Chapter 647: Close Friends and Soulmates, Extra Money Required [Two-in-One]
A redemption contract?
The three large characters make one wonder if they are illiterate.
"Redemption contract? Redemption? What does this mean?" Qiu Cheng's former subordinate slammed the "redemption contract" on the table with a bang and shouted angrily, "What does Shen Youli mean by this! What does it mean to give me a 'redemption contract'! Speak!"
The former subordinate who was given the contract had a fiery temper.
The soldier who delivered the contract trembled from the spittle, not daring to wipe it from his face. Even though this former subordinate had been sealed away and could no longer use his signature move of tearing people apart, his burly, strong physique and the murderous aura honed by years of battle still instilled a psychological fear in the soldier. The soldier forced himself to say, "It means... the general's family has to pay money to ransom him..."
"Why should I!"
The table was slammed shut with a loud thud.
Soldier: "...But you're a prisoner."
Qiu Cheng's blunt answer left his former subordinate speechless. Like a wounded beast whose territory had been invaded, he paced back and forth in agitation and anger. After a long while, he said with extreme frustration, "All my relatives are dead. How can I redeem myself?"
Upon hearing this, the soldier looked at him with great sympathy and said, "If that's the case, you'll have to perform corvée labor to earn wages to buy your freedom... You'll regain your freedom when you've earned enough... With your abilities, General, it should be soon..."
After all, it's an eighth-class public transport vehicle.
Qiu Cheng's former subordinates: "..."
When two forces are at war, it is common practice for the victorious side to exchange silver and grain for prisoners of war.
Because prisoners of war are both manpower and a burden.
The number of prisoners equals the number of mouths to feed.
There is no grain, and the price is too low to sell it, or it cannot be sold at all?
Then we'll have to kill them all to save on food supplies.
However, Qiu Cheng's situation was rather unique this time, as he was wiped out by Shen Tang from top to bottom. Not only were his former subordinates captured, but Qiu Cheng himself was also offered a "ransom contract." The amount was determined by considering their family background, social status, savings, and other factors to arrive at a reasonable figure. They could choose to have their relatives pay for their ransom or work to redeem themselves.
What if they stubbornly refuse to pay or work?
Then you'll have no choice but to meet your maker.
In short, you can't eat rice for nothing.
Some of the people responsible for negotiating with them were former colleagues who had switched sides, which was somewhat awkward.
Qiu Cheng's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and the First Madam looked worried and distressed: "My lord, why don't I write a letter to my mother's family?"
If Qiu Cheng wants to redeem himself, he has to write to the head of the Qiu family's eldest branch, who is his nominal cousin but actually his biological brother, to ask for the ransom. However, Qiu Cheng previously disregarded the fact that his elder brother's family was being held hostage by Zheng Qiao and responded to Huang Lie's call to arms to resist Zheng Qiao.
It nearly drove the entire eldest branch of the Qiu family to their deaths.
The two brothers became mortal enemies.
Why would they take out money to redeem someone from slavery at this point?
Even if the other party were willing, Qiu Cheng was too ashamed to speak. He had secretly competed with his elder brother his whole life, and he would never bow down to his elder brother, no matter who else he was willing to do so. The First Madam noticed her husband's inner turmoil and, in order to protect his dignity, took the initiative to speak.
Qiu Cheng shook his head and refused.
“My father-in-law has had a tough few years, and he hasn’t received much filial piety from me, his son-in-law. How can I ask him for help?”
That's just polite talk.
The real reason is that Qiu Cheng's career didn't go well in his earlier years, and his maternal family looked down on him. The two families had basically no contact and their relationship was shallow. He also had no affection for his married daughter, the First Madam, and would definitely be politely refused if he asked for money now.
Why should Qiu Cheng go out of his way to suffer this humiliation?
The couple were both plunged into sorrow.
At this moment, Shen Tang also has her own troubles.
