Chapter 910: Let's Gather Some Tickets [Seeking Monthly Votes]
It was so simple that no trace of the woman's life could be seen.
Just as Wu Yuan finished surveying the area, he heard footsteps approaching from outside the tent. He immediately straightened his posture. As the tent curtains were lifted from both sides, a tall, shadowy figure was cast inside. The newcomer walked straight to the head seat.
He led his men in bowing respectfully.
“Tudege of the Northern Desert greets the King of Kang.”
Don't be fooled by Wu Yuan's private banter with Gong Cheng; he wouldn't dare to be so foolish as to slack off in front of Shen Tang.
No matter how poor and destitute Shen Youli was, she was still the ruler of a country with a strong army and stood at the pinnacle of secular power.
If she were to be humiliated, without her permission, her men would pounce on her and tear the person to pieces. Even with Gong Cheng as a trump card, Wu Yuan didn't want to court death and experience the taste of "a king's wrath causing millions to die." As an envoy, he maintained a very respectful demeanor.
Shen Tang did not make things difficult for them.
Wu Yuan soon heard a young female voice coming from above, which lacked the gentle softness typical of women, and instead had a hoarse and deep tone.
"People of the Northern Desert? Get up."
As the woman's voice faded, Wu Yuan finally looked up.
He lowered his eyelids and did not look directly at Shen Tang's face.
Her gaze first moved to the other person's chin, then quickly moved up a little to truly see their face. Shen Tang's appearance had completely changed compared to back then. Although her attire was simple and her temperament was aloof, it couldn't hide the aggressiveness inherent in her strikingly beautiful face.
This is an extremely aggressive face.
When he looked indifferently at others, it was as if he was saying—
Ants, stay away from me.
Without exaggeration, she is the most beautiful woman Wu Yuan has ever seen. Only Zheng Qiao back then could surpass her in looks.
Wu Yuan couldn't help but feel sorry for his friend Gong Cheng.
If it weren't for the unforeseen events of that year, this woman before him would be Gong Yunchi's wife. Given Gong Cheng's personality, the two would most likely be a harmonious couple... well, perhaps the wife would be the one in charge. In any case, he lost a beautiful woman and gained a ready-made wife.
Shen Tang had no intention of exchanging pleasantries with Wu Yuan. Her gaze never lingered on Gong Cheng for a moment. Without mentioning the old story of Xiaocheng, she went straight to the point: "What does Bei Mo want with me?"
Wu Yuan said, "Firstly, to congratulate you, and secondly, to discuss cooperation."
Shen Tang said bluntly, "I can accept your congratulations, but as for cooperation—there's really no need, is there? Kang Kingdom initially had no enmity with Bei Mo, but since it established itself on this land and took over the heritage of Xin and Geng Kingdoms, it naturally perpetuates old grudges. From any perspective, there is no possibility of cooperation between the two sides. Envoy, don't you agree?"
Wu Yuan knew things wouldn't go so smoothly.
Shen Youli is a puppet of the Northwest Branch of the Gods Society. Judging from her age, Qi Shan must have heard a lot about the Northern Desert's sneak attacks on the south during her upbringing. It's understandable that Qi Shan treats the Northern Desert with hostility. However, Wu Yuan knows that in politics, there are only eternal interests, not eternal enemies. Whether the relationship between the two major forces is good or bad depends on the word "interests."
Hatred and grudges, what are they?
Wu Yuan: "I disagree with what the King of Kang said."
Shen Tang smiled and said, "You don't agree?"
A murderous intent emanated from him for no apparent reason, and Wu Yuan was fearless.
"The climate of the Northern Desert is unpredictable. If survival weren't so difficult, who would want to die on the battlefield? To hone their fighting spirit, the northwestern states forcefully use the Northern Desert as a whetstone. In every war, no less than 30% of the able-bodied men in the Northern Desert are killed or wounded. To whom should we seek revenge for this blood debt?"
Shen Tang sneered, "You can ask me for it."
This Wu Yuan is quite adept at taking things out of context and obscuring the key points.
