Chapter 1224: Come on, you little brat (Part 2) [Requesting monthly votes]
Shen Tang did not immediately agree.
She waved for the others to leave, and all was silent except for the low growl of the You Kingdom's royal woman, which sounded like a dying beast. Seeing her in such a humble and pathetic state was quite a blow to her pride. Having nothing else to do, Shen Tang picked up the memorials beside her and began to review them.
As time passed, the beast's breath grew cold.
All the resentment brewed into despair.
She was almost in tears: "Shen Jun won't agree?"
What filled her with even greater despair was that she had no right to demand anything from the other party. She couldn't take revenge; she could only watch helplessly as the blood feud raged within her. The royal woman of You Kingdom murmured softly, "...Indeed, it was all wishful thinking on the part of this humble commoner, a pipe dream, an overestimation of her own abilities... But this humble commoner is not reconciled! I hate her! I wish I could drink her blood, devour her flesh, skin her alive, scrape off her oil to burn as a sky lantern, and then rip out her heart to see what color it is..."
Shen Tang paused, then continued to add the remaining strokes.
The royal woman of You Kingdom seemed oblivious to the changes in the outside world, lost in her own thoughts, her eyes bloodshot and filled with rage: "She's a woman herself, she too was once powerless, she too was once treated like a plaything, why can't she spare the women of You Kingdom? Allowing troops into the city for three days, what exactly is she...?"
Besides Shen Youli, the two women she admired most in this world were the King of Qi and Mei Meng, the King's trusted confidante. The former was far removed from her; her understanding of Shen Jun came mostly from folk tales and rumors. He was often portrayed as a romantic and charming man, but also possessing a chivalrous heart. Whether it was his domineering and autocratic nature in the imperial court or his dashing and unconventional demeanor while wandering the martial world, he was too perfect, almost inhuman.
In comparison, the latter is more down-to-earth for both the ruler and his ministers.
They both lived in the southwestern continent, where customs and traditions shared many similarities. Therefore, she could better understand how difficult it had been for the King of Qi to rise from a powerless princess to where he was today. The unwavering trust and mutual support between ruler and subject, a bond traditionally celebrated only among warriors and scholars, was now being passed down to a new gender.
She thought the King of Qi really understood!
Looking back now, what fundamental difference is there between everything she did and those manipulators and bloodthirsty culprits of the past? She was neither a man nor a woman; she was power! A demon who acted with impunity once she had power in her hands!
Shen Tang patiently waited for her to vent most of her emotions.
He raised his hand and gently stroked her head, a cool sensation spreading from her hairline throughout her body, causing the royal woman of the You Kingdom to shiver involuntarily. The intense emotions that had just filled her with worry and pierced her heart now completely subsided, and her mind was clear.
“Firstly, I didn’t say I wouldn’t agree. I didn’t speak because I didn’t want to disturb your venting; it’s not good to bottle up negative emotions.” During the time she was venting, Shen Tang reviewed thirty-six memorials, arriving a little earlier than usual. She concealed this slight relief beneath her gentle gaze. “Secondly, those in positions of power rarely empathize with those in lower positions. She used to be a princess, then faced many hardships, and even after being mired in difficulties, she managed to rise again. The people she should be most grateful to are herself and Mei Jinghe, yet she never shared the reins of the Qi Kingdom with Mei Meng. Her experience is actually somewhat similar to Zheng Qiao’s back then…”
The royal woman from You Kingdom didn't understand Zheng Qiao: "Zheng Qiao?"
Shen Tang said, "Well, Zheng Qiao was originally from the royal family of Geng Kingdom, and later became a hostage in Xin Kingdom. His life was full of hardships and setbacks, but he was lucky enough to meet a good teacher and a somewhat stubborn senior brother. Hearing this, you probably think that his suffering will eventually turn into happiness, but no, he became the male favorite of the old king of Xin Kingdom, an experience that was a lifelong disgrace for him. Wasn't the early experience of the king of Qi Kingdom the same? Later, when Zheng Qiao came to power, no one asked him to sympathize with the prostitutes in the brothels."
The royal woman of You Kingdom: "..."
Shen Tang pulled out a memorial she had reviewed and spread out its contents: "I'm not saying this to excuse the behavior of the Queen of Qi, but simply to say—don't romanticize a stranger you don't know just because of some commonalities, especially when that stranger is in a position of power. The Queen of Qi is a woman, but she is also a powerful ruler."
Even without Gu Chi pointing it out, Shen Tang knew that this envoy from You Kingdom had a strange fondness for her and even tried his best to beautify her.
To be honest, the filter is a bit too heavy.
People seen through filters are too perfect, making it impossible to accept the gap between reality and imagination: "The ruler of a country is above all others. As diligent and hardworking as I am, I am preoccupied with ensuring that the common people under my rule are well-fed, clothed, and live long lives. This is not only because I have a kind heart and pity for the old and weak, but also because the goal of bringing peace and prosperity to the world is more meaningful than indulging in pleasure. Pleasure only requires indulging desires, and decadence requires no effort. Restraining desires and reshaping order, however, requires immense self-control, even self-torture. As cruel and tyrannical as Zheng Qiao is, he only wants everyone in the world to be as unhappy and miserable as he is. Power is merely a stepping stone to achieve his goals."
