Chapter 965: The Wolf and the Dog [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
Jiang Shengshang was pitifully watching Ji Moqiu, who had been tricked and crippled by Qi Shan, when he was suddenly called upon by his lord. He calmly stepped forward and said, "According to the information sent back by our inside agents, the Northern Desert Royal Court is assembling troops. There are completely different opinions within the court regarding the mobilization of troops."
Shen Tang was mentally prepared for the former.
The incident in Jinli County broke out faster than Beimo had anticipated.
As soon as Shen Tang realized that the Northern Desert was involved, he ordered the Zhechong Prefecture within Kunzhou to prioritize supporting the border and work with the border troops to guard against a surprise attack from the Northern Desert. On the other hand, the Northern Desert had its long-established spies eliminated, effectively cutting off their informants within Kangguo. Coupled with the tightening of investigations into suspicious individuals within the country, both clandestine operations and intelligence transmission became significantly more difficult. Naturally, the Northern Desert received the news later, and their response was correspondingly slower.
As for the latter, that was something she hadn't anticipated.
Ning Yan turned her head to look, her curiosity piqued: "There are actually different voices within the Northern Desert Royal Court? Aren't they all united in wanting to go south and control the Northwest Continent? 'The world is vast and full of wonders,' I never thought that the land of the Northern Desert could support so many different kinds of people."
I thought the people of the Northern Desert were all hardened, war-loving factions.
This has been the image of the Northern Desert to the outside world for many years.
Jiang Sheng smiled and said, "It's because the infiltration was done properly."
At the beginning of the first year of Yuanhuang's reign, the Northern Desert sent envoys Tudege and Gong Cheng to discuss friendly relations and the opening of trade between the two regions. While this facilitated the Northern Desert's small-scale operations within Kangguo's territory, it also benefited Kangguo in initiating counter-infiltration operations against the Northern Desert.
It all depends on which side understands people's hearts better.
Jiang Sheng mentioned it, and Ning Yan remembered.
"It seems that the results have been quite fruitful."
Jiang Sheng said, "After all, it cost a lot of money and effort."
The seeds sown years ago have finally borne fruit.
If there's no return at all, wouldn't Xun Hanzhang, the Minister of Revenue, cause a huge uproar? That sum of money is no small amount.
That was back in the first year of the Yuanhuang era.
At that time, before Xun Zhen's cost-cutting measures reached Shen Tang, she could still receive some dividends from the salt and iron business. However, in order to quickly pay off Xun Zhen's huge debts, Shen Tang had to expand her business and venture into other industries. After thinking it over, where was the most profitable place right now?
Undoubtedly, it is the border between Kangguo and Beimo.
The border trade between the two countries was held in Camel City.
Camel City is a very special place.
In the early days, when the northwestern kingdoms fought against the Northern Desert, the Camel City was used as the boundary. The army was stationed there, and together they prevented the Northern Desert from crossing the boundary even slightly. They also built nine Jingguan (a mound of nine statues of Jing) in this place!
Gather the enemy corpses, show off your martial arts skills, and intimidate the villains!
Several of these mounds were topped with the heads of important members of the Northern Desert royal family, while the heads of ordinary tribal chiefs, civil and military officials were countless. Over time, this place became the greatest shame in the hearts of the Northern Desert people, but it was also revered as the final resting place of their ancestors. Before the royal court went to war, a grand ceremony to worship their ancestors would be held to boost the morale of the soldiers.
Camel City, or "Carrying" City, or "Towing" City.
One theory is that it was formed by the remains of the ancestors of the Northern Desert.
Another version, with a touch of mythology, says that a divine tortoise came from the east, intending to carry the world's energy to the northern desert. However, the tortoise was killed by the northwestern kingdoms, who feared the northern desert, at the location of Camel City, and its limbs were dismembered and abandoned among the kingdoms.
The divine tortoise lies buried here, filled with resentment.
The sages of the Northern Desert also issued a prophecy—the mandate of heaven lies in the north. Among the elders, there is also a legend passed down from generation to generation that the ancestors of the Northern Desert had superior bloodlines and once ruled the entire continent. It was the most powerful country in the world, with its national strength flourishing and all nations submitting to it.
