stand back, let me come

Chapter 1574 Extra: If we don't close the net soon, I'll become the boss (Part 2)
"Was that young man your son?"

Shen Tang recalled the young man who had claimed to be Jiang Sheng's son earlier.

Jiang Sheng shook his head: "Of course not. If he were my son, I would have put aside my own kinship long ago. How could I have let him live until now?"

Shen Tang: "Is he also a core member of the fraud ring?"

Jiang Sheng's expression turned serious: "It doesn't belong to you."

"Good heavens, there's a third-party force involved here."

"My lord probably can't guess which side he's on."

Shen Tang became interested: "So mysterious?"

Jiang Sheng: "It's not that they are mysterious or capable, but that the Lord may have long since stopped paying attention to them."

Shen Tang understood the elegant meaning from the sound of the stringed instrument.

Qin Li: "It's those restless bunch again."

Jiang Sheng said mockingly, "The royal court has become increasingly stable in recent years. The traitors who tried to overthrow the country and restore the old regime have had to go from the open to the shadows, hiding all day long. Few of these stray dogs can be seen in the light, and they don't have a proper business. They either live off their savings or try to find ways to get help from old friends in the old regime... They have managed to survive to this day by begging from all sides."

These restorationists have been poor for over a decade.

One day, he suddenly became rich overnight.

They secured an extremely large political donation.

Shen Tang laughed angrily: "Fine, I get it now. So the fraud ringleader makes money with his left hand and funds them to cause trouble with his right, right? Well, when the situation is chaotic, the fraudsters' business thrives."

Although these two grasshoppers can't make a name for themselves, they're like toads on her feet—the fraudsters hid the stolen money in the Phoenix Court, and the thieves even dared to come and transfer this "political donation," their cooperation disgusting her: "It ruined my good mood for the whole day."

Jiang Sheng: "Gong Su's saying that to catch the thief, you must first catch the king also makes sense."

Even a centipede with a hundred legs doesn't die easily. It would be best to coordinate from both inside and outside to wipe them out in one fell swoop. These creatures are like cockroaches; if not completely eradicated, they'll come back again—truly a nuisance.

Shen Tang nodded and said, "I wholeheartedly agree."

After she finished speaking, she looked up at the rooftop again.

He asked in a loud voice, "What do you think?"

Upon seeing her move, Jiang Sheng and Qin Li immediately shifted their positions, almost simultaneously blocking Shen Tang's path. Only then did they raise their eyes to look at the rooftop. When they saw a dark figure sitting there, a chill ran through them—when had this person appeared?
As the dark clouds dispersed, moonlight poured down.

The shadowy figure revealed its true form.

It turned out to be the same young man surnamed Jiang from earlier.

Qin Li turned to look at Jiang Sheng, his eyes questioning what was going on.

Wasn't this young man supposed to be a representative of the restoration party, here to hand over "political donations" to the fraud gang?
This entrance doesn't look like that of a lowly henchman.

Just as the two were speculating about the young man's true identity, Shen Tang revealed the answer with a single sentence: "Or do you think my words are not respectful enough, and that I should address you as 'Lord'?"

Qin Li: "..."

Jiang Sheng: "..."

Those who can be addressed as "Lord" by their lord are few and far between.

In my memory, there were only a few old lords like Gongyang Yongye, Luo San, and Wei Cheng, and these old lords all earned their titles of "Lord" through their own merit, not through royal court titles. In other words, this seemingly young man is actually of the same generation as the three mentioned above?

With his hands behind his back, Qing Deng landed lightly. His tone was completely different from before, carrying the unique Deng flavor of an old antique: "I thought that Shen Jun would be ready to fight and kill after he learned the truth."

“Under the current laws of Kangguo, there is no death penalty for fraud; the maximum sentence is life imprisonment. For someone like you with a lifespan far exceeding that of ordinary people, life imprisonment is merely a change of residence to retire. In that case, there is no need to make the first move.”

Not to mention that Qin Li and his companion were still here.

At such close range, what if this shameless old man Deng launches a sneak attack and hurts someone? She doesn't care whether old man Deng, this piece of rubble, lives or dies, but she cares about Qin Li's two precious gems. Wouldn't it be heartbreaking if these flawless gems were damaged by rubble?

The young man looked at Shen Tang with an indifferent expression.

Shen Tang met his gaze directly, neither avoiding nor backing down.

The young man suddenly smiled, and the unsettling chill emanating from him vanished: "Shen Jun's answer is truly surprising, exactly the same as what that scoundrel Wei Cheng said... Ah no, you yourself are more interesting than the 'you' he described."

Jiang Sheng: "..."

Good heavens, this temporary adopted son who called him "Father" for a while really is a remnant of the Wu Kingdom of the same generation as Wei Cheng. A dignified 20th-rank Marquis, so shameless?

Shen Tang asked, "What are you trying to achieve by daring to show yourself?"

She went straight to the point.

The young man was dissatisfied with her attitude.

"Has anyone ever said that Lord Shen is insensitive to romance?" Only those who have no interest in his soul would go straight for his body. He thought that this woman who could unify the four continents and accomplish what her former master could not would be a shrewd and charming ruler.

