stand back, let me come

Chapter 1438: Guworm Sugar Pills [ask for monthly ticket]

Before Xu Jie wrote a letter to Shen Tang to apologize, Shen Tang already knew that Xun Zhen had taken away her private money. Don't ask how she knew it, it was Jiang Sheng's words "The master looks like he will lose money today" that made Shen Tang think of this bad news first.

Jiang Sheng was originally surprised at how Shen Tang was able to make a windfall when his luck was down - even though the windfall was gone, it had happened after all - after hearing the whole story, he understood most of it, but was afraid that his master would hold Xun Zhen accountable for this.

He rarely intercedes for his colleagues.

"Although Hanzhang's actions are presumptuous, his original intention is not bad. In addition, the Ministry of Revenue has been in trouble recently. I hope that the Lord will be lenient with him."

As the Minister of War, he was more familiar with the situation of the Ministry of Revenue.

Kangguo has been engaged in frequent foreign wars in recent years. Jiang Sheng has been given the accounts of how many people were mobilized for each battle, how much food was used, and how much post-war compensation was paid. He is very aware of the pressure on Xun Zhen. Although he is annoyed by the procedures of the Ministry of Revenue and even more annoyed by Xun Zhen's increasingly stingy personality, Jiang Sheng would be the first to oppose a new Minister of Revenue.

Of course, no one dared to take over the Ministry of Revenue.

Shen Tang sighed and said, "Why can I blame him? If he really wanted to blame me, why would he wait until today? But he didn't even let me take a look at what those millions of taels look like. It's really a bit cruel."

She just wanted to see what that much money looked like.

"Even if he doesn't do this, the master won't see it." Jiang Sheng said honestly. After all, Xun Zhen used Shen Tang's private treasury, which was her private money, to fight. Even Shen Tang herself didn't know how big the deficit was. If this windfall was deposited into the private treasury first, it would only be taken away by God. In this way, it is better to deposit it into the national treasury first, at least it can be used for emergency.

If you owe God a debt, then just keep it.

Shen Tang: "..."

Jiang Sheng’s words are quite heartbreaking.

"…But is the Ministry of Revenue really in such a difficult situation recently?" Among all the officials, Xun Zhen is definitely not the most cunning and smooth one, but he is not a fool either. Shen Tang handed this matter over to Xu Jie without going through the king's advice, but it is also the king's order!

Strictly speaking, Xun Zhen's action was against the king's order.

Jiang Sheng thought for a moment and said, "It's difficult."

Who in the royal court didn't ask the Ministry of Revenue for money?

The Southwest War was such a loss that Xun Zhen regretted it. He just spent money and was throwing money into a bottomless pit. If he had known that the Southwest War would end like this, he might as well have started in the central part first. Now he is in a difficult situation. Kangguo cannot just ignore the Southwest. Not only can he not ignore it, but he must continue to invest manpower and financial resources.

Most of Kangguo’s troops were concentrated in the central battlefield.

Of the troops left in the country, only a small number can be deployed to the southwest, except for those guarding the northwestern states. Recruiting troops in the southwest is imperative, not only for defense but also for local stability. In addition, people with strong enough strength are needed to take charge.

Regarding the latter, Xun Zhen talked to Cui Zhi.

Judging from the information Jiang Sheng received, the progress was not very good.

The bottom line is that we have no money.

Those southwestern ethnic groups who were apparently defeated and surrendered to Kangguo were all watching the joke and more or less tried to trip up Xun Zhen.

If Xun Zhen wanted to start a fight, he had to find a legitimate reason to silence the crowd. Especially at this time, he had to have a "legitimate reason".

Shen Tang's little bit of resentment was completely dissipated.

"Sometimes I still envy Ji Sunshi."

They start killing as soon as they disagree with each other, without even asking the reason. They use killing to scare these tough guys away. It feels great just thinking about it.

But Shen Tang can't do that.

Because she is not looking for a flash in the pan.

“…Why are some social shakers in the middle school so simple?”

"It's nothing more than favors and leverage."

Kangguo has no friendship with these hermits, so if he asks them to come out of seclusion to help, he must pay them enough. The Central Branch has been operating for so many years, and has a lot of connections. Shen Tang thought for a while, holding his chin and said, "Come to think of it, didn't we capture quite a few prisoners?"

She finally remembered the mages.

Yesterday, Chu Jie also sent a prisoner.

Jiang Sheng said: "These people can't be trusted."

Let them go to the southwest to hold the fort, in case they turn against us it will be even more troublesome.

The war is urgent now, and the effect of appeasement is far less than that of coercion. Instead of betting on the conscience of these people, it is better to bet on their lives! They can sacrifice their conscience for their lives, but they will not sacrifice their lives for their lives. Unless you get hold of these people's vital points!

Shen Tang said calmly: "This is easy."

The king and his minister thought the same thing.

