Chapter 671: Zhao Wei, courtesy name Dawei [Seeking monthly votes]
After conquering the Xin state, the Geng state controlled the four provinces of Ling, Yan, Gan, and Kun, as well as two large prefectures, and was poised for unification. However, the tyranny of Zheng Qiao led to numerous peasant uprisings, and the betrayal of the Zhi King further exacerbated the situation. After several years of war, the region's political landscape changed drastically.
Since the death of King Zheng Zhi at Chengkang Temple, his forces were leaderless, and various factions, each wielding their own power, divided up Kunzhou and its two large prefectures, nibbling and devouring each other. Lingzhou was the first to break away from Zheng Qiao. Before the Dragon-Slaying Game began, Zheng Qiao only had Ganzhou and most of Yanzhou under his control. After the Dragon-Slaying Game began, did Zheng Qiao still have Ganzhou and…most of Yanzhou?
"So after two years of fighting, the front line hasn't advanced an inch?"
These words weren't Shen Tang's complaint, but rather those of his eldest son, Xun Ding.
The two were fishing by the river.
Shen Tang said, "It's not that there was no progress. We even took the entire Yan Province at one point, but the allies of the Dragon Slaying Bureau were too busy dividing up the spoils to notice anything else, and Zheng Qiao's troops seized the opportunity to take it back. After that, the battle remained deadlocked."
Xun Ding: "..."
Shen Tang chuckled twice and told a dark joke.
"Who goes to war truly to eliminate tyrants?"
Naturally, it was for Zheng Qiao's territory and troops. Forming an alliance was also to increase their sense of security, so they wouldn't be left alone and killed by Zheng Qiao. When the allied forces realized that Zheng Qiao was a centipede that wouldn't fall dead, some of them started to slack off.
Those who rush to the front often suffer the greatest losses, but when it comes to recognizing merit, they may not be the ones to take the lead. Who would want to be the sucker?
"So, what lesson does this teach us?"
Xun Ding thought about it seriously: "Does fighting a war require unity of purpose?"
"Wrong. Don't bring in too many small shareholders when starting a company. Because you don't know if they actually have brains or just seem to have them." Shen Tang said this earnestly, saying things that Xun Ding couldn't understand, and Xun Ding simply ignored it.
Just as I was about to speak, the fishing rod moved slightly.
The two hurriedly reeled in their lines, only to find a handful of water plants. Disappointed, Chen Tang exclaimed, "Where's the fish? Where's my fish?"
The march was tedious and boring, with few opportunities to amuse themselves. They finally came across a river, and thinking there might be fish in it, she and Xun Ding decided to go fishing to change their menu. However, after squatting there for half a day, they caught nothing. Disappointed, they cast their lines back into the river.
A fisherman never goes home empty-handed!
She refused to believe she couldn't catch it.
As the ripples on the water caused by the fishing hook subsided, Shen Tang waited quietly for her fish to take the bait. Xun Ding, sent by his father as a personal guard, had no choice but to stay close by. The two stared intently at the fishing line, but a quarter of an hour passed without any movement.
Although she didn't catch any fish, Shen Tang still managed to eat some.
Chu Yao's grilled fish is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with an irresistible aroma.
Shen Tang did three in a row.
Chu Yao: "We've rested enough, let's continue."
Shen Tang mounted the motorcycle, and before they had been traveling for long, he received a reply from the scouts ahead, who reported that a group of people was approaching.
"Which ally is it?"
Chu Yao was slightly surprised after reading the report sent back by the scouts: "The banner reads 'Wu,' so it should be Wu Xian's troops from Tianhai."
Of all the allies in the Dragon Slaying Bureau, Shen Tang's territory was the furthest from Xingyang Road, and she set off right on time—not that she didn't want to arrive earlier, but there were too many trivial matters on her territory, and time was simply not enough—Logically, she was most likely to be the last to arrive, but who knew she would run into Tianhai's people halfway. Tianhai is much closer to Xingyang Road than Longwu County, could it be that Wu Xian has a procrastination problem?
"Send someone over there to inquire."
