mtl008 Chapter 49 How much sorrow can one have? It's like a eunuch going to a brothel.
Chapter 49 How much sorrow can one have? It's like a eunuch going to a brothel.
Looking at the long list of relatives, Shen Qing whispered furtively to Shen Che, "We're officials in different countries now. Won't the Emperor of Yu have something to say if we openly visit relatives?"
If there were an organization similar to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they would be arrested for treason in no time.
Shen Shi asked curiously, "The aristocratic families have intermarried for nearly a thousand years, and they are connected by kinship. If we examine this closely, we will find that there is no one left to use in this position."
"..."
Only after Shen Che's explanation did I understand that more than thirty years ago, war broke out, and a branch of the Shen family from Yunyang moved south. Fifteen years ago, Yunyang became completely uninhabitable, and the main branch moved north to Xuandu. Not only the Shen family, but other families did the same.
To preserve the bloodline, investments should be diversified; not all eggs should be put in one basket.
Shen Qing then recalled that forty years ago, the world was still unified, and the aristocratic families monopolized wealth and cultural resources, making it impossible for them to intermarry with commoners. After the country fell apart and heroes vied for power, the upper-class figures of various countries were all connected in some way, as complicated as a spider web.
This inevitably created significant hidden dangers. The aristocratic families had no sense of belonging to the newly established regime and were unlikely to stand with the newly formed imperial family. Colluding with the enemy and betraying the country was a common practice. It took decades of chaos to achieve the relatively stable situation we see today.
As for whether there were any ruthless emperors who carried out a great purge of the aristocratic class, yes, but they were all foreign regimes. For example, the Northern Desert and the Di Kingdom, which split and were established after the invasion of the Northern Di, the Cangyue and Xuanlang Kingdoms established by the Western Rong, and the Southern Ji Kingdom established by the Southern Man.
It's not easy for a Han Chinese regime to operate like this, because most of the royal family also comes from aristocratic families. If they're not careful, they could become isolated and have their advisors removed.
When Shen Qing first transmigrated, he went to the Shen family's library to understand the situation in this world. Now, experiencing it firsthand, he truly felt how complicated the situation was with sixteen kingdoms. Just thinking about it made his head ache. He couldn't help but shed a tear for the emperors of each country and also understood the practice of those in power supporting new nobles and suppressing the aristocratic families.
He couldn't say that, because to say it would be to betray his own class. But Shen Qing saw it from the perspective of the future, and it was only a matter of time before the aristocratic families came to power and left the stage of history. If he wanted to stay in this world for a long time, he had to make plans early.
It was already late, so Shen Che could no longer pay his respects to Emperor Yu. He took the opportunity to invite Shen Yun for tea and summoned Shen Qing to introduce him, saying that he was Shen Yun's cousin and that he could broaden his horizons by joining the delegation.
Shen Yun, being very perceptive, greeted them and reintroduced himself: "My nephew Shen Yun, courtesy name Junyue, is currently serving as Junior Envoy in the Protocol Department."
Simply put, it means doing odd jobs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Kingdom, handling tasks such as welcoming and seeing off guests.
Because the genealogy has not been recalculated for many years, the ranking among peers is chaotic. For example, Shen Che is the eldest in Shen Shi's branch, but ranks sixth in the entire Shen clan that migrated north. The number of those who migrated south more than 30 years ago is even more countless.
Shen Qing was too lazy to rack his brains and said boldly, "Let's each follow our own rules. You are older than me, and I am of a higher generation than you. So I will call you Jun Yue, and you can call me Sanlang. Neither of us will be at a disadvantage."
Shen Yun glanced at the twin swords at Shen Qing's waist and smiled, "Sanlang has the air of a chivalrous knight."
Shen Che chuckled twice. His sister's style was getting more and more out of control. Seeing the two chatting happily and feeling like they had known each other for a long time, Shen Che couldn't help but regret that he had thought Shen Yun was a steady person and had misjudged her.
