Chapter 458 - Go Sweep the Streets
Renbo’s brows furrowed, bowing slightly, “Ruler, please think about it! Don’t remove such a great policy can’t be removed due to a moment of rage!”
Someone spoke up. Renbo had the highest prestige in Gantian Mountain City. The hundreds of participants who were initially speechless instantly cried out.
Chaiyuan sneakily rubbed the onion liquid in his sleeves in his eyes. Instantly his eyes turned red, tears flowing down, his tone sincere as he said, “Ruler! We were impolite today and disrespected the ruler, we deserve to die! However, don’t waste such a top policy just because of all of us! The ruler is wise and knows that this policy can’t be removed and how laws cannot be easily changed!”
Hu Qianqiu knelt at the side, mocking in his heart.
The 1st time in the hall, during the 1st meeting, after finding out about the powers behind the meeting, this Chai Yuan personally told him, “This ruler is too young, and this idea is really stupid.”
At the start what did he say? He nodded his head and agreed, no! He scolded him! He, Hu Qianqiu, saw right away the benefits of this Meeting Hall.
At this moment, he couldn’t bring himself to cry, and also didn’t lower himself to do what Chaiyuan did. He just said wrongfully, “Your highness, although Chaiyuan and I often fight, once we exit this meeting hall, we are good brothers. Furthermore, the few of us didn’t delay any administrative matters. The taxes today is this Chaiyuan being a bully! When there are policies to improve life none of us will stop it. Wasn’t the budget that prime minister took out this year just like that?”
Chaiyuan’s expression changed as he stared right at Hu Qianqiu. He wished his gaze could be a knife to cut him into thousands of pieces. How did he look like a brother at all?
After the 2 of them was a human raced scholarly dressed middle-aged man, “I am Xushu. 2 years ago I was fortunate enough to be chosen to join the meeting. At that time, I didn’t understand. However, now I am extremely respectful and filled with praise for ruler. This meeting hall is indeed similar to what ancient saint emperors did! Human race people like us who are under Gantian Mountain are often filled with trepidation. Only recently did we know that the ruler treated us all the same! Which is why the ruler should retract that order and show some mercy!”
The moment he said that he kowtowed 3 times, and his expression was solemn. One could see blood appearing on his forehead.
Zong Shou’s expression slowly soothed. He originally didn’t want to remove this meeting system. He just wanted to earn some face back for himself. Now that he was given a way to retreat he naturally took it. Saying coldly, “Forget it! I will temporarily keep this Meeting Hall. However, I can’t forgive you all for disrespecting me. Look at all of you, your clothes are messy. You are all old people but today are like 3-year-old kids. Since you all aren’t afraid of losing face then I will let you all lose your faces. Today, go home and think about your sins, and think carefully. Tomorrow morning, scram to the streets and each of you sweep one street, no spells are allowed. This will last for half a year!”
Hu Qianqiu and Chaiyuan were relieved at first, but then, their faces were filled with bitterness.
What were their identities? How could they sweep the streets? Wouldn’t they lose their face like that?
They wished that Zong Shou could give them a few slaps to the face which would be better.
Following which Zong Shou’s sights turned onto Hu Zhongyuan and Chai Zhou.
“The 2 of you are even more bold! Each of you gets 80 smacks, public flailing for a month! The flailing should be by 5 thousand kilograms…”
When he said that, Zong Shou still felt annoyed, he had a thought, “After, go clear the water tunnels for me for 3 years! You are not to ask for outside help!”
Hu Zhongyuan and Chai Zhou didn’t feel that affected at the start, instead, they felt joyful in their hearts. Anyways they were thick-skinned and weren’t afraid. As for being flailed by 5 thousand kilograms, it was a bit tough but it wasn’t that much.
When they heard what was said after, their faces were ashen white. Those water tunnels were so dirty, wasn’t he asking them to die?
3 years’ time, unable to use true qi and spells, unable to let others help. Their bodies would probably be extremely smelly, even if they entered those 3 brothels, they wouldn’t have face to find the girls they were familiar with.
After Zong Shou dealt with the matter, he coldly walked outside with 2 eggshells on his head.
However, just as he stepped off, he heard a few anxious sounds from behind.
“Ruler! Ruler, don’t go! There is one more topic today. My Qianxue City wants to be directly under gantian Mountain! Ruler, please discuss this matter before leaving!”
The voice came from the top left corner of the viewer stand. It was a fatty whose face was filled with anxiousness.
Beside him was a blue robbed middle-aged man who was also pleading, “My Fanghui City envies the ruler, everyone in the city wants to be people of your highness!”
Zong Shou was startled, taking a look at the hall. Then, his brows furrowed, it was so messy, how could they discuss anything?
