Chapter 892: Extreme Envy PLUS (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Shen Tang makes money by taking every last penny.
Xun Zhen squandered his family fortune: he treated it like dirt and sand.
Thanks to Xun Hanzhang, she is now burdened with a huge debt, and any gold, silver, or copper coins that belong to her will be forcibly taken to fill this bottomless pit. The only saving grace is that daily necessities are not included; otherwise, she would be living on the bare earth.
When asked by others, she could only shamelessly imitate Liu Ling and make a wild statement: "Why are you all entering my trousers!"
Everyone must die, but not in a social way.
The crimson fox cloak that Qin Li had entrusted to her now belonged to her.
Everyone loves beauty, and even someone with peculiar tastes like Shen Tang was attracted by the beauty of the fox cloak. It was soft and fluffy, and she wished she could put it on and try it on right then and there. However, considering that Qin Li was still there, she couldn't be too casual and unrestrained: "Sigh, Wen Zhu is very thoughtful."
Once she pays off her loan, she wants to enjoy herself while she can; if she's too slow, who knows when Xun Zhen will incur another debt. Shen Tang reluctantly ordered someone to put the fox cloak aside and asked a couple of questions about He Yin's current situation. What she really wanted to know was whether that old rascal Wu Xian had given Xu Jie a hard time. Xu Jie had rushed over with the precious crimson fox cloak precisely because he was afraid Shen Tang might forget about him.
Qin Li knew exactly what she was planning, and smiled lightly: "Dayi led his troops to garrison Heyin, and everything in the prefecture is safe. However, before that, Lord Wu sent troops to infiltrate Fugu, the seat of Heyin Prefecture, seemingly with the intention of launching a military operation. Fortunately, Xu Wenshi arrived in time, thwarted Lord Wu's plan, and also reassured Xu Wenzhu. Otherwise—Xu Wenzhu's stance would be questionable."
Even though Qin Li owed Xu Wenzhu a huge favor, business is business and personal matters are personal matters. His opinion and evaluation of Xu Jie would not be overturned because of the favor or the gifts from the Xu family. At most, his words would be less sharp and harsh.
Well, that alone is enough to make Xu Jie burn incense in gratitude.
Who knows how many times Qin Li tripped him up while they were under Wu Xian's command? Xu Jie was thankful he wouldn't be scolded as much after switching sides. He didn't care that Qin Li didn't think highly of him; he just wanted to help that silly kid Xu Quan in the future. He wasn't greedy.
Shen Tang touched the beans that had been rolled in salt.
Yin Yang said, "Brother Zhaode, this year is going to be tough."
Shen Tang could simply choose any place to establish her capital, living wherever she pleased. Wu Xian, on the other hand, was forced to leave Tianhai's main base with his family and establish his capital elsewhere. Coupled with the pressure from all sides from the Tianhai family, it was a miracle that he could have a pleasant New Year.
Qin Li also expressed his sympathy: "The Tianhai family is not easy to deal with."
His words were plain and without a trace of schadenfreude.
Even if he felt good about it, given Qin Li's style of doing things, he wouldn't openly criticize his former employer, as that would easily give others something to talk about.
When you're successful, you can be careless about details, but once you fall from grace, even the slightest mistake can become a weapon for your political enemies to attack you. Having spent time with Qin Li, Shen Tang had gotten to know his personality quite well, but she didn't try to change him; she let him be.
After exchanging a few casual words, the two returned to discussing official business.
Qin Li was in full charge of land reform matters.
His first priority was to obtain the most accurate land maps, and then to measure and plan every acre and plot of land according to the maps, leaving no loopholes for local powerful families. This process itself would have taken a long time and a lot of effort, and local forces would certainly have tried to sabotage and delay the progress in various ways. However, thanks to Qin Li's approach to scholarship, the entire cycle was greatly shortened, some of the wrangling was eliminated, and the data collected was accurate and reliable. With the re-registered household registers, once the local government offices were operational again, the land could be leased to the common people, ensuring the smooth progress of spring planting in the new year.
"Gong Su, you've worked hard."
The eyes of the literary scholars were dark and swollen.
"I dare not complain about the hardships of my duty."
Where are we even now?
Even if you want to claim credit, you should wait until you achieve results.
Although he was away from the main camp for a while, he was well-informed and knew about the Mohists. He also knew that they were arguing all day long about a tool that could supposedly be pushed to dig ditches and plant seeds. When the argument got too heated, it would even attract the help of military doctors. Qin Li didn't mean anything by it. He just wanted to know how many of these tools there were and when they would be available in various places.
He wasn't sure if he would stay in the royal court or be sent to a local post. If it was the latter, this kind of equipment would be a powerful tool to improve local political achievements! Qin Li not only had to fight for himself, but also for Zhao Feng, who was far away in He Yin.
In addition to the salary issued by the higher authorities, a portion of the military pay also came from the grain cultivated on reclaimed land within the military camp; it was essential to find out the details.
