Redemption indenture
These three big words make people doubt whether they are illiterate.
"Borrowing contract? Redemption? What does this mean?" Qiu Cheng's old subordinate slammed the "Borrowing Contract" on the table and shouted, "What does Shen Youli mean by this! What does it mean to give me a 'Borrowing Contract'? Tell me!"
The old subordinate who was sent the deed had a hot temper.
The soldier who came to deliver the contract was trembling with fear after being sprayed, and dared not wipe the spit on his face. Even though this old subordinate had been banned from Dan Mansion and could not use his unique skill of tearing a living person apart, his sturdy and strong body and the murderous aura honed by years of fighting still left a psychological shadow on the soldier. The soldier gritted his teeth and said, "It means... let the general's family pay money to redeem him..."
“Why?”
The table clattered loudly.
Soldier: "... But, you are a prisoner."
The straightforward answer choked Qiu Cheng's old subordinates and made them speechless. He paced back and forth anxiously and angrily like a wounded beast whose territory had been invaded. After a while, he said irritably: "All my relatives are dead, what can I use to redeem myself?"
Upon hearing this, the soldier looked at him with sympathy and said, "If that's the case, you can only do corvée labor to earn time to redeem yourself... When you earn enough, you will be free again... With the general's ability, it should be quick..."
After all, it is an eighth-class public vehicle.
Qiu Cheng's former subordinates: "..."
When two forces are at war, it is common for the victorious side to ask the defeated side to exchange silver, money, rice and grain for prisoners.
Because prisoners are manpower and also a burden.
As many prisoners as there are mouths to feed.
There is no food and we can’t sell it at a good price or can’t sell it
Then we have to kill them all to save food.
However, Qiu Cheng's situation this time was quite special. Shen Tang had him all taken down. Not to mention the captured old subordinates, even Qiu Cheng himself was handed a "ransom contract". The amount was determined by referring to their family background, origin, status, savings and other data to come up with a more reasonable number. They could choose to ask their relatives to pay for the ransom, or they could work to redeem themselves.
What if you refuse to pay and do the work
Then you can only see the King of Hell.
In short, you can't eat white rice.
Some of those responsible for negotiating with them were former colleagues who had changed jobs, which was more or less awkward.
Qiu Cheng's face was as black as ash at the bottom of a pot, and the eldest lady looked worried and said, "My dear, why don't you let me write a letter to my mother's family?"
If Qiu Cheng wants to redeem himself, he has to write a letter to the head of the Qiu family, who is his cousin in name but his brother in reality, to ask for the redemption money. But Qiu Cheng has previously responded to Huang Lie's call to raise an army to fight against Zheng Qiao, despite his elder brother's family being held hostage by Zheng Qiao.
Almost forced all the members of the Qiu family's eldest branch to death.
The two brothers became mortal enemies.
How could he come up with the ransom money to redeem himself at this moment
Even if the other party was willing, Qiu Cheng was too embarrassed to speak up. He had been secretly competing with his elder brother all his life, and he would never bow to his elder brother. The first wife saw her husband's inner discomfort, and in order to protect his dignity, she took the initiative to speak up.
Qiu Cheng shook his head and refused.
"My father-in-law has had a hard time these past few years. He has not received much respect from me, his son-in-law. How can I ask him to trouble me?"
This is just a polite remark.
The actual reason was that Qiu Cheng had not developed well in the early years, and the eldest lady's family disliked him. The two families had basically no contact and their relationship was shallow. They had no feelings for the eldest lady's married daughter, and if he asked for money now, he would definitely be rejected.
Why did Qiu Cheng rush to endure this humiliation
The couple fell into sorrow.
Shen Tang also had his own troubles at this moment.
It’s not because there are too many government affairs - after conquering Xiaocheng, she is busy, but it is much better than when she was poor and had a shortage of grass-roots staff, and had to do everything by herself - she is now worried about two things, one of which is related to Xun Ding.
On the fifth day after taking Xiaocheng, when Qiu Cheng and his former subordinates received the deed, Xun Ding gave her something.
A crudely made wooden box.
"What's this?"
Shen Tang didn't open it to read.
Xun Ding said: "Reply to Mr. Shen, to redeem myself."
The young man was wearing a loose indigo round-collared uniform, with a tight waistline. At first glance, he didn't look like a warrior, but rather a romantic scholar. However, his answer made Shen Tang puzzled: "You want to redeem yourself? But you are not a captive, so there is no question of redeeming yourself. Speaking of which, you have made great contributions in the battle of Xiaocheng."
We should reward people according to their merits.
But Xun Ding owed Xun Zhen a lot of debt.
"No, it's to redeem Gongxi's revenge."
"Redeem Gongxi's revenge?"
Shen Tang thought about Gong Xichou, who had been eating and drinking for free these days, playing marbles, basking in the sun and beating Yang Ying. How could this guy look like a prisoner? Did Xun Ding misunderstand something? Moreover, she remembered that Xun Ding and Gong Xichou did not get along well.