The outside world was still talking about their deep brotherly love, and it wouldn't be right not to greet them if they ran into each other. Before Shen Tang's group even arrived, Wu Xian's envoy had already been sent. A familiar face appeared, and Shen Tang's eyes lit up. He spurred his motorcycle forward.
"A noble cause!"
The visitor was none other than Zhao Feng, Zhao Dayi.
Zhao Feng had not seen Shen Tang for many years and felt a pang of emotion.
However, things are different now.
He clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Greetings, Lord Shen."
"Why be so polite with such a noble sentiment? It's been so many years since we last met. I've missed you dearly. Let's get together for a drink sometime."
A slight smile appeared on Zhao Feng's serious face.
"That's easy!"
After speaking, he couldn't help but glance at Shen Tang's troops.
Shen Tang knew at a glance that he was looking for his daughter, and whispered, "Dayi, stop looking, your daughter isn't here."
Zhao Feng was startled: "Then where did she go?"
When did your daughter leave Longwu County?
Why didn't he receive a message from Xu Quan?
He mistakenly thought Zhao Wei had left, but Shen Tang meant otherwise. She pointed to the rear of the army and said, "Escorting military supplies."
Zhao Feng's mood fluctuated wildly.
Although he had guessed his daughter wouldn't stay quietly in Longwu County, Zhao Feng's expression still darkened when she actually came to the front lines to join the fun. He couldn't help but scold her in a low voice, "The battlefield isn't a place for her to play house. Swords have no eyes... This is utterly reckless!"
Shen Tang smiled and said, "Dawei's talent is not weak."
Zhao Feng asked, "Who is Dawei?"
Shen Tang: "..."
Um, how should I put it?
She said, "Dawei is your daughter Zhao Wei."
Zhao Feng looked at Shen Tang with a complicated expression.
Shen Tang looked at him with a similarly complicated expression.
A bad feeling flashed through Zhao Feng's mind.
"Isn't this the nickname that Xu Quan, that brat, gave you?"
"But these are also words engraved on the Martial Courage Tiger Tally..."
Zhao Wei, courtesy name Dawei.
She said that a proper name must be given before the Martial Courage Tiger Talisman is condensed! Some Martial Courage warriors from humble backgrounds are unaware of this important fact, and they don't even have a proper name, let alone a courtesy name. As a result, after the Martial Courage Tiger Talisman is condensed, the places where inscriptions should be placed are all nicknames like Dazhu, Shuanzi, Heizhi, Tiegun... and now there's another one: Dawei.
Shen Tang and the others didn't remind Zhao Wei, assuming that Zhao Wei already knew.
After all, Zhao Wei is Zhao Feng's daughter.
Coming from a military family, there's no reason he wouldn't know, right?
As it turned out, Zhao Wei really didn't know.
When she excitedly shared the newly concocted Martial Courage Tiger Tally with her comrades, she was instantly dumbfounded upon seeing the name and courtesy name on it. Zhao Wei, courtesy name Dawei—who in a respectable family would choose such a courtesy name?
Mistakenly believing that Xu Quan was behind it, they went to kill him.
result--
Xu Quan is completely innocent.
Zhao Wei's expression froze: [Can this still be changed?]
Xu Quan hid under the roof beam, laughing until his stomach hurt: "No way."
Zhao Wei completely erupted: 【Xu! Wen! Shi!】
Therefore, Zhao Wei never wore the Martial Tiger Talisman again.
Once a proper name is given, it becomes inappropriate to address someone by their given name directly.
The name Dawei is now fully established.
Zhao Wei thus became sworn enemies with Xu Quan. Whenever the two met, sparks flew everywhere, all because Xu Quan had such a foul mouth and gave people random nicknames! After hearing the whole story, Zhao Feng's lips twitched: "No wonder Xu Wenshi never mentioned this in his family letters to Xu Wenzhu; it turns out he knew he had made a mistake..."
Shen Tang: "How about I call Wen Shi over for you?"
Zhao Wei started late, and even though his cultivation speed wasn't slow, it was impossible for him to catch up with Xu Quan, who had been cultivating since childhood. But Zhao Feng was different; Zhao Feng could easily defeat Xu Quan.
