Chapter 782: "Domestic Violence" [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
Silence, deathly silence!
"Haha, Brother Shen is really humorous."
Wu Xian's smile looked forced, but his words were unanimously agreed upon by everyone—this was definitely Shen Youli's prank! They would rather believe Zhao Feng was a burly woman than believe Shen Youli was a woman; it was impossible!
However, Cui Xiao simply looked at Wu Xian seriously and calmly.
As he laughed, Wu Xian's smile vanished, replaced by an uncontrollable twitch at the corner of his mouth: "Is this really true?"
Cui Xiaodao: "These are the lord's original words."
He paused for a moment, then said, "That's the truth too."
Wu Xian fell completely silent, as if under the spell of "silence and silence-locking." The people under his command were also unable to utter a single word, their minds filled with the thought that "Shen Youli is actually a woman."
"How...how is this possible?"
"How could this be impossible? If my lord were not a woman, how could General Zhao's daughter cultivate?" Although he was still unclear about the real reason why women could suddenly cultivate, he was certain that it was related to his lord, Shen Tang, so there was nothing wrong with that.
Cui Xiao uttered an extremely ordinary sentence, yet it was like a seed taking root and sprouting in fertile soil of suspicion, instantly growing into a towering tree. Because of Zhao Wei, Wu Xian began to suspect that Zhao Feng and Xu Jie were hiding something from him, but he only suspected that they were hiding the fact that "Zhao Wei, as a woman, could cultivate."
As Zhao Wei's father, Zhao Feng's choice to conceal the matter for fear of his daughter being treated as a heretic is understandable; Xu Jie, as the head of the Xu family, is a shrewd person and does not want to offend Zhao Feng easily because of this matter, so he also chooses to conceal it, which is also plausible.
They just didn't take the initiative to explain.
but--
Zhao Wei only started cultivating after she went to Longwu. As people who knew the situation, did Zhao Feng and Xu Jie really not have any suspicions or investigate?
What did they finally find out?
Did they really not know that Shen Youli was a woman?
If they knew, why didn't they reveal even a whisper of it?
Things that I had never paid attention to before, and had never looked into in detail, suddenly popped up uncontrollably—Zhao Feng served under Shen Tang for several years to repay a debt of gratitude, without ever complaining; Xu Jie had close business ties with Shen Tang, and even helped his cousin Xu Quan get a government position with her.
In conclusion, it's perfectly normal for them not to leak any information.
Despite his turbulent emotions, Wu Xian's face remained impeccable, though his smile was somewhat forced: "So that's how it is, so that's how it is. I truly misjudged you, I never knew that the valiant 'Brother Shen' was actually 'Sister Shen'..."
When he recalled Shen Tang's face, his thoughts were complicated—her face was the most standard female appearance, so why had he been calling her "Brother Shen" all this time? It was all because of that Wenxin Hua monogram!
Wu Xian rubbed his temples wearily. Tired!
In the past two days, half of the subordinates advocated severe punishment for Zhao Feng and asked Wu Xian to give his opinion. He made an excuse that he would make a decision after returning to Tianhai, hoping to delay the time. The reason was also normal - Huang Lie's troops were temporarily repelled, but there was still a possibility of a comeback. Before Shen Tang's reinforcements arrived, the two armies might still fight each other. How could Zhao Feng, as a general, be punished?
This move will inevitably shake morale and be detrimental to the overall situation!
If it were Qin Li's faction, they would have chosen to understand, no matter how resentful they were, and temporarily set aside their personal grudges. However, Tianhai's faction refused to accept this. They knew, of course, that now was not a good time to launch an attack, but they also knew that the longer this matter dragged on, the more difficult it would be to handle. For example, if Zhao Feng had made a great contribution during this period, wouldn't that offset the wrongdoing?
Hmph, this isn't over yet!
They repeatedly sought out Wu Xian for heart-to-heart talks.