“Forget it, those 2 topics let’s just discuss it in 7 days. It is just a 7-day delay…”
When his words landed, the expressions of Hu Qianqiu and Chaiyuan changed, both of them frowning.
On the contrary, Renbo’s eyes were filled with a hidden sense of joy.
Zong Shou instantly understood, Hu Qianqiu and Chaiyuan probably weren’t the ones who were willing to see the matter postponed.
The real culprit was most probably this Renbo. The reason for the huge fight wasn’t because of the taxes but to stop these 2 cities from joining them.
He couldn’t help but sigh. Politics were complicated, indiscernible. He was far from mastering the path!
On the viewing platform at this moment, that silver armored teen was stunned.
Zong Shou removing this meeting hall, those nobles in the city all wanted to stop him wasn’t surprising. With power in their hands, they won’t return it so easily.
However, that scholar known as Xushu who spoke, his words caused waves to rise in her heart.
This meeting hall idea was the same as the ancient saint emperor system? How is that possible?
This person was from the Confucian path so how could he say such outrageous words?
Looking at this place, be it those participants or those listening on were genuinely respectful towards the monster king, they weren’t faking it at all.
She couldn’t help but look towards Zong Shou and at the 2 eggshells on his head. His image was a little amusing.
And also those Qianxue and Fanghui cities. She also heard from others that they were in large cities. The city lord had so much strength and held huge power.
At this moment they were dying to be under Gantian Mountain to be under him.
If it was their Great Shang, then it wasn’t much. But this Gantian Mountain was just a small country. In her eyes, it was shaking in a storm and could be destroyed at any moment, which made her not understand.
The silver armored teen-only felt a layer of thick mist around this teen which she couldn’t see through.
Thinking about it carefully for a moment, she scoffed coldly, “Although he is a preposterous ruler, the people love him. He can be used…”
※※※※
Right after walking out of the meeting hall, Zong Shou returned to the Hanyan Palace on the Gantian peak. He washed himself up totally, feeling extremely refreshed. Then, he brought Renbo and Chuxue and headed north of the city.
120 miles out of the city was a giant camp that occupied 300 miles of space. It wrapped up an entire mountain hill range in the area.
It had extremely tight defenses, a full 400 thousand troops were housed here. To say that it was guard every 10 steps, 1 sentry every 5 wasn’t too exaggerated.
Zong Shou just arrived and there were tens of martial path intent that shot out from within. When they realized that it was Zong Shou, they retreated. Then, the gates of the camp opened up swiftly.
A group of soldiers lined up in an orderly manner to welcome him within. The one at the helm was the left pillar general Qiuwei, behind him followed ten over commander grade generals which were all at the Xuanwu ancestor level.
Zong Shou’s eyes lit up. Qiuwei was good at managing the army.
Who knew how high these troops ranked in the Gantian army. Anyways they were stronger than the troops who were under Han King.
After greeting Qiuwei, the 10 over people headed towards the core area of the camp.
Zong Shou drove the horse to travel swiftly as he looked around. As expected from the general who followed Zong Weiran, winning all wars. This camp arrangement was logical.
He couldn’t help but look at the side, smiling towards Qiuwei, “Uncle Qiu, how many same standard army towns does our Gantian City have?”
Qiuwei’s expression turned serious and he shook his head, “The 40 towns here are the weakest! The true strong troops are at the border. Yunxia and Blazing Flame Mountain have recovered their strength. With Thousand City Alliance and the sects supporting them, they are all tempted to move. 3 days ago there were 10 over conflicts at the border. Our Gantian Mountain has to go all out to handle them!”
Zong Shou’s brows furrowed, thinking to himself that it happened so quick! Then Qiuwei continued, “In my opinion, it is best to add 40 ten thousand men towns to deal with them. Prime minister Renbo had told me that we just need to take in less direct jurisdiction cities and we could support it!”
Zong Shou was startled, looking towards Renbo once more. Only to see the latter was calm, having no expression at all. He couldn’t help but shake his head, they even have a motive now. The mastermind behind the fight in the meeting hall was him!
“Let me think about it!”
40 towns, not only needed 400 elite martial masters, but it also needed relevant equipment which would spend huge amounts.
Zong Shou didn’t agree nor disagree with it. He was looking forward, at the place where the blood cloud cavalry was hiding when suddenly a person appeared who blocked ahead of him.
“Qiaohan?”
Zong Shou was startled as he looked towards Renbo with a questioning gaze. Only to see the latter laugh helplessly, “Close to 30% of the weapons and armor we purchase in the dark are from Kongqi Sect. We need a favor from them so naturally, we can’t stop him from entering this place. We can only try to not let him touch that important area…”
The so called important area was naturally where the blood cloud cavalry was at. Zong Shou nodded his head, however just as he moved forward he heard Qiaohan laugh coldly, “Ruler you rushed over here to see the blood cloud cavalry?”