It wasn't because of the heavy workload—after capturing Xiaocheng, although busy, it was still much better than when they were poor and lacked manpower at the grassroots level, and had to do everything themselves—she was now worried about two things, one of which was related to Xun Ding.
On the fifth day after the capture of Xiaocheng, when Qiu Cheng and her former subordinates received the contract, Xun Ding gave her something.
A roughly made wooden box.
"What's this?"
Shen Tang did not open it to look.
Xun Dingdao replied, "Reporting to Lord Shen, it was to redeem him from his servitude."
The young man wore a loose-fitting indigo round-necked casual suit, the waistband tightly cinched at the waist. At first glance, he didn't look like a warrior, but rather had the air of a dashing scholar. However, his answer puzzled Shen Tang: "You want to redeem yourself? But you weren't a prisoner to begin with, so there's no question of redemption. Speaking of which, you made a significant contribution in the Battle of Xiaocheng."
Those who have made contributions should be rewarded accordingly.
However, Xun Ding owed Xun Zhen a huge debt.
"No, it's to avenge Gongxi."
"Atoning for the vengeance of the West?"
Shen Tang thought about Gong Xi Chou, who had been eating and drinking for free these past few days, idly playing marbles, sunbathing, and beating Yang Ying. How could this guy have any semblance of a prisoner? Could Xun Ding have misunderstood something? Besides, she remembered that Xun Ding and Gong Xi Chou didn't get along.
She couldn't help but tease him, saying, "Gong Xichou is my confidant and best friend. If you want to redeem him, you'll have to pay extra!"
Xun Ding was uncertain: "About... enough."
Now it was Shen Tang's turn to be surprised.
Xun Zhen's eldest son actually has such wealth?
She eagerly opened the wooden box, and the contents looked somewhat familiar. Reaching for her waist, she found the seal of the prefect. The item in the box was also an seal—the seal of the prefect. Shen Tang looked up at Xun Ding, nearly choking on her own words: "Yong'an, you mean you want to use Minfeng County to redeem Gongxi Chou?"
Xun Ding nodded: "Yes. Although Minfeng County is just a small place, surrounded by mountains and valleys, with little arable land and few commoners, it is still a county. Lord Shen has complete control of Sibao County, and taking over Minfeng County is like adding icing on the cake."
He didn't feel any remorse at all about giving it away.
The seal of Minfeng County was originally seized by him after he forcibly destroyed the original county government. Over the years, he has managed to suppress the bandits hiding within the territory, making life a little better for the common people, but only a little.
If you want to truly live a good life, you still need a professional team.
And, investing huge sums of money.
After pondering for a long time, Shen Tang declined the official seal.
It wasn't that she didn't want the land, but rather—
"Gong Xichou's ransom has already been paid."
Xun Ding asked in surprise, "Who?"
"Lin Lingde and Tu Xianrong."
Xun Ding didn't recognize either of the two unfamiliar names.
“You know one of them.” She already knew that before the skirmish between Linshan County and Xun Ding, Xun Ding had encountered Kang Shi’s troops, which meant he must have fought Lin Feng. “As for Tu Xianrong, he is Ling De’s senior brother. Gong Xi Chou saved their lives. I promised Ling De that if I captured Gong Xi Chou one day, I would let him go for her sake.”
"I see." But Xun Ding still pushed the seal in front of Shen Tang and said, "Father's judgment is never wrong."
Shen Tang: "..."
This trust is truly heavy.
Another thing that troubled her was not how to govern Sibao County and Minfeng County, but that several uninvited guests had come to her door.
One of the people on the other side were acquaintances.
Qin Li, Duke Su of Qin.
He was the first to arrive, and immediately said, "Lord Shen, please don't be angry. My lord had no choice but to send someone on this trip because of our alliance. In terms of relationship, he is naturally closer to Lord Shen. As for Qiu Cheng... Lord Shen, do you have any plans?"
