Shen Tang thought that a meeting was a group of people getting together, you speak and I follow up, everyone works together, brainstorms, faces challenges, and discusses the strategy of advancing. The rebels who occupied Xiaocheng are not weak, they also have Gongxichou, a powerful weapon!
This was the meeting that Shen Tang had imagined.
The actual conference—
Whether it was efficient or not was not the point, but it was indeed much more exciting than she had imagined. Have you ever seen a rural market? It was almost like that. Shen Tang came with Gu Ren, but the seat he was assigned was far away from him, and the treatment was very different.
Gu Ren frowned.
He didn't seem very satisfied with this arrangement.
However, he was not the organizer of the slaughter of cattle and sheep and the banquet for various forces, so he could not say anything and sat down directly at his seat. As soon as he sat down, he saw a few familiar people. They toasted each other and exchanged greetings with smiles. The scene seemed very harmonious.
only-
Beneath the harmonious surface, there are undercurrents.
Shen Tang did not come alone, he also brought Qi Shan and Gu Chi.
First of all, Qi Shan was worried about Mr. Shen, because Mr. Shen was so good at creating "surprises"? He still wanted to live two more years.
Secondly, how can it make sense for the boss to be the only one working overtime
Gu Chi volunteered to come, so we took him along.
Shen Tang looked strange: "Don't you find it too noisy now?"
Gu Chi slowly straightened his clothes. The heat from the plum wine had not yet dissipated, and his eyes were still a little blurry. "It's noisy, but also interesting... I really want to know how many of these people are truly responding to the so-called imperial edict..."
Shen Tang asked in confusion: "Are there still people trying to take advantage of the situation?"
Gu Chi smiled and said, "The drunkard's real intention is not to drink..."
Shen Tang was confused when he heard this.
They came here in response to the imperial edict, naturally to take advantage of the bait thrown by Zheng Qiao, but Gu Chi said, "The drunkard's intention is not to drink"... Could it be that someone here is here for other purposes? Shen Tang suddenly remembered something, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and he shook his head.
"... If that's the case, then you're quite ambitious..."
In addition to the rebels under the command of King Zhu, Xiaocheng also has the "missing" national seal... Tsk tsk tsk, these forces came so quickly, it is indeed "the drunkard's intention is not the wine", but the national seal. Shen Tang curled his lips and agreed to take Gu Chi with him.
Even with the addition of the sickly-looking Gu Chi, Shen Tang's group consisted of only three shabby people, all of whom were scholars of letters. There was no brave warrior with a sense of security in charge, and as expected, they were arranged to a remote corner.
What's even more depressing is that -
There is a row of gentlemen in front of Shen Tang.
This was also a tall and strong brother. Even when he was sitting still, he looked like a huge lump, completely blocking Shen Tang's sight.
Unless Shen Tang stood up, she couldn't see the faces of the leaders sitting in front of the tent. She looked at the slightly raised butterfly bones and strong back of the man in front of her with some despair, and listened to the chattering and discussion around her.
Shen Tang: “…”
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
Pounding the table secretly!
She also wants to breathe the high altitude air!!!
Gu Chi chuckled slightly, and Shen Tang glared at him. Perhaps he was frightened by the sharp look, and he changed his words to comfort her: "Shen Lang is still young, he will still grow taller in the future... After all, he has a solid foundation, don't panic."
Only then did Shen Tang look away.
Gu Chi said: "Shen Lang—"
Shen Tang crossed his arms across his chest, still a little angry.
The tone of his response was also somewhat angry: "What?"
Because of the way of the literati who deceive people, Gu Chi has mastered the trick of multitasking - listening carefully to the thoughts of the people, paying attention to their words, and at the same time talking to Shen Tang: "Shen Lang, do you think - are there any of these people that you like?"
Shen Tang asked back: "Is she worthy of my attention?"
She pointed at the backs of the guys in front of her and said, "I didn't even see what they looked like, I only saw their backs..."
The meeting experience was extremely poor.
Gu Chi said helplessly: "I'm not referring to their appearance."
No force gets promoted based on appearance.
Without waiting for Shen Tang to answer, he added: "I'm not referring to their backs. Shen Lang has observed their words and actions. Is there any hero among them?"
Shen Tang: “…”
To be honest, she was even more confused.
Can you tell who the hero is by just chatting or holding a meeting
Without a real fight or a close relationship, who knows whether they are really capable or just bluffs? Shen Tang didn't know anything about them and shook his head honestly: "I can't tell which one counts for now, just wait and see."
Gu Chi said, "I found one."
Shen Tang was excited: "Who?"