She began to tease him and said, "Gong Xichou is my best friend. If you want to redeem him, you have to pay more!"
Xun Ding was uncertain: "About... enough."
Now it was Shen Tang's turn to be shocked.
How could Xun Zhen's eldest son have so much wealth
She couldn't wait to open the wooden box. Something in her eyes looked familiar. She touched her waist and found the seal of the county governor. The object in the box was also a seal, the seal of the county governor. Shen Tang looked up at Xun Ding and almost had indigestion: "Yong'an, do you want to use Minfeng County to redeem Gong Xichou?"
Xun Ding nodded: "Yes. Although Minfeng County is just a tiny place, surrounded by mountains, forests and valleys, with little arable land and few common people, it is still a county after all. Shen Jun completely controls Sibao County, and taking over Minfeng County is also icing on the cake."
He didn't feel any pain at all to give it away.
The seal of Minfeng County was originally seized by him after he used force to destroy the original county government. In recent years, he has dealt with the bandits hiding in the territory and made them dare not disturb the common people in the territory, making their lives a little better, but only a little.
If you really want to live a good life, you still need a professional team.
And, investing a lot of money.
Shen Tang thought for a long time and then pushed the seal away.
It's not that she doesn't want the land, but -
"Someone has already paid Gong Xichou's ransom."
Xun Ding was surprised: "Who?"
"Lin Lingde and Tu Xianrong."
Two unfamiliar names, Xun Ding didn’t recognize either of them.
"You know one of them." She already knew that before the encounter between Linshan County and Xun Ding, Xun Ding encountered Kang Shi's troops, so he must have fought with Lin Feng. "As for Tu Xianrong, he is Lingde's senior brother. Gong Xichou saved their lives. I promised Lingde that one day I would capture Gong Xichou and let him go for her sake."
"I see." But Xun Ding still pushed the seal to Shen Tang and said, "Father's vision is not wrong."
Shen Tang: “…”
This trust is really heavy.
Another thing that worried her was not how to govern Sibao County and Minfeng County, but the arrival of several uninvited guests.
One of them was an acquaintance.
Qin Li, Qin Gong Su.
He was the first to come over, and as soon as he arrived, he said, "Don't be angry, Mr. Shen. My lord had to send someone on this trip because of our alliance. In terms of relationship, I am naturally closer to Mr. Shen. This person Qiu Cheng... Does Mr. Shen have any plans?"
"Kill him or let him go?"
Two years passed without leaving any trace on Qin Li's face.
Instead, he became more calm and graceful.
"I haven't seen you for two or three years. Is Gong Su so straightforward?" Without any warm-up words or greetings, Shen Tang went straight to the point. "I don't intend to kill him, but it's impossible to let him go just like that. When Qiu Wenyan pays the ransom money, he will be free again. Brother Wu has a big family and a big business, so if you're willing to help pay, that's fine."
This statement clearly expressed his dissatisfaction with Wu Xian's meddling in other people's affairs. Qin Li said, "Mr. Shen, you are joking. My Lord and Qiu Cheng have a casual relationship. How can we hurt the relationship between the Wu and Shen families for him? I am disturbing you because I have another important matter."
Shen Tang asked: "What's the important matter?"
"Mr. Shen, are you willing to join us in overthrowing the tyrant?" Shen Tang's annexation of Qiu Cheng was equivalent to making the Dragon Slaying Bureau Alliance lose the elite troops under Qiu Cheng's command. Naturally, someone had to fill this gap.
Shen Tang used a simple move to change the subject.
"Brother Wu is now the leader of the alliance?"
Qin Li replied, "No. But soon, Huang Lie's envoys will arrive, so Mr. Shen had better make a decision early. To be honest with you, Mr. Shen, Qiu Cheng has many friends. If you fight him, many people will be dissatisfied. I'm afraid that in the future..."
Shen Tang sneered: "He has many friends? That's great. I want to see who among them is willing to pay the ransom for Qiu Cheng."
Qin Li: “…”
Whether to join the game or not, Shen Tang never gave a direct answer.
But, just as Qin Li said, Huang Lie's envoy soon arrived at the foot of Xiaocheng. The envoy was a middle-aged scholar, and his attitude was very respectful, so Shen Tang was willing to give him a good face. When the envoy mentioned Qiu Cheng, Shen Tang was as aggressive as a rolling knife.
In one sentence—
If you want her to release the person, give her money. If you don’t have money, don’t complain.
The purpose of the envoy was not to plead for Qiu Cheng, but also to test Shen Tang's attitude. The envoy arrived at the border of Sibao County long before the two sides decided the winner. Huang Lie told him to act according to the situation, and to win over Shen Tang if he was valuable, or to put pressure on him if he was not valuable.
Obviously, the result is the former.
Upon hearing the news, Qian Yong, who went to raid Shen Tang's lair, hit a wall and nearly broke his leg. He suffered a lot of injuries and fled back in embarrassment.
"Mr. Shen, are you willing to join us in overthrowing the tyrant?"
Shen Tang's face turned serious when he heard this, and his words were sonorous and powerful.
