Chapter 864: Exploiting the Powerful Families (Part 1) [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
This farce dragged on for half an incense stick's time before it finally subsided.
Shen Tang struggled with his subordinates, working up a sweat on his forehead.
She lifted the warped and unrecognizable bronze table with one hand, and with the other, she flicked the strands of hair stuck to her mouth behind her ear, panting as she said, "Fine, fine, I won't kill this bastard today, but I can't swallow this humiliation. Those aristocratic families are going too far! They refuse to serve in office, fine, but my makeshift team doesn't need them to function! And they dare to tarnish my reputation and ruin theirs! They must repay this humiliation tenfold, a hundredfold!"
Seeing that Shen Tang had calmed down a bit, everyone relaxed for a moment.
She seized the opportunity and kicked the man in the butt.
The unconscious man, covered in footprints, awoke with a jolt of pain, rolling several meters away amidst screams, unstoppable by the others. Shen Tang gritted her teeth: "Men, tie him up! Find a novice medic to examine him, just make sure he doesn't die!"
She thought she was a righteous official upholding justice for the victims, willing to go to great lengths to uncover the truth and bring the victims to court. Why did she go to such lengths?
Because both men and women have desires, once they gain control over the ability to oppress the weak, without any guidance, the power will subtly and unconsciously tempt the owner to use it to gain benefits—money, power, and sex!
The female soldier's behavior seems outrageous, but what if she were him?
Deep in the mountains, by a pool, a woman sat playing the zither. Suddenly, a ruthless bandit, armed with a knife and covered in blood, appeared. Though he didn't force her, he even politely inquired about her marital status and whether she would be willing to have sex with him in the open. The bandit posed no threat, but the knife in his hand and the blood on his body were clear forms of psychological coercion. With her life threatened, how could she dare refuse?
The same mistake should be treated equally regardless of gender!
Before the man arrived, Shen Tang thought she had thought things through very thoroughly.
But when she met the person in question, she realized she had been naive—the man genuinely believed she was offering herself up for free. Even though the process exceeded his expectations, he still felt ashamed of being dominated and had no awareness of being a victim.
What else could Shen Tang say?
She could only focus her extra energy on improving the military law for the women's battalion.
The same loophole cannot be exploited twice!
Shen Tang thought the matter was over and the normal procedure would be for her to send the man back. However, the man immediately revealed the truth about why the aristocratic families had refused to accept him. How could Shen Tang not be furious? He'd been caught in the crossfire, and he was the one who got himself involved!
With a loud bang!
Shen Tang threw the crumpled table scraps on the ground, hands on her hips: "This is outrageous! I have to kill a few of them to make an example of them and show them my temper!"
Although the national treasury is relatively well-funded, who would complain about having too much money? Not to mention that her private treasury is burdened with loans that have been outstanding for several years. This deal might allow her to be debt-free sooner rather than later.
Everyone had put in real effort to stop Shen Tang from losing his temper, resulting in them all being disheveled. Chu Yao sat down, straightened his appearance slightly, pondered for a moment, and advised, "Making an example of someone won't stop the rumors; it will only make our lord seem angry and embarrassed."
The chicken that was killed shut its mouth.
But living monkeys may not be deterred.
Otherwise, there would be no saying that "it takes only a mouth to spread rumors, but it takes a lot of legwork to refute them." This matter cannot be resolved by force alone.
“Can’t we make an example of them? That would be letting them off easy!” Shen Tang always listened to Chu Yao’s opinions. “But I can’t just clarify this, can I? How can we clarify this? The more we try to clarify, the less clear it becomes! It’s like a toad on your foot, it doesn’t bite but it’s disgusting! I don’t care, if it weren’t for this, this outrageous rumor wouldn’t have reached my ears, but it’s not good for you.”
The status of rulers and their subjects has never been equal.
There were rumors between them, and they would at most criticize the monarch for being philandering and dissolute, but they would be much harsher on their subjects.
No matter how high a minister rises, how far he goes, how many achievements he makes, or how much fame he gains, his brilliance will be dimmed by a sex scandal, and he might even attribute it all to this improper relationship. The common people at the bottom of society have little education; they don't care about or understand achievements beyond their comprehension. But sex scandals are different; who doesn't know how to have sex?
Sexual matters are taboo and inconvenient to discuss in public, yet they are something everyone knows, and also the simplest and most stimulating behavior. Naturally, they are also the easiest to understand; while spreading rumors, they also gain satisfaction and excitement from prying into secrets, and resonate with others.
That's why cucumbers spread so widely.
Once it's stuck, you can't peel it off.
Why is she so angry today?
Three parts are for oneself, and seven parts are for subordinates.
Chu Yao asked, "Why do we need to clarify?"
Gu Chi and the others chimed in, "Since the more we try to clarify, the less clear things become, let's just stop trying and let them produce evidence. It'll be interesting if they can't! Although our lord hasn't officially proclaimed the founding of the kingdom, he's only one step away. They've slandered and humiliated our ruler; even exterminating their entire clan wouldn't be a severe punishment. They deserve it. However, I doubt any of them will dare to admit it."