She was curious about who could please Gu Chi...
You have to know that this fellow’s way of being a scholar is to “read minds”.
The selection criteria must be very strict, and only those who are consistent in appearance and heart can be looked up to by him. Because she was too curious, she couldn't help but lean forward, fearing that she would miss this gossip.
Gu Chi was speechless when he saw this: "Didn't Shen Lang ever think about himself?"
Shen Tang: "...Are you teasing me?"
Gu Chi smiled and took the wine cup from Shen Tang's table.
Said: "Shen Lang can guess."
Shen Tang: “…”
She had every reason to suspect that Gu Chi had said this in order to cheat her out of her wine! She curled her lips secretly, and took the two plates of snacks into her arms like she was protecting her food, shielding Gu Chi's covetous eyes.
Qi Shan on the side looked at Gu Chi twice with an inexplicable look.
Avoid Shen Tang and communicate in private.
The two exchanged glances several times.
Before they could come to a conclusion, the camp, which was as noisy as a market, gradually quieted down. Apart from the breathing of the crowd, the only sound was the crackling of the burning candles. It turned out that the pre-war meeting had officially begun! Shen Tang also changed his casual attitude and sat upright.
She stared at the back of the man in front of her. At this moment, a strange middle-aged man's voice came from the top of the tent.
The man said in a steady voice: "Now, in compliance with the king's order, all of you have gathered here to fight against the rebellious traitors. Do you have any plans for advancing the army?"
As soon as the voice fell, a man with a slightly sharp voice spoke up: "I think that if you want to defeat the rebels, you must first establish a leader."
Shen Tang's eyes lit up.
She is familiar with this process!
What follows is the Versailles show-off segment.
The so-called leader is naturally the one with the strongest strength, the best family background, the highest reputation, the largest territory... It is estimated that this will take a while.
Shen Tang couldn't drink alcohol, so he could only drink tea to moisten his throat. As he drank, he thought to himself, "It's bitter. I hope they can choose a leader soon. Otherwise, if I drink too much tea, I'm afraid my bladder won't be able to handle it... It's not good to run out to the toilet in the middle of a meeting..."
Due to the altitude, she couldn't see the people who were speaking. She could only listen to their voices and footsteps to judge their approximate age, height and strength. "Struggle for power is indeed an instinct engraved in their bones. Even a useless leader can be fought over. Zheng Qiao didn't come, but he's not dead. Do you really think he's a puppet with no power at all?"
Gu Chi became even more leisurely.
His altitude is high, so it's not that bad.
With the addition of Shen Lang, he found that this kind of occasion was not so boring - he could observe the person who was speaking while proofreading Shen Tang's complaints. The latter's mumbling always brought unexpected surprises and added a different kind of fun to the boring bickering.
He agreed with Shen Tang's point of view.
Although the so-called leader can constrain everyone to obey orders and can also do some small actions in private - such as tilting resources towards his own side. However, if he loses this battle, it will be ok. Once he wins, the so-called leader will become a thorn in Zheng Qiao's side.
A leader who is highly regarded by the public and has both fame, family background, strength and territory, it would be strange if Zheng Qiao didn't mind...
However, not everyone is stupid.
Some people jumped out to compete, while others were not interested at all.
The battle for the leader position was not very intense.
The leader of the alliance was quickly chosen.
A man named "Wu", not very old, probably over 30 years old, with a neatly trimmed goatee, and clothes that seemed low-key, but in fact, the word "expensive" was revealed in the low-key. The most important thing is that this man has the military force of half a county!
The one with the most and strongest troops among all.
Don't think that half a county is small. You should know that the continent is divided into many parts and there are hundreds of countries. Some small countries only have half a county or one county. They are struggling to survive between the big countries. A typical example is the Chu State in the past!
Although this man named "Wu" is not the nominal owner of this half-county, he does have real military force under his command.
As soon as he stood up, everyone else fell silent.
Are you kidding? They are not even in the same league!
How can two or three thousand soldiers compare with those at the level of tens of thousands
Shen Tang was puzzled and muttered to himself: "He is so awesome, why did he come to participate in this instead of lying low and gathering his strength? Isn't he afraid that Zheng Qiao will target him and kill him in secret?"
The first bird to stick its head out gets shot!
Shen Tang suddenly thought of Gu Chi's previous question.
Understood.
This gentleman named "Wu" is probably here for the national seal.
As long as he gets the national seal, in a sense, he will be equal to Zheng Qiao. He also has the military force of half a county, and if he absorbs the forces oppressed by Zheng Qiao, he will be able to develop in a short time. This is the pursuit of wealth and honor in danger.
