Chapter 1453: Starving to Death (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Martial arts masters with extraordinary courage can replenish some of their body's energy by absorbing the energy of heaven and earth, achieving a short-term effect similar to fasting. However, this can easily lead to problems in the long run. Ordinary soldiers can only obtain energy through food; once their supplies run out, they will be the first to succumb. The question then arises: would martial arts masters with extraordinary courage voluntarily allocate their limited supplies to maximize efficiency?
Not only will they not, they will also restrict the supply of food and provisions as much as possible.
Chu Jie had been leading troops in battle for decades; how could he not understand this principle?
Instead of turning these ordinary soldiers into provisions, they were left to starve to death, which could be considered merciful.
"Then they..."
Being trapped in the stone fortress would mean certain death.
There is still a glimmer of hope if we concentrate our forces to break through.
When Chu Jie returned, he observed the battle area. Judging from the remaining traces, the last breakout from Shibao should have happened three or four days ago. Surely these people wouldn't have given up hope so easily?
Shen Tang said, "The initial attack was quite fierce, but we are not to be trifled with either. We thwarted several breakout attempts and didn't let a single one escape. The fighting style of the central countries is different from ours, so we should take this opportunity to get to know them better."
Two seemingly casual sentences conceal utter indifference.
War is not child's play; every battle means more deaths. On the Kang Kingdom's side, they're using the lives of the stone fortress defenders to gain experience.
Chu Jie didn't seem to have any objections to this.
Back then, even the elite troops at Yonggu Pass used the Ten Wu soldiers to gain experience. Without battle-hardened soldiers, how can one call themselves elite?
Improving one's own strength at the lowest cost is something we couldn't ask for.
Chu Jie was surprised by something else: "In such a desperate situation, the commander of Shibao still hasn't surrendered? He truly has an iron will."
In this chaotic world of warring states, few military commanders possessed a concept of loyalty; their own lives were of paramount importance. The commander of Shibao, however, defied this norm, and this integrity commanded Chu Jie's utmost respect. But his admiration was abruptly extinguished by Shen Tang's violent suppression.
"Oh, he does seem to be trying to back down."
The garrison commander couldn't hold out for several days and was ready to give in to Shen Tang.
Therefore, an envoy was sent to her to discuss peace terms.
After all these years, Chu Jie still couldn't figure out Shen Tang's thought process. He asked hesitantly, "Then why are you still guarding the stone fortress?"
Shen Tang chuckled: "I welded an iron plate onto his knee."
He wanted to kneel down?
No way, not allowed.
"He is, after all, the vanguard commander sent by the Central Allied Forces to lead the charge. Do I have any respect for this opponent? Even if he dies, he should die standing, not live on his knees." If the man from Shibao heard Shen Tang's words, wouldn't he be furious enough to vomit blood?
Chu Jie: "..."
In layman's terms, what she meant was: "I'm going to torture you to death. I'll let you die, but I won't let you surrender."
For any general on the battlefield, surrendering to the enemy after a defeat is already a great disgrace. Shen Tang took this disgrace to a whole new level by refusing to accept surrender.
Chu Jie also keenly observed: "Does that person have a special background?"
Refusing to surrender is tantamount to cutting off the escape route for the opposing generals. Unless there's a specific purpose, the lord's actions are deliberately escalating the conflict. Knowing that their only option is death, the enemy will fight tooth and nail. After much thought, it seems this vanguard marshal has a special background, and the lord isn't afraid to offend him to the death.
Shen Tang nodded, confirming his guess.
"...This person has extremely close ties with the central branch of the organization and comes from a prestigious family. It's impossible for him to truly be loyal; bringing him in would only cause trouble." Since the goal is to reshape the world, let's do it all at once. It's better to completely eliminate some hidden dangers than to deal with them slowly after the world is at peace, when we'd really be hesitant to act rashly.
"It's better to kill it now than to keep it alive and let it become a threat."
It wasn't just the vanguard commander, but also the elite soldiers under his command, who were the core supporters of the central aristocratic families. Shen Tang couldn't openly express his desire to massacre, so he carried it out secretly, but his civil and military officials would still support him.
Chu Jie knew she disliked the people from the central region, but he didn't expect her dislike to be this extreme. However, he knew he wouldn't interfere. Firstly, this matter was none of his concern, and secondly, after the unification of the country, the resources in the court would be reshuffled, and as a general from the Northwest, he naturally wouldn't want generals from the central region to occupy too much power.
Why wouldn't he take advantage of the situation from the very beginning?
With this thought in mind, even the taciturn Chu Jie would clasp his hands in a gesture of respect and offer a few words of flattery to Shen Tang: "Your Majesty is wise."
Shen Tang patted his broad shoulder.
He said narcissistically, "I think so too."
Shen Tang refused to let the elite troops of Shibao surrender, but she also did not massacre the ordinary soldiers. If any ordinary soldiers escaped under the cover of night, she would turn a blind eye. The Yudi Mountains were intricate and complex; after crossing one mountain, countless others awaited. It was a miracle that these people had managed to escape alive.