Although it wasn't a tantrum, it still put Wu Xian under immense pressure. The final straw was when several squad leaders and dozens of soldiers instigated a disturbance. They hoped Wu Xian would be fair and just, and not disregard military discipline or tolerate treacherous officials.
We risked our lives fighting the enemy, and that Zhao fellow pulled this stunt behind our backs. How can such a despicable person be a general?
Yeah, it could kill us any day!
[That guy surnamed Zhao is utterly incompetent to be a general!]
It's shameful to be associated with someone like that!
We earnestly request that our lord uphold justice.
The lower-ranking soldiers had no idea about the ins and outs of the matter. All they knew was that Zhao Feng had killed their own men. Moreover, these squad leaders and platoon leaders were people they knew very well, many of whom were from the same village or hometown and were even closer to Zhao Feng than General Zhao Feng himself. It was obvious who they should believe. Under the instigation of these soldiers, more hot-blooded soldiers stood their ground, ready to risk their lives to demand justice.
Despite its small scale, Wu Xian saw signs of a mutiny.
In addition, with the relentless pressure from the Tianhai faction, some using emotional appeals and others employing both soft and hard tactics, Wu Xian, under pressure, had no choice but to punish Zhao Feng with a cane at this time to give an explanation.
Originally, he was to be flogged two hundred times in front of all the soldiers, but after Wu Xian bargained, the matter was carried out privately, and the number was reduced to one hundred. Zhao Feng was strong, and these kinds of flesh wounds would recover in three to five days and would not be life-threatening.
However, this incident severely damaged Zhao Feng's prestige in the army.
It will probably be difficult for him to command troops again in the future.
Wu Xian knew this, but there was nothing he could do about it.
At the same time, he realized that the old men of Tianhai were more united than he had imagined. If they could unite against external threats, their closeness wouldn't matter, but their unity in pressuring him made Wu Xian very dissatisfied. For the first time, the thought of giving them a good talking-to arose.
After finally dealing with Zhao Feng's matter, the true genders of Zhao Feng's daughter and Shen Youli were revealed one after another, and he also discovered evidence that Zhao Feng and Xu Jie had ulterior motives...
Normally, Wu Xian would have already lost his temper.
At this moment, however, they could only swallow their anger and keep quiet.
After all, Tianhai and Longwu still needed to form an alliance to fight against Huang Lie and his group. Compared to survival, none of that mattered.
Wu Xian greeted Cui Xiao and his group with a smile, carefully inquiring about Shen Tang's situation and the number of her troops. Cui Xiao seemed oblivious, responding calmly, saying everything that needed to be said and keeping quiet about what shouldn't be said. For a time, the atmosphere was relatively harmonious.
Unfortunately, some people were not happy about it.
Wu Xian hosted a banquet and served a meager amount of wine to Cui Xiao and the others. The military officer who had previously stirred up trouble glared at him with his large, sinister eyes and said in a sarcastic tone, "Envoy Cui seems to have mentioned before that 'I once served Lord Wu,' but I don't know when that was."
The question was directed at Cui Xiao, but the person looking at Qin Li was actually asking him.
Cui Xiao seemed oblivious to the clash of swords, lightly waving his fan: "As long as Gong Su has served Lord Wu, I will serve him for just as long."
The military officer gave a dismissive "heh."
He pressed on, "Oh? Really? When did Envoy Cui join Lord Shen? He didn't even say hello. We've worked together for so many years. If Envoy Cui has found a better place, my lord naturally won't stop him."
Gong Xichou and the others listened with great interest to his words.
See, who says that brave warriors aren't good with their brains?
This man's sharp tongue, full of sarcasm and veiled barbs, is no less impressive than that of ordinary literary figures.
It's almost as if they're saying outright that Cui Xiao is a traitor.
Running away without saying goodbye, what is that if not betrayal?
Cui Xiao smiled and curved his eyebrows, showing no sign of being provoked, and his face was completely unashamed: "Oh, I submitted my resignation right after the Battle of Miaojiang Crossing... But it's normal that Lord Wu is too busy to notice..."