Shen Tang scratched his ear and frowned.
"Sigh, don't even mention it. They've fought three times over the first draft of the blueprints, neither willing to back down. I don't know how many more battles we'll have to fight before we see the first actual product. Just wait. If we don't need it by spring, we'll wait until next year. With their capabilities, the hardest part is 'discovery,' not 'manufacturing.' And Gong Su isn't the only one eyeing the seed planter."
In the end, Shen Tang laughed first.
Seeing her beaming with smiles, Qin Li smiled back.
A messenger announced from outside the tent that Gu Chi had arrived.
The curtain was lifted by the soldiers on either side, and a gust of cold wind briefly rushed into the tent. Gu Chi entered, his face paler than a corpse that had been in the morgue for three days, his eyes filled with resentment.
Qin Li was almost frightened by him.
What's wrong with Wangchao?
Gu Chi barely had the strength to speak.
He protested, "That's a question for our lord."
The culprit picked up a teacup that wasn't filled with a drop of water, pretended to drink tea, and glanced left and right, his eyes clearly showing his guilty conscience. Qin Li knew at a glance that his lord had definitely tricked Gu Chi, and couldn't help but ask for an answer with his eyes.
Gu Chi said, "Those job application resumes."
He gestured with both hands: "All the scholars who came to apply for the job are gathered in the neighboring town. The resumes and letters that each person submitted are this thick. The lord has saved himself a lot of trouble, but it has made things difficult for us. Even Luan Gongyi is not in the mood to say a few sarcastic words to me."
Luan Xin was so exhausted these past few days that he mistook him for someone else and greeted him with a smile when he saw him.
Can you believe that?
Who doesn't know that Luan Xin dislikes him the most?
Shen Tang coughed and said guiltily, "Alas, isn't this because the scholars who came to apply for the job had no experience in filling out forms? Even if we provide a template, they either dare not fill it out or fill it out randomly, resulting in all sorts of disputes. So I simply loosened the standards."
Fill it in confidently!
Anyway, she wasn't in charge of the initial review, secondary review, written test, or interview. As the lord, she only needed to oversee the final stage, similar to the final palace examination in the imperial examination system. She'd fought so many wars over the years; shouldn't she be allowed to enjoy the privileges of being the lord?
Shen Tang quickly tried to salvage the situation: "Wang Chao, don't panic. There's a first time for everything. It's normal to be a bit rough and careless the first time. I promise, next time we recruit talent, once the rules are finalized, the resumes definitely won't be such a mess!"
Gu Chi merely chuckled coldly at this.
Next time, whoever wants to do it can do it!
Shen Tang knew she was in the wrong, but she endured his sarcastic remarks.
until--
Gu Chi held out his hand: "The seed planter, this price!"
Qin Li suddenly turned his head like a sunflower, looking at Gu Chi in disbelief as he realized that Gu Chi had actually used such despicable and shameless means to steal things! This scoundrel is unlikely to take up a local post, and most likely he won't be appointed to an official position related to agriculture, sericulture, or water conservancy. Why would he steal a seed planter?
Shen Tang looked at Qin Li, then at Gu Chi.
Caught between a rock and a hard place: "Uh..."
"Cough cough cough cough—"
Gu Chi's face suddenly flushed slightly, and he coughed, his breath coming in so faint that it seemed he might faint at any moment.
Shen Tang raised her hand to her forehead: "This matter is still unresolved."
Gu Chi said, "It's good to be prepared."
Anyone with a brain knows that once the seeder comes out—even if it can only be operated by a single person in a single row and its efficiency is not as great as those Moists boast—it will be snapped up and extremely difficult to obtain! If there is no competition or scrambling, the counties that protect the capital will likely be the first to benefit, and other places will be left wondering what it's like to have a seeder.
Hehe, just wait and see.
After satisfying the needs of the capital, it's time for the local areas to enjoy the soup.
Shen Tang muttered to himself, "It would be better to push Wu Hui a bit more... If there really is a seed-planting machine in the future, he will most likely be in charge of the allocation, or we can ask Ling De, she can do it too."
The Mohists were responsible for developing and manufacturing the seeders, but the tools for farming and sericulture were ultimately handed over to Chu Yao and his apprentice.
Why them?
Firstly, this master and disciple pair had no vested interests with other forces. Lin Feng's Lin family only had a few elderly members, and she had even donated their savings for their funerals. Chu Yao was completely alone. Secondly, Chu Yao was completely loyal to Shen Tang and always put her interests first.
Thirdly, Chu Yao has always been in charge of this matter.
He was in charge of the quarterly budgets for both government offices and military camps.
Gu Chi revealed a sly smile: "I've looked for it."
He had long ago forced Chu Yao to avoid him.
Qin Li: "..."
He was careless!
Shen Tang: "..."