Looking down from above, the outline of Camel City does indeed resemble a tortoise shell. Various rumors corroborate each other, and through generations of indoctrination, the people of the Northern Desert have come to firmly believe in these myths about Camel City, even more fervently than the Ten Crows who believed themselves to be descendants of the Golden Crow.
Ever since Zheng Qiao emerged and stirred up trouble, the Geng Kingdom has been unable to maintain control over its borders. The Northern Desert seized the opportunity to take control of Camel City. After Shen Tang came to power, the Northern Desert pretended to be ignorant and refused to return Camel City. Shen Tang then directly sent troops to completely surround Camel City.
After surrounding the city, they piled up fortification equipment outside the camel city.
They surrounded the area without attacking, restricting the entry and exit of supplies.
The Northern Desert sent envoys to question them.
Shen Tang's reasons were impeccable.
To demonstrate the sincerity of our mutual trade, after consulting with my ministers, I have decided to establish the market in Camel City. I hope that, under the watchful eyes of our ancestors, our two nations can truly transform hostility into friendship and forge an enduring bond of neighborliness. I have heard that the resources of the Northern Desert are not as abundant as ours; how can we allow our friendly neighbor to incur such expenses for the construction of this city? It is only natural that Kang State sends troops to protect it and ensure the progress of the market's construction.
She just wanted to renovate the old town; what bad intentions could she possibly have?
The cost of repairing the old city doesn't even have to be covered by Beimo.
Isn't that enough to demonstrate her sincerity?
The northern desert side was speechless.
For the sake of the "century-long plan," they could only grit their teeth and not dare to break ties with Shen Tang at this critical juncture. They would wait for the Camel City to be repaired and then find an excuse to sweep the people out of the Camel City! The Northern Desert nobles stationed in the Camel City received the order and had no choice but to swallow their anger.
The Northern Desert Royal Court hurriedly sent people to monitor the construction progress, fearing that Shen Tang's side would go back on its word and cause some trouble again. Shen Tang pretended not to see it and even transferred a group of skilled craftsmen because the progress was too slow. The project was completed in just two months.
Then?
Then Shen Tang taught them a lesson.
Demonstrating through practical operation what it means to—
Inviting a god is easy, but sending him away is difficult.
What's more, it was an uninvited "god".
The current garrison in Camel City consists entirely of the artisans who rebuilt the city. After repairing Camel City, these people seamlessly transitioned from all-around artisans to soldiers capable of both fighting and defending.
The moment the craftsmen took off their work clothes and put on their armor, the nobles of the northern desert in Camel City felt numb.
Like a mute eating bitter melon, unable to express the suffering.
This batch of troops arrived and stayed, and together with the guards initially sent, the two sides overwhelmingly defeated the local Northern Desert forces in Camel City, seizing control and dominance. Shen Tang conquered most of Camel City without losing a single soldier.
The trade in Camel City was in full swing.
Since making money in Camel City is so easy, I'd be doing myself a disservice if I didn't do something about it.
Shen Tang then reached out and introduced Xu Jie to several skilled businessmen with extensive experience. One of them caught Shen Tang's attention.
This man was all fleshy and thick-waisted. Although he was an ordinary person, he was taller and bigger than many ordinary adult men!
Judging from his appearance, he is about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.
What impressed Shen Tang most was her sharp and tactful way of speaking, and her capable and shrewd actions. To put it nicely, she was adept at navigating social situations; to put it bluntly, she was someone who could say whatever she wanted to anyone. She was the most conspicuous person among them, and also the only woman.
When Shen Tang met them, she deliberately concealed her identity.
The others assumed she was a member of the Xu clan whom Xu Jie valued, but this person's eyes darted around after a few words. Taking advantage of their private conversation, he suddenly bowed deeply to her.
How do you know my identity? Have you met me before?
Shen Tang showed no surprise when her identity was exposed.
The man spoke cautiously, his back slightly hunched, his posture humble: "How could I, a mere commoner, have the honor of meeting Your Majesty? It is only because Your Majesty's speech is extraordinary, your bearing imposing, that you command my respect with just a few words. Such authority is beyond the reach of ordinary people."
