Chapter 1109: Can You Generate Electricity? (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
He Shu's words made the air freeze.
Shen Tang's earlier ease vanished, and she stared intently at He Shu with a deep gaze: "As a member of a prestigious family, how could you utter such insane and outrageous words? Patriarch He, can I take this as a pledge of allegiance?"
“Of course—” He Shu’s smile trailed off, his tone enigmatic, “It is impossible! If this is considered a pledge of loyalty, what kind of person would I be? It is true that we fought, it is true that we were defeated, it is true that we were outmatched, but it is also true that I took the opportunity to eliminate a potential threat to Lord Shen. Lord Shen, you must be decisive in all things.”
He Shu's comments made Shen Tang burst into laughter.
Over the years, she had only heard people say she was too ruthless, never that she was lenient towards the aristocratic families. And the person making that assessment was the head of one of those families, making it even more difficult to judge. Confiscating clan lands and investigating tenant farmers—this was the cruelest blow Shen Tang had dealt without overturning the table. Any more severe, and countless people would have turned against her!
A considerable proportion of the Kangguo court officials were from prominent families.
The country cannot function without them, and she cannot simply kill them off before someone who can completely replace them appears.
She remained unmoved by He Shu's attempts to seduce her.
It's a joke. If Shen Tang agrees with He Shu's words, it would not only be an implicit acceptance of He Shu's future allegiance, but also a way of taking the blame for He Shu's massacre of the powerful families of Shangnan County. Once Shen Tang takes this blame, those powerful families will be the most vehemently opposed if he tries to expand his territory again. These powerful families have a certain weakness; they will bow down for profit, but when their interests are threatened, they can unleash terrifying destructive power.
They were even willing to die rather than live as broken jade.
Willing to sacrifice one person to protect the interests of the entire clan.
During Shen Tang's years as ruler, she frequently dealt with powerful families, occasionally breaking out in a cold sweat—back then, when she set up a trap for a powerful family, she was truly a fearless young woman. Even if time could turn back, she would still make the same choice.
Without suppressing the powerful clans, Kangguo cannot develop.
Over the years, the aristocratic families have all been quite well-behaved.
There were some underhanded maneuvers, but Shen Tang dealt with them all through the Censorate. Currently, Shen Tang has won more than she has lost, so she's not at a significant disadvantage. She knows in her heart that the calm is only temporary, and she will eventually eliminate them completely.
Although he harbored thoughts of overturning the table, his actions remained friendly.
Therefore, Shen Tang refused the attempt to frame He Shu.
"Power lies in constancy, favor in adapting to the times, opportunity in responding to circumstances, and victory in controlling morale... Whether governing a country or waging war, the principles are the same. It is true that one must make decisive decisions when necessary, but only at the right time," Shen Tang said. "The time is not ripe right now. I just don't understand why Patriarch He, as the head of a clan, would go against his own interests?"
Shen Tang deliberately changed the subject.
Based on He Shu's emotional journey, if he wasn't lying, Shen Tang could barely understand his transformation. Simply put, because of his unique circumstances, He Shu couldn't truly integrate into the powerful families and their vested interests. He was someone who could be abandoned at any time, condemned by everyone, and coupled with the psychological trauma of being ignored and feeling invisible during his childhood, he desperately wanted to be accepted.
Only in this way could he gain a little sense of security.
Cui Xiao's situation was somewhat similar; he craved attention, recognition, and above all, acceptance from his lord. The trust and security that Shen Tang gave him were something Wu Xian had never provided.
Shen Tang understood this and always tried her best to satisfy him.
He Shu couldn't find this sense of security in his family and relatives, and he never considered himself part of the group. Naturally, he was able to view issues more rationally and transcend class limitations. He could see things clearly, but it was unexpected that he would abandon his class so completely.
It should be understood that He Shu, as the head of the family, was a beneficiary of the system.
He Shu looked at Shen Tang with a complicated expression.
She said quietly, "Shen Jun really isn't a likable person."
The question was very offensive.
Shen Tang didn't intend to delve into the matter and only wanted to gloss over the issue—after their conversation, she didn't really want to recruit He Shu, at least not in the current Kang Kingdom. He Shu's contradictions were too sharp, and even if she wanted to use him, she would wait until she truly severed the lifeline of the aristocratic families—but He Shu adopted a heart-to-heart talk approach, saying some things he hadn't even told He Xin.
He Shu then recounted an old story.
The He family he belonged to was just a branch that had separated from his ancestors.
In his earlier years, Da Zong had run a sizable tea business. Although it was only one source of income for the clan, it involved tens of thousands of acres of tea fields and countless tenant farmers. After his branch of the family split off, he also received a share of the family property. He Shu took over the family business and carefully studied Da Zong's experience, discovering discrepancies in the branch's accounts.