It may be hard to believe, but Choi Hyo-jin really went through the proper procedures.
But he also knew that his resignation letter, just like the suggestions he had written before, had not been taken seriously by Wu Xian.
Can we blame him for this?
Wu Xian, who was called out: "...???"
No, did he receive Cui Xiao's resignation?
For a moment, Wu Xian felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. He really didn't know about this, but he couldn't say it openly: "Shanxiao did have a resignation letter, but I didn't expect Shanxiao to choose Shen Di... Sister-in-law."
Even if he doesn't, he has to say he does.
The military officer sneered, "They left in quite a hurry."
After he finished speaking, someone next to him chimed in, "Shen Jun is known for her benevolence, so it's perfectly normal for Envoy Cui to choose her... It's just that we don't know why she suddenly had the idea of leaving?"
Is there some dissatisfaction with Wu Gong? Is it a dissatisfaction unique to Cui Shanxiao, or is it the opinion of most of Qin Li's faction?
It's still aimed at Qin Li.
Cui Xiaodao: "Although it was for the purpose of overthrowing the tyrant, the allied forces ignored our advice, froze the Miao River, and artificially created an ice jam, causing the lower reaches of the Miao River to swell and flood the Yan Prefecture, leaving hundreds of thousands of people homeless and displaced... Forgive my frankness, but we cannot work together if we have different principles! What is wrong with my decision to leave?"
The man said, "Shen Jun is also among the allied forces."
Cui Xiao: "My lord was not present at the time. His subordinate, Kang Jishou, also tried to reason with him, but he was too weak to speak out. After I left, I did not go to Shen Jun. It was only when I was fleeing with the refugees that I met Shen Jun by chance and was recruited by him."
Wu Xian: "..."
Although he didn't say anything, he felt insulted. Seeing his subordinates' relentless accusations, he interrupted the conversation. Because of the gloom that almost overflowed from his face, his men knew when to stop and didn't provoke him further.
Wu Xian was extremely depressed after this meal.
The wheat porridge in the bowl was being slurped up like never before.
After the banquet ended, Wu Xian sent people to settle the reinforcements.
Cui Xiao also had a separate tent. He took off his socks and was about to sit down and soak his feet when he heard Zhao Wei's voice outside the tent asking to see him. He put his socks back on and said, "Dawei, come in."
Zhao Wei lifted the tent flap, her eyes red.
"Uncle Cui..."
My tall niece twisted her fingers together, her lips were pursed and her eyes were red, as if tears were about to spill from her eyes at any moment.
Cui Xiao: "..."
He missed his petite, charming, and spirited niece from many years ago. The Zhao Wei before him looked like a fierce bandit who could charge at him with two punches at the slightest provocation.
He rubbed his temples, his head aching: "What's wrong?"
Zhao Wei pouted: "My niece is worried about her father..."
"so?"
"Uncle Cui, would you take me to visit him?"
Cui Xiao remained silent. After a while, a shadow fell over him as his eldest niece tugged at his wide sleeve, pleading cautiously, "Please, Uncle Cui, please—"
My eyes blinked and blinked.
Cui Xiao raised his sword fan to cover his face: "Don't you even know where you are? If you go to see Da Yi, you'll only make his situation more difficult. Fine, fine—Uncle Cui will take you to see him now. But if he beats you, don't come begging for help."
Hearing that her visit would make her father's situation even more difficult, Zhao Wei initially gave up the idea, but later, worry took over.
"I knew Uncle Cui was the best to me."
She was as happy as a rabbit weighing a hundred or two hundred pounds.
Cui Xiao: "..."
Just in case, he also brought Gongxi Chou along. Xu Quan, however, caught the scent and followed, moving awkwardly and occasionally grinning shyly. Looking at the two heads covered in little braids, Cui Xiao couldn't understand the Xu family's aesthetic sense. Had the Xu family boy gone mad?