The next day, Shen Che got up very early and had someone help Que Shu wash, change into court clothes, and wait for the summons to enter the palace to meet Emperor Yu.
When the eunuch came to pick him up, Shen Che looked at Shen Qing, who was yawning, and hesitated to speak.
"Brother...sir, do you have someone to tell you?" Looking at his constipated expression, Shen Qing felt exhausted just looking at him.
Shen Che sighed softly. Although it might be useless, he still had to give the necessary instructions.
"Stay put in the inn, don't wander around, and don't pick up random people."
"..." It seems that what happened in Qidu last time has left Shen Che with psychological trauma.
Before leaving, Shen Che glanced at Du Zhong one last time and ordered without much hope, "Take good care of Sanlang."
“…Yes.” Du Zhong felt that his professional skills had been disregarded.
"Don't worry, Lord Shaoqing, I will take care of Sanlang." Shen Yun said confidently. He couldn't openly call him uncle in front of the Emperor's eunuch, so he only addressed him by his official title.
Shen Yun is currently like a college graduate interning in a company department. At most, he can meet with the department manager, but he is not qualified to talk to the chairman. So for now, he stays at the inn to entertain the rest of the delegation.
Shen Che forced a polite smile, but could only pray in his heart that no more "surprises" would occur when he returned to the post station from the palace.
Shen Qing watched as Shen Che boarded the carriage and followed the angels away towards the palace.
"Junyue, what are some fun things to do in Yudu?"
Upon hearing this, Du Zhong's heart skipped a beat, and he frantically winked at Shen Yun, urging him to say no!
Unfortunately, Shen Yun did not receive the signal. After pondering for a moment, he said, "There is a beautiful lake called Linxian Lake outside Li'an City. It is said that there have been traces of immortals there. Now that spring is in full bloom, why don't we go for a boat trip on the lake?"
Upon hearing about the lake trip, Du Zhong felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief. They had been so tired of boating these past few days that the young lady probably wouldn't want to go, especially since the location was outside the city, which was too unsafe.
"A boat trip on the lake?" Shen Qing indeed showed little interest. "Are there any other options?"
"Sanlang doesn't know," Shen Yun said mysteriously, leaning closer to Shen Qing and lowering his voice, "Princess Yuanzhen has chartered a pleasure boat on Linxian Lake today for a poetry gathering, and most of the talented young ladies in Yudu will be there~"
After saying that, he winked meaningfully at Shen Qing. Du Zhong curled his lips in disdain. What an unreliable playboy. Luckily, the girl wouldn't be interested.
Shen Qing's eyes lit up. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Eucommia: ⊙?⊙?
Shen Yun immediately hired someone to hitch a ride, embarking on a spontaneous trip. What could Du Zhong do? He couldn't win in a fight, nor could he outrun Yue Tieniu. That scoundrel has caused him so much trouble!
In the end, Du Zhong could only follow along as a lookout, just like he had in Bai Feng City, and report Shen Qing's "misdeeds" to Shen Che.
The carriage traveled for half an hour, but when it arrived at Linxian Lake, it was filled with people of all colors, all of them men, dressed in a very flamboyant manner like peacocks spreading their tails.
Shen Yun wasn't the only one with inside information. Knowing that the young men of powerful families in Li'an City were also interested in the same thing, Shen Qing and his companions could only rent a simple awning boat. Although it didn't suit their status, they had already come all this way, so they made do with it.
Shen Qing looked around. Where was the beauty he was promised?
"Sanlang, don't be in a hurry, there's still plenty of time."
Before long, a line of luxurious carriages drove up from the shore.
The girls who came to the poetry gathering were all sixteen, seventeen, or eighteen-year-old young ladies, quite different from Shen Qing's immature classmates.
Hearing a sigh, Shen Yun asked in confusion, "What's wrong with Sanlang?"
"You do not understand."
Shen Yun: ? ? ?
How much sorrow can one have? It's like a eunuch going to a brothel.