When the mage and the others received the news, they sat up with a jerk. He said to Gong Yang Yongye, "I always feel uneasy. Mr. Shen has been leaving me waiting for so many days, why does he suddenly want to meet someone? Can you tell me whether it is a blessing or a curse?"

Gong Yang Yongye: "How do I know?"

Maybe it's for recruitment.

but--

He glanced at a few people coldly, knowing that these old guys were not easy to deal with and would not surrender easily. Even if they surrendered, they would not really work for Kangguo. However, it was still okay to use them as consumables to deal with the Central Allied Forces: "The people have been brought here."

It wasn't as serious as expected.

The woman, who seemed too gaudy to everyone, was sitting next to the table in plain clothes. She was sitting awkwardly, with a pile of things on the table. When a few people came over, she was looking for something. While she was looking, another young man in a wide robe was sitting at the bottom of the table, sorting things out. The two looked up when they heard the noise.

Shen Tang pointed downward and asked the soldiers to arrange their seats.

"Please take a seat, everyone."

Several people secretly looked at the furnishings in the tent.

The eye-catching decoration can only be described in one word——

Low emotional intelligence, poverty.

High EQ, simple.

Apart from the size, the furnishings here are probably not as good as those of their subordinates. If Shen Tang hadn't been sitting there, I would have thought Gong Yang Yongye had been taken to the wrong place. However, no matter how plain the tent was, Shen Youli sitting there was worth all the spoils of war that decorated it.

Kang Guo killed his former temporary colleague who refused to surrender in front of them. The situation was stronger than the people. The few people who survived until now were certainly not fools, and they would not come here to seek death. Each of them greeted Shen Tang simply, calling him "Mr. Shen", and the atmosphere was quite peaceful. Shen Tang: "How have you been in the camp these days?"

"It's edible."

Considering the status of a prisoner, it was considered a courtesy treatment.

Shen Tang: "Have you guys decided where to go?"

Several people looked at each other: "..."

Get straight to the point with just two sentences?

There was no polite greeting, which made them unsure of Shen Tang's attitude and what she wanted to do. As a last resort, they could only be cautious. The mage even glanced at Gong Yang Yongye with his peripheral vision, hoping that the old man could give some hints. The latter lowered his eyes and was distracted.

It's useless to see him.

Mage: "..."

"Don't be nervous, I'm just asking normal questions."

One of them stepped out with his hands clasped, and appealed to their emotions: "We were coerced and deceived by the villains and committed a serious mistake. Lord Shen is willing to spare our lives, and we should repay him with gratitude. But we are old and weak, and Lord Shen is a man of great talent, so how can he lack talents? If possible, we would like to return home and retire, and never ask about worldly affairs again."

If Shen Tang spared their lives, they could promise not to obstruct Kangguo again. If they talked again, they were willing to restrain their acquaintances from ending up in the game, which would be a win-win situation for both parties. Why lose when you can win?

Shen Tang disagreed: "You are all martial arts masters, in your prime years, how can you say you are old and weak?"

This excuse is too perfunctory.

"Besides, it is not appropriate to return home and retire. The Central Allied Forces have bullied us too much. This battle will not end until one is dead. Sooner or later, the war will spread to the entire central region, and by then I am afraid that your peaceful days will be disturbed." Several people were confused by her words.

If they only read the first sentence, they would think that Shen Tang was mocking them in a sarcastic way, saying that if they didn't want to die, they'd better change their minds; but after hearing the second sentence, they felt that Shen Tang had something else to say.

Judging from his attitude, he doesn’t seem unwilling to let go.

Shen Tang: "To retire, you naturally need to find a quiet place."

"Mr. Shen has a point."

"I do have a good place to go, would you like to hear about it?"

Several people nodded.

Shen Tang: "How about the southwest?"

Several people:"……"

For the Central Continent, other places are remote rural areas, while the Southwest Continent is the countryside among the countryside. In their impression, the Northwest Continent is much more prosperous than before because of Kangguo's management in recent years. Although it is not as good as the Central Continent, it is not bad. The Southwest Continent is a place with poor mountains and bad water, and there are poisonous insects and miasma everywhere.

No matter how you look at it, it's not the best choice for retreat.

The southwestern continent is now Shen Tang's territory.

She asked them to go to the southwest, obviously not intending to release them. But I wonder if her purpose was to imprison and guard them or to recruit them gently?

One person declined: "No matter how good the southwest is, my relatives and friends are all in my hometown. The world is unstable, and we cannot abandon it."

"Are there any relatives or friends still alive?"

Shen Tang did not answer, but just looked at them with a half-smile.

Several people:"……"

Seeing the air filled with Shen Tang's terrifying power, Gong Yang Yongye, who had been looking down at the pattern on his cuffs, finally got the look from his old friend: "Mr. Shen, don't scare them anymore. I know these people well. They are all straightforward. If you have anything to say, just tell them directly. I will do my best to do what I can."

Life is also very important.

Gongyang Yongye also discovered that the thinking patterns of the people in Kangguo were completely different from those in the central region. If these old guys died because of communication problems, their deaths would be somewhat unjust.