Shen Tang had seen many smooth-talking, flattering people, but she had never seen anyone so openly displaying their obsequiousness, as if afraid others wouldn't notice: [Hmm, you guessed my identity correctly, but unfortunately there's no extra reward. I need someone useful, not just someone who can talk the talk. I can say nice things myself; I don't need someone else to do it. Since Wen Zhu recommended you, I believe your abilities go beyond just being eloquent and good at flattery, right?]
Her words were blunt and unpleasant to hear.
This shrewd businesswoman, faced with Shen Tang's blunt words, showed no sign of humiliation or forbearance. Instead, her eyes lit up with joy—if her master truly disliked her, he would have had her thrown out long ago. His words now were an opportunity for her to prove herself. A brilliant performance would allow her to stand out!
Opportunity always favors the prepared mind!
This person is indeed very capable.
Shen Tang carefully examined this person's achievements over the years.
Very impressive results!
With a faint smile: "Hmm, it looks somewhat interesting."
This woman's family had run a small business for generations, and she had an older brother who was a playboy who only knew how to eat, drink, gamble, and indulge in pleasure. Her parents earned their money through hard work and ruined their health in their early years, becoming frail and sickly. Before they passed away, worried that their son would not be able to live up to the family name and would squander the family business, they found her a son-in-law from a humble background who had some business acumen and would manage the family business.
Unfortunately, the spoiled brothers were utterly incapable of being helped and were even tricked into relinquishing their power by their son-in-law. On the surface, the son-in-law was a devoted servant, loyal and devoted, but behind the scenes, he secretly started his own business, stealing his wife's connections and businesses. Years later, having gained more power and confidence, he no longer concealed his disdain for his unattractive wife and had long since taken advantage of his business trips to keep several mistresses.
What was the result?
The result was that the纨绔哥 (a spoiled, dissolute young man) was led astray by his son-in-law, eventually dying of a stroke. The son-in-law and several trusted confidants, while traveling as merchants, were attacked by bandits and met a violent end. The widowed woman, filled with grief and anger, reported the incident to the authorities, the bandits fled, and the goods were recovered.
This son-in-law was a fugitive from another region. He had no parents, no relatives, and naturally no distant relatives to take advantage of him. She successfully inherited the business, but missed her deceased husband every day, spending her days in tears and numbing herself by working hard at the business.
Upon hearing of her story, the local scholars wrote poems praising her as "the most beautiful and virtuous wife," adding that true beauty and ugliness reside in the heart, not in physical appearance. Outsiders, upon learning of this, pitied her fate.
I am filled with emotion—
What good is money? No amount of wealth can compare to a loving and caring husband. Besides, what does a woman know about business? I'm afraid she'll squander it all before long.
Her maternal relatives kindly wanted to adopt a child to support her in her old age, but they all refused on the grounds that "the child is not her deceased husband's bloodline." Many people rolled their eyes when they heard her say this.
It would be a ghost if the adopted child had her deceased husband's bloodline.
Some busybodies were puzzled: didn't the son-in-law keep several mistresses and have children? Why didn't he bring the children to inherit the family property? So, out of sheer boredom, they went to inquire about the courtyards where the mistresses were kept, only to find that they were deserted, as if no one had ever lived there.
Rumors circulated that the mistress and her child had been murdered, while others said they had fled beforehand, fearing retaliation from the wife. Still others claimed to have seen these mothers and children elsewhere, living happily, with some even remarrying with their children.
No matter what, women are the most pitiful.
Although he inherited wealth, he lost his precious love.
Shen Tang stared at Xu Jie as if she'd seen a ghost: "Are you serious?"
Xu Jie coughed: [This is how the county government closes cases.]
With Xu Jie's many years of experience as a prefect, he naturally knew that this matter was not as simple as it seemed on the surface, but the results of the re-examination were indeed correct, and he could not just arrest people arbitrarily.
If the people do not report it, the officials will not investigate; if no report is made, the matter will not be handled.
No one reported her for murder for money.
Neither the concubine nor her son uttered a sound.
