Chapter 886: A Handsome Man Delivered to My Door (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Clearly, the aristocratic families were also aware of their own limitations.
They knew that asking too many trivial questions would be annoying, and besides, they had all witnessed Shen Tang's ruthless methods and didn't want to invite trouble. So, they decided to put forward a "scapegoat" to take the brunt of Shen Tang's anger.
This precious spot ended up in the hands of the "insider".
Given that Lin Lingde, the head of the Lin family, was not familiar with them, and Xie Qi, the head of the Xie family, was an associate of Shen Tang, the lucky winner would be chosen from the Kang and Ning families. Upon hearing this news, the head of the Ning family feigned illness, and others came to persuade him: "Your daughter should serve Lord Shen!"
The implication is that the head of the Ning family has a "get-out-of-jail-free card".
Even if Shen Tang gets angry, she'll refrain from saying too much for Ning Yan's sake; after all, he's Ning Yan's biological father! Shen Tang has to consider Ning Yan's feelings, even if he doesn't care about the monk. Other family heads don't have this privilege.
If he doesn't do it, who will?
Speaking of this, Patriarch Ning covered his head and kept groaning.
His meticulously applied sickly makeup made him look haggard, and his singing, recitation, and acting softened the hearts of all who saw him: "Alas, you do not know, though Yan'er is my daughter, she has been married off for many years and has had little contact with the Ning family. I am worried about how to mend the rift between father and daughter, and if I were to use her as a shield now, I fear she would refuse. Now she has caught a cold, and her illness is severe… I do not know how many days she has left to live, and I fear I will disappoint you all."
An old fox is an old fox; he's very tight-lipped.
No matter how much the lobbyists tried to morally blackmail them, the other party remained adamant, and after a stalemate, the lobbyists had no choice but to change their target.
Kang Nian, the head of the Kang family, became the scapegoat.
Kang Nian couldn't refuse even if he wanted to.
The lobbyist's implication was clear: if he doesn't step up, who will? Does the Kang family still have any standing in this area? Even if the Kang family produces someone like Kang Jishou, if he offends other families and they refuse to associate with the Kang family, surely Shen Tang won't be able to exert any pressure.
【Kang Bosui, you have no choice but to agree.】
Kang Nian: [...]
They're all afraid of Shen Youli's ruthless actions, yet they're pushing him out as a scapegoat? These aristocratic families are all heartless! But their threats have worked, and Kang Nian really can't risk offending all the aristocratic families.
Fortunately, he had connections.
They immediately dispatched someone to contact Kang Shi and subtly probe his intentions.
This was also the first time the two brothers had contacted each other in many years.
Looking at the carefully chosen words in the letter from home, Kang Shi raised an eyebrow, finding it quite amusing—his lord was such a good person, not some jackal or tiger, so why was he so afraid?
After a moment's thought, I picked up my pen and wrote a reply.
The content lacked any warm greetings or pleasantries; in short, it conveyed the message that the lord was gentle and kind, and his occasional emotional outbursts and roars were normal expressions of his feelings, so Kang Nian had nothing to fear. Note: If the lord remained calm and even gave a sinister laugh, then you should be worried about losing your head.
Kang Nian looked at the reply and remained silent for a long time.
He recognizes each word individually, but he doesn't understand them when they're put together.
Is the person my younger brother described with such effusive praise really the same living Yama who arranged for hundreds of executioners to openly threaten the aristocratic families that they would all meet their demise if they didn't cooperate? I had no choice but to believe it, and grit my teeth and deal with Shen Tang.
At first, Shen Jun was indeed gentle and kind.
Every communication was conducted in a gentle and soft-spoken manner.
Kang Nian had almost forgotten Shen Tang's dark past, until as time went on, her face grew darker and darker, and the smiles she gave Kang Nian became more and more stiff and fake.
Finally, the critical point has been reached.
For the first time, Kang Nian experienced what it felt like to be swept away by a hurricane.
The magnanimity of the family head prevented him from backing down.