Shen Tang raised his eyebrows slightly: "You are all masters of the world, flying dragons in the sky, how can you look down on a shallow pool? I don't want to embarrass you, it is better to make a good relationship than a bad one. But your relatives and friends are still alive. Yesterday, you were able to help the Central Alliance because of favors. How can you know that you will not come out again tomorrow because of friendship?"

All she said was that she didn't believe their bullshit.

Several people felt that their character was questioned, but they could not refute it.

Going back on one's words is nothing new.

"I won't make it difficult for you, and you don't make it difficult for me. Before this war is over, you can't leave the territory of Kangguo. This is the first reason." Perhaps because not many big guys have surrendered voluntarily in all these years, Shen Tang has no interest in recruiting them. He has the attitude of "I'm lucky if I win, and I'm lucky if I lose", and he insists on not forcing them. "Secondly, since you are prisoners, if I let a few of you go easily, how can I be worthy of the soldiers who fought bloody battles in front of the battlefield? In this case, it is better to follow the rules of the army."

When two forces confront each other, they will redeem each other's captives.

There is no way Shen Tang would accept the redemption from the Central Allied Forces, so the captives would need to find a way to redeem themselves.

We have all fought in wars, so we should understand this principle.

Several people came to their senses one after another and prepared themselves mentally.

Rather than letting them retire to the southwest, it would be better to say that the southwest has something that can use them at this time. After the matter is completed, Kangguo will return them to freedom. It seems very simple, but considering the strength of several people, there may be a pitfall here.

Their minds went around in circles.

"In business, we talk business; in the military, we talk military. It's reasonable."

Shen Tang winked at Jimo Qiu.

The latter took out a golden nanmu box from his sleeve.

There were a few small things that looked like candy pills in the box.

Several people couldn't figure out what it was, but their intuition made them alert. Only Gong Yang Yongye guessed that there was a poisonous insect inside the sugar pill.

"Mr. Shen, what is this?"

"You are all talented. If it is inappropriate to force you to swear an oath with courage, let the high priest refine these poisons and you can take them." The simplest way is to let them hang their lives on Shen Tang, but this method can easily drive them to the edge of desperation. Shen Tang's purpose is to use them. After the job is done, you can go wherever you want.

She is a germaphobe and not everyone's life can depend on her.

Jimo Qiu seemed not to notice their darkened faces, and explained with a faint smile: "This poisonous insect only has a lifespan of three years, after which it will naturally pass away. After taking it, it is equivalent to placing a layer of restriction on the Dan Mansion. After three years, you can freely decide whether to stay or leave..."

This is already a fairly lenient plan.

They are now prisoners and the Dan Mansion is also under lockdown.

As long as they are willing to cooperate, they can have relative freedom.

“How can we believe this is true?”

They had more or less experienced or heard about the poison disaster in the Wu Kingdom, and were very afraid of poisonous insects. No matter whether this thing was real or fake, it could not be eaten casually. At this time, Gong Yang Yongye, who was standing aside, cursed and raised his hand to pick up a poisonous insect and ate it.

"You're already a prisoner, yet you're still talking so much nonsense."

He chewed the sugar pill twice.

Analyze the composition of the outer sugar coating in minutes.

"Good things are all very nutritious."

Mage: "...What do you eat it for?"

Gongyang Yongye was not a prisoner of Kang State.

"I'm giving you some medicine to try. Do you want to take a look?"

As the poisonous insect entered his throat, Gong Yang Yongye soon discovered that there was something extra in the Danfu. He calmed down and looked inside, and indeed found a small creature lying on the Wudan. The originally smooth and shiny surface of the Wudan gradually became covered with complex and mysterious patterns.

This should be a ban.

Gongyang Yongye said to Jimo Qiu: "Give it a try?"

Jimo Qiu didn't expect him to do this: "It's not easy to refine the Gu worm. One is worth a thousand gold coins. How could you eat it?"

He pinched his fingers to activate the poisonous insect, and the patterns on the surface of the martial gallbladder flashed twice.

When the gate was closed, the martial energy in the meridians instantly lost its source.

Gong Yang Yongye clenched his fists.

Surprised, "It's really closed?"

It seems the effect is much milder than those bans imposed by the Mohists.

Even though Gong Yang Yongye tried the Gu on himself, the others were not very brave to take it. The magician even directly and tactfully expressed his willingness to serve Shen Tang. If we become one of them, we don't have to eat this stuff, right? In the end, only one person chose to eat it, and the others followed the magician - working for someone is only temporary, and the company may go bankrupt one day, and eating Gu worms randomly is not a good thing.

The poisonous insect is elusive.

You can get caught without even realizing it.

Rather than waiting to be attacked without anyone noticing, it is better to be patient for a while. Choose the lesser of two evils without hesitation.

Shen Tang: "..."

Oh no, are poisonous insects so scary?

|ω`)

Let’s start fasting tomorrow and eat vermicelli tonight.