The reason why the northwestern countries gathered their forces to attack the Northern Desert was because the Northern Desert was always secretly probing the border situation. Every time it was brutally beaten by the allied forces of the various countries, the Northern Desert immediately knelt down, sent hostages, gold and silver, and women to the various countries, and swore to the heavens that it would submit forever.
In a few years or a decade, we'll recover and continue.
Bei Mo perfectly embodies the phrase "going back on one's word," and it's better to believe a scumbag's lies than to believe their words.
Wu Yuan was almost thrown off his train of thought by Shen Tang's words.
After playing the victim, he started selling inspirational literature.
"...That is of course impossible. If you kill me, I will kill you, and this hatred will never be resolved. If this knot is to be untied, there must be a generation that takes the initiative to reconcile. The new ruler of the Northern Desert advocates benevolent governance and often says, 'Those who practice benevolent governance cannot bear to see parents lose their children, wives lose their husbands, or young children lose their fathers.' Hatred is, after all, caused by our ancestors, and our descendants are innocent."
Shen Tang wasn't buying it: "So what?"
Wu Yuan revealed his purpose: "Therefore, my lord hopes to establish a permanent diplomatic relationship with Kangguo, and even more so, he hopes to govern the various tribes of the Northern Desert and bring them a peaceful and stable life. As long as the people of the Northern Desert can live and work in peace and contentment within our borders, and there is no more war between the two places, the hatred can be gradually resolved after a few decades. This is not only my lord's wish, but also the heartfelt expectation of countless people of the Northern Desert!"
Shen Tang asked, "To establish permanent diplomatic relations?"
Wu Yuan: "Yes!"
Shen Tang shifted her gaze to Gong Cheng: "Is that possible?"
Gong Cheng, who had been silent and in the background, raised his head. Shen Tang said, "I remember that many members of the Gong clan died in battle on the Northern Desert battlefield. Gong Yunchi, do you think so too?"
Gong Cheng assumed Shen Tang wouldn't mention him, given their past relationship was indeed awkward. Although spreading rumors wouldn't diminish her royal dignity, it was still a private matter and would inevitably attract gossip. It wasn't particularly harmful, just purely annoying. He thought Shen Tang would tacitly pretend not to know him, but he hadn't expected her to directly target him.
He did not answer "possible" or "impossible," but calmly and indifferently said, "King Kang, if you remember correctly, you should know that the number of young and strong men of the Gong family who died in the Northern Desert is less than one or two times the number of those who were wiped out when the family was exterminated."
Only a few members of the Gong family survived.
The bodies of most of the tribesmen could not be found. Some committed suicide on the way to their exile and were left to rot in the wilderness. Others were humiliated and beaten to death after arriving at their destination. This catastrophe was a nightmare that the survivors did not want to recall.
These people, including himself, were all taken away by Wu Yuan during the chaos in Xiaocheng. Shen Tang could ask anyone this question, but it wasn't appropriate to ask him. He said, "Gong Yunchi died once; I can't answer the Kang Kingdom's question."
He truly died once, and his flesh and blood were reforged.
What does the animosity between the two places have to do with him?
“That’s not what I meant. What I meant was, among the young men who died in the Gong clan, how many were killed because of the repeated broken promises of the successive leaders of the Northern Desert? I really can’t entrust my trust to a force that betrays its oaths so soon after the blood has dried.” Shen Tang then turned her gaze to Wu Yuan. “I’ve also heard that many merchants who went to the Northern Desert to trade lost their goods and couldn’t get their payments. Whether it’s business or cooperation between the two places, isn’t it all about ‘trust’? How can the envoy prove your ‘trust’?”
The reputation of Beimo has long been ruined.
How can you expect to cooperate with others when you have no credibility?
Wu Yuan, however, sensed a softening in her words and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't afraid of being bullied by Shen Tang, nor was he afraid of her making exorbitant demands; what he feared was her firm stance and leaving no room for negotiation. As long as there was room for negotiation, he had a chance!
In short—
Whether it was breaking promises or cheating merchants, it wasn't them who did it. There are dozens, even hundreds, of tribes, large and small, within the Northern Desert. Previously, the third largest tribe in the Northern Desert ruled. Their actions were despicable even to the tribes themselves, and they were overthrown by popular support. The tribe that has now come to power has consistently supported and aligned itself with the northwestern countries.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have sent Wu Yuanda over the Lunar New Year to express goodwill and hope to promote normal communication between the two places.
