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

Chapter 1166 Preparing to Add Fuel to Emperor Qing's Fire!

"I'll take my leave." She nodded slightly and lifted the carriage curtain.

The coachman had already stopped the carriage and stood respectfully to the side. Not far away, Li Yunrui's escort convoy was waiting, consisting of about twenty elite knights, all dressed in black and riding black horses.

Li Yunrui stepped down from the carriage without looking back, heading straight for her own entourage. A maid immediately stepped forward and draped a cloak over her shoulders.

Gao Yao watched through the car window as Li Yunrui boarded his carriage, and then the convoy turned and headed down another side road. In the moonlight, the princess's figure stood straight and lonely, like a plum blossom blooming on a cliff edge.

"Your Majesty, shall we continue on our way?" the coachman's voice came from outside.

Gao Yao withdrew his gaze: "Yes, to Kyoto. Let's hurry, we must arrive within three days."

"Yes!"

A few days later, the carriage traveled slowly along the official road, its wheels making a regular "clattering" sound as they rolled over the stone slabs. It was late autumn, and most of the sycamore leaves on both sides of the road had turned yellow. With a gust of wind, they would fall in a rustling sound, piling up into a thin, golden carpet beside the ruts.

Inside the carriage, Gao Yao closed his eyes to rest, his fingers rhythmically tapping his knees. He wore a dark blue scholar's robe with a fox fur cloak over it, looking no different from any other scholar traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations. Only in his occasionally opened eyes would a profound light flash, incongruous with his youthful appearance.

"Your Majesty, Suzaku requests an audience."

A deep voice came from outside the carriage. The member of the Qingyi Society driving the carriage did not turn around, but simply turned his head slightly to report to the curtain of the carriage.

"Let her come up," Gao Yao said calmly.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and a figure drifted into the carriage like a wisp of smoke, making almost no sound. The newcomer was a woman in her early twenties, her athletic figure accentuated by a close-fitting outfit. Her face was covered by a blue veil, revealing only a pair of sharp eyes. She knelt on one knee on the carriage floor with swift and clean movements.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." Zhuque's voice was cool, yet respectful.

"Get up and speak." Gao Yao opened his eyes, pointed to the seat opposite him, and asked, "What news is there from the capital?"

Zhuque did not sit down, but instead took out a stack of secret letters from his bosom and presented them with both hands: "This is a summary of intelligence from the past three days. Emperor Qing returned to the capital five days ago, seven days earlier than originally scheduled."

On the night of His Majesty's return to the palace, Chen Pingping of the Censorate entered the palace for a private audience, lasting two hours. The content of the conversation is unknown, but according to reports from palace informants, Chen Pingping left the palace with a grave expression.

Gao Yao took the secret letter, but didn't rush to open it. He simply placed it beside him and said, "Continue."

"In the north, news of Shang Shanhu's assassination has spread. The Northern Qi court is furious, and the young emperor has issued three edicts demanding that Southern Qing hand over the murderer. Emperor Qing is delaying the matter by saying that 'the matter is still under investigation,' but Northern Qi has already mobilized 150,000 troops to press on the border, under the command of General He Daoren."

Zhuque spoke steadily and clearly, “In Nanqing, the death of Yan Xiaoyi has caused a division within the military. The Qin family insists that it was the work of the Northern Qi and demands immediate military retaliation; the Ye family, on the other hand, believes that there is insufficient evidence and advocates caution. The two factions argued in the court for three days, and finally Emperor Qing made the decision—to reinforce the northern border, but not to start a war for the time being.”

Gao Yao's lips curled into a faint smile: "Good. The more they argue, the more time we have."

“There is one more thing.” Zhuque paused briefly. “A secret letter came from Princess Li Yunrui’s side. The incorporation of the two prefectural armies in Jiangnan is progressing smoothly. Zhao Dezhu, the commander of the Zhenjiang Army, has been won over and is willing to be transferred if necessary. The Guangling Army will take more time, but the deputy general Zhou Biao has expressed his support. As you instructed, the princess is not in a hurry to achieve results, but is instead infiltrating steadily.”

