On the day she received Huang Lie's letter, Shen Tang didn't rush to inform everyone. Instead, she chose to sleep comfortably for a day. The next day, she announced the matter to everyone at the morning assembly. Although everyone's expressions varied, there was not a trace of fear or worry.
They have waited far too long for this day.
All that's left is to reorganize the troops before setting off.
Shen Tang's mindset was similar, calm and composed, but there was one thing she couldn't understand: "I've always had a question in my mind."
Liao Jia, brimming with curiosity, asked, "What's your doubt?"
"How has Zheng Qiao survived until now?" Shen Tang asked, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at the letter that had been passed around once and then returned to her. "Or rather, how did he manage to do so many outrageous things and still hold on to this day despite being besieged by various forces?"
Judging from Huang Lie's letter, it seems that even with this all-out offensive, he is not entirely confident of wiping out Zheng Qiao's forces in one fell swoop.
Shen Tang was able to develop peacefully, partly thanks to Zheng Qiao's ability to consistently draw hatred, preventing her from being attacked when her power was just beginning to grow. However, Zheng Qiao's remarkable resilience was indeed beyond her expectations. Was there some hidden reason behind this?
Of all those present, only Qiu Cheng's former subordinates had participated in the Dragon Slaying Bureau and knew firsthand information from the front lines. Shen Tang then turned his questioning gaze to Luan Xin: "Back then, we predicted that Zheng Qiao wouldn't live past three years, but now he's about to enter his fifth year..."
What are Zheng Qiao's secret weapons?
Luan Xin instantly became the center of attention.
He sighed, "Zheng Qiao's warriors are extremely loyal, brave, and fierce. In the early stages of the battles between the two armies, Zheng Qiao's troops won at least two out of three duels, and there were many instances of them winning all three. The allied forces were once in a slump. If it weren't for Zheng Qiao's lack of popular support and constant internal strife, the outcome would have been uncertain. During this time, Alliance Leader Huang and others also tried various schemes to turn his generals against him, but to no avail..."
She also used her beauty to seduce him once.
It was discovered that the beauty's head was hanging high above the city gate.
Shen Tang was paying attention to the situation at the front, but not comprehensively.
Luan Xin's intelligence was even more impactful.
"So loyal? Did Zheng Qiao save the entire families of these brave warriors in his past life?" Luan Xin's answer still couldn't dispel her doubts. "Logically speaking, Zheng Qiao only inherited the wealth of Pan Geng Kingdom and a portion of Xin Kingdom's legacy. While he certainly has many valiant warriors at his disposal, their overall strength shouldn't be strong enough to achieve such formidable victories. Furthermore, Zheng Qiao has used cruel methods to massacre loyal officials over the years. Don't these brave warriors under his command feel any sense of crisis? It's too strange!"
Luan Xin was still not quite used to Shen Tang's way of using metaphors, and said in a serious tone: "Whether there was a life-saving grace in the past life is unclear, but there is a reason why Zheng Qiao asked them to be loyal to the death."
They are even more ruthless in battle than Huang Lie and his heavy shield warriors!
Shen Tang was in high spirits, and the others looked on with curiosity.
Luan Xin hesitated for a few breaths, seemingly unsure whether to speak, but finally revealed: "Because what moves these brave warriors is not just power, status, luxury cars and beautiful women, but also a great deal of luck in martial arts. Zheng Qiao is probably the strongest person known to control the Imperial Seal. His way of the feudal lords can complement the Imperial Seal, giving his warriors a tremendous boost."
Those martial artists who could collude with Zheng Qiao were certainly not people of high moral character; they were more likely to succumb to worldly desires. Those present were either scholars or martial artists, and they were acutely aware of the allure of literary or martial fortune to them.
Upon hearing this, Shen Tang understood that there was a reason for the Allied Forces' poor performance, but this also brought more questions.
"Zheng Qiao's Way of the Feudal Lords?"