Night fell again in the blink of an eye.
The soldiers served the food on time.
The military camp conditions were harsh, and as the lord, she didn't receive much preferential treatment. She ate flatbread, a hundred or so flatbreads the size of washbasins, served with a large bucket of flavorful mutton soup. The crispy, fragrant flatbreads were filled with minced meat, and Shen Tang ate them with her mouth full of oil.
"...It's reasonable for a martial artist with a strong will to abstain from grains, otherwise, with that kind of appetite, which warlord could afford to feed them?"
Shen Tang burped several times.
To speed up digestion, she also practiced two sets of sword techniques.
The feeling of fullness eased slightly, and she ordered someone to bring over the unfinished official business for the day to review one by one. As long as the Stone Fortress didn't go on a crazy breakout attempt, Shen Tang's daily routine remained unchanged: eating, working, and sleeping! Cultivation was done by squeezing in whatever opportunity came her way.
The guards changed the candles several times before Chen Tang finally put down his brush, rubbed his neck, and stretched, asking, "What time is it?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, it is just past midnight."
Shen Tang rubbed her temples, looking worried: "So early?"
For someone who used to stay up all night every day to finish her drawings before transmigrating, the third watch of the night was still before the nightlife even began, so it was indeed very early. She put her hands on her hips and looked at the empty desk with a worried expression: "The long night is unbearable without any work to pass the time."
It's far from time to sleep.
She thought for a moment and then ordered her men to patrol at night.
"I must get online again sometime in my lifetime..." He called it a night patrol, but it was really just aimless wandering around. At times like this, he desperately missed his mobile phone and internet. Shen Tang gazed at the moon with melancholy, thinking there was no one to share his joy with, so he went to the central military camp to find his officials.
What is the Internet?
Upon hearing this, Shen Tang smiled and said, "Gong Su is not asleep either!"
Looking at Kang Shi, who had nowhere to hide behind Qin Li, she said, "It seems there are quite a few people who can't sleep tonight, Ji Shou?"
Kang Shi walked out with an embarrassed smile, and awkwardly bowed.
"Greetings, my lord."
Shen Tang just snorted and didn't settle accounts with him about his previous squandering of luck. Instead, she asked them why they weren't sleeping in the middle of the night.
Qin Li: "Taking a walk, a chance encounter."
Kang Shi said, "I can't sleep."
Strangely enough, he hadn't dreamt of his cousin for over a decade, but these past two days he'd been dreaming of him frequently, and the cousin's appearance seemed very abnormal. Since the dreams of scholars often held omens, Kang Shi decided to consult Jiang Sheng for dream interpretation.
They ran into Qin Li, who was taking a walk because he couldn't sleep.
The two exchanged a few polite words, and then the master muttered something about "going online again in my lifetime."
What is the Internet?
Is it the internet in the real sense? Or is it someone else?
The three sleepless people decided to huddle together to pass the time. Shen Tang hadn't forgotten Qin Li's question from earlier: "The internet, ah, it's what allows people from all over the world to communicate without distance..."
Qin Li said, "Isn't that something from the Imperial Workshop?"
"It's different from what's being done in Zhoukou."
Information and communication were extremely inconvenient in this era. To give a seemingly absurd but common example, a military general guarding the frontier might not know that a war had broken out there, or even that Kangguo was at war with an outsider.
Even in the past, there were many ordinary people who didn't travel and whose activities were confined to the county or city their entire lives.
Moreover, this is an era where going out relies on walking and making phone calls relies on shouting.
Out of ten ordinary people, perhaps only two or three can name the current year and country, while the rest are completely clueless.
Seeing Shen Tang's disappointment, Qin Li comforted her, "Even if it's not available now, it will be available one day if the Lord desires it."
Our Lord is most skilled at creating miracles.
"Gong Su is still my favorite." She's beautiful, capable, and has a pleasant voice, unlike the others who rob and kill. Shen Tang's gloomy mood didn't last long; she suddenly felt a bit hungry. "Didn't Ji Shou capture a lot of enemy supplies? I remember there were quite a few sheep among the spoils he brought back, right?"
Perfect timing, it's late at night, ideal for a barbecue.
Freshly slaughtered and grilled lamb skewers are a must-have for summer barbecue.
"We should also prepare some wine; it will taste even better that way."
The emperor and his ministers, not caring about the location, found an open space and set up a campfire. Shen Tang used her martial energy to conjure iron skewers to skewer the mutton. Qin Li and the other could not refuse, so they had to divide the work.
He found the shoulder straps, tied up the long sleeves, and followed Chen Tang's steps.
"Hey, you'd think a martial artist with these skills could start a business with zero upfront costs and succeed at anything..." But instead, they chose the most difficult path, dedicating all their energy to fighting. Take barbecuing, for example—the skewers made of martial energy are incredibly useful!
Qin Li and the other two: "..."
