Chapter 846: The Domesticated Seedling Has Gone Astray [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
reward?
Zhao Feng and Qin Li exchanged a glance.
Qin Li calmly replied, "One should not accept rewards without merit."
After all, they were still newcomers, without any achievements to speak of. If they rashly accepted this reward, they didn't know how much gossip it would cause. Compared to Qin Li's caution, Zhao Feng's reaction was much more direct.
He craned his neck curiously: "What reward?"
Xu Quan shook his head: "I don't know. My lord entrusted this to me and instructed me to personally deliver it to you, sir."
Zhao Feng stroked his beard and guessed, "Could it be gold?"
He had served under the lord for a long time, and although his position at the time prevented him from having much contact with the core leadership, the lord was very generous and never deliberately avoided Zhao Feng. Over time, Zhao Feng also figured out some of her preferences; she loved money very much.
He is usually very generous to his subordinates, often giving them rewards of all kinds, but it is rare to see any gold or silver.
The money given to ward off evil spirits during the Lunar New Year is only a few copper coins.
Judging from the weight of the wooden box, could it be a box of gold or silver?
Qin Li smiled and said, "How could my lord be so vulgar?"
Those in positions of power often express their regard and affection for their subordinates through rewards, but this doesn't mean that the more expensive the item, the more significant it is; rather, it's the thought behind it! Gold and silver jewelry would seem too perfunctory.
Xu Quan, who was standing to one side, almost choked on his own saliva.
If being vulgar granted the freedom to bestow gold and silver as rewards, the lord would probably eagerly choose to be that vulgar person. It's hard to say about other lords, but for her own lord, "gold and silver" must be excluded from rewards. It's not that she doesn't want to, but simply that she lacks the ability.
The will is there, but the strength is insufficient.
Suppressing the urge to cough, Xu Quan then played the victim to Qin Li: "My lord said that you will definitely like it, and if you refuse to accept it, I will have no way to explain to my lord later."
Since Xu Quan said so, Qin Li had no choice but to accept it.
He had originally planned to wait until Zhao Feng and Xu Quan left before opening the box, but the two seemed rooted to the spot, their eyes filled with curiosity, so he had no choice but to open the wooden box with amusement. When he saw what was inside, he was stunned, and Zhao Feng and Xu Quan also craned their necks to get a closer look.
Then, both of their expressions became somewhat strange.
The wooden box was filled with rings.
Gold, silver, jade, gold inlaid with jade...
The finished rings are in men's sizes, and most of the rest are uncut raw materials, but judging from their size and outline, they are all rough rings. I wonder where my lord found so many things, but that's not the point.
The important thing is that the lord gave him a ring!!!
Qin Li slammed the wooden box shut and adjusted his mindset.
Slightly embarrassed: "My lord bestowed this item upon me..."
Although the second half of the sentence was not spoken, Xu Quan understood: "Sir, please don't misunderstand, our lord absolutely did not mean that!"
What does that mean?
Naturally, it was a blatant expression of her love for Qin Li.
But that's absolutely impossible!
Xu Quan's words reassured Qin Li somewhat.
Even after Xu Quan left, Zhao Feng was still bewildered: "Gongsu, what do you think is the purpose of our lord suddenly sending so many gifts?"
"They probably misunderstood and thought I liked it."
As intelligent as Qin Li was, he quickly figured out the reason—he had dressed up specially to see her that day, wearing several rings that he liked, and the lord had stared at his fingers for a while, which was probably when the misunderstanding occurred.
No wonder she said he would definitely like it.
Qin Li did indeed have a habit of wearing rings, as did most scholars skilled in horsemanship, archery, and swordsmanship; they served both decorative and auxiliary purposes. However, most people wore only one or two, while Qin Li's display that day was indeed quite conspicuous…
Qin Li offered a brief explanation, and Zhao Feng slapped his thigh and burst into laughter.
As a result, his joy turned to sorrow when he photographed his wound, and his smile became distorted.
He grimaced for a while before suppressing the pain and said, "Since it's the lord's wish, then you can wear it. Change it every few days. Sigh, if it weren't for... Gongsu's treasure pavilion would probably be full of these beloved items..."
After all, they were once royalty and nobility, and Qin Li was the heir to the position of head of the imperial clan. His mansion was filled with countless treasures.
These seemingly eternal treasures, however, were all ravaged by war, turning into sand slipping through their fingers. They could neither be grasped nor retained. When Qin Li fled after the fall of his country, he also took many of his cherished possessions with him in his haste. As time passed, they were all sold off.
Occasionally, in the dead of night, he would dream of the flames of war in his homeland, of the hardships and displacement along the way, and of Qin Li's expression when he sold his beloved possessions—what was sold was not only the treasures, but also the Qin prince who had witnessed them.
The high spirits and vigor were all mixed together into another deep color.
As he grew older, he became increasingly frugal with himself, spending most of his wealth to support the orphans and widows of fallen soldiers. Seeing Qin Li living in poverty, Zhao Feng felt something was amiss. Sigh, he still preferred the glamorous, wealthy young master Qin of yesteryear.
Qin Li glanced at Zhao Feng.
