"As long as we don't become enemies, everything else is fine."
Hearing Qin Li's answer, Shen Tang didn't press further and accepted it. Qin Li, however, had something else to say: "As long as it's cleaned up."
Shen Tang paused in his steps: "Clean it up?"
Qin Li's six words convey a lot of information!
"My lord, I am not a magnanimous person." Qin Li still used that gentle and approachable demeanor, but the words he spoke were tinged with an unyielding chill. "It is true that Lord Wu was kind to us in his early years, but it is equally true that he harbored hatred towards us afterward."
The scholar, clad in a magnificent fox-fur cloak, looked up at the moon. The cool moonlight fell like a veil on his face, revealing a fleeting murderous intent in his eyes: "We have repaid Lord Wu's kindness with all our might, and the score is settled. Shouldn't that grudge also be settled?"
Qin Li turned to look at Shen Tang beside him.
A cold smile played on his lips: "Li only makes one move. If Lord Wu can dodge it, we can call it even."
Shen Tang was taken aback for a moment.
It wasn't that Qin Li's revenge was always so unusual, but rather that Qin Li's aura at that moment, combined with the hazy moonlight, created an illusion. And few of the scholars in the literary world were ugly; normally, the deeper one's cultivation, the more outstanding their appearance would become over time. Shen Tang was constantly bombarded by her own reflection in the mirror; ordinary looks rarely appealed to her.
There was no Qin etiquette as usual.
The atmosphere at this moment seemed strangely familiar.
For some reason...
Did I hit a nerve with her?
Shen Tang frowned inwardly, subtly averting her gaze, her words spoken without thinking: "Uh, you're quite polite. If I were to seek revenge and the ashes of my enemy's ancestors weren't completely scattered, I would have to reflect on whether I was too merciful."
Qin Li's lips twitched at Shen Tang's words, and it was this little expression that completely dissipated his aura, adding a touch of worldly life: "There is enmity, but it hasn't come to this yet."
It's really not necessary to exterminate them all!
Previously, he had such a deep grudge against Qi Yuanliang that Qin Li only wanted to kill Qi Shan. If he couldn't kill him, he would just guard against it, not go so far as to dig up someone's ancestral grave and scatter their ashes: "Sigh, you are too kind."
Qin Li: "..."
He always felt that their conversations were not normal.
Regardless, Wu Xian is now the ruler of a nation, and if Qin Li's plan is exposed, it could very likely trigger a war between the two countries. Yet, the lord concludes that he is polite and kind? Normally, shouldn't the lord stop him?
Seeing through the unspoken thoughts beneath his complicated expression, Shen Tang leaned closer to Qin Li and whispered, "To be honest, I've been unhappy with Wu Zhaode for a long time. If you really succeed, as his beloved half, wouldn't you have a reason to intervene in other countries' internal affairs under the guise of helping your nephew stabilize the situation? Some things don't necessarily have to be passed down from father to son; it can also be passed down from brother to sister."
Shen Tang patted his shoulder with the back of her hand and smiled slyly.
Qin Li: "..."
Shen Tang blinked and his cunning smile vanished. He cleared his throat, adopted the demeanor of a considerate superior, and instructed, "The weather is still chilly, and the dew is heavy in the deep night. Gong Su, you should rest early."
She had almost finished her walk.
He took Lu Ji back to the main camp.
Tonight I'm sleeping with my favorite silk quilt.
It was still a time of short days and long nights, and the sky outside was pitch black. Shen Tang opened her eyes precisely on time, summoned by her biological clock. She raised her hand to withdraw the two literary avatars that had been fighting all night, and while brushing her teeth with her eyes closed, she digested the memories of the avatars, wearing only a nightgown.
After brushing her teeth and washing her face to fully wake up, she grabbed her neatly folded clothes and put them on. In the small compartment of the main tent stood a huge bronze mirror, life-size, reflecting her image clearly. She carefully adjusted her clothes in front of the mirror and then fastened her trousers.
As she prepared to eat, the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn.
"This fish congee is so delicious."
Chu Yao took care of all of Shen Tang's meals.
When he has free time, he will cook a few dishes himself. He has maintained this habit for several years and has not changed it because of his status: "The fish were caught by the soldiers during their rest days. The largest one weighed more than 60 pounds. However, that one was not fresh, so we let them cook it and share it. There were still a few alive ones, which were of suitable age and size, so we made some fish porridge."
Shen Tang then took two more bites with relish.
"Is it not fresh anymore?"
Chu Yao's expression seemed somewhat complicated, but he shared it with Shen Tang as an amusing anecdote: "They say that the soldier caught a fish on his very first cast, and then wandered around with the fish for more than four hours before finally returning with the other soldiers, still feeling unsatisfied."
"...Fishermen's hobbies are indeed the same everywhere." Shen Tangguang found the image amusing.
