Kunzhou, a teahouse.
Teahouses and taverns have always been places where news gathers.
Shen Tang did not conceal the fact that he personally led the expedition.
Before she even led her troops to the front lines, rumors were already circulating in the streets and alleys. Upon receiving the news, the local government ordered some people to stay behind to maintain basic agricultural progress, while some of the elderly and infirm were moved elsewhere in advance to reduce war losses after the outbreak of a major battle: "It's strange, really."
Small groups of tea drinkers gathered in the teahouse, chatting about everything under the sun.
One of them suddenly spoke up in confusion, drawing the attention of his companions.
He asked, "What strange things have you heard about this time?"
The person who initially brought up the topic shook his head.
His companion retorted, annoyed, "Then why did you suddenly say something strange?"
"Why isn't it strange? Think about it, in the past, when we mentioned the royal court or the emperor, there were always people who disagreed with us. If we said the harvest was good this year, someone would say the local taxes were too high; if we said an official was punished, someone would say the royal court was protecting its officials and that the punishment was because the person above them had fallen; if we said the royal court was better than before, they would say it was just for show and that we commoners didn't know anything about the current situation... Hmm, that's strange, why haven't we heard any of these things today?"
The companion, reminded, also looked around.
Confused and puzzled: "Indeed, not only are there no more sounds, but there are also far fewer people in the teahouse. Could it be that they all went to enlist after hearing about the war? That's unlikely."
In the past, those people were most interested in sitting in teahouses and similar places, chatting with others, or righteously indignantly denouncing the banditry of the Wangting and their plundering of other people's ancestral property.
[Today the royal court can seize our clan's lands to win people's hearts; who knows if the Shen family won't seize your family's wealth in the future? Truly, morality has collapsed, and there is no one left in the world. Such greedy and insatiable scoundrels are allowed to occupy the throne, deceiving the masses. How hateful!]
Most commoners admire learned people, especially those scholars who come from farming and studying backgrounds, are often concerned about the country and its people, and have a good reputation in their hometowns. Their thoughts are simple and pure, so how could local scholars harm their fellow villagers? In the eyes of the common people, those people talk a lot, read a lot, have traveled more places and met more people than themselves, so what they say must make sense.
I found it reasonable and fair to listen to!
Each time, it evokes a profound and thought-provoking feeling.
As a result, the common people had a very good impression of the rebels.
In addition, due to the trade with the Northern Desert region over the years, many of the enterprising villagers went to Camel City to do business, and one by one they became wealthy and became the new elites with considerable wealth in the surrounding area. When these people returned to their hometown, they secretly brought back a lot of information about the Northern Desert region.
The Northern Desert is not as fierce and cruel as rumored.
They are just ordinary people with two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, and they look similar to them. They are not monsters. What sinister intentions do the former northwestern kingdoms and the current Kang Kingdom have in repeatedly slandering the Northern Desert?
Therefore, even if someone knows who has joined the rebels, they will not report them. Some people might even help the rebels escape—since the rebels are intelligent people, what good can the royal court that is suppressing them be? The royal court's perverse actions and labeling them as rebels are truly hateful!
In the past, the slightest disturbance would cause the teahouse to be filled with the smoke of battle.
Scholars held differing opinions and often drew their swords against each other.
In serious cases, verbal disputes can escalate into group brawls. If things get out of control and the violence gets too intense, it could even result in death. In the past, when have we ever avoided a raging, deafening argument, with everyone shouting themselves hoarse?
Today, there's an inexplicable sense of harmony.
The harmony and quietness felt eerily peaceful.
No, it didn't start today. There was this tendency a while ago, but back then there weren't any controversial topics, and the people who frequented the teahouse didn't argue. The news we received today was explosive and controversial enough, but the teahouse was surprisingly harmonious!
It wasn't just their companions who were awakened; others were too.
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
You look at me, and I look at you.
They stared at each other for a while, but the overly peaceful atmosphere of the teahouse made the scholar, who had specially gone out to sharpen his sword with a whetstone, feel rather bored. After sitting for a short while, he paid for his tea and then left: "Let's go, let's go, this is boring."
Without conflict, there's no chance of arguing.
Some people also inquired about where those familiar old enemies had gone, saying they hadn't seen them recently and missed them terribly.
hey-hey--
Surely we can't go back to jail behind their backs, can we?
The teahouse, which should have been bustling, was much quieter.
Little did they know, this was because the spies that Bei Mo had planted in Kunzhou at great expense had been almost completely wiped out, and the rebel forces had also been eliminated in the process. Some of those who had been used were sent to prison, but others were quicker to be reincarnated and drink the soup of oblivion.
The tea shop owner collected the teacups one by one.