Lately, quite a few people have been openly and secretly inquiring about the progress of the seed planter. While it's easy to refuse others, it's difficult to refuse Gu Chi and Qin Li. Their current project is massive, and while she, as their lord, is exploiting them, she also needs to offer them incentives.
Soothe it, stroke its fur, and it'll work more efficiently!
But I can't help but complain a little.
Why did the two of them bring this up at the same time?
If they were to be scheduled separately, she could draw a pie for two people.
Gu Chi: "..."
Is my lord openly displaying his shamelessness?
Shen Tang noticed Gu Chi's increasingly resentful gaze, coughed guiltily, and continued drinking from the empty teacup. She glanced left and right, thinking it best to squeeze more out of the Mohists. Too many hungry wolves were eyeing their masterpiece!
Better to die than to die, my fellow Daoist.
Gu Chi didn't come here simply to grab the seed planter or complain about the resumes. The most important thing was official business. He submitted a list, which was initially selected from more than 5,000 resumes, but it was only the first batch. The proportion of people from aristocratic families and those from humble backgrounds was 64%.
This is still the result of Gu Chi and a few others who are biased towards poor families.
In this respect, established families have a huge advantage, as they have more people.
Despite opening the back door, the standards were not relaxed, especially regarding character and integrity; the aim was to select those who were down-to-earth and not frivolous.
Gu Chi looked at Shen Tang's furrowed brows and asked with slight concern, "Is my lord worried that there are too many people from the aristocratic families?"
Shen Tang shook her head: "No, more or less."
"Then why does my lord look so worried?"
"These people are not the ones we trained. They are a mixed bag, with deep-rooted connections. We'll have a lot to worry about in the future. Even if we build schools in various places, it will take many years to see results."
There are some things that are not suitable to say directly to Qin Li's face.
For Shen Tang, whether they come from a prestigious family or a humble background, they are all just working people. Achieving her desired goals is the most important thing. As for who helped her achieve them?
That's secondary.
Aristocratic families have their disadvantages, but they also have their advantages.
People from humble backgrounds or ordinary families are bound by difficult circumstances and hope to achieve success through hard work, which is understandable. However, sudden wealth and high positions may lead to insatiable greed and ruthless exploitation of the common people. They may see their current status and position as compensation for their efforts.
While ability is important, character is also very important.
In the future, we need to assess the ideological work from time to time.
After handing over their tasks, the two men left one by one.
Qin Li was still thinking about Gu Chi "stealing" the seed planter, and wondered if he should sound out Chu Yao. Gu Chi seemed not to hear his thoughts, smiling and making jokes on the side, and then stopped for some reason.
He stopped walking as well.
Although they had their disagreements in private, there was no deep-seated hatred between them, and Qin Li didn't want to strain his relationship with his colleagues, especially the old ministers whom his lord relied on. He didn't want to create trouble for himself.
Gu Chi suddenly fell silent and stopped, which was very strange.
She couldn't help but follow Gu Chi's gaze.
It turned out he was looking at a young man. The young man was dismounting, and he had an unfamiliar face. He was dressed in a rather bulky and simple winter outfit, and judging from his appearance, he should be in his early twenties, still quite young. Qin Li thought he was someone Gu Chi knew.
He casually remarked, "I wonder which part of the army this clerk is? Although his appearance is ordinary, his demeanor is quite remarkable."
They managed to elevate the overall level from below average to above average.
Qin Li naturally had a fondness for people with this kind of temperament.
Gu Chi: "..."
His expression was strange for a moment.
Wait, how did this person end up here? Shouldn't he be squatting in Sibao County, summarizing the trivial matters of the year?
They've traveled a long way to wish their lord a Happy New Year!
The two men stood still, watching as the young man handed the reins to a soldier in the distance, then showed him a token, instructing him to give the horse the best feed. The soldier nodded repeatedly, his attitude respectful. This detail made Qin Li frown slightly. This clerk was of high rank; why hadn't he seen him before? Could he be new?
With his excellent eyesight, he could barely make out the words on the token.
"This is... the Lord's personal token?"
Under normal circumstances, this token is not needed.
Everyone has their own personal token, so there's no need for this thing to prove their identity, and the lord rarely gives it to anyone.
The person holding the token could be one of two things.
One possibility is that he is an ordinary person whom the lord trusts implicitly. The token carries high authority, and this location is not far from the lord's main tent; even a slightly stronger martial artist could launch a surprise attack within two breaths. He wouldn't entrust this task to someone he doesn't trust.
One possibility is that this person concealed their identity.
The thought had barely formed in his mind when Qin Li narrowed his eyes slightly.
He thought of someone who made him very unhappy.
So he stood on the path.
Gu Chi tried to leave, but was grabbed by the sleeve.
Qin Li smiled and said, "An acquaintance, shall we meet?"
Gu Chi: "..."
|ω`)
I'll try not to update at this time. I need to take it easy on staying up late. Even if I have four updates (two chapters combined), I'll choose another time. Hope (looking up at the sky.JPG)
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