This information should be considered classified.
At least the people Shen Tang sent out didn't find out anything.
The gazes of Qiu Cheng's former subordinates towards Luan Xin were also filled with inquiry and curiosity. Shen Tang knew that this information was probably known to very few people, at least not openly within Qiu Cheng's ranks. It was highly likely that only Luan Xin and Qiu Cheng knew about it, and even Qiu Cheng might be kept in the dark. Seeing that Luan Xin's expression rippled slightly at her question, Shen Tang immediately changed the subject.
He waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "No, no, this is not right."
Luan Xin asked, "What's wrong?"
"Both civil and military fortunes originate from the nation's fortune, and the nation's fortune originates from the people's governance, including but not limited to the people's hearts, people's livelihood, and civil administration... Does Zheng Qiao possess these qualities? If he had been diligent in governing, how could millions of refugees have responded to Huang Lie's call over the years?" No matter how Shen Tang calculated it, Zheng Qiao's national fortune could not possibly be in surplus, let alone use military fortune to buy off a group of brave warriors to serve him in battle.
She has worked herself to the bone all these years, barely managing to accumulate any national fortune with just a pitiful piece of land, and she still struggles to make ends meet every year.
Why is Zheng Qiao so extravagant?
Shen Tang couldn't help but feel resentful of the rich!
Unexpectedly, Luan Xin glanced at Shen Tang, then at Qi Shan, who was sitting diagonally to the front, with a slightly strange expression. Qi Shan noticed his gaze, raised his eyes, and said, "A gentleman stands in the right position in the world and walks the right path. Why bother learning those unorthodox methods?"
Luan Xin: "..."
Shen Tang: "???"
Her intuition told her that Yuanliang had become unscrupulous again.
Actually, there wasn't much to hide. Both he and Chu Yao hoped from the beginning that Shen Tang would take the right path, the main road, rather than the crooked path. What is the crooked path? Obtaining national fortune isn't just about diligently governing the territory; there's a shortcut.
Shen Tang almost jumped up: "A shortcut?"
Qi Shan: "It's no use even if the lord knows; you can't leave."
Shen Tang angrily banged on the table in protest.
"Why can't I walk? Is there some tattered sign on this road that says 'Shen Tang and dogs are not allowed'?"
Luan Xin: "..."
My lord, you are not hiding anything from me at all.
Several of Qiu Cheng's former subordinates who attended the morning meeting also realized what was going on, their eyes wide with disbelief—the conversation contained far too much information!
Qi Shan: "Because our lord's way of governing the feudal lords is unique."
The exact name is unknown, but it is definitely related to agriculture.
Qiu Cheng's former subordinates: "..."
Is this just an open game?
The "shortcut" that Qi Shan mentioned was actually the extreme application of the feudal lords' ways. A typical example is a ruler who was dissolute and licentious. The throne was originally far beyond his reach, but he was incredibly lucky. After ascending the throne, he adopted the feudal lords' ways of "enjoying himself in his homeland and forgetting about homeland." He himself did not like politics and simply indulged his desires, becoming a hands-off ruler.
From the time he ascended the throne until he was overthrown, he never attended a single day of court assembly, simply because he truly indulged in all sorts of pleasures and unrestrained desires!
If her lord wanted to take a shortcut, how would she do it?
Shen Tang: "..."
A mouthful of blood choked in my throat.
Why would there be such a bizarre system of feudal lords?
Qi Shan said, "There is also the way of the rulers and lords, which is to 'seal the wolf's lair and dwell in the wilderness.' From the time he ascended the throne until the country was destroyed, there were constant wars, both large and small, both internal and external. Compared to gradually governing the territory to obtain national fortune, it is obviously easier to indulge in it."
If the way of the scholar is to question one's own heart, then the way of the feudal lord is more like a demon trying to arouse the monarch's greatest desires until the monarch succumbs to the demon. The frequent changes of so many countries in the two hundred years since the descent of the thief star are also related to this.