Feeling uncomfortable eating alone in the middle of the night, Shen Tang called for more people to come over.
"No, how did it get to you?"
Shen Tang looked down on Su Shiyilu.
Su Shiyilu: "It was my turn to be on duty during the first half of the night."
He received the message right after finishing his shift, thinking it was something good, but it turned out to be barbecue. Who hasn't eaten that before?
but--
I've never tasted anything baked by the head of state himself.
Since he was already there, Shen Tang couldn't just send him away.
The group of three enjoying skewers gradually grew to more than ten. Seeing that one sheep wasn't enough, the guards went and brought over twenty more. With some fine wine and this barbecue party scene so detached from the battlefield, it didn't take long for them to become slightly tipsy: "...With all these skills of mine, what else can I do if not use them to make a name for myself?"
Shen Tang: "We can go for a barbecue."
Su Shiyilu's barbecue skills are better than hers.
"...How could I, the dignified General of Chiwu, do such a thing?"
Bei Qiu retorted, "What's wrong with General Chiwu? Yuanmou sells ice in the summer, and I've never seen him complain."
The barbecue crowd: "..."
Su Shiyilu looked at Yun Ce in horror, seeking confirmation of the truth.
Yun Ce said, "Mm."
It's just that with the war this year, business has been suspended. I wonder what the customers' expressions will be when they hear that the reason for not selling ice is that the shop owner is away fighting. Bei Qiu pointed to himself: "The Directorate of Works also generates revenue from fireworks, which earns much more money than my salary. If I ever step down, I can open a fireworks workshop in the countryside, and I guarantee the business will be booming."
Su Shiyilu: "..."
Ask around, and everyone has a side hustle.
Gu Chi owns several bookstores and a printing factory.
To cultivate his skills, Jiang Sheng would disguise himself and go to the market to tell fortunes whenever he had free time. Qi Shan was focused on receiving a salary without working. Chu Yao was absent from his duty post, but Shen Tang knew that he also had other side jobs in private...
Su Shiyilu: "..."
He thought he had integrated into the Kang Kingdom's court, but he never expected to find that he was still an outsider. These people are really something else!
Is it really okay to discuss side hustles in front of your boss?
Look at Shen Tang; Shen Tang doesn't care.
The grilled meat was sprinkled with spices, and the flavor was truly amazing.
The aroma wafted from afar, making one's mouth water uncontrollably.
When they heard the commotion in the distance, no one was surprised—to avoid causing a bad impression, they were having a barbecue outside the camp. If anything happened to these guys outside, they'd all be finished.
When the battle situation is unfavorable, more soldiers are likely to desert, especially at night.
I reckon they escaped from the Stone Fortress.
If they had any sense, they wouldn't have come here to cause trouble.
result--
The rustling sounds grew closer.
Qin Li and his companions were scholars with refined tastes, their hearing far inferior to that of martial artists. They only discovered the deserters when they reached within a hundred paces of them. The group exchanged bewildered glances, seemingly surprised by someone's recklessness. Shen Tang gave them a look, reassuring them.
Yun Ce put down the iron skewer and wiped his mouth with a refined air.
"This humble servant will go and take a look."
The visitor did not give him that chance and showed himself on his own.
There were about a dozen men with eyes that looked green with hunger, all dressed in commoner's clothes, carrying weapons, and clearly fierce and menacing. In contrast, Shen Tang and his companions were dressed simply, and the military officers had removed their armor and were deliberately concealing their auras.
There were no guards around, just about ten of them.
At first glance, they looked like a dozen or so green recruits sneaking a snack in the middle of the night.
"Shut up if you don't want to die."
Fearing the commotion would attract the attention of the Kang Kingdom's patrolling soldiers, the lead deserter brandished his knife and uttered a few threatening words. His face was covered in crisscrossing centipede scars, and his eyes were fierce; he was clearly a man who had killed countless people. Shen Tang blinked and slowly raised her hands.
She came up with something fun.
"Hero, spare my life!"
Su Shiyi almost choked on the piece of meat he hadn't yet swallowed, looking at her with exasperation. Even this damned Shen Youli had "surrendered," what was he, as her subject, supposed to do?
Qin Li glanced at her out of the corner of his eye several times.
The corners of her lips are slightly upturned.
He spread his hands out to indicate that he was unarmed.
"I didn't expect it to be a bunch of bastards!" The deserter was stunned and cursed under his breath. Seeing the meat skewers that were already roasting on the campfire, they were like starving ghosts reincarnated, stuffing them into their mouths without caring about the scalding heat. Those who couldn't get any directly grabbed raw lamb legs and bit into them.
A short while later, there was another rustling sound approaching.
This time there were about twenty people again.
Shen Tang narrowed his eyes with amusement.
Previously, deserters would flee in small groups of two or three, and as time went on, the number of deserters decreased, and they became emaciated. This time, so many people suddenly appeared, which seemed very strange.
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It's crayfish season again, and the night market is tempting me with 7 jin (3 catties) for 99 yuan every day...
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