kingnovel 120 Insufficient Balance
120 Insufficient Balance
Shen Qing met Shen Shi on the evening of the second day after returning to the mansion.
At Chunhuitang, the family gathered together after a long time, but adhering to the rule of not speaking while eating or sleeping, the meal was eaten in exceptionally quiet.
"click~"
Shen Shi put down his chopsticks and said calmly, "Qingxi, come to the study later."
Shen Qing paused in her chewing motion, her cheeks puffed out. Here it comes, the inescapable ideological education is about to begin.
Li Su's heart tightened, and she looked at Shen Shiwen, gently advising, "The child is still young, and besides, the New Year is almost here..."
Shen Che's lips twitched, he hesitated, and could only lower his head and silently eat his rice.
Qin Zhen didn't say much and quietly remained invisible.
The authority of the head of the family was still there. In the end, Shen Qing went to the study, thinking to himself, "He's my own son, after all. He can't possibly kill me."
Inside the study, Shen Shi sat behind his desk, his eyes deep and his demeanor restrained, yet he remained silent for a long time.
Shen Qing stood inside the room with her hands folded, playing the role of a virtuous and gentle noblewoman. She wondered to herself, "Is she playing some kind of psychological tactic by not speaking for so long?"
Adhering to the principle of "if the enemy doesn't move, I won't move," Shen Qing nodded and lowered his brows, remaining as still as a mountain.
"Did you gain anything from your trip south?"
Shen Qing was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, her wandering thoughts returning to their source as her mind raced. What did this mean? This didn't sound like a prelude to lecturing a rebellious girl; rather, it sounded like a test.
Are times tough?
Are the people suffering?
It's a well-worn topic; when he first arrived, he saw things clearly enough with Shen Shihua and his group in Qingshan.
So, what answer does Shen Shi want to get?
Did you gain anything...? What did you gain...?
Shen Qing's gaze was deep and her thoughts drifted away.
He had wavered about becoming a conqueror, and even thought that once he became a conqueror, everyone in the world would only be able to treat him as an NPC.
However, it is clear that the system cannot be bound, which means that one is destined to stay and live in this world.
Therefore, the mutiny that drove the original owner to despair also became a calamity he had to face.
Within ten years at most, the Xuan Kingdom will face the danger of national extinction!
“Father,” Shen Qing composed himself and asked seriously, “how long do you think the alliance between Xuan, Qi, and Yu can last?”
Shen Shi raised his eyes, a ripple finally appearing in them. "Do you believe that Qi and Yu are showing signs of breaking their agreement?"
"An alliance?" Shen Qing's face showed sarcasm. "Does Father really believe in the binding force of an alliance? It's just that all three countries need time to recuperate, and they've temporarily formed an alliance along the southeast to deter other countries. Once the two countries recover, the alliance will be nothing but a piece of waste paper."
"Furthermore, while Qi State appeared to be uninvolved in the attack on Xuan by the three kingdoms of Di, Jing, and An, was it truly unaware of it?"
Shen Shi looked solemn. Who would have thought that the three countries of Di, Jing, and An, which are completely unrelated, could unite and go through such a long and complicated process to scheme against Xuan?
Jingguo was militarily weak and Anguo was impoverished. These two small countries, which Xuanguo had never taken seriously, almost caused Xuanguo to suffer a great loss.
Qi Kingdom's attitude is ambiguous. On one hand, it is allied with Xuan Kingdom, and on the other hand, it is forming a marriage alliance with Jing Kingdom. What is it planning?
Shen Shiwei sighed almost inaudibly. He had thought that after years of warring states, there was a tacit understanding to stop the fighting, and that they could live a few years of peace.
It seems he underestimated the ambition and ruthlessness of some people. The strategy was to inflict heavy losses on both sides, aiming to catch the enemy off guard.
Seeing Shen Shi deep in thought, Shen Qing sighed inwardly. The crisis in Xuan Kingdom was an inevitable development of history, and the world would eventually be unified.
The land is stained with blood, and the throne is built of bones. Shen Qing does not know who will be the future ruler who will unify the world, but he knows that this path requires countless bloodshed and sacrifices.
