Chapter 847: Does anyone understand, family members? [Seeking monthly votes]
"Princess...you must calm down!"
Kang Shi was now filled with remorse. He had resolved to stay away from his lord for the next few days until the side effects of his scholarly ways subsided before returning. Unexpectedly, before he could even pack his bags, he ran into his lord in a rage. He was speechless with despair and dared not beg for mercy.
"Wei Heng, you must persuade the lord! If she strikes again, I'm really going to die!" In Kang Shi's tent, he lay sprawled on the table, too afraid to move. The lord's scythe was now only two fingers' distance from his cheek, and the cold glint of the blade made him panic.
Yu Zi peeked out from outside the tent and muttered, "What are you trying to prove? Does the lord really intend to take your life?"
Kang Shi: "..."
He knew, of course, that his lord wouldn't take his life.
But if Chu Yao and the others knew that their lord was about to execute him on the spot in broad daylight, he would really be dead.
Kang Shi crossed his arms in front of his chest.
With tears welling up in her eyes, she said, "My lord, let's talk this out."
He had no choice but to die if his lord truly wanted him dead, but at least he should die knowing why, so he wouldn't die a foolish death.
Seeing his reckless attitude, Shen Tang was furious: "Kang Jishou, you good-for-nothing Kang Jishou, you've ruined my promising talent!"
Kang Shi was bewildered: "A promising talent?"
He assumed that his lord's visit was a way to settle the negative effects of his bad luck; after all, even from such a distance, he had heard of the series of misfortunes at his lord's camp, and it was understandable that his mentality would be broken. Little did he know that she had come for a "promising talent," leaving Kang Shi momentarily stunned.
He cried out, "My lord, I have been wronged!"
How could he possibly corrupt the lord's promising talents!
Shen Tang gripped the sickle handle with one hand and pointed at the third person present with the other: "Kang Jishou, look what you've done! This is how the scholarly way in Weiheng is ruined, all because of you!"
It would have been better if we hadn't brought it up; the more we did, the angrier she got.
Before Kang Jishou joined, her team consisted of Chu Yao, Qi Shan, and Gu Chi. Chu Yao's approach to the scholarly path was normal, and while Qi Shan and Gu Chi's approaches had side effects, they were still within the acceptable range. But ever since Kang Shi joined, things have completely gone awry!
The content in normal individuals is extremely low!
Even the healthy seedlings she raises are no longer normal!
Kang Shi's first reaction to this accusation was not to protest his innocence, but to turn to Yu Zi in astonishment: "When did this happen?"
After the expedition began, Yu Zi remained his deputy.
He knew her strength and condition all too well.
Yu Zi is deep-seated and obsessed. Although her current state increases the probability of awakening the Way of the Scholar, her strong sense of purpose means that even if she does awaken it, she might go astray. The Way of the Scholar is about a scholar questioning their true self. If one has already misjudged their true self, how can they possibly follow the right path? Before this expedition, her great-uncle also wrote to Kang Shi, asking him to help persuade Yu Zi.
Be your most authentic self and find the right path.
Kangshi couldn't very well refuse.
only--
In terms of seniority, Yu Zi is now a seasoned veteran in the workplace; in terms of age, she is an adult with her own ideas, and outsiders have limited influence on her. Kang Shi wanted to wait until the war was over before having a formal discussion.
Unexpectedly, plans change faster than expected.
Yu Zi replied somewhat guiltily, "At the front lines."
In a fit of rage, the lord grabbed a sickle and went to settle scores with Kang Jishou, forcefully shifting the blame onto him. But Yu Zi couldn't simply accept that view. The way of the scholar is to examine one's own heart; this was her true heart and nature, and had nothing to do with Kang Shi…
She only complained about Kang Shiwen in private, not that it was the truth.
Kang Shi frowned upon hearing this, not even noticing when Shen Tang removed the sickle, until she pushed him with the back of the blade in an annoyed manner.
"Get up and let's discuss what to do."
These words made Kang Shi realize that something was wrong.
"Is there something wrong with Wei Heng's scholarly way?" The lord's staff is full of eccentrics, but none have made her so troubled. This suggests that Yu Zi's situation might be even more serious than Xun Zhen's, which has left the lord heavily in debt. "What ability does she possess?"
Yu Zi dared not hide anything.
"The way of the scholar is to 'seize the purple from the red,' and the final effect may be similar to that of Military Advisor Xun. The difference is that Military Advisor Xun uses money to exchange for it, while this way of the scholar is to seize the fortune of the lord, colleagues, and even enemies, and convert 80% of the total to my own use... Assuming I obtain 100 fortunes from the lord and colleagues, I can also seize 100 from the enemy, and in the end I can unleash a strength of 160." As she spoke, she lowered her head, and her already pale face became even more ashen.
Kang Shi: "..."