Shen Tang asked, "Really?"
Wu Yuan nodded: "Of course it is true. I would not dare to deceive King Kang. If King Kang does not believe it, he can ask Yun Chi."
Gong Cheng: "..."
Why is he involved?
When he met Shen Tang's questioning gaze, Gong Cheng felt a pang of pity for the young king who was being secretly manipulated by Qi Shan without his knowledge. Why was he looking at this? Gong Cheng could only nod: "That's true."
He didn't lie, but he didn't tell the truth either.
Having lived in the Northern Desert for several years, I know that it is home to a great many ethnic groups. As the saying goes, "A large forest has all kinds of birds," and there are indeed groups in the Northern Desert who dislike frequent wars, but that doesn't mean they are gentle and harmless. They simply dislike war and violent, bloody methods, not that they dislike the vast northwestern continent. They prefer underhanded tactics to direct confrontations.
They were honest in their business dealings, not exploiting merchants, but not out of integrity, but because they disregarded short-term profits and knew that killing the goose that lays the golden eggs was unwise. If they completely ruined their reputation, where would any merchant want to do business with them?
The northern desert region is resource-poor and heavily reliant on merchants.
"Even so, it's not worth the risk. Cooperation would benefit the Northern Desert, but what good would it do for me or Kangguo? Just to stop the Northern Desert from harassing the border? The Northern Desert is currently harassing us with troops, and I'm not afraid. Let them fight if they want. Once the two places start trading, the Northern Desert will reap the full benefits. It won't take seven or eight years for them to fully recover from the last war. With a powerful enemy at our side, we can't sleep at night."
She wouldn't risk anything that didn't bring her any benefit.
Wu Yuan wanted to say something more, but Shen Tang raised her hand to stop him.
She had absolutely no interest in Wu Yuan's proposal.
"Although the two places cannot cooperate, it is not easy for the envoy to travel a long distance, and I have seen his sincerity. If you do not mind the simple conditions of the camp, you can stay for a couple of days before leaving, so as to show some hospitality." These words were meant to urge him to leave.
There was no burnt color on Wu Yuan's face.
The fact that Shen Tang didn't directly kick them out means that she has the intention to cooperate.
After Wu Yuan and the others left, Gu Chi and his group arrived.
"My lord, should we send Banbu to make contact with Gong Cheng?"
“No need. Gong Cheng won’t waver just because Banbu is here. If we tell him, Wu Yuan will only use him.” Shen Tang’s eyes flickered, and her smile was less than righteous. “Banbu didn’t acknowledge Gong Cheng back then, and he certainly won’t now…”
No one wants to face a dilemma between loyalty and righteousness.
Shen Tang didn't want to make things difficult for his subordinates with this matter.
She was very composed; it was just a matter of whether Wu Yuan could remain calm. Having said that, she completely forgot about the group from the Northern Desert.
Jiang Sheng and the others left the tent. He looked at the sky outside the tent and said, "What happens when a martial artist's heart and Dao are shattered?"
Gu Chi and the others glanced at him, but he just smiled and waved his hand dismissively.
"I was just curious, that's why I asked."
Qi Shan said indifferently, "It will be ruined, won't it..."
Jiang Sheng muttered, "It's better that it's ruined."
Gong Cheng's strength is indeed somewhat troublesome, and they cannot guarantee that their lord will be able to catch up with Gong Cheng after receiving the "Enlightenment" in a few years. If they can't defeat him head-on, they'll resort to underhanded tactics.
Xun Zhen whispered a reminder to the two to rein in their scheming and plotting: "I'm afraid we won't be able to get past the lord."
Gu Chi chuckled dismissively, offering neither comment nor affirmation.
|ω`)
I'm sick. My throat is itchy and sore, like it's being cut with a knife. My nose is runny and blocked. My left eyelid is a little swollen and itchy, I don't know if it's because of sweat getting in... but I don't have a fever... I don't know if I've tested positive again. I'm taking the day off today and will see if I feel better tomorrow.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
