
Qi Shan smiled.
"Who feels guilty or embarrassed in the presence of Xun Hanzhang?"
Is it Qi Yuanliang?
Definitely not.
Shen Tang muttered, "Still acting arrogant at a time like this..."
Sure enough, the scholar was all talk and no action.
Qi Shan's gaze remained fixed on Su Shang, never wavering, while her ears listened attentively to Shen Tang's words. When Qi Shan learned of Xun Ding's shady dealings, she said, "Those in positions of power are most averse to disloyal people. Given his ambitions and pursuits back then, he shouldn't have done such a shameless thing; it's not like him."
Shen Tang said, "People always change."
"But there will always be people who stubbornly refuse to change their ways."
As it turns out—
This is something Xun Ding really didn't want to do.
Shen Tang also knew the culprit.
It was her soulmate, someone as rare as a mountain stream!
Gongxi Chou!
Speaking of Gongxi Chou, Xun Ding gritted his teeth, wishing he could twist the other's head off. But unfortunately, if the two were to actually fight, Xun Ding himself would be the one to lose his head. He couldn't beat him, he couldn't shake him off, and he couldn't afford to provoke him.
When has he, the mighty overlord of Minfeng County, a notorious troublemaker feared by bandits throughout the land, ever been so humiliated?
Gong Xichou, along with his sworn sister Gong Xilai and Yang Ying, spent a peaceful month in the clan's territory, occasionally playing around with Xun Ding out of boredom. One day, for some unknown reason, he suddenly announced that he wanted to find his only blood relative, his elder brother!
Xun Ding suffered from bruises and swelling on his face every day, and the marks were difficult to erase.
He scoffed, "In this vast sea of people, how are you going to find me?"
They're probably dead somewhere already.
Gong Xichou was stumped by his question.
He put his clever little brain to work.
I tried a different approach.
He could have his older brother come to him.
If he could make a name for himself everywhere, everyone in the Northwest would know the name of Gongxi Chou, and his elder brother would surely come looking for him. If he didn't come looking for him, it would be easy for Gongxi Chou to send someone to find his brother once he had achieved fame and success. In other words, he wanted to leave the mountains.
Xun Ding rolled his eyes as he chewed on a bone: "Going out of the mountains? Looking across the Northwest, it's a mixed bag, a place where small fry and big fish vie for power. The really powerful ones are nothing more than the likes of Zheng Qiao... Are you going to be Zheng Qiao's lackey? Working for someone else is not as good as working for yourself... At least you'll be free..."
/_\
Before the water was cut off, Shiitake Mushroom went to take a shower and go to bed.
P.S.: Fei10 has finally started a new book! He's also a veteran author on Qidian with a proven track record of quality (copyrights galore, I'm so envious! (._.｀)). Although the new book is still a small sapling, we can play a nurturing game, right? Those who like historical romance shouldn't miss it!
whee.
Book Title: Chang'an is Good
Synopsis: A story about a beautiful, strong, and tragic female protagonist who is reborn.
(End of this chapter)
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