This can be considered as venting Zhao Wei's anger.
Zhao Feng shook his head: "Next time."
As a father, he naturally wanted to help his daughter get revenge.
But that's a private matter; we should prioritize public affairs now.
Zhao Feng conveyed Wu Xian's message.
Since our two families are destined to meet, why not travel together? If you're interested, Wu Xian will host a banquet for Shen Tang tonight to rekindle our relationship. Shen Tang naturally had no reason to refuse: "Please tell Brother Wu that I will definitely attend the banquet on time."
Zhao Fengdao said, "I will definitely relay this truthfully."
After he left, Shen Tang frowned involuntarily.
Standing to the side, Chu Yao sighed, "It seems that Dayi hasn't had a very good time under Duke Zhaode these past few years; he's been wronged."
If Zhao Feng is the vanguard general, why would he need to come in person to deliver such a simple message? Even if it's under the pretense of a good relationship between Zhao Feng and Shen Tang, this arrangement is still somewhat unreasonable. Sending a trusted confidant of Zhao Feng would have achieved the same effect.
Shen Tang sighed, "My sense of righteousness..."
Chu Yao looked at his lord with a smile in his eyes.
"Perhaps that day will come."
Meanwhile, Zhao Feng returned to Wu Xian with the news.
Wu Xian asked him to describe Shen Tang's reaction in detail, not missing even the slightest expression. Hearing that Shen Tang agreed to the banquet without even asking where it was held, he felt a little uneasy. This reaction meant that Shen Tang had no defenses against him.
"well--"
Wu Xian sighed to his subordinates.
“Brother Shen’s sincerity remains as it was back then.”
Wu Xian didn't really have any bad intentions at this banquet. He simply wanted to reconnect with Shen Tang and reminisce about the days when they formed an alliance in Xiaocheng, where they were brothers. He also wanted to win Shen Tang over to his side to increase his own bargaining power.
He thought the other party would try to dodge the question.
To everyone's surprise, he agreed without even thinking about it.
Before it was completely dark, Shen Tang arrived at the banquet on time with a group of men, and Wu Xian led his men out of the camp to greet them. The two were very enthusiastic when they met, addressing each other as "Brother Shen" and "Brother Wu" as if they were long-lost brothers reunited in a foreign land.
I almost gave him a bear hug.
"Many years have passed since we last met, and Brother Wu's demeanor is even more impressive than before."
Shen Tang opened her eyes and launched into a series of insincere compliments.
Wu Xian smiled gently and said modestly, "Not at all, I'm already old, how can I compare to Brother Shen's dragon-like appearance and phoenix-like charm?"
The two took their seats.
Although the marching conditions were harsh, Wu Xian's family was wealthy and powerful, and he also had an inexhaustible supply of resources, so the banquet for his guests was still lavish. The aroma of the food wafted into her nose, whetting Shen Tang's appetite. She took a sip of hot goat milk to warm her stomach before indulging in the meal: "Brother Wu, please forgive my rudeness. I've had a hard time these past few days, so please don't stand on ceremony."
Those who work hard are people with a strong work ethic; those who work hard are all superior to others!
After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,
Wu Xian not only prepared fine wine, food, and milk, but also arranged singing and dancing performances, making Shen Tang secretly envious. When would she be able to be so extravagant? Seeing her staring at a "dancer" in a daze, Wu Xian asked with a smile, "Brother Shen, have you taken a fancy to this person?"
Gu Chi paused, his chopsticks still in his hand.
Luan Xin also looked over upon hearing this.
The "dancer" chosen by Wu Xian stopped dancing and gracefully bowed to Chen Tang. Her hair was as black as clouds and her neck was long and slender. Although her face was covered with layers of white powder to suppress the color of her skin, she was still clearly a beauty.
A delicate and pitiful beauty.
As for Shen Tang, she has a bit of a "face-value" personality.
But this one wasn't her cup of tea.
Shen Tang honestly replied, "No."