After eating and drinking your fill, take another half hour to digest.
She chatted idly with Chu Yao about one thing after another.
There are daily trivialities as well as official government affairs.
Chu Yao occasionally responded with two sounds.
"I plan to give Gu Ziyi a higher posthumous title, starting as a first-rank Duke, with a three-generation reduction." Shen Tang wasn't a generous person, but considering her friendship with Gu Ren and the legacy of Shangnan, it was normal to give him a higher title. As for the reduction after three generations, that's nothing in this chaotic world, because most countries don't even last two generations.
Given this environment, whether it's hereditary succession or a three-generation reduction, the final result is roughly the same. If Kangguo becomes an unexpected successor and the title is passed down for more than three generations, Gu Ren's descendants will be motivated to strive for improvement in the face of the reduction in rank, and will not dare to rest on their laurels.
Chu Yao nodded, having no objection to the arrangement.
Currently, only Qi Shan and Qin Li have been granted additional titles, one Grand Tutor and the other Junior Tutor, while only Gu Ren's son has been granted a noble rank. This shows how cautious our lord is in granting titles and honors. Whether everyone has one or no one has one is about the same.
Um, they're not the same either.
The government would not be able to support the large number of noble titles and fiefdoms granted to the state treasury.
only--
Chu Yao: "How does Your Majesty intend to deal with Uncle Qian?"
Last night, Shen Tang arranged for Qian Yong to serve as a general in the Tian Shu Guard. The Grand General of the Tian Shu Guard is a second-rank official, while the two generals are third-rank officials. In terms of rank, this was not an injustice to Qian Yong. However, Qian Yong's status is somewhat special, so he needs to be treated with extra care.
Firstly, Qian Yong had a well-established team. Although most of his elite troops were decimated during the final battle for the Imperial Seal, those who remained were his staunch loyalists. Qian Yong's allegiance to Shen Tang did not mean that these people were also willing to submit.
Secondly, Qian Yong also handed over an imperial seal—even though he himself couldn't keep it, at that time the ownership still belonged to Qian Yong. This contribution should also be counted.
Thirdly, Qian Yong surrendered as a warlord, so his treatment was one and a half ranks higher than that of ordinary meritorious officials.
One Tian Shu Guard General is probably not enough.
Chu Yao didn't mention it last night because he didn't know his lord's attitude towards bestowing titles. Now that his lord himself brought up bestowing titles on Gu Ziyi's sons, he took the opportunity to fill in the gap with Qian Yong.
“Qian Shuhe…” Shen Tang rarely showed a hint of worry, but it wasn’t because of the title, nor was it because he didn’t know what title to give him. Rather, it was because, “Giving him only a title is inappropriate, but giving him a fief… I feel bad about that… For a poor man struggling to make ends meet, nothing is more painful than losing his property. Let’s make him… a Duke…”
The title of Duke of the Commandery belongs to the second rank.
In fact, Shen Tang would prefer to give him the title of county duke or county marquis.
Chu Yao noted: "It took three generations to descend?"
Shen Tang said, "I won't give it to him. Anyway, he's still in his prime. If he's capable, he can accumulate more military merits and raise his rank. As long as he makes enough contributions, I won't be stingy."
Simply put, if Qian Yong makes meritorious contributions in the future, Shen Tang can promote him to a higher rank, or reward him by demoting his rank for one generation, two generations, three generations, four generations, and so on... How many generations of his descendants can live off his ancestor depends entirely on how hard he works!
Chu Yao: "...That works too."
Shen Tang stretched: "Assigning titles... let Gong Su think about it. This is originally a matter for the Ministry of Rites..."
She had intended to ask Chu Yao for help, but then she remembered that her makeshift team was gradually getting on track, and everyone had their own responsibilities; she couldn't just exploit anyone. Mentioning Qin Li only made Shen Tang think back to last night.
How familiar was Chu Yao with her?
He could sense even the slightest lapse in attention from Shen Tang.
"Does Your Majesty have something on your mind?"
Shen Tang rested her chin on her hand and murmured, "Wu Hui, tell me—under what circumstances would someone suddenly feel that another person's appearance has suddenly improved, inexplicably hitting a nerve with them?"
Chu Yao's expression suddenly changed: "What time?"
Shen Tang explained, "Let's take Yuan Liang as an example. He loves cats so much that the key is that when he sees an absolutely gorgeous cat that fits his criteria in every way, he likes it at first sight!"
"who?"
"ah?"
Chu Yao took a deep breath.
Shen Tang even saw cracks on his face! You know, Chu Yao is usually unfazed even when Mount Tai collapses before him, so why is he suddenly reacting so strongly? Goodness, has the sun risen in the west?
"My lord's ambitions are not yet complete, so it is not advisable to indulge in male beauty for the time being," Chu Yao added. "The same goes for female beauty."
