Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 1164 Gao Yao's Scheme: Manipulating Li Yunrui!

"Where did their food come from?" Yun Zhilan had asked Si Gu Jian this question back then.

Si Gu Jian did not answer directly, but instead brought up another matter: "Did you know that the Ministry of Revenue of Nanqing reported last month that domestic grain prices had dropped by 20% compared to the same period last year? Grain prices in Beiqi had dropped by nearly 30%. And neither of these two countries suffered from widespread famine last year, with grain production remaining the same as in previous years."

"Someone is dumping large quantities of food into these two countries..." Yun Zhilan suddenly realized, "But how could so much food be imported silently..."

Even Si Gu Jian couldn't explain this at the time, but the fact was that the power behind the Gao Clan Chamber of Commerce was too great, so great that it possessed almost countless grain reserves.

On the other side was a simple-looking carriage with a green canopy, pulled by two rare northern steeds, capable of traveling eight hundred li a day without showing any signs of fatigue. The interior of the carriage was a hidden gem—the walls were made of rosewood, the seats were cushioned with soft goose down, and a luminous pearl fixed to a small table emitted a soft glow. In one corner, there was even an exquisite charcoal stove with a copper kettle on it, brewing the finest pre-rain Longjing tea.

Gao Yao leaned back on the soft cushion, playing with a warm, smooth jade pendant in his hand.

The carriage suddenly stopped.

Gao Yao frowned slightly. According to the itinerary, they were still twenty li away from the next post station and shouldn't be stopping here. Just as he was about to ask the driver, the carriage curtain was lifted from the outside.

A delicate fragrance wafted into the carriage, accompanied by the tinkling of jade pendants. Under the moonlight, a woman dressed in palace attire and adorned with a golden hairpin stood outside the carriage. She was about forty years old, remarkably well-preserved, with snow-white skin and exquisite features, but her phoenix eyes held a sharpness and depth beyond her years.

Li Yunrui, the eldest princess of Nanqing, is the younger sister of Emperor Qing and the former head of the Imperial Treasury.

"Sir, you have arrived in Dongyi City and reached a cooperation agreement with Tianxia Bank. Why did you not inform me?" Li Yunrui's voice was gentle and pleasant, but her tone carried an undeniable question.

Without waiting for Gao Yao's response, she boarded the carriage and sat down opposite him. Her movements were elegant and natural, as if it were her own carriage. After sitting down, she even picked up the copper kettle on the charcoal stove, refilled Gao Yao's half-empty teacup with hot water, and poured herself a cup as well.

The whole process was smooth and effortless, yet a hint of amusement flashed in Gao Yao's eyes.

“The Princess’s information network is indeed impressive.” Gao Yao put down the jade pendant, picked up his teacup and took a sip. “I just signed a contract with Tianxia Bank not long ago, and you’ve already come here today.”

Li Yunrui smiled slightly, a smile that was just right, neither overly enthusiastic nor distant: "After all, I have some eyes and ears both in and out of the court. Moreover, a person like you, sir, whose every move affects the world, how could I not pay close attention?"

Gao Yao put down her teacup and looked directly into Li Yunrui's eyes: "I'm afraid the Princess's visit isn't about any cooperation, is it?"

The atmosphere inside the carriage suddenly froze.

Li Yunrui's smile gradually faded. She put down her teacup, folded her hands on her knees, a posture that appeared dignified but also revealed her wariness.

“Since you’ve gotten straight to the point, sir, I won’t beat around the bush either.” Li Yunrui’s voice turned colder. “Yan Xiaoyi is dead. He died on the same day as Shang Shanhu of Northern Qi, at the hands of the same person.”

"so?"

"So I would like to ask you, sir, do you know who did this?" Li Yunrui's gaze was like a knife, trying to find a flaw in Gao Yao's face.

Gao Yao remained unmoved, even revealing a slight smile: "The Princess already has the answer in her heart, why ask such a redundant question?"

Li Yunrui's breath hitched slightly. She had indeed guessed—to be able to kill two ninth-rank experts, Yan Xiaoyi and Shangshan Hu, simultaneously, no one in the world except a Grandmaster could do it. And at that time, there were only a handful of Grandmasters who might have been in that area.

Ye Liuyun was visiting friends in Jiangnan, Ku He was stationed in the capital of Northern Qi, and Si Gu Jian Shen was in Dongyi City. None of these three had a motive to simultaneously kill the generals of both Southern Qing and Northern Qi. So, the remaining possibility...

“It’s you.” Li Yunrui’s voice was soft, but firm.

Gao Yao smiled, a smile tinged with admiration: "The Princess is indeed intelligent."

"You admit it?" Although Li Yunrui had suspected it for a while, he still felt a pang of fear when he heard Gao Yao admit it himself.

"Why won't you admit it?" Gao Yao spread his hands. "I did send people to kill Yan Xiaoyi. Uesugi Tiger... was just a side effect."

Li Yunrui gripped her sleeve tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force. Yan Xiaoyi was a crucial element in her plan, not only a ninth-rank archer but also her eyes and ears within the army. Losing Yan Xiaoyi meant losing half of her control over the Imperial Guards.

"Why?" Li Yunrui tried to keep his voice steady. "We were supposed to be partners. You promised to help me... but you ruined my plans."

“Because that piece has already been discarded.” Gao Yao’s tone was as calm as if he were discussing the weather. “Princess, do you really think that Emperor Qing is completely unaware of Yan Xiaoyi’s loyalty to you?”

Li Yunrui's expression changed slightly.

“Yan Xiaoyi’s transfer from Jiangnan to the position of deputy commander of the Imperial Guards in the capital was ordered by Emperor Qing himself,” Gao Yao continued. “In the years he has been by your side, he has passed on as many messages to you as he has to Emperor Qing. You used him to control the movements of the Imperial Guards, and Emperor Qing used him to monitor your every move. This pawn is no longer yours.”

“Impossible…” Li Yunrui murmured, but a wavering appeared in her eyes. She recalled that over the years, Yan Xiaoyi had indeed made suggestions that aligned with Emperor Qing's interests at certain crucial moments…

"Don't worry, Yan Xiaoyi wasn't a traitor. He was just used by Emperor Qing. Now that Yan Xiaoyi is dead, Emperor Qing will indeed be more vigilant, but he will also breathe a sigh of relief," Gao Yao analyzed. "Because it means you've proactively severed this potentially backlashing thread. It seems like you've lost a great general, but in reality, you've gotten rid of a potential surveillance agent. Princess, do you think it's more advantageous for you to have Yan Xiaoyi alive or dead?"

Li Yunrui fell silent. She was an extremely intelligent woman, but she had been blinded by Yan Xiaoyi's "loyalty" over the years. After Gao Yao pointed it out, she quickly understood the crux of the matter—Emperor Qing might indeed have known about her relationship with Yan Xiaoyi all along, and the reason he hadn't taken action was to control her movements through Yan Xiaoyi.

"Where's Uesugi Tiger?" Li Yunrui asked. "He has no grudge against you..."

“Northern Qi needs some chaos,” Gao Yao said casually. “With Shang Shanhu dead, the military factions in Northern Qi will be reshuffled. The balance between the young emperor Zhan Doudou and the empress dowager will be broken, which will benefit Southern Qing, as well as you and me.”