"Do you take me for a pampered lady from a secluded chamber?"
How could he not know what the latter was thinking?
However, there was one thing he didn't understand—how exactly did this subtle mindset of dressing up his son develop?
Zhao Feng, whose thoughts had been exposed, scratched his head and stammered, "Haha—well, I have something to do, so I'll be going now."
Qin Li: "..."
When Xu Quan returned to report to Shen Tang, Shen Tang was hunched over his desk, drawing something: "Wen Shi, are you done?"
"Reporting to my lord, the matter has been completed."
"Did Gong Su say anything? Did he like it or not?"
Xu Quan naturally couldn't hide the truth, so he told the truth while also mentioning the misunderstanding. Before Shen Tang could speak, he said, "But my lord, rest assured, I have already explained it clearly."
"Yes, yes, it's good that you've explained it clearly."
Shen Tang breathed a sigh of relief, blaming herself for her lack of common sense and almost making a fool of herself. What she needed was Qin Li's talent, for him to do things for her, and to fight for her career. It would be too much of a loss if this misunderstanding caused awkwardness between them.
After saying that, she looked at the blueprints and pouted.
"Can't I have a ring...?"
She has already finished drawing the New Year's gift rings she designed.
Xu Quan was nearby and caught a glimpse of the blueprints on the table.
He fell silent instantly.
He truly didn't understand his lord's painting skills and aesthetic sense.
"My lord, what is this?" Xu Quan was on duty today, and adhering to the principle of asking questions when he didn't understand, he became a curious child.
Shen Tang picked up her most satisfying work.
"I designed this in my spare time, without taking up any work hours. I plan to give it to the craftsmen to make after it's finalized, and we'll give one to everyone for Chinese New Year this year. I thought it looked really nice when I saw Gong Su wearing a ring, so I thought we should make one as a company symbol."
Xu Quan: "..."
Shen Tang: "In previous years, the New Year's gifts were all silk quilts. We can't just give the same old thing this year, can we? After confiscating so many spoils of war, it would seem like we don't care about giving anything more valuable.
Her only consolation was that these gifts were all sent to the public treasury, not her private treasury; nowadays, the private treasury is cleaner than her face.
Waaah, we can't even get any copper coins for warding off evil spirits this year.
Shen Tang appears composed on the surface, but in reality, she is weeping uncontrollably.
Xu Quan chose to remain silent.
Given that Kang Jishou's bad luck was still lingering, Shen Tang dared not wander outside and obediently stayed in the temporary council hall to handle affairs. But before noon was over, she was forced to move out.
After the victory celebration last night, Yu Zi tossed and turned for a long time without sleeping. She finally made up her mind to go find Shen Tang at dawn, only to find that he was nowhere to be found: "...Where is my lord?"
The ruins before us are the temporary council chamber.
Several soldiers were handling bricks and tiles and retrieving books.
The clerk in charge of the matter recognized Yu Zi, stepped forward to bow, and explained the reason: "...Perhaps the commotion from the previous battle affected the structural beams, causing the main hall to suddenly collapse..."
The nearby buildings are perfectly fine.
The temporary council chamber where Shen Tang was staying collapsed.
All in all, Shen Tang hadn't slept for several days. After finishing part of her work, she planned to take a short rest in the back hall. But just as she caught a glimpse of the Duke of Zhou's robes, the roof beam collapsed! She wasn't injured, and the guards on duty reacted quickly, using their martial arts to prop up the roof beam that was about to crash to the ground, buying time for the minor officials to evacuate safely.
The office space had to be moved to a tent.
Yu Zi quickly realized what was going on after a moment's thought.
To be the lord of Kang Jishou, one's birth chart must be strong.
She rubbed her temples, her head aching. Her initial courage had been dampened by this unexpected incident, and hesitation had taken over.
Coincidentally, someone tapped her on the shoulder at that moment.
"What are you thinking about, Wei Heng? You didn't respond when I called you."
Yu Zi turned her head and saw Lin Feng's face, who still smelled slightly of alcohol. Last night at the victory celebration, Lin Feng drank even more than the female officers of the female battalion, single-handedly taking down a whole group. He finished drinking without a flushed face or shortness of breath, showing no signs of drunkenness whatsoever.
Why didn't you sleep a little longer?
Lin Feng held several thick scrolls in his arms: "Of course, official business is more important. My teacher has a lot of work to do and is short-handed."
Chu Yao's cultivation of Lin Feng's all-round development was for this very moment—his colleagues were rebellious and difficult to manage, but his student had few reservations and could be thrown wherever needed.
Yu Zi: "..."
She had just discovered that Lin Feng in front of her was the embodiment of literary talent.
She took a deep breath: "I need to speak with my lord."
“I know where our lord is.” Lin Feng pointed out the direction and the location of the tent to her, which was different from what the official had just told her.
Lin Feng said, "The previous camp tents collapsed."
Yu Zi: "..."
Lin Feng smiled and said, "I just came back from the lord's place, so the location should be correct. However, if Wei Heng delays any longer, we'll probably have to find a new location..."