After reaching a consensus and having a leader, everyone burned incense and swore an oath of blood under the leadership of Mr. Wu. Shen Tang then saw the appearance of the new leader in the gap between the crowd. He was almost the same as she imagined, but there was an indescribable sense of pride between his eyebrows.
Look at the person when speaking, without looking sideways.
Because conditions were very limited, the blood alliance did not choose an auspicious day, but directly used local materials.
The new leader straightened his clothes, put on his sword, washed his hands and burned incense.
Bow once, bow twice, bow again.
Deliver an impassioned speech.
Drink a bowl of wine dripped with livestock blood, and finally smash the bowl to express your determination! Everyone else did the same, except Shen Tang...
Except Shen Tang!
Shen Tang, who was forced to become the focus: "..."
The new leader noticed Shen Tang standing in the corner. Seeing her young appearance and her remote location, he guessed her power. He didn't think such a small power could have much effect, but if she didn't cooperate with the process...
This is a big problem.
The new leader had a gentle but dignified smile on his face. Without approaching, he asked from a distance, "What's your name, young man?"
Shen Tang pursed his lips. He never expected this to happen. He could only bite the bullet and answer, "I am Shen Tang."
The new leader asked: "Why doesn't Master Shen drink this wine?"
The only thing missing was to ask her directly if she had any objection to the alliance.
The other people also looked at Shen Tang with complicated eyes.
Shen Tang could only say half-truthfully: "Well, well, I can't drink much... I was afraid of embarrassing myself in front of others, so I didn't drink."
Her alcohol tolerance was one problem, and another problem was that she felt that drinking raw animal blood was unhygienic. Usually, chicken blood would be used in blood oaths, but since the target was the "Zhu King", the animal chosen was a pig, and it was a pig that was slaughtered on the spot! The smell was overwhelming!
Shen Tang took a sneak peek and saw that the pig didn't pay much attention to hygiene. It was still struggling and howling while bleeding...
If I really drink it, I won’t get sick, right
I was really worried that a group of people would swear an oath of blood to fight against the Pig King, but end up getting plague on the way and dying young... But then I thought, swine plague is not like chicken plague, so it doesn't seem to be contagious to humans
She was just about to grit her teeth and drink it, but unexpectedly the people around her moved faster than each other, making her look like an alien.
She wasn't even given a chance to make amends.
The new leader obviously did not accept this argument.
The looks from other people also became somewhat hostile.
Only Gu Ren stood up to mediate for Shen Tang. He said, "Mr. Shen is indeed young and can't drink much. Why don't you give him a cup of tea?"
The new leader didn't say anything, but someone else was "speaking frankly". He sneered: "Young? If you are really young, you should stay at home and be protected by your father and brothers, or enjoy the beauty and the pleasures of life, and be influenced by the decadent lifestyle, instead of staying among the heroes and causing trouble for us in such a solemn occasion!"
Some people couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Shen Tang's expression changed, and he looked at the man with some unfriendly eyes, and politely declined Gu Ren's suggestion to replace the turbid wine.
He sneered, "Okay! Then you better remember this. No matter how drunk I get, you have to stop me!"
After saying that, he raised his head and drank it all in one gulp.
Qi Shan went forward with a headache and supported the drunk Shen Tang.
The new leader also agreed with the "straightforward" speech. After all, Shen Tang was too young, not even as tall as his youngest son. What was the point of such a kid getting involved? But he didn't expect Shen Tang to get drunk in seconds! He closed his eyes on the spot!
"He is..."
Qishan sighed: "My Lord is drunk..."
New leader: “…”
Everyone: “…”
Are you really drunk
There were few ordinary people present. They were all scholars with keen five senses and warriors. They could still feel the change in Shen Tang's aura and were all speechless.
Some people secretly complained about Shen Tang for disrupting the solemn and serious blood-drinking ceremony, but some people also noticed Qi Shan, who had a low presence.
The man opened his eyes wide in shock and immediately called out to him.
"You are—Qi Yuanliang???"
He lost his voice because he was too shocked.
Qi Shan looked in the direction of the voice and his expression froze slightly.
Gu Chi raised his eyebrows and asked secretly, "Are you an old friend?"
Qishan's face remained calm and composed.
While responding to Gu Chi: "Former colleagues..."
Gu Chi understood instantly.
If there are former colleagues, there will naturally be former masters.
The way of the scholar who prays for good is well known to Lord Fei.
Qi Shan had to say: "Long time no see, Brother Qin."
The new leader looked at his confidant and asked with a little curiosity.
"Qin Qing, do you know each other?"
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