At that moment, a tall, burly figure entered through the door. Judging from his build, he was clearly a trained martial artist. The few remaining tea drinkers turned to look at him upon hearing the commotion, guessing that this man was a martial artist who had heard about the war and wanted to enlist for a better future. Since recently, an increasing number of martial artists from other regions had appeared in Kunzhou. Most of them were men, but there were also a few female martial artists.
Most of the martial arts masters in Kangguo are concentrated in Zhechong Prefecture.
There are certainly not many grassroots activities, though they do exist.
The proprietress put away the teacups and straightened up when she saw the person who had come in. Her pupils flickered slightly as she watched the latter sit down in the corner.
"Sir, what kind of tea would you like?"
The man took off his straw hat: "Here to buy a signboard."
The proprietress curtsied and agreed, "I'll go prepare it right away."
Turning back to the tea preparation room, he brewed the tea and was startled to see the person standing silently in the corner. He wanted to yell at them but was afraid of attracting attention: "Gong Yunchi, don't you know what kind of situation this is? You still dare to come here?"
Gong Cheng said, "It's boring."
He just came out to clear his head.
The proprietress was speechless, unable to utter the rest of her words.
He muttered under his breath, "You're bored, so you come here to pass the time? You're a martial arts master, you're so capable, you can ignore the border defenses and travel between the two places without alerting the guards, how amazing are you! Why didn't you kill yourself for being so capable? Otherwise, I'll be dragged down with you and die with you?"
Gong Cheng seemed to be used to her sharp tongue.
He said, "No."
The proprietress suddenly pushed the teacup into his arms.
From here, she could peek through the gap in the curtain at the main hall of the teahouse. There was Gong Cheng in front of her, and another in the corner where he had been. She knew this was the work of a martial arts master, capable of making one person appear in two places simultaneously; even if someone killed him, the case would be difficult to solve.
Because business was slow, the proprietress closed the shop early.
Gong Cheng sat in the backyard drinking tea.
The proprietress could tell from his expression that he was indeed in a bad mood.
As she passed by, she kicked his instep, put her hands on her hips, and said, "Your bitter face is disgusting. You're a man of the Northern Desert now. If you fight, you fight. If you win, you live; if you lose, you die. It's that simple. Why are you muttering about it?"
Gong Cheng looked up at the proprietress.
The proprietress's eyebrows and eyes bear a striking resemblance to someone else.
He had seen that man a few years ago.
He looked down at his calves, thinking to himself that the proprietress had used a lot of force. Wouldn't an ordinary person have been kicked and bruised?
The proprietress said, "These two kicks won't cripple you."
She's an ordinary person, she doesn't have that ability.
Gong Cheng said, "It's nothing."
Seeing him return to his melancholy and listless state, the landlady was furious: "It's a good thing I didn't marry you back then... This half-dead look of yours makes me so angry!"
Indecisiveness is more infuriating than sticking to one path to the end.
How could she not know that the young master of the Gong family was so indecisive?
Gong Cheng: "If it were you back then, you would probably have died on the way. Not marrying was the right thing to do; at least you could have saved your life."
"What's right about it? I'd rather go with them."
The proprietress, who had been so forthright and outspoken just moments before, fell silent.
She did save her life, but she paid a heavy price for her youthful recklessness, losing almost everything she could lose.
After a long silence, she brought up the topic she had been avoiding: "I'm curious, who exactly is that person? Even you almost couldn't make it through the exile, how did she manage to survive?"
The Queen of Kang, Shen Tang, courtesy name Youli, has an unknown origin. The outside world only knows that she was a descendant of the Xin Kingdom, born into an official family, and that her entire family was implicated by the tyrannical ruler Zheng Qiao, and she was exiled as a child. There is controversy among the people regarding her "official family background," but there is no record of her being exiled.
Because Shen Tang has a tattoo behind her ear.
Convicts exiled to the capital were punished with facial tattoos for men and ear tattoos for women. She never concealed her ear tattoo with earrings. It was said that she often left the palace and frequented the common people's quarters, so many commoners could see the convict mark behind her ear up close.
This was also a point where the rebels in Kunju frequently attacked her.
She was just an exiled female prisoner, born into an illegitimate family. What right did she have to occupy a high position? What right did she have to be a commoner ruler, commanding both civil and military officials?
Why are you not ashamed, and instead commit suicide to relinquish your position?
I heard that this has caused quite a stir among the public. Some officials have even submitted a memorial suggesting that medical practitioners remove the tattoos.
She shouldn't have such a shameful mark on her reputation, which would become fodder for gossip among the common people.
Shen Tang waved his hand dismissively: "As the sage said, 'When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it first tests their resolve, strains their muscles and bones, starves their body, and empties their resources.' Past experiences, good or bad, have happened and cannot be changed. Just like this tattoo, why erase it? If it's erased, does it cease to exist? It shouldn't be my shame; it should be my glory, my achievement, my asset. If it must be defined as shame, then it's the shame of my defeated foes. They haven't said anything, so why should I care?"