Shen Tang, being very polite, asked, "What's wrong?"
He Shudao said, "It's the price."
The tea plantations were expanded through acquisitions and land reclamation.
The acquisition price was low, and the initial development costs were surprisingly small.
He Shu suspected someone was falsifying accounts, but instead of alerting them, he concealed his identity and went to investigate. He discovered the real reason for the low listed prices! The person in charge had falsified the accounts; the listed prices were 60% higher than the actual expenditures, meaning they had pocketed 60%.
It's 60% higher, but the book price is still relatively low.
"Shen Jun, have you ever heard of the 'Monkey Plaything in a Dream of Lust'?"
Shen Tang's expression darkened as he realized what was going on.
"The corrupt official set up a scheme, using extremely low costs to arouse the greed of the common people, colluding with local officials to frame them for stealing silver and seizing the land that rightfully belonged to the common people. This was not enough to settle the trouble; those with land sold it, and those without land had to sell themselves. Some families were even forced to commit suicide."
Upon learning of this matter, He Shu immediately dealt with the person in charge.
Return the tea fields and the silver.
This was something He Shu should have done.
As a result, nearly a thousand people knelt and worshipped him that day. The old man with white hair and beard was so excited that he kowtowed until his forehead bled, and everyone wept with joy.
This was the first time He Shu had directly confronted this absurd atmosphere.
He is the head of the He family, the culprit, and is praised and worshipped, while they are merely taking back what rightfully belongs to them, yet they still have to grovel and be grateful.
Have they forgotten the suffering they've endured over the years?
He Shu countered, "What are your thoughts after hearing this, Mr. Shen?"
"They can easily give you the sense of security you want."
The infighting within powerful families is rampant. Even a small branch of the He family, running a tea business, can scheme and harm thousands of people. They are cunning and ruthless, and can turn their backs on people at any time for profit. In comparison, the recognition and gratitude of ordinary people are too easy to obtain.
He Shu: "..."
Shen Tang's incisive comment left him speechless.
After a long while, he finally exhaled a breath of stale air: "Shen Jun, I am certain that you are not a likable lord."
Shen Tang chuckled and said, "You also called me the lord."
Since she is the lord, it's natural that others should try to please her first.
Those who want her to lower herself to please them...
At least they have to be one of our own.
He Shu stopped speaking and simply closed his eyes.
When those dark eyes opened again, they were clear once more, with a hint of surprise that hadn't yet been concealed. The brothers' eyes were so distinctive that Shen Tang immediately recognized He Xin, not He Shu: "Good heavens, why did your elder brother go back?"
He Xin was caught off guard and kicked out by his older brother.
He said, "My older brother said he doesn't want to talk to you anymore."
The only person who could make the eldest brother say "unlikable" twice is Qi Yuanliang from back then, and the only one in front of him is Shen Youli.
Shen Tang pouted: "You're just being unreasonable now that you've broken your guard."
He Xin's smile was somewhat awkward; he didn't know how to begin.
My brother's life is still in their hands.
Unexpectedly, Shen Tang's next sentence completely stumped He Xin: "Just now, Hao Gu referred to himself as a 'commoner,' still a nobody. Would you be interested in trying your luck in Kangguo? Kangguo is currently at the height of its power, with a clear and just government, and the ruler and his ministers are of one mind. They certainly won't let Hao Gu's talents go to waste. What do you think? Would you like to consider it?"
He Xin remained silent, and after his silence, he went to look at Qi Shan.
Qi Shan said, "The Lord is recruiting you."
His tone was somewhat sarcastic.
Not to mention after the establishment of Kangguo, even in the years before its establishment, Shen Tang rarely openly recruited anyone. From the moment she entered the camp until now, after exchanging only two or three sentences with He Xin, she decided to recruit him. He Shu would be furious if he knew.
He Xin seemed to only then realize what was happening, and looked somewhat at a loss.
He said earnestly, "My talent and knowledge are inferior to yours, elder brother."
If anyone should be recruited, it should be the elder brother.
"Don't underestimate yourself. As I just said, if we don't get along and our goals don't align, even if someone is one in a million, what does it matter to me? It's true that we value talent, but we also need to consider whether they fit the company culture."
She could tell from He Xin’s eyes that he was honest and hardworking, a true chosen worker who would work overtime without complaint!
Shen Tang leaned forward and patted the back of his hand.
"Good old is just right."
With eyes as clear as a college student's, they're so easy to fool.
The congratulatory letter, labeled as being from a "college student," reads: "..."
He sighed and said, "...This, allow me to think about it some more."
That's what they say, but the chances of them refusing are slim.
