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Shen Tang almost choked on the tea she hadn't yet swallowed.
"Cough, cough—So, so this is the truth behind the Gong clan's downfall?" Judging by what Qi Shan said, Shen Tang felt the Gong clan wasn't exactly innocent. "They knew Zheng Qiao was treacherous yet let the tiger return to the mountain. Did they not consider there would be a day he'd retaliate?" Not everyone in this world repaid kindness with gratitude. Zheng Qiao's experience in Xin Kingdom was nothing short of utter humiliation. At the time, he was weak and had to compromise. Now, as the ruler of Geng Kingdom, having prospered and gained power, the hatred accumulated in his heart erupted like a volcano, and his past disgraces became existences that needed to be annihilated.
Qi Shan said, "Well, that, I don't know."
Shen Tang teased, "I thought xiansheng knew everything." Although it was a transmigration with a hellish start, Qi Shan, this "guide NPC," was extremely diligent and responsible, five-star rating!
Qi Shan feigned surprise, saying exaggeratedly, "To be held in such high regard by young lord Shen, I am deeply honored."
Shen Tang: "..." In terms of shamelessness, she still couldn't compare to Qi Yuanliang. So she tactically lowered her head to drink tea. Qi Shan, however, while drinking tea, secretly observed Shen Tang's reaction—he was always curious, what was young lord Shen's relationship with the Gong clan? Just now, hearing that the source of the Gong clan's downfall was Zheng Qiao's revenge, young lord Shen showed neither indignation nor hatred, but a calm indifference, as if the matter had nothing to do with her.
But how could this matter be irrelevant? If young lord Shen was truly cold-hearted and merciless, then why did she brave the rainy night for a simpleton she had only just met? This person's reaction completely defied common logic.
Because the Geng Kingdom soldiers had not yet left, Shen Tang didn't want to go out and attract attention at this moment. So she asked the teahouse owner for another pot of tea. The two continued to stay in the teahouse, passing the time, and incidentally, inquired about the identities of the prisoners in the carts. The shopkeeper timidly glanced back, secretly observing the soldiers outside the teahouse, and whispered, "They say he's some Censor-in-Chief..."
Shen Tang murmured in confusion, then looked at Qi Shan: "Censor-in-Chief?" Don't blame her for being illiterate; as someone with amnesia, she truly didn't know.
Qi Shan: "Does the Censor-in-Chief the shopkeeper mentioned have the surname 'Tian'?"
"It seems his surname is 'Tian'? Those soldiers were also cursing things like 'that old Tian fellow' and 'what good is a Censor-in-Chief'?" The shopkeeper didn't understand these things. Let alone these high officials, even the old soldiers guarding the city gates could easily kill them, these common folk. He added another pot of tea for Shen Tang, sighing, "The two young lords should not be so curious, lest you lose your lives!"
During the war between Xin and Geng, the most affected were the people of both nations. The people of Geng Kingdom fared slightly better; besides taxes being twice as heavy as before, oppressing them to the point of breathlessness, at least they didn't starve. The people of Xin Kingdom, however, were miserable. The main battlefield between the two nations was in Xin Kingdom. The people of Xin Kingdom were not only bled dry to provide military supplies and provisions for Xin Kingdom's war effort, but also faced the burning, killing, and looting of Geng Kingdom soldiers. They thought that after the war, they would have some peace, but who knew that the ruler of Geng Kingdom, adhering to the principle of "not letting comrades suffer losses," indulged his subordinates who had fought for him to commit all sorts of atrocities everywhere. The common people trembled at the sight of Geng Kingdom soldiers. The shopkeeper, seeing the two young lords were handsome and well-bred, couldn't help but remind them, lest the two young men rashly lose their lives.
"Don't worry, shopkeeper. We know our limits." Qi Shan smiled and accepted the shopkeeper's good intentions. After the shopkeeper went to attend to other matters, the smile on his face vanished, replaced by a grim expression. "The Censor-in-Chief is the head of the Censorate and is responsible for receiving memorials from high officials and rectifying the conduct of all officials."
Shen Tang, with a flash of understanding, said, "So that Censor-in-Chief must have impeached Zheng Qiao quite a bit? Probably offended him terribly..." Thinking of the powerful, curse-filled outburst from earlier, which fully displayed the charm of linguistic art, how could Zheng Qiao let his family go?