The raging torrent is unstoppable; the strength of mortals is like that of ants, and a direct confrontation will only result in being crushed to ashes.
Why bother blocking it? Shen Qing decided to take the boat and go downstream!
"Qingxi, I know you are no ordinary young lady. What are your plans for the future?"
"Father, in chaotic times, military power is paramount!"
Shen Qing's eyes lit up as he stared intently at Shen Shi, practically saying, "Old man, you provide the money and I'll provide the labor. Let's join forces and make something big!"
Shen Shi pondered for a moment and said, "In the Battle of Yucheng, you were able to kill the general and capture the flag. The timing, location, and popular support were all indispensable. If it happened again, could you replicate the same feat?"
Shen Qing frowned in thought. Indeed, without Lu Zhen's cooperation and the cover of a squad of soldiers, he could not complete this tactic. The reason why Lu Zhen was willing to take such a desperate risk was because he could not wait for reinforcements. Even if he did not fight, Yucheng would not be able to be defended. The enemy marshal Ji Yun also made the mistake of being arrogant because he felt that victory was in his grasp.
These were the thoughts of Shen Shi and everyone else after reviewing the situation, but only Shen Qing knew that none of this mattered. The real reason he couldn't replicate this tactic multiple times was that his system balance was insufficient.
Yes, we're out of "money".
Although the system was unreliable and full of empty talk, Shen Qing believed this statement.
He didn't know exactly how many strategy points the system had left, but it certainly couldn't be used indefinitely.
When he first transmigrated, he had already looked at the items in the system shop. To put it simply, the wages couldn't keep up with the prices. Otherwise, Lu Huanong wouldn't have gone to such lengths to sing, recite, and act to hitch a ride with the delegation in order to save some items.
This is also why the system remained so stingy even in a life-or-death situation; it would rather move one meter than two, because money is hard to earn and goes quickly.
"No," Shen Qing said frankly after deep thought.
Seeing that Shen Shi seemed somewhat disappointed, he immediately added, "But I'm an excellent fighter, and my strategy is also quite good. Becoming a general is no problem for me."
Shen Shi nodded, "Chengming mentioned that your ability to fight against a hundred men was also due to your ability to see through the Di Kingdom's scheme..."
Shen Qing proudly raised her chin, her lips almost unable to suppress the upward curve of her mouth.
But that's not enough.
…………
Shen Qing walked along the corridor with a frown, her mind filled with Shen Shi's sigh.
"It's not worth it."
Shen Shi has already reached the pinnacle of his position, and taking another step would arouse Emperor Yongxi's suspicion. Moreover, now that all the military powers in Xuan Kingdom are under their control, if Shen Qing can consistently demonstrate his strength in the Battle of Yu City, it is still worthwhile for the Shen family to take the risk.
The victory in the Battle of Yucheng relied on surprise tactics, but ultimately lacked stable absolute strength. Shen Qing is not qualified yet. Even if Shen Shi agrees to risk the entire clan's strength to break the balance, the other clan elders would not.
Qi Kingdom is in turmoil, Yu Kingdom is also embroiled in internal strife, and now it seems that the political situation in Xuan Kingdom's court is also quite complicated.
Shen Qing found it all laughable. Nations were fighting each other, various forces within the country were vying for power, not to mention the internal strife within the family. When would this chaotic world ever end?
He still had to deal with the internal strife first. Just thinking about it made him feel exhausted. Shen Qing leaned against the pillar and looked at the blue sky in the four corners. Playing politics was not his forte. He wondered how many of those bastards in the court had a rebirth script like Song Yuan.
He only had ten minutes of the original owner's life flashing before his eyes, and two-thirds of that was filled with romance and love. He had very little information to offer, making it seem like a hellish challenge.
After a long while, Shen Qing finally let out a breath. Stay calm, stay calm. He still had time to find a way to break the deadlock. If he couldn't win this game...
Then let's flip the table!
As long as the situation is chaotic enough, there's an opportunity to slack off.