He Xin had indeed rendered meritorious service, and Shen Tang wouldn't kill him, but He Shu was also a prisoner. According to He Xin's understanding, the Kang Kingdom would try every means to extract value from prisoners they couldn't kill or recruit—either by paying ransom or by having them create sufficient value. If Shen Tang deliberately made things difficult for him, this matter would be hard to resolve.
The best approach is to agree to the offer.
"Hmm, I'll think about it carefully."
Shen Tang and his companion did not linger. After they left, Qi Shancai asked, "Why did Your Majesty suddenly decide to recruit He Xin?"
There was no such plan at the beginning.
"It's great value for money."
"Value for money?"
Shen Tang laughed, "He Haogu and He Buzuo won't be able to act separately anytime soon. Even if I agree to let this matter go, are the remaining members of the Shangnan families willing to let it go so easily? To quell this matter, 'He Shu' will either be dead or missing. Recruiting He Xin is like getting He Shu for free... without paying him a salary!"
The two brothers can take turns working overtime.
He himself was quite envious of He Shu's way of life as a scholar.
Even if it's just for the sake of his scholarly way, he should be allowed to live until Luan Xin's scholarly way is perfected, so that the benefits can be maximized.
Qi Shan: "..."
He indeed could not place any hope in the Lord.
Shen Tang said with a bright smile, "Besides that, He Shu has other uses. There are so many aspects of his scholarly way that can be studied... If the Imperial Workshop could utilize it to artificially create similar objects... Yuanliang, have you thought about this?"
Can these heavenly lightning bolts be used in a reasonable way?
Qi Shan naturally couldn't think of these things. He didn't even know that heavenly lightning could be used to bombard the enemy.
Shen Tang waved her hand: "You'll know later."
He Shu is practically a walking power plant!
Before she left, she deliberately mentioned that she couldn't stay in Shangnan for long. He Xin understood the implication and knew he only had one night to think it over. He sat in his tent discussing it with his elder brother. The two brothers were distracted until a message from outside the tent interrupted their conversation.
He Shudao said: "Not even an hour has passed yet."
The congratulatory letter elicited a mild response: "First, ask what's the matter."
Outside the tent, soldiers clasped their hands in salute.
The message brought by the soldier successfully angered He Shu.
He heard his elder brother roar: "[Pray! Yuan! Liang!]"
He spoke slowly and deliberately, through gritted teeth.
Judging from his tone, he seemed to want to devour people alive!
He Xin understands his elder brother, but Qi Shan is indeed hateful.
This guy actually managed to deceive everyone and wipe out his entire family.
His wife and children are all here.
Now, He Xin had no choice but to agree.
Shen Tang received the news shortly after and abruptly turned to look at Qi Shan. It's no wonder she reacted so strongly; calculating the journey, the He family couldn't have gone to pick them up in the last few days—it was most likely around the time the Battle of Shangnan began. Qi Shan's answer confirmed her guess: "Once I was certain the enemy was He Buzuo, I arranged for someone to pick them up."
Taking hostages is simple yet incisive.
"Send someone to pick you up? You're not going to forcibly abduct me?"
Qi Shan looked as if she had been wronged.
"How could a benevolent person use force against women, children, the elderly, and the weak?"
Even malicious schemes have their limits.
Qi Shan added, "At most, they used some tricks."
Shen Tang was curious about the details of the plan.
"They tricked her into coming here with a congratulatory letter."
To be precise, it was a family letter disguised as a congratulatory message.
Shen Tang: "..."
It sounds like there's no problem.
If you carefully consider each word, how can there be so much information?
"Are you sure it was a congratulatory letter from He Xin's family and not a letter from He Shu's family?"
Qi Shan countered, "Is there a difference between the two?"
Five words successfully silenced Shen Tang.
Qi Shan remembered that his master was still single and knew nothing about matters between men and women, so he couldn't accept this strange arrangement for a while. He explained, "Given the circumstances of the He Shu brothers, it's destined that one of them is a human, while the other uses his literary energy as a temporary vessel. It's obvious that they can't each start their own families. The truth can't be known to the outside world, but it can't be hidden from the person next to you."
"so?"
"Just as the Lord thought."
Shen Tang: "...She accepted it too?"
Qi Shan's lips twitched slightly, as if she were thinking of something: "It's more than just accepting; it's common for women from noble families to have one or two close male friends before marriage... and it's also normal for them to be attracted to two men at the same time..."
In times of chaos, aristocratic families have never had high requirements for their daughters getting married—it's fine if they have a close male friend before marriage, but not after; when they step into their husband's family, they must be carrying the blood of another man.
Marriage alliances between prominent families are for mutual benefit; the marriage itself is merely a linchpin. Ideally, the couple will have a good relationship, but if not, they can manage. Given the situation of the He brothers, the woman was willing to accept them, and she was attracted to two men simultaneously and got along well with them. Shouldn't the He family be grateful?
Shen Tang: "..."
|ω`)
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