Because of this understanding, he and Chu Yao tacitly made the same choice, hoping that their lord would attain the rightful position and follow the righteous path, even if it meant taking their time. Those who joined later didn't mention it, either because they shared the same thoughts or because they assumed those who joined earlier had already mentioned it.
"This setting is so unfair to me!" Shen Tang felt like she was about to get breast hyperplasia from anger, feeling frustrated and depressed. "If I can't leave, what's the point of hiding it from me?"
Qi Shan: "Yes."
Shen Tang is determined to get to the bottom of this today.
"What's the point? We're just farming anyway!"
"I'm worried that our lord will be too eager to plant the land with someone else."
In order to have more land to cultivate, wouldn't it be necessary to wage war?
In fact, he and Chu Yao had discussed this privately many times, but he still couldn't understand why their lord's inner desire was farming. This thing had absolutely nothing to do with worldly desires like money, power, influence, or lust. But the facts were there, so he accepted it.
Shen Tang: "..."
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
"Ahem, let's get back to the topic." She chose to change the subject; the previous topic had hurt her deeply. "If Zheng Qiao really did forcibly prolong his life using this method, then it would make sense. However, we'll have a tough battle... By the way, what's the highest level of strength among the martial artists under Zheng Qiao's command?"
Luan Xin said: "The sixteenth level is the highest level of creation."
Shen Tang was about to say, "It's alright."
Unexpectedly, Luan Xin added: "Two people."
Shen Tang: "..."
At this moment, one of Qiu Cheng's former subordinates couldn't hold back any longer.
"Why are there two people instead of just one?"
Luan Xin said, "Because the other person didn't go into battle."
It was Zheng Qiao who forcibly promoted him, so the outside world naturally didn't know.
How do you know so clearly?
Shen Tang interjected appropriately, suppressing any potential conflicts.
"Two Grand Masters of the Sixteenth Rank, plus an elite force—that strength, if not enough to sweep through the Northwest Kingdoms, would be enough to take down a significant portion. But I've observed in Zheng Qiao's major battles against the allied forces that the later the battles progressed, the smaller Zheng Qiao's advantage became..."
This differs from what Luan Xin said.
Luan Xin: "The way of the feudal lords is the same as that of the scholars. The stronger one's power, the greater the burden, and the more cautious one must be in using it. Some even have to exchange their lifespan. Zheng Qiao is probably the same."
Is Zheng Qiao someone who values his life?
He was afraid of death, but he was even more afraid of not being crazy enough. The pain he suffered in his youth was now being paid for by countless others.
Shen Tang inexplicably felt as if he had been shot in the knee.
If risking one's life is the standard for measuring strength, then is her way of ruling a feudal lord... considered powerful or useless?
Shen Tang wanted to chat some more, but Qi Shan happened to have an itchy throat. She coughed twice and her eyes were full of hostility.
The meaning is very clear—
Don't let the topics of the morning meeting stray too far.
Shen Tang could only suppress his thoughts and steer the conversation back on track, discussing with everyone how many troops to bring for this expedition. It was at this moment that Luan Xin and the group of Qiu Cheng's former subordinates realized where Shen Tang's illogically large troop strength came from.
So they've withdrawn the troops stationed at Yonggu Pass!
They couldn't figure it out even if they racked their brains back then.
This time, Shen Tang wanted to do it again.
Qi Shan shook her head, not quite agreeing.
Before he came, he discussed sending troops to participate in the Dragon Slaying Bureau with Chu Yao, and also mentioned the issue of troop strength. The two were in tacit agreement and agreed that no more troops could be transferred from Yonggu Pass.
"Why not? The Ten Crows are no longer a threat."
Qi Shan said, "Indeed, it doesn't pose a threat, but—"
"But what?"