Of course, there was also the letter from home in his arms.
He firmly remembered the golden rule: "As long as Shen Youli is not emotionally stable and is still smiling gloomily, she is not in danger."
Shen Tang roared, "Fill in the form of whoever's mother gave birth to her!"
"To fill in the birth mother's name but not the legal mother's name is to disrespect the established social order."
Not every scion of a prominent family is born of the principal wife; many are born of concubines.
Shen Tang roared, "Then fill in his father's first wife!"
"Filling in the blank for the legal mother but not the birth mother is also unfilial."
If a father remarries but doesn't take a stepmother, it's considered unfilial. If his birth mother was a concubine and he doesn't take her as a concubine, he's showing disrespect to his birth mother—the debt of giving birth is greater than any person, and the debt of raising her is greater than heaven! What kind of person is someone who's ashamed to even mention their own birth mother?
A resume is crucial for one's future. Does omitting it imply a lack of acceptance of the relationship? What will the parents and the person involved think? What will the public opinion think? How will the person filling out the resume face society? All these considerations are essential!
Kang Nian had to ask about every single detail.
Of course, in Shen Tang's eyes, he was just a contrarian.
Furious, she slammed her hand on the table, feeling her blood rush to her head: "If you're so conflicted, then fill in everything! Can't we be poor enough to have a few bamboo slips? Whether it's his stepmother, stepmother, or biological mother, I won't object to writing down everyone his father has slept with!"
The father's problem can be solved in the same way.
Whether it's their biological father, adoptive father, stepfather, or someone they have a father-son relationship with, no matter how many times their mother has remarried, as long as they acknowledge him as their father, they can write it down! At worst, they can add another bamboo strip!
Kang Nian lowered his head and scribbled something in his small notebook.
Well, next comes age.
Shen Tang: "Fill it all in, fill it all in. Make them fill in the nominal age, actual age, the revised age, the age their parents think they are, and the age according to their birth date and time. I want to see if an 82-year-old man will pop up and fill in 28!"
Isn't this just a matter of adding a bamboo strip?
These bamboo slips can be disassembled and added together!
As for work, studies, and special skills, they should add whatever abilities they have. If their interview results don't match their actual abilities, Shen Tang won't even need to lift a finger; Gu Chi and the others in charge of the interviews will make things difficult for them! If you're not afraid of death, then be completely honest!
Kang Nian lowered his head again and started scribbling something down.
How do I fill out a criminal record form?
Shen Tang: "..."
“A member of the Sun family once got into a fight in the street. No one died, and he wasn’t summoned, but no compensation was paid… A member of the Zhou family accidentally killed someone while protecting his birth mother and was pardoned… A member of the Wang family was once accused of disrespecting his stepmother and sued by the authorities… A member of the Li family was once falsely accused, and he killed the accuser. He should have been found innocent, but the authorities sentenced him to two years of exile…”
Shen Tang: "..."
Looking at the pile of opinions and summaries surrounding Kang Nian, she trembled. Completely disregarding the fate of those responsible for reviewing resumes, she knew it was either she who would go mad now, or Gu Chi and the others who would go mad later. Between her madness and her subordinates' madness, Shen Tang chose the latter.
She said, "Fill in the cause and effect!"
Whether it's true or false, let Gu Chi read minds to determine the truth!
Having solved another problem, Kang Nian continued writing.
Three days later, Shen Tang had completely lost her temper.
His lifeless appearance made him look as if dozens of demons were taking turns draining his yang energy, leaving him barely clinging to life.
She now wants to avoid Kang Nian whenever she sees him.
Kang Nian also discovered that his younger brother was not lying.
One day, she remarked to a member of the aristocratic family: "Shen Jun is indeed as Ji Shou said, gentle and kind. We have misunderstood her."
Members of prominent families: [? ? ?]
Shen Tang also asked him for a resume and instructions on how to fill it out.
These same problems plagued job seekers outside of aristocratic families. While aristocratic families could send scapegoats to take the blame for Shen Tang's tirade, these other people didn't have that option. The release of this instruction manual indeed brought a sigh of relief to many, who then continued revising their resumes.
