Chapter 123: Kinsmen

"What is a military family? It is one that can lead troops and sustain them."

"Hmph! A bunch of brutes!" Shen Yuejiao said with disdain.

The man she envisioned for herself had to be high and mighty, one who composed poetry and lyrics, and whose hands never touched the grime of labor.

Shen Shi knew then that his words had been wasted. But she was only a girl; if his words were in vain, so be it. He certainly didn't expect her to lead troops anyway. What mattered were the boys present.

"What about you all? The imperial court is in need of warhorses. If you raise them well, the rewards will be substantial."

The group looked at one another. No one spoke.

"Forget it. Raising horses is not a good occupation. Many families have been ruined by it; it is best to leave it be," Shen Ancai said in a low voice.

Everyone knew the benefits of horse breeding. The Great Song needed warhorses, but they demanded results without investing, and even when funds were provided, they never reached the hands of the breeders. This had been the case through every dynasty. It was true of the Han and Tang, and it was the same for the current era. Those who did the work received no pay, while the empty talkers seized everything—the rewards and the horses themselves.

Although Shen Ancai was not an official, he was a resident of the capital, and he was well-versed in such realities.

Seeing Shen Ancai speak up, Shen Yuejiao became even more animated.

"Did you hear that? That is the insight of an elder brother. So what if the horses are well-bred? If I say I want them, who would dare refuse?" Shen Yuejiao felt victorious, pointing her finger with an air of arrogant triumph.

"Brother Shen Shi, our elder brother is right. While breeding horses is fine, it is not a path to success. You would be better off pursuing a career as a civil official."

Shen Yue'e also offered advice. She truly had her brother’s best interests at heart. To speak the cold truth, if a brother from their own family became a member of the court, she, as his sister, would be less likely to be bullied. If she encountered those lecherous scoundrels again, she would not need to patiently maneuver around them; she could simply snub them based on the weight of her brother's official rank.

This was the privilege of being a civil official. The world respected them, and the court offered them many favors. As for military officers and the civil servants who actually did the work, their treatment was plain for all to see. These matters were no longer secrets. Empty talk harmed the nation, but it was a fact that the empty talkers held the highest positions.

Not only were Shen Ancai and the others unsettled, but the Shen family’s retainers who tended the horses were also restless. Hearing this, they could not help but worry: what would happen if the court issued a forced requisition? No matter how prosperous a household was, it could not withstand the demands of the imperial court. This was a very realistic concern, as it was highly likely to happen.

"Haha. Do not worry. Such a thing will not happen to me," Shen Shi laughed.

He knew what they were referring to, but they truly had nothing to fear. After all, Shen Shi was a practitioner who had achieved success in his cultivation. Anyone wanting to seize his property would have to see if they possessed the capability to do so.

Shen Yuejiao smiled and ignored him. Was it even worth saying? It was obvious. That was how the world worked. At least, that was how the world of the Great Song worked—everyone had to listen to the "lords," which meant listening to the civil officials.

So what if you were good at raising horses? If a lord said, "Requisitioned," who would dare refuse? Yes, there were fools and simpletons who dared to resist, but what was their fate? She didn't bother to say. It was useless to talk too much. Once a person became foolish, they had no desire to wake up.

Shen Yuejiao’s perception was valid for ordinary people, but it was inaccurate when applied to Shen Shi. A true practitioner of the Dao, once having stepped into the realm of the Dao, lived in a world essentially separated from the mortals. That such a person would fear an official or fear the forced requisition of an official? That would be enough to make anyone laugh their teeth out.

Seeing Shen Shi’s dismissive attitude, a flash of contempt crossed Shen Yuejiao’s eyes. In her view, this was the mark of a country bumpkin. In the countryside, he might have been powerful, doing whatever he pleased with ease. Now, he was arrogant, but there were plenty of people in the Imperial Capital who would make him hit a wall.

"Elder brother, what are our plans for today?" With her worldview already set, Shen Yuejiao clearly had no interest in continuing the conversation, and she said impatiently, "You promised me last time that you would take me eventually. When will you fulfill that?"

Shen Yuejiao's words made Shen Yue'e frown. Everyone had their own outlook on life, society, and values. Shen Yuejiao’s were the most glaring. At a poet's gathering, it was not only the poets who became famous, but also a large group of young ladies. Men used the gatherings to gain fame and become "celebrated scholars," while young ladies could use them to demonstrate their wisdom and elegance, thereby increasing their own value.

Shen Yue'e knew that her sister was young but had great ambitions. She was determined to marry into the Minister's household. Ignoring her betrothal to marry into a wealthy family was already against Confucian moral principles. Furthermore, she was playing matchmaker for others, wanting her sister to marry into a wealthy family as well—even as a concubine. This was something Shen Yue'e could not accept.

To put it plainly, she did not want to attend any poetry gatherings with her sister.

"Yuejiao, do not be unruly. Our brother has just arrived, and you want to go to a poetry gathering. He is unfamiliar with the place; do you intend to leave him all alone?" Shen Yue'e said.

"What of it? He can come along!" Shen Yuejiao blinked her eyes, acting as if she were innocent. "Besides, I heard that many people will be attending today's gathering."

That was Shen Yuejiao’s true goal; her "many people" certainly included the Minister’s son. To be so young and already vying for a man—it was no wonder, considering it was an era where marriages occurred between the ages of nine and twelve. From this perspective, it was precisely this environment that provided the soil for the birth of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism.

If one didn't come to this world, one would never understand how open the pursuit of desire and sex was in this era. Why else would the female ghosts in the *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio* open their mouths to say the night was long, their pillows lonely, and they wished to serve their lord in bed? Not to mention the stories of climbing walls and windows. Even the founder of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, Master Zhu, had an affair with his own daughter-in-law.

"If you want to go, then go. I happen to have to go to the Ministry of Personnel to check in." Different eras, different perspectives. This was nothing; it was perfectly normal for a group of teenagers to want to go out and play instead of staying home.

Although she was a bit young and perhaps a bit too eager in her pursuit of men, that was simply the custom of this world. If one could marry at nine, why would it be strange for a teenager to know how to claim a man? In any case, Shen Shi did not find it strange.

Besides, it worked out well; he needed to go to the government offices anyway. As he had said, he had arrived and returned home; now he had to report in. Regardless of how he had obtained this official post, he still had to follow the rules.

"See, sister? He has his own official business. We can't go to the government offices, so let's go, let's go!" Shen Yuejiao pleaded with Shen Yue'e. No matter how young she was, she understood that without her brother or sister there to escort her, she would not be able to get into the poetry gathering.

Of course, she always had ways to get in. Of that, she was certain.