"Similarly, the same is true of the ruler of Qi State."
It's nothing more than using the power in one's hands to satisfy one's own desires.
The most important thing is desire, not anything else.
They expected the King of Qi to sympathize with other women because of his past experiences, just as they expected Zheng Qiao to sympathize with Guan'er's misfortune because of his experience with his male concubine. In reality, Zheng Qiao not only did not sympathize with Guan'er, but he also extracted a great deal of profit from her.
Otherwise, where would the red-light districts of Xiaocheng have come from back then?
How much effort did Shen Tang put in to shut down these industries and settle the men and women who only had physical skills, enabling them to make a living with their skills? It's been eight years since Yuanhuang, and the Xiaocheng government still has to conduct surprise inspections from time to time to prevent those people from secretly returning to their old ways, and they even have to allocate funds to give them six months of medical check-up vouchers.
"Her first consideration is her own position and the power she holds, and she will never care about other women, unless she is concerned that this issue can bring her tangible benefits." Shen Tang's words were harsh, but realistic. "Don't place your hopes on the morality of those who rise to power in chaotic times. Few of those who can hold great power are not beasts."
The only difference is—
Beast, worse than a beast, or even a beast himself admits his inferiority.
The royal woman from You Kingdom looked at Shen Tang with a complicated expression.
She opened her mouth, but in the end, she couldn't hold back what was on her mind.
"...But isn't Shen Jun also in a position of power?"
There's no need to drag yourself into this, and with such nasty insults.
“I never said I was human.” Shen Tang gave her a sly smile and winked. “I’ve just transcended base desires. Destruction is easy, but establishing order is far more challenging.”
The royal woman of You Kingdom: "..."
For the first time, she felt that the person in front of her was even more heart-fluttering than the characters in the stories: "...If that's the case, I hope that all the rulers in the world can have such refined tastes as Lord Shen, and that every generation can be a wise ruler."
Instead of indulging in desires and becoming a puppet driven by power.
Whether it was Shen Tang's words of comfort that had an effect or not, the royal woman of You Kingdom inexplicably felt a little sorry for the king of Qi Kingdom.
Shen Tang hesitated, "...Why is he pitiful again?"
Isn't this a bit too imaginative?
Her emotions are too abundant.
The royal woman from You Kingdom said, “How can she not be pitiful? She used to be a puppet of her father and brothers. She thought she had escaped her predicament and could finally control her own life, but now she is still a puppet of power. She could have been remembered in history, but now she can only be associated with Zheng Qiao.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than Shen Tang flicked a roasted chestnut at her fingertips.
She winced and clutched her forehead: "Shen Jun?"
Shen Tang sighed helplessly: "I told you, don't overthink it, and don't put filters on people. If we follow your logic, then no one in this world is not a puppet. I've worked hard for so many years, and my expenses over the past decade can't even compare to one of their lavish banquets. Aren't I even more pathetic? Earning so much but not spending it, being so stingy, isn't that being a puppet with 'high-class tastes'? Power is a good thing, and those who wield power have freedom you can't even imagine. What's so pathetic about that!"
To her, the King of Qi was just another normal opponent, no different in essence from Tao Yan, Zhang He, Qiu Cheng, Zheng Qiao, or even Huang Lie. They were all stumbling blocks, easily kicked aside.
The royal woman of You Kingdom: "..."
He stammered, "Thinking about it this way, I want her dead even more."
The ruler of Qi had the same face as countless rulers, a realization that made her shed her previous illusions and lessen the heart-wrenching pain she had felt nine times before. But it didn't lessen her hatred. She still wished for him to die a horrible death.
Shen Tang said, "I want to too."
You either kick away the stumbling block or smash it.
Zheng Qiao and his ilk belong to the latter group, while Wu Xian belongs to the former.
The royal woman of You Kingdom is determined to restore her kingdom, and Kang Kingdom still has a legitimate reason to send troops to the southwest continent to attack Qi Kingdom. Shen Tang is too lazy to pay attention to the opinions of other countries in the southwest continent, and only leaves an arrogant sentence: "Either you return the borders of You Kingdom and all the losses to Qi Kingdom, or help Qi Kingdom fight together, or shut up."
Don't just talk the talk.
Upon hearing Shen Tang's words, the civil and military officials of Qi turned ashen-faced, while the Qi ruler remained unmoved. She had already sent people to persuade other countries; Shen Tang, having already targeted Qi, would not be satisfied with just Qi. At this crucial moment, unity was essential.
However, the results were not entirely satisfactory.
Wasn't Qi Kingdom's crisis self-inflicted? What became of You Kingdom, a small country with nothing that had even clung to Qi Kingdom's coattails? It was quietly and silently destroyed by Qi Kingdom! With Shen Youli's Kang Kingdom eyeing it covetously, is Qi Kingdom some kind of saint?