Just when Shen Tang thought she could finally have some peace and quiet, Kang Nian, who had gone back to discuss work, suddenly returned, startling Shen Tang so much that her hands trembled.
"No, what is Kang Bosui doing here again?"
She really doesn't want to see that face right now!
"It's a good thing that the aristocratic families have been behaving themselves lately."
Busy as he was, Gu Chi found even gossip unappealing. He'd only returned from a business trip yesterday and was still unaware of the entanglement between his lord and Kang Bosui. He hadn't had much rest lately. He'd roughly figured out the local situation, promoted personnel to maintain the local government's operations, assisted the garrison in taking over, and rushed back upon receiving the imperial edict. Resumes had been arriving in droves these past few days, making it a top priority that required his direct involvement. Once recruitment was complete, the next step would be to re-establish/integrate the official system; he probably wouldn't even have a chance to catch his breath during the New Year.
Try to finish everything before the new year begins.
Currently, only the country name is available; the country itself has not been determined, and no era name has been chosen.
However, these are all minor matters.
Suppressing the urge to have a heart attack, Shen Tang let Kang Nian in.
Kang Nian immediately noticed the handsome, thin, and somewhat broken-looking scholar in the tent. Having done his research, he could easily recognize Gu Chi's identity—his younger brother had said that the young man who looked weak and frail was Gu Chi, and that this was the person one should not mess with.
His gaze paused for a moment, then subtly shifted away.
First, bow to Shen Tang, then nod to him in greeting.
Gu Chi managed to squeeze out a "6..."
Didn't your younger brother remind you to keep your mind in check when he's around, and not to overthink things even if you hear the truth?
Shen Tang and Kang Nian both turned to look at each other.
Gu Chi raised a weak yet pitiful smile.
"My lord, Chi is unharmed."
Knowing Gu Chi's temperament well, Shen Tang couldn't pretend nothing was wrong.
Why did he shout "6" for no reason?!
Shen Tang exchanged a few pleasantries with Kang Nian. Seeing that he didn't have a large stack of books with him, she breathed a sigh of relief and then asked him what his purpose was.
It turns out they came to wish us a Happy New Year in advance.
Hmm, people from aristocratic families are quite polite.
Shen Tang was momentarily stunned.
It seems they didn't expect the end of the year to be so close.
"Bo Sui is very kind."
Kang Nian thanked him again, then stood up and said, “Every family is grateful for Lord Shen’s benevolence and originally wanted to come in person, but with the end of the year approaching and clan affairs being so numerous, we have entrusted this matter to the younger generation of the clan, all of whom are talented young men. If Lord Shen takes a liking to them, they may keep them for service.”
The aristocratic families drew a conclusion from the painful lessons—
When dealing with someone surnamed Shen, you must be straightforward!
Gu Chi, who was standing to the side, almost choked on his saliva.
That's way too blunt!
Shen Tang let out an "Ah".
I didn't think about it any other way; my first thought was that it was too much of a formality.
But given my current status and position, this is only right—sometimes the significance of elaborate etiquette lies not in the superficial rituals, but in establishing social relationships.
The second thought was displeasure.
Is this an attempt to pull strings? If you're interested in getting a government job, you can submit your resume. It's the Lunar New Year, so let's be patient for now.
Shen Tang said, "Then let's meet them."
Kang Nian was reluctant to do this job, feeling like a madam, but he couldn't refuse, so he could only go through the motions. He couldn't help but complain in his heart about those shady families who gave people away so openly! Old people are shrewd and their skin is as thick as a wall.
Gu Chi silently raised his sleeve to cover his lips, which he could barely suppress.
Whether it's meeting one person or a group, it's still a meeting. So Shen Tang asked Kang Nian to bring everyone up, while inwardly discussing with Gu Chi how to reciprocate – since they've come all this way to wish us a Happy New Year, it wouldn't be right not to give them a gift. She asked him how to return the favor.