His stance today was inexplicably flexible. Before Shen Tang could explain, he interrupted, saying, "Food and sex are human nature. Your Majesty enjoys beautiful women, but it is not advisable to get emotionally involved, as it is easy to lose your judgment."
Chu Yao belatedly realized that his lord, at his current age, was indeed easily attracted to the beauty of the opposite sex. If the other party was glib and smooth-talking, his lord, caught in the middle of the situation, might even be deceived.
He suppressed the murderous intent surging within him—seeing that things were about to turn around, he absolutely could not allow any accidents to happen!
Shen Tang: "..."
Wu Hui's words mean that playing around is fine, but you can't get emotionally involved, and you certainly can't lose your mind because of beauty.
The problem is, she didn't mean it that way.
Worried that Chu Yao might overthink and misunderstand, Shen Tang hurriedly explained the situation, not daring to catch her breath for fear that Chu Yao would treat Qin Li as a seductive vixen. She spoke very quickly, almost biting her tongue several times: "...That's what happened. I always thought I didn't have any particular preferences, but last night I was surprised to find that I actually like this style."
She seemed to have discovered something new and interesting; her almond-shaped eyes shone brightly, and there was a strange excitement in her expression.
Chu Yao: "..."
Now it was his turn to be speechless.
Is it exciting to discover something you like?
Shen Tang: "Why shouldn't I be excited? This proves that I'm more like a real person with flesh and blood, more down-to-earth!"
Ever since learning that she was an old zongzi (a type of rice dumpling) from the Gongxi tribe, Shen Tang had been worried that she was different from ordinary people—even if her soul was young, her body was of unknown age. If the physical body malfunctioned, her youthful soul would be dragged down.
Discovering that I was just like everyone else, I felt instantly relieved.
Chu Yao: "..."
After a long while, Chu Yao relented again: "If my lord truly likes someone, as long as they don't cross the line, I will agree. Qin Gongsu is good in many ways, but he is too old. Didn't my lord say before that he likes someone younger than himself? If my lord likes that, you can slowly search for someone based on that quality later."
With so many men and women in the world, it's impossible that only Qin Li possesses the qualities that appeal to the ruler. If quality can't match, quantity can! Most importantly, a rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow; if the ruler has an affair with a minister, it's bad for both parties. The ruler's reputation is tarnished, and it's also detrimental to the minister's career, making it difficult for him to maintain a clean reputation in court…
Shen Tang: "It's too early to think about that now."
She had no idea how the conversation had gotten to this point.
After resting for a while, Shen Tang began her workday.
After Chu Yao left, he went to find Qi Shan. The two of them whispered something in their tent and didn't come out for more than half an hour.
When Qian Yong heard about Shen Tang's arrangements for military officers, he was sitting on a rock in the sun, eating his boxed lunch. Nearby sat many soldiers, all covered in dust and sweat, stinking and whispering among themselves.
Entering a room filled with orchids, one soon ceases to notice their fragrance.
The stench of sweat mingled with the aroma of food, yet Qian Yong ate with relish. Upon learning he had become a General of the Tian Shu Guard, with a Grand General above him, his face darkened. But when he heard he had been granted the title of Duke, his expression softened slightly: "Besides me, who else has been granted a title?"
Subordinate official: "And then there's Gu Ziyi's child."
Qian Yong held his chopsticks still, expecting to hear a long list of names, but then there was no more. He asked, "What's next?"
The subordinate official said, "That's all."
Qian Yong nearly choked on his own saliva: "Just two?"
The official nodded: "Yes, just two."
Qian Yong smacked his lips and muttered, "She's so stingy with Shen Youli. She only gave her two founding titles, and didn't grant any to anyone else. And her subordinates are so stubborn, why don't they make a fuss?"
In any country, who doesn't receive a series of awards and honors?
Those who follow the emperor are only after gaining official rank and title!
The subordinate official added, "There were only two additional titles."
Qian Yong's initial discomfort vanished completely, replaced by a sense of surprise—in truth, even if Shen Tang hadn't granted him a title, he wouldn't have had much to say. He had supposedly submitted and offered the imperial seal, but given the circumstances at the time, Qian Yong couldn't even save his own life.
He was unhappy because he felt outdone by the younger generation.
Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.
He would be fine with any generalship, no matter which guard he was given.
Qian Yong sighed and continued to eat his rice.
"Eat quickly, there's still a tunnel to clear after you finish eating!" Shen Youli, the scumbag, actually treated him, a dignified martial artist and former warlord leader, like a conscript—humph, the titles of General of the Heavenly Pivot Guard and Founding Duke, are all well-deserved!
This guy only has two legs, but he insists on building a hundred or so roads!
I'm not afraid of doing the splits while walking anymore!
Qian Yong cursed inwardly.
|ω`)
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