Qi Shan sighed: "It's far more than just offending..."
"What else did that Censor-in-Chief surnamed Tian do?"
"I heard that Censor-in-Chief was straightforward and explosive in personality, upholding the law and fearless in exposing wrongdoing. No matter if you were a high official, a noble, or anyone else, if he caught you with a handle, he'd impeach you thoroughly, and naturally wouldn't miss Zheng Qiao. Ever since Zheng Qiao became the Xin Kingdom ruler's favored consort, this Censor-in-Chief was the harshest critic among all officials. He even once blocked Zheng Qiao's path to court with his horse, publicly spitting on him and cursing him."
Shen Tang said, "He didn't give him any face at all?"
Qi Shan: "None. After that, from the high officials in the capital to the common people, who didn't know how Zheng Qiao rose to power? When Zheng Qiao returned to his home country, the Censor-in-Chief was also the most vehement opponent, asserting that allowing this child to return would be like releasing a tiger into the mountains, leading to endless future troubles. He submitted nineteen consecutive memorials, all pleading with the Xin Kingdom ruler to execute Zheng Qiao."
Shen Tang, hearing this, had already guessed the fate of the Censor-in-Chief's family. She said, "Zheng Qiao's rise to power meant the Censor-in-Chief's family... no, his entire clan would suffer greatly..." The Gong clan, at least, had helped Zheng Qiao, yet they too met a tragic end, with some dying and others being exiled. How much worse would it be for the Censor-in-Chief?
Qi Shan, however, said, "Not just that."
"Any other grudges?"
"Before Zheng Qiao returned, the Censor-in-Chief rallied his disciples and clansmen who served in court to jointly petition the Xin Kingdom ruler to execute Zheng Qiao. And the ruler, at one point, succumbed to pressure and... he also had his own opinions on Zheng Qiao, even contemplating killing him..." It was said that the imperial decree had already been written, just waiting to be issued. However, Zheng Qiao was one step ahead; he obtained the intelligence in advance, narrowly averting the crisis. He fled back to Geng Kingdom overnight. Had he received the news any later, he would have been dead.
Shen Tang: "..." What should she say?
"This story tells us that to cut grass, you must remove the roots. Seize the opportunity when they are weak. Act preemptively to avoid future complications." Qi Shan listened to Shen Tang "drawing lessons" so earnestly, his lips twitched slightly, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what was amiss. He had just taken a sip of tea when he heard a heart-wrenching wail from a prisoner outside the teahouse, followed by the prisoner's tearful curses: "This is too much! This is utterly too much! Zheng Qiao, you greedy sycophant, how dare you—how dare you do this!"
Shen Tang turned to look outside the teahouse. "What else happened?"
Qi Shan stood up and walked to the teahouse entrance, inquiring in a low voice. A moment later, he returned with a grim expression, his aura chilling: "Zheng Qiao ordered the Xin Kingdom ruler to formally surrender with his former officials..."
Shen Tang was surprised: "I thought they had already surrendered..."
"There's still a ceremony. Zheng Qiao values that most."
"But surrendering after losing is normal, isn't it? Xin Kingdom is destroyed, the situation is set. Why are the prisoners reacting so strongly? That prisoner, who didn't cry or beg for mercy even when half-dead from beatings, is crying like this over such a foregone conclusion..." There must be a hidden reason.
Qi Shan clenched his hands, which hung by his sides, his throat bobbing. His voice trembled almost imperceptibly. He fiercely closed his eyes, then reopened them, and said calmly, "The National Seal has been sought for a long time without success. Zheng Qiao, enraged, forcibly ordered the Xin Kingdom ruler to abdicate his throne to his only royal princess..."
Shen Tang inquired with her eyes: "And then?"
First, renaming it "Chongtai" as an insult, then forcing the abdication to the royal princess. Zheng Qiao was truly a fox, full of cunning tricks.
Qi Shan's expression was complex as he continued, "...And then the royal princess was to perform the ritual of 'face bound and jade disc in mouth,' bare-bodied, leading all officials in mourning clothes and coffins, to surrender..."
Shen Tang: "..."