All crows are black!
Faced with the call to action from the State of Qi, a group of small states pretended to be dead.
Deep down, they hoped that both the Qi and Kang states would suffer heavy losses.
Only when these powerful neighbors are completely dead will they remember each other's kindness. The remaining countries with some strength have different ideas. In addition, the infiltration of the branches of the Gods Society and the Eternal Life Cult, the complex power struggle makes them more inclined to Qi State—after all, Qi State is one of their own in the Southwest Continent, while Kang State is an outsider from the Northwest Continent.
The Southwest Branch was unwilling to be swallowed up by the Northwest Branch!
Within a short span of ten days, the allied forces that were to attack Kang Kingdom were quickly assembled.
The most interesting thing is the names of their allies.
Upon receiving the message, Shen Tang couldn't help but chuckle: "...Why is it another Dragon Slaying Squad? I think I've worked diligently all these years, I shouldn't have committed such a crime! These people actually put me and Zheng Qiao together? No, who are they trying to disgust?"
Disgusted with yourself?
Or is it Zheng Qiao, who is disgustingly relegated to the eighteenth level of hell in a labor camp?
Qi Cang slapped his thigh with glee, almost laughing himself to death: "My God, Zheng Qiao is really missing out if he doesn't get to see this. I bet he never dreamed that, with the weeds on his grave several meters high, someone would actually compare him to that guy surnamed Chen?"
If you live long enough, you'll see all kinds of birds.
If Zheng Qiao, with his terrible temper, knew about this, he'd probably be so disgusted he'd kick his own coffin lid off, or maybe he'd go visiting and strangle all the ancestors of the Qi Kingdom. This joke made Qi Cang laugh until his stomach hurt.
The man sitting opposite him, Shen Wuyou Tang, laughed helplessly: "Even if King Shen is bad, his reputation is still better than King Zheng's."
Qi Cang said, "The key is not reputation, it's brains."
Chen Wuyou Tang raised an eyebrow: "Brain?"
Qi Cang, without a care in the world, said to his former boss, Zheng Qiao, "Zheng Qiao is a man who equally despises anyone who claims to be mentally sound. The more mentally ill someone is, the more he likes them, and I'm no exception. You know, the world is so messed up these days, so living for the moment is the right thing to do... If you don't mess with others, you'll only be messed with by others, or forced to mess with others... Sigh, I used to think that just surviving was not bad, but later, I saw through it all and understood that life is so short. If you don't find more fun, even if you live a long life, it's all for nothing."
Zheng Qiao is practically his life mentor.
"...Is this the reason the general came to visit?"
Chen Wuyou Tang ignored Qi Cang's vulgar language, her heart filled with vigilance. She had always acted cautiously, hiding her identity, and hadn't expected Qi Cang to show up uninvited. Did Qi Cang think she was as mentally unstable as him, that they were kindred spirits?
Qi Cang smiled and shook his head: "No, it's just that I think you have a lot of potential, so I came to befriend you, that's all."
Shen Wuyou Tang: "...Really?"
Qi Cang narrowed his eyes dangerously, like a hawk feigning sleep; seemingly harmless, yet the glint in his eyes was terrifyingly shrewd and murderous. He countered, "If not for this reason, General Zhongli, what do you think it is?"
Shen Zhongli's alias was not official; only Cui Zhi within the Qi Kingdom faction knew it. Her official alias was Zhongli Fu, the "Fu" meaning revenge. Her appearance, identity, and background were completely different from Shen Tang's; Qi Cang shouldn't recognize her. She remained completely calm.
Even if Qi Cang guessed it, so what?
Will the mad dog beside Zheng Qiao be loyal to the King of Qi?
He is only loyal to things that bring him joy.
Besides, he had no evidence whatsoever; it would be foolish for her to panic. Her expression remained flawless, and she echoed Qi Cang's question, "Isn't it because of the Cui family? Because of that Lady Mei?"
Zhongli Fu belongs to the Cui clan and is also one of the powerful relatives of the Qi state's ruler who is trying hard to win over. He is someone who can be trusted and nurtured. As a veteran minister, Qi Cang is bound to disapprove of the newcomers, so it's normal for him to stand up for Mei Meng.
Qi Cang said, "Neither."
He put down his teacup, stood up, and took his leave.
With his movements, the ornaments at his waist clinked rhythmically, their sound dull and lifeless, unlike gold or jade. Shen Wuyou Tang followed his gaze, only catching a glimpse of something peeking out from beneath his robes. The color of this object resembled—
Qi Cang stood at the doorway, his steps halting: "Does this look familiar?"
Chen Wuyou Tang: "Never seen it before."
They are two stone carvings of birds and fish.
|ω`)
The amused man pointed and commented on Qi Cang.
Mei Meng, Lü Jue, the King of Qi, Qi Cang, Gongyang Yongye, Cui Zhi, Cui Hui, Cui Xiong, Cui Mi, Miao Ne, and another elite force from the Northwest who has not yet appeared—each character in this story has their own ending.
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