"Well done." Gao Yao nodded. "Li Yunrui has finally learned his lesson. You can't rush things, and military matters can't be rushed."

He reached for the top sealed letter and unsealed it. The letter was on specially made mulberry paper, thin as a cicada's wing yet incredibly resilient, covered in densely packed small characters written in cipher. Gao Yao's gaze swept over it, and his smile deepened.

The secret letter detailed Emperor Qing's various actions after returning to the capital: strengthening the palace guards, secretly recalling the Black Riders to the capital, and convening officials from the Ministry of Works to discuss the reinforcement of the city's defenses... Most interestingly, Emperor Qing actually secretly summoned Fei Jie from the Third Bureau of the Surveillance Bureau and asked, "Is there any possibility of a new Grandmaster emerging in the world today?"

"It seems our Emperor is truly anxious." Gao Yao chuckled and handed the secret letter to Zhuque. "Take a look too."

Zhuque took the document, quickly glanced at it, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes: "Is Emperor Qing suspicious of the Ye family?"

“It’s not just the Ye family.” Gao Yao leaned back against the cushion, his gaze fixed on the receding scenery outside the car window. “Ye Liuyun has been living in seclusion for many years, and Emperor Qing cannot find him; Si Gu Jian is far away in Dongyi City, beyond the reach of the emperor; Ku He is in Bei Qi, and it is even more impossible for him to appear silently in Nan Qing territory to kill someone. So the only possibility is that a newcomer has broken through that threshold.”

He paused, then said with a playful tone, "What Emperor Qing fears most is that this newcomer is not under his control."

Zhuque understood: "So he started investigating everyone who might be related to Ye Qingmei?"

"To be precise, it's everyone who could potentially inherit Ye Qingmei's legacy," Gao Yao corrected. "The secrets of the temple, the transmission of modern knowledge, and even... those technologies that transcend this era. Emperor Qing knows how much Ye Qingmei left behind, and he knows even more how much of a storm those things would cause if they fell into the right hands."

The carriage rounded a bend, and the outline of a post station on the outskirts of the capital could be faintly seen ahead. The capital of Qing Kingdom was less than thirty li away.

Gao Yao took out a bronze token from his pocket. The front of the token was engraved with the character "Han," and the back was decorated with intricate cloud patterns. He placed the token on a small table and pushed it in front of Zhuque.

"Send the order to Han Xin," Gao Yao's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable decisiveness, "He can move now. Raise an army in the western part of Qing Kingdom, leading 20,000 Chinese soldiers and gathering 100,000 refugees. I want to see the flames of war ignite in the western border."

Zhuque's pupils contracted slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. She held the token up with both hands and replied in a deep voice, "Yes, sir!"

“Tell him,” Gao Yao added, “that this battle is not about quick victory or conquering territory. What I want is a banner, a flame that Emperor Qing can see but won’t immediately extinguish with all his might. Let him decide the balance himself; I trust his judgment.”

"Understood, Your Majesty." Zhuque carefully put the token away from his body. "Any other instructions?"

Gao thought for a moment, then took out a palm-sized iron box from a hidden compartment under his seat. Opening the box, he found twelve exquisite porcelain bottles neatly arranged inside, each containing a colorless liquid.

“Take this to Han Xin. If necessary, you can appropriately demonstrate a ‘miracle,’” Gao Yao said meaningfully. “Remember, it’s appropriate.”

Zhuque solemnly accepted the iron box. She knew what was inside—something His Majesty called a potion. She only knew that these things were precious, and ordinary people could hardly obtain even a drop.

"I will personally deliver it to the General," Zhuque said, bowing.

"Go ahead." Gao Yao waved his hand. "Be careful on the road. Emperor Qing's spies have been very active lately. Although the Green Robe Society is secretive, we can't let our guard down."

"Your Majesty, rest assured." After saying this, Zhuque vanished from the carriage in a flash. The carriage curtain swayed slightly, as if it had only been blown by the wind.

Gao Yao closed his eyes again and continued to tap his fingers rhythmically.

The second step of the plan has begun.

Three days later, at the foot of Cangshan Mountain in the western border of Qing Kingdom.