"To kill or to let go?"
Two years had not left any marks on Qin Li's face.
She has become increasingly composed and elegant.
"Haven't seen you for two or three years, Gong Su, have you become so straightforward?" Without bothering with pleasantries or small talk, Shen Tang went straight to the point, saying, "I don't intend to kill him, but it's impossible to just release him like this. Qiu Wenyan will only regain his freedom when he pays the ransom. Speaking of which, Brother Wu, you have a large and wealthy family. If you're willing to help pay the money, that would be fine too."
These words clearly expressed dissatisfaction with Wu Xian's meddling. Qin Li said, "Shen Jun is joking. My lord and Qiu Cheng have only a superficial relationship. How can we damage the relationship between the Wu and Chen families for his sake? I apologize for disturbing you this time, but there is actually another important matter."
Shen Tang asked, "What important matter is it?"
"Shen Jun, are you willing to join us in overthrowing the tyrant?" Shen Tang's annexation of Qiu Cheng is equivalent to the Dragon Slaying Bureau Alliance losing the elite troops under Qiu Cheng's command, and this vacancy naturally needs to be filled.
Shen Tang skillfully deflected the question by changing the subject.
"Brother Wu is now the leader of the alliance?"
Qin Li replied, "No. But soon, Huang Lie's envoy should arrive as well, so you'd better make a decision soon, Lord Shen. To be honest, Lord Shen, Qiu Cheng has many friends, and many are dissatisfied with your battle against him. I'm afraid that things might get complicated in the future..."
Shen Tang sneered: "He has many friends? That's good. I'd like to see who among them is willing to pay Qiu Cheng's ransom?"
Qin Li: "..."
Whether or not to join the game, Shen Tang never gave a direct answer.
However, just as Qin Li had said, Huang Lie's envoy soon arrived at the walls of Xiaocheng. The envoy was a middle-aged scholar, and his attitude was quite respectful, so Shen Tang was willing to give him a friendly look. But when the envoy mentioned Qiu Cheng, Shen Tang became as stubborn as a mule.
In short —
If you want her to release the person, pay her; if you don't have money, shut up.
The envoy's purpose was not to plead for Qiu Cheng, but also to test Shen Tang's intentions. The envoy arrived at the border of Sibao County long before the outcome of the battle. Huang Lie instructed him to act according to the situation: if Shen Tang was valuable, win him over; if not, put pressure on him.
Clearly, the former outcome is correct.
It is said that Qian Yong, who went to raid Shen Tang's lair, ran into a brick wall, almost broke his leg, suffered many injuries, and fled back in a sorry state.
"Shen Jun, are you willing to join us in overthrowing the tyrant?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Tang became serious and spoke with a firm and forceful tone.
"For the sake of all the people, I, Shen, have an unshirkable duty!"
The envoy's eyes lit up with joy: "Lord Shen is truly righteous!"
The date is set for after the spring planting season next year.
Shen Tang: "I will definitely keep the appointment on time."
Fighting is a matter for next year. The most urgent task is to resolve the trivial matters in our old base. We have been given Minfeng County by Xun Ding for no reason. Although this place is only a small area, it has a lot of troubles and it will take some effort to deal with it.
In her spare time, Shen Tang overheard some gossip.
Bai Su: "Does my lord still remember Miao Shu?"
Shen Tang looked up from his official duties: "Of course I remember. What, did this person come back from the dead? Or did he fake his death to deceive everyone?"
Bai Su, bewildered by her lord's wild imagination, shook her head and said with a sigh, "No, that's not it. Her body was left to dry in the courtyard for five or six days. Luckily, it's cold now; if it were the height of summer, who knows how many maggots would have crawled on it..."
Shen Tang didn't think much of it at first, and simply said, "Noble families are particular about things, and they usually keep the coffin for seven or fourteen days."