"Before we came, Wu Hui bluntly said, 'In this dragon-slaying contest, if we do not have an absolute chance of winning and cannot control the loss of troops, the troops stationed at Yonggu Pass should not be moved lightly.' This is also for the sake of peace on the border, even if the Ten Crows pose no threat on the surface."
His words successfully dispelled Shen Tang's idea.
If we leave this elite force unchanged, there's not much controversy about the rest.
With Shen Tang's original troops plus those integrated from Qiu Cheng's former subordinates, sending them to the Dragon Slaying Bureau wouldn't be considered beneath them. However, the two armies have different training methods, and some areas still require further integration. Increased troop strength means increased food supplies, which will be a test for the rear supply lines. The manpower for transporting supplies, the routes for transporting supplies, and the supervisors for transporting supplies all need careful consideration and deliberation.
Aside from the initial digression, the rest of the morning meeting revolved around these topics. To the delight of Qiu Cheng's former subordinates, Shen Tang didn't shy away from them because they were newly recruited and still in their "probationary period." Instead, he made reasonable arrangements based on each person's abilities. The original veterans didn't raise any objections or show any dissatisfaction.
finally--
"Will Gongyi be going to battle with the army this time?"
Shen Tang adheres to the principle of giving sweet dates after squeezing out the resources.
Although Luan Xin's scholarly ways could bring rain, his resume had absolutely nothing to do with the Ministry of Revenue; he seemed to be a more radical scholar than Qi Shan and the others. Shen Tang put him to work in the Ministry of Revenue, but also occasionally let him roam the familiar battlefield.
Luan Xin asked in surprise, "If we go into battle, the cotton fields..."
Shen Tang said, "Xian Deng has calculated that the agricultural fortune this year is fairly good, and the drought has been somewhat alleviated. Even if there is still a drought, the digging of irrigation canals and wells in the past few months should provide temporary relief. If that doesn't work, we can use the national fortune to perform 'favorable weather' to ensure a smooth harvest this year. Now we have a batch of drought-resistant cotton seeds, so there shouldn't be much of a problem. Gongyi is familiar with the situation of the Dragon Slaying Bureau and also knows about Zheng Qiao's side. If he is willing to take action, that would be the best."
Having said that, Luan Xin naturally agreed.
Luan Xin was the first to be chosen, followed by Jiang Sheng.
Jiang Sheng seemed somewhat surprised to be singled out.
Given Shen Tang's temperament, she prefers to distribute favors evenly, alternating between going into battle and guarding the base. Jiang Sheng's scholarly approach isn't very useful on the battlefield, so he'll most likely stay behind to guard the base this time. Faced with his doubts, Shen Tang's response was simple: "Didn't I owe you a head before? Let's try to get it back this time."
If Zheng Qiao's head is left to help Jiang Sheng achieve perfection in his scholarly path, that would truly be perfect. Although it's difficult, what if...?
Jiang Sheng clasped his hands in acceptance.
The third person on the list was not present at the morning meeting.
Shen Tang: "This time, let Tu Nan participate as well."
The third person is Ning Yan.
If Ning Yan were here, she would undoubtedly argue her case forcefully, solely to avenge her deceased husband Yan An and bring his remains back to his hometown, so that he could rest in peace. Shen Tang is an understanding lord, and would naturally do his utmost to help his subordinates achieve their goal.
These three are easy to arrange, but the others are a problem.
Staying to guard the house is a waste of talent.
They'd rather be taken away; they don't feel safe in their own backyard.
Ultimately, it all comes down to a lack of people to cause trouble.
Shen Tang's eyes darted around as she sized up Qiu Cheng's former subordinates present, seemingly considering something, making them feel uneasy.
_(:з」∠)_
Hehe, another new keyboard arrived today, an RK H81 in a lovely shade. The color is quite refreshing, and the TTC rainbow switches are decent for typing, at least much better than that pretty but useless Dareu Little Sugar keyboard.
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