He finally understood why his lord was so furious.
Yu Zi's scholarly way of life is really annoying!
He achieved his goals entirely by plundering his colleagues. Although the victims included both his lord and enemies, the military credit ultimately went to Yu Zi. If others knew about this, Yu Zi would likely have a long line of political enemies, making his career path difficult.
Not everyone is as fortunate and optimistic as our lord, and similarly, our colleagues aren't just people like Chu Yao and Qi Shan! They encompass both civil and military officials, from clerks in various county offices to soldiers from all over the country. These are all targets of Yu Zi's plunder.
Luck is a mysterious thing; though invisible and intangible, it can influence the final outcome of an event. Especially on the battlefield where life and death hang in the balance, a weakened luck can easily lead to death. If Yu Zi cannot control this scholar's way, she's finished!
Shen Tang tapped the table to bring him back to his senses: "You think of a way."
Kang Shi was also troubled, but he still wanted to say: "If we are talking about understanding the way of the literati, the perfect first one is more suitable."
Shen Tang uttered a sentence that left him speechless.
"Because Wei Heng's awakening to the way of the scholar coincided with the moment when you, sir, displayed your divine power. How can you guarantee that she wasn't influenced by you at that time? After all, Wei Heng is practically your student. If she encounters a problem, who else can she turn to if not you?"
Kang Shi: "..."
He rubbed his temples, looking slightly a headache.
The lord truly values him highly. He hasn't even figured out his own path as a scholar yet, and he's already been entrusted with an important task: to find a solution for a path as incompetent as his own. However, Kang Shi does have some ideas: "In essence, Wei Heng's path as a scholar is the same as Han Zhang's; as long as the conditions are met, there is no upper limit to his strength. From this point of view, his potential is still quite considerable."
If Xun Zhen had unlimited funds, theoretically he could single-handedly conquer the entire continent, making it possible for him to fight against hundreds of millions. However, his lord's poverty limits his potential. Similarly, Yu Zi's scholarly approach is the same: as long as she sacrifices enough colleagues and lords, she can not only harm an equal number of enemies but also squander money indefinitely, wreaking havoc on all sides…
Tsk tsk, none of them are easy to deal with.
In such cases, simply imposing restrictions is sufficient.
Shen Tang asked, "How do you restrict it?"
Kang Shi: "The lord's private treasury restricts Han Zhang. If Wei Heng could freely control the scope or number of his colleagues, he could achieve the same restrictive effect. If one person is robbed of 100 units of luck, and 100 people are robbed of 100 units of luck, the result is the same: 100 units of luck. However, the latter is only a small amount per person. Compared to the former, the impact is negligible."
He took a sip of water to moisten his dry lips and continued, "For example, in a battle between two armies, the likelihood of danger faced by colleagues in the rear is far less than that faced by colleagues on the front lines. Could the principles of the scholar's way be applied to those in the rear?"
Shen Tang frowned and asked, "Is this okay?"
Despite Shen Tang's skill in creatively arranging her subordinates and developing bizarre uses, she herself lacks any understanding of the ways of the scholar and knows very little about them. As for the so-called "ways of the feudal lords," she still doesn't know where that thing is.
Kang Shi nodded: "The way of the literati is not immutable, just like the thoughts of the literati themselves. A person's thoughts will change as they grow older and gain more experience and knowledge, and the way of the literati will naturally grow as well. But no matter how much it grows, it cannot be separated from the original framework, just like corn kernels cannot grow into white sesame seeds. The initial choice is very important."
He glanced at Yu Zi helplessly.
"If you take the wrong step from the very first step, it will cause a lot of trouble."
Yu Zi asked nervously, "How exactly is it troublesome?"
"The Way of the Scholar—guess why it's called 'the Way'?" Kang Shichang sighed deeply. "It's the code of conduct practiced by scholars and intellectuals, and even more so, it's their true nature. You've firmly chosen it now, but what about ten, twenty, or thirty years from now? When you finally clear away the fog in your heart and find that it's not what you wanted, your heart will be in conflict with it, and in severe cases, you might even go mad..."
Given these factors, it's not surprising that the literary community is prone to producing individuals who are biased and extreme.
Yu Zi was stunned: "Madness?"
"There are plenty of scholars who drive themselves mad. That's why I believe the best age to awaken to the way of the scholar is when one is an adult or close to adulthood. At that time, one's thoughts are already close to maturity, and the possibility of going astray is small. But everything has its advantages and disadvantages—the more mature one's thoughts are, the more restrained one becomes, and the less impulsive and obsessive one is like in youth..."
So many of the world's short-lived prodigies are, besides, partly due to war, but also partly due to awakening to the ways of the literati too early.
Yu Zi gripped the fabric on her knees tightly.
She bit her lip and said, "I didn't choose the wrong path."