Some families of high status would wait three to five years until the tomb was completed before burial, so Bai Su's gossip was utterly uninteresting. But to everyone's surprise, Bai Su said, "Even if they don't keep their bodies in the tomb, they're still pitiful, left there unattended."
Shen Tang was shocked: "That lecherous old rookie didn't do anything about it?"
Even a day as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of kindness, and Miao Shu was still his former subordinate. Although Qiu Wenyan was a prisoner with no freedom, it wouldn't be difficult for him to ask a former official who had switched allegiances to help bury Miao Shu's body. Shen Tang wasn't so cruel as to forbid this.
Bai Su was also puzzled and said, "I didn't care."
Another guess was: "Perhaps he's worried about angering the lord?"
Shen Tang said angrily, "He's got a screw loose!"
Who in the world doesn't know that Shen Youli is beautiful and kind-hearted?
"Shaoxuan, what happened after that?"
If the body were still there, Shen Tang would have to find someone to give Miao Shu a proper burial. She didn't torture or humiliate Miao Shu; she had other considerations. In the future, there would be more and more female scholars and warriors, and not all of them could be loyal to Shen Tang; future conflicts were inevitable. Where there is war, there will be winners and losers, and women captured would face a more difficult situation than men.
For example, experiencing sexual violence and torture.
I only hope that the victors will regard them as true scholars and warriors, treat them with respect and dignity, and avoid belittling or disrespecting them.
Bai Su replied, "He has already been properly buried. It was an eighth-rank official, a former subordinate of Qiu Cheng, who asked a surrendered colleague for help. This person had been saved by Miao Shu, and now he stepped forward to prepare the body for burial as a way of repaying her kindness... Alas, the difference in their character is immediately apparent."
Shen Tang agreed upon hearing this.
Where is that eighth-class passenger?
Bai Su said, "I'm earning working hours by performing corvée labor."
Shen Tang: "..."
She remembered that it was Yang Gong who was in charge of this matter.
With the fall of Xiaocheng, no one felt more conflicted than Yang Gong, who had once burned his own blood to defend the city. These past two days, he had taken leave to visit his old home and pay respects to his family. Shen Tang didn't disturb him, waiting for him to compose himself.
To avoid overthinking, Yang Gong volunteered for many tasks. Although he no longer possessed his former strength, he had learned other things in the past four years, so Shen Tang was at ease. Coincidentally, Yang Gong came to the prefectural government office today, and Shen Tang mentioned the eighth-class public carriage to him.
Yang Gong thought about it carefully: "There is such a person."
Shen Tang: "Is there any trouble?"
Yang Gong shook his head: "No, he seems like an honest and simple man. I was wondering before why our lord didn't recruit him."
"It's not that I'm unwilling, it's that he himself won't allow it."
Family members know their own affairs best.
How could she not know where the weaknesses of her forces lay?
When HR interviewed Qiu Cheng's former subordinates, she specifically told Gu Chi to pay attention to the generals who could be used, as being unbalanced in one area would greatly affect performance.
As the lord, Shen Tang couldn't personally participate in every battle. It wasn't that she was unwilling, but rather that with multiple fronts and battlefields potentially erupting simultaneously in the future, she couldn't possibly manage everything alone. Naturally, she needed to take advantage of the fact that her power was still small and develop in a balanced way.
But if the other person is unwilling, she can't force them.
"Sigh, it would be good if we could keep Gongxi Chou here..." Having a top-tier fighter to raise the average would be good. Shen Tang felt it was necessary to fool his close friend again. If Gongxi stayed, Gongxi Chou wouldn't be able to escape. "Does Master Yang want to go and take a look?"
Yang Gongdao: "That works too."
Meet the young man who once brought him to his knees.
_(:з」∠)_
Let's move on to Zheng Qiao.
Place your bets! Guess who will take Zheng Qiao's head?
Shen Tang: As soon as Yang Gong entered, he saw Gong Xi Chou beating up Yang Ying...
(End of this chapter)
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