Shen Tang: "Has anyone ever said you're too old?"

Young Old Deng: "..."

Shen Tang: "I obviously wouldn't develop 'feelings' for an old man over two hundred years old. Don't mistreat the elderly."

Young Old Deng: "..."

Wei Cheng clearly hadn't said that Shen Tang was so sharp-tongued.

He didn't want to cause himself any trouble. If he didn't get straight to the point, the man surnamed Shen would definitely say something even more infuriating: "I do have something to discuss right now... I hope Mr. Shen will be lenient."

"Does Your Excellency know which law of Kang State you have violated?"

He himself has a lot of piss on his bottom that he hasn't cleaned up yet.

"I know."

"If you knew it, why did you still commit the crime? Having committed such a grave mistake, why do you still have the audacity to ask me for leniency? Don't you find this contradictory, my lord?"

When you ask someone for a favor, you should have the proper attitude.

The young man, Lao Deng, was not angry at all. Instead, he laughed and said, "What you said is wrong, Mr. Shen. Doesn't the law also have the saying that surrendering oneself can reduce one's sentence and that one can make amends for one's mistakes? Although Mr. Shen doesn't care about those people who have fantasized about restoring the old regime, if they are not cleaned up, they will keep popping up to cause trouble for Mr. Shen from time to time. What's worse—how can Mr. Shen know that among the old friends who have been harassed by them, there won't be another Gu Wangchao?"

She should know very well how Gu Chi's entire family died.

Given how much she values ​​Gu Chi, she wouldn't allow similar stories to continue, letting Gu Chi reopen old wounds every time he sees them, right?
Shen Tang: "...You did this on purpose?"

He deliberately used so-called "political donations" to lure the restorationists, making it easier for the young Deng to betray them.

Young Lao Deng: "If a man doesn't look out for himself, he'll be condemned by heaven and earth."

"Did your late lord teach you that this phrase cannot be used in this way?"

Young Lao Deng: "He probably doesn't know as much as I do."

Shen Tang: "..."

Young Lao Deng said, "Speaking of which, even if I hadn't 'made amends for my mistakes,' Lord Shen should have 'gone lenient' with me."

"Why?"

"I have rendered service to your country and its people."

"Have you made a contribution?"

"I merely confiscated assets beyond their means, ensuring their meager wealth matched their impoverished minds. Among them, there were those who harbored disloyalty, discontent, and hatred towards the royal court. Does Lord Shen naively believe that everyone in this world will be grateful to you for unifying the four continents and bringing them peace? On the contrary, they hate you intensely! Peace and wealth are reserved for a select few powerful individuals. You turned something that should have been a luxury into something commonplace, enjoyed by all sorts of people... Am I not satisfied with dealing with them for you?" Shen Tang said calmly, "Nonsense."

He was clearly acting out of personal desire, yet he could make it sound so righteous, as if his previous actions were all acts of righteousness: "You dealt with them? You satisfied your desires. If it weren't desires that drove you to do this, but rather a heart for the public good, would there have been the incident where Jiang Qing's eldest son almost hanged himself? You're just making excuses!"

How much wealth do ordinary people actually have?

I was completely scammed.

Those with weaker resilience suffered direct family ruin and death.

Shen Tang simply did not accept his sophistry.

The young man, Lao Deng, showed no sign of anger or embarrassment. Instead, he shrugged, spread his hands, and laughed, "This is the essence of my martial arts: deception and trickery. If you're not cunning, how will you catch any fish?"

For him, "sophistry" is not a form of questioning.

It was praise from those in positions of authority.

Shen Tang: "..."

She said, "There are few sane martial artists and scholars: 'Just say what your purpose is.'"

If the conversation continued, her blood pressure would rise.

After a long time——

Shen Tang said, "I have one last question."

“Please speak, Mr. Shen. I will answer all your questions.”

"Is this your way of making amends?"

"Shen Jun's opinion is also acceptable."

Shen Tang curled his lips, his words tinged with sarcasm: "Leaving aside my humble beginnings, even when I was based in the Northwest and had accumulated some wealth, I never saw any of you people. Now, you're all calling yourselves Marquises this and that..."

The young man thought she was going to ask something.

He asked, "Has Mr. Shen ever gambled?"

Shen Tang: "..."

With Kang Shi around, the gambling table was a no-go zone for her.

The young man, Lao Deng, didn't care whether she answered or not, and continued, "The gambling table has always been a winner-takes-all place. You only have the chance to take everything if you're a winner. If you don't win, how can you take everything? Those who achieve great things, when they are struggling, have both wise and capable ministers and generals supporting them, as well as hungry wolves and tigers around them. After they have achieved success and fame, they only have good people around them."

He spoke casually and coldly.

When Shen Tang was still in the background, she wasn't a winner yet, so naturally she wasn't qualified to take everything. But once she took everything, wouldn't he go from being a "wolf and tiger" to a "good person" who was trying to win her over? She cared about the process, while he only cared about the result.