When they arrived, Zhao Feng's camp was bustling with activity.
Lifting the curtain, one could see a dozen or so people in the tent.
Zhao Feng was lying face down on the couch, shirtless. His back had been treated with ointment, and although there were still occasional oozes of blood, it wasn't as bad as it had been in the afternoon. Seeing Zhao Wei, he hurriedly tried to sit up.
"Dawei!"
The other old brothers inside the tent also looked over.
The somber atmosphere vanished instantly, replaced by a joyful and relaxed mood.
"Haha, this is David?"
Why is my eldest niece named Dawei?
"Dayi, if you can't give Wei'er a good name, why don't you ask Gong Su and the others for advice? What kind of name is Dawei for a girl?" Everyone condemned Zhao Feng. The name is to be engraved on the Martial Tiger Tally for life. How can this be presented?
Zhao Feng pounded the bed in anger: "It wasn't me!"
Who is that?
Xu Quan froze, his silly grin gone, and tried to back away.
Normally, Zhao Wei would definitely drag Xu Quan out and let a bunch of uncles and elders give him a good trial, but she was in no mood for that at the moment. She looked at Zhao Feng with teary eyes, tears falling down her face, and she even blew snot bubbles out of her nose without realizing it.
"Father... Waaah..."
Zhao Feng looked at his daughter's arms, outlined by her tight-fitting clothes. The muscles didn't look as exaggerated as those of a male martial artist, but anyone with eyes could see the explosive power beneath. Seeing her wipe away tears with those arms, Zhao Feng inexplicably felt a pang of pain in his eyes.
"What are you crying for? I'm not dead!"
"But those last few blows were really aimed at killing us..."
Zhao Wei was really terrified at the time.
Zhao Feng waved his hand: "I'm really fine, nothing's wrong."
If he were really beaten to death, would it still be the turn of Tianhai and his gang of scoundrels to stage a mutiny? They would have already overturned the table themselves.
"Why did Shanxiao bring Dawei along?"
Cui Xiao sneered: "Do you think I can stop your daughter?"
Zhao Feng collapsed back down, letting out a long sigh.
Cui Xiao looked at his injuries with schadenfreude: "You could have avoided this beating. I told you before, a woman who endures and yields again and again often doesn't get understanding from her husband's family, but rather a good beating. Do you believe me now?"
In many cases of domestic violence between couples, the fights can be back-and-forth, but Zhao Feng was the one who was beaten, and he was even worse off than the other couples.
Zhao Feng was seething with anger.
He said irritably, "Get out, get out, get out—"
Cui Xiao naturally wouldn't leave; he was just there to watch Zhao Feng's misfortune. The others only knew that Cui Xiao had left, unaware that he had joined Shen Tang's ranks. If it were before, they might have complained a bit about Wu Xian, but now they were all congratulating Cui Xiao on his triumphant return.
but--
"Is Shen Junzhen a woman?"
Cui Xiaodao: "The goods are genuine and of good quality."
Everyone sighed in dismay, but no one said anything to spoil the mood.
If it were when Shen Tang's forces were dwindling, perhaps the outside world would be filled with voices condemning heretics. But now that she has grown strong, she has the capital to have the last laugh. She is also easily on par with the fifteenth-rank junior scholars, so gender is no longer a weakness.
In fact, people even have a good impression of Zhao Wei.
Everyone else chimed in with their opinions, but Qin Li remained silent.
Cui Xiao and he met eyes and exchanged glances.
Qin Li's palm felt slightly warm, and characters appeared on it.
What are your plans for the future?
Let's wait for an opportunity.
The next day, the scouts reported that the enemy had withdrawn their troops the previous night.
|ω`)
Dawei is one centimeter taller than Tangmei, a cute 1.8-meter tall girl, a warrior with a firm, muscular body, but not as exaggerated as Nezha from Ten Cold Nezha.
(End of this chapter)
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