Upon hearing this, Shen Tang calmed down.
His brain was working at lightning speed, and he was calculating on the abacus with incredible speed.
“You’re right. I was blinded by anger and lost my temper just now.” Shen Tang paced back and forth in the tent, hands on her hips, muttering to herself, “Although the crime is serious enough to exterminate three generations of their family, we can’t actually wipe them all out. But killing the chicken to scare the monkeys won’t have much of a deterrent effect; the living monkeys will probably add fuel to the fire behind our backs. If we want to get our revenge, we can make them shut up on their own… That’s it, I’ve got a plan! Yes, yes, yes! Let’s do it!”
As Shen Tang spoke, her eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if she could see countless amounts of money pouring in from all directions, making her heart surge with excitement!
Chu Yao: "There are many aristocratic families that have refused to serve in the government before. My lord can send people to visit them one by one to reprimand them and use today's events as a pretext to intimidate them and make them produce evidence. If they cannot produce evidence, this rumor will fall apart on its own."
As long as their brains aren't filled with shit and piss, this move should make these powerful families and gentry know what's good for them and obediently step forward!
Qin Li's plan was similar.
Gu Chi also wanted to speak up in support, but when he heard his lord's thoughts, he silently swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
As expected—
Shen Tang shook her head and rejected the suggestion.
"Wu Hui, this won't do, I'm not satisfied." Her eyes shone brightly, their brilliance almost comparable to the luster of gold. "Yanzhou and Ganzhou need money and people everywhere. Our public treasury has some savings, but they don't last long. There will be many more places to spend money in the future. We need to think about increasing revenue and reducing expenditure. We should save where we can and try our best to make money where we can!"
For the sake of money, Shen Tang smiled brighter than a flower, rubbing her hands together with slight excitement: "Wu Hui's method can indeed shut them up, but it can only shut their mouths on the surface, not their hearts! We must teach them a profound lesson, the kind that makes them feel the pain every time they think about it! How about this, we still need to send people to each household to reprimand them and make them produce evidence. We need to give them a warning, but also a sweet treat. I've thought it through, let them actively donate money!"
Everyone: "..."
Is encouraging people to donate money a "sweet treat"?
Shen Tang raised her voice: "Why isn't this called 'sweet dates'? I'm giving them a precious opportunity to be praised by the common people! What ordinary people get this treatment? As long as they donate money, the roads, buildings, bridges, rivers, dams... built with their money can all have their names engraved on them. Not only their names, but also the money!"
She pulled a piece of bamboo from the ground.
"For example, this bamboo slip is a stone tablet!"
"On a certain day of a certain month of a certain year, a certain family contributed a certain amount of money!"
"Out of respect for the top donors, the list is arranged according to the amount of money donated, with the one who donated the most money engraved at the top! Just think, when ordinary people pass by this stone tablet, won't they praise their noble family values? Their descendants will also remember them!"
Qian Yong was momentarily unable to process what was happening.
How did the topic suddenly shift to asking aristocratic families to donate money?
He muttered to himself, "The aristocratic families are rich, not crazy. They probably don't care much about reputation."
Moreover, the act of donating money to Shen Tang in exchange for fame seems like being a sucker! Who would be willing to do that?
Upon hearing Qian Yong's words, Shen Tang's face darkened.
She said quietly, "Yes, they have money, they're not crazy, but if they're not crazy, why did they believe this rumor? If they're not crazy, does that mean I am? Why should the crime of exterminating three generations be so easily overlooked?"
She shook the bamboo strip and sneered, "If they know what's good for them, this money is their donation for doing good deeds, and I'll give them the honor and dignity of being the top performer! If they don't know what's good for them, then this money is their money to buy their own lives!"
Shen Tang doesn't mind being gossiped about, as long as it doesn't offend her or cause any harm, she can treat it as entertainment. But if people want to eat her "melon" (gossip), they should think twice and consider whether they have the money to buy it!
In an instant, her expression brightened again: "I've sent word that I'm extremely, extremely, extremely furious about this matter, and I've decided to make an example of three families to scare the rest of them. But I'll keep the specific three families a secret for now. If their ancestral graves are emitting auspicious smoke, they don't have to pay. Let's gamble that their ancestors have spirits in the afterlife and will protect them from being on the list."
This event emphasizes mutual consent.
As the organizer, Shen Tang would absolutely not force anyone.
Chu Yao and the others thought for a moment and agreed.
These powerful families definitely need to be given a good talking-to. Giving them a warning while simultaneously generating revenue—why not?
The thought of the continuous flow of money brightened Shen Tang's mood considerably. Before the meeting adjourned, she instructed Chu Yao to submit the supplementary regulations for the women's battalion as soon as possible. At the same time, she kept Qin Gongsu behind.
This was the first time Qin Li had been detained in court.
"Gong Su has a wide network of connections. Do you have any good illustrators you can recommend? Fortunately, the matter of the female soldiers was discovered before it became a big deal, but it also exposed a problem: they don't have much correct physiological knowledge. I'm thinking of finding an illustrator to make a booklet for them."