Meeting Kang Shi's gaze, she repeated, "I haven't chosen the wrong path, my lord, strategist Kang. This is the way of the scholar... because this is who I am by nature. But what's wrong with that? I just want to climb the ladder!"
What's wrong with weeds that should be rotting in the mud, unwilling to simply decay, trying to plunder nutrients and grow upwards?
Without this determination and perseverance, she wouldn't be sitting here now, fearing the negative impact of the scholar's path. Instead, she would be huddled in a corner of Fugu City begging, or even lying in a stinking corner, serving as a lowly prostitute.
What's wrong with a blade of grass being unwilling to accept its predetermined fate?
If climbing the ladder required sacrificing her colleagues, she would do it! At most, she would be careful and discreet, praying that her misdeeds would go unnoticed and unexposed. She didn't want to, and feared, returning to her unbearable past.
"People live their lives for fame and fortune, and it's not wrong for you to have this thought, but—" Shen Tang suddenly changed the subject, admonishing you, but her eyes showed no disgust or wariness, "The biggest difference between humans and animals is that humans can control their nature. The way of the scholar makes you face your true self, not to indulge in it. It simply lets you know that such a thing exists within you. Just like now, if you indulge in this way of the scholar, it will give you great power, as long as you don't reveal it, and even your colleagues don't know that you've been influenced. But if you control it properly, it will be your strongest source of confidence."
We must uphold the basic bottom line! Using any means necessary might bring temporary gains, but you won't go far under her rule!
Yu Zi regretted her words as soon as she uttered them. She was more afraid than anyone of not being valued and cultivated, but her lord had been lenient with her, which made her feel extremely ashamed. She nodded emphatically: "This subordinate will never forget the lord's teachings today."
Shen Tang spoke eloquently, but she had unspeakable bitterness in her heart.
But what could she do?
Yu Zi is also a precious seedling.
"...Sigh, your lord is tough. Until you figure out how to control your scholarly ways, just focus on me. You're just a newbie, how could you be any better than Kang Jishou? Good luck, for my life!"
Shen Tang patted Yu Zi on the shoulder.
She may appear magnanimous on the surface, but she harbors countless tears within.
Why did she naively believe that as long as she didn't recruit eccentric scholars, her team wouldn't grow any more oddballs? You can guard against them day and night, but it's hard to guard against a traitor within your own ranks! There's a traitor in her team!
She had barely stood up and hadn't even straightened her back when the tent above her collapsed with a crash, shattering Shen Tang's newly rebuilt composure into a million pieces once more. A burst of martial energy violently ripped open the tent, and the lord, sword in hand, chased after Kang Shi, who was carrying the bundle [Chasing the Wind and Stalking the Scenery].
Fifteen minutes later—
Chu Yao and the others saw their lord, covered in dust and limping, the handle of a giant scythe serving as her makeshift crutch; she looked utterly pathetic. Seeing them, she sent Yu Zi away to attend to other matters, lest she reveal the embarrassing story of how she had tripped and sprained her left ankle while chasing Kang Jishou. Clearing her throat twice, she adopted the stern expression of a lord: "Wu Hui, did you need to see me?"
Although Huang Lie was already dead, he still had quite a few remaining troops.
These remnants also need to be wiped out by troops.
Due to some unforeseen circumstances, Shen Tang, a high-level combatant, was unable to lead troops out and could only watch as the opportunity to earn merit was handed over to other generals. Among them, Xianyu Jian, Lü Jue, and a few other young generals were the most enthusiastic, and these were also military merits!
Even though these remnants are scattered and hard to pinpoint, every little thing is still something! They don't mind!
Chu Yao and a few others will also send people to accompany and support them.
Shen Tang was curious, why did you come back so quickly?
"There is something I need to show the lord."
As he spoke, Chu Yao stepped aside, and several soldiers carried over three stretchers, which turned out to be three enemy corpses. Judging from their skin color and the state of their congealed blood, they had been dead for some time. Shen Tang, wielding a large scythe, hopped forward.
"Something's wrong with them?"
Chu Yao and Gu Chi exchanged glances.
He stepped forward, turned one of the corpses over, grabbed the person's collar and pulled it down, exposing most of the back.
Shen Tang's expression shifted from confusion to seriousness.
"Is this... a tattoo?"
She took out a piece of cloth from the cloth pouch at her waist.
Hold a corner and shake it open.
This piece of cloth was found on Zhang Yongqing.
The pattern on it is exactly the same as the one on the corpse's back!
Family, who understands...?
What kind person would wear a nuclear radiation symbol tattoo on their back?
"What family crest is this?"
Suddenly, someone spoke up.
"no."
Shen Tang looked at Yun Ce.
|ω`)
Haha, the last chapter's discussion about the scholar's way of kicking someone when they're down is really accurate.
(End of this chapter)
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