She wasn't prepared when they suddenly showed up at her door.
Just as he was worrying, about twenty teenagers entered the tent in an orderly fashion.
They all looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old.
Although they look like teenagers, they all have a foundation in martial arts and are already the size of adults, with only their eyes and brows still showing a hint of childishness.
For some reason, their expressions were unnatural when they came in, but they relaxed when they saw Shen Tang. Could it be that they had been instilled with the idea that "Shen Tang is fierce and evil" by their elders and were afraid of her, only to find out from seeing her in person that their elders were spreading rumors?
Shen Tang added another entry to the family's history.
These young men all came from prestigious families, and through generations of genetic optimization, they were all quite good-looking. Furthermore, with martial arts nourishing their meridians and proper grooming, not one of them was ugly. Especially the few standing at the very front, who were exceptionally handsome and refined.
"Greetings, Mr. Shen. Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year."
Shen Tang replied, "I hope everyone is well."
Then the conversation went into an awkward silence.
Shen Tang could passionately berate their parents, but she wasn't so cruel and harsh with a group of fifteen- or sixteen-year-old teenagers. She picked a few who seemed agreeable and asked about their family situations, their parents' health, and their studies. The ones who were called out seemed vaguely excited.
Judging from his speech, he was quite proper.
You can tell at a glance that he comes from a good family.
What puzzled Shen Tang was their attire; they all wore small braids, was this some kind of exotic style going on lately? Come to think of it, they did look somewhat alike. If Kang Nian hadn't said anything, she wouldn't have known they came from different families.
On second thought, intermarriages between families are frequent.
It's not impossible that they have similar eyebrows and eyes.
"A strong youth makes a strong nation; you all still need to work hard."
With confidants and subordinates refusing to push for marriage, the only hope is that these "leeks" (victims) will work hard in the future. New "leeks" need to be cultivated from scratch; their efforts over a few years will prove useful.
Shen Tang didn't want the aristocratic families to become too powerful. These young men were all from collateral branches of various families, so supporting them to compete with the main lineage wasn't out of the question. If things got out of control later, they could be eliminated.
The boys clasped their hands in unison: "We will remember Mr. Shen's teachings."
Shen Tang nodded in satisfaction.
These young leeks are more pragmatic than the old folks in their tribe.
He bestowed upon them all writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones as gifts.
They're young, so they can easily fool people.
If this world didn't have these, she would definitely send these teenagers several sets of the "53" textbooks to show off the privileges of the evil ruler! Hehe, I love their pale faces and their expressions of gratitude. They have to hold onto them when they get home, crying while doing the exercises.
Kang Nian quietly inquired from the side.
"Does Shen Jun have anyone he finds pleasing to the eye?"
Shen Tang said, "Ah, they all look quite pleasing to the eye."
The boys: "..."
Kang Nian looked ashen-faced: "..."
Gu Chi had to stuff his sleeve into his mouth to prevent himself from laughing out loud.
Kang Nian stammered, "They're all...they're all quite pleasing to the eye?"
"They are all young talents carefully selected by their respective families. How could I not like any of them?" With the New Year approaching, it wouldn't be good to slap someone in the face like that, would it? That would be too unlucky. Shen Tang looked at Kang Nian, wondering if there was someone among these young people he wanted to mess with.
Shen Tang felt slightly displeased.
Kang Shi was one of their own, but Kang Nian was not.
She's not a knife that just anyone can use.
Kang Nian's feelings were complicated: "Then, we'll leave them all behind?"
Shen Tang: "???"
Are these powerful families really that greedy, using back channels to get in?
Twenty or so people were all exempted from the exam?
They think she's being too accommodating, right?
Kang Nian quickly added, "If they can receive the rare teachings of the Sixteenth Rank Supreme, it will be their good fortune."
I had insomnia, so I wrote another chapter. I planned to save it as a draft and post it tonight, but I was too tired and my hands were shaking, so I forgot to confirm the post.
(End of this chapter)
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