Qin Li immediately understood Shen Tang's plan.
He asked doubtfully, "Didn't our lord suggest using martial arts...?"
He valued propriety and wasn't shameless enough to discuss matters of the bedroom in front of a female lord; he could only speak vaguely.
Shen Tang: "But not everyone is a brave and skilled martial artist."
Martial arts can allow female warriors to control their fertility, but the previously proposed national fortune policy only applies to women who have given birth within the territory of Longwu County, excluding ordinary female soldiers in the women's camp. If the policy works well, ordinary female soldiers can be included in the beneficiary group in the future, but this is not possible at the current stage. After much thought, Shen Tang can only strengthen physiological knowledge education.
Qin Li pondered for a moment: "We have a candidate."
Qin Li knew what kind of drawing his lord was referring to, but he wouldn't stoop to do it. After all, not every scholar was as unrestrained and shameless as Qi Yuanliang.
Half an hour later—
The artist held his brush, his face pale and sallow.
He shifted his position awkwardly: "Do I really have to draw it like this?"
Shen Tang: "Yes, there's no need to be subtle!"
Why should normal physiological knowledge be concealed?
Looking at the painter, Shen Tang felt sorry that Yuan Liang was not there.
If Qi Yuanliang makes a move, the booklet will be a game-changer!
A few days later, Shen Tang took the booklet to a craftsman to make a template, preparing to print several thousand copies to ensure that everyone would have one!
As the lord, she was incredibly busy every day, her brain overwhelmed by the heavy workload. The matter of the aristocratic families eating cucumbers gradually faded from her mind and was left behind. She stopped thinking about it, but the aristocratic families were struck by a major upheaval, suffering devastating losses!
Before this incident escalated, some people had already caused a huge uproar.
Needless to say, it is the family of the person involved in the female soldier incident.
This story begins when Shen Tang sent troops to take the man away. When the news reached back, the man's father and his family were having a meal.
The etiquette of aristocratic families is elaborate and complicated.
The meal was so quiet that there wasn't even a sound of chopsticks accidentally hitting the cutlery. It was so peaceful that even a funeral hall would be more lively than this.
The footsteps of the head of the household broke the silence.
The long-bearded man sitting at the head of the table raised his eyes in displeasure.
The steward, catching his breath, took small steps to the long-bearded man's side, bent down, and whispered in his ear, "Master, bad news has come from the mountains. The eldest son has been forcibly taken away..."
The parent's face darkened, and they slammed their chopsticks on the table.
The wives, concubines, and children sitting at the lower end of the table all fell silent.
He asked, "Who did it?"
The official in charge said, "That group of people were flying the banner of Prefect Shen."
The parent's thick eyebrows shot up: "Shen Youli?"
Although the mistress and servant spoke softly, the silence of the room made it all the more overwhelming. The wife, closest to the man, was overcome with anger and grief, crying out "My son!" before fainting, her eyes rolling back in her head. The maids and servants attending to the meal were thrown into a panic…
After some commotion, the lady finally woke up slowly.
When she awoke and recalled the devastating news she had heard before losing consciousness, tears streamed down her face like broken pearls. She cried for a long time without receiving a response from her husband. She said sorrowfully, "My lord, you must think of a way! How can my son fall into that man's hands?"
They had clearly refused the conscription.
She was enraged when the other party sent people to take her son away.
Thinking of this, I was overcome with grief.
Her husband: "Now that things are like this, what can we do?"
Should we use force to take them back?
not to mention--
"If she really takes a liking to Dalang, we can just consider it as having a daughter..." We only received the news at this point, and it was too late to catch up with her.
The lady cried out, "What if she wasn't attracted to Dalang's good looks, but instead resented the master for humiliating her before, and therefore took her anger out on Dalang? Dalang is just an ordinary person, how could he endure such torture?"
Rumors circulated wildly among the aristocratic families that Shen Youli had an improper relationship with one of her subordinates. Initially, few believed it, but later, news spread that Shen Youli had an affair with a man named Gu Wangchao. The source of this information was highly reliable; it was provided by an ally of the Dragon Slaying Bureau!
The crowd was skeptical.
Dig deeper, and you'll find something incredible—
So many men and women under Shen Youli's command are unmarried!
|ω`)
Shiitake mushroom noticed that many people confuse the concepts of soldiers with soldiers. Our People's Liberation Army and the soldiers of ancient times are two different groups. The former's dedication to protecting the country is deeply ingrained in people's minds, but the soldiers of ancient times were different; they were only concerned with obeying orders and rarely avoided disturbing the people.
War is fought for military merit, for spoils of war, and for survival. The common people, especially those in conquered cities, are also considered spoils of war. Sometimes, when soldiers preach about not disturbing the people during sieges, it's not to demonstrate their civility or surrender without bloodshed, but to reassure the people and prevent them from fleeing. Otherwise, where would they get their loot?
(End of this chapter)
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