"For the sake of the people of the world, Shen has no choice but to do it!"
The messenger's eyes lit up and he was overjoyed: "Mr. Shen is so righteous!"
The time is set after the spring plowing next year.
Shen Tang: "Shen will definitely keep the appointment on time."
The war is for next year. The most urgent task is to settle the trivial matters in the old nest. Minfeng County, which was thrown to us by Xun Ding, is a piece of land. Although this place is only the size of a palm, there are many troubles in it, and it takes some energy to settle them.
In his spare time, Shen Tang heard some gossip.
Bai Su: "My Lord, do you still remember Miao Shu?"
Shen Tang raised his head from his government affairs: "Of course I remember. How come this person is dead? Or did he fake his death to deceive the world?"
Bai Su didn't know where the master got such a wild idea from. She shook her head and said in a sighing tone: "Neither of them is true. Her body has been hanging in the courtyard for five or six days. Fortunately, it is cold now. If it was midsummer, who knows how many maggots would crawl on it..."
Shen Tang didn't think much about it at first, and just said, "Aristocratic families are very particular, and usually they keep the body for seven or fourteen days."
Some of the nobles had their bodies kept there for three to five years until the mausoleum was built before being buried. Bai Su's gossip was not interesting at all. But who knows, Bai Su said: "It's not just a funeral, it's just left there without anyone to take care of it, it's also pitiful."
Shen Tang was shocked: "That lecherous old rookie didn't care?"
After all, a husband and wife are bound by love for a hundred days, and Miao Shu is still his old subordinate. Although Qiu Wenyan is a prisoner and has no freedom, it is not difficult to entrust the old minister who has changed his allegiance to help bury Miao Shu's body. Shen Tang is not so mean that he will not allow this.
Bai Su was also surprised and said, "I don't care."
He guessed again: "Maybe he is worried about angering the lord?"
Shen Tang said angrily: "There's something wrong with his brain!"
Who in the world doesn’t know that Shen Youli is a beautiful and kind person
"Shao Xuan, what happened after that?"
If the body was still there, Shen Tang would have to find someone to bury Miao Shu properly. She did not torture Miao Shu, nor did she humiliate her, because she had other considerations. In the future, there will be more and more female scholars or warriors, and it is impossible for them to all be loyal to Shen Tang, so conquests are inevitable in the future. As long as there is a war, there will be winners and losers. Women who are captured will be in a more difficult situation than men.
For example, experiencing sexual violence and torture.
I only hope that the victor will treat them as true scholars and warriors, give them respect and dignity, and avoid being disrespectful and profane.
Bai Su replied, "He has been properly buried. It was an old subordinate of Prime Minister Qiu, an eighth-rank official, who came forward to ask his colleagues who surrendered for help. This man had been saved by Miao Shu, and now he came forward to bury the body as a reward... Alas, the difference is obvious."
Shen Tang agreed after hearing this.
"Where is that eighth-class coachman?"
Bai Su said: "I am doing corvée labor to earn working hours."
Shen Tang: “…”
She remembered that Yang Gong was in charge of this matter.
When Xiaocheng fell, the one with the most complicated emotions was Yang Gong, who once burned himself to defend the city. In the past two days, he took a special leave to go to the old house to pay tribute to the old and young in the family. Shen Tang did not disturb him and waited for him to adjust his emotions.
In order to stop himself from thinking too much, Yang Gong took the initiative to take on many tasks. Although he did not have the strength he once had, he had learned other things in the past four years, so Shen Tang was relieved. Coincidentally, Yang Gong came to the county government today, and Shen Tang mentioned the eighth-class public carriage to him.
Yang Gong thought about it carefully and said, "There is such a person."
Shen Tang: "Is there any trouble?"
Yang Gong shook his head: "No, he looks like an honest and simple man. I was wondering why the lord didn't recruit him before."
"It's not that I don't want to, it's that he doesn't want to."
Family members know their own business.
How could she not know where the shortcomings of her team were
This time when the HR was interviewing Qiu Cheng's old subordinates, she specifically asked Gu Chi to pay attention to the usable generals, as being unbalanced in one subject would greatly affect their performance.
As the lord, Shen Tang couldn't fight the generals every time. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but she might have to fight on multiple fronts in the future, and she wouldn't be able to handle it alone. Naturally, she had to take advantage of the fact that her power was still small and develop in a balanced way.
But since the other person didn't want to, she couldn't force him.
"Alas, it would be nice if we could keep Gong Xichou here..." It would be nice to have a top fighter to raise the average. Shen Tang felt it necessary to fool his best friend. If Gong Xichou stayed, Gong Xichou would not be able to escape. "Does Yang Gong want to go and take a look?"
Yang Gong said: "That's fine."
Meet the young man who brought him down.
_(:з」∠)_
Let’s take a break and deal with Zheng Qiao.
Place your bets and guess who will be the winner of Zheng Qiao’s murder
Shen Tang: As soon as Yang Gong entered the room, he saw Gong Xichou beating Yang Ying...
(End of this chapter)