Upon hearing this, the scholars praised his magnanimity!
In fact, there is another bizarre and outrageous rumor circulating among the people.
It is said that someone unexpectedly saw a man who looked very much like the king laughing loudly in a tavern: "[...What shame? Having carried this mark all this time, I'm practically a cow opening the door for her calf! I'm incredibly powerful! Old Zhu started with a bowl, I started with exile. Hahahaha, the enemy lost to me, what's the difference between this and someone squatting on your head and defecating and urinating on you?]"
His female companion beside him sighed.
This must not be spread.
[Why can't this get out? Is Tu Nan worried that the graves of people like Huang Xiguang, Zhang Yongqing, and Tao Shenyu will be blown up? Don't worry, apart from Tao Shenyu, the other two don't have graves, but Zheng Qiao could be blown up.] Hmm, there's also Qiu Wenyan's grave.
She could joke about others, but Qiu Wenyan was Gongyi's beloved lord, and she didn't want to cause trouble for Gongyi because of him.
Let's leave it at that; that's enough about the others.
This person had drunk quite a bit of alcohol, and his speech was slurred.
【Because your defeated opponents also include Uncle Qian and the General.】 If Qian Yong knew that being defeated by Shen Tang was equivalent to being pissed on, this old bastard would cause endless trouble.
Civil officials can cause trouble and hurl insults at each other, yet the court assembly can still continue; military officials can get into fights, and the outer court will be in an uproar.
Of course, this has not happened yet.
The Lord's power could slap each of them before they could even make a move.
However, the destructive power of military officers is an indisputable fact.
[Ahem, Uncle Qian and... well, Old Qian's mouth is even more verbose than dumpling filling... just pretend I didn't say anything. Today's a rare day off, how about I invite Tu Nan out for a couple of drinks, and we won't talk about these trivial matters? How about it?]
You should try to be a little more restrained in your behavior.
Since her statement about being proud of the tattoo behind her ear spread, some people in the public didn't understand, while some enthusiastic young people followed suit.
On her way to the tavern, she encountered seven or eight young men from Kangguo who were swaggering around on the street, with tattoos on their wrists, necks, and fingers, and braids in the same style as Gong Xiqiu's hair.
Ning Yan also spotted the daughter of a certain censor among them.
I wonder if her censor father saw this and felt a wave of dizziness: [Using words like "pooping" and "urinating," let alone the censor advising you to be more refined, even Secretary Qi would have a heart attack if he knew.]
Qi Shan has not given up on his plan to cultivate himself into a gentleman, and this unwavering perseverance is truly extraordinary.
[Ahem, I call this setting a trend.]
——————————
Regardless of whether these unreliable historical rumors are true or false, the proprietress treated them as mere anecdotes. She had never actually met or seen Shen Youli, except for Gong Cheng, who stood before her. His reply might be more objective and fair.
Gong Cheng pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "I don't know, so I can't judge right or wrong. In short, he must be a person with great perseverance."
Without this perseverance, I wouldn't be alive today.
The proprietress casually patted the moss off the stone steps, sat down on her apron, and said, "You've met her, how could you not know her?"
Gong Cheng: "We met by chance, and our acquaintance was shallow."
Understanding a person's character cannot be achieved in just a few words.
He is not good at understanding people's hearts.
These eyes are often shrouded in mist.
Even with long-time friends, he couldn't see them completely clearly. Let alone that person, he dared not make any hasty judgments.
The proprietress said regretfully, "I really want to meet him. After all, he gave me two lives and is my benefactor."
Even if the other party is unaware of this.
Two lives?
The proprietress's smile was tinged with bitterness: "Back then, being forced into a substitute marriage was a life, and afterwards, escaping the war and wandering from place to place, managing to establish myself was also a life. If Kunzhou hadn't been pacified, would I still be able to run this teahouse in peace?"
She was originally the daughter of an official, from a prestigious family.
Having been sheltered by her family during her childhood, she developed an innocent and naive personality. She always felt that no matter what she did or what big mistakes she made, she would be forgiven.
It is common for women from prominent families to have one or two male confidants before marriage.
The proprietress was young and naive about love. She only knew that she could have what other noble ladies had, so she followed suit, just so she wouldn't lose to others.
Soon, she met a young man from a similarly privileged family. His family background, status, and talent were indeed comparable, finally giving her a sense of pride.
In just a few months, they went through many separations and reunions.
Neither of them cared that the beleaguered Xin Kingdom had been slashed in the neck by Zheng Qiao, nor did they know the stance of their elders.
|ω`)
It's almost the end of the month, please vote with your monthly tickets! I'll update more tomorrow.
There's a temple fair here tomorrow (not in Beijing), it's my first time attending a temple fair in northern China!
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The tattoo is still there, but Tang Mei doesn't care.
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