"What kind of woman does Brother Chen like?" Wu Xian smiled and waved to the dancer. He gently returned to continue the dance, "Brother Chen is seventeen this year, and there's no one by his side who cares for him. We've known each other for many years, so I won't be stingy with a beauty or two. If you like one, take her back. Although it's true that a man can't bear you children..."
Shen Tang almost spat out the hot goat milk she was halfway through swallowing.
Horrified: "A man?"
Wu Xian replied matter-of-factly, "Of course."
Military campaigns are not like spring outings, so female relatives cannot be brought along. However, Wu Xian was a refined man who enjoyed listening to music and watching dances in his spare time. This not only relieved his boredom but also helped pass the time. Since banquets in the army were always accompanied by singing and dancing, he kept a group of entertainers.
Shen Tang: "..."
Wu Xian thought she was just shy and embarrassed.
He asked again, saying he wanted to act as a matchmaker for her.
The excuse was: "Call him 'brother,' how can an older brother let his younger brother remain a bachelor?" Coincidentally, he had a daughter of marriageable age, who was both beautiful and talented. Shen Tang was also an outstanding person; if the two were destined to be together, they would surely be a match made in heaven.
Shen Tang: "..."
A real-life version of "You call me brother, I call you dad"?
Dame Dame!
She refused, and Wu Xian didn't force her.
After all, his goal wasn't to have Shen Tang become his son-in-law, so he immediately probed Shen Tang's opinion on the Dragon Slaying Bureau's allied forces. Shen Tang frowned and said, "To be honest, Brother Wu, I'm not very optimistic. In war, it's all about striking while the iron is hot, then weakening, and finally exhausting. If we couldn't take down Zheng Qiao when our momentum was at its peak, we might not be able to unite our forces now that we've gathered all our troops."
No one wants to suffer the most casualties and acquire the fewest spoils, so in order to preserve their own strength, they will naturally slack off.
Some don't even paddle, they just reap the benefits.
Some people shout slogans loudly, but they only fire duds.
Wu Xian sighed, "I share this worry."
Shen Tang asked, "What did the Alliance Leader say?"
Wu Xian shook his head: "I don't know."
A plan formed in Shen Tang's mind.
"I do have a suggestion, though it may be premature."
“Brother Chen, tell me quickly.”
"Once the allied forces successfully join forces, the first battle against Zheng Qiao will be a resounding victory. If they suffer a crushing defeat—Brother Wu, you can step forward and personally withdraw from the Dragon Slaying Bureau, and I will follow you then..." Seeing Wu Xian's expression change slightly, Shen Tang continued with a smile, "It would be best to privately contact a few like-minded allies and have them respond one by one. With more people withdrawing, the remaining ones will naturally panic..."
Wu Xian's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
The reason is actually very simple.
The allied forces were able to hold their own against Zheng Qiao thanks to a few key figures, including Wu Xian's forces. If Wu Xian had left with his men, the allied forces would have undoubtedly collapsed under Zheng Qiao's command. If they had been slaughtered one by one by Zheng Qiao, they would have been slaughtered even by the earthworms in their own backyard!
When their lives are in danger, even those paddling will start to exert themselves.
Wu Xian clapped his hands and praised, "Brother Shen's move can indeed unite the allied forces, but doing so will inevitably offend the leader of the alliance."
He didn't want to provoke Huang Lie for the time being.
Huang Lie, that gloomy, ghostly thing, has nothing to fear even if he's barefoot.
But Wu Xian still had a lot of concerns.
Shen Tang said, "Wouldn't it be fine to just let them know beforehand?"
Huang Lie wanted to annex Zheng Qiao's power more than anyone else.
Wu Xian laughed heartily and treated Shen Tang with even greater enthusiasm.
They wanted Shen Tang to pack up before leaving.
Shen Tang: "..."
Packing food is fine, but not people.
She likes enthusiastic and energetic puppies.
Gu Chi had been holding back all the way: "Isn't that Gong Xi Chou?"
Shen Tang gave him a look that said, "What kind of eyes do you have?": "Can Gong Xi Chou be called a puppy? He's clearly an old dog!"
_(:з」∠)_
(End of this chapter)
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