The纨绔 (wan ku, spoiled and dissolute) elder brother's body was ruined by wine and women, but he refused to admit his inadequacy. Before each act of pleasure, he would take large amounts of stimulant pills to enhance his arousal. These pills themselves would affect the heart, so it was perfectly normal for him to have a stroke. The son-in-law, also trying to save time and trouble, ignored warnings about bandits lurking on that road and dared to insist on crossing it, resulting in his carriage overturning.
Xu Jie: [Ahem, perhaps it really was just luck.]
Shen Tang rolled her eyes: [Yeah, I believed your nonsense.]
This female merchant is cunning and knows how to get things done.
Xu Jie's favorite was not her.
Shen Tang agreed: "Indeed, her bottom line is a bit too flexible. Looking at her business tactics, it's truly a battlefield where the business world is like a battlefield, killing without bloodshed. But everything that exists has its reason; anyone can play an unexpected role if placed in the right position. If she were to deal with those people from the Northern Desert, that would be 'fighting fire with fire,' but someone like you isn't suitable."
Bei Mo had a notoriously bad reputation among merchants.
Buying things without paying is a basic rule.
How long a debt can be delayed depends entirely on Schrödinger's conscience.
Such villains naturally require flexible and adaptable villains to deal with them. Shen Tang didn't hesitate for long before making a firm decision on the candidate.
[I'm not picky anymore, I'll take her.]
Before officially assuming the position, Shen Tang wanted to hear her plans.
She said, "I only listen to the truth."
The female merchant forced a smile, her bulging facial muscles squeezing her eyes into slits: "Your Majesty's decision is wise and decisive; how could I, a humble subject, deceive you? Of course, every word I utter is from the bottom of my heart. If even one word is false, the souls of my entire clan will never find peace."
Shen Tang: [...]
How is this any different from an abandoned child swearing that they lied and that their parents will die?
She didn't bother arguing about this bit of hellish humor: "If I were to employ you and send you to manage things in the Northern Desert, what would you do? You've never been to the Northern Desert for trade, so you probably don't know that those people there don't care about martial ethics in business; they're all like bandits, very difficult to deal with."
The female merchant, without hesitation, replied: "Give them a kickback."
Shen Tang: [...]
They are truly honest, not uttering a single lie.
Shen Tang added, "It's like throwing meat to a wolf, or adding fuel to a fire."
The female merchant said: "Feed the wolf second only to the alpha wolf; when the alpha wolf is fat and strong, the alpha wolf will be afraid, and the other two wolves will become disloyal."
Are the alpha wolf and the second-in-command teaming up to steal meat?
[Since they're wolves, they naturally all have wolfish ambitions. These little beasts, no matter where they're placed, will always be wolves. Even delicious meat can't tame them, let alone fellow wolves fighting over food. A pack of wolves working together to steal meat is profitable for everyone; if there's no profit, why wouldn't each wolf devour the meat for itself?] The female merchant's eyes darkened slightly. [If fed well, wolves are dogs, and dogs are wolves.]
Shen Tang clapped her hands and laughed: "Indeed, it's all the truth."
She hadn't initially considered this, but after listening to the female merchant's words, a small plan began to form in her mind: "Wealth and beauty are both like boning knives. We won't use beauty to exchange for profit, so let's use wealth. I want to see how many of these wolves in the Northern Desert have skin of bronze and bones of iron, unafraid of this boning knife."
The usually confident female merchant hesitated for a moment, tentatively asking in a low voice, "This humble subject is foolish and does not understand Your Majesty's profound meaning."
Shen Tang patted her shoulder, bent down slightly, and whispered in her ear, "It's simple, penetration."
Infiltration?
[Use money to make this once lush tree in the Northern Desert rot from the roots, hollowing out the trunk until only bark remains!]
The female merchant pursed her lips.
The way he looked at Shen Tang was somewhat strange.
She seemed surprised that Shen Tang, as the ruler of a country, would actively encourage others to engage in corruption, even if those others were enemies. Such a tactic was still incredibly malicious and insidious. She thought to herself, how could a woman who could emerge from the chaos of war and successfully establish herself be a simple, harmless, and utterly benevolent saint?