He didn't care about the benefits of sharing joys and sorrows, so naturally he didn't need to go through the hardships of pioneering.

One result is enough.

Shen Tang: "..."

The young man, Lao Deng, handed over the embezzled money and had his prison sentence extended.

Shen Tang cleaned up the mess he left behind.

The only thing that made her feel slightly better was that while cracking down on the fraud gang, recovering the stolen money, and wiping out the restorationists, she could also conveniently resolve a minor matter from not long ago—Zhao Fengbi revealed that what happened in his family was somewhat related to the restorationists.

Jiang Sheng also recovered the money his eldest son had been swindled out of.

He had originally intended to return all the money to his eldest son, but before he could even tell him about this decision, he learned something from his wife that made him so angry he felt a pang in his chest, and he cried out that his family was doomed.

The eldest daughter-in-law had previously said that her eldest son hadn't had a chance to tell his siblings about his "money-making scheme," and he initially chose to believe her. Although the children were very harmonious and friendly when they were young, they gradually developed their own thoughts after growing up and starting their own families, and he had seen all of this. He could understand his eldest son's desire to "make money quietly." Who would have thought that his eldest son had written to his siblings about it?

No, I should say I "bragged" about it.

Other children also secretly carried out "investment" to varying degrees.

They just didn't have the same greedy and reckless nature as their eldest son, and didn't invest their entire fortune with high leverage. Their contact with him was still relatively recent, and their guard hadn't completely lifted, so their losses weren't severe and remained within their tolerance; they didn't resort to suicidal thoughts.

Jiang Sheng's face darkened slightly.

He was a ruthless character born from chaotic times; as a strategist, how could he be simple-minded? With a little thought, he guessed the truth the eldest son's family was hiding. They were afraid that Jiang Sheng and his wife would hear that their other children had also been scammed, and worried that they would have to hand over their entire savings to cover their losses. Originally, they could have provided a full safety net for the eldest son's family, but this one share might only cover three or four parts.

They simply chose to keep it a secret.

Let their elderly parents help them pull the family out of the mud first.

As for the siblings, no one will die.

Jiang Sheng figured all this out and looked up at his wife. His wife's face was full of worry; she seemed never to have imagined that the child she had raised would be so selfish. She felt ashamed of her poor upbringing and heartbroken that her sibling, who should have been a loving and supportive partner, had turned out this way.

These children were all born after she carried them for ten months.

Which one isn't my heart and soul?
Her current state is what pains her the most.

Jiang Sheng's voice was a little hoarse: "They have long since grown up. They are not only parents but also grandparents. They are no longer the babies we used to hold in our arms... We have to accept whatever they grow up to be... even if it is contrary to our wishes."

Upon hearing this, his wife burst into tears.

Jiang Sheng was also heartbroken.

The couple embraced in silence, their minds filled with images of their children in their innocent childhood, their cries of "Father, Mother" melting hearts. Jiang Sheng believed he had been fair to his children, never granting them a larger share of the inheritance because they were sons, nor favoring them based on age or sweet talk. Even when the family divided the inheritance, it was always an equal split.

And so, it ended in this way.

Alas, every family has its own troubles.

Jiang Sheng can handle so many things in the Ministry of War with ease, and he can soothe and appease even the most difficult military officers. But when it comes to his own children, he is dumbfounded and helpless.

This incident had a huge impact on him.

Even after Jiang Sheng returned to work following his leave, he still couldn't stop thinking about it.

Gu Chi was forced to listen to the whole story.

While he was eating in the corridor with Jiang Sheng, he sneered, "I never thought that even our Duke Wen could be so blinded by his own involvement. If this had happened to someone else, you would have seen through it long ago. The discord between brothers is nothing more than feeling mistreated."

Jiang Sheng: "I have never shown any favoritism towards them."

If one has it, the others will have it too.

Gu Chi: "Sigh, Duke Wen, don't you understand? What you should have received but didn't is mistreatment. For so many years, the eldest son has inherited the family business. When it came to you, you divided it equally regardless of gender or age. Doesn't the eldest son feel that his brothers and sisters are taking away what should belong to him? There's a saying that 'the eldest is loved and the youngest is pampered, and those who aren't born into the right family are only half-backed.' It's common for the youngest son to be spoiled in the family, but how much do you and your husband favor the youngest son? Have you indulged him even a little because he's young?"

In other families, the daughters who inherit legitimate inheritances are usually those with cultivation talent. However, Jiang Sheng's daughter is an ordinary person who receives the same treatment as her brothers. Don't the other brothers feel that she is taking what should rightfully belong to them? The daughter also has her own thoughts. Now that they are under the rule of a female ruler, why should a daughter have to have cultivation talent to receive the same treatment as her brothers?
However, some of the brothers were greedy.

therefore--

Gu Chi concluded: "It's normal for estrangement to arise. They're living, breathing people, not plants in your yard. Even as their parents, you can't force every child to grow up the way you want. For now, the only thing to do is accept it and let them be..."

He said this, but in his heart he was glad that he only had one adopted daughter.

Jiang Sheng: "..."

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