“Kang Junshi must be feeling terrible right now,” Yu Zi couldn’t help but complain, then frowned and denied it, “How could someone without a conscience feel any pain…”
She had deep suspicions—
My own scholarly way was distorted by Kang Shi!
When Yu Zi met Shen Tang, she had already moved to the fourth tent. Of the first three tents, one had collapsed, another had caught fire for no apparent reason, and yet another had a mysterious crack in the ground. Shen Tang, along with the table, almost fell into the crack in the ground, but fortunately, she was not seriously injured.
When someone came to check, the answer was still the same—it was all caused by the commotion from the war! In this world where the combat power is abnormal, it is common for the ground to crack or buildings to collapse inexplicably after a war. It's just that my lord is unlucky enough to step on these landmines.
Shen Tang: "..."
Hehehe, what else can she say?
Well, it's good enough that I'm alive. She composed herself and forced a bright, positive smile.
"Did Wei Heng need something from me?"
Yu Zi bowed respectfully, her body on high alert: "Your subordinate reports."
Shen Tang waited for her to speak with gentle eyes, but Yu Zi stammered, "This matter... concerns my... the way of the scholar."
The Way of the Scholar?
Shen Tang's ears perked up instantly, and she asked with a smile, "Wei Heng, did you acquire the Way of the Scholar? When did you awaken it?"
To her, Lin Feng and Yu Zi were different.
The others were transplanted to her fenced field after they matured, but Yu Zi and Lin Feng were carefully nurtured by her from seedlings, completely raised by her own hands. The effort invested was different, and naturally, the significance was also different. Lin Feng was talented and had Chu Yao as a comprehensive teacher, so Shen Tang didn't have to worry about anything. In comparison, Yu Zi's conditions were somewhat worse.
It wasn't that her great-uncle was bad in any way, but rather that Yu Zi started at a young age and had weak talent, showing no signs of awakening the way of the scholar even after several years. Shen Tang wasn't exactly disappointed, but she was anxious.
She urgently needs mature female writers to take the stage.
One Ning Yan and one Lin Feng are simply not enough.
Unfortunately, there are too few seedlings in the fenced-off area. Even with the concentrated resources allocated to nurturing the batch from the academy, the effects won't be seen for several years. She also fears that forcing growth will be detrimental to their future. Yu Zi is currently the most promising seedling.
I thought it would take several more years for the flowers to bloom and bear fruit...
Unexpectedly, Yu Zi gave me such a big surprise.
Yu Zi lowered her head and said, "Just two days ago on the battlefield."
"Awakening on the battlefield? That's too risky!" Shen Tang couldn't help but recall the situation when Lin Feng obtained the Way of the Scholar. He had been unconscious for several hours. In the chaos of battle, Yu Zi could have easily died. "Will it harm your body?"
Shen Tang's worried expression made Yu Zi even more panicked and aggrieved.
And so, patter patter—
A few tears rolled down her cheeks unexpectedly.
This really startled Shen Tang, who took out a handkerchief and wiped her hands: "Wei Heng, what's wrong with you... It's okay if you failed to awaken the Way of the Scholar. There are plenty of scholars who don't have the Way of the Scholar. We can still achieve great things without it. Don't cry."
As soon as Shen Tang wiped away her tears, more rolled down her cheeks.
Yu Zi's silent sobs gradually grew louder.
Shen Tang stepped forward to comfort her, and as Yu Zi cried, she ended up in Shen Tang's arms. When Yu Zi realized this, she blushed crimson with embarrassment. Before she could even think of how to react, Shen Tang cursed and shoved Yu Zi out of the tent—
"Kang Jishou—"
The newly erected tent was collapsed by a rock.
Shen Tang completely lost her composure and broke down on the spot, cursing: "Damn it! The previous times were one thing, but why are stones falling from the sky? There are no high mountains nearby, could it be meteorites?"
Yu Zi was pushed against the stomach by Shen Tang's shoulder.
Suppressing nausea, she said with difficulty, "Yes, there is."
It's just not very common.
Special scholars like Xun Zhen rely on the phrase "A thousand pieces of gold scattered will return" as a prelude to their pronouncements. Most of the money they scatter will fall within a certain radius, though some will naturally drop stones. Given the land area and population density, the chance of someone being hit is extremely small.
Shen Tang: "..."
Hehehe, what should she say?
Amidst the chaos, Shen Tang simply set up his office outdoors, not forgetting to use his Word of Power to create a barrier against any stray bird droppings.
Looking at Yu Zi, whose emotions had stabilized somewhat, Shen Tang tried her best to be gentle and kind: "Speak, what is the way of the scholar?"
Yu Zi whispered, "The evil purple usurps the vermilion."
Good news, the awakening of the Confucian Way went very smoothly.
The bad news is that this scholarly way is harmful to others and not beneficial to oneself.
Persecution of colleagues, persecution of lord, double the punishment!
Shen Tang: "..."
A dozen or so breaths later—
Shen Tang's roar filled the entire camp: "Kang Jishou—Kang Jishou—Kang Jishou, you come out here!"
|ω`)
Tangmei has no money and can't send gold or silver.
(End of this chapter)
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