A ruler may not need to use tactics, but he cannot be without tactics.
Shen Tang did not miss her gaze.
Her red lips parted slightly, whispering in her ear, like a devil tempting her to plunge into the abyss: "Are you sure you can do it?"
A resolute glint flashed in the female merchant's eyes.
Who else but me!
Shen Tang granted her considerable privileges.
She has priority access to the profits from the Northern Desert trade market, only needing to submit accounts once a year. Shen Tang rarely checks the accounts, and occasionally, when short of money, the Ministry of Revenue grants her special funds for use. When necessary, she can "obtain" some insignificant intelligence to gain the trust of the people in the Northern Desert. She isn't worried about betrayal. If she has the ability to hedge her bets, even if she loses Shen Tang's support, she still has other options.
But does she have it?
The northern desert will not be her way out.
Businessmen are the least likely to believe in so-called promises of conscience.
Would someone who has managed to escape the suffocating cycle of biased parents, spoiled older brothers, and a cheating son-in-law believe in conscience?
Her current life, everything she possesses, is entirely built upon the foundation of Kangguo's strength. If Kangguo falls, everything she owns will be reduced to nothing. She is a childless widow, and the oppression of traditional clans is enough to force her back to her inner quarters.
Jiang Sheng's words brought the man's face to Shen Tang's mind, and she laughed, "The wolf may not be tamed, but it has definitely been fattened up."
Wolves that are used to being fed are no different from dogs.
Although their opposition did not change the final outcome, it did buy Kangguo a few days of time, giving them a buffer period.
As for—
Since the Northern Desert had long harbored ambitions, why didn't they garrison troops in advance?
Let alone hundreds of thousands of troops, even a few thousand people gathered near the border of the trade market would be noticed. Shen Tang may be poor, but he's not blind. The saying "an army marches on its stomach" isn't untrue; if troops are assembled a day in advance, who will pay for the supplies and provisions?
Shen Tang tapped her fingers on the table.
"Now that I am personally leading the expedition, who among you is willing to accompany me?"
Her target is Gong Cheng.
|ω`)
A chapter of five thousand characters.
There's a lot of discussion about the chapters, but little reading of the book review section. Today I noticed there's been a lot of controversy, so I'm addressing it here.
First, regarding Gong Xilai's premarital pregnancy, there's no evidence that Xun Ding uses the child to manipulate Gong Xichou or Gong Xilai, nor is it that Xun Ding and his son are too poor to afford a wedding. She wanted to get pregnant simply because she noticed her hair turning gray and realized she needed to be around thirty (she was around twenty-eight, while the average age at that time was under thirty-five). Marriage was to give Xun Ding a formal status; before that, they were just cohabiting. Neither she nor the other characters considered premarital pregnancy a major issue, and the prevailing social climate wasn't the closed-minded, feudal one one might expect.
Secondly, Tang Mei herself is frugal and thrifty, but she never skimps on her subordinates' money, nor does she covet their wealth in a disgraceful manner (otherwise, her subconscious wouldn't have kept urging Xun Zhen to use her private treasury instead of the national treasury; frugality is merely her personal hobby, and the text specifically mentions the numerous holidays officials enjoy, totaling nearly two months a year). The key point of that sentence is the question of why Xun Ding and Gong Xilai, who were supposed to get married, had delayed their wedding for five years. Is he short of money? Even if Xun Ding is short of money, Gong Xilai is wealthy (Xun Ding's marriage into the family was arranged long ago). It's not that he's truly short of money!
Thirdly, Gong Xi Chou holds the nominal title of Grand General, yet Tang Mei has Gong Xi Lai collect all his salary and mansion. What has Gong Xi Chou done wrong to his sworn sister? Even blood siblings would become estranged over trivial matters. In what way has Tang Mei not shown him any consideration or leniency? Didn't A Lai receive special permission to do business?
Fourth, the Assembly of the Gods. The opening chapters set the background of post-apocalyptic reconstruction. The Assembly of the Gods was indeed introduced awkwardly by me, which is due to the author's lack of ability.
Fifth, there's still tomorrow left, not enough to write about.
(End of this chapter)
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