Mythic version of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 7110 He's only responsive to gentle persuasion, not force.
If these heads of families that had been nobles for generations had any other choice, they would have definitely destroyed the Gan and Shi families. And if you think about it carefully, from the Spring and Autumn Period to the Qin and Han Dynasties, over the course of a thousand years, they had tried to destroy the Gan and Shi families more than once or twice. But every time they were about to take action, they would regret that they had not studied astronomy, climatology, calendar systems, astrology, and so on.

These things were considered very advanced knowledge in ancient times, and even in later generations, they are still considered very advanced knowledge.

So, faced with Gan Bao and Shi Tao's blatant extortion, the group of powerful family leaders who surrounded them, exuding an aura of intimidation like lions, finally gritted their teeth and accepted reality.

"How much do you want!" Yuan Tao said through gritted teeth. His Yuan family had been half-dead from last year's disaster. As for the endless blizzards in Eastern Europe this winter, it wasn't a big problem for the Yuan family. Because when it gets cold enough or snowy enough, there's not much difference.

As for the Yong family, who lived directly inside the Arctic Circle and are now completely buried, it doesn't matter much. The Yong family acquired a bunch of strange skills and successfully assembled the doomsday bunker. The city on the ground is only a part of the Yong family now, and it may become a small part in the future.

"I remember your Yuan family has large, colorless crystals." Shi Tao didn't mention money directly, but instead spoke of astronomical supplies that were extremely valuable at the moment.

Unfortunately, the technology required for optical glass is quite advanced. The glass that Chen Xi is currently producing is fine for making ordinary telescopes, but it's really not enough for high-end, technical devices.

On the contrary, natural colorless crystal is very suitable for making this. For a long time in ancient times, Europe also used this stuff as lenses. After all, compared to the Central Plains, Europe did produce this stuff.

“No problem.” Yuan Tao replied expressionlessly. The Yuan family had studied the large piece of colorless crystal for a long time and found that it didn’t seem to have any mystery about it. At most, it was just pretty to look at. But when it came to family interests, beauty was the better choice.

"Then we just need to provide some more funding," Gan Bao added. Yuan Tao felt his blood rushing to his head, but in the end he didn't say anything. After all, it was the Gan family and the Shi family. There was no point in talking to them about these things, and even if you fought with them, it would be pointless; you would only lose!
"Money is not a problem," Yuan Tao said with a sigh of relief and a smile, trying his best to keep a positive attitude.

“I know your Yuan family is involved in education, and we need a group of young people skilled in divination, whose age absolutely cannot exceed sixteen.” Shi Tao continued to insert the tubes into Yuan Tao’s lungs.

Yuan Tao took a deep breath to clear his mind and avoid getting angry, lest he start fighting with the two young men opposite him. He tried his best to answer with a smile.

But he couldn't manage a stiff smile. A young man under sixteen with good divination skills—what kind of conditions were these? This was the backbone of their Yuan family.

"I agree to this on behalf of the Yuan family, since we are the ones who will be helping with the education." Deng Tong probably sensed Yuan Tao's barely suppressed anger, so he stepped forward slightly to block Yuan Tao and spoke.

"But we can only give a maximum of fifty people, and they need to return to Eastern Europe in ten years," Deng Tong added. The education business of the Yuan family is indeed run by the Deng family. The Yuan family is just a wealthy family that has risen to prominence in the last century. Where would they get so many teachers to run education? Of course, it is the super-rich family, the Deng family with hundreds of thousands of people, that is running this business.

This is also why Chen Xi previously suspected that the Deng family was playing the game of the Tian family replacing the Qi dynasty. After all, the Deng family had basically monopolized education and grassroots management in Eastern Europe, as well as the military organization at the middle and lower levels, based on their basic strength. In this situation, the Yuan family was able to continue winning, and to be honest, it was all thanks to Yuan Tan.

Sometimes, Chen Xi felt that Yuan Tan's abnormal development was probably due to the many hardships he had experienced. His father's way of walking was so cool, leaving behind a guiding light, allowing an ordinary person to reach the peak. Well, most people in this world are just ordinary people.

"Thank you, Lord Yuan and Marquis of Gaomi." Gan Bao and Shi Tao exchanged a glance, thinking that Deng Tong was indeed a generous man, having actually arranged so many people for them.

"There's no point in saying all this. We've given you people, we've given you money, and we've always been willing to support you, all for one reason: we hope you can do a good job so that we can suffer less from disasters. We can't deal with natural disasters or change them, but at least we should be able to prepare for them," Deng Tong said sincerely to Gan Bao and Shi Tao. His sincerity made the two of them somewhat unsure how to respond.

"Alright, that's all I wanted to say. There should be families here who have been paying tribute to your two families for a thousand years. They have always been willing to pay because they trust you. I just hope you won't let them down." Deng Tong looked at the two families who opened their mouths to speak but didn't know what to say, and directly handed the seals symbolizing the Marquis of Gaomi to Gan Bao and Shi Tao.

Gan Bao and Shi Tao were the type of people who responded better to gentle persuasion than force. Or, to be more realistic, most capable people, especially those with unique abilities, were like that. When a group of people surrounded them, seemingly ready to tear them apart, the two of them were naturally stubborn and even tried to intimidate the others. But now that Deng Tong had said this…

To be honest, their ancestors followed the Shang kings. Although they later joined the Ji Zhou dynasty, their ancestors were, in essence, descendants of a branch of the Shang dynasty's theocratic aristocracy.

To be more specific, these two families have been combining shamanistic rituals with astronomical observations for a very long time. Therefore, the fact that they have been receiving offerings from certain families for more than a thousand years is quite a long time.

So when Deng Tong said that, Gan Bao and Shi Tao felt somewhat guilty. After all, they had made many mistakes over the past thousand years, and each of their mistakes meant that a group of people might die. If we were to really calculate the responsibility, it was indeed a heavy one.

The people present weren't blind. Seeing that Gan Bao and Shi Tao looked somewhat guilty after Deng Tong finished speaking and gave them the seal, they knew that the two still had some conscience.

Considering that there were indeed no substitutes, and that these two families had done a decent job over the past thousand years, at least informing them of many disastrous weather events in advance, which enabled them to survive disastrous years.

The group of powerful family leaders surrounding them, resembling a pride of lions, only uttered a few words before handing over their money. After all, the three-dimensional planetary climate model sounded very impressive, and it was said to have some climate prediction capabilities, which was quite good.

To be honest, the major families don't ask for much. They just want to know what the harvest will be like next year so they can prepare accordingly. As for more precise details, such as how long the rainy season will be, how long the dry season will be, and when it will rain, they don't expect that right now.

Of course, adjustments can be made on a small scale by cooperating with civil officials to bring about a change of regime, but frankly, there is no hope for a large-scale change at present.

"Alright, we won't say anything more. We've taken your money, and we'll definitely repay you. Over the past thousand years, those who have been willing to pay tribute to our family should understand that you haven't lost out," Gan Bao said, cupping his hands in greeting to the crowd.

To reiterate, if they were truly useless, or of little use, given the circumstances of the Gan and Shi families, they would have been eliminated long ago. Do you really think the major clans are so easily dismissed?

The fact that the Gan and Shi families haven't been wiped out over the years can only be attributed to the Han family's understanding that while these bastards are indeed worthy of being strangled, their survival is still more meaningful.

"Just do your job well, we don't understand it anyway," Deng Tong said irritably.

"How about your Deng family arranges for a legitimate son to come over? Our two families can teach him hand-in-hand," Shi Tao said after thinking for a moment. To be honest, this wasn't just a joke; he genuinely had this intention.

Deng Tong was somewhat tempted by the offer, but ultimately declined. As for his sons, well, not many seemed to be truly capable, and even if they were, Deng Tong didn't believe that studying under the Gan and Shi families for decades would be enough to acquire all their skills.

Since that's the case, let's not waste any more time.

Once Deng Tong dispersed, the other families followed suit. After all, this was the super-powerful Deng family of Nanyang. Unless the Yuan family spoke up or Chen Xi arrived, the Deng family's words carried weight.

This super-powerful family, composed of thirteen marquises, may not have many disciples or old friends, but they are prolific. With nearly a million members of the Deng family, are you scared yet?
While a group of prominent families gathered at the Huangfu family's side, a group of prominent families also gathered at the Kou family's side. Of course, the Kou family's side mainly consisted of members of the royal family and prominent families from Jiangdong. After all, after the Kou family moved to Changsha, they had some exchanges and connections with local prominent families.

Therefore, most of the prominent families in the south would send gifts to the Huangfu family and then bring their own gifts to the Kou family to see the groom and share in the joy.

"Grandmother, you look much better today than before." Kou Feng, who had changed into a formal ceremonial robe and was preparing to go to the Huangfu family to fetch his bride after the ancestral worship ceremony, noticed that his grandmother looked much better than before when he paid his respects to her.

"On the one hand, seeing you get married and the Kou family line continue makes me very happy. On the other hand, a strange person sent me something the other day, saying it can nourish the spirit. I find it strange..." said the Grand Princess of Yiyang with a smile.

Actually, it wasn't sent by Yiren, but by the Kushans. The Northern Kushans were mentally unstable, and because Vasudeva I and his group had previously spied on Chang'an, the capital of the Han Dynasty, they had the good fortune to see Princess Yiyang again. Although they had killed her son, seeing how old the princess they had once sought to marry was, Vasudeva I sent a small gift, which happened to arrive just in time for Kou Feng's wedding.

As she spoke, the Grand Princess of Yiyang tugged at the thin rope around her neck, from which hung a bead.

"The strange man said that wearing this bead, although it cannot prolong life, can maintain one's own functions and cell activity." Princess Yiyang shook the bead and said, "I was quite surprised at the time, and I also felt strange. I should not have accepted it, but after I got it, I felt that it was very effective. Then I had it appraised and confirmed that it was harmless and beneficial, so I wore it with me."

This thing is a byproduct of the Kushan Empire's efforts to develop a secret method for preserving life. It does not have the ability to prolong life, but it can restore the body's functions and cells to a certain degree of youth, which is already a terrifying effect. It can even restore one's appearance to a certain extent if worn for a long time.

However, it was indeed meaningless for war. Vasudeva I had just scolded the Kushan secret arts room for what it was doing, and then he realized that this thing could be used to deceive the princesses of the Han Dynasty.

So they had this thing delivered over, and so far, it seems to be working quite well; it does indeed have the effect of restoring bodily functions.

"May Grandmother be blessed." Kou Feng was overjoyed. His biggest worry was that his grandmother would pass away right after his marriage, which would be a real problem for the Kou family.

"Come with me to the ancestral hall to pray to our ancestors. After the ancestral worship is completed, go to the Huangfu family to marry your wife," said the Grand Princess of Yiyang with a touch of heroism.

In the main hall of the Kou family, Zhong Yao, Chen Qun, and a group of others were playing cards. Of course, Zhang Zhao from Wu was also there, so it was normal for each family to have one.

"Yuan Chang, did you cheat? How come your winning probability is so high?" Chen Qun frowned and looked at Zhong Yao. He didn't go to Huangfu Song's side because Chen Xi would definitely go there. It would be a little embarrassing to see everyone at this time, so it was better to avoid them.

"Cheating? You need to cheat to play this kind of game? Are you looking down on me, or are you overestimating yourself?" Zhong Yao said arrogantly. When playing cards, he used his mental talent to judge the best possibility among all possibilities. As long as the cards weren't too bad, he was sure to win!
"Gongda? What do you think?" Chen Qun asked Xun You.

“It’s normal if we can’t win, but I can still win if I want to.” Xun You was not at all dull at this moment; he was full of energy.

"I don't believe it! I'll play against you!" Zheng Du said, looking at Zhong Yao with a defiant expression. Zhong Yao chuckled and continued playing. Xun You didn't take it seriously. So what if he cheated? It's not like everyone doesn't have cheats, is it?

"A perfect hand." Xun You pushed over his deck of cards expressionlessly. Zhong Yao's face turned green. He began to recall the situation when he drew the cards, but for some reason, even though he was trying to recall carefully, Zhong Yao always felt that there were some things he couldn't see clearly.

Needless to say, it's Xun You who's cheating. Xun You's mental talent allows him to make his army so strategically and tactically insignificant to his opponents. A few cards are no problem for him.

"Aren't these people bored?" Zhao Shuang, who came here with Sun Qian to freeload, looked at the scene with a bit of speechlessness. He originally thought that his card counting was exaggerated enough, but it turned out that there was something even more ruthless.

“It’s not boring, they’re just having fun.” Sun Qian said with a smile, then glanced at the group of guys around him who seemed to want to say something but didn’t dare to approach him, gave them a look, and quickly slipped into a corner. If he didn’t want to be disturbed, most people would be quite sensible.

As for those guys who come over and strike up a conversation with him, Sun Qian can pretty much tell what their lines are just by looking at them. Earlier, Sun Qian complained to Chen Xi about this, and Chen Xi said that it was probably because those people's character settings were wrong. Later, Sun Qian said that almost everyone who met him used the same lines, and even Liu Bei did it for him.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xi thought about it and realized that the problem might not be with the other characters' settings, but rather that Sun Qian was being treated as a quest NPC.

At the same time, Zhang, along with Liu Jiang and Zhang Changpu, who were dressed up beautifully, also came to Kou's side. After all, as Liu Bei's principal wife, this matter was being handled by the imperial clan, and she had to appear as the great-aunt. As for A Dou, he was taken by Liu Bei to Huangfu Song's side.

"Grandma, can I come too?" Zhang Changpu was carrying a small box containing longan for Kou Shi. Although she was dressed up quite beautifully, like a young lady, Zhang Changpu was clearly a bit clumsy.

“Of course, you can meet some of the most outstanding people in the world in a place like this,” Zhang said to Zhang Changpu with a smile. “So of course I had to bring you here. You’re so smart and beautiful, of course I have to find you a good family.”

Zhang Changpu tilted her head, feeling that her parents and great-aunt were being a bit too eager, but she couldn't really object to such things.

After getting off the carriage, Zhang led the two girls into the house, presented the gifts, and then went to see the Grand Princess of Yiyang. She then asked Zhang Changpu to take her daughter with her.

"Changpu, where are we going now?" Liu Jiang asked Zhang Changpu, pulling her along. As Liu Bei's eldest daughter, Liu Jiang didn't have many friends. But after Zhang Changpu arrived in Chang'an, Liu Jiang finally had a friend. Although Zhang Changpu looked very big, she was actually only ten years old, just the right age to play with Liu Jiang.

However, the two were of different generations; Liu Jiang was a generation older than Zhang Changpu.

“Hmm, let’s see if there are any girls our age who we can play with?” Zhang Changpu wasn’t shy around strangers, so she turned around and led Liu Jiang to find some girls her age to play with. “I heard there are girls’ schools in Chang’an, so there should be many girls our age there.”

"Mmm." Liu Jiang nodded. Compared to Liu Bei's other children, she was the most timid, and for this reason, she rarely appeared in front of others.

Seeing this, the guards followed the two at a distance, not for safety reasons, but to prevent them from getting lost in the Shangxiang Marquis's residence.

Soon Zhang Changpu found a group of children her age playing football. However, compared to the normally developing children in Chang'an, Zhang Changpu was already fully grown. So after playing with them for a while and winning two games with the girls, she was about to be kicked out by the little boys.

"You won't let me play anymore?" Zhang Changpu wiped the thin layer of sweat from his forehead, not caring about the very gorgeous jacket and skirt he was wearing, and looked down at Zhong Yu, who was half a head shorter than him, and said. That's right, Zhong Yu, who was the tallest among the boys on the other side, was pushed over to chase away the big guy on the other side!
Suddenly, I realized that, if you calculate their